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ceive a more pitiable object than a decayed beauty pining under neglect and indifference, without one consolation or mental resource to fly to. I could produce many instances which have come within my knowledge, where the loss of beauty has been followed by discontent from the above cause; but as I have no apprehension that you, my young friend, will meet with a similar fate, I will avoid cautions so unnecessary. I could not avoid smiling at that part of your letter where you say Harriet wishes she could venture to ask me the reason of my preferring a single to a married life. I will satisfy her curiosity in this particular, and have no doubt I shall stand approved in her eyes for the choice I have made. My father died when I was about four-and-twenty, and left me in such slender circumstances as to make it necessary for me to use the most rigid economy in my mode of living. My brother was then in India; and, of course, I wrote him the state of my affairs. His answer to my letter, penned with an affection and tenderness not to be excecded, informed me that it was in his power to make up my father's inability in pecuniary matters. A remittance accompanied this letter; and to be brief, I was by this worthy brother placed above dependence, and in the eyes of the world left by my father in genteel circumstances. A young gentleman whom I had long known and regarded with a secret partiality made me an offer, professing a sincere affection and unfeigned attachment. I was not disposed to doubt his veracity, and soon found I loved him in return with an equal affection. He was in an excellent situation with respect to business; I made no scruple to accept him, and the week was fixed for our marriage. As he never hinted on the subject of fortune, I con

cluded he disregarded mercenary views; but knowing it was proper there should be no reserves on my part, I informed him one day that I was dependent on my brother, and mistress only of a very small fortune by the decease of my father. To my great astonishment, he made me no answer; but, complaining of a violent head-ach, left the house, and the next morning sent me a letter, to say he could not possibly marry a woman without a fortune; that he hoped to see me happy with some other, and was my very humble servant. To say I was not hurt and mor- ` tified in a very high degree by this behaviour would not be in human nature, but my pride subdued my love; and although I found I could never love another, I resolved on no consideration to act unbecoming the dignity of my sex. He was sensible, accomplished, and elegant; and never have I seen a man I could think his equal. He married afterwards a woman of large fortune, for which he was sufficiently punished; for she was ignorant, ill-tempered, and disagreeable. She, however, died in about five years, and I regained my lover; but on no consideration would I marry him, though I believe he then sincerely wished it.. Finding me inflexible, he quitted England, and I own he was the cause of my remaining single. I am extremely anxious for the credit of my sex; therefore, my dear girls, if you wish to please me, you must never be guilty of a weakness in that particular; it is to that weakness we owe the little estimation we are held in by sometimes sensible men.

And now I am come to my last subject, the most important one to my fair friend. Now have I raised a blush on your cheek, Maria, and you already guess what I mean. You know I have engaged never to dwell on it: I am too much interested to

have much to say. But not to keep you in suspense-will it not give you pleasure to hear that Mr. Wentworth is arrived safe in India? He had a most wonderful quick voyage, is well, and kindly received by the gentleman he was recommended to. All this intelligence arrived yesterday, in a letter to my brother from the above gentleman.

I will now conclude my letter, because I suppose you will have no eye for any thing else I may write. Heaven bless you, my dear girl, in all your wishes! I know them to be good. My brother desires his kind remembrances to yourself and Harriet, in which I include my own. Let me hear from you soon.

Your very sincere and

affectionate friend, LUCY AMBROSE.

(To be continued.)

On the NATIONAL CHARACTER of the TURKS.

(From Thornton's 'Present State of Turkey.")

THE national character of the Turks is, indeed, a composition of contrary qualities. We find them brave and pusillanimous, good and ferocious, firm and weak, active and indolent; passing from austere devotion to disgusting obscenity, from moral severity to gross sensuality; fastidiously delicate, and coarsely voluptuous; seated on a celestial bed, and preying on garbage. The great are alternately haughty and humble, arrogant and cringing, liberal and sordid; and, in general, it must be confessed that the qualities that least deserve our approbation are most predominant. On comparing their limited acquirements with the learning of the christian nations of Europe, we are surprised at their ignorance; but we must allow that

they have just and clear ideas of whatever falls within the contracted sphere of their observation. What would become of the other nations of Europe, if, in imitation of the Turkish government, the highest offices of the state were filled by mea taken from the lowest rank in society, and unprepared by education or habit to discharge their important duties?

ALPHONSO AND ALMIRA;

Or,

THE NOBLE FORESTER.

A

SARDINIAN TALE.

By a Lady.

(Continued from p. 322.)

CHAP. VII.

Rinaldo bribes the officer to delay executing his orders, and sets out in search of the king-Is attacked on his way by four ruffians hired by Antonio-His miraculous escape from them, and interview with the king.

THE officer returned at the time appointed, and understanding it to be the determination of Alphonso that Almira should not accompany him to Antonio, but that his power should be held at defiance, he grew extremely angry; and, in a tone of haughtiness that marked the slave in office, immediately told Alphonso that he should wait no longer for him, but instantly conduct him to the galleys, according to the judgment passed on him.

Rinaldo, whose knowledge of the world had taught him how to act in any situation, knew the power of gold too well not try its

effects on the feelings of the officer. Accordingly, the moment he was proceeding to lay violent hands. on Alphonso, Rinaldo, forcing a smile on his countenance, archly told him that he had something in his pocket forbidding the execution of the sentence. The officer startled at what he heard; but before he could ask an explanation, Rinaldo pulled out purse, containing about one hundred ducats, with which he begged leave to present the officer, adding withal he had no doubt he would delay the sentence until he could seek the king, and lay before him the case of the much-injured Alphonso.

When a gentleman,' cried the officer, looking at, the purse, talks reasonably, I have always a pleasure in attending to him. For my part, I am happy in every opportunity of serving the unfortunate. I thank Heaven that I can feel (putting the purse in his pocket) for those in distress as well as any man, and can go as far, when properly spoken to, to do them every service in my power.'

The officer being thus won over to his purpose, Rinaldo found no great difficulty in prevailing on him to suffer Alphonso and his daughter to remain in the hut until he should have been with the king; and immediately mounting his steed, ready saddled for the purpose, set off in search of him, inspired with the sincerest zeal in their service, and accompanied with their prayers for the success of his endeavours to snatch them from the dreadful precipice on which they stood. An event, however, happened soon after Rinaldo's departure, that had nearly proved fatal to him.

Antonio, it afterwards appeared, determined to deprive Alphonso of every hope of relief, and suspecting that Rinaldo would be ready to atVOL. XXXVIH.

tempt every thing in his power for the effecting it, had engaged four ruffians to cut off all communication between his nephew and the king, should he proceed to trouble him on the subject; with strict orders, however, to them to secure his person, and keep him confined until they should hear farther from him; but on no account whatever to do him any hurt, or injury. hurt, or injury. Accordingly, the ruffians armed with proper weapons, in case of any resistance on the part of Rinaldo, waylaid him in a neighbouring wood, through which he would be obliged to pass, should he presume to seek the king. Their intentions were to have concealed themselves till Rinaldo should have approached them, when they meant suddenly to surprise him, before he could possibly have put himself upon his defence: but as Providence never fails to protect the good and virtuous, and guard them from the machinations of their enemies, the design of Antonio and his ruffians was happily frustrated, and the good offices of Rinaldo rendered successful, by an incident as fatal to the one at it was fortunate to the other.

Rinaldo, after proceeding about half way through the wood, perceived several men with their heads just above a hedge behind which they lay concealed. Suspecting from their situation that they were waiting there for no good purpose, he judged it prudent to prepare for receiving them in the best manner he could, but without betraying any sort of fear, or in the least discovering that he suspected any danger. Accordingly, the moment the ruffians sprang from their hiding-place, Rinaldo, perceiving their hostile intentions towards him, without uttering a single word, drew his sword, and levelled the foremost of them, in an instant, with the earth. The courage and intrepidity of Rinaldo gave him 3. A

reason to hope that the three surviv-
ing assailants would take immediate
flight. But in this he was de-
ceived; instead of being discouraged
by the fall of their comrade, they
became doubly desperate, and fell
on him with a fury that threatened
him with inevitable destruction. But
at the very instant that a fatal blow
was aimed at Rinaldo, a rattle-snake
seized hold of the ruffian that was on
the point of giving it, and prevented
him from doing Rinaldo any hurt.
The gallant youth, availing himself
of this fortunate circumstance in his
favour, attacked the two other vil-
lains with so much skill and success,
as to make them prefer a retreat to
any farther attempts against his
life: but in this they met a death
infinitely worse than that they flew
from; for Rinaldo closely pursuing
them, they accidentally fell into a pit
that had been prepared for lions, and
other wild beasts of the forest, and
in which a male lion, of prodigious
size and strength, had been for se-
veral days. Rinaldo remained just
long enough to see the villains de-
voured by the ferocious animal, and
immediately made after the ruffian
that had been seized by the snake,
whom he found almost expiring
through the loss of blood, and was
just going to dispatch him, when
the wretch, having with great dif-
ficulty got upon his knees, humbly
beseeched Rinaldo would spare his
life, at least long enough to suffer
him to ease his conscience, by mak-
ing a full discovery of the person
who had employed him to attack
him, and every particular he knew
of the horrid bussiness in which he
had so rashly engaged.

Pity is easily awakened in a ge-
Rinaldo no sooner
nerous breast.
saw the situation of the villain, and
the remorse with which a reflection
on his conduct had filled him, than
he instantly alighted from his horse,
and, binding up his wound, com-

manded him to say whatever he
could wish to make him acquainted
with.

You here behold,' cried the villain, the veriest wretch that ever lived., Antonio first bribed me to lay the diamond ring in Alphonso's hut, for stealing of which he is condemned to the galleys, and then gave me a sum of money to join three other ruffians in setting upon you in the forest. Thank Heaven, we have been disappointed in our views, and have met with the fate we deserved.'

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The only atonement,' exclaimed Rinaldo, that you can possibly make, is to give a faithful account of this to the king, whenever I shall call upon you for that purpose.' 'I wish to live,' replied the wretch, but to do all the justice in my power-that done, I care not how soon you put an end to my existence.'

Rinaldo, having promised to dispatch the necessary assistance for removing him with all possible expedition, immediately pursued his journey, and the same evening reached the village at which the king was on his annual circuit, where obtaining an interview, he brought his ap peal in behalf of Alphonso, and obtained his majesty's promise to hear his case; for which purpose the king instantly ordered a proper guard to his hut, with his royal command that he should be brought before him the next day.

CHAP. VIII.

Alphonso and Almira are conducted to his majesty-Rinaldo meets them on the way-Alphonso and Antenio are heard by the king - He de termines the matter between them shall be decided by a duel-Antonio falls-Alphonso is discovered to be the king's son, and Rinaldo is happily united to Almira.

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THE situation of Alphonso and Almira, during the absence of Rinaldo, was truly distressing. A thousand emotions of hope and fear alternately rent their bosoms. They sometimes flattered themselves that the services of Rinaldo could not fail to procure them justice; which hope no sooner arose than it became stifled by the fear that some accident should befal Rinaldo, or Antonio cause Alphonso to be dragged to the galleys before Rinaldo should be able to bring an appeal in his behalf.

At this moment the officer entered the hut, and informed Alphonso that he had just received fresh orders from Antonio, peremptorily commanding him to convey him instantly to the galleys, unless he should be suffered to make Almira his. It was in vain that Alphonso remonstrated, or that Almira prayed and entreated. The officer knew, from Rinaldo's absence, that no farther bribe could be had, and was therefore determined to execute the sentence passed on Alphonso. He accordingly commanded the guard that attended on him to enter the hut, and bind their prisoner; pointing at the same time to Alphonso, around whose neck Almira hung, piercing the air with her shrieks and cries.

judgment passed on him. Alphonso was directly unbound, and conducted with Almira to the king, who was then at the villa of one of his nobles, about twelve miles distance. But they did not go, even now, without shedding' many a tear at their departure from a place in which they had dwelt so long; so much does habit, and length of years, endear us even to the worst of situations.

Rinaldo, who had prepared every thing with the king, impatient for their arrival, mounted his horse, and met Alphonso and Almira on their way. Nothing could be more affecting than their once again meet-" ing together. The father and daughter related to Rinaldo every circumstance that had happened since he' had left them; and Rinaldo, in return, informed them of the attack that had been made on him, and the narrow escape he had met with. Almira most gratefully embraced her generous lover, and thanked Hea-. ven for the deliverance he had so happily obtained. But no language can convey any idea of the excess of joy that Alphonso felt upon being informed by Rinaldo that the king, having heard the nature of his case, was then waiting to hear the appeal he had to make, and had even summoned Autonio before him, that he might be present, in order, if necessary, to defend any conduct of -his that might be impeached.

The power of the wicked, however great and formidable for a time, is sure sooner or later to end in shame and disgrace. Alphonso's authority was now approaching fast towards a period, and it was with no small de

Alphonso, enraged beyond the power of reason, suddenly forcing a sabre from one of the guards, solemnly vowed to plunge it in the breast of any one who should dare to molest him. At this juncture, so critical to the fate of Alphonso, a party of dragoons, headed by a cap tain, entered the hut, who, producing the king's warrant, inmediately degree of mortification that he permanded Alphonso and his daughter. The message, so opportunely brought, bad the same effect on Alphonso and the distressed Almira as a respite would on a criminal at the very instant of his being about to suffer the fatal

ceived it. But while the thought of having the case of Alphonso brought before the king touched him to the quick, he determined to brave it out; not desparing but that his situa tion in the state and interest

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