A Sicilian Romance

around her. The abbey of St Augustin was a large magnificent mass of Gothic architecture, whose gloomy battlements, and majestic towers arose in proud sublimity fro

fice afforded an asylum to many noble Italian emigrants, who here consecrated the rest of their days to r

rmerly characterized the priest, the nobleman, and the sovereign, had now begun to yield to learning-the charms of refined conversation-political intrigue and private artifices. Thus do the scenes of life vary with the predominant passions of mankind, and with the progress of civilization. The dark clouds of prejudice break away before the sun of science, and gradually dissolving, leave the brighteni

awe. The dim glass of the high-arched windows, stained with the colouring of monkish fictions, and shaded by the thic

rbarous superstition, it brought to her recollection an ode which she o

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e. Madame behaved to Julia with the tenderest attention, and endeavoured to withdraw her thoughts from their mou

nremitting care, and seemed to seize with avidity the temporary opportunity of escaping from herself. The nun appeared perfectly reconciled to her fate, and exhibited during her illness so much sweetness, patience, and resignation as affected all around her with pity and love. Her angelic mildness, and steady fortitude characterized the beatification of a saint, rather than the death of a mortal. Julia watched every turn of

vents are neither new, or striking, and possess little power of interesting persons unconnected with them. To me they

father. He united in an eminent degree the mild virtues of social life, with the firm unbending qualities of the noble Romans, his ancestors, from whom he was proud to trace his descent. Their merit, indeed, continually dwelt on his tongue, and their actions he was always endeav

ed by the younger son of a neighbouring nobleman, whose character and accomplishments attracted my early love, and confirmed my latest esteem. Our families were intimate, and our youthful intercourse occasioned an attachment which strengthened and expanded with our years. He solicited me of my father, but there app

to the service of his Neapolitan majesty, and sought in the tumultu

pair, pursued me with incessant grief. I concealed in silence the anguish that preyed upon my heart, and resigned myself a willing victim to monastic austerity. But I was now threatened with a new evil, terrible and unexpected. I was so unfortunate as to attract the admiration of the Marquis Marinelli, and he

it to my choice to accept the marquis, or to assume the veil. I fell at his feet, over

. He saw the grief which prayed upon my health; he observed it to my father, and he nobly-oh how nobly! to restore my happiness, desired to resign apart of the

for some moment surpassed expression; at length a gleam of recollection crossed her mind, and she too well understood the scene before her. Julia, after some time revived, when Cornelia tenderly approaching her, 'Do I

dued every opposing feeling, and he yielded his consent to my marriage with Angelo. The sudden transition from grief to joy was almost too much for my feeble frame; judge then what must have been the effect of the dreadful reverse, when the news arrived th

happiness, and to remove from those scenes which prompted recollection, and perpetuated my distress. My father applauded my resolution

with what perfect resignation, with what comfortable complacency I too

able vow-all conspired to impress my imagination, and to raise my views to heaven. When I knelt at the altar, the sacred flame of pure devotion glowed in my heart, and elev

f, and the sting of grief was blunted. My repose was of short continuance. A circumstance occurred that renewed the misery, which, can now never quit me but in the grave, to which I look with no fearful apprehension

k assurance to heaven; and the fine devotional suffusion of her c

with eyes bent towards the earth, and in a low voice proceeded to confess. I had but one crime to deplore, and that was the t

lines! Oh! those lines prompted by despair, and bathed in my tears! every word they offered gave a new pang to my heart, and swelled its anguish almost beyond endurance. I learned that Angelo, severely wounded in a foreign engagement, had been left for dead upon the field; that his life was saved by the humanity of a common soldier of the enemy, who perceiving signs of existence, conveyed him to a house. Assistance was soon procured, but his wounds exhibited the most alarming symptoms. During several months he languished between life and death, till at length his youth and constitution surmounted the conflict, and he returned to Naples. Here he saw my brother, whose distress and astonishment at beholding him occasioned a relation of past circumstances, and of the vows I had taken in consequence of the report of his death. It is unnecessary to mention the immediate effect of this narration; the final one exhibited a very singular proof of his attachment and despair;-he devoted himself to a monastic life, and cho

itus, her heart expanded towards her, and it was now inviolably attached by the fine ties of sympathetic sorrow. Similarity of sentiment and suf

by. A thousand questions she repeated concerning him, but to those most interesting to her, she received no consolatory ans