checked even fuch a character as Jones; and it was always readily perceived amongst his intimates when he was about to pay a visit to ChesterfieldHoufe, by fome feasonable and preparatory deviation which he made from his general conduct. When this barrier was once broke down, he rushed into all the extravagancies of his natural and acquired vices. The great eye of the public was no cenfor for him: it might obferve, but it obferved in filence; and Jones eftimated his pleafures (as he called them) above his reputation. To provide for the fenfual enjoyments of the day, was all his care; and this once obtained, he was philofopher enough to let to-morrow take care of itfelf." We fhall wind up this part of his character with the obfervation of one who feems to have known him well. "His temper (fays he) was, in confequence of the dominion of his paffions, uncertain and capricious, eafily engaged and eafily difgufted; and as economy was a virtue which could never be taken into his catalogue, he appeared to think himself born rather to be fupported by others, than under a duty to fecure to himself the profits which his writings and the munificence of his patrons from time to time afforded." As an author, his character comes more critically before us: but in developing this character, we muft always have an eye on his origin. Bred in the humble line of a provincial bricklayer, with a very little better education than is generally attached to that line, much could not neceffarily be augured from the efforts of his mind. To get a little forward in life by the narrow gleanings of his profeffion, or perhaps by fome ftroke of enterprife to arrive at the rank of a mafter builder, fpeaking generally, would be termed a fortunate wind-up for fuch a character:- but when we fee a young man, in the very outfet of life, without family, fortune, or connctions-without the incitement of example, or that collifion of fimilar minds which roufes and invigorates the feeds of ambitious fame;-to fee fuch a man at once abandon a profeflion which was his daily fupport, and conrageously throw himfelf under the protection of the mufes, we muft at leaf allow him a genius and a force of mind very peculiar to his frmation in life. Such were Jones's efforts when, after first obtaining the patronage of Lord Chefterfield, he fat down to his Trai gedy of the Earl of Effck-It is ide to liften to the little tales of malice and rivalthip which were propagated at that time, of this play not being is own, and that he was greatly athifted in it by Lord Chesterfield and Colley Cibber: whoever has read the play with any degree of accuracy, will look in vain for the marks of two fuch writers;-they will neither fee the long-experienced dramatic contrivance of the latter, nor the elegant pointed periods of the former; they will fee a ftory more naturally than artfully drawn from the history of their country, com bined with fuch incidents as were moft likely to produce effect and illuftrate the fable; aided by language appro priate enough to the characters, but more forcible than elegant, and ifïuing more from the first heat of the mind, than the ftudied lucubrations of the fcholar. Confidering, therefore, the merits of this Tragedy, and from the three acts of his "Cave of Idra," with the res ports we have heard of his "Harold " (a Tragedy, which, in the unaccountable confufion of events, is now, perhaps, for ever loft to the ftage), we must pronounce Jones no inconfiderable dramatift: nay, we are warranted to fay more-That had he cultivated his talents in this line with becoming affiduity and prudence, there is every reafon to think he would ftand in the first line of modern tragedy writers. Of his lighter pieces of poetry we cannot fay as much. They are moftly written upon occafional and perishable fubjects 'tis truc, but then there is little of that point and general refetlin which preferve fuch trifles from oblivion. Gray's "Verfes on a Cat being drowned in a tub of Gold Fithes," feems to promife little from the title; but when we fee this trifling incident embellished with fuch neat allutions to the faults of ambition, and the falle friendships of the world, we read it over and over with avidity, and efteem it as one of the poetical gems of a great maiter. On the whole, Jones's talents muft be estimated by the line he fet out in, viz. a journeyman bricklayer with a noderate fhare of education; and, contidering that he neglected the mess that were offered him to improve the fituation, and rested almost fiely en those talents which nature originant gave him, he must be confidered as a very extraordinary genius. THE THE hour of prayer at length arrived, and past, we returned to our room, and the Convent was again fient as the grave. When we thought fleep had refumed its power over the eye-lids of the unfufpecting fifterhood, we ftole back to the chapel, and approaching the altar knelt down, while Ferdinand began to read from the book the matrimonial rite. But he had fcarcely begun when a fhriek from a confeffional just by told us we were feen, and a Nun whom we had not before obferved, fuppofing herfelf dicovered, rushing forward, fell at our feet, and implored with all the appearance of guilty agitation, that we would not expofe her, or the holy man who was with her, to the Abbefs; protefted that The would never forget us in her prayers, and would forward any fcheme which could promote our happiness, for the difguife of Ferdinand no longer concealed the officer, and she had overheard for what purpose we had come thither. Thus is guilt the means of its own expofure. If the Lady had not come up, it is most likely our eyes would not have wandered towards her; or if the had had prefence of mind enough to say nothing of her Confeffor, the circumstance of his being there might have remained a profound fecret to us. "Then," faid Ferdinand," bring the holy man, as you call him, hither, and let him perform to us that rite which is in itfelf facred, and cannot be lefs fo though pronounced by the organs of hypocrify itself." The Monk, who had remained fnug in the Confeffional, now came forward. "I am well aware," faid he, affuming a meek and placid air, "to what fufpicions I am expofed from the difcovery of my being here at fuch an hour, but the uprightness of my defigns will perpetually in its eye in the midst of temptation you are too far abforbed by the perfonal attractions of each other to conceive, with any degree of conviction, the poffibility of acting in fimilar cafes to mine as if no fuch attractions exifted. I therefore am contented to receive without murmuring all the farcafms you may think fit to utter. It has been the fate of the Church in all ages to have its beft fupporters defamed, infulted, and loaded with reproach. I am willing to take my fhare of the indignity, in hopes of participating the reward; but do not let this young penitent be a theme for fcandal; do not let that ardent piety which brought her hither, be turned to her difadvantage; confider how delicate that mind mult be which could not fleep under the idea of one venial fin till he had obtained the confolation of a formal abfolution: think what fuch a mind must feel at being even fufpected, and let that confideration induce you to perpetuai filence. For my own part, fince you are thus far agreed, I will afk no queftions-I will betray no curiofity, but will with pleafure perform that ceremony you require, to convince you that no rancour lurks in my heart, and to fhew you at how high a price I would purchafe your confidence and fidelity." Ferdinand feemed to believe his affertions, and we promiled fecrefy. We were then carried with all the folemnity the ceremony is capable of receiving; and the Monk, after having taken leave of his weeping penitent, in order to ratify our engagement with him, after her departure, took us through a paffage under ground which had a communication with his Monaftery, about half a mile from the Nunnery. Here, on prefenting each with an indulgence* (it being faft week) he fet before us all the delicacies of the frafon; and when his affumed character was loft in a bottle of the best Burgundy, he frankly commended the good fenfe which had led me to fet aside the vow wherein my heart had no fhare, and as highly applauded the Quixotifm of my lover, who had ventured on this fcheme for my enlargement. Were we to live according to the rules we lay down for others," faid the Monk, by way of apology for again Iii reple. replenishing his glafs, "we fhould indeed be above humanity, and Linnæus, in his arrangement of the animal world, ought to place a Monk above a man, as a being approaching still nearer to divinity, and more worthy of connecting the material world with that of fpirits. But, alack!" continued he, to preach and to practife too, is beyond the limited fphere of mortal ability. To form plans for the well-being of others is certainly a work of merit : if they can reduce our theories into practice, fo much the better. Human nature is the fame in the Monaftery as in the Court, therefore you ought not to be furprized at the fimilarity of her proceedings in thefe places: and now that I have gone thus far, tell me if I fhall affift you in your efcape from hence: you cannot remain long undifcovered, therefore the fooner you go the better." We thanked him for his confideration, and eagerly embraced the offer of his affiftance, by which we were defirous of profiting immediately, left, when the fumes of the Burgundy were diffipated, caution fhould refume its place in his heart, and put him upon fome plan lefs favourable to our happiness. Ferdinand propofed an immediate for tie, to which the jovial Monk inftantly agreed. He then conducted us through a difmal labyrinth of cloifters to a fecret entrance, which opened into the fields, and was, he told us, known only to a few botanical ladies in the neighbourhood, who fometimes came in that way to confult the Bibliotheque of the pious Fathers; a favour to which their learning and purity gave them an indubitable claim. The dawn was rifing when we took our leave of the ingenious Confeffor, after he had directed us to a neighbouring village, where a conveyance might be had to the next town, at which we meant to remain a few days incog. and go from thence to my husband's quarters, as by that time his leave of abfence would be expired. Ah, my God what were my fenfations on efcaping this worst of prifons; on feeling myself irrevocably linked to the man I loved, and whom I had once defpaired of ever again beholding; en Anding myself at liberty to wander with him over the world, to participate his forrows, to increase his delights." Words cannot do juftice to the variety and frength of any emotions; lovers will feel them, and by others the defcription would not be understood were 1 to attempt it. Ferdinand's regiment lay at Forges in Normandy, whither we went with all convenient expedition. The waters of Forges were in high eftima. tion, and they were at the time of our arrival quite in feafon. The company was fashionable, and the amufements were numerous. I will not pretend to have been fa loft in romantic paffion for one object, as to be incapable of fometimes receive ing pleafure from a change of icere and of fociety. The prefence of Ferdinand formed the grand happiness of my life, but I felt that fhort abfences rather increafed than leffened that happiness. 1 was yet very young, and to me the world was full of novelty. My husband, confiding in my love, trufted me with the arrangement of my own time, and was glad to fee maenter into thefe plea fures which furnished me with opportu nities of making contrafts to his advan tage, and fupplied materials for converfation, which muft otherwife have languifhed; for however incredulous the Belle may be, experience daily fhows us that the exercile of intellect is neceffary to rivet the chins forged by beauty; that the filver-toned voice itfelf will become ennant when the mere organ of infipidity; and that in. telligence is perhaps more effential to the prefervation of love, than perfonal charins to the creation of attachment. Previous to our departure from Forges, where we had been three months, the Colonel of the regiment gave a masked ball, to which the officers and gentry in the place were invited. Ferdinand and myfelf went of course, and I expected confiderable amusement from an entertainment which was entirely new to me. Paysanne, being a character least dif1 dreffed myself as a ficult to fupport, and went with a large party, amongft whom was my husband, carly in the evening. When my friends mingled with the crowd, I found my attention fo ftrongly fcized by the ap pearance of the motley group, that I fincerely repented the felf-conceit which had led me to imagine I could support any fictitious character in a fcene fo new and fo diftracting. I withed now that I had not defired Ferdinand to quit me, and longed to call him back; but I could not diffinguish him in the crowd, and confoling myfelf with the idea that he would keep an eye upon me, and come up if he faw me embarraffed, I threw off as far as I could my diffidence, gave into the gaiety of the evening, and wandered up and down the room with out apprehenfion, and on tiptoe for wit and incident. But here, as in life, confiftency of character was little attended to. A Diogenes in a moving curve prefently attacked, and made viclent love to me, and at laft diftreffed me fo much, that I was glad to put myfelf under the protection of a grave Cardinal; but I was ftill worfe off with him than the former, for taking advantage of the liberty this entertain ment authorizes, he prefently offered me a carte blanche! After I had with difficulty fhaken off the amorous Cardinal, a Pect coming up thought it incumbent on him to miftake me for a Sylvan Deity, and begged I would honour him with my opinion of his paftoral; but fecing a Melpomene enter, he quitted me to prefent an elegy to the Goddefs, who it appeared was a woman of rank, and kept a companion to read to her, being too volatile to acquire that accomplishment for herself; fo that when the unfortunate author difplayed his work, the fair inhabitant of Helicon having but flight acquaintance with the five and twenty letters, was utterly at a lots to know whether they ought to be regarded as ftanding on their heads or their fect, and began to reverse the vulgar manner of reading by turning the bottom of the page upwards. An Abbé feeing her embarralfment, would have undertaken to examine the work, but the Tragic Mufe hearing fiddles ftrike up in the next room, infifted on the Abbé's being her partner in a cotillon, for which purpofe they danced off. The Poet now returned quickly towards me, but a Monk coming up engaged my attention. Alas! my hand shakes at the recollection: that tranfient vivacity which the idea of this evening infpired me with is vanished, now 1 begin to think of its conclufion; yet I will go through with it, if poffible. And what makes thee here, my fweet fimpleton?" faid the Monk to me. "Has curicfity brought thee? Be affured danger treads on the heels of gratification. Has love mifguided thee From thy country folitude? Go back, renounce its fafcination while it is poffible, and believe me there is nothing worth living for but the anticipated pleasure of exiflence beyond the grave." "You are," faid I, "the only one whom I have heard fpeak in character; but you are too ferious, my good Father. If curiofity be idle, if love and pleafure be ridiculous, what makes you here?" "Heaven and earth!" exclaimed he, "What do I hear? What voice is that?" I would have asked the fame queftion, but my tongue denied its utterance in the Monk I recognized my Father! and fell lifelefs on the floor. I cannot go on-the remembrance of this wrings my heart afresh. Alas! mortal pangs are laying hold on me-I quit the pen for ever.-The fhadows of death float before my eyes.-I go to meet my husband. Here the Monk took up the ftory: "THE health of my wife," said he, "had been for fome time very precarious, and the waters of Forges were recommended for its re-eftablishment. We had been there but a few days before that of the fatal masquerade, whither I went rather to protect my wife than for any gratification of my own. We had been from home ever fince my daughter's renunciation, and owing to the carelessnefs of a fervant had never received the intimation fent by the Abbefs of her efcape; we were in confequence ignorant of its having been effected. The unhappy fituation of my fweet child inftantly drew crowds about her, and Ferdinand amongst the foremost. "My life! my Angelique! my wife!" cried he, wildly training her to his bofom, What have they done to you? Tell me what mystery is this?" "Remove her," cried ĺ in rage, "remove her from that facrilegious robber, against whofe licentious intrufion not even the Sanctuary itself is proof." "Oh!" cried the diftracted Ferdinand, recollecting my voice, do not part us; he is my wife, by every law human and divine. Kill me! kill me!"' continued he, "but do not take her from me." "Can you," continued the Monk, can you look on me without horror when I tell you, that, wrought to a pitch of temporary infanity, my fury went even unto murder ! that forgetting myfelf, my family, my child, and my God, I drew a fword from beneath my habit, and madly plunged it into the amiable amiable heart where my daughter's very life was garnered. "Why fhould I detain you by repeating the poignancy of my immediate remorie, the phrenzy of my daughter, or the last affectionate addreffes of her dying hufband? Cowardice, you have perhaps frequently obferved, enters at the fame door with cruelty. My first moments of recollection came attended with fenfations I had never known be fore. As I looked upon the crimfoned floor, the fear of an ignominious death started into my mind like au hideous apparition, and froze the blood boiling about my heart. Impelled by that everactive principle felf-prefervation, I feized the advantage which the confternation of the company afforded me, and fliding through the crowd, darted down ftairs, where ftripping off my habit, I hurried into the fireet, and from thence took the most private road leading out of the town. When I had walked a few miles, the morning coming on, I perceived myfelf on the verge of a wood, and piercing into the thickest part of it, ventured to take a few moments reft. Here, when I confidered the magnitude of my crime-a crime fo inconfiftent with the natural feelings of my heart, fo deteftable to my principles, and fo awful in its confequence, I was tempted to rid myfelf of an exiftence which was oppreffive almost to madness, and liable every day to a hameful termination. But that Being whofe goodnefs is inexhauftible, faved me from this final step to everlasting and inevitable deftruction. "The wood was filent, wild, and gloomy, fuitable to the horror of my thoughts. I wandered up and down for fome time in fuch a state of sufpence as no language can define, and looked about to find fome folitary cave where I might lay down that life I thought too tormenting to be fupported. Again I pondered how I might find the means of existence, if my courage should be unequal to the decifion of my own fate by fuicide. Monaftic feclufion prefented me a gleam of comfort. Oh that I was buried in the fombrous labyrinths of the Chartreufe! faid I to mvielf: amidit its rocky folitudes, its eternal fhades, its awful filence, I would Cevote to repentance the fad remainder of my existence. By an accidert I may reafonably call providentia', I was enabled to put this fcheme in execution; and perhaps by that was prevented from the commillion of that worft of crimes, felfdeftruction. "As I walked along the verge of a brook, fcarcely conscious of my own movement, I perceived a fmall valse lying amongst the rushes, and concluding that robbers under the fear of purfuit had left it behind them, I opened it without ceremony. It contained about fifteen hundred livres, which I made no fcruple of appropriating, and taking the most beaten path, determined to make the best of my way to some town, from whence the diligence might fpeedily rid me of the fear of being apprehended. To fhorten my story, I got fafe out of Normandy, wandering on foot through Orleannois, from thence keeping the courfe of the Loire as far as Roaune; there I crolled over to Lyons, and went down the Rhone into Dauphiné, fupporting myself on herbs and water, expofing my body to the night air, and voluntarily treading the hot and finty paths without any covering to my feet; hoping that the feverity of my mortifications might be fome atonement for my crime." "But," faid I, "you was not cer tain that your crime had had that final confequence which would have affected your life?" 'Tis true," returned he; "bat fhame with extended arms ftood in the way of my return, and the fituation of my affairs was fuch as rendered my abfence of no moment to the fortunes of my family. In fine, I determined to fee them no more, and after a weary pilgrimage of two months, I got with much difficulty into the Chartreuse, where, without daring to make any enquiries after my family, I remained till the Revolution, when I quitted it, after having been a refident near fifteen years. The altered fituation of the kingdem, and the many changes which muft have taken place in our province, made me now defirous of knowing how my wife and children were fituated; and I thought this curiofity might be indulged without danger, fince my appearance was fo much changed that it was almoft impoffible to know me for the man who had abandoned them fo many years be fore. I came back into Normandy. I found that my nephew had died a few days after our unhappy rencontre; that my beautecus Angelique had returned voluntarily into the Convent after that dreadful |