entered, he muttered fomething; but fo inaudibly, that he did not comprehend a fyllable. For fome days he fancied her kindness to him had diminished, in proportion as Matilda's increased. There was no accounting for it. Either fhe deemed Alan too abject a connection for her young friend, or entertained a paffion for him herielf.

The latter did not feem probable, when, with very little ceremony, the took occafion to infinuate, that, having altered her route, it would be neceffary for them to part; as the purposed to proceed by Baleada to Fort Auguftus, which did not lie in his journey to Inverness.

Alan, who could fcarce prevail upon himfelf to credit what he heard, liftened with anguish and furprife. The following morning prefented him with a trial ftill more levere. Rifing, as had been ufual with him, to enjoy a fhort converfation with Matilda, before her companion joined them at breakfaft, he heard with aftonishment that fome hours had elapfed fince their departure. The people of the houfe were unable to explain, either the route they had taken, or the motives which occafioned fo extraordinary a determination. All the intelligence he could obtain, amounted to a vague conjecture refpecting the conduct of Matilda; which was reported, as ungrateful to her patronefs; although Alan deemed the imputation cenforious and abfurd.

It was upon the fecond morning after this melancholy feparation, when, having paft a fleepless night, our youth entered a narrow pafs, between fome high mountains, in the vicinity of Inverness. The fun, with more than ufual fplendour, caft an effulgent brightness upon every object around him. " All Nature fimiles," faid he, " and every heart but mine is joyful! I alone, a wretched exile, urge my weary progrefs in folitude and forrow."

1

As he uttered these words, with trembling hands, and fearful expectation, he once more ventured to infpect the fatal talifman. A reflefs and invincible defire to contemplate again the lovely features of Matilda, entirely fubdued the weak philofophy which had hitherto induced him to forego a luxury fo exquifite. Repeated punishment, in confequence of his imprudent gratifications, had almoft ftifled the remaining embers of his curiofitv. The experi

ment he knew was dangerous, but the temptation was irrefiftible.

A thick mift fpread itself over the glass as he raised it to his eyes, and becoming speedily difperfed, was fucceeded by feveral floating characters, which foon arranged themfelves on the furface in more legible order; until at length he beheld plainly the following words: Alan! Alan! paufe a while! Outward forms thy mind beguile; Never will a woman's fchemes Realize thy father's dreams; Wouldst thou make Matilda thine? Thou must all thy hopes refign; Alan! now behold and fee, Mark Matilda's chastity!

What words can exprefs his dismay and aftonishment in beholding, as the letters receded from his obfervation, the lovely figure of his Matilda, cafting her white arms round the neck of a young foldier, who feemed devouring her with kiffes. Proftrate on her knees before them knelt her amiable companion; grafping with her hands Matilda's garments, while the tears poured down her cheeks, and her attitude evinced every fymptom of the moft earneft fupplication.

"Accurfed infamy!" exclaimed the frantic youth, in agonies of indignation and defpair, "and doubly curfed be the malignant dæmon who thus insults my feelings with his deteftable machinations!"

So faying, with increafing fury, he dafhed the talifman against the rocks; when, to his unfpeakable furprise and confternation, instead of fragments, which he expected to fee flying in all directions, ten thoufand fairies, in bright rays of glory, burst upon his view.

In the midft ftood Oberon, mounted on a lofty car, whofe burning radiance. dazzled all before it. Over his lucid arms a veft of purple waved in undulating folds; while numberlefs inferior Genii hovered in fantaftic forms, and fluttered round. Meanwhile, a voice,, which vibrated upon his very heartftrings, thus addressed him:

66

Behold, rafh youth the accomplishment of my prediction! The moment is arrived, in which the knowledge thou haft acquired, induces thee to imprecate the medium by which that knowledge was conveyed. It has fallen to thy lot to behold the folly of a prying difpofition, and dearly haft tho purchased thy experience. Profit by

the

the leffons you have received; be wife and cautious.

“The purpose is fulfilled for which thy talifman was beftowed. It remains only to remove the veil which conceals from human forefight the myfterious operations of Providence. The ways of Heaven are dark and intricate; but full of wifdom, justice, and mercy. The prefentations of thy glafs correfponded with the empty gratifications of idle curiofity; an external contemplation with out inward knowledge; a profpect of events, without any intimation of their caufes.

"When compaffion for the unfortunate induced thee to beftow thy charity on the foldier, what prompted thee to intrude upon his private moments? Having diftributed thy money generously, it is oftentation to purfue it afterwards. Yet fuffer not the difappointment thou didst experience to diminith thy benevolence. Be charitable, and spare not in thine offerings to the poor. Be ready to believe the tale of diftrefs, and give ear to the prayer of the miferable. Better to fail ten times, by helping the unworthy, than fuffer one deferving object to go away in want. These are actions that will give peace to thy flumbers, and cover thine eyelids with repofe. Thus wilt thou be enabled to meet death without fear, and approach the grave without difinay. Thus will thy life be honourable, and thy laft days comfortable. The remembrance of the paft will foothe the hours of fickness, and the glow of confecious virtue will difpel the coldness of approaching diffolution.

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Thy father's conduct in destroying thy faithful maftiff was an act of felfprefervation and humanity. On the morning after thy departure he found him raving with the Hydrophobia.

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Refpecting label and Theodore thy punishment was juft. They had long been plighted to each other, and nothing but thine unwarrantable vanity prevented thee from obferving her attachment to another. If the union had taken place during your refidence in Olingra, the confequences of your anger would have been dangerous to Theodore.

'The vision you beheld in the cotthge of the fisherman, prevented you from overtaking the friend whom you purfued. The information you receive

ed from the lips of that abandoned prof titute was not without veracity; altho her motive for communicating the intelligence was iniquitous and deteftable. The hand of justice will speedily avenge her crimes. Had you pursued your inquiries upon your arrival at Tain, you would have difcovered that your friend was at that moment in the town. But biaffed by the effect of idle curiofity, you loft the only opportunity of finding him. He came in purfuit of you, upon the fudden death of your good fatherwho has left you more than you imagined he poffeffed.

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Return, therefore, to a life of innocence, of induftry, and peace; nor feek to realize, in a wicked world, the miftaken notions of thy parent refpecting thy future greatness. The fpotless, the beautiful Matilda, at her father's manfion by the waters of Brora, waits anxioufly for thy arrival. The woman with whom thou faweft her is an abominable Procurefs; who roaming from the Brothels of Edinburgh, in fearch of victims for proftitution, inveigled Matilda by her fnares. The foldier who embraced her, was her brother. He knew too well the character of her companion; and meeting with his fifter, by the way, as he proceeded on a vifit to his family, releafed her from the clutches of her infamous betrayer. The fupplications you witneffed, were the intreaties of confcious guilt imploring mercy from the hands of those it attempted to injure.

'Alan, adieu! Propitious powers direct thy ways-be virtuous, and be happy!"

Thus ended Oberon; and inftantly the hoft of fairies, in moving myriads, clofed around him. Then rifing in a mafs, foared rapidly aloft, till, like a vapour blending with the atmosphere, they gradually disappeared.

Amazement, joy, and terror, by turns poffeffed the breaft of Alan. He looked, around him, but not a trace appeared, either of his broken talifman, or the glorious affemblage of fupernatural agents, whofe tranfitory vifitation had alarmed and dazzled him. All was filent and folitary. Even the birds, as if confcious of fome preternatural appearance, remained mute among the branch

es.

The wind was hufhed, the fky ferene, and the fon of Modred, offering up a prayer of gratitude, measured back his footfteps towards the mountains of Clingra.

POETRY.

And to feek the known spot, a lanthorn the bore,

Its gleam made the fcene more forlorn." Mid-way thro' the gloom of the foreft he prefs'd,

Her heart it was fad, and her fteps they were flow;

More dreary and wild was this spot than the reft,

Each object with horror her fick fancy drefs'd,

Each blaft murmur'd tidings of woe.

The wild are of frenzy had pictur'd her

look,

As fhe follow'd the fhade by the hoarfe murm'ring brook,

Till they came to the kirk's holy ground. The form disappear'd-Mary ftumbled the fell,

Her heart feem'd to burft with a groan; Henry's corfe by the glare of her lamp fhe could tell

It was cold-his kind fpirit was gone. Her hands met her view with his blood they were ftain'd,

Reafon's fmile no more play'd on her face; The Maniac's mad laugh alone now remain'd,

Her cheeks not a drop of their pure blood retain'd,

Despair had ufurp'd every grace.

She left not the spot ere the morning fun fhone,

In filence the fits all the day; Till each faint fhade of light from the west fhall be gone,

Then feeks the the wood's dreary way. And ever he goes by the hoarfe-founding brook,

And to the church-yard's holy ground,
On the tomb-ftone's grey mofs does the

reft-and her look

From the blood-ftained fpot the never yet took,

Where her Henry's cold body was found. Edinburgh, 29 May 1800.

FOR THE EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

J. R.

And though thy laurel crown the demon pow'r

bear,

All trembling the lean'd on a tree;

The voice of her love founded low in her

ear,

Faint and paly his form did the fee.

He wav'd flow his hand, and the narrow path took,

No terror her limbs longer bound;
Ed. Mag. June 1800.

blaft;

Juft where the parting bough's light fhadows play,

Scarce in the fhade, nor in the fcorching day,

Stretch'd on the turf he lies, a peopled bed, Where fwarming infects creep around his head.

The fmall duft-colour'd beetle climbs with pain

O'er the smooth plantain leaf, a fpacious plain!

Thence higher ftill, by countless steps convey'd,

He gains the fummit of a shiv'ring blade, And flirts his filmy wings, and looks around,

Exulting in his distance from the ground. The tender fpeckled moth here dancing feen,

The vaulting grasshopper of gloffy green,
And all prolific Summer's fporting train,
Their little lives by various powers fuftain.
But what can unaffisted vifion do ?·
What, but recoil where most it would pur-

fue:

His patient gaze but finish with a figh, When mufic waking fpeaks the sky-lark nigh.

Juft ftarting from the corn the chearly fings,

And trufts with conscious pride her downy wings;

Still louder breathes, and in the face of day Mounts up, and calls on Giles to mark her way.

Clofe to his eyes his hat he inftant bends, And forms a friendly telescope, that lends Juft aid enough to dull the glaring light, And place the wand'ring bird before his fight;

Yet oft beneath a cloud fhe fweeps along, Loft for a while, yet pours her varied fong: He views the fpot, and as the cloud moves by,

Again the ftretches up the clear blue sky; Her form, her motion, undistinguished quite,

Save when the wheels dired from fhade to

light:

In fafety hous'd throughout Night's length'ning reign,

ཝཱ

The cock fends forth a loud and piercing ftrain ;

More frequent, as the glooms of midnight flec

And hours roll round, that brought him liberty,

When Summer's early dawn, mild, clear, and bright,

Chas'd quick away the transitory nightHours now in darkness veil'd; yet loud the fcream

Of geefe impatient for the playful stream; And all the feather'd tribe imprison'd raise Their morning notes of inharmonious praise; And many a clamorous hen and cockeril gay, When day light flowly through the fog breaks way,

Fly wantonly abroad: but ah, how foon
The fhades of twilight follow hazy noon,
Short'ning the bufy day!-day that flides by
Amidst th' unfinish'd toils of Husbandry;
Toils that each morn resum'd with double
care,

To meet the icy terrors of the year;
To meet the threats of Boreas undifmay'd,
And Winter's gathering frowns and hoary
head.

Then welcome, Cold; welcome, ye snowy
nights!

Heaven, midft your rage, shall mingle pure delights;

And confidence of hope the foul fuftain,
While devaftation fweeps along the plain;
Nor fhall the child of poverty defpair,
But blefs the Power that rules the change
ing year;

Affur'd-though horrors round his cottage. reign

The Spring will come, and Nature fmile again *.

and