Night drew her murky mantle o'er the face of nature, full charged clouds emitted sheets of rain and repeated flashes of forked lightning, pointed only the dreary waste before him. Unable to contend against the storm, the benighted Alwyne fought a refuge aneath the shelter of a loofe hanging rock. The dreadful, convulfions of nature, joined to an incessant roaring of a tempestuous sea, smote his foul with awe-bend-ing his knees to heaven, he fervently befought protection amid the war of elements. At this moment a stream of lightning struck the rockthe cement of ages, in an instant, crumbled into atoms, and stunned with the shock, the war-rior lay fenfeless to the unpiting fury of the

storm.

CHAP. VIII.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophecy,
Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utt'rance of my tongue

That this foul deed shail smell above the earth.

His cloifter'd flight-ere to black Hecate's summons
The hard-horn beetle, with his drowsy hums
Hath rung night's yawning peal, there shall be done
A deed of dreadful note.

Distraction-Murder.

'WHERE's my Elwina, cried the unfor

castle,

tunate baron, hastening towards the Where's my Elwina!-God of my

forefathers!--Mysterious Providence!--the ways of truth and righteousness have I hitherto invariably followed-why am I tortured thus?'

An attendant met him-his face pourtrayed the preface to a melancholy tale-his folded arms and downcast eyes shewed anxiety of mind - Where's your lady,' again demanded the

chieftain. The pitying domeftic, hiding his countenance with the skirts of his mantle, burst into tears-he attempted to speak-grief choked utterance-the baron started and the word murder founded awful in his ear! The vassal abruptly left his lord

The affectionate Martha encountered her master afcending the marble steps leading to the apartment of his lady-the eye of this faithful attendant was dimmed, and nature's dew-drops coursed down her venerable cheek-trembling she stood before the warrior.

• Why this affliction in my family-why are my domestics immersed in stupifying grief?' cried Sir Alwyne.

Martha, to whom speech was denied, pointed to the chamber of Elwina, and leaned for fupport against the wall.

The baron, shuddering with horror, and unable to conjecture the defpondency of his vassals, flew to the dread apartment-the curtains of the richly decorated bed were clofed, and overcome by the torture of fufpence, he funk upon his knees by it's fide- My Elwina!-my best beloved !'-he cried thy own Alwyne speaks to thee-how fares my love?' and stretching forth his arms to embrace his beauteous partner -he found A LIFELESS CORPSE!!

CHAP. IX.

Is resignation's lesson hard
Examine-we shall find
That duty gives up little more
Than anguish of the mind.

He bends not o'er the mansions of the dead,
Where lov'liness and grace in ruin lie,
" In fure and certain hopes" he lifts his head,
And faith presents her in her native fky.

The Funeral Procession-Gratitude in humble Life -Fortitude-the Infirmity of human NatureSickness-Impiety.

C

ROPT like a rose before it's fully blown, or half it's sweets disclos'd, lay the peerless Elwina-a few short summers had only bloomed their fragrance o'er her head, when she was called from scenes tranfitory, to the 'bofom of her father and her God.'

(A confiderable part of the manuscript injured.)

Orders were issued for the funeral, and the once boasted beauty of the north closed her journey in the cementery of her forefathers.

The proceffion moved by torch-light from the caftle to the neighbouring monastery, where reposed in peace, for several generations, the farfamed warriors of the house of Percy-the flowers in the hands of the forrowing domestics, were moistened with tears-the piteous lament of the poor cottagers, who lived upon her kindness, pierced the heart of humanity, and shewed to the passing stranger, a grateful incenfe, offered from humble life, to heaven-born charity. Above all, the pious demeanour of the affiftant nuns and friars, who joined in a mournful threnody, that wafted heavenly strains upon the evening breeze, and borne by Echo, caused fweet responsive founds; together with the nodding hearse and fable plumes, and standards, raised on high, with the armorial bearings of the illustrious houses of Percy and of Alwyne, presented a scene inexpressibly interesting and fublime.

Sir Alwyne held not the exterior of forrowcalm and dignified he heard the requiem for departed fouls-he saw her, whom living, his heart doated upon,-in death, deeply lamented -bowing his head to heaven, he piously exclaimed thy will be done!"