She hereupon gave me her hand, and waving it fo as to forbid a reply, went fmiling out of the garden, and fought her chamber.

The next morning fhe rofe the fecond in the houfe. As I am ufually the firft of every family, go where I will, from a long-indulged habit of

enjoying the cool, the fragrant hour," we had another fhort tête-à-tête, in which fhe informed me fhe had juft come from taking an everlafting leave of a feather-bed, fheets, and fhift, which were to be exchanged for very oppofite pieces of furniture. The ceremony of throwing away her drefs cap, and all its plumery, as a fign of her renouncing the vanities of the world, was ftill to be performed, as had previously been fettled.

Her deportment was more awful than on the former day; but her attempered air and fober step, took nothing from her perfonal attractions.

I foon loft fight of her, on a promise to attend her in her laft moments. She said the neceffity, as well as the time of affumed vivacity, was now paft; but that she felt a wish I should gratify my curiofity, and again recommended her good uncle to my care, obferving that, though he was too fond of the world, he was one of the worthiest persons in it. She then departed for the convent, which, indeed, almoft joined to

her

her uncle's houfe, and I found that the ceremony would begin in two hours.

You will perceive that I had an intereft in becoming witnefs to a fcene like this; and I feel, while I write, that you are not without a wish to receive a faithful account of it. Depend upon it then in my next. In the interval, and always, your wishes are mine.

LETTER LXVII.

TO THE SAME.

Just as I was entering into reflections on the fubject of my laft, and had brought myfelf to believe, that every individual ought to be the architect of his or her own happiness, seeing the ideas about it were as different as men's minds, features, and understandings; the bereaved uncle came down ftairs in deep mourning. The idea of an interment had fettled itself in his foul, and he indulged it. I could per ceive he had been weeping, and that it was not only the "customary fuit of folemn black" which he had put on. He took me by the hand, after more than an hour's paule: during which, he either rocked himself up and down in

his chair,-covered his face with his hand,-or fighed heavily.

It is amongst the folemn maxims of my life never to reafon with a man in this kind of fituation. One may as well talk of fobriety to an intoxicated perfon, as of patience and refignation, or the folly of grieving, to a mind overborne by forrow. The Convent-bell aroufed him, and still holding my hand, his own trembling as he fpoke-" Hark! the poor Fanchette's funeral-bell tolls!-we must be going!" I obeyed in filence. A great multitude were waiting in the ante-chamber of the convent: but by favour, and by interest-both have their effect, even in the temples devoted to thofe who have renounced the world-we were immediately admitted into the gallery, and obtained feats that commanded the chapel, wherein the ceremony was to be performed. Indeed our places were directly in front of the very part where the fifters were to take their station.

Only two of the Novices were in the chapel, and those were ftrewing the floor with freshgathered flowers, and ever-greens; and at that end of the apartment where the chief objects of the day were to be difplayed, was a large piece of green carpeting. Soon after these preliminary preparations, which have all their effect on the mind, as tending to inflate curiofity, the

ceremonies

was

ceremonies of the entrance-which were not a little impofing likewife-began. First came in the fuperior of the convent, then the nuns, according to their order, and then the two fifters, who were conducted by two fifters, to a little altar in the centre of the room, feparated from the gallery, only by a flight and open partition. Ifabel, fo was the eldest fifter named, placed on the right, and Fanchette on the left. We had a complete view of both. Each had a lighted taper in her hand, and their head-dresses were distinguished by the blue hood, and the white. There was enough of family fimilitude left in their features to discover their relationfhip: It had been much stronger, but the refemblance was, in a great measure, diminished by their oppofite fituations in life. Ifabel had now been twelve months in a manner out of the world, and in the practice of all the aufterities of the Carmelite order; and, though these are not fo rigid as fome others, the regulations they prescribe are more than fufficient to take out of the cheek that bloom, which human fociety, nature, and the heart, fo liberally bestow upon youth: befides which Ifabel had fomething of a conftitutional pale, correfponding, if I may fo express myself, to the penfive colour of her mind. Fanchette, on the contrary, although she had yielded to a fentiment that determined

her

her to devote herfelf, had too recently taken her leave of the world, and of the gay and freshening air it breathes-in the country at leaft,-and was, moreover, by difpofition, fo impaffioned, that the contraft betwixt her and Ifabel was the more ftriking. The eyes of both were extremely dark; but although thofe of Ifabel were, from the extinguished complexion of her cheeks, more deep, and perhaps more interesting than Fanchette's, they were of a more fubdued and dying luftre Fanchette's were as the radiance of the rifen day," and her fifter's, as the parting beam of a fun prematurely clouded, even

at noon.

66

On their reaching the altar, the superior of the men's convent addreffed the two fifters, in an exhortation replete with unaffected eloquence, and to which they gave the moft fixed attention. This done, Ifabel, who was to take the veil, arose, and, between two of the fifters, came forward to make her profeffion; which, though in Latin, was delivered with the most admirable articulation, and claffical propriety, kneeling before the priest. Then followed the prayers appointed for the occafion.

The Priest having laid the proper dreffes of the order on a table before him, afforted them. Meantime the fuperior took off the white, or noviciate veil, and enrobed Ifabel in black; but

over