I am glad to fee thee, my dear,' cried I; but why this dejection, Livy? I hope, my love, you have too great a regard for me to permit difap'pointment thus to undermine a life which I prize 6 as my own. Be cheerful, child, and we yet may fee happier days.'

6

You have ever, Sir,' replied fhe, been kind to me, and it adds to my pain that I fhall never have an opportunity of fharing that happiness you promife. Happiness I fear is no longer referved for me here; and I long to be rid of a place where I have only found diftrefs. Indeed, Sir, I with you ⚫ would make a proper fubmiffion to Mr. Thornhill; • it may in fome meafure induce him to pity you, and it will give me relief in dying.'

6

• Never, child,' replied I, never will I be brought to acknowledge my daughter a prostitute; for though the world may look upon your offence with fcorn, let it be mine to regard it as a mark of credulity, not of guilt. My dear, I am no way miferable in this place, however difmal it may feem, and be affured that while you continue to ⚫ blefs me by living, he fhall never have my confent to make you more wretched by marrying an

• other.'

After the departure of my daughter, my fellow prifoner, who was by at this interview, fenfibly enough expoftulated upon my obftinacy in refufing a fubmiffion which promifed to give me freedom. He obferved that the reft of my family was not to be facrificed to the peace of one child alone, and the the only one who had offended me. Befide,' added he, I don't know if it be juft thus to obftruct the union of man and wife, which you do at present by refufing to confent to a match you ⚫ cannot hinder, but may render unhappy.'

Sir, replied I, you are unacquainted with the man that oppreflès us. I am very fenfible that no

fub

fubmiffion I can make could procure me liberty 6 even for an hour. I am told that even in this very 6 room a debtor of his no later than laft year died for want. But though my fubmiffion and approbation could transfer me from hence to the most beautiful apartment he is poffeffed of; yet I would grant neither, as fomething whifpers me that it would be giving a fanction to adultery. While my daughter lives no other marriage of his fhall ever be legal in my eye. Were the removed, indeed, I fhould be the bafeft of men, from any refentment of my own, to attempt putting afunder those 'who with for an union. No, villain as he is, I 'fhould then with him married to prevent the confequences of his future debaucheries. But now 'fhould I not be the moft cruel of all fathers to fign an inftrument which muft fend my child to the grave, merely to avoid a prifon myself; and thus to escape one pang break my child's heart with a thousand ?'

He acquiefced in the juftice of this answer, but could not avoid obferving, that he feared my daughter's life was already too much wafted to keep me long a prisoner. However,' continued he, though you refufe to fubmit to the nephew, I hope you have no objections to laying your cafe before the uncle, who has the first character in the kingdom for every thing that is juft and good. I 'would advise you to fend him a letter by the poft, intimating all his nephew's ill ufage, and my life for it, that in three days you fhall have an answer.' I thank'd him for the hint, and inflantly fet about complying; but I wanted paper, and unluckily all our money had been laid out that mornitig in provifions; however he fupplied me.

For the three enfuing days I was in a ftate of anxiety to know what reception my letter might meet with; but in the mean time was frequently fo

licited by my wife to fubmit to any conditions rather than remain here, and every hour received repeated accounts of the decline of my daughter's health. The third day and the fourth arrived, but I received no answer to my letter: the complaints of a firanger against a favourite nephew were no way likely to fucceed; fo that these hopes foon vanifhed like all my former. My mind, however, ftill fupported itfelf, though confinement and bad air began to make a vitible alteration in my health, and my arm that had fuffered in the fire grew worse. My children however fate by me, and while I was firetched on my firaw read to me by turns, or lif tened and wept at my infiructions. But my daughter's health declined fafter than mine; every meffage from her contributed to encrease my apprehenfions and pain. The fifth morning after I had written the letter which was fent to Sir William Thornhill, I was alarmed with an account that the was fpeechlefs. Now it was that confinement was truly painful to me; my foul was burfting from its prifon to be near the pillow of my child to comfort, to firengthen her, to receive her last wishes, and teach her foul the way to heaven! Another account came. She was expiring, and yet I was debarred the fmall comfort of weeping by her. My fellow prifoner fome time after came with the laft account. bade me be patient. She was dead 'The next morning he returned, and found me with my two little ones, now my only companions, who were ufing all their innocent efforts to comfort me. They entreated to read to me, and bade me not to cry, for I was now too old to weep. And is not my fifter an angel now papa?' cried the eldeft, and why then are you forry for her? I wish I were an angel.out of this frightful place, if my papa were with me.' Yes,' added my youngett darling, Heaven, where my fifter is, is a finer place than

He

this, and there are none but good people there, and the people here are very bad.'

Mr. Jenkinfon interrupted their harmless prattle, by obferving that now my daughter was no more, I fhould seriously think of the reft of my family, and attempt to fave my own life, which was every day declining for want of neceffaries and wholesome air. He added, that it was now incumbent on me to facrifice any pride or refentment of my own to the welfare of thofe who depended on me for fupport; and that I was now, both by reason and juftice, obliged to try to reconcile my landlord.

Heaven be praised,' replied I, there is no pride left me now, I fhould deteft my own heart if I faw either pride or refentment lurking there. On the contrary, as my oppreffor has been once my parishioner, I hope one day to prefent up an unpolluted foul at the eternal tribunal. No, Sir, I have no refentment now, and though he has taken from me what I held dearer than all his treafures, tho' he has wrung my heart, for I am fick almost to fainting, very fick, my fellow prisoner, yet that fhall never infpire me with vengeance. I am now willing to approve his marriage, and if this fubmiffion can do him any pleasure, let him know, that if I have done him any injury I am forry for it.'

Mr. Jenkinson took pen and ink and wrote down my fubmiffion nearly as I have expreffèd it, to which I figned my name. My fon was employed to carry the letter to Mr. Thornhill, who was then at his feat in the country, He went, and in about fix hours returned with a verbal answer. He had fome difficulty, he said, to get a fight of his landlord, as the fervants were infolent and fufpicious; but he accidentally faw him as he was going out upon bufinefs, preparing for his marriage, which was to be in three days. He continued to inform us that he

stept

ftept up in the humbleft manner and delivered the letter, which, when Mr. Thornhill had read, he faid that all fubmiffion was now too late and unneceffary; that he had heard of our application to his uncle, which met with the contempt it deferved; and as for the reft, that all future applications fhould be directed to his attorney not to him. He obferved, however, that as he had a very good opinion of the difcretion of the two young ladies, they might have been the most agreeable interceffors.

me.

Well, Sir,' faid I to my fellow prifoner, you now discover the temper of the man that oppreffes He can at once be facetious and cruel; but let him ufe me as he will I fhall foon be free, in fpite of all his bolts to restrain me. I am now drawing towards an abode that looks brighter as I approach it this expectation cheers my afflictions, and though I leave an helplefs family of orphans behind me, yet they will not be utterly forsaken; ⚫ fome friend perhaps will be found to affift them for the fake of their poor father, and fome may charitably relieve them for the fake of their heavenly Father.'

6

Juft as I fpoke, my wife, whom I had not feen that day before, appeared with looks of terror, and making efforts, but unable to fpeak. Why, my love, cried I, why will you thus encrease my ⚫ afflictions by your own, what though no fubmiffions can turn our fevere mafter, though he has doomed me to die in this place of wretchedness, and though we have loft a darling child, yet ftill you will find comfort in your other children when I fhall be no more.' We have indeed loft,' returned fhe, a darling child, My Sophia, my dearest is gone, fnatched from us, carried off by ruffians !'

How, madam,' cried my fellow prifoner,

• Mifs