portunity of returning home. He took his measures accordingly; and it being contrary to the laws of Spain to carry more than a certain quantity of coin out of the country, he had a very large French queue made up, within which he concealed his money, and re-entered France without any difficulty, with his tête d'or. In less than a year after his departure from England, he was again on its shores.

During this, which proved to be his last residence in his native land, Mr. Thicknesse, while spending a few weeks in the neighbourhood of Hythe, happened to observe a deserted barn in the small village of Sandgate (on the sea-coast), and he instantly determined to try the effects of his creative genius on it. It possessed a fine view of France. In a clear day the steeples of Boulogne might be discerned by a good glass, while the hills around it were visible to the eye of every observer. It was purchased, and a sudden transformation took place. A large window inserted into the gable-end facing the sea, presented a prospect at once entertaining and sublime. By partitions it was converted into various rooms. A parlour, adorned with drawings by Mrs. Thicknesse, a kitchen, and a suite of bed-chambers, were produced as if by magic, while a gilded crescent placed on the roof, gave an appearance of taste and whimsicality to the whole.

The daily sight of the continent, however, in time became too alluring, and the governor, for the last time, visited Calais. at the memorable period of the revolution. A friend to liberty, he rejoiced at its introduction into France; but he soon had reason to doubt whether the French people were capable of making a right estimate, or a proper use of its blessings. At length the imprisonment, and the manifestly inevitable fate of the unfortunate king, together with the popular cry

"Guerre aux châteaux !

Paix aux chaumières !"

of

alarmed him; and in the year 1792 he set out for Italy, where he proposed to stay two or three years; but on the day after

leaving Boulogne he fell down in a fit, while travelling in his carriage, and expired in the arms of his affectionate wife, in the seventy-third year of his age.

Mrs. Thicknesse immediately returned to Boulogne, in order to prepare for the interment of her husband, and was engaged in collecting, at a considerable expence, the materials necessary for a monument to his memory, when she was arrested, and confined with Lady Styles, the wife of Governor Paterson, Mrs. Tuffnel, &c. in the convent of the Ursalines. The situation of the unfortunate English in this convent was horrible. At first, indeed, they were treated with great attention; and to the honour of Barret and the other municipal officers, every thing was done to alleviate their unhappy lot. But no sooner did the system of terror prevail, and Robespierre rule France with an iron rod, than they were consigned to the superintendance of the inhuman Joseph le Bon, and were closely and rigorously confined.

After a waggon filled with noblesse had left the jail, in order to their execution, it was suddenly intimated to the English, that they were about to be transferred to the Annunciate, the front window of which had been closed up. Mrs. Thicknesse, who was well acquainted with the language of the country, and conversed frequently with the principal patriots, as they were termed, knew this to be the signal for death, as she had learned that the English were to be first stripped of their money, jewels, and clothes, and then murdered. In consequence of her urgent intercession, a delay of a few hours took place in the execution of the order. In the mean time, Robespierre and his associates were led to the scaffold, and experienced that punishment which they had so frequently inflicted on others; and by this fortunate occurrence the intended victims were rescued from death.

Subsequently to this, the treatment of the English was gradually meliorated, and that of Mrs. Thicknesse in particular. A decree having passed, enacting that all such as could gain their livelihood by their labour should be instantly liberated, she sent specimens of her talents, consisting of ma

nuscript music, drawings, and literary compositions, to the authorities of the district. Some difficulty occurred at first, as it was not comprehended how the widow of a governor, and the mother-in-law of a peer (Lord Audley), whom they considered as a noble herself, and therefore suspected, could be included in the class to which the decree referred. But Dumont, the representative on mission interposed, and her liberation was effected.

At length, therefore, after much suffering, Mrs. Thicknesse was enabled to return to her native country; and her life was subsequently passed in peace and serenity. During the greater part of it she resided in Edgeware Road, with a much-attached and sincere friend, a lady of the name of Cooper. She fully retained to the last her admirable powers. Her eye-sight was as perfect as at twenty; her hair was -luxuriant, and without a grey tress in it; her teeth were complete, and uninjured in their enamel; and her mind was as studious, and yet as playful, as ever. Her mornings were to the last devoted to her closet, and she has left many manuscripts, produced at a late period of her life; the latest of which was on rather a singular subject, -the pre-existence of the soul. Her evenings generally found her surrounded by a select party of friends; all listening with delight to her lively anecdotes of past times, enlivened by constant sallies of wit on the daily occurrences passing before her. She conversed freely in Spanish, Italian, French, and German; but was so devoid of pedantry, that she never offensively intruded her knowledge in any circle which she graced with her society.

About six weeks before her death, Mrs. Thicknesse was seized with a paralytic affection, which for some days deprived her of the use of one side. All that could be done for her by the affectionate attention of Miss Cooper, and her other friends, was accomplished; and she appeared to be gradually recovering from the effects of the attack. But "the fullness of time" was come; and on the 20th of January, 1824, she departed this life, bowing herself with all humility to the dispensation

of Providence, and it may be truly said, cheerful, and full of holy hope. Her remains were interred on the 28th of the same month in the burying-ground at Paddington; and at her own especial request, they were followed to the grave by her only son, Captain Thicknesse, R. N. and three gentlemen, her long-tried and valued friends.

In the course of her life, Mrs. Thicknesse published many anonymous tracts on moral and religious subjects. She also published with her name, "Biographical Sketches of the most eminent Literary Females of the French Nation." This production was the source of many civilities, as well as of a present of all her works from the celebrated Madame de Lambert; together with a contribution of about two hundred pounds on the part of the English booksellers. A correspondence with the Duke of Richmond, which was considered as rather piquant, perhaps aided the sale. In 1800 there also appeared from her pen, "The School for Fashion," in two volumes, 8vo. which had a prodigious run; for, although it wore the appearance of a novel, the anecdotes which it contained were all founded on fact; and the characters were most of them drawn from life. That of Euterpe is supposed to have been designed for the author herself; Governor Thicknesse sat for Mr. Tudor; the late Lord Jersey for Lord Guernsey; the late Dr. Warner, (formerly chaplain to the English embassy at Paris), for Dr. W.; Mrs. Cibber for Cordelia; Mr. Garrick for Roscius; Lady Elizabeth Thicknesse for Lady Elizabeth Tudor, &c. &c. Throughout the work the author endeavours, as on every occasion, to inculcate lessons of virtue and piety, The dedication is to "Fashion ;" and while it exhibits a lively picture of the profligacy of manners in the great world five and twenty years ago, shows the earnestness and ability with which Mrs. Thicknesse contributed to the production of the favourable change in the morals and deportment of our fair countrywomen that has since been wrought.

No. XIX.

SIR JOHN ORDE, BART.

ADMIRAL OF THE RED, AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAL CHARITABLE SOCIETY.

THE

HE family of Orde is of great antiquity, and long possessed considerable landed estates in the counties of Northumberland and Durham (which, in the latter county, were held in capite under the bishop, by right of his palatinate) especially at and in the neighbourhood of Orde, near Berwick-uponTweed, where probably the family was originally seated, Part of these estates descended to the late John Orde, Esq. as heir male of his cousin, William Orde Esq., of Sandbybank House, M. P. for Berwick-upon-Tweed. Mr. John Orde lived chiefly at Morpeth, and acted for many years as a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant of the county of Northumberland. The subject of the present memoir was his youngest son, by his second wife, Anne, widow of the Rev. W. Pye.*

Sir John Orde was born in December, 1752, at Morpeth, and was principally educated at the grammar-school of that town. He commenced his naval career in 1766, on board His Majesty's Ship Jersey, of 60 guns, commanded by Captain William Dickson, and bearing the broad pendant of Commodore (since Admiral Sir Richard) Spry, then appointed to command on the Mediterranean station. In the Jersey he served nearly three years, at the end of which he embarked on board the Antelope, of 50 guns, then commanded by

* Sir John's eldest brother, Thomas, married the only daughter of Charles fifth Duke of Bolton, in whose right he succeeded, on the death of Henry, the sixth and last duke, without male issue, to the principal family estates of the Dukes of Bolton, and assumed the name of Powlett. He was afterwards created a peer, by the title of Baron Bolton.