STUDY XIII. l6l 



the remainder of her mlferable days, with it's long 

 fpiracles, it's iron grates, it's maffy arches, the 

 wretched truckle-bed provided for her repofe, the 

 cruife of water atid the black bread, which are to 

 ferve her for food. I would draw from her own 

 lips the touchingly plaintive refledions, fnggefted 

 by her condition, on the nothingnefs of human 

 grandeur, her innocent expreffions of regret for 

 the lofs of rural felicity : and then the gleams of 

 hope, of being relieved by her Prince, extinguiQied 

 by defpair, at fight of the fearful abyfs which has 

 clofed over her head. 



I would then difplay the fnare laid for her, by 

 her perfidious enemies, while flie was afleep, in 

 placing by her fide the arms with which Ihe had 

 com batted them. She perceives, on awakening, 

 thefe monuments of her glory. Hurried away by 

 the pafTion at once of a woman and of a hero, llie 

 covers her head with the helmet, the plume of 

 which had fhewn the difpirited French army the 

 road to viftory ; (he grafps with her feeble hands 

 that fword fo formJdable to the Englilb ; and, ac 

 the inflant when the fentiment of her o'.vn glory is 

 making her eyes to overflow with tears of exulta- 

 tion, her daftardly foes fuddenly prefent them- 

 felves, and unanimoufly condemn her to the mofl 

 horrible of deaths. Then it is we (hould behold 

 a fpedacle worthy the attention of Heaven itfelf, 



VOL. IV. M virtue 



