which was fufpended from the top, It was fupported by heavy Tufcan columns; and, in different niches, were placed, in order, feveral fuits of armour. At the further end was a flight of steps, on the top of which were a heavy pair of folding-doors, arched over in the antique ftyle above, and fecured in front by a grate-work of it on. "My guide, when he got to the centre of this place, feemed to fall back a few paces, as if thoughtful; and then, holding up the lanthorn he had in his hand, looked me full in the face. This behaviour I did not by any means like:-it had the appearance of affallination, and the gloom of the hall encouraged the idea.-I immediately drew one of my piftols from my pocket. No treachery (I exclaimed), or, by heavens, you die!' "He feemed difconcerted.-' By all that's facred, I mean none; but only wished to be certain I was right in the perfon I am conducting." " 'Tis well! (I anfwered)-proceed." "He did fo,-and led me up the fteps:-then, taking from his pocket another key, he applied it to the lock of the iron grating. It required great exertions to turn it; but it at length yielded to the force, and divided in the middle.-The door now only remained. Put up your pistol, fignor, (faid he) you have nothing to fear." "This requeft I pofitively refufed. -He then blew a sinall þorn, which he had in his belt; when the foldingdoors immediately flew open, and two blacks, with drawn fabres, stood before us. "A voice from the inner part now uttered-Admit.'-They directly drew back, and we paffed through the entrance. The doors inftantly clofed, with fome noife, and the blacks refumed their station before them. - "My guide walked forward, and I followed with the piftol ftill in my hand. "It was a fpacious apartment, though gloomy; and fitted up with fome degree of elegance..-A few wax tapers were placed round the walls; but the light they gave was dim and uncertain.-In the middle was a long table, covered with green cloth; and on it were spread various papers, pens, ink, and a few books. A company of perfons were feated round it, of about twelve or thirteen, and one at the head of the table feemed a kind of prefident in the affembly.-Their cloaks were all muffled round them; and a black feather, which each wore in his hat, hung over their faces, and added to the folemnity of their dark lengthened vifages. He at the head, I however obferved, wore a white one. "As I advanced, this perfon fpoke; and I recognised the wretch d'Ollifont.-He alked why I meafured my fteps fo cautiously? 1 "Because (I answered, in a firm tone) I am afraid of treachery." "Surely the fear is needlefs (faid he) :-have I not fworn-" "I interrupted him- Mention it not, d'Ollifont; you have fworn too much.' "He seemed rather confufed; and I could perceive his gloomy countenance frown for the moment, though he wished to smile.- Take a feat, (he cried) we are all friends.— Nerone, help the fignor to a glass of wine.' "This man, who was in waiting, directly ran to a large fide-board covered with fruit, cakes, and wines. He handed the glass:-I refused it. -D'Ollifont entreated me to take it : I determinately anfwered, No.' "To bufinefs," said he. "With all my heart (I answered). But, mark me, count! ftrictly adhere to the oath I have taken; nor, in your request, infringe on the laws of general honesty, morality, er or humanity; for on thofe conditions only will I agree." "I mean no otherwife (faid d'Ollifont):-be judge yourfelf.I have an estate fituated near Montferrat; and on it stands the refidence of my late uncle, Orlando, count Maferini. The building is well known by the name of Grafville Abbey. This, among other properties, was bequeathed to me, as his fole heir, his two children having died in France.-Now the country people round the fpot, for many miles, have encouraged ideas, from the gloomy appearance and Gothic ftructure of this ancient pile, that it is haunted; and it is actually neceffary, for the prefervation of the furniture, papers, and other valuta bles, of confiderable amount, that thefe fufpicions fhould be kept alive; which will more effectually prevent intrusion or robbery than any other method we can put into execution; the penfants of that part being a wild untractable kind of people, and little better than general depredators on the public. You perhaps may wonder why we do not remove thefe articles; but my uncle's will particularly requests every individual atom, that was at his death in the Abbey, fhould remain there, and only be taken from it as my neceffity may require. Now there are various deeds and memorandums, relative to his different poffeffions, that we may never have the leaft occafion to diffurb; and which, confequently, will be open to the violence of any one, whofe curiofity or villany may prompt him to ufe force in entering the Abbey.-The fervice that I have to requeft from you, is the performance of fome trifling ceremony, with a lamp, int the external part of the building, at night, either by paffing the cafements with it in your hand, or fixing it for fhort periods of time at the different windows. This will be an innocent means of preventing inVOL. XXVII. vasion; and, by conftantly visiting the Abbey, your fcruples will be fatisfied, in point of the extent of your oath. Your fortune will fupport you fo as to enjoy the fuperfluities of life; and your refidence may be fixed at any part near the Abbey.-But one condition (continued he) goes further, that if at any time, though many years hence, you difcover perfons to enter the Abbey, and refide there, without notice from me, you fhall immediately take every means in your power to raife in them alarms of fupernatural appearances, and by that means drive them from the fpot. For your better convenience, there is a cave on one fide of the wood which furrounds the Abbey, that is never intruded upon, nor indeed hardly known by any one in the place:you may go to it of an evening; and from thience proceed, through a fubterraneous paffage, to the building.-If, after two years' conftant performance of thefe injunctions, no interruption is perceived, you will not then be confined to the ufual ceremony; but yet it is requested that a contipual watch fhall be kept upon it; and, as I before obferved, if intruded on, even fifty years to come, and both of us living, every means is to be used in the above-mentioned manner, to terrify all vifitors to a removal." "I muft confefs, this requeft, ftrange as it was, feemed far more agreeable to me than what I expected; and I conceived that, were there any villany lurking under it, I might discover the fource,-and, without going from my oath, be of confiderable fervice to the injured; and, one time or other, have it in my power to retaliate, ou d'Ollifont.-I requested that the agreement thould be drawn up on paper, that I might adhere to it, in time to come, without an idea of having forgotten its tendency. "This was agreed to,-an, in the course of an hour, it was finished. 3 A I cart our apartments, in'one of which I found the woman-fervant, Stella, in tears, mixing a draught:-I involuntarily exclaimed, How is your lady' Her anfwer, hardly articulate, pronounced Dying, my lord.' "I heard no more, but flew, half frantic, to her chamber,-where, (oh! fight of woe!) on the bed was laid my beloved Caffandra, juft recovered from a fainting fit; her I carefully read the paper, and found it exactly correfponded with what d'Ollifont had faid,—and then again fwore, as I had before promifed to do, that I would punctually fulfil it. As we were fome miles from Montferrat, it was fettled I should meet one of the company at a certain fpot near the Abbey, that day fortnight, who was to conduct me to it, through the paffage before-mentioned, fhew the cave, &c. and give any inftructions I wished to receive.-D'Olli-head fupported by Lucretia, and the font mentioned that he should leave phyfician feated (in a melancholy Italy on the next day, and return to pofture) on the other fide.-I enSpain. As I was leaving the apart- tered time enough to receive her laft ment, following my guide, he utter- breath; and dropping on my knees, ed, as if in fome measure affected, I clafped her hands, while tears • Adieu !' flowed in abundance.-She knew me (though fhe had been infenfible for nearly an hour), and exclaimed, "I immediately turned round, and, with a piercing look of horror and contempt, anfwered, Adieu! -I hope for ever.' 6 He feemed chagrined, and looked as if furprifed I was not. more in awe at fuch a place. He again feated himself.---We paffed the blacks, the door clofed after us,and my guide locked the grates.We then left the hall; and, that door being alfo locked, I foon found myfelf at the end of the place where we entered:-ny companion then wifhed me a good night, and we parted. My husband, -the Almighty aid thee!'-Then, turning her eyes towards her daughter, fhe feemed inwardly to fupplicate heaven in her behalf; and, heaving a foft figh, expired in my arms.-Lucretia fainted, and was fupported by Stella, who had juft brought the draught, while I remained loft for fome time in gloomy forrow and ftupidity. "At length, turning to the phyfician, I defired to know why he had flattered me with hopes that the might live for a length of time."A heavy load now feemed to He only anfwered by fhaking his have fallen from me; for the ex-head, and faying the diforder had pectation of what d'Ollifont's requeft might be, had driven me almoft to madness; and though even now I detefted the meannels I had fub. mitted to,-yet, in fome degree, I was reconciled, when recollection whispered me that I had faved the life of my Lucretia, the beloved child of my heart. Pleafed with the ideas of the pleafure I fhould convey to Caffanara in relating the fervice I was to perform (her dread of it having been equal to my own), I fhortly found myself at the inn where we retided.1 foon made my way to come to a crifis fooner than he ex- "It is impoffible to defcribe the anguifh fuffered by myself and child on this mournful event; I fhall, therefore, draw a veil over the fcene, a recollection of which is even now almost too much for me.". The hermit here was conftrained to make a pause of some few minutes. while while he paid a tributary tear to the the wall-We followed him along this place for fo confiderable a length of time that I knew not how far he might have taken us, and halted at the idea. "Continue your pace (faid he), and we fhall foon be at the end of our journey." "His words were true; for, after a few windings, it terminated at a fmall door, hardly large enough to admit one perfon:-this we paffed, and afcended a flight of stone stairs. -At the top, we entered a finall fubterraneous room,-in which was a ftool, a table, fome eatables, and wine; with a bed, which fhowed (though empty now) it was daily occupied. Our guide preffed againit "On the night and hour appoint-a fpring, in a manner which he pared, accompanied by Jafper, whom I ticularly explained; and (by a kind was permitted to acquaint with the of mechanifin, aided by clock-workcircumftances I was involved in, I placed at the further part of the attended the place of rendez-vous, apartment) a fquare of about five where I was to be met by the perfon feet of the ceiling above gradually deputed by d'Ollifont. fell within two feet of the floor on which we ftood:-this I jumped upon,--and, by a fecond preffure of the foot on a certain part, it rofe in the fame manner that it fell, and [clofed with equal nicety; by which means I found myself in that room, oppofite to the one we are now in. "We were both punctual; and, as I was ftill fearful of treachery from fo vile a character, both myself and fervant were armed.-He was alone-his figure, which I could now more fully obferve, was noble and majestic; his countenance very handsome, though there was a fiercenefs in his eyes, added to the turn of his dark brows, which made it in fome refpects terrific. "Follow me, (faid he) and I will conduct you to the place you have before heard of." "He led us to the cave I now inhabit. We entered, and he fhewed me the parts which you have already feen; but after fome little time he opened a concealed door, that discovered a small room. From hence we defcended, by a trap artfully jointed to the floor, a number of steps, at the bottom of which was an arched fubterraneous paffage, entirely dark: our guide, however, was provided with a lamp, by which le lighted another placed againft "The night was exceeding gloomy confiderable claps of thunder followed each other (though they feemed at a diftance), and faint flashes of lightning darted on the cafements.-Both my fervant and our conductor were foon with me, by the fame means that I had afcended; and we all three proceeded through this room to the hall, where we were met by a mean, meagre.. looking fellow, with alfo a lamp in his hand, that reflected on a countenance I did not by any means approve. "It was now late, and a more than common oppreflion feemed to weigh on my fpirits.-Our guide faluted this man. Enuchio, (faid he) has there been any interruption fince the count laft faw you?" 3 A 2 "None, "None, fignor (he anfwered); and I have regularly performed my duty with this lamp every night." That's well (returned the other); lead us to the weft tower." "Jafper now whifpered to me, Be careful, my lord:-we know not who may be concealed there.' "Iftrove to quiet his apprehenfions by a nod of confidence, though I felt confiderable alarm myfelf.There was, however, no alternative, and we followed in filence.-I un derfteed from the converfation of Euuchio, and the other, as we were proceeding to the weft tower, that the former had attended at the close of every evening, to perform the ceremony, now invefted on me. "In paffing through one of the chambers, Jaiper (who was behind, and partly in the dark) ran againft a juit of armour that was placed there, with feveral implements of war, fome of which are now in one of the rooms under the upper apartments.----The crash it made in failing was horrible, and it had nearly deftroyed my faithful attendant; le, however, fortunately efcaped, without any material blow. "Enuchio faid, when we entered the chamber above, that he thought he could fee, through one of the cafements, by the frequent flashes of lightning, fome perfon on that fide of the building. He accordingly fhow. ed his light, and, after a few minutes, pafled the cafement with the lamp in his hand.-Having looked over this Foom, we defcended to the lower part; where we heard feveral blows against the outer gates, and many efforts made to force them open." It is natural to fuppofe that this was the very night on which the late Percival Maferini, father of Alired and Matilda, firft difcovered a light and figure in the Abbey; which made him at the time (distracted with his own ideas) attempt, by force, to enter the building. (To be continued.) A HINDOO'S REMARKS on the RE L' a ET not the noble rajah be de ceived. Let him not vainly peace imagine the Chriftians to be in poffeffion of fuch an invaluable treafure as the Shafter he defcribes; a Shafter promulgating the glorious hopes of immortality; calculated to produce the univerfal reign of and juftice, the exercife of the pureft benevolence, and the most perfect virtue. Let not the rajah think that the knowledge of fuch a book as this exifts among Chriftians. If it did, is it poffible, that in the ten years in which I have intimately converfed with Chriftians of all ranks and orders,--military commanders, chiefs invefted with the powers of civil authority, and men who made the ftudy of literature their employment and delight, is it poffible, I fay, that I fhould never once have heard of fuch a book? Let the noble - rajah be the judge. That a book of ancient origin, vulgarly called the Bible, was once known to the English, I have had certain information: but far from containing doctrines of fuch a nature as the rajah has announced, the first proof of genius which a young man gives to the world, upon his iffuing from the schools, is to speak of it with a becoming degree of contempt.Indeed, to extirpate from fociety all regard for the pernicious doctrines it contains, has long been the pri mary object of attention to the enlightened philofophers of Europe. How much the book is detefted by thefe fage philofophers, may easily be inferred, when i declare, that of the many philofophers I have met with, who had moft vehemently fpoken and written against it, not one had contaminated hinfelf by deigning to examine its contents. * Scriptures. |