their principles of composition from their literature. She also studied Hebrew with great success. In order to assist the acquirement of French, her father sent her to board for a year in the family of M. Le Seur, a refugee minister at Canterbury, where she learned both to understand and to speak it with facility. She subsequently applied herself to Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese, and very late in life she learned enough of Arabic to read it without a dictionary.

Being naturally heavy, and resolved to reclaim time from sleep for the prosecution of her studies, she had recourse to snuff, and was never able to break herself of the habit of taking it. Over application, and the abridgment of the measure of rest required by her constitution, brought on intense headaches, to which she remained subject through life. Time and practical use gave brightness and power to her faculties; she had naturally a sound understanding, and her taste for literature was formed upon the finest models, while an early introduction to the best society added the suavities and refinements of manner and habits, to which her gentle and delicate character spontaneously inclined.

Her earliest attempts at literary composition were in verse. Dr. Carter was well acquainted with Mr. Cave, the publisher; in whose fourth volume of 'The Gentleman's Magazine,' she published several pieces, under the signature of "Eliza," when she was only sixteen years of age. Visiting London occasionally with her father, she was introduced by Mr. Cave to many literary persons, and among the rest to Dr. Johnson, soon after his first settling down there in the year 1737. In 1738 she published an anonymous collection of her poems, including those which had been previously printed in The Gentleman's Maga

zine.' In 1739, she translated and published, with notes, the criticism of Crousaz on Pope's 'Essay on Man,' and Algarotti's 'Explanation of Newton's Philosophy.'

It is always interesting to observe the communication of the sacred fires of poetry and of piety. At the torch of Elizabeth Rowe, the young Elizabeth Carter enkindled hers. In the lines on Philomela's death, she says

"Fixed on my soul shall thy example grow,

And be my genius and my guide below."

The amiable Countess of Hertford, true to her beloved friend Mrs. Rowe, in death as well as in life, rewarded the young aspirant's eulogy with her friendship and correspondence. Elizabeth Carter's difficulties were all confined to her books of private study; she met with no discouragements from the outer world.

Matthew Robinson, Esq., of Rokeby, had married the heiress of the Drakes of Horton, near Hythe; and their eldest daughter Elizabeth, born in 1720, who spent a great part of her childhood there, was early attracted by sympathy of feeling and similarity of pursuits towards her young contemporary and neighbour, Elizabeth Carter. A close friendship was formed between them, which lasted to the end of their long lives. In the year 1742, Elizabeth Robinson married Edward Montagu, Esq., a grandson of the second Earl of Sandwich; and subsequently to that event, Elizabeth Carter often visited Mrs. Montagu at her country seat at Sandleford and at her house in London, the celebrated resort of persons of the highest rank and most conspicuous talents.

Her translations were approved, her verses were applauded by Burke, Dr. Johnson, Savage, and Baratier; and she found her society courted by many whom the world deemed it an honour to know.

In 1741 began her intimacy with Catherine Talbot, which became a mutual blessing, for they cherished each other's faculties, virtues, and piety. Through Miss Talbot and her mother she made the acquaintance of Dr. Secker, with whom they resided. He was then Bishop of Oxford, and was raised, in 1758, to the Archbishopric of Canterbury.

Early in the year 1749, she commenced her translation of Epictetus, which she submitted sheet by sheet to Dr. Secker's revisal. She finished the Disquisitions in December, 1752, but at his suggestion added the Enchiridion and Fragments, with an introduction and notes; and a subscription having been got up by him and her other wealthy and influential friends, the work was published in 1758, and brought her in a clear profit of 10007. This translation has passed through three editions, and still maintains a high reputation in our standard literature. While occupied in preparing the first edition for the press, Miss Carter was fulfilling the still more onerous task of preparing her youngest brother for the University of Cambridge. Her pupil did her credit, for he entered Bennet College in 1756, passed through his course of study with distinction, and finally became incumbent of Little Wittenham, Berkshire.

No one ever learned, from more pleasing experience, the truth embodied in Madame de Staël's aphorism :"Quand le talent littéraire peut inspirer à ceux qui ne nous connaissent point encore, du penchant à nous aimer, c'est le présent du ciel dont on recueille les plus doux fruits sur la terre."

The equability of her mind was maintained by well

* When literary talent inspires those to whom we are as yet unknown with an inclination to love us, then is it the gift of heaven, from which we gather the sweetest of all earthly fruits.-L'Allemagne,' vol. ii., chap. xxx.

balanced acquisitions. She carefully studied astronomy, and the geography of ancient history. Her nephew and biographer informs us "that she was literally better acquainted with the meanderings of the Peneus and the course of the Illissus, than she was with those of the Thames or Loire; and could give a better account of the wanderings of Ulysses and Eneas, than she could of the voyages and discoveries of Cook or Bougainville." She learned to play upon the spinnet and upon the German flute, was particularly fond of dancing in her youth, and of a rubber at whist all her life long. She drew tolerably well, made herself thoroughly acquainted with every department of household economy, delighted greatly in gardening, and more especially in the culture of flowers, and constantly occupied her leisure or social hours with plain needle-work. With the hope of counteracting the bad effects of over-study, she habituated herself to taking very long walks, and indulged in attendance upon social parties. Her placid and cheerful benevolence won the affection both of old and young, although increasing deafness, as age drew on, reduced general conversation, for her, to the mere passive spectatorship of the gesticulations in a pantomime. She never married, and adopted the matronly designation of Mrs., after the manner of a preceding generation.

Her father having lost his second wife, and his other children being all settled in homes of their own, Mrs. Carter bought a house at Deal, in the year 1762, to which the venerable old man removed as a harbour of rest. She managed the household, and provided in the most minute particulars for his hourly comfort. They had their separate libraries, and spent their studious hours apart, meeting cheerfully at meals, and spending their evenings together

*

during periods of six months. The other half of the year she usually passed in London, or in visiting her friends at their country houses.

At the suggestion of the Earl of Bath (Pulteney), who took great delight in her conversation and writings, Mrs. Carter published another volume of poems in 1762, to which "the good Lord Lyttleton" (then Sir George) contributed a poetical introduction.

In 1763, she accompanied the Earl of Bath and Mr. and Mrs. Montagu on a continental tour. a continental tour. They crossed the Channel to Calais, visited the Spa, passed down the Rhine, and, travelling through Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and Dunkirk to Calais, re-crossed to Dover, after an absence of nearly four months. In the summer of 1764, Lord Bath died; and as he made no mention of Elizabeth Carter in his will, the ultimate heir to his property, Sir William Johnson Pulteney, spontaneously settled upon her an annuity of 1007., which he soon afterwards augmented to 1507., urged only by the promptings of his own generous heart, and grateful consideration for the worthy friend who had solaced his noble predecessor's declining days.

In August, 1768, she lost her kind friend Archbishop Secker, between whose amiable character and her own there existed many points of resemblance. In November, 1769, she lost her attached friend Miss Sutton; and in the same year experienced the severest trial of her life, in watching the progress of that agonizing and hopeless disease which deprived her of Catherine Talbot, the best beloved of her many dear ones, on the 9th of January, 1770. Her own elegant pen has thus delineated this accomplished and excellent woman:-"Never, surely, was there a more perfect pattern of evangelical goodness, decorated by all the ornaments of a highly improved under