him, except on one condition. I told him that for what I should disclose, or for some other cause, I might very easily fall under the displeasure of the tutor, and might thus lose my situation; which result, as he might comprehend, would be somewhat unfortunate for me in my present circumstances; my character as yet not being established. I therefore made it the condition of my revealing my secret, that he should first write me a character, as having served him well, and that he had no further need of me, and that he left me at Antwerp. He, therefore, having fully performed this condition, and having signed the document with his own signet, I proceeded to tell him that the mysterious affair of his mother's late displeasure was all owing to the tutor, who had been ungenerously telling tales of him in his letters. He asked me how I could know that? I replied from the tutor's own lips; and, as it happened, he had given me sufficient means of proving to the Count, that what I asserted was true.

:

I now laughed in my sleeve to think how conveniently I had got a character, signed with the Count D'Baleatte's own signet, to take with me when my year was expired; (for I was still resolved to leave, on account of the tutor's harsh and dominent conduct) and with such a character, I felt no fear of meeting either my Brother at Paris, or any one else. Neither did I allow myself to think for a moment, that in my manner of obtaining it, I had done wrong; for as to the tutor, he stood too high in the good graces of the lady mother to be moved by the pettish complaints of her son; and

as for making any breach between the Major Domo and his ward, the former never treated the latter so as to be likely to gain a large share of his affections.

Re

In order, therefore, to prepare for the event of my leaving the Count's service, I privately made known my resolution to several of my friends within the establishment at Caen. The consequence was, after a short time, I was sent for by a gentleman who resided near the academy, and asked by him whether I really intended to leave my present master. plying in the affirmative, he asked me if I had a mind to go to England? I told him I should have no objection, provided I could meet with a promising situation. "Well then," said he, "Mr. Campbell, a young gentleman who sits next to your master every day at the dinner table will engage you; but mind, he will say nothing to you on the subject till you have entirely left your present situation." This was some time before the expiration of my year, but secrecy and faithfulness being promised on both sides, I went about my business and said nothing to any one till the very day on which I was at liberty.

CHAP. V.

MOTIVE for leaving the Count D'Balleate.-Set off for England.-Arrive at Bolougne.-My attention to the customs of the English there.-Impeded by snow. Arrival at Calais.-Dover.- Reflections on an English dinner.-Arrive at London. — Ludicrous affair with Mr. Campbell's Tutor.-An English Sunday.Mr. Campbell, a Military Officer.-Accompany him to Chichester. Further surprised with English customs. -Remove to Lewes.-Singular meeting with a na tive of Antwerp.—A fishing excursion.-A dilemma. -Umbrage taken at my familiarity with my Master. -Notice to leave him.-Resolve to go to London.— Query as to character. -Obtain several, with various voluntary recommendations.

"Therefore, prepare thyself;

The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
The associates tend, and every thing is bent
For England."

HAMLET.

THE Count was surprised at my leaving him, and proffered to increase my wages. This I of course refused, although on his account I was grieved to do so, and the very day on which I left my situation, I got installed in another. Several considerations induced me to take this step; one of the most weighty of which was, a desire of going to England.

E

My new master remained at the Academy after my hiring with him for some months, and it was in the middle of the winter 1776, that we set out for England.

We met with nothing particular till we got to Bolougne. This place being the resort of many English people, it was there I first became acquainted with some of their peculiar customs. I will mention two instances which made an impression on me, as they would on any other foreigner coming from the South of the Continent. On the first evening of our arrival at Boulogne, my master ordered me to see that the sheets of the bed were well aired. I received his order, and transmitted it to the servant of the inn verbatim, inwardly wondering what the airing of the sheets should mean. I therefore carefully watched their movements, till I saw them hang the sheets before the fire, and it filled me with secret astonishment that English people should fancy to have their bedclothes roasted, for I had actually never seen the thing practised before, the dry air of my own country rendering this important precaution unnecessary. Another singularity was, my master odered me to procure him toasted cheese and mustard for supper. This I actually laughed at, not doubting that he was intending to put a joke upon me.

On the morning after our arrival at Bolougne, I witnessed no mean specimen of the form which winter can assume in these more Northern climates, for, during the night, there had fallen perhaps as great a quantity of snow as ever was known to

descend in so short a space of time. Our landlord would fain have dissuaded us from attempting to proceed on our journey, giving it as his opinion that travelling was impossible; contrary to his advice, however, we made the attempt, but had our labour for our pains, being obliged to return. After remaining at Bolougne, therefore, for several days and nights, we set out again, and proceeded with difficulty for three or four miles, when, coming to a village, we were obliged to halt again. This place was full of travellers, who, like ourselves, were impeded in their progress. Here we were all under the necessity of remaining till we had almost consumed every thing eatable. At last a subscription was entered into, and twenty-four villagers were hired to cut a way through the drifted snow; which being effected, we got away from our confinement, and ultimately arrived at Calais.

My impressions on seeing the sea for the first time, were, I suppose, like those of many other people; and of course to such as have seen it, I need not attempt to describe them. For the sake, however, of others who have not had an opportunity of gazing upon the fathomless abyss, I may just remark that, although I had in some measure prepared myself for a wonderful sight, I could not help being amazed beyond conception. I cannot but imagine that the effect is somewhat similar to what it would be were we to attain, suddenly, the power of some new and untried sense. I gazed and gazed, as I stood on the shore, and even after the outward