Feel fo much respect to the memory of every great and good man, of whatever nation or religion, that I am defirous of holding forth the portrait of one of the most extraordinary kings with which God ever bleffed a people. The enclosed head I fend you, Sir, is a good likeness of Henry the Fourth of France; it is drawn indeed in miniature, and fo are moft traits of his character, which I intend to sketch out. All mankind are interested in holding forth the virtues of a great, wife, and juft KING: there are but few kings on earth, but there are millions of fubjects: and even little kings may learn to act wifely from example, though they might, unfortu nately for themselves and their people, have been born, or inftructed, not to think wifely. In the conduct of Henry, there was fomething to truly great, that he feemed rather defigned by God to be a go. vernor, than born by chance to govern. His foibles (for foibles he had) were thrown fo much behind in the back ground of his portrait, that they were fcarce vifible in a picture, where his virtues appeared fo vivid. His bravery, his magnanimity, generofity, charity, humility, and good fenfe, feafoned too with wit (a very uncommon attendant upon fenfe) rendered him one of the mof agreeable men imaginable. But when fuch rare qualifications fall to the Jot of a king, they could not but blaze forth like a comet, and attract the attention of all that quarter of the globe to whom he became vifible. Give us, therefore, Sir, a well executed copper-plate of the head of this great man, from the enclofed drawing, taken from an original portrait, and when you have made your readers a little acquainted with the features of his face, I will introduce them to him in the field, and in the clofet, in public as a king, in private as a gentleman, where he will appear a pleafing companion among men, and among women an irrefiftible lover. It is a pleafing reflection to me, to think that I may be able as it were to raife (I fpeak not profanely) a great man from the dead, and make thole born a century after his death, perfectly acquainted with, him: if it be faid how vain a Sir Cle ment Cotterel I am, fo be it: neither you nor your readers fhall have any knowledge of the writer. I mean only to make you and them acquainted with my favourite king. Henry's perfon was what the women in England, even of thefe days, would have called (to make use of a modern phrafe) THE THING: he had a good perfon, was ftrong, lively, amorous, and couragious; he had addrefs, wit, tenderness, and fuch a fondness for the fair fex, that nothing could excufe but their being so_fair. B 2 Brave 4 A new Character, and Brave men captivated him in the field, fine women in the clofet; one of his favourite captains, named CrilJon, he never spoke too or of, but he called him brave Crillon: Crillon, who had always fought as near the king's perfon as poffible, happened to be on fome detached duty, when Henry attacked a village named Arques, near Dieppe, defended by near thirty thousand men, under the command of the Duc de Mayenne, and with his little army of about fix thousand corried it: the next day he wrote to Crillon. Brave Crillon (faid he) go hang thyfelf we have taken Arques, and thou wert not prefent." Juft before this fuccefsful attack he faid to one of his colonels, I am here a king without a kingdom, a hofband without a wife, and a warrior without money. On the plains d ivri, Colonel Thifche, who commanded the German troops, demanded the pay then due to his men, and told the king he feared if they were not paid, they would lay down their arms, and take no part in the action. How! find the king with great warmth, does it become a man of honour to demand money at the moment he is receiving orders to engage in battle? Thifche retired in confufion, but the next day when he harangued his troops, he took occafion to tell Thifche openly, that it was not just toimpeach the honour of a brave man, and that he knew him to be incapable of a mean action, and then ten deily embracing him, gave orders for the attack. Thi che affured the king that if he had a thoufand lives he would facrifice them all to his majefty's fervice, and in a few hours he gave up that only which he had, for he fell near the king covered with wounds. Now, fir, having introduced you to the king in the field, I must not forget to fhew him to your female readers in the clofet. As foon as Henry had broke off his engagements with Margaret de Valois, he contracted a fecond very contrary to his inclination (but for the good of the state, and in hopes of a fucceffor) with Marie de Medicis. Sully, who had recommended and promoted this union, had no food chained the king's confent than he fent of difpatches, interefting Anecdotes, - Jan. married the king by proxy, brought the queen over to France, and conducted her as far as Lyons, before Henry had any idea that the fift forms were carried into execution. When Sully told him the queen was arrived at Lyons he feemed ftruck with amazement! and remained filent for fome time-at length clapping his hands fmartly together, well then, faid the king, be it fo; and accordingly prepared to fet out immediately for Lyons; and arriving there at night, while the queen was fupping in public, he entered the hall, and mixed with the crowd, to fteal a first fight of her. The queen, who knew he was upon the road, and expected that night at Lyons, went rather through the ceremony of fupping, than eating her fupper, and was glad to retire to her private apartments, where he had not been but a very short time before the king was at her door; the inftantly went forth, and meeting him in the patfage, threw herfelf at his feet. king having raifed and tenderly embraced her, led her back to her apartments, where after fome general converfation, he took her by the hand, and retired from the rest of the company, to another part of the room, where he held half an hour's private converfation, and retired to his fupper; a fupper, like the queen's, foon I he over. He then defired Madame de Nemours to inform her majefty, that ་་ coming in fo great a hurry, he was without a bed, and waited to know whether he might flatter himfelf with the honour of taking part of hers ?" Madame de Nemours having delivered this truly elegant meflage, the returned to the king, and informed him, that the queen defired to have it known, that the came to obey his commands, and to fhew herself upon all and every occafion, that he was his obedient fervant. I fhall only remark here, that in matters of delicate address, the French people of fashion are superior to all the world. The wit of man could ret have contrived a more elegant and a more flattering meffage to a lady, who, though his wife, was a ftranger, and whofe litle heart was agitated by a thou and fears as well as hopes. I know not any fituation 'o delicate, as that 1777. of Henry IV. of France in private and public Life. 5 that of a fenfible woman under fach circumftances. She was married it is true-but to an ambasador, -- who beds the queen, With the nice caution of a word between. Though Henry was indebted much to nature, he ftill owed more to a good education. He had the advantage of being bred up under a mother, who took infinite pains to infill into his mind every amiable quality, and to infpire him with fentiments of true greatness. Befide which, he was happy in having none about his perfon, but men of fuperior genius and abilities, who had no other object but the good of the ftate, and the glory and intereft of their monarch. With all thefe advantages, no wonder that he fhone with fo much refplendency, and that his name fhould be handed down to pofterity with fuch repeated applaufe. Voltaire has made the heroic virtues of this prince, the theme of one of his fineft productions. That great writer, in his epic poem, feems to have forced his powers in the cha racter he has given of this magnanimous prince. The French nation, who are perhaps the greatest enthufiafts imaginable, in respect to the love they bear their monarchs, have never shewn more regard, or payed greater refpect to the memory of any prince, than they have done to Henry the Fourth; which is confirmed by the great number of fine paintings, fculptures, poems, &c. by which they have recorded his glorious life, and fatal death. Among other fine pieces of fculpture which are to be feen of him in different parts of the kingdom, one is the very beautiful equeftrian ftatue on the Pont-Neuf at Paris, which few men ever pass by, without taking off their hats; even people of condition, at this day, do not omit to pay fo Small a tribute to one, whofe memory they fo highly revere. The arts and fciences feet to have vied with each other, in endeavouring to give mankind a true idea of the fingular excellence of this great man; and have held him out as a pattern to all other princes, who ought to know that JUSTICE and CLEMENCY are the first virtues in a fovereign prince. That Henry thought fo, is certain; for when he was urged by fome of his 3 friends to ufe feverity towards thofe who had rebelled against him; he replied "no; there are more flies caught with one pound of honey, than by hogfheads of vinegar." Whilft Jeanne Dalbret was big with Henry, her father made her promife to fing him a fong during her labour pains, that the might not, he faid, bring him a peevish whining child. The princefs it feems had the courage to perform her promife; and fung him a fong in her own language (the Bearnois) in fpite of her fufferings. The child, it is faid, came into the world without crying; when his grandfather took him in his arms, and after rubbing his lips with a clove of garlick, made him fuck a drop of wine out of his gold cup, believing, by that means, to make him ftrong and vigorous. When he was complimented by his nobility on the birth of his grandfon, he faid with transport of joy, “voyez maintenant ma brebis a enfanté un lion. See here my fheep has brought forth a lion." He faid this in return to a piece of dry raillery of the Spaniards, who when they heard that Queen Marguerite his wife lay in of Jeanne Dalbret, mother to Henry, cryed, "Miracle! la vache a fait une brebis, the COW has brought forth a fheep;" alluding to the arms of Bearn, which are two COWS. Henry was educated in a very different manner to the princes of the prefent age. He was brought up in a caftle at Bearn, which was fituated among the mountains; his father would not fuffer him to be clothed differently from other children of the country, and accustomed him to clime the rugged rocks, nourished him with brown bread, beef, cheese, and ale, and often made him walk out with his head and feet bare, even in the fevereft feafons. Henry, by being thus early inured to hardships, was enabled to go into the army, at an age that few other princes quit their nursery. Before he was fixteen, he was at a battle of the Hugonots, accompanied by the young prince of Conde, under the guard of Ludovic, and etcorted by four thousand horfe. Here Henry firít betrayed the utmoft impatience to be in the midst of action, and to fignalize himself; but he was only permitted to 6 Henry's Wit, Refolution, and Bravery." to be afpectator onaccount of his youth. One day as Fenelon was painting to Henry the horrors of the war, the fire of which he faid went near to overwhelm the whole kingdom, Henry replied, "c'est un feu à eteindre avec an sceau d'eau ; this fire may be extinguished even with one pail of water:" how, replied Fenelon why by making the cardinal de Lorraine, who is the principal firebrand of France, drink at a pail of water till he burt. His intrepidity and courage was fcarce to be equalled; he would, in fpite of the prayers and intreaties of his officers, continually expofe his perfon to as much danger as the commoneft foldier. This conduct, indeed, not only infpired his men with admiration and love for his perfon, but was the means alfo of infufing courage throughout his whole army, who were so animated by his example, as to make them exert themselves to the utmost of their power in his defence, as well as that of the nation; and thus by acts of prowels: genero⚫ fity, and clemency on one fide, and gratitude and love, which fell but litile thort of adoration on the other, Henry feldom failed being victorious. So trueit is that amonarch's chief fafety and fecurity, lies in the love and affection of his people. When the city of Eanfe in Armagnac revolted, the rebels had refufed to let any one enter the garrifon, whom the king of Navarre had fent. But Henry in the mean time arrived at the gates of the city, before they could have the leaft fufpicion he was on his march, and entered without any obstacle at the head of about fixteen of his officers, who had followed him closer than the rest of his troops: this the rebels perceiving, they cryed out to their comrades, to lower the portcullis, which was done accordingly; by which means they feparated the few who were with Henry, from the reft who were without the walls. The rebels inftantly rung the alarm bell. At the fame time fifty of their foldiers running forth, cryed out, “ Tenez à cette jupe d'écarlate, & à ce panache blanc, car c'efi le roi de Navarre; fire at that fcarlet coat and white feather, for that is the king of Nivarre. But the prince Jan. turning to his followers, "My friends and companions, faid he, now is the time for us to thew both courage and refolution, for on that depends our fafety and welfare; each of you follow me, and do as I do, without firing, or making use of our arms.* Whereupon the rebels difperfed, and. the city was prefently filled with the king's foldiers, who had forced open the gates; and the inhabitants would have been put to the fword, if the principal people among them had not come out with the confuls at their head, and caft themselves at the king's feet, on whom they prevailed to pardon all, except four, who had the audacity to fire at the pa nache blanc, i, e. the white plume of feathers on the king's head. Catherine de Medicis, mother of Henry III. who had the principal. management of the kingdom, endeavoured as much as poffible to engage him to abandon the Hugonots, whofe part he strongly elpoufed, and to return to the court of France; but in this fhe could not fucceed. At one time, when the two courts were at Auch, there was a grand ball given to the nobility.While the king was at this ball, one came and informed him, that the governor of Reole, though an old man, had betrayed his charge, and had delivered up the place to the catholics, from the love he bore to one of the daughters of the queen-mother. Henry, who was determined to lose no time in revenging himself, went up fecretly to Rofny, and ordered him to quit the ball room, and join him with three or four officers, and conceal their arms under their cloaks; the prince waited for them at the head of a small body of troops, and marching all night arrived at Fleurence the moment the gates were opened, and entered without the least obstacle. The queen-mother, who. imagined he had lept at Auch, was exceedingly aft nifhed when she heard of this expedition.-But turning a laugh upon it, faid, "Je vois bien que c'eft la revanche de la Reole; le Roi de Navarre a voulu faire chou pour chou, mais le mien eft mieux pomme.” (To be continued.) THE 1777. THE BRITISH THEATRE. Tamang have Dewn an earnest HE managers of Drury Lane in difpofition to deferve the attention and encouragement of the town. They will, we hope, recollect, as no doubt they have already felt, the advantages to be derived from industry, when accompanied by perfeverance and judgment. The circumftance we chiefly allude to was the revival of Congreve's plays, the ftrength with which they were brought out, and the judicious, nay, masterly manner the parts were caft, as far as the infolence and caprice of a few capital performers would permit. At Covent-Garden the managers were much more fortunate, at infinitely lefs trouble; for with the aid of Miss Catley, and the Duenna, they took the lead. The death however of Barry, the abfence of his wife from the stage during the remainder of the feafon, and the illness of the firft comedian at that houfe, will most probably turn the tide the other way; for in the prefent state of both companies, there cannot remain a fingle doubt that Drury-Lane has an apparent fuperiority, both in the tragic and comic walk over Covent-Garden. DRURY LANE. THE Tempeft, which was revived early in this month at this house, was brought out with great judgement, and was received with fuitable applaufe, The little girl who appeared in Ariel feems to poflefs talents for the ftage, very uncommon in one of her tender years. Her voice, as may be prefu med, is weak, and unequal to power. ful exertions, or a highly finished and masterly execution; but there is ftrong reafon to expect, that when her talents arrive to maturity, and are improved by her knowledge of mufic as a fcience, he will become a moft valuable acquifition to the ftage, both as an actress and finger. Her voice is fweet, her ear correct, and her countenance animated, engaging, and expreffive. Her pronunciation clear and diftin&t; her emphafis well placed, her conceptions juft, and confidering hér infantile years, her action, takingin the difpofition of her head, arms, and 7 lady, Mrs. Schuyler, who appeared deportment, truly inimitable. The the fame night for the first time in, Miranda, has been handfome or indeed rather approaching to the beau tiful. She is at present a mere piece ` of fill life. She wants almost every requifite for her new vocation but face and figure, and feems, while on the ftage, to be in a state of incurable fupidity and inattention, or which is much more inexcufable, to affect a fpecies of infolent indifferencee, of which, if the facredness of her fex did not forbid, the deferved, long fince, to be warmly and loudly reminded. Her voice is not difagreeable, nor does her countenance want expreflion, when the happens to betray any feeling, which indeed feldom happens. Bannister was admirable in Caliban. He truly reprefented the very monfter the poet had in contemplation, when he drew this extraordinary character. Bentley was decent in Profpero; his abilities are limited, and his file harth; yet his conceptions are juk, and he feldom grossly offends, where judgment and mere propriety may be fubftituted for fimple nature, and ftrong feelings. The TEMPEST was reprefented at the other house, with feveral material alterations: MrsFarrel was well received in Ariel, and with great juftice: the rest of the Dramatis Perfone were barely paffable. COVENT GARDEN. The COUNTRY WIFE, altered from Wycherly, was reprefented at this theatre. We mention it only to take notice of a Mrs. Willon, who came out in the character of the Country Wife; and to affirm, that if her abili ties be as general, as they are genuine, the will prove in the low walks of comedy, in the first infiance, one of the beft actreffes that has appeared there twenty years on a London ftage. January 17. This evening a young man (Mr. Peele) appeared for the first time in the character of Dorilas, in Aaron Hill's tragedy of Merope. His figure is rather flim or gentee', than fine. His action is aukward, if not |