708" 
ately sold the plantation, and collecting 
the wreck of. his fortune which had 
been ruined by the imprudence of an 
only brother, now no more, he carried 
his niece to an obscure quarter of the 
island. There she was delivered of 
Alphonso, with whom they both came 
to.Europe, and immediately on their 
arrival at Paris, the exasperated uncle 
sent a box of jewels, with the follow- . 
ing letter to the seducer, who proved 
io be a married man, and by his fa- 
ther’s death had now become duke 
D’Olmene : : 
‘© Take back these dishonourable 
and detested presents, and if you are 
not to the full as cowardly as you are 
wicked and base, repair to-morrow 
morning by break of day to the great 
alley it the wood of Vincennes. As 
the offended person, the choice of 
weapons appertains to me, I shall be 
provided with pistols, and imtend to 
have no other witness than my negro 
servant. 
«< ] now inform vou, that the guilty 
slave corrupted by you, attempted to 
expiate her crime, by means of a 
voluntary death, and while expiring, 
loaded you with her maledictions. 
God, the avenger of premeditated 
crimes, will doubtless, sooner or later 
fulfilthe last wishes of that unfortu- 
nate wretch.” 
They accordingly met at the time 
appointed, and at the first shot, the 
West Indian wounded his adversary in 
the left shoulder. On this, the Duke 
fired his in the air,on which Dormeuil, 
surprised-at such an act of gene- 
rosity from such a base character, ex- 
claimed, ‘1 shall no longer admire 
valour, since it can ally itself to such 
odious vices,” 
Melvil, who was a man of great in- 
fluence, now undertook to make a 
suitable provision for his young friend 
Alphonso, and finding him duly qua- 
lified, he presented him to the new 
ambassador to the court of Vienna, 
with v hom hewas to live in the capacity 
of secreiary-' He proved to be a dis- 
sipated courtier of high rank and pre- 
tensions, who enjoyed bigh favour at 
Versailles, and was one of the richest 
noblemen in France3—in fine, he 
proved to be the Duc D’Olmene. ~ 
_ On being established in this family, 
Alphonso svon found himself treated 
wrth great haughtiness by the Duchess, 
while ber husband received him al- 
ways with a marked but cold civility. 
‘e 
Retrospect of French. Literature— Miseellanies. 
His niece Hermenia, was, however, 
fully sensible of the merits of the 
young seeretary, and she preferred 
him to the count D’Olmene, her intend. 
ed husband. This nobleman was not 
long ignorant of the preference, and 
being at once proud and impetuous, 
after upbraiding Alphonso as a bas-— 
tard, he chalienged him to single com- 
bat. A duel accordingly took place, 
and the latter finding himself slightly 
wounded, soon after propagated a false 
rumour of his own death, in order to 
oblige his rival to fly to a foreign 
country, and enable himself thus left 
master of the field, to obtain a large 
estate, by means of marriage with his 
cousin whom he detested. His scheme, 
however, was frustrated by the more 
deadly enmity of the Duke, who pros 
cured a lettre de cachet to shut up 
Alphonso in a fortress for the rest of 
his life! ; 
At this critical moment, Melanie 
hearing of the misfortunes of her son, 
instantly repairs to Paris, procures an 
interview with the Duke, accuses him 
of perfidy and ravishment, and obtains 
an order for the enlargement of her 
son. No sooner, however, had she 
left the hotel d’Olmene, than this atro- 
cious noblemen representing her as a 
woman of the town, to the lieutenant of 
the police, procures an_order for her 
confinement. But by the sudden ar- 
rival of Melvil from England, and the 
interposition of Herminie, Aoth the 
lady and son are restored 16 freedom, 
while the Duke is disgraced and disho- 
noured. Soon after, this, -the latter is 
obliged to give an account of the for- 
tune of his ward during her minority, 
and becomes reduced to beggary by 
the restoration of large sums of mo- 
ney which he had squandered in debau- 
chery. On the other hand Melyii and 
Melanie are immediately married, and 
all the parties worthy of being render- 
ed happy become so- : | 
On the whole, this is an interesting 
novel. Itis to be observed, however, 
that it contains a severe satire on 
‘the ancient nebility, while it discloses 
all the horrors of a despotic govern-. 
ment, such as France, unhappily still 
is! 
‘* Sur les Gardins, &c.” Transla- 
tion of a Chinese work on Garpens, 
origizally written by Baron de Be- 
seuval. 
Let others build palaces to conceal 
their chagrin, or display their va- 
