, 1859-05-05

The Romance Of Fanny Braddock'
The following is the romantic history of Fan
ny Braddock, sister Of the General Braddocl
who WAS drleuted near Fort ur1ucsne:
1.-The father Of General Bradsiock MAS mat
Of competent fortune. On his death lie left nc
less than six thousand pounds as aProrisiop foi
his two daughters, and probably much 1urgc,
sum TO lis only son, Edward 1sraddock.
One Of thu daughters died early, aud her sis
ter, Fanny Braddoek, became possessed Of he1
share Of the fathers legacy. Goldsmith, in biz
life Of Beau Nash, las told the romantic story
| Of Funny, under the name Of Miss Sylvia
s." with his usual sweetness Of narrative
and gentle kindness af sympathy. She was de-
scended, he SAYS, from Que Of the best families
in the kingdom, upd was left large fortune up
on her sisters decease. Whatever the finest
poet could conceive Of wit, or the most celebrat-
| ed painter ilnag inc Of beauty, Mere e1celied III
the pc,fcctious Of this young lady. She was
naturally gay, generous to q fault, good-naturcd
to tue highest degree, attable LII conversation :
| aud some Of her letters and other writing, Us
well in verse as prose, would have sl'one among
those Of tue most celebrated wits Of this or onx
other age, had they been published.
But these qualifications were marked By I'M
| other, Which lcsscned the value Of them all.
| She was imprudeut. '*Bx which, say s the kind
| philosopher, ~ only 1uean she had no knoWI-
edge OF the use Of money She WIS arrived at
tue age uf nineteen, when the crowd Of her lov-
ers and the contn led repetition Of new tattcry
| lad taught her to think that she could never be
iorsaken, and never poor. " Young ladies' are
apt to expect, wisely nl0ralizes Goldsmith, III 4,
| strain that reminds US Of passage in the " Vi
car Of Wakefield, ,""a certainty Of success from
| ii number Of lovers; aud vet havc seldom seen
! q girl courted by u hundred loyeTs that found u
husband iu uny. Before her choice is fixed, she
has either LOST her reputation or her good sense;
and the loss Of either is sufficient to cousign her
10 perpetual virgiuity.'
| Anung the number Of this young 1ady's 1oy-
crs vas handsome, good-natured, easy kind Of
| fellow, Of naulc We can learn nothing beyond its
initial"S." He WAS "co,s.titutionaEy virtu-
"us, but practically it appears quite the con-
| trary. for be followed tho dictates Of "cvery
| newest passion" lie loved Fanny Braddock.
the man lGulds1nith gently TERMS them inlpru-
dcnccs,"j SOON ruined him, and he Was thrown
| into prison for debt Fanny Uraddock, with the
disintcrcstedness Of . pure and loviug woman,
was resolutcly bent on freeing him, and sacri-
feed her whole fortune in relieving her lover
from his allegations 10 his creditors, and thus
restored him to liberty. s., instead of i'm
proving in friendship or affection, only studied
10 avn1 creditor he could never repay; for,
''ttough small favors produce good will, great
ones destroy friendship says Goldsmith, who
| could utter maxims worthy Of Solomon, while
/ lit ll1Eu III {4pluHstf rs luE IIUufEstl s+ull.
Poor Fanny, however, WAS ruined, in reputa-
tion rs well as in fortune, by this profnsc gene
rositv to her nngratcful lover. Beau Nash, then
| meeting with her among some Of his friends in
| London, prevailed upon her to 60 with him to
Bath, where the Beau, being paramount in
power, might introduce I'er to tl1e best compa-
1y, and leave it to her merit to do the rest Peo-
pie Of distinction courted her acquaintance, and
strorc to divert ler with the social enjoyments
and fashionable friyotl.ies Of the place but it
was apparent that IL settled melancholy Ind ia
ken possession Of her mind, mud shc moved
anloug, but was not Of the gay thzong. With
loss ot love- loss Of furtune, loss of friends and
loss Of health, she was finally induced, Us mere
refuge from her own wretcheduess, to yield to
tue invitation Of DANG Lindsey, who desired
| to SECURE so much beauty, as IN additional
temptation to those who resorted to lier gamb-
ing rooms Although she yielded to dame
iindseys Invitation, Fanny Braddock is be-
licyed neve er 10 have been tainted with any other
vice than that Of presiding Mt tue hazard table
for the advantage Of others.
Shc could mt long, however, endure this dis
grace, and preferred the humble condition Of Il
housckecpcr in agentleniau's family, to which
her poverty now reduced her. Here she re-
lnni11ed, awnrs sud, Int faithful to her dnty
! The gentlemen with whom she livcd now went
up to London with lis wife, leaving the chill
dren and the house to her cure. Tn the day
! when he was expected to return, Fanny, after
the discharge Of her daily household duty, went
into the dining room and wrote these lines upon
one Of the window panes:
! 20 Death thou pleasing end VI human wuc.
| Tl4l cure fur life, thou greatest EtA1 teox.
s1 nayMt ~ 5h5a ~ y, , s%xa.d #; aad \, ts sa.s
Some 'isiters coming in she entertained them
c!,eerlnl'y. and, on tlleir coming out. she went
to tlu library, where she had ordered supper,
Here sue spent tlss ruznalnlng hours preceding
bedtime in dandling two Of Mr.. WGnd's 'thc
gentleman ia whose family she liycd, children
on l!er knees. In retiring thence 10 hcr cham
ber, she went into the nursery, to take her leave
Of unother child as it lay sleeping in the cradle.
Struck with the Innocence Of the little babes
looks, md the consciousness Of her mc1itatpd
guilt, she could not ayod bursting into tears
and llnggng il tu her arms. She then bade her
old servants i :3ood night, for the first time
! she had ever done 81, and went to bed us usual
:, -. :. "r''''ah'e she soon Quilted her bed. She
then dressed herself in clean linen and whit,
garments Of evcry kind like bridesmaid. Her
gown she pinned over her breast JUS, US nurse
pins the swuddl'ng clothes If ~ iuian.." Sic
then to"k pink silk girdlc, ami lcngthcning il
with another made Of gold thread, she made a
moose nt one end, dtird three knots at small
distance from each other.
She now sat down to read that passage in Ar.
losto's55 Orlando Furoso," where Olympia i:
abandoned by hcr bnsun friend and ruined
Having laid aside her book, she arosc, took the
girdle she had prepared, and throwing the end
Of the girdlr over the clo.et door. attempted t.
hang hersrlf The Sirdle, however, broke Will
her weight; and shc fell with such u noise thai
workman, who was passing thu night in tht
house, WIS awake. IT., nevertheless, thinking
no more ofit, turned over and fell asleep again
She now made anotlcr attempt With II stronger
girde. 1nadc of silver thread, and succeeded
Her old maid, ncAt morning. waited us nsua
the ringing Of the bell. and prntrueted l.cr pa
tience. hour after honr, till two oclock in liz
afternoon, When the workmcu at length enter
ing Tic room through the window, found thei
unfortunate mistress still hanging, and quit
cold,
Such is the history Of Fanny Bral,lock, fo
the most part as related by Goldsmith. 'Hun
dreds III high iife," says he, "lalncnted he
fate" Her brother, when he heard Of it, r.
narkcd, Pour Fanny always thought III
would play till she would BE- forced to tuck her
self ur." Horace Walpole might well say
braddock Is very 1roqnois in disposition.