face from fo many eyes; but the brightness of the fire the shepherds had lighted up betrayed her, and fhewed in her a woman of equal youth and beauty.

The fhepherds did not hesitate to offer her all the help that lay in their power. Ah! faid fhe, the only favour I afk of you is, that you would first hide me in fome corner, where my purfuers might not find me, and afterwards give me fome aliment, which might keep me from fainting away. All were eager to fee her properly accommodated. A good old man, the chief of the shepherds, took fome theep-fkins, the most woolly and foft he could find, and brought them into the hollow of an old oak of enormous thickness, where he made a kind of bed. 'Tis there the fair difconfolate was conducted to be concealed from the fearch of her enemies. She was given fome milk and wine to drink, and, whilst he was recruiting a little her ftrength, the old man was bufy in ftretching out and hanging other fkins before the hollow of the tee, in order to dry them, as it were, and to remove all fufpicion.

In the mean time every one made their reflections on the event, and fome were not without hazarding a conjecture, that the young woman was the mother of the new ly-born child. The pilgrims, however, prayed the old man not to fet bounds to the good work he had begun, but to extend ftill his charity to the poor helpless creature. They related to him how it had been configned over to their care. Calling immediately one of the other fhepherds, he ordered him to take the child among the goats, that the fhepherdess might milk one of them for it, till he should take other measures for its prefervation.

The shepherdess had scarce began to make the child's wailing cease, by humecting its lips with a little milk, when feveral men on - horfeback arrived at the habitation. They inquired if a cavalier had been feen who had taken away with him a newly-born infant, and a young Lady, who was just delivered of it. Having answered, that they knew nothing of the matter, these men continued their route with extraordinary fpeed. All were glad of their departure. The pilgrims fpent the night there more commodiouly than they expected, and their hotts entertained then with the best chear they could afford. But before they repaired to reit it was thought neceffary to visit the amiable fugitive. She found herself more at eafe, and faid that her fituation would be lefs unhappy to her, when fhe fhould be under no further dread of her father, who was the perfon that fought her with her brother, and fome of their friends.

It was thought expedient to take another precaution in regard to the child, before the day appeared; and this was to have it carried to the house of a relation of the old man, who lived about a league off. Accordingly. it was fent there with the gold chain, and in cafe of an inquiry the nurfe was to declare that it belonged to an inhabitant of fome neighbouring village They then thought of repairing to their refpective places of rest. The return of the day was agreeable to all but the young Lady, who durft not behold the brightness of the fun. However, after diftributing perfons to watch in different avenues leading to the cot, the old fhepherd took her out of her oak to give her a little air. The moment fhe appeared, the admiration for her beauty received an additional increase, as well as the follicitude that had already interested them in her misfortune. They gave her hopes and comfort, and, impatient as they were to learn her adventures, they prayed her to fatisfy the company's curiofity. Her gratitude for the fervices the had received did not allow her to refufe that' favour, and the spoke to them as follows:

My name is Feliciana Vox. I was born in a village not far hence. My parents are more noble than amply provided with the gifts of fortune. My beauty, which has been the caufe of this difafter, and which is not fuch now as it was fome months ago, made me fought for by the bett parties. Near my father's houfe lives a Gentleman, much commendable for his fervices and noble rank, whofe fon is not lefs the heir of his eminent virtues than of his great wealth. In the fame village is another ancient Gentleman; he too has a fon, with whom he lives honourably on a moderate income. 'Tis him my parents would have me marry, without either confulting my inclination that fixed my choice on the first, or the advantages I was to find in the match. But Heaven that referved me for the difgrace I now fuffer, and perhaps for still greater, made me take into my bed, without the knowledge and against the will of my father, the lover I had chofen for myself. I will not tell you by what degrees I brought things to this pals. Unfortunately for me, my mother was no more, who would be ready to hear reafon concerning my true intereft, and that of my heart. We often faw one another, my lover and I, without a witnefs. It was thafe fcret interviews that pushed me on the precipice where my honour met with ruin, it, notwithstanding, one can repute a woman as difhonoured, who did not make her beloved happy, till he had plighted to her the faith of a lawful husband."

When

When on the point of bringing into the world the fruit of our conjugal love, my father came to a refolution that I fhould marry the young man he gave the preference to. For this purpofe he invited him yefterday evening to our house with two of his relations. A prefage of what was to happen threw my whole frame into tremors, on feeing Don Diego appear; this was the name of the husband he had provided for me. Nothing could equal my diftrefs. My father, having followed me into a chamber where I retired, ordered me to drefs fomething better than ufual, to receive the faith of him to whom he purpofed to engage mine, and he gave me but a moment to put myself in a condition of appearing.

Being then come to the term of delivery; judge of the effect my father's order must have produced on me. The pains of labour fo overpowered me, that I remained as dead. My father had no fooner joined his company, but, inftead of having ornaments brought me by my waiting-maid, I threw myself into her arms, and with eyes bathed in tears: Ah! Leonora, faid I, the end of my days is at hand; Don Diego waits to marry me. Conceive the excefs of my grief in my prefent condition; in pity, dear friend, pierce my forrowful heart; open to my foul a paffage that may deliver it from the torment I endure. But I feel, pursued I, a moment after, that I have no further occafion for your help. My weakness will do me the fervice I implored, and I quit with joy a life which I am not permitted to spend with the one I love. Then I fetched a deep figh, and Leonora thought I was just expiring. But how great was her furprife, when, inftead of feeing me give up the ghoft, or ftruggle against death, the perceived that I endeavoured not to ftifle a child that began to cry out! This accident was very embarraffing to her, not having herself been yet so circumftanced; and I recovering a little from my weakness, expected nothing less than the mortal blow from the hand of my father.

Feliciana had proceeded fo far in her narrative, when an alarm was given of fome unknown perfons coming that way. The old fhepherd immediately interrupting her, made ready to bring her back to the hollow of her oak; but a new fignal being given that these people were going another way, fear ceafed, and Feliciana thus refumed her difcourfe:

Whilft Don Diego feemed impatient to have the marriage ceremony performed, Don Rofanio, my husband, had hid himself in our garden. He wanted to fpeak to me, though ignorant of the dreadful extremity I

was reduced to. My father, on his fide, full of impatience on account of my long ab fence, came himself to let me know that I made myself to be too much waited for, Come as you are, faid he, your beauty will fupply the defect of drefs. I can't tell but he heard fome complaint from the child, the moment that Leonora was carrying it away to fome place of fecurity, or to give it to Rofanio. Taking a lighted candle in his hand, he came up and looked me stedfaftly in the face, and I faw his change in an inftant to different colours. He was going undoubtedly to tell me what he thought of the condition he had furprised me in, if the feeblo eccho of a fecond complaint had not again reached his ear. Then, furious, he ran with his naked fword to the place where the cry proceeded from. At light of the danger I faw my child in, I was animated with an equal fury to that of my father, and no longer remembered I had wished to die. Ifollowed precipitately to wreft the fword from him, with which he was going to facrifice my blood to his refentment. When I faw. that Leonora had happily escaped his purfuit, my ardour flackened; and my father fuddenly stopping to liften if he could hear a repetition of the fame cries, I availed myself of his delay to get out into the street, without his taking notice of my escape. In a few moments after, I could hear him cry out he would have me dead or alive. Imagigining my child fafe, or if not, that I could be of no further help to it, my thoughts turned intirely upon myself. The apprehenfion of lofing a life which I had defpifed but an hour before, gave me wings to fly into the country. I ran a long time without keeping to any certain route, and I would have walked all night, notwithstanding my extreme laffitude, if the light I had seen in this habitation had not induced me to come and ask you for the affiftance you have so generously granted me.

This is all I can inform you of concerning my adventure. As to the reft, the will of Heaven must difpofe of me; and you will lay me under infinite obligations by affifting me with your advice to extricate me from the precipice my ill fortune has led me into.

Feliciana's story excited as much astonishment as compaffion. The pilgrims related to her in their turn all that happened to them; their meeting with the cavalier, his delivery of the gold chain and child to them, and the engagement they had agreed to of taking with them the child to his friends at Truxillo. What do I hear, faid Feliciana ? Might not this be my own child? Might not this be my dear Rofanio, who had con

fided

fided to you the pledge of our love? Ah! let me fee the child. Though I have not yet feen him, I should perhaps know him by fome refemblance of his father, and by the cloaths Leonora had wrapped him up in. If thefe incidents fhould give me no jult information, blood will fpeak for him, and I fhall learn from the voice of nature what I fo much defire to know.

The old fhepherd then told her that her curiofity could not be fo foon fatisfied; that the infant had been fent to one of his relations to fuckle and keep it in greater fafety; but that he would order its being brought back, and in the mean time the might poffefs herself in tranquillity, either in his houfe, or in the hollow of her oak.

Feliciana returned to her afylum, very impatient to fee the child they had mentioned to her; and the pilgrims did not ceafe convering with the old thepherd on her melancholy fituation. How Itrange, faid they, are the rigours of fortune? From the weet expectation of always poffeffing a beloved hufband, fhe is fallen into the horrid dread of being for ever feparated from him. Yefterday the was happy in the midst of her family; this day we fee her wretched in the hollow of an oak, dejected, uneafy, and trembling at the noise of a leaf fhaken by the wind.

They were ftill on the fame fubject, when the child and its nurfe arrived. He was immediately prefented to Feliciana, who feveral times looked at him with the greatest attention. She found no refemblance of Rofanio, but his features being not yet formed, the fufpended her judgment till he had feen his linen. She examined them one after another, and had no knowledge of them. Nature was mute. No inftinct revived tendernefs in her heart. No, faid fhe, I fee nothing here that tells me the child is mine. That gold chain (for it had been alfo brought to her) does not give me a further inlight; I never faw it in Rofanio's hands. It is, however, true, that I heard my husband fay he had friends at Truxillo, but I don't remember hearing their names mentioned.

The old fhepherd and the pilgrims endeavoured to revive her hopes, and the former offered to fend his relation to Truxillo to prefent the child to those whose care it was recommended to by the unknown cavalier. This propofal raised such emotions in Feliciana's heart, that, throwing herself at his knees, and clofely embracing them, the declared how fenfible fhe was of what he intended to do for her confolation. All approved the fhepherd's advice, and his relation departed with the infant. The pilgrims

promifed to follow her, and dispatch an ac-. count of the fuccefs of her journey to Feliciana. But the, having conceived a fingular affection for the whole company, especially for fome of the women that compofed it, and defirous befides of removing from a country where the had a profpect of nothing but miffortunes, refolved to accompany them, difguised herself as a pilgrim. She did not, however, propofe to continue in this refolution, but in cafe of the news received at Truxillo proving unfavourable to her. All were charmed to know her intention. There was no difficulty in procuring for her a pilgrim's habit. She put it on, and fancied he had acquired new ftrength of body under it. After teftifying to the old fhepherd all the gratitude the owed him, and having forced him to accept of the gold chain as a recompence for his good offices, fhe, with the other pilgrims, took leave of him, and fet

out.

Not to fatigue too much their new com panion, the pilgrims performed but fhort journies each day, and frequently halted. Sometimes, it was upon the bank of a rivulet, fometimes under fome delicious fhade. It was in one of these stations that they learned from Feliciana that her furname of Vox was not of her family, and that her father was called Don Pedro Tenorio. She confeffed that this furname had been given her, by reafon of her being endowed by nature with one of the fineft voices in the world, as was pretended. Their defire was great to hear her, but they durft not ask her to fing, in her present situation of a disturbed mind and weak body.

On the third day, they faw appear the kinfwoman of the old thepherd, who was returning from Truxillo. She was the bearer to them of very agreeable news. Don Francis Pizaro and Don John d'Orellana had with all imaginable pleasure taken upon them the care of the child: Suppofing from all the circumstances of its hiftory, which this woman had informed them of, that it belonged to their friend Don Rofanio, that young cavalier being the only in the whole country they would act in fuch refpect as trustees to.

Feliciana, tranfported with joy, gave a thousand thanks to Heaven for fo happy an event. She did not lefs thank the good woman that came to acquaint her of it, and fhe fent her home liberally rewarded for her trouble. As fhe went on her way, her companions feeing her fo well difpofed, embraced that favourable opportunity to hear her fing a few airs, which the confented to. They admired the fweet melody of her voice,

and

and all agreed that she was perfectly worthy

of the furname the bore.

the people, fix men well mounted arrived in the fquare that is before the church. Two of them were immediately known to be Don Francis Pizaro and Don John d'Orellana. The third that followed them was marked; and all inquiring the cause of the tumult, they were told that justice had taken the defence of a woman pilgrim against two perfons who faid they were her father and brother. In an inftant, the masked cavalier, who knew Feliciana under her difguife, difmounts, and fword in hand, placing himself at her fide, and unmasking, spoke aloud these words: If you have any room to complain, faid he to them, it is not on Feliciana your anger fhould fall; it is on me, who have taken her for wife againft your will. I am Rofanio. My noble birth is not unknown to you, and you are not ignorant that I have a fortune to maintain her. Was it just that adoring Feliciana, and being_beloved by her, I fhould make her over to Don Diego, whom you prefer to me without any other motive than because you would have it fo? Befides, if I have offended you, purfued he, by allying myself to you against your inclination, I pray to be pardoned a fault which love made me commit. Be perfuaded 1 fhould not he wanting by this ftep to the refpect that is due to you, if I did not remark in you too much partiality for my rival, and an averfion to me which I did not deferve.

At length they all arrived at Guadaloupe. The pilgrims hafted to vifit the famous church that makes the principal ornament of that city They were struck at the fight of its magnificence, and the great concourfe of ftrangers. But, first taken up with the holy motive that brought them there, they proftrated themselves and performed their prayers with great devotion. Feliciana followed them, little forefeeing that he was to find there the denouement of her adventure. She proftrated herself also in filent adoration, and having remained for fome time motionlefs, as in a kind of extafy, the devoted herself to the whole excefs of her piety. But, rifing suddenly, she raifed her heart to God, and began to fing, according to a ufage common in the country, fome canticles compofed in honour of that monaftery. The founds of her charming voice ecchoed throughout the church. Four ftrangers entered at that instant. Having kneeled down to pray, the voice fufpended their devotion. The eldeft of them teemed very attentive Son, faid he afterwards to one of the three others; either it is an angel that I hear, or it is my daughter Feliciana. Yes, 'tis fhe, anfwered the young man; 'tis my fifter, and not an angel; and if my hand fhould fecond my refentment, I fhall foon make her fing in another key. So faying, he draws his dagger, runs up to his fifter, and was going to bury it in her heart, had not the old man, who perceived his intention, laid hold of his arm, crying out; Stop, Son, this church is not a theatre for reprefenting a tragedy; fhed no blood in fo hely a place. You would be punished for thy crime, by punishing that which the has committed. Have patience, the wretch cannot escape us.

The action of the young man, and the remonftrance of the old one, canfed fuch a disturbance in the church, that Feliciana difcontinued finging. The pilgrims and affiftants could not hinder their dragging her from the church into the street. They furrounded them to oppofe their rage, and notwithstanding the efforts they made for faving her, the victim would have been facrificed, if fome Officers of justice, who ran together at the noife, had not timely put a stop to the fatad blow, and rescued her out of the hands of her affaffins.

Whilft thus fhe was under the fafeguard of the laws, till her crime was examined into, the uproar ftill increafing, by the confufion of the fobs of the daughter, the complaints of the fon, and the murmurings of

Feliciana, ftill fhivering with fear, whilft Rofanio was fpeaking, had laid hold of him by the belt. Before her enemies opened their mouth to answer her defender, Francis Pizaro embraced the father, and John d'Orellana the brother, whofe friends they had long been. Where then is your difcretion, Don Pedro, faid Pizaro to him? Is it poffible that fo wife a man as you fhould run into fo great an excefs of paffion? Don't you know, that the offence you complain of is more worthy of pardon than punishment? Why should not Don Rofanio be deferving of Feliciana? Is there a more commendable cavalier in your town, or a more advantageous match? Wealth, condition, virtues, all center in him, and you cannot, without injuftice as well as blindnefs, refuse a union that fuits your daughter fo completely. Jeha d'Orellana fupported this expoftulation to his utmoft: If thefe reafons, added he, are not f.fficient for your complying, I have in my houfe a warrant for your reconciliation with Feliciana; tis a child, whom you cannot difown for your grandfon, without difowning yourself, for he perfectly resembles you, and I am fure you will not refufe to come and acknowledge him for what he is.

Don Pedro Tenorio, funk, as it were, in

a pro

a profound meditation, heard what was faid to him, without uttering a word. Of a fudden, he starts up to his fon Don Sancho, wrefts his dagger out of his hand, and rufhes afterwards to embrace Rofanio, who, falling at his knees, embraced them with all the gratitude his heart was fufceptible of. Feliciana imitates his example. She fhed a torrent of tears. Her groans almoft ftitied her, and the fell into fo weak a ftate that they had fome difficulty in recovering her. Joy then fhed all its powers over the witneffes of to affecting a fight, Each perfon applauded the happy change wrought in Don Pedro and his fon Don Sancho, as well as the wildom and difcretion of Pizaro and d'Orellana.

The Judges who were prefent at that reconciliation made them all enter the monaftery, where the Prior entertained them in a fplen did manner. The pilgrims were invited thither by Feliciana. It was propofed to renew her marriage with Rofanio. Don Pedro had no objection to it, but he first defired to fee his grandfon, who being brought to him, he confidered him attentively, and rejoicing to find in him a lively picture of himself, embraced him with a thousand tranfports. May

the mother, faid he, who brought thee into the world, and the father who begat thee, enjoy all the good things I heartily with them; and, again preffing him tenderly to his be fm, he bathed his face with his tears, which he dried up with his grey hairs. Don Sancho, his uncle, did not fhew him lefs tenderneis, and that moment he declared him his heir, protesting he would have no other.

Feliciana then felt for her child what the did not the first time of feeing him. It feems that Nature had waited the prefence of Rofanio, to make her voice heard. Peace being thus made between them and Don Pedro's family, they made no delay to tie again the matrimonisl knot, by a more folemn renewal of their union. The ceremony was performed in the church of our Lady of Guadaloupe. Nothing more was wanting to the common joy. It glistened in all eyes, as it reigned in the bottom of all hearts. The pilgrims felicitated themselves for having been the inftruments of do figual a happiness, and, receiving the thinks and good withes of this loving pair, took leave of them to continue their pilgrimage.

A

T the expence and by the appointment of the Dutch West-India Company, Commodore Roggewin failed from the port of Amsterdam on the 16th of july, 1721, fearch of discoveries in the South feas. He had under his command three fhips well provided for fo long and hazardous a voyage. After various accidents he arrived at the ifland of Juan Fernandez, which he foon quitted with intention to vifit that part of the Southern continent reported by Mr. Wafer to be difcovered by Captain Davis in 1680. Roggewin, having the benefit of the Southeaft monsoon, foon arrived in, the latitude of 28 deg. and in the longitude of 251 deg. he expected to meet with Davis's land; and was the more affured of this profpect, when he faw fowls flying over the thip, and obferved the wind often fitting and veering; both which are looked upon as certain signs of

land. So ftrong were their hopes, that forme of the company imagined they faw it, tho', to their great mortification, after a fruitles fearch, they could not fall upon it. Hence he concluded, that he had einer paffed it, or that there exifted no fuch land; but we are not to be surprised at his difappointment, as it appears, from Wafer's account, that he. fought it ten degrees too far to the Weft.

Purluing his courfe for 12 degrees West, he ftill faw great flocks of birds, which attended him till he fell in with a fmall island about 16 leagues in extent, to which he gave the name of Pafcha, or Eafter ifland', it being difcovered on Eafter-day. The mailett of the veffels was sent to found and examine this coaft; and the returned with advice that it feemed fertile and populous, as they difcovered a great number of fmokes in different parts of the idland. When the squadron was about two