GIO ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



then alarmed the family, and on 

 opening the door miss Shuckburgh 

 and Mr, Sharp were found lifeless 

 on the floor. The two letters of 

 the 24th and 26th of March, ad- 

 dressed by Mr. Sharp to miss Shuck- 

 burgh, found un-opened in the 

 summer-house, after the shocking 

 event, prove beyond all douot that 

 the interview which ended in this 

 sad catastrophe was on miss Shuck- 

 burgh's part fortuitous ; forshe had 

 not the least expectation of seeing 

 Mr. Sharp, but went solely for the 

 purpose of leaving the letters she 

 had received from him, and of car- 

 rying away those she had written. 

 They were as follow : 



"Friday, March 24, 1809. 

 "Caroline! O my beloved Caro- 

 line ! I can but a short time longer 

 endure your cruel scorn ; prepare 

 to hear the worst of me, and take 

 care of yourself. Oh ! by heavens 1 

 how loth I am to die, but you com- 

 pel me to leave you, for, was ever 

 the time to come when you would 

 have no parents to oppose your will, 

 I dare not, cannot think you would 

 make me happy. I wish once more 

 to read your dear letters, and then, 

 on my honour, I will bring them 

 to the cave to morrow night, and 

 shall expect to find mine in the 

 same place on Sunday night. If 

 you love me, tell me where you are 

 going on Monday with Frank and 

 your dear Father. Your profes- 

 sions of love are as ardent as I could 

 possibly wish ; would to God that 

 your actions were as convincing; 

 then, indeed, I should be happy. 

 Caroline, my fate is certain ; I am 

 sorry you will not k t me live ; I am 

 no child in my determination ; when 

 once fixed, it is immoveable ; I have 



no earthly things to live for, for 

 you will never be mine, so I will 

 seek another and a better world. I 

 can now again scarcely believe you 

 love me, as you will not trust me 

 with your sweet letters, hut I shall 

 soon be insensible to every thing ; 

 and on my word you may depend 

 on my putting them at the cave 

 some time to-morrow night. When 

 I am dead, read them over, and 

 judge of my delight when I receiv- 

 ed them ; and of my anguish to be 

 obliged to give them up. My pre- 

 parations to quit this world take up 

 so much of my time, that I cannot 

 say more, than God bless you! and 

 may he for ever protect you from 

 the miserable awful end of your 

 trulyfaithfulandaffectionate,though 

 wretched. 



Phili? a. S. 



" I implore and suppHcate your 

 prayers; and most fervently and 

 sincerely will I pray in my last mo- 

 ments, that you may never feel the 

 least remorse of conscience, as the 

 cause of my suicide, for it was in 

 your power, and your's only, to 

 save me, but you treat with disdain 

 all my arguments. Adieu, for ever 

 adieu. P. A. S. 



" I came so fully assured of see- 

 ing you last night, that I was not 

 prepared to die, or indeed I should. 

 I acknowledge you have good 

 grounds to treat my threats so 

 slightly, but the time will come 

 when you may see my resolution is 

 not to be shaken. What would 

 have been your feelings (if you 

 have any feelings), had you found 

 me with my brains blown out at the 

 cave this morning, which certainly 

 would have been the case, had I 

 not put such confidence in your 

 coming to meet me i Oh ! for 



sbatne, 



