a little unaccountable, in afking for a power injurious to the interefts of her own children. The lady, however, perfifted in the requeft, which was indeed the only one fhe urged; and the matter being referred to lord Monteith, he, with lover-like complacency, infifted that all oppofition on the part of his counsel should be immediately withdrawn.

It was alfo ftipulated, that fir William fhould be gratified with the company of his daughter and fon-in-law for three months every year at Powerfcourt. The good baronet, on propofing this condition, explained the motives to lord Monteith: "I do not "doubt, my lord, but that as you will "foon have a pretty large concern in "these parts, you will be anxious to

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get acquainted with the neighbour"hood, and to know the characters of 66 your

your dependants. I am now, my "lord, very old, and every thing must "foon be yours and Geraldine's. It

gives me pleasure to think that I shall "leave you a fet of upright worthy te"nants; and I trust you will act a fa"ther's part by them, as I and my an"cestors always have done. I will in"troduce them all to you before you "leave us. Poor fouls! they have been "used to have their landlords live " among them on free and fociable "terms, and it will grieve them not "to fee the chimnies of Powerscourt "fmoke as they used to do. However, "I fhall not expect that your lordship "can live here more than four months "in the year when it comes to be your "own; I know I know you have a feat in Par"liament, and when very particular "business is going on, you must cer"tainly be in London; for the affairs of "the

«

the nation are of more confequence "than the interests of fifty or fixty "country yeomen. You have a very "fine castle too of your own near Loch "Lomond, falling quite to decay, I "hear, your ancestors having neglected "it for feveral years. That is a fad pity, "I think: doubtlefs, my lord, you will "wish to go down there and fit it up again. Geraldine will be very happy "to affift you in beautifying it, and "making it a comfortable refidence."

It will not be very furprising that fome local reflections fhould induce fir William to lay a particular stress on the word comfortable. Lord Monteith, ftarting from a reverie, exclaimed, “O, un"doubtedly!" Sir William, who difcovered that he had been totally abfent during his whole harangue, perceiving the object which had fixed his attention, fmiled,

i

fmiled, and forgave him. Nor will my readers be inexorable, when I tell them that the object was the beautiful Geraldine, who, with her "loofe hair floating in the wind," unconscious that the attracted any obfervations, fwept the foft ftrings of her harp in a neighbouring alcove, and chaunted, with her melodious voice, the following air:

Come, Cupid, with ambrofial flowers,
Rear'd in thy own Idalian bowers,

My nuptial wreath adorn;

Here let the purple am'ranth bloom,
Mix'd with the lily's chafte perfume,
And a rofe without a thorn.

O! hafte, each claffic fymbol choose,
The laurel facred to the Mufe

Of elegance and tafte;

With these thy Mother's myrtle bind,
Best emblem of a placid mind,
With gifts perennial grac'd!

I do not ask thy frolic hand
To weave the perishable band
That fades on fashion's brow;
My conftant foul a tie requires,
Firm as the virtue which infpires
And dignifies my vow.

Give me the mild perfuafive art,
Which holds the captivated heart
In unregretted toils;

Shed thy own luftre o'er my face,
When beauty mourns each ravish'd grace,
And youth no longer fmiles.

Perplexing doubts my bofom tear:

Oh! let me fan with veftal care

The Hymeneal fire;

Guard it from paffion's wild extreme,

And bid its falutary beam

With life alone expire* !

Having

* Mrs. Prudentia is very forry that she has not abfolutely conformed to the opinion of the Reviewers, who bestowed fuch liberal praise upon her profe, by entirely banishing the vagrant Mufe. She has a molt unlucky knack of "hitching