Page images
PDF
EPUB

"My

tenance as he likened to me.
fon is conflicting with himfelf, faid he:
he fhould be left to have the honour of
the struggle, till he fhall call for fuc.
cour: but, believe me, your coufin
will have no opportunity of glorying
in a victory, which is on the point of
flipping out of her hands."

Northon. "I have a favour to ask of you, Mifs, if you would give me leave."

Eliza. "You would never be deceived, Sir, in thinking me inclined to oblige you to the utmost of my power. I have too good an opinion of you to think that you would ask any thing unreafonable."

Northon. "A thing may be placed in two points of view diametrically oppofite. It might appear reasonable to me, tho' you should not think it fo. I am afraid that what I am going to take the liberty of asking you may appear an indifcretion. It concerns me

nounce my carioty inexcufable. Have you communicated what paffed between us to my father? I hope, Mi, "ou will not be offended at this queition."

The rain has forced us to finish our walk fooner than we ufed; the interval between that and dinner was taken up in receiving vifitors, and neither Mifs d'Erlac, nor Northon, made their appearance. "She is gone out, faid fomebody, to buy fomething." The Jiberty which this girl has is fome-fo nearly, that you ought not to prowhat ftrange; her mother leaves her entirely to herself, and I am certain the abuses the confidence the repofes in her. I believe, my lady, fhe has got fome place where he has private meetings with Northon, and certainly the has fpoken to him fince I have; I know it by the change of their countenances. Joy glittered in their eyes at their return: I furprized them in eyeing each other. Indeed Madame d'Erlac must be very blind with refpect to her daughter, in not difcovering what thrufts itself fo into the eyes of every body el e, that I begin to fear that my dear friend muft perceive it.

Mad. d'Erlac has begged us to cxcufe her daughter from accompanying us in walking, becaufe fhe has a great many letters to write, which did not feem to please the young lady, who feeing that fhe could not follow us, did all the could to keep us at home. My dear friend had not that complaifance for her, and faid, that I 'wanted exercife as well as her nephew, who had not been used to a fedentary life. We got to Luxembourg very early. Mad. Northon fat down with her brother, and her nephew politely offered me his hand, but with fome perturbation. I told you that his eyes fparkled with joy before he went out; but their brilliancy was eclipfed by the way. He fhowed fome uncafinefs, of which I could not guefs the caufe. I fhall throw our converfation into the form of a dialogue, without omitting a word.

Eliza. "I can answer you without referve, Sir, that, in that refpect, I have done what I thought was convenient, But I promifed you to be your friend; and that character obliges me to fpeak to you with more opennefs of heart; befides, I know not how to diffemble, Sir, your father is not ignorant of any thing which has paffed between us. He has read both of our letters, nevertheless I have told him nothing new, He had discovered your fecrets, and thought himself obliged to me in that refpect; therefore, he paid me the honour of a first confidence: it was my duty to return it, which was only to excufe you."

At these words Northon was abafhed, he quitted my hand, pulled off his gloves, and drew them on again; and repeated two or three times, "marvellous! marvellous!" Afterwards recovering himfelf a little, he defired me to fit down, and addreffed me thus:

Northon. "I felicitate you, Mifs, on account of your conqueft. My father is older than you by a few years, confidering your age; exclufive of that, he is worthy of you, and I fhall have the confolation, amidit my misfortunes, of being affured that two perfons are happy whom I efteem above all others. My father could not fubftitute another

The true Point of Honour.

wife, who is more worthy, in the place of that which he has left, and you may depend upon a respect, an attachment-pardon my indifcretion, Mifs. My father loves you; which I think ratural, he is too well acquainted with merit not be touched with your's. But do you love him? Would you marry him, if the baron fhould cominand you to do it ?""

Eliza." Indeed Sir, you afk me fich fingular questions that I must be duperfed with from anfwering them. But where have you heard that your father loves me, and intends to marry me? In this refpect he is difcreetly referved; for he has never faid a word to me, which could make me fufpect it. You ask me, whether I would accept of his hand, in cafe it were prefeated me by my father? Certainly. Sir, I am fully perfuaded that a marriage cannot but be unhappy when it is not entered into with the will of heaven, which is manifefted by the confent of parents: I will add, that a heart could have no reluctance to this effort of duty, in the circumftances in which I am at prefent. I have fo much refpect, efteem, and friendship for M. Northon, that I should look upon it an advantage to be obliged to pass my life with him, and have him for a guide and protector."

Northon. "Very well, Mifs, very well! I felicitate you on account of your difpofition; my father certainly merits it: you will neverthelefs permit me to repeat what I faid to you this morning. There is fomething very fingular in this adventure, for I thought that my heart was-but, no, I am mistaken, and as my father has buried the hopes which I had of marrying you for fifteen years, conducted me to Europe folely to folemnize the marriage, and without confulting my inclinations, he-indeed this is a myftery beyond my comprehendion. The exchange of the portrait-I fay no more. All this has not been the work of Mifs d'Erlac, there was fome defign in this; the was merely an inftrument, and I fell into the fnare blindfold. I will fay no more, my father

2

31

is my rival, I ought to promote his defires, you will fet me the example, and your calmnefs fhews me how groundlefs my remorfe was: I am transported to have known you to the bottom."

Eliza. "You infult me, Sir, but you make me pity you; permit me, Sir, as a friend, to beg you to have fome pity for yourfelf. To what a condition will a violent paffion reduce the most fenfible man! what do you complain of, dear Sir?-Of a project of marriage which never exifted, which ought not to give you the least concern, becaufe you already renounced it. Can there be any ground for jealoufy where there is no love?"

[ocr errors]

Northon. Pray, Mifs, who told you that I did not love you? Has the diforder of my mind any other fource than the terrible agitation of my heart? There are fomme engagements which cannot be violated, and which honour obliges no to keep. Pity me for having contracted fuch, and add to your former kindness that of not informing my father of this ftrange converfati

[ocr errors]

I had not time to make any reply; Mifs d'Erlac had contrived to get rid of her letters, and came to join company with us. M. Northon, and his lifter, who did all they could to vex her, complained of the cold, and left her with the lady who accompanied her.

On our return home I retired to my clofet to finish my letter, and to find out how Northon could imagine my marrying with his father. After I had confidered fome time I recollected the time when Mifs d'Erlac had furprifed that refpectable man and me together; th: mult have communicated our confufion to her lover, as a proof of our correfpondence, in order to deftroy his fcruples. Indeed I shall not exaggerate, in fpeaking to him, the pity he infpired me with, and furely he deferves it. Do not judge of him, I pray you, from our converfations, his mind is not fettled, and the violence of his feelings is the caufe of thofe contradictions which appear in his di!.

cour!

courfe. I am hurt in making you the confeffion, my lady, but I muft do it; I ought to justify him. If I had my choice at prefent between the fentiments he has for me and thofe which he has for my coufin, I would not change with her. I have, I imagine, made a greater progrefs in his heart than he fufpects. Efface thefe lines immediately, 1 blush at them without knowing why; becaufe, in a word, the young man has my father's confent, who has commanded me to love him. How can a girl fubmit to indulge a lawless paffion, when the avowal of mine cofts me fo much, notwithilanding I am fure that you know it, and approve of it?

Northon feels the whole weight of the engagements he has entered into with my coufin; without doubt the has forced him to folemn proteftations, and an honest man fhould never violate them on any confiderations. Has he married her privately, notwithstanding the affurances he has given me to the contrary? My lady, is this poffible? In that cafe all is loft, and the affection he fhould have for me would be criminal. O how my heart is oppreffed, my dear friend, what need have I for your confolation!

LETTER XXXII.

From the Countes de SOLMES to MAD. NORTHON.

I SHALL be very fhort, my dear friend, because the letters which I tranfmit will give you a fufficient infight into our affairs. I call them eur affairs, for, in fact, they intereft me a great deal more than my own. I believe they are approaching to a crifis: the condition of the youth is too violent to endure long. He has, my dear, if I may be permitted the expreffion, two hearts, of which we are in the poffeffion of one. I muft notwithflanding confefs, that his laft converfation hurts me, and would fo more were he not a Spaniard. The men of that nation have a code of gallantry, which has no refemblance

with that of any others. The vows and oaths of lovers, are with them as binding as thofe of Jupiter, when he fwears by the river Styx: but permit me to admire the fingular, the adora. ble innocence of our sweet girl. She is apprehenfive of nothing but a promife of marriage; the purity of her foul will not fuffer her to fufpect any thing but that rock. I fhould have a variety of other apprehenfions, if I did not know that Mifs d'Erlac is effentially indowed with that kind of wifdom which bears the bell in these parts, without interefting the heart. With a girl of her rank every thing would have been loft, if he had forgot herself, and the had any regards to Northon's fcruples or fufpicions.

You will fee by my letter to your brother, that I cannot approve of his leaving his fon fo long to his own ftrength. Eliza fufpects that there are fome private interviews between' them. I am of her opinion, and I repeat the affurances which I have given you of the craft of Mifs d'Erlac: every thing is to be dreaded from a girl who will proceed to fuch extremities. I make no account of that of the young man; but the path is a slippe: y

one.

(To be continued.)

To the EDITOR of the LADY's MA

GAZINE.

SIR, Reading in your Magazine for laft Month, that it was the Defire of feveral of your Correfpondents, that the History of Capt. Herbert and Mifs Nugent fhould be continued, I determined to refume my Pen, and finish that Story, being fully refolved, that if you favour me with a Place in your Magazine again, you fhall meet with no Difappointment on my Part.—I have no Excufe to offer for not appearing fooner in your entertaining Work, but this, that fince I begun that Story, I have changed my Condition, and have been employed in difcharging the Duties of

A Wife and Mother.

[ocr errors]

The Gallery of Pictures.

33

The Hory of Captain HERBERT and and thence fprings my unconquerable

M

AUGUSTA NUGENT.

In a Series of Letters.

(Continued from Page 29. Vol. VIII.)

LETTER IX.

aversion to lord Wilton.-I am fenfible I ought to conquer this attachment inftantly; I have every reafon in the world to endeavour to banish it, and (O fatal truth) not one to encourage me

to harbour it. Was our affection mutual, my father's confent could never be

M. AUGUSTA NUGENT, to M obtained; and now I have the additi

SIDNEY.

Caffle Nugent. ITY me, my dear Louifa! fince I wrote; my I have fuffered

PITY

great deal of uneafinefs, nay I ftill do feel a great deal of anguish that is quite intolerable.

You know, my dear friend, that hitherto my father has always contrived to make his commands fo light, that I feemed rather to be following the bent of my own inclinations, than conforming to any rules prefcribed by auother. But O! how is the scene changed.

It was my misfortune (at the house of a lady in our neighbourhood) to meet with lord Wilton; my adverfe fate deftined me for his partner, during a ball we had in the evening, and he has fince affected to be charmed with your Augufta's appearance and beha

onal mortificatiou, of feeing the object of my tendereft wishes, totally engroffed by another lady.

Lady D'Avenant is the happy woman, who has inspired him with a paffion, equal to what the herself feels. May they be happy; it will be fome comfort to know that my Charles is fo, though I never can. --Adieu, dearest of friends, write to me foon, and pity your afflicted

AUGUSTA NUGENT. (To be continued.)

The NOCTURNAL REMEMBRANCER;

O R,

SELECT VISION S,

For the Entertainment of those who are awake.

viour, in which he is encouraged by y fueral DREAMERS of GREAT

lady D'Avenant, who is always encreafing my diftrefs, by praifing her noble coufin before my father.

My father is charmed with his attentions to me, and indeed he feems to deferve the good opinion of all; for he is generous, obliging, and fenfible. Judge then, how disagreeable my fi tuation muft be, when I can give no plaufible reason for my averfion, and yet find it impoffible to bear the idea of becoming lady Wilton. All here feem to confpire against me.-My father commands; Mifs Howard laughs at me; and Charles, the too amiable Charles, intreats me.

The

BRITAIN and IRELAND.

VISION THE THIRD.

GALLERY of PICTURES.
By Mr. ADDISON.

W

HEN the weather hinders me from taking my diverfions without doors, I frequently make a little party with two or three felect friends, to vifit any thing curious that may be feen under covert. My principal entertainments of this nature are pictures, infomuch that when I have found the weather fet in to be very bad, I have taken a whole day's jour O! Sidney, direct, affift your defney to fee a gallery that is furnished pairing friend-how fhall I reveal to you the fecret of my heart. I love Charles Herbert! though I blush to own my unpardonable weaknefs; yet I feel he is mafter of my affections, VOL. X.

by the hands of great mafters. By this means, when the heavens are filled with clouds, when the carth fwims in rain, and all nature wears a louring countenance, I withdraw myself

F

from

from these uncomfortable fcenes, into the vifionary worlds of art, where I meet with fhining landfcapes, gilded triumphs, beautiful faces, and all thofe other objects that fill the mind with gay ideas, and difperfe that gloominefs which is apt to hang upon it in thofe dark, difconfolate seasons.

I was, fome weeks ago, in a courfe of thefe diverfions, which had taken fuch an entire poffeffion of my imagination, that they formed in it a short morning's dream, which I fhall communicate to my reader, rather as the firft sketch and outlines of a vifion, than as a finished piece.

I dreamt that I was admitted into a long, fpacious gallery, which had one fide covered with pieces of all the famous painters who are now living, and the other with the works of the greateft mafters that are dead.

On the fide of the living, I faw feveral perfons bufy in drawing, colouring, and defigning; on the fide of the dead painters, I could not discover more than one perfon at work, who was exceeding flow in his motions, and wonderfully nice in his touches.

I was refolved to examine the feveral artists that ftood before me, and accordingly applied myself to the fide of the living. The firft I obferved at work in this part of the gallery was Vanity, with his hair tied behind him in a ribband, and dreffed like a Frenchman. All the faces he drew were very remarkable for their fmiles, and a certain fmirking air which he bestowed, indifferently, on every age and degree, of either fex. The tujours gai appeared even in his judges, bifhops, and privy-counfellors in a word, all his men were petits maî ves, and all his women coquetter. The drapery of his figures was extremely well fuited to his faces, and was made up of all the glaring colours that could be mixt together, every part of the drefs was in a flutter, and endeavoured to diftinguish itself above the rest.

On the left hand of Vanity ftood a laborious workman, who, I found, was his humble admirer, and copied after him. He was dreffed like a

German, and had a very hard name, which founded fomething like Stupidity.

The third artift that I looked over was Fantafque, dreffed like a Venetian fcaramouch. He had an excellent hand at a chimera, and dealt very much in distortions and grimaces. He would fometimes affright himself with phantoms that flowed from his pencil. In fhort, the most elaborate of his pieces was at best but a terrifying dream; and one could fay nothing more of his fineft figures, than that they were agreeable monsters.

The fourth perfon I examined was very remarkable for his hafty hand, which left his pictures fo unfinished, that the beauty in the picture (which was defigned to continue as a monument of it to pofterity) faded fooner than in the perfon after whom it was drawn. He made fo much hafte to difpatch his bufinefs, that he neither gave himself time to clean his pencils, nor mix his colours. The name of this expeditious workman was Avarice.

Not far from this artift I faw another of a quite different nature, who was dreffed in the habit of a Dutchman, and known by the name of Induftry. His figures were wonderfully laboured: if he drew the portraiture of a man, he did not omit a fingle hair of his face; if the figure of a fhip, there was not a rope among the tackle that efcaped him. He had, likewife, hung a great part of the wall with night-pieces, that feemed to fhew themselves by the candles which were lighted up in feveral parts of them, and were fo inflamed by the fun-fhine which accidentally fell upon them, that at first I could fcarcely forbear crying out fire!

The five foregoing artifts were the most confiderable on this fide the gallery; there were, indeed, feveral others whom I had not time to look into. One of them, however, I could not forbear obferving, who was very bufy in retouching the finest pieces though he produced no originals of his own. His pencil aggravated every

fez

« PreviousContinue »