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could thus obliterate all the impreffions of fuch an education, and fo virtuous a difpofition as thine?'

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Indeed, Sir,' replied the, he owes all his triumph to the defire I had of making him, and not myfelf, happy. I knew that the ceremony of our marriage, which was privately performed by a popifh prieft, was no way binding, and that I had nothing to truft to but his honour. What,' interrupted I, and were you indeed married by a priest, and in orders ?? -Indeed, Sir, we were, replied she, though we were both fworn to conceal his name.'Why then, my child, come to my arms again, and now you are a thousand times more welcome than • before; for you are now his wife to all intents and purposes; por can all the laws of man, though. written upon tables of adamant, lessen the force of that facred connexion.'

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Alas, papa,' replied the, you are but little acquainted with his villanies: he has been married already, by the fame priest, to fix or eight wives more, whom, like me, he has deceived and aban• doned.'

Has he fo?' cried I, prieft, and you shall inform

But, Sir,' returned she, < I am fworn to fecrecy?'

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then we must hang the against him to-morrow." will that be right, when My dear,' I replied, if you have made fuch a promife, I cannot, nor will I tempt you to break it. Even though it may bene-. fit the public, you must not inform against him. In all human inftitutions, a smaller evil is allowed to procure a greater good; as in politics, a province may be given away to fecure a kingdom; in medicine, a limb may be lopt off, to preferve the body. But in religion the law is written, and inflexible, never to do evil. And this law, my child, is right: for otherwise, if we commit a fmaller evil, to procure a greater good, certain guilt would be thus incurred, in expectation of contingent advantage.. And though the advantage fhould certainly follow, C yet the interval between commiffion and advantage,

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' which is allowed to be guilty, may be that in which we are called away to anfwer for the things we have done, and the volume of human actions is clofed for But I interrupt you, my dear; go on.'

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ever.

The very next morning,' continued fhe, I found what little expectation I was to have from his fincerity. That very morning he introduced me to two unhappy women more, whom, like me, he had • deceived, but who lived in contented proftitution, I loved him too tenderly to bear fuch rivals in his ‹ affections, and ftrove to forget my infamy in a tumult of pleafures. With this view, I danced, dreffed, and talked; but ftill was unhappy. The gentlemen who visited there told me every moment of the power of my charms, and this only contributed to increase my melancholy, as I had thrown all their power quite away. Thus each day I grew more penfive, and he more infolent, till at last the monster had the affurance to offer me to a young Baronet of his acquaintance. Need I defcribe, Sir, how his ingratitude ftung me? My answer to this propofal was almoft madness. I defired to part. As I was going. he offered me a purse; but I flung it at ⚫ him with indignation, and burft from him in a rage, ⚫ that for a while kept me infenfible of the miseries of my fituation. But I foon looked round me, and faw myself a vile, abject, guilty thing, without one ⚫ friend in the world to apply to. Juft in that inter⚫val, a ftage-coach happening to pass by, I took a place, it being my only aim to be driven at a dif⚫tance from a wretch I despised and detefted. I was fet down here, where, fince my arrival, my own anxiety, and this woman's unkindness, have been my only companions. The hours of pleasure that I have paffed with my mamma and fifter, now grow painful to me. Their forrows are much; but mine are greater than theirs; for mine are mixed with guilt and infamy.'

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Have patience, my child,' cried I, things will yet be better. Take fome

and I hope repose to

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night, and to-morrow I'll carry you home to your mother and the reft of the family, from whom you will receive a kind reception. Poor woman, this has' gone to her heart: but she loves you ftill, Olivia, and will forget it.'

CHAP. XXII.

Offences are cafily pardoned where there is love at bottom.

THE HE next morning I took my daughter behind me, and fet out on my return home. As we travelled along, I ftrove, by every perfuafion, to calm her forrows and fears, and to arm her with refolution to bear the prefence of her offended mother. I took every opportunity, from the profpect of a fine country, through which we paffed, to obferve how much kinder heaven was to us, than we to each other, and that the misfortunes of nature's making were very few. I affured her, that she should never perceive any change in my affections, and that during my life, which yet might be long, he might depend upon a guardian and an instructor. I armed her against the cenfures of the world, fhewed her that books were fweet unreproaching companions to the miferable, and that if they could not bring us to enjoy life, they would at leaft teach us to endure it.

The hired horfe that we rode was to be put up that night at an inn by the way, within about five miles from my house, and as I was willing to prepare my family for my daughter's reception, I determined to leave her that night at the inn, and to return for her, accompanied by my daughter Sophia, early the next morning. It was night before we reached our appointed stage: however, after feeing her provided with a decent apartment, and having ordered the hoftefs to prepare proper refreshments, I kiffed her, and proceeded towards home. And now my heart caught new fenfations of pleasure, the nearer I approached that peaceful mansion. As a bird that had been

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frighted from its neft, my affections out-went my hafte, and hovered round my little fire-fide, with all the rapture of expectation. I called up the many fond things I had to fay, and anticipated the welcome I was to receive. I already felt my wife's tender embrace, and fmiled at the joy of my little ones. As I walked but flowly, the night wained apace. The labourers of the day were all retired to reft; the lights were out in every cottage; no founds were heard but of the thrilling cock, and the deep-mouthed watchdog, at hollow diftance. I approached my abode of pleasure, and before I was within a furlong of the place, our honeft maftiff came running to welcome me.

It was now near midnight that I came to knock at my door: all was still and filent; my heart dilated with unatterable happiness, when, to my amazement, I saw the houfe bursting out in a blaze of fire, and every aperture red with conflagration! I gave a loud convulfive outcry, and fell upon the pavement infenfible. This alarmed my fon, who had till this been afleep, and he perceiving the flames, inftantly waked my wife and daughter, and all running out, naked, and wild with apprehenfion, recalled me to life with their anguish. But it was only to objects of new terror; for the flames had, by this time, caught the roof of our dwelling, part after part continuing to fall in, while the family flood with filent agony, looking on, as if they enjoyed the blaze. I gazed upon them, and upon it by turns, and then looked round me for my two little ones; but they were not to be seen. O mifery! Where,' cried where are my little ones ?' They are burnt to death in the flames,' fays my wife calmly, and I ' will die with then.'- -That moment I heard the cry of the babes within, who were juft awaked by the fire, and nothing could have ftopped me. • Where, where are my children?' cried I, rufhing through the flames, and burfting the door of the chamber in which they were confined, 'Where are my little ones?

I,

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- Here, dear papa, here we are,' cried they together, while the flames were just catching the bed

where

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where they lay. I caught them both in my arms, and fnatched them through the fire as faft as poffible, while juft as I was got out, the roof funk in. Now,' cried I, holding up my children, now let the flames burn on, and all my poffeffions perish. Here they are, I have faved my treasure. Here, my dearest, here are our treasures, and we fhall yet be happy.' We kiffed our little darlings a thoufand times, they clafped us round the neck, and feemed to fhare our transports, while their mother laughed and wept by

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I now stood a calm fpectator of the flames, and after fome time began to perceive that my arm to the fhoulder was fcorched in a terrible manner. It was therefore out of my power to give my fon any, a ance, either in attempting to fave our goods, or preventing the flames fpreading to our corn. By this time, the neighbours were alarmed, and came running to our affiftance; but all they could do was to stand, like us, fpectators of the calamity. My goods, among which were the notes I had referved for my daughters fortunes, were entirely confumed, except a box, with fome papers, that flood in the kitchen, and two or three things more of little confequence, which my fon brought away in the beginning. The neighbours contributed, however, what they could to lighten our diftrefs. They brought us clothes, and furnished one of our outhouses with kitchen utenfils; so that by daylight we had another, though a wretched, dwelling to retire to. My honeft next neighbour, and his children, were not the leaft affiduous in providing us with every thing neceffary, and offering whatever confolation untutored benevolence could fuggeft.

When the fears of my family had fubfided, curiofity to know the cause of my long stay began to take place; having therefore informed them of every particular, I proceeded to prepare them for the reception of our loft one, and though we had nothing but wretchedness. now to impart, I was willing to procure her a welcome to what we had. This talk would have been more difficult 1

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