The novels of Charles Brockden Brown, consisting of Wieland;or, The transformation. Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the year 1793. Edgar Huntly; or, Memoirs of a sleep-walker. Jane Talbot. Ormond; or, The secret witness. Clara Howard; or, The enthusiasm of love. With a memoir of the author.

180

ORMOND; OR,

Ragusa should be endeared to his heart by comparison
with Egyptian plagues and Turkish tyranny. Besides,
he lived for his children as well as himself. Their education and future lot required him to seek a permanent
home.
"He embarked, with his wife and offspring, at Scanderoon. No immediate conveyance to Ragusa offering,
the appearance of the plague in Syria induced him to
hasten his departure. He entered a French vessel for
Marseilles. After being three days at sea, one of the
crew was seized by the fatal disease which had depopulated all the towns upon the coast. The voyage was
made with more than usual despatch; but, before we
reached our port, my mother and half the crew perished.
My father died in the Lazaretto, more through grief
than disease.
"My brother and I were children and helpless. My
father's fortune was on board this vessel, and was left by
his death to the mercy of the captain. This man was
honest, and consigned us and our property to the merchant
with whom he dealt. Happily for us, our protector was
childless and of scrupulous integrity. We henceforth
became his adopted children. My brother's education
and my own were conducted on the justest principles.
"At the end of four years, our protector found it
expedient to make a voyage to Cayenne. His brother
was an extensive proprietor in that colony, but his sudden death made way for the succession of our friend.
To establish his claims, his presence was necessary on the
spot. He was little qualified for arduous enterprises,
and his age demanded repose; but, his own acquisitions
having been small, and being desirous of leaving us in
possession of competence, he cheerfully embarked.
"Meanwhile, my brother was placed at a celebrated
seminary in the Pays de Vaud, and I was sent to a
sister who resided at Verona. I was at this time fourteen
years old,-one year younger than my brother, whom,
since that period, I have neither heard of nor seen.
"I was now a woman, and qualified to judge and act
for myself. The character of my new friend was austere
and devout, and there were so many incongenial points