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mádam," crìed hér móther, this is bút à poor place you are cóme tó áfter fò múch finery. My daughter Sóphy and I cán afford bút ítle entertainment to persons whỏ háve kept company only with people of diftinction Yes, mífs Lívy, your poor father and I have fuffered very much of late; bút I hope heaver will forgive you.' During this reception the unhappy víctim stood pale and trembling unable to weep or to reply; bút I could n contínue à filent fpectator of her distress, where fore affùming à degree óf fevérity in my voice ánd mánner, which was ever followed with inftant fubmiffion, ,,'I entreat, woman, tha my words may bè nów márked ónce fór áll 'I have hère brought you back à poor delùded wanderer; hér return to dùty demánds the revival of our tenderness, The real hárdships óf life áre nów cóming fáft upón ús, lét ús nót therefore encrèafe them by difféntion among each other. 'If we live harmonioufly together, wè mày yét bè contented, ás thére áre enough óf ús to fhút out thé cénfuring world, and keep each other ín countenance. The kindnes of heaven ís prómifed to the pénitent, ánd let óurs be directed by the exámple. Heaven, we áre affùred, ís múch mòre pleased to view repentant fínner, thán ninety nine perfons who have fupported à còurse óf undéviating rectitude 'And this is right; for that fingle effort by which we ftop fhórt in the down-hill páth to perdition, is itfélf à greater exértion óf vírtue thán à húndred acts of jultice.

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CHA P. XXIII

None but the guilty can be long and completely miferable,

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Sóme affiduity was nów required to make our préfent abode ás convenient ás póffible, ánd we were foon again qualified to eníoy our for ner ferenity. Being difabled myfélf from affifting my fon in our ufual occupations, I réad to my family from the few books that were faved, and partícularly from fúch, ás, by amùfing the imagination, contributed to èafe the heart. 'Our good neighbours too càme évery day with the kindeft condolence, and fixed a time in which they were all to affiíft át repairing my former dwelling. Honeft farmer Williams was not láft among these visitors; bút heartily offered his friendship. He would even háve renewed his addreffes to my daughter; but he rejected them in fúch à mánner ás tò tally repreft hís fùture folicitations. Hér grief feemed formed for continuing, and fhe was the only perfon óf our little fociety that a week did not reftòre to chearfulness. Shè nów lóst that unblufhing u) ínnocence which once taught hér to refpéct herself, and to feek pleasure by pleafing. Anxiety nów hád taken ftrong pofféffion of her mind, her beauty hegan to be impaired with her conftitution, and neglect ftill more contributed to dimínifh ít. 'Every ténder épithet bestowed on her filter brought à páng tỏ hér heárt ánd à tear to her eye; ánd ás óne vìce, though cùred, ever plánts

u) unblushing, unbefangen, freimüthig.

others where it has been, fò hér fórmer guilt, though driven out by repentance, left jealoufy ánd envy behind. I ftròve à thóufand ways to leffen hér càre, and even forgót my own pain in à concern fór hér's, collecting fuch amuling páflages óf híftory, ás à strong mémory ánd fome reading could fuggeft. Our happi

nefs, my dear," I would fay, „ís in the power of one who can bring ít about à thousand un foreseen ways, thát móck our forefight. T examples bè néceffary to prove this, I'll give you à ftory, my child, tòld ús by à grave, though fometimes à románcing, hiftorian."

,,Matilda was married very young to à Nea politan noblemann óf the firft quality, and found herfélf à widow and à mother, at the àge of fifteen; 'As fhè ftood óne dày careffing her infant fon in the òpen window óf án apárt ment, which hung over the ríver Voltúrna x), the child, with à fúdden fpring, leaped from hér árms into the flood below, and difappeared ín à moment. The mother, ftruck with inftant furprize, and making án éffort to fare hím, plunged ín áfter; bút, fár fróm being able to affift the infant, fhè herfélf with great difficulty escaped to the oppòlite fhore, juft when fome French fòldiers were plundering the country on that fide, who immediately made her their prífoner."

,,As the war was then carried on between the French and Itálians with the utmost inhu mánity, they were going át ónce to perpetrate those two extrèmes, fuggested by appetite and

x) Volturna, Voltorno, ein Fluss im Neapolitanischen, welcher aus den Apenninen kommt, und sich in den Golfo di Gaeta ergiefst.

ruelty. This bafe refolution, however, was ppofed by a young ófficer, who, though eir retreat required the utmost expedition, laced her behind him, and brought hér ín fety to his native city. Hér beauty at first aught his eye, hér mérit foon áfter his heart. hey were married; hè ròfe to the highest ofts; they lived lóng together, and were appy. But the felícity of a fòldier cán néver è called permanent: áfter án ínterval of féve, al years: the troops which he commanded áving met with à repúlfe, he was obliged to ke fhelter in the city where he had lived ith his wife. Here they fúffered à fiège, ánd é cíty át léngth was taken. Few hiftories án produce more various ínftances of cruelty, hán those which the French and Itálians át nát tìme éxercifed upón each other. 'It was efólved by the victors, upón this occafion; to ut all the French prífoners to death; bút paricularly the húfband of the unfortunate Matilda, s he was principally inftrumental in protracting he fiège. Their determinations were, in geneal, éxecuted almost as soon as refólved upón. The captive fòldier was led fòrth, and the executioner, with his fword, stood ready, while the fpectators in gloomy filence awaited. the fatal blow, which was only fufpénded till the general, who prefided ás júdge, fhould give the fígnal. 'It was in this interval óf ánguifh and expectation, thát Matilda came to take hér láft farewell óf hér husband and delíverer, deploring her wretched fituation, and the cruelty of fate, thát hád faved her from périfhing by a premature death in the river Voltúrna, to be the spectator of still greater calamities. The general, who was a young

mán, was ftruck with furprize át hér healt ánd píty át hér diftréfs; but with ftill ftringe emotions when he heard her mention hér f mer dangers. He was hér fón, the infor for whom fhè hád encountered fò múch dange He acknowledged hér át ónce ás hís mothe ánd féll át hér feet. The rest may be ea fuppofed: the captive was fet frèe, ánd & the happiness that love, friendship, and d could confér ón èach, were united."

'In this mánner I would attempt to am my daughter; bút fhè líftened with divids attention; fór her own misfortunes engriffe all the píty fhé ónce hád for thofe of another ánd nothing gave her ease. 'In company The dreaded contémpt; and in folitude The on found anxiety. Such was the colour of her wretchednefs, when wè received certain inf mation, that Mr. Thornhill was going to be márried to Mifs Wilmot, for whom I alwa fufpécted hè hád à rèal pássion, though he took évery opportunity before me to exprefs his contémpt both óf her person and fortune. This news only férved to encrèafe poor Olivia's a Aíction: fúch à flágrant breach of fidélity, wis mòre thán hér courage could support. I was refolved, however, tó gét mòre cértain infor mation, and to defeat, íf póffible, the completion of his designs, by fénding my fon to old M'r. Wilmot's, with inftructions to know the truth of the repòrt, and to deliver M Wilmot à létter, íntimating Mr. Thórnhill's conduct in my family. My fón went, in pur fùance of my directions, and in three days returned, affùring ús óf the truth of the ac count; bút thát hè hád found it impoffible to deliver thé létter, whích hè was therefore ob

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