Lawyer, he would feek Revenge in his own Way, and the most they had to apprehend from him was an Action.

They at length therefore agreed to permit Bellarmine to retire to his Lodgings, having first fettled all Matters relating to the Journey which he was to undertake in the Morning, and their Preparations for the Nuptials at his Return.

But alas! as wife Men have obferved, the Seat of Valour is not the Countenance; and many a grave and plain Man, will, on a juft Provocation, betake himself to that mischievous Metal, cold Iron; while Men of a fiercer Brow, and fometimes with that Emblem of Courage, a Cockade, will more prudently decline it.

Leonora was waked in the Morning, from a Vifionary Coach and Six, with the difmal Account, that Bellarmine was run through the Body by Horatio; that he lay languishing at an Inn, and the Surgeons had declared the Wound mortal. She immediately leap'd out of the Bed, danced about the Room in a frantic manner, tore her Hair and beat her Breaft in all the Agonies of Defpair; in which fad Condition her Aunt, who likewife arofe at the News, found her. The good old Lady applied her utmost Art to comfort her Niece. She told her, while there was Life, there was Hope but that if he should die, her Affliction would be of no Service to Bel• larmine, and would only expose herself, which might probably keep her fome time without any future Offer; that as Matters had happened, her wifeft Way would be to think no more of Bellarmine, but to endeavour to regain the Affections of Horatio.' Speak not to me,' cry'd the difconfolate Leonora; is it not owing to

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me, that poor Bellarmine has loft his Life?. ⚫ have not these curfed Charms' (at which Words fhe looked ftedfaftly in the Glass) been the Ruin of the most charming Man of this Age? Can I ever bear to contemplate my own Face again?' (with her Eyes ftill fixed on the Glafs) 'Am I not the Murderefs of the finest Gentle6 man? No other Woman in the Town could ⚫ have made any Impreffion on him.' 'Never think of Things paft,' cries the Aunt, think of regaining the Affections of Horatio.' What Reafon,' faid the Niece, have I to hope he would forgive me? No, I have loft him as well as the other, and it was your wicked Advice which was the Occafion of all; you feduced me, contrary to my Inclinations, to abandon poor Horatio,' at which Words fhe burst into Tears; you prevailed upon me, whether I would or no, to give up my Affections for him; had it not been for you, Bellarmine never would have entered into my Thoughts; had not his Addreffes been backed by your Perfuafions, they never would have made any Im. preffion on me; I fhould have defied all the • Fortune and Equipage in the World; but it was you, it was you, who got the better of my Youth and Simplicity, and forced me to lofe my dear Horatio for ever.'

The Aunt was almoft borne down with this Torrent of Words; fhe however rallied all the Strength he could, and drawing her Mouth up in a Purfe, began: I am not furprized, Niece,

at this Ingratitude. Thofe who advise young • Women for their Intereft, muft always expect • fuch a Return: I am convinced my Brother will thank me for breaking off your Matc

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with

with Horatio at any Rate.' That may not be in your Power yet,' anfwered Leonora ;' tho' it is very ungrateful in you to defire or attempt it, after the Prefents you have received from him.' (For indeed true it is, that many Prefents, and fome pretty valuable ones, had paffed from Horatio to the old Lady: but as true it is, that Bellarmine when he breakfafted with her and her Niece, had complimented her with a Brilliant from his Finger, of much greater Value than all fhe had touched of the other.)

The Aunt's Gall was on float to reply, when a Servant brought a Letter into the Room; which Leoncra, hearing it came from Bellarmine, with great Eagernefs opened, and read as follows:

Moft Divine Creature,

T

HE Wound which I fear you have heard I received from my Rival, is not like to be fo fatal as thofe foot into my Heart, which have been fired from your Eyes, tout brilliant. Thofe are the only Cannons by which I am to fall: for my Surgeon gives me Hopes of being foon able to attend your Ruelle; till when, unless you would do me an Honour which I have fcarce the Hardieffe to think of, your Abfence will be the greatest Anguish which Aan be felt by,

MADAM,

Avec toute le respecte in the World,
Your moft obedient, moft abfolute

Devoté,

BELLARMINE.

As

As foon as Leonora perceived fuch Hopes of Bellarmine's Recovery, and that the Goffip Fame had, according to Cuftom, fo enlarged his Danger, fhe presently abandoned all further Thoughts of Horatio, and was foon reconciled to her Aunt, who received her again into Favour, with a more Chriftian Forgiveness than we generally meet with. Indeed it is poffible fhe might be a little alarmed at the Hints which her Niece had given her concerning the Prefents. She might apprehend fuch Rumours, should they get abroad, might injure a Reputation, which by frequenting Church twice a Day, and preferving the utmoft Rigour and Strictness in her Countenance and Behaviour for many Years, fhe had established.

Leonora's Paffion returned now for Bellarmine with greater Force after its fmall Relaxation than ever. She proposed to her Aunt to make him a Vifit in his Confinement, which the old Lady, with great and commendable Prudence, advised her to decline: For," fays fhe, 'fhould any Ac⚫cident intervene to prevent your intended Match, too forward a Behaviour with this Lover may injure you in the Eyes of others. Every Woman, till fhe is married, ought to confider of and provide against the Poffibility of the Affair's breaking off.' Leonora faid, fhe fhould be indifferent to whatever might happen in fuch a Cafe for fhe had now fo abfolutely placed her Affections on this dear Man,' (fo fhe called him) that, if it was her Misfortune to lofe him, fhe fhould for ever abandon all Thoughts ⚫ of Mankind.' She therefore refolved to vifit him, notwithstanding all the prudent Advice of her Aunt to the contrary, and that very Afternoon executed her Refolution.

The

The Lady was proceeding in her Story, when the Coach drove into the Inn where the Company were to dine, forely to the Diffatisfaction of Mr. Adams, whofe Ears were the moft hungry Part about him; he being, as the Reader may perhaps guess, of an infatiable Curiofity, and heartily defirous of hearing the End of this Amour, tho' he profeffed he could scarce with Success to a Lady of fo inconftant a Disposition.

CHA P. V.

A dreadful Quarrel which happened at the Inn where the Company dined; with its bloody Confequences to Mr. Adams.

S foon as the Paffengers had alighted from the Coach, Mr. Adams, as was his Cuftom, made directly to the Kitchin, where he found Jofeph fitting by the Fire, and the Hoftefs anointing his Leg: for the Horfe which Mr. Adams had borrowed of his Clerk, had fo violent a Propenfity to kneeling, that one would have thought it had been his Trade as well as his Mafter's: Nor would he always give any Notice of fuch his Intention; he was often found on his Knees, when the Rider least expected it. This Foible, however, was of no great Inconvenience to the Parfon, who was accustomed to it, and, as his Legs almoft touched the Ground when he beftrode the Beast, had but a little way to fall, and threw himself forward on fuch Occafions with fo much Dexterity, that he never

received