Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/305

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HAMILTON. SO1 she received a letter from him, which awakened her appre hensions, in regard to his health; she replied in person, and in agony reached his lodgings at Hampstead, where her sister had before joined him, and they both continued in affectionate and unremitted attendance until he died, in March 1792. The loss of such a brother, was felt by both sisters as irreparable; and anxious to escape from a scene, which could no longer be contemplated without the most bitter retrospections, they retired to Hadleigh, in Suffolk, and afterwards to Sunning, in Berkshire; but to both, society and retirement were equally divested of their former attractions. Miss Hamilton often reverted to her brother's admonitions, that she should devote her talents to some literary pursuit; and, alive only to recol lections appertaining to him, and ideas acquired from h i s conversation, she was insensibly led t o conceive the design o f writing the “Hindoo Rajah;” i n which she was not only permitted t o recal those ideas, but t o pourtray his character, and commemorate his talents and virtues. When she had written a few sheets, she felt reluctant t o proceed, but submitted i t t o the determination o f a friend, with a diffidence that betrayed the dejection o f her spirits: this friend decided for the Rajah's appearance; but i t was not until 1796, that i t was permitted t o struggle into existence. I t s reception encouraged her; and she engaged i n another work—“The Modern Philosophers.” This ap peared early i n 1800, and passed through two editions before the end o f the year: t o this succeeded, “Letters o n Education;” i n which i t was her aim, not t o state and explain new systems, but t o suggest for those already known a prompt and practical application. I n 1808, “Agrippina” issued from the press, a work erroneously classed with novels; for she was careful t o substantiate every fact, b y references t o classical autho rity. I n 1804, she fixed her residence i n Edinburgh, and soon after was informed o f the pension conferred o n her b y his majesty, a s a n acknowledgment that her literary talents had been meritoriously exerted i n the cause o f l