Lisle's letter as it was possible to ffect it, lord Ashgrove returned home, to see what he could do to ameliorate the situation of his be loved sister, and favourite nephew. For my mother, he could do nothing; but St. Orville (it being then a long vacation), as De Lisle was going with him as a midshipman, he took on a cruise too. From that period, Alfred has passed a great deal of time with my uncle at sea ; and, from those visits, he imbibed such a passion for the navy, that he entreated lord Delamore's permission to enter into it: but my father, influenced by Mrs. Monk, peremptorily refused his supplication; and poor St. Orville, since his afflicting disagreement, and disgrace, with his father, has remained at sea with lord Ashgrove, sharing every danger annexed to the profession, without the full of glory it. ecured to St. Orville. This dutiful conduct to my mother incurred my father's implacable resentment: he furiously refused to add a shilling to her dower; and vehemently accused poor Alfred of wishing for his death, which his thinking of it plainly indicated and at length concluded with the terrible command, for St. Oville to quit his father's presence for ever. Dreadful was this grief to my mother; and unquestionably brought on that severe illness, in which we had so nearly lost her. The sad rupture I allude to arose solely from my beloved brother's strong affection for my mother..... You must know, miss De Clifford, the Delamore title ranks high in the British peerage, but the estates were small; and when my father married, the jointure of my mother was settled according to her moderate fortune, and lord Delamore's own: but since that period, wealth almost unbounded has flowed in upon my father; his two maternal uncles both died bachelors, and left immense wealth to my father.. St. Orville, shocked at the poor pittance my mother had to look to, should she survive my father, and recoiling from the idea of her being left in any way to the mercy of his father's heirs; and, above all, dreading malicious influence; the moment he became of age, urged my father to augment her jointure, offering to join in any settlement for her upon the Delamore estates-the only property 'Jealousy had added its baneful influence to my father's long-fostered, and artfully-fed, resentment to St. Orville; and here combined in drawing forth this terrible mandate. Alfred, about two years since, had a severe illness, in consequence of rescuing two fishermen and a boy from a watery grave: his life, for several days, was despaired of: and nothing could equal the affliction of every one in and around the castle. the domestics, all the tenantry, and all the neighbouring poor, adore St. Orville. The higher orders estimate him in an eminent degree; and all were in serious grief at the idea of losing him, cut off, by his humanity and courage almost unparalleled, in the flower of his youth. All In the castle, all was sorrow and despair; around it, men, women, and children, thronged, in anxious, weeping groups, to learn intelligence of him they loved. When the castle gates were closed, at night, the mul titude was there; and when opened in the morning, there were they found. The lowest peasant had no heart to work; children forsook their sports; and all was universal lamentation.-St. Orville recovered; and joy was, like grief, ungoverned. In every way it was demonstrated; and even labourers subscribed a day's hard earnings, to make bonfires, and spend it, in rejoicing for St. Orville's convalescence. "Very shortly after, my father had a severe illness; his life, too, was despaired of. The neighbouring rich and poor bore this with perfect resignation; and his subsequent recovery, with profound philosophic calmness. This deeply mortified my father, and no doubt irritated him more against poor Alfred, upon whom misdemeanours now were heaped; for immediately after his illness, his malicious foes pretended to discover in him a predilection for an amiable object of my dear mother's care and bounty. 'About twenty years ago, a child was brought, by a poor woman, to mamma, as an object for her charitable institution-an orphan asylum. My mother, struck by the beauty of the child, and a resemblance she instantly traced to my father, promptly resolved to protect the child. Knowing lord Delamore's inconstancies, she reasonably conjectured this to be his offspring; and questioned the woman relative to the little girl's parents. The woman's confusion, contradictory answers, and the terror she evinced, all combined to change my mother's suspicions into conviction. She took the little Mary to her arms, and to her heart; attended most particularly, herself, to her care and education; and soon discovered indications of a mind as superior in refinement and perfection, as her form was in elegance and loveliness, to the plebeian companions she was classed among. "Nature will evince herself," said my mother: "this child strongly proves the noble blood she sprung from: she shall be educated as lord Dlamore's daughter; and when grown to maturity, I will present her to him, as a little blossom I found, and cherished for his sake, and then offer to his affection." Accordingly, Mary was removed from the orphan asylum, and placed with. the widow of a clergyman, at Exeter: a most amiable, well-informed, accomplished woman; who having two daughters of her own to bring up, gladly undertook the education of Mary, as the very handsome allowance my mother made was an object of great advantage to Mrs. Spencer. With that lady the sweet as lovely Mary has continued ever since, advancing each hour in mental and personal perfection; the suspicion of her birth remaining unknown to my father (who had often seen her, and consi dered her merely as the protégée of my mother): until it was insinuated by Mrs. Monk, and Selina, that St. Orville had formed an attachment to Mary, which had my mother's infatuated approbation; when dreadful was the frensy of my father's rage; and my dear mother, to vindicate herself and beloved son, confessed her belief of Mary's parentage, "which had been her inducement to take her to her heart." This confession operated like magic, in calming the storm which agitated lord Delamore's bosom; but solemnly he denied Mary's being his offspring.' (To be concluded in our next.) ANECDOTE of MATTHEW PRior. MATTHEW, when he had left the office he had held under the administration of lord Oxford, became in the latter part of his life, like many an ex-minister, hypochondriacal. His active mind, not having any pabulum to feed it, began to prey upon itself. He became deaf, or at least thought himself so.-When some one asked him whether he had ever observed himself deaf when he was in office Faith,' replied he, I was then so afraid of my head, that I did not attend very much to my ears.' vir. A fawning, cringing bypocrite was he; His black aye bending was, and bland his mien, And much he talk'd, and simper'd prettily: Without being glad, he seem'd as if in glee, Without misfortune, he would sorrow feign; But to my theme. Next him a form He humour'd each, would each one's vassal advanc'd Of lovelier carriage and of nobler mien; Now his bright eye, as if in transport, glanc'd, And now in sadness he was musing seen. Around the world in search of wealth he'd been, Had frozen in Zembla, scorch'd 'neath For wealth had sacrific'd th'endearing scene be: If by his flattery he could obtain The sordid ore, repaid, he deem'd, each former pain. XII. There favour'd sometimes too a youth I saw, Whose cheeks were pale, by midnight tapers worn, Who oft the sigh of misery would draw, And seem'd by many a jarring passion torn; Now would he blest appear; and now forlorn; For not alike upon the wayward wight Did Fortune always smile; yet still from |