i>AUL AND VIRGINIA. 2^ 



îîon, who had never forgiven her, for having mar- 

 ried a man of low birth, though virtuous. She 

 continued, therefore, to write to her aunt, by every 

 opportunity, in the hope of raifing in her breaft, 

 fome favourable emotions toward Virginia : many 

 years, however, elapfed, before fhe received from 

 her any token of remembrance. 



At length, in the year 1746, on the arrival of 

 M. ile la Bourdonaye, Madame de la Tour was in- 

 formed that their new Governor had a letter to de- 

 liver to her from her aunt. She immediately ran 

 to Port-Louis, for this once, entirely indifferent 

 about appearing in her coarfe habit ; maternal love 

 raifing her above refpeâ: to the World. M. de la 

 Bourdonaye delivered her aunt's letter, which infinu- 

 ated that Che merited her condition, for having 

 married an adventurer, a libertine ; that the paf- 

 iions always carried their punifhment along with 

 them ; that the untimely death of her hufband was 

 a juft chaftifement of God j that fhe had done well 

 to remain in the Weft-India Iflands, inftead of dif- 

 honouring her family, by returning to France ; 

 and that, after ail, Ihe was in an excellent country, 

 where every body made fortunes, except the idle. 

 After having thus reproached her, (he concluded 

 with making her own elogium ; to avoid, (he faid, 

 the almoft inevitable evils which attend matri- 

 mony, (lie had always refufed to marry : the truth 



was, 



