4 
1799.) 
would be a (peétator of the fcene ; and ac- 
cordingly in the fummer of 1792, he vifited 
Paris. While -in that city, and under the 
invitation given by the French legiflature to 
all foreigners, to favour them with their fen- 
timents on the erecting a free conftitution; he 
wrote a fhort treatife in Englifh, on the na- 
ture of fiee government. It was tranflated 
into French by Mr. Madget *, and prefented 
in the fame manner as the Laurel of Liberty 
to the National Convention: ** honourable 
mention” being made of it on their journals. 
When Mr. Merry was making his tour in 
Italy, aad efpecially while furveying that fa- 
mous city, once the miftrefs of the world, 
and ftill the repertory of all the great mo- 
dels of the fine arts; he met with David the 
celebrated French painter, who had repaired 
there with the view of further improvement. 
He had now in Paris an opportunity of re- 
newing this acquaintance with his old friend, 
who had laid afide the pallet and taken upon 
himfclf the duties of a legiflator. By David 
he was introduced to feveral members of the 
Legiflative Aflembly and of the Convention, 
and it was to this friendfhip he was indebted 
for a pafiport to return home when fo many 
Englithmen applied for them in vain. 
R. Merry was in Paris on the memorable . 
roth of Auguft, when the Parifians ftormed 
the Royal Palace. He was there aifo on 3rd 
and 4th of September, of the fame year, 
thofe diés atri of that feafon of the revolu- 
*tion. He hada ticket préfented to him, and 
a feat referved for him in one of the lodges of 
theconvetntion, now erected into a national 
tribunal, had he chofen to be prefent at the 
trial of the king; but he declined the offer ; 
and i may be faid of him with great truth, 
that however he approved of the principles 
ef the French revolution, he turned his face 
from all the violences with which it wag at- 
tended in its progrefs. Revolution upon re- 
volution greatly affected his fenfioility 5 for 
though he was robuf of frame, his nerves did 
not correfpond with his mufcular ftrength. 
Thus alarmed he quitted the fcene of fan- 
guinary contention, although there were many 
of both partiesand chofe of high confideration, 
willing to fhew him every civility in their 
power, 
Mr. Merry had always been a bom wivant ; 
he had 4lfo a turn for play, and this with 
ether fafhionable propenfities kept him for 
feveral years in an emibarraffed fate; fo 

* This is the Mr. Madget fpoken of in 
the intercepted letter of Dr, Jackfon, con- 
demned in Ireland for high -treafon; and 
whofe name for want of the real fié being 
known or credited, was reprefented in the 
inuendoes of the Attorney General, as having 
a myfterious tignification ; whereas Mr. Ma.- 
get was a real character, an irifhman by birth, 
but had fulfilled the funétions of a clergy- 
man above twenty years in France, and at the 
time of Dr. Jackfon’s trial, was a public 
teanflator of languages. 
Aon taty Mac. No, x11. ‘ 
Biographical Notice of Mr. Robert Merry. 
hero’s early -age. 
25% 
that it is difficult to fay whether at this pe= 
riod his inattention to money affairs had 
made him more the prey of unfatisfed cre- 
ditors or of unprincipled lawyers. 
Upon his marriage with the celebrated 
aftrefs Mifs Brunton, a profpeét opened #0 
him of living at his eafe, by the joint pro- 
duétion of that lady’s talents and his own 
pen; but unfortunately the pride of thofe 
relations upon whom he had molt dependence, 
was wounded by the alliance, and he was 
conftrained much againft Mrs. Merry’s incli- 
nation to take her from the ftage. ‘This he 
did as foon as her engagement at the theatre 
expired, which was in the fpring of 1792. 
They bothreturned from the continent in the 
fummer of 1793 (for Mrs. Merry had ac- 
companied. him to France), and from that 
date they cannot be faid to have formed any 
fettled plan, unlefs their retiring to America 
in 1796 may be fo confidered. Occafionally 
in the above interval Mr. Merry wrote fora 
periodical paper ; and fome of the be!t poetry 
in the Telegraph was the production of hig 
pen. His Signior Pittachio, written at this pe- 
riod, muft ever he deemed a moft happy pro- 
duction of keen fatire, unfurpafled by any 
thing in ancient or modern times. No mi- 
nifter in any age had been fo ridiculed before. 
But our author had feen that the thunder of 
reafon and truth had been as ineftectually 
tried to change the ftate of affairs, as his 
{quibs of fatire and ridicule; he therefore be- 
gan to think of feeking ina diftant country 
What he defpaired of ever finding in thiss 
He was not long in refolving. He fnatched 
up a pen and wrote partly in tears, partly im 
ink, an adieu to his native lund. Thefe af- 
fe@ting lines are in print, and the occafion and 
fubje& of them are frefh in the minds of hia 
deareft friends: to whom upon his’ taking 
leave he faid, in the words of Qroonoke. 
This laf farewel, 
Be fure of one thing that will comfort us, 
Whatever world we are next thrown upon, 
Cannot be worfe than this. 
Confidering this a mere {ketch of a life in 
what is called the grande monde; we have 
not touched upan any of the incidents of our 
Trifling as they may be 
thought by fome perfons, they will no doubt 
one day engage the pen of fome abler hand, 
who hall undertake fully to fatisfy public 
curiofity, by prefixing his whole life toa col- 
lection of his claffical works. 
Having been bornin Loncon, his fend aunt 
was afraid the country air might be too fevere 
for the young cockgey’s tender frame, he was 
therefore never carried abroad unlefs wrapt in 
furs or other equally warm clothing. Not- 
withftanding all which, he appeared luckily 
to have efcaped the daagers which J. J. Rout- 
feau defcribes the children of great perfon- 
ages to undergo from too much parental fond 
nefs, 
Ina letter to a friend after his arrival in the 
1ew world, he {peaks of the fublime emotions 
with which hisdoyl was filled by the voyage 
KR& acréis 


