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.

TIHE SECRET WITNESS.

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his age, to the imperfectness of their acquaintance, and
to the want of that permanence of character which can
flow only from the progress of time and knowledge.
These objections, which so rarely exist, were conclusive with her. There was no danger of her relinquishing them in compliance with the remonstrances of parents and the solicitations of her lover, though the one and
the other were urged with all the force of authority and
insinuation. The prescriptions of duty were too clear
to allow her to hesitate and waver, but the consciousness
of rectitude could not secure her from temporary vexations.
-Her parents were blemished with some of the frailties
of that character. They held themselves entitled to
prescribe in this article, but they forbore to exert their
power. They condescended to persuade; but it was
manifest that they regarded their own conduct as a relaxation of right;. and, had not the lover's importunities
suddenly ceased, it is not possible to tell how far the
happiness of Miss Dudley might have been endangered.
The misfortunes of her father were no sooner publicly
known, than the youth forbore his visits, and embarked
on a voyage which he had long projected, but which had
been hitherto delayed by a superior regard to the interests of his passion.
It must be allowed that the lady had not foreseen this
event. She had exercised her judgment upon his character, and had not been deceived. Before this desertion,
had it been clearly stated to her apprehension, she would
have readily admitted it to be probable. She knew the
fascination of wealth, and the delusiveness of self-confidence. She was superior to the folly of supposing him
exempt from sinister influences,'and deaf to the whispers
of ambition; and yet the manner in which' she was affected by this event convinced her that her heart had a
larger share than her reason in dictating her expectations.
Yet it must not be supposed that she suffered any very
acute distress on this account. She was grieved less for
her own sake than his. She had no design of entering
into marriage in less than seven years from this period.