of her age. Her works consist of "Reflections on the Seven Days of the Week;" "Essays on Various Sub} jects;" "Letters to a Friend on a Future State;" "Dialogues;" ;" "Prose Pastorals;" "Imitations of Ossian," &c.

TIGHE.

MARY TIGHE, a lady of superior mind and acquirements, was born in Dublin, in the year 1774. She was the daughter of the Rev. William Blashford, who died while she was an infant. In early life she mixed with the gay world, but an extreme sensibility, joined to a great delicacy of sentiment, soon decided her preference for retirement, where, happy in her choice of a partner, and devoted to her relatives and friends, hope pointed exultingly to happiness, but sickness and death made their inroad in the choice circle; the loss of relatives, joined with other causes, undermined her health, and after a painful struggle of six years, she departed this life with christian resignation and confiding hope at Woodstock, in the county of Kilkennny, on the 24th March, 1810, in the thirty-seventh year of her age. Her beautiful poem of " Psyche," will long remain a monument of her classical taste and acquirements, while her minor poems will not be forgotten, whilst piety, delicacy, and the most touching pathos have power to charm.

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TRIMMER,

SARAH TRIMMER, a very ingenious lady, and a zealous promoter of religious education, was born at Ipswich, England, January 6, 1741. From her father, who was a man of great piety, she imbibed the purest sentiments of religion, and, at an early period of life, acquired the knowledge of the fundamental principles of Christianity. In her own town, she received a polished education. At the age of fourteen she removed to London, where she afterwards passed her time in the society of people more advanced in life, and was especially favoured with the particular notice of Dr. Johnson, Dr. Gregory Sharp, Mr. Gainsborough, and others of literary notoriety. She spent much time in reading; at once gratifying her thirst after knowledge, and acquiring important and useful information. In the year 1759, her father removed to Kew, where she became acquainted with Mr. Trimmer; and at the age of twenty-one, she was united to him with the approbation of the friends on both sides. From the time of her marriage till she became an author, she was almost constantly occupied with domestic duties; devoting herself to the nursing and educating of her children. Having experienced the greatest success in her plan of educating her own family, she naturally wished to extend that blessing to others, and this, probably, first induced her to become an author. She cultivated a habit of early rising, which she found useful in various ways. Devotional exercises employed the first part of her time thus well redeemed. In her meditations, at a time when

she was writing on sacred subjects, she thus expresses herself: "O divine Saviour! it is not my wish to waste those hours in sleep, which ought to be passed in watchfulness and prayer. It is my highest pleasure to rise early to pursue my delightful work; at midnight I would rise to praise my God and Saviour." Humility was one of the leading features in her character, and it was apparent both in her countenance and conversation. Of her love and veneration for the Bible, no one can doubt, who is at all acquainted with her writings. On this subject she thus writes in her meditations: "What an inestimable treasure is thy gospel! O Divine Saviour, what would have become of all mankind without thee? How much would all the troubles of life have been increased to me, but for the knowledge of thy Gospel! Lord, it is, in my estimation, the pearl of great value. I have sought for it as for hidden treasure; and under the guidance of divine grace, I have happily found it. I would not part with it for all that this world and a thousand such worlds can give," &c. The failings of her fellow creatures were always covered with a mantle of charity. Her greatest solicitude was, that almankind might be made partakers of salvation, and the name of God be praised, from the rising to the setting

sun.

The manners of this excellent woman accorded with the simplicity of her character, and were at once mild and gentle, modest and unassuming. There was a dignity in her deportment, arising rather from her real worth than from any consciousness of it in herself; and it was almost impossible to avoid treating her with the respect she deserved; yet those who approached

with most veneration, were, upon further acquaintance, equally bound to her by the ties of affection and regard. On the 15th of December, 1810, Mrs. Trimmer having nearly attained, what, in the language of the Psalmist, is called the age of man, was gently summoned to brighter regions, with scarcely an hour's previous illness, and without any symptoms that could alarm the family. As she was sitting in her study, in the chair in which she was accustomed to write, she bowed her head upon her bosom, and yielded her spirit into the hands of her Creator and Redeemer. Her children, who had occasionally seen her take repose in this way, could scarcely persuade themselves that she was not sunk'in sleep; and it was not till after some time, that they could be made to believe that it was the sleep of death.

Her publications amount to about twenty-two, many of which consist of several volumes. In the writings of this eminently pious and virtuous woman, religion and morality are so happily blended, that it seems impossible to practise the one, without finding the other animate the heart; for they appear to be as intimately connected as a cause is with an effect. Her works appear not only adapted to the capacities of youth, but many of them are calculated to produce the most beneficial effects upon mankind. They are particularly adapted to the lower classes of society. With ardency of zeal, and strength of persuasion, she has endeavoured to convince them that virtue alone constitutes happiness in this life, and that poverty can only be considered as an evil, when it is united with depravity of mind.

WAKEFIELD-WEST.

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WAKEFIELD.

PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD. This lady ranks high in the present list of literary characters, and is well known for her useful and ingenious works which she has written for the instruction of youth. She has published "Juvenile Improvement;" "Leisure Hours," two volumes; "An Introduction to Botany;" "Mental Improvement," three volumes; "Reflexions on the Present Condition of the Female Sex, with Hints for its Improvement;" "The Juvenile Traveller;" "A Familiar Tour through the British Empire;" "Domestic Recreation;" "Excursions in North America;" "Sketches of Human Manners;" "Variety;" "Perambulations in London," "Instinct Displayed;" "The Traveller in Africa and Asia;" "An Introduction to the Knowledge of Insects," &c.

Mrs. Wakefield is said to be the original promoter of banks for the savings of the poor, which are now become so general.

WEST.

JANE WEST, a lady who ranks high as an amusing and moral writer, is the wife of a farmer in Northamptonshire, England, and is said to have received but a scanty education, which she has improved by a close application to study. She has published "Miscellaneous Poems;" "A Gossip Story;" ;" "A Novel," two volumes; "A Tale of the Times," three volumes; "Poems and Plays," four volumes; "The Advantage of Education," two volumes; "Letters to a Young Man," three vo

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