4c 
which are not publifhed in any collection, : 
are extremely beautiful; an deferve to 
be placed among her ether works. 
The profe compofitions of Mrs. Robin- 
fon are greatly below her poetry. Not 
that her novels and romances (of which 
they chiefly confilt) want invention ; but 
that fhe wrote with a hafte that did not 
ermit her to be choice in the felec- 
tion of intidents, or to weave an artful 
webb im the relation. She was accuitomed 
to write from the impulfe of the moment ; 
and the facility with which fhe wrote her 
poems, fpoiled her for the drudgery that 
belongs to every work of grest extent. 
Of her facility we could relate examples 
that appear incredible. Many of the 
Ioncelt pieces in her Lyrical Tales, were 
written in one mormng. The Lefcar, 
confifting of 312 lines, was written, re- 
vifed, and completed, in Ieis than eight 
hours ; and the beauties of that porm may 
challenge works more laboured. 
Bur, though Mrs. Rebinfon could not 
fubmit to the tedicus confideration of ail 
that was ‘neceTary to a work of length, 
fearcely ever was labour. more fevere or 
conftant, than that of the latter perted of 
her life. She never dilappointed her em- 
ployers, although her literary engage- 
meats were fo many, and of fuch various 
Kinds, that it feemed impoffible to execute 
them. We have faid, fhe htterly earned 
nearly as much by literary labours as the 
amount of her annuity. 
The Lyrical Tales was the laft of Mrs. 
Robinfon’s poetical publications. The 
Jat work on which the was employed, was 
the tranflation of The Picfure of Palermo, 
trom Dr. Hager. She had long occupied 
part of her time in preparing Mzemzirs of: 
ker Life; and, conhdering the fruitful 
events of that life, it is to be hoped they 
will not be with-held from the public. 
Fer fome months previous to her death, 
Nirs. Robinfon had muchto endure. “Her 
heakh was declining ; pecuniary embar- 
rafiments preffed clofely upon her; and her 
heart was. fivoln with injuries. Amnnudit 
ail this, her condu& was marked chiefly 
with fortitude and cheerfulnefs. It was 
ent; the few who faw her in the clofelt re- 
tirement that perceived the fymptoms of 
a broken fpirit. Yet ber debts (which 
were partly the caufe) were comparatively 
imal! £1200 would have paid them; and 
Mrs. Robinfon had recently adopted plans” 
of economy, which would have enabled 
her, in 2 year or two, to have fatishe 
every pecuniary claim en her. Her fate, 
in this refpe&t, muft be deemed cruel; and 
the more fo, as fhe had often relegied 
others from the dancer of a prifen, with 
which fhe was threatened in ber very aft 
Account of the German Poet Géthe. 
[Feb. r, 
moments. Mrs. Robinfon was not, how- 
ever, deftitute of friends, had fhe chofen 
to have applied to them, The Ducheis of 
Deventhire, Lord Moira, and the Mar- 
quis and Marchionefs of Hertford, with 
many other diftinguifhed chara&ers, had 
been. liberal patrons, and continued to be 
warmly attached to her. 
In the couric of this laft fummer, Mrs. 
Robinfon had retired almott from the 
world, to a beautiful cottage belonging 
to her daughter on Engiefield Green, near 
WindforForett. Here the encroachments of 
difeafe, mental and bodily, gradually over- 
powered every effort of human fkill; and 
after Ingering for near three months, 
notwithSanding the unexampled attentions’ 
of Drs. Pope and Chandler (gentlemen not 
more didinguifhed for their profeffional 
fkill, than their univerfal benevolence of 
heart), fe expired on the 26th day. of De- 
cember, 1800. On the body being opened, 
by the exprefs with of the phyticrans who 
attended her, the iauacdiate cafe of her 
death was found to be an accumulation of 
water on the cheft, together with fix large 
ftones contained in the gall bladder, a cir~ 
cumftance which, had fhe been able to 
take the exercife of walking, would long 
fince have accelerated that event which is 
now the fubje& of regret to her friends. 
In the Jatt hours of her exiftence, Mis. 
Robinfon was not deferted by thar forti- 
tude and frengeth of mind which had ever 
diftinguithed her. She gave diveétions for 
her funeral; and exprefled many oifhes) 
relative to her death with a fpirit perfeGlly 
refigned. mihi 
By her owa defire, fhe is buried on the 
north fide of Old Windfor Church Yard. 
Her funeral was plain. The daft melan-: 
choly office of atttnding her remains was 
performed by two literary and valv ed 
friends. A monument, on a fimple aie 
elegant model, is preparing by herdaugh- 
ter’s orders, and is intended to be erected’ 
over the place of her interment.) -) 
“® 
ANECDOTES Of GERMAN AUTHORS and 
AUTHORESSES réfiding at WEIMAR iz 
SAXONY. ree ge 
(Continued from p. 434; of Doli tb.) 
ON GOTHE, privy councillor to 
’ the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, intend- 
ant of the ducal mines, of the theatres, of 
the Academy of Painting, &c. the A 
of the German Parnaffus, has attaimed in 
his political as ‘well as li career @ 
fplendid eminence. Gdthe is a native of 
Frankiort. When the Duke of Weimar 
pafed through that city on his way to 
Daimiiadt; to be betrothed toa Heffian 
princels, he became acquainted with young 
Gorhe, then already refplendent with the 
rays 
