in his dress, the fellow was on the brink of paffing him: Mr. Jaifon however call'd to him, asking his name and business there; the man recollected his voice, and with great triumph cried out, "Well fir, fhe's fafe. I have her, fir, come follow me, and I'll lead you to the young lady." Can the joy of a heart be expreft, which having loft its fole pleasures, hope and happiness, and is plung'd in the depth of defpair, on a fudden and unexpectedly recovers all its wishes, and is in a moment rais'd to the highest satisfaction? If the joy of fuch a heart cannot be expreft, be affur'd, reader, that of Mr. Jaifon's furpaffes all my power to declare--he spoke not to the man any more than "Lead my friend, I follow"-His heart was too full for utterance: he cou'd not speak, it throbb'd too quick, and the faculties of his foul were too much tied up with eager expectation. He seem'd to tread in air, as he pass'd along the streets, following his guide, and with hafty steps and long, ftrode impatiently, meafuring every pace, and deeming every step a furlong. Oh how cou'd he then have wifh'd for that mighty power in ftriding, which Homer fo grandly, fublimely, and nobly (as learn'd criticks write) allots to the mighty monarch of the waves, At * At Jove incens'd, with grief and fury stung, (See Pope's Homer, b. 13, v. 27.) THOUGH not with altogether fo few fteps, yet with expedition paffing wonder indeed, Mr. Faifon arriv'd at the tavern, which held the darling of his foul. He was immediately conducted *Neptune. † Mr. Pope reads immortal here: we for fundry good reafons read wat'ry. Three ample ftrides. This is a very grand imagination; we are told, that at four steps he reach'd Ege, which, (fuppofing it meant of the town of that name in Eubea, which lay the nigheft to Thrace) is hardly lefs than a degree, at each fiep! One may from a view of the map, imagine him ftriding from promontory to promontory, his first step on mount Athos, his fecond on Pallene, his third upon Pelion, and his fourth in Eubea! Dacier is not to be forgiven, for omitting this miraculous circumstance, which so perfectly agrees with the marvellous air of the whole paffage, and without which the ducted up ftairs to her, and on the long-wifh'd view of his dearest Caroline melted into tears, while he flew to her arms, embracing and embrac'd with all the fervour of the most tender and moft ardent affection. "And do I then (faid he) do I then hold thee thus, do I again encircle my life's comfort, my foul, my darling, in these arms,-oh, my Caroline, my love, my joy!" Fain wou'd fhe have spoken, fain wou'd she have utter'd something of that which her heart now felt; but the fincerity and strength of her paffion, join'd to the faintness of her body forbad all speaking, while with a deep figh fhe drop'd her head on his bofom, and melting into tears continued in filence and fweetness in the fublime image of Homer is not compleat! Pope. What a giant, gentle reader, was this fame Neptune! and what a prodigious poet, this fame Homer! but his great commentator what justice hath he done him-how finely hath he explain'd this grand and fublime paffage! do you not admire our fimilitude? can you not by contemplating a map of London, imagine you fee Mr. Jaifon ftriding from the Temple to Covent-garden? his firft ftep on Temple-bar, his fecond on the new church in the Strand, his third ftep on Long's ware-house the corner of Tavistockfreet, or on Mr. Garrick's houfe (as being the higheft) in Southampton-fireet, and his next in the Piazza's! Is it not grand ? expreffible. expreffible. Mr. Jaifon's whole foul was mov'd: language was too poor to exprefs his heart; he therefore continued filent alfo, and both in gentle embraces indulged a pleasing sadness, which perhaps excell'd all the joy, either of them had ever felt in life before. At length however he broke the fadly-folemn filence, and, "oh my Caroline, faid he, what have you fuffer'd, what a dreadful interval has this been? Let us never part more, let us not be divided again: for on 'my foul I knew not how I lov'd you, I was unacquainted with the, fincerity and violence of my paffion for you, dearest creature, before I had this horrid proof, this melancholy affu rance, how dear you was to me: how much more precious than liberty, than life, and every thing below. Oh my Caroline, how fhall I make thee amends for all thy fufferings: how, my love, fhall I make thee most happy? speak, for my very foul melts with fondness for you, and my whole heart is big with the tendereft and moft fincere affection ?" "This moment, replied fhe, makes me amends indeed for my own part I am so much indebted to you, fo absolutely on every account your slave, that you have but to command and I must obey→→→ I am fure you will command nothing inconfift ent with your or my honour. Indeed my heart bears me witness that I have fuch fincerity of efteem efteem for you, as to be able thro' it to vanquish every difficulty and to go thro' every hardship and fhou'd I not be ungenerous to deny it? no, thou beft and dearest of men, fuch inftances as I have receiv'd of your generofity and friendfhip; I fhou'd have a heart cold indeed not to be touch'd with gratitudeblame not then my fincerity: tax me not with forwardness: in my case, and in my unhappy circumstances, I hope, there is no fear of italas I have been fo very wretched, and now am fo brought into a new world, that if in the wantonness of my heart, I have faid any thing unbecoming the modesty or reserve of my sex, oh impute it not to me, but pardon my frailty and excuse the openness of my foul." "I pardon, I excuse, my life, my love, (rejoin'd Mr. | Jaifon, with inexpreffible ardor-embracing her with the utmost fondness, and printing a thoufand kiffes on her lovely cheek) oh this well re- what pays my toil and labour; this moment then will the future do ?-well rewards me for every anxious thought and for all the mifery I have felt on thy account-thou dearest of women, thou lovelieft, beft of thy fex! tho' I I may feem too hafty, tho' poffibly you may judge me too precipitate, yet confider our diftreffes, confider our circumftances, and then do not refufe, what on my knees I moft earneftly |