gentle as a lamb. After stroking him two or three times with a bursting heart he returned the reins into the man's hand, and at the same time gave him the letter.

"There," said he, "take that note and the horse di rectly to the house of Mr. Hopetown. Leave them: for the letter requires no answer.'

So saying, he walked out of the yard, towards the quay. The wind continued fair; he entered the ship; and, within an hour, set sail for England,

CHAPTER IX.

SOBIESKI passed the greater part of each day, and the whole of the night on the deck of the vessel. He was too much absorbed in himself to receive any amusement from the passengers, who, observing his melancholy, thought to disperse it by their everlasting company and conversation,

When any of those officious people came upon deck, he walked to the head of the ship, took his seat upon the cable which bound the anchor to the forcastle; and while their fears rendered him safe from their attacks, by pondering with an aching heart upon what might be the consequence of his voyage, he gained some respite from vexation, though none from misery.

The ship having passed through the Baltic, and enter. ed on the British sea, the passengers running from side to side of the vessel, pointed out to Thaddeus the distant shore of England lying like a hazy ridge along the hori zon; the happy people, whilst they strained their eyes through glasses, desired him to observe different spots in the hardly perceptible line, which they called mborough Head, and the hills of Yorkshire. He turned sick at all these objects of pleasure, for not one of them had a corresponding feeling in his breast. England could be nothing to him: if any thing, it would prove only a desert which contained no one object for his regrets or wish es.

G

The image of Pembroke Somerset rose in his mind, like the dim recollection of one who has been a long time dead. Whilst he was with him at Villanow, he loved him warmly: and when they parted they promised to correspond. One day, in a pursuit of the enemy, Thaddeus had been so unlucky as to lose his friend's address which was in his pocket book: but yet, uneasy at his silence, he had ventured two letters to him, directed merely to Sir Robert Somerset, England. To these he received no answer; and the palatine and the Countess became so displeased with such neglect and ingratitude, that they would not suffer him to be mentioned in their presence; and indeed Thaddeus, from disappointment and regret had no inclination to do so.

When the Count remembered these things, he found little comfort in recollecting the name of that young Englishman at this period; and now that he was visiting England rather as a poor exile, than as a powerful lord, half indignant but more grieved, he almost gave up the wish with the hope of meeting Mr. Somerset. He felt that Somerset had not acted as the man must act, to whom he could apply in his distress; and he resolved, unfriended as he was, to think no more about him. With a bitter sigh he turned his back on the land to which he was going, and fixed his eyes on that tract of sea which divided him from all that had ever given him delight.

"Father of heaven," murmured he, in a suppressed voice, "what have I done to deserve this misery? Why have I been, at one stroke, deprived of all that rendered existence estimable? Two months ago I had a mother, a more than father, to love and cherish me:

I had a

country that looked up to them and to myself with veneration and confidence: and now I am bereft of all; I have neither father, mother, nor country, but I am going to a land of strangers.

Such impatient adjurations were never wrung from Sobieski by the anguish of sudden torture, without his ingenuous and pious mind reproaching itself for repining, His soul was as soft as a woman's; but it knew neither effeininacy nor despair. Whilst his heart bled, his counLenance retained its serenity. Whilst affliction crush

ed him to the earth, and nature paid à few hard wrung drops to her expected dissolution, he contemned his tears and raised his fixed and confiding eye to that power which poured down its tempests on his head: Thaddeus felt as a man, but received consolation as a christian.

When the ship arrived at the mouth of the Thames, the eagerness of the passengers increased to such an excess, that they would not stand still, nor be silent a moment; and when the vessel under full sail, passed Sheerness, and the dome of St. Paul's appeared before them, their exclamations were loud and incessant. "My home! my parents! my wife! my friends!" were the burthen of every tongue.

Thaddeus found his irritable spirits again disturbed; and rising from his seat, he retired unobserved by the people, who were too happy to attend to any thing foreign to their own transports. The cabin was as deserted as himself. Feeling that there is no solitude like that of the heart, when it looks around, and sees in the vast concourse of human beings, not one to whom it can pour forth its sorrows or receive the answering sigh of sym-, pathy, he threw himself on one of the lockers, and with difficulty restrained the tears from gushing out of his eyes. He held his hand over them, and condemned himself for a weakness so unbecoming his character.

He despised himself; but let not others despise him. It is difficult for those who are in prosperity, who lie morning and evening in the lap of indulgence, to conceive the misery of being thrown out into a bleak and merciless world: it is impossible for the happy man, surrounded by luxury and gay companions, to figure to himself the reflections of a fellow creature, who has been fostered in the bosom of affection and elegance, cast at once from society, bereft of home, of comfort, of every stay save innocence and heaven.' None but the wretched can imagine what the wretched endure, from actual distress, from apprehended misfortune, from outraged feelings, and ten thousand nameless sensibilities to injury, which alone the unfortunate can conceive, dread, and experienee. Such were the anticipating fears of the Count. Books

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and report had led him to respect the English; Pembroke Somerset, at one time, would have taught him to love them: but the nearer he advanced towards the shore the remembrance that it was from this country his father came; (an idea of whom never crossed him, that he did not banish it with horror;) this thought made him doubt the humanity of a people, of which his own parent, and forgetful friend, were so detestible a specimen.

The noise redoubled above his head; and in a few minutes afterwards, one of the sailors came rumbling down the stairs.

"Will it please your honor," said he, "to get up? That be my chest, and I want my clothes to clean myself before I go on shore: mother, I know, be waiting for me at Blackwall.

Thaddeus rose, and seeing that quiet was not to be found any where, ascended on the deck.

On coming up the hatchway, he saw that the ship had cast anchor in the midst of a large city, environed by myriads of vessels, from every quarter of the globe. Sobieski leaned over the railing and in silence looked down on the other passengers, who were bearing off in boats and shaking hands with the people that came to receive them.

"It is near dark, sir," said the captain, "mayhap you would like to go on shore? There is a boat just come round, and the tide wont serve much longer; and as your friends don't seem to be coming for you, you are welcome to a place in with me. ""

The Count thanked him; and after defraying the expenses of the voyage, and giving half a guinea among the seamen, he desired that his portmanteau might be put into the wherry. The honest fellows in gratitude to the bounty of their passenger, struggled who should obey his commands; when, during the contention and pulling at the baggage, the captain angry at being detained, snatched it from between two of them, who in kindness to its master, were almost tugging it asunder, and flinging it into the boat, leaped in after it, and was followed by Thaddeus.

The taciturnity of the sailor, and the deep melancholy

of his guest, did not break the silence till they had reached the Tower stairs.

"Go, Ben, fetch the gentleman a coach."

The Count bowed to the captain, who gave the order; and in a few minutes, the boy came back with the intelligence that there was one in waiting; he took up the portmanteau, and Thaddeus followed him to the tower gate, where the carriage stood. Ben threw in the baggage: the Count put his foot on the step. Where must the man drive to?"

Thaddeus drew it back again.

"Yes, sir," continued the lad, "where is your honor's home?"

"In my grave," was the response his aching heart made to this question. He hesitated before he spoke. "An hotel," said he, flinging himself on the seat, and throwing some silver into the sailor's hat.

What hotel, sir?" asked the coachman.

Any."

The man closed the door, mounted his box, and drove off.

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It was now near seven o'clock, of a dark December evening. The lamps were lit; and it being Saturday night, the streets were crowded with people. Thaddeus looked at them as he drove along; Happy creatures?" thought he, "you have each a home to go to; you have each expecting friends to welcome you; every one of you know some fellow being in the world that will smile when you enter; whilst I unhappy man! am insulated from every social comfort. Wretched, wretched Sobieski! where are now all thy highly prized treasures? thy boasted glory? and those beloved friends, who rendered that glory most precious to thee? Alas! all are withdrawn, vanished like a dream of enchantment, from which I have awakened to a frightful solitude."

His reflections were broken by the stopping of the carriage. The man opened the door.

"Sir, I have brought you to the Hummums, Covent Garden; it has as good accommodations as any in town. My fare is five shillings."

Thaddeus gave the demand, and followed him and his