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and alfo the foffe, or rather precipice, him to animate his courage; he flides
139
hich her lover wa
was to leap. Thi- down from the arch, and not feeling
ther the haftened. The day, though the fcaffolding, utters a fcream of
on its laft decline, juft enabled her horror, and falls headlong to the bot-
to perceive that the fcaffolding which tom of the moat.
fhe had pointed out to Savinien was
no longer in its place.

36

She defcended from the terrace; called wildly for her aunt and flaves. They thought fhe was mad: She ran out; returned; pronounced the name of her lover: threw herfelf at their feet, and conjured them to fuffer her to quit the palace. They referred her to her father. Him the inftantly went in fearch of; called in atone of defperation, upon his name. No one anfwered. Time flew. The fatal moment was at hand. Sainien cried the unhappy girl, intead of me thou wilt embrace thy of death; and it is I, I that have conJucted thee to thy fate.' She again afcended the terrace, as being the onShe again ly fituation from whence the could difcern the place of rendezvous. She flattered herself that, notwithstanding the distance, her feeble voice inight apprize her lover of the danger with which he was momentarily threatened.

By the time that Prifcilla had mounted the terrace, it was almoft night. Pale as death, he was in want of the higheft exertion of her voice, and her yoice, ftifled by the violence of her emotion, could fcarcely make itfelf heard. In the courfe of a few feconds, fhe thought fhe heard the found of fome footsteps on the planks that covered the arch upon which Savinien was to tread; but yet he could fee nothing. All is again ftill as death. Suddenly the noife without is repeated. A plank falls, and the precipice prefents itself. Gods! it is he! it is my beloved!' Then fummoning all her strength, and exerting her feeble voice to the utmost extent, the raves out Savinien, advance no further.' The lover magines that his mittrefs calls out to

I have never been able to discover Here the manufeript stops thort. whether the Greek author proceeded any further, or whether the conclu fion has been by any accident loft; fo that it is impoffible to know what became either of Prifcilla, or the old Sylvanus, or what was done by the emperor, when he heard of the dreadful catastrophe that happened in his palace, almoft under his very cyes. I have turned over the pages of Ammianus Marcellinus, Zozimus, St. Gregory Nazianzen, Libanus, and out difcovering any thing further upthe writings of Julien himself, with on the fubject. Ang not

Romance of the Pyrences. By a La-
-dy. (Continued from page 82.)

IT has been already mentioned,
Manfredonia's mind was the con
that the only foible of the duca di
temptible opinion he entertained tof
his own perfonal attractions. Had
he known how to appreciate propers
ly the favours fo lavithly beftowed by
nature on him, he had, perhaps,
been fpared the fucceeding mifery of
his life.. Elfridii, well knowing this
circumftance, and how much the dif-
parity of Viola's years with his own
had fed upon his mind, was truly fen
fible how promifing a fubject Loren
zo was for fpeedily imbibing the fub-
tile poifon he meant to administer.*
High in the duca's estimation, and
is underftanding fo appreciated, the
words of Elfriti bore with them the
power of almost inftant conviction:-
and the firft potion of the inaddening
drug he adminiftered was once at ta-
ble, by relating, while his eyes were

fixe

$40
fixed in marked scrutiny upon the in-
nocent Viola, the ftory of don Am-
brofio's enormities and confequent
difgrace.

WALKER'S HIBERNIAN MAGAZINE,

their infamous defigns; and fo well did thefe vile confederates manage their plot, that in the courfe of a few most believed that his wife repented weeks the duca di Manfredonia althe choice fhe had made, that the profligate degraded Ambrofio had ever been in poffeffion of her affections, and that he himfelf was the most miferable of men. Yet fo fondly

The invidious gaze of Elfridii, by wounding the delicacy of the ducheffa and awakening her indignation, called forth the brighteft tints of vermillion, upon her lovely cheeks; and as he proceeded, the atrocities he enumerated of Ambrofio's commit. did he lean to the belief of her purity, ting giving full conviction to the idea of her fuperiority over all the world the bad fecretly cherished of his be-fo tenderly did he ftill adore her ing the murderer of her father, as that, whenever he contemplated the well as of her uncle-and by awak- feraphic fweetness of her expref- e ening a variety of the most painful five countenance, he felt the influence fenfations, all embittered by the ago- of tome refiftlefs power within his nifing thought of her having been the mind arifing to confufe all that he caufe of death to both thofe parents had before thought conviction; and fhe at length, after her intelligent had not the execrable fiends who had countenance had undergone a mark- fworn the deftruction of his peace ed diverfity of changes, fell from her been more prolific in diabolical defeat in a fwoon, and, although the fires than human nature had ever duca was almost distracted at behold- before evinced itself, the fmile of ing his adored wife in fuch a fituati. Viola would have defeated all their on, the apparent caufe of her being fo, machinations. As it was, Lorenzo nor the artful exclamations and half was forced into a belief which alarticulated whispers of Elvira and moft tortured him to madnets; but Elfridii, were not loft upon him, and he fo idolited her whom he thought the dreadful foundation of his future no longer attached to him, that he mifery was from that moment laid; could not endure the idea of calling t and fo fkilful were thofe who built the bluth of thame upon her cheek p upon it, that in a very fhort period by his upbraidings; and, avoiding the baneful pile was formed on which every explanation, he at length unhis happiness was facrificed, the caftie of Palino to unbofom hin-fortunately fled froni Manfredonia to felf to the conte and contessa Ariofto, determined that their advice thould guide him.

The name of Viola was now daily difcovered to be carved with loverlike devices or poefy upon fome new tree. A young and beautiful ftranger was feen by the vaffals and domeftics hovering about the caftle in various difguifes, whom a lady, attired like the ducheffa, often met in the dusk of the evening and in fecret places. Our reader will be at no lofs to guess that he handfome ftranger was the vile Vicenza, who became a Proteus upon the occafion, taking care, however, to avoid the recognition of any of the domeftics who knew him; or that the lady was the diabolical Elvira, properly attired for

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well aware that Viola's was no com-
The mercilefs triumvirate were
mion female mind; the had no foi-
bles to work upon; and the only
hope they had of her, was from the
fad fympathy her mother's hapless
fate had entwined with the very sta-
mina of her heart. They knew she
trembled at conjugal indifference, and
fhuddered at every tale that told of
connubial difcord. To fow the feeds
of doubt and jealousy in her mind re-
quired the moft delicate ftrokes of

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art; and Elvira moft fuccefsfully doct was afterwards converted by her contrived the means to cause events enemies into proofs of guilt. which awakened inevitably, but im-. At length, the day on which the perceptibly, fufpicions of her Lorenzo's affection. Her mother's miferies thus impending over her, the dreadful fimilitude of their fate became at length her mournful contemplation. Had the conftancy of her husband's attachment been openly arraigned by any one, he would have filenced with fcorn the bafe accufer, and fpurned with generous indignation each intruding fufpicion from her breaft; but the circumftances which ruined her peace feemed prefented by chance alone, so well did Elvira perform her task, and the flown cheer. fulness of Viola, fo lately' acquired and fo becoming to her, her languid look, her lofs of appetite and rett, all confpired to confirm Lorenzo in the horrid belief that the was wretched because fhe was his wife.

Viola, well remembering her in comparable mother never complain ed, never breathed forth a murmur, refolved, like her, to bear her miferv in filence; and foon, like her Hapless mother too, her only comfort was to weep over her child, fold it in her arms, and fadly trace out its resemblance to its still adored father: but ever at the found of Lorenzo's approach fhe would haftily chafe the tears away, and with fmiles refign their fon to his careffes. But thofe fmiles were fo woe fraught, fo indicative of mental anguith, Lorenzo could not fupport the agony they infflicted in his tortured bofom; and, to hide his feelings, he would ruth from her prefence, and leave her to the infupportable belief that difguft at beholding her occafioned his retreat.

Viola, when refolving never to complain, had alfo determined never to make a confidant; for not even to her Clementina would flie breathe a found that could take from the merit of Lorenzo; and this amiable con

duca left the caftle of Manfredonia for that of Palino, the fufpicions which Viola had fo long and painfully entertained were put to inftant fight, by the expreffion of his countenance, as the caught him gazing upon her a few moments before his departure. She clearly faw that he was wretched, but faw, too, conviction of her being ftill in poffeffion of his tendereft affection; and the impulfe of the moment was to throw herself into his arms, and conjure him to reveal to her the caufe of his afflictions: but this wife refolution was defeated by the precipitate retreat of the ill-fated duca, who, upon perceiving her obfervation of him, ruthed from the apartment, and inftantly began his journey, leaving it to Elfridi to announce his departure; affigning as a caufe having been fummoned by exprefs to attend a dying friend at Naples, and was in too great affliction to bear the pang of a long interview with her.

That Lorenzo fhould abfent himfelf from home without bidding her adieu, though plaufible his excufe, ftruck like the cold hand of death upon her throbbing heart; but the fhed no tear, neither did the make any comment when he received this mortifying intelligence from Elfridii. But as the now in all her forrows felt confolation only in the fweet fmiles and endearments of her child, the foon quitted the villanous Elfridii, and bent her faltering fteps to the apartments of Orlando; and on her way, in a gallery through which the was about to pafs, hung a full-length portrait of Lorenzo. Her eyes inftinctively fixed upon it-her feet became faltened to the spot on which the flood-her arms infenfibly entwined acrofs her bofom-her head funk againit a pillow-winte mourn

ful

CHAP. LXII.

The apartments allotted to the ill

IT would be tedious to enumerate fated Viola were those afterwards inthe days of mifery Viola paffed in habited by her husband and her fon. this dreadful prifon, fince they were In them Francisco often vifited her all alike wretched. Don Manuel when he taught his heart to feel the Feturned to the caftle, under the in- highest touches of pity and admira fluence of his good propenfities, and tion it was capable of conveying was shocked, was grieved to find the and had the confided in him, it is idol of his affections in fuch a place. probable, in defiance of his attach Too quickly, however, thefe amia- ment to Elfridii he would have reble feelings vanished, and Viola, in flored her to her husband. But ftill addition to her other calamities, had feeding upon the hope of her letter to fuffer daily, nay almoft hourly, and Bernardo's teftimony clearing the infulting declarations of Ambro. her fame and conftancy to Lorenzo, fio's unfubdued paffion for her. But and of his confequent refearches her heart was the temple where pu- tracing her to her dreadful prison, rity had enshrined itfelf; and there the forbore, from motives of pride is fomething fo hallowed in dignified and delicacy, to announce herself to virtue, that the profligate Manuel the few perfons fhe was allowed to dared to offer no further infult to the fee in the caftle; while, on, the other captive ducheffa, than the perpetual avowal of his unconquerable attachment to her.

hand, her deadly foes, for their own fafety, were careful to conceal her real rank, and the was fimply known in the caftle as the widow of a Sicilian gentleman killed by Polydore in a duel-and the being the only witnefs, it was neceffary, for his fecurity, to keep her in fecret cons finement.'

At length the hour for Viola's confinement drew near. In prifon, and fuch a prifon! torn from her hufband, all her friends! without confolation, without one female near her! Was that moment to arrive... She wept, the fhuddered, but refolv- Elfridi two or three times vifited ed, for the fake of her child, to bear the Pyrenean caftle, for the diabo all with firmnefs. But the attach- lical fatisfaction of increafing the ment of don Manuel meliorated all mental anguifh of this hapless victim that was in his power of the forlorn- of his infatiate yengeance, by oblig nefs of her fituation; every thing ing her to hear and read letters from that wealth could obtain was procure the unfortunate Lorenzo to him, by ed for her; every thing which affec which the had the mifery of finding tion could fuggeft, for comfort and that, although her husband still refor. fafety, he had provided, and a membered her with tenderness, he refpectable woman, releafed from believed her the child of trailty; and amongst the dungeon captives, to his letters were fo indicative of hope wait upon and nurfe her. The mo- lefs woe, of agonised despondence, ment which Viola almoft hoped that in defpite of her indignation, would terminate her exiftence at last her fcorn of Elftidii, the would con arrived; and in five months after defcend to kneel at his feet, and fue The had been inhumanly trepanned with all that melting eloquence hufrom happiness and her husband's manity would have found refilllefs protection was her daughter born, to Elfridi, to rettore the peace of whom Francifco baptifed by the name her Lorenzo, of; his patron, his of Matilda, after Lorenzo's refpect. friend.' But all the ever obtained ed grandmother, the late ducheffa di by this humiliation was to hear him, Manfredonia. with the ruthless exultation of a

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fiend, glory in the triumph of his Bernardo's failing in his attempt to plots of vengeance, take to himself c ear her fame, and that Lorenzo the credit of her degradation, and had refufed to hear him, and had fo affure her his deadly hate and perfecutions would never terminate, untill her fame should be confidered infamous through the world, her name the foorn and fcourge of her husband and her fon, and until her Lorenzo's happiness was blafted in every shape that vengeance and malice could devife.'

far forgotten his once loved Viola, in one fhort year, as to think of a fucceffor, awakened her thoughts to every pang of grief that wounded love and pride could give. She knew too, by this fecond marriage, he had ́ been led to believe her dead; and thus every hope of his feeking her was cut off for ever, and with it every profpect for her child, her Matilda, who was thus rent from honourable fociety, her father's love, his his protection, even his

At length, one day, with barbareus exultation, Elfridii put a letter into Viola's hands that flruck on her heart the final blow to peace, to eve-name, ry with for life: it was from her huf- knowledge of her existence :-and band, and in it was mentioned his when he was laid in that grave intended marriage with Elvira. The where mental anguish faft was hurwretched ducheffa fell to the ground rying her, what would be this hap. in a fwoon, and, when refpiration returned, perception feemed no longer to be hers. For feveral hours the appeared infenfible to all her miferies. At length the gentle preffure of her infant's fingers twined round, one of hers recalled her fufpended faculties-her child was folded in her arins. But the looked beyond this world for comfort; in this there was not now left a hope for her to reft

upon.

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Miferable as the preceding letters of Lorenzo had made her, the ftill, felt a kind of forlorn confolation in perufing them. To fee her name Laced, although with the attendance of every poffible humiliation, by her Lorenzo; to prefs to her heart, her lips, the paper he had, touched; and to know that, even believed unwor thy, ftill fhe was beloved by the lord of her affections, gave fome fad comfort to her breaking heart. But even that fad.comfort was torn by the ruthless hand of cruelty away. For Lorenzo's fecond marriage the was not prepared aad that marriage too with Elvira, the fiend who had fo ably aided in her destruction, annihilated every feeling, but thofe of horror and difmay until the idea of March, 1808.

lefs alien's fate; who would rear her in the path of virtue? Purity recoiled from the dreadful prospect which lay before her child; the mother thuddered, and, to fave her daughter from eternal deftruction, fervently prayed to Heaven that her. own miferable exiftence might be prolonged.

As the hope of ever being restored to fame and to her husband was now no more, Viola, determined to confide her hapless ftory, her rank, and` name, to Francifco, and to implore his protection for her child. That confolation however was denied her, Francisco being at that period called to Madrid upon ipquifitorial bufinefs; and don Manuel too was abfent when the laft fell blow was given to the devoted ducheffa's happiness. But he returned thortly after when the fe male captive who ftill attended her, informed him of fome new calamity having befallen her lady in his ab fence, of her fubfequent illness, and piteous melancholy. The heart of don Manuel was at that moment acceffable to humanity, and he was. thocked and grieved at the intelligence; and withing to behold Viola, unfeen by her, to obferve from her

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