from conversing on the subject of politics while we were there; which advice we thought it prudent scrupulously to comply with.

From Venice we travelled to Parma and Placentia. After we had passed the latter place, our gentlemen in the carriage, and myself on horseback, I observed some hills before us, which I saw we must necessarily pass over. At the first sight of them I thought we should have been there in a few hours, but was surprised when we had travelled a corsiderable way further, that they seemed as distant as ever. I said nothing to any one, not being willing to expose my own ignorance. We journeyed all the next day with the hills still before us, which appeared, indeed, to increase in height and steepness as we moved forward, so that I inwardly wondered how we should get over them. On the third day of my wondering, although we had travelled forward without intermission, we still had not arrived at the hills, but having them yet in front of us, we very comfortably arrived at Turin, the capital of the kingdom of Sardinia.

After remaining at Turin eight days, we set out to cross the Alps, which had been so long before us. The place where we crossed was called Sene. Our carriage was taken to pieces and carried over by men and mules. We found it no small degree of labour to climb these celebrated mountains. Coming, however, after much labour, to the top, we found upon the level an Inn, with the sign of the Red Cross; here we called to refresh ourselves.

I had heard, before we came to this Inn, of a

celebrated curiosity connected with it, and concerning which I resolved to make inquiry upon the spot. The landlady, as I had been told, and as I actually found, had spent many years as a sort of valet in the retinue of an Italian Prince, disguised in male attire. I asked her many questions upon the subject, and particularly, as to how it was she was never discovered; in answer to which she told me as follows.

She declared that, though she had all along mixed with the company of both men and women, yet her sex was never, to her own knowledge, suspected, until an incident gave rise to the discovery, when she could not have prevented it but at the sacrifice of her own life.

She was always, she said, fond of the company of women, and, for the sake of enjoying it the more freely, she actually pretended, sometimes, to practice gallantry with the young ones. Not unfrequently she bought them ribbons and other trifles. At last, however, she entered on a more dangerous enterprize; for, without any pretence of gallantry, but merely from friendly feeling, she had acquired a familiar acquaintance with a married lady. With this female she used frequently to associate and converse on various subjects. One summer evening they happened to take a walk together in the fields, and had actually seated themselves on a grassy bank while they finished some piece of discourse in which they were engaged. It appears that the lady's husband, who had began to entertain jealousy of the parties, heard of their being to

gether, and, repairing to the spot, in the heat of his passion, drew a dagger, and would have plunged it into the bosom of his supposed guilty rival, had she not instantly, by opening her waistcoat and laying her breasts bare, revealed the important

secret.

It was impossible that a circumstance of such a nature should be kept secret by more than one individual. It soon became known, even to the Prince, in whose establishment our heroine had long lived. She was summoned into his presence, where she had to give an account of her whole history. The Prince settled a pension upon her for life, but of course she had from thenceforth to discard her male attire.

When I had heard the above account from the woman's own lips, I ventured to intimate that I thought it extremely curious that she should never be found out, and particularly as she was not one of the most robust, even of the weaker sex.

66

66

Then," says she, you suppose you would have

found me out."

66

Yes," I replied," I have little doubt of it."

"A gentleman," she said, "who happened to stay at this house, for a few days, a short time ago, was as confident as you seem to be, and declared his conviction that no female could deceive him in a similar manner. I made no more to do, but on leaving his company, I retired to my own room, where I dressed myself in a suit of my discarded apparel; it happened that there was a person at band who could dress my hair fashionably; and

being thus metamorphosed, I got myself ushered into the presence of this self-confident gentleman. His valet happened to be dressing his master's hair when I was introduced. I made my debut to the valet, whom, professing to recognize, I addressed as follows:

"Sir, I am come to your order.' me a vacant stare. I continued :"You recollect telling me at

The man gave

Inn, in Ge

neva, that master was in want of a servant.'

The master turning himself round, looked first at me, then at his servant, hastily inquiring of the latter, Did you engage him?'

"No, Sir,' said the valet, "I never, to my knowledge, saw him before in my life.'

"It is singular, there has been some mistake,' continued the master, 'and have you come all the way from Geneva ?'

"Most assuredly,' I replied.

“Well,' added the gentleman, 'all we can do, is to pay the man's expenses, I want no servant.'

I concluded the scene," said this singular woman, "by laughing and saying, I thought, Sir, you would not have been so easily deceived, but that you would have known me.'" He raised his hands in astonishment, after which, he promised that he would not be so confident in future.

СНАР. ІХ.

DESCENT from the Alps.-Towns in Switzerland.-The Netherlands. Brussels.-Antwerp. Affectionate Interview with Father and Mother.-Travel through France.-Embark for England.—Arrive in London. Leave Mr. Mackenzie.-Broad-brimmed Hats.-Introduction to Major Warburton.-His singular scheme to get me into his service.-My year and half's servitude with the Major.-His irritable temper.. Our quarrel and final separation. My engagement with a new Master.

"O, when shall I visit the land of my birth,
The loveliest land on the face of the earth?
When shall I those scenes of affection explore,
Our forests, our fountains,

Our hamlets, our mountains,

With the pride of our mountains, the maid I adore?
O, when shall I dance on the daisy-white mead,
In the shade of an elm, to the sound of a reed?

When shall I return to that lowly retreat
Where all my fond objects of tenderness meet,—
The lambs and the heifers that follow my call,

My father, my mother,

My sister, my brother,

And dear Isabella, the joy of them all?

O, when shall I visit the land of my birth?

-Tis the loveliest land on the face of the earth."

MONTGOMERY.

OUR descent from the Alps was curious.

The

upper part of the mountains being covered with snow, and the snow being hard, we were provided