PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 63 



ftruéted her paflage, and feigned to repel her. 

 Paul flew to her affiftance, beat off the (hepherds, 

 filled the pitcher oiFirghiia^ and placing it upon her 

 head, at the fame time bound around it a garland 

 of the fcarlet flowers of the periwinkle, which 

 heightened the fairnefs of her complexion. Then, 

 taking a part in their innocent fports, I affumed 

 the charader of Ragiiel^ and beftowed on PavÀ^ my 

 daughter Zipporah in marriage. 



At another time, fhe reprefented the unfortunate 

 Rutbj who returns to her country, a widow, and 

 in poverty, where flie finds herfelf treated as a 

 fl:ranger, after a long abfence. Domingo and Mary 

 afted the part of the reapers. ,Firgima appeared, 

 gleaning up and down after them, and picking up 

 the ears of corn. Paul, imitating the gravity of a 

 Patriarch, interrogated her; flie, trembling, replied 

 to his queftions. Moved with compaffion, he im- 

 mediately granted an afylum to innocence, and the 

 rights of hofpitality to misfortune. He filled Fir- 

 ginia*s apron with provifions of every kind, and 

 brought her before us, as before the elders of the 

 city, declaring that he took her to wife, notwith- 

 ftanding her extreme indigence. At this fcene, 

 Madame de la 'Tour y calling to remembrance the 

 ftate of defertion in which flie had been left by her 

 own relations, her widowhood^ the kind reception 



which 



