could not imagine the French were fo fond of any King but their own King.

The Count de Biron went from the Palais Royal to Court that night, and when the news were told the Queen, the Dauphin, and Dauphinefs, and all the Madames, they

FR

threw down their knives, and there was not one word spoken.

You may depend upon the truth of this paper, because I had it from the Governor of Vincennes, and others of abfolute credit, though it is treafon now to fay he was tied or ill used.

REDERICK OSMOND, at the age of twenty years, was profecuting his ftudies at the Univerfity of St Andrews, which he had attended for feveral feffions. His parents were at this time both alive. His father was a worthy gentleman of a refpectable family, but being descended from a younger branch, his patrimony was but fmall; it was however fuificient to bring up his children, (who confifted of Frederick and two daughters,) in what is termed a genteel ftyle. His refidence was in a beautiful, romantic and retired fituation in the fouth of Scotland, where he had all along devoted the most of his time to the improvement of his offspring, particularly Frederick, and he had now the fatisfaction of learning, that he was not only fuperior to the moft of the young men of his age, at the University, in abilities, but that he alfo furpaffed them in virtue.

Frederick was at the University greatly beloved; thofe who were learned, efteemed him for his talents; the virtuous were pleafed with his exemplary life; the gay and the witty courted his conversation, which was at once lively and amufing; and the fair fex admired the beauty of his countenance, the elegance of his perfon, and the agreeableness of his manners.

The company of the female fex yield ed Frederick a very great happiness. In his leisure hours, inftead of accompanying the drunkard and the libertine in their nightly rambles, he visited thofe young ladies with whom he was acquainted, and was always received with evident marks of kindness and regard. To a perfon like Frederick, the prefence of the fair fex generally yields the moft refined happiness. When he took a view of their elegant forms, and con

templated their beautiful and interefting countenances, which feemed to indicate that nothing but what was really good could lodge within their bofoms; the fofteft and moft agreeable emotions took poffeffion of his heart; he looked around for fome foul fimilar to his own with whom he might pafs his days, and he anticipated the pleasure he would receive in rendering a beloved object happy. Sometimes, when in company with one endowed with beauty, and poffeffed of fhining accomplishments, he was inclined to believe he had found fuch a perfon: but the converfation of another foon convinced him that his regard was but temporary, and he discovered that among the great number of his fair ac quaintances, none of them had as yet made a lafting impreffion upon his heart. For Frederick to find fuch a perfon was no eafy matter: it was modefty, fenfibility, benevolence, and goodness of heart, for which he was looking, and not for vanity, levity, or folly; and, ftrange to tell, after a farther acquaintance with the fair fex, he was fometimes inclined to fufpect, that of the latter defcription, too many abounded, and that the former were, alas! indeed very fcarce. He always wifhed, however, to banish this idea, and the time he paffed with the young ladies he confidered amongst the happieft portions of his life.

In the number of Rudents at St Andrews with whom Frederick had formed an acquaintance, was Lord Bingley, an excellent young man, and only fon of the Earl of Alva, a rich Scotch nobleman of an ancient family. Lord Bingley was about the fame age with Frederick, and never did two minds bear a greater refemblance to each other, nor did a ftronger friendship ever exist than between him and Frederick. When the

college

college rofe, Frederick, at the request of Lord Bingley, accompanied him to Alva Caftle, where he had agreed to continue during part of the fummer. The Countefs of Alva was lately dead, and the Earl's family now confifted only of himself, Lord Bingley, and a daughter about nineteen years of age. The Earl of Alva being one of the Reprefentatives of the Scotch Peerage, was at this time attending his duty in Parliament, and the only perfons at the Caftle, befides the fervants, were Lady Emily Erskine, (the Earl's daughter) and one of her female acquaintances.

To an elegant perfon, fine complexion, and regular features, were united in Lady Emily Erskine a fweetness and animation of countenance, truly charming.

"Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her

eye,

"In ev'ry gefture, dignity and love." Pride and vanity, the ufual attendants of high rank, were strangers to her bofom. Her benevolence was extenfive: the was always in readiness to visit

"the cobweb'd cottage “With ragged wall of mould'ring mud,” there to wipe the tear from the eye of mifery.

Lady Emily's accomplishments and riches had occafioned many preffing proposals of marriage. These he had refufed. She had not yet met with a perfon who fhe thought would render her happy for life; for it was not high birth or great riches that attracted Lady Emily, if these were not accompanied with those virtues in the man which the confidered of much more confe

quence: a perfon poffeffed of a kind and feeling heart and generous difpofition, was a greater favourite than those "Who heed no widow's figh, no orphan's

moan,

"But glide thro' life 'twixt Luxury and Guilt."

Such was Lady Emily Erfkine when Frederick and the were introduced to each other.

The emotions of Frederick when firft in company with Lady Emily, were very different from any he had ever felt before in the company of the fair fex; he looked at nothing but her handsome form; he was covinced that none upon earth could equal her in beauty. When fke fpoke, he paid as much attention to

what the uttered, as if he had been fome fuperior being come from Heaven on purpose to inftruct him where to find happiness. His admiration increased daily, and he foon discovered, that if her perfonal accomplishments exceeded any he had ever beheld, thofe of her mind did fo, if poffible, in a greater degree. Nor was Lady Emily's opinion of Frederick lefs favourable, for although her brother's defcription of Frederick had prepared her for beholding a beautiful and accomplished youth, yet his appearance and converfation far exceeded her expectations, and fhe felt for him an affection to which fhe had formerly been a ftranger. These agreeable feelings were however rather damped, when she reflected upon the inequality of their fituations. She knew too well the great value the Earl attached to high rank, not to be perfuaded of the improbability, not to fay impoffibility, that, bent upon her marrying into fome ancient and nohle family, he would ever confent that she should be the wife of Frederick Ofmond. Frederick reafoned almoft in the fame manner. But notwithstanding of this difagreeable thought obtruding itfelf at times upon the minds of our rwo lovers, they had never before experienced fo much felicity as they now enjoyed in the company of each other. It muft not, however, be fuppofed that the prefence of Frederick caufed Emily to forget her favourite employment of adminiftering comfort to the unhappy; frequently did Frederick accompany her to the cottage of the diftreffed, and there view her diffufing joy and gladness, as far as it was in her power, to all around.

Frederick thus enjoying the company of his beloved Emily, and his affectionate friend, Lord Bingley, there was little wonder, that, before receiving a letter from his father, wherein he expreffed his furprise at his long refidence at the Caftle, he had continued nearly the whole fummer without thinking of leaving Alva Caftle to go to Belgrave House, the refidence of his father.

Frederick was naturally anxious and happy to obey the wishes of his father, but at this time he felt them very uneafy; as they were to be the cause of his leaving the object whom he adored, and of being deprived of her agreeable conversation, and those delightful rambles which they often had had in the fummer evenings among the beautiful

woods

woods around Alva Caftle. Nor was Emily lefs unhappy at the idea of his departure; but it was fome confolation to them both, that Frederick was to fpend part of next fummer again at the Caftle. Frederick at length departed from the Castle, regretted by all its inhabitants. He foon reached Belgrave Houfe, where he was received with the greatest delight, and the family all re. joiced to fee him return fo much improved.

Frederick, during the time he continued at Belgrave houfe, although his father's library contained the moft entertaining and inftructive books, notwithstanding the kind attentions he received from his friends and acquaintances, and the opportunity he enjoyed of receiving his ufual pleafure from viewing the wild and romantic fcenes furrounding Belgrave houfe, could not contraft his prefent fituation with the one he occupied at Alva Caftle without feeling a filent regret: his thoughts often recurred to thofe happy days in which he enjoyed the company of Emily, which now appeared only as a pleafing dream; and the fear of not obtaining the consent of the Earl to their union, even although he were fo fuccefsful as to gain her affections, quite altered his temper, and from being of a gay and lively difpofition, he was become difcontented and melancholy. The thought that he should never call Lady Emily his own was painful, but the idea that he fhould hear of her being the wife of another, was beyond all defcription dreadful. As he did not with, however, to give his relations the leaft uneafinefs, he endeavoured to keep up his fpirits while in their prefence, and he returned to college without their fufpecting that any thing lay heavy at his heart.

His behaviour at college was very different from what it formerly was: he was not now the chearful ftudent, but the thoughtful and retired. He fcarcely paid any attention to thofe young ladies whofe company formerly gave him pleasure: when he contrafted them with Emily, he found them very deficient indeed. His principal happinefs confifted in purfuing his ftudies, in the fociety of Lord Bingley, who again attended the college, and in the profpect of foon being prefent with Emily.

The way in which Frederick conducted himself at college, confirmed

Lord Bingley in the belief of what he had previously fufpected, namely, of his attachment to his fifter, and he was likewife of opinion that he had as ardent a regard for him. This discovery would have given him great pleasure, had he not been convinced that his father would not agree to fuch an unequal match. The union of his fifter with Frederick, he faw would render both happy, and he could not but regret that wrong ideas of wealth and power fhould prevent it. Bingley was of opinion, that riches were only ufeful fo far as they added to the happinefs of mankind'; when they had not this tendency, he confidered them of no confequence, and he was extremely forry when the ideas of mankind were fo ftrangely perverted, as to prefer the poffeffion of riches to the enjoyment of real happiness, or to make riches a bar to the happiness of others.

Upon the rifing of the college, Frederick and Lord Bingley repaired to Alva Caftle. The countenances of Emily and Frederick teftified the great pleafure they felt at again meeting. Frede rick was of opinion that Emily's beauty if poffible was improved, and the thought that he was more charming than before. The Earl was by this time returned from London, and his behaviour foon confirmed the fears of Frederick. His proud difpofition and lofty manner foon banifhed Frederick's most diftant hopes refpecting Emily, and he at once was convinced of the propriety of being cautious in fhewing any attachment to her before her father.

While the Earl was at the caftle, Frederick and Emily did not deem it prudent to walk or have any long conver fation together without the prefence of another perfon: they, however, the first time he was abfent, embraced the opportunity of taking a walk to the neigh. bouring cottages, in order to visit their poor inhabitants. They fet out in a delightful evening in the month of July,

the air was calm and ferene, and every thing wore a pleafing afpect. Their eyes feafted on the rich scenery around the Caftle, and their ears were charmed with the bleeting of the fheep, and the warblings of the birds. On the one hand was the Caftle with its lofty turrets rifing in proud majefty, furrounded with pleafure grounds, laid out with the greateft tafte, and enlivened

by