-At Lichfield, Charles Howard, Efq.

At his house in Grosvenor-fquare, Lucy Knightly, Efq. late Member for the county. of Northampton.

At Bath, Charles Wray, Efq. who had lived in the houfe of Metles. Hoare, bankers, in Fleet-ftreet, upwards of fifty years.

At Gentleton, in Wiltshire, aged 62, Rear-Admiral John Houlton.

At his houfe in Bedford fquare, Thomas Scot Jackson, Efq. one of the Directors of the Bank.

At South Burcombe, in Wiltshire, Edmund Pitts, Efq. fenior furgeon of St. Bartholomew's Hofpital.

Near Doonane, in Ireland, Catherine Cully, a poor woman, aged 130 years. The day before her death the walked more than three miles, and was feemingly in good health.

At Fairfield, near Langnor, in Staffordfhire, William Billings, foldier, at the age of 122; without ever having experienced a fit of fickness, he at laft expired without either qualm or groan! General Cadogan, who died a few years fince, was one of the lat of Queen Anne's officers that survived the great Marlborough; and Billings, the laft private in England that ferved under that great commander. Billings's birth and death were equally extraordinary. He was born under a hedge, in the year 1679, not a hundred yards from the cottage where he died.

At his apartments in St. James's Palace, Richard Dalton, Efq. furveyor of the pictures to his Majefty.

At Morpeth, Jofeph Roberts, Efq. Col lector of his Majesty's Stamp-Duties there. At his houfe in Walworth, William Gillbee, Efq.

At Eaft-Barnet, in the Sad year of his age, Mr. Edward Mounflow, who had been 54 years clerk of that parish.

The Lady of Sir Charles Rofs, at his houfe in Park-lane.

At Lancaster, Mrs. Abby Lindow, relict of the late William Lindow, Efq. and one of the family of the Rawlinfons of that place.

Mrs. Ann Hone, widow of Nathaniel Mone, Efq. R. A. late of Rathbone-place. At Jamaica, Sir Ashton Byam, AttorneyGeneral of that island.

At Chatham, Mr. William Ewin, boatfwain of his Majesty's thip the Bristol. He was boatfwain of the Refolution with Capt. Cook on his last voyage to the South Sea, and had also been with him on the expedi tion in search of a fouthern continent. He was an able and intrepid feaman, never

afraid of a stiffgale, but always better pleafe with a glass of stiff grog.

At his house in Stoke Newington, Jame Jackfon, Efq. formerly of Georgia.

At Great Hale, in Lincolnshire, worn ou with age, the Rev. Seth Ellis, Curate c that place.

Aged 66, Mr. James Luntly, an eminent glover, of York. He has bequeathed rosol. to St. Thomas's hofpital, 400l. to St. Catherine's hofpital, 100l. to the Lunatic Afylum, and 50l. each to the Blue-CoatBoys and Grey-Coat-Girls Charity.fchools in that city.

At New Romney, in the 85th year of his age, Mr. Jacob Walter, furgeon, the oldeft Jurat of that Corporation.

At his houfe in Nalau-street, John Homan, Efq.

At her house in Park-lane, Lady Mary St. John, Lady of Major St. John, and daughter of the Marquis of Lothian.

At her apartments in Alderfgate-freet, aged 81, Mrs. Hemfted, relict of the Rev. John Hemfted, many years Vicar of Haverbill, in the county of Suffolk.

At Dulwich, Mrs. Elizabeth Lulman, wife of Robert Lulman, Efq. Commiflioner of the Sick and Hurt Office.

At her house in Great George - ftreet, Hanover-fquare, Mrs. Gale, relict of the late Matthias Gale, Efq. of Catgill Hall, in the county of Cumberland, and mother to the Lady of Wilfon Braddyll, Efq.

At his feat at Mortlake, Lillie Ainf combe, Efq. one of the Directors of the Sun Fire Affurance-Office.

At Shacklewell, Mr. James Holloway, of the East-India House.

James Collard, Efq. of Walthamstow, in Effex.

In Bridge - Atreet, Westminster, Mrs. Frances Manning, the laft furviving daughter of Colonel Huntington Manning, deceafed.

At Chichester, after a short illness, Mu. Smyth, relict of the late Dr. Smyth, Retter of St. Giles's in the Fields.

At Dover, John Broadley, Efq. former a Commander of a thip in the Eaft Inda Company's fervice.

At Norwich, in the 79th year of his age, Mr. John Aldred, formerly an eminent manufacturer and wine-merchant, but who had lately retired from bufinefs; he ferved the office of Sheriff of that city in the year 1764.

At Brompton, Erskine Douglas, M. D. brother to the late Sir John Douglas, of Kilhead, Bart, and great nephew to William, first Duke of Queensberry,

For

THE MATRON.

Number XV.

HERE is not, perhaps, in the is whole catalogue of human virtues a more commendable one than charity: by charity, I do not confine myself to the mere giving of alms, and to the mere relieving of objects in distress: those are, think, poffeffed of the true fpirit of it, who take pleasure in defending amiable characters against the injurious afperfions of detraction, and in making the most candid allowances for the imperfections which they cannot juftify. This kind of charity is always to be commended, but a difpofition to be liberal may be carried too far: and, if it is not under the direction of prudence, it may indeed be very cenfurable: the idle and the induftrious, in a diftressful condition, ftand equally in need of af

fiftance, but furely the latter fhould be the first object of attention in the eye of liberality; to supply their wants with an equal fhare of munificence is not to make a proper diftinction between their refpec tive claims to it, and we often see, for want of this difcriminating power in the well-difpofed rich, the worthless are rewarded with donations which the meritorious fhould have enjoyed. Appearances, it is true, are frequently deceitful, and we may be easily drawn in, during the ftrong emotions of a feeling heart, to bestow our pecuniary favours upon the undeferving: we fhould therefore make the minuteft inquiries into the real state of the perfons who excite our compaffion, before we open our purfes to remove the grievance of which they complain; for, whatever fatisfaction we may receive from having raised a fellow creaO 2

ture

ture from an indigent to a comfortable fituation, we must be doubly satisfied with ourselves when we are certain of having distinguifhed thofe whofe virtues were equal to their fufferings.

I was led into these reflections upon indifcriminate charity, which will not, I hope, be deemed quite ufelefs, by the recollection of fome obfervations which I had heard Mr. Stanley make upon the conduct of two ladies, his neigbours in the country, They are two fifters, poffefied of ample fortunes, and unmarried. Being arrived alfo at that time of life, when, in the opinion of all fenfible people, we ought to fupprefs the leaft defire to appear in gay fcenes, and to make an expenfive exhibition of our figures in public places, they wifely allot a large part of their income to fupply the demands of the neceffitous; but as their gifts are diftributed at random, among their needy neighbours, many are. called off from the purfuit of their laudable avocations, and wafte what they receive in rioting and drunkennefs, while others, willing to put themfelves forward, if they could find employment, are doomed to ftruggle with difficulties and diftreffes. Thefe ladies, however, cannot be perfuaded that they a&t in a manner leis favourable to their understandings than to their hearts. The following account of their behaviour, one day, given. me by Mr. Stanley, will fufficiently mark their characters.

As they were taking the air in their coach, I prevailed on them to top at a cottage, to which, among many others, they had fent an equal fhare of bread, money, and coals. The people belonging to it, were found in the greatest diforder; the father, mother, grandmother, and aunt, had been, all of them, drunk the night before, and had spent all the money fent by

their benefa@reffes in strong-beer and drams, and had been, like perfons in a much higher state of life, fleeping off the ill effects of their intemperate proceedings. They were fquallid, and dirty; their hair was uncombed, and their rags were fcarcely faflened about their fetid carcalles. The children, quite neglected, lay fprawling upon the floor, almost covered with naftiness of every kind. From so disgustful a fcene it was natural for the charitable ladies to haften ; they did fo; and in the next humble dwelling which fell in their way, they met with a very different groupe; different in their perfons and behaviour, and very differently employed. The mafter of the houte-if this little tenement deferved that appellation was a plain, induftrious, laborious man, and being at that time out. of employment abroad, from the badnefs of the weather, which prevented his working, was mending up fome laths to flop a hole in his hut. His eldeft fon, a fine, ruddy, clean boy, though but thinly clad, affifted him in the performance of fo neceffary a bufinefs; his wife was feeding his mother, almost rendered senselefs by a stroke of the palfy, which had deprived her of the use of her limbs: his eldeft girl was nurfing her youngest filter, a child in arms, while five other children were all varionfly employed according to their respective ages and capacities: ufefully employed; none of them being fuffered to be idle.-Pleated with the fight of thele worthy people, who, though evidently poor, were contented, and exceedingly thankful for the relief they had received from the ladies who ftood before them.-I afked the man fome questions with regard to the mode in which he fupported fo large a family, and found, by his answers, that with his utmost labour and frugality, he

could