possible search for her lost children. When she had informed him of her wretched story, he told her that he was, at the same time, lamenting the fate of a Venetian youth of family, with whom he had Circassian endeavoured to stifle the cries of the unhappy child in her bosom, frightened at the rage with which the Turks had complained of its screams; nor did her fears suggest to her the horrors they had yet to witness, for at the sun-spoken that morning, and despairrise these savages committed the ed of getting him ransomed. He infant to the flames, to ease them- had been taken prisoner, and was selves of its cries and the incon- become the property of a Turkish veniency of its being attended to, bashaw, who had been recalled by and then travelled with increased the Porte, to be appointed to a celerity across sandy deserts, new government, and who every through thick woods, and over rug-day increased the sum he demandged and steep mountains, till with-ed for this unfortunate gentleman's in a short distance of Constanti- liberty. As Juliana's grandfather nople, where they sold the unhap- had fought in several campaigns py Juliana and her sister to an for the Venetians, and her father Aleppo merchant, who, for their had now fallen in their service, farther misfortune, rejected pur- the moment the wretched event of chasing the Circassian; and thus her's and her sister's capture was parting them from their faithful known at Venice, an order was domestic and fellow-sufferer, car- sent from the states to ransom the ried them on towards Constanti- children as soon as they could be nople. Their disconsolate and found. The order reached Conwretched mother, soon after they stantinople a few days after their were torn from her, was sought mother had arrived there. This for and recovered by her friends. public tribute paid to the memory When able to rouse herself from of those so dear to her, was truly the lethargy which this dreadful consoling, but no one knew where catastrophe had thrown her into, to find the unhappy captives. The by her unremitted inquiries she Armenian merchant she was with, learned the cruel news of her hus- though very young, was extremely band having been massacred with opulent and universally beloved a party of Venetians by the Turks, as a most amiable character. He and that the banditti, or Turkish felt sincerely for her distress, and soldiers, who had carried off her his age and temper led him to be daughters, had taken them to Con-highly interested from the picture stantinople. In a distracted state, she gave him of the two beautiful she immediately collected all she sufferers. could of her property and deter- He had nearly abandoned the mined to follow them. She ap-hope of finding them, when the plied to an Armenian merchant at Constantinople, under whose protection she meant to place herself while she remained at the Porte, and employed him to make every young Venetian noble, whose claims he was endeavouring to remove, surprised him by a visit. He came accompanied by a Mamaluke of the bashaw's, to bring him a proposal from that prince, for sell- || confided to Zeleuca, a confidential ing a great number of black slaves before his departure for his new government, to which as he was already named, and his retinue and equipage ordered to attend him in eight days, he could give but a short time for this commission. The merchant could only feel for the distress of his friend, whom he saw on the point of being hurried off to Persia before their last let. ters to his family had been answered, for increasing the ransom offered for him, which the bashaw had refused. He was shocked with the visible despair in his friend's countenance, and was encouraging him to hope that letters might yet reach Constantinople before his departure, when he was surprised to hear him declare, that the arrival of such letters could not relieve his present sufferings. He told the merchant, that some time since the bashaw had got into his possession two of the most beautiful Georgians he had ever beheld, whom he purchased of Turkish robbers near Adrianople. It was at first thought the officer who bought them would have fallen into disgrace, as from their sufferings they were in a most emaciated Greek woman of the bashaw's family in the palace, and to remain with her till the bashaw's arrival in Persia. Zeleuca was a Grecian slave, who had been a long time in the bashaw's family, and had great influence with him. The Venetian told the merchant, that previous to the bashaw's avowed partiality for the cuest, he had resolved to pay his own ransom for their liberty, and purchase his freedom some other way, but as he was now certain the Turk would not part with them, freedom, he said, was become indifferent to him. The Armenian endeavoured to conceal his own strong emotions from the Venetian youth, as he instantly conceived these were the two beautiful sufferers he was so earnestly in search of. He soothed the unhappy youth, entreating him to be patient and secret, and above all to profit no more of any opportunity accident might furnish him || with, of seeing or speaking to the Georgians, till he himself should meet with him again at the bashaw's. The youth informed him, that owing to public business, the bashaw would not take his family with him, and a Mamaluke was appointed to superintend their journey, and they were to set out four days after the prince. The young Venetian then parted with his friend the merchant, and reflected with surprise on the uncommon agitation that he seemed to suffer, and his earnestness in enjoining him to avoid seeing more of the Georgians; but he had witnessed so many instances of generous and kind actions in the merchant during his frequent interviews with the bashaw, that he had conceived the knew the bashaw, fond of popula highest esteem for him, and there-rity, feared to appear severe or fore determined with confidence unjust; yet he was ferocious, vioto put himself under his guidance. lent in his passions, and prone to The Armenian having commu- secret revenge, and was one anicated his suspicions to his afflict- mongst the most powerful officers ed guest, she was so transported, of his rank belonging to the Porte: that she would instantly have gone but as avarice was the leading feato embrace her children, and claim ture in his character, the merchant them with prayers and tears, at the || nourished a faint hope of placing feet of their Turkish master, had the children in their mother's arms not her friend prevented her from again. He desired her to give so rash a step. He reminded her, him a letter open for her daughter, that with every reason to hope which he would endeavour to conthat the young slaves were her vey to her himself, and by that children, yet it was not fully as- means discover if the children were certained, and it would be neces-her's or not. The account he had sary to deliberate on the most cautious and possible means of redeeming them should they prove So. He persuaded her to leave their fate in his hands for a few days, and trust to his endeavours to work out their deliverance. He received from the Venetian left him no room to doubt it; but to gain their confidence, and to make them alone acquainted with a plan for their escape, seemed almost too difficult to accomplish. (To be concluded in our next.) FASHIONS. LONDON FASHIONS. PLATE 22.-HALF DRESS. A GOWN of lilac sarsnet, cut low round the bust, which is trimmed with pink ribbon, disposed so as to form a wreath; the shape of the back is marked by bands of pink, and a large bow, in the French style, ornaments the middle of it at bottom. The back is full; a plain light front forms the shape in a most becoming manner. Long full sleeve, composed of clear muslin, trimmed at the wrist with a single row of lace, and finished by a pink bow. Fichu to correspond, very full trimmed round the throat with lace. The bottom of the skirt is edged with pink, and trimmed with a single flounce of blond lace, set on very full, and surmounted by a wreath of French roses. Cornette composed of tulle, finished by a quilling of blond round the face, and fastened by a pink bow under the chin; a bow to correspond ornaments it on the forehead, and a bunch of flowers is placed very far back on the head. The style of this cornette, though French, is so simply elegant and becoming, that we have not for some time seen any half-dress cap to equal it. Plain gold ornaments. White kid gloves, and white kid slippers with pink rosettes. |