in himself; If she had but the one half of this beauty which my mother hath made choice of for to be my spouse, I should hold myself the happiest man in the world. What is this which I now see? is it happily some angel that I stand thus gazing on?' And in this rapture of his, the fair image of Leocadia went entering in by his eye, to take possession of his soul: Who all the while that supper lasted, seeing him likewise so near unto herself, whom she now loved more than the light of those her eyes, which now and then by stealth looked on him, she began to revolve in her imagination, and to call to mind that which had passed heretofore with Rodolpho. Whereupon those hopes began to wax weak in her soul, which his mother had given her of his being her husband; fearing that the shortness of her fortune would not be answerable in the end to his mother's promises. She considered with herself how near she was of being happy or unhappy for ever. And so intense was this consideration, and so strong and violent these her thoughts and imaginations, that they did in such sort trouble and oppress her heart, that she began to sweat, and to change colour in an instant; whereupon suddenly followed a swooning, which inforced her to let her head fall into Dona Estefania's lap, had she not received it within her arms. who as soon as she saw her in this trance, much startled therewith, made her bosom her pillow.

A sudden passion seized on them all, and, rising from the board, they addressed themselves to procure her recovery. But he who gave the best evidence of his sorrow was Rodolpho, who, that the sooner he might come to help her, out of mere haste stumbled and fell twice; but neither with unclasping her gown, nor unlacing her petticoat, nor with sprinkling water on her face, did she come again to herself; but rather the rising of her breast, and the failing of her pulse, which they could not find to move, or stir, gave precise signs and apparent tokens of her death. And the men and maid-servants of the house, more passionate than welladvised, cried out aloud, Oh! she is dead, she is dead!'

This sorrowful news, accompanied with such woeful lamentations came, at last to the ears of Leocadia's parents; whom for a more pleasing occasion, Dona Estefania had kept close and secret, till she saw a fit time for to bring them forth in public; who, together with the priest of the parish, for he likewise was shut up with them, breaking the order given them by Estefania, came forth into the room where they were. The priest made in quickly, for to see if

by any signs she gave any tokens of repenting herself of her sins, to the end that he might absolve her of them. And whereas he thought to have found but one in a swoon, he found two. For Rodolpho was now in the like case, lying with his face on Leocadia's breast. His mother gave way unto him: and was willing that he should draw thus near unto her, as unto a thing that was to be his; but when she saw that her son likewise was without sense, and lay as it were for dead, she was likewise upon the point to lose hers; and had questionless lost it, had she not presently perceived that Rodolpho began, as he did, to come again to himself, who was much ashamed that they had seen him run into such extremes.

But his mother, as one that divined of that which her son thought, said unto him: Be not ashamed, son, of these extremes which thou hast committed, but be ashamed of those which thou shouldst not have committed, when thou shalt come to know that which I will no longer conceal from thee, though I thought to have deferred the doing of it, until a more joyful conjuncture.

I would have thee therefore to know, son of my soul, that this gentlewoman whom you see lying thus in a swoon in my arms, is thy true spouse. I style her thy true spouse, because myself and thy father have made choice of her to be thy wife.'

When Rodolpho heard this, transported with his amorous and enflamed desire, and the name of husband removing all those rubs which the honesty and decency of the place might lay in his way, he brake through the company, and laying his face to that of Leocadia, remained as one expecting that his soul should breathe itself forth, and either bring hers back again, or make its abode with hers for ever.

But when the tears of all, through extreme grief, still more and more increased; and when through excess of sorrow, their lamentations and out-cries augmented more and more, and grew louder and higher, and that the hairs of the head and beard of Leocadia's mother and father, by tearing and pulling of them up by the roots, began to wax less and less, and that the shrill exclamations of their son Rodolpho, with their noise and clamour pierced the heavens, Leocadia returned again unto herself; and with her returning to life, returned that joy and content which had absented themselves from the breasts of those who were about her. Leocadia found herself linked close with fast embracings in Rodolpho's arms, and sought by honest force to unloose herself

from them. But he said unto her: No, sweet mistress, it must not be so; it is not meet that you should strive to get yourself forth from his arms, who holds you so fast in his soul.' With these kind words Leocadia came wholly to herself, and perfectly recovered her lost senses; and Dona Estefania made an end of going any farther forward with her former determination; speaking to the priest, that he should forthwith without any farther delay espouse her son to Leocadia. He did so, because there was no difficulty that interposed itself for the hindering of these espousals.

Which being now fully ended and finished, I leave it to some choicer pen, and to some other wit more refined than mine, to recount the general joy and gladness of all those that were there present; the embracements which Leocadia's parents gave Rodolpho; the thanks which they gave to heaven, and to his parents; the fair offers of love and friendship on their parts; the admiration and wonder of Rodolpho's comrades, who so unexpectedly saw, the very selfsame night of their arrival there, so fair a match made up. And they wondered the more, when they knew by Dona Estefania's discourse before them all, that Leocadia was the damsel which in their company her son had violently stolen and carried away.

Nor did Rodolpho remain any whit less suspenseful; and for the better certifying himself of this truth, he entreated Leocadia that she would acquaint him with some sign or token, whereby he might come to the full knowledge of that which he did not doubt of, because his parents had so well approved his matching with her; whereunto she made this answer: • When I returned and came to myself from out another swooning, I found myself, dear Sir, in your arms without mine honour; but I think it now well employed since that in this my last coming to myself, I find myself in the same arms I did then, but with much more honour. And if this token be not sufficient, let that suffice of the image of a crucifix, which none could steal from you but myself, which you could not choose but miss the next morning. And if that be the very same which your mother hath now in her keeping, you are the image of my soul which I highly adore, and you shall be still nearest and dearest unto me as long, my dear, as God shall permit us to live together.' Whereupon he embracing her anew, their parents bestowed their benedictions upon them, and all the rest that were by prayed God to give them joy.

MISS FERRIER.

Ir the praise of one who does himself exhibit such faithful transcripts from real life were sufficient to stamp the merit of a rival production, then would MARRIAGE (a Novel, by the author of The Inheritance) seem to possess no ordinary claim on all who can derive pleasure from the delineation of Scottish manners. With a liberality which has ever distinguished the same high authority, the Author of Waverley characterises his sister shadow' as a labourer qualified to assist in gathering in the rich harvest yet remaining in the field just mentioned: but it is not for excellence in this respect that we are disposed to place her high in the scale of merit. Young ladies with red arms and sandy hair, coarse in person, and repulsive in manner, may be less numerous in the sunny vales of England than amid the bleak hills of Scotland; but, when these enviable attractions are the only means by which we may ascertain the land of their nativity, such damsels cannot, with justice, be received as standards by which to judge of the state of female refinement in the country which an author is pleased to honour as their birthplace. Yet of such materials does the Scottish group in this Novel chiefly consist. He who can derive pleasure from such a representation must be far gone in the maladie de pays :-it were better to believe with us, that, so far as Glenfern's daughters are concerned, the picture should be regarded more as a caricature than a faithful copy from the original. The interior with Mrs Violet Macshake betrays an intimacy with Scottish character which

* Miss FERRIER, of Edinburgh, is said to be the author of these works.

could have favoured us with something less outré than the fooleries of the loving trio, Miss Grizzy, Miss Nicky, and Miss Jacky. Those, indeed, who take pleasure in reminding us that

earthlier happy

Is the rose distill'd, than that which,

Ling'ring on the virgin thorn, grows, lives, and dies
In single blessedness-

will here (as well as in The Inheritance) be gratified to their heart's content; inasmuch as the sisterhood alluded to by the poet are made to appear sufficiently ridiculous. Some of our readers may not have anticipated that those who, in return for the thousand kindnesses which few of us pass through life without receiving at their hands, are paid with the reckless irony of their lordly brethren, would have received such treatment from one of their own sex. It serves, however, for keeping up the incognito: and we had not viewed it as reprehensible, were it not more than whispered that the characters in these novels are drawn from the acquaintances or relations of the author.-Our objections will have been enumerated when we add, that the pecuniary difficulties of the hero are dwelt upon, in the earlier part of the novel, to a degree apt to excite disgust ;—that some of the characters, such as that of Lady Juliana, are so selfish and heartless, that, for the honour of humanity, we must believe them to be unnatural;-and that, though the story seldom flags, yet the contrivances by which it is helped along are either abruptly or clumsily introduced-difficulties being invariably surmounted by the unlooked-for marriage of one, or the equally unexpected, though well-timed, demise of another.

Notwithstanding these slight defects, this novel deserves to rank high in our fictitious literature. In it and The Inheritance (which is by far the best of the two) the narrative,