Engraved for the Lady's Magazine.

The South East View of LLEHAIDEN CASTLE // LLEHAIDEN CASTLE in Pembrokeshire?

As Anticipator has pre-imagined my encomium upon his letter, I shall not venture to fay any thing upon it, left it fhould, in his opinion, fall fhort of his merit.

confidence of an uninterrupted flow of words. This part of my machinations I actually perform before the glafs, and have more than once been furprised by my fervant in the oratorical pofture of affairs. Then I am entreated to take a part in adminiftration: with fome unwillingness AUCASSIN AND NICOLETTE.

I agree to do fo. I guide the councils, advance the honour of the nation, fettle the balance of power, humble the infolent, and protect the oppreffed. I read my own praises in the newspapers, laugh at their eulogies, and all this is done by the time my coffee is finished; for I never prefume to meddle with politics, but over that fapient beverage.

"The other night, tired with these scenes of greatnefs, I was reduced to the neceffity of going upon the stage. I appeared in tragedy. The ladies fainted: even the beaux applied their handkerchiefs to their eyes. It was unanimously the opinion that Garrick was outdone.O, the glorious hubbub! I proceeded to greater excellence; and, after having enjoyed the tortures of my audience till I was weary of the idea, I fat down to write this letter to you. I have already conceived how the public will diftinguish it from the rest of your papers, and your encomium at the beginning, and remain

❝ Yours ever,

"ANTICIPATOR.

"P. S. It is perfectly immaterial to me whether you receive this letter or not; for if you do not think it worth publishing, I fhall inftantly, in my imagination, introduce a new paper of my own to the public, which will not only eclipfe yours, but leave the Tatler, Guardian, Spectator, &c. &c. far behind it. The Reviews fhall teem with its praises: in a word, it shall arrive to the greateft degree of perfection, fuch as no fpeculative writer could ever before

attain."

VOL. XXVII.

A TALE.

C.

[From the Tales of the Minstrels; tranflated from the French of M. Le Grand.]

Thad, for the space of ten years,

HE count Bongars, of Valence,

waged a bloody war againft Garins, count of Beaucaire. Conftantly at the very gates of his city, with an hundred knights, and a thousand men at arms, did Bongars ravage and lay wafte the country. Garins, old and infirm, could no longer put himfelf at the head of his vaffals. Aucaffin, his fon, might have occupied his place with glory: he was a young man of great comeliness and ftrength; but love that fubdues all, had overpowered him, and had fo entirely engaged his mind, that he would hear neither of tournaments or battles.

Often did his parents fay to him, 66 Go, dearest fon, take a horse and arms, and fuccour your people.— With you at their head, they will with more ardent courage defend their walls, their homes, and their lives."

"Father, (Aucaffin would answer) I have already declared to you my fixed refolution. May God never grant my prayer, if I gird on a fword, mount a horse, or take part either in a tournament, or a combat, till you have agreed to let me have Nicolette, my lovely mistress, the fole object of my care."

"My good fon, (replied the father) you require what I cannot think of granting. That girl is not worthy of you. The vifcount of Beaucaire, my vaffal, who bought 30

her

her when an infant of the Saracens, and who, at her baptifm, deigned to be her fponfor, will marry her fome future day to one of her own rank, to fome slave obliged to fubfift by his labour. For your part, if you want a confort, I can procure you one of princely birth. Caft your eyes round France, and make your option: there is not a fovereign Jord who will not be happy to grant you his daughter, if we demand her." "Ah! my father, (rejoined Aucaffin) to what principality or kingdom on earth would not my charm -ing Nicolette be an ornament!"

The father infilled ftill farther; and the countefs enjoined her entreaties and her threats to thofe of the count, her husband; but all the anfwer they could get was, "My Nicolette is fo charming; her beauty and her kindness have fo wholly engaged my heart, that I can neither enjoy authority or life without her." When the count Garins faw that he could not wean his fon's affections from Nicolette, he went to find the viscount, his vaffal, and to defire that the might be banished from his dominions. The vifcount, who feared the refentment of Garins, engaged that the fhould be fent into a country fo remote, that he would never be heard of more. But he felt within himfelf a compunction that would not allow him to punith innocence, and to treat an unoffending virgin with fo much cruelty. He befides had an affection for her; and instead of fending her into exile, as he had promifed, he thought it enough to conceal her under his own care.

an old dame, who was made refponfible for the maid, and charged not to lofe fight of her.

Nicolette had beautiful fair locks, that waved in natural ringlets. Her eyes were blue and lively, her teeth fall, white and regular, and her face was admirably well-proportioned. Her waift was but a span in circumference. Her complexion refembled the rofe in the morning; her lips the cherry in fummer; and the two little orbs that fwelled out under her robe, tarnished the colour of the fnow. In fhort, there never was feen a more exquifite production of nature.

The poor orphan, when shut up in this prifon, found her only confo lation in going to the window. She caft her eyes upon the garden, where the flowers were blowing out, and the birds finging; and exclaimed piteoufly: "Unhappy creature that I am! Here then am I enclosed for ever! Aucaffin! I know it is becaufe I love you! But it is in vain they torment me; never fhall they work a change in my heart!"

As foon as Nicolette difappeared in Beaucaire, all were anxious to know the caufe. Some averred that fhe had fled; others, that count Garins had caufed her to be put to death. However it might affect others, Aucaffin was ready to expire with the excess of his affliction.He went to the vifoount, and inquired of him concerning his mil trefs. I have loft what was dear. eft to me on earth (faid he); is it by you that I am deprived of it? If I cannot furvive the lofs, you i muit At the extremity of his palace, be refponfible: for you will have there was a lonely chamber, enlight-been the cause of my death, in ra ened only by a fmall window that vidhing from me that, for which looked into the garden. It was alone I wished to live!" there that he refolved to fhut up Nicolette. He was careful to provide her with every neceffary of life, and all the indulgence her confine-an unknown flave, who would fo ment could afford: but at the fame give him caufe for repentance, if time he allotted her for a guardian with his pretenfions to the daughters

T

The viscount, with the defign to fhame him out of his paffion, at first fpoke contemptuoufly of the girl, as

of

valour, and will enable them to conquer."

"My father, (answered the youth) fpare yourself the trouble of making remonftrances that can be of no avail. I once more repeat my decla

of fovereign princes, he fhould take | her to his bed. But when he faw Aucaffin's paffion rife into rage, he was obliged to fereen hinitelt, by avowing the orders he had received from count Garins." Form your refolution (faid he); renounce Niration; and I call upon the vengear.ce colette for ever; for you will never fee her more. And, above all, let your father be perfuaded that you have banished her from your mind; otherwife I know not to what ex-rather treme his anger may carry him. Perhaps you may even cause her death and mine, by the condemnation of your father."

of God, if I go into battle either to give or receive a blow, till you grant me Nicolette."

"Son, (replied the count) I wouldfacrifice all." On faying

which, he retired.

Aucaffin ran after him to call him back." Well, father, (faid he) accept a propofat. I will take up arms and go out to battle, on condition that you promise, if I return alive, to let me have another inter

"You drive me to defpair," anfwered Aucaffin; and, without faying another word, he withdrew, leaving the viscount in no lefs trou-view with Nicolette. I only require ble than himself. On his return to to speak a few words with her, and the palace, he went to his chamber, to exchange a kifs." to have leifure to give himself up to his grief: there he remained overwhelmed with a load of forrow, and refusing every kind of comfort or alleviation.

1

"Let it be fo (answered the count); I give you my word for the performance."

Ancaflin then ordered arms to be brought to him; and, mounting a But while he was in this diftrac- horfe full of mettle, with a helmet on tion, on account of his feparation his head, and lance in hand, he`adfrom his mistress, the count of Bon-vanced to one of the gates and fallied gars, who wanted to put an end at out of it. once to the war, had come with his troops, to affault the caftle of Beancaire The knights and warriors of the town had taken the alarm, and ran to the gates and ramparts to defend themselves; while the citizens from the battlements poured down a shower of darts and pointed stakes. But a chief was wanted to animate and command the combatants.

The count ran distracted to his fon's chamber. "Poltroon as thou art, wilt thou quietly fit by, and fee thy father ftripped of all his poffeffions? what will remain for thee, after this castle is taken? My fon, mount your horfe, go and join my vaffals in defence of your inheritance. If you fhould not have even the courage to fight with them, your prefence alone will augment their

The joyful expectation of seeing foon his charming Nicolette, and the idea above all of the promised kifs, had fo filled his mind with pleasure, that he was tranfported beyond himself. His thoughts being folely engaged on her, he moved forward without confulting either his ears or eyes, and fpurred his horfe with fuch animation, that he quickly carried him into the midst of the enemy's fquadrons. It was not till he was furrounded on all fides, till they cried "that is the young count Aucaffin," and he found his fhield and his lance wrefted from him, that he recovered his fenfes. He then made a vigorous effort to difengage himfelf from his adverfaries. He unheathed his sword, which he plied manfully on the right and left, cut off the heads and arms of his 302 opponents,

Charles IX. was particularly partial to them; he took great delight in looking at them when they were together among a number of perfons, 9. Three-eighths of an extraor to discover some mark of difference dinary perfon,-three-fifths of to between them; but neither he or fcorch, the initial of a bird,—and any of his courtiers could ever di-two-tenths of a term for peevith. Atinguish one from the other. 6