aa ee 
36 
the orthodcs Ptelema‘c fvtem, to the 
Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, 
_ Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sth {phere, 
Primum Mobile, and laltly, to ob- 
tain 2 tranGent glance of the beatific vi- 
fion in the heaven of heavens, the poet’s 
empyrean. 
Memoirs of Adrs. Rebinjon. 
[ Feb, qT; 
I cannot difguife my fufpicion, that 
however far the bard may have carried his 
reveries, the commentators are not behind 
him, and perhaps I was wrong in wiihing 
the editor of the aew Roman edition had 
entered into their fpeculations, 
Dee. 1$, 2800. 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
—[S aS 
‘ACCOUNT of the late MRS. ROBINSON. 
SIRCUMST ANCES that caf an ac- 
& cidental lufre over a life, are to be 
taken bythe biographer rather asa fortunate 
affifiance to his labour, than eny part of 
the intvinfic merit of the fubject of his 
work. The Hfe of Mrs. Robinfon, a 
fketch of which we now prefent to our 
FeaGers, was no? wanting in fech circum- 
ftances ; but there are only two which we 
fhail fele&t, and which may reafonably be 
allowed to be ebjects of our predileftion. 
Mrs. Robinfon was collaterally defcended 
from that crssmesat of our country, - Mr. 
John Locke; and fhe had the felicity to 
receive the easlieft and therefore the 
moft important part of her education. from 
the juitly celebrated Hannah More. 
The family of Mrs. Robinfos was re- 
fpeétable on the fide of each of her parents. 
On the mother’s fide it was that fhe 
claimed relationfisip to Mr. Locke. Her 
father, Mr. Darby, who died mm the naval 
fervice of Ruffiay im which he commanded 
a fhip of 74 guns, was defcended from an 
ancient Irifh family. Her brother is an 
eminent merchant at Lechorn, in Italy. 
Mrs. Robinfon was bern in the College 
Green, Briftel. After receiving part of 
her educatien st Mus More’s ichool, the 
was fent toa boarding-fchoel near London. 
Her father loft a confiderable fortune in 
fome commercial fpeculation; and this 
prozably eccafioned her removal from his 
Immediate care. Mr. Rebinfen, the 
younger brother of Commodere Robin- 
fon, iste in the Right Honcurable Eaft 
India Company's ‘ervice, who was ferv- 
ing his clerkinip to an attorney in the 
metropolis, by fom: accident was imtro- 
duced to Mifs Darby; and that he became 
violently enamoured of her, will not be fur- 
prifing to thofe who have feen her even 
fince calamity and difeafe had robbed her 
of part of her exquifite beauty. Mis 
Darby, with a lovelinefs of form and fea- 
tures that perhaps never was furpafled, 
poflefied a lively humour and a fweetnefs 
of temper that made her perfenal charms 
only 2 iecondary obje& to fenfpility. 
When we conider the fine genius of 
Mrs. Robinfon, and_the literary excel- 
lence that the afterwards EB oe under a 
thouland difadvantages, we may well paufe 
at this eventful moment of her life; and 
may be allowed to iament her early, haity, 
it may be calledsafh, marriage. She was 
Fa fifteen when fhe married Mr. Robdin- 
Very foon efter, her hufband, 
ce family difappsintments, fell aa 
fucceifionof embarrafiments.. The writer 
of this memoir was intimate with a lady 
and her davgbier who were neighbours 
and vilitors of Mr. and Mes. Rebinfen, 
within a fhort time after their union, and 
when they already firuggled with pecu- 
niary difficulties. Often has he heat them 
converfe, with the enthufiafm of. extreme 
admiration, of the innocent, amiable, de- 
ferving conduét of the married child, as 
they ufec to name. her, under circum-., 
tances that frequently difeencert and dif 
grace the oldeit snd wile. Mr. Reobin- 
{on’s affairs having beea partially prog a 
by u‘urers, declined, from the very weight 
of that circumftance, into a worfe condi~ 
tion ; and he was at length imprifoned by. 
one ef his creditors, who had been his 
fchool feliow, and to this’ hour pro- 
felles to be his friend. _ We fhould not- 
touch on this fact, but for the fhare ; 
Robinfor teok in her hefband’s misfor- 
tune. She lived fifteen months with Mr. 
Robinfon in a prifon; the threthold of, 
which fhz never pafied but once or twice, 
when fhe vifited the Ducheis of Devon- 
fhire, who generoufly patronifed am 2t- 
tempt Mrs. Robinfon made with her - 
pen, te relieve their wants in prifon. In 
this melancholy fituation, her Mufe made: 
its earlieh efforts; -and fhe publified a 
imall volume of Poems, which are now 
fcarcely known, there being at the time, 
we believe, only a few copies printed for ~ 
the perfons who took them at the recom- 
mendation of her-noble patronefs. But 
accnmulatien ef difficulties induced Mrs. 
Robinfon to think of fomething lefs tem— 
porary and cafual, as a refource from. 
abfolute penury; She caft her eyes to- 
wards the flage; and was {con engaged at. 
Drery-lanc Theate. Her charaéters 
were 
