"your aunt this ring, the pledge of "reconciliation and peace. Keep this "miniature till James can understand "that it is his mother's likeness. Ye guardian angels, watch over thefe "innocents!-All gracious Parent of "the friendless, in mercy protect my "babes from my faults and my for-. "rows!

"Watch," said fhe, addreffing Henry Powerscourt," my unhappy lord. Do "not abandon him to his first forrows. "Time will foften his defpair. Tell

him that his repentant wife bleffes his "goodness, and dies in hopes of meet

ing him in a better world. I would "have told him fo; but the fight of "him awakes infupportable anguish.

Urge him to comply with my last "request, and receive my children into "your hofpitable dwelling. And you, "my Chriftian monitor! (looking at

" Mr

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"Mr. Evans), early inftil into their "minds those principles which repel "temptation and fupport diftrefs. O "that lord Monteith would feek con"folation at the healing fountain of sal"vation!"

Her once radiant eyes gradually af fumed a glaffy dimnefs, yet, though no longer able to diftinguish objects, they continued fixed on that part of the room where her children ftood. Her clammy hands grafped Mrs. Powerfcourt's with convulfive eagerness, and the laft founds that quivered on her lips were fupplications for mercy.

So terminated the short exiftence of the lovely and amiable Geraldine, to whom nature, art, and fortune feemed prodigal of their favours, the faithful friend, the dutiful daughter, the obfervant wife, the tender mother. One fatal weakness, combining with the arts of

of a base feducer, annihilates all this excellence, blafts the fair promife of many happy years, and drives her to the refuge of a premature grave.

Does no folemn truth speak from her carly bier? Does no warning voice repel the flutter of the heart which throbs for adulation, or arreft the career of those who, madly purfuing fame or pleasure, expofe domeftic happiness, the only "blifs of paradife which has furvived the fall," to cafual attacks of ignorance, the fubtile malignity of fyl tematic depravity, and the certain ruin of indifference and neglect? In vain does perverfe human nature create fictitious bleffings, and wafte its reftlefs hours in the purfuit of visionary delights, difdaining the pure and peaceful comforts which God and nature allow to all, a guiltless confcience, focial enjoyment, felf-poffeffion, and content.

CHAP. XLV.

Vain man! 'tis Heaven's prerogative
To take, what first it deign'd to give,
Thy tributary breath:

In awful expectation plac`d,

Await thy doom, nor impious hafte

To pluck from God's right hand his inftruments of

death.

WARTON.

MRS. POWERSCOURT, whofe reftrained forrow had forborne to interrupt the parting foul, funk upon the lifelefs corpfe of her friend, and preffed the yet-warm lips with a fervid kifs. Then receiving the terrified children into her arms, "Ever dear and facred truft," fhe exclaimed, "living images of your "angel mother: dear loft companion! "pleafing friend! faithful partaker of all

my youthful joys!-By all the anguish "of this excruciating feparation,-by all

"the

&c

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"the endearing remembrances which. my impaffioned memory fhall ever "preferve,-by all my hopes of meeting thy approving spirit in a happier "world, I will difcharge my trust to "these sweet innocents, and for their "fakes fubdue the keen regret which "would make life appear a barren de"fert, bereft of thy endearing loveli"ness."

To the raving defperation of lord Monteith no pen can do justice. Unufed to calamity, and indignant of felfreproach, his ftubborn heart refufed to fubmit to the righteous but severe punifhment; and his galled confcience ftarted from the terrifying accufation, that he, "like the bafe Judean, had "flung a pearl away richer than all his "tribe."

He fought to filence the horrors of remorse by the most extravagant affection:

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