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Article THE CONVERT. ← Page 4 of 7 →
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The Convert.
to follow with Carialla , who , during the progress of his recovery had remained silent , intently watching his countenance , which even in the trance of death exhibited a degree of beauty to ivhich the Britons were strangers .
He is not of our country , she exclaimed , "although he speaks the language of the island , from some far distant land the waves have cast him , his garb too , how rich and delicate . " "I too , think '' replied her lover , " that the youth is a stranger to these shores ; I have heard my father say , " he continued , " that m some neighbouring Isle ( probabl y Ireland ) there dwells a race superior to ours in arts and wisdom ; if so , this event may be fortunate for Anglia and le will
my peop . I question this unlooked-for guest , and haply may learn from him that ivhich ivill advantage my country -purchance , he continued musing , " set some dearer doubts to restV farewell , beloved , he added , saluting the hand of his mistress , " I must welcome the youth , lest he deem the Briton cold and churlish to the stranger . The lovers parted for the ni ght ; Egbert to attend to the condition of his guestand Carialla for the first
, time in her life to an unquiet couch ; her dreams were of the tempest ; again she beheld the monarch , and the object of his gallant courage , struggling in the waves ; hut her chief fears were for the stranger , so subtle is the connexion between the visions of our pillow and the hidden feelings of the hear , that truth frequently reveals itself in sleep ; there no sophistry can baffle it , no false reasoning veil it from our sight ; unfortunately for the maidens peace of mind and the happiness of her affianced husband she loved the beautiful and unknown youth ; but scarce conscious of the nature of her feelings , attributed to interest and com __; , * -
sion , tiie sentiments whose origin was a deeper passion Egbert ' s surmise respecting the country of his guest proved correct , as soon as he was sufficientl y recovered to enter into conversation with his preserver and express his gratitude , he informed him that his name was Urah , and that he was decended from the ancient Iraneans , a people of the East , by whom the nei ghbouring island had bsen colonised ; he freely offered his services to the Anglian Sovereign , to induct him into the sublime mysteries of his
order , who had ever preserved , amid the corruptions of mankind , a knowled ge ( clouded and imperfect perhaps ) of the unity and worshi p of the Deity The last mists of superstition fell from the eyes of Egbert as he listened to the wisdom and eloquence of Urah , who , zealous ? n the cause of truth and proud of the rank and intelli gence of Ids royal proselyte laboured with the utmost ardour to induce him to abolish tiie absurd
worship of his people , and substitute the faith of the Teanians ivhich approached , though imperfectly to the pure doctrines of the Patriarchs 1 his was a task of no slight danger—the ancient superstition was deeply rooted in the minds of the people—the influence of the Arch-Druid . and priests from their supposed powers of divination , and the austerity of their lives is equal , if not superior to that of a King . Instances indeed had occwed m which the monarch had fallen sacrifice to their hatred
a or ambition under pretence of appeasing their incensed dieties . The British Prince forsaw the danger , and proceeded cautiously , but surely in the work of reformation . The views of the leading chiefs of the liast-Angles were sounded ; some were convinced by reason , others from interest ancl the desire of securing the favour of the King while
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Convert.
to follow with Carialla , who , during the progress of his recovery had remained silent , intently watching his countenance , which even in the trance of death exhibited a degree of beauty to ivhich the Britons were strangers .
He is not of our country , she exclaimed , "although he speaks the language of the island , from some far distant land the waves have cast him , his garb too , how rich and delicate . " "I too , think '' replied her lover , " that the youth is a stranger to these shores ; I have heard my father say , " he continued , " that m some neighbouring Isle ( probabl y Ireland ) there dwells a race superior to ours in arts and wisdom ; if so , this event may be fortunate for Anglia and le will
my peop . I question this unlooked-for guest , and haply may learn from him that ivhich ivill advantage my country -purchance , he continued musing , " set some dearer doubts to restV farewell , beloved , he added , saluting the hand of his mistress , " I must welcome the youth , lest he deem the Briton cold and churlish to the stranger . The lovers parted for the ni ght ; Egbert to attend to the condition of his guestand Carialla for the first
, time in her life to an unquiet couch ; her dreams were of the tempest ; again she beheld the monarch , and the object of his gallant courage , struggling in the waves ; hut her chief fears were for the stranger , so subtle is the connexion between the visions of our pillow and the hidden feelings of the hear , that truth frequently reveals itself in sleep ; there no sophistry can baffle it , no false reasoning veil it from our sight ; unfortunately for the maidens peace of mind and the happiness of her affianced husband she loved the beautiful and unknown youth ; but scarce conscious of the nature of her feelings , attributed to interest and com __; , * -
sion , tiie sentiments whose origin was a deeper passion Egbert ' s surmise respecting the country of his guest proved correct , as soon as he was sufficientl y recovered to enter into conversation with his preserver and express his gratitude , he informed him that his name was Urah , and that he was decended from the ancient Iraneans , a people of the East , by whom the nei ghbouring island had bsen colonised ; he freely offered his services to the Anglian Sovereign , to induct him into the sublime mysteries of his
order , who had ever preserved , amid the corruptions of mankind , a knowled ge ( clouded and imperfect perhaps ) of the unity and worshi p of the Deity The last mists of superstition fell from the eyes of Egbert as he listened to the wisdom and eloquence of Urah , who , zealous ? n the cause of truth and proud of the rank and intelli gence of Ids royal proselyte laboured with the utmost ardour to induce him to abolish tiie absurd
worship of his people , and substitute the faith of the Teanians ivhich approached , though imperfectly to the pure doctrines of the Patriarchs 1 his was a task of no slight danger—the ancient superstition was deeply rooted in the minds of the people—the influence of the Arch-Druid . and priests from their supposed powers of divination , and the austerity of their lives is equal , if not superior to that of a King . Instances indeed had occwed m which the monarch had fallen sacrifice to their hatred
a or ambition under pretence of appeasing their incensed dieties . The British Prince forsaw the danger , and proceeded cautiously , but surely in the work of reformation . The views of the leading chiefs of the liast-Angles were sounded ; some were convinced by reason , others from interest ancl the desire of securing the favour of the King while