Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-11-21
MISCELL ANY.
For the Staunson Spectator.
ary Evelyn.

For the Staunson Spectator.
Mary Evelyn.
A YOUNG ENGLISH LADY OF THE SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY, DESCRIBED BY HER OWN FATHER.
an Extract from tae Dicry Of he famous John EVey"'
MARCH 7, l695.-My daughter Mary was
taken with the small -pox, and there soon was
found no hope of her recovery. A great aflltction
to me: but Gods holy will be done! March III.
She received the blessed Sacrament; after
which. disposng herself TO suffer what God should
determine TO infict she bore the remainder OF her
sickness with extraordinary patience and ple'y,
and moro than ordinary resignation and blessed
frame of mind. She died the l4th, to our un-
speakable sorrow and affiicti0n, and not to ours
only. but that of all who knew her, who were
many of the best quality, greatest and most Vir'u-
Gus persons. The business OF her stature, person.
comeliness of countenance, gfsceinlness OF noton'
unaffected. though more than ordinary beautiful,
were the least OF hor ornaments compared with
those of her mind Ofearly piety, slnguIarly re
gious. spending part of every day In private
devotion. reading, and other ylrtu0us exercises
she had collected and written out many OF the
most useful and udcious periods OF the books she
read in kind of commonplace, as out oil Ut,
Hammond ON the New Testament, and most OF
the best practical treatises. She had read and d.
,res,ed a considerable deal of history and otpaces
The French tongue was as familiar 10 her as Etg-
lish she understood Italian, and was able TO rem
dor audable account Of what she read and oD'
sarved TO which assisted most faithful memory
and discernment; and she did make very prudent
and discreet reflections upon what she had observ-
ed of the conversations among which she had al
any time been, which being continually OF per-
sons of the best quality, she thereby improves :
She had an excellent voice. to which she played
III ,rourh- bass on the harpschord, 10 both which
she arrived to that perfection, that of the scholars
of those two famous masters, Sign0rs Pletro ana
Barlholoneo, she was esteemed the best; tor the
sweetness of her voice and management OF 1t, add
ed such an arreeabenesS to her cOuntenance,
without any constraint or concern, that when ST. @
snnr it wss as charming to the eye as TO the ear
this | rather note. because it was a universal re-
mark. and for which so many noble and judlcious
persons in music desired to hear her. the last beng
at Lord Arundel's Of Wardnnr.
What shall | say, or rather not say, of the
cheerfulness and agreeableness OF her humour e
Condescendinr to the meanest servant in the fam
ilv. or others, she still kept up respect, without
the least pride She would often read to them II
thew weressck, so as she was exceedingly be
loved bv everybody. Piety was So prevalent an
Ingredient IN her constitution Gas may say that
even amongst equals and superiors she no sooner
became intimately acquainted, but she would en-
deavor to improve them, by nsinuating something
RELIGIOUS. and that tended to bring them to love
of devotion: she had one OF two confdants with
whom she used to pass whole days in fasting,
reading and prayers. especially before the month
ly communiou, and other solemn occasions. She
abhorred flattery, and, though she had abundance
of wit. the raillery was so Innocent and ingenious
that it was most agreeable; ; she sometimes would
see play, but since the stage grew lcentious,
EXPRESSED herself weary of cshem, and the time
spent at the theatre was an uuaccountable vanity
She never PLAYED at cards without extreme I'M
nortnnitv and for the company; but this vas SO
very seldom, that cannot number 1t among any
thing she could name fault.
No one could read prose or verse better or with
more Judgment; and as she read, SO she wrote
not only most correct photography, but with ma
turity of Judgment aud exactness of the periods
choice of expressions, and familiarity of style, that
some letters OF hers have astonished me and 9th
ers, to whom she has occasionally written. She
had talent of rehearsing any comlcal part or po-
EN-, as to them she might be decently free with
was more pleasing than heard on the theatre she
danced with the greatest grace | had ever seen,
and so would her master say, who was Monsieur
Isaac but she seldom showed that perfection. save
in the gracefulness of her carriage, which was
with an air of sprghtly modesty, not easily de-
scribed. Nothing affected, but natural and easy
as well in her department as in her discourse,
which was always material, not trlfing, aud to
which the extraordinary sweetness of her tone,
even in familiar speaking, was very charming
Nrl;,r, ,,,s c., nretty as her descending to play
with little children. whom she would caFess and
bnmour with great delight But she most affect
ed to be with grave and sober men, of whom she
might learn something, and improve herself.
have been assisted by her in reading and praying
by me; comprehensive of uncommon notions, Gu
rious of knowing everything to some excess, had
not sometimes Tepressed it.
Nothing was so delightful to her as 10 get ln'(
NV study, where she would have willingly spent
whole days, for rs said she had read abundance
of history aud all the best poets, even Ference
Plautus, Homef, Virgil, Horace, Ovid ;, all the
best rumaucos and modern poems she could clnA