the utmost sweetness and fenfibility, and yet there is a dignity in her manner which commands refpect.

The intimacy between the father of Eugenio and Agreftis produced a tender friendship between his fifter and Amelia, which began in their infancy, and increased with their years.

Such characters as Amelia and Eugenio, could not be long familiarly known to each other, without exciting mutual esteem: the transition from esteem to love, between perfons of different fexes, is often imperceptible even to themselves; and, perhaps, was not difcovered till long after it had happened, either by Eugenio or Amelia. When he returned from the univerfity, fhe was about eighteen! as her ftature and her beauty were greatly increafed during this interval, their first effect upon Eugenio was proportionably greater; and he perceived from whatever cause, a more fenfible emotion in her. He had too much difcernment not to dif cover that she loved him; and too much generofity not to conceal his love of her, because he was fo much her inferior in fortune: fometimes he reflected upon her partiality with pleasure, and fometimes with regret; but while they were thus mutually confcious to defires which they mutually fuppreffed, the late rebellion broke out, and Eugenio was commanded into Scotland. In this expedition he diftinguished himself equally by his courage and humanity and though he had not much money, and therefore could but seldom. difplay his bounty; yet his concern for the real intereft of his men was fo apparent, as well in fuch acts of kindness as were in his power, as in the ftrict discipline which he maintained among them, that his personal influence was very powerful and extenfive. During this

:

abfence,

absence, though he felt his passion for Amelia increase, notwithstanding all his attempts to fupprefs it; yet he never wrote to her, but contented himself with mentioning her in general terms, and including her in his remembrance of other friends, when he wrote to his father and his fifter.

When he returned, as his fifter's intimacy with Amelia ftill continued, his opportunities to fee her were equally frequent: but the pleasure of thofe interviews were become yet more tumultuous and confused; and the lovers were both confcious, that their fentiments were every moment involuntarily discovered to each other.

Amelia had difmiffed many fuitors, who were not less distinguished by their merit than their rank, because she still hoped to enrich Eugenio with her fortune; and Eugenio perfifted in a conduct by which this hope was disappointed, because he would not degrade Amelia by an alliance with dependence and poverty. The objections of duty might, indeed, have been removed by obtaining the confent of Agreftis; but thofe of honour would still have remained: he was not, however, abfolutely without hope; for though he had loft his uncle's fortune by obedience to his father, yet as he had greatly recommended himself to his commanding officer, who was of the highest rank, he believed it poffible that he might be advanced to a poft in the army, which would juftify his pretenfions to Amelia, and remove all his difficulties at once.

Agreftis wondered at the conduct of his daughter,. but neither asked nor fufpected her motives! for he had always declared, that as he believed he would never

marry against his confent, he would never urge her to marry against her own inclination.

Amelia, therefore, continued to decline every offer, and Eugenio to see her almost every day, without the leaft intimation of his love, till the beginning of the laft winter, when he loft his fifter by the small pox. His interviews with Amelia were now lefs frequent, and, therefore, more interefting: he feared, that as he would be seldom in her fight, the affiduities of fome fortunate rival might at length exclude him from her remembrance: he did not, however, faulter in his refolution, nor did Amelia change her conduct.

No. LXV. Tuesday, June 19. 1753.

Et furiis agitatus amor.

Love, which the furies irritate to rage.

VIRG.

Ir happened that about this time she was addressed by Ventofus, the eldest fon of a noble family; who, befides a large eftate, had great expectations from his father's influence at court. Ventofus, though he was ftrongly recommended by Agreftis, and was remarkable for perfonal accomplishments, was yet received with great coldnefs by Amelia : he was furprized, mortified, and difappointed; yet he continued his vifits, and was very diligent to difcover what had prevented his fuc

cefs.

cefs. One evening, juft as he was about to take his leave, after much ineffectual treaty and complaint, Eugenio unexpectedly entered the room. Ventofus inftantly remarked the embarrassment, both of his mistrefs and the stranger, whom he, therefore, supposed to be a rival, and no longer wondered at his own difappointment: these fufpicions were every moment confirmed and increafed for his prefence produced emotion which could neither be concealed nor mistake though by a less penetrating eye than that of jealouy, they might have been overlooked..

He was now fired with refentment and indignation;. and having left the room fomewhat abruptly, he was. met upon the stairs by Agreftis, with whom he defired to fpeak a few words in private. Agreftis turned back. into another apartment, and Ventofus told him with fome warmth, that he did not expect to have found his daughter pre-engaged; and that he could not help thinking himself ill treated. Agreftis, with equal warmth required him to explain his meaning; and after fome time had been spent in eager altercation, they parted in better temper; Agrellis perfuaded that a clandeftine love had been carried on between his daughter and Eugenio, and Ventofus convinced that Agreftis had never encouraged the pretenfions of his, rival..

Agreftis immediately fent for Amelia, and sternly urged her with many questions, which he could only

n;

anfwer with blushes and tears: her filence and confufion convinced him that. Ventofus was not mistaken and, therefore, defifting from enquiry, he feverely reprehended her for the past, and enjoined her never to converse with Eugenio again; to whom he also fignified

fied his difpleafure, and requested that to prevent farther uneafiness he would come no more to his house till Amelia fhould be married.

Eugenio, though his love was almost hopeless before, was yet greatly afflicted by this meffage; because he feared that Amelia had fallen under her father's displeasure, and that now he was become jealous of his authority he might be tempted to abuse it. As to feeure her peace was the principal object of his wifh, he concealed what had happened from his father, left a quarrel fhould be produced between him and Agreftis, in which Amelia's delicacy and tendernefs would be yet more deeply wounded. When a visit was intended to Agreftis, he always took care to have fome engagement at another place: Agreftis, however, as he had no conception of the principles upon which Eugenio acted, did not doubt but that he had communicated the reafon of his abfence to his father, and that his father was fecretly offended; but as he expreffed no refentment, he believed that his ambition had for once reftrained the petulance of his pride, that he diffembled to prevent an open rupture, and had ftill hopes of effecting the purpose which he had concerted with his fon.

A fufpicion of ill-will always produces it; but befides this cause of alienation, Agreftis had unjustly imputed a conduct to his friend, which rendered him the object of his contempt and averfion; he, therefore, treated him with coldness and referve, fuppofing that he well knew the caufe, and neglected to return his vifits without thinking it neceffary to affign any reason. This conduct was at length remarked by Orgilio, who confidered it as the caprice of a character which he always defpised;

he,