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My author says, that never voyage was more unprofperous; that they had great storms, which obliged them more than once to put into port to refit, and sometimes were so becalmed that the ship could not make any way, but seemed almost motionless: but their worst misfortune was, they were attacked by two Turkish gallies, which, but for the extraordinary valour and conduct of Jeffery Rudel, had made them all prisoners. He re ceived, however, several wounds, the anguish of which, joined to his other fatigues, and the more severe anxiety of his mind, threw him into a languishing distemper, which every moment threatened diffolution.

THEY met by accident with a ship bound for the fouthern part of France, which being so near his own country, he was very much periuaded by the commander to go on board him, and turn back: he alledged to him, that in the condition he then was nothing could be more improper than to profecute his intentions; that probably his native air might be of service to him, and that when he was recovered, he might again set out for Tripoly, with more probability of fuc

cess.

Bur all this, though highly reasonable, had no effect. The weak and decayed situation of his body had no influence over his mind, which, being wholly taken up with the perfections of the beautiful countess, made him resolute to proceed, whatever should be the consequence.

In fine, he continued his voyage, and no ill accidents afterwards intervening, arrived safe at his fo-much-wished-for port. When he was told, P2

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as he lay in his cabbin, that they had dropped anchor, and were in view of the towers of Tripoly, he lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, giving thanks, that after all his fufferings, he had the happiness, at last, of breathing the fame air with that admirable lady he had come so far in fearch of.

ONE, who was less a lover than he was, would have thought this a poor compensation, when, with all the efforts he made, he found himself unable to rise out of his bed; but he received much more than he expected, or indeed had reason to do. The countess being informed who was in the vessel, and the motive which had brought him there, as well as the condition to which he was reduced, had gratitude and compaffion enough to come and visit him, ardently wishing, that this condescension might restore him to that health he had loft for her fake: but, alas! he was too far gone; inexorable death triumphed over the pureit love that ever was. His eyes were closed, as those about him thought, for ever, but fuddenly opened, on his hearing she was there : she took him by the hand, and, in the sweetest accents, told him she was pierced to the heart to think so worthy a man should have exposed himself to such innumerable dangers. "All, all," cried he, eagerly gazing on her, as though he would carry her image with him to the other world, " all my sufferings in beholding you are " over-paid." He concluded this expreffion with a fervent kiss on her hand, and in that action expired.

So rare an example of an unfeigned affection must have necessarily affected any woman of a generous generous foul; but it made so deep an impression: on that of this amiable countess, that she lamented his loss as of a lover who had long been dear to her: she devoted all that tenderness to his memory, which, had he lived, had rendered him the happiest of mankind. She had his body conveyed on shore, and buried in the most sumptuous manner, and erected for him a tomb of porphiry and jafper, intermixed with an epitaph in Arabic verse; -had all his fonnets and odes curioufly copied over in letters of gold;-andafter she had done all the could think on to perpetuate his name, she took a vow of chastity, founded a monastery, of which she herself was abbess, and endowed it with her whole fortune.

I COULD with this story had a more fortunate conclufion, and that for the encouragement of such lovers as the Provençal nobleman, it had related the triumphs of this marriage, rather than the magnificence of his obfequies; but as the motive of my inferting it, was to shew the ladies what influence they might have over the men, by behaving so as to acquire a character like that of the countess of Tripoly, those who wish to be loved as she was, may possibly become her imi-

tators.

It is my design, in some future essay, to lay down a few maxims and rules of conduct collected from several of the most learned and polite authors of all ages, which, if followed, will well. supply every deficiency in nature, give charms to the plaineft face, and render beauty infinitely more confpicuous.

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A SECOND

A SECOND letter from Britannicus is come to hand, but the same reason which deprived the public of the fatisfaction it might have received by the former, holds good also against this; though so great a regard have we both for the fubject, and his most just and agreeable manner of handling it, that we shall run the hazard of offending those few who may think themselves too feverely dealt with, in order to oblige the more valuable, and, we hope, more numerous part of our readers, and readily infert it in our next publication; provided he consents to our omitting the prophecy, and the three last lines of his fifth paragraph, as well as changing the initial letters of proper names for fictitious

ones,

It will be easy for him to conceive the neceffity there is of doing this, if it appears in print; and will therefore pardon the proposal, and favour us with his resolution upon it.

A LETTER figned Dorinda, another H. L. and a third Claribella, are all of them received: the two first will not fail to have a place in our next lucubrations; but the other, by reason of its length, must be deferred till the month following, when the lady may depend on seeing the ftory it contains made as public as our channel will permit, and also those observations which shall occur to us on a mature confideration of the matter.

If our opinion should happen (as I fear it will) in some measure to vary from that the fair author is of at present, we flatter ourselves she will excuse it, on account of that sincerity and impartiality tiality we are determined to preserve through the whole course of these essays.

THE verses of Simonides do not at all accord with the rules we have prescribed ourselves ;they may possibly be more agreeable to the publishers of fome of our weekly papers. Therefore, if the author has no other copy than that which he sent to us, to prevent him from the mortification of having his wit thrown away, it shall be left at our publisher's, where, if he pleases to call, it will be returned, without one word borrowed, or embezzled.

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