Night drew her murky mantle o'er the face of nature, full charged clouds emitted fheets of rain and repeated flashes of forked lightning, pointed only the dreary wafte 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 inceffant roaring of a tempeftuous fea, fmote his foul with awe-bending his knees to heaven, he fervently befought protection amid the war of elements. At this moment a stream of lightning ftruck the rockthe cement of ages, in an inftant, crumbled into atoms, and ftunned with the fhock, the warrior lay fenfelefs to the unpiting fury of the ftorm.

*

(A page of the manufcript defaced.)

D3

CHAP. VIII.

Woe to the hand that shed this coftly 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 fhail fmell above the earth.

Ere the bat hath flown

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

Shakespeare:

Diftraction-Murder.

'WHERE's my Elwina,' cried the unfor

tunate baron, haftening towards the caftle, Where's my Elwina!-God of my forefathers!--Mysterious Providence !--the ways of truth and righteoufnefs 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 downcaft eyes fhewed 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 ftarted-and the word murder founded awful in his ear! The vaffal 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 fhe stood before the warrior.

Why this affliction in my family-why are my domestics immerfed in ftupifying 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, fhuddering with horror, and unable to conjecture the defpondency of his vaffals, flew to the dread apartment-the curtains of the richly decorated bed were closed, 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 ftretching forth his arms to embrace his beauteous partner -he found A LIFELESS CORPSE!!

CHAP. IX.

Is refignation's lesson hard
Examine-we fhall find

That duty gives up little more
Than anguifh of the mind.

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

མ

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

CROPT

ROPT like a rofe before it's fully blown, or half it's sweets difclos'd,' lay the peerlefs Elwina-a few short summers had only bloomed their fragrance o'er her head, when fhe was called from fcenes tranfitory, to the "bofom of her father and her God.''

(A confiderable part of the manuscript injured.)

Orders were iffued 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 monaftery, where repofed in peace, for feveral generations, the farfamed warriors of the houfe of Percy-the flowers in the hands of the forrowing domeftics, were moistened with tears-the piteous lament of the poor cottagers, who lived upon her kindness, pierced the heart of humanity, and fhewed to the paffing 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, caufed fweet refponfive founds; together with the nodding hearfe and fable plumes, and standards, raised on high, with the armorial bearings of the illustrious houses of Percy and of Alwyne, presented a scene inexpreffibly interesting and fublime.

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