The true Point of Honour: 415 we had no need to go far for him; dam, that all is over; far from it: but as he was not to know that he mifs at first began to grumble, then had not left our house, we ftaid a lit-fhe fnivelled, and then he reproach- ́ tle before we fhewed him to her cham-ed Northon with intending to marber. The poor chambermaid, who ry you, instead of her. He faid kept him concealed in a clofet, drag-nothing, and was as mute as a fifh. ged him from thence in a paffion. As At laft mifs took a box out of her The knows the blind fide of her mif- pocket full of lozenges; fhe gave one' trefs, the marquis de V recom- of them to her lap-dog, whom she was mended his affair to her at his depar- very fond of, and a little while after ture. Ah! my lady, he is a man the poor animal was taken with conof fpirit, a true gentleman, money is vulfions, and dropped down dead. meer dirt to him; and the girl I fpeak of, has a promife of a good round fum if the marquis fhould marry her mistress. Alas! this round fum is very uncertain, tho' fhe has written to the marquis to come poft, if he would not have a young fpark to trip up his heels. He will foon be here, and our ladies will cut a wooden figure; but, take my word for it, he will come too late, if, by good luck, this, Northon were not the greatest blockhead in the world. Could you think that this beggarly fellow, who has only the coat upon his back, has turned up his nofe at her? But to come to the point, this fhould not offend you; for they fay that he was going to marry you. Poverty is no crime, and his does not hinder his being an honeft man; every one is to do his beft: and if that fhould be the cafe fomebody will fay, by and by, that he is fick of his bargain; for Mifs has an estate of fix-hundred good livres. I forget what I was faying-but mind what I fay-he refufes to marry mifs without his father's confent, and he fays he fhall never have it; what ftuff! what a fimpleton! as if fo much money could be found in a channel. If my lady had heard fo much, I am certain fhe would have had the fellow toffed out of the window, and I should have been heartily glad of it: no, the chamber-maid would have liked it bctter; as for my part I do not concern myfelf at all about it; but he would not have me fay a word more providing he fhould refufe her mistrefs, and the fhould make herfelf fure of the money that is promised her. You think, ma As Northon beheld this with atonifhment, fhe told him, that if he dilly-dallied with groundless fcruples, The would take what remained in the box, and would die in his fight. At this terrible threat the poor lad was truck all of a heap, and flinging himfelf at her feet, he promifed to do every thing fhe fhould defire of him. She then fent for one of those gentlemen, who were friends to her and her mother, and who was her confidant in all this affair; I would lay a wager, it was not for nothing, but we fhould judge no one. Madam came with him; they spoke in a whisper, and I could catch only a word here and there. They talked, I believe, of a voyage to England, where the young folks were to be married, because M. Northon would diffolve the marriage if it fhould be folemnized in France. The confidant is to accompany them.. Madam will pretend that the is forry for it, that the family may have no room to blame her; and afterwards the will be appeafed, and the father must of force be fo too. This is what I caught; but when will they fet out, and bow, I cannot tell you, because I know nothing about it; it is certain that we shall have warm work if the marquis fhould arrive before the plot. is over; he is not one who will fuffer himself to be led by the nose. ELIZA, in Continuation. What a strange letter! What a ftrange creature is my coufia! Heavens! fave Northon, from her artifices!" how can the poor youth fupport himfelf against her attacks! Unluckily I did not receive this terrible letter till after LETTER XLIII. * From the Countess de SOLMES to Madam NORTHON. after I had taken leave of my father, | own hands, if the fear of God had not and went to bed. M. Northon is not moderated his fury. yet returned, and I must wait till tomorrow to fhew it him. What a dreadful night fhall I pafs! I have been tempted, feveral times, to communicate all to my dear friend, and to beg her to wait for her brother, to take our precautions this night; certainly I fhall run too great a risk in deferring it; they may fet out to night! After the moft mature reflection, I am going to awaken madam Northon, and the fhall decide whether we ought to ftay till to-morrow to obtain an order for demanding the restoration of her nephew. You will receive this letter by my valet-de-chambre, whom I have charged to be as expeditious as poffible. I imagine, notwithstanding, that he will arrive too late. The marquis has about forty hours the ftart of him, and you will fee him at Madam D'Erlac's, at a time when he is least expected. However, as he may have met with fomething to ftop him by the way, I thought at all events, to inform you, that he does not know, that he has a rival at Paris, who is determined to make him let go his hold; your brother therefore fhould not let his fon go out of his fight. Tho' the marquis has acquired, by Madam NORTHON in continuation. What an awakening, my dear lady, and how can fuch horror be expreffed! My brother is not returned, tho' it is two in the morning; he was told that his fon was with a young man of his acquaintance, who protef-dear-bought experience, fome degree ted to him, that he had not feen him of moderation; I am afraid left your for four days. As he doubted of his nephew, who cannot yet have obtain fincerity, he had the patience to place ed fo much prudence, fhould expofe himfelf in a coffee-houfe, facing his himself unfeafonably, in oppofition to door, and flaid till he was the laft him. It was unlucky that I knew not perfon in the houfe. We have de- of his departure above an hour ago; liberated upon the meafures we he informed us that he should stop ought to take, and we are determined fome days at Dijon, and I thought to apply in the morning for an order that I should have time enough to infrom the Lieutenant de Police, to com-form you of his intention by the poft: pel madam D'Erlac to reflore Northon-the die is caft, and I hope I fhall to his father: they fay that this ma- be in time to prevent any bad confegistrate can execute the order; and as quences. he is a man of enterprize, we have I have had the portrait of Eliza fome hopes that he will comply with mounted in the richest manner-it is our requests, on fo delicate an occa- part of a bracelet. It is the moft brilfion, wherein he would avoid a difco-liant part of my dress, and attracts the very which would prove the ruin of Mifs D'Erlac. She does not deferve this precaution; but we ought to make use of it. O religion! to what lengths should we not run without thee. If the bad could comprehend from how many perils it refcues them from, by tying up the hands of thofe that refpect it, they would love it from a principle of gratitude. This reflection is my brother's, who declares without referve, that he would have ftrangled Mifs D'Eilac with his eyes of every body. At first they admire the beauty of the workmanship; but when they contemplate the painting, they never think of cafting an eye upon the frame. Our law-fuit being happily termina. ted by a marriage, has introduced us to • It should be obferved, that the countess had not received Madam Northon's last packet, when the wrote this letter, and confequently was ignorant of her quitting Madam D'Erlac's houfe, with other particulats intimated below. a fuite be true Point of Honour. 417 I had learnt; and, really, I think that "And you take things in that light a fuite of entertainments. A veteran colonel, who has retired from the fervice fome years, gave a very grand feaft to the young folks. As we were going to fit down at table, an officer entered in his boots, who was prefented to the new married couple, as a relation of the gentleman, who was malter of the houfe. I was at that time in conference with a lady in an adjacent apart-difpofitions to make a gallant, an enment, and did not return till they were dearing husband; perfevere in your fufI can tell you my part taking their feats. The ftranger was picions, and for announced by the title of colonel, and that your Angelica would have mar ried her to Medor if the power cen I never dreamt of afking his name, tered in herself, but there is a little obstacle in the way: for the young gentleman has a father, who has be trothed him to the charming girl whose portrait you have feen: he is a man of fuch primitive integrity, that he would fooner be quartered than break his word. This young lady is the daughter of the baron de M--, who has come from the bofom of A merica to celebrate this marriage; fo that you may fleep fecurely, not from too good an opinion of the fidelity of your princefs, but on account of the impoffibility of her marrying with her Adonis, who is not of age to refift the authority of a parent." In the middle of the entertainment, having ftretched out my arm to hand fomething to my relation, the ftranger efpied my bracelet, and feemed to wish to have a fight of it nearer. I take too much pleasure in hearing Eliza praised, to refufe any one the pleasure of feeing her portrait in their own hands. The cavalier after viewing it for fome time, exclaimed, "It was impoffible to fee any one fo perfect, and the painter must certainly have flattered the lady." The veteran officer replied, clafping his hands, and putting them into mine; "If we can believe this lady, the copy is inferior to the original; but what is remarkable, this pretty girl has a lover, who is ftolen away from her by a perfon of your acquaintance. I received the information laft night by a letter. Guefs, if you can, the name of the lady who could be fo prefumptuous as to difpute the conqueft with fo accomplished a perfonage." "Could it be Mifs D'Erlac?" re"I am informed plied the colonel. that he is not conftant, and that is the reafon why I have left my garrifon four months fooner than I fhould. I have formed a plot, and obtained of the chief commander a furlow to terminate fome affairs, which will detain me at Paris long enough to conclude my marriage with that lady: for I cannot perfuade myself that her mother will violate the engagements he has made with me. I wrote to her about three days ago, entreating her to prepare every thing for the marriage ceremony, without mentioning a fyllable of what VOL. X. "And, Sir, replied I, with fome vivacity, he is too well bred to attempt it. I am very intimate with all the family. I can venture to say that if no one but Mifs D'Erlac fhould difpute the prize with him, the marriage is certain. The young lady does not want for charms, but he is too prudent to be infatuated with a young man, who has been pre-engaged a long while ago; a jeft has given rife to thefe rumours; and on that account I fhall inform the company of a trick which was played off on the arrival of M. Northon." I did all I could to vindicate Mifs D'Erlac, for fear the veteran should prejudice his friend against her; my apology had not the defired effect, and he fhook his head with an air, which convinced me that he knew as much as I did: luckily the young officer did not obferve him. I think this is a kind heart of Smithfield-bargain, wherein the 3 H heart has no concern at all. But, dear friend, is it not ftrange that all our fecrets should be divulged fo far, as within thirty leagues of Paris? This muft originate entirely from domeftics, and I believe that this amour will not be the first news the baron is likely to receive on his arrival. It would be very lucky if Mifs D'Erlac's marriage were folemnized before that crisis. (To be continued.) SERIOUS THOUGHTS on the present TH benefit? confidered as an hiftory, they proper application of this ineftimable happen to fucceeding generations, and afford a lively type of what would enable us by the past, to judge of the prefent, and future æras, as the Alfhadow of turning. They may promighty is fubject to no change, or perly be flyled the rule of life; and the heavy judgments denounced against finful nations in the primitive fate of things, fhould prove a strong excite ment in us to reform our general and increafing degeneracy, which feems to threaten us with a diminution, if not a total fubversion of national fecurity. In the hour of retribution little will it avail, that a folemn day has been annually appointed by the legislature as the means of humbling ourfelves before God; unlefs we bear the evident marks clearly evinced in Samuel's reply to of a broken and contrite fpirit, which is Saul. HE alarming ftate of our national concerns must inspire every rational creature with a defire to difcover the caufe from whence the evil is derived, and naturally leads us to en- than facrifice, and to hearken, than the "Behold, to obey is better quire what remedy is moft likely to fat of rams." This reproof leads me to effect a cure. This research unavoid- confider the occafion on which it was ably obliges us to go deeper than the delivered. The facred paffage informs furface, and by not being content with us, that Samuel admonished Saul for a fuperficial furvey, impels us to trace the unhappy confequences to the pol- means of extenuation, Saul expreffed his difobedient negligence, when as a luted fource from whence they fpring. his concern that his people had seized It must be allowed we are a perverfe the part of the spoil taken from the and finful generation; that we have Amalekites, defigned by him as a faerred from the path of duty; and that crifice to the Lord: which gave rife to in manifold instances we are flagrant the reply before cited; and strongly tranfgreffors; that we have provoked expreffes that the ritual part of relithe Majefty of Heaven, who notwith-gion, is of no import without unfeignftanding he is flow to anger, wieldsed and uniform devotion. This porthe fceptre of righteoufnefs. Thefe tion of fcripture fuggefts the neceffity confiderations ought to awaken the of inveftigating the iubject on which mind to a due difcharge of its duty; it was pronounced. Samuel in the and infpire each individual with a just enumeration of God's peculiar favours fenfe of the chaftig ment of the Su-to Saul, particularizes his being charpreme Being. We confine our ideas too much to temporal concerns, and it were devoutly to be wifhed they were extended to the more important, and certain attributes of eternity. I cannot poffibly recommend any means more likely to produce this defirable effect, than a clofe and ferious attention to the Scriptures; if we ac knowledge, and profefs they are divine, why do we negle to make a ged with the important miffion of utterly deftroying the Amalekites, by fighting against them, as they were a finful people! Can we as a nation plead that we are lefs finful than the felves that Cod will fubvert his immuAmalekites? Or can we flatter ourtable decrees, which are the effects of invariable juftice? The old and the infinite wisdom, and are exercifed with Rew Tellaments clearly difplay the couiequences The Matron.' No. LXXIII. 419 as "the race is not to the swift, nor hope and truft in the omnipotence of Let us therefore relign ourfelves with hope and confidence to that Being, who ordereth all things for the bett, and who in the present inftance of national fcourges, will, 1 truft, caufe in mercy the various events to work together for our good. He is the God from whom cometh fal vation: let us therefore pray with zeal in the words of holy David. "Turn us again, O Lord God of Hofts; fhew the light of thy countenance, and we fhall be whole!": fequences atten lant on good and evil; and the chaftifements which fall on offending nations, and individuals, we are exprefsly told, "happened unto them for enfamples, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." When we seriously attend to these unquestion-preffed' heart; and implant a lively able truths, have we not the greatest reafon to dread the confequences? and sught we not to endeavour to avert the impending evils, by a speedy reformation of conduct? Vice and irreligion advance with gigantic ftrides; the intent of various bleflings, have proved curfes by their perverfion; the fabbath is openly profaned; the facred inftitution of marriage fhamefully violated; the men who were defigned by their wife Creator to be the guardians and protectors of the weaker fex, are become their betrayers; and the women who were in a peculiar degree formed to render the life of man more happy, by difpenfing domeftic pleasures, have deviated from the line of duty; and fo far are they from profeffing the good qualities Solomon required as neceffary to conftitute a good wife, that the greater part are diftinguifhed alone by excefs of folly, and are become objects of deteftation, by glorying in thofe things which ought to be their fhame; moderation, and primitive fimplicity, are facrificed at the fhrine of profufion, and luxurious refinement; modefty, the criterion of true merit, is obfcured by barefaced audacity; and depth of judgment, fuperfeded by fuperficial garrulity; amufement, which was intended as a recreation, appears now to be the main object of purfuit; and thofe fpeeies of it are the moft highly relished which are the most inconfiftent with morality and reafon : as in effect it is neceffary to become wicked, or at least to relax our ideas of rectitude, in order to qualify us for the intercourse of modern fociety! Whilft we are thus circumftanced can we flatter ourselves that any measures founded in human policy can avert the inftruments of divine vengeance? Or that however powerful our hott, or vigilant our commanders, that they can enfure fuccefs? I' THE MATRON. NUMBER LXXIII. T was not in Mrs. Grey's power to publish the following letter before To Mrs. GREY. "Madam, Deptford, July 13. "I have long been a reader of the Lady's Magazine, and, in particular, that part of it over which you have the honour to prefide. I have for fome time also been a conftant fubfcriber to it, and was in hopes, in the course of a few months, to have found fome cafe fimilar to my own; but I 3 H 2 have |