ficult but for our recent calamity, which had humbled my wife's pride, and blunted it by more poignant afflictions. Being unable to go for my poor child myfelf, as my arm grew very painful, I fent my fon and daughter, who foon returned, fupporting the wretched delinquent, who had not the courage to look up at her mother, whom no inftructions of mine could perfuade to a perfect reconciliation; for women have a much ftronger sense of female error than men. Ah, ma'dam,' cried her mother, this is but a poor place you are come to after fo much finery. My daughter Sophy and I can afford but little entertainment to perfons who have kept company only with people of diftinction. Yes, Mifs Livy, your poor father ⚫ and I have fuffered very much of late; but hope

heaven will forgive you.'-During this reception, the unhappy victim ftood pale and trembling, unable to weep or to reply; but I could not continue a filent fpectator of her diftrefs; wherefore, affuming a degree of feverity in my voice and manner, which was ever followed with inftant fubmiffion, I entreat, woman, that my words may be now marked once for all I have here brought you back a poor ⚫ deluded wanderer; her return to duty demands the revival of our tenderness. The real hardships of life are now coming falt upon us, let us not there'fore increase them by diffenfion among each other. If we live harmoniously together, we may yet be contented, as there are enough of us to fhut out the cenfuring world, and keep each other in counte< nance. The kindness of heaven is promised to the penitent, and let ours be directed by the example. Heaven, we are affured, is much more pleafed to view a repentant finner, than ninety-nine perfons who have fupported a courfe of undeviating rectitude. And this is right; for that fingle effort by which we ftop fhort in the down-hill path to perdition, is itself a greater exertion of virtue, than an hundred acts of justice.'

CHAP. XXIII.

None but the guilty can be long and completely miferable.

S

OME affiduity was now required to make our prefent abode as convenient as poffible, and we were foon again qualified to enjoy our former ferenity. Being difabled myself from affifting my fon in our ufual occupations, I read to my family from the few books that were faved, and particularly from fuch as, by amusing the imagination, contributed to eafe the heart. Our good neighbours came every day with the kindeft condolence, and fixed a time in which they were all to affift in repairing my former dwelling. Honeft farmer Williams was not laft among thefe vifitors; but heartily offered his friendship. He would even have renewed his addresses to my daughter; but the rejected them in fuch a manner as totally represt his future folicitations. Her grief feemed formed for continuing, and fhe was the only perfon of our little fociety that a week did not reftore to cheerfulness. She now loft that unblushing innocence which once taught her to refpect herself, and to feek pleasure by pleafing. Anxiety had now taken ftrong poffeffion of her mind, her beauty began to be impaired with her conftitution, and neglect ftill more contributed to diminish it. Every tender epithet bestowed on her fifter brought a pang to her heart and a tear to her eye; and as one vice, though cured, ever plants others where it has been, fo her former guilt, though driven out by repentance, left jealoufy and envy behind. I ftrove a thousand ways to leffen her care, and even forgot my own pain in a concern for her's, collecting fuch amufing paffages of hiftory, as a ftrong memory and fome reading could fuggeft. Our happiness, my dear,' I would fay, is in the power of one who ⚫ can bring it about a thousand unforeseen ways, that mock our forefight. If example be neceffary to prove this, I'll give you a story, my child, told us

• by

by a grave, though fometimes a romancing histo

<rian.

• Matilda was married very young to a Neapolitan • nobleman of the firft quality, and found herself a widow and a mother at the age of fifteen. As the stood one day careffing her infant fon in the open • window of an apartment, which hung over the river • Volturna, the child, with a fudden spring, leaped ⚫ from her arms into the flood below, and difappeared in a moment. The mother, ftruck with inftant furprise, and making an effort to fave him, plunged in after; but, far from being able to affift the infant, fhe herself with great difficulty escaped to the oppofite fhore, juft when fome French foldiers were plundering the country on that fide, who immediately made her their prisoner.

6

As the war was then carried on between the French and Italians with the utmost inhumanity, they were going at once to perpetrate those two extremes, fuggefted by appetite and cruelty. This bafe refolution, however, was oppofed by a young officer, who, though their retreat required the utmost expedition, placed her behind him, and brought her in fafety to his native city. Her beauty at first caught his eye, her merit foon after his heart. They were married; he rofe to the highest pofts; they lived long together, and were happy. But the felicity of a foldier can never be called permanent; after an interval of feveral years, the troops which ⚫he commanded having met with a repulfe, he was obliged to take fhelter in the city where he had lived with his wife. Here they fuffered a fiege, and the city at length was taken. Few hiftories can produce more various inftances of cruelty, than those which the French and Italians at that time exercised < upon ach other. It was refolved by the victors, upon this occafion, to put all the French prifoners to death; but particularly the husband of the unfor⚫tunate Matilda, as he was principally inftrumental in protracting the fiege. Their determinations were, G 2

• in

in general, executed almost as soon as refolved upon. The captive foldier was led forth, and the executioner, with his fword, ftood ready, while the fpectators, in gloomy filence, waited the fatal blow, which was only fufpended till the general, who prefided as judge, fhould give the fignal. It was in this interval of anguish and expectation, that Matilda came to take her laft farewel of her husband and deliverer, deploring her wretched fituation, and' the cruelty of fate, that had faved her from perishing by a premature death in the river Volturna, to be the fpectator of ftill greater calamities. The general, who was a young man, was ftruck with furprise at her beauty, and pity at her distress; but with ftill ftronger emotions when he heard her mention her former dangers. He was her fon, the infant for whom the had encountered fo much danger, acknowledged her at once as his mother, and fell at her feet. The reft may be easily supposed: the captive was fet free, and all the happiness that love, friendship, and duty could confer on each, were • united.'

6

In this manner I would attempt to amufe my daughter; but he liftened with divided attention; for her own misfortunes engroffed all the pity fhe once had for thofe of another, and nothing gave her eafe. In company fhe dreaded contempt; and in folitude she only found anxiety. Such was the colour of her wretchednefs, when we received certain information that Mr. Thornhill was going to be married to Mifs Wilmot, for whom I always fufpected he had a real paffion, though he took every opportunity before me to exprefs his contempt both of her perfon and fortune. This news only ferved to increase poor Olivia's affliction; fuch a flagrant breach of fidelity was more than her courage could fupport. I was refolved, however, to get more certain information, and to defeat, if poffible, the completion of his defigns, by fending my fon to old Mr. Wilmot's, with inftructions to know the truth of the report, and to deliver Mifs

Wilmot

Wilmot a letter, intimating Mr. Thornhill's conduct in my family. My fon went, in purfuance of my disections, and in three days returned, affuring us of the truth of the account; but that he had found it impoffible to deliver the letter, which he was therefore obliged to leave, as Mr. Thornhill and Mifs Wilmot were vifiting round the country. They were to be married, he faid, in a few days, having appeared together at church the Sunday before he was there, in great splendour, the bride attended by fix young ladies, and he by as many gentlemen. Their approaching nuptials filled the whole country with rejoicing, and they ufually rode out together in the grandest equipage that had been feen in the country for many years. All the friends of both families, he faid, were there, particularly the 'Squire's uncle, Sir William Thornhill, who bore fo good a character. He added, that nothing but mirth and feafting were going forward; that all the country praised the young bride's beauty and the bridegroom's fine perfon, and that they were immensely fond of each other; concluding, that he could not help thinking Mr. Thornhill one of the most happy men in the world.

fee

Why let him, if he can," returned I; but, my fon, obferve this bed of ftraw, and unfheltering roof; those mouldering walls, and humid floor; my • wretched body thus difabled by fire, and my children weeping round me for bread; you have come home, my child, to all this, yet here, even here, you a man that would not for a thousand worlds exchange fituations. O, my children, if you could but learn to commune with your own hearts, and know what noble company you can make them, you would little regard the elegance and fplendours of the worthless. Almost all men have been taught to call life a paffage, and themselves the travellers. • fimilitude ftill may be improved when we observe that the good are joyful and ferene, like travellers that are going towards home; the wicked but by intervals happy, like travellers that are going into exile.'

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