himself, offered her a chair, and requested she would be seated.

Madame was at that period in her thirtieth year, and although in deep sorrow, she possessed one of the finest countenances in nature; her interesting form commanded immediate admiration; and the intelligence of her look and manner, respect and love, from all beholders.

Anselmo, notwithstanding his boasted indifference to the sex in general, could not view unmoved such a combination of charms as were now presented to his sight. The count had often heard mention of the beauty of Almeria de Montauban, but he now observed that it was far above all representation. Her husband, general de Montauban, had been banished, by order of the duke of Savoy, to the island of Sardinia, and imprisoned for more than five years, at the instigation of some secret enemy, who had represented him as hostile to

the existing government; and likewise for being the author of a libel, several copies of which had been found in his possession.

Montauban, therefore, in the dead of night, was torn from the embraces of his family, and conveyed under a strong guard to Sardinia, without even being permitted to impart one word of comfort to his almost distracted wife, whose frantic cries would have pierced the most obdurate heart.

Time, however, the great soother and only remedy for mental anguish, so far recovered the health of the amiable Almeria, as to allow her, after a period of some months, to consign her son Albert, a lovely boy then about twelve years of age, to the care of her brother, signior Orvillé, she having obtained permission of the government to console and comfort poor Montauban in his captivity.

At length, by the active vigilance of the friends of the general, they thought they

they had discovered the real writer of the libel. Montauban, therefore, had now sent his wife to Turin, in order to strengthen the claims which had already been made in favour of him; and to present a petition to the duke of Savoy, for the purpose of soliciting a public trial, that the general might be enabled to clear his character from the false and. villanous aspersions which had been pass

ed on it.

Almeria, on her arrival at Turin, was advised, in the first instance, to make a personal application to the count Anselmo, who, at that period, was high in. favour with the court party, to sue for his intercession with the duke, on behalf of her husband. For this purpose was the wife of Montauban now exerting all her powers of rhetoric with Anselmo, and well was she endowed by nature for the arduous task. A juster idea cannot be afforded to the mind of the reader of the success that might be expected to follow.

B. 6.

follow her solicitation, than to quote the language of the immortal bard, that

"In her youth

There is a prone and speechless dialect,

Such as moves men; besides, she hath a prosp'rous art,
When she would play with reason and discourse;
And well she can persuade."

Nor was it then lost on the grave and senatorial Anselmo, who at length promised to become the friend, the advocate of Montauban, whose address to the duke was, at the particular request of the count, read aloud by the weeping Almeria, to the following effect:

MOST HIGH AND ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE,

"Your faithful and devoted

servant, Leontine de Montauban, a woeful prisoner in the island of Sardinia, with the utmost submission and reverence to your royal highness's decrees, what

ever they may be, yet fully relying on the known love of justice which has so conspicuously marked your august reign, I do humbly pray for your highness's clemency. That I am innocent of the heavy charge alledged against me, God is my witness, by whose omnipotence alone, I hope I have been enabled to discover one of the many who no doubt conspired to injure me in my royal master's opinion. The prayer of my petition is, therefore, to be allowed a public trial, by which I may be enabled to clear my own character, to bring to light my unjust accusers, and to prove to the world, that however iniquity may flourish for a while, yet certain dishonour will in the end pursue those who subsist by cruelly inflicting misery on others. I humbly beg leave to sign myself

Your royal highness's

Most faithful and loyal subject,

Done at my prison,
February 28, 1701."

LEONTINE DE MONTAUBAN.

Having