and ftifle thofe fentiments of honour and virtue, which now and then ftung him with deep remorfe. In this courfe, he foon exhausted the rest of his ftock, plunged himfelf in debt, was caft into gaol, and muft have lain there, if his difconfulate mother, whose heart bled to hear of his misfortunes, had not ftreightened her own and her family's circumitances, to relieve him. After he got out of prison, where he was abandoned by his mercenary mistress, who, forefering his fate, had run away with the remainder of his money and effects, he paffed through a new variety of misfortunes: In fhort, the refult was, he went abroad, and lifted himself in the late Emperor's fervice in Italy.

The other fon, whom I fhall call Eubulus, had fine natural parts, joined to an uncom mon fweetness of temper, and an affability that endeared him to every body. He went to the University, where, by his indefatigable application to his ftudies, he made great proficiency in learning, and, by his converfation and polite manners, gained the favour of his fuperiors, and the esteem of all who knew him. His company was courted by thofe of the beft rank, but efpecially by all true lovers of learning and vir tue. Among others, he contracted a particular intimacy with a young Gentleman of a large fortune, and a mind still larger, who chofe him to be his companion rather than tutor in his travels. This proposal, how advantageous foever, he would not accept, till he should confult with his mother and fifter, both whom he loved with an uncommon tendernefs. Their confent being obtained, he went to take his leave of them; the parting was tender on both fides: My dear Eubulus, faid the good woman, taking him by the hand, with her eyes full, you are going a long journey. I fear I shall never fee you again; your poor brother's miffortunes have fhortened my days, and your absence cannot lengthen them:-But, fince I hope it is for your advantage, I chearfully fubmit. To almighty God I commit you. Pray Ipare no pains to learn fome news of your unfortunate brother;-if you find him out, give him my last bleffing, and tell him I fhall die in peace, if I hear that he is reformed and happy.'-She could not proceed; her fighs and tears were the only farther expreffions of her inward grief. He then bid his fifter farewel. Her laft words were: Oh, Eubulus! remember our poor dear brother, find him out, if he be still living, and tell him (Oh, do not forget it!) that our dearest mother and I want nothing, to complete our happiness, but to hear, that he is, what he once was, the fame virtuous

She could fay no more; her heart was oppreffed with forrow at the tender parting. and that heightened by fad reflections upon the ll courfes of her elder brother, and the melancholy forebodings he had, that her mother would not long furvive.

Soon after, he and his friend (whom I fhall call Agathias) went abroad, and did not, like most of our raw young travellers, only traverfe provinces, gape after wonders and curiofities, and throw away their time in gallantry; they ftaid long enough, in places of note, to get acquainted with the most eminent men for capacity and learning, who are generally the most easy of accefs to ingenious ftrangers; and to learn whatever was most curious and worthy their notice. In their progrefs through Italy, their curiofity led them to Venice, in the time of the carnaval; they were spectators rather than actors in the diverfions of it. One evening, as Eubulus was returning home alone, he faw two fellows, in masks, attacking a fingle Gentleman, who made a ftout refiftance, but was preffed to the wall, and feemed reduced to the laft extremity. Eubulus immediately drew in defence of the fingle combatant, and obliged the villains to retire, after they were deeply wounded. He led the Gentleman to his own lodgings, and fent immediately for a furgeon to dress his wounds. When the ftranger's mask was taken off, how was he furprised to fee his friend Agathias, whom he had refcued from fuch imminent danger; and how overjoyed was Agathias to find the friend and deliverer united in the same perfon! When he was going to make his acknowledgments for his generous fuccour, Eubulus begged him to spare them, till he fhould be in a better condition to make them. The wounds were found not mor. tal, fo that in a few weeks he recovered. While they continued there, they had a meffage from an unknown Lady, who defired to communicate to them an affair of importance. Though they were both averfe to go, yet they knew fo well the vindictive humour of the Italians, that they were afraid to give the Lady a denial. Accordingly, they waited on her; when he told them, the believed they were furprised at receiving a meffage from one who was fo much a stranger to them; but, as the well knew the humanity of the English, efpecially to their countrymen, and had heard that two Gentlemen of that nation lived in her neighbourhood, the thought he could not do them a greater pleasure, than by giving them an opportunity of doing a very important fervice to one of their own country, a very worthy Gentleman, who had

been

been clapped up in prifon, by an order of the Doge, for no other crime but his being of her acquaintance. If, continued the, you have the honour, Gentlemen, to know any of the foreign Ambafladors, you will find it no hard matter, by employing your intereft with them, to obtain his releafe; and, at the fame time, you will do me a fingular pleasure.

The Gentlemen endeavoured to excufe themselves in the politeft manner they could, alledging they were ftrangers in the town; but, in effect, they had no mind to meddle in an affair, which feemed, by the Lady's interefting herself fo warmly in it, to wear the face of an intrigue. She continued to urge them with great eagerness, and asked, if they had no acquaintance with the French Ambassador. Agathias was a man of too much honour to deny, that he had fome fmall acquaintance with him, but faid he did not know whether it could be of any ufe to her friend; he promised, however, to try how far it would go. They immediately waited on Monfieur de, the French Ambaffador, and informed him of the whole affair; who fimiled, and politely promised his friendship. Accordingly he applied to the Doge, and all the favour he could obtain was a promise of the Gentleman's release, upon paying a fine of a thoufand crowns, and giving fecurity for his future good behaviour. Soon after, prompted by their curiofity, they asked and obtained leave to vifit the prifoner under his confinement. They found him in a wretched condition: His looks pale and meagre, and his eyes hollow, the very image of death; his face was marked with the deepest dejection and anguish. Upon putting a few questions to him about the time of his leaving England, and his employment fince as well as before, Eubulus faintly recollacted fome of his features; upon which, he asked him if he was any relation of

who had been fome time a widow. At the mention of her name, the stranger fetched a deep figh, and faid he had been once fon to that dear woman, but, alas! he had forfeited his title to that relation. Eubulus could hold no longer; he fell upon his neck, wept over him, and continued for fome time fpeechlefs. Agathias, deeply penetrated with this dumb but expreffive fcene, mixed his friendly tears with their's. At length, words got vent: Oh! Pamphilus, have I at last found you out; you, whom your dearest mother, fifter, and I, gave over for loft! But, ah! how changed! And in what deplorable circumitances! Where have you been?

How came you hither? Heaven, I hope, fent us to your relief

Pamphilus, with a mixture of dejection, aftonishment, and joy, asked how he had learned his misfortune; and what had induced him, and the Gentleman with him, to vilit him in his prefent fituation; adding, that his misfortunes would be too tedious to relate. His brother foon fatisfied his queftions, and told him he might fafely open his mind before the Gentleman, whofe goodness prompted him to pay him fo kind a vifit. Being thus affured, he frankly confeffed, that the Lady they mentioned had entertained him fince he came to Venice; whither he was allowed to come, by his General Officer, to fee the diverfions of the carnaval, having been for fome time in the Emperor's fervice;-and that he had been put under arreft, at the request of fome noble relations of the Lady's, who were difpleafed at his intimacy with her, and now he was daily expecting fome miferable fate, as a punishment for his paft imprudence. He then caft down his eyes with a mournful air. Agathias, whofe eyes and heart had been fattened upon the two brothers, turning to the elder, in a generous kind of tranfport, faid,

I am glad, Sir, that, in finding a brother, you have likewife found a deliverer. You are releafed upon paying a thoufand crowns, which I will freely advance, for your brother's fake. Pamphilus would have caft himself at his feet, to express the raptures he felt; but Agathias took him in his arms, and told him he was glad to embrace the brother of his friend and deliverer; he gave him, withal, a fhort account how he had faved his life. The fine was paid, and Pamphilus releafed. He affured them upon his honour, that, after paying his acknow ledgments to his benefactress, he would break off all further correspondence with her, and immediately return to the army.

While they continued at Venice, a letter came by way of Genoa to Eubulus, from his fifter Eliza, to this effect:

My Dear Brother,

What fhall I tell you? How will you be able to bear the fatal news of the death

of our much honoured and dearest mother, whofe lofs is to me more bitter than death, and will plunge you, I fear, into the deepeft forrow? But the other night she called me to her bed fide, and, taking me by the hand, faid, My dear child, I am just going to leave you. A few hours will bear me to the world of fpirits. I willingly refign you, my dear charge, and your bro

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thers,

thers, if they are yet alive, to the care of a good God, who will always befriend the virtuous. I rejoice you are of that number. If you continue as you have fet out, you cannot fail of being happy. When you have an opportunity to write to your brothers, or shall fee them, tell them I died with them on my heart, left them a mother's bieffing, and had no higher with on earth than to hear they were wife and good. Alas! poor Pamphilus, would to God he were fo; were I fure of this, I fhould die perfe&ly eafy. I hope Eubulus will return to you, and Heaven make you happy in each other. Farewel, my dearest child! May Heaven preserve you wire and goed; and, when you drop a tear to the memory of a loving mother, be excited thereby to imitate whatever you thought good in her. Oh! Farewel!' With thefe words the dear woman refigned her foul into her Maker's hands, and filed in the agony of death. Oh! my dear brother, grief overwhelms me; I can add no more, but that I long exceedingly to see you; that will be my only cordial, to alleviate the heavy loss of your affectionate fifter, ELIZA.

This mournful news cut Eubulus to the heart. He grew impatient to return home: He hoped his presence might help to lighten his fifter's grief. Agathias, perceiving his friend's uneafinefs, inclined to indulge him by haftening his return. They took Milan in their way home, where they found Pamphilus, much reclaimed by his misfortunes. Eubulus informed him of their mother's death, the tender circumstances of his parting from her and their fifter, the deep affection they both bore him, and particularly the concern the expreffed about him in her last moments. The recital of thefe, and the fight of his fifter's moving letter, made fuch an impreffion on him, that they left him ftrongly confirmed in his virtuous refolutions.

Eliza, after her mother's death, lived retired from the world; he kept company with only a few felect friends. It was a fweet retreat where the lived; there was a pretty garden and farm belonging to it, the fmall remainder of the family eftate. At the foot of the garden runs a clear brook, cloath'd on each fide with little tufts of wood, and bushes growing wildly up and down. This ftream, after watering the farm, lofes itself in a neighbouring wood. She dreffed plain and clean, and was not diftinguished from the farmer's daughters in the neigh bourhood, but by a fuperior openness and dignity in her air and manner; which appeared under all the homeliness of her dress.

Her time was generally divided between the economy of her family, and the management of the farm, reading, vifiting the fick, and doing kind offices to all about her. Her knowledge of fimples qualified her to be useful to her neighbours in most ordinary illneffes; and a frugal well-judged management of her small revenue put it in her power frequently to reach out her friendly hand to the affiftance of the indigent, whom she used to employ in different kinds of manufacture; and at the fame time that she relieved their wants the encourag'd their industry. So that her houfe was a little fanctuary to the painful poor; it was always open to them, and the beneficent miftrefs of it at all times acceffible. Her fervants almost ado. red her; and her amiable and wife deportment rendered her equally the delight and admiration of the whole neighbourhood. She was fair and blooming, and of a shape exquifitely proportioned. There was an uncommon gracefulness in her mien, and fprightliness in her air and looks, mixed with fuch a peculiar fweetnefs, as discovered the kind and humane temper of her foul. In this manner did this innocent and virtuous maid pass her time, when it pleafed Heaven to interrupt, for a while, the calm fhe enjoyed, and put her virtues to a new and fevere trial.

A Gentleman, who lived at no great diftance, was lately returned from his travels; fuck with the high and very fingular character he had of her, he contrived this ftratagem to fee her: It was Eliza's ordinary custom to walk out every morning and evening round the farm, and along the banks of the little rivulet that watered it, and often with a book in her hand. Sometimes the would lay herfelf down by this ftream, and with a delighted mind enjoy thofe fimple and unvarnished pleafures, which virtue, joined with contemplation, never fails to give in thofe rural fcenes, neither envying nor railing at the pleafures and amusements of gayer life. One evening, as Eliza was taking her ufual walk, this curious Gentleman, having got near the place, difmounted from his horfe, and caft himself on the ground, as if he had been feized with a fudden illness. Eliza, overhearing a faint found, not unlike the groans of a person in diftrefs, immediately gave way to the fuggeftions of her compaffionate breaft; the role, and went to the place where the Gentleman, whom I fhall call Lothario, was lying on the ground. No fooner did fhe learn his misfortune than the ran home to call for affiftance, and foon returned with fome of her fervants. Finding him to appearance in great agonies, they carried him to the

houfe,

houfe, where fhe made him an offer of an outer apartment, till he should be a little recovered. He thanked her kindly for her generous hofpitality, and told her that he hoped to be well with a night's reft. Her perfon, converfation, and whole behaviour charmed him beyond expreffion; but that modefty which appeared fo unaffectedly graceful, and that kind concern the fhewed for his health, which ought to have extinguish ed every ungenerous fentiment, ferved only to inflame a criminal paffion. At first he only expreffed the warmeft acknowledge ments of her generofity: He took advantage after of the tenderness of her concern for his illness. He grew bolder-profeffed love in the ftrongest terms-and began to use fuch familiarities in his difcourfe as were too fhocking for a modeft ear. This roufed Eliza's nobler paffions; and, with eyes flashing a generous difdain and indignation, the faid to Lothario, Prefumptuous man! though I cannot blame myfelf for doing an act of hofpitality to a stranger, yet I am forry it has happened to be fo ill placed on an ungenerous man, who dares to abufe it in fo ungentleman-like a manner. I thought my own house would have been a fufficient protection to me against all indecency, ef pecially from you; but, fince it is not, you are now at liberty to go where you please.' She then quitted the room with an emotion the could not conceal. Before he departed, he defired to fee and take leave of his benefactress; but he would not permit him : So he rode off unattended and unobserved. He was not a little vexed at his disappointment; and the repulfe he had met with, inftead of difcouraging, redoubled his paffion. Allured therefore by fo fair a prey, he thought of various ftratagems to get her in his power; and refolved to ufe force, if fhe would not yield to perfuafion. He lay in ambufh for her one day, in the wood I formerly men. tioned, adjoining to the houfe. Eliza happened to wander farther off than usual; and, being intercepted by his fervants, Lothario carried her off, in fpite of all her cries and ftruggles. He ftopped not, day or night, till he had brought her to a very private country-feat of his, where he kept but few fervants, to which he used fometimes to retire, when he defired to have lit the communication with his neighbours. It was a double affliction to poor Eliza, when the knew that Lothario was the author of it. Finding however that the was intirely in his power, the forbore thofe bitter invectives and ufelefs exclamations which many of her fex would have indulged on fo juft an occafion, and trusted that Heaven would fend her fome fpeedy fuccour, Το

alleviate her grief and refentment, which he faw fwell high, he told her it was nothing but an excess of the most tender paffion for her that had forced him to this extremity that he might expect fuch ufage as was fuited to her merit and character, and might command his houfe and all in it; for he was abfolutely at her devotion. She deigned no other reply but what he might draw from looks, which darted the utmost averfion and contempt. He allowed her indeed all manner of liberty in this prifon; permitted her to walk or ride out as the chofe, though never out of the reach of attendants. But the made no attempts of that kind, in order to lull them in the deeper fecurity; and, after fome time, affected an air of frankness and eafinefs, to which she was quite a ftranger.

:

Lothario, in the mean while, left no arts of infinuation and flattery untried, to win her confent to his defigns;-he made her an offer of a confiderable fettlement for life, and of a handfome provision for her brother. She still kept him at bay; but he began to conceive fome better hopes from her more foftened appearance, and did not doubt to gain his point, when he had melted her by his fuppliant importunities and proteftations of love. It would be tedious to relate the methods he tried, during the course of some months He did not indeed come to direct force, though he would fometimes break into her apartment, and talk to her in a manner that highly provoked her; but she endeavoured to conceal her refentment. One morning, when Lothario was from home, he got up much earlier than her ufual hour, and, having stole a key of the garden, flipt out unperceived by any of the fervants. After fhe had crofled the garden, the leapt from the funk fence, and with difficulty fcrambled up the oppofite fide of the ditch. She paffed over feveral fields, forcing her way through the hedges. Fear added wings to her speed. She went on till fhe thought herself out of danger, and then fhe fat down by the fide of a hedge, quite tired with fatigue and want of fleep. She now began to think over the dangers the had run, the trials and insults she had borne,

the greater ones fhe had feared; but efpecially the dreadful fufpence fhe was in about what might still befal her. All these things came crouding into her thoughts, and filled her with a variety of ftrong emotions. She looked up to Heaven for relief, and committed herself and the fuccefs of her efcape to Providence. Nature being at length overcharged and quite spent, the funk into fleep on the green turf.

It happened, that a company of Gentle

men

men were out that morning a fox-hunting. The chace had been long, and one of the party being thrown out, chanced to come to the place where Eliza lay. He started at the fight of a Lady faft afleep, and loosely dreffed, with her face and arms ftrangely fcratched, and the blood drawn in many places. But, amidst all the disorder of her drefs and looks, he was ftruck with the amiableness of her appearance, and fineness of her fhape, which spoke ftrongly in her favour, and confuted, in fome meafure, the difadvantageous circumftances in which he faw her. He flood for fome time gazing at her with pleafore and attonishment, and was afraid to awake her. But how much more was Eliza alarmed, when the opened her eyes upon a Gentleman in a hunting drefs, gazing at her, with his horfe in his hand! Afhamed to be furprised in fuch diforder, fhe ftarted up on her feet: Her first thought was to have run off directly, with out fpeaking a word; but thinking it vain to fly from one, in whole power she was, or to betray an infignificant diftruft, the chofe rather to try his generofity. She said, the doubted not but he was a little surprised at finding a woman in that place, and in fuch an odd condition; but begged he would fufpend his wonder, till she had an opportunity of informing him more particularly of the occafion; that just then the could only tell him, that an extraordinary accident had brought her into thofe circumftances; and, as he bad the appearance of a Gentleman, fhe did not doubt but he had the honour of one. She should therefore put herself under his protection, and begged that he would conduct her to fome place of fafety. He told her, that he would mott chearfully undertake fo agreeable a charge, that a Lady of his acquaintance lived hard by, to whofe houfe he would conduct her, where the might be fure of a hearty welcome, and to be treated with that honour the appeared to deferve, till the was recovered of her fatigue, and in a condition to remove elsewhere. His open countenance, and Gentleman like mien, gave her fome degree of confidence in him, though unknown. And, fhould he be deceived, she did not fee how the could fecure a civil ufage, by any means fo effectual, as by expreffing an intire truft in her protector. She frankly accepted his offer, and returned him thanks in fo graceful a manner, that made him think himfelf the debtor. By this time fome of the fervants came up. He ordered one of them to take the Lady up behind him, and conducted her himfelt directly to his mother's, who lived at her jointure-houfe, but a few miles off. There, Eliza found

herself among a very different set of peo from thofe fhe had met with at Lothario and was entertained in quite another ma ner. The Gentleman informed his moth of the diftress he found the Lady in, a defired fhe would lend her friendly aid recover her of the fright and fatigue f had undergone. The Ladies, like tv kindred fouls, foon diltinguished each othe and no fooner faw, than they esteemed ; leaft, formed the most agreeable ideas the of of the other. Eliza being left in good hand the young Gentleman took his leave, an returned to his own houfe, full of the ima of the lovely ftranger, whofe afpect an whole behaviour raised in him high adm ration and delight. He imagined to hin felf a thousand excellencies concealed u der fo fair a form, and a demeanour fo fil gularly graceful. He was no fooner home than, ruthing into a friend's apar ment who lodged with him, he immediate ly told him his uncommon adventure; ex patiated much on the charms and outwar accomplishments of the dittreffed ftranger and added, that, if her character and mer correfponded to fuch fair appearances, h thought her a treasure worth purchafing a any rate. He was not a little impatient till he returned next day to fee her, and in quire after her health. But how trouble and confounded was he, when he bear that Eliza was feized with a fever? It was however, of the flighter kind, and, when went off, the appeared to him with new charms She had now recovered her natu ral looks, and, though paler than usual, ye that palenefs had fomething fo languishing and foft in it, and fo different from tha over heated flush, which a conflict of va rious paffions had given her, that the young Gentleman was quite in raptures. Eliza renewed her acknowledgments to him for his generous deliverance and protection of her, freely confeffed the had at first fome fufpicion and diftruft of him, having had fo late a proof of the falfhood and treachery of the fex; but he was now convinced, by his means, that men were not all alike. He thanked her for the compliment the made him, and told her, he was repaid for what he had done, by the fatisfaction fhe expreffed with his conduct, and the pleasure he felt in having contributed to the eafe and fafety of fo deferving a Lady; and defired fhe would condefcend to inform him of her misfortune. You have a right, Sir, answered Eliza, to know my ftory, and it is fit I fhould remove any fufpicions, which my being found in fuch unfavourable circumftances may have raised. Upon hearing her ftory, her folitary condition and