6 6 As the war was then carried on between the • French and Italians with the utmoft inhumanity, they were going at once to perpetrate those two extremes fuggested by appetite and cruelty. This bafe refolution however was oppofed by a young officer, who, though their retreat required the • utmost expedition, placed her behind him, and brought her in fafety to his native city. Her beauty at first caught his eye, her merit foon after his heart. They were married; he rofe to the highest pofts; they lived long together and were happy. But the felicity of a foldier can never be called permanent: after an interval of feveral years, the troops which he commanded having met with a repulfe, he was obliged to take fhelter in the city where he had lived with his wife. Here they fuffered a fiege, and the city at length was taken. Few hiftories can produce more various inftances of cruelty than those which the French and Italians at that time exercised upon each other. It was refolved by the victors upon this occafion, to put all the French prifoners to death; but particularly the husband of the unfortunate Matilda, as he was principally inftrumental in protracting the fiege. Their determinations were in general executed almoft as foon as refolved upon. The captive foldier was led forth, and the executioner with his. fword flood ready, while the fpectators in gloomy filence awaited the fatal blow, which was only fufpended till the general, who prefided as judge, fhould give the fignal. It was in this interval of anguifh and expectation, that Matilda 6 came to take her laft farewell of her husband and deliverer, deploring her wretched fituation, and the cruelty of fate, that had faved her from perishing by a premature death in the river Volturna to be the spectator of still greater calamities. The general, who was a young man, was ftruck with 6 6 6 furprise furprise at her beauty, and pity at her diftrefs; but with ftill ftronger emotions when he heard her ⚫ mention her former dangers. He was her fon, the infant for whom he had encountered fo much. 6 ⚫ danger. He acknowledged her at once as his mother, and fell at her feet. The reft may be eafily fuppofed the captive was fet free, and all the happiness that love, friendship and duty could confer on each, were united.' In this manner I would attempt to amuse my daughter; but fhe liftened with divided attention; for her own misfortunes engroffed all the pity the once had for those of another, and nothing gave her ease. In company the dreaded contempt; and in folitude fhe only found anxiety. Such was the colour of her wretchedness, when we received certain information, that Mr. Thornhill was going to be married to Mifs Wilmot,for whom I always fufpected he had a real paffion, though he took every opportunity before me to exprefs his contempt both of her perfon and fortune. This news only ferved to encrease poor Olivia's affliction; fuch a flagrant breach of fidelity was more than her courage could fupport. I was refolved however to get more certain information, and to defeat if poffible the completion of his defigns, by fending my fon to old Mr. Wilmot's with inftructions to know the truth of the report, and to deliver Mifs Wilmot à letter intimating Mr. Thornhill's conduct in my family. My fon went in pursuance of my directions, and in three days returned, affuring us of the truth of the account; but that he had found it impoffible to deliver the letter, which he was therefore obliged to leave, as Mr. Thonhill and Mifs Wilmot were vifiting round the country. They were to be married, he said, in a few days, having appeared together at church the Sunday before he was there in great fplendour, the bride attended by fix young ladies, and he by as many gentlemen. Their approaching proaching nuptials filled the whole country with rejoicing, and they ufually rode out together in the grandeft equipage that had been feen in the country for many years. All the friends of both families, he faid, were there, particularly the 'Squire's uncle, Sir William Thornhill, who bore fo good a character. He added, that nothing but mirth and feafting were going forward; that all the country praised the young bride's beauty, and the bridegroom's fine perfon, and that they were immensely fond of each other; concluding that he could not help thinking Mr. Thornhill one of the moft happy men in the world. Why let him if he can,' returned I: but my fon obferve this bed of ftraw and unfheltering roof; thofe mouldering walls and humid floor; my wretched body thus difabled by fire, and my children weeping round me for bread; you have f come home, my child, to all this, yet here, even here, you fee a man that would not for a thoufand worlds exchange fituations. O, my children, if ؟ you could but learn to commune with your own hearts, and know what noble company you can make them, you would little regard the elegance and fplendours of the worthlefs, Almost all men have been taught to call life a paffage, and themfelves the travellers. The fimilitude ftill may be improved when we obferve that the good are joyful and ferene, like travellers that are going towards home; the wicked but by intervals happy, like travellers that are going into exile.' My compaffion for my poor daughter, overpowered by this new difafter, interrupted what I had farther to obferve. I bade her mother fupport her, and after a fhort time the recovered. She appeared from that time more calm, and I imagined had gained a new degree of refolution: but appearances deceived me; for her tranquillity was the languor of over wrought wrought refentment. A fupply of provifions charitably fent us by my kind parishioners feemed to diffufe new cheerfulness amongst the rest of the family, nor was I difpleafed at feeing them once more fprightly and at eafe. It would have been unjuft to damp their fatisfactions, merely to condole with refolute melancholy, or to burthen them with a sadness they did not feel. Thus once more the tale went round and the fong was demanded, and cheerfulness condefcended to hover round our little habitation. CHAP. XXIV, Fresh calamities. But THE next morning the fun arofe with peculiar warmth for the season; so that we agreed to breakfast together on the honey-fuckle bank: where while we fate, my youngest daughter at my requeft joined her voice to the concert on the trees about us. It was in this place my poor Olivia firft met her feducer, and every object ferved to recall her fadnefs. that melancholy which is excited by objects of pleafure, or infpired by founds of harmony, foothes the heart instead of corroding it. Her mother too upon this occafion felt a pleafing diftrefs, and wept, and loved her daughter as before. Do, my pretty Olivia,' cried fhe, let us have that little melancholy air your papa was fo fond of, your fifter Sophy has already obliged us. Do child, it will please your old father.' She complied in a manner fo exquifitely pathetic as moved me. WHEN WHEN lovely woman ftoops to folly The only art her guilt to cover, To hide her fhame from every eye, To give repentance to her lover, And wring his bofom-is to die. As fhe was concluding the laft fianza, to which an interruption in her voice from forrow gave peculiar foftness, the appearance of Mr. Thornhill's equipage at a distance alarmed us all, but particularly increafed the uneafiness of my eldest daughter, who, defirous of fhunning her betrayer, returned to the house with her fifter. In a few minutes he was alighted from his chariot, and making up to the place where I was ftill fitting, inquired after my health with his ufual air of familiarity. Sir,' replied I, 'your prefent affurance only ferves to aggravate the baseness of your character; and there was a time when I would have chaftifed your infolence for prefuming thus C to appear before me. But now you are safe; for age has cooled my paffions, and my calling reftrains them.' I vow, my dear fir,' returned he, I am amazed at all this; nor can I understand what it means! I hope you don't think your daughter's late excurfion with me had any thing criminal in it.' Go,' cried I, thou art a wretch, a poor pitiful 'wretch, and every way a liar; but your meanness fecures you from my anger! Yet, fir, I am de'fcended from a family that would not have borne this! And fo thou vile thing, to gratify a mo mentary paffion, thou haft made one poor creature 'wretched |