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He, alas! returns to his country, not loaded with the riches of India, but poffeffing in his mind a treasure, more defirable than any wealth can purchase. It is from the fneer of worthlefs profperity, from the contumely of fuccefsful pride, that Mr. Delomond goes to hide his misfortunes in the oblivious fhade of retirement. "When the frowns of fortune are ex"ceffive, and human endeavours are ex"erted in vain, where but in the wilder"refs can comfort be found for a man of

fenfibility" Such an one is Delomond; unable to firuggle with the tempeftuous gales of adverfe fortune, he declines the conteft. The pride of talents, and the 'consciousness of re&titude, may, he thinks, fupport him in his folitude; though he has found, from his experience, that they are often an obftacle to advancement in the world: the path that leads to fortune, ico often paffing through the narrow defiles of meannefs, which a man of an exalted spirit cannot ftoop to tread.

The manly elegance with which Nature has endowed this Saib, together with an air of dignity which marks his whole depoitment, commands the admiration of the whole party; even the lady of the Dewan, relaxing from the haughty languor of her ufual manner, condefcends to addrefs him with the ut

moft civility and though her mistake as to his being a man of fortune, which from his appearance fhe had naturally concluded him to be, was foon rectified, she could not diveft herself of the refpectful deference which his manifeft fuperiority fo juftly claims. She fometimes, indeed, when he is not prefent, wonders what people of no fortune mean, by affuming the airs of quality?

In the converfation of Delomond and the beautiful widow, I have spent many delightful hours. The firft poffeffes a rich mine of knowledge, from which I expect pure and genuine information. The latter is not lefs fenfible, almoft equally well informed, more lively in her ideas, and more quick in her difcernment; but, at the fame time fo modeft, and unaffuming is this lovely woman, that I am fometimes at a lofs which to admire moftthe perfection of her understanding, or her unconfcioufnefs of its fuperiority.

The indifpofition of thefe two intelligent companions, has for fome days paft deprived me of their fociety; and I fhould have been at a great loss how to difpofe of myself, had it not been for the goodness of the niece of the Dewan, who from her own library fupplied me, with a fund of inftru&tion and aniufement,

The young lady I have lately difcovered to be a great lover of books; of which she has by far the most numerous collection of any perfon on board. But it is not furprising, that I fhould never have fufpected her tafte for literature. No one could poffibly find it out from her converfation, which always turns upon the most trifling fubjects. Notwithstanding the knowledge the muft doubtlefs have acquired from the number of books fhe has read, fhe is so modeft as never to utter a fentiment beyond vulgar obfervation, nor to attempt making use of her reafon upon any occafion whatever; fo that a perfon might eafily believe her mind to be still immerfed in the depths of ignorance.

In the valuable collection of Biography, which this young lady kindly fubmitted to my perufal, the first book that attracted my attention, was "the Hiftory of a Nobleman;" but I foon found, that the word Hiftory has more meanings in the English language, than that which is given to it in the Dictionary. It is there faid to be, "a narrative of events and facts, delivered with dignity." But the hiftory of this illuftrious nobleman, confifted of nothing more than a few letters written in the days of juvenile folly, on the fubject of love!-Indeed, I cannot imagine why fuch immature productions

fhould have been preferved at all; and ftill lefs can I conceive for what purpofe they are given to the world, to whom, the opinion which a young man entertains of the unparalleled beauty of his miftrefs's complexion, can furely be of very little confequence. Other hiftories I found written in the manner of Memoirs; these are said to contain the lives of illuftrious perfonages, whofe names adorn the title page. It appears very ftrange, that the lives of thefe great perfonages fhould abound in incidents fo imilar; an account of one will serve to give you an idea of the events that have occurred in fifty families, whofe histories I have already read.

It happens, that a noble born infant is deferted by its fond parents, and expofed to the care of chance, and the humanity of ftrangers. Thefe fortunate foundlings never fail to be adopted by the firft perfon who takes them up, and as thefe are always people of fortune, they receive from their bounty an education, every way fuitable to their real rank. As foon as the young nobleman attains the age of manhood, he falls in love with the daughter of his benefactor, a circumftance which involves the loving pair in the deepest mifery. At length, a period is put to their misfortunes, by the difco

very of the real parents, and the young lord is admitted to all the privileges of his order. You may now perhaps expect that the history fhould become more interefting and important, and be curious to hear how the young nobleman conducts himself in his new station; whether the experience he has had of life, ferves to expand his benevolence, to invigorate his intellectual powers, and to render him a more worthy member of that auguft tribunal, in which is concentrated the illuftrious mafs of hereditary virtue? As to all these points, you must content yourself to remain in ignorance; with the marriage of the hero, the hiftory

of his life concludes!

From this circumftance, and, indeed, from the whole tenor of the books, it appears evident, that with thefe iflanders, marriage is a certain paffport to never failing, and never fading blifs! A ftate near refembling that divine absorption of the foul defcribed by our Yogees, which entirely excludes the cares and concerns of life, and in which the mind is wrapt in a delirium of perfect and uninterrrupted felicity!-Happy country! where the prudence and fidelity of the women of high rank, fo plainly evince the care that is bestowed on their inftruction, and where the piety, learning, and

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