racter cannot be much longer concealed Tremble, caitif, at the thoughts of my release-in the mean time, begone, left my just resentment impel me to dash out your brains upon that marble-away.-" The honeft doctor was not fo firmly perfuaded of his patient's lunacy as to reject his advice, which he made what hafte he could to follow, when an unexpected accident intervened. That this may be properly introduced, we must return to the knight's brace of trufty friends, captain Crowe and lawyer Clarke, whom we left in forrowful deliberation upon the fate of their patron. Clarke's genius being rather more fruitful in refources, than that of the feaman, he suggested an advertisement, which was was accordingly inferted in the daily papers; importing, that," whereas a gentleman of confiderable rank and fortune had fuddenly disappeared on fuch a night from his house, near Goldenfquare, in confequence of a letter delivered to him by a porter; and there is great reason to believe some violence hath been offered to his life any perfon capable of giving fuch information as may tend to clear up this dark transaction, shall, by applying to Mr. Thomas Clarke, attorney, at his lodgings in Upper Brook-street, receive proper fecurity for the reward of one hundred guineas, to be paid to him upon his making the difcovery required."

The porter who delivered the letter appeared accordingly; but could give no other information, except that it was put into his hand with a fhilling, by a man muffled up in a great coat, who stopped him for the purpose, in his paffing through Queen-ftreet. It was neceffary that

the advertisement fhould produce an effect upon another perfon, who was no other than the hackney coachman who drove our hero to the place of his imprisonment. This fellow had been enjoined fecrecy, and indeed bribed to hold his tongue, by a confiderable gratification, which, it was fuppofed, would have been effectual, as the man was a maftercoachman in good circumftances, and well known to the keeper of the mad houfe, by whom he had been employed on foriner occafions of the fame nature. Perhaps his fidelity to his employer, reinforced by the hope of many future jobbs of that kind, might have been proof against the offer of fifty pounds; but double that fum was a temptation he could not refift. He no fooner read the intimation in the Daily Advertifer, over his morning's pot at an alehoufe, than he entered into confultation with his own thoughts, and having no reason to doubt that this was the very fare he had conveyed, he refolved to earn the reward, and abstain from all fuch adventures in time coming. He had the precaution, however, to take an attorney along with him to Mr. Clarke, who entered into a conditional bond; and, with the affiftance of his uncle depofited the money, to be forthcoming when the conditions fhould be fulfilled. These previous meafures being taken, the coachman declared what he knew, and difcovered the houfe in which Sir Launcelot had been immured. He moreover accompanied our two adherents to a judge's chamber, where he made oath to the truth of his information; and a warrant was immediately granted to fearch the houfe of Bernard Shackle, and fet 4 F 2

at

at liberty Sir Launcelot Greaves, if there found.

Fortified with this authority, they engaged a constable with a formidable poffe, and embarking them in coaches, repaired, with all poffible expedition, to the houfe of Mr. Shackle, who did not think proper to difpute their claim, but admitted them, tho' not without betraying evident fymptoms of confternation. One of the fervants directing them, by his master's order, to Sir Launcelot's apartment, they hurried up fairs in a body, occafioning fuch a noife as did not fail to alarm the phyfician, who had just opened the door to retire, when he perceived their irruption. Capt. Crowe conjecturing he was guilty, from the confufion that appeared in his countenance, made no fcruple of feizing him by the collar, as he endeavoured to retreat; while the tender-hearted Tom Clarke, running up to the knight with his eyes brimfull of joy and affection, forgot all the forms of distant respect, and throwing his arms around his neck, blubbered in his bofom.

Our hero did not receive this proof of his attachment unmoved. He trained him in his embrace, honoured him with the title of his deliverer, and asked him by what miracle he had difcovered the place of his confinement. The lawyer began to unfold the various steps he had taken, with equal minutenefs and felf-complacency, when Crowe dragging the doctor ftill by the collar, fhook his old friend by the hand, protefting he was never fo overjoyed fince he got clear of a Sallee Rover on the coaft of Barbary; and that two glaffes ago he would have started all the money he had

2

in the world in the hold of any man who would have fhewn Sir Launcelot fafe at his moorings. The knight, having made a proper return to this fincere manifeftation of good will, defired him to difmifs that worthless fellow, meaning the doctor, who, finding himself released, withdrew with fome precipitation.

Then our adventurer, attended by his friends, walked with a deliberate pace to the outward gate, which he found open, and getting into one of the coaches, was entertained by the way to his own houfe with a detail of every measure which had been purfued for his releafe. In his own parlour he found Mrs. Dolly Cowflip, who had been waiting with great fear and impatience for the iffue of Mr. Clarke's adventure. She now fell upon her knees, and bathed the knight's hand with tears of joy; while the face of this young woman, recalling the idea of her miftrefs, roufed his heart to ftrong emotion, and stimulated his mind to the immediate atchievement he had already planned. As for Crabshaw, he was not the daft to fignify his fatisfaction at his master's return. After having kiffed the hem of his garment, he repaired to the stable, where he communicated thefe tidings to his friend Gilbert, whom he faddied and bridled: the fame office he performed for Bronzomarte: then putting on his squire-like attire and accoutrements, he mounted one, and led the other to the knight's door, before which he paraded, uttering from time to time repeated fhouts, to the no small entertainment of the populace, until he received orders to houfe his companions. Thus commanded, he led them back to their ftalls, refumed his li

very,

very, and rejoined his fellow-fervants, who were refolved to celebrate the day with banquets and rejoicings.

Their master's heart was not fufficiently at eafe to fhare in their feftivity. He held a coufultation with his friends in the parlour, whom he acquainted with the reafons he had to believe Mifs Darnel was confined in the fame house which had been his prison: a circumstance which filled them with equal pleafure and aftonishment. Dolly, in particular, weeping plentifully, conjured him to deliver her dear lady without delay; nothing now remained but to concert the plan for her deliverance. As Aurelia had in formed Dolly of her connection with Mrs. Kawdle, at whofe house the propofed to lodge, before the was overtaken on the road by her uncle, this particular was now imparted to the council, and ftruck a light which feemed to point out the direct way. to Mifs Darnel's enlargement.

Our hero, accompanied by Mrs. Cowflip, and Tom Clarke, fet out immediately for the house of Dr. Kawdie, who happened to be abroad; but his wife received them with great courtesy. She was a wellbred, fenfible, genteel woman. and strongly attached to Aurelia by the ties of affection as well as of confanguinity. She no fooner learned the fituation of her coufin than fhe expressed the most impatient concern for her being fet at liberty; and affured Sir Launcelot fhe would concur in any scheme he should propofe for that purpose. There was no room for hesitation or choice; he attended her immediately to the judge, who upon proper application iffued another fearch-warrant for

Aurelia Darnel. The constable and his poffe were ain retained; and Sir Launcelot Greaves once more croffed the threshold of Mr. Bernard Shackle. Nor was the fearchwarrant the only implement of jultice with which he had furnished himfelt for this vifit. In going thither, they agreed upon the method in which they should introduce themfelves gradually to Mifs Darnel, that her tender nature might not be too much fhocked by their sudden appearance.

When they arrived at the house therefore, and produced their credentials, in confequence of which, a female attendant was directed to fhew the lady's apartment, Mrs. Dolly first entered the chamber of the accomplished Aurelia, who, lifting up her eyes, fcreamed aloud, and flew into the arms of her faithful Cow. flip. Some minutes elapfed before Dolly could make fhift to exclaim,"Am coom to live and daai with my beloved leady!" "Dear Dolly! (cried her miftrefs) I cannot express the pleasure 1 have in feeing you again

good heaven! what folitary hours of keen affliction have I paffed fince we parted!—but, tell me, how did you difcover the place of my retreat?

has my uncle relented? —do I owe your coming to his indulgence?"

Dolly answered in the negative; and by degrees gave her to underftand that her coufin, Mrs. Kawdle, was in the next room; that lady immediately appeared, and a very tender fcene of recognition paffed between the two relations. It was fhe who, in the courfe of converfation, perceiving that Aurelia was perfectly compofed, declared the happy tidings of the approaching deliverance. When the other eager

ly

ly infifted upon knowing to whofe humanity and addr, the was indebted for this happy turn of fortune, her cousin declared the obligation was due to a young gentleman of Yorkshire called Sir Launcelot Greaves. At mention of that name, her face was overfpread with a crimson glow, and her eyes beamed redoubled fplendor," Coufin, (faid he, with a figh,) I know not what to fay-that gentleman, Sir Launcelot Greaves was furely born-Lord blefs me!-I tell you, coufin, he has been my guardian angel.-"

Mrs. Kawdle, who had maintain ed a correfpondence with her by letters, was no stranger to the former part of the connexion fubfifting between those two lovers, and had always favoured the pretenfions of our hero, without being acquainted with his perfon. She now observed with a smile, that as Aurelia efteemed the knight her guardian angel, and he adored her as a demi-deity, nature feemed to have intended them for each other; for fuch fublime ideas exalted them both above the fphere of ordinary mortals. She then ventured to intimate that he was in the houfe, impatient to pay his refpects in perfon. At this declaration, the colour vanished from her cheeks; which, however, foon underwent a total fuffufion. Her heart pant ed; her bofom heaved; and her gentle frame was agitated by tranf ports rather violent than unpleafing. She foon, however, recollected herfelf; and her native ferenity returned; when rifing from her feat, the declared he would fee him in the next apartment, where he ftood in the most tumultuous fuf

pence, waiting for permiffion to approach her perfon. Here the broke in upon him, arrayed in an elegant white undrefs, the emblem of her purity, beaming forth the emanations of amazing beauty, warmed and improved with a glow of gratitude and affection. His heart was too big for utterance; he ran towards her with rapture, and, throwing himself at her feet, imprinted a respectful kifs upon her lilly band. "This, divine Aurelia, (cried he,) is a foretaste of that: ineffable blits, which you was born to bestow!-Do I then live to fee you finile again? to see you reftored to liberty; your mind at eafe, and your health unimpair- › ed!" "You have lived, (said she,) to fee my obligatious to Sir Launcelot Greaves accumulated in fuch a manner, that a whole life spent in acknowledgment will fearce fuf-: fice to demonftrate a due sense of his goodnefs." "You greatly overrate my fervices, which have been. rather the duties of common humanity, than the efforts of a generous paflion, too noble to be thus evinced;--but let not my unfeafonable tranfports detain you a moment longer on this detefted scene.

Give me leave to hand you into the coach, and commit you to the care of this good lady, attended by this honeft young gentleman, who is my particular friend." So faying, he prefented Mr. Thomas Clarke, who had the honour to falute the fair hand of the ever, amiable Aurelia.

The ladies being fafely coached under the escorte of the lawyer, Sir Launcelot affured them he should wait on them in the evening, at, the houfe of Dr. Kawdle, whither.

--they