TALES

OF AN

AMERICAN LANDLORD

CONTAINING

SKETCHES OF LIFE SOUTH OF THE POTOMAC,

"Sit mihi fas audita loqui."-VIRGIL.
What I have heard, permit me to relate.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

NEW-YORK:

PUBLISHED BY W. B. GILLEY, 92 BROADWAY.

J. SEYMOUR, PRINTER.

1824.

TALES, &c.

CHAPTER I.

THE ART OF SINKING.

His years with grievous crimes you need not load;
He found his ruin by the common road.-Crabbe.

As the jailer thought he could in no way show his reverence and gratitude towards Mr. Scott so effectually as by a minute attention to his requests concerning Percy, the prisoner was accommodated with a separate apartment, and furnished, at his desire, with paper, pen, and ink; and when Mr. Scott, who had walked out, returned, he found him engaged in writing.

"I am come, sir," said he, "to make a more minute inquiry into the nature of the assistance which you must allow me to endeavour to render you, and I can assure you”

"I am already assured, sir," replied Percy, rising and grasping the minister's hand; "I am already assured, that you are a friend and comforter, above all price. You have raised me from the very depth of despair, and your further assistance I will freely claim. VOL. II.

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You will remain, I presume, to perform the last office for the wretched Cogwell. Retire then, reverend sir, to the inn; you must require rest after a sleepless and agitating night. In the mean time I will write the letter, in which you find me engaged. You shall read it, and will, as I hope, deliver it."

Mr. Scott forbore to press his further services at this moment; and agreeing to Percy's arrangement, took his leave.

On his departure, Percy again applied himself to writing, which he continued without intermission until his return; when folding up the letter, which was now finished, though consisting of many pages, he directed the envelope, and placing it in the hands of the minister, desired him to read it. It ran thus:

"MY DEAR FRIEND,

"Only a few hours have elapsed since the hand, which now addresses you, would have ended my miserable existence, sooner than it would have recalled to your remembrance one who has laughed at your advice, and spurned your friendship.

"The reverend person, who will deliver you this, will detail to you the circumstances in which I am at present placed, and under which we have met. I also leave to him the task of informing you, how it was that my spirit has been at length subdued; for it was by his agency that, though draining the cup of misery to the very dregs, and sunk to the lowest depths of ignominy and disgrace, I have been induced to believe that it was my duty to live-my privilege to hope.

"I know what will be your feelings at the reception of this letter. I know they will prompt you to come instantly to me. But of the two requests which I have

to make, this is one--do not insist on seeing me. I have borne and do still bear misery in all the complicated variety of forms in which it can torture the heart of man; but the face of a friend, whose confidence I have abused, is more than, at present, I can bear.

"Irresolute in the intent of all my actions, and unstable in the execution of them as I was, I know that, when we last parted, you anticipated nothing less than the final accomplishment of my ruin. Well do I remember, unheeded as they were, your last friendly warnings, and your sorrowful forebodings, of the consequences of my wild, ungoverned course.

"Never shall I forget your answer, as I defied you to the mention of any evil which had resulted from the indulgence of my passions. You acknowledged, that you could not designate any particular circumstance, but that you were convinced, by a continued series of loose, though apparently trivial gratifications, my heart would, in time, become as thoroughly corrupted, as from the actual commission of those tremendous crimes which consign the perpetrators to disgrace and punish

ment.

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"Even now the pitiful sarcasm, with which I repaid this honest dealing towards me, sounds in my ears :'And pray, master Methodist,' said I, who has put it into your sanctified head to read me this lecture? Are you inwardly or outwardly moved thereunto; that is, does it proceed from yourself or my noble ice-hearted brother?'

"You urged me to spend the day with you. Why, unless I could multiply and divide myself,' said I, 'like King Henry at the battle of Shrewsbury, I shall never be able to fulfil my morning engagements. Stay here! You have no conception of the sacrifice I have already