The New-York Weekly Magazine, or Miscellaneous Repository Part 29

"Not before you have pledged your honour to follow my advice."

"Should I suffer Amelia to be imposed upon like myself; I should owe her love to a delusion?"

"Who has told you that I have imposed upon the Countess? You do not know as yet what I have done; it would therefore be just not to condemn me before-hand, as you refuse to thank me before-hand for. what I have done!"

"I judge of an action of yours which I do not know, from your former actions, which I know very well, at present. Can you call this unjust?"

"This conclusion is at least premature. Every plan ought to be adapted to the existing circ.u.mstances, and every action fitted to the plan; therefore, as soon as the circ.u.mstances and the plan are changed, one ought not to judge of the present actions from the preceding ones."

"I do not comprehend you completely."

"You have been tried by delusions; however the time of probation is past; the delusions have made room for the dawn of truth, which is rising in your mind."

(_To be continued._)

_For the +New-York Weekly Magazine+._

AN ACCOUNT OF A MELANCHOLY TRANSACTION, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THIS CITY, MANY YEARS AGO.

It was in the commencement of autumn that Orlando, the only son of a respectable merchant of this place, prevailed upon the amiable Arria, to whom he had long been engaged, to fix upon a day for the celebration of their nuptials; and he had the happiness to see that morning ushered in with the warmest benedictions and wishes for his future felicity that pure friendship can bestow. Arria's relations and his own, together with a numerous acquaintance, attended at the house of her parents, whose only child she was, and whose very existence seemed to hang upon hers.--Unaffected satisfaction presided in the a.s.sembly, light-hearted wit broke forth in a thousand brilliant sallies, while joy heightened the flush on the cheek of youth, and smoothed the furrows on the brow of age: nor did the sprightly fair one, who was just verging upon sixteen, fail to exert herself to enhance the hilarity of the company.--When a convenient time had elapsed, the priest arose in order to begin the ceremony, but, upon looking round, observed that the young lady was not present; one of the bride's maids was therefore dispatched to inform her that the company were in waiting for her, but she returned with much disorder, and told them that Arria was not to be found:--her mother, offended at this seeming want of respect for their guests, went in quest of her herself, as did several of the family; but they all, after absenting themselves for a long time, returned with the surprising account that none knew where she was.--The alarmed a.s.sembly then separated to search for her, some supposing that a false delicacy might have prevailed upon her to conceal herself, and others were apprehensive that some fearful accident had befallen her; every apartment, therefore, of the house in which they were, and likewise the neighbours, together with the wells and cisterns were examined, but all to no purpose; for when night spread her shadows upon the earth, there still appeared no trace of her they sought.

For several succeeding days strict enquiries were made concerning her, but all proving fruitless, Orlando and her parents gave her up for lost, abandoning themselves to all the agonies of grief:---Sometimes, in frantic anguish, they would accuse her of being false to Orlando, and being with some more favoured lover; and again they would melt in the tenderness of affection and bewail the unknown chance which had wrested her from their bosoms; but suspence barbed the shafts of sorrow,--the susceptible heart of Orlando sunk beneath its weight, and before the next May opened upon the smiling year, he had sought

"The dreary regions of the dead, "Where _all things_ are forgot."

It was in that month that the mother of Arria, having occasion to put away some winter apparel, ascended to the garret, where in a remote corner was placed a large sea-chest with a _spring-lock_;---believing it to be empty, she attempted to open it, when finding that the spring had catched, she had recourse to the key which lay by it---it unlocked---and she partly raised the lid---but such a horrid smell of putridity burst through the aperture, that the lid fell from her hand!----a frightful idea flushed through her brain, and, uttering a death-like shriek, she fell upon the floor!---Some of the family who were in the apartment below, heard her and hasted to her a.s.sistance.---As soon as she was capable of motion, she raised her hand, and pointing to the chest, they instantly opened it, and beheld the ghastly skeleton of the once lovely Arria!!! who, it seems, in a fit of frolic had thrown herself therein, expecting every moment to be sought for! but, no doubt, she fainted as soon as she heard the lock shut, and as the chest was too close to admit any air, she must have suffocated before she had a full sense of her deplorable situation!

ANNA.

NEW-YORK _Aug. 18, 1796_.

ANECDOTE OF DR. JOHNSON.

You knew Mr. Capel, Dr. Johnson?---"Yes, Sir; I have seen him at Garrick's." And what think you of his abilities? "They are just sufficient, Sir, to enable him to select the black hairs from the white ones, for the use of the periwig-makers. Were he and I to count the grains in a bushel of wheat for a wager, he would certainly prove the winner."

UNACCOUNTABLE THIRST FOR FAME.

A Grecian named Erostratus being ambitious of a name, and finding he could not obtain it by any laudable enterprize, resolved to do it by an act of the highest villainy, and therefore destroyed by fire the famous temple of Diana at Ephesus, in the year 398, from the foundation of Rome. A pile of building that for the excellency of it, was reckoned among the wonders of the universe. His confessing his design in being the incendiary, was to render his name immortal: The Ephesians, by a law forbid the citizens from ever naming him, to disappoint him of the glory he sought after; but were mistaken in their politics, for the record continued what they endeavoured to abolish.

_NEW-YORK._

MARRIED,

A few days since in this city, Mr. H. DE BERNARD, jun. late of the island of St. Lucie, in the West-Indies, to the widow TRONSON, of this city.

_METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS._ _From the 14th to the 20th inst._

_Days of the Month._ _Thermometer observed at 8, A.M. 1, P.M. 6, P.M._ _Prevailing winds._ _OBSERVATIONS on the WEATHER._

deg. deg. deg. 8. 1. 6. 8. 1. 6.

100 100 Aug 14 75 83 75 80 sw. w. do. clear, lt. wind, do. do.

15 67 73 68 w. do. se. cloudy, lt. wind, clear, 16 67 74 68 se. do. do. clear, lt. wind, do. do.

17 64 70 67 se. do. do. clear, lt. wind, do. do.

18 67 73 70 se. do. do. cloudy, lt. wind, clear.

19 73 78 75 se. do. do. cloudy, lt. wind, rain 20 73 79 78 se. do. do. cloudy, lt. wind, clear

_For the +New-York Weekly Magazine+._

ANTIc.i.p.aTION.

Man's restless spirit, always on the wing, Insatiate, ever striving to be blest, With eager grasp lays hold on time to come, And fondly, with the future moment joins Some fancied pleasure, some expected bliss.

In vain experience shews the grand mistake, And melts our air-built castles into nought; Hope beckons on, and man obsequious runs The same wild race, and with the same result; While tasteless creeps the present tiresome hour.-- --Say, Moralist, with philosophic eye, From hence what useful lesson may be learn'd, And what inferr'd to cheer the hopeless heart; Has not th' all-wise Director of events Implanted deep within the human breast A hope of happiness, not here attain'd, To lead us on to seek some greater good, The bliss of Heav'n, the gift of Love divine?-- And will he disappoint this ardent hope?

VIATOR.

NEW-YORK _Aug. 19, 1796_.

_For the +New-York Weekly Magazine+._