3 THE DELUSIONS OF THE HEART.-A TALE. Celeftial Happiness, whene'er fhe ftoops. MIRANDA was born of parents, Miranda, her daughter in-law, was whatever the most brilliant fancy could conceive: The general expreffion of her figure, and face, was feminine fweet nefs, angelic purity, and manly fenfe. The beauty of her form was in harmony with the lovelinefs of her mind; where a brilliant imagination gathered freth animation from an extensive knowledge, add a fenfibility that foftened all her manners. To this the added a fublimity of foul, an unbounded candour and generosity, purified by the most ra tional and ardent devotion. Sach a being was Miranda Hundfon, at the age of eighteen. Solitude was her greatest defire, and fashionable life her mother's; who, appearing to give up to her daughter's inclinations, per mitted her to abfent herfelf from the giddy circles whenever the pleased. To VOL. LVIII. Young. the eye of Lord Hundfon, (whofe cha racteristic was eafy good nature,) it feemed indulgence in his wife, who, in reality, allowed it from no other motive, than the apprehenfion of his child's commencing her rival: and thinking it more to her advantage to bury fuch attractions in obfcurity-fhe rather encouraged, than repreffed her ardent love of the filent pleasures of nature. In short, this thoughtless woman had no more than a habitual regard for a daughter whofe worth made her to be adored by every one elfe. His Lordship loved her above all the world, his wife. excepted.-Would to heaven he had loved her even above her!-But giving. up to the ftrong power of his lady, he. was often obliged to quit his old manfion for the capital; and while he was running the glittering maze of licentious revelry with his partner, the mild Miranda was penfively ftraying amid the romantic and fublime beauties of Hundfon Caftle. As her ideas were rich and exalted, fhe delighted in that fort of reading. which was congenial with the purity of her own mind. The most celebrated poems and romances were ever in her hand; amongst the latter, Sir Philip Sid-1 ney's Arcadia held a diftinguished place. Secluded as fhe was from the world, she formed an imaginary one of her own, still more refined than that in her favourite authors. She confidered, that, as every thing is in a ftate of improvement, it must also advance in excellence; little dreaming, that this earth contrary to all other things, degenerates every day from that unfullied innocence of heart and manners, which prevailed in the early years of our first fathers. In the creation of her brain, vice was a mon-fter feldom beheld, against which the C whole whole community of the good were armed to destroy. Such was the ftate of her ideas, when her parents arrived from the capital to fpend the fummer at the caftle. Lady Humdfon brought a numerous retinue of fluttering coxcombs, and infolent fellows, who were in fashion, to adorn her triumph in the country; among which, were thinly ftrewn, a few men of fenfe and difcernment, who had been invited from politenefs by her, and from a fincere esteem by her lord. In this number was a younger fon of an ancient, though not now affluent family :-he was no lefs diftinguished for the elegance of his manners and figure, than for the knowledge with which his mind was ftored.-Effex Plantagenet was three and twenty, joining to a graceful figure an Agamemnon's dignity:-his features were perfectly beautiful, animated by the fire of youth, and the benignity of enthufiaftic philanthropy:-his eyes were dark and radiant, full of ardent expreffion, tempered with fweet complacency; his manners were replete with urbanity and gentlenefs; his converfation was refined, poetical, and ele. gant. The charms of his perfon and of his behaviour had funk deep into the heart of Lady Hundfon; unconsciously he held the first place there. Being in love with him, another confideration ftimulated her to the defign of making a conqueft of him; fhe fuppofed, that the adding fuch a lover to her train, who joined the informed to the polished man, would, befides gratifying her own withes, render her the envy of the women and the purfuit of the men. Plantagenet was fo far from being captivated by her charms, that he abfented himself from her company whenever he could, with good breeding; and then, with a book in his hand, would ftroll through the walks of a gloomy foreft, which enveloped the caftle. In thefe walks he often met with Miranda, whom he joined, and pursuing with her his walk, would enter into difcourfe, which, by degrees, unfolded the beauty of his fair companion's mind. Discovering her difpofition, he with rapture expreffed congenial fentiments: he joined with her in the opinion, that the tendereft friendship could fubfift betwixt perfons of different fexes, without one particle of love mingling with it :-he owned to Miranda, that his heart fprang towards her with a powerful fympathy. The beautiful innocent, whofe breaft was the treasury of every warm and generous virtue; candidly told him, it had been long her wish to poffefs a fincere friend; and as in him the found every requifite qualification, fhe fhould make no fcruple of repofing any of her difquietudes in his bofom. After that moment, they were feldom feparate. The charms of Hundfon caftle were a never-failing source of admiration to both. The antique remains of a ruined abbey, that formed a principal object in their views, was the place allotted for their meeting every cool evening; where, from the twilight, until the moon filvered the heavens, Plantagenet, with the arm of Miranda locked in his, would wander amid the fragments of the mouldering monuments, which had once decorated the spot where lay the corpfes of beauty or of courage. Lady Hundfon was, for fome time, a stranger to thefe nocturnal pleasures; and had for ever remained fo, but for the artlefs candour of her daughter, who, conceiving that no breaft was infenfible to the charms which enraptured hers, entreated her mother to become one of the party with her and Effex. Her ladyfhip was inflamed with rage, and ftung at the idea of her not being powerful enough to gain a youth, whom the imagined Miranda had fubdued, from that moment delivered up her heart to all the horrors of jealoufy and revenge. Miranda, far from difcovering the fentiments of her mother, regretted, with unfeigned forrow, that fhe fhould lofe the moft refined blifs, for the fake of her vifitants (the reafon which Lady Hundfon had given for not affenting to her wifh), but hoped, when they quitted the caftle, her mother, then at li berty, She had fcarcely finished, when the tread of Plantagenet founded in her ears: the raifed up her beautiful blue eyes, which were fwimming in tears of fenfibility. Effex, alarmed, approached her: "Are you weeping my dear Miranda? repofe in the faithful breaft of your Plantagenet, every painful fenfation! What will give you relief, will be a plenfare, though a melancholy one to me." "Do not alarm yourfelf, my dear friend! (replied Miranda) I have no forrow to draw thefe tears; my fancy alone has done it: these reflections are the fountain from whence they flow," added the, prefenting the paper to him. When he had perufed it, he fat down befide her, and taking her hand, he held it fait in his for fome moments. "Are these your reflections, Miranda?" faid he, railing up his large dark eyes, beaming with animation, and heaving a figh, that appeared half repreffed. "Do you in reality believe, that the heart of a female would break over the grave of her lover?"" Yes, I do be lieve it indeed," returned the beautiful creature with earnestnefs." And do you think, (afked Effex in a hesitating voice) that a heart could break over the tomb of a friend? I feel that mine would burst on yours-and if friendship is not capable of fuch strong emotions, what is it then?" He started as he pronounced this, and, fpringing up, quitted her hand, and fhot through the cloifter. What is it then? ftill rung in the ears of the agitated Miranda. A thoufand time the afked herself the question; and as often checked the rif ing ideas which drowned her disturbed fenfes." It is friendship furely!" (at laft the replied,) "I feel that friendfhip is capable of fuch exquifite emotion; for my heart at this inftant is fufceptible of every agony which appears to wring that of my beloved Plantagenet." He -Satisfied with this, fhe purlued her walk, in hopes of meeting him; but in vain; at laft fhe difcovered his figure, beneath the fhelter of a projecting cliff, that fwelled from the fide of the mountain. "Effex," cried the, in the higheft note of her melodious voice. started at the found, and rifing, fled among the thick trees of the forest."Cruel friend!" exclaimed fhe, in the bittereft difappointment ;-" If love is to banish friendly kindness from the human heart, why did I ever liften to his divine raptures, which breathed more than mortal animation? Platonic regard is now no where but in the breaft of the rejected Miranda." Venting her feelings in a thousand exclamations, mingled with tears, and the heaviest fighs, fhe at last reached the caftle; and retiring to her chamber, spent the night in fleeplefs anxiety, or in feverish flumber. The fun rofe in all its radiance; but to the tear-wet eyes of Miranda, all his glories were hateful; her foul thirfted for the dewy evening, and the light of the moon, when the converfe of Platagenet, fhe hoped, would return to its former calm regard. Thefe ideas the was not fuffered long to indulge. When he was bufy in robing herself for the day, one of her few vants brought her a C 2 Ict letter. On breaking open the feal, fhe difcovered the fignature of Platagenet : cagerly perufing it, fhe found it contained thefe words: "Adored Miranda! "The charm is now diffolved, and I am reftored to my fenfes. I have cheated myfelf with an illufion, which has deftroyed me. A heart formed of colder materials than that of the unhappy Platagenet, might have beheld you with the coldness of Platonic efteem; but it was vain to hope it from mine. The one queftion that I asked myfelf has undeceived me--has awakened me from a fweet dilirium, into which the fyren fweetnefs of your charms had lulled me. You efteen me, but it may be fated that your heart fhall throb with love for fome luckier youth.-Ah, Miranda! think with a figh on the paffions which now whirl my brain to phrenzy; at prefent, thy gentle nature car conceive none of its fury.-Adieu ! I fly you for your repofe.-I yet retain A enough of purity in my defires, to prefer your happiness to that of the wretched ESSEX PLANTAGENET." Miranda, with a voice that faultered with her attempts to check the thickening fobs, eagerly inquired of the fervant, if Plantagenet was at Hundfon: he answered that he had left it before day-break, after wandering all night through the foreft. Miranda haftily filed towards the abbey, and flinging herself down upon one of the tombs, gave vent to the feelings which she had fo long reftrained."Ah, Effex? (cried the) are you then unhappy, and I the cause?Would to heaven the dear delufion had for ever continued! Miranda and Plantagenet had then been bleft!-Does he think my heart fated to throb for another!-Oh! no, no, it can never feel greater agonies than now."A glimmering of truth fhot across her mind. "And do I love too?" exclaimed fhe, in wild amaze." Is it poffible that I alfo have been deceived?-If it is to prize the happiness of another more than your own-to doat on every accent that his lips utter to think, to talk, to wifh for nothing elfe than him -I love certain I do.-Could I be content and be united to another?Could I be unhappy and his wife?— No; we both love, and with an ardour unfpeakable !"-From that inftant, she delivered herself up to the most passionate warmth. The cloifter, where for fo many nights they had tafted the pureft pleafure, was now idolized with fervid a doration: the huge cliff, where she had taken her laft view of him, became an object no lefs adored: fhe would carve his name in its chalky bofom, and weep over it when it was finished. Love, cherished by folitude and memory, burnt up her foul: fhe pined for the return of Plantagenet, a return for which fhe dared hardly hope. While her mind was in this perturbed ftate, a Captain William Bentick arrived at Hundfon Caftle. He was a man of an exalted mind; a heart full of fenfibility; and an appearance peculiarly pleafing. The foftnefs of his mapners bore fo strong a resemblance to Plantagenet, that Miranda's heart, bending down with the weight of forrow that oppreffed it, clung to him with a more than common regard. She found in Bentinck all the foul fhe wifhed for in a friend. She fighed to herfelf, and thought, as fhe gazed upon him-" I will not deceive myfelf again-I have a pure, a Platonic regard for William Bentinck."-Miranda herfelf was too gentle, too lovely, too interesting a character, to pafs unnoticed by one of the young officer's fentimental mind: he fought every opportunity of cultivating a friendship, which, with her, he would confider as the fweetest pleasure upon earth. His delicate attentions, his brotherly affection, and often hinted wishes, at length won fo far upon the foul of Miranda, that the accepted him as a friend her heart had long before nominated her his. From that hour he attached himself principally to her, and continually accompanied her in her rambles. (To be continued.) DE DESCRIPTION OF THE TURKISH LADIES; AND OF THE WELSH LADIES. TURKISH LADIES. THE women in their perfons are rather engaging than handfome. It has been remarked, that they were pretty in infancy, but changed for the worse as they grew up yet they retain for ever the fine piercing eye, and many, to the Laft, poffefs their exquifite features, tho' not their complexion. They do not wear ftays, and are at little pains to preferve their shape. In general, they are low in ftature, and fuch as are tall, for the most part ftoop. The women of condition affect a stately gait, but walk inelegantly, and the carriage of their body is devoid of that ease, and air, to which an European eye has been accustomed. The drefs in which they appear abroad, is not calculated to fet off the perfon; the veil fhows their fhape to disadvantage, the legs are awkward. ly concealed by the boots, and even without them, their movement is not fo elegantly eafy as that of their arms: which may be the reason that they ap. pear to most advantage when fitting on the Divan. The tranfient manner in which the Turkish women can only be feen by a ftranger, renders it difficult, if not impofible, to speak decidedly of their beauty, in comparifon with that of the women of other countries, who are feen with more familiarity. Their drefs and veil, which are fo difadvantageous to their shape, may, perhaps, (the latter particularly) be of advantage to their looks. I have had occafion to fee great numbers, and thought them, in general, handfomer than the Chriftian, and Jewish ladies; but I was fometimes inclined to doubt, whether that opinion might not, in fome degree, be afcribed to feeing them partially, or when revealed in fuch a manner, as to give relief to their beauty it is certain, that many whofe faces I had at first thought exquifitely fine, from under a loofe veil, loft confiderably when more expofed. From Ruffel's Hiftory of Aleppo. We fhall contraft this defcription, with the account, given by Mrs Morgan in her Tour through Wales, lately publifhed, of the WELSH LADIES. THE women, in general, have exceeding good natural understandings, but they feem to be too well contented with the confcioufnefs of that, for they are not follicitous to cultivate them, as highly as they are capable. They love gaiety and parties of all forts, where chearfulnefs and freedom, banish reftraint and formality; and their countenance is fo eafy and happy, that it feems to preclude all care. I con In this defcription I do not include all the ladies of Wales; but only to fay, these feem to be the leading features of their natural character. verfed with many who had not the falleft dialect; and who, to their na tive good humour and fweetness, added polite manners, and an informed underftanding. The most perfect innocence, and chearfulness, are visibly depicted in their whole deportment; and this gives fuch a youthfulnefs to their look and manner, that you may very well miftake a woman who is near thirty to be no more than eighteen. They are very pretty, have delicate complexions, and very fine teeth, and are well made; bat their fhape has fomething of the Dutch roundnefs and plumpnefs in it. The men are remarkably handfome, and, in proportion to their number, I never faw fo many any where. They, as well as the women, "doft the world afide, and bid it pafs ;" indeed, I fear, they have too much of this natural carcfsnefs of difpofition in them; for, in general, the Weifh gentlemen live up to the top of their fortunes, and very many far beyond them. The ftrongest trait in the Welfh difpofition is, the most unaffected good humour; and this it is which makes them unable to withstand any temptation that comes in the form of fociability: Dance |