The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-08-26


foolish extravagaDce. There does not seem
to exist the slightest con6rmation Of the sto-
ry Of Addison-having pu, an execution into
Steele's house TO recover a sum OF money
which he owed him. Ina letter to his wife,
written in August 1908. Steele mentions
that he has paid MIR. Addison the whole
one thousand pounds" and at later period
he says, "Mr. Addison's money you will
have tomorrow noon, II Is related oil
Goldsmith, whose heart adored humanity,
that he enlarged his list Of pensioners as his
finances increased, and that his charity ex-
tended even to his last guinea. Once hav-
ing visited poor woman, whose sickness
he plainly perceived was occasioned by an
empty cupboard, he sent her pill-box con-
tanning len guineas, bearing the inscription,
"To be taken as occasion may require. -
He was frequently deceived by impostors,
who worked upon his generous symPathies
with fabricated tales of most lamentable mis-
fortunes; but no feeling mind will harshly
censure him for his unsuspecting credulity
and overAowing humanity. In his unbound
ed philanthropy he exclaims-
/" Yet oft a sigh prevails, and SORROWS fall,
To see the hoard Of human bliss so small:
And oft wish, amidst the scene, TO find
Some spot to real happiness consigned;
Where my worn soul, each wandering hope al
rest,
May gather bliss to see my fellows blest."
Gray, in one of his letters, written in 176l,
says that Mr.. Benjamin Stillinghee:, tn e
wTiter on natural history and agriculture,
lives in garnet in the winter. that he may
support some near relations, who depend up
on him. He is always employed, Away:
cheerful, and is an honest, worthy man.
Voltaire was ever happy to assist persons in
distress. especially young persons Of talent
struggling with difficulty. The grand-daugh
ter OF the great dramatic poet, Peter Cor
nellie. being destitute Of money and friends
attracted the sympathy Of Voltaire, who
supported her for three years. and having by
that time finished her education, he married
her to gentleman. Voltaire not only gave
her marriage portion, bot he wrote, anC
,, published by subscription, Tor her benefit,
commentary ON the works Of her celebrated
grandfather, whereby she obtained in shor
time, fifty thousand livres. The King o
France subscribed eight thousand livres, anc
some foreign princes followed his example,
the Duke de Choiseul, the Duchess d,
Grammont, and Madame de Pompadour
subscribed considerable sums. Nj. de Ii
Barde, the Kings banker, took severa
copies, and greatly increased the sale Of tht
work by his zeal in promoting the benevo
lent intentions of VoltaiTe. TO an unfor
tunate bookseller at Colmar, whose affair
were much deranged, Voltaire made pres
ent Of his canals Of the Empire" and al
so lent five thousand livres. Two brothers
respectable citizens of Geneva, having in
vited him to print his productions there, h
complied, and made present OF his works
, to them in the same handsome manner a
he had done to the bookseller at Colmar.
Shenstone was one day walking through
his romantic retreat, in company with hi'
Della Miss WilmoD, when a rather un
pleasant intruder rushed out Of thicket
ana presenting pistol to his breast, deman
ded his money. Della tainted, while Shen
stone quietly surrendered his purse, anxiou.
/ " sCC tic DoCh OF AAah ~
possible The robber seized the money
threw his pistol in the wafer, and immedi
= ately decamped. Shenstone ordered his foot
boy to pursue him at distance. and observe
whittier he went. In short time the lac
returned, and informed his master that, hav
ing traced the man to his home, he peepec
through the keyhole of the door, and saw
him throw the purse to his wife, and ther
taking up two Of his poor children, one OF
: each knee, he said to them he had ruined hi
soul to keep them from starving. and imme
diately burst into flood Of tears. Havinl
, learned that he was laborer, reputed hon
est and industrious, but oppressed by wan
and large family, Shenstone went to hi
house, when the man, kneeling down at hi,
feet, implored mercy. The poet not only
forgave him, but provided him with employ
ment as long as he lived.
When Lord Byron resided in the Alba
ny, Piccsdilly, young lady, an unsuccess
fol poetess, who was friendless, and involv
! ed in difficulties through the misfortunes o
her family, whose distressed state deepl,
preyed upon her mind, resolved, on the pie,
, Of authorship, to introduce herselfto Byron
and solicit his subscription to her poems.-
From perusal Of his works, she concluded
that he was Of an amiable disposition, AM
much misunderstood by the world. Hi
kind reception Of her fully confirmed he
opinion; for having simply stated her motiv,
for coming to him, he in the most delicat,
manner prevented her from dwelling on any
painful troubles, by Immediately beginninl
some general conversation; in the course o
which he wrote a draft, which he folded III
and presented to her as his subscription
She did not, of course, look at the pape
while in his presence, as his conversation
was too delightful to be relinquished for ;
moment; but on her leaving him, she in
: spec.edit, when to her Joy she found 1t wa
draft on his banker for fifty pounds.
, Roscoe humanely devoted the profits o
his amusing "Memoir Of Richard Roberts
to the use of that singular, helpless, ard half
l witted person, well known in Liverpool
7 from the extraordinary number Of languages
which he could read, selftanght After tn,
, publication Of Roscoe's work, the poor, ant
till then, dirtily-cla linguist, might be seer
| properly clothed, with his portable library
stuffed, as in former times, between hi.
shirt and his skin, for he still disdained {
fixed abode Chambers Edinburgh Jour