IR Bertrand turned his

fteed towards the wolds, hoping to cross thefe dreary moors before the curfew. But ere he had proceeded half his journey, he was bewildered by the different tracks; and not being able, as far as the eye could reach, to efpy any object but the brown heath furrounding him, he was at length quite uncertain which way he fhould direct his course. Night overtook him in this fituation. It was one of thofe nights when the moon gives a faint glimmering of light through the thick black clouds of a louring fky. Now and then the fuddenly emerged in full fplendour from her veil; and then inftantly retired behind it, having juft ferved to give the forlorn Sir Bertrand a wide-extended prospect over the defolate wafte. Hope and native courage a while urged him to push forwards; but at length the increafing darkness, and fatigue of body and mind, overcame him; he dreaded moving from the ground he stood on, for fear of unknown pits and bogs; and, alighting from his horfe in despair, he threw himself on the ground. He had not long continued in that posture, when the fudden toll of a diftant bell ftruck his ear-he ftarted up; and, turning towards the found,difcerned a dim twinkling light. Inftantly he feized his horfe's bridle, and with cautious fteps advanced towards it. After a painful march, he was ftopped by a moated ditch furrounding the place from whence the light proceeded; and, by a momentary glimpfe of moon-light, he had a full view of a large antique manfion, with turrets at the corners, and an ample porch in the centre. The injuries of time were ftrongly marked on every thing about it. The roof in various places was fallen in, the battlements were half demolished, and the windows broken and difmantled. A draw-bridge, with a ruinous gateway at each end, led to the court before the building. He entered; and inftantly the light, which proceeded

from a window in one of the turrets, glided along, and vanifhed: at the fame moment the moon funk beneath a black cloud, and the night was darker than ever. All was filent!-Sir Bertrand fastened his fteed under a fhed; and, approaching the houfe, traverfed it's whole front with light and flow footsteps-All was still as death!

He looked in at the lower window, but could not distinguish a single object through the impenetrable gloom. After a fhort parley with himself, he entered the porch; and, feizing a mafly iron knocker at the gate, lifted it up, and hefitating, at length ftruck a loud ftroke. The noife refounded through the whole manfion with hollow echoes. All was ftillagain!-He repeated the ftrokes more boldly, and louder. Another interval of filence enfued-A third time he knocked; and a third time all was till! He then fell back to fome diftance, that he might difcern whether any light could be feen in the whole front. It again appeared in the fame place, and quickly glided away as before-At the fame instant, a deep, fullen toll, founded from the turret. Sir Bertrand's heart made a fearful stop!

He was a while motionlefs; then terror impelled him to make fome hafty fteps towards his fteed-but fhame ftopped his flight; and, urged by honour, and a refiftleis defire of finishing the adventure, he returned to the porch, and working up his foul to a full steadiness of refolution, he drew forth his fword with one hand, and with the other lifted up the latch of the grate. The heavy door, creaking upon it's hinges, reluctantly yielded to his hand:-he applied his fhoulder to it, and forced it open. He quitted it, and stept forward-the door instantly fhut with a thundering clap. Sir Bertrand's blood was chilled! He turned back to find the door, and it was long ere his trembling hands could feize itbut his utmost ftrength could not open it again. After several ineffectual attempts,

he

he looked behind him, and beheld, acrofs a hall, upon a large ftair-cafe, a pale bluish flame, which caft a difmal gleam of light around. He again fummoned forth his courage, and advanced towards it-it retired. He came to the foot of the ftairs; and, after a moment's deliberation, afcended. He went flowly up, the flame retiring before him, till he came to a wide gallery-The flame proceeded along it, and he followed in filent horror, treading lightly, for the echoes of his footsteps ftartled him. It led him to the foot of another stair-cafe, and then vanished !— At the fame inftant, another tall founded from the turret-Sir Bertrand felt it Arike upon his heart. He was now in total darkness; and, with his arms extended, began to afcend the second staircafe. A dead cold hand met his lefthand, and firmly grasped it, drawing him forcibly forwards-he endeavoured to difengage himself, but could not-he made a furious blow with his fword, and inftantly a loud fhriek pierced his ears, and the dead hand was left powerlefs in his-He dropped it, and rushed forward with a defperate valour.

The stairs were narrow and winding, and interrupted by frequent breaches, and loose fragments of stone. The staircafe grew narrower and narrower, and at length terminated in a low iron grate. Sir Bertrand pushed it open-it led to an intricate winding paffage, juft large enough to admit a perfon upon his hands and knees. A faint glimmering of light ferved to fhew the nature of the place. Sir Bertrand entered-A deep hollow groan refounded from a distance through the vault. He went forwards; and, proceeding beyond the firft turning, he difcerned the fame blue flame which had before conducted him-He followed it. The vault, at length, fuddenly opened into a lofty gallery, in the midst of which a figure appeared, compleatly armed, thrufting forward the bloody ftump of an arm, with a terrible frown and menacing gesture, and brandishing a sword in his hand. Sir Bertrand undauntedly fprung forwards; and aiming a fierce blow at the figure, it inftantly vanished, letting fall a maffy iron key. The flame now rested upon a pair of ample

folding doors at the end of the gallery. Sir Bertrand went up to it, and applied the key to the brazen lock-with diffi culty he turned the bolt-inftantly the doors flew open, and difcovered a large apartment, at the end of which was a coffin refted upon a bier, with a taper burning on each fide of it. Along the room on both fides were gigantic ftatues of black marble, attired in the Moorish habit, and holding enormous fabres in their right hands. Each of them reared his arm, and advanced one leg forwards, as the knight entered; at the fame moment the lid of the coffin flew open, and the bell tolled. The flame ftill glided forwards; and Sir Bert: and refolutely followed, till he arrived within fix paces of the coffin. Suddenly, a lady in a fhrowd and black veil rofe up in it, and ftretched out her arms towards him-at the fame time the ftatues clashed their fabres, and advanced. Sir Bertrand flew to the lady, and clasped her in his arms he threw up her veil, and kiffed his lips; and inftantly the whole building hook as with an earthquake, and fell afunder with a horrible crash.

Sir Bertrand was thrown into a fudden trance; and, on recovering, found himself feated on a velvet fofa, in the most magnificent room he had ever feen, lighted with innumerable tapers, in luftres of pure cryftal. A fumptuous banquet was fet in the middle. The doors opening to foft mufic, a lady of incomparable beauty, attired with amazing splendour, entered, furrounded by a troop of gay nymphs more fair than the Graces-Slie advanced to the knight; and, falling on her knees, thanked him as her deliverer. The nymphs placed a garland of laurel upon his head; and the lady led him by the hand to the banquet, and fat befide him. The nymphs placed themselves at the table; and a numerous train of fervants entering, ferved up the feaft, délicious mufic playing all the time.

Sir Bertrand could not speak for aftonishment he could only return their ho nours by courteous looks and geftures.

After the banquet was finished, all retired but the lady; who, leading back the knight to the fofa, addreffed him in thefe words--

THE

fures induced me to pass the finest months of autumn in the moft delight ful and romantic part of Tuscany. In One of my excurfions, I was bewildered in an adjacent foreft; in vain I endeavoured to find the path which would conduct me to the villa of my friend. In this fituation, night came fuddenly on, and created thofe alarms which refult from being expofed to the dangers of fome favage prowler. Chance conducted me through an avenue, at the end of which I found a large extenfive plain covered with yews, beech, and venerable oaks. On an eminence was feen the ruins of an uninhabited castle, where a majestic linden reared it's towering branches over the mouldering battlements. An ancient chapel, which had as yet efcaped the ravages of time, the clattering of a neighbouring mill, the hollow rumbling of the winds, and the melancholy murmurings of a water-fall, fpread around this lonefome scene a gloomy horror. I heard the piercing accents of a human voice; I haftened to the fpot from whence it came, and there beheld the mournful complainer, cloathed in black, proftrate on the ground, his hands lifted up to heaven, his hair difhevelled, and a countenance expreffing all the bitternes of woe.

I approached him with respect; and enquiring my way to Prato, he made me no reply, preferving the fame posture and attitude. I repeated the question again and again, with fome importunity; at laft he turned towards me, and with a deep fepulchral tone of voice articulated

The days are for you the nights ⚫ for me! Ceafe to disturb my medita

• tions.'

Terror and dimay feized my foul. Aftonished at my timidity, I in vain attempted to refumie my pretence of mind I thought I faw this being of darkness increafing in bulk and hideoufnefsfrightful fpectres feemed to furround me the air darkened in an inftant-a panic caught my fenfes, and a cold deadly fweat bedewed every limb. I fled the fpot with the fwiftet precipitancy, till

pice which feemed to terminate in the regions of departed fpirits. I paused; and looking which way to purfue my flight, a fpire appeared before me, and at my nearer approach, I faw the glimmerings of fome fcattered cottages. My fears were inftantly diffipated, nor could I refrain fmiling at my cowardice; nevertheless, what I had feen and heard impreffed on my mind a fenfation of the blackeit melancholy.

I repaired to the parfonage-houfe, where I minutely related what had paffed. The fimple old gentleman affured me I had feen the ghoft who had for fome time haunted that part of the foreft; that he had frightened many of his parishioners; adding along string of idle ftories, which befpoke this ecclefiaftic the son of fuperftition and ignorance. I partook of his hofpitality, and retired to reft as foon as poffible. No fooner was I alone, than my heated imagination called up a chaos of fhocking ideas. Strange!" faid I, that a rational or irrational being could fhun the light, and the fociety of his fellow-creatures! Perhaps he is fome unfortunate lover, who has loft the object of his tenderness, and comes to weep and deplore his fate at her grave-Perhaps an unhappy wretch, whofe remorfe for fome abominable crime devotes his nights to expiation and penitence-Perhaps Heaven has permitted him to fall in my way, to awake a sense of past follies, and call me back to the paths of 'virtue.'

An irrefiftible curiofity prompted me to return to the very fcene I had quitted in my fright: afhamed of my pufillanimity, I was firmly refolved to brave every danger; and in this determination, I the following evening quitted my reverend hoft, bending my fteps towards the fpot, which was now difarmed of all it's terrors. I calmly contemplated the object, when I found him in the fame pofture of forrow and humility. The rays of light emitted by the moon and stars, gave me an opportunity of watching all his actions.

Already the night was far advanced; yet

My eagerness to hear the hiftory of fo extraordinary a character, induced me to comply with his injunctions. He then gave me the following narrative.

My family is fo well known and refpected, that, from motives of tendernefs, their names will not be mentioned; fuffice it to fay, that in my I united to the externals twentieth year of perfon and addrefs, a heart in⚫ fenfible to every liberal purfuit. In this early period of my existence, I was a confummate master in every fpecies of intrigue and feduction. I • made a brilliant figure at the gamingtable, while my atheistical notions and profligacy gave me fuch an eclât, that I became the envy of one fex, and the admiration of the other. The • amiable foibles of youth I coloured with to delicate and high a varnish, accompanied with an ingenious raillery and good humour, that I gave the ton to thofe circles which were

knight of thy rank and importance "knows how to triumph over every ob"ftacle. Add this to thy heroic atchieve"ments, and thou mayest defy the malice "of thy competitors."

I would, indeed, have braved every danger, rather than not attempt this novel feat of gallantry. I was too jea lous of preferving my acquired superiority over the companions of my pleafures; I was even vexed not to have been the first to fuggeft fuch a measure: I inftantly adopted it, left fome other fhould tear this additional laurel from my brow.

We returned to town, to procure the neceffary appendages for a young lady of my affumed confequence. I bound my friends to fecrecy while I remained an inhabitant of the convent. I was delighted with the frolic; and no fopner metamorphofed into petticoats, than a carriage brought me to the abbey. Here they introduced me as a dove deftined to the altar, and 'whose fervour and difpofition earnestly ⚫ folicited to imitate the pious examples of that holy order. The lady abbefs received me as wearing the looks and robe of innocence; and I performed this wicked part with fuch inimita'ble naïevete as even ftaggered my • conductors.

· Being thus fuccessfully introduced