CLARISSA'S FAREWELL WORDS.

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I forgive him, and I pray to God to forgive him!"-again pausing, and lifting up her eyes, as if praying that He would," Let him know how happily I die; and that such as my own, I wish to be his last hour."

She was again silent for a few moments, and then resuming,-" My sight fails me,--your voices only,"-[for we both applauded her Christian, her divine frame, though in accents as broken as her own]; "and the voice of grief is alike in all. Is not this Mr Morden's hand?" pressing one of his with that he had just let go. "Which is Mr Belford's?" holding out the other. I gave her mine. "God Almighty bless you both," said she, "and make you both-in your last hour-for you must come to thishappy as I am."

She paused again, her breath growing shorter; and after a few minutes, "And now, my dear cousin, give me your hand-nearer-still nearer "drawing it towards her; and she pressed it with her dying lips,—“ God protect you, dear, dear sir—and once more receive my best and most grateful thanks-and tell my dear Miss Howe-and vouchsafe to see, and to tell my worthy Norton-she will be one day, I fear not, though now lowly in her fortunes, a saint in heaven-tell them both, that I remember them with thankful blessings in my last moments! And pray God to give them happiness here for many, many years, for the sake of their friends and lovers; and an heavenly crown hereafter, and such assurances of it as I have, through the all-satisfying merits of my blessed Redeemer." Her sweet voice and broken periods methinks still fill my ears, and never will be out of my memory.

And a short silence, in a more broken and faint accent ;--" And you, Mr Belford," pressing my hand, "may God preserve you, and make you sensible of all your errors--you see in me how all ends-may you be". And down sunk her head upon her pillow, she fainting away, and drawing from us her hands.

We thought she was gone; and each gave way to a violent burst of grief.

But soon showing signs of returning life, our attention was again engaged; and I besought her, when a little recovered, to complete in my favour her half-pronounced blessing. She waved her hand to us both, and bowed her head six several times, as we have since recollected, as if distinguishing every person present; not forgetting the nurse and the maid-servant, the

45

DUEL BETWEEN LOVELACE AND MORDEN.

latter having approached the bed, weeping, as if crowding in for the divine lady's last blessing; and she spoke faltering and inwardly,—“ Bless-- bless -bless-you all-and now-and now,"-[holding up her almost lifeless hands for the last time]—“ Come - O come-Blessed Lord-JESUS!"

:

And with these words, the last but half-pronounced, expired such at smile, such a charming serenity overspreading her sweet face at the instant, as seemed to manifest her eternal happiness already begun.

[As a pendant and a contrast, it may not be uninteresting to place before the reader the death of Lovelace, who falls in a duel with Colonel Morden, Clarissa's cousin and avenger. It is thus described by De la Tour, the confidential servant of Lovelace, in a letter (No. lxxix.) to his master's faithful friend, Belford -]

THE DUEL BETWEEN LOVELACE AND COLONEL MORDEN.

I have melancholy news to inform you of, by order of the Chevalier Lovelace. He showed me his letter to you before he sealed it, signifying that he was to meet the Chevalier Morden on the 15th. Wherefore, as the decision of the meeting is so well known to you, I shall say nothing of it here.

I had taken care to have ready, within a little distance, a surgeon and his assistant, to whom, under an oath of secrecy, I had revealed the matter (though I did not own it to the two gentlemen); so that they were prepared with bandages and all things proper. For well was I acquainted with the bravery and skill of my Chevalier, and had heard the character of the other, and knew the animosity of both. A post-chaise was ready, with each of their footmen, at a little distance.

The two Chevaliers came exactly at their time. They were attended by Monsieur Margate (the Colonel's gentleman) and myself. They had given orders over-night, and now repeated them in each other's presence, that we should observe a strict impartiality between them, and that, if one fell, each of us should look upon himself, as to any needful help or retreat, as the servant of the survivor, and take his commands accordingly.

LOVELACE IS STRICKEN

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After a few compliments, both the gentlemen, with the greatest presence of mind that I ever beheld in men, stript to their shirts, and drew.

They parried with equal judgment several passes. My Chevalier drew the first blood, making a desperate push, which, by a sudden turn of his antagonist missed going clear through him, and wounded him on the fleshy part of the ribs of his right side; which part the sword tore out, being on the extremity of the body. But before my Chevalier could recover himself, the Colonel in return, pushed him into the inside of the left arm, near the shoulder and the sword (raking his breast as it passed) being followed by a great effusion of blood, the Colonel said, "Sir, I believe you have enough."

My Chevalier swore he was not hurt: 'twas a pin's point; and so made another pass at his antagonist, which he, with a surprising dexterity, received under his arm, and run my dear Chevalier into the body, who immediately fell, saying, "The luck is yours, sir-( my beloved Clarissa-now art thou"-inwardly he spoke three or four words more, his sword dropt from his hand. Mr Morden threw his down, and ran to him, saying in French, "Ah, Monsieur, you are a dead man-call to God for mercy!"

We gave the signal agreed upon to the footmen, and they to the surgeons, who instantly came up.

Colonel Morden, 1 found, was too well used to the bloody work; for he was as cool as if nothing so extraordinary had happened, assisting the surgeons, though his own wound bled much. But my dear Chevalier fainted away two or three times running, and vomited blood besides.

However, they stopped the bleeding for the present, and we helped him into the voiture; and then the Colonel suffered his own wound to be dressed; and apparently concerned that my Chevalier was between whiles (when he could speak, and struggle) extremely outrageous.- Poor gentleman! he had made quite sure of victory!

The Colonel, against the surgeons' advice, would mount on horseback to pass into the Venetian territories, and generously gave me a purse of gold to pay the surgeons, and to accept of the remainder, as a mark of his satisfaction in my conduct, and in my care and tenderness of my

master.

The surgeons told him that my Chevalier could not live over the day.

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LAST HOURS OF A ROUÉ.

When the Colonel took leave of him, Mr Lovelace said, "You have well revenged the dear creature."

"I have, sir," said Mr Morden; "and perhaps shall be sorry that you called upon me to this work, while I was balancing whether to obey, or disobey, the dear angel."

"There is a fate in it!" replied my Chevalier; "a cursed fate!—or this could not have been -But be ye all witnesses, that I have provoked my destiny, and acknowledge that I fall by a man of honour."

"Sir," said the Colonel, with the piety of a confessor (wringing Mr. Lovelace's hand), "snatch these few fleeting moments, and commend yourself to God."

And so he rode off.

The voiture proceeded slowly with my Chevalier; yet the motion set both his wounds bleeding afresh, and it was with difficulty they again stopped the blood.

We brought him alive to the nearest cottage; and he gave orders to me to despatch to you the packet I herewith send sealed up, and bid me write to you the particulars of this most unhappy affair, and give you thanks, in his name, for all your favours and friendship to him.

Contrary to all expectation, he lived over the night, but suffered much, as well from his impatience and disappointment as from his wounds, for he seemed very unwilling to die.

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He was delirious at times in the last two hours, and then several times cried out, as if he had seen some frightful spectre, Take her away! take her away!" but named nobody; and sometimes praised some lady (that) Clarissa, I suppose, whom he had invoked when he received his death'swound), calling her, Sweet Excellence! Divine Creature! Fair Sufferer ! And once he said, "Look down, blessed spirit, look down!" and there he stopt;-his lips, however, moving.

At nine in the morning, he was seized with convulsions, and fainted away; and it was a quarter of an hour before he came out of them.

His few last words I must not omit, as they show an ultimate composure; which may administer some consolation to his honourable friends.

"Blessed" said he, addressing himself, no doubt, to Heaven; for his dying eyes were lifted up. A strong convulsion prevented him for a few

DEATH OF LOVELACE.

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moments saying more. But, recovering, he again, with great fervour, (lifting up his eyes and his spread hands), pronounced the word, "Blessed." Then, in a seeming ejaculation, he spoke inwardly, so as not to be understood. At last, he distinctly pronounced these three words

"LET THIS EXPIATE!"

And then, his head sinking on his pillow, he expired, at about half-an-hour after ten.

G