Puslapio vaizdai
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cured, the dress befpoke, and the party formed for the happy occafion. He for once cordially acquiefced in her wishes, by declaring, that it was the very plan he meant to propose. "I am fure, my "dear," faid he, "your health has "been greatly injured by living in this "fmoky unwhole fome place; and the "late hours and conftant racketing have "worn your poor nerves all to pieces. "You have quite loft your colour, and " are not half fo cheerful as you used "to be when galloping over the Welsh "mountains; but a little good country "air will foon fet all to rights again; "and fo take leave of your friends; for, "fince you wifh it, I am determined to "fet off for Powerfcourt on Monday "morning."

The general tenor of fir William Powerfcourt's character was yielding philan thropy, but he could at times affume a

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quiet firmnefs which difconcerted oppofition. Her ladyfhip múlt either dif pute or faint, and the chofe the latter as the most gentlewomanlike ftyle of contradiction. Sir William was very forry, and very affiduous to restore her; but the reviving fair faw no figns of compunction in his countenance, did he, by inquiring after the caufe of her diforder, give her an opportunity of pointing out the only means of preventing a relapfe. Indeed, he was become rather callous to die-away arguments; and though his native candour spurned fufpicion, their frequent recurrence led him to doubt the existence of the ftomach fpafms whence this difagreeable excurfion had originated. I mean by thefe obfervations to caution my readers to be very sparing in the ufe of these chef-d'auvres of female generalfhip, because the too great frequency of an D 6 ambuf

ambuscade only puts the enemy more constantly upon his guard. Violent hyfterics, floods of tears, and every fign of gentle defpondency, confirmed'fir William in the conviction that his lady's life depended upon her removing immediately from a place where she was fo dreadfully indisposed; and she found herfelf on Monday morning on the road to Caernarvonshire, maugre the opinion of all the fine ladies of her acquaintance, united to her own, that she was much too weak to bear the journey, and would certainly expire before he got twenty miles out of London.

CHAP. V.

With here a fountain, never to be play'd,
And there a summer house, that knows no shade;
Here Amphitrite fails through myrtle bow'rs ;
There gladiators fight, or die, in flow'rs.

РОРЕ.

THE traveller who purfues a road with which he is unacquainted always finds. unexpected pleasures mingled with unforeseen misfortunes. A bright funbeam often diffipates the gloom of a dreary country; the inconvenience of a rugged road is frequently counterbalanced by the magnificence of the furrounding scenery; an occafional companion relieves fatigue; and even the mortification of a bad inn and indifferent accommodations generally tends to heighten the relifh of future convivial enjoyments.

The

The pilgrim who fpeeds along the road of life generally encounters a fimi-lar mixture of pain and pleafure; not merely in the aggregate, but intimately blended in every event. The rose grows fo close to the thorn, that you cannot gather it without encountering a painful fenfation; while on the other hand our attention is diverted from the minute wound by the exquifite fragrance of the flower. The pains and pleafures of man, like the world he inhabits, "partake of the viciffitude of his own character. I beg pardon for these feemingly irrelevant reflections; but the garrulity of old age can feldom refift an opportunity of moralifing.

Nothing could be more melancholy than the fituation in which I left lady Powerscourt in my laft Chapter, except that of fome fair damfel in romance, whom a terrible Saracen is carrying away

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