the utmost sweetness and sensibility, and yet there is a dignity in her manner which commands respect.

The intimacy between the father of Eugenio and Agrestis produced a tender friendship between his fifter and Amelia, which began in their infancy, and increased with their years.

Such characters as Amelia and Eugenio, could not be long familiarly known to each other, without excit. ing mutual esteem: the transition from esteem to love, between persons of different sexes, is often imperceptible even to themselves; and, perhaps, was not discovered till long after it had happened, either by Eugenio or Amelia. When he returned from the university, she was about eighteen! as her ftature and her beauty were greatly increased during this interval, their first effect upon Eugenio was proportionably greater; and he perceived from whatever cause, a more sensible emotion in her. He had too much discernment not to dis·cover that she loved him; and too much generosity not to conceal his love of her, because he was so much her inferior in fortune : sometimes he reflected upon her partiality with pleasure, and sometimes with regret; but while they were thus mutually conscious to desires which they mutually suppreffed, the late rebellion broke out, and Eugenio was commanded into Scotland. In this expedition he distinguished himself equally by his courage and humanity: and though he had not much money, and therefore could but seldom, display his bounty ; yet his concern for the real interest of his men was fo apparent, as well in such acts of kindness as were in his power, as in the strict discipline which he maintained among them, that his personal in. fuence was very powerful and extensive. During this

abfence,

absence, though he felt his passion for Amelia increase, notwithstanding all his attempts to supprefs it; yet he never wrote to her, but contented himself with mentioning her in general terms, and including her in his remembrance of other friends, when he wrote to his father and his fifter.

When he returned, as his fister's intimacy with AmeLia still continued, his opportunities to see her were equally frequent : but the pleasure of those interviews were become yet more tumultuous and confused; and the lovers were both conscious, that their sentiments were every moment involuntarily discovered to each other.

Amelia had dismissed many suitors, who were not less distinguished by their merit than their rank, because she still hoped to enrich Eugenio with her fortune ; and Eugenio perfifted in a conduct by which this hope was disappointed, because he would not degrade Amelia by an alliance with dependence and poverty. The objections of duty might, indeed, have been removed by obtaining the consent of Agreftis ; but those of honour

; would still have remained : he was not, however, absolutely without hope ; for though he had lost his uncle's fortune by obedience to his father, yet as he had greatly recommended himself to his commanding officer, who was of the highest rank, he believed it possible that he might be advanced to a post in the army, which would justify his pretensions to Amelia, and remove all his difficulties at once.

Agrestis wondered at the conduct of his daughter, but neither asked nor suspected her motives ! for he had always declared, that as he believed she would never

14

marry against his consent, he would never urge her to marry against her own inclination.

Amelia, therefore, continued to decline every offer, and Eugenio to see her almost every day, without the least intimation of his love, till the beginning of the last winter, when he lost his fifter by the small pox. His interviews with Amelia were now less frequent, and, therefore, more interesting: he feared, that as he would be seldom in her fight, the assiduities of some fortunate rival might at length exclude him from her remembrance: he did not, however, faulter in his refolution, nor did Amelia change her conduct.

No. LXV. Tuesday, June 19. 1753.

Et furiis agitatus amor.

VIRG.

Love, which the furies irritate to rage.

It happened that about this time she was addressed by Ventosus, the eldest son of a noble family ; who, befides a large estate, had great expectations from his father's influence at court. Ventosus, though he was strongly recommended by Agreftis, and was remarkable for personal accomplishments, was yet received with great coldness by Amelia : he was surprized, mortified, and disappointed; yet he continued his visits, and was very diligent to discover what had prevented his success. One evening, just as he was about to take his

. leave, after much ineffectual treaty and complaint, Eugenio unexpectedly entered the room. Ventolus in. ftantly remarked the embarralliment, both of his mistress and the stranger, whom he, therefore, supposed to be a rival, and no longer wondered at his own disappointment: these suspicions were every moment confirmed and increased : for his presence produced emotion which could neither be concealed nor mistake!? though by a less penetrating eye than that of jealou'?, they might have been overlooked.

He was now fired with resentment and indignation; and having left the room fomewhat abruptly, he was. met upon the stairs by Agreftis, with whom he desired to speak a few words in private. Agrestis turned back. into another apartment, and Ventosus told him with fome warmth, that he did not expect to have found his daughter pre-engaged; and that he could not help thinking himself ill treated, Agrestis, with equal warmth required him to explain his meaning; and after some time had been spent in eager altercation, they parted in better temper; Agrellis persuaded that a clandestine love had been carried on between his daughter and Eugenio, and Ventofus convinced that Agrestis had never encouraged the pretensions of his, rival..

Agrestis immediately sent for Amelia, and sternly urged her with many questions, which she could only answer with blushes and tears : her filence and confue fion convinced him that Ventosus was not mistaken; and, therefore, desisting from enquiry, he severely reprehended her for the past, and enjoined her never to converse with Eugenio again; to whom he also figniIS

a

fied his difpleasure, and requested that to prevent farther uneasiness he would come no more to his house till Amelia should be married.

Eugenio, though his love was almost hopeless before, was yet greatly afflicted by this message ; because he feared that Amelia had fallen under her father's displeasure, and that now he was become jealous of his authority he might be tempted to abuse it. As to fecure her peace was the principal object of his wish, he concealed what had happened from his father, left a quarrel should be produced between him and Agrestis

, in which Amelia's delicacy and tenderness would be yet more deeply wounded. When a visit was intended to Agrestis, he always took care to have fome engagement at another place: Agrestis, however, as he had no conception of the principles upon which Eugenio acted, did not doubt but that he had communicated the reason of his absence to his father, and that his father was secretly offended; but as he expressed no resentment, he believed that his ambition had for once reftrained the petulance of his pride, that he diffembled to prevent an open rupture, and had still hopes of effecting the purpose which he had concerted with his fon.

A fufpicion of ill-will always produces it ; but besides this cause of alienation, Agrestis had unjustly imputed 2 conduct to his friend, which rendered him the object of his contempt and aversion; he, therefore, treated him with coldness and reserve, fuppofing that he well knew the caufe, and neglected to return his visits without thinking it necessary to aflign any reason. This conduct was at length remarked by Orgilio, who considered it as the caprice of a character which he always despised;

he