"tacked by banditti. The dan"ger is too imminent to allow "time for entreaty, nor can I "think of courtesy, when the life "of Poliarchus is endangered by treachery. I fled during the "tumult, and have, I hope, met "you fortunately for his fafety, "and your glory. Thefe," pointing to her attendants, which now approached, "will affift you in "your pious and gallant exer"tions." While the lady made this addrefs, interrupted by fighs and tears, the ftranger prepared his arms, and while his attendants brought his horse he returned this answer. "That I am "ignorant of Poliarchus, lady, "you will pardon in a stranger, "who has juft landed on the "ifland; but I fhall thank hea"ven, if I can give affiftance to "fuch valour, as you have de"fcribed." He then fprang on his horfe, and requested her to lead the way. One of his fervants followed him, while the other remained on the fhore to guard the baggage, which hafte made it impoffible to collect.

They foon reached the entrance of the foreft; but its numerous avenues confufed the lady's recollection of the part, where she had left Poliarchus ; and this uncertainty renewed all the violence of her grief. The ftranger alarmed at this exceffive forrow hesitated, whether to remain with her or advance, when fuddenly the wood refounding with the fhouts of combatants, the clashing of arms, and the trampling of horses, he was roufed by the approach of immediate danger. Three ruffans advanced in armour with fwords unheathed, and their horVol. II. No. 1. E

fes on foam, prefenting a doubtful appearance either of menace or fear. The stranger, with the rafh apprehenfions which furprize creates, for a moment fufpected the fidelity of the lady, and demanded whether these were the enemies he was to encounter. He at the fame time prepared his fpear, which he managed with unrivalled fkill. But flight was their only object, and by various paths they endeavoured to elude their purfuer. Poliarchus, for whom the lady had difplayed fo much anxiety, followed them alone, and with a fingle blow divided the body of the nearest. He purfued the others with increased ardour; but an inequality in the ground caufed his horse to stumble, and threw him with violence, tho' without injury, to the ground. The lady, who immediately recogniz ed Poliarchus, flew from her horfe to his affiftance; but unhurt either by his fall or his wound, he fprang forward to meet her.

When Timoclea, for that was the name of the lady, had informed him of the ready offer of affiftance, which the had received from the unknown youth, he turned with eagerness to falute him. He had however already left his horfe, and thus anticipated the courtesy of Poliarchus. "If "heaven had permitted me to "have known your character, I "fhould have been offended with "the tears of this lady, which "have compelled me to afk for"giveness for the offer of my af"fiftance. On your intrepidity. "I looked with admiration, when "I faw three men flying before

you; but with more, when the "manner in which you facrificed

66

one of them to your revenge convinced me of the reasonable"ness of their alarm." Poliarchus with much urbanity returned his acknowledgments; obferving that the flight of the robbers must be attributed to their timidity, rather than to his bravery.

After thefe compliments they exchanged falutations and each had leifure to confider, not only what to fay, but the person whom he addreffed. They contemplated each other's appearance with eagerness and delight*, each admiring in the other fome grace, which the other faw with admiration in him. They refembled each other in age, in fymmetry, in attire, in the animated glance of the eye, and,though with different features, there appeared the fame nobleness of countenance. The

The words in the original "id "quifque, miratus in alio, quo ipfe vi"ciffim mirantem rapiebat. Ætas, forma, habitus, et arcanus luminum "vigor, pares anni, & quamvis in diver"fis frontibus una majeftas," display the familiarity of the Author with the beautiful paintings of Livy, which live, and breathe in every line, and on which the translator is doomed to dwell with melancholy delight, and to difmifs without a hope of imitation. The minute obferver will notice the author's display of the exactness of his Latinity in obferving the diftinction between "ætas" and "annus." Our language cannot without circumlocution exprefs a diftinction between "two of the fame age"

and "two the fame number of years. old." Among the ancients however, life was divided into various periods, each of which was called an age. Ifidorus makes fix; Infantia, pueritia, adolefcentia, juventus, ætas fenioris, & fenectus. The divifions of Hippocrates and Varro were in a flight degree different. See Faciolatus Totius latinitatis

Lexicon.

f It may be doubted whether" tantum par," the expreffion in the original, is a pure phrafe. Barclay might poffibly recollect the " totum nil" in Juvenal's humorous inventory of the goods of Codrus, Sat. 3.

The introduction of this circumflance will feem awkward, unless we recollect the custom of the ancients, onany profperous event, to dedicate temples, ftatues, altars, pictures, &c, to their tutelary gods.

$ Caftor and Pollux, who were faid to appear on the waves during a stormy with their heads encircled with light

man's life.

Rodolpho paid him the tribute of courtesy, the recluse returned it, and immediately faid: "If chance or curiofity have led you to this fequeftered spot, or whatever may have been your motive, you are welcome to what my cottage affords. There is nought to pamper luxury; yet I can offer you the temperate meal that will refresh nature. I saw the deftructive polish of your weapons through the cafement of my dwelling without dismay, and felt the motive of your order for fheathing them, as a mark of peace."

"It would ill accord with the character of a true Englishman," replied Rodolpho, "to intimidate a defenceless unoffending man. My fword," faid he, drawing it out of the scabbard, "still retains its luftre, nor fhall it ever be tarnished by an act fo incongruous with the genuine bravery of an Englishman. Chance directed my steps to your dwelling. I am an English officer journey ing to a distant camp, and according to the custom of travellers in this land, I stopped at the skirts of the wood to refresh myself and fervants. Invited by the harmony of the chorifters, and cool nefs of the deep shade, I strolled on while my horses were feeding, without any definable motive; enjoying the ferenity of the scene, I became infenfible of time or distance, till this plain bursting to my view, roused my feelings, and fixed them in wonder and curiofity; to which your appearance has added an interest more

worthy and more lively than general events excite in my breast."

Whilft Rodulpho was fpeaking, the reclufe was engaged in placing on a little table fome fruits, bread and butter, &c. He appeared evidently agitated during his employment, every moment cafting anxious looks out of the back window of the cottage into the wood behind, and as foon as he had completed his office of hofpitality, without noticing what Rodolpho had said, he hastily left the room.

Our foldier was surprised at the fingular demeanour of the folitary, and paufed a few moments in hopes of his return. His manners had promifed more courtesy. Ten minutes elapfed...all was ftill; not a found, but the waving of the trees was heard. Rodolpho took a more minute view of the room he was in.

It was plain, and fimply convenient ; on a table by the front window lay a fmall filver thimble, a thread cafe, and a volume of Thomson's Seasons, open at the fweet tale of Lavinia. Imagination ROW gave an intereft to his feelings that made expectation painful. Fancy in a few minutes drew a fascinating portrait of the female that refided with the reclufe: Hope faid, she must be young, innocent, and beautiful, or the tale would be uninteresting to her.

Rodolpho wearied himself with vain conjecture; the reclufe did not return; his men were wandering round the plain waiting his pleasure, the fun was already beneath the horizon, but the ardency of his wishes to know more of the folitary absorbed his reflections, and he forgot that a thick wood rofe between him and the road, that led to a termination of his journey. He walked round the cottage endeavouring to find the path the reclufe took, when he left him, but in vain; it was impervious, and had he discovered it he would not have thought himself privileged to intrude.

"Perhaps he did not believe my intrufion accidental," thought Rodolpho, "and is fled, from the fear of perfecution. Alas! how little does he know me ; but where is his family? All is mystery beyond the developement of conjecture."

Reluctantly our foldier retraced his path to the cottage, and on a flip of paper he wrote with his pencil," Lieutenant R-leaves this cottage with fentiments of gratitude to its owner, for the hospitality he has received, but with the painful apprehenfion that his motive has been mistaken."

He placed the paper on the opened page of Thomfon, joined his men, and proceeded. When Rodolpho perceived the thick foliage of the trees, in fome places, prevented the rays of the moon that was now rifen, from lighting their steps, he condemned a curiofity that led any but himself into difficulty. He frankly told the men he had done wrong. They walked refolutely on, ftruggling with briars and thorns for fome time, without perceiving they had wandered from the path they had entered the wood by; but as it stretched a confiderable diftance on the road fide, they hoped to find their way out, and the fituation they left the foldier and their horfes in would then easily be difcovered.

It was now night, and the darkness was only interrupted by the watery light of the moon, moving through the clouds that enveloped the horizon, and fometimes glimmering through the trees, exhibited their folitary path. Loud gufts of wind broke the filence of the hour, and at intervals the found of diftant thunder added to the dreariness of the scene.

At length Rodolpho perceived the glimmering light of a lamp, or candle, through the trees. It immediately accrued to him, that they had difcovered the retreat of the reclufe. He stood a few moments, debating if he should endeavour to reach the place the light proceeded from, and ask shelter from the form that momentarily increased; or brave its fury, and leave the folitary to his repofe, for he was perfuaded it was him, and was prevented from immediate determination by the fear of again driving him and his family from their abode; for it was evident all had fled at his approaching the cottage.

The flashes of lightning darted in quick fucceffion; the thunder drew nearer, and the rain poured in torrents. The darkness in the fhort intervals of the flashes was frightfully visible, and

as its pale gleams fhone on the counte.nances of the men, they exhibited to Rodolpho the perfonification of terrour. His ftronger mind did not yield to the weakness of fear; but he was evidently anxious to get shelter for the men, whom he had involved in danger and difficulty. He encouraged them to follow him, and force their way through the thick underwood; for they could discover no path that led to the light. They were preparing to make an attempt, when their attention was arrested by foft and sweet musick, that seemed to float in the air as the wind died away, and, as it again fwelled, it seemed to fwell with it, till its harmony was loft in the awful combination of thunder and wind.

Rodolpho with extreme amazement stood listening; he could not immediately determine what inftrument it was he heard; but was convinced its harmony was increased by a female voice. The awfulness of the fcene had before impreffed his mind, and his filent af pirations had been directed to HIM who was riding on the wings of the wind, when the interpofition of foft founds touched the finest vibrations of his harmonious soul, and lifted it for a moment beyond this fublunary fcene. Again the wind fank, the tones of harmony floated in the air, and were again loft in the storm.

The men remained fixed to the spot, nor either breathed a found. Terrour had rendered them mute; their feeble minds were now alive only to superftition, and each was impreffed with the idea that fomething fupernatural dwelt in the wood, and as it seemed by finging to rejoice at the tempeft without, they confidered it a malevolent fpirit, and were anxiously wishing their leader would retreat from, instead of approach the fhelter the light promifed, and which was before the object of their wifhes.

It would not be an uninteresting fubject for the curious, in the noble microcofm of the human mind, to investigate why the man,whofe life has been an evidence of courage, in whose breast the flame of valour has burnt with the most luftrous brightness, should feel his foul contract, his frame agitated by an involuntary horrour, and his whole felf

Wisdome picks

playes the roft,

friends; civilitie

the best.

thereby

Thy felf the worse, and fo the distance greater. Be not thine own

jealoufie,

worm: yet fuch

As hurts not others, but may make thee better,

Is a good fpurre. Correct thy palLion's fpite,

Then may the beafts draw thee to happy light.