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We will leave the travellers to pur- daughter, impatiently waited the approach of morning, when the landlord had promifed him a carriage. He had locked the door of his daughter's chamber, intending not to disturb her repose, until the moment of departure should arrive, and had returned to his room below, where, anxiously folicitous for the return of day, he stood at a window contemplating the declining moon. He was roufed from his reverie by the entrance, through the open door, of a large dog, which, jumping up to his knees, began fawning upon him, as recollecting an old acquaintance. Bernard foon called to his remembrance the faithful creature; when his master, who had miffed his favourite, traced him to that apartment, and entering it, difcovered, to the aftonished Bernard, the unexpected form of Albert. A mutual furprife and pleafure made them exclaim the fame inftant," is it possible !” An explanation foon took place on each fide; and the Count de Bournonville having joined them, he received Bernard with every mark of friendship and condefcenfion. While the good old man was recounting the occafion of his flight, and the defigns formed by Moreozi to betray the innocence of Emma, the rage of Albert rofe beyond all bounds; and he folemnly vowed, that the monster who had thus injured him by complicated villainy fhould fall the devoted victim of his avenging arm.— "But where," faid he, is my inconparable, my glorious Emma? Let me, by my prefence, reaffure her tender apprehenfions, and fwear no fate fhall fe

fue their journey, while we return to the Baron de Morenzi. Du Val, ever indefatigable in a caufe, wherein his own advantage was concerned, had refolved to make ufe of the firft opportunity, which should offer, to fecure the lovely Emma, in the abfence of her father. For this purpose he arofe at break of day, and with two trufty domeftics, in whom he could confide the bafeft defigns, took his fecret ftand behind a thick hedge, that fenced the fmall garden of Bernard, with an intent to watch his departure from the cottage, and to feize the unprotected victim, whom he had devoted to his own avarice and the licentious paffion of Morenzi. While this wretch was lurking in ambush, fome peasants, accustomed to call their well-beloved neighbour to the occupations of the day, having repeated their ufual fignal to no purpofe, knocked at the door; they received no anfwer; an univerfal confternation prevailed among them. After confulting fome time, they agreed to force the door, which having effected, they entered, and found to their astonishment the cottage deferted. Du Val and his affociates had by this time joined in the fearch, and having no difficulty to account for the fight of Bernard and his daughter, haftened to the caftle to inform the Baron of a circumftance fo mortifying to his paffion. Morenzi exasperated with rage and difappointment, vowed vengeance on the fugitives, and ordering a carriage to be got ready, threw himself into it with Du Val, determined to overtake the objects of his fury. Although well parate us more; but that from this moconvinced that they had been too cautious to attempt concealing themfelves in the village, before his departure, he ordered that every cottage fhould be fearched. They took the fame road which Bernard had chofen; and they purfued the wanderers as clofely, as the interval of fome hours would admit. While Morenzi was in the purfuit of this venerable old man, Bernard ftudioully anxious to protect his perfecuted

ment the fhall find in her devoted Albert, the protector of her innocence, the champion of her honour, the avenger of her wrongs !"-At that inftant a carriage drove furioufly into the yard, and two perfons alighted from it, in one of whom, as it was now day, ́ Albert recognised the face of Morenzi.— The impelfe of the moment induced him to follow the Baron. They entered a room at the fame time- Villain,

traitor,

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The coward heart of Morenzi, ftruck with the horrors of all-confcious guilt, froze in his bofom; and he stood fixed in mute wonder and difmay. The Count de Bournonville, accompanied by Bernard and his attendants, had joined by this time, the unarmed Albert, who might have fallen a victim to the Baron's refentment, had not a fenfe of his own villainy, together with his aftonishment and terror at the fight of the injured fon of Clairville arrested the trembling arm of Morenzi. The cautious friends of Albert, almost by force dragged him from the room, and leaving Du Val only with Morenzi, fastened the door upon then, which was guarded on the outside by the Count's armed retinue to prevent an efcape. The Baron had caught a view of Fargeon, and recollecting in him the man, whom he had employed to affaffinate the young Henry, be felt a strong and fatal prefage of his own impending fate! his brain was feized with fudden defperation; he fnatched from his poc ket a loaded piftol, and before Du Val could wreft the weapon from his hand, he lodged its contents in his own head, and fall thus felf-convicted, the devoted facrifice of his confcious and accumulated crimes!

into the room, found the Baron lifeless, and Du Val leaning over his dead master, with looks expreffive of horror and confternation. When Albert viewed his fallen enemy, he stood for fome moments wrapt in filent wonder-then exclaimed, “Chafte fhade of my departed mother, be appeased !The arm which fhed thy guiltnefs blood, has, in his own, revenged thee, and marks, by this dread deed of juftice, the unerring hand of heavenly retribution." He then quitted the apartment, and withdrew with the Count de Bournonville, who had given orders that proper attention to the body should be paid. They now confulted what measures they should take to conceal from Emma a catastrophe fo fatal, till they could remove her from this horrid fcene.

Bernard determined to go to his daughter's chamber; and undertook with cautious tenderness to unfold to her the extraordinary circumstance, that Albert and the Count had alighted from their chaise at the moment of Emma's arrival.

Haraffed by the violent agitations of mind and body which fhe had undergone, Emma had enjoyed for some time the most refreshing and profound repofe; from which he was roufed at length by confused founds of voices that proceeded from below. She started up, and recollecting all at once her perilous fituation, which the height of the fun beaming through the curtains, painted in ftrong colours, the felt her apprehenfion of purfuit renewed; haftening therefore to adjuft her drefs, the tied Du Val, terrified, flew to a window, on her ftraw bonnet, with an intent to and throwing open the fafh, proclaimed rejoin her father, when he suddenly enmurder, in a voice fo audible, that he tered, and tenderly enquiring after her instantly collected together a concourfe health, he found her fo apprehenfive of of perfons, who, urged by curiofity, danger from the interval of time, which furrounded the houfe, and demanded they had loft at the inn, that he venturadmittance into the room from whence ed to inform her of Albert's arrival, and the alarm proceeded: the affrighted of his waiting impatiently to be admit landlord likewife peremptorily claimed ted to her prefence. The glowing blush liberty to enter; which being granted, of momentary pleasure animated her on condition that the prifoners fhould lovely cheek, but inftantly retreating, not be fuffered to escape, they ruthed was fucceeded by a deadly palenefs. VOL. LVIIL

6 H

Ah,

Ah, my father," faid fhe," how neighbourhood with unfeigned tranfport fhall I avoid him? We must meet no and exulting joy. The unlooked for restoration of a family to which they were strongly attached by every tie of affection, gratitude, and duty, broke at once the galling yoke of that oppreffive flavery, under which the tenants had groaned during the fhort reign of an ufurper, and promised them at once liberty and happiness.

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The approach of the young Marquis to the manfion of his ancestors, being announced, he was met fome miles from the caftle by all the peafantry, who welcomed and followed him with acclamations of unfeigned delight.

teous daughter, who were univerfally beloved, was likewise hailed by their ruftic neighbours, with an honeft fimplicity of heart, to which that envy is unknown, which so often mingles with the fentiments of those born in the fuperior ranks of life; and they cordially congratulated Bernard, on the rewards, which awaited his mèrits, in the advancement of his virtuous daughter.

no more-I have taught my heart to renounce each fond idea which it had dared to form. Honour demands the facrifice. Let us fly then from redou bled danger." "O my exalted girl," interrupted Bernard, with tears of tranfport glistening in his eyes; "Well doft thou deferve the bright reward, which now awaits thy courage and thy virtue; defcend with me into the garden, where thou mayeft guiltless behold again thy worthy Albert, thy faithful, and thy deftined husband. Let me lead thee to him, he fhall refolve thy timid doubts, and banish that in- The return of Bernard and his beau credulity which fpeaks in thy countenance. Emma followed her father in filent astonishment, to a fmall fhrubbery at the end of a ferpentine walk, where Albert waited her approach, whom in an inftant, fhe beheld at her feet. "Receive," faid he, with a look of rapture, "the heart, the hand of Albert, or rather of Henry de Clairville, the lawful heir of that ufurped caftle and its wide domains. I hail As the high and venerable turrets thee miftrefs of thofe facred fhades, of his native castle rofe in the view of where firft my vows of conftancy and love were offered in the attefting ear of heaven! Within thofe hallowed walls a folemn ceremony fhall bind our faith -the Baron de Morenzi is no more." "Alas," interrupted Emma, in a tremulous voice, "has Albert then drenched his fword in blood!-do I behold a murderer ?"—"No," replied her lover, Morenzi fell the victim of his confcience, and of heaven's avenging judgement. Accept a guiltlefs hand, a conftant heart, and a name unfullied The Count de Bournonville at this inftant reached the fpot, when the young lover prefented to him the fair object of his affections, whom he faluted with refpect and cordiality, felicitating them 2 both on their approaching happiness.

7

Events fo extroardinary being foon circulated through the adjacent country, they were received at the caftle of Clair ville with dread and wonder, but in its

Henry, emerging from the thick foilage of the lofty trees by which they were furrounded, a thousand varied emotions filled his noble heart: tears to the me mory of his unfortunate and revered parents, rolled down his manly cheek; while gratitude to heaven, for the reftoration of thofe rights, that empowered him to diffufe happiness to all around him, foftened his filial forrow.

Bernard and Emma entered their little dwelling with fenfations very dif ferent from thofe, with which they had fo lately quitted it. They wafted their mutual thanks to that Being, whose mercy had preferved them from the machinations of a once dreaded, but now vanquifhed enemy. The profperous

fortune that awaited Emma, filled her bofom with humble gratitude; but the lowly unambitious mind of this child of innocence, impenetrable to pride and vanity, felt no haughty, exultation in

the

the profpect of her approaching elevation to a rank, the fplendor of which, could neither dazzle her eyes, nor miflead her judgment.

The Marquis de Clairville, fuffered not the object of his true and tried affection to remain long in her humble retreat; he reminded Bernard of the promife which he had given him of his daughter's hand.

The fcruples of delicacy, the conflicts of duty, and the claims of honour, no longer could be urged as obftacles to oppofe fuch generous wifhes: fufficient

ly had Emma proved the confcientious
virtues of her heart; fuperior therefore
to the arts of difguife and affectation,
fhe obeyed her father's fummons to
meet her noble lover at the altar; where
they exchanged their mutual vows, and
were crowned, by an approving Provi-
dence, with that refined happiness, which
difinterefted love and irreproachable
honour alone can merit :

For bleffings ever wait on virtuous deeds,
And tho' a late, a fure reward fucceeds.

CONGREVE,

CURIOUS OBSERVATIONS ON THE REIGN AND
CHARCTER OF QUEEN ELISABETH.

IN order to give a fpecimen of Mr the gyldedde bawble thatte envyronnes Malone's very ingenious detection of Mr Ireland's publication of certain papers attributed to Shakespeare, &c.* and of his critical ability, we shall prefent our readers with the following curious obfervations, on the character and reign of Queen Elizabeth.

No. 4, A Letter from Shakspeare to
Anna Hatherreways.

the heade of majestye, noe norre honourres mofte weyghtye wulde give mee halfe the joye as didde thyffe mye lyttle worke forre thee. The feelinge thatte dydde neareste approache untoe itte was thatte whiche commethe nygheste untoe God, meeke and gentle Charytye."-I fhall not at prefent trouble you with any more of this foft epiftle than what I have now transcribed. At the bottom of the page we find, Anna Hatherretale; waye, which is meant for the fuperfcript tion, the poet foreseeing that two centuries afterward, it would become the fashionable mode to discard the superfluous to or for, with which fuch addreffes were formerly introduced. But how far the lady here meant was entitled to this addrefs, or how probable it was, that this letter fhould ever reach her hands, may be worth our inquiry. The truth is, the had no title whatfoever to either of those names: fhe was christened plain Anne, and her name was not Hatherrewaye, as fhe is here abfurdly called, but Hathaway.

But now I ought in due form to invoke Venus, and her fon, and all the loves and graces, to liften to my for lo! I am next to prefent you with a letter from the Stratford youth to the lady whom he afterward married, Though love, like death, levels all diftinctions, yet as that paffion, which the poet tells us firft invented verfe, certain ly exalts the mind, as well as improves the heart, and makes almost every man eloquent, what may we not expect from the tender effufions of fuch a foul as Shakespeare's in fuch a fituation !-Prepare then, my Lord, to behold our bard in circumftances in which he has never before been viewed.

This precious letter is accompanied with a lock of the poet's hair," too intrinfe to unloofe" and most curiously braided, in fpeaking of which he affures his deareste Anna, that "no rude hande hathe knottedde itte, thye Willys alone hathe done the worke. Neytherre * See page 258.

Your Lordship well remembers the firft rife of the yet prevailing paffion for long and fonorous chriftian names, inftead of the more familiar appellations with which our fimpler ancestors were contented. The lady Elzas, lady, Matildas, and lady Louifas, have now gained a complete afcendency, and a lady 6 H 2

Betty

of this epiftle without obferving, that dear and dearest was not fo common an addrefs at that period as at prefent. Had the fabricator of this letter given us-" My fweet Anne," it might have paffed well enough. Thus, Sir John Harrington begins his letter to his lady, dated Dec. 27. 1602, with the words

"Saveet Mall," for which, if the maker of thefe MSS. had invented an epiftle for that knight, we undoubtedly fhould have had-My deareft Maria.

Though, after what has been now flated, it may feem fuperfluous to animadvert further on this fpurious paper, 1 muft not omit to obferve, that the word themfelves is here (as in other places) contrary to the practice of that age, fpelt as one word instead of two [thenne indeede fhalle Kynges themmefelves bowe ande paye homage toe itte:] nor can I difmifs it without particularly noticing the other fentence which I have transcribed from it.

Betty or lady Fanny is no where to be found. Lady Betty Germine was, I believe, the last in this country; and you have, I think, ftill in Ireland, one lady Betty, of the Noble houfe of Cavendish, who keeps up the memory of the olden time. But to talk of Anna Hatherreways in 1582, is truly ridicu Jous. Mafter Slender, and "fweet Anne Page," might have taught the fabricator better. In the Indexes of the Prerogative Office, in which the entries are made in Latin, and in fome old Parish Registers, where the entries have been made by clergymen in the fame language, we find Annas and Marias enough; and fo alfo in fome of our oldeft poets, in imitation of the Cynthia and Delia of Propertius and Tibullus, and in order to give a dignity to their verfe: but, in plain profe, the most diligent researcher will, I am confident, not difcover a fingle Anna in the fixteenth century. The name of the father of this lady, here abfurdly Whenever hereafter any light shall be called Hatherrewaye, was, as Mr Rowe given, that may lead to a difcovery of long fince mentioned, Hathaway; and the now unknown hand that has dared the tradition which he received from to fabricate this tiffue of impofture, the Stratford upon this fubject, is confirmed vulgarifms, and the fentiments found in by the will of lady Barnard our poet's it, may be worth attending to, as they grand-daughter, which I difcovered and may aid the detection. Thus, from the publifhed fome years ago; and by a prefent contemptuous mention of kings, deed executed by her, in my poffeffion, it is no very wild conjecture to fuppofe, the in her will exprefsly notices feveral that the unknown writer is not exof her relations of the name of Hatha- tremely adverse to thofe modern reway. As to the true orthography of publican zealots who have for fome both the Chriftian and furname of the time paft employed their feeble, but unperson to whom this letter is pretended wearied, endeavours to diminish that to be addreffed, we need only confult love and veneration, which every true the register of Stratford, were the follow- Briton feels, and I truft will ever feel, ing entry occurs under the head of for royalty, fo happily and beneficially marriages in 1579-80. "Jan. 17. inwoven in our ineftimable conftitution. William Wilfon to Anne Hathaway of Such, however, was his ignorance of Shotterye," I once thought it not im- the period to which the letter before us probable that the lady whofe marriage is must be referred, that, for the fake of here recorded, afterward became the the fentiment, the contemptuous lanwife of our poet; but that could not guage of the prefent day is introduced, have been the cafe for a reafon which at a time when it was as little known, I have affigned in his life. However as the orthography and phrafcology. it fufficiently establishes the forgery be which the writer has employed. fore us.

I cannot difmifs the first two words

Our author was married to Anne

Hathaway in or before September, 1583.

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