ings would, in fpite of myself, parch my tongue. As I took my hat out of my dreffing-room, I filled a wine-glass of water, and drank half of it, to moiften my mouth. When I faw that glafs again, about an hour ago, on returning to that home, which I never again thought to fee, in order to write to her of whom I thought I had taken my laft leave in this world---when I took that glass again into my hand, recollected my feelings on fetting it down, and emptied the remainder of its contents, a libation of gratitude to the fuperintending Providence of Heaven---Oh M. no pen, not even your's, can paint my feelings! Only remember---in all our future life, each fifth of February be ever facred! LET TER To the SAME. XLVIII. ftreet, 2 March, 1778. Your going out of town so suddenly has not ferved to mend my fpirits. But I will be as merry as I can. Were I to be very miferable after my late miraculous adventure, I fhould be guilty of fullenness against Providence. The minute account I gave you of it last week, was, I affure you, dictated to my pen by my feelings, before they they had forgotten the affecting circumftances. Your observations are truly just and strikingUnpardonable as the affront which I had received appears to mortal eyes, I fhould not readily, I fear, have found an answer to the question of the enquiring angel, on entering the world of fpirits, "What brings you hither ?” Did I tell you o'Saturday the particulars of the poor fellow who fuffered this day fe'nnight for murdering Mrs. Knightly? They are fingular. He was an Italian, I understand. Such a thing is not credible, but of an Italian. Mrs. Knightly's account was, that on the 18th of January Ceppi came into her room, fhe being in bed, locked the door, fat himself in a chair; and told her he was come to do her bufinefs. She, not understanding this, afked him to let her get out of bed; which he did. He then took from his pocket two piftols. She went towards the door in order to get out; but he fet his back against it. She, to appeafe him, told him he might ftay breakfast. He answered he would have none, but would give her a good one. She then called out to alarm the house, ran towards the bed, and faid, "pray, don't shoot me!” and drew up close to the curtains. He followed, and difcharged the pistol; after which he threw himfelf across the bed, and fired the other pistol at himself, which did not take effect. During this, a washerwoman ran up stairs, and with a poker broke the bottom pannel of the door, through which Mrs. Knightly was drawn half-naked, and Ceppi, following, ran down ftairs; but was pursued and taken. In his defence, he faid, he had propofed honourable terms of marriage to her, but that she had refused and deserted him; that he was overcome with grief and love, and that his defign was not to hurt her, but to fhoot, himself in her presence. It appears, I am afraid, from all the circumstances, that, whatever his despair meant with regard to his own life, he certainly was determined' to take away her's. How unaccountably must Nature have mixed him up! Befides the crimi-, nality and brutality of the bufinefs, the folly of it ftrikes me. What---becaufe the perfon, on whom I have fixed my affections, has robbed me of happiness by withdrawing her's, fhall I let her add to the injury, by depriving me of existence. alfo in this world, and of every thing in the next? In my opinion, to run the chance of being mur-dered by the new object of her affections, or of mur murdering him, is as little reconcilable to common sense as to common religion. How much lefs fo to commit complicated murder, which muft cut off all hopes in other worlds! Yet, could I believe (which I own I cannot, from the evidence in this cafe), that the idea of deftroying her never ftruck him till his finger was at the trigger--that his only intention was to lay the breathlefs body of an injured lover at her feet--Had this been the fact, however I might have condemned the deed, I certainly should have wept over the momentary phrenzy which committed it. But, as nothing appears to have paft which could at all make him change his plan, I muft (impoffible as it feems) fuppofe him to have deliberately formed fo diabolical a plan--and muft rejoice that he was not of the fame country, while I lament that he was of the fame order of beings, with myself. If the favour I mentioned to you o'Saturday be at all out of course, pray don't ask it. Yet the worthy veteran I want to serve has now and then feen things happen not altogether in course. When he called this morning to learn how I had fucceeded, I obferved to him, while we were talk "Yes," faid he, talking, that he got bald. fhaking his grey hairs, "it will happen fo by people's continually stepping over one's head." He little fufpected the channel of my application, but he asked me this morning, whether 501. if he could fcrape it together, properly slid into Mifs's hand, might not forward his views. My answer was, that I had no acquaintance with the lady, but I knew for certain that she had never in her life foiled her fingers with the smallest present of this fort. Happy, bleft, to know you, to love you, and be loved by you! LETTER To the SAME. XLIX. Hockerill, 5 Sept. 1773. Here did I fit, more than two years ago, in this very room, perhaps in this very chair, thanking you for blifs, for paradife; all claim to which I foon after voluntarily refigned, because I hoped they would foon be mine by claims more. juft, if poffible, than those of love. Two years ---how have I born exiftence all the while! But delicacy, and refpect for you, enjoined forbear |