the impending ruin. Jacintha was too duteous, too tender of her mother's peace, to act in contradiction to her commands; and Carlos difdained fo ungenerous a return to Louifa's hofpitality as to fteal her daughter from her. For these reafons they tore themselves from one another, and mourned in abfence their mutual lofs. And, what made their mifery more irkfome, was, they had not the common relief of discharging their refentment upon the author of their forrows; for, whenever they thought upon Louifa, the only oppofer of their happiness, duty and gratitude filenced their upbraidings, took off the edge of their complaints, and changed them into prayers and kind wishes for a friend and mother.

"But though they parted, the generous Jacintha was refolutely conftant in her affection, and fcorned to let her heart fhrink from her beloved Carlos, She failed not daily to importune her mother in his behalf; who as often fet before her the danger of venturing on one who had only a place at court to truft to, which was a precarious poft, and at best must die with him. Jacintha thought her own fortune would afford them a genteel and fufficient maintenance; and the only difference between them lay in this, that Jacintha propofed nothing more than to be a happy wife; Louifa's ambition was to have her a rich widow.

"In the mean while Don Carlos paffed all his days in melancholy, and was almost fhrunk into the fhadow of himself; when Louifa in compliance with her daughter's importunity, and in compaffion to one who had no other crime but an inviolable love, with much reluctance, yielded her confent. They were

married; but the tranfports which the young couple found together, were but little relifhed by the careful mother, who feared their chimerical happiness would foon evaporate; and therefore to divert herfelf from the thought of them, the foon departed for Madrid, to fpend her life with her fon Alonzo, and the thrice happy Elvira. A few days after, the new-married pair came thither alfo; Jacintha went to visit her rich fifter, and took her husband with her. The grandeur of the houfe furprized them; a large court before it had two circular wings of piazza's below, and baluftrades above. By a large flight of marble steps they afcend the great hall, and were conducted through the faloon into a room of ftate most richly furnished. Here, being left together, Carlos could not help blushing when he looked upon Jacintha, taking all the magnificence which appeared before them as a reproach upon himself, who was unable to provide for her those numerous bleffings which Alonzo fhowered down upon her happy elder fifter; although Jacintha's fortune and merit were in no wife inferior to Elvira's. Jacintha, who obferved him, fufpecting the kind cause of his confufion, relieved him with an easy smile, and undiffembled chearfulness; when an immoderate laugh in a neighbouring apartment, feemed to fpeak the felicity which the poffeffors of that delightful feat enjoyed. It was not long ere Elvira appeared, and the fight of her fifter gave her an uncommon fatisfaction. After the first compliments, the vifitants failed not to exprefs their joy at her good fortune, and the happiness her great defert had raised her to, in fo excellent a husband as Alonzo, with circumftances

circumftances fo plentiful, a palace fo magnificent, a retinue fo numerous, and friends fo chearful. Elvira could not contain herself, but bursting into tears, cried, "Oh! do not mock my mifery, Jacintha! you fee in me the verieft wretch that ever mourned in wedlock: prudence, as poor Louifa thought, joined our hands, before love had touched our hearts; but the event too fadly proves the crime and folly of making a merchandize of marriage. Alonzo, it's true, has large pofleffions, but I, alas! am miftrefs of him nor them: I have no more command of the gold in his coffers, than if it ftill continued in the mountains of Peru. A profufeness, indeed, fpreads my table; but how much more fatisfaction, Jacintha, did the less coftly viands, which we ufed to prepare ourselves, afford! Befides, the peace that used there to fmile at every meal, is changed into the noisy laugh of drunkards, and loofe difcourfe of wantons; thefe were the chearful friends you mentioned, and I have none but fuch to converfe with. My attendants are not fervants, but fpies, guards and enemies; it's a crime in them to be obliging to me, though few have had the courage to rifque difpleafure on that account. I am their contempt and fcorn, and dare engage there is not one in the houfe would change conditions with me. I have been infulted by all, and beyond fufferance by fome that thing yonder reigns uncontrouled; for whom, and fome other fuch creatures, my lord every night forfakes me; and the impudent fellow who introduced you hither, not long ago attempted on my honour, and by his mafter's directions too. Judge now how agreeable my condition is: the stately

appearance of the house I am fick and weary of, and the poor woman at the gate there, fees and enjoys it more than I do, though perhaps the filly creature is fo mad to envy me." Jacintha was fo concerned fhe could not speak, and Carlos, to wave the melancholy subject, asked for Louisa and her little fon: Their company, madam, fays he, must be a great relief to you amidst these calamities. "Ah! Don Carlos, replyed Elvira, I muft no more know comfort: the caufe of marrying without heaven's direction purfues me through every circumftance of life. It's but feldom I can fee my poor boy; he has learned already to despise his mother, and lives the miserable monument of his father's vices, which he bids fair to inherit as well as his diseases. Louifa whom you expected here, my husband's brutishness drove away fome few days fince, and she is now retired with an inexpreffible load of forrow to think what her too ambi tious views have brought me to. The only reason why Alonzo married me, was, that my fortune might discharge an incumbrance on his estate.

That turn is ferved, and I am of no farther ufe; he looks on me as a mercenary wretch who fold myfelf by marriage, and treats me like a flave." Don Carlos and Jacintha greatly pitied the unfortunate Elvira, and retired but juft before night, to a little habitation, which they had hired at a small distance from the city.

"Louifa fpent her life in folitude, under the bitter remorse of having perfuaded her eldest daughter into ruin, and the forrowful apprehenfions of what the imagined Jacintha's imprudence had drawn upon herself. For fome years fhe did not fee her; and at laft refolved on an unexpected

vifit, that she might furprize her in her true and undisguised manner of life. She arrived one evening, and was conducted by a fervant, without notice, at her request, into the garden; where, unobferved, the beheld the loving pair fitting under an alcove of jeffamine: Jacintha employed in needle housewifery, and Carlos entertaining her with the merry works of immortal Cervantes. But ever and anon would he fteal away his eyes to fix them upon Jacintha, and often met her's, wandering from her work, upon a like errand.

Nor gentle purpose, nor endearing Smiles Wanted, nor youthful dalliance as befeems Fair couple link'd in happy nuptial league.

MILTON.

"So foon as Louifa difcovered herself, she was received with fuch a graceful transport and chearfulness as fpoke fincere affection. After entertaining her fome time with the agreeableness of the garden, they were called to a fupper, wholefome, fimple, and elegant the attendants looked (as they were ufed) rather like humble friends than fervants: refpect and fa.isfaction appeared in every countenance, and to make up the family of love, two fons and one little daughter compleated their felicity. In short, happy tempers, well fuited to each other, a moderate fortune, and a pleasant habitation, furnished them with more real happiness than all Alonzo's wealth could purchase.

"The king's favour afterwards raifed Carlos to a more advantageous employment: fo that, by his good conduct and heaven's bleffing,

he became mafter of more wealth than he thought convenient for his children to fhare. All he proposed was, to fet them out handsomely in the world, and enable them to provide for themselves: this, if they were induftrious, would be as much as they wanted, and if they proved idle, much more than they deserved. And, afterwards, he found a melancholy opportunity of difpofing of the overplus; Alonzo's extravagant way of living threw him into great ftreights: to recover himself out of which he pursued fuch measures as made his life a facrifice to the laws, and his estate a forfeiture to the

crown: fo that Elvira was left a

heaven fhut the fcene of all her

deftitute and miferable widow. But

miferies, and took her to itself. Her fon was dead, and the left one daughter only. Carlos took home his little neice, as a companion for his daughter, gave her an equal fortune, and, what was ftill a greater bleffing, educated her like his own. Louifa cured of her blind ambition, spent the quiet evening of her life with Carlos, in all the tranquility which peace, affluence, and innocence could give. She died in a good old age; and the fortune fhe was poffeffed of defcended to the family. foon after followed her, and left Jacintha the richest widow in the neighbourhood. She would never hear of marrying, but devoted herfelf to the memory of her Carlos, whofe lofs was made up as much as poffible, by the affection, obedience, and profperity of her children."

I am your's, &c.

T. H.

IN NO.

SELI

ELIMA was the daughter of Abdallah, a Persian of fome diftinction, in the reign of Abbas the Great; but being difgufted, withdrew from court, and fettled on the banks of the Zemroud. He had alfo retreat in mount Taurus, and as Selima had a tafte for folitude, he often accompanied her thither during the exceffive heats of fummer. No expence was fpared to render this abode delightful; the walks were lined with trees of various fruits and foliage, and flowers of a thousand different hues and odours painted the parterre. It was furnished with water from the adjacent mountains, which, pouring down a natural cafcade, was afterwards divided into smaller streams, and diftributed to every part of the garden. The murmuring of thefe little rills, and the foft melody of the birds, gave the mind a peculiar turn to mufing; and, as Selima was naturally difpofed to reflection, the enjoyed this recefs with double pleafure, and never left it but with extreme regret.

She was now in her twenty-first year, and was often rallied by her coufin Zara, on her fondness for retirement. "To To what end (fhe would fay) is all that enchanting bloom, and eyes fparkling with the moft vivid luftre, if not employed to thofe purpofes for which they were defigned? You are formed for love, enjoy it in all its pleafures. Young Ibrahim pants for a fight of you, and, though contrary to our rules, I have promised to ufe al my intereft for his admittance."-" I tremble (replied Selima) at the propofal,

and can, by no means, confent to fuch an interview: it is contrary to my duty, offends my delicacy, and difturbs my repofe: the pleasures of love are too tumultuous, and little. fuited to a heart like mine." Zara was filent; yet ftill determined to purfue her point, and withdrew her coufin from a folitude she thought fo injurious to her, and which, in her opinion, was only proper for the old, melancholy, and the deformed.

It was in one of thofe fine autumnal evenings, which, in the fouthern parts of Perfia, are fo delightful, that fhe propofed to Selima to take' a walk along the banks of the Zemroud, with an intention to carry her to a house in the suburbs of Ifpahan, where Ibrahim had formed a party to entertain them. The moon and ftars fhone with uncommon fplendor, and were reflected from the furface of the river with additional luftre: the woodbines and jeffamines, which grew in great profufion, filled the air with their fragrance; and the trembling leaves, which the dying gales had yet left in motion, diverfified the scene, and made it altogether irrefiftibly charming. "How tranfporting (cried Selima) are thefe rural delights! [ tafte them pure and unmixed! Alas, how different from thofe deftructive pleasures, which play upon the fenfes for a moment, and leave nothing behind them but uneafinefs and regret !"-" You are much mistaken (interrupted Zara) if you think there are no other amufements you are capable of relishing; and if you are pleafed to permit me, I will im

mediately