parents, with a view, which he now found delufive, of retriev, ing himself by her portion. He had, indeed, he faid, once enjoyed a confiderable fortune, on the death of his father, who had always lived in a state of independence; and confiding in the good principles he had from childhood, blended with his fon's education, left his entire patrimony at his own discretion: having, however, been prevailed upon to advance a perfon in London, enjoying a confiderable share of apparent commercial intereft and property, ten thousand pounds, much the greatest part of his legacy, he with the remainder for fome time genteely fupported himself; 'till, at length, encreafing his expences by the addition of fashionable acquaintances, he found is neceffary to call in the bulk of his fortune. On his arrival in the metropolis for this purpofe, he was informed that the merchant, in whom he fo greatly confided, had very lately quits ted the kingdom, under charges of the most atrocious nature, This furprized and dejected him; but, as bis finances were not wholly exhausted, he abandoned himself to pleasurable pursuits, 'till he not only found himself deftitute of the conveniencies of life, but had actually incurred feveral confiderable debts, which the report of his being poffeffed of a valuable estate in the coun try, had but too well enabled him to contract; but the true ftate of his circumftances was about to difclofe itfelf, when the beauty of Cecilia captivated his heart, and her fuppofed independent fortune attracted his attention.

1

Cecilia was now no longer a ftranger to the diftreffses of her Dormer; but he could neither leffen his forrow, nor her own. In this fad extremity, he informed her that the very house, where they had apparently enjoyed the friendship of relations, was only engaged by him to affift his ungenerous defigns; that his refources were beginning to fail; and, as his laft effort, he would chearfully advance every farthing he poffeffed, to affift in obtaining her a conveyance to the deferted abode of her difcon folate parents.

Cecilia must have funk under the weight of her affliction, had not the reflection that it originated in her own misconduct, fuppreffed, in fome degree, the fevere anguish of her mind.

Dormer, unable longer to fuftain the difficulties of his fitua tion, took an affectionate leave of his injured Cecilia, with a de termination to quit a kingdom, which could only ferve to re mind him of his imprudence and misfortunes.

Cecilia, agitated by reiterated calamity, now collected fufficient refolution to pen a letter of contrition to her father, imploring his protection and forgivenefs. She was at this time pregnant; and, as the immoveable difpleasure of her justly in

cenfed

cenfed parents could not poffibly exceed the profpect of wretchedness which lay before her, the concluded on applying to that refource, though it by no means flattered her expectations; and accordingly directed her attention to the forfaken spot where she had left fubftantial friends for imaginary happiness.

Mr. Wevil was become a melancholy fhadow of the chearful companion he was once ftudious to reprefent: the lofs of a darling fon, and the fuppofed infamy of a lovely daughter, added to the distraction of Mrs. Wevil, rendered exiftence the smallest of his concerns. He could obtain no other intelligence of the fate of his Cecilia, than that fhe was drawn from his protection under the fpecious pretence of marriage, and was afterwards abandoned to the last stage of infamy.

In this fituation of mind, Mr. Wevil received his daughter's letter, filled with repeated proteftations of the innocence of her intentions, recapitulating and defcribing the hardships fhe had fustained, and the wretchedness to which the was now reduced. This darted a ray of light on his benighted foul, and even kindled all the effects of returning parental fondnefs in the breaft of his unhappy lady. Immediately, Mr. Wevil, imp tient to fee his repentant daughter, and to be fully fatisfied that fhe had, with becoming fortitude and honour, fuftained the fad confequences of her fatal imprudence, refolved to fet out immediately, that he might meet her on the road, and the fooner prefent her to his afflicted wife, as the benign fupport of their declining years. Having reached a confiderable town, fifty miles eaft of his refidence, he found it neceffary to remain a day inactive, that he might recover from the fatigue which his di minished health rendered him incapable of otherwife fustaining. Returning to his inn, in the evening, he was accofted, opponite a tattered habitation, by a female, in unemboldened address, to confer his benevolence on a wretched woman; from whom he was indignantly turning, in abhorrence of a vice which he fap pofed was intended as the price of his bounty; when the exclaimed, in piercing accents," My father! and fell, to all appearance, lifelefs at his feet. The recollected voice of his Cecilia, added to the fudden difcovery, for fome moments deprived him of reflection, which returned only to strengthen his burfting vengeance on a creature who manifeftly appeared in a fituation, of all others, the moft obnoxious to parental feelings. Cecilia foon awaked to a trial, apparently more awful than the moft pungent of her paft difficulties. She, however, implored her father to fufpend his indignation, 'till fhe could, though faintly, do fome juftice to the occafion of the deplorable fitua tion in which he found her.

After

After labouring with almost infurmountable, difficulties, she had arrived thus far; when, finding her resources entirely exhaufted, she was unable to proceed, and accidentally stopped at a house which was more celebrated for vice than hospitality.

This providential meeting opened a profpect of future bliss to both their views. The good parent embraced with redoubled ardour, and encreased affection, his reclaimed daughter; and inftead of reproving with the aufterity of offended power, he tenderly fympathized in her diftreffes, and kindly endeavoured to tranquillize her agitated bofom.

Mr. Wevil now returned with his daughter, under the influence of a pleasure to which he had long been a stranger; and Cecilia, on their arrival, fell proftrate at the feet of her mother, and implored her to accept the utmost contrition and forrow, as an atonement for the anxiety which a departure from her duty must have given to the most indulgent of parents. An ac knowledgement of error, however reprehenfible that error may. have been, will overcome and difarm an infulted fuperior; while a perfeverance in folly can ferve only to ftrengthen the refentments which its enormity demands. If any thing could dif turb the renewed joy which re-animated the heart of Mrs. Wevil, it was the recollection of her lamented Harry, whose features strongly prefented themselves in the perfon of Cecilia, who began now to affume that chearfulness which had long been obfcured by a fucceffion of gloomy clouds, uniting their efforts to fhade that bright luminary they encircled, as if envious of its unquestionable pre-eminence.

Cecilia related to her admiring parents every circumstance refpecting her marriage, together with the departure of her husband, whole misfortunes the regretted, and whofe fate fhe deplored. In a few weeks her felicity was extended, in be holding herself the mother and guardian of a lovely fon, the fole pledge of her conjugal affection.

Harry, though loft to his parents, was not loft to the world, Inheriting a spirit of undaunted bravery, he excited his captive companions to refiftance, retook his prize, and carried her into the first convenient port in the Weft-Indies; where his gallantry foon reaching the commander in chief, he was promoted to a lieutenancy. In this ftation he eminently distinguished himself, 'till he received a flight wound, and was permitted to vifit England. As foon as he arrived, he flew on the wings of expectation to his aftonfhed parents, who were incapable of expreffing their unbounded gratitude to the Supreme Difpofer of events, for the preservation of a fon whom they had long confidered as dead, none of his letters having ever reached them.

The

The worthieft of parents, thus bleffed in the reftoration of their beloved children, re-affumed their wonted chearfulness. The manly, noble, yet refpectful deportment, of their Harry, initiated by precept, and matured by experience, (wholly di vefted of the vulgar and unjust characteristic of a profeffion the most important to this country,) ftrengthened and enriched the harmony of their lives; and the diffident confciousness of be trayed virtue, manifefted in the conduct of their Cecilia, affured them that her fincere contrition was at least pardonable, if not meritorious.

Harry, being perfectly recovered, found his propenity for actual fervice again revive; and intimated his wifhes, in the moft tender and refpectful manner, to his friends; adding, that he had invited a young gentleman, every way worthy of his conf dence, and their efteem, to partake with him a month's pleasure at their house; at the expiration of which time, they meant again to pursue their fortunes together, in a bond of reciprocal friendship. But what was the forprize of Cecilia; what the aftonishment of Mr. Wevil, his wife, and their Harry; what the joy of the long loft Dormer; when, in the friend of his ad. ventures, he beheld the brother of his wife; and she, in the vifitor of her brother, the acknowledged poffeffor of her whole heart! The mutual congratulations which fucceeded, buried the recollection of paft misfortunes, and every expreffion was rapture and delight. He recounted the events which introduced him to the friendship of Cecilia's brother, through whose means he had obtained a refpectable rank in the fervice. His fhare of prize-money amounted to 3000l. with which, and the fortune left Cecilia by the will of her uncle, they retired to a neat little villa in the neighbourhood, where they live an example worthy the imitation of every virtuous and difinterested mind.

ACCOUNT of LUMINOUS APPEARANCE in the HEA VENS. By Mr. TIBERIUS CAVALLO, F. R. S. in a Letter to Sir JOSEPH BANKS, Bart. P. R. S.

I

Take the liberty to fend you an account of a luminous appearance observed laft night in the heavens, which feems to very fingular in its nature, and quite diftin&t from the Arora Borealis,

be

At about half an hour paft nine yesterday evening, being the 27th of March, 1781, a white light began to be feen in the sky, which became gradually more and more denfe 'till ten o'clock,

at

at which time it formed a complete luminous arch from caft to weft. Of this I had been informed by others; but, at a quarter paft ten, I went out of the house, and obferved it myself. At that time it appeared to be an arch of about feven or eight de grees in breadth, extended from east to west, or, as fome of my friends imagined, in the direction of east by north, to weft by fouth. Its western part quite reached the horizon; but the eastern part of the arch feemed to begin at about fifty or fixty degrees above the horizon. It did not pafs through the zenith, but at about eight or ten degrees fouthward of it, and it was nearly perpendicular to the horizon.

The whitenefs of this arch was much denfer than that of any Aurora Borealis I ever obferved, though it did not caft fo much light upon the terrestrial objects. Towards the middle it was fo denfe, that the ftars over which it paffed were eclipfed; but the fides of this luminous arch were more faint and transpa

rent.

At about three quarters paft ten it began to lofe its brightnefs, and then vanished gradually; fo that at eleven o'clock none of it could be perceived. As foon as any part of this arch loft its denfe whitenefs, the ftars appeared through it quite diftinct, so that it could not be a cloud. The light also seemed to vanish without change of place; for it did not appear to be difperfed through the fky, or to be driven in any direction.

This extraordinary appearance to me feemed quite diftinct from the Aurora Borealis, for the following reafons, viz. becaufe it eclipfed the stars over which it paffed; because its light, or rather its white appearance, was ftationary, and not lambent; and because its direction was from east to west.

The atmosphere was in other refpects very ferene, the stars fhining very bright, and no cloud appearing. The northern light was exceedingly faint, and very low about the northern point of the horizon. The wind was nearly north-eaft, and it could be just perceived in the streets.

I am, &c.

ACCOUNT of an EARTHQUAKE at HAFODUNOS, near DENBIGH. By JOHN LLOYD, Efq; F. R. S. In a Letter to Sir JOSEPH BANKS, Bart. P. R. S.

DEAR SIR,

Hafodunos, near Denbigh, Dec. 31, 1781. TPON the 29th day of last Auguft, at 8 h. 37 min. 30 fec.

UPON lfde, and a

I was fitting on my bed-fide, and heard a rumbling noise, VOL. II. 29.

H

as