NIGHT THOUGHTS-No. 3. Subject for an Artist : AZRAEL, THE ANGEL OF DEATH, AND THE WOMAN. The Woman is on her knees with averted face awaiting the dread summons; she turns her head shrinkingly from the approaching Azrael, fearing his terrific presence. But he, a glorious youth with flowing locks and celestial radiance, attired in fair, white, linen garments, touches her with a Palm-branch, and gently woos her breath away: saying, as an immortal bridegroom, while pointing to the glowing skies, Arise, my love, my fair one! and come away.” VOL. II. CHAPTER X. The words that make them one are spoken, Hamilton Aidé. Allez père barbare et peu digne d'un nom si doux, méditez d'affreux parricides tandis qu'une fille tendre et soumise immole son bonheur á vos préjugés. La Nouvelle Héloise. Hélas! tu as passé, mon éternel amour, tu as passé; ce cruel souvenir sera le compagnon de chacune de mes pensées agréables, de tous mes tendres sentimens, de toutes les tristes et chères émotions de mon cœur. Poésies et Chants de Leopardi. Traduites de l'Italien par MME. LA COMTESSE DE LALAING. My return to X-- was very melancholy; everything tended to remind me of my dear departed Thekla. The Duke's indignation and grief, on hearing the accounts given him by Miss Temple of his daughter's sufferings, and of the ill-treatment she had experienced from her brutal husband, together with her illness and death, proceeding in all human probability from the same source, was extreme and sad to witness-although she tried, as far as it was possible, to soften the painful details; yet, he did not seem to attribute any portion of blame to himself for the ambition that had hurried that disastrous union to its close; an ambition founded upon no better security than the temptations held out by worldly pride and covetousness; no he suffered much and undoubtedly; yet he did not take the lesson home to himself, or profit by the experience of the past, as I shall have occasion to show in bringing my story to its conclusion. Fedora, poor girl! felt long and acutely the loss of that beloved sister, to whom she was so affectionately attached. She did not speak much upon this melancholy subject, but the account of those last moments-those last words of mingled sorrow and resignation-sank deeply into her heart. It was many months ere she could be persuaded to enter into society, or to endeavour to chase, by her efforts, the settled gloom which at this period hung over the court of X-. But at length a sense of duty-of what she owed to her father-prevailed over her wish for seclusion and she became again, as she had ever been, the idol of his pride and affectionthe leading star and beacon of all the amusements or more serious transactions of our little world. My story now turns wholly on the life and fortunes of my only remaining treasure, Fedora, which I shall condense as much as possible as this little narrative has already extended to a length beyond that I had originally intended. During my absence at S, as I afterwards learnt, the King of P- had made a formal overture to the Duke for the hand of his second daughter, in marriage. The match was a favourable one in every point of view, except, perhaps, the most essential; the Duke was highly pleased, and it was sure to be more popular in his dominions than the connexion with Russia had been. The question of popularity in the alliances of German sovereigns was then every day gaining more weight; the people were unquiet, and the example of France had made them learn to judge their rulers severely. Royal marriages had hitherto been little considered by subjects, but they now began to see how deeply their interests might be affected by the political consequences of two warlike and ambitious houses being closely united. These considerations were not lost upon the Duke, who greatly desired to strengthen his position. by an alliance with some powerful kingdom, which might serve as a guarantee for his own independence in the turbulent times that seemed likely to usher in the coming century. He therefore arranged the plan, for his daughter's marriage, privately with his Council of State, without consulting her taste or inclinations, and |