The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-01 00:00:00

[PRICE SIXPENCE

vent in Switzerland, is persuaded by the despair of
love, and by the persecution of a new suitor, who
ads under the influence of various passions, to ree
tire finally from the world under the protection 'it
the veil. in the mean time, Maclaine de Mond°,
ville dies ; and, after a short interval, is followed ter
the grave by her only child, whom she had perse-
vered in suckling, without a proper resped to the.
state of her health, till the measure proved fatal to
herself and to her infant. &ruck with these me-
lancholy events, but with his old passion still evi-
dent in his heart, Leonce, who had discovered the
retreat of Delphine, flies to her in Switzerland. for
the purpose of ensuring their mutual happiness, by
the completion of their long-retarded union. On
his arrival, his hopes are dreadfully confounded ;
for she his already taken the veil ;—the hairier
between the lovers seem; to he iasurmountable.
As the French Legislature, however bud now
opened the gates of the convents, and dissolved the
obligation of monastic vows, (fur the adion of the
fable passes between the beginning of 1790 and the
end of 17e-2) Delphine is persuaded to emerge from
her consecrated prison to be the bride of her be-
loved Leonce. But before this event can be accom-
plished, the nice sensibility of the lover is again
strongly excited by some expression of the public
censure on Delphine's violation of her vow ; and
these vhlims of honour eel of sentiment are once
more destined to the severity of separation. In the
agony of wretchedness, Leonce nbw hastens to join
the nobles, in arms eeainst their country : and Del-
phine in her pursuit of him, to restrain him from
so hazardous a measure, reaches Verdun just at the
disastrous moment in which, taken by his republi-
car. countrymen, he is condemned to be shot. At..
ter nettiy unavailing efforts to save him, Delphine
has recourse to poison, and perishes in his arms, a
few minutes only before the execution of his sen-
tence. This is the imperfeil outline of a story,
which is extended, in a series of letters, through six
volumes ; and which involves, in its course, much
underpint, some pathetic scenes, and many tine and
romantic sentiments.
As a specimen oree work, and of its translation,
We will ext., ad the following description of the
death of Madame ae 4ondoville, who is one of the
only two Christians who are admitted to a station
in the piece.
" Yesterday, the wife of Leonce departed this •
life. It will be your duty, Made inieieeee, to COM-
municate these tidings to Madame d'Albemar.
can of forbear expreising to sou the deep concern I
felt for the last moments -of the ycnithful Matilda ;
and satisfied I am that your generous friend, far
from blaming me, will participate in my emo-
done.
" For a month past, the obstinacy of Madame de
Mondoville had disgusted every one ahout her—
Leonce above all, who trembled for his child, and
who was at a loss what part to at, torn between the
fear of driving Matilda to despair, and the danger
to which his son was exposed : he continually made
Matilda sensible, that although he repressed hie
feelings, yet they were deeply wounded When
about four days ago, a night more alarming than
any she had yet passed, convinced Matilda of her
situation ; upon which she sent few Leonce, and,
de:ivering his soneinto his arms, she said to him—
" It is very possible that I may have been wrong
in continuing so long to resist your advice ; but the
opinions I have opposed to yours have such a sove-
reign empire over my mind, that -at the age of
twenty I unreludantly sacrificed to them a life
which it was your study to render happy. Forgive
me, if your wishes did not immediately obtain
from me what I could not bring myself to do,
in order to preserve my own • life. I sadly fear
that this pertinacity ef disposition on my part, m y
have give given you a dislike to the religion I pro.
fess: if so, that would be the bitterest thought
which I could carry with 'me to the grave. No, do
not impute my faults to my religion ; it had not the
power to corre!t them all ; but, without its aid, they
must have caused my misfortune, and that of many
others.; it is that religion.which arms me with such
strength to quit with courage, whet God himself
,
permitted me to look upon as happiness—an intimate
union with the only man I loved upon earth.",--,
'Them last words sunk deep in the heart of Leonce ;
Matilda perceived it ; and taking his hand, "
lieve me,' said she, " this heart is not so cold as you
imagine • but was it not my duty to enure it to re-
straint ? A rclig:ous life is a work of continued ef-
fort ; and too prone a propensity to indulge the pu-
rest inclinations, may tend to estrange the soul from
her God."
" Three days after this conversation, Matilda, fee!.
ing herself extremely itie expressed a wish to speak .
alone to Leonce, that she might communicate to
him all that had passed between her and Meieme
d'Albemar. She put into her husband's hand the
letter she received fr.= Delphine—a letter which so
nobly expresses all the generous sentiments of thin
angelic soul. Leonce, who always retained a sere
of n sent nent at the departure of Delphine, was im-
pressed with the liveliest emotions, on learning
,the
cause of it ; and, in spite of all his efforts, he found
t impossible, as he declared to me, to conceal from
Matilda the admiration he felt for the condua of
Madame d'Albentare-" You love her' " sAid Matil-
da softly to him; " you love her still. ':Veil! you
cannot but eeknov;ledge that God protects me—be-
lieve in him, ,Ixonce, and donut frustrate :he pray-
ers which I daily put up to heaven in your behalf:"
These words, which breathed as toad LieNtg,
filled the heart of Leonce with the most
teneorse : fee cast himself at the feet of • a;
bed, and lesejewed her lands with his Ma,
tibia somewhat gel:ocm%! her strength. well p!eased
with the eesotiesas thet worieed ea the hzeast a
Leonte--see Y• e. will emery ;:ellasheess erase-
Imo nix ?" ct....raiooeh Matildis; "
?assesses a sail le hi:l iciudgvas: 1.r4 sCoicoasitd;
4b=
grit mein t4llk chat the likafp•-ve4 of
ion dretzds wery mach. scp= 'woo awl upset cite
cssamaaus. You raiz grantor for ;'stir guide; 661'
tisaeszt is laer's-r-kat y dal= plcsrt•es aititia yrwsr
:tit' 4 pro, Aral !maul. v 42. Adre