"could not be long a Stranger to this Coldness " of her Husband, and the more fhe was convin"ced of it, the greater was her Sullenness of Be"haviour towards him; which heightened his Indifferency, and that, of Courfe, her ill Hu"mour; 'till, by a mutual Diffatisfaction, which daily encreased, they both conceived, as they "thought, a juft Hatred, one to the other.

of

“AMIANDER, hereupon, grew weary "his Wife and Home, and, to footh his Únea"finefs, fought other Company more fuitable to "his own gay Temper. This he foon found in "the Acquaintance of Levifa, the Daughter of a "Country-Gentleman, whofe Eftate was conti"guous to a House he had in a neighbouring "Villa. She was not indeed to compare with "Torva, either for Youth, Wit or Beauty; how"ever, by her fprightly Behaviour, the foon got "the Afcendant fo far over him, that he could not "be eafy out of her Company.

"His good Senfe made him fometimes reflect, "that this Courfe of Life muft, at Length, end "in his utter Shame and Ruin; and he several "Times refolved to break with Levifa, and be "reconciled to his Wife: But he no fooner ap"proach'd her, than the Fire of Love, which "her Beauty kindled, was extinguished, and con"verted to Ice, by her fullen haughty Afpect.

"LUPINUS, a diftant Relation of Amiander's, "had long been enamoured with Torva; but could "never flatter himself with the leaft Hopes of a "Return from her; 'till, on this Occafion, he • ftole into her Affection, by feigning a Compaf"fion for her Sufferings; and fhe, under the Pre"text of unbofoming her Affliction, opened the

Way to fuch an Intimacy between them, as, "by frequent Converfation with him, in her "Hufband's Abfence, awakened a Jealoufy in

« him,

"him, and an evil Opinion of her Conduct in "the Eye of the World.

"THIS encreased Amiander's Inclination for "Levifa, and he was fo liberal in his Prefents "to her, that he impaired his Eftate; and, in "the End, reduced himself almoft to a Want of "Neceffaries. To drive away, as he thought, in "fome Measure, this double Care, he took to "Drinking, and thereby brought his Health and "his Eftate into one and the fame ruinous Con.❝dition.

"LEVISA, in the mean Time, found the "Fruits of her unlawful Converfation with Ami"ander began to appear, in too evident a Manner, to be long a Secret. She, therefore, refol"ved, to conceal the Scandal fhe had brought

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upon her Family, at the Expence of her own "Child's Life. Accordingly, without confulting "even Amiander, it no fooner came into the "World, than the imbrued her Hands in the "Blood of the innocent Babe, and threw it into "a Moat, which environ'd her Father's Houfe; "but the Body being taken up, and all Circum"ftances confidered, the Sufpicion foon fell on "Levifa, and fhe was accordingly taken up for "the Murder, which fhe inftantly confeffed".

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AMIANDER was no fooner informed of "this Difafter, in which he had, at least indi"rectly, fo great a Share, than he refolved upon making his Escape. To this End, he haftened to his Houfe in Town, and, filling his Pockets with what Gold and Jewels were at hand, ordered his Horfe to be fadled, and loaded a Pair of Piftols for his Journy. "his Way down Stairs, paffing by his Lady's "Chamber, Curiofity led him, to take a laft "Farewel of her, with his Eyes at least, thro' "the Key-hole; when, to compleat his Diftrac"tion,

I 3

In

"tion, he beheld her in close Embraces with his "Kinfman Lupinus. Rage added Strength to "his Arms, to force open the Door, and, with 56 one of the Pistols he had in his Hand, he fhot "the Lover dead on the Spot, in the Arms of "his Wife. He left him, reeking in his Blood, at the Adulterefs's Feet, and immediately moun❝ted his Horfe to ride off: But the Noife of "his Pistol, the Out-cries of Torva, and the Con"fufion which was visible in Amiander's Face,

gave fuch Room for Sufpicion, that he was "immediately stopped. In fhort, Levisa and A"miander fuffered by the Hands of the common

Executioner, and Torva, confcious of having "been the remote Caufe of all this Mifery, obtained Leave to fee her Hufband the Morning of his Execution; and, on her Knees, begEL ing Pardon for her Offence, ftabbed herself at "his Feet. Thus, by an Indifcretion, which, in "the Begining, but juft exceeded the Bounds "of Innocency, four Perfons of Diftinction, who might have enjoyed all the Happiness this "World could afford, loft their Lives, in a mife

66

rable and shocking Manner, an innocent Babe "was barbaroufly murdered, and four confiderable "Families thrown into a State of the deepeft Sor"row and Affliction".

I am already anticipating the Pleasure I expect to enjoy to-morrow with my new learned Acquaintance, which will probably be the Subject of my next. I conclude this as ufual, &c.

LETTER

SIR,

LETTER XV.

HAMBURG.

HE appointed Tuefday Morning being come, before I was up, my Landlord acquainted me the Coach was at the

a

Door, and that my Friend (as I fhall for the future call him) expected me to Breakfaft. I got on my Cloaths, with all the Expedition I could, and departed: I reckoned it to be about five English Miles from the Town, and the whole Way I obferved ftately Houfes and Gardens, on each Side, which gave me very grand and advantageous Idea of the Opulence of this City of Hamburg. We arrived, about Nine at the Gate of my Friend's Houfe, which, tho' not fo large as fome I had feen, had an Air of Grandeur and Magnificence, that far exceeded any of them, and fhewed the exquifite Tafte of the Poffeffor, who, I foon perceived, had caufed it to be built, under his own Direction. The House is at a proper Distance from the Road, and the Avenue to it thro' a Grove of high Trees, in which is a Rookery: This Avenue is in the Form of a Semicircle, in the Middle of which are noble Iron Gates, that lead into a Court-Yard, with Out-Houfes on each Side. At the End of this Yard, is another Pair of Iron Gates, fomething less than the former, which open to a beautiful Foie-Garden, finely decorated with Statues, Vafes and Ever-greens, and divided into four large Grafs-plats, with a

large Statue in the Midft of each. In the Middle of this Garden is a Fountain, with a handfom Piece of Rock-work, adorned with proper Figures, in the Center. On each Side, oppofite to the Fountain, and in the Middle of two BrickWalls, covered with Trees of different Sorts of Wall-Fruits, with Seats at proper Distances, are two Iron Gates, leading to two Walks of the Grand Garden, which terminate in very agreable Vistos. The Houfe, which is at the End of this Fore-Garden, is raifed on an Eminence of three Steps, and a Terrafs of that Height, and about Ten Foot broad, furrounds it, being bordered by a low Brick-wall, cover'd with Stone, and adorn'd with beautiful Pots, containing great Variety of Exotics. At each End of the Front of the Houfe, are two large Iron-Gates, which fill up the Spaces between the Corners of the House, and the Walls of the Fore-Garden, and lead each to a Walk, of the Length of the whole Grand Garden, that terminate in handfom Alcoves. The Entrance into the Houfe, is by a large handfom Portico, leads you into a Hall, adorned with Paintings of the best Italian Mafters, Oppofite to the Entrance are large folding Doors, leading into a fine inner Apartment, which, in Winter-time, ferves Stove or Green-Houfe, but in Summer for a Dining-Room. In the Middle of each Side of the Hall are other folding Doors, that lead into the Side Apartments, which consist of a Parlour or Fore-Room, an inner Room or Bed-Chamber, and a Dreffing Room, on each Sidé regularly the fame, and all with Windows towards the Garden. The large or middle Room is exactly fquare, according to the Walls, but the Area of it is rendered circular, by Twelve beautifull Corinthian Columns, which fupport a Gallery of the fame Form. The Columns are joined

as a

by