mother's haughtiness, and his wishes and his passions were never
subjected to contradiction. A few years since that mother died, and the
youth has been too much engaged in voluptuousness and luxury to embark
in the malicious pursuits of Rodogune, Sensuality has been his aim, and
pleasure has been his God. To gratify his passions has been the sole
object of his attentions; and he has remitted no exertion that could
enhance to him the joys of the feast and the fruition of beauty. One
low-minded gratification has succeeded to another; pleasures of an
elevated and intellectual kind have been strangers to his heart; and
were it not that the subtlety of wit was a gift bestowed upon him by
supernatural existencies, he must long ere this have sunk his mind to
the lowest savageness and the most contemptible imbecility."

Edwin heard the tale of the Druid with the deepest attention. He was
interested in the information it contained; he was astonished at the
unfathomable witcheries of Rodogune; and he could not avoid the being
apprehensive of the unexpanded powers of Roderic. But the daring and
adventurous spirit of youth, and the anxiety that he felt for the
critical situation of Imogen, soon overpowered and obliterated these
impressions. The Druid finished; and he started from his seat. "Point
me, kind and generous Madoc, to the harbour of the usurper. I will
invade his palace. I will enter fearlessly the lime-twigs of his spells.
I will trust in the omnipotency of innocence. Though the magician should
be encircled with all the horrid forms that ingenious fear ever created,
though all the grizly legions of the infernal realm should hem in, I
will find him out, and force him to relinquish his prize, or drag him by
his shining hair to a death, ignominious and accursed, as has been the
conduct of his life."

The Druid assumed a sterner and a severer aspect. "How long, son of the