ill-fated Viola, immediately after the birth of Orlando. But before we proceed with our narrative, we must execute the horrid talk of completely withdrawing the black veil from Elvira's heart, and fhowing to our fhuddering reader a monfler, from whom diimayed nature recoils. Elvira was the murderer of her father. She had adminiftered to him a fmall portion of a flow but fubtile poifon, which at first brought on flight fymptoms of illness, fo flight that it was not deemed neceffary to recal his fon from Naples, whither he was juft then gone to be united to Clementina; and Elvira having affumed the character of chief nurse, she had opportunities of infufing more of this deadly drug in his food, to increase his illnefs by imperceptible degrees as her plan called for it. And her diabolical purpose was at length effected, without any danger of detection; as for many reafons, affecting to be influenced by that hope which true affection scarcely ever relinquishes, the pretended to difbelieve all idea of her father's danger, and would not fummon her brother until almoft too late, under the fpecious pretence of with ing to fpare her dear Altidore an unneceffary pang, fince the felt, like a fupernatural infpiration, a thorough conviction of her adored parent's perfect recovery. And when he breathed his laft, bleffing his children, the phirenfy of defpair feemed to take poffeffion of this arch fiend: the clung to the corfe of a parent her own hand had deprived of life, and in the moft diftracted manner lamented his death; accuting the phyficians, by their ignorance, as the caufe of his not recovering; and in a frantic tone commanded them to open the body, to inform his heart-broken children what fatal malady had deprived them of their eftimable parent. But this command the wily parricide knew full well could not be obeyed, as her father had given the most folemn injunctions to his fon never to allow his body to be opened: and in his will he further enforc ed this request, which was occafioned by his adored Ifabella having vifited an hofpital in Florence of which fhe was the patronefs; and going by mistake into a room where an opera tion of that kind was performing, by the fatal miflake the caught a fever which it was believed had caufed her death; while in fact, the diabolical Elvira it was who in all probability deprived the world of one of its brighteft ornaments; for in this case, to court her darling popularity, the, in defiance of the danger of infection, attended her amiable mother-in-law herfelf; when it ftruck her infernal heart that the felleft blow the could indict upon her father would be the depriving him of his adored wife. Every medicine therefore that was prefcribed, the would fuffer none to adminifter but her felf; and as the d-voted Ifabella was delirious, the feared nothing from her detection: and the artfully fubftituted any milk and water mixture that fuited her purpofe, to appear like the drugs which the deflroyed; by which means the fever, unchecked, hourly augmented, and the had the diabolical tranfport of beholding her parent's mifery upon the lofs of his adored Ifabella. The excrtions Elvira thought it neceflary to make, to evince her affiction for the death of her father, accelerated the birth of her child. She retired to the chamber under the veil of ferrow overpowering her; and fhortly after her puny boy was conveyed by Bianca, her attendant and devoted creature, out of the caftle, under the auspices of father Georgio, Elvira's lenient confeffor, who only heard what the thought neceffary to communicate, and was upon this occafion made her confidant and advi❤ fer; and after being named Theo dore, dore, the poor babe was fent by a fatility of his difpofition, it seemed creature of Georgio's to the care of all at once his with to render his a lifter of his who lived in Langue- name infamous, to tarnish his fordoc.By the care of the crafty Bian- mer honours, and blight his laurels, ca, Elvira foon recovered, and was by every action that was inimic enabled to take the unfortunate journey to Naples, her head and heart projecting new mischiefs: for her father had left her too fmall a portion to gratify Polydore's avarice; and hough her generous brother douled that fortune, it was infufficient for the rapacious Vicenza, whom now, for the fake of her child, Elvira refolved by fome means, matter how iniquitous, to make her Lufband Alsidore, not in the leaft cware of the ftrength or caufe of his filter's attachment, advised her to think no more of a man who poffeiled fo little affection for her, which Lis cavilling about fortune he thought too plainly evinced. probity and humanity; affigning to the flight reproaches of his contcience, that the mifery of mind his difappointed love inflicted pleaded fufficiently in excufe for every enor mity he could commit, for that his reafon was fhook by his mental anguth. Public indignation now ran high against this once popular young no man. Many of his exploits might have brought him to the fcaffold; but in confideration of the eminent fervices he had rendered his country he was not brought to trial, civil or military; he only received his catholic majefty's difmiffion from every poft and honour he had been diftiaguished by. And now, courteous reader we mut leave the wily Elvira at the elle of Manfredonia, whither the accompanied the duca and duche Ta, Acling, like the infidious ferpent, into the unfufpicious Viola's warmeft cheem; while we return to don Ambrofio, whom we left, almoft two years prior to the period we have juft been fpeaking of, at a fisherman's hut upon the coaft of Sicily. CHAP. LX. NOTHING could equal the conflernation and difmay of don Ambrofio as his vile affociate Leopold, at the fel Llow their iniquitous fcheme recared by the unthought-of elope ment of Viola; and every hope of fiure fuccefs was deftroyed, when they learned in whofe protection the had found refuge. They both immediately fled from Sicily in the veffd prepared to convey the marchefa away, and joining the Spanish feet, Ambrofio made Leopold his chapiain. It had hitherto been don Ambrofo's fuccefsful aim to acquire fame and glory in his profeffion and now, in conformity to the capricious ver The vile apoftate Leopold, impelled by dire neceffity, became the follower of the juftly degraded Ambrofio's fortunes, and foon their fertile invention ftruck out a plan not more gratifying to their avarice than to their fanguinary fouls. They entered into a league with a number of profligate men of all deferiptions, who formed themfelves into a focietv, which spread ittelf with aftonifhing facility, not only over Spain and Portugal, but through France, Italy and Germany. The fucceffes of all parties were for the general benefit; whilt each individual was to be fupported from the general fund, which was to provide for every expence neceary for carrying on the different banches of this predaceous fociety, who were fworn to feed upon the public by every act of fraud and vil lany, comprited within the efforts of the fpecious fwindler, the elegant gentlemanly gambler, the daring banditti, the dark affaffin, the midnight robber, and a formidable fquadron of thips fitted out for the lucrative employment of piracy. The latter department, as well as the the management of a great part of elfe impenetrable fecrets of the place, the banditti allotted to act in Spain, the commander in chief, Ambrofio, affigned to himself and Leopold, who now thought it time to throw off entirely the facerdotal habit. To find an eligible habitation to fecret their treasures, troops, and fhipping in, was for fome time a grand and difficult purfuit; but conte Vicenza having been amongst the fift who enlifted under their villainous banners in Italy as a gambler, from his great intimacy with conte Elfridii, between whom and himself a perfect underftanding fubfifted, foon gained that vindictive man to enrol himfelf amongst his kindred villains; and nothing could have proved more fortunate for the general fecurity than fuch an acquifition, fince the only patrimony Elfridii poffeffed was that very caftle of the Pyrenees where the fcene of this romance has lain for fo many of our pages. : Fernando conte Elfridi was lineally defcended from the princes of Catalonia; and one of his more immediate ancestors being amongst thofe Spaniards who drove the French out of Naples in 1504, married a Neapolitan lady and feuling in that country, it became the native place of his progeny. By unexpected but legal fucceffion this impregnable caf tle at length devolved to Elfridii; but its fituation was too horrid, its condition too much out of repair, to admit a thought of his difpofing of it to advantage; and he had refolved upon having the ftructure razed to make moncy of the materials, when the liberal offer of the predecaous community was joyfully accepted by him; and when he fled from Naples, in defpair upon Clementina's accepting the propofals of his rival, he made an excursion into Spain, to put Ambrofio and his people into poffeffion of the cafile, and to teach them the fecrets of it, for with the title deeds of the castle was a key to the fome of which, however, Eifridii referved for his own knowledge alone, thinking that in fome fort of way he might convert them to his own advantage hereafter; and depending upon the faith of Iago, an old negro, who had been reared in the caftle and locally attached to the place, his fide-. lity defcending from owner to owner as ftedfaitly as an heirloom. Elfridii knew that Iago was well acquainted with almoft all the machinery of the place; but fwearing him to fecrecy, he concealed from Ambrofio's knowledge the church, with many of the vaults and impenetrable places annexed to the cafile; and whilft exploding the horrid recefes of this dreadful fortrefs, he formed that diabolical plan of revenge he had too fuccefffully executed. Ambrofio, now put in poffeffion of a place which feemed by fome miracle abfolutely built on purpofe for his accommodation and fecurity, found it expedient to drop the wellknown name of Ambrofio de Montalvan, and affumed that of don Manuel de Bafcara; and Leopold, from the fame neceffity foregoing his proper name, took the Spanith one of Garcias. The only perfon in the world for whom Elfiidii felt a particle of difinterefted attachment was Franeifco Gaffendi, the monk who had educated him. Francifco poffeffed fome virtues and many failings; he was brave and generous; his heart formed by nature, humane, affectionate, and juft; but his temper was violent, and his paffions ever were his mas ters. Forced by his parents at an early age into the church,-inclination never led him along the fteady path of duty." Well aware of all that fanctity of life his profeffion cailed for, he often attempted to be what confcience pointed out; but the attempts were but the feeble efforts of an unfeady mind, and alternately he appeared appeared as the faint and the finner, As a learned man he had been felected to fuperintend the education of Elfridi, and, as there was no very great disparity in their years, they foon became companions and friends. From the ftrength of this attach ment Elfridii poffeffed an influence over the mind of Francifco that enabled him quickly to win the monk into the villainous community he be longed to. The ambition of Francifco would not allow him to remain a common member of this frateruity. He had intereft enough at Rome to get himself tranflated to a convent of obfervantine friars at Cadaques, and by the artful intrigues of fome of the devotees whom he confeffed at Naples, he was foon inflituted a member of the inquifitorial fynod. With the predaceous fociety thus fully in his power he quitted Naples for Cadaques, where, though rigid was the Obfervantine order, he affected even fuperior aufterity, and, under the veil of fanctity, refufing even the few comforts of the convent, took up his abode in a folitary cave in a gloomy foreft not far diftant from the town. The reputed aufterity of his life foon rendered him famous; he foon became the most popular preacher in the province, and the favourite confeffor of all the neighbouring convents and pious families. The cave of this holy impoftor communicated, as our fagacious real er already prefages, with the caftle; the fecret of the church, with many others confidered with Elfridi as cooperating to their mutual intereft, was confided by him to Francifco, who was thus placed in the caftle as an object of terror and of fafety, and don Manuel, ere he was aware, found himfelf but fecond where he claimed the first place. In the power of the inquifitor, he bowed to his authority; and every daring vaffal belonging to don Manuel trembled at Francifco's fown, who, though as an individual February, 1808, cauling terror, was in fact the greateft fafeguard they poffeffed. In all the fecrets of the dreadful tribunal, Francifco knew the moment danger threatened the fociety, and by chicanery of prieflcraft, kept his confederates fecure from ecclefiaftic vengeance until the moment of retri bution allotted by Heaven arrived; when, in the purfuit of cruelty and revenge, their evil deftiny fuffered them to imprifon the holy Anfelmo.. Poffeffing the confidence of fo many perfons in Catalonia, Francifco. too was of confiderable advantage to the fabtle defigns of the fharper, and to the more open frauds of the bauditti: and when, in his perambulations as a pious, mank, or in his inquifitorial character, he learned any danger that awaited the community, it was agreed that he thould announce it by beating a drum, formed like an Indian gong, which was placed in a cavern underneath the caftle, from whence found fo forcibly conveyed felf, that it waned every fentiae around the caftle of impending dayger, upon which, as the beat of the drum directed, they and all the fraternity either flew to arms, cr betook themfelves to hiding places in the rocks, or to the fhipping. Our read. er is now no longer at a lofs to account for the tremendous noife that fo alarmed Victoria the first night of her dreadful captivity; and as the good properties of Francifco's heart often recoiled from the crimes of his affociates, he had fometimes recourfe to the gong, and, under pretence of danger, put the affaffins to flight: and often unfubdued confcience would whifper that danger threatening them on fuch a moment feemed like divine vengeance, and the meditated enormity perhaps was therefore never committed which caufed Terefa's remark to our heroine upon the fubject. Elvira had not been very long t the cattle of Mentredonia before a L perfect perfect understanding fubfifted between her and Elridii. They had each their deep-laid plots to purfue, and were happy in fo able an auxilliary; befides, lady Elvira was completely in the power of Elfidii, from whom Polydore kept no fecrets; and by whofe advice the infant Theodore had been removed from Languedoc and configned to the care of Francifco. Conte Vicenza was now ordered by them to conceal himfelt in the neighbourhood of Manfredo- his fucceffor, falling back to a blind nia, to aid their mutual operations, which they delayed not to commence. (To be continued.) logy could be difperfed without the mot imminent danger, if it tended to leffen that reverence which Henry demanded to his creed, though it was conftantly varying, and the fame was equally expected relative to what related to politics. Something like a newspaper once appeared during his reign, but all fuch attempts in future were molt ftrictly prohibited. A litthe more latitude was given under the government of Edward VI. Mary I.. black letter. After Caxton had erected his print ing prefs in England, the trade very fowly crept on, until about the end of the reign of Henry VIII. The changes then wrought in many minds relpecting religion, and above all the fcriptures being laid open to them, gave great encouragement to the art of printing, and upon this depended the other trades, telling books and flationary articles. Government fuperintended every thing. Freedom of thought was forbidden. The religion of the monarch was the faith of His fubje&is No work upon theo. more fuperftition, was extremely fevere, The eminent printers de Worde, and Mary had, on May, 4, 1557, It mult be remarked that Philip incorporated the ftationer's company, conftituting a matter, two wardens, thirty affillants, and two hundred and eleven on the livery. This body included printers, bookfellers, and ftationers; and I fuppofe the trades were 1 |