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C 149 )
had been prevailed upon to fwallow the
©piate cordial prepared for her, he might
certainly enter into the folds of raviih-
ment, without alarming her. The devo¬
ted facrifice flept in the next room ; and
flept fo profoundly, that the betrayer had
an opportunity unobftru£ted,of feafting his
greedy eyes, and facrilegious hands, with
every excitement to luft, which a form fo
perfeft could inflame him with! until
by every nerve being overcharged with
fwelling emotions, and impatient for gra¬
tification, he like a thief purloined uncom¬
plete fruition ! infenfible as Ihe was, fuch
unufual difturbance and painful agita¬
tion awoke her j but no words, not even
can imagination form an adequate idea of
the agonies which diftradled her, how f-on
flie became confcious of her fituation t
And yet the unpitying wretch, unmoved by
fuch immenfe diftrefs, conceiving, that now
reanimated, flie might yet beftow more per-
fett blifs, again efiays to aggravate the
mighty woe, by forcing her to feel, in
feeble ftruggling a repetition of the ill,
which, already, flie had infenfibly fubmit-
ted to ! At length, alarmed with uncouth
diftant fkrieks, he left the pitiable .object
to the relief of death, or to the lels fup-
portable wailings of plundered innocence !
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