18/9.] 
Sides, a comedy, 1803. 18. The Vin- 
dietive Man, a comedy, 1806. 
Mr. Holcroft also exercised his talent 
with advantage te his reputation, in the 
Novels of Anna &t. Ives, published 1792, 
and Hugh ‘Trevor, published 1794. He 
also produced a third novel, entitled, 
Brian Perdue, in the year 1807. 
The public is further indebted to the 
pen of Mr. Polcroft, for many trans- 
lations. 1. The Private Life of Voltaire, 
12mo. 2. The Memoirs of Baren 
Trenck, in 3 vols. 12mo. 38. The Secret 
History of the Court of Berlin, by the 
Count de Mirabeau, 2 vols. 8vo. oy ‘Tales 
of the Castle, by "Madame de Genlis, 
5 vols.12mo. 5. The Posthumous Works 
of Frederic U1. King of Prussia, 13 vols. 
8vo. 6. An Abridged Display of the 
Physiognomy of Lavater, 3 large 
vols. Svo, 
The great action of the life of Mr. 
Holcreft, was undoubtedly his voluntary 
surrender to the indictment for highs 
treason, preferred against him in the au- 
tumn of the year 1794. Few persons 
can now doubt, that if Mr. Pitt’s admi- 
nistration had sueceeded, at that time, in 
bringing to capital punishment the twelve 
persons, many of them not personally 
known to each other, who were then 
wantonly and wickedly included in one 
indictment, the constitution and liberties 
of England would have been destroyed ; 
and as few persons will refuse to coniess 
that the voluntary surrender of one of the 
parties, after the grand jury had decided 
that they should be tricd for their lives, 
was a great and impressive demonstra- 
tion of conscious innocence, and was the 
first event, which concurring with many 
Memoirs of Mr. Thomas HHolcroft. 359 
complishments, 
fortunaie circumstances, after the two 
heuses of parliament had votcd that there 
was aconspiracy, and had thus prejudged 
the accused, saved our country from de- 
struction of the worst sort, on that me- 
morable occasion. 
Mr. Holcroft spent the principal part. 
of the vears 1799, 1800, and 1801, in 
Germany and Fr L sunvares and the observa- 
tions collected by him, in his travels, 
were afterwards published by him in two 
volumes, quarto. 
He died at his house in Clipstone- 
street, Marybone, on the 23d of March. 
The surviving wife of Mr. Tolcroft, is the 
niece of the celebrated Mercier, author 
of the Tableau de Puris, and a member 
of the French legislature. 
By this lady Mr. Holcroft has left six 
young clnidren, the eldest of whom is 
only nine years of age: these children 
aie unprovided for: but it fortunately 
happens that their mother, and the un- 
married daughter of Mr. Holcroft by a 
former miarriage, a young lady well 
known for her literary and musical ac- 
are m many respects 
singularly well qualified to undertake the 
management of a school; a task in which, 
for the support of these six children, they 
are desirous to engage. A subscriptiou 
has generously been set on foot for the 
purpose of supplying them with a suffi- 
cient fund to enable them to commence 
this undertaking, and contributions are 
received at the bank of Messrs. Marsla 
and Co, Berners-street, London, where 
the arrangements for applying the inonies 
to the intended purpose, may be seen, 
and reference made to the ps articular 
friends of the deceased. 
Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 
[Communications to this Article are always thankfully received. ] 
a - 
LITERARY COMPOSITION. 
MULE folowing observations are the 
production of a sensible critic, 
(Charpentier) and may serve as a sup- 
plement to an article under this head ; 
in Curiosities of Literature, vol. 2, page 
443, fifth edition. 
The greater number -of authors are 
never contented with their own werks: 
they must change and give a new turn 
to all they do, however good it may be; 
the first, is never the good thought; it is 
that which has undergone many and 
severe corrections ; like the Emperor Le- 
liogabulus, who judged of the excellence 
of a dish by the exorbitance of its price, 
they only esteem that which has. cost 
them. much labour and trouble. In 
truth, genius does not owe this kind of 
people many epbgabone ; for, rejecting 
all that it offers wi lingly, “they only like 
what they are ced to draw out with 
violence; or, if we may use the expres- 
sion, with the rack and the’’ torture. 
Quintilian relates a bon-met, that Flores 
said to a young man who was inclined 
that way. Finding him one day in great 
grief, he asked him the cause of it; and 
the 
