fifter like her, to conceive the extent of that mutual felicity which they enjoyed in their years of innocence. Their hearts were precifely in a state between love and friendship; they were neither affed by the imperfections of the one, no agitated by the convulfions of the other. As the natural inclinations of Charles, however, began to develope themselves, he very early difcovered difpofitions that were little conformable to the pacific manners of his father. He loft ail relith for rural pleafures, and the tranquillity of inactive life. Ambition laid fiege to him in fecret, and inceffantly combated every arguinen that his reafon could fuggeft to repulfe her. She was at laft victorious, and he could no longer conceal the unconquerable inclination that he felt for the life of a foldier. He prayed his father, therefore, to purchase a commiffion for him, and to bestow upon his fifter the whole refidue of his fortune. From that moment diftrefs began to enter this hitherto happy family. The mother, unable to fupport the idea of the dangers to which her beloved fon was about to expofe hinsfelf, fell k and died. The father, overwhelmed with this ftroke, did not promife to furvive her long; but Charles, unable to refift the spectacle of a father in fuch a fate, abjured his fatal paffion, and confented to remain at home the fupport of his father's age He had contracted a friendship with the fon of a widow who poflefled a neighbouring eftate, at which, from time to time, the made fome abode. Vicinity of fituation had produced an intimacy between the two families, and Captain Home, who had become the friend of Charles Melvill, foon became the lover of his fifter. Home joined to the defire of pleafing, a behaviour, a figure, and a character made to feduce a heart much more on its guard than that of the innocent Harriot. He eafily obferved the progrefs which he made in a conqueft which was not defended by the fubtilties of art. Happily his views were honourable, and his mistress thought every thing due to fentiments fo generous, and to a heart fo kind. Some months paffed in this delight ful intercourfe, or rather, in this intoxication of friendship, with nothing to interrupt the enchanting fcene but the apprehenfion of fome wayward accident; and fuch a fatal moinent at laft arrived. One day as Mifs Harriot was entering her father's chamber, the found her lover already there. Uncertainty, and a kind of defpair were painted on the countenance of the latter, and he re mained mute when he faw her. Struck in her turn, his young mistress could not utter a word. The father at laft pu! a period to their diftrefsful filence. Harriot, my child," faid he, "Cap "tain Home is obliged to leave us She heard no more, but dropt down in a fwoon. When the came again to herfelf, she found her lover by her fide, who, preffing her hand in his, and looking on her with eyes full of tenderness and love, Harriot," faid he, my "dear Harriot, we are about to fepa"rate but for a fhort time, and only "that we may fee one another again "with greater tranfport, and with the "certainty of then remaining without "further feparation. The voice of my king and of my country calls me a"broad, and my duty to both obliges "me to obey the call. My regiment is "ordered out to India, and both hc"nour and duty confirain me immedi"ately to depart." 64 Thefe words were like the voice of thunder for the too fenfible Harriot. Viewing only the darkeft fide of things, the considered herfelf as the most uniortunate of women. She would have fpoken; but the Captain, diftruiting his own ftrength, tore himself away, and left the houfe with precipitation, obtaining over love a victory which a few moments longer would have made love obtain over duty and honour. The moiftened eye of Harriot followed him in his flight as long as her tears and the difiance permitted her. All the efforts of her afflicted father to calm her grief were ineffectual; the promiles, the oaths of her lover, and the probability of feeing him foon again, all were obfcured by the remembrance of her paft felicity. She fell into a ftate of torpid melancholy, from which the was drawn, however, by new misfor tunes. These misfortunes were preparing for her by her brother, that very brother whom the to much loved. His paffion for the army had feized him again with more violence than ever, and, without the knowledge of his family, he had folicited and obtained an employment in the military establishment of the Eaft India Company. His father endeavoured by many vain effort to to influence his reason, the fifter made the fame attempts upon his heart, but he was inflexible. What fort of charm muft that be which is attached to the paffion for a military life, which inspires a man with an inhuman pleafure in the deftruction of his fellow-creature, and which ftifles in his heart the fentiments of nature: " employ it to infpire thefe with a re"spect for knowledge, by the honour"able and generous ufe which you make of yours. "Let it be your principal duty to "guard and defend the commerce of your country against the infults of its "rivals, or against thofe of fuch Indian "nations as, being ignorant of the ad"vantages which commerce procures, Sir William was obliged to fubmit; he himself fuperintended the prepara-are fometimes difpofed to confpire its tions for his fon's voyage, he fitted him "deftruction. It is therefore to proout as became his rank, and, receiving "te, and not to carry death and defohis adieu, which was to be the laft; "lation, that your fervices are wanted "My fon," aid he, "you are going "by your country. Your lawful emointo the most dangerous of all coun- "luments ought to be fufficient for your "tries; for it is that in which your "wants, and if your good conduct pro"vices, if you have any, will be prac- "cures for you a higher rank, you will "return to your native country to en 66 joy honoured eafe, with the reputa"tion of having contributed to the 66 power of your fellow-citizens, in a 66 41 tifed with the greatest eafe, and in "which the virtues you poffefs will "have much to contend with. Here "the laws in fome measure keep you "from falling; but there you will have "no other fupport but your own forti"tude. In thofe fatal regions, the evil is "past remedy when the remedy arrives."father "However pure the principles of our "administration may be, it is neceffa"rily intrusted to men, who, when "they banish themfelves from their country, have no other views but "thofe of intereft in that vocation they "labour with fo much the more ardour "and fecurity, that they are under the "controll of no authority fuperior to "the dictates of avarice. They have "the example of all around them purfuing the fame path; each confpires "with the other, and the petty default "er finds himself abetted and juftified. "by the practice of the great. The cry of the oppreffed has far to travel; "and when it does arrive, it is fo wea"kened, fo loft in the roar of the ac"clamations beftowed on cruelty tri"umphant, and avarice fuccessful, that "it is either altogether unattended to, "or perhaps, which is worfe, laughed "at and defpifed. For you, my fon, let "honour alone be your guide, and let "the pleasure of being inflexible in vir"tue be your firft reward. 41 66 "Beware of imagining that harfhnefs "and violence are not crimes when ex"ercifed on perfons that differ from you "in colour. Leave to philofophers the "care of discovering the different de AC grees of intelligence that diftinguifh "their different races. As for you, my "fon, if your understanding be fupe"rior to that of Negroes and Indians, country where you will be bleffed for having been juft, and with the fatis"faction of having comforted your old by the thought that he has given birth to a friend of mankind.' This venerable father had fcarcely finifhed his discourse when his firmness forfook him. The departure of his fon made him infenfible to confolation, and his grief redoubled at the fight of that with which his daughter was wafted. He foon funk under it and died, leaving the unfortunateHarriot abandoned to folitude and grief. She made hafte to fly from a place from which he had feen every thing difappear which he loved and va'lued; and retired to live with an old aunt in a neighbouring town. Far from finding in the fociety of that relation any comfort to her afflictions, the found nothing but new fources of difappointment and chagrin. I fhall not stop to draw the portrait of this aunt: She was one of thofe characters that have often been described, and that are but too often found in common life. I fhail only fay, that Mifs Melvill, after having endured for two long years all the caprices of an old maid, ugly, and pecvifh, and having refufed a thoufand ridiculous matches which he wanted to force her niece to accept, at laft received news from India. Her brother, who thought only of her, and her lover, who exifted only for her, were both animated with the defire of rendering her happy. They had diftinguifhed themselves by ads of bravery that promifed them a speedy fortune, and and they preffed her in the moft earnest and affect onate terms to come and fhare it with them. as it fell on her fott cheek, where the colours of the rofe and of the lily were blended. Hyder Aly was ftruck with admiration, and feemed to advance to wards her with a degree of hefitation, Fair Lady," faid he, "what "are your misfortunes and diftreffes ?" -"Generous Hyder," anfwered she, " my brother and my lover are your " prifoners, judge of my misfortunes." .. Hyder Aly, who had fat down belde her, inftantly rofe and called one of his officers; “Go to Arcot,” said he, “ and 66 you will find in the prifon of the port "of Eft two English officers. Take off "their irons, provide whatever is neinceflary for their tranfportation, and bring them to my camp." The meffenger of Hyder Aly found the two friends in a dungeon, fitting on the ground, near a fmall crevice, which time had worn in the wall, and through which they received a few rays of light, and inhaled a little of the fresh They were converfing on the fatal errors that had torn them from the bofor of their families and friends, and which, after fo many hazards and dangers, had precipitated them into an infectious prifon, and had conducted the object of their moft tender affection into the feraglio of a fuitan. Their hearts were a prey to the most pungent forrow, which had taken fuch hold of them, that the meflenger of Hyder Aly infpired them with no emotions, either of hope or joy. They followed him, and repaired to the camp.. When Hyder Aly was made acquainted with their arrival, he ordered them to be conducted to the tent of Mis Melvill, where he foon appeared himfelf, and without giving them time to recover from the embarraffment in which fuch a fituation involved them, 66 "I give you, both," said he, “your liberty; and to you, fair lady, I reftore 66 a brother and a lover. Take her, "young man, without inquietude or "diftruft; fhe is more virtuous, if poffi"ble, than the is lovely. Learn that, even "among Afiatics, there are conquerors "who can be generous in the midst of "victory. Receive her from my hands "as pure as when the entered them; "but let your countryinen know, that "the happiest and most glorious day "that Hyder fhall fee, will be that in which he fhall be able to deliver India "from the cruelty, the avarice, and the bondage of Europeans." I must ftop here; for how fhould I paint Her fituation was fuch, that what at another time would have appeared inconfiderateness or folly, was now with her a matter of neceffity She needed a refuge, and could fhe find one safer or more proper than with a brother jealous of his honour, and with a lover fo generous, that he could not fufpect him of ill intentions without a crime? Her aunt made no attempts to diffuade her from her purpose, and fhe embarked for India attended by a fingle maid-fer vant. After a long and tedious paffage, which, however, the politenefs and attentions of the captain of the veffel made her forget the ill treatment of her aunt, fhe arrived at Madrafs, where fhe met with the reception fhe expected from an affectionate brother, and a tender and faithful lover. Thefe young foldiers, whom the moft intimate friendship united together, had fcarcely tafted the pleasure of feeing in India, the one a fifter, the other a miftrefs, than they received orders to march on an expedition projected a gain Hyder Aly. Mifs Melvil would not hear of remaining behind them; fhe followed them to Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, a region fituated in the Peninfula of India. It was in this fatal place that the most cruel ftroke of fortune awaited her. After a battle, difputed with the greateft abftinacy on both fides, her brother and her lover both fell into the hands of the Indian conqueror. Harriot herself became like wife his captive, and was conducted to his feraglio. It was the cuftom of Hyder Aly, as is well known, to carry on war in the true ftyle of a hero; that is to say, in a perpetual alternation of pleasure and defolation, love and maffacre. In one of those moments in which he fought to relieve the fatiety of one paffion by the gratification of another, he entered the tent of Harriot Melvill. The fight of a lady born in one of thofe European regions, the manners of which infpire the foul with a character of ftrength that shows itself even in the outward appearance, and thus gives to beauty an air of virtue and of dignity, was a new Spectacle for this Indian potentate. Her head was gently reclined; her fine eyes were ftraying at random, and a starting tear dimmed their luftre, but fparkled With all its former fire 's poffeft, So oft I boast the freedom of my will: Who doth not dangers paft explore, And dwell on ills that wound no more? "Tis nature's inftinct bids me fay, I now am free, and Nature I obey. Now, as I view them from afar, ! I tell the woes I once endur'd; Ev'n fo, to scenes of death inur'd, The victor warrior fhews his glorious fcar; And fo the flave, efcap'd from pain, Exulting fhews the galling chain, Sparkling his eyes thofe fetters fee Which once he dragg'd, and prove that he is free. I speak, tho' thou art far away; Yet not, as once, I wish thee near, Whate'er it be I speak, to hear; Nor care if thou credit what I fay: I fpeak not now but ill at eafe, Anxious to know if thee I please; Nor, if on me thou talk ft, do I Ask if thou doft it with a rifing figh. A treacherous maid I leave behind, SONNET To FRANCE on her prefent Exertions, BY ANNA SEWARD. HOU, that where Freedom's facred fountains play, Which sprung effulgent, tho' with crimfon ftains, On tranfatlantic fhores, and widening plains, Haft, in their living waters, wafh'd away, Thofe cankering fpots, fhed by tyrannic fway On thy long drooping lilies, English veins Swell with the tide of exultation gay, Tofee theefpurn thy deeply-galling chains. Few of Britannia's free born fons forbear To blefs thy CAUSE;-cold is the heart that breathes No wifh fraternal.-FRANCв, we bid thee fhare The bleffings twining with our civic wreaths, While Victory's trophies, permanent as fair, THOU, Crown the bright SWORD that LIBERTY unfheaths. |
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