Star.
London, England, 1802-02-25 00:00:00

EAST INDIA SHIPPING.

Yetterday a Court of Direaors of the Eafl In-
dia Company was held at the India Houle, when
the following Commanders attended and tack
their final leave of the Court previoufly to their
being difpatched for the Prefidencies of Madras
and Bengal, viz.

Capt.Rohert Spottifwood, of the flip Lord Nelfon ; and
Capt. Adam Cumin, of the (hip Bengal.

The above Ihips, with the WALTHAMSTOSS and
the UNITED KINGDOM, are expelled to be dif-
patched next week, being the laft Mips of this fca-
fon to fail for Coal and Bay.
Yefterday advice was received at the India
Houle of the fafe arrival in the Dawns of the (hip
Hinde, Capt. CATLINE, from Bengal, a regular
rice (hip ; (he left the Pilot the aoth September,
arrived at the ;Sand of St. Helena the 31ft De-
Cember, and failed the 3d of January. The liinde
left at Bengal the William Pitt, Capt. RICHARD
Ow it; ; the William Dent, Capt. GI LES MUSSON ;
the Automacia, Capt. ANTHONY CURTIS ; and
the Experiment, Capt. Jona N. WHITE. The
above (hips were to fail from Bengal with rice in
Uetober.

We have the pleafure to announce the fafe ar.
rival yefterday, off Dover, of the Union, Captain
Luca, from Bengal, one of the rice [hips which
were left at St. Helena by the Eliza Ann. She
parted with the Pilot in Aura laft, and brings
an account that (even other rice (hips were to leave
Bengal in the month of September.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

CQURT OF KING'S BENCH, FEB. 24.

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.
FORSTER V. MELLISH.

This was a caufe which flood over ever fince
Saturday 'aft, and had excited a very confiderable
(hare of public cuiiofity, the Court being crouded
at an early hour.
Mr. HOVEL opened the pleadings. He laid the
declaration Rated, that on the 28th of September,
18ot, Either Mellillt, the Defendant, being then a
feint tole, promifed to marry Jofeph Fortier, the
Plaintiff, on the 12th of December, if the thould
then be alive and well, and he would execute cer-
tain fettlemcnts ; that the was, on the 12th of
December, alive and well, and that he was ready
to execute thefe fettlements ; and that, notwith•
(landing, the refuted to fulfil her faid promife,
to his great damage. The Defendant denied that
the had promifed in manner and form, &c. and,
upon that, Ate was joined.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL laid, he had the ho-
nour to appear for a young Gentleman in a moft
refpeaable fituation of life, and as refpeaable a
character, who now complained of an injury the
moll deeply affeaing to the feelings for which it
was polfible to apply to a court of juftice for
redrefs. He had been cut off from the enjoyment
in marriage of a young Lady whole affections he
I •
believed that he poffelled—in whom his whole foul
was abforbed—and in whom centered all his hopes
of future happinefs. Mr. Fortier, born of re-
fkaable parents, had been regularly educated in
the fcience of phylic. Having attended the Lec-
tures of the moft eminent Profelfors for a confider-
able number of years, he had made fufficient pro-
ficiency to enable him to praaife as a Surgeon;
and in the year 1799 his friends advice(' him to
fettle fomewhere in the neighbourhood of the me-
tropolis. At that time Mr. Sands, who had car-
ried on a very extenfive bufinefs as a Surgeon and
Apothecary at Highgate, was about to retire, and
Mr. Fortier entered into a treaty to fucceed him.
Conditions were agreed upon ; the bufinefs was
transferred to him; he bought Mr. Sands's bottle,
and was received with the greateft favour by all
the neighbourhood. Soon after, at an allembly,
be met the prefent defendant, Mifs Either Mellilh,
a young lady of exquifite beauty, and the molt
brilliant accomplithments—a young lady whole
natural endowments had received all the culture

end polia of the molt fniihed education ; *bore
perfon and whole mind were all that the fondeß
lover could defire. They were at fill mutually
(truck with the appearance of each other, and
an intimacy was formed between them. But for
Tome time Fate was unpropitious to their loves,
and it was not till the beginning of iBol, that the
treaty was entered into, which was the fuhjeet of
the prefent aftion. By his conflant affiduities he
then fucceeded in rendering himfelf acceptable in
her eyes, and (he on her part (hewed the greateft
anxiety to fix his afle &ions. t They raw each ether
frequently ; and, when they found it impoflible to
meet, they correfponded by letter. At lag the
plighted her vows to him with the greateft &tem.
nity, and betrothed herfelf as his future wife.
—NI S. Menial was one of the daughter of Mr.
Mellith, the Government Contraltor, a man of
v. ry large fortune, who had left her about
io,cool. But the Jury mutt not fuppofe that the
Plaintiff had been adtuated by interefted views.
In the premium paid to Mr. Sands, in the pur-
chafe money of his houfe, and in the fume of
money he had fince expended in decorating it for
the Defendant's ule, he had laid out above pool.
He had not been driving a coarfe and felfifh bar-
gain. His perfon was elegant, his charafter irre-
proachable, his income confiderable, and he was
in every relpeet an adequate match for the young
lady.--But though thefe were confiderations to
have great weight with a parent, the had over-
looked them. She was animated by love, not by
prudence. Her letters warmly, though delicately.
painted her patron. The learned Counfel
avowed all with to give her unneceflary pair. by
reading thefe letters in open Court, or to infinuate
that any of their contents threw the kali cloud
upon her charaeler. Unlefs for inconftancy he be-
lieved her condua to he unimpeachable, but duty
required him to leave no honourable means un-
tried to procure ja aice for that man in whole hap.
pinefs the had committed fuch havock, whom the
had made the puppet of her caprice and the butt of
her petulance; evl.orr.,e xpeCtingtheimmediatecom-
pletion of lt:s ;Ines, her ayward condo& had pierc-
ed with grief and funk in defpondency. The effects
of wounded pride and of injured love were but too
well known ; and it would be proved by the wit.
n.4les that this unhappy young man had been un-
able to fuaain the blow which was inflieted upon
him : that his mind was difturhed, and that his
health was materi.:l y impaired. Her brothers
(one of whom lived in Gray's-inn, and the other
was a tanner in the Borough of Southwark) had
been at firft averfe to the match ; but their con.
fent had been obtained, the marriage clothes had
been bought, and the day appointed for the cere-
mony. Mr. Attorney now proceeded to read the
letters. He began with one dated the 26th of
May, t fiol. In this Mifs Melt& (who was then
living near Highgate, with Mrs. Gowland, her
lifter) apologifes to Mr. Fortier for refilling to
meet him at Tome place where he wifhed for an af-
fignation. She lays, "I am perhaps too fcrupu-
lous ; but you will allow that I err on the fafe
fide. There is a word called propriety to which wo-
men cannot be over attentive ; and I am con-
vinced that many innocent charafters, for want
of a little prudence, are tainted by the foul breath
of fcandal. However, if you will mention any
road near town, not too public, I will meet you
there in a hackney coach. I will pretend that I
am going to vifit a friend, and will bring Wheeler
(her maid) along with me. Ido not approve of
this plan, but I can think of no other." In the
next, dated May o, the fags, " I have received
a letter for you, chetated by my brothers; but I
will not fend it, and I told them fo. I hope when
they fee that all my happinefs depends upon you.
they will not objeEt to our union. Pray do not
blame me for not teeing you to night—you know
my charailer is at flake. May HEAVEN promote
our withes while they are good and honourable."
In the third the obferves—" My brother Sam has
promifed to enquire into your charaEter and cir-
cumftances, and I fruit he will at length withdraw
his oppofition. All that I fear is, that you are
led away by an idea that my fortune is large. In•
deed it is not. I with it were ; I fbould more wil.
Tingly bellow it upon you. I hope you will bear
with patience the temper of my brothers. I may
never fee you again, but you (hall always retain the
efteem and friend(hip of the unfortunate—Esrxra
Mai...Aso." Many letters, Mr. Attorney General
laid, paired between them in the fame Rile, when,
fuddenly, all intercouife was fufpended between
them. What a firange caprice ! She was imme-
diately after anxious to.lure him back, and pre-
tended that this was merely a pretext for difmiffing
him. This interruption was occafioned by a let.
ter, dated Auguft 7, in the following terms P.-.
" Sir, The statement of your affairs, given in to
Mr. Vane, turning ont to, be falfe, I am induced
to 'Olen to the advice of my friends on a point on
which I think myfelf incompetent to decides and,
conformably to their withes, I defire that the con-
neCtion between us may drop entirely. With every
good with for your welfare, I remain your obe-
dient fervant, E. M." She had received an aria
nymous letter, which gave her great uneafinefs,
and the had cut with him from iuppofing that he
was the author of it. On the 18th of Auguit.
the wrote to her confidential friend, Mils Swaine,
laying—" I fend you the anonymous letter. Ido
not think it right to do myfelf, but I think you
might Phew it to him, as if from me, and let him
know that this was the only caufe of my difplea-
lure. 1 likewifc fend you inclofed a letter for him.
If your father and mother approve of it, I beg
yeti will wafer it and deliver it to him. If I can
bring him round again, I am determined to marry
him in fpite of my friends. I trod to your father
fur the fetticments— but I am afraid I (hall have
no occallon for his affillance. As you fay,
kicked the bucket too violently.' How could Ibe
fuch a fool I" Upon this Mr. Forlter felt and ex-
preffed confiderable refentment. In a letter to
him, dated August 22, the lays, " Though you
ate unfeeling and unjua, NH I anfwer you. I
confefs that my conjectures with regard to the
, anonymous Writer were wrong; but hill Ido not
deferve your reproaches, and I thus feel lets fe-
, verely the fling. which they are meant to convey.
To fay I am furry for the uneatinefs I have °cc:L.

[

finned Ton is all that remains for me to do, utdefs
you would will your letters to be returned." Af-
terwards, by Mils Swaines good offices, a perfea
reconciliation was effefted, and the tendernefs of
both parties was revived. Still, however, Mifs
Tlrlli interpofed unneceffary delays, and now
living at a confiderable diflance from Highgate,
engrofred more of Mr. Fortter's time than a pro-
feffional man could porubly (pate. Vexed and

impatient, he wrote to her, faying, that unable to
,
bear her difdain any longer, he -had refolved to
fly to a foreign country, where her image might
be lianithed from his bofom. On the 28th of Sep-
tember he reelned the following anfwer : " It is
teem's to lament, as it is impollible to recal any
pot of my injurious condua. To diflrefs
you was very far from any thoughts. I was
kept back by the torturing certainty, that in
becoming yours I (hall lore all my dear rela-
tions as completely as if they were feparated
from me by the hand of death. You fay your
happinefs is Rill in my power. The fincerity of
this declaration will foon be put to the tea. I
beg leave to inform you that if you do not agree
to the fettlements as propofed by Mr. Swaine, I
now write you for the laft time. But if you (hall
execute them agreeably to his diredions, it is my
',orifice and fixed refolution on Saturday, Dec.
Z. to forfake my relations for the protedion
which you offer me. If you are not aduated by
honourable motives, may the ALMIGHTY take me
to himfelf before I follow you to the altar. If you
hoof me as yon 147,1 pray Heaven to prolong our
lives, and to guide us in the path on which we are
nl,out to cuter." On the fame day the wrote her
frirnd Mr. Swaine, of the manner in which the
wished her fortune to be fettled. The next letter
read was to her friend Mifs Mary Swaim, whom
the addretTes under her nick-name. "My dear
Paul frizzle, (lays (he), I have had a delightful
game at romps with Capt. William Lowther. If
I am to marry a certain perfon I mug come to
town immediately to buy the marriage things.—
Is!rs. Lowther has anted me to go with her for a
month to Brighton, but I have fcarcely time, tho'
it is yet a month to the time of my marriage. Yon
kaloy I was determined not to have a bed-fellow till
the warm weather was gone, and you will allow I
vis in the right." In another, dated Oft. a, (he
" Fortier agrees to every thing I afk, and
would content to the fettlements being Rill lets in
V. favour it I were to defire it." In one to him.
fell, dared Nov. to, " Yellerday your (errant
brotight me your miniature. I with that Mifs Mary
Swaine may he allowed to go with us to Bath ; I
have fent you a ring the flue of mr finger." The
nett was likewife to him, and here (he Pays—" Lail
night we tat up romping till one. My bed-
room door was broke, and I was obliged to change
my quarters for the night. Are you not afraid to
take fetch a mad-cap into your houfe ? I mutt tell
you how it was. I had fnatched a piece of paper
the two Mifs —'s were reading, and putting it
into my pocket, they infilled upon recovering it,
and in the ttruggle, to my unfpeakable confuft.n,
down &opt your pi,ture on the floor." Mr. File:
ter was no doubt delighted to find her in loch fpi•
nits on the ere of her nuptials. We little know
what may befal us ! Without the. leaft fymptom
of change, or notice of impending calamity, he
was in a tcw days plunged into the depth of de-
fpair. He received the following letter, dated
Fr?d.ly, Nov. z 7—" Sir, the treatment I have late-
ly expetienced has brought back all my former
o%jeflit,tis with redoubled force. lam more than
ever averfe to yriir offers, and it is my unequivo-
cal determination, unbiaffed by any one, to de-
cline the conneC-:ion. Your humble fervant, E.
N." She does not, the dared not al:edge what the
had treatment had been. She knew that his treat-
ment had ever been kind, his affedions warm,
end his intentions bonouralf!e. It would appear
that this letter had not been conveyed in the ordi-
nary way ; that it was intended as a legal notice,
eld that the lade did not delay many hours to re-
1-•.:n Conde]. Her ficklenefs was not without ex-
amples, but io few had the revolution been fo fud-
dfally effeded. She had been writing that the
&aced on his miniature, that the looked upon it
With in.:viable &fire ; that the gazed upon it till
1! was incapable of ditlinguithing different ob-
jests, and in four days the was in a lawyer's conful-
ta,ion-roorn. The manner in which the addreffed
ter blend (hewed her fu;; /'roil. "Dear Mary,"
fites the, " having declined Mr. Forfter's propofals,
I have to lc;; that you will nut proceed any farther
.he preparations. lam forry to hear that your
mother is ailing, but hope loon to hear good ac-
counts of her." As if nothing bad pallid but
propofals ! Mr. Fortier was as certain of pellet-
hr her perfon as if he bad been married in the
:Lamina. and eagerly expeded the hour of happi-
Pi's- Although the man was unexceptionable,
and had been univerfally efteemed, it mutt natu-
r'll7 11,.a be furpaid that he had been guilty of
time grange and myfterious wickednefs. The
world mull believe that the lady had a wrong tho'
a fecret caufe for her condua. Compenfation to.
the Plaintiff was impotfible—but it was the duty of
the Jury to fet him right in the eftimation r.:* the
world, by !hewing that, after a aria fcrutiny,
they were convinced he had tufted with honour,
ar.d had Inffered undefervedly.
Mifs Swain was the firft witnefs called. She
Lad firft become acquainted with the defendant,
whom Rte Rated to be of the age of three and'
twenty, at fchool, and their acquaintance bad re-
!+ mrnt:nced at Brighton about two years ago. She
had Inen the confidante of Mifs Mellith through-
nearly the whole of the affair, and had ma-
' :ori4_cl in promoting the withes of the
p;st.,•s. She knew of the conflation about twelve
r"nti.c a”', when the defendant told her that the
1. , ,
" 7cct.ved an offer from plaintiff, which the had
in April lag, defendant told her he
7.'40( her another offer, but that the did not
:•-I.c t. lice brothers would ever let her marry him.
St a:^ here proved the hand writing of various
ices from Nits Mellith to herfelf, and to the
by which it appeared that the lovers had
"::.t1 pri7ate meetings, and were on a perfeftly
• I..ler.landing till the 7th of August,
'ht!,h-i•enclant wrote to the plaintiff, inform-
'-'ll that, in confequence of the different (tate.

the
not
fe-
,ey.
:ca-

Tows of his atairs,pretentect to herbrothersty Mr.
Vali:, not being Each as the had reafon to expect, I
the had made everything known to her friends, who
had advifed her to drop the connection, which it
was now her intention to do. The poilfcript of
this contained a requeft for the plaintiff to return
her letters. On the t Btla of Anglia the defendant
wroteto Mifs Swain, inclofing an anonymous letter
which the had received, requefting her to thew it
to the plaintiff, and to acute him that that was the
caufe of their feparation. She laid, if the fhould
be able to bring him round again, the was deter-
mined to marry him without the knowledge of any
of her family. It appeared that the defendant
had fufpeded Mr. Fofter of writing this anony-
mous letter himfelf ; but, Mifs Swain hating
induced her to believe the contrary, a reconciila
lion took place ; and, on the 28th of September,
the defendant wrote to the plaintiff, giving a
folemn promife that the would put herfelf-un-
der his protection as 'a wife, on the lath of
December following, he having declared, that if
the did not fix a time for their marriage before
Chriftmas, he thould quit the kingdom. On the
27th of November, however, Mifs Melia wrote
to the plaintiff, faying the treatment which the
had lately received from him had brought back,
with redoubled force, all her former objections ;
and, unbiaffed by any one, it was now her firm in-
tention more than ever finally to terminate their
correfpnndence. On the day following the defen-
dant alfo wrote to Mifs Swain; and, among other
fubjeds, mentioned this termination in very flight
terms. In tome of the above-mentioned letters, it
appeared that Mifs Mellith's propofals to the plain-
tiff, and to which he implicitly acceded, were, that
the half of her property was to be fettled on her.
felt and heirs, and, in default of heirs, the was to
have the power of willing it as the pleated ; the
other half to be funk, fo as to raife a mum of mo-
ney for the purpore of paying off fume debts of
the plaintiff; Mr. Swain, the father of Mifs Swain,
being intended as one of her truftees.
On the crofs-examination of Mifs Swain it ap-
peared, that throughout the was acquainted with
the violent averfion entertained by the brothers of

the lady to the match ; that the afforded the par,
ties frequent opportunities of meeting ; that, from
time to time, the was in the habit of informing the
plaintiff of the contents of certain paltages in the
defendant's letters to her, which were not intended
for his knowledge ; and that The was at very con-
fiderable pains in promoting Mr. Fortier's intereft.
Mr. Price,•an attorney, aid, he had treated for
the Plaintiff with Sands ; a premium of 16001. was
given, the bufinets being worth between 8001. and
50301. and taken at two years purchafe. Potter is
held in the firft eftimation in his prufellion, and
has great and encreafing praCtice. He is received
as a Gentleman into all the firft families in the dif-
trift, and is uncommonly agreeable and well-be-
haved. In witnefs's opinion he was an abundantly
good match for Mils Mellifh. Mr. Price was going
on to fay, that he had been very poorly of late,
when this evidence was objefted to.
Mr. GARROW afked, whether he had not been
fo poorly as to be owing him (the witnels) !soot. ?
—A. He does.
Mr. Swain Rated, that Mifs Mellifh had 130001.
in the 3 per cents. In November the gave him a
warrant of attorney to fell out 3001. for the pur.
pole of buying the marriage cloths. He was in-
trotted by her to fupei intend the drawing of the
fettlemcnts, and the Plaintiff readily confented that
one half of her fortune fliould be fettled upon her.
felf. He law her brothers at Gray's Inn Coffee-
houfe, and communicated to them all the proceed.
ing which had taken place. On the 25th Novem-
ber Mifs Mellish was at his houfe, when the teemed
firmly refolved to carry the match into effal.
Mr. Thornton gave an account of the Plaintiff's
family, whole father had been one of his tenants
in Yorkfhire ; and Mr. Sands declared his income,
from the prailice to which he had introduced the
Plaintiff, to be about goal.
Mr. Easels s then began an able fpecch of three
hours in behalf of the Defendant. The following
is the fubilance :—He Paid there was no doubt
that the unfortunate young Lady for whom he
was Connie] had given a promife to marry the
Plaintiff. The queftion was not, whether the pro-
exitted, but whether it was not more honour-
ed in the breach than the obfervance ? The Law
of England was peculiarly delicate upon the tub-
jeft of marriage. All other contratls funk into in-
lignilicance, compared with this; and the Law
therefore viewed it in a very different light. In
tranfailions concerning property, parties arrived
at the years of difcretion were always bound
by their faits : but not only were marriage con-
tra:ls not only not uniformly binding, but to enter
into them without the content of parents was often
highly penal. Though there was a period fixed in
this and every other country for maturity, yet it
could not be Paid that the very moment children
touched upon the age of 21, they fhould be entirely
at their own difpola There was a magical opera-
tion in the occurrence of coming of age which ren-
dered it right to difcard friends, to fpurn the ad-
vice of the nearett relations, and too to confult
with an Highgate Attorney. The Jury were to
confider whether the Plaintiff had not entrapped a
young creature into a void prom& by unmanly
arts. They would fee if he had had no regard to
there sniferable 3 per cents. ; if he had always
burned with the conftant flame of a lover ; if, from
the moment the dart was fixed in his heart, he had
thought of no other objea, and turned 'his whole
foul to the honourable fulfilment of his views.—
When all there things appeared in money he muff
be paid for his fufferings ; fine this was the confo-
lation his delicate mind required; line, failing to
acquire his fortune at the altar by marriage, he
longed for a flice of it in Weftminfler Hall. But
how would they treat him if it appeared that, hav-
ing no affettion for her, he had feinted with her
feelinis ; that he had tempted her into dangerous
courres, not to (educe her, for that was not his pur-
pofe, but, preparatory to a ma diabolical fcheme,
to alarm her for her reputation; that he atually
carried this fcheme into dal; that he bafely fright-
enedher with the threat of leaving thecountry ; and
that, in a moment of agitation, he bad furprifed her
into this promife t Mr. Easzins then began a ma-

fond detail of die different tranfaftions. His run

objc was to !hew that the Plaintiff, after hav-
ing folemnly prnmifcd to theDefindant's relations
to dikontinue his addreffes, had courted her clan-

deflinely. He here chiefly relied upon the an
Aver of the Plaintilf to a letter from Mr. Samuel

Mellith wrote in the autumn of 1800; requiring
him to give up all thoughts ()ibis fifer. Mr. For-
tier lays, that he would pay the requifition all due
regard. Had he boldly avowed his intentions,
and laid, that as the Lady had now reached the
age of twenty-one, and was miftrefs ofh2r actions,
he was determined to do every thing that he could,
as a man of honour, to gain her hand, fill al-
lowing her the benefit of the advice ofher friends,
the Learned Gentleman allowed his conduct would
have been laudable. He fhould not find fault With
a man, without a penny in his pocket, acting fo
towards a child of his own. But for the plaintiff,
after having laid the Lady's relations afleep, and
deprived her of her natural guardians, fill to pro-
fecute his addreffes by flealth, was a degree of
meannefs which language could fcarcely exprefs.
However, Mr. Fortier imagining there was no.
thong to be done here at prefent, again abufing
the Sacred name of love, thought it right to be
looking out for another good thing. During this
interregnum of his pafF.on for Mifs Mellith, he
went and paid his addretres to a Mifs Pull n, of
whole father he borrowed 17001. He had been
received in the family for fame time as the declared
fuitor of the young lady, and the day for the nup-
tials was about to be fixed, when Mr. Pullen told
him all the fortune he could give his daughter
would be, to chalk off the debt which her future
hufband owed him. Whetherthe Doctor had taken
I any of own his cooling medicines, he knew not, but
he intlantly grew cold,- and in a few days a rupture
enfued. Being again at liberty, he thought that, as
he owed Price 15001. and Pullen 17001-. he would
try his hand once morn at Mils Mc!Mb, who was
then on a vilit to her fitter, Mrs. Gowland. He told
her that all the while of his late courtfaip, his af-
feetions had been irrevocably fixed upon her. For
this indelicacy, the had the good fenfe to rebuke
him. She afked him, what tenuity the had fer
his fincerity, when he avowed he had lately been
hypocritically and difingenuoufly making the fame
profeflions to another ? Mr. Erfkine read a letter
from him, dated 3d April 18oz, in which he lays—
" In open defiance of you and your relations, I
am determined to renew my addreffes. I hope
your fentiments are not altered ; mine are unalte-
rable. I feel for you the moll fincere and ardent
affection. The firft moment I law you, you made
an impreflion upon my heart, and, while my
' heart beats, never will that imprellion be oblite-
rated. However appearances may have been
againft me, I have ever been truly yours."—What
credit was to be given to the candour of this man ?
What refpeCt was to be (hewn to wounded fentibi-
lity ? Mr. Erfkine now came to what he confidered
one of the ftrongeft parts of his cafe ; that the
plaintiff had fcduced Mifs Mellifh into improper
fituations. He dwelt upon it long, and read an
immenfe number of the plaintiff's love letters in
fupport of his reafonings. In thefe he recommends
" fecrecy" again and again; he calls Mrs. Cow-
land " the old Argus ;" he defires Mifs Mellifh to
inclofe his letters to Mr. Wetherell, of New Bond-
(beet, a friend of `his; he anxioufly warns her
againit premature difcovery ; he pray- that Mrs.
Gowland were dumb as well as deaf, adding, that
her filence would be of the molt effenti tl benefit
to fociety. He preffes her to agree to an affigna-
tion, urging, that abfence was to him " purga-
tory ;" (Mr. E. laid this Nell of the fhop) ; he
propofes Mr. Wetherell's, in Bond-greet, where
the would be politely 'hewn up fairs by Mifs W.
and fee no one elle, the corner of Bolton-greet,
Oxford road, Kenfington Gardens, &c. he protefts
every attempt to meet her to be, in his eyes, an
aCt of virtue, which mull be highly pleafing in the
fight of HsavEtt. Being furrounded by thole who
were keenly in his intereil, and being without the
advice of a tingle relative or real friend, the had
fometimes met him imprudently, and though from
interefted motives he refrained from all plans upon
her virtne, as loon as he thought the was caught
in his toils, he proceeded to make the molt unge-
nerous ufe of her ill placed partiality. On the 3d
of Auguft The received this anonymous letter,
which the read with indignation and horror:—
" Dear Madam, from motives of friendfhip I am
induced to inform you that attempts are making
to dcftroy your diameter. As your fincere friend,
I would advife you to put an end to them as loon
as poflible. You have gone too far to retreat with
honour. It is publicly known that you have had
meetings during the night at Mrs. Gowland's, in
Bond-ttreet, and in Lincoln's Inn. This is the talk
of the whole Weil end of the town if it is in
your power, infiantly Silence it by marrying Mr.
F. Putting off longer will only enable your bro-
ther to counteract your fchemes, and to deprive
you of all opportunity to retrieve your reputa-
tion. Hagen and have courage : thus concludes
a friend who, for the prefent, conceals her name."
In anfwer to a queftion if he could make this letter
evidence ? yes, he fhould render it indifputable
evidence; he fhould prove that it was not only
tent by the plaintiff, but that it was in his own
hand-writing. He had difguifed his hand to look
in tome meafure like a woman's; hut not fo that
it might not be eafily deteCted. The artifice was
as clumfy as it was unprincipled. Witneffes of
undoubted veracity would fwear to their belief,
and if a doubt fhould be made, the law would al-
low a comparifon. The lady herfelt, it was al-
ready in evidence, infantly perceived the fraud,
and with becoming fpirit relented it. He writes,'
to be fare, " the anonymous letter I utterly deny
and difclaim. If the author is a fnend of mine,
fill 1 abhor and deteft him." But would not
he who was capable of this trick be capable of
denying it t And who should know what meet-
ings had taken place, except the only man
who had been privy to them! If Mifs Mellith
had petalled in her refolution of difmifling him
now, the world would have applauded, and the
law would have protetfted her. She had indeed
renewed her promifes;but the original fraud would
fill have its full effect in rendering them void, and
he had afterwards added what of itfelf would be

fufficicnt. Mr. Erlkine, la(! of ail, dwelt upori

the Plaintiff's firatagem to terrify the lady, 1)
perftiading her that he was .about to leave the
kingdom. By one of his letters he fully proved,
that the Plaintiff held out this threat ;
he m.iin-
rained that this was the only caufe of the. Defen-
dant% rebietant compliance, and that as the Plain-
tiff was evidently infincere, the promifc he had
thus extorted was null. Ile denied that Mr. For-

iler was an adequate match for Mifs
Every Chilling he hal raid to Mr. Sands lie had
borrowed from his liit3ds, and execpt by :his la-
dy's fortune he had no hope of being able to repay
them. Becaufe he lived in Mr. Sands' houfe, did
it follow that he had Mr. Sands' bufinefs ? If the

Attorney General were to 12avc his chambers, as

_ .
he loon might, on being railed to a higher dignity
in the law, would the bag of his fucceffer be thus
loaded with briefs ? How would he look to a

young man coming to alk his daughter in marriage
who thould fay, Sir, I have got Sir Edward Law's
chambers, and confequently his praCtice? Having
then fummed up his variotis arguments with great
ability, Mr. E. entreated the Jury to confider a
tueltion of what moment they were about to de-
cide. It was nothing lefs, than whether the fy (tun
of fortune-hunting was to be legalifed and encou-
raged in Courts of Juttice ? whether rewards were
to be held out to thole who ftirred up young wo-
men to difregard the advice of their relatives and
the diaates of prudence ? whether marriage, the
fource of all that is dignified in our nation, was to
be erthed into an engine to promote the unprinci.
pled fr.hemes of needy adventurers ?
The firtl witncfs was Mr. Pullen. He laid, that
the Plaintiff declared himfelf a fuitor to his daugh-
ter in Oltober 18-.:o. He protefted that he had
fallen in love with her at firtt fight, and that the
was the only woman with whom he could be hap-
py. His courtlbip was notorious to all the inhabi-
tants of Highgate. Ile owed the Nvitnefs t7col.
and being reproved for his extravagance, a cold.
nefs enfued, which ended in a rupture.
Mr. Sarnod Mellith was then called, and was
kept in the witnas box two hours. It is al.
together impotlible for us at prefent to detail hii
evidence, or that of the witneiles called after him.
He gave a cireumitantial account of all that had
happened in the family, with regard to this affair,
from Auguft 'boo, till December 18ot ; of the.
various meetings he had with the Plaintiff, and all
the means they had ufed to counterwork his
fchemes. He proved the hand-writing of an im-
menfe number of Forfter's letters, which were
read, in order to thew that the Plaintiff with:el to
perfuade Mifs Man to aa in oppofition to the in-
clination of her family, and to meet him clandef-
tinely.' Being !hewn the anonymous letter, he laid
he had examined it with great care, and that he
bad not the leafi particle of doubt that it was the
hand-writing of the Plaintiff.
The ATTORN Ey GEN ERA L afterwards called wit-
nelles to prove, in contradiaion to Mr. Mellith, that
the anonymous letter was not the hand-writing of
the Plaintiff. The witneffes for that purple were
Mr. Swain, Mr. Sands, a Mr. Hodgfon, Mr.
Michell, and Mr. Foulkes, the Attorney in the
cattle. They all politively fwore, and espreffed
theta:lves perfealy eravinced, that the letter was
not the band-writing of the Plaintiff.
To difprove iheir evidence, Mr. ERSKINE exa-
mined Mr. Coltb ick, the Infpeaor of Franks at
the Pofl•office, the duties of whole fituation pecu-
liarly enabled him to decal forgeries, and diltin-
, guith a difguifed from an ordinary Sowing hand-
writing. He laid, that in comparing the anony-
mous letter with the'other letters proved to have
been written by the Plaintiff, he had no doubt but
it had been alfo written by him : he pointed out a
fimilarity in a variety of letters.
Mr. ERSKINE addreffed the Jury for the purpole
i of obferving upon the evidence given by the Plain.
tiff, to contradict the proof of the anonymous let-

ter having been written by the Plaintiff.
The A TTORN EY GENF RALrepliedat great lene;th,
and defended the Plaintiff from the afperfions
which had been calf on his character—juftified Mifs
Swain for her endeavours to promote the marriage
of her fehool-fellow with the objea of her love—
contended that the Plaintiff's ftratagems to obtain
interviews with the Defendant were neither ditho-
nourable, nor unufual with regard to a lever who
was denied accefs to his miltrels by the vigilance
of an old Duenna—that the evidence of the Plain-
tiff's having wrote the anonymous letter, was of
too doubtful a nature to authorife a conclufion to
his prejudice ; in fact, that thole who were his in-
timate acquaintance were more likely to form an
accurate judgment upon the fubjeet than Mr.
linedwhoMel-
was
foe,
yat or
sn t h
•tere nfirn c ofd
IFithran ks, whofe ufual Ofer
merely to the firperferiptions letters. He main-
tained that the D.-fendant baying folemnly pledg-
edo CrL'fP:oa°
herfelf to die marriage, was no: juftified irons
any treatment on the part of the Plaintiff to violate
her contract.
Mr. Jultice Ls &arm Raced to the Jury the na-
ture of the affion, obi-crying, though it was one
which was feldom brought by a man againft a wo-
man, it was maintainable on the ground that the
party complaining was deprived by the condo& of
the Defendant of his profpeas of a future eltablith-
ment. The queflion was, firft, whether the Plain-
tiff was in a fituation to demand a compenfation
and, fecondly, if he was, what thould be its
amount? His Lordfltip defcribed the relative fitua-
tion of the parties, and took a review of all the
circumftancts of the cafe down to that of the ano-
nymous letter. It the Jury were of opinion that
letter was wrote by the Plaintiff, and that he thus
fraudulently obtained the promife of marriage,
they would have nothing more to confider, becaufe
certainly a man who had had recourfe to fuch an
artifice, was not entitled to recover. If they were
fatisfied he had not written it, they would then de-
termine what damages he had a right to receive
from the party by whole caprice he had fultained
an injury.
The Jury retired, and in about a quarter of an
hour returned with a verdia for the Plaintif-.
Damages 2001.
The Court was crowded with Ladies.
This Trial halted from Is o'oluck la the Morn.
jag till paft to at Night.