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the affirmative, they quitted the caftle: at her place of deftination, and the Miranda taking along with her nothing packet luckily being ready to fail, fhe but two miniatures, one of her father, took her place and removed into it. the other of his wife. When herself There, on opening her pocket-book, and companion had reached the top of the found that the generous Bentinck an eminence from whence fhe could had inclofed a fhort letter to her, begtake her laft view of Hundfon-she ging her to accept, what he took the liturned herself forrowfully towards it, and berty of prefenting, a note for one exclaimed in the bitterness of her heart hundred pounds, and entreating, that -“Dear and ever beloved walks! upon any neceffity fhe would apply to from my earliest infancy until now, fay, him for more; concluding with refpecdid I ever wander beneath your fhades fully requefting that she would write to with a guilty heart? were ever you witness him, and addrefs her letters to his fato other vows, than thofe of friendship ther's house. between Miranda and Plantagenet? O! Effex! Effex! where art thou now?" -It was in vain that Bentinck tried to foothe the anguifh of her bofom: fhe wept inceffantly, until reaching the town they fought for, fhame obliged her to wipe away the ftreaming tears, left the prying eye of curiofity fhould difturb her with its impertinence.

Bentinck procured a poft chaife, and feating her, and a trufty female fervant, who was recommended to her by the landlady of the inn, (for, from prudence, they had agreed that he should not accompany her); he gave orders for the poft-boy to drive to Holyhead, from whence the intended to take fhipping for Ireland, as they had fettled that to be the place of her retirement. Miranda grafped his hand, and fhedding a torrent of tears over it, half frantic, bid him affure her father of her moit dutiful love.

The packet, with a fair wind reached Ireland. In a few hours fhe landed, and taking a coach, drove to Dublin, where, tired with fatigue, fhe procured a bed at the inn, and retired to fleep.

Here, to augment her misfortunes, the fervant, whom she had brought with her from England, became acquainted with a needy villain, who, under the appearance of a gentleman, prayed upon the fortunes of others. He profeffed an ardent and difinterested love for the girl; who, wild for the title of a gentleman's wife, and dazzled by the happy fplendour that feemed attached to it, met him half way in all his advances. After firft making himself fure of her heart, he began to interrogate her concerning the property of her mistress; and he foon heard, that the poffeffed a confiderable fum of money, which fhe kept depofited in her pocket-book. Bentinck's eyes glistened with manly The maid had conceived it to be far tears, he preffed her hand in filence; more than it really was; and allured by and giving her a pocket-book, wherein the fpecious infinuations of her villainhe had before told her, was his ad- ous lover, who laid before her the drefs; quitted the chaife. Miranda impoffibility of marrying her without funk back on the feat in fpeechlefs a- any fortune; "not but that poverty gony every tender idea recurred to her with her would be a happiness;" yet mind:-her father's once doting love; his relations would difcard him for ever, -her happiness-Plantagenet's en- and take from him the only means he raptured converfation; and the delicate had of making life comfortable; were friendship of William Bentinck; all it but two thoufand pounds, it would rufhed upon her with fuch violence, that unable to bear the recollection, fhe burst into a flood of tears, and remained half her journey fenfelefs with her woes. The next morning she arrived

have a better appearance than nothing, and might be forgiven. Deceived by thefe hints, fhe came to the refolution of robbing her miftrefs. She did fo,

when

her lover the money and the direction to Captain Bentinck.

when she was asleep; and bore off to "Miranda !" was all they could utter. She beheld Plantagenet, but oh! how changed! His eyes ftill preferved their luftre; but it was the eager brilliancy of phrenzy. His beautiful brown hair, was hanging down his back in wild diforder, and his whole figure expreffed grief, almost defpair. Recovered from the first emotions of dif tracted joy, Mifs Hundfon related thẹ progrefs of her misfortunes; and entreated him to inform her what had been his fate fince the fatal moment of feparation.

It was not long before Miranda became conscious of her wretchednefs. The girl's precipitate departure alarmed her, and looking for her pocket-book, her fears were confirmed; it was gone. She poffeffed only five guineas in the world; to Bentinck she could not apply, fhe knew not where to direct; and if fhe did, fhe could not be capable of fuch shameless avidity. She came to the determination of inftantly quitting the place the then refided in, and of retiring to a cheaper and more fecluded spot.

Agreeable to this refolve, the bade adieu to Dublin, and with a small bundle in her hand, wandered into its environs, unknowing whither fhe ftrayed. At laft, finding herself wearied and faint, fhe entered a little neat cabin, and humbly inquired, if they could let her have a fingle room, for which fhe would thankfully pay. The woman replied in the affirmative, and thewed her a fmall, very small room, which he was to have at a moderate rate. Here Miranda took up her abode, and spent day after day, week after week, in fruitlefs lamentations, which, by degrees, wore her delicate frame almoft to a fhadow.

One day, as she was straying through the romantic walks of the Dargle, her attention was arrested by hearing a voice, in accents low and tremulous, uttering these words:" Does heaven canopy a wretch fo miferable as I am?-Ah! no, adverfity has not a pang fo exquifite, as is the leaft of mine. -Fortune! that fortune for which I fo earnestly prayed, is rendered but to make me the more miferable.-O! I could cavern me in the remoteft point of the globe, and wear out an existence that is anguish itself." Miranda ! Miranda !"-Miranda! echoed Miss Hundfon in a loud fhriek, that led the fpeaker to her; who in a moment, held her in his arms. Plantagenet !"

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"When I left you (faid he) I paffed the remainder of the night in distraction, not knowing whither I fhould go; it rent my heart the thought of leaving you; but for your peace of mind, I at laft determined to fet off for Sedgethorp, (the feat of a diftant relation) as it was the fartheft from the country that contained yon. Here my relation, who was upon a fick bed, treated me with the greatest love. He bleffed the chance that had fent me to close his eyes. I remained with him fome weeks; at laft heaven took him to itfelf and how was I forprifed, when I found that he had left me fole heir to his estate-an estate of fix thousand a-year! All my dreams of poffeffing my Miranda recurred to my mind: I wished, I hoped, that you loved me; and then my want of fortune could no longer be the bar to my happiness. I fet off for the castle, a fortnight after the interment of my benefactor. There I was received with astonishment, almost amounting to rudeness: his Lordfhip taxed me with the base design of ftealing away his daughter; and faid, he was certain that he fled to my protection. folemnly denied every article, and by the diftraction that was vifible in my behaviour, when I was told of your departure, I ftaggered his belief, and he curfed his credulity and cruelty a thoufand times, which had led him to treat a worthy child in fo barbarous a manner. In the mean while, his wife, unhappy woman having been accufed by N 2

I

Lord

Lord Hundfon, in one of his furious fenfations she could not speak much; moments, of alienating his affections therefore returned with Effex to her

from you, flung herfelf into fo violent a rage in denying the charge, that her reafon forfook her.-Avenging heaven! how juft are thy ways!--And fhe laid open the whole of a heart, wicked from the weaknefs of her head."

miferable apartment, whofe manly cheek
glittered with a tender tear, when he
contemplated the poverty of fuch an
abode, for her, whofe life had before
been spent in the fplendid palaces of
the great.
In a few days they fet off

Here he was interrupted by the fobs for Hundfon castle. of his fair auditor, who hid her face Let that mind, with one hand, and fhed a torrent of tears. He would have stopt; but, at her repeated affurances, of its not affec ting her to an injury, he proceeded thus:

of

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Her

which is "tremblingly alive" to every animated fentiment, conceive the feelings which thrilled the agitated foul of Mifs Hundfon.: She trembled, fhe felt a chill, a cold dew steal over her frame, fucceeded by "Lord Hundfon, convinced of mine, a feverish glow. Her heart feemed to and your innocence," (for fhe confeffed make a ftop within her bofom, when that the whole of her conduct was they reached the gate of the castle : actuated by piqued pride and reject- the fcarce refpired; a convulfive tremor ed love,) gave way to the wildeft fhook every limb, and her heart beat phrenzy he advertised for you; he again with furious violence. fent people to fearch: and at last meet- father, at the found of the wheels, flew ing with Captain Bentinck, he told all to the gates: they were opened, and, that you know; but expreffed his fears in a moment he was in her arms. your fafey, from your never having "Miranda! my child, my child!" She written to him. Finding that your fhrieked out, and his fatherly breaft deftination was Dublin, I flew to Ire- was preffed only by a lifelefs form. Jand; I fought every where; I paffed The blood fled from his cheek. Plantafleepless nights, and fatiguing days, in genet, half frantic, fnatched her hand, fearch of my dear, my idolifed Miranda, fqueezed it with fuch force of agonised I was wandring in thefe walks, deter- love, that the awoke; fhe hung her mined to feek in every houfe, to inquire arms around the neck of her overjoyed of every one for fome intelligence of parent, and difcharged the emotions of you, when the well known echo of your her loaded heart, in copious fhowers of feraphic voice, called me to joy unut tears. Recovered from the transports terable." of this meeting, fhe was led into He ceafed, and gazing ardently on caftle, where the beheld the generous her pallid features, gave her an im- William Bentinck, who fuluted her paffioned though delicate preffure to his with the warmth of friendship. Effex faithful bofom. "Plantagenet!" said embraced him, and called him his beMiranda, raifing up her ftreaming eyes nefactor, the preferver of his Miranda, "Where is my beloved father? and a thousand other epithets, which Where my unhappy mother-in-law?" difplayed how ftrong was the love, that Safe! Safe, my ever-adored maid; animated his bofom. fafe in Hundfon-castle.

Mifs Hundfon's foul was filled with the most oppofite fenfations; the mildeft bless sparkled in her eye, when the thought on Plantagenet's love, and her father's, being reftored to her but a fluid fwam over its radiance, as her pained heart dwelt on the image of his wife's guilt and punishment. With fuch

Effex gave up his whole foul to the higheft excefs of joy, and a few weeks fo foftened the diftrefs of Lord Hundfon, and his enchanting daughter, that Plantagenet received with transport, as a reward for his conftancy, the hand of Miranda, at the facred foot of the altar.

OF

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OF THE SENTIMENTS OF THE SOUL.

The following articles are selected from Dr Hunter's Tranflation of M. de St Pierre's Etudes de la Nature (Studies of Nature) in five Volumes, 8vo.

Of Mental Affections.

Thus, I repeat it, mind is the perception of the laws of fociety, and fentiment is the perception of the laws of nature. Thofe who difplay to us the conformities of fociety, fuch as comic writers, fatyrifts, epigrammatifts, and even the greatest part of moralifts, are men of wit: Such were the Abbe de Choify, La Bruyere, St Evremond, and the like. Those who discover to us the conformities of nature, fuch as tragic, and other poets of fenfibility, the inventors of arts, great philofophers, are men of genius: fuch were Shakefpeare, Corneille, Racine, Newton, Marcus Aurelius, Montefquieu, La Fontaine, Fenelon, J. J. Rouffeau. The firft clafs belong to one age, to one feafon, to one nation, to one junto; the others to pofterity, and to mankind.

I SHALL fpeak of mental affections chiefly in the view of diftinguishing them from the fentiments of the foul: they differ effentially from each other. For example, the pleafure which comedy beftows is widely different from that of which tragedy is the fource. The emotion which excites laughter is an affection of the mind, or of human reafon; that which diffolves us into tears, is a fentiment of the foul. Not that I would make of the mind, and of the foul, two powers of a different nature: but it seems to me, as has been already said, that the one is to the other, what fight is to the body; mind is a faculty, and foul is the principle of it: the foul is, if I may venture thus to exprefs myself, the body of our intelligence. I confider the mind, then, as an intellectual eye, to which may be referred We fhall be ftill more fenfible of the the other faculties of the understanding, difference which fubfifts between mind as the imagination, which apprehends and foul, by tracing their affections in things future; memory, which contem- oppofite progreffes. As often, for explates things that are paft; and judge- ample, as the perceptions of the mind ment, which difcerns their correfpon- are carried up to evidence, they are exdencies. The impreffion made upon alted into a fource of exquifite pleasure, us by thefe different acts of vifion, fome independently of every particular relatimes excites in us a fentiment which tion of intereft; becaufe, as has been is denominated evidence; and in that faid, they awaken a feeling within us. cafe, this laft perception belongs imme- But when we go about to analize our diately to the foul; of this we are feelings, and refer them to the exami made fenfible by the delicious emotion nation of the mind, or reasoning power, which it fuddenly excites in us; but, the fublime emotions which they exraised to that, it is no longer in the cited in us, vanifh away; for in this province of mind; becaufe, when we cafe, we do not fail to refer them to begin to feel, we cease to reason; it is fome accommodation of fociety, of forno longer vifion, it is enjoyment. tune, of fyftem, or of fome other perfonal intereft, whereof our reafon is compofed. Thus, in the first case, we change our copper into gold; and in the fecond, our gold into copper.

As our education and our manners direct us toward our perfonal intereft, hence it comes to pafs, that the mind employs itself only about focial conformities, and that reafon, after all, is nothing more than the intereft of our paffions; but the foul, left to itself, is inceffantly purfuing the conformities of nature, and our fentiment is always the intereft of mankind.

Again, nothing can be lefs adapted, at the long-run, to the study of nature, than the reafoning powers of man; for, though they may catch here and there fome natural conformities, they never pursue the chain to any great length:

befides,

befides, there is a much greater number which the mind does not perceive, becaufe it always brings back every thing to itself, and to the little focial or fcientific order within which it is circumfcribed. Thus, for example, if it takes a glimpse of the celestial spheres, it will refer the formation of them to the labour of a glafs-houfe; and if it admits the existence of a creating power, it will reprefent him as a mechanic out of employment, amufing himself with making globes, merely to have the pleasure of feeing them turn round. It will conclude, from its own diforder, that there is no fuch thing as order in nature; from its own immortality, that there is no mortality. As it refers every thing to its own reason, and seeing no reafon for existence, when it shall be no longer on the earth, it thence concludes, that, in fact, it shall not in that cafe exift. To be confiftent, it ought equally to conclude, on the fame principle, that it does not exist now; for it certainly can difcover, neither in itself, nor in any thing around, an actual reason for its existence.

We are convinced of our existence by a power greatly fuperior to our mind, which is fentiment, or intellectual feeling. We are going to carry this natural inftinct along with us into our refearches refpecting the existence of the Deity, and the immortality of the foul; fubjects, on which our verfatile reafon has fo frequently engaged, fometimes on this, fometimes on the other fide of the queftion. Though our infufficiency be too great to admit of launching far into this unbounded career, we prefume to hope, that our perceptions, nay, our very mistakes, may encourage men of genius to enter upon it. Thefe fublime and eternal truths feem to us fo deeply imprinted on the human heart, as to appear themselves the principles of our intellectual feeling, and to manifeft themfelves in our most ordinary affections, as in the wildeft exceffes of our paffions.

OF THE SENTIMENT OF INNOCENCE. The fentiment of innocence exalts us toward the Deity, and prompts us to virtuous deeds. The Greeks and Romans employed little children to fing in their religious feftivals, and to prefent their offerings at the altar, in the view of rendering the gods propitious to their country, by the fpectacle of infant innocence. The fight of infancy calis men back to the fentiments of nature. When Cato of Utica had formed the refolution to put himself to death, his friends and fervants concealed his fword; and upon his demanding it, with expreffions of violent indignation, they delivered it to him by the hand of a child: but the corruption of the age in which he lived, had ftified in his heart the fentiment which innocence ought to have excited.

Jefus Chrift recommends to us to become as little children: we call them innocents, non necentes, because they have never injured any one. But, notwithstanding the claims of their tender age, and the authority of the Christian religion, to what barbarous education are they not abandoned?

Of Pily.

The fentiment of innocence is the native fource of compaffion; hence we are more deeply affected by the fufferings of a child than by thofe of an old man. The reafon is not, as certain philofophers pretend, because the refources and hopes of the child are inferior; for they are, in truth, greater than thofe of the old man, who is frequently infirm, and haftening to diffolution; whereas the child is entering into life: but the child has never offended; he is innocent. This fentiment extends even to animals, which, in many cafes, excite our fympathy more than rational creatures do, from this very confideration, that they are harmless.

The fentiment of innocence developes, in the heart of man, a divine character, which is that of generofity.

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