with other curious books, to the college where they then were. - My friend, who was one of its members, procured the manufcript to be lent. me; and, in turning over many fubjects far lefs interefting, I met with the hiftorical account of this church. -I have divefted it of the obfolete language of the times, but the fubftance of it is nearly as follows. VOL. II. I THE THE STORY OF THE TWO SISTERS. TOWARDS the end of those troublesome times, when ENGLAND was fhaken by the feuds of the houfes of YORK and LANCASTER, there refided, in a village near the banks of the MEDWAY, a gentleman, whose name was GEOFFRY DE SAINT CLAIR, defcended from a family of great antiquity and repute in those parts.The many launces, and pieces of armour, that hung round the old hall, did not render it more refpectable, than did the unbounded benevolence of its prefent poffeffor.-The poor fat at his gate, and bleffed his liberal hand; and never a pilgrim reposed in his porch, without remembering, in his orifons, its hofpitable owner. SAINT SAINT CLAIR had allied himself in marriage with the Lady MARGARET DE Boys, a woman of high birth, and rare endowments; whofe accomplishments might have embellished the greatest scenes, had not a love of domestic life, and a religious caft of mind, induced her to prefer retirement.-All her leisure hours, which her family did not call for, were spent in duties, which, in that age, ladies of the nobleft rank exercised, without thinking they demeaned their ftations ;-fhe relieved the indigent,— advised with the unfortunate,-vifited the fick, and brought up her Twin Daughters, FRANCES and ISABELLA, in the fame fentiments; — accuftoming them very early, to attend upon her in all thofe acts of primitive piety.As thefe young ladies were the fole I 2 iffuc iffue of SAINT CLAIR and Lady MARGARET, they devoted their whole attention to their education; and had the comfort to find in their minds, fo rich a foil, that every thing profpered which was planted in them :-no ufeful knowledge was omitted, no external accomplishment neglected. FRANCES and ISABELLA were now - arrived at the age of twenty-five.The amiablenefs of their characters, their enlarged understandings, and the gracefulness of their perfons, won the admiration and esteem of all who approached them.-They had, from fimilitude of manners, and fentiment, contracted fuch a rare affection for each other, that it feemed as if NATURE, by forming them together in the womb, had prepared them for that extraordinary union, which was to - to diftinguish their lives, and for thofe effufions of elevated friendship, which the lofs of their exemplary mother was one day to call forth. Nor was this event very remote; Lady MARGARET was feized by a fudden illness, which, in a few days, carried her off, and defolated one of the happiest families in the world.— It would be difficult to defcribe the founds of woe, which, on this occafion, echoed through all the manfion, or the fighs of the difconfolate poor, under the windows. The grief of SAINT CLAIR, after the many years of uninterrupted happinefs that he had enjoyed with Lady MARGARET, in its firft attack, almost overpowered his reafon; whilft FRANCES and ISABELLA had the weight of a father's forrow added to their own; which 13 |