but their conftancy to each other, and obedience to thofe on whom they depended, wrought fo much upon their relations, that thefe celebrated lovers were at length joined in marriage. Soon after their nuptials, the bridegroom was obliged to go into a foreign country, to take care of a confiderable fortune, which was left him by a relation, and came very opportunely to improve their moderate circumftances. They received the congratulations of all the country on this occafion; and I remember it was a common fentence in every one's mouth, "You fee how faithful love is rewarded."*

He took this agreeable voyage, and fent home every poft fresh accounts of his fuccefs in his affairs abroad; but at last, though he defigned to return with the next fhip, he lament ed, in his letters, that "bufinefs would detain him fome time longer from home," because he would give himself the pleasure of an unexpected arrival.

The young lady, after the heat of the day, walked every evening on the fea-fhore, near which the lived, with a familiar friend, her husband's kinfwoman, and diverted herself with what objects they met there, or upon difcourtes of the future methods of life, in the happy change of their circumftances. They flood one evening on the fhore together in a perfect tranquility, obferving the fetting of the fun, the calm face of the deep, and the filent heaving of the waves, which gently rolled towards them, and broke at their feet; when at a distance her kinfwoman faw fomething float on the waters, which the

fancied was a cheft, and with a smile told her, "she saw it firft, and if it came afhore full of jewels, she had a right to it." They both fixed their eyes upon it, and entertained themfelves with the fubject of the wreck, the coufin ftill aflerting her right; but promifing, "if it was a prize, to give her a very rich coral for the child of which he was then big, provided the might be god-mother." Their mirth foon abated, when they obferved, upon the nearer approach, that it was a human body. . The young lady, who had a heart naturally filled with pity and compaffion, made many melancholy reflections on the occafion. "Who knows (faid fhc) but this man may be the only hope and heir of a wealthy houfe, the dailing of indulgent parents, who are now in impertinent mirth, and pleafing themfelves with the thoughts of offering him a bride they have got ready for him? or, may he not be the mafter of a family that wholly depended upon his life? There may, for aught we know, be half a dozen fatherless children, and a tender wife, now expofed to poverty by his death. What pleafure might he have promifed himself in the different welcome he was to have from her and them! But let us go away; it is a dreadful fight! The best office we can do, is to take care that the poor man, whoever he is, may be decently buried." She turned away, when a wave threw the carcafs on the fhore. The kinfwoman immediately fhricked out, "Oh, my coufin !" and fell upon the ground. The unhappy wife went to help her friend, when the faw her own hufband at her feet, and

and dropped in a fwoon upon the body. An old woman, who had been the gentleman's nurfe, came out about this time to call the ladies in to fupper, and found her child, as the always called him, dead on the shore, her mistress and kinfwoman both lying dead by him. Her loud lamen

tations, and calling her young mafter to life, foon awaked the friend from her trance; but the wife was gone for ever.

When the family and neighbourhood got together round the bodies, no one asked any question, but the objects before them told the story.

mic tongue

Return'd the music of my Delia's fong; Ob! ftill repeat the foft enchanting lay, That gently feals the ravish'd foul

away!

Shall founds like thefe in circling air

be toft,

And in the fream of vulgar noifes loft? Ye guardian fylphs, who liften while The fings,

Bear the feet accents on your rofy wings;

With fludious care the fading notes retain,

Nor let that tuneful breath be spent

in vain!

But why unhappy, Sir?' Liften to the ftory. Mifs Lynch, with all that lovelinefs, all that sweetness, all verses, had numerous opportunities of that harmony, defcribed in thofe ed, and the referved her hand to marriage; but her heart was devotbeftow with it. The perfon thus honoured by her partiality was then in but fo high-fo very high !—that it a learned profeffion-he is in it still; of cenfure towards him. He was becomes not me to direct the finger then a young man, and fufceptible of the fafcination to which the gloomieft characters, the haughtieft, and the moft frigid, muft at fome period or other bow down. Mifs Lynch, in lieved herself only returning a pure yielding this perfonage her heart, beand ardent paffion.

Her father's house was within a few miles of a city, to which in the courfe of his profeffion this gentleman was frequently carried. He used to every mark of hofpitality from its be invited to fleep there, and received

amiable inhabitants. His addreffes to the young lady were open, and their marriage was looked forward to by her friends as an event more defirable than

certain. Whether the gentleman,

in his conduct towards her, had formed a regular fyftem of feduction, or whether accident and unlooked for opportunity, occafioned her ruin, was never known; but ruined fhe was, Her parents difcovered that the was with child-they at firft believed a private marriage had taken place;

and

and were somewhat piqued that a union, to which they had looked for wards with fo much pleafure, fhould be folemnized without their participating the felicity.

How, or at what period, the miferable lady made her parents acquainted with her misfortune, was never made public; but the agonies, the horrors, which on every fide attended the discovery, may be in fome measure conceived. The lover was written to; he returned no anfwer. He was threatened-without avail. The lady herself wrote to fupplicate, to plead for her fame, for her life! but all in vain. In this conflict the weeks and months wore away, and fhe became a mother! A mother without a husband!

Some motive at length operated on the lover. Whether it was fhame, or repentance, or fear that his practice might be influenced by fo black a trait of character, we know notbut furely it could not be love. He arrived, however, three days after

the birth of his child, and prefented himself at the bedfide of its mother

I am come,' he said to marry you.' The lady replied with an indignant air You are come too late! my family are covered with difgrace, and my parents are finking beneath their daughter's fhame-a fhame you cannot now wipe out.— Had you married me before I became the mother of a b-d, and before my dishonour was divulged to the world, a whole life of grateful and fubmiffive love fhould have repaid you; as it is, I refufe not only to be your wife, but I refuse to live. No fuftenance has entered thefe lips fince the excruciating hour of labour, and none fhall enter there : the forrows your name cannot hide, I am haftening to carry to the grave.'

The lady kept her word-refolutely continuing to refufe food; and the man who was fo tardy in his justice, beheld her in a few days laid in her grave.

[Ed. Mag.

Yes, Madam, anfwered he, the fame; your old friend and relation, whom you have not feen for twenty years, and who, from the rank of enfign in one of the first regiments in France, has, after forty years fervice, arrived at the degree of a Lieutenant Colonel in the fame regiment; and after being long honoured with the esteem and confidence of his fuperiors, fees himself reduced to the neceffity of requesting an afylum for this night, and of entreating you to keep his arrival here an inviolable fecret.

Gracious Heaven! cried the lady, whofe furprize equalled her concern. What can have happened to you?

Madam,

Madam, replied he, we have no time to lofe in a long converfation. You fee the condition I am in. The fatigue I have undergone, and the company you have left, who, no doubt, expect you foon to return, will not permit us now to enter into particulars. A bed is all I at present want. To-morrow morning you shall know my misfortunes. Give the proper orders to your domestics, and return to your friends.

The next morning the lady, whofe reft had been not a little disturbed by thinking on this unexpected vifitor, having rung for her fervant, was informed the ftranger who had arrived the evening before, had been long up. She therefore fent to request his company; and, when he came, conjured him, by their ancient friendship, not to conceal any part of his history.

Madam, replied he with a figh, to comply with your request I must renounce your esteem. But you have a right to the truth; and I fhould think myself lefs deferving your pity, fhould felf-refpect, which I have no longer any pretenfions to indulge, tempt me to hide it from you.

I will confefs, therefore, that a wretch, who is the most despicable of men, now implores your compaffion, hoping to obtain from your goodness the only favour which the horror he feels at his prefent fituation will permit him to request.

To keep you no longer in fufpence, know then that I, utterly unworthy of being born within thefe walls, heretofore fo gloriou fly defended by our ancestors, having been appointed to defend, with an hundred grenadiers, though it were only for a fingle hour, an advanced poft, upon which the entire fuccefs of the enfuing battle might depend-fhudder at what I am about to tell you-I, that veteran officer, who, three days before, had never known fear, and

whole bravery is attefted by the scars ftill remaining of the many wounds I have received, at fight of the enemy, forgetful at once of what I was, and what I must become, fled like a coward, an infamous coward; and, fo great was my panic, after a flight of three hours, I carcely recovered from my terror!

To crown my ignominy, I was unable, even when I felt all the excefs of my fhame, to liften to the voice of honour, which admonished me to return to the camp, and expiate my crime by furrendering myself to the rigour of military law. I have not blufhed to prefent myself, degraded and despicable as I am, before you; in whofe eyes I already read all that furprise and contempt which a wretch like me muft naturally inspire.

At this terrifying recital, the lady could only exprefs the different fenfations with which she was agitated by her filence and her tears.

I never doubted, Madam, continyed the officer, but you muft furvey me with a deteftation equal to your concern; I, therefore, only purposed to requeft you would procure me a speedy paffage to England; where, changing my name, I had determined to conceal my fhame. But I have now abandoned this refolution, and have written a letter, which is already on its way to my general. In it I have informed him of every thing I have related to you; and have concluded, by entreating him to fix a day on which I may return to the army, and furrender myself, to take my trial by a courtmartial; too happy if my death, by expiating a crime which has rendered life infupportable, may procure me, if not the esteem, at least the pity of my brave comrades; among whom my name must be heard with horror, and to whom my example

How