abode in an ignorant mind, so it required no mental tact to enforce the obedience of the slave whose idleness would be dreadfully punished; but now all will be altered. Masters will no longer absent themselves for years, perhaps for ever, from their plantations, intrusting ignorant, sometimes brutal, overseers with the care of their property and slaves. I cannot-I will not admit the plausible good of a slave market. Good heavens! the Negroes have been, in fact, agricultural implements, sold to till the ground, not to minister only to man's wants, but to pamper his luscious appetite, and satiate him with pleasures. Some persons ignorantly say, Great Britain knew all this long ago, but has now chosen to make a fuss. Granted. England erred long, but better late than never is its motto; and now the dawn of its reason

is fast approaching its climax. Great Britain, like a scholar gradually mounting to the highest class, is daily gaining wisdom. Shall it be said in the lapse of years that its march of intellect was confined to making wonderful discoveries? No; with a high-searching mind, England becomes more humane as it grows more wise. Examining into the relative position of master and slaves, finding that the latter is injured, ill-used, ill-fed, uncared for, unprotected, wretched and forsaken, would you have British men, headed by a virtuous king and a parliament, composed of the noblest of a noble land, come to so debasing a conclusion on the subject of slavery? would you have men convinced of

evil continue in it still ?"

What could the baron say? could he boldly advocate slavery at his own table,

when he heard it placed in an immoral and degrading view? He could not, and the conversation became general, until the company dispersed in quest of the ladies, who, accompanied by their lovely hostess, were ranging in the beautiful grounds.

CHAPTER V.

Nel tuo dono io veggo assai
Che del don maggior tu sei ;
Nessun trono invidierei
Come invidio il tuo gran cor.
Mille moti in un momento
In mi fai svegliar nel petto
Di vergogna, di rispetto,

Di contento e di stupor.

METASTASIO.

Kind and benevolent as Anna di Lucia's heart might naturally have been, it had, to a certain degree, been warped by the baron's prejudicial influence. He was an aristocrat of aristocrats, and, surrounded by slaves subservient to her will, the young beauty had been nurtured in a hot-bed of pride.

The baron had none of those high ideas

of aristocracy which sometimes spur on our nobles to the noblest deeds, but he considered a title as an especial blessing, marking the individual so blessed as heir to honours and affluence, whether he deserved them or not. He seemed born to rule his slaves, and, setting aside all lucrative considerations of the trade, he trembled to think that the abolition would bring the blacks in the same rank as white domestics, thus making them a step nearer the aristocrats they served.

Always surrounded by slaves, Anna di Lucia had yet to learn that in free countries women of rank could demand but scarcely command undue submission; but she would never bow her haughty spirit to one foolish action our British ladies are guilty of, "keeping ill-tempered ladies'

maids, and being dependent on their whims."