The Jealous Duke. A Tale. had ftruck him fo forcibly, and were fo ftrongly imprinted on his memory, that he had no doubt of recognizing her in any part of the world. By a fatality no lefs fingular the 1.dy dreamed that love had united her affections with those of a knight, whose name the knew not, but whose figure was fo ftrongly engraved in her bofom, that change or time could not efface it. It certainly does not appear to be the act of a very wife or prudent man to go upon an enterprize in confequence of a dream. Yet it is what our knight refolved to do. In order to meet the acco- plishment of his adventure, he prepared an equipage, loaded a war-horfe with gold and filver, and began his journey. Several months clafped, while he was beating about the country ineffectually, without any check to his hopes, or any abatement of his ardour. At length he discovered near the fea coaft, a castle, furrounded with ramparts recently conftructed, with a tower of prodigious ftrength, of which the walls were near thirty feet thick, and about a bow-fhot in height. The lord of the manfion was a rich and powerful duke, jeaIous of a beautiful woman, whom he kept confined in this fortress, fecured by eighteen doors with iron bars, and locks of vast strength and intricacy. He committed the care of the gates to no deputy, but fur and opened them himself. He always carried the keys about him, and would not entrust them to any living being. On his entrance into the town, the knight caft his eyes accidentally upon the tower, and perceived at one of the windows a face that he recollected; it was the lady of his dream, her whom he fought with fo much anxiety, and whom he had loved before he faw her. She had alfo defcried him at a confiderable diftance, and knew his perfon. So eager was fhe on the difcovery, that 37 nothing but the fear of her jealous hufband prevented her from calling to him aloud. Reftraining, however, the impetuofity of her paffion, fhe went no further than to fing a love-fong, that might give the tra veller an intimation of her emotions at feeing him. The knight, although impatient to reply, that he might not ruin his project, appeared as if he heard nothing. He inftantly repaired to the calle, prefented himself to the lord, and begged that he might be employed in his fervice, giving himfelt out for a gentleman who had killed a knight in a tournament, and was, by a profecution from the relarions of the deceased, obliged to quit his native country. "You are welcome," said the duke, "I am at this moment at war with enemies who are committing depredations on my frontiers; you may be useful to me, and I willingly accept the offer of your fervices." The very next day the knight had occafion to exercife his valour. His arm, firung by love, performed wonders. In less than three months the enemies of the duke were either killed, difperfed, or made prifoners, the country rescued, and the roads free. The conqueror, in recompence, was made, on his return, the duke's chamberlain and then he thought ferioutly of puting into execution the project which his paffion had fuggefted to carry him into the prefence of the duchefs. Under fome plaufible pretext he perfuaded the duke to make him the grant of a piece of ground in the court-yard, with permiffion to build a fmall lodge upon his own plan. This he obtained without difficulty. He caufed then to be erected at a little distance from the tower, but not fo near as to excite jealousy in the duke, a small house with a drain and back door. When all the walls were finished and the roof covered, he feduced the architect by a bribe, and and prevailed upon him to make a fubterraneous paffage to communicate with the tower. When he had penetrated to the floor, he contrived a trap-door, which was conftructed with fo much art, and fhut fo clofely, that the keeneft eye' could not difcern it. into his head to hunt in the foreft, and defited the chamberlain to be in readiness to attend him, "Sire," anfwered the knight, have the goodness to difpenfe with my attendance to-day. My mistress is this inftant arrived. During my ab fence he has found means to compound with my profecutors; and this intelligence, which the has brought me in perfon, obliges me to quit your fervice, and to leave the cattle to-morrow. But, fire, the is defirous to make her acknowledg ments for your bounty to me; and begs that you will fup with her to night, on your return from the chace." The duke affented. Now this was a trick which the two lov ers had concerted; and the pretended miftrefs with whom the duke was to fup, was no other than the duche's herfelf. In the evening fhe He found no difficulty after that To make his way into the tower, to fee the lady, and to attain the fumm't of his withes. On his leaving the tower he gave him, as a pledge for her fidelity, a very valuable ring, with which the duke had prefented her. The knight, who had projected another plot, was no fooner in the prefence of the husband than he endeavoured by every means to difplay the new acquifition on his finger. The jealous duke changed colour at the fight. He neverthelefs had prudence enough not to drop a hint of his fufpicions to the cham-paffed through the trap-door into beriain; but went immediately to the tower, in order to interrogate the duchefs. The lover fufpected this; flew immediately to his fubterraneous paffage, and while the other was opening and fhutting with great precifion the eighteen gates, he had time to enter into the tower through his trap-door, and to replace the ring. the chamberlain's lodge; there fhe found a rich drefs which he had provided to disguise her a little. The duke, on entering with his attendants, faw a lady of extreme beauty, and dreffed with uncommon fplendour. The knight, taking her by the hand and prefenting her, faid, "Sire, receive my miftrefs, the fole object of my love, and one whom I hope foon to call my wife." Scarcely had the duke caft his eyes upon her face, but he thought he recognized The husband's first demand was to fee his ring. At this requifition the duchefs at first affected infinite furprize. But when the duke infifthis lady's features, and was thrown ed on feeing it, and accompanied his command with oaths and menaces, the lady, without faying another word, or appearing anxious to know the motive for his curiofiry, opened the box in which fhe had just before laid up the ring, and prefented it to him. That was enough to restore her to his confidence, and to banish his fufpicien upon that head. He concluded that the chamberlain had got a ring that much refembled her's, and went to rest in perfect tranquillity of mind. On the following day he took it into the utmost confternation. The lady, without appearing to perceive it, took her feat at the table. She then defired the duke to fit down by her, and preffed him to eat; but he could not swallow a morfel. A thou-fand confufed ideas floated in his brain. During the whole time of fupper, he had his eyes fixed on her like one enchanted, and wondered how it could be poffible for his con fort to efcape out of a tower fo strong, fo high, and fo well fecured. On rising from the table, he retired again to fatisfy his fufpicions. The duchess, An original Letter intended for a young Lady. 39 humoured gallantry. But this pleafantry did not last long. For, returning to the tower, he foon aifcovered who the lady was that he had duckefs, at the fame time, threw off haftily her rich drefs; and, paffing through the trap door, got to her apartment in the tower, where the placed herself in bed, and pre-given away in marriage, and who tended to, be in a profound fleep. thewed fuch alacrity at her deThe duke was very agreeably fur parture. She was gone; and all prised, after having opened and exa- that remained for him was the fhame mined all his doors, to find the du and vexation of having been duped chefs in bed. He thought of this fo egregiously, affair just as he did of the former, confidering that it was as likely for two women as for two rings to bear a close resemblance to each other.This reflection restored his peace of mind. He alfo then lay, and paffed the night with the duchefs, little imagining that this was to be the laft. An original LETTER, written and intended for a yung Lady, in a gloomy Moment of Wretchedness. Madam, The knight had before hand made W all neceffary preparation for his de- X7ITH the greatest reluctance I have taken up my pen to addrefs my elf to you, though at the fame time being perfectly fenfible I am acting with weakness highly to be condemued; but, I trust, when you confider paffion more than prudence guides me, your candour and liberality will furely forgive the indifcretion.Let me then frankly confefs I have long ftruggled with thofe afflictions which misfortune has given, not a little heightened by your unkindness, unmerited by any thing I have done to obtain it; it is this, depriving me of every com fort, has made me form refolutions not to be mentioned but with abhorrence, and knowing the horrors of my fituation, I have ventured to be thus explicit, being convinced that did you but know the leaft part of my fufferings, it could not be your wish to add another pang to thofe misfortunes already experienced; nor can I ever believe an unfortunate attachment deferves never to be forgiven; for, by your prefent conduct, any indifferent perfon would fuppofe this was the cafe, or I was guilty of fome very griev ous offence, to be treated in fuch a manner as denies what every one elfe may obtain, even common civility! Afk any of your friends, on whofe judgment judgment you can rely-whether | fhall I live, or muft all on this fide the grave be for ever loft ?This you are to determine by your anfwer, which, I hope, will be foon, to calm or destroy the wretched Your fincere friend, Account of the principal LADIES' T HE court was more than commonly fplendid, and the nobi Her MAJESTY Wore a white petticoat embroidered with ftripes of coquelicot and white velvet, edged with fine blond lace, fpots of coquelicot's and white filk formed an ornament between each ftripe. The body and train were fuch is my due? Afk the good fenfe of mifs M✶✶✶s, If fhe, in your fituation, would have acted the fame part? Tll her a man has been treated with ungenerous feverity-mind of and for what? A trifle !-Because he had the daring effrontery to de clare he loved, or in other words, confiffed a favourable opinion of you-I repeat it again, afk hercan this be deemed an offence, when no fecond attempt was made to urge that fubject? If any one has prepoffeffed you with fuch a notion, reft affared that it is groundlefs, as I fhould justly (purn the idea of fuchlity feemed to vie with each other in meanness, and would think it far the taste, richness, and elegance of more honourable to finish my exift- their dreffes. ence, than again folicit what has been once denied.-You know, to avert a dreadful evil is my reafon for writing to you, being the only perfon 1 can apply to for relief; yet do not mistake, for I make no request but what any good-natured woman would chearfully grant, and that is common civility! Is this unreafon-white coquelicot and brown fattin. able? I fhould think not, nor is Her head-drefs was compofed of fine there any caufe for the treatment reblond, with ribbons to correfpond ceived if you think otherwife, as a with the other parts of her dreis.--As ufual on her own birth-day, the friend telline the error, which I am unable to discover. Remember that did not appear in her best diamonds. I plead not for pity to an unfortunate-She wore a ftomacher with dia p. on, but to vindicate the iono-mond buttons, and had a few in her cence of my conduct, which, by your behaviour is certainly condemned, and it is this that diftrafts Whofe native dignity and benevo me; the former, painful as it is, I lent countenance add luftre to any am in tome meature, by refignation, drefs, looked beautifully fplendid on enabled to bear; but the latter, with the occafion. She was dreffed in a out a deal of prudence on your part, petticoat of white crape, moft fu will contigo nie to everlasting perdi- perbly embroidered with wreaths of tion. Ah! think what a wretched laurel leaves, on a running pattern ftate I am in, having no friend here of purple foil, divided by an em from whom I can receive that con.broidery of white and gold, in cross folation which true friendship can give.Alas! too long have I borne theic thoughts, at firit with horror, though now with indifference.What will become of me, Heaven know-you, by a mild conduct, may fave-take your choice--fay, hair. Princess ROYAL, ftripes- the bottom was flounced with a very rich gold taffel fringe, mixed with coloured foil. The body and train were a gold fattin fpotted with green. The route ensemble formed an appearance magnificently rich. Her royal highnefs, as well as her two fifter:, Driffes of the Ladies on the Queen's Birth-day. 41 fifters, wore his majesty's picture, I embroidered crape, blue foil, fone fet round with diamonds. Princess AUGUSTA. A crape petticoat, embroidered in fripes with green foil leaves: between the stripes were medallions of blue foil with gold fpangles, and a rich flounce at the bottom, the fame as the princess royal's. The body and train were of gold fattin. knots, and blue and filver bows in waves. The drapery was handfumely ornamented with fpangles. Duchefs of RICHMOND. trimmed with fringe, and petticoat A buff and green velvet mantua of the fame, with flounces and rich gold fringe. Marchioness of SALISBURY. Princess ELIZABETH. Excepting that the embroidery feams covered with embroidery, and A ftriped velvet mantua, the was purple and green, had a dress joined with crape embroidery in fimilar to that of the princefs Augufta.tripes, and rich fangled crape. Duchefs of RUTLAND. Her ladyship looked peculi.rly ele Countess of WESTMORELAND. The new vice-queen of Ireland, and who is not without much fame as to her beauty, and more as to her good fenfe, feemed to sport a very pretty idea in her defs of the natural antipathy which wine has to the company of money; or in other words, that the fpirit of that beverage is an enemy to economical prudence; for the fpangles of gold were chained to the bunches of grapes. Lovely in her perfon and magni-gant. ficent in her drefs, commanded admiration from the whole drawingroom. There is a natural dignity in this woman which gives additional power to beauty: but that which out-luftres every other charm is, that with the bloom of Hele on her cheeks, fhe poffeffes the purity of Diana in her breast. The ornaments of her perfon were fashioned with peculiar elegance, and put on with fuch tafte, that he was trully ftyled the beft dreffed lady at court. She wore a white fatin petticoat puckered with crape, and richly trimmed with Bruffels point. The drapery was lined with pink fatin, over which appeared a wreath of pink flowers, with green fir-leaves festooned across the top of the petticoat. The body and train were of pink fatin, edged with point. Duchefs of DORSET, Who had the honour of being previoufly introduced on her late muptials, a circumstance rather uncommon on a birth-day, looked remarkable well, and with becoming dignity did honour to the ducal coronet. It being her first public appearance, the confequently drew many a gazing eye. Her drefs was a rich white fatin mantua, fuperbly embroidered with fpangles, the petcoat as elegantly trimmed, with VOL. XXI. She wore an embrodered crape of green foil vine-leaves, with white ftones hanging down as bunches of grapes, and chained together with large gold fpangles. The bottom of the petticoat had a very rich gold fringe. The body and train was of white fatin. |