ever, received this intelligence with that disdain which enables a man to detach himself' effectually from the world, and, with great tranquillity, gave the misanthrope an entertaining detail of what he had seen and heard since their last parting. While they amused themselves in this manner over a dish of coffee, they were joined by the parson, who congratulated our hero upon his bearing his mischance with such philosophie quiet, and began to regale the two friends with some curious circumstances relating to the private history of the several prisoners, as they happened to come in.

At length a gentleman entered, at sight of whom the clergyman rose up, and saluted him with a most reverential bow, which was graciously returned by the stranger, who, with a young man that attended him, retired to the other end of the room. They were no sooner out of hearing, than the communicative priest desired his company to take particular notice of this person to whom he had paid his respects: "That man," said he, " is this day one of the most flag ant instances of neglected virtue which the world can produce. Over and above a cool discerning head, fraught with uncommon learning and experience, he is possessed of such fortitude and resolution, as no difficulties can discourage, and no danger impair; and so indefatigable in his humanity, that even now, while he is surrounded with such embarrassments as would distract the brain of any ordinary mortal, he has added considerably to his incumbrances, by taking under his protection that young gentleman, who, induced by his character, appealed to his benevolence for redress of the grievances under which he labours from the villainy of his guardian."

Peregrine's curiosity being excited by this encomium, he asked the name of this generous patron, of which when he was informed, "I am no stranger," said he, "to the fame of that gentleman, who has made a considerable noise in the world, on account of that great cause he undertook in defence of an unhappy orphan; and, since he is a person of such an amiable disposition, I am heartily sorry to find that his endeavours have not met with that successful issue which their good fortune in the beginning seemed to promise. Indeed, the circumstance of his espousing that cause was so uncommon and romantic, and the depravity of the human heart so universal, that some people, unacquainted with his real character, imagined his views were altogether selfish ; and some were not wanting, who affirmed he was a mere adventurer. Nevertheless, I must do him the justice to own, I have heard some of the most virulent of those who were concerned on the other side of the question bear testimony in his favour, observing, that he was deceived into the expence of the whole, by the plausible story which at first engaged his compassion. Your description of his character

confirms me in the same opinion, though I am quite ignorant of the affair, the particulars of which I should be glad to learn, as well as a genuine account of his own life, many circumstances of which are by his enemies, I believe, egregiously misrepresented."

"Sir," answered the priest," that is a piece of satisfaction which I am glad to find myself capable of giving you: I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr M from his youth, and every thing which I shall relate concerning him you may depend upon as a fact, which hath fallen under my own cognizance, or been vouched upon the credit of undoubted evidence.

Mr M's father was a minister of the established church of Scotland, descended from a very ancient clan, and his mother nearly related to a noble family in the northern part of that kingdom. While the son was boarded at a public school, where he made good progress in the Latin tongue, his father died, and he was left an orphan to the care of an uncle, who, finding him determined against any servile employment, kept him at school, that he might prepare himself for the university, with a view of being qualified for his father's profession.

Here his imagination was so heated by the warlike achievements he found recorded in the Latin authors, such as Cæsar, Curtius, and Buchanan, that he was seized with an irresistible thirst of military glory, and desire of trying his fortune in the army. His majesty's troops taking the field, in consequence of the rebellion which happened in the year seventeen hundred and fifteen, this young adventurer, thinking no life equal to that of a soldier, found means to furnish himself with a fusil and bayonet, and leaving the school, repaired to the camp near Stirling, with a view of signalizing himself in the field, though he was at that time but just turned of thirteen. He offered his service to se veral officers, in hope of being inlisted in their companies; but they would not receive him, because they rightly concluded that he was some school-boy broke loose, without the knowledge or consent of his relations. Notwithstanding this discouragement, he continued in camp, curiously prying into every part of the service; and such was the resolution conspicuous in him, even at such a tender age, that, after his small finances were exhausted, he persisted in his design; and, because he would not make his wants known, actually subsisted for several days on hips, haws, and sloes, and other spontaneous fruits which he gathered in the woods and fields. Meanwhile, he never failed to be present when any regiment, or corps of men, were drawn out to be exercised and reviewed, and accompanied them in all their evolutions, which he had learned to great perfection, by observing the companies which were quartered in the place where he was at school. This eagerness and perseverance attracted the notice of many officers, who,

after having commended his spirit and zeal, pressed him to return to his parents, and even threatened to expel him from the camp, if he would not comply with their advice.

These remonstrances having no other effect than that of warning him to avoid his monitors, they thought proper to alter their behaviour towards him, took him into their protection, and even into their mess; and what, above all other marks of favour, pleased the young soldier most, permitted him to incorporate in the battalion, and take his turn of duty with the other men. In this happy situation he was discovered by a relation of his mother, who was a captain in the army, and who used all his authority and influence in persuading M - to return to school; but finding him deaf to his admonitions and threats, he took him under his own care, and, when the army marched to Dumblane, left him at Stirling, with express injunctions to keep himself within the walls.

He temporized with his kinsman, fearing, that, should he seem refractory, the captain would have ordered him to be shut up in the castle. Inflamed with the desire of seeing a battle, his relation no sooner marched off the ground, than he mixed in with another regiment, to which his former patrons belonged, and proceeded to the field, where he distinguish ed himself, even at that early time of life, by his gallantry, in helping to retrieve a pair of colours belonging to M-n's regiment; so that, after the affair, he was presented to the Duke of Argyle, and recommended strongly to Brigadier Grant, who invited him into his regiment, and promised to provide for him with the first opportunity: But that gentleman in a little time lost his command upon the Duke's disgrace, and the regiment was ordered for Ireland, being given to Colonel Nassau, whose favour the young volunteer acquired to such a degree, that he was recommended to the king for an ensigncy, which in all probability he would have obtained, had not the regiment been unluckily reduced.

In consequence of this reduction, which happened in the most severe season of the year, he was obliged to return to his own country, through infinite hardships, to which he was exposed from the narrowness of his circumstances; and continuing still enamoured of a military life, he entered into the regiment of Scotch Greys, at that time commanded by the late Sir James Campbell, who being acquainted with his family and character, encouraged him with the promise of speedy preferment. In this corps he remained three years, during which he had no opportunity of seeing actual service, except at the affair of Glensheel; and this life of insipid quiet must have hung heavy upon a youth of M's active disposition, had not he found exercise for the mind, in reading books of amusement, history, voyages, and geography,

together with those that treated of the art of war, ancient and modern, for which he contracted such an eager appetite, that he used to spend sixteen hours a-day in this employment. About that time he became acquainted with a gentleman of learning and taste, who, observing his indefatigable application, and insatiable thirst after knowledge, took upon himself the charge of superintending his studies; and, by the direction of such an able guide, the young soldier converted his attention to a more solid and profitable course of reading. So inordinate was his desire of making speedy advances in the paths of learning, that, within the compass of three months, he diligently perused the writings of Locke and Malbranche, and made himself master of the first six, and of the eleventh and twelfth books of Euclid's Elements. He considered Puffendorf and Grotius with uncommon care, acquired a tolerable degree of knowledge in the French language, and his imagination was so captivated with the desire of learning, that, seeing no prospect of a war, or views of being provided for in the service, he quitted the army, and went through a regular course of university education. Having made such progress in his studies, he resolved to qualify himself for the church, and acquired such a stock of school divinity under the instructions of a learned professor at Edinburgh, that he more than once mounted the rostrum in the public hall, and held forth with uncommon applause: but being discouraged from a prosecution of his plan, by the unreasonable austerity of some of the Scotch clergy, by whom the most indifferent and innocent words and actions were often misconstrued into levity and misconduct, he resolved to embrace the first favourable opportunity of going abroad, being inflamed with the desire of seeing foreign countries, and actually set out for Holland, where, for the space of two years, he studied the Roman law, with the law of nature and nations, under the famous professors Tolieu and Barbeyrac.

Having thus finished his school education, he set out for Paris, with a view to make himself perfect in the French language, and learn such useful exercises, as might be acquired with the wretched remnant of his slender estate, which was by that time reduced very low. In his journey through the Netherlands, he went to Namur, and paid his respects to Bishop Strickland and General Collier, by whom he was received with great civility, in consequence of letters of recommendation, with which he was provided from the Hague, and the old general assured him of his protection and interest for a pair of colours, if he was disposed to enter into the Dutch service.

Though he was by that time pretty well cured of his military Quixotism, he would not totally decline the generous proffer, for which he thanked him in the most grateful terms, telling the

After a stay of two months in Flanders, he proceeded to Paris, and, far from taking up his habitation in the suburbs of St Germain, according to the custom of English travellers, he hired a private lodging on the other side of the river, and associated chiefly with French officers, who (their youthful sallies being over) are allowed to be the politest gentlemen of that kingdom. In this scheme he found his account so much, that he could not but wonder at the folly of his countrymen, who lose the main scope of their going abroad, by spending their time and fortune idly with one another.

During his residence in Holland he had made himself acquainted with the best authors in the French language, so that he was able to share in their conversation; a circumstance from which he found great benefit, for it not only improved him in his knowledge of that tongue, but also tended to the enlargement of his acquaintance, in the course of which he contracted intimacies in some families of good fashion, especially those of the long robe, which would have enabled him to pass his time very agreeably, had he been a little easier in point of fortune; but his finances, notwithstanding the most rigid economy, being in a few months reduced to a very low ebb, the prospect of indigence threw a damp upon all his pleasures, though he never suffered himself to be thereby in any degree dispirited, being in that respect of so happy a disposition, that conscious poverty or abundance made very slight impression upon his mind.

This consumption of his cash, however, involved him in some perplexity; and he deliberated with himself, whether he should return to General Collier, or repair to London, where he might possibly fall into some business not unbecoming a gentleman; though he was very much mortified to find himself incapable of gratifying an inordinate desire which possessed him of making the grand tour, or at least of visiting the southern parts of France.

While he thus hesitated between different suggestions, he was one morning visited by a gentleman who had sought and cultivated his friendship, and for whom he had done a good office, in supporting him with spirit against a brutal German, with whom he had an affair of honour. This gentleman came to propose a party for a fortnight, to Fontainbleau, where the court then was; and the proposal being declined by M- - with more than usual stiffness, his friend was very urgent to know the reason of his refusal, and at length, with some confusion, said, "Perhaps your finances are low." M- replied, that he had wherewithal to defray the expence of his journey to London,

where he could be furnished with a fresh supply; and this answer was no sooner made, than the other taking him by the hand, "My dear friend," said he, "I am not unacquainted with your affairs, and would have offered you my credit long ago, if I had thought it would be acceptable; even now I do not pretend to give you money, but desire and insist upon it, that you will accept of the loan of these two pieces of paper, to be repaid when you marry a woman with a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, or obtain an employment of a thousand a-year." So saying, he presented him with two actions of above two thousand livres each.

Mwas astonished at this unexpected instance of generosity in a stranger, and, with suitable acknowledgment, peremptorily refused to incur such an obligation; but, at length, he was, by dint of importunity and warm expostulation, prevailed upon to accept one of the actions, on condition that the gentleman would take his note for the sum; and this he absolutely rejected, until M- promised to draw upon him for double the value or more, in case he should at any time want a farther supply. This uncommon act of friendship and generosity M afterwards had an opportunity to repay tenfold, though he could not help regretting the occasion, on his friend's account. That worthy man having, by placing too much confidence in a villainous lawyer, and a chain of other misfortunes, involved himself and his amiable lady in a labyrinth of difficulties, which threatened the total ruin of his family; M- -felt the inexpressible satisfaction of delivering his benefactor from the snare.

Being thus reinforced by the generosity of his friend, M resolved to execute his former plan of seeing the south of France, together with the sea-ports of Spain, as far as Cadiz, from whence he proposed to take a passage for Lon don by sea; and, with this view, sent forward his trunks by the diligence to Lyons, determined to ride post, in order to enjoy a better view of the country, and for the conveniency of stopping at those places where there was any thing remarkable to be seen or inquired into. While he was thus employed in taking leave of his Parisian friends, who furnished him with abundant recommendation, a gentleman of his own country, who spoke little or no French, hearing of his intention, begged the favour of accompanying him in his expedition.

With this new companion, therefore, he set out for Lyons, where he was perfectly well received by the intendant and some of the best families of the place, in consequence of his letters of recommendation; and, after a short stay in that city, proceeded down the Rhone, to Avignon, in what is called the coche d'eau; then visiting the principal towns of Dauphine, Languedoc, and Provence, he returned to the delightful city of Marseilles, where he and his