PAUL AND VIRGINIA. II 



ardor. She was defcended from an ancient and 

 opulent family of her Province; but he had mar- 

 ried her privately, and without a portion, becaufe 

 her relations oppofed their union, on account of 

 the obfcurity of his birth. He left her at Port- 

 Louis, in this illand, and embarked for Mada^ 

 gafcar, in the hope of there purchafing fome ne- 

 groes, and of immediately returning to this place, 

 for the purpofe of fixing his refidence in it. He 

 difembarked at Madagafcar during the dangerous 

 feafon, which commences about the middle of Oc- 

 tober, and, foon after his arrival, died of the pefli- 

 lential fever, which rages there for fix months of 

 the year, and which always will prevent European 

 Nations from forming fettlements on that Ifland. 



The effefts which he had carried with him were 

 embezzled after his death, as generally happens to 

 thofe who die in foreign countries. His wife, 

 who remained in the J fie of France, found herfelf 

 a widow, pregnant, and defhitute of every earthly 

 refource, except a negro woman, in a country 

 where (lie was entirely unknown. Being unwilling 

 to folicit affiftance from any man, after the death 

 of him who was the fole objed of her affeflion, 

 her misfortunes gave her courage. She refolved 

 to cultivate, with the help of her (lave, a fmall 

 fpot of ground, in order to procure the means of 

 fubfiflence. 



In 



