1808.] 
this point, as it will vindicate his lord- 
ship's wisdom and good sense from an 
act of gross imprudence, which would 
better become a rash young man and a 
commoner, than one then at the zenith 
of life, as well nearly as’ of fortune and 
title. What was the marquis’s confi- 
dence in the Rev. C. Tayleur, I really 
cannot say; but asto our merry friend 
the brick-maker, he would as readily 
- have trusted water to a sieve, or a mitre 
. to his head, as a secret to'his care and 
confidence. Was it not also natural to 
oceur to a mind of his superior experi- 
ence, that if he divulged a secret of this 
kind, considering the simple and frugal 
_ style in which he lived, and the severity 
with which strangers usually judge one 
another, that neither of the parsons, 
though we are told of the extraordinary 
shrewdness of one of them, would have 
believed him? ‘The reverend gentleman 
would, Lam afraid, hke Thomas of Didi- 
mus, in this case, have gone diametrically 
opposite to the fact: the pride predomi- 
nant in most, seldom believing the best 
till itis absolutely obliged to do so, by 
the omnipotent experience of truth. 
But what more particularly puts it out of 
all doubt was his observation, at Burgh- 
ley, soon after he came to his title, be- 
fore his first chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Ca- 
rey, and myself, that be was surprized 
the people of Shropshire, notwithstand- 
+ ing his desire of being unknown, were so 
long in unveiling his real rank and con- 
dition. The rest of the anecdote bears 
much the same character for error and 
‘truth as the foregoing. In respect to his 
shocking the feelings of his wife with the 
sudden disclosure of her new rank, for- 
tune, and situation, a circumstance so 
foreign to the general conduct of this de- 
licate and considerate nobleman, I am 
happy to inform you it is equally a mis- 
take. His wife, long before his uncle’s 
death, or even last illness, was introduced 
to him at Burghley; so that if he then 
hinted any thiog to her on the subject, 
it was far more natural and _ proper. 
Though I am clearly of Mr. Mawman’s 
opinion, that great and sudden elevations 
do not always contribute to our happi- 
ness, yet I have every reason to believe, 
_ from his lordship’s kind and unremitted 
“attention to her, that Lady Exeter felt 
nothing of the unhappiness he mentions. 
+ TfL had not myself been a witness of 
this, I should not presume to vouch for 
it; and that her death was not. ocea- 
“sioned, or even accelerated, by the stare 
pf her mind, is evident to those acquaint 
Meteor discovered by Mr. Lofft. 
125 
ed with the fact, that she expired purely 
in consequence of the illness attendant 
on the birth of her last child, which was 
just three weeks after delivery. 
Such, Sir, are the fiels whicli a long 
and intimate acquaintance with the de- 
ceased marquis and his lady, previous to ~ 
his coming to his title, and since, have 
enabled me to place in opposition to the 
naked suppositions of the Tourist; and, 
though it is not as easy to contradict 
anecdotes as compose them, yet a natural 
love of truth, as well as a sincere venerae 
tion for the memory of the deceased mar- 
quis, to whom I owe much, will I trust, 
excuse this humble effert of my pen. 
Yous, &c. TQ, 
Nore of the Entror.—We think it pro- 
per to state, that on the death of the late 
marchioness we received an account of ber 
history, which we then thought marvellous, 
and we judged it to be our duty to submit it 
to the marquis through a friend, before we 
printed it. He received it with kindness, 
and politely returned the article, which ape 
peared in our obituary. 
eee 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SBR, 
BEAUTIFUL meteor has been 
observed by me at ten this even- 
ing. 
I was looking at the moon, then just in 
the horizon, with a pocket achrometer of * 
Dollond. My attention was called off by 
a starry light, which must have been 
very strong, as the distance of the object’ 
which produced it was near 90° (or at 
right angles) from that point of the hori- 
zon which f was then observing. I turn- 
ed round, and saw the object whence the 
light had proceeded. It was the most in- 
tensely blue light I have ever seen of any 
celestial object. It was, I think, cer- 
tainly not less than 2' or 24/ in diameter, 
perfectly round, and well defined, at aw 
altitude of about 28°. It descended 
slowly and equably in an oblique direc- 
tion westward and S$. W. In approach. 
ing the horizon, it became sensibly incur- 
vated, and agam changed its direc- 
tion. 
The curve, as near as I can describe, 
was thus, and the undulating appearance 
in the change of direction beautiful and 
unusual ;— 
O 
It 
