friends, and determined to make the | which played around his counte

nance. But our young gentlemen had not yet learned to make distinctions; and him they accordingly fe lected as the object of their ridicule. They dared not, however, openly attack him. There is always a degree of cowardlinefs which accom panies any wanton outrage upon another, efpecially when the heart of the affailant is not totally corrupted They therefore agreed to talk to one another in Latin, a language in which they flattered themselves that they would not be understood; and accordingly they applied to their fellow traveller all the epithets of ridicule and reproach against miferly and crabbed old men, which are to be found in Plautus or in Terence. The apparent inattention and unmoved mufcles of the old man during all this torrent of invective, convinced them that they were right in their conjecture, that he was not at all aware of the mode in which they had chofen to vent their abuse against him. In this way they contrived to

most of their journey. They were perfectly acquainted with the nature of the Roman Saturnalia, when age and authority were fet at defiance, and mirth and buffoonery allowed their full scope at the expenfe of all that was grave and refpectable, and fufficiently difpofed to avail themfelves of the licence of thofe former times. The rigid difcipline under which they had for fome time been held, gave a double zeft to the fweets of newly-acquired freedom. The tranfition from the fevere manners of a feminary of learning to the careless intercourfe of a stage-coach, operating along with the effervefcence of youthful fpirits, was too powerful not to produce fome ebullition of gay impertinence. Accordingly, our young gentlemen had no fooner feated themfelves in the ftage, than they looked round for fome object from which they might extract merriment during the remainder of the journey. Fortune feemed to have gratified their wishes in the perfon of a fellow traveller-amufe themselves till they ftopped an old gentleman who fat quietly in for dinner: the old man, who had a corner. His figure was tall and all this while remained perfectly ungainly; age or bad habit had filent, was the first to retire, after the given him a confiderable ftoop; his cloth was removed: our young genface was ornamented with long and tlemen, who followed him, when lank jaws; a nofe of more than or- they got into the coach, found tim dinary fize, and a peaked chin, com- carneftly engaged with a book.— pleted the outline. His dress feem- After repeated attempts to get a peep ed calculated to augment the ridicule at the book, they, to their no small of his figure; it confifted of an old mortification, at laft perceived that it foxy wig, a hat which had once was no other than a copy of the been cocked, but which had long Roman poet Juvenal. The old fince loft all form and fhape, and man had understood every word they an old-fashioned thread-bare coat, had faid in abuse of himself, and had which had however one convenience, heard it all without notice. They that it reached fo far down, as com- were covered with confufion; after pletely to conceal any defects of his looking for fome time at one another, other garments. In fhort it was the one of them ftammered out an apodrefs of poverty or avarice. Yet,logy." They were forry for what with all thefe unfavourable fymphad happened; had they conceived toms of perfon and appearance, that he understood Latin, they would nice obfervers might have perceived not have been fo indifcreet; as it an intelligence which fparkled in the was, they begged he would impute id man's eyes, and a benevolence their unprovoked attack to the fcore

of

GRASVILLE ABBEY;
A ROMANCE.

By G. M.

(Continued from p. 364.)

WE

E were all furprised at the noife at length fignor Ranolpho (which I now found was the name of our guide) faid, he fuppofed it proceeded from 'the curiofity of fome travellers who were paffing that way.-I cannot. fay I was by any means well fatisfied with this conjecture: but I made no answer.

"After having received many inftructions from him, concerning the different pieces of mechanifm contrived in this building, I remarked, with a look of fome aftonishment, that it was to me amazing, count d'Ollifont fhould have put himself to fuch expenfe and trouble, when the exertions of the civil power, under juft claims, might have anfwered the purposes he wished to accomplish.

:

"Ranolpho feemed confufed :after a paufe he anfwered, Your obfervation is juft; but, were the application made to the fuperior power of Italy, the curiofity of the peafantry would ftill be more confiderably heightened; and I have doubts whether the vigilance of the moft fcrutinifing perfons could protect this place from their invafion. -It alfo would gain count d'Ollifont a bad name,-which might, through their ignorance, occafion fufpicions and remarks the most injurious to his character.-Befides (he continued) the chief part of thefe articles of machinery were erected many years back, when this ftructure was inhabited by the monks; they made ufe of them to terrify perfons of different fentiments in religious points to their own way of thinking,-whom the chance of war had made their prifoners, and who

accordingly were confined in their own abbey. By these arts, the victims of their fuperftition were taught to believe the holy fathers worked miracles by their faith.'

"There was a kind of equivocation in this fpeech, which I by no means liked, though I forbore to make any reply.-What he faid, however, concerning feveral of the traps, &c. being formed at a diftant period of time, I found to be true, by the general appearance of the age of the workmanfhip; though there was not a doubt but they had lately been repaired and put in order.

"After a little time, we all left the Abbey, and proceeded to the cave, where it was fettled that I fhould meet Enuchio at that spot, and at the fame hour the following night.

Ranolpho faid he fhould leave Montferrat the next morning, and make the best of his way immediately after d'Ollifont to Spain.

"We then parted.-Jafper and myfelf foon arrived at the cottage, after fome converfation on the ftrange events we had witneffed.

"I acquainted Lucretia with every circumftance relative to the Ab. bey; and, though the expreffed a confiderable anxiety for my fafety, yet, like myfelf, fhe was happy to find the request of d'Ollifont was no wote.-I, however, made her still more eafy, by affuring her I never intended to vifit the building, unaccompanied by Jafper.

"In less than a month I hired a houfe, very little diftant from the cottage:-it was not large, though neat and elegant; and, there being only my daughter and myself, a few domeftics were fufficient to form our household.-I did not, however, intend to live by any means private or retired, though my own wifhes prompted me to it-I trembled for the health of my child:-it had been on the decline ever fince the commencement of our misfortunes,and the poignant grief the fuffered

for

for the lofs of her mother, now feemed fettled to a deep melancholy, which I dreaded to obferve, and which my own health and fpirits, I a conceived, helped to increase.

W "It was for thefe reafons, therecfore, that I punished myfelf, in receiving and paying vifits to perfons wof diftinction, for fome miles round; f and I could perceive, in fome degree, it contributed to leffen that weight of oppreflion which feemed to lie fo heavy on her foul.

"A month had not elapfed after my removal to my new dwelling, before a confufed report was fpread that Percival Maferini and his after were yet living, and in Italy.

"His manner pleafed both myfelf and daughter; in fhort, there was a kind of noble fincerity in his difpofition, which, on a little further acquaintance, charmed me.-I must allow I felt a confiderable happiness, on obferving a mutual affection take place between my Lucretia and this nobleman.-His character, I underftood from correfpondents whom I could depend upon in England, was unblemished; and I knew I could beftow on my child a fortune worthy of fuch a husband.-Suffice it to fay, he declared his fentiments; and fhe, above the little arts of female coquetry, confeffed the loved him.— But till there were fome obftacles "This intelligence feemed, in to the marriage.-Lord Albourne fome refpects, to unravel a part of had not yet been acquainted with the mysterious manner and requeft of my misfortunes, or with Lucretia's d'Ollifont:-but, I must own, the attempt on d'Ollifont's life.-To elucidations I pictured to myself Lucretia there was also another imwere by no means favourable to him; pediment:-fhe muft part with me and dark fchemes of viHany feemed for fome time; his lordfhip had proto unfold themselves to my view. mifed, after fettling his affairs in But ftill I could do nothing; I was England, he would return with her, bound by my oath, and fufpicions and confent to remain in Montferrat were of no avail.-I and Jafper during my life-time. But it would, vifited the Abbey every night; and, at leaft, take twelve months to tranfact on those occafions, I made every thefe affairs.-Thefe twelve months' fearch that was poffible, to find a clue abfence feemed to her a century, and to d'Ollifont's conduct, which I darkened every profpect of felicity fuppofed might be concealed in fome the might have hoped to have enpart of the building-my endea-joyed.-At length, however, these vours however proved unfuccefsful. obftacles were overcome:-lord Al Enuchio ftill continued near the bourne was, by me, informed of the place; and I could not but fufpect fufferings I had undergone,-and of that he was as a kind of watch upon Lucretia's impetuofity, in attemptmy conduct. His very looks feem-ing to affaffinate the author of my ed to indicate the blackeft thoughts; misfortunes. His lordfhip fympaand his manners fully confirmed the thifed with me in my diftreffes, and idea. admired the heroic love of my child, though he was forry fhe had thrown herfel into the power of fuch a wretch.

"About this period, among the many foreigners who frequented my villa as they paffed through Montferrat, was lord Albourne, a young Englishman of rank, and confiderable fortune."

Matilda and Alfred started at the name; but they forbore to interrupt the hermit, who accordingly proceeded

The latter objection was at length over-ruled by him; and, I may fay, confiderably, leffened by d'Ollifont, from whom at this period I received a letter in terms of the warmeft friendship, and breathing, in fome degree, a regret for the an

me. I knew I could depend on his fidelity, courage, and understanding. To him, therefore, I related the. forebodings of my own mind, and gave him inftructions accordingly

with a particular caution, tha fhould he find any one was confine there, or any treacherous fchemes whatever going forward, he fhoul immediately write to me, and (or the receipt of this token) I should come poit, and incognito, to my villa.

guifh he had caufed.-The contents of it informed me, that (it having been hinted to him that my health was in a precarious ftate, and that travelling would, very probably, prove of infinite fervice) he would undertake that fome one fhould perform my part in the Abbey, if I chofe to take a journey for two months, to re-establish my confti-tution.-D'Ollifont's character was now too well known to me, for me to conceive one favourable trait in his difpofition; otherwife, this deception might have paffed for an act of kindness and repentance.-Iquaintance of only fix months; and, Atrangely fufpected fome foul deeds were to be executed in my abfence, and at first resolved not to accept the offer:-but, at length, overcome by the tears of Lucretia, and the perfuafions of lord Albourne, I confented to accompany them to France, but determined to return at least a fortnight before the limited time.

My fituation was critical; I dared not communicate my fufpicions to any one, except Jafper :my oath forbade it. My furprife, however, was confiderably increased by finding that Percival Maferini and his fifter were actually in Italy; and that the latter, by the authority of the king of Sardinia, had fent to Spain, to demand the keys of Grafville Abbey from count d'Ollifont, that the building might be fearched, to find if another will could be produced of the late count Maferini, in favour of his children before his nephew.

"An idea now ftruck me, which I confidered would at once give me an opportunity of difcovering the dark machinations of d'Ollifont refpecting the Abbey, though abfent from Montferrat.

"I therefore wrote a fhort answer to his letter, faying I fhould accept the vacation he offered me.-At the fame time I determined to leave Jafper at my house, concealed, that they might fuppofe he was also with 3

"Lord Albourne and Lucretia were fhortly united, after an ac

as foon as the ceremony was performed, we fet off for France -Our journey was pleasant and if ever I enjoyed one gleam of comfort after my misfortunes in Spain and the lofs of my Caffandra, it was in this fhort period.-A gloom, however, still hung over the countenance of Lucretia; the idea of leaving me proved a continual drawback on her felicity, and the diftreffing day was fomewhat haftened, by a letter from Jafper, requesting me to return immediately.

"That fortitude, however, which I conceived I fhould exert when I parted with the only prop of my exiftence, failed me entirely at the afflicting moment; and (inftead of being able to fupport her through the trial) I found I in a great meafure added to her grief, by the pangs I fuffered myself, which were too acute to be concealed.-Lord Albourne feemed to fhare the forrows of us both; and (after shedding tears on my head) he removed his wife from my arms, that infenfibly held her to my breaft, and hurried her, in a fainting fit, to the carriage, -which, with cruel fwiftness, foon bore her from my fight.

"Alas! every beam of pleafure feemed now vanifhed, and the me lancholy profpects of my mind received another tint of darkness, horror, and mifery.-But a few

months