618 
blood; and not to complete the diferace of 
both the fon and the father by an infen- 
fate defertion. 
’ ‘The two wives, already feduced by the 
idéa which they had conceived of a liber- 
ty without bounds, perfevere in their 
project. The mother rejeéts the child 
fhe has given birth to, and ftifling in her 
heart the fweeteft fentiments of nature, 
recommends it im a tone of raillery to the 
faithful caves of Aouana. ‘Thefe two va- 
gabonds, conftantly mocking the two do- 
meftics, take their jewels and clothes 
which they had already packed up, and 
quit the houfe, bidding an adieu to Atay 
and Aouana, which ferves to complete 
their diftrefs and defpondency. 
Account of a Chinefe Drama by M. Van Braam. - 
After having given bitter tears to this 
fatal event, thefe two valuable fervants, 
finding it was impoffible to remedy it, 
mutually encourage each other; and at 
the inftant when their foul is bowed down 
with grief, they fwear to confecrate the 
remainder of their ftrength to labour for 
the relief of their neceffities, and thofe of 
the innocent infant of their worthy ma- 
fter, and above all to furnifh him with the 
means of devoting himfelf to the ftudy. of 
fetters. The fecond Act terminates with 
this laudable defign. 
ACT IIf. 
The Child bas arrived at its Thirteenth 
Year. 
The curtain rifes, and we fee cld Aray 
bufily employed m making ftraw fandals, 
the only trade which he knows. 
 Aouana is fitting near a table covered 
With garments, and is fewing very dili- 
gently. 
The old domeftic fings at his labour 
the melancholy hiftory of his mafter, and 
with fo much fenfibility, that at laft his 
eyes are fuffufed, and tears run down his 
cheeks. To thew courage, he wipes his 
tears, and affeéts to laugh, as if to re- 
proaca his pufillanimity. __ 
Aovana then {peaks to him and obferves 
how fweet and confoling it is for a -vir- 
tuous foul to fulfil its duties, becaufe 
the gods never withdraw their benefits 
from thofe who love to execute them. 
She goes onto exprefs all their happinefs 
in having fucceeded for fo many years 
not only inefcaping mifery, but in having 
procured inftruction for ther young ma- 
fter, who is making fuch progrefs, that he 
will affuredly becomea man of rare merit, 
and be induced from gratitude to take 
care of their extreme old age. ‘This dil- 
courfe confoles and re-animates the good 
Atay. He thows Assaza his pair of fan. 
a 
[Auguft 
dals finifhed, and fays he is going to felh 
them, or rather exchange them for fome 
lamp-oil; by the light of which they were 
accuftomed to labour very far in the. 
night. 
At the moment in which the old manis 
about to fet out, arrives young Siou-yé 
from his college, with books under his 
arm. He falutes Atay with an affecting 
and ingenuous air, who carefles him with 
eulogiums andencouragements. He then 
goes towards the table where Aouana is at 
work, and falutes her as if fhe was his 
mother. He lays his books on the table, 
and places himfelf befide her. 
Aouana queftions him with much affa- 
bility on what he has learned. She men- 
tions to him the leffons which he has had 
to recite, and he repeats them witha loud 
voice. She commends his application, 
and profits-of this moment to fhew him 
that it is only by this means that he can | 
acquire glory enough to give real fatis- 
faction to the manés of his father: fhe re- 
commends to him to dread the lofs of 
time, and to purfue his ftudies without 
ceafing night and day, in order to arrive 
at the end of fo many labours. . 
Excited by this difcourfe, the youth 
takes up his bocks and reads in them at- 
tentively, till at length, fleep weighing 
down his eye-lids, his head drops on his 
book. 
In this interval Atay returns with a pot 
full of oil, fome of which he pours inte 
the lamp; he adjufs it that it might give 
the better light; afterwards he goes to 
prepare the fupper. 
Aouana, who perceives the young ftu- 
dent afleep, awakes him and invites him, 
after her example, to break off his repoie. 
He really makes efforts to do fo, but yield- 
ing at length to a call, imperious at his 
age, heagain falls faftafleep. Awana re- 
marks him; and in a fong of a touching 
nature, fhe paints the contraft of the pain- 
ful fituation of a foul where inquietude 
has penetrated, and that of an innocent 
heart where reigns tranquillity which the 
thought of evil has not fullied. She 
touches laftiy on the happinefs which is 
the portion of youth, becauie it rs yet un- 
acquainted with the torments of maturer 
years. In this laft part, fhe has her eyes 
fixed onthe child.. -A truly maternal ten- 
dernefs is in her looks, and fhe lengthens 
out her fong by couplets on the lot of this 
unfortunate. She is now moved to the 
bottom of her heart.. Although fhe 
would refpe&t his repofe, fhe neverthelefs 
judges it indifpenlable to awake’ him. 
‘She wipes her tears, and at lait refolves to 
a “eal 
