PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 9 



at noon-day; but, from the dawning of Aurora, 

 they ftrike upon the brim of it, the peaks of which, 

 rifing above the fhadows of the mountain, prefent 

 the appearance of gold and purple on the azure of 

 the Heavens. 



I took pleafure in retiring to this place, wher« 

 3'ou can enjoy, at once, an unbounded profped:, 

 and a profound folitude. One day, as I was fit- 

 ting by the platform of thefe cottages, and con- 

 templating their ruins, a man confiderably ad- 

 vanced into the vale of years, happened to pafs 

 that way. He was drefled, conformably to the 

 Guftom of the ancient inhabitants, in a lliort jacket 

 and long trowfers. He walked barefooted, and 

 fupported himfelf on a ftafF of ebony wood. His 

 hair was completely white, his phyfionomy fimple 

 and majeftic. I faluted him refpedlfully. He re- 

 turned my falute, and having eyed me for a mo- 

 ment, he approached, and fat down on the hillock 

 where I had taken my ftation. Encouraged by 

 this mark of confidence, I took the liberty of ad- 

 dreffing him in thefe words : " Can you inform 

 *' me, Father, to whom thefe two cottages be- 

 " longed ?" " My fon," replied he, " thefe ruins, 

 ** and that now negle(5ted fpot of ground, were 

 *' inhabited, about twenty years ago, by two fa- 

 *' milies, which there found the means of happi- 

 " hefs. Their hiflory is affeding : but in this 



" ifland. 



