SOP HHNB AND SOPHOCLES. 215 



from the hardships both of mind and body we had undergone, and 

 found again my revived, my restored senses, I expressed to my deli- 

 verer my thankfulness rather by the eloquence of mine eyes than by words 

 from my mouth. ' May,' said I. ' the gods who have endowed you 

 with all their benevolence, and all the courage that can glow in the 

 breast of man, take upon them the just reward due to your mag- 

 nanimity !' • What I did,' answered Antonii, ' another, in all pro- 

 bability, would have surpassed. There can be no merit in laying 

 down— to save yours— a life which is nothing to me but a very 

 bitter portion. The inward pleasure I feel in having snatched from 

 the arms of death so perfect a pattern of beauty, is the only one I 

 have enjoyed for a long time past.' ' But,' said I, ' will you deny 

 me a relation of your misfortunes ? Some times we find help from 

 such as we think the least able to afford it.' 



" ' Love,' replied he. ' and the injustice of a father who, at first, had 

 encouraged and smiled upon the affection that, from our childhood, his 

 daughter Isaline and I had shown for one another. That inchnation 

 grew up with us ; it took deep root from habit, and turned into love. 

 We were hardly sensible of it— so perfectly happy had we been till 

 then. But in spite of his formal promises— in a word, at the time 

 when the articles of our marriage were already entered upon— when 

 we thought the union between the two families was on the point of 

 being for ever cemented by ours, he broke at once his engagements and 

 our hearts, through pride and avarice; for all the advantages my rival 

 can boast of over me consist only in a greater fortune, and in a station 

 of life superior to mine. But does the happiness of it depend on such 

 trifling considerations, that most commonly have more brilliancy than 

 solidity in them ? 



" ' However, though Isaline was a most dutiful child to him, she could 

 not be induced to lay aside her tenderest engagements, that had received 

 the seal of the paternal sanction, and she pledged her veracity rather 

 to live smgle than to give her hand to any other man but me. I was 

 at first cast down ; but, spirited up by her words, I betook myself to 

 trafl[ic, in order to make up by my labour what fortune had denied me. 

 She seemed at first to favour my endeavours, when, by a fatal meeting 

 with pirates, I was stripped of every thing I had laid up— and of my 

 liberty. A second sea-fight has chained me to your fate, and I have 

 been but an instrument in the hands of the gods to preserve a hfe 

 which, I foresee, is pre-determined to a glorious destiny !' Thus spake 

 Antonii. 



" We became soon after the property of Sostrates; and soon grow- 

 ing sensible of his having taken a liking to me. and some jealousy 

 towards Antonii, on account of the good intelligence betwixt us, I 

 laid open to him the obligations I was under to that young man. It 

 occurred that, either out of love or exalted benevolence, or perhaps 

 prompted by those united powerful excitements, he went out, and 

 visited Aones. the father of Isaline, who inhabited a small city in his 

 vicinage. The youth whom the latter had made choice of for his son- 

 in-law being just dead, it was not difficult for Sostrates to succeed in 

 renewing the match, formerly projected between these young people ; 

 and su much the jess, as his credit and generosity aflbrded Antonii 



