CHARACTERS. 



543 



in Johnson's Rambler,* and, since 

 the Adventurer, has again formed 

 the topic ofan essay, in No. 22 of 

 Repton's Variety.f 



If we advert to the moral 

 tendency of the essays of Hawkes- 

 worth, we shall find them uniform- 

 ly subservient to the best interests 

 of virtue and religion. Every 

 fiction which hehas drawn involves 

 the illustration of some important 

 duty, or lays bare tiie pernicious 

 consequences of some alluring 

 vice. Even incidents which ap- 

 pearto possess a peculiarindividu- 

 ality, are rendered, by the dex- 

 trous management of our author, 

 accessary to the purposes of uni- 

 versal monition. As instances, 

 however, of those numbers of the 

 Adventurer which, dismissing the 

 attractions of scenic art, are strict- 

 ly didactic, we may mention, as 

 singularly worthy of notice, No. 

 10, illustrative of the inquiry. 

 How far Happiness and Misery 

 are the necessary effects of Virtue 

 and Vice ; No, 28, On the Positive 

 Duties of Religion, as influencing 

 Moral Conduct; No. 46, On 

 Detraction and Treachery ; No. 

 48, On the Precept to Love our 

 Enemies ; No. S2, On the Pro- 

 duction of Personal Beauty by 

 Moral Sentiment ; and No. 130, 

 On the Danger of Relapse after 

 purposes of Amendment. 



From the observations which 

 we have now made upon the merits 

 of Hawkesworth's periodical wri- 

 tings, it may justly be inferred 

 that he holds a higher rank among 

 our classical essayists. He takes 

 his station, indeed after Addison 

 and Johnson; and the Adventurer, 

 which rose under his fostering 



• No. i.'jy, 



care, need not fear a comparison 

 with the Rambler and Spectator. 



One object which Hawkesworth 

 had in view, in the composition of 

 his Adventurers, was that of prov- 

 ing to the world how well adapted 

 he was, in point of moral and reli- 

 gous principle, for the superintend- 

 ence of the school which his wife 

 had opened for the education of 

 young ladies. This object was 

 fully attained ; for the seminary 

 rapidly increased, and finally be- 

 came a very lucrative undertaking. 



From his customary attention to 

 the academy, however, he was for 

 a short time diverted, by a very 

 unexpected promotion. Herring 

 Archbishop of Canterbury, being 

 highly pleased with the instructive 

 tendency of his papers in the Ad- 

 venturer, conferred upon him the 

 degree of doctor of civil law ; a 

 dignity which suggested a new 

 road to emolument, by giving him 

 a title to practise as a civilian in 

 the ecclesiastical courts. In the 

 attempt, however, after some pre- 

 paratory study, to carry tliis plan 

 into execution he completely fail- 

 ed, owing to the strenuous oppo- 

 sition which he had to encounter. 



A still more unfortunate result 

 of his elevation was the loss of 

 Johnson's friendship ; a depriva- 

 tion whichjwe are sorry to remark, 

 appears to have arisen from his 

 own ill-timed ostentation, a weak- 

 ness that few could suppose at- 

 tached to a mind apparently so well 

 regulated. " His success," says 

 Sir John Hawkins, " wrought no 

 good effects upon his mind and 

 conduct ; it elated him too much, 

 and betrayed him into a forgetlul- 

 ness of his origin, and a neglect 



<■. 

 t Published in 1788. 



