me to defcribe. Thank God, you were not in town! Suffice it that my honor and life are both as you wish them.. Now, mine of last night is more intelligible. How ftrange, that the kindeft letter almoft you ever wrote me, fhould come to me precisely at the time I was obliged to make up my mind to quit the world, or, what is more, much more, to quit you! Yet, so it was. in The story my letter mentioned, of a friend who had received fuch an affront as no human being could away with, was my own. Your feelings agreed with me, I am sure. Duelling is not what I defend. In general, almost always, it may be avoided. But cafes may be put, which it can be avoided only by worfe than death, by everlasting difgrace and infamy. Had I fallen, I know where my last thoughts would have lingered; and you and your children would have had fome tokens of my regard. Be affured the matter is for ever at an end, and at an end as properly as even you can wifh. How happy fhall we be, in 79, or 80 (for before that time we shall furely be bleft with each other!), to have those friends about us who were privy to this day; and to talk over the poffibility of it ! H. in H. in all thy future life facred be every fifth of February! My mind is too much agitated to write any more this evening. Te-morrow I will be more particular. My laft I am fure could not alarm you; though, had any thing happened, it would have prepared you. Don't be alarmed by this. Upon my honour! (with which you know I never preface à falfity) I am not hurt; nor, as it fince turns out, is the other gentleman---at leaft, not materially. One trifling circumftance I must mention. As I was determined either to kill or be killed (unlefs fufficient apologies fhould be rnade),--- the only proper, and leaft pernicious, idea of duelling, ---I did not fee why I fhould not recruit my ftrength as much as poffible. So, about three o'clock, I took fome cold faddle of mutton and brandy and water at my friend's. After which I went home to feal up fome things for you, where my friend was to call for me. When I faw him coming to my door between 4 and 5, I had juft wrung the affectionate hand of the man I moft value, and committed to his care you and your dear little girl, and my dear fifter, &c. &c. Love, honour, revenge, and all my various feel ings ings would, in fpite of myself, parch my tongue." As I took my hat out of my dreffing-room, I filled a wine-glass of water, and drank half of it, to moiften my mouth. When I faw that glass again, about an hour ago, on returning to that home, which I never again thought to fee, in order to write to her of whom I thought I had taken my laft leave in this world---when I took that glafs again into my hand, recollected my feelings on fetting it down, and emptied the remainder of its contents, a libation of gratitude to the fuperintending Providence of Heaven---Oh M. no pen, not even your's, can paint my feelings! Only remember---in all our future life, each fifth of February be ever facred! LE T TER To the SA ME XLVIII. ftreet, 2 March, 1778. Your going out of town fo fuddenly has not ferved to mend my fpirits. But I will be as merry as I can. Were I to be very miferable after my late miraculous adventure, I should be guilty of fullenness against Providence. The minute account I gave you of it last week, was, I affure you, dictated to my pen by my feelings, before they they had forgotten the affecting circumstances. Your obfervations are truly just and striking. Unpardonable as the affront which I had received appears to mortal eyes, I fhould not readily, I fear, have found an answer to the question of the enquiring angel, on entering the world of fpirits, What brings you hither ?" Did I tell you o'Saturday the particulars of the poor fellow who fuffered this day fe'nnight for murdering Mrs. Knightly? They are fingular. He was an Italian, I understand. thing is not credible, but of an Italian. Such a Mrs. Knightly's account was, that on the 18th of January Ceppi came into her room, fhe being in bed, locked the door, fat himself in a chair; and told her he was come to do her business. She, not understanding this, afked him to let her get out of bed; which he did. He then took from his pocket two piftols. She went towards the door in order to get out; but he fet his back against it. She, to appeafe him, told him he might ftay breakfaft. He anfwered he would have none, but would give her a good one. She then called out to alarm the house, ran towards the bed, and faid, "pray, don't fhoot me!" and drew up clofe to the curtains. He followed, and dif . discharged the piftol; after which he threw himfelf across the bed, and fired the other piftol at himself, which did not take effect. During this, a washerwoman ran up ftairs, and with a poker broke the bottom pannel of the door, through which Mrs. Knightly was drawn half-naked, and Ceppi, following, ran down ftairs; but was pursued and taken. In his defence, he said, he had propofed honourable terms of marriage to her, but that fhe had refufed and deferted him; that he was overcome with grief and love, and that his design was not to hurt her, but to shoot himself in her prefence. It appears, I am afraid, from all the circumftances, that, whatever his defpair meant with regard to his own life, he certainly was determined to take away her's. How unaccountably must Nature have mixed him up! Befides the crimi nality and brutality of the bufinefs, the folly of it ftrikes me. What---because the perfon, on whom I have fixed my affections, has robbed-me of happiness by withdrawing her's, fhall I let her add to the injury, by depriving me of existence alfo in this world, and of every thing in the next? In my opinion, to run the chance of being murdered by the new object of her affections, or of mur |