"But ye ever like to see me "Vext and sighin', late and air."Fareweel, Meg! I've sworn to lea' thee, "So thou'll never see me mair." Meg a' sabbin', sae to lose him, Sic a change had never wist, Held his han' close to her bosom, While her heart was like to burst "O my Watty, will ye lea' me, "Frien'less, helpless, to despair! "O! for this ae time forgi'e me: "Never will I vex you mair." "Aye, ye've aft said that, and broken "A' your vows ten times a-weak. "No, no, Meg! See!-there's a token "Glitt❜ring on my bonnet cheek. "Owre the seas I march this morning, "Listet, testet, sworn an' a', "Forc'd by your confounded girning; "Fareweel, Meg. for I'm awa." Then poor Maggy's tears and clamour Gusht afresh, and louder grew, While the weans, wi' mournful' yaumer Round their sabbin' mother flew. "Thro' the yirth I'll waunor wi' you "Stay, O Watty! stay at hame; "Here upo' my knees I'll gi'e you Ony vow ye like to name. "See your poor young lammies pleadin', "Will ye gang an' break our heart? "No a house to put our head in! "No a frien' to take our part.' Ilka word came like a bullet, Watty's heart begoud to shake; On a kist he laid his wallet, Dightet baith his een and spake. "If ance mair I cou'd by writing, "Lea' the sodgers and stay still, "Wad you swear to drap you flyting?" "Yes, O Watty! yes, I will!" Then," quo' Watty, " mind, be honest: "Ay to keep your temper strive; "Gin ye break this dreadfu' promise, "Never mair expect to thrive. "Marget Howe! this hour ye solemn "Swear by every thing that's gude "Ne'er again your spouse to scaul' him, "This upo' your saul ye swear? Maggy syne, because he prest her, FROM THE UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE. The Life of the Late Arthur Murphy, Esq. Written by himself. WE are informed by Tacitus, that Biography was at an early period of Rome greatly in vogue; and such was the wish of good and upright men to be known to posterity, that many thought fit to be their own historians, persuaded that in speaking of themselves, they should display an honest confidence in their moral conduct, not a spirit of arrogance or vain glory. He mentions * The interruptions which this narrative received are apparent from the inequality of the composition. I did not think, however, that it would become me to make any alterations for the sake merely of giving the style a literary uniformity. It is written, in some parts, without any artificial transition, in the first and third persons, to something like an occasional confusion of the sense. But as the important purpose of ascertaining the facts which it relates, is completely answered by it, unless where it appeared to want perspicuity, I have considered its very imperfections as sacred;-and I trust that the reader will sympathise with me in the venerating sentiment which has preserved the last pages of Mr. Murphy's pen, and the last exertions of his mind, from being corrected by me. Rutilius and Soranus, who left an account of their own lives; and their veracity was never doubted. Of this practice there have been various instances in Italy and France. In England men. have been less careful of their posthumous fame. We have, however, two modern examples: the celebrated David Hume has left a modest narrative of his own life: and after him, the late Mr. Gibbon, author of the History of the Roman Empire, left a record of himself; but he extended it to two quarto volumes, in a style perhaps too splendid and ostentatious. The present writer intends to make David Hume his model. He flatters himself that his name will survive him; and should that be the case, he hopes that his wish to be fairly represented will not be deemed a mark of ambition. He has lived for some few years in a state of ease and retirement; and in that time he has observed, that many of his dramatic works, written forty or fifty years ago, are not discarded from the theatre. This he considers as something like posthumous fame. He applies to himself, and he hopes without vanity, what Pliny the younger said of a person, who, for some years before his death, retired from the world: Posteritati sui interfecit.-Martial has a similar thought he says of his friend, fruitur posteritate sua. : This writer has read in various pamphlets what the publishers called the History of his Life, composed, indeed, with civility, but without due information; and though nothing of any consequence will occur in the following pages, a true and fair account will place his memory in its true light, and in that confidence he proceeds to tell a plain story. Richard Murphy, a merchant in the city of Dublin, was this writer's father, by Jane French, who was married to him in 1723. She was one of the daughters of Arthur French, of Clooniquin, in the county of Roscommon, and of Tyrone, in the county of Galway her offspring were two daughters, who died young, and three sons, James, Arthur, and Richard. The last died in his infancy; James was born at my father's house on George's Quay, in the city of Dublin, September 1725 of the present writer, a memorandum in his mother's Prayer Book says, he was born on the 27th of December, 1727, at Clooniquin, then the house of her eldest brother Arthur French. Richard Murphy, his father, sailed in one of his own trading vessels for Philadelphia, the 24th June, 1729, but it was an unfortunate voyage: the ship was lost, as there was reason to suppose, in a violent storm, and neither the master, nor any one of the ship's company, was ever heard of. From that time Mrs. Murphy continued in the house on George's Quay, which was built by her husband, and there bestowed all her attention on her two surviving sons, James and Arthur, till in December 1735, by the advice of her brother Jeffery French, of Argyle-buildings, London, she sold all her property in Dublin, and removed with her young family to the metropolis. This writer did not remain long in London: his mother's sis ter, Mrs. Plunkett, wife of Arthur Plunkett, of Castle Plunkett, in the county of Roscommon, being at that time settled at Boulogne with her family, she desired by letter that her nephew Arthur should be sent to her. Accordingly, the young adventurer, early in the year 1736, was embarked, and soon arrived at his aunt's house, which was large and commodious, in the Lower Town, near the church. Her family was large; no less than five sons and four daughters, who behaved with the greatest affection to young Arthur; till, in the beginning of 1738, Mrs. Plunkett was ordered by her physicians to the South of France, for the recovery of her health. On that occasion she sent her sons to their father, who was then in London, and placed her daughters in a convenient situation at Montreal. Young Murphy, then turned of ten years old, was sent to the English college at St. Omer's, and in that seminary he remained six years.* In February 1734, he was of course placed in the lowest school, under the Rev. Mr. Stanley; and under him went through the second school in regular succession, till being at the head of rhetoric, and the first boy in the college, he was dismissed to London in 1744, being then 17 years old. From the middle of the second year in Great Figures, young Murphy obtained the first place; and except three times maintained his ground throughout five successive years. One thing in particular he cannot help recording of himself: in the middle of the year in poetry, the young scholar stood a public examination of the Eneid by heart. The jesuits were arranged in order, and several gentlemen from the town were invited. The rector of the college examined his young pupil, and never once found him at fault: at the end of half an hour, the rector took a pen to write Murphy's eulogium. It should have been premised, that all the scholars went by assumed names; Murphy changed his to Arthur French. The words of the rector were, Gallus nomine, Gallus es, qui simul ac alas expandis, cæteros supervolitas.' This There were six schools divided from each other by the following inscrip tions:-10. and Lowest Little Figures; 2°. Great Figures; 3°. Grammar; 4o Syntax; 5o. Poetry; 6°. Rhetoric. The boys passed a year in each, under one and the same master, who began in the lowest, and at the end of the year went on to the second, taking with him such boys as he thought fit to go forward. In this manner he went on till the end of rhetoric, when the scholars left the College. I understand there is an Act of Parliament which prohibits natives of the British dominions from being educated in Catholic seminaries abroad; for which reason, to avoid conviction, the boys underwent a temporary change of their names. at the time filled me with exultation; and even now is remembered by me with a degree of pleasure. I cannot quit this head, without saying, that I often look back with delight to my six years' residence in the College of St. Omer's. During that time I knew no object of attention but Greek and Latin; and I have ever thought, and still think it, the happiest period of my life. In July 1744, I arrived at my mother's in York-buildings. My eldest brother James soon came home from his morning walk, and embraced me with great affection. In a day or two after, my uncle Jeffery French, then member of parliament for Milbourn Port, came to see me. He talked with me for some time about indifferent things; and then, repeating a line from Virgil, asked me if I could construe it? I told him I had the whole Eneid by heart. He made me repeat ten or a dozen lines, and then said, If I have fifty acres of land to plough, and can only get two labouring men to work at two acres per day, how many days will it take to do the whole?, Sir!' said I, staring at him. 'Can't you answer that question?' said he; Then I would not give a farthing for all you known. Get Cocker's Arithmetic; you may buy it for a shilling at any stall; and mind me, young man, did you ever hear mass while you was abroad :''Sir, I did, like the rest of the boys.' Then, mark my words; let me never hear that you go to mass again; it is a mean, beggarly, blackguard religion.' He then arose, stepped into his chariot, and drove away. My mother desired me not to mind his violent advice: But my brother, who was educated at Westminster school, spoke strongly in support of my uncle's opinion, and he never gave up the point till he succeeded to his utmost wish. James soon after went to the Temple to study the law, and this writer remained with his mother in York-buildings, till the month of August 1747: he was then sent by his uncle to the house of Edmund Harold, an eminent merchant in Cork, and there remained a clerk in the compting-house till April 1749; having first attended at Mr. Webster's academy near the Mews, were he was taught to cast accompts, and instructed in the Italian method of book-keeping. On his uncle's arrival in Dublin, he ordered his nephew to meet him at Headford, in the county of Galway, the seat of Lord St. George, but at that time occupied by Arthur French, of Tyrone, nephew to Jeffery French. Nor can I pass by the city of Cork without acknowledging the civilities I received from the eminent merchants there. A more hospitable, polite, and generous people, it has not been my lot ever to have known. I reached Headford; and, in a few days after my arrival, Jeffery French came there, with his intimate friend M. Dodwell, of Golden-square, a gentlemen of great taste and eminence in literature. In about ten or twelve days, they both set off for Dublin, |