7 



within me, which feemed to create unex* 

 peded feelings, as it were, of regret, on the 

 furrender of my liberty. Recalling the days 

 of my youth, when, at fchool, I was fubjeft 

 to the will of a matter, my mind, in vivid 

 remembrance, rapidly retraced all the images 

 of a reftraint which had fo long been irkfome 

 to it, and in high impatience of the impref- 

 fion, bufy appeal feemed to call aloud, " Doft 

 thou not recoiled that it was then, the anx- 

 ious theme of all thy hopes to efcape from 

 fetters, and gain the exercife of thine own 

 will ? Didft thou not anticipate, as the con- 

 fummation of thy beft wifhes, the proud and 

 happy period when thou fliould'ft arrive at 

 the power of felf-command ? and, this at- 

 tained, would'ft thou, now, furrender the free- 

 dom of adion fo long, and fo anxloufly con- 

 templated as thy greateft good — would'ft thou 

 abandon the happy acquifition for which 

 thou hadft langulfhed — for which thou hadft 

 toiled through fo many tedious years ?" 



Such were the repugnant, and difcourag* 



ing appeals of momentary impulfe ; but fobcr 



reafon quickly refumed her throne, and, pur- 



B4 



