make me feel; for, Sir, these acts and professions of kindness, which were sufficient to have raised in a good heart the most violent passion of friendship to one of the same, or to age and ugliness in a different sex, came to me from a woman, a young and beautiful woman; one whose perfections I had long known, and for whom I had long conceived a violent passion, though with a despair which made me endeavour rather to curb and conceal than to nourish or acquaint her with it. In short, they came upon me united with beauty, softness, and tenderness: such bewitching smiles!—O Mr. Adams, in that moment I lost myself, and forgetting our different situations, not considering what return I was making to her goodness, by desiring her, who had given me so much, to bestow her all, I laid gently hold on her hand, and, conveying it to my lips, I pressed it with inconceivable ardour; then, lifting up my swimming eyes, I saw her face and neck overspread with one blush; she offered to withdraw her hand, yet not so as to deliver it from mine, though I held it with the gentlest force. We both stood trembling; her eyes cast on the ground, and mine stedfastly fixed on her. Good G-d, what was then the condition of my soul! burning with love, desire, admiration, gratitude, and every tender passion, all bent on one charming object. Passion at last got the better of both reason and respect, and softly letting go her hand, I offered madly to clasp her in my arms; when, a little recovering herself, she started from me, asking me with some show of anger, If she had any reason to expect this treatment from me. I then fell prostrate before her, and told her, If I had offended, my life was absolutely in her power, which I would in any manner lose for her sake. Nay, Madam,' said I, you shall not be so ready to punish me, as I to suffer. I own my guilt. I detest the reflection that I would

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'have sacrificed your happiness to mine. Believe me, 'I sincerely repent my ingratitude; yet, believe me too, 'it was my passion, my unbounded passion for you, 'which hurried me so far: I have loved you long and เ tenderly; and the goodness you have shown me hath 'innocently weighed down a wretch undone before. Acquit me of all mean, mercenary views; and, before 'I take my leave of you for ever, which I am resolved instantly to do, believe me, that Fortune could have raised me to no height to which I could not have gladly lifted you. O, curst be Fortune!'-' Do not,' says she, interrupting me with the sweetest voice, do not curse Fortune, since she hath made me happy; and, if she hath put your happiness in my power, I have 'told you you shall ask nothing in reason which I will 'refuse.' เ Madam,' said I, 'you mistake me, if you imagine, as you seem, my happiness is in the power of 'Fortune now. You have obliged me too much already; 'if I have any wish, it is for some blessed accident, by 'which I may contribute with my life to the least augment'ation of your felicity. As for myself, the only happiness 'I can ever have will be hearing of yours; and if Fortune 'will make that complete, I will forgive her all her wrongs to me.' 'You may indeed,' answered she smiling, 'for your own happiness must be included in mine. 'have long known your worth; nay, I must confess,' said she blushing, 'I have long discovered that passion for me you profess, notwithstanding those endeavours, 'which I am convinced were unaffected, to conceal it; ' and if all I can give with reason will not suffice,—take reason away,—and now I believe you cannot ask me 'what I will deny." -She uttered these words with a sweetness not to be imagined. I immediately started; my blood, which lay freezing at my heart, rushed tumultuously through every vein. I stood for a moment

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silent; then, flying to her, I caught her in my arms, no longer resisting, and softly told her, she must give me then herself. O, Sir !-can I describe her look? She remained silent, and almost motionless, several minutes. At last, recovering herself a little, she insisted on my leaving her, and in such a manner that I instantly obeyed:-you may imagine, however, I soon saw her again.-But I ask pardon: I fear I have detained you too long in relating the particulars of the former interview. So far otherwise,' said Adams, licking his lips, that I could willingly hear it over again.' Well, Sir, continued the gentleman, to be as concise as possible, within a week she consented to make me the happiest of mankind. We were married shortly after; and when I came to examine the circumstances of my wife's fortune (which, I do assure you, I was not presently at leisure enough to do), I found it amounted to about six thousand pounds, most part of which lay in effects; for her father had been a wine-merchant: and she seemed willing, if I liked it, that I should carry on the same trade. I readily, and too inconsiderately, undertook it; for, not having been bred to the secrets of the business, and endeavouring to deal with the utmost honesty and uprightness, I soon found our fortune in a declining way, and my trade decreasing by little and little; for my wines, which I never adulterated after their importation, and were sold as neat as they came over, were universally decried by the vintners, to whom I could not allow them quite as cheap as those who gained double the profit by a less price. I I soon began to despair of improving our fortune by these means; nor was I at all easy at the visits and familiarity of many who had been my acquaintance in my prosperity, but denied and shunned me in my adversity, and now very forwardly renewed

their acquaintance with me. In short, I had sufficiently seen that the pleasures of the world are chiefly folly, and the business of it mostly knavery; and both, nothing better than vanity; the men of pleasure tearing one another to pieces, from the emulation of spending money, and the men of business, from envy in getting it. My happiness consisted entirely in my wife, whom I loved with an inexpressible fondness, which was perfectly returned; and my prospects were no other than to provide for our growing family; for she was now big of her second child: I therefore took an opportunity to ask her opinion of entering into a retired life, which, after hearing my reasons, and perceiving my affection for it, she readily embraced. We soon put our small fortune, now reduced under three thousand pounds, into money, with part of which we purchased this little place, whither we retired soon after her delivery ; from a world full of bustle, noise, hatred, envy, and ingratitude, to ease, quiet, and love. We have here lived almost twenty years, with little other conversation than our own, most of the neighbourhood taking us for very strange people; the squire of the parish representing me as a madman, and the parson as a presbyterian ; because I will not hunt with the one, nor drink with the other. Sir,' says Adams, 'Fortune hath, I think, paid

you all her debts in this sweet retirement.' Sir, replied the gentleman, I am thankful to the great Author of all things, for the blessings I here enjoy. I have the best of wives, and three pretty children, for whom I have the true tenderness of a parent. But no blessings are pure in this world: within three years of my arrival here I lost my eldest son. (Here he sighed bitterly.) 'Sir,' said Adams, we must submit to Providence, and con'sider death as common to all.' We must submit, indeed, answered the gentleman; and, if he had died, I

could have borne the loss with patience; but alas! Sir, he was stolen away from my door by some wicked travelling people, whom they call Gipsies; nor could I ever with the most diligent search recover him. Poor child! he had the sweetest look-the exact picture of his mother; at which some tears unwittingly dropt from his eyes, as did likewise from those of Adams, who always sympathised with his friends on those occasions. Thus, Sir, said the gentleman, I have finished my story, in which, if I have been too particular, I ask your pardon; and now, if you please, I will fetch you another bottle; which proposal the parson thankfully accepted.

CHAPTER IV.

A description of Mr. Wilson's way of living. The tragical adventure of the dog, and other grave matters.

THE gentleman returned with the bottle; and Adams and he sat some time silent, when the former started up, and cried, 'No, that won't do.' The gentleman inquired into his meaning; he answered, 'He had been considering that 6 it was possible the late famous King Theodore might ' have been the very son whom he had lost;' but added, 'that his age could not answer that imagination. However,' says he, 'G― disposes all things for the best; and very probably he may be some great man, or duke; ' and may, one day or other, revisit you in that capacity.' The gentleman answered, he should know him amongst ten thousand, for he had a mark on his left breast of a strawberry, which his mother had given him by longing for that fruit.

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