• View him inflicted by the poison of a corroding confcience--view him haunted by fleshless spectres, who call aloud for vengeance on their remorseless destroyer-mark the end of the wicked man-view him, weary with existence, die at the feet of a brother deeply injured.'

A dagger which had been concealed under his vestments, he hastily drew forth, and before the aftonished chieftain could stem the blow, the hopeless heir of mercy had plunged it deep into his guilty bofom.

Forgive me!-pray for mercy-oh! forgive me!' he exclaimed as he fell at the feet of his virtuous brother.

Convulsive agony feized the heart of the expiring victim-half raising himself, he threw open his arms-the afflicted baron encircled him in an embrace.

The pilgrim fixed his eyes above-shuddered- gazed his brother earnestly in the face -funk on the ground, and the spirit of the murderer fled!

Suddenly, shrieks were heard in the air, and fiends, loud-yelling, bore him, amid horrid shouts of triumph, to the feat of retributive justice.

NARRATIVE OF

HUBERT, Or the muRDERER.

'T

HE days of my humiliation are nearly at a close.-Prepare thy firmest resolution, nor fuffer thy wonted fortitude to forsake thee, on the perufal of this narrative of depravity. Whilft these lines, blotted by the tear of contrition, arrest thy ferious attention, the unfortunate victim of inordinate passions, fleeps in the filence of death-cold will be the hand of the murderer-cold will be the bosom that so lately

heaved in wickedness and the mortal frame inanimate as the green swarth that covers it. Thy mother was my mother! One womb contained us. • Give me a little earth for charity.'

' On the cold breeze of the waning night, my fupplications are wafted-the gates of mercy are Shut against me-and such is the register of my crimes, that the recording angel, shuddering seized the pen, and wrote in characters of blood!

It will be needless to enumerate the actions of my earliest days, nor the hatred which rankled in my bofom, at the jests of my companions for my cowardice. Suffice it to say, you loved Elwina, and your affection was returned by the blushing fair-one. I too, loved her-spoke to her on the fincerity of my affectionI was treated with contempt. From that hour I bowed to the malignant spirit of revenge-my paffion was converted into hate, and every act of kindness you shewed towards me, I viewed with a jaundiced eye. In folitude I fought relief-revenge-and the defign of murder!

Earl Percy was not to be deceived-there was a fanctity in his manners which gave authority, to his precepts, guided by the pruning hand of experience. He watched me narrowly --discovered my inhuman purpose--and to escape his wrath, I fled the now deferted mansion of the Percys. Would an avenging thunderbolt, hurled with double force, had struck me at the moment. Scenes of my youth-days of other times-cross not my recollection at this awful hour.

'Let me be brief-but oh! son of my father! when the dread page is opened to thy view, that shews to thee the murder of Elwina, wilt thou not hate the morn that faw me into being, and pour just curses on my departed spirit. Son of my mother, rake not my ashes with a curse!

'In a few days I arrived at the castle of De Courcy-the hofpitable owner received me with open arms, as the heir of the house of Alwyne. A plaufible tale foon won on his indulgent na-ture, and there I chose my refting place. Yet even in this calm retirement, I nursed the fatal propensities that accompanied me to ruin, and cherished still a paffion for the heiress of Lord Percy's fortunes.

6

De Courcy had a daughter, adorned with a native grace that captivates more than beauty.. Oh! Agnes!-I tremble, and my blood recoils when I write thy name! She saw me, and unfortunately loved Flattery, a fure guide to destruction, reached the mild bolom of poor Agnes. In an unguarded moment, she loft that innocence which should have protected her, and drooped a martyr to unrequited love and bafe duplicity..

F

'Soon, too foon, the effects of this illicit commerce were perceptible-she revealed to me, blushing as the orient morn, the delicacy of her fituation--begged me to remember my repeated vows of fidelity, and accompany her to the chapel.

'I promised the ill-fated daughter of De Courcy, and met her at the appointed hour. A folemn, filence reigned around, fave when echoing thro' the darkened vaults, were heard the piteous lament of Agnes.

Father of mercies, look with compaffion on me!-Oh! my brother!-there flowed in purple streams the spotless blood of this angelic maid! Fearful of the wrath of her infulted parent, on the discovery of the situation of his daughter, I stabbed her as she knelt for protection-she seized the murderous weapon from my grafp, and shrieked aloud for pity on her youth, but with Herculian force, I threw her from me her head struck against the tomb of De Courcy, and her brains lay scattered o'er the white marble monument of her ancestors. Callous to every principle of humanity, I threw her body down an opening vault, and fled!!

८

The forest, where murmuring steels along the filver streams of Coquet, was inhabited by a ferocious banditti. I joined the fons of rapine, and, famed for prodigality of blood, was shortly