ANGELINDE, or the Fatal Effects of Precipitancy. A Tale. Written by S. PURE.

THE

HE beauteous orb of night arofe in majeftic pomp, the azure fky was decked with a thoufand glittering ftars, the horizon was clear, not a fingle cloud intervened, every thing was calm and tranquil, the face of nature was Tilent: all but the wretched Angelinde hufhed on the bed of fleep. -Alas! poor hapless maiden!Three long years had flowly elcaped fince the parted from her beloved Theodore, fince he was folded in his arms, and watched the fainteft glimmering of the veffel which conveyed him from her longing fight. One year was to have been the period of his abfence. How did the count with anxious care each moment which revolv ing time brought forth! Each

rifing morn fed her with hopes might be the day of his return, each night the climbed with eager fteps the airy steep of the rugged and ftupendous cliff, to try if her extended fight could catch the most distant profpect of his wellknown fhip. Alas! how vain her efforts! All was in vain; the hour of Theodore's return was not yet arrived. A rich gentleman in the neighbourhood had feen her; it was fufficient to be feen to love her: the modeft diffidence of her azure eyes captivated him. Her parents, pleafed with his large fortune, gave him their confent to marry her. Her's was not in her power; her heart, her love, her every with was Theodore's. "He is undoubtedly dead," cried her parents; "then why wafte the morning of your days in gloomy forrow? all will not recal him from his watery grave." Alas! his memory

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mory was too deeply graven on her mind for this to erase it-it was impoffible-Angelinde knew it well. She knew, that whilft the vital blaze of life animated her frame, it must there remain; and that death, and death alone, could obliterate it. How could fhe then confent to marry Balermo? How could the falfify vows that had been made

"Without referve, Never to be retracted-ne'er diffolv'd

By accidents, by abfence, time, or death."

No, her heart refolutely determined never to be inconftant, but, whilft life fupported her, to dwell on the object of her early love.— Unmindful of all the faid to the contrary, her father even fixed the day which was to wed her to Balermo-all was prepared, and the preceding evening arrived. The clock ftruck twelve, every thing was hufhed, when the lovely and unfortunate Angelinde walked forth once more to review the wide expansive deep, where the had fo often gazed with a pleafing yet painful expectation.

The

night was fine, the murmuring of the waves re-echoed in the breeze, every thing seemed at rett. It was

"As the gen'ral pulfe Of life flood still, and nature made a pause."

Every opening object accorded with the fadnefs of her troubled foul.

[To be continued.]

the grateful reader will readily fuppofe, that as a favourable opportunity had now given him the power, it would be his firft endeavour to make an ample return to Alcimus and his family for the many unmerited and bountiful favours, fo freely conferred on him and his daughter. But what a trange reverie was here! No fooner had he fettled his affairs with India, and grafped his abundance, than he began to confider himself as great as an eastern monarch, and abundantly difplayed the buddings of a bafe and depraved mind; looking down with a difdainful derilion upon his most generous benefactors, imagining his wealth would protect him in a ftile of fuperiority and independence: he therefore told Alcimus in plain terms, that he now confidered his daughter of more confequence, than to give her in marriage to the fon of a tradefman, who was now become a fit match for the fon of a nobleman, who could bring a fortune fuitable to her own. This declaration was received by Alcimus with the uttermoft compofure and chearfulnefs, as he found her mind was too far blinded and abforbed in afpiring vanity, to ever afford him that domeftic and conjugal happiness, which, through the temper and formation of his mind, he had just reafon to be careful in acquiring; and he confidered the growing pride and affectation of Cynthia, the only obftacle of unity and peace; therefore he relinquished every with of obtaining her, and refigned her without a figh: yet her bafe ingratitude was the only chagrin that haunted his mind, and furnished him with a wish of obtaining another interview, that he might have the opportunity of giving her a feasonable rally. But he was fo industriously fhunned by her, that he began to defpair

of

1791.]

of fuccefs; till one evening, taking his ufual tour through the verdant groves, chance threw him in the way of Cynthia. At the fight of her injured friend and lover the blufhed, and endeavoured to avoid him: but here was no poflibility of a retreat, and Alcimus was now determined to remind her of her conduct. Ah! ungrateful Cynthia," exclaimed he, "what hath rendered me fo odious in thy eyes, that thou endeavoureft thus to fhun me, as though I was a hatcful foe? Canft thou forget the many kind offices, and tender marks of regard of thy once beloved (yea, thy once adored) Alcimus? When in thefe poplar groves thy faultering tongue ten thousand times has vowed eternal conftancy; our infant days, our rifing youth, and riper years, were spent in one continued fcene of love; our actions, thoughts, and words, feemed modulated to each other, as though one foul had actuated both our bodies. And fhall the glittering trinkets, and vain alluring baubles of carthly grandeur, difunite two fouls fo near allied? Can all the glory of a monarchy afford a moment's peace, or cafe a troubled mind, confcious of wrong? Afpire thou mayeft from eminence to eminence, but happinefs only awaits a foul fraught with fincerity and innocency."Thefe forcible fentiments fo fenfibly agitated Cynthia, that the wept abundantly; yet the impreffion gathered no root in her heart. She told Alcimus, that what he had obferved was juft. She owned herself reprehenfible in fome measure; but now there was no parleying. He must consider the immenfe difference that fortune had put between them; and the expected the man that now made conqueft of her heart, fhould bring her an equivalent to her fortune, Alcimus finding her ada

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mant heart was not fufceptible of penetration, he bade his ingrate adieu; wishing her that happiness which he was not able to bestow.

Our heroine foon found means to gain admittance in polite life, and frequented all the gay affemblies and places of public refort; equipped in the gaiety of modern elegance, affuming all the coquettish airs and attitudes of a finished lady. Setting no bounds to the extravagance of her volatile inclinations, no wonder then, when we find her furrounded with a numerous train of admirers, or rather fortune-hunters, who made clofe application in this alluring enterprize. At length fhe placed her eftcem on a brilliant young beau, whofe flashing appearance had dazzled her eyes; who, under pretence of being the fon of a dignified perfonage, foon ingratiated himself into the esteem of her father, who quickly gave him his daughter in marriage, with a fortune of ten thousand pounds. A fpacious manfion was fitted up for their reception, and every other preparation of grandeur and extravagance was adopted to receive the vinits of the great. But alas! how foon the fcene was changed; for fcarce had the honey month elapfed, before our new-made bride difcovered her error. She found her pretended nobleman was the fon of a once opulent farmer, whom he had ruined by gaming and lewd company, and who was lately dead of a broken heart.-Her beloved fpoufe the faw continually arrefted for debt, large fums fquandered away at brothels and gaming tables, and herself lightly efteemed by her husband and the world.

It was scarce fix years after their nuptials, when this young profli gate had spent his fortune, and had nothing left to fupply his extravagance; he therefore laid his man

fion, and every thing thereto belonging, at the gaming - table, which he loft by a fingle game.This daring adventure ftruck fuch a horror and compunction upon his mind, that could not be furmounted. With what aspect could he look upon his diftreffed partner? With what language could he 'inform her of the melancholy event? And where, alas! must he go to find a fanctuary and fupport? Thefe diftracting reflections brought him into a delirium, and in a fit of rage and defpair he put a period to his existence.

'What a melancholy scene of diftrefs was here exhibited, to curb the ambition of Cynthia! In one fhort hour fhe was obliged to for. feit all, and that without hopes of retrieving. Her hufband a lifeless corfe, her mansion taken from her, and herself turned out to all the mifery of a frowning world. In this deplorable fituation fhe was obliged to feek for fuccour at her father's houfe, who, for want of frugality and economy, had nearly reduced himself to his native poverty: and here she gives herself up to melancholy and def pair, beholding Alcimus enjoying all the fweets of earthly profperity and happiness, in the poffeffion of a partner fuitable to his wifes; and finds too late) by dear bought experience, the fatal effects, and baneful influence of riches; and acknowledges the verity of the ancient proverb, that "All is not gold that glitters." Farnsfield.

BENJ. KEMP.

MARIA, or the Effects of Seduction; a Narrative.

ER eyes were funk, her complexion fallow, her clothes filthy and dirty, and her whole appearance befpoke the extremeit poverty and diftrefs. I had taken

shelter under a gateway during a fhower of rain, when a female, anfwering the above defcription, in a quivering and fhrill tone of voice folicited me to give her fomething to relieve the diftrels under which fhe laboured, which was fo great, that, to ufe her own words, "fhe was perifhing with hunger." I felt a fomething within me which inclined me to relieve this daughter of mifery; my heart expanded with pity at her moving petition, while it funk with horror at her deplorable appearance. "Thou shalt go with me," cried I, taking hold of her hand; "thou fhalt for a moment be happy, and forget the treatment of an unpitying and unfeeling world." And I conducted her to a house in the neighbourhood, with as much triumph as a gentleman ufhers a lady into a drawing-room. I faw a fneer on the face of the waiter when he looked at my companion as he fhewed us into a room; but after ordering the beft the house afforded, I fat down to enjoy the pleasure of doing good to a fellow creature, I beheld the various emotions the feemed to feel. She eyed me with a seeming wonder; fhe would have thanked me on her knees, had 1 permitted her. She clafped her hands together, and murmured fomething; but words were too big for utterance, and the accents of gratitude died away upon her tongue. The waiter now entered with a cold pigeonpie in his hand, at the fight of which, the countenance of this unfortunate creature brightened up. She looked at it with eager. nefs, but diffidence kept her filent; how eloquently dumb! I undertood her, and felt a fecret fatif faction in doing the honours of the table for this hapless female. She ate with a greediness bordering upon voracity: I viewed her with pleasure. I poured out a glass of

wine;