ere ornamented, in the absence of almost every species of clothing. We DOW proceeded to the convent of St.-; and on making known our wish to see Donna Maria, were admitted into the parlour, where sat a jolly friar, whilst two or three of the nuns were conversing with him through the grate; the Lady Abbess now made her appearance, and as many of the nuns in succession as could assemble at the grate, which was about six feet square, and would easily admit a head between the bars. The professed nuns were in general old, and from their looks of settled sorrow, as well as the effects of their meagre diet, could not be called handsome, though some of them were extremely interesting; we were introduced to them in succession, and seemed to be as much a show to them as they were to us; particularly the children, with whom they were much delighted, and we could not help smiling when each successive party, after admiring the little ones, invariably asked "who was their father?" To gratify their curiosity, we made our friend B-, stand in the front, what excited so much titter among these female clergywomen, particularly with two buxom lasses who were only clad in the white veil of noviciate, that the Lady Abbess, fearful the slumbers of the two latter might be disturbed, ordered them away, and we saw them no more. The nuns seemed to pay very little attention to our fair companion; those who did speak to her talked of the happiness of their situation and lamented her fate in being exposed to all the horrors of a bustling world. A variety of artificial flowers, toys of shrines and saints in cut paper, and embroidery, were offered to our notice, and we were given to understand that we might purchase these, as the produce went to procure the holy sisters some little indulgences of fruit, &c. beyond the meagre fare of the convent, whose funds were rather on a circumscribed scale. On enquiring again for Donna Maria, they told us that her feelings had prevented her as yet from joining us; however she now approached, leading her little daughter by the hand, our most ardent ideas were here surpassed by the interesting appearance of the poor secluded mourner, who stole slowly upon our expectation in the sable veil of profession and in the deepest mourning; the effect of this was strongly contrasted by the appearance of were fantastically ornamented with artificial flowers of variegated hues, such as we see the poor lovelorn Ophelia upon our mimic boards. The first minute of this meeting of the long separated friends passed in expressive silence, which was at last broken by Donna Maria, who spoke of her happiness on this unexpected meeting; then hastily adverting to her own happiness in this scene of religious seclusion, congratulated herself on being detached from a vain world, and thus mystically wedded to Christ, as being completely separated from all earthly ties except her love for her child, whom she intended to dedicate to God as soon as the ordinances of the society would permit her. The scene was becoming too affecting, when a hasty message from the Abbess announced that the bell rang for vespers, obliged us to part abruptly; but on retiring from the convent, an ancient lay sister beckoned us to follow ber.-Curious to see the issue of this adventure, we advanced towards a garden door which led into the cemetery, and crossing it silently under the shade of the branching palım-trees, we entered the sick ward, where were two or three of the elder nuns, and were immediately joined by Donna Maria and her little girl. Surprized at this occurrence, so contrary to our ideas of their customs, we enquired by what magic it was that we had thus obtained admittance; when they informed us that Donna Maria being unwell was excused as well as the others from attending the regular service in the church to which the convent was attached, though not exempt from the matins, vespers, and vigils in their owu chapel. Some refreshments were then handed to us in a hurried manner, and the moment of parting arrived.-Donna Maria almost involuntarily could not help noticing the situation of her friend, thus accompanied by her husband and her children, and surrounded by her countrymen, going as she observed to a land of liberty and happiness!-She adverted again to her own happiness, but the exertion was too much for her spirits, her tears burst forth amidst the most heart-rending sighs, which even some among us, who had been accustomed to scenes of horror, could not behold unmoved.-One last parting embrace was all thet remained for the two friends!-We rush the young Maria, clad in white, her auburned out of the convent, and the last rays of the which a door led from the convent, marked || impelled us to a hasty departure. Engraved for the 5th Number, New Series of La Belle Assemblée, June 1.1810, locks playing round an intelligent countenance smiling even in despite of monastic austerity, whilst her head, and the whole of her dress, departing sun, now only gilding the highest spires in the city, warned us of our departure; but the doors of the church being open, we walked silently in, and were enchanted with the slow and solemn responses which, wafted through the long drawn aisles, sounded like a requiem to the repose of departed spirits. A silkeu curtain drawn across a gallery into the spot appropriated to the nuns; entranced a while we stood listening to their heavenly chorusses, but the recollection that we were to sail the next morning, and the thoughts of home which even then came across our minds, CURIOUS ANECDOTE OF HENRIETTA DUCHESS OF ORLEANS. WHOEVER reverts to the reign of Charles II. ghost, had really produced this extreme terror must recollect the share which his sis-determined to examine into the mystery, aud ter the Princess Henrietta, wife of the Duke of Orleans, had in his political connexion with the French court. Her death was extremely sudden, and has generally been supposed to have been caused by unfair means, nor did her husband escape suspicion; the manner in which it was accomplished, however, is not generally known. A valet de chambre in her service, just previous to the moment of his death, confessed that a person about the court came into the dining-room, opened a beaufet, and having taken out the goblet always used by the Princess, rubbed it with some paper. The valet asked him what he was doing at the beaufet? and why he touched the Princess's goblet? The other immediately answered, "I am thirsty, I looked for something to drink, and the goblet being dusty, I have wiped it with the paper." After dinner the devoted Henrietta called for her usual draught of chicory water; but had no sooner swallowed it than she cried out "1 am poisoned."-Many of those who were present had drank of this chicory water, but vot out of the same goblet; they suffered no inconvenience from it, but the Princess grew rapidly worse and being carried to bed, lingered out the niglit in most horrible torments, and expired before the break of day. The inanner and circumstances of her death seem to have made some impression upon the proffigate yet superstitious followers of the court, and a report was soon current and universally believed at St. Cloud, that the spirit of the Princess appeared every night in an arbour of the garden, where she had often been accus. tomed to spend much of her time when alive One evening a servant of the court passing by the arbour, saw something all in white, and which suddenly encreased in size; terrified at the apparition he fled, and having told the cause of his alarm, fell sick and died. A few days after, an officer of the guards fully persuaded that something, though perhaps not a having rambled at the witching hour of night, towards the haunted arbour, soon got a full view of the ghost. His courage however was equal to his curiosity, advancing towards the phantom he threatened it with a sound cudgelling, if it did not say who and what in was. "Ah! my good Sir," exclaimed the terrified ghost, "pray do not hurt me, I am only poor Philippinette!" This poor Philippinette was an old woman of a neighbouring village, more than seventy years old, without a tooth in her head, and frightful enough from her glaring eyes, hook nose, and distended mouth, to have passed at any time for an inhabitant of the infernal regions; being seized, and brought up to the palace, she was ordered to prison, but released at the instance of a Princess of the blood; who having sent for the beldame, asked her what could have prompted her to this representation of a spirit, at such untimely hours, when she ought to have been in her bed. “Ah! Madame," exclaimed the hag, with great simplicity, "at my age one sleeps so little! oue must have something to amuse them. Nothing ever amused me so much in youth as to play the ghost; and I was certain that those who might not dread my white habit, would be sufficiently terrified when they saw my face. Those whom I frightened made so many grimaces, that I was like to die with laughing; this sport was my only amusement, and chear ed me in all my labour of carrying burthens through the day." If all other ghost stories were investigated as closely it would generally be found that they originate from some cause of the same kind; not all perhaps proceeding from the tricks of the fair sex; though some may think it nas tural enough that those who play the devil with the men in their youth, should amuse themselves with playing the ghost, in their more ad. vanced years. I.. |