Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

The fervant punctually acquitted himself of his commiffion, and in about an hour's time Damon loft all his cash to his father; who refufing' to play but for ready money, they both went out together. Nothing could equal the furprize of Damon, when, in a hall adjoining, he faw the pretended marquis, who waited his coming with his mask off. He had been detained till then by the fervant, who, as well as the father of Damon, was highly diverted. at the furprize of the one, and the uneasiness of the other. The confternation of the adventurer was however greatly increased, when the old gentleman difcovered himself, as he knew him again for a notorious impoftor, who had fled from Venice, after having broken open his cheft, and taken from thence a confiderable fum. Damon, upon feeing his father, was covered with the highest confufion; but the latter defired him only to be more difcreet for the future: then turning to the fharper, he threatened to profecute him immediately for the money he had formerly robbed him of, if he did not refund all that he had

cheated his fon of. This the adventurer, readily agreed to, as he knew the old gentleman could bring fufficient evidence against him, by fending to Venice, where they happened both to lodge in the fame houfe about a year and a half before. This point being fettled, the fharper thought proper immediately to leave Italy, and the old gentleman applied in favour of his fon to the father of Conftantia. The latter, however, perfifted to refuse giv ing his daughter in marriage to a man addicted to play, having always held it as a maxim, that a paffion for gaming is never to be eradicated. However, as he foon after died, Conftantia, who was now become miftrefs of herself, and of confiderable riches, again received the vifits of Damon, for whom she felt an unabated affection, and they were both foon after married. Damon for ever abjured the practice of gaming, and adhered steadily to his refolution, which is not common with gamefters, even after reiterated loffes.

I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c.
CHRYSOPHILUS.

The Ill-judged Union; or, the Hiftory of HARPAGON and EMILIA.

T is juftly obferved by a celebrated author, that the marriageftate is the fource of the moft perfect happiness, or the most confummate mifery. This obfervation, the truth of which nobody will call in queftion, is but too little attended to, both by the young and old, as fathers are often tempted by avarice to marry their children against their inclinations; whilft young perfons as frequently enter inconfiderately

into this folemn engagement, and thereby draw upon themfelves poverty, contempt, and inquietude. What I would at prefent endeavour to expofe, is the folly of thofe parents who often force young girls to marry men labouring under age and difeafes, as fuch matches have often been productive of the most fatal confequences; and their cruelty, in thus tyrannizing over human nature, may be justly compared to

that

that of Mezentius, who, according to the Roman poet, caufed dead bodies to be joined to the living, that the latter might expire flowly, and, as the emperor Tiberius expreffed it, feel themselves dying. The ftory I am going to relate is a fad proof of the truth of what I have advanced; and I hope it will be a warning to all parents not vainly to attempt to alter human nature, and strive to make young ladies love that which they should fear to look upon.

A rich merchant of Bristol, whom I fhall beg leave to call Harpagon, on account of the fimilitude of character between him and Moliere's Mifer, had a daughter, whose beauty and natural good qualities could not have failed to procure her perfect happiness, had not an avaricious - father preferred money to every other confideration.

Emilia, for that was the young lady's name, having never had any love-engagement, too easily confented to marry Mr. Lovegold, an old gentleman of great wealth, who, being greatly captivated by her charms, offered to marry her with out a portion. She however found fo little fatisfaction with her fuperannuated lover, that fhe was foon feized with a lingering diforder, and was advised by her phyficians to repair to Bath for the recovery of her health. Mr. Lovegold did not think proper to accompany her thither, being intirely taken up with the care of mercantile affairs, and apprehended no danger, as he went in the company of an elderly female relation of his own.

The fair Æmilia had not been long at Bath when her conftitution was re-established; and her beauty,

3

which then began to fhine with new luftre, attracted the notice of feveral gentlemen, who vied with each other in the affiduity of their addreffes. But the most ardent of all her admirers was a foreigner, who went by the name of the count de Bertola, and who was equally remarkable for his graceful perfon and polite addrefs. This adventurer foon gained over the old lady' by prefents; and by the arts of courtship and flattery, in which he had but few equals, made fuch an impreffion upon the youthful Emilia, who was intirely unpractifed in the wiles of men, that the readily confented to retire with him to Florence, declaring, that she would ra- ther fly to the utmost corner of the earth, than return to a husband who was become her averfion, and to whom he had never given her heart.

They foon after fet out, and in a fhort time arrived at Florence, where the prétended count took very elegant lodgings for Emilia, and lived with her in extreme fplendor and luxury. This, however, did not laft long. One morning the people to whom the house belonged came to Æmilia, and infifted upon being immediately paid for the time the had lodged there, and all that they had advanced for her and the impoftor in whofe company the came. Emilia, thunderstruck at this demand, inquired for the count; and being informed that he had gone off in the morning, and had not been heard of fince, was feized with the utmoft confternation; which was greatly increased when the found, upon examination, that the villain, in whom she had placed fuch confidence, had carried off all her jewels,

which

which were of a confiderable value. The hard-hearted landlord was fo far from being affected with her tears and intreaties, that he caufed her immediately to be fent to a prifon, where, after having languifhed for about fix weeks, fhe died in the utmoft mifery..

Such are the tragic events which generally refult from the imprudence of parents, who, inftead of guiding, vainly attempt to force the human heart, and facrifice the repofe of their children to fordid intereft.

REFLECTIONS

W Harve

1

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Harever is capable of raifing to be confiftent with the character noble and generous fenti- of a ftoic to have any averfion. But ments in the mind of man, ought he has declared himself to be of not (every one will confefs) to be a far different opinion in other neglected, but improved, and pro- refpects, and feems to treat man perly cultivated, especially when no as indued with paffions, and notreal harm can be apprehended from as an unembodied fpirit; which the use of it." Now it will be dif- does but create a greater surprise. ficult to find any amufement better calculated for a vehicle of fuch fentiments, or more prevalent in enforcing them, than poetry; which makes it somewhat furprising, that the great Mr. Locke, in his excellent effay on education, fhould fo feverely inveigh against a diversion, which is itself fo innocent, and might be of fo good influence, if well improved; and the more fo, as his entire aim in that treatife seems to be to form the polite gentleman, who is fuppofed to be actuated by a noble fpirit, and to hearken to whatever may contribute to fuch a temper of mind. Had this great man propofed to himself, to inculcate nothing but a ftoical apathy, to have perfuaded us to extinguith all the paffions, to hearken to nothing which might have the leaft influence on them, and, as a rule of life, to follow the difcipline and dry maxims of Zeno, we should have known from what fource his notions fprung, and foine reasons might have been given for his aver Lion to poetry, i we may allow it

The reafons he has ufed for his affertions appear very exceptionable, and are what might, with equal truth and juftice, have been urgedagainst our affections receiving any impreffions, or even nature's im planting any paffions at all in us, to be capable of any influence. A perfon addicted to poetry (fays he) will be the fiddle of every jovial company; will run out of his estate, and defpife the dirty acres of his ancestors. This is fomewhat roundly afferted, but not so true of poetry above other amufements; all are more engaging and pleasant than bufinefs, and may equally deserve this objection, particularly mufick, which is more likely to produce this effect, and, in the moft literal sense, make one the fiddle of every jovial company; but this he allows, and does not object to. Befides all this, what a wild, hair-brained creature must that be, to fuffer himself to be thus affected; one who is endued with reafon, and educated according to his maxims, can never be accellary to fuch a perverfion. It is

no

no contradiction to fuppofe that a lively reprefentation of things may be made, and proper principles conveyed and instilled into men's minds by poetry, without rendering them unfit for other purposes and purfuits. Amiable and illuftrious may the acts of fome appear in a poetic garb; yet not fo enchanting as to bereave him of common fenfe, who was ever endued with the faculties of reafon. In short, if we would form a mere tradefman, we ought not to inftruct our pupil in any of the liberal sciences, as being all def tructive of that defign; but poetry will always be an ornament to the character of a gentleman. From thefe reafons we may conclude Mr. Lock's averfion to poetry, to have been a private prejudice, and not to have naturally flowed from that great difcernment and good fenfe, which he was mafter of. Lord Bacon has given us his fentiments in this matter, which will give fome fanction to what has been faid, and serve to conclude this fhort effay. "Poetry, especially heroical, feems to be raised altogether from a noble foundation, which makes much for the dignity of man's nature: for feeing this fenfible world is in dignity inferior to the foul of man, poefy feems to endow human nature with that, which hiftory denies; and to give fatisfaction to the mind, with at least the shadow of things, where the substance cannot be had. For if the matter be thoroughly confidered, a ftrong argument may be drawn from poefy, that a more ftately

ABDALLA H,

I
N the city of Samarcand, while
Jenghizcan fwayed the imperial
fceptre of the East, lived Abdallah,

greatness of things, a more perfect order, and a more beautiful variety, delight the foul of man, than any way can be found in nature fince the fall. Wherefore feeing the acts and events, which are the fubjects of true hiftory, are not of that amplitude as to content the mind of man, poefy is ready at hand to feign acts more heroical: because true hiftory reports the fucceffes of businefs not proportionable to the merit of virtues and vices; poefy corrects it, and prefents events and fortunes according to defert, and according to the law of providence: because true hiftory, through the frequent fatiety and fimilitude of things, works a diftaste and misprision in the mind of man, poefy cheareth and refresheth the foul, chanting things rare and various, and full of viciffitudes. So as poefy ferveth and conferreth to delectation, magnanimity, and morality; and therefore it may feem defervedly to have fome participation of divineness, becaufe it doth raise the mind, and exalt the fpirit with high raptures, by proportioning the fhews of things to the defires of the mind, and not fubmitting the mind to things, as reafon and hiftory do. And by these allurements and congruities, whereby it cherisheth the foul of man, joined alfo with confort of mufick, whereby it may more fweetly infinuate itself, it hath won fuch access, that it hath been in estimation even in rude times and barbarous nations, when other learning ftood excluded."

An, Eaftern. TALE.

the fon of Mirza; prosperity awaited his call, and fuccefs crowned all his endeavours: nor was he deaf to

the

the voice of virtue. His benevolence diffused itself far and wide, as the fragrance of the fpicy groves wafted on the balmy wings of the eastern breeze. Abdallah, the rich, the happy, and the virtuous, was ecchoed from where the fun firft tinges the morning clouds with purple, to where his revolving chariot finks into the embraces of the western

ocean.

Amongst the crouds who frequented his houfe was one Haly, a man of a feeming melancholy dispofition, and folitary turn of mind. When Abdallah one day had fhewn him all his sumptuous apartments, and all the fplendor of immenfe riches, and asked his opinion of what he faw; he replied coldly, "Allah and our prophet are my witneffes, that I esteem a folitary reclufe far happier than thee with all thy riches." While Abdallah ftood amazed at this reply, he thus continued-" In the wilds of Sara lives Aladin, the fon of Aboulcafem, the herbs of the field fupply his table, and the running ftream flakes his thirst; regardJefs of the luxuries of life, he covets not the fpices of Arabia, nor the glittering gems of Irak. Content to him fupplies the place of riches, and a chearful mind the want of power::---son of Mirza, this is the man whose state I account far preferable to thine; and fo wouldft thou thyself, couldft thou be capable of enjoying the sweets of retirement."

He ceafed, and his words left a deep impreffion on the heart of his friend; he became eager to try by experience the truth of what Haly had faid; often would he fend for him, and question him more concerning the dervife whom he had

mentioned, till at last he perfuaded himself that felicity reûded only in the scenes of fimple nature; and foon actually put an end to his anxiety, by taking a fudden journey unattended, to the place which had been pointed out to him for the habitation of Aladin.

When firit he arrived at the retreat, he was fo well pleased with the unruffled calm of a folitary life, that he thought himself more than compenfated for all the pleasures he had left behind; but, alas! how unstable are the refolutions of youth!---the daughter of vifier Abdelaziz, lovely as one of the Houri, had heard by fome means of his retirement, and followed him into thofe fhades, to diffuade him from fo ftrange a refolution. Amiable as he was, it was no wonder she had conceived a paffion for his perfon. While he was mufing under the fladow of a tree, fanned by the refreshing evening breeze, the approached him, and drew afide her veil.---The fight of fo much beauty (for he had never before beheld her, though she had often seen him) was too strong for the youthful heart of Abdallah; and when the difcovered herself, and told the motive of her journey, nothing could equal his perplexity. When he turned away from her, he retained his old refolutions of quitting the world, but when he caft a glance on her beauties, they were all overthrown.-He was in this perplexing fituation, when the dervife Aladin fuddenly appeared, and (the lady withdrawing) thus addreffed him:

"Wonder not, son of Mirza, that I am fully informed of all that concerns thee: this night the prophet has vifited me in a vision for thy

fake.

« ZurückWeiter »