RE C O L LE C TI O N
AMB LI N G
OF
A
O F FO R T UN E
S O L DI E R
.
B Y
W
H
.
M A X
.
AU T HO R
Ston es
of
W a t e r lo o
”
,
Wlld S p ort s
&c
WI TH
A
&c
.
T HE
PO R TR A I T O F
B Y H
L ife is
a
of
.
WE
O F
the
We st
&c
.
A U TH O R
K
t a le
.
"
.
L L,
B R
,
,
L lfe
of
W elhn gt o n
.
AND
O WN E
—S H A
”
I L L U S TR A T I O N S
.
K S PE A R E
.
DU B L I N
WI L L I A M
L
C UR R Y,
ON G M A N
,
BR
JU N
O WN
,
1 8 42
.
A N D C O M PA N Y,
AND CO
.
.
L
O N DO N
.
,
A L TH O U G H
arbed
in
the
attire
o
f
ro
m
a
n
ce
g
there is not a
som e
wants
who
mingle
more
in reality
extensively
view life as it is
and
,
beside the unfortunate
lam ent
,
strange bedfellows 3
to
from
Dan to B eersheba
.
Hence
will
,
laugh
.
at
,
O thers
,
are occasionally intro
du ced
side barren
mankind
with
to
T hose
.
with much to
,
probably
,
volum e which
tale in this
foundation
,
9
”
find
'
V
,
d few
travel
an
the
locomotive
wa y
habits
the compani onships o f the author have
many
.
a
,
fable
,
been
The field for observation was large
he gleaned as he went along—
says
,
found
a.
moral
afterwards
first ,
as S wift
a nd,
and studied
”
.
A
W
0 a1 4 0
,
2
for
vi
A D VE R T ISE M E N T
A mong
O utcast
”
,
entitled
T he
l
l
enera
y
considered
as
g
fancy
stories
will be
altogether
framed
tially
the
true
narrative
,
.
I t is
.
the
,
however
main
s ubs ta n
,
in
the
startling as they may appear
are
—
and
that
,
incidents
.
,
not so much over coloured as might be imagined
-
T he Unknown
”
originated from a melancholy
life ,
incident o f private
in the detail
Pluralist
”
but
sligh tly
ltered
The
the author has no occasion to defend
Protestant
The persecution to which the
were subjected
families
a
The verisimilitude o f
.
.
.
clergy
the misery themselves and their
—
underwent
—
and
the
meekness
with
whi ch poverty and privations were endured
of
obtained the sym pathy
all
,
excepting those
”
degraded statesmen who
wrought ruin upon
,
hundreds to propitiate one guilty man
,
T he
.
circum stances attendant upon the conviction
d
an
death o f Maj or C ampbell are perfectly authentic
L astly the hero o f the longest tale
—
happy to add
,
is
h
abideth in the far wes t
it comes
—
:
and
over
,
veritable potteen
,
—
I am
,
still alive and merry
.
takes the world
an evening tumbler
frequ ently narra tes his
o
.
He
as
of
m arriage
A D VE R T ISE M EN T
and genera l
to
mi sfortunes
perpetuate the
friend
-
but alas
monologues
,
!
V1 1
.
I have endeavour ed
.
of
adventur es
comp a red with
his
my narrative will be
stale and unprofitable
,
fat
my
inimitable
found
flat
,
”
.
Among the cares and anxieties o f authorship
and their name is legion
fi
—
now
and again
plea surable occurrence lightens the toil
exertion
,
,
mental
and cheers on the literary adventurer
to a fresh essay
favourable
of
some
.
If
former efforts have met a
reception he taxes Fortune again
,
and with parental pride comm its a
,
,
to the same kindly influences
”
gentle readers will
new
offspring
trusting that
,
indulge one labour more
”
.
I n launching his little skiff upon the ocean o f
Opinion where
,
i th portl y sail
L ike sig niors a n d ri c h burghers o n the fl oo d
D o v erp eer t he pe tty t raffi c kers
A rgosies
,
w
,
,
,
”
o
,
other circumstances besides
,
additional satis faction
,
afford the author
This volum e is produced
.
by an I rish publisher and printed at a native
.
,
pres s
.
In Irela nd a
,
few
yea rs since
,
nothing
wa s
A D VE R T I S E M EN T
viii
.
attempted bey ond the publication of a pamphlet
a nd
it
was
wa s
un
asserted and believed that the country
able to support a magazine
frequently announced
were
.
Perio dicals
and as regularly
,
”
strangled in the cradle 3 and the first mariner
wa s
not even in the estimation o f old Horace
,
considered half so
desperate
as the
,
daring
bibliopole who ventured to perpetrate a book
Under such withering influences
printing became almost disused
and discouraged the talent
of
,
—
the art
while
,
.
of
chilled
,
the country sought
,
in the sister island for that fame and fortune
,
,
,
whi ch in its fatherland was unattainable
,
A
—
,
.
brighter era in Irish literatur e has appeared
and private exertions
,
unsparingly employed
have been liberally seconded b y the public
present volume will fairly show
what
.
,
The
rapid
improvements have been made in native typo
raphy
g
—
and
,
through many difficulties
Dublin University Magazine
hill to fame
am ong the
vey or s
”
at last
directors
,
has
The
clomb the
and taken a high stand
,
o f national opinion and pur
to public taste
Anecdote
”
,
.
at times
,
ill ustrates an a ssertion
A D VE R T ISE M EN T
better fa r
than argument
ix
.
Four years ago
.
the
,
author of these pages inquired for his national
perio dica l in a country town not sixty miles from
the metropolis
weeks since
—
and it wa s sought in vain
in the
—
inn
Le rwick he found the
,
of B ritain
latest
num ber on the
hostelr y in E urope to which
the tr aveller could claim admittance
.
W
.
,
,
visiting
on
—
”
ta ble o f the last
ouse
few
Ultima Thule of the R omans
and in the remotest
Pea t on H
A
.
a nuar y
1 st J
,
1 8 42
.
H M
.
.
R E C OLLE C T ION S
R AM B L IN G
.
’
2
A
A
’
DOM I C I L E
S O L DI E R S
lo w s n ug dwel l n g a n d i n goo d repair
i
,
T
T
HE
.
H O N E YM
HE
”
.
O O N
.
tourist who visits the beautiful scenery
Dunbarton and Stir lingshire
of
will not suppose
,
that it can be much indebted either to the poet
or painter for the celebrity it has gained
descriptive character
—
,
line
of
lake and
Its
so varied and magnificent
uniting opposite effects
“
.
,
as the softened out
contrasts its elf
lonely isle
with the savage grandeur o f
pine mountains ;
al
while legendary tale and historical associations
blend intimat ely with
this romantic
a
di strict
rtifi cial can achieve
.
it s
beauties and confer on
,
a charm whi ch nothing
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLEC T IONS
2
And yet and but a
,
few
scenes were viewed by
.
years since these lovely
,
few
except those resident
Difficult o f access
,
a spell seemed thrown around their loveliness
,
in their immediate locality
.
which forbad the stranger to approach
the wizard cam e
At last
.
disclosed
the magic pen o f S cott
—
bea uties which had been hidden from the world
and obtained
for
his own loved
,
now
so willingly conceded
Thirty years ago and at
,
step
of
land o f the
that fame so long
mountain and the flood
unclaimed and
“
,
t ilne s
.
only the pilgrim
,
some ardent worshipper of nature
the wild heaths o f Uam Var
”
,
sough t
or lingered among
the
c opse w oo d gre y
T hat wa v es a n d w eeps o n L o c h A h
A nd mingles with the pi n e t rees bl u e
O n t he bol d c li ffs of B e nv e n u e
c
r a y,
”
.
B
ut
now
thousands visit those romantic scenes
rescued from obscurity by the Splendid creations
’
S cotla nd s honour ed bard
in fair return
inspirations
,
”
,
o
and from which
the poet obtained
,
f
,
happiest
his
.
I t was late in S eptember and a day which
,
throughout had been louring and windy becam e
,
’
A S O L D IE R S D O M ICILE
3
.
more and more stormy as evening approached
Warned by unequivocal in dications
of
.
a coming
tempest the fisherman had secur ed his Skiff and
,
,
the shooter abandoned the moor
The herd
.
returned from the hill side had thrown
-
—
his
,
humble supper
.
Wife occupied in preparing their
Through all the extent o f a high
land strath all had sought their dwellings
,
was full tim e
,
indeed
,
a
for
w ilder
rarely witnessed at the equinox
From the parlour windows
situated in the same glen a glare
,
re dly through the haze
of
It
night was
a lonely mansion
of
light streamed
evening ; and within
,
two personages might have been
comfortably at either side
.
.
of
-
fire
his
his dog was already asleep before
dripping plaid
the fire and
,
off
,
of
di scovered
seat ed
a sparkling wood
.
On one
the Signet sage
visibly imprinted
”
of
middle life was
He was still a stout and
.
vigorous man although climate had assisted time
,
in
to
sa
i
n
g
pp
a framework which seemed calculat ed
resist the assaults
expression
of
and decision
;
his
d
an
of
both together
features
bespoke
The
intelligence
without taking into account
RA M B LING RE CO LLE C T IONS
4
some peculiarities in
difficulty
be little
his
style of dress there would
,
in conclu ding that his profession
the trade o f a rms
had been
.
”
that having
a nd
,
tur ned his sword into a ploughshare
enj oyi ng that space
grave
,
that
end
of
of
a
he was
,
brief repose before the
,
ll
men
”
terminates the
,
’
chequered career which generally marks a soldi er s
life
’
life s
His companion had barely touched
.
summer
’
.
Younger by twenty years there was
,
nothing in his exterior to indicate pro fessional
pursui ts
able
.
.
His general appearance was very favour
His air was gentlemanly and
,
careless costume o f a sportsman
hi s dr ess
the
.
The apartment exhibited that
quiet sort
of
com fort which the occupants s eemed determined
to put in ample requisition
On the table there
.
were sundry bottles containing
di vers
liquids ;
sugar and limes were not found wanting ; and
a silver kettle simm ered above a
S
i
rit la m ,
p
p
p
keeping its water in that happy state o f ebullition
in which a toddy
—
dr inker
ta keth delight
at full length in the corner a
,
hound was reposing
—
and
a
t
.
S tretched
full grown
-
deer
either side o f him who
appe ared to be the owner o f the house
,
t wo
short
’
A SO L D IE R S
legged
,
st
DO M IC IL E
5
.
raw coloured terri ers were sea ted pricking
-
,
their foxed ears as the gust moaned through the
pine wood and occasionally turning their keen
-
,
’
if
black eyes upon their master s face as
,
inquiring
what had occasioned thi s uproar out of doors
What a gale it is
R eplenish Jack
,
too
for
a
—
”
said the elder o f the two
i
y
,
.
and with a safe conscience
thi s is not the night when a m an should
reckon the number o f his tumblers too religiously
O n with more wood
the old
.
I
!
C orinthians here
wi sh w e
had some of
”
.
I would rather prefer som e young ones
rejoined the sportsman
N
.
,
grouse won t stand a dog
”
,
othing can be duller
than your domicile in bad weather colonel
’
.
The
.
the burn comes roaring
from the hills as black as E rebus ; you take in
none but Tory perio di cals
chucks a lassie
ins ta nter
and if a man only
’
der the chin he s thr eatened
un
,
with the cuttie stool
.
What noise is
that
N ever look at
Purdy
safe and stupid here
probably the
to morrow
-
”
.
fi
’
sher s
,
in the corner
Jack
’
.
All s
’
.
It s the herd
Wife with a salmon
,
or
for
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T I ON S
6
N
either
Ned
,
dozen interlopers
.
There are at least half a
-
.
B ut here comes Jessie and
.
,
we shall soon be wiser
men
,
be not sadder
if we
H
.
The attendant handed three tickets to her mas
t er
to
The gentlemen
.
”
she said
,
had wished
,
cross the ferry and reach the inn beyond the
,
loch but the storm was too violent
,
boatmen refused to attempt a passage
’
O Fla ghert y
C olonel
,
.
afford them shelter
and
t he
Would
for
the
nigh t
uestion
to
put
to
an
I
ris hman
q
What a
wi t h them Jessie
,
L et S andy look to their horses
.
of
do you take charge
—
,
Where the devil are my
.
Here Jack look the names over
,
,
how
and let us know
visitors
,
the driver and let us have
s upper in double quick
spectacles
In
.
we are to address our
”
.
The younger o f the
took the cards and
t wo
,
read their addresses carelessly
Mr Melville
.
hate lawyers
,
.
Figtree court
—
,
Temple
’
.
1
”
.
And I also have an hereditary dislike to the
,
,
’
pro fession B ut I won t play Penruddock to night
.
-
,
RAM B L ING RE CO LLE C T I ONS
8
They
wa s
a
ll
passed muster gallantly
.
The lawyer
.
a smart dapper little man neatly dressed
,
,
,
black with e a sy manners
,
in
and features which
,
bespoke calm thought and quiet intelligence The
soldier looked what he wa s and no one could
.
—
mistake the country to which
appertained
A lthough
.
address Mr
’
O D onel
.
companion
his
in his languag e and
had nothing prominently
national still the expression o f his face
wa s
of
that mercurial character peculiar to denizens
of
,
the
E merald I sle
—
that mixture o f firmness and
humour which gave ass urance that in the gentle
man with the interminable address
right merrie
night ,
comrade over
should necessity require ready to
hog
in the morning
G entlemen
”
,
,
and a friend
and no mistake
”
.
quoth the commander
,
brief
,
ceremony is best at all times and more
la rly
,
go the whole
,
”
y
had a
ou
a rticu
p
after men have been pelted by a storm on a
highland hill
wood Jack
,
.
.
Pray
be seated
O n with more
.
’
O Fla ghert y
I am called C olonel
a C onservative to the back bone and one who
-
.
swears by the Duke o f Wellington
man is
a
kinsma n
of
,
This gentle
.
the same name
—
one
of
those
’
A SO L D IE R S D O M ICILE
nondescript
9
.
animals yclept Whigs ; and I lament
to add although y oung an incorr igible offender
,
,
.
,
Finding his conversion hopeless we eschew poli
,
tics by mutual
c
onsent ; and
like
,
two armies in
the field who wish to decline an action we avoid a
,
trial
of
strength
although
,
now
and then we
indulge in some smart skirmishing at the outposts
Mr Melville I bid y ou welcome
.
,
honest for a lawyer
—
.
You look too
.
and had not that accursed
co urt been emblazoned on your card none would
,
have suspected it
you as a comrade
left fla nk
of
.
.
C aptain B ouverie
I spent a bloody day on the
your glorious regiment
give me a countrym an s hand
that my cousin Jack will say
I love the lads
comes supper
—
’
I ll
.
of
,
—
Mr
O D onel,
.
Don t believe all
.
for ,
with
the sod
a ll
their
B ut here
.
tease you wit h no apologies
soldiers and sportsmen must
and then
.
’
’
’
failings ,
I claim
,
rough it
’
and I ll back Maggie my cook
now
for
brandering a black cock against any lass in
Dunbartonshire
”
.
’
That the commander s eulogy was deserved
might have been inferred from the performance
of
the company
.
Sportsmen and soldiers enjoy
B
2
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T I ONS
10
.
the reputation o f being excellent trenchermen and
,
’
consequently Maggi e s brander and salmon cutlets
under went a heavy visitation
G entlemen
tre
”
we
,
will
.
now
close up to the cen
said the colonel as the lassie removed the
,
,
,
all
necessary appurtenances upon the
.
and deposited
huge china bowl with
cloth
.
a
Jack I will entrust the
bruis t
,
that thy politics were
punch
"
Would
.
orthodox
as
.
as thy
”
.
be comfort and consolation in a stoup
I f there
hot
to thee
table
of
toddy it will be felt additionally should the
,
night be tempestuous and the scene
a highland
,
home
’
.
SO
’
thought the colonel s visitors ; round
went the punch ; and sooth to say the office o f the
,
,
’
colonel s kinsman
G entlemen
G od bless her
Duke
,
wa s
we
-
any thing but a sinecur e
.
have drunk our sovereign
and
now w e
will
fill
to
‘
The
’
.
Devonshire or L einster
What Duke
inquired the punch maker with a smile
-
Jac
there is
,
.
returned the commander solemnly
one
Waterloo and
,
one
Duke
.
If
,
the
Whig ones wait till their healths float on the sur
’
A SOL D IE R S D O M ICILE
face
of
my toddy
as honest B ob B urns says
,
’
by my saul they ll wait awee
,
men
”
,
of
presence
gone by
,
and let it be a
,
of
Albuera
morning , six thousand
hill
muskets
,
one
,
The
.
.
.
Alas ! that glory
At
nine
in the
British bayonets glittered
that afternoon the parting
,
S oult
heavily on
delivered
from
’
beat en
s
fifteen hundred
I escaped unwounded : but the friend
my youth
—
fell
was
.
brother
t wo
at
—
volley which
columns
high
one
and in fancy I s tand once more on
should be bought so dear
of
,
my young comr ade recalls scenes
bloody ridge
on the
,
C ome gentle
.
the host after a pause continued
bumper more
t he
11
.
—
he
whom I loved dearer than a
died at my side
and the last sound that
passed his lips was a cheer as he
sa w
the
French give way before the slaughtering volleys
of
the
F usileers
Silent toas t
—
.
C ome gentlemen we drink a
,
,
To the memory of those who fell at
Albuera
And where could a soldier meet death so
”
well ? exclaimed C aptain B ouverie as the colonel
,
sighed heavily
.
should ever be his
The breach or bat le
t
esting place
r
-
.
-
fi eld
Many have
12
s
R AM B
LING RE C O LLE C T IONS
.
urvived a glorious hour on which to meet their
fate and dragged on life thr ough years of povert y
and suffering a bur den to themselves a cause
,
—
—
Of
misery to others
”
.
I could relate a tale
wa s
,
observed the com
which would point that moral well
ma nder
It
”
indeed a strange adventure
yet young gentlemen
,
lar story
,
a nd
.
.
The night is
I will tell you a singu
C ome Jack ply thy ladle well and I
.
,
,
will spin my yarn as briefly as I can
,
”
.
The colonel having taken a preparatory pinch
o f black
memory
ra
”
,
p
ee ,
to clear the cobwebs from his
thu s continued
T HE
O UT C A S T
.
loo d hath bee n she d ere n o w i the ol d e n t im e
E
h um a n st at ut e p g d the ge n eral w eal ;
A y a nd i nc e t oo m ur d ers ha v e bee n perfor m e d
T
t errible for the ear
’
B
,
re
’
ur
S
,
,
,
”
OO
K
,
.
where be these bloo dy thie v es
SH K S
ill m e n i the dark
’
-
A
A M IL D spring
evem n
g
E
PE A R E
.
had succeeded the wettest
day that ever blocka ded me in the bay window
-
a west end hotel
-
seven
’
Saint Martin s clock struck
.
and the hour
—
of
wa s
come when the labours
o
f
the industrious begin to terminate and the amuse
,
of
ments
the i dle to commence
emancipated from
hi s
desk
—
.
the
The clerk was
dr essma ker
had
completed her task and with her blue bonnet box
-
,
hanging on her arm was hastening to the Shop
,
her employer
barrack
—
from
fair
him
the guar dsman hurried to
hi s
and the lover started as the bells chimed
the steeple and quickened his pace lest the
,
one should reach
.
of
the trysting place
A b usy crowd thr onged the
before
de ba uc he s
of
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T I ONS
14
.
L eicester square all intent upon engrossing
-
of
,
their
j
passions prompt
ects
various and vain as human
own—
—
ob
entailing pain in the pursuit
and too often shame and sorrow in the possession
,
.
My friend and I turned from this crowded
’
thoroughfare on our road to a restaurateur s
where
had
we
crossing
wa s
mary demand
alr
clean
eady ordered
of
and like most
,
it was heard and disregarded
’
charity s appeals
,
We touched the
.
following
opposite curb stone the sweeper
-
The
.
the sweeper made his custo
—
—
dinner
but
—
,
his tone o f supplication ceased and a deep voice
,
exclaimed
dollar
!
C aptain M
,
you
ow e
me a
”
We started and turned round
.
The sweeper
was leaning carelessly against the lamp post
-
—
his
attitude rather that of one who demands a right
than o f him
who
solicits assistance
.
The light fell fully upon the spot and
,
mined the mendicant attentively
ruin o f a
noble
it was
The
.
,
.
we
exa
His was the
figure rugged and mutilated as
,
foot wa s
firmly planted on the
ground while the position
of
showed the
that always betrays a
,
setting
-
up
the head and chest
16
LIN G RE C O L LE C T IONS
R AM B
S alamanca
of
What
—
The eighty
—
th
it fellow
,
were there
returned the sweeper carelessly
They were
“
A y,
.
I fancy
,
”
,
.
”
.
I thought so
I t was a warm day in
.
every sense and the evening was as hot
,
.
B efore
(
the battle ended many a brave man had fallen
,
unwounded in the ranks struck down by a burn
,
ing sun and tortured by intolerable thirst
,
lieutenant in
t he
off
A
grenadier company was wound ed
and carried to the rear
brought him
.
.
O ne o f the men that
’
had found a Frenchman s canteen
He gave it to his officer
.
.
Wine there was worth
’
gold
and where s the wonder that in return
,
,
”
the soldi er received the promise o f a bottle P
He paused
,
turned his eyes steadily on my
companion and in yet deeper tones exclaim ed
,
C aptain
M
B y heaven
truth
—
,
you owe me a dollar
’
,
O Fla hert y ,
and a faint remembra nce
flashes across my memory
turned to the sweeper
”
.
the man speaks
of
the occurrence
My companion
Were you the man who
ga ve me a fla sk of wine at S a lamanca
The mendicant shr ugged up his solitary shoul
TH E O U T CAS T
der
C aptain
.
remember
a
M
l7
.
he co ntinued
do you
,
man named C oyne
Perfectly ,
”
was never flank
was the reply
-
file
A finer soldier
.
to a company
a braver never
crossed a breach ; and a greater blackguard was
never inflicted upon a regi ment
five hundred
A y,
”
for
I
.
robbing a Spanish
rej oined the mendicant
sa w
c ur
é
him get
”
.
and they said
,
’
he had kissed the priest s niece whether she would
,
or
not and added that she was the prettiest girl
in
t he
,
,
co
mmune
H ow
.
did C oyne stand the hal
captain
berds ,
L ike a devil as he was
He stripped without
.
changing a feature placed a musket ball between
-
,
his teeth and never gave a groan
,
Yet
”
,
.
replied the mendicant
wards ma de corpora l
,
he was afte r
He saved a picket from
.
being ta ken ; and shot
—
—
”
for he was advanced videt
the officer who led the party that attempted
surprise
”
.
Yes ; and luckier still he
,
death and fell at the head
,
t he
t he
of
di ed
’
a soldier s
his company when
,
fighting third swept through the village
of
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T IONS
18
Arinez and ended a glorious field
,
C oyne killed at Vitoria ?
They said so
”
,
.
Was not
.
”
replied the sweeper
B ut
.
,
captain do you admit or deny the debt
O wn it without scruple
and am ready to
,
hand the dollar to
hi s
executor
”
.
C ome
B etter and easier to pay it to himself
.
to the railing gentlemen
,
—
short time will tell a
a
curious history
T he mendicant strode again across the street
and placed his b a ck against the palisades
revealed the outline of
hi s
figure
,
A lamp
.
and threw
,
its light directly upon a face whose expression
wa s
have
singular and forbidding but probably
,
on ce been handsome
,
might
Though the fea
.
tures w ere regular their character
ferocious
wa s
,
and repulsive ; and a sword cut that traversed
-
the forehead and deeply scarred the eyebrow
added truculence to a countenance
,
on which
,
nature had already imprinted her darkest outlines
—
indi cating passions beyond self control and the
-
repression o f conventional authority
,
.
Your time is valuable gentlemen
,
”
,
said the
TH E O U T CAS T
mendicant
19
.
and I will crowd into a brief
,
space the incidents of a life in which there is
,
of
little
pleasure
to
look back upon
a friend in whom I could
loved a woman
who
—
my
and I never
c onfi de—
ret urned it
seemed a second C ain
I never had
.
Thr ough life I
.
hand against all and
,
’
every man s hand against me
.
B ut patience
,
.
'
The wildest s torm is soonest followed by a calm
the quiet of the grave awaits alike the beggar and
the prince
.
of
The race
every man must have it s
goal ; and something whispers me that ere long
,
my career will close as it commenced
—
shed
It
—
in blood
”
.
seemed strange with what indifference the
mendicant was about to make revelations which
criminals generally avoid
ance
was
remarkable
,
.
If
his personal appear
the manner in whi ch he
expressed himself was not less Singular
.
H is
different firom
guage was forcible and fluent and
,
what might have been expected from one
vagabond order to which he belonged
My ori gin is lowly gentlemen
,
suppose
master
—
.
lan
,
of
that
.
as
you may
My father was herdsman under an easy
and dur ing a long life he managed to save
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T IONS
20
as much money as obtained for
t a tion
of
being wealthy
.
.
a village re pu
him
I an only child
,
destined to achieve the grea t obj ect
of
,
wa s
’
a peasant s
ambition and was preparing to enter Maynoo th
,
G od knows I should have made a sorry chur chma n
,
B ut that intention was speedily set at rest
what they call in Irela nd
unlucky
-
ally occurred
that I
wa s
from my
ha d
,
a
,
skull was fractured and they said
,
struck the blow
.
I did not remain
however to abide the inquiry
,
father bolted the same
—
—
,
lived
bravely while
was
took another from a recruiting sergeant
militia-man
I n the
There I
wa s
got
—
a corporal
—
two
—
was
,
.
years in E ngland and duri ng
,
that period deserted and re enlisted thrice
-
,
j oined your second battalion captain
,
—
a nd
My
.
four th attempt however concluded that game
,
.
my ba yo
and when I quitte d it
sent to the hospital
I remained
drIm k— dr ew
had my back scratched
turned out for the line
,
.
S outh Mayo I re mained a year
drilled
,
I robbed my
-
and listed a
on
night—
.
and when the last shilling
the money lasted
net
.
and at a hur ling match where a r ow C asu
birth
spent
I
.
.
my
.
I
r
e
p
TH E O U T CAS T
feet discipline
21
.
begat a su spicion which reference to
,
my back confirmed They concluded that they had
.
caught a loose fish ; clapped me in the guard
house for better security ; and made all sure by
,
whipping me on ship board within a week and
-
sending me out to the
battalion
,
Penins ula
.
Well
—
I
was safely landed
to the L ines
marched
directly
blesom e
recruit or a better
,
j oined a regiment
that I
was
at
Lisbon and
,
and a more trou
drilled
soldier never
,
I was the tallest man in the
.
grenadiers by half an inch
fessed
to j oin the firs t
—
and the adjutant
the best set
-u
p
con
soldi er in the
For once I stuck close to my colour s although
,
I Often felt inclined to try whether the French
fared better than we
did
In the field the captain
.
,
will adm it that I did my duty like a man
but
for
good conduct when in quarters the less s a id the
,
better
.
I had been a twelvemonth in the
when early in January
,
ground before R odrigo
.
,
18 12,
Peninsula ,
the duke broke
Siege duty in bad
ther is no j oke as the captain knows
,
—
w ea
but
p
we
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IO NS
22
had a general
who
.
always had the trick of coming
to the point at once ; and as Marmont was coneen
t ra t ing
to n
fast for the relief
of
the fortress Welling
,
determined to be be forehand and save him the
,
trouble
Of
the march
.
C aptain whatever occurrences may fade from
,
1 9th
our memories those o f the night o f the
,
January will not be o f the number
in turn
of
of
On that day
.
,
duty the third and light divi sions were
,
ordered to the trenches
.
At dark we moved
,
forwar d to the rear of the first parallel and formed
,
in front of the great breach ; and
Patrick ,
,
S aint
by
there was as much work cut out for us
as we could do ; and
hard to tax the
o uld
,
at
thir d
rough fighting it
,
too heavily
wa s
.
When the town clock struck six our division
,
stood to arms
party was told
volunteer
.
.
off—
Picton
rode
u
the storming
p
—
and the forlorn hope desired to
-
O ut stepped the captain there
twenty tearing fellows followed him
—
and
.
C lang went the cathedral bell once more and
—
many a hundred gallant spiri t s hear d their last hour
tolled
.
The word was given to advance : we led
the stormers
,
and the column
wa s
close behind
24
R AM B
LIN G RE C O LLE C T IONS
.
would be immediately overrun by soldiers and
followers I pushed on
-
p
,
a
hea d to gain a quar
ter remote from the scene o f strife
might
,
and
where I
plunder for a time with little fear o f inter
,
ruption
I t was strange that in a populous city I
.
should not encounter a living thing
.
T he inha bi
ta nts poor wretches had concealed themselves to
,
e
,
,
scape
if
,
soldi ery
they could the first fur y o f the excited
,
the French had retreated in another
—
direction
—
R odrigo seemed abandoned to m yself
,
and I looked around to select a house in whi ch my
depredations might be commenced successfully
.
O ne side o f the street was occupied by a large
convent and on the other there stood a range
,
of
private dwellings At the extremity and encircled
,
.
by a gar den I observed an isolated house
,
.
I ts neat
exte rior announced that it belonged to persons in
c
omforta ble circumstances ; and its situation was
re tired and therefore the better suited for the
,
work
of
plunder
’
.
I bounded over a
Without a moment s hesitation
low
pali sade that separated the
garden from the street and instantly sought an
,
The doors and lower window s were barred
TH E O U T CAS T
25
.
securely ; I t ried them all in vain
and to my
—
knocking and peremptory demand to be admitted
no answer was returned
You both
.
gentlemen
,
army in the field
have been wi th an
,
and frequently overheard the
,
conversation of a picket round a watch
sometimes
ad t
e a il of
,
low
debauchery
-
fire
—
u
nfrequently a free confession
,
darker hue
:
sometimes
—
narratives relating to successful plundering
not
,
of
,
and
crimes
of
Oft en had I listened with pleasur e
,
.
while Older marauders t han myself related their
infamous exploits and I
,
now
remembered to have
heard it asserted by these pillagers
,
t
hat no lock
however strong will withstand the discharge
,
a musket thr ough the key hole
-
for
experiment
“
shattered
—
.
the door gave way
—
the dwelling
—
'
the first time
of
I tried the
.
The bolt
I
wa s
stood within
and a faint light that escaped from
beneath a door showed me a flight
,
led to the apartment
of
stairs that
.
I reloaded my musket and ascended to the
first floor and a
,
ber before me
low
inhabited
wa s
but no one replied
whispering told that the cham
,
—
.
I knocked loudly
,
and determined to waste no
C
RA M B L IN G RE CO LLE C T I ON S
26
.
tim e I tried my strength upon the door
,
the fastenings were too feeble to resist it
T wo
lovelier
R odrigo
ones could not have been
.
told it
.
t wo
di scovered
in
The elder was in the full bloom
of
a lovely girl
of
—
.
,
females were the occupants ; and
womanly beauty
sixteen
and
the younger
,
B etween them a likeness existed that
a mother and her child
wa s
.
The horrid crash which the explosion o f my
fir elock
had caused would have harbingered the
appearance o f a demon and no doubt I looke d
one
,
,
,
I had received some flesh wounds in the
.
breach ; my fac e and jacket were stained with
blood and blackened with gunpowder
t ena nce
my coun
was flushed by recent excitement ; I
dr unk freely be fore the storm
—
o f my features told
how little
expected at my hands
and
ha d
the expression
mercy might be
.
The younger female uttered a piercing scream
threw her
ar
’
ms wildly round her mother s neck
and as a last hope clung to that loved one
,
,
,
,
fo r
protection while the despairing look with which
,
the elder supplicated pity might have had
,
ence on any spirit less savage than my
own.
infl u
B ut
TH E O U T CAS T
I was callous
raging in my
—“
27
.
already the blackest passions were
,
breast
—
with brutal force I tore the
’
screaming girl from her parent s arms locked her
,
in my own
kisses
,
and covered her lips with noxious
.
The wretched mother made a strong e ffort to
release her daughter from my grasp
she might
—
as easily have loosed the lamb
hold
of
In an agony
.
from
the lion s
grief she pressed her
temples with her hands and then as
,
,
had struck her suddenly
’
a thought
if
she seized the lamp
,
rushed to a corner o f the chamber
unclosed a
,
concealment in the wall took out a purse
of
,
knelt at my feet and placed it in my hand
,
sa w
,
gold
.
,
She
some hesitation in my manner : the bribe
she fancied was not probably sufficient and she
,
plucked jewels from her ears and fingers and a
,
sparkling crucifix
from
her breast , and as she
,
pressed me to accept them implored me to spare
,
the honour
Spanish
how
“
of
her child
.
The language was
and unknown to me ; but oh G od !
,
,
ardent was that prayer for pity !
I hid the purse and j ewels in the breas t
of
my jacket and the poor victims perhaps believed
,
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T I ONS
28
ha d
that I
relented in my pur pose
undeceived them
—
ni nety- fi fth,
rushed in
O ne minute
.
A noise arose below
.
feet were heard upon the stairs
o f the
.
—
men s
and a private
Portuguese
with a
’
muleteer
.
Another minute and a damning deed wa s done !
They forced the mother to a
di stant
room
and
—
her cries loud and w ild at first and then ceasing
,
suddenly as if utterance
told
savagely she
how
violently stopped
wa s
outraged
w as
.
,
N or did
her child experience from me that mercy whi ch
the unfortunate parent had vainly purchased
.
In
an hour when my companions in crime returned
,
the poor victim
blooms
to
,
like
a flower blighted before it
stole away dishonoured and
,
m ingle
,
debased
,
’
her unavailing sorrow with a parent s
,
herself subj ected to the worst insult which hell
prompts and demon man can perpetrate
,
.
E ach o f my felon comrades had plundered
apparently to their satisfaction
bundle roughly tied up
bottles o f wine
—
.
,
for both had a
They had found some
and we sate down and drank
to an infamous confederacy
T he revelr y was short
—
.
a
drunken cheer
was
RA M B L IN G RE CO LLE C T ION S
3O
to escape
light-handed
.
adventurers who were
marauding over the town and despoiling in di s
,
the robbers and the robbed
crim ina t el
y
drunken
wisdom
In
.
determ ined to obtain shelter
we
during the remainder o f the night
—
and accident
disclosed what appeared to be a secure asylum
I t proved a den o f butchery
It
which
.
wa s
an obscure vault beneath the cathedral
ha d
been used by some French co mmissary
,
as a place to store his wine
.
I t seemed to
have been but recently deserted by the owner
for
.
,
the door was open and a lantern was burning
,
on the floor
.
A dozen wine skins were standing
-
against the wall and
,
were laid upon the floor
of one
—
a
or three casks o f brandy
two
.
We knocked in the head
savage debauch succeeded
and
—
we
drank quarrelled and attempted to rob e a ch other
,
,
ni nety-fifth
The muleteer and the
.
man drew
knife and bayonet and as they struggled I dis
,
charged my musket
The
Portuguese
bullet passed
,
,
not caring which I killed
ruffi a n
di rectly
wa s
through his heart
I know nothing more
turned
—
the victim
—
the lantern
.
for my
—
.
wa s
and hour s o f darkne s s succeeded
,
over
while
TH E O U T CAS T
I lay buri ed in
drunken
3 1
.
insensibility
tortured with ravening thirst
I awoke
.
,
and minutes elapsed
before I could recall to memory the place and
pa st transactions or feel assured that all
wa s
,
a tr oubled vision
Proo fs
appeared
,
.
were not long wanting
a sad reality
and the consequences o f last
br utality were disgustingly presented
features
open
not
of the muleteer
wi th
,
night
’
s
The pallid
.
his leaden eyes wide
were staring straight on mine ; and the
,
soldier covered to the ears in wine had been hours
,
,
before smothered in his drunkenness
Through
.
accident or wantonness the wine skins had been
-
ripped in the struggle
the floor
wa s
deep and I had escaped the fate
,
by the mere accident
bbish in the corner
ru
.
of
falling
of
flooded a foot
my companion
across a heap
I would have drank
surface was reddened
—
but
—
gouts of blood were floating on the X erez
I
of
;
the
never thought one body
could have contained so much
.
I crawled out from this horrid den and went
,
s taggering along a street or
in my way ; my thirst
deeply
of
tw o
was
the cooling water
—
I met a fount ain
.
burning ; I drank
and a
,
few
paces on
,
3 2
R AM B
LING RE C OLLE C T IONS
ente red a deserted mule shed
-
.
stretched myself
,
upon the litter and fell into a heavy sleep
,
.
Hours had elapsed for it was pitch dar k when I
,
awoke and I turned with diffi culty upon the straw
.
,
T he heavy blows I had received in the
m e lee
upon
the breach though unheeded at the time were now
,
,
severely felt
and the sword cuts were festering
,
from neglect
late debauch
I found myself fevered by my
.
and yet the cold was intolerable
,
A burning thirst consumed me
if
I slumbered
I could not Sleep ;
.
I dreamed that I
,
.
again
w as
beside the fountain ; I stooped to drink but the
,
water was gone and the filthy stream tha t spoute d
,
in its stead was sherry mixed with blood
,
last nature
,
wa s
wearied out
.
not the sleep that refreshes
dead muleteer
,
.
I slept but it
,
wa s
The women
the
the smothered soldier the
,
vault the bloody wine
,
—
all
At
.
flit t ed
,
filthy
before my ey es
and tortured me with maddening phantas ies
,
.
Su ddenly a rude shake dispelled these horrid
,
visions
I looked
.
up—
a
being whose dress was
,
womanly but whose truculent look and masculine
,
frame
me
.
almost belied her sex
,
was standing over
I raised myself upon my elbow ; a heavy
TH E O U T CAS T
3 3
.
blow from some blunt instrument instantly struck
me down
and when I recovered my senses
—
found myself alone
I
,
my jacket was torn open and
,
purse and jewels gone
My ill got treasure had
-
.
disappeared and passed into the possession
,
of
one
o f those monsters in female form who v ulture
,
,
like hover round an army in the field and exceed
,
,
even man himself in crime and cruelty
I had
.
no motive to induce concealment
no w
in turn the robber had been robbed
,
The sooner
.
I obtained surgical assistance the better and with
,
a painful exertion I raised myself from the straw
,
and crawled slowly into daylight
The picket s
were every where about to secure marauders and
.
carry
off
the drunken and the wounded In a short
.
time a patrol came
a corporal and
hos pital
u
two
p
—
and the officer despatched
files
to carry me to the
.
A large convent had been hastily prepared
the reception
of
disabled men
,
for
and thither we
proceeded ; but before we reached it a scene was
,
reserved
for
me to witness
that ages
,
,
could
human life be thus prolonged could never obli
,
terate from memory
.
0
2
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T I ONS
3 4
Previous
to the captur e
on both sides had
been
of
.
R odrigo desertion s
,
numerous
,
and it was
known that o f those who had left their regim ents
,
either
to
a
void the severity o f field duties
escape the
punishment
incurred
by
,
or
,
military
offences many had found shelter in the fortress
,
.
T here were at least a score o f these criminals
in R odrigo upon the night of the as sault ; but
conscious o f the fate that awaited them should
the storm succeed
,
the y fought at the breache s
to the last and the greater n umber died in des
,
perate resistance
Those who sur vived were
.
brought to a drum head court martial ; and on
-
three
,
-
but just condemned
la w w as now
in execution
the penalty
,
of
t he
.
T he Provost marshal and his guard had erected
-
a temporary gallows
,
crimin als were turned
and as
off
.
we
came up
the
,
My companions took
an interest in the pas sing scene
for one
,
sufferers had deserted from their
own
of
the
regiment
I witnessed the execution with indifference —
far more horrible sight had been reserved
for
me
.
a
.
We had halted beside the ruins o f a burned
house ; and as a deta ched wing
ha d
accidentally
O U T CAS T
T HE
escaped the flames some
,
of
35
.
the inhabita nts were
employed in removing portions
of
the furnit ure
which had been but partially injured
of
horror was heard within and
,
.
A cry
o f my escort
t wo
sprang into the house to ascertain the cause
a
’
few minutes
they returned with several town s
people carrying a heavy load
loosely
down
In
.
in a cloth
,
.
It was wrapped
and at my feet they laid
it
.
Whatever it was it seemed to have a power
,
of
fascination
I could not withdraw my eyes
.
and yet I dreaded to make inquiry
passed
a
—
A minut e
man came from the crowd and directe d
the cloth to be removed
He was obeyed ; and
.
never did the blessed light
horrible spectacle
“
.
,
of
day witness a more
.
There lay the bodies
of
t wo
females : the heads
and trunks were perfect but the lower extremities
,
had been consumed by
fir e
.
They were locked
’
’
in each other s arms ; and so rigid was death s
embrace
sever it
partial
,
,
.
that it wo uld have requir ed force to
H ow
destruction could have been so
it is difficult to conceive
were uninjured
,
The faces
and the long black hair
nu
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
3 6
scorched
The feat ures
.
of
.
both preserved their
living beauty but they were horribly distorted ;
,
and the fr ightful expression o f agony that con
v uls ed
told under what exquisite sufferings
t hem ,
the spirit must have passed away
N eed I tell
.
you they were my victims
When I reached the hospital decided fever
,
had set in
and in an hour or
I was delirious
two
.
o f mutilated women and
I raved incessantly
bloody wine
I t wa s
N O one attended to it
supposed that my brain had become unsettled
.
.
by injuries sustained in the assault ;
recovering
and on
I was sent to my regiment
,
and
,
for gallant conduct at the storm noted for pro
,
motion
—
but that never came
.
From the moment I viewed the scorched and
mutilated bodies o f my victims hell was in my
,
breast and the curse
,
footsteps
.
of
heaven followed in my
I who had been the crack soldier
,
a flank company
and inattention
extinguished
.
,
became as notorious
for
d irt
Military pride was totally
and half my time was consumed
,
in drunkenness or the confinement inflicted for
,
punishment
.
of
it s
When in the immediate presence
RA M B L IN G RE CO LLE C T I O NS
3 8
.
disappeared ; and i f we found them afterwards
it
wa s
way s with a gashed throat
al
,
I seemed
.
to hold a charm ed life and esc a ped assassination ;
,
but
while in brutal inebriety
,
,
was tied hand
and foot by some peasants delivered to a party
,
of
foragers
French
Sebastian a prisoner
.
and
,
carried
My state
of
S an
into
captivity
wa s
bri e f : the first overture to enter the French servi ce
was accepted
—
and in the first sortie from the gar
rison I headed the p ar ty got wounded and was
,
,
,
sent from the fortress by sea to
Passages ,
and thus
esca ped the halter I had earned by desertion
Through the remainder o f the
S a ur or en,
O rthez
I continued
Pyrenees ,
with the French army o f the
present at
w ar
,
.
and was
and Toulouse
.
I
fought with a halter round my neck and need I
,
add
,
fought
with reckless desperation
,
In every
.
one o f these battles by a strange fatality
,
The Fighting Thir d
opposed to
than once I felt an impulse
,
”
—
,
I was
and m ore
nearly irresistible
,
to rush from the French ranks rej oin my own
,
conquering division and
,
die
at the head o f that
noble company o f whi ch by turns I had been
,
,
the pride and shame
.
,
TH E O U T CAS T
39
.
War ended ; Napoleon was deposed ; and I
spent a wandering life among the
brigand and hal f beggar
volume
of
adventur e
Pyrenees ,
I co uld narrate a
.
let it pass
—
half
Napoleon
.
retur ned ; I j oined the French ranks again and
,
was drafted from an
e
lite
into the Imperial Guard
company o f the line
,
.
At Waterloo I was wounded severely ; sent
without suspicion to a
when recovered
In the
new
for
world I commenced a
,
r uffi a ns
for
new
career
a
—
with
man steeped in guilt
bloodshed
like myself
,
.
I
became a rover
of
,
sought
of
Those
pass over
,
,
and
out
criminal
t he
sea
,
in my new vocation
and only say
,
and
.
You have been wearied with details
.
.
and found them readily ;
exploit ; j oined an atrocious confederacy
illany
.
whi ch a sp irit like mine was
chose another element as the scene
v
,
N o honest calling was fitting
.
an outcast
familiarized
hospital ; and
obtained a passage to C uba
,
I t was one
best adapted
F rench
that
,
On
of
I shall
leaving
E urope I might have been accounted inno
RA M B L I N G RE C OLLE C T ION S
40
cent
.
were co mparative crime estimated then
,
and afterwards
fi ve
For
y ears I lived an ocean robber
thr ough the thousand dangers which
passed
peril
.
life
lawless
a
summit o f
r uffi a nl
;
gained
ambition
y
imagines
,
,
last ,
the
and becam e the
,
of
I n the history
captain o f a pirate crew
these year s
at
there is no villany which man
,
that I
had
left uncommitted
,
and y et no tongue
for
sunken ships and
a rich bark was plundered
betrayed the
secret ;
Many
.
murdered seamen followed ea ch deed of rapine ;
and that they never reached a port
,
wa s
falsely
ascribed to storm or some maritime calamity
Would you believe it
stained with blood
guilty o f incredible atrocities
impulse o f humanity
—
vampire
,
fouler
,
if
—
with the
dead to every
di sposition
and the malignity o f a
remembra nce o f one
possible
,
fo ul deed
fi end—
,
were forgotten
branded on my memory
ffi a n
ru
in
the
.
The night
seemed
When I car ou s ed
.
comrades
of a
an hundred
when R odrigo was carried by assault
with my
.
,
every glass
se
emed
TH E O U T CAS T
41
.
bright ; but in mine blood drops were floating
,
on the s ur face
and at midnight
;
watched beside the
cabin
hair
mutilated women
two
,
helrnsm a n,
features
and
whether I
,
or rested in my
with long black
,
writhed
in
mortal agony
,
lay on the deck plank where I stood or swung
,
at my feet with every movement of the hammock
.
At last crime and cr uelty appeared to lose
,
excitement ; a strange fancy crossed my brain
a longing after home suddenly returned ;
and
I determined to take an early opportunity
’
abandoning a rover s
scenes of quiet
for
me
life ,
and try
whether
of
in
there was any peace reserved
,
for
I had amassed ample wealth ;
.
;
the more valuable portions
of
o ur
booty
,
all
gold
,
plate and jewels were intru sted to my keeping ;
,
,
and it was eas y as commander to concert some
,
plan by which I
,
might
appropriate all to myself
,
and desert the ship and crew without suspicion
A ccordingly
,
I packed the whole in parcels
convenient size
,
dir ecting
.
of
’
the schooner s course
C uba to water and refit an order oyfully
obeyed ; for my companions surfeited with
for
,
,
,
plunder were only anxious to obtain the power
,
RA M B LIN G RE CO L LE C T I ONS
42
o f dissipating it
collected
.
,
as recklessly as it had been
S uch
were their intentions ; mine
different ;
were
and fortune marred both
I t was a calm dark
ni ght ;
,
g
ot
.
at sunset we had
soundings and be fore the next evening should
,
com e on we calculated on making land
,
a
.
fe w
hours afterwards
,
and in
,
moor the schooner in
an unfrequented creek where we generally over
,
hauled the vessel and refitted for a cruize
.
Many a scheme relating to future life
t em pla t e d,
wa s
con
but always some damning doubt arose
,
and conscience whispered that in this world the
m urderer seeks rest in vain
crossed my mind
—
.
Dark forebodings
the harbingers
of
coming evil
.
I drank deeply but they were not to be drowned
,
in wine
.
I strove to sleep
danced around the cot
;
an hundred corpses
I sought the deck to
,
.
try if the night breeze would cool the fever
of
my brain ; but wherever I moved the mutilated
,
victims of R odrigo were ever at m y side
last the dar kness began to yield to day
,
ho w
interminable that short night
.
.
At
Oh
appeared
!
.
Morning daw ned gloomily and a dense mist hung
,
over the ocean and shrouded the ship in vapour
.
TH E O U T CAS T
of
The thickness
were
the weather alarmed me ; we
B ritish cruis ers
of
in the track
now
43
.
and
,
safety required that on our part a bright look
out should be kept
I determined therefore to
.
,
remain on deck myself until the
,
should clear
fog
away ; and lighting a cigar took my usual stand
,
beside the helmsman
Suddenly
.
faint
,
sounds
,
’
like strokes on a ship s bell when the watch
is changed
star ted
t
,
came stealing over
,
a nd
disperse ;
The mist
.
the sun shone out ; the morn
ing breeze freshened ;
wa s
I
.
asked i f any but myself had heard
hem ; but all answered in the negative
began to
water
t he
for
a mile around the sea
,
the vapour in huge fleeces rolling
clear
—
,
,
before the wind
off
I swept the horizon suspiciously
.
with my glass and within a cloud bank to the
-
,
outhward
s
fancied that I discovered something
,
darker than the mist
portion o f the
two
fog
.
In a
rolled
o
ff,
few
minutes another
,
and by heaven
,
not
miles distant and dead to windward a brig
,
,
was under easy sail and her
,
raking ma sts told that she
The
al
low
wa s
arm was given : in a
black hull and
an
y
thing but a
m lnu t e
every man
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T IONS
44
.
was on deck and sail w a s made upon the schooner
,
We hoped at first that
o f the weather
,
.
owing to the thickness
’
we had escaped the stranger s
,
observation and might yet steal
,
off
B ut that hope was vain ; our helm
to leeward
was
.
sca rcely
up till the stranger changed her co ur se and
bore down upon
us —
a nd
the rapidity with which
canvas was crowded on her to the trucks told
,
that her crew was numerous
.
No
mi st
remained ;
the sun poured a glorious flood o f light over sea
a nd
sky
—
not a sail was on the ocean far as sight
could range except the stranger and ourselves
,
T he breeze freshened
;
.
she brought it down and
,
overhauled us rapidly : half an hour wo uld bring
her alongside
three
“
for two feet we sailed she went
—
,
.
A s yet neither vessel had showed their colours
.
We hoisted the C olombian flag but the strange r
,
did not notice it but held a steady course
,
situation seemed hopeless
t ur e d,
and get
we
certain death
and scarcely a chance o f escape
w as possible that
for
—
off
we
.
O ur
.
if
ca
p
S till it
might cripple the stranger
or he might be a rover lik e ourselves
,
,
heard that under the title o f privateers and
R A M B LING RE C OLLE C T I ONS
46
threw forty boarders on our deck
it in thr ee minutes
fought
below
hard
;
.
S ome
of
,
.
and clear ed
my scoundrels
more o f them cowed and ran
Twenty were left upon the deck with
.
cleft skulls
—
and the remainder chained
t wo
,
were carried to C uba and delivered
t wo,
to
,
Spanish authorities
the
.
There the judi cial pro cess
proof was required o f our guilt
wa s
—
as
short
we
L ittle
.
were taken
fighting under the black flag and several
s co un
,
dr els
and
had saved li fe by becoming approvers
were all condemned
We
.
Half were sent to the mines
.
for life and the remainder were doomed to undergo
,
a capital punishment
.
Manifold as our depredations had been they
,
were represented as being ten times greater than
they were and every vessel that had foundered at
,
sea for years before was asserted and believed to
have been destroyed by the crew o f the pirate
schooner
.
A s a terror to malefactors
,
it was
arranged by the proper authorities that the scene
of
punishment sho uld embrace the chi ef towns and
seaports
and accordingly we were sentenced to be
hanged in detail and the relative numbers fur
,
TH E O U T CAS T
nished
to each place were
47
.
ni cely
apportioned with
a fitting respect to its extent and importance
We started on our last tour under the escor t
of
.
a
military guard ; and as every sinner had a prie st
allotted for his especial consolation the clergy
,
formed a striking featur e in the
indeed our general appearance
been respectable
g
and
e
,
admitted to
wa s
,
have
c or te
A s this itinerating assizes
.
was to terminate with three executions at
C a r the
gena the lions were reserved to the last ; and
,
while the smaller fry were strung up in villages
fi shing
and
-
towns as
we
villa ins
namely
myself
were retained
,
went
the mate
,
,
out
a
long ,
the
of
the greates t
and
lm ner ,
g
compliment to
’
t he
l
city ,
as well as to give to the fini sh
affair the eclat it so well deserved
O n the last night
flung
irons
,
into
of
of
.
my earthly sojourn I was
a dungeon in the public jail loaded with
,
and tormented by the exhortations
dr unken priest
a gang
the
of
.
of
a
I n the plaza before the building
negroes were at work erecting a loft y
s caffold ; and the task appeared a pleasant one
,
if
might
form an Opinion from their merriment
and songs
O n a sudden the stroke of axe and
one
.
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T ION S
48
hammer
wa s
suspended
were rapidly discharged
fl a re d
—
Wild din arose
a
—
.
men huzzaed
—
and a ll seemed hurry and alarm
.
—
shots
—
torches
Presently ,
the popula ce surro unded the prison mas sacred the
,
guard and in the true spirit of mob justice exe
,
,
,
uted half a dozen political offenders on the gallows
o
-
-
intended for our acc ommodation
graciously
pleased to
They were also
.
make a general jail delivery
-
,
in whi ch act o f clemency we were duly included ;
and while the mate and
became a valuable
n
r
m
e
g
l
addition to their body I slipped away towards the
,
harbour
,
stole the bundle o f a drunken sailor
,
dressed mysel f in his clothes launched a canoe and
,
,
rowed on board an American shi p alrea dy under
,
weigh and quitting the anchorage in alarm
,
N ew
afterwards learned at
I
.
York that the popular
,
outbreak had been suppressed next morning and
,
that my compani ons were retaken and hanged ; and
all they had profited by the intervention o f the m ob
was the enj oyment
of
a
night
o f drunken liberty
duri ng which they demolished fifty houses
,
and
,
mur dered the proprietors for daring to assert that
a Don Jose somebody would make a better presi
dent than some Don
Pedro
with a longer nam e
.
TH E O U T CAS T
“
My history
dr aws
49
.
0
near a close
I came to
.
E ngland as a man be fore the mast ; and I who
,
had expected to have landed possessor o f ten
thousand pounds debarked upon the pier at L iver
,
pool owner
of
just ten dollars
me to the metropolis ; and
myself in L ondon
—
my
T hat sum carried
.
years since I found
two
kit comprised within the
,
folds of a pocket handkerchief
my
—
cash a solitary
,
To find some scoundrels like myself was a first
endeavour and he who seeks for such in L ondon
,
will rarely lose his labour
ou tcasts half my life
—
of crime bette r
—
I had herded with
.
none knows
t he
gradations
and I have no hesitation in saying
that in villany my
new
associates three in number
,
belonged to the highest order o f the felonious
,
,
.
They had been originally cracksmen and pick
pockets but exchanged bur glary for a safer and
,
more lucrative employment
purveyors to the hospitals
rection
-
They were
.
now
professional resur
—
m en
.
I had long been the robber
had no compunction in
of the dead
.
now
of
the living and I
,
becoming a despoiler
The churchyard indeed proved an
,
,
D
RA M B L IN G RE CO LLE C T IONS
5O
El Dorado and from it
,
,
.
for eighteen months
I obtained ample resources to support my
debaucheries
the gang
—
low
I easily obtained a mastery over
.
for
all were sneaking scoundrels
fellows who would
a man to death or stab
dr ug
a sleeper in the dark
arm by turn
,
,
One and
.
a ll
had felt
my
and once when in a drunken broil
;
,
,
the whole attacked me in a minute they were
,
spre ad across the floor and one o f them all but
,
qualifi ed for the surgeons
.
They swore vengeance
,
and whatever oaths the villains broke that one
,
they kept religiously
.
T he darkest hour o f my varied
fortunes
remains only to be told ; for compared with
it ,
every suffering I had endur ed and every calamity
,
which
befel
me were trifling
,
my person attest that I
.
did
Many a scar upon
not pass unscathed
thr ough perilous adventures in which hundreds of
my
com rades perished
What were they a ll mere
.
scratches on the bark o f a tree whose sap and
strength were sound and vigorous as it had ever
been
.
I had no reason to complain
filthy calling
a
guilt turned in
ll
.
F rom
my
but the lowest in the grade of
disgust
.
I
trafficked in the dead ;
O U T CAS T
T HE
what then
the trade was lucrative
—
monster not a man
produce
of
51
.
I
—
and although it was
—
human carrion I cared not ;
,
of
the p urposes
it
of
a
served
.
The twilight o f a January day had set
room fire
t he
vulgar dissipation as well as
money more reputably obta ined
lamps were lighted
was a
—
in
t he
—
and I was sitting at the
low
pot house
-
ta p
which none but
,
thi eves and vagabonds fre quented
Here my
.
companions and I generally met to c oncert our
churchyard robberies
and I had been but a
—
fe w
minutes in the place until my thr ee confederates
,
entered the apartment
S ailor
’
,
the name by which I was always
—
we have been in search of you ; a
addressed
nice job
.
for
to night !
-
I met
chap from
t he
’
Guy s in the B orough road this morning and he
-
,
,
offered to stand t welve pounds
for
and gave me these five bob earnest
He
threw the silver on the
drink and when
,
t
a fresh stiff un
-
,
’
.
t
able
,
called
for
bar maid left the room he
t he
-
,
hus continued
‘
’
L uck s with us too
,
parish funeral
,
followed
.
T he
s m a s he r
met a
it unobserved and marked
,
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
52
the
rave
to
an
inch
g
’
There s not within thirty
.
miles a ground so easily worked in ;
night
I have got three o f a
’
,
—
me
’
.
.
N ow ,
mind the
and be sure not to
keep us waiting and when we deliver the goods
,
’
why then we ll
dr ink
,
You ll find us with
.
.
hour ; don t lush too heavy
n
’
S m ithfi eld
’
—
,
He named a village churchyard
S ailor we ll star t at ten
d
there as readily as I
could pick up stale fish in B illingsgate
the cart and tools in
.
till daylight
,
’
.
My ru ffia n comrades left the tap
,
d
an
I smoked
and slept and drank until the clock chimed thr ee
,
,
quarters and told me the hour o f meeting was
,
at hand
.
In S m ithfi eld I found my companions and a
tax car t
.
I jumped in and away we drove
,
night was dar k as pitch ; and
as
with a drizzling rain there were
The
it was windy
few
,
.
,
persons out
o f doors as we passed through the outskirts o f the
metropolis
.
One of the ga ng stopped with the
horse and cha ise in a lonely lane ; we took the
implements for digging a dark lantern and a
,
tarpaulin to wrap the corpse in
and crossing a
,
field sca led the churchyard wall
,
,
and instantly
54
LING RE COLLE C T IONS
R AM B
.
That corpse shall never touch my
replied doggedly
O ff, y ou
.
I will remain behind
’
.
towards the wall when
,
al
fi re
arm
-
paces
ddenly a voice shouted
arms answered it
whole cha rge
of
My comra des dropped
I followed more slowly ;
.
for
a gun loaded with slugs had
,
penetrated my breast and shoulder
I reached the
.
lane only to find that the scoundrels
had
left me
to my fate ; for I hea rd their chaise wheels
on
-
the
high
road
,
of
,
their prey and fled
the
su
few
given and a prompt discharge
wa s
I
misera ble cowards
They raised the body and moved a
an
ba C ka
’
.
I struggled
on—
and at last faint with loss
,
of
blood I reached the hospital where the porter
,
,
was in waiting to receive the expected corpse but
,
in place
Of
patient
I was undressed ; the injury declared
.
a dead subject received a wounded
most dangerous ; many
of
the slugs could not be
ex t racted and in the morning it was decided that
.
,
my arm must be taken
w as
off,
amputated at the S houlder
O n my recovery
,
and accordingly it
,
.
I felt that the c urse o
heaven had overtaken me at last
,
and that the
TH E O U T CAS T
o f retribution had
hour
many a perilous trial
,
55
.
arrived
Through
.
my personal superiorit y
over common men had carried me in safety
while meaner villains
strength
B ut
,
now
wretch
feared
,
dreading my
herculean
and submitted to my will
I
that mastery was lost
—
was a maimed
for
one who might become an obj ect
—
.
contempt but never could excite apprehension
,
,
not even in the mean cowards with whom I had
lately herded
I must
for
and with whom
,
the future consort
from the hospital
connexion with
with scorn
,
me to turn beggar
they rejected me
,
,
mi s fortune ,
t
old
and flung some coppers in
derision on the floor
now
,
and sought to renew my
,
the gang
—
from necessity
Wh en I crawled
.
laughed at my
and bank note s
,
.
They showed me gold
boasted that their trade was
indeed worth
following
—
and hinted that
they had found a method by whi ch their
foul
traffi c could be carried on without that personal
,
risk which formerly
had
attended it
B y heaven
.
a dark suspicion crossed me at the moment
.
I made inquiries at the hospita ls I coupled
facts with
circum stances
and my belief is
—
56
R AM B
fixed that the
living
,
the
vic tims
LING RE C O LLE C T ION S
I
,
have detained you
will be my last trespass
likely
as
speak o f that
B ut I
too
,
long
—
In this world
.
,
it
we
to encounter each other ; and
the next
to
now
will know the truth
gentlemen
,
are
and before
—
will I not avenge myself
—
are not
dea d
I am on the trail
.
many hours elapse
and then
and not the
.
—
but no matter
—
must
we
no t
”
.
We were indeed sick o f the felon revelations
,
,
we had listened to and offered the outcast some
,
silver whi ch he received and pocketed
,
Well
I
,
time sober
,
.
suppose the sweeper is by this
and I must return
then for vengeance
Oh
.
!
hi s
tools
—
and
that I could but see
those villains strung up before I went myself !
N ow
for their haunt
T he
”
.
outcast thr e w the
besom
across
his
shoulder ; bade us good night ; and strode across
the square ; and we proceeded to the tavern
marvelling
how
immeasurably the romance
,
of
real life outstrips the wildest creations o f the
Months passed ; m y friend and I o ften crossed
TH E O U T CAS T
L eicester S quare
—
and never without recalling
with
our sing ular adventure
never met hi m afterwards
he
the sweeper
—
tion
except
,
drunk
s
,
57
.
the
o utca s t—
We inquir ed o f
.
could give us
no informa
that one evening when he
,
but
wa s
a one arm ed man took his besom and
-
upplied his place for an hour or
appeared
so that he
al
,
,
few
and the
merely as
a nameless
wa s
who knew him
the sailor
t wo
.
It
m an
described him
,
”
.
A year rolled over and E ngland
,
wa s
astounded
by horrible disclosur es which proved that crimes
unknown before had been perpetrated extensively
The
discovery wa s
.
accidental ; and a my stery
hung round these foul deeds
more absorbing intere st
.
,
which occa sioned
R um our
wa s
rife
exaggerated statements circulated through the
—
l
metropo is
and it was reported
anxiety of scientific research
ha d
,
,
that in the
professional men
been careless regar ding the persons they
employed
,
and
,
blind to
appearances
which
should have produced alarm even in the ignorant
I t was impossible to hazard a conjecture as to
.
the extent to which this trade in blood had been
D
2
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T IONS
58
carried
from
O utcas ts
.
di s s olute
and the
the victims
—
—
after them
the drunken
—
were generally believed to be
They came freely at the murderou s
.
invitation they
to death
—
society
.
dr ank
were drugged
—
they disappeared
—
and
none
for crime had left them
—
done
a nd
—
inquired
fii endles s
.
I t was said however that others and more to
,
,
be lamented
,
,
into the snares of those
ha d fallen
d
monsters and perished in their filthy den ;
an
there is unfortunately much re a son for be lieving
,
,
that the rum our was not without foundation
Happily for
criminals
wa s
society
the detection
,
followed
of
,
*
.
t he
by capital conviction
,
A Wi d o w la dy c onn e t e d w ith fam ilie of high respec t ability
i n I relan d had re m o v e d t o the n eighbo urhoo d of L o nd o n a
fe w m o n ths before the B urki n g atro c i t ies were dis c o v ere d H
el d es t c hil d a bo y of e xc elle n t pro m ise su dd e nl y d isappeare d
a n d e v er y effo t t o dis c o v er him d ea d or li v i n g p r o v e d un
v aili n g He ha d bee n obser v e d looki n g at t he wi nd ow of a
pri n t shop at an earl y hour of the d ay ; and n o e y e ha d see n
hi m aft er T he m os t e xt e n si v e i n quiries were se t afoo t bu t
what his fat e w as s till re m ai n s a my st ery Whe n the horrible
t raffi c of B ishop and his ass ociat es was aft erwar ds re v eale d t he
d istra c t e d m o ther fel t assure d t hat her chil d ha d bee n a m on g
t heir v i c t im s ; an d wi t hi n a t wel v e m o nt h S he d ie d broke n
heart e d und er a se ttle d c o nv i ct io n that her belo v e d o n e ha d
bee n slaugh t ere d b y these m o n st ers
s
c
,
,
er
.
,
,
,
r
,
a
,
.
—
.
.
,
,
,
.
TH E O U T CAS T
59
.
and the wretches were executed at the Old B ailey
.
It rarely happens that a malefactor undergoes
the extreme penalty of the
sympathy from some
.
la w
It
without obtaining
wa s
computed
t
hat
thirty thousand persons witnessed the B ur kers
death
’
and from that mighty mas s every sound
—
,
that issued was an execration
.
It may be supposed that thi s criminal occur
rence with me excited an unusual interes t when
,
I recalled to memory the singula r adventur e
with the outcast in L eicester S quare
ffia ns
t he
sa w
and witnessed it with satisfaction
hanged
ru
I
.
—
I am not naturally indifferent to hum an suffering
I hate to see death deliberately effected
remember being present at the execution
deserter
,
and for several days afterwards
myself uncomfortable ;
week
Side ,
,
I
and slep t on
—
within
,
.
I
.
of
a
I felt
t
hat
an hundred comrades fall at my
sa w
by the dead
and yet
,
.
a
y
—
t he
battle ground surrounded
—
and slept soundly
t oo
.
Two or three days aft er the murderers had
undergone the penalty o f the
s om e trifling
la w ,
business brought me into L ambeth and a heavy
,
rain unexpectedly came on
,
and
obliged me
RA M B LIN G RE C OL L E C T I O N S
60
to seek shelter
.
I entered the first public house
-
.
that presented itsel f and the landlord observing
,
,
that I was o f better appearance than the ordinary
frequenters o f his tap room
-
me to his parlour
politely introduced
,
There I found several y oung
.
men indulging in comfortable liquids and in a
,
learned
disquisition upon a subj ect which then
engrossed every order o f society
namely
,
,
the
death and delinquencies o f the wretches who had
m urdered
fessiona l
the I talian boy
”
From the pro
.
style o f their conversation
I easily
,
ascertained that the part y were medical students
.
What a devil o f a hurry Tom your friends
,
were in
la st
Monday
”
—
,
said one
.
E gad they
,
seemed more anxious to have the j ob completed
even than Jack K etch himself
,
”
.
Faith no wonder
,
reception
wa s
”
,
replied the second
any thing but flattering
.
their
I never
can forget the savage y ell which the mob raised
,
the moment that B ishop showed himself
”
.
I t was some satisfaction
”
,
to see the scoundr el choked
o f half a sovereign
“
observed a third
.
He did me out
”
.
Well I took ca re he should not
,
,
do
me
.
RA M B LING RE CO L L E C T IONS
62
.
lodgings in the B orough at a late hour
when
,
he was accosted on L ondon B ridge by one
the crim inals
who
,
,
ad
of
dressing him by name
,
told him he could be supplied with a subject
immediately
to ; and
A
.
within
,
price was proposed and agreed
,
two
ho urs afterwards
of
delivered to the porter
wa s
money was paid
hurried
a bo dy
,
the hospital
the
—
and the man who brought it
—
O ff
.
I went
continued the student
”
,
next morning ;
of
appearance
and
the
found
early
,
that the singular
corpse had excited as much
curiosity as the circumsta nce s attendant upo n
,
its delivery had caused suspicion
,
numerous wounds were Visible
had been recently removed
appear ed upon the throat
imme di ately before death
some
s tru
f
e
gg
or affray
,
—
The right
.
a nd
as
,
The scars
.
if
,
and yet
ar m
livid m arks
the deceased
,
had been engaged in
The porter remarked
that the body was warm when
brought it in
of
the
the
ha ir wa s
ru
we t
.
ffi a ns
It
was quite apparent that the corpse had never
been inhumed and on a more searching
—
nation
,
,
e xa m i
laudanum was detected in the stomach
.
TH E O U T CAS T
In a word
S ir ,
,
many reasons
t
rouble you
the
with which it is unneces sary to
,
I believe that at the time I met
,
for
and ready
his
,
vi
ctim was
but bur ied in drunken sleep
living ma n,
a
and from
ma n wa s ba r ke d—
the scoundrel on the bridge
the n
63
.
the murderer
A s he concluded
,
”
.
of
one
,
his companions
re
turned whispered him and both retired leaving
,
,
,
the apartment to myself
.
Great G od
aloud
fearful
man
quailed
to
foolish
a
—
I ejaculated
I
thinking
wa s
habit by the way
Did that
,
before whom the boldest spirits
,
’
the fiercest on a rover s deck
—
mount the flaming breach
he ,
for
—
of
the first
—
C iudad R odrigo
whom I had seen heading the grenadiers when
,
the eighty eighth burst through the village
-
F uentes ,
de r o u ting
the French guard
would have scattered rabble in a
die
thus 9—
.
,
whom
,
Stop sir
,
,
did he
,
mutilated as
he could have crushed to annihilation
as I splinter thi s fragile glass
maid
—
smothered in drunken insensibility
by a sneaking murderer
he was
as they
,
fair
of
who ,
,
for
’
G od s sake
unknown
to
”
.
”
,
me
,
,
exclaimed
t he
had entered
bar
the
64
R AM B
L IN G RE C O L L E C T ION S
.
parlour and was listening to my soliloquy
That
,
glass will require a shilling to replace it
”
.
T he warning cam e too late ; for shivered in a
,
thousand pieces it was
,
hearth rug
-
damage
,
al
ready sparkling on the
I satisfied the maid amply for the
.
she handed me my hat and cane
—
bowed me out and I went slowly towards my
—
hotel
wrapped in melancholy musing
,
Strange
”
,
”
.
thought I under what shapes and
,
circum stances death will at last surprise
have read that men
,
us
,
to be s m othered in a water cask
-
by a dealer in human carrion
a
—
monster
,
Your narrative colonel
,
yer
villain as
a
the
”
.
observed the
,
—
la w
when the co mm ander had concluded his
,
story
”
vampire
a
—
was his fate was horrible
o u tc a s t
B ut
.
done to dea th
—
to be bur ke d l—
—
I
after circumnavigating the
globe came home and perished in a rivulet
wretch
!
“
,
example
is indeed a
of
startling
crime followed
by retrib ution —
a
,
detail
—
a
pointed
slowly but surely
dem on life ending
in
,
a death
TH E O U T CAS T
of
violence
di sgusting
and
,
.
65
.
der circumstances the most
un
H ow
fearfully the wretched existence
of that sinful man must have been tormented even
by the imaginary terrors attendant on the memory
of
And yet I fancy that conscience
hi s g uilt !
,
imposes more punishment on the brave
superstition inflicts upon the ignorant
,
than
A ccident
.
placed me beside the death bed o f a secret suf
-
ferer
—
I
witnessed the scene that closed upon a
broken heart
to
own
the p ar ting o f a spirit too proud
—
the agony that seared and withered it
Were the hour not too late
relate an adventure
L ate
!
”
I would briefly
”
.
exclaimed the colonel ;
wants a full hour o f twelv e
night
like this
,
—
would think
and who
of
why it
upon a
,
bed before he
borrowed largely from the small hour s
Jack
stick to thy vocation
re
nishi ng—
tale
and
now ,
.
.
S ir ,
The bowl requires
we are ready
for
,
l
e
p
your
”
.
The lawyer bowed
his story
,
and thus proceeded with
U N KN O WN
T HE
t here
Is
I KNO W
no
re m e dy
—
.
SHA K S PE
AR E
no greater luxury on e a rth
,
than a
temporary retreat from the noise and hurry
the town
trade
of
fe s s ion
—
of
The mind
.
,
less turmoil
l
—
the ear dulled with cease
predispose the man
al
—
the world
s a t ions
o f an arduous pro
the eye wearied by the etern al sameness
a crowded street
from
harassed by the cares
,
difli cultie s
or the
”
,
,
the deni zen
the occupant
of
of
relaxation
an Inn
of
gloomy chambe rs
”
one to a profession
for
—
with rustic quietude
C our t
doomed
—
.
To refresh
to rest the ear
to lose car e and
a seas on however short
of
of
which I have no fancy
the eye with field and forest
—
.
the
this occas ional retirement is d elicious
sunniest periods
s t eals
who
to enj oy with exquisite sen
his brief season
To me
for
of
a life
,
,
t
hought
have proved
fevered
as mine
t he
has
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
68
been by the
,
difficulties
.
attendant on a profe ssion
so embarrassing and exhausting
as
the
Among the scenes I loved to visit
inn at E verton has been a
T he
—
the little
,
favou rite
retreat
.
its antique church and modest cemetery
green hedge rows and sparkling rivulet
its
a ll
.
picturesque appearance o f this secluded
hamlet
—
la w
-
seemed to invite a wearied
,
like
spirit
mine to seek and find there the repose it pante d
for
.
B ut there were char ms
o f rural solitude
other tha n those
which attracted me more
,
’
Annette s smile
warmly to The Woodman
welcomed me when I left the city
—
voice fell like music on my ear
—
fanci ed
,
smoothed m y pillow
around me as I dream ed
—
l ess
of
hi therto
her form
and I
,
,
of
,
I
flit te d
-
unfelt
the unconscious beauty
Annette s
her hand
cold and reck
adventitious charms as I was
with sensations
’
,
thrilled
when gazing on
this gentle
and
unsophisticated girl
.
It
wa s
late in spring when after a long absence
I revisited
,
T he
Woodman
.
T he
,
delighted
smile and gentle reproach that welcomed me
,
70
L I N G REC O LLE C T IONS
R AM B
.
And why did they b ur y her there
the youthful querist
said
.
’
The old man s reply was inaudible
And are people who die
thus apar t from others
The
child
O
ld
,
love
for
she continued
man smiled
is unfrequent ;
.
The
.
few
and
place d
,
.
di seas e ,
my
have bee n so
unfortunate as the lovely being who sleeps under
y
ou
green turf
”
.
My curiosity
excited
wa s
and while the child
—
turned aside to pull the wild flowers with which
the graves were thickly sprinkled I learned the
,
melancholy story o f her who o ccupied
solitary resting place
-
She was young
to
fortune ,
this
.
beautiful gifted
,
,
,
but accident robbed her
and born
of
that
wealth to which from infancy she had believed
,
,
,
herself the heiress
patiently
,
.
S he bore the visita tion
and sought the humble occupation
a governess
—
of
and talents and accomplishment s
which had been cultivated
for
amusement were
,
exercised to obtain an honourable independence
Unfortunately
of
the
family
,
.
a young o fficer was a relative
where Emily resided and couse
,
TH E U N KN O W N
71
.
quently a frequent visitor at the house
,
the beautiful girl
beloved
—
he
hen
loved
his intimacy
he pressed
,
of
circumstance s
suit with ardour
hi s
and when the regiment
sa w
and he was
—
Favoured by the
He
.
wa s
unexpectedly
,
or
dered to the C ontinent that incident produced
,
a
full di sclosure
’
E mily s attachme nt
of
vows were solemnly interchanged
.
Their
and on the
—
last agonizing evening before he sailed E mily
,
yielding to his passionate request
a midnight
int erv1 e w
to her a fatal one
He went
—
four
.
granted him
,
Alas ! that meeting proved
.
months passed rapidly away
Waterloo was fought and
who fell
,
—
n
o
w
and among those
’
Emily s lover
wa s
.
Many a heart was agonized when the fatal
death list reached E ngland
but she the lost one
—
-
,
had a double grief to mo urn
of
her
of
hour
.
,
The consequences
indi scret ion
would shortly
become apparent and shame and sorrow were too
,
much to bear together
.
Maddened by blighted
love and an inevitable expos ure
t he
and
means
Emily
of
,
,
ia
self destruction were
-
the
yo ung
—
the
her frenzy
procured
beautiful
—
,
the
RAM B LING RE C O LLE C T IONS
72
gi fted
hand
being
—
.
perished miserably b y her
own
.
They pla ced her here
”
said the
,
old
and while yonder costly marble
above a mass
is
raised
age and de formity the
of
,
man ;
reen
g
turf alone covers the mortal remains o f that
lovely
ill- starred
and
He wiped away a tear
hand
’
,
took the child s
and bade me a courteous
,
a
dieu
.
I staid
for a short time beside the grave and left the
,
scene o f death filled with pity for the beautiful
victim of imprudent love
Months p as sed
,
.
summer succeeded spring
I
,
began to feel my resolution waver and wished
,
A n nette
to see
once m ore
to be easily forgotten
.
Hers
.
Annette
wa s
w as
not
not the florid
.
comeliness that distinguishes a vulgar beauty
every look and movement were
feminine
and
elegant and natur e had moulded her a gentle
,
woman
although the Sphere she occupied was
,
humble
The W itching smile that played about
.
her mouth the soft expression
,
hazle
,
wom an
the silver voice
,
a
ll
,
of
eyes of darkest
that excelle nt thing in
haunted my imagina tion ; and While
TH E UN KN O W N
73
.
prudence whispered me to avoid her
failed ,
and on a fine June evening I
more to The Woodman at E verton
resolution
,
dr ove
once
.
for
When Annette heard my voice she came
,
ward to welcome me
.
Ah ! Mr Mowbray
ho w
—
.
did I offend you
You stole away without bidding me good bye
-
I held her hand in mine
—
I
sa w
”
.
her eye sparkle
,
the colour flash upon her cheek and muttered a
,
confused apology
.
Well I am so happy to see you
,
and it
nu e d ;
a
—
breast
,
S he
conti
but this morning that I spoke
w as
,
o f you to the captain
I started
”
”
.
of
thrill
jealousy shot through my
.
T he
Oh
girl ;
ca
t
a in
p
who is he Annette
—
,
you will so like
him ,
that is when you know
,
”
said the blushing
him
—
for he
appears
cold and haughty at first but he will not be so to
,
y
ou
1
’
.
To
Annette
me ,
!
obtain the acquaintance
I have no ambition to
of
a stranger ; and believe
me I shall not unnecessa rily expose myself to
,
ha u te ur
O f an
y
man
”
.
t he
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T ION S
74
Well well
,
he is very
—
invalids are always irritable and
:
il
l
y
ve r
,
.
You must know
.
is something about
him
him
There
.
so noble and interesting
when he chooses to be so that none can be near
,
him without liking
him
”
.
The animated expres sion o f her face while she
spoke
of
the Unknown made m e miserable
,
I
.
”
the captain in my heart and determined
cursed
,
,
that in coldness and repulsion I should be at least
his equal
.
T he day passed over ; my riva l did not appear ;
and when I left The Woodman for my evening
walk he had not left his cham ber
,
yard
,
grave
of
course was visited
,
of
—
I
.
The church
stood beside the
the unhappy lady and her melancholy
,
story afforded me a theme
for
sad reflection
I t was evening when I reached
.
mi ne
inn
”
,
and as I passed the parlour window a sight met
my eye that brought the colour to my cheek
.
Upon a sofa a tall and noble looking man was
-
,
extended
,
While
A nnette
leaned over him and
,
with marked assiduity placed cushions for
head and arranged his military cloak
,
not see
hi s
.
hi s
I could
features as his face was turned from
,
TH E UNKNO W N
me but he held her hand in
and she seemed
hi s ,
,
in no hurry to withdraw it
75
.
.
I was tortured with rage and jealousy
Should
.
I fly at once and leave Annette to my rival ?
No
She was but a woma n and why should she
,
.
I must
have power to make me wretched ?
would subdue my feelings
teach me to forget her
resolute
—
.
and absence should
—
Pride
urged me to be
but still I felt a weakness
that told me it were better
of
the heart
avoid her and I
to
,
waited till she le ft the room before I entered it
The opening
of
t he
door caused
t he
.
stranger to
look up ; he scarcely however noticed my
,
trance and
,
his
been perusing
quarter
of
I
—
,
eu
eyes fell quickly on a paper he had
I sate down
.
an hour elapsed
exchange a word
at
—
the Window
a
—
and we did not
.
While this unsocial state
of
things continued a
,
third personage j oined us a forward self s uffi cient
,
-
,
over dr essed young man who seemed to stand on
excellent t erms with himself H e stopped beside
-
,
.
the
stranger and asked in a drawling and affec ted
,
voice aft er
,
,
’
the last night s debate
The
valid slowly raised his eyes bestowed a look
,
in~
of
76
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IONS
.
supercili ous indi fference on the inquirer
without deigning to reply resumed
,
tion o f the newspaper
his
,
and
,
investiga
.
Again we were left together
Presently A n
.
nette came in to ask what the captain would
have
for
supper
.
This is the gentleman I spoke o f
,
”
she said in
a whisper directing her expressive eye towards me
,
.
Instantly the stranger threw aside the paper
Mr Mowbray
.
inattention
—
friend w a s
chafed me
and
I
”
he said
,
,
’
was not aware my pretty Annette s
in the room
We
.
must pardon my
,
That forward puppy
.
invalids
,
are somewhat testy
,
’
to be pestered by a popinjay would flurry a
philosopher
.
Will you permit me to share your
supper
I was as t onished
The cold and withering look
.
with which he repelled the advances o f the citizen
had
,
lar
iven
place
to
an
expression
o
f
singu
g
urbanity
’
.
His voice was soft as woman s ; his
manner bland and winning
,
I felt irresistibly
;
impelled to meet his advances and encourage an
,
intimacy with a man whom but
,
I had looked on with aversion
.
fi ve
minutes since
78
R AM B
LIN G RE CO LLE C T I ONS
many hours together
t
hrow aside
his
.
With me he seemed to
.
coldness as Supporte d on my arm
,
we walked slowly through some of the rustic
avenues which issued from the Village
excursions were necessarily short
ing his erect and easy carri age
military habitude
him through
—
.
The s e
N ot withs ta nd
.
probably a result
—
of
his limbs could scarcely bear
and it was too evident that an
;
unbroken spirit contended v a inly with an ex
hansted constitution
.
I had scarcely been a week in to wn before a
no t e with the E verton post mark reached me
-
I t wa s from the stranger
—
.
and contained a pressing
request that I should dine with him on an early
day
The billet bore no name and was merely
.
,
subscribed with an initial
.
little
I required
inducement to visit The Woodman ; and accord
ingly ,
the invitation was accepted
Annette
kindness
!
me with
her customar y
but when I named the stranger her
;
eyes filled
Ah
received
.
,
.
Mr Mowbray
.
’
,
the captain s dying
S ince you left E verton he has declined rapidly
I have oft en pressed him to call in a physician
.
.
,
TH E UN KNO W N
but in vain
Hush
.
79
.
!
stairs and you will no doubt perceive
,
for
ation
the worse
While she
and
the
changed
.
wa s
the
I hear his step upon
an
alter
”
.
still speaking the door unclosed
stranger
entered
of
The ravages
Oh G od
.
,
how
!
disease in one short
week were frightful
.
Dinner was served but the stranger scarcely
,
tas ted it
The bottle passed
.
placed upon the table
wa s
to o urselves
C ome
,
.
rapidly
the dessert
and
were left
—
—
Filling a claret
Mowbray
”
he said
,
we
lass
to
the
brim
g
’
now s t
k
,
,
thou
thi s day
I replied
of
it
that I had no partic ular recollection
”
.
of
D ull slave
smile
”
la w !
he exclaimed wit h a
has Waterloo faded from the calendar
,
already
It was the anniversary
dr ank
with the wine
excited
—
of
.
the brav e
,
—
.
—
—
we
and warmed
the stranger s spirits became
He had been there
slain
that battle
’
left upon the
the
of
to the memory
of
fi eld
s
—
had been wounded
and returned in the lis t
He spoke with enthusiasm
of
that
RA M B LING RE C O LLE C T IONS
80
fi ght
glorious
—
his descriptions became more vivid
—
his anecdotes more racy
,
pale cheek
—
too
was
his
feebleness ,
reach his chamber
to
.
The
reat
to
be
sustained
g
he soon became exhausted
own
d interesting
an
the dim eye brightened
fl u shed
but the exertion
to
.
and at last obliged
—
,
,
accepted my assistance
.
B usiness imperatively requ ired my presence
in L ondon and early next morning I left The
,
,
Woodman
.
days pass ed and from Annette
F o ur
,
I learned that hourly the Unknown
and that the fatal crisis
was
rew
worse
g
approaching
,
.
I had already determined to visit The Wood
man
t he
day when a note from
following
the
on
,
stranger caused me to set
off
immediately
.
L ike the former this note was without sub
,
scription
,
and the
almost illegible
altered
lines it contained were
few
I compared the notes
.
hand writing
-
awful change whi ch a
s ufficiently
few
—
and
t he
attested the
days had brought about
.
I found him sitting in the parlour where as
,
,
Annette told me he had been occupied in burning
,
papers
.
I stood beside him
me he had not many
days
—
and one look told
to live
.
TH E UN K N O W N
My arrival however
,
8 1
.
seemed to give him
,
u nfeigned pleasure and pre ssing my hand within
,
his feverish grasp he thanked me
,
so promptly to his letter
attending
for
I s the evening
.
wa rm Mowbray
,
I replied in the affirmative
Then
ness
”
said
,
t he
.
stranger with perfect calm
,
you and I will take our last walk to
,
gether
I have been destroying papers
.
of
some
moment and I shall finish my task while dinner
,
is preparing
He
”
.
took a small pa cket from
hi s
writing desk
-
,
and unbound the blue ribbon which encased a
number
of
letters whose be autiful and delicate
,
penmanship at once discovered them to be a
female
’
s
One by one
.
contents
,
eye passed over their
hi s
and with an effort which seemed to
require some determination he flung them into
,
the fire
mured
,
’
.
Tis the last relic but
and that lies
hand upon his bosom
served : he ate little
,
him
m ur
and he laid his
a glass or
fr om the
,
he
Just then dinner was
drank
wine and then rising
me to accompany
.
he r e ,
”
one ,
”
two
of
table requested
,
.
E
2
RA M B LIN G
82
E C OLLE C T I ONS
R
.
There was one shaded avenue that had been
his
favourite
walk
—
we
p a ssed it however and
,
,
tur ned our steps towards the church y ar d
-
t
En
.
ering through the wicket we stopped beneath
,
the huge
y
ew
tree which overspreads the gate
I have been fortunate my dear Mowbray
,
said the invalid
“
,
.
”
,
in meeting with one so kind
as you to cheer the parting hours o f my earthly
,
pilgrimage
.
I am grate ful
—
and as
hi therto
you
have never asked a question touching my name
or history I would entreat it
,
,
as
a last request
of
that you will never demand an explanation
my evening visi t to this place
sta te my wishes
.
I
will briefly
and I feel confident that
—
,
will see them effec t ed when I am at rest
y
ou
”
.
He led me along the walk until we reached
t he
of
extremity
the burying gro und
-
and to
,
my surprise stopped beside the grave
of
t he
beautiful suicide whose fate had so often excit ed
,
my warmest sympathy
Mowbray
t ra y ed
”
,
.
he said in a voice which
the workings
,
of
you recollect thi s spot
an agonized spirit !
L ay me here
close to that solitary grave
.
—
be
will
he r e
Mark the place
TH E
U
N KNO W N
83
.
well and promise that my last request Shall be
,
attended to
that
hi s
fully
”
I gave him a solemn assurance
.
wishes should be obeyed
agitated
strength failed
his
:
He was fear
.
and with
—
considerable difficulty he was enabled to leave
the church yard and reach The Woodman
-
,
He threw himself upon a sofa
fatigue ,
.
and whether
—
or the place we had Visit ed affected him
,
I know not but his once fine face was clouded
,
with an expression
of
the deepest sadness
I Observed a tear glisten on his cheek
I must give in
feebly ;
nearly
,
Mowbray
the machinery
worn
I did
s o—
on the bed
—
ou t
;
Of
”
,
O nce
.
.
he murmured
this poor frame is
”
assis t me to my chamber
partially undressed him
—
and at
hi s
.
laid him
earnest request then
,
left him to himself
.
The evening wore heavily
and the occupants
respective chambers
of
—
n
o
midnight passed
the inn retired
but I
felt
to
t
for t he
man a feverish anxie t y t hat banished sleep
rose and unclosed the lattice
sentiment
of
heir
sick
.
I
the air was chill
—
the night dark and moonless
,
,
—
a
torturing pre
coming evil oppressed me and I
,
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T IONS
84
.
’
stole quietly to the stranger s apartment
A
.
stream of light issued from beneath the door
but all within
wa s
hushed
lest I should disturb
I
.
him ,
feared
to enter
and was about to
retire when a faint sigh startled me
,
An
.
im
pulse beyond control urged me to enter
the
—
I stood beside the
door yielded to my touch
bed
look
fixed and glassy stare met my inquiring
a
—
I
—
,
snatched a candle
from
the ta ble
,
and
one glance told me that the stranger was a corpse
and the sigh I overhear d
struggle
of
been the par ting
had
di sembodied
a
spirit
!
I leaned over the depar t ed soldier
marked expression
Of
,
,
and the
the countenance told that
he had not passed quietly away
One arm was
.
extended above the coverlet and a prayer book
-
,
that had dropped from its hold
the beautiful petition
mind
,
or in conscience
,
wa s
Open at
for persons troubled in
”
The breast was
.
un
covered and two remarkable objects met my eye
,
the cicatrix
miniature
foughten
of
of
a gun shot wound
-
a beautiful girl
fields
”
—
t he
of
and the was t ed
arm scarred deeply by a sword cut
,
and
O ther tokens
.
were visible
,
,
bore
silent
RA M B L I N G RE C OLLE C T I ONS
86
Death came to the Unknown
mander with a heavy Sigh
,
”
,
.
said the com
a welcome visitor ;
,
and whoever the sufferer was you may rest assured
,
,
poor fellow he had been once a splendid soldier
.
,
The sick bed gentlemen tries men more severely
-
,
,
than the battle
of
-
fi eld
.
Duri ng the glorious hur ry
a conflict the marvel is where cowardice finds
,
leisur e
to creep in B ut sickness
.
be mental the worse by
,
fa r
—
of
nerve and saps the cour age
,
—
and if the malady
that shatters the
the boldest
I s it
.
not also singular that men o f the most opposite
,
habits and pur suits occasionally contract strong
friendships
Yours sir with the stranger at The
,
,
Woodman affords a striking instance
,
of
Many
mine ,
colonel
”
,
”
.
repli ed the lawyer
have been as warm and as accidental
,
I formed
.
a lasting friendship by sharing a prayer book in S t
-
’
Paul s
and another commenced in O x ford street
-
.
,
fr om a passenger communicating the pleasing
intelligence that my purse had been just abstract ed
b y a pick pocket
-
.
A man who holds out
for
formal introduction before he ventur es to bandy a
TH E UNKNO W N
87
.
civili ty goes to the grave leaving an unregretting
,
,
clique behind who do not value his demise
,
’
pin s
a
at
while he who takes mankind as th ey
fee ;
come rough and smooth together will find ore
,
,
and dross combined but with a little discrimina
,
,
tion he will not be frequently puzzled in making
,
his election between the two
the Unknown
acquaintance with
life , for
important incident in
n
u
e
c
e
q
was
—
An
I account my
.
as the most
,
its ultimate couse
”
matrimony
important
’
.
consequence
indubitably
,
observed the Irish gentleman with the
no unce a ble
o
f
,
am
,
,
,
un ro
p
the order
of
B enedict ; but faith the means by which I
,
gained
my lady love
-
G entlemen
t
I too sir
addr ess ;
”
”
,
’
,
said
were somewhat different
colonel
t he
ouched upon a subj ect
of
o wn
t
hat at times
I feel
,
deep interest to me
at
de nte dia bo lo ,
’
a longing after matrimony
however j ogs me on
,
Denis
s ua
’
O Fla ghert y ,
wrong side
of
t he
.
you have
,
I may as well make a clear breas t
‘
”
.
.
once and
,
’
I fear
Prudence ,
elbow and whispers
,
remember you are on the
forty fi ve ;
-
days were never reputed
and even in your best
to
be a lady killer
-
.
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T IONS
88
C eylon does not operate like milk
complexion
.
roses on the
of
and the next time you are shaving
—
,
just look in the glass and Observe that interesting
,
B adaj oz memento which ornaments your nose and
,
say if it be an improvement
’
.
B ut still gentlemen
,
I might muster a desperate resolution
,
They tell
.
me that the ways by which women may be won
are manifold
S ome are slo wly taken by sap
.
o t hers carried
o
ff hand
by storm
-
method if it be no secret
,
might
,
,
B y which
.
I inquire
how
your success sir was achieved
,
,
B y neither colonel
,
I
w on
,
las ,
a
may I despair
of
the world by feats
go to the tomb
,
,
replied Mr
my wife on horsebac k
Then
Jack
”
of
.
If
I must witch
noble horsemanship
’
hi s
t he
.
days
of
Mazeppa
B ut
deepest
equestrian exploits have
t he
r e r es her ,
I shall
,
the C apulets unmated
The gentleman from
received
O D onel ;
.
,
been exceeded since
.
”
my kinsman will listen with
interest ; some o f
’
not
”
.
B a lla m a s ca nla n
having
as the lawyer termed it
f
from the punch bowl immediately commenced his
a
-
,
story
.
,
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
9O
listened too Often to
B ut
O ld
like
,
the chim es at midnight
Jack
Villanous company
.
”
.
I leave the blame upon
,
”
and say with him
,
I
,
was as v irtuously given as a gentleman need be
”
.
I t was the first week in July when having
,
of
taken the honours
a graduat e
a
,
ft er a five
’
of
years soj ourn within the clas sic courts
Mater
,
’
h
en s
p
-
I strolled into the R epository in S te
green to bid adieu to old H
w ho
,
thirty years had horsed
for
A lma
us
was sale day and a blank one too
-
,
was out o f town
Trini ty
of
.
and there were
—
and fewer yet to buy
.
”
It
.
The world
few
to sell
,
A hack not worth a
,
hay band was knocked down to an aspiring linen
-
,
draper who wanted
something smart
,
to
occasionally
dus t hims e l
f
o cke
lar ly
ha d
y
ed
.
I
sa w
”
him
with infinite satis faction
once dunned me even unto payment
,
”
beggarly account of gloves and pocket
chiefs
.
whereon
,
,
regu
as he
a
for
ha ndker
Although he did not venture to invite
me to be
the m ultitude
of
I had broken
paid his bill
,
hi s
—
of
his counsellors
,
windows upon the evening I
that did not prevent me from
pointing out certain beauties in the quadr uped
M Y F IRS T S T EE P LE C H ASE
91
.
then beneath the hammer which had even
,
Indeed according
caped the auctioneer himself
,
.
to my showing the cardinal vir tues
,
of
hor s efl e sh
were concentrated in that matchless animal
human judgm ent is
fallible ,
Yet
.
and the steed did
him
not realize the qualifications ascribed to
by the puffer and myself ;
es
for ,
E vening
as the
”
soon afterwards announced Mr L awrence
L utestring was run away with upon the R ock
Post
.
,
R oad and the excited courser not content with
,
,
demolishing
sundry
cavalier had
,
from
,
ribs
of
unfortunate
the
of
an infirmity
vision
come
,
in contact with a loaded jaunting car and
—
t he
,
concussion was so awful that the company were
,
deposited in a wet ditch and the vehicle rendered
,
hors dc
co
m ba t
.
I was about to leave the yard when old
Phil ,
,
prime
m inister
on the elbow
sir
Stop a minute
.
’
There s
.
to the R epository
a
devil to be sure
,
and here he is
”
.
’
—
it s worth while
queer one coming
.
O ch
,
if
,
j ogged me
he had
,
’
o ut —
he s the
bu t
temper ;
Wh ile he spoke a rattling tho
,
rough bred dark bay hors e issued from the stables
-
He was in the lowest condition imaginable
;
but
.
,
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IONS
92
.
notwithstanding his poverty he seemed the ruin
,
of
a noble animal
.
H e w a s fa r
—
from handsome
the head was coarse— the Shoulder thick
he embodied some good points
and
,
cross made to an experienced eye
-
,
was excellent
.
Archy my best man
,
a groom as ever wore livery
—
had not
the y o
him ,
in
lain under the canopy
though
,
e ns e m ble
hi s
,
but
as honest
—
“
wlfi s pere d,
if
he
he was the biggest vil
”
—
and be fore the ani mal
had made the third turn do wn the run I
ha d
,
come to a similar conclusion
.
The groom stopped when he gained the van
tage ground
auctioneer
There
.
,
gentlemen
”
,
s a id the
’
,
there s what I call youth and beauty
.
’
There s the making o f a fortune and no mistake
,
.
The lady who could refuse any thing to a man
with such a daisy cutter under
-
him ,
would
be
hard to please indeed R un him down L anty
,
.
’
that s action and elegance
—
t
all
ra w -
foaled
C ome sir
—
,
boned young grocer
f
or
you
—
a
”
,
gentleman
M
horse is young S elim
ou s e ca t cher_ cou s in
to
to
a
that horse was
of
your fig ure
should never cross any thing but blood
here
—
—
own
—
i
M org a na
—
brother
this
to
and up to
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T IONS
94
.
would rise him sky high and a squib send
—
across the broadest part
,
of
S ackville street
-
him
Still
.
,
not a whisper from the company and the auction
,
eer proceeded
—
gentlemen
must sacrifice him
we
,
Orders peremptory
say for ty for thi s beau
”
”
and gentle animal
G entle ejaculated
tiful
,
.
the grocer
This
wa s
and he aft er killing a groom
,
indeed a home hit
coughed
hem
—
hem
te n—
—
—
T e n,
shouted the puffer
”
.
rather unfortunate but
,
say
gentlemen
thir ty ,
do give me a bid
a jingle owner
mer fell
—
”
the auctioneer
—
mere accident aft er all
twe nty
,
”
F ive ,
said Archy
T we nty ,
”
cried
”
ro ar ed
F iftee n,
I
”
the ham
—
'
and the brother o f M ou s eca tcher w a s mine !
—
hi story
of
S elim was apocryphal except the solitar y fact
of
N ow
I verily believe that the whole
,
his having finished a stable boy
-
.
In
—
one thing
however Archy and I were unanimou s
,
-
,
that to
a herring cadger he was worth the money pro
-
vide d
,
he wo uld but car ry the basket s
brought him to the country
and physicked him all
,
—
—
We
bled fed blistered
s ec unde
,
,
m
a r te m—
,
turned
him out upon a fine salt marsh and left him
,
to
fulfil
his destinies
”
.
M Y
F IRS T S T EE P LE C H ASE
At this memorable period
of
Ireland
tions
wa s
of
for
celebrated
95
.
my life the north
,
its sporting associa
The B oyne the Doagh the N ewtownbreda
.
,
,
Hunts were all in full force
and
,
few
of
the larger
towns wanted their own particular club
private gentlemen were
so masters
al
and kept their establishments nobly
hounds
of
The Rangers was in its zenith
their
—
country and members were alike extensiva
no gentleman attached to
fi eld
-
,
Then the
.
’
Of
glory
Many
.
and
—
sports within thirty
,
miles whose rank and fortune would authorize his
,
admission but was enrolled in that celebrated club
,
The members met annually in the county town
attended by a pack
following
”
of
fox
-
hounds and
They lived lik e
.
Irish
.
,
a gallant
Kings
”
played high drank deep seldom went to bed gave
,
,
,
dashing balls and set the country in a blaze
,
weeks be fore and months afterward s
thi s is over
fill
Alas
!
all
the club is no more ; the pack is scat
the kennel a ruin ; most
t er e d
—
for
,
the narrow house
3
of
the
and where in Ireland
,
could rank and wealth and influence
,
R angers
”
,
be
,
congre
gated now
I nto
The R angers
”
I had been recently
RA M B L ING RE CO LLE C T ION S
96
.
admitted : their meeting was fixed for the middle
o f O ctober
and the C up
,
with other valuable
,
plates were then to be contested
,
The C up had
.
excited unusual interest it having be en cha llenged
,
by a dozen members
each having
chance
over
—
,
of
good men and true
,
”
,
d
an
or believing he had an excellent
,
,
winning it
H ibe r nic e ,
The race
.
a sporting
wa s
'
A ng li ce ,
—
three miles
a break neck
-
country : the weights thi rteen stone There were
.
,
full
already eight candidates in
depended on their
w eight
e
expense
o wn
horses
,
and had secured
celebrated racing hunters
-
this
of
,
-
-
m lght y
,
,
for the nonce
,
”
.
—
and in
array I bol dly added my
,
.
I had a slashing
mare whose stride and action were
O ld
extraordinary
,
at a large figur e
name to the list of challengers
four year
S ix
good fast hones t
What will not young ambition
Spi t e
.
but two had gone to considerable
ca rr ier s —
,
—
preparation
,
A s there was no allowance
.
for
or sex the weights were certainly against her
,
age
but
I was not the one to despair and even to name
,
her in such a match was an honour wor th the
entrance money
August came ; Miranda was
-
.
in
beautiful condi
RA M B L I N G RE CO LLE C T IONS
98
“
.
when if my advances were not encouraged
,
least
listened
my suit was
cea le d
me for the moment
ded
that of
a ll
,
ill-con
and an
—
satis faction betrayed that she
in different to my suit
s ua
to
at
was
not
Her coldness piqued
.
and y et I left her per
—
,
her sex she
,
o f being wooed and won
wa s
best worthy
.
I arrived home for a late dinner discussed some
,
old port listened to a long story from my father
,
musing over the mis fortunes o f my mare
,
,
and
wa s
when Archy popped in
his
would look into the stables
head to ask
,
”
I followed
.
and one glance told me that Miranda
to figure in the field
.
“
wa s
if
I
him ,
not
My eyes passed rapidly
over the stalls and rested on a stranger in the
corner
sheeted wi th my
,
with a knowing look
and the brother o f
M
,
-
into as
hound
!
fi ne
covers
stripped the
ou s eca t cher
And could thi s be he
rej ected man killer
own
of
.
Archy
,
comer
,
new-
was before me
The rakish
,
the R epository
,
tattered
.
,
changed
a horse as ever followed a
fox
The mystery was quickly solved
Archy had visited the
s altp
m arsh
—
found S elim
so altered as scarcely to be recognised
;
took
M Y F IRS T S T EE P LE C H A S E
training
for
F or
.
this
indeed
,
ing was best for a half bred
-
right
own
p ar t I could scarce believe my
,
and examined S elim carefully
,
myself o f
hi s
identity
hardly visible
looking horse
,
fl ew ,
the blemish on
he
;
a sporting
now
,
better
and every thing increased my con
of
i
a na
g
M
or
of
,
knew nothing
at he executed well
,
.
ride
His speed
.
his
fencing qua
Any thing we took him
and intricate leaps were
for obvious reasons avoided
gentleman to
knee
.
easily ascertained but
lit ie s w e
hi s
”
in the cousin
fidence
wa s
and as Ar chy swore
than he looked
Time
to assure
,
E very scratch upon his
.
legs had disappeared
wa s
and Archy was
—
,
slight train
.
For my
eyes
”
and ready
there was but
,
but Archy swore that
little time
wa s
h
sio
p y
up and got him through
him
99
.
I had secured a
.
for me
,
who in steeple
chasing had already covered himself with glory
,
and with reasonable hopes o f success I awaited
,
the result
.
And yet I never caused my competitors a
thought
—
for with the lameness
of
Miranda
,
it
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
1 00
.
had pleased them to conclude my racing history
.
They heard accidentally that I had purchas ed
a horse in town
was
all
and
,
they knew
that he had killed a man
,
bought
for
a song
rested satisfied
d
an
,
had been
and decided that myself and
,
man killer were below consideration
ow n
him
With thi s information they
.
-
my
of
counsel
—
and when it
wa s
I kept
.
necessary to
remove to the vicinity o f the race ground
-
,
I
procured accommodation for my establishment
at an Obscure farm house and our
-
as
perfect
stables
,
as if we had never quitted
one to whom my proceed
ings were not indifferent
my gentle R osa
and that one was
’
With all a woman s tender
.
ness she had sympathized in my
S he knew my secret
hearts
our
.
B ut there was
—
inc og nito w a s
di sappointment
.
for ours were young
and what agitated one breast could not
but interest the other
.
The evening before the eventful day I stole
,
from
the club room to exchange
-
the field
ress
t
.
for
a
'
’
te
tete- d- te
jargon
the
with my pretty
Hot wit h the Tuscan grape
”
of
mi s
I urged
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T ION S
1 02
afterwards bade her a good night
-
.
This trifling
.
occurrence elicited more from R osa than
studied efforts
al
l
my
and when I left her for the first
,
time I pressed her to my bosom and heard her
,
murmur a prayer for m y safety and success
Whether it
forth
wa s
.
that unforeseen events call
the latent energies o f the mind or a con
,
s ciou s nes s
that I was beloved by her for whom I
would have s a crificed a world that roused the
,
ardour of my spiri t I know not but I entered the
,
crowded club room with buoyant and excited
-
feelings
The accident to my rider
transpired
,
and from some I received Sincere from others
,
.
had
—
ironical
condolence
I hope
will run
“
The
”
,
.
notwithstanding that the
,
,
sa id the president
homic ide ,
him will run ; and
,
as you
for
homicide
.
a re
pleased to term
want o f a better horse
man his owner will ride and win
—
if
he can
”
.
My tone and manner were not unmarked ;
and while some were recommending me to effect
a life insurance I was coolly booking heavy Odds
-
,
,
and so continued till every gentleman inclined
,
to bet them had been heartily satisfied
,
.
The
M Y F IRS T S T EE P L E C H A S E
j oking at my expense
subsided fast
,
began to look suspiciously
his
people
and Jemm y Joyce
—
whi spered
1 03
.
next neighbour
,
that the sooner
he hedged the better as the race was not quite
,
so sur e I being according to
,
parlance
a lad who would make a spoon
like
a horn
an
his
’
,
or spoil
,
Having balanced my book I borrowed
,
.
O ld
very
blue jacket from the huntsman ; left the
club ; visited the stable
and went quietly to
rest to be fresh and ready for the morrow
,
.
Morning came and I felt rather queer
I
.
began to discover that it is no joke for nervous
gentlemen to ride steeple chas es
time
for
under the critical examination
,
the
of
fir st
thirty
thousand spectators but an incident restored
—
my
ha r dies s e
.
At breakfast a sealed parcel was
handed me by the waiter
—
tiful pink and yellow
a nied
p
it
contained a beau
a cket —
no note
it but to the cap a scroll
,
‘
wa s
bearing in a female hand the motto
be
f
or e mos t
”
.
,
this
Whose might the faery favour
be P My heart whispered the name
not mistaken
attached
M ay
,
m
a cco
—
and I
wa s
.
The ground selected for the race was chosen
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T I ONS
1 04
with excellent judgment
.
as it afforded to the
,
mighty multitude an uninterrupted view o f the
race from its commencement to its close
.
From
a circular valley the surface undulated gently
and the course nearly elliptical stretched along
,
,
the rising ground
In the same field the sta rting
.
and winning posts were placed
This was the
.
stand ; a long line of carriages
favourite
of
every
description occupied it ; l adies were there
’
as leaves in Vall ombrosa
t ing ue
g
re
g
”
for every thing
,
and beautiful for counties round
a te
thick
dis
con
ha d
d
.
’
At twelve o clock a warning bugle
wa s
heard
,
and from their respective cantonments the horses
slowly approached the same point
—
and each
as
he entered the field was scr utinized by a crowd
,
of
horsemen who were assembled for that pur
,
pose
at
the gate
.
With short intervals a
,
rey
g
,
a brown and two bays passed review ; they had
,
t
heir respective admirers
sensation
toe
was still on
.
—
.
he d,
r oa c
from
expectation
Presently a buz was heard
3 ,
p
,
for
,
but caused no great
and
F irebrand ,
a
horse
t ip
a
p
a noted racing hun t er
R oscommon appeared
.
He looked to be
RA M B L IN G RE CO LLE C T IONS
1 06
.
While the horses were lea ding to the starting
post
I galloped up the rise to the place my
,
pretty mistress occupied in an open carriage
Tell me
,
I pray you
”
,
.
said her cousin
,
what spell is over R osa ; know you the secret
”
that robs her of her roses P
”
Shall I restore
I replied ; and
them P
unclosing my top coat I displayed my handsome
,
jacket
When it met her eyes her cheeks were
.
,
dyed with blushes
,
and I was left at no loss
fa ery favour
to conjecture whence my
Again the bugle sounded
—
”
came
.
C omet and Fire
brand occupied the attention o f the crowd while
,
S elim was stripped and saddled behind a large
m arquee
To assume my gay cap and doff my
,
.
coat was but the business of a minute
competitors were already mounted
,
.
and I
My
wa s
impatiently called for and promptly from behind
,
,
issued
O ur appearance elicited a murmur
.
a dashing horse
and gallant rider
the tent
,
of
applause : the owners o f C ornet and Firebrand
looked blank enough ; and
reason
As
faith
,
they had good
.
we
drew up in line I thought the E nglish
,
M Y F I RS T S T EE P LE C H A S E
1 07
.
racer appeared not to be in full force ; but the
hi s
determined countenance of
inimitable jockey
,
dressed in his black and buff stripes looked
,
alarming
friends
N or
.
and
;
wa s
the
g
F irebrand
r e en
ca
without his
was Offered fully
p
against every thing but C omet
people seemed afraid to back
.
A s to me
,
or bet against
,
me ; and those who had laid the odds last night
so heavily were hedging
now
,
co uld meet with customers
O ff w e
as fast as they
.
went in a bunch ; the bays brown
and grey making the running
,
that the pace though severe
,
I
.
for
,
,
sa w
at onc e
them
,
wa s
nothing to C omet Firebrand and my friend the
,
,
M
a
n kille r —
-
and after a mi le we tailed them
and had the race to ourselves
off,
.
O ne moiety of the ground was broken into
t il
lage fields and enclosures ; the other was Open
meadow
,
t er s per s ed
affording excellent galloping and
,
with stiff fences
.
in
Here having cleared
,
the paddocks we increased the speed and came
,
out at a killing pace
.
O n entering the grass lands I found my rivals
,
could not conveniently go
faster ,
and that I
RA M B LING RE CO LLE C T IONS
1 08
was up to it well
tiful
—
The race
.
indeed beau
was
the fences were taken in line
and none could
—
tell whether black
,
yellow
,
or green was fore
,
.
Hal f a mile from home there
di tch
a fence of
w as
,
tremendous size ; it
wa s
a
either side
fa ce
that we approached
s to c
,
and the
with stumped thorns
ha de d
a regular rasper
country people
le a p
.
for the next mile a sheet would cover us
—
most
.
”
,
“
,
p
with a drain at
w as
It was in truth
.
and distinguished by the
e xce
ar
lle nc e ,
”
as the
big
A s we near ed it my companions gathered
,
.
the energie s of their horses
S elim looked as
decline it
for
the trial and
,
he were hal f persuaded to
if
For the first time he felt
,
.
t he
and with a glorious effort cleared thi s
steel ;
form ida
ble barrier in a style that drew down from the
multitude a thunder
rivals
;
F irebrand
while C omet
of
fell ,
applause
and
.
N ot so my
staked himself
’
,
by his rider s horsemanship was
,
indifferently brought across
,
staggering he
bu t
,
came down on landing and in the mista ke lost
,
ground he could never recover
r un
,
.
During the
home he did make a wonderful struggle
,
to
M Y F IRS T S T EE PLE C H ASE
pull up ; but it was vain
after we crossed
for
,
1 09
.
the break neck fence I had the race hollow
-
Amid deafening cheers
the scales in triumph
I was carried from
,
I was declared even
.
,
by Jemmy Joyce a youth
,
M
a
of
promise and my
,
pronounced the best weight carrier
n- kille r
-
in the kingdom
.
E very tale has its moral and so
,
N
.
ever condemn a horse untried
;
has
.
many a
for
good one has thus been sacrificed
mine
I saved
.
S elim from slavery and a jingle ; and in return
four
he won me
seasons as I
more I owe
,
'
my
my bonny bay
younger son
.
and carried me
.
four
N ay
connubial happiness mainly
”
to
R osa was an heiress and I a
.
,
A rich rival was encouraged by
her guardian and in a
,
to
,
never carried aft erwards
wa s
,
cups
days he was expected
few
form
make his addresses in
.
I was flushed
with victory and she flattered to see her faery
,
favour
f
or e
mos t in the
night my eloquence
,
fi
wa s
e
ld
At the ball that
.
irresistible ; she smiled
upon my suit ; and to end unce rtainty and save
her guardian
future
t
rouble
,
we eloped next
morning to Gretna and t here became one flesh
,
.
RA M B L IN G RE C O L LE C T I ONS
1 10
.
how fort u
Years o f happiness have proved
nate that union was ; and if some remini scences
of ear ly indiscretion will sometimes intrude upon
my memory on
t wo
,
unalloyed delight
the morning when I rode my
—
first steeple chase
R osa mine
Mr
and the evening that made
—
.
’
O D onel,
.
eras I can look back with
your story telling is equal to
-
y our horsemanship both
a
—
the colonel ;
hyrnenea l
but alas
dmirable
”
exclaimed
,
I must despair ; no
!
fortune is in store for me
heiress must be
w on
,
if an
by crossing a stiff country
at break neck speed and upon a horse that has
-
,
alr eady fini shed a stable
be a man
-
m an
.
Jack
to thy bowl again !
9
,
an thou
,
O ne round
more ere we beat a retreat for the night
I
.
have kept C aptain B ouverie in reserve to tell
,
us a parting story before
N othing m y dear sir
,
we
”
,
seek our pillows
”
.
replied the gallant
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IO N S
1 12
my possession
and
di scretion
—
’
and with the best
I can command
The captain smiled
c
ase
a d
.
emphasis
”
.
unlocked
his
writing
extracted what Tony L umpkin would call
d crabbed piece
thus began
Of
penmanship
”
,
and
T HE
L E AVE S FR OM
JOUR NAL OF A
DE C E A S E D PL UR AL I ST
.
shaw l t him star v e
The fello w s ld n o m att er whe n he d ies
P
’
O
e
—
O
IT
of
LD
”
.
PL A Y
.
was the last week in April when my leave
,
absence had expired and I
,
the village
Of
Rifle brigade
attached
gusty
,
been sharp and
ha d
evening
came
on
the wind
,
dropped and a small thick rain succeeded
,
stopped at the R ed L ion
the first time
for
dinner
insides and outsides
,
the
corps I was then
to which
but as
,
of
to j oin a detachment
The morning
.
hurryn to
wa s
—
,
We
.
and
for
with one
exception united round a well covered table
N one O f my fellow travellers were in any
-
,
.
-
way remarkable except
,
cline d
the
individual who de
to j oin the company and beyond a firs t
,
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T ION S
1 14
look I scarcely noticed them
,
i
conve sa t ion,
their
others were cattle dealers
-
despatch
velling
of
men
a
strong infusion
themselves
real R oscrea
of
,
,
di scuss
ccustomed to
their coats and cloaks and
heavily
t rade ,
and
They ate with the
.
comforted
meal
To judge from
.
some were in
'
.
,
t rap
with
a.
as sumed
the rain
as
a
now
fell
every man protected himself against
the inclemency o f the weather as he best could
.
I have already said that one personage kept
aloo f from the remainder o f the company
while
they were occupied at the dinner table
him
with attention
stricken in years
every inch
b ut
nes s ed
face
,
-
he gazed listlessly fro m the window
at
and
.
dr essed
,
”
.
I looked
He was tall
thin
,
,
in shabby mourning
a gentleman
,
wit
I never
.
,
such settled melancholy as his care worn
-
presented
;
ill- suppressed
while deep and
sighs occasionally escaped from a bosom evi
dently
surcharged with sorrow
.
T o look upon
that pensive countenance unm oved
sible
I felt intensely for
.
though ignorant
spra ng
—
a nd.
of
hi s
,
w a s im pos
sufferings
,
ai
the cause from whence they
when the guard announced that
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T ION S
l6
companion announced that
m ina t ed
his
.
our ney
ha d
He bade me a polite good evening
.
and once more I found myself in lonely
of
patiou
the leathern conveniency
”
.
-
win
and remarked that both the gu ard and
coachman declined the small
them
,
occu
I watched my fellow traveller from the
do w ,
ter
ratu
ty
he
O
ered
i
f
f
g
The old mari p a ssed through a ruined
.
gateway into an avenue overrun with weeds
whi ch led to a dilapidated mansion
of
a turning
S uddenly
.
the road shut out the stranger
from my view
—
appeared
,
and
next moment the building dis
I flung myself b a ck in the
vehicle and strove to sleep
,
.
The effort was idle ; the old man could
not
be readily forgotten ; for short as our interview
,
had been his conversation and address had
,
me
cina t ed
sorrow
.
He was unquestionably a man
,
,
the breast
”
wa s
his furrowed cheek
—
ondency
p
f
.
Alas
!
the sunshine
with him a transient gleam
sad reality retur ned
s
o
but at times he endeavoured to be
cheerful and succeeded
of
fa s
,
the smile sickened on
and deep heart sinking de
,
-
overspre a d a countenance
t
hat once
T H E D E CEASE D
had
P L U R A I JS T
1 17
.
glowed with intellectuality and
lence
benevo
.
Three stage s more brought me to my desti
nation
My servant was waiting the
.
ar
of
the mail and to
of
my bagga ge and entered the parlour
I consigned the charge
him
,
King
A rm s ,
s
quarters
,
which I had selected
dur ing my
military
for
occupation
village where my party was cantoned
the
of
,
’
rival
head
of
the
.
The coach proceeded on its route my portman
,
teans were safely deposited and Hall my best man
,
,
t
,
hen delivered me a small book which the driver
had found in
wa s
t he
carriage and concluded that it
,
forgotten there by me
was no property
o
f min e
One glance told that it
.
I t was a memorandum
.
book written closely in plain and old fashioned cha
-
,
ra c t er s
ta inly
’
Whose could it be P The old man s ce r
.
I turned to
.
fly
t he
and remarkable aut ograph
—
Harley
”
,
and u nderneath
Was E dmund
He
s t ranger P
conjectures
t icula rs
of
,
,
H arley
was
.
-
leaf
t
—
t he
here
a cle ar
wa s
name was E dmund
Dunlow R ectory
then
,
,
the melancholy
The landlord confirm ed my
and favoured me with all
his sufferings that he knew
.
t he
par
RA M B L IN G RE CO L LE C T ION S
1 18
.
For forty years he had been in posse s sion
of
adjacent p ar ishes
t wo
produced
and the income they
,
considerable
wa s
incumbent
di sposition
o f the
,
the studious habits and eas y
,
,
from
although
scarcely a moiety o f what he might
,
have conscientiously demanded
He
wa s
generally respected
,
.
for a blameless life
hd rendered
and gentle manners
a favourite
—
obtained
w as
a
him
deservedly
Harley was not the man to amass
.
wealth and when a lawless combination against
—
the Irish clergy
,
fostered by the passive endu
rance o f an executive which should have crushed
it
in
its birth carried misery and desolation into
,
many a happy home the aged rector of Dunlow
,
was prominent among the sufferers
He
.
had
not laid past a guinea ; for confident in the
stability o f vested rights he was content with
,
his
forwarding the pro fessional interests o f
and securing
,
by a
life
-
insurance
,
.
Alas
!
in a foreign land
vived
,
if they
to a certa in extent
that precaution was unnecessary
—
,
an adequate
maintenance for his wife and daughters
should survive him
son
.
His son died
his favourite daughter sur
her brother but a twelve m onth
—
indigence
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T IONS
120
murmur ; and
.
while a once proud heart
,
wa s
breaking the Sigh was hushed the tear repressed
,
,
starting lest any indi cation o f the
from
mi sery
,
she endured should add to the wretchedness o f
her father
”
.
’
I listened in agony to the landlord s narrative
What
life
of
fictitious sorrows to the sad realities
a re
I
P
.
ever regretted that Fortune had
n
not loaded me with her gi ft s t ill
locked my writing case ; and the
-
now
I
.
nu
bank notes
fe w
-
it contained were quickly under an envelope
,
’
and directed to Harley s address
.
Heaven will reward you
mine host
O fli ce ,
sir
,
”
,
I will bring the letter to the
.
and pay the postage or the
O ld
,
man would not
releas e it
observed
,
most probably
,
gentle
be able to
”
.
Great G od ! a scholar and a gentleman so
destitute that the possession o f a
few
pence
I t was indeed too true
questionable !
,
was
—
and
’
the landlord s precaution was not an unwise
one
”
.
Night came
wind rose
,
on,
—
torrents fell from the sky the
the doors rattled
,
,
as every
ust
g
TH E D E CEASE D
wit h increasing violence
PL U R A
LIS T
12 1
.
swept the sleet and
,
I never felt myself
more wretched and depressed ; and y et why
rain against the windows
.
,
should a tale
of
individual suffering touch me
deeply P I s not misery entailed upon existence P
and
sooner or later
,
every heart must bleed
,
.
I snuffed the candles drew my chair closer to
,
’
the fire and Opened the chur chman s diar y
,
was I authorized to read that record
of
B ut
.
affliction P
I paused and laid aside the book I taxed the
motive t hat influenced my wish t o learn more
.
,
’
It was sympathy for
his mis fortunes and a determinat ion to relieve
them if I had the power I Opened t he manu
of
the
O ld
man s history
.
,
.
script again and read the following extract s
,
9K
g
e,
hand
-
916
915
916
9K
916
The fo r tie th anniversary of my mar
and Elizabeth and I have gone smoothly
183 0
r ia
dé
in
-
.
—
hand through life
.
They told me when
,
I resigned my fellowship and married my beloved
that I undervalued my talent s and
had
no ambi
The e xtrac t s are l oose l y take n fro m the manuscr p t
i
G
.
,
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T ION S
122
tion
T hey were wrong
.
.
I knew I had within
.
myself means to command worldly or collegiate
honour s
but they were right
I
—
had no ambition
beyond competency and a virtuous woman
I not wise
,
and beautiful daughters
life
—
books
my
—
—
my
innocent
—
would lawn
s leeves or a provost s chair repay them
,
E dmund H ar le y
a
for the happ y lot assigned thee !
183 1
‘
.
,
X
:
T ithe
—
No
”
X
916
P
thank the Dispenser o f
—
ll good
My
the luxury o f a quiet
happ y home
my
—
brave boy
’
no
as
and Heaven too bountiful P
—
n
i
compa on m y
attached
W
.
resistance
increa s es
,
money
comes in tardil y and my wi fe urges me to
,
la y
down my carriage ; but to her declining hea lth
gentle exercise is necessa ry
deprive her
of
the means
.
,
and I must not
Sur ely the govern
ment will check these outrages !
If suffered to
continue with impunity it is hard to say where
”
the mischief will end
,
.
916
“
183 2
ale
.
—
9%
Matters
row
worse
g
.
They have
posted threatening notices on my gate N ot a
shilling to be had m y life insura nce falls due
.
—
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T IONS
124
quit the pro fession he glori es in
in
and sit down
,
degrading inactivity at thirty
Fr ederick thy
father
—
-
shorten
falsehood is excusable for a
,
to be sold
of
,
a
I have written
.
design
hi s
assured him I had a present supply
not a Shilling in the house
No
!
'
and implored him to abandon
us the amount
tw o
sha ll never
career commenced so brilliantly
.
;
.
and
,
There is
but surely
the
,
days will bring
few
the plate I have sent to Dublin
”
.
I have ended my distressing task and
,
sent a catalogue o f my library to the bookseller
Heigh
Of
-
ho !
the work
,
or rather the amusement
fifty years is gone !
duplicates
—
I have kept a
—
few
and I should be thankful that I had
the means of averting want for a season
looks ill
.
E mily
altered circumstances are preying
my
on her in secret
”
.
4’
<
>l
>l
<
Protestant family ha s
The last
The murder
.
of
t
heir neighbours
,
departed
the Gilmores
.
,
has terrified them into a resolution to quit the
country altogether and they set
,
off
this morning
TH E D E CEASE D P LU RALIS T
to embark at L imerick for the States
g
g
re
a t ion
is
confined to a
now
Ten years since
125
.
My con
.
policemen
few
.
I have reckoned one hundred
,
in my church ; but terror has gradually driven
them from a place where life and property is
’
not worth a pin s fee
!
”
>l
<
>3
>l
<
A sealed letter with black and bear
,
ing the Jamaica postmark
My G od ! I dare
.
not open it
’
1?
9K
He is dead ! my brave
F or
s tu
the last thr ee days excess
ifi
ed
p
t he
—
full
F rederick
my
of
only boy
mi sery has
me and I have only awoke now
,
of
consciousness
—
_m
y
my loss
son my son
,
!
!
to
F rederick !
.
”
916'
91(
Another day has passed and I am
,
nearly frantic
.
N ow
I have undergone
.
do I feel the bereavemen t
Oh G od ! in what have I
,
offended that the phial
,
o
f
thy wrath should thus
be poured on my devoted head
man !
ness
Peace ,
sinful
To your closet and there seek humble
,
of
’
spirit to bear thy Maker s visitation
.
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IONS
126
My brain is burning
.
Oh G od
,
!
.
preserve my
senses and teach me patience under thy decrees
,
9%
“
ness
9
16
18 3 4
.
—
I
.
*6
have risen from the bed o f sick
but the L ord was
ten weeks o f suffering
—
”
—
merciful and the hand o f death was stayed
,
I am spared alas
!
,
for fresh misery
.
the period o f my insensibility the time
,
Dur ing
al
lowed
for cl a i m ing relief from the milli on loan expired
and we are destitute
nitu r e
.
.
,
We must sell the fur
”
.
’
E mily s cough is unabated and I see
,
a hectic flush redden her pale cheeks occasionally
Merciful Heaven
!
spare me
.
spare me my
darling child
!
x
I
dread
to ask the
Dr E dwards is most kind
.
att ention
x
><
I
.
><
fearful
!
.
and redoubles his
,
I have nothing but gratitude
May the L ord reward him
question
to
offer
,
”
E llen has procur ed some money for
she showed me bank notes and with a sm ile
,
,
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IONS
128
>l
<
>l
<
>l
<
’
Tis over
the grave
of
.
The grass is withering on
.
Emily
Emily the beloved and
,
beau tiful ; and her mother lik e R achel refuses
,
to be comforted
brain is burning
,
I cannot weep although my
.
,
Oh my G od keep reason in
.
,
,
her seat and send thy comfort
,
mother
to
a mour ning
”
.
>I<
Mr Jones
.
the neighbouring curate
,
murdered in open day
Of
a dying pensioner
for
,
atte nding the sick call
”
.
>l
<
>l
<
>l
<
Attempted to bury the pensioner but
,
was assailed and hustled by the mob who swore
,
they would thr ow me into the
to leave
priest
t he
rave
g
church yard to save my life
-
.
The
I am told performed some ceremonies
,
,
after I was ejected
”
.
>l
<
>l
<
My wife suddenly attacked
cholera
Obliged
.
.
.
It is
Her enfeebled constitution will render
her a certain victim
”
.
TH E D E CEASE D P LURALIS T
The struggle is ended
wife of my love ! thou
better existence
129
.
Elizabeth
.
,
at rest and in a
ar t
,
united to your darling ones
,
Oh that I were with you
,
L ord but thine be done
,
!
B ut not my will
!
,
”
'
The monument to my son erected by
,
hi s
brother officers
altar
,
It pays a noble tribute
.
my gallant boy
pride
has been placed above
.
H ow
to
t he
the Virtues
of
I read the inscription with
.
’
dear to a father is a dea d son s
fame
>l
<
>l
<
I hurried over several pages
detail
of
continued suffering
The melancholy
.
wa s
harrowing
.
I
turned many leaves and thr ew my eye over the
,
last
entry in the book which as it would appear
from
,
,
,
the date had been made only on the pre
,
ceding day
.
The only shilling I posse ss has been
sent to buy a loaf
.
t it u t ion—
and
Providence
for
Ellen confessed our des
the firs t time her reliance on
seems abated
,
.
I strove
to
G
2
bani sh
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
13 0
.
her despondency and assured her that I wo uld
,
obtain
fresh
I will try a
reli e f
.
friend
one
whom I once saved from ruin by becoming
security
S urely he will relieve me
.
his
”
.
>l
<
The last extract ran thus :
I am re fused and coarsely too
,
how
Alas
.
,
as
al
!
shall I tell E llen that I return as penniless
as when I left home thi s morning
”
l
>l
<
I was called
before a
cour tp
o ff
suddenly to give evidence
m a rt ial,
and three weeks elapsed
before I rejoined the detachment
A nxious to
.
visit Mr Harley I mounted my horse early next
.
,
mor ing and at noon reached the public house
n
-
that is contiguous to
low
t he
church yard
-
A funeral had entered
.
it
—
a
nd
of
Dun
while the
service was proceeding I strolled into the church
to shelter from a shower
building was ruinous
.
The interior
of
the
the seats were dropping
to pieces the pulpit door fallen from its hinges
,
while
,
forming
a singular contrast to
lation around it
,
a beautiful tablet
,
t he
deso
of
white
marble had been recently erected over the com
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
13 2
.
A kind lady and one quite a stranger to
,
the family
heard o f Mr
,
’
Harley s death
.
took Miss E llen away yesterday
Then
farther
N
”
I said half
,
,
al
oud
and
,
”
.
I need go no
,
”
.
o,
S ir
bare walls
at the rectory there is nothing but
;
The
.
few
articles
remained were removed
,
of
furniture which
under a decree by a
,
,
tradesman before the old gentleman was cold
,
G racious G od
Protestant
It
this
w as —
O ld
was
of
this the end
dignitary P exclaimed the colonel
but good my L ord Morpeth let
,
,
no t
’
man s martyrdom excite your sympathies
of
What boots it that a com
.
,
educated and unoffending gentlemen
,
,
their properties
,
,
nor dreamed of the
destitution that awaited them
it
was their
extended your
de r a tion
c ons i
—
their principles
of
dispensed with a liberal hand
the income they received
—
a
.
were sacrificed who trusting to the sacredness
lord
.
”
too powerfully
munity
and
!
”
own
.
Pshaw !
obstinacy after all
.
my
You
ender mercies to them for a
and they refused to prostitute
t
for
,
a mess
of
pottage
.
Have
you not gained your object P and in Whig
TH E D E CEASE D P LU RALIS T
13 3
.
morality the end you know justifies the means
,
,
Yes
,
a
for
may hold
agitator
office
it
is p os s ible
,
Protestants
bribe
,
co-
operation
men who
—
you
You have propitiated the
.
of
obtained the sweet voices
and with the
t he
brief years
few
"
.
,
if
of
his tail
some wretched
the foul fiend tendered
would barter their salvation
for
borough you have
—
,
for
a
a time paralyzed the
power and defeated the wealth and talent and
,
,
respectability
for
glorious boast
S troud P
a wee
”
G
O
and
Great B ritain
of
on
—
if
,
IS
.
not this a
you and the homunculus
but as the S cotch say
,
the degradation
“
,
of
bide
your slave
of
directed p a rty be not commensurate with its
desert s then is there
,
,
good my L ord Morpeth
on this earth no political retribution
The
in
t he
the
following
weather
.
.
day brought no improvement
The rain fell still
in
torrents
wind blew with increasing violence
night fall
-
t he
,
—
and
same good company encircled
T his was wri tt e n in
1835
.
at
t he
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T IONS
13 4
’
colonel s ingle side
wood
—
—
-
.
.
The fire was heaped with
the curtains drawn
the candles lighted
—
the decanters placed on the retired list and
—
the toddy bowl in solita ry dignity
-
,
occupied the centre
of
the board
What a gale it blows
,
once more
.
exclaimed the com
mander as the big rain drops smote the cas e
ment
and the gusts in quick succession came
,
roaring through the pine trees
He would
.
be a bold man who would venture to cross the
moor to nigh t
-
”
.
He would indeed
,
”
responded the lawy er
,
I hold myself the boldest
and
fa ith
I would not even
,
make the attempt
P
a J
for
’
ew s
,
’
,
.
”
,
returned C aptain
S ir ,
how
O n one Side
!
’
bravely your chair is
,
a C ompanion
the
of
B ath ; and on the other a redoubted
,
ha r d
eye
The boldest in the company
.
S ee you not
flanked
the company
”
A startling declaration
B ouverie
of
.
D ie
”
.
To both
”
,
obser ved the lawyer gravely
,
,
I
will concede the gallantry their deeds deserve
B ut although I have never figured in the
im
.
A T OUR
B Y O N E
WH O
S E N T I M E N T AL
N OT
—
T R A VE L L E D
WI T H
A
G E N T L E M AN
FR
O
M
C
O
.
N N E M AR A
.
uan ba d e his v ale t pack his things
A ccor di n g t o d irec tio n ; the n recei v e d
A l e ct ure an d so m e m o n e y
S h hope d he woul d i m pro v e
perhaps belie v e d
A le tt er t oo she ga v e (he n e v er rea d i t!
O f goo d a dv ice
nd t wo or t hree of cre di t
D on J
,
e
—
,
,
”
e
—
.
BY
IT
was in a saloon
of
the
Palais
first met Arthur Mac Dermott
wild
,
tempestuous
,
and
,
di d
Paris
tired
di scovered
mistress
the p a ssengers
of
sights
night
The
I
was
the wind
the rain splashed
was hear t Sick
,
of
-
abominated theatres
that my valet was a rogue and my
,
a
r o u é—
had been j ockeyed in
morning and jilted in
,
—
—
.
R oyal that I
di sagreeable —
howled and so did the dogs
and so
.
R O N
t he
afternoon
—
and
t he
no t
13 8
LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
R AM B
how
knowing
last resour ce
else to kill a
dr opped
,
E very body plays
dr eary
.
hour
as a
,
into hell itself
.
R
ou
g
e
N
et
had they
o ir ,
but the honesty to acknowledge it
;
fore ,
o f the table
every body knows the
loca le
and the character o f the company
night there
s
ome
leg s
and there
,
O n thi s
.
the usual fa mily p a r ty with
and some s oft ones
A few small
wa s
,
.
merchants were peddling cautiously
and the
,
only dashing player had just been regularly
done up
.
May the curse o f C romwell attend you ,
red and black
ejaculated a tragi c omic voi ce
-
,
which issued from the moustached lips
strapping
one
—
E m era lder
was a
he
six feet high
morrow
”
,
fine ,
“
.
.
of
a
I looked at the plucked
stout dark haired fellow
-
,
He will be in the
m org ue
whispered a lemon coloured
-
o
to
dwarf
,
wit h a nondescri pt ribbon at his button hole
-
he has lost five hundr ed Napoleons
am
ine d
the sufferer again
was wrong
of
—
”
.
f
,
I ex
The Frenchman
.
the careless dare devil
-
ins o uc ia nc e
the man showed that he possessed the true
,
mercur ial temperament indigenous to the land
RA M B LING RE C O LLE C T IONS
140
.
house was sleeping but myself when a thun
,
dering knocking thr eatened destruction to the
door
a nd
,
dr owsy
the
deep not loud
,
timely visitor
ensued
rose to p ar ley with the
,
A colloquy
.
My name
.
is in bed
B
”
porter muttering curses
e de r s
!
my j ewel
hin,
broken E nglish
mentioned
wa s
Monsieur is not
—
in
vis ible
”
Monsie ur
”
.
re t urned a voice
whose tones I began to recollect
not visible
’
I ll see him
,
’
fortunate
thing that s
space ima ginable
turer
sitiou and
,
I will
.
by every
,
black whiskered
-
stan ding at my bed side
wa s
a
-
.
We have been lucky my darling boy
,
claimed the excited Milesian
handkerchi ef filled
upon
the
dv e n
R oyal bore down all oppo
Palais
the
of
visible or
and in the briefest
the
,
un
w ith
coverlet
,
”
,
ex
as he flung a
notes and gold coin
The old gir l of the
.
wheel proved herself a gentlewoman and stuck
,
to me like bird lime
’
till by St
-
,
cleaned out the company
and
now for
A
retur n
a division
di vision
of
!
Patrick ,
I
broke the bank
”
.
I have no claim beyond a
the sum I lent you
N 0 claim
.
ar rah
”
,
na boclis h
said I
.
were we re g ular
A TO UR
co-
—
NO T SEN T I M EN T AL
partners in trade
t rym a n
replied my loving coun
,
I denied altogether the existence
.
the
”
14 1
.
firm
and after a stout demur on his part
—
received my ten Napoleons with a squeeze
,
the hand that left mine aching
afterwards
Taking up his hat
.
secured
,
with a knot
it
,
of
an hour
fo r
Mr
,
Dermott rolled up his treasure in the
chief
of
Mac
.
ha ndker
and promising
,
that he would see me early next day was in
,
the act
taking leave
of
when
,
knocked and was admitted
say that he had observed
.
the
porter
He came up to
tw o
men
,
of
very
suspicious appearance loitering before the hotel
,
,
and had no doubt but that they had dogged
the stranger
t
hither with evil designs against
,
his person or his purse
The windows
a View
of
of
.
my sitting room commanded
the street and leaving the candles
,
in my chamber to prevent our being discovered
,
by those without we peeped cautiously abroad
,
.
The light was variable as the clouds ca reered
,
across
the
moon
,
but
brilliantly for a moment
gleam
,
we
described
,
sa w
presently she shone
,
and in the passing
two figures such as the servant
lurking in the Opposite
p
or te
c o che .
142
RA M B LING RE CO LLE C T ION S
The truth
w as
evident
.
The success ful gam
.
bler had been pursued from that sink o f villany
the
Palais
R oyal
and the
,
ru
ffi a ns
o
,
utside were
waiting his return from the ho t el to rob and
most probably murder
I thought
him
I Shuddered when
.
narrowly the unconscious victim
how
had escaped assassination
.
what the plague can these fellows
N ow
”
want with me
with provoking indifference
The porter
my cou ntryman
inquired
P
rm ne d,
g
.
hi s
shrugged
and replied with a polite
and is it that they re after
,
da cent looking
sa w
.
ni
ght
Well
I
.
,
sa w
pair o f marking irons on
-
I ll borrow them i f you please
,
do you
lift
the window
.
,
in the course o f your travels you ever
,
a couple
t ifully
-
P
’
Just when I go out
if
in the
said the Milesian with a peculiar
’
your table
and
morg ue
.
I have the luck o f thousands to
a very
,
”
Phew
whi stle
shoulders
nothing more
bo w ,
than to quali fy Monsieur for the
morning
,
of
private gentlemen more beau
taken in never trust me with the tools
in futur e
,
”
.
N ow ,
would it not save
u
o
y
some trouble
,
144
LING RE CO LLE C T IONS
R AM B
to practise at the post beside you
’
but in different
light s
,
,
s t ood
.
.
Mac Dermott
was
under
as he delivered it in thr ee langua ges
,
namely
E nglish
,
of
shuffling
feet ,
corner
attended to
,
Irish
,
,
and
a muttered
mentary glimpse
t he
r
”
and indeed it would be surprising had
—
it not
M
the
and as
I might mistake the
mark and shoot into the gateway
The address o f
,
.
of
,
A
French
and a mo
s a cr e
two persons stealing round
showed that the hint had been
.
I n a little time my unexpected guest had
arranged the sofa to his perfect satisfaction
heaped on a blazing wood fire
,
fortified
stomach with by far the larger portion
bottle
of
,
his
of
a
L afitte and long before I could com
,
pose myself to
sleep in the inner chamber
,
a heavy breathing in the outer one told that
,
he was
fast as a watchman
”
.
I could not rest thinking
,
of
the wild and
reckless personage to whom I had been so sin
g
ula rly
introduced and had been providentially
,
so serviceable
t riev e d
.
B y my assistance he had
his shipwrecked fortunes
;
and but
re
for
A T O UR
NO T SEN T I M EN T AL
—
me he would have been at
bottom
t he
,
S eine or lying in some gloomy
by
,
a gashed thro a t
1 45
.
of
t he
street with
-
,
I half regretted on his account
.
,
that I was to leave
Paris
,
next day as the chances
,
were great that he would be ruined in a week
or
tw o
late
I fell asleep at last and when I awoke
.
,
in the morning the firs t sound that met my
,
ear was
the voice
cr onin
an Irish
I rose
dr essed ,
g
,
to breakfast
of
di tty
fortunate
the
in the next apartment
him ,
j oined
and
recent good
acquaintance
fortune
,
sat down
we
b eart i
for
all his
He seemed on a longer
,
.
to be a very curious medley
thoughtless
,
,
generous
,
silly
I felt some anxiety about him
—
and acut e
,
the world ; and these feelings I expressed
why
do you leave
.
and regret t ed
that I must leave him to the tender mercies
And
.
.
The stranger thanked me
brave
gambler
Paris
—
of
.
and
wher e
”
are you going P said the I rishman
J O
d
knows where
”
,
was the reply
I wish you would take
he
of
the
P alais
R oyal
.
.
me
.
wi th you !
”
s a id
146
LING RE COLLE C T IONS
R AM B
I smiled
bound
for
.
You do not know where I am
.
”
.
Pshaw !
Pe te rsburgh
no matter for that ;
—
Milan or Mexico
place but Ireland
—
or St
Pekin
no matter ; any
”
.
And wherefore is Ireland obj ectionable
so
di sinterested
to
”
a tourist P I inquired
.
Why Simply because there I am
de a d
a
and it would be a great inconvenience to
m a n—
a large and affectionate family like
mine ,
were
they obliged to suddenly disca rd their mourning
R eally
prehensible
”
,
said I
you are a little
,
.
incom
.
—
I ll
”
”
Well take me with you
’
.
and
,
some wet day
tell you every thing concerning my life
death and resurrection
,
,
”
.
I declined the offer as delica tely as possible
but
Pa t
was no man to be eas ily
di scouraged ,
and so very ingeni ous were :hi s arguments that
I demanded an hour for consideration while he
,
,
adj ourned to his hotel and
L eaving his effects
,
dr essed
.
han dkerchief and
a
ll,
in
my safe custody he dep ar ted made his toilette
,
,
and in good tim e reappeared
.
,
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T ION S
148
A ttend
”
I replied
,
.
I mp r im is
.
You are
—
to fight no duel during the expedition
that I carry the message
B eautiful
”
,
S e c ond—
can avoid it
N
,
”
.
said Mr Mac Dermott
.
You
unless
.
not to quarrel when you
ar e
”
.
othing fairer !
T hir d
”
wa s
the response
.
You are to pledge your honour as
—
,
a gentleman that during our confederacy you
,
will not play
Pa t
,
dir e c tly
hi s
placed
or
indir e c tly
,
and
.
You are not to carry
—
.
hand upon his bosom
nodded an affirmation
F o ur th
”
O ff
’
any man s
wife or daughter without giving me six hours
’
,
clear notice to enable me to run away in an
,
opposite direction
With
And
all
moiety
.
my heart
la s tly
with L afitte
”
—
A ll
”
.
moneys are to be deposited
save one hundr ed pounds as
,
a
co m mon expenses over which I am
of
,
to be absolute
,
with fift y
N
apoleons
for
the
privy purse to be expended by Mr Mac Dermott
.
,
a
d
libit um,
in gingerbread
bon
,
any other proper consideration
”
.
bons ,
,
or for
\
A TOU R
Arrah
hundr ed
NO T SEN T I M EN T AL
my dear friend
,
F ifty
—
—
149
.
do make it
—
’
s a crooked number ; and even
money they say keeps the devil out
,
pocket
“
,
S ay
.
Well well I must consent
,
no w
,
let us be
the passports
A ll
one s
”
,
said I
”
.
and
,
to bank your money and get
off,
”
.
was done accordingly and next morning
,
we passed the barriers o f
fa ces
of
’
and take my blessing
the hundr e d—
,
t he
to the Rhine
Paris ,
and tur ned our
.
I firmly believe that no man had ever under
,
t
aken to become bear leader
-
a more unta med
to
personage ; nor did a more unpromising pupil
ever fall to the
lo t
of
a philosopher to reclaim
.
It is true tha t in him there was no deception
,
no duplicity in word or action
bearing
—
L
all put one on
t
.
E ye look and
heir guard
a board upon a garden his
,
,
,
face
—
and like
gave legal
notice that the premises within were dangero u s
I hate your smooth and oily moralist
once an
t he
cquaintance
of
commonest business
adage
the
a
for the
most
benefit
of
.
I had
.
the clas s who used
,
of
life to point some
the listener
sympathetic Sigh
.
He
imaginable
,
had
and
RA M B LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
150
drew upon tears at sight
.
Aft er a ten yea rs
.
’
intimacy he accommodated me with a spavined
,
horse and took away a nursemaid from a family
,
to whom I had introdu ced
as immaculate
him
.
Since then I have eschewed professed morality
,
and exclaim with S ir
,
,
,
if
Pete r
R owley
Teazle
you regard me never let me hear you utter
,
any
thing
of
enough
life
!
like a sentiment
I
.
have had
that to las t the remainder
of
my
”
We had delightful weather
—
sur Marne and S t
,
D iziere
.
;
passed C halons
halted at N ancy
and established our selves in the
Place
R oyal
.
ancient capital o f L orraine is indeed a
The
charming town ; wide streets well built houses
,
and good hotels
King
S tanislaus to whom the French ascribe
,
new
Pierre
guide
,
.
,
and the
town is buried in the
,
founding
F a uxbour gh
of
St
.
We visited in company with a learned
,
the library which contains forty thou
sand volumes
,
,
and a
fe w
manuscripts
.
Of
latter the most interesting Showed to us
,
,
.
the beauties of the old
the
,
the
was
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T ION S
152
thing
for ,
.
see is tested by a native s tandard
we
according to
M
E
a c,
ve
;
an Irish
was
woman and E den situated on the banks of the
,
Shannon
’
E xcepting Mr Dani el
.
O C
.
onnell,
I
have never known so enthusias tic an adm irer
the E merald I sle
of
,
or one who gives his
countrymen a better character
The only
.
dif
ference between the parties is that Daniel says
,
what he does not think
while
-
M
a c
gratuitously
for a consideration
,
thinks what he says
”
and does it
,
.
s:
F rom
very
Nancy to
interesting
heights
of
approaching
S tra sburgh,
the route not
from the
but some views
,
S a urne
very pictur esque
S tra sburgh
fine
,
the road
;
and planted with
walnut trees at equal distances
,
which afford
the traveller a grateful shelter from the sun ] I
was lavish in my praises but
a c
compared
it with a certain line in C onnaught
where
—
M
,
even a drunken postboy could not find a j olt
for
’
you in a day s drive ; and in a dozen miles
you could not pick up a pebble large enough
to
smash a window with
”
.
I never had
the
A TO U R
—
NO T SEN T I M EN T AL
luck to travel the line in question
where it lies
C antoned at the
.
very comfortable
l E s prit ,
abide until
I wonder
.
P
S tr a s burg h
’
1 53
.
we
Hotel
and here
;
de
will
we
examine this a ncient city
.
The first thing generally pointed to the
’
v eller s
attention
Piga lli
the
—
is
that
marble
c
hef
monument
S axe standing in the church
of
,
d
tra
’
of
ce uvr e
Marischal
of
St Thomas
.
”
.
My companion listened more attentively than
usual to the guide as he enumerated the beau
t
ies
of
the
m onument
and after a heavy sigh
;
,
remarked
I knew him when I
a lad
wa s
,
and a
d esig n is chast e a nd beautif l O n o n e i de a weepi ng
b
fi g ure is c o n t e m plat i n g the hero hol d i n g a re v erse d fl mb
n eath e xalt e d trophies ; while j us t belo w a fe m ale represe n t n g
F ra n ce e nd ea v ours t o re t ai n t he m arischal a nd repulse d eat h
The l att er a well co n cei v e d fi gure m ost of who kele t o n and
hip is co n ceale d b y a fi n e ly e xecut e d drapery hol ds i n o n e
ha nd a n hour glass and with the other poi nt s e xpressi v e l y t o
t he t om b t o which the m arischal with fi rmn ess and dig n ity
a pproaches B e y o nd a H ercules i n t ears is see n The who l e
is n obly e xe c ut e d
T he
u
S
.
a
,
.
,
,
-
,
e
i
,
,
ea u
se S
,
,
-
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
H
2
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T IONS
1 54
his
better soul never stretched
.
legs
below a
mess table
-
”
Knew whom P
Wh y
him
P a r donnez,
I excla imed in astonishm ent
there
”
must be in error
Marischal S axe
—
said the
”
.
Monsieur
,
”
.
The deuce an error
Dermott
guide
”
replied Mr
,
.
Mac
B ut What an expense the family
.
P
m ust have gone to
and he would have lain
of
just as snug and warm in the old church
C lonmel
.
”
.
The guide star ed ; I
horrified ; and
wa s
M
a c
continued
fellow
Poor
—
could never stand a j oke ;
he
and that you know is the sure
,
,
to keep a nick na me
-
how
for a man
May be you never heard
.
”
he came by it sir P and he addr essed
,
the guide
ground
,
who
g
rm ne d,
and bowed to
t he
.
Yo u
must know
man his father
,
wa y
,
”
,
said
M
was a miller
money in the grain trade
property in the county
,
.
that the old
a c,
and made his
,
Well
—
until at
the Tipperary militia for
hi s
son
he
last
.
bought
he got
The firs t
RA M B LIN G RE C O L L E C T I ONS
156
prospect
than
this
diversified
.
landscape
”
battle plain presented
-
.
”
I
I s it not worth a pilgrimage P
r ou s l
exclaimed to my companion
y
Faith
plied ;
forty
it s a pretty View enough
,
t
u
p
”
he
re
,
but then to mount three hundred and
steps
of
,
,
for
of
,
t
I counted them
O ch
—
,
’
a bright summ er s day
C arrig
world and
no w
ra
.
’
were only
top
d
an
-a-
,
if
you
on
t he
B ut that beat s the
binnioge !
here is no use in talking of it
”
.
I could have knocked my pupil down had I
,
not feared that in the hurry he might have
for
gotten that I was his G am aliel and re taliated
,
of
to the danger
The whole
rather
my person
appearance
di sappoint
inconveniences
the
of
bad pavements
,
t
S tra s bur gh
f
raveller
and no
of
t
—
narrow s tree t s
—
a
.
,
,
looks dull
—
t he
declares he
.
All
theatre is badly attended
and Mr Mac Dermott
.
,
I t is (or
depo t for that of
fl a g wa y s
rade
will
I t has all the
.
G ermany I taly and Swit zerland
F rance ,
tiga t ion,
o
a French town
was ! a great place
no w
.
,
sa w
after a patient
bu t
inv e s
five pretty women
A TO U R
S t ra sbur gh
in
NO T SEN T I M E N T AL
—
this is astonishing
—
157
.
for
,
I have
no doubt that his researches were extensive
of
One
fi sh
-
a
the greates t curiosities here is the
The fish are offered to purchasers
market
being preserved in large water tanks
live ,
-
of
am ass ur ed that upwards
i
variety
from
B ut
,
no ambition
sale
I
.
fifty kinds are
oc
embracing eve ry
,
!
a sprat to a sturgeon
acknowledged
.
for
exposed
ly
ca s ona l
ing
.
Mr
M
.
a c
the thing was very pretty look
-
eating
for
G od help him ! he had
,
He was easily pleased
.
Give him
.
a G alway turbot a B oyne salmon a T oom eel
,
,
or even a B ann tro ut and he could live
for
,
day or
wa s
tw o
with a C atholic family
no epicure
a
—
but then he
he hi ts
me now and
”
.
’
The fellow s intolerable
again
,
—
and pretty hard and here he had me
,
,
confoundedly
.
If
Apicius himself were choosing
a fish dinner where could he match Mr Mac
.
,
’
Dermott s selection P
A great quantity
in this part
dinner
—
t
Of
wine is
of
F rance
.
The
and very excellent it
wenty sous
t he
bottle
—
t he
f
a nn i a ll
y
produced
vin or dina
was
—
ir e
cos t
”
at
bu t
very oldes t and
RA M B LING RE C O LLE C T I ON S
1 58
best
vin
Mr
du R hin,
”
only
S ix
Mac Dermott remarked
.
francs
“
.
Indeed as
.
,
it was just the
,
place where a prudent man could d rink himself
rich
”
.
>i<
We proceeded on
the e v ening
,
o ur
route reached B as le in
,
and establi shed ourselves at the
C rown Inn in full view o f the R hine and only
,
distant from it by the length o f the street
Having hired a guide
O ur
cathe dr al
.
,
we
off
set
cicerone was an
he say s
of
m an who
,
He had lived
.
in the household
to view the
old
spoke E nglish remarkably well
.
C ardinal Fesch whose family
,
,
were originally fi s hmong e rs
A lucky
trade to produce such men a s C rockford and the
.
,
From the cathedral we
adj ourned to the
panorama which gives an excellent idea
of
,
The
ginals
ar
tist Obliged us with a view
of
the old mas t ers
“
,
down from the C ross
pictur es
.
,
two
;
and
.
ori
A Virgi n and C hild
a sweet painting by R aphael
”
of
B as le
”
,
A taking
’
one o f Holbein s best
B y a fanciful conception
of
the artist
the devil is introduced in the act o f carrying
,
of
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T IONS
1 60
.
We passed in our route the interesting village
o f Angst
R omans
the
—
A ng us tu
R
Here many antiquities
.
have been
from
,
of the
a ur a c or um
time to time
great val ue
of
di scovered
,
pur chased some ornaments in bronze with a
few
,
coins and examined the ruins
,
and theatre
Mr
.
a temple bath
of
,
He had established a
.
smart flirtation wi th the hostess
,
deaf adder
R oman village to
’
o f his father s
,
”
the Black
What novelty
.
him P
there was but one
C atholic and like
he finished at church
’
.
,
he
R oman villages
!
of
served mass
.
a
fter
,
from
one end
of
t he
river by
R hinfelden,
recrossed at
salmon fishery
when
”
P
We crossed to the left bank
far ther
’
he would be glad to
o f C onnemara to the other
leagues
Protestant ,
B a llyhain,
know where there were any else
the wooden bridge at
a
His assistant was a
.
the clerk
,
wa s
Within twenty miles
and that was the parson
t he
of
and to every antiquarian inducement
sported
wards
,
Mac declined to accompany
.
me in these researches
E agle
I
.
,
and
four
L a nffenbur gh,
near
We were
now
within
tw o
miles of Wald s hut but the rain fell with such
,
A T O UR
N OT
—
violence that we halted
'
SEN T I M EN T AL
for
161
.
the night at a small
and unpretending inn where
,
,
notwithstanding
our supper wine and beds were excellent
,
,
bill was moderate enough
all
for
:
t
The
.
hese
,
but
,
eight and a half francs
We resumed our j ourney under it appeared
,
fortunate
t
auspices
,
,
as the guide acquainted us
hat in the morning he had lighted his candle
’
at the Virgin s lamp which is kept burning
,
the
ni
ght
Black
enough
O ur route lay partly through
.
F orest ,
.
N
a
ll
t he
and it was wild and gloomy
ear Waldshut
t he
Rhine is prettily
’
s t udded by numerous islands and with its forest
—
,
scenery and picturesque mountains
gether an interesting scene
,
forms
alt o
.
It was evening when we reached S chaffhausen
and immediately proceeded
bra t ed Falls
m iles from
of
,
the town
.
,
scenes imaginable
.
The cataract
of
alls
,
,
broades t
of
L anfen stands
and from beneath we
il the spray had penetrat ed
t l
our clothes and Obliged us
,
,
the
two
the most extraordinar y
The castle
On the rocks above it
t he F
view the cele
the Rhine which are about
in E ur ope presents one
v1 e w e d
to
,
to
take up ano ther
1 62
LIN G RE C O L LE C T IONS
R AM B
position
The noise is astounding
.
remarked
,
,
divide
tumbling water into four parts
in
and
a man could not hear his
Huge fragments o f rocks
“
.
foam
,
as
own
M
ac
ears
”
.
the Sheet o f
which hurries
,
”
and fury into the deep basin at the
base o f the ledge
the
The height o f
.
fall varies
considerably and it is said to be greatest about
,
the end of June
feet ,
seventy
for
the ledge
I t appeared
.
formerly
but
it was much higher
,
been progressively washed away
has
by the violence
to be about
now
of
the water
I thi nk the best
.
point to view the Falls is in front and from the
,
castle o f
I nnwha t
.
of
We proceeded by the right bank
to C onstance
,
and on our arrival
,
the river
procured a
guide and set out to visit its celebrated hall
.
,
Here in
14 14,
the famous council
w as
held
,
whi ch condemned to the flames John Huss and
Jerome
of
Prague ,
and ordered the bones of
Wickliff then thir ty years dead to be exhum ed
,
,
and given to the fire
.
The chairs whi ch the
emperor and the pope occupied during the trial
,
are preserved and exhibited
in
1 3 48
,
and is
now
.
This hall
wa s
built
used for storing merchan
1 64
R AM B
and old women
LING RE CO LLE C T IONS
they were all to one tune
;
duns and good advi ce
—
eit her
and no gentleman minded
bad luck to the music
mail
-
fa ther
Many a time his poor
.
horn
’
,
there
,
but botheration in the bag
had bid
when he heard the
,
for as he said
—
.
’
was
nothing
G od be with the
.
time when in C onnemara the post came in but
,
once a fortnight
worth a
honour
tr a ne e n
’
,
.
of
*
and the king s writ
not
w as
He Mr Mac had not the
.
,
,
knowing L ady Jane
was sister to L ady Morgan
he supposed she
;
if
and
,
she wrote
Greek and Algebra like her her letters would
,
be a small loss for none but a priest co uld make
,
them out
”
.
After thi s lecture upon lette rs and ladies we
,
continued our ramble over
Z
uri ch
are nar row and ill constructed
seen
ever
t he
the arsenal
Tower contemptible
,
one relic worth
,
cross
—
-
b ow
of
a
ll
William Tell
,
.
to one who has
I t contains how
,
its arms besides
—
—
t he
.
t he
The last thing we visited was
A nglice
The streets
the churches not
—
worth attention
.
a
s tr a
w
.
Observatory
.
A TO U R
of
The Situation
NO T SEN T I M EN T AL
—
1 65
.
the building is good and com
,
mands north and south an extensive prospect
,
but it is otherwise a wretched affair
of
a transit instrument
It cont ai ned
.
clumsy workmanship a
,
bad clock a bad telescope with a tolerable
p
ea t in
circle
g
re
,
,
of
,
E nglish make
and these com
—
prised its instr uments
We learned however
.
,
,
one very interesting fact : the astronomer dines
himself
at noon and the sun
,
is not more regular
in his movements than the professor in his meals
,
To morrow
we
-
farewell
shall bid this beautiful town
Mr Mac Dermott has made an
ac
.
.
quaintance with an Aus trian colonel a pleasan t
,
fellow enough Whom we met here
,
Paris ,
with his lady
M
.
a c
,
e n r o ut e
and the commander
have vowed an eternal friendship over a
stoup
,
of
Rhenish
”
,
and I suspect that
contracting party to the treaty
.
M
a
O ur
da me
is a
respective
courses thank G od are very opposite
were
,
,
to
they not agreeable to article four I fancy Mr
'
M a c wo uld favour me some evening with a six
,
,
’
hours no tice to be
arm
!
Well
,
if
off
.
.
There they go arm in
,
the colonel is contented what
right have I to complain P
,
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T I ONS
1 66
.
<
>l
The
was shining gloriously as we toiled
s un
up the mountain road that leads from
Z
ong
Z
urich to
a distance o f about fifte en miles
,
We
.
halted on the summit o f a hill and breakfasted
,
at a small auberge which commands a beautiful
,
view o f the lake and town
B aur
we
,
reached
mine host
off
through
ong at noon took up our
,
C erf
quarters at the
”
Z
Pas sing
.
”
and accompani ed by
,
a remarkably fine young man set
,
,
to visit the nunnery
.
From the inmates o f the convent
a polite reception
.
we
received
We found them instructing
a number o f interesting girls in French and
music
—
and to judge from sundry articles o f
,
female workm anship whi ch
pupils were
brica t ion
fi cient s
ro
p
in painting
soon Mr
.
.
and the
,
I t was
a
who
Mac Dermott
,
the
,
o f those little elegancies o f art
which the fairer sex excel
how
purchased
we
,
fa
in
stonishing
had been
rather dolorous since he parted with the colonel
and his lady recovered his spirits
,
works he declared
himself
an adm irer
pincushi ons a perfect connois se ur
,
Of fancy
.
—
.
A
s
and in
he seemed
RA M B L I N G RE C O LL E C T I O N S
1 68
m ence
.
T he featur es are beautifull y executed
.
.
Mac declared however that a worse tempered man
,
,
than the devil looked he had never met with
,
in his travels
but it was no wonder Since he
;
was to be strapped up ne ck and heels
like
deserter and that too by an old acquaintance
,
B erne is beautifully situa ted on the slope
Of
a hill at the base
,
winds
whi ch the river
a
”
.
of
A ar
The houses are built with cut stone the
.
,
streets wide and clean the pathways flagged and
,
arched over
menade in
t icula rly
which renders them a dry pro
,
al
l
weathers
agreeable
and in sunshine par
,
The G othi c cathe dr al with
.
,
its admir ed steeple the hospital (E glise du S t
E sprit! rebuilt in 1 7 2 2 the library o f thirty
.
,
,
thousand volumes and fifteen hundr ed manu
scripts
,
the small museum
O
f
natural history
and the botanic gardens are all excee dingly
,
t ere s ting ,
and B erne is reckoned one
desirable residences in Switzerland
of
O
.
,
in
the most
guide
ur
quainted us that here Haller was born (his
pict ure may be seen in the museum ! and the
ac
,
,
best gunpowder in E urope was manufactured
near the town
.
Mr Mac doubted whether Hall
.
A TO UR
—
N O T S E N T I M EN T AL
or Harvey were not as good
recommended it
nister
or
he
,
Mac
,
o f Haller s
but
;
as
he
would try a can
,
Wa s there ever
’ ”
t wo
1 69
.
.
such a Vandal P
We le ft for L ausanne next day and re ached
,
Morat for dinner
a lake
of
The town is situated on
.
the same name
but wants those
,
charms o f S wiss scenery wood and mountain
,
I t is celebrated as the scene
C harles the B old in
,
1 4 76 ;
of
the defeat
of
and a little chapel
filled with the bones of those that
fell ,
.
,
bears
The army of C harles
this pithy inscription :
the B old besieging Morat left this monum ent
,
,
o f its passage
that
”
.
Mr Mac Dermott observed
.
they might call
him
bold
he was too timid in L ondon
never
have
popped
his
,
head
’
here ; but
or he would
out
of
L ord
’
Melbourne s middle window to lay it on the
block
.
Many a time he had looked at
it
l
the
window
whi
e
kicking
his
heels
at
the
(
!
”
Horse Guards
I t was useless to explain ;
.
M
ac
confounded the martyr
of
the daring Duke of N ormandy
—
We reached G eneva
E ngland with
’
N imp or te
early next
.
morning
.
RA M B LI N G RE CO LLE C T IONS
1 70
.
The town stands on a rising ground above
the lake
waters
di vided
and is
,
”
of
the Rhone
by the
d a rk blue
E xcepting the library
.
there is little to interest the tourist although
,
the trader will have much in
manufactures to admi re
its
At the
.
extensive
di stance
of
’
a league from G eneva stands Byr on s favourite
,
chateau
When here in
in company with a friend
lordship
ha d
for
Obliged
been
I visited
1 8 1 6,
.
Unfort unately
severely
indisposed
several days to keep
He sent us a kind message by
p
i d
request that
w alk
key of the
by the
on the
balcony
of
magnificent view
castle
of
windows
and he
pain
and
;
,
C hillon
we
,
,
a ccom
,
and
whi ch commanded
a
the lake as far as the
of
the
the poet lying on a sofa
us
.
and a
A s we passed one
.
sa w
saluted
,
room
frui t ,
would cut some
we
d
servant
hi s
garden
hi s
an
,
his
regretting his inabili ty to receive us
an e
hi m
.
He seemed as
,
i f in
and one momentary glance at his fine
intelligent
face
plainly
told
,
that
he
suffered from bodily ailment far less than from
the agony of
a mind
di seased
”
.
RA M B LIN G RE CO LLE C T ION S
1 72
was pointing pencils for the fair
.
a
rtist
and
,
basking in the sunshine o f the brighte st blue
eye that ever undone a traveller
old man her father
,
approaches
,
pencil cutting to a close
-
G od help
me
!
a nd
,
never
;
B ut the
!
he will bring
mar the
’
tété—a - tété
‘
I more astray
was
.
.
There is an interchange o f smiles and snuff
between the parties
requited
with
’
a c s
M
.
’
the
and
group
expect to
contract an
register
it
in
I
anticipated
m an and
for C ham ouni
plain
establi sh
—
and
,
his
a ll
,
the
M
,
of course
attentions
,
,
.
has made it exceed
ac
of
inn
a ll
require
and table
o f travelling
a sort
done
daughter are bound
that the interests
,
T he father
my
upon
the mischi ef is
us to occupy the same
to
see the
>1:
old
ingly
”
!
>l
<
T he
is
eternal friendship
heaven
beauties of the cascade
As
lipita n
a su
S trasburg
stranger s
and in five minutes I
whole
M
”
,
and
copartnership
.
will be turned over
while
my
worthy
com
p anion superintends the lady and her portfolio
.
A TO U R
N O T
—
Well no matter
,
for
man looks intelligent
Proceeding
SEN T I M EN T AL
a day or
—
on our
1 73
.
the old
t w o—
’
and I ll submit
route
.
accompanied
,
the strangers in a small ca leche
the hill and reached the lake
by
we ascended
,
which
,
bears
the same name of the fall we had been viewing
Still toiling on we gained
L
,
the
glaciers
Short as
of
the
Mont
ascent was
to whi ch
ezou che ,
Blanc
approximate
the changes
,
.
atmospheric temperature were most rapid
.
in
At
.
the fall the thermometer stood at seventy eight
-
degrees ; on the hill above the lake it sank to
highest
seventy degrees ; and on the
the road
,
where
turned aside
we
level
to
of
gain a
better prospect o f the glaciers placed upon the
,
snow
it fell to thirty two degrees
-
,
A cold
.
shower hurried us on to C hamouni and we
,
were happy to find ourselves safe from the
weather at the Hotel de L ondres
The village is very small
the priory and a
of
few
It contains but
.
houses
.
The museum
.
minerals however is worth attention ; and
,
,
the old gentleman after dinner
,
me
to
visit
this
cabinet
.
,
The
accompanied
de mo is e lle
1 74
R AM B
proceeded
LIN G RE CO LLE C T IONS
with her
remained with
sketch
point the pencils
and
,
to aid
m a da m e ,
.
Mr
comfort
,
M
.
,
ac
and
.
>l
<
>l
<
>i
<
’
A t seven o clock next morning we commenced
the ascent of
M onta uv ert ,
elevated two thousand
six hundred feet above the Valley
O ur mules carried us about half
C hamouni
of
wa y,
.
when the
steeps becam e so frequent and abrupt that we were
Obliged to dismount and send the
back
The road
.
valley
or rather pathway from the
,
is rapid in ascent
,
ua
rupeds
d
q
,
but not dangerous
,
and runs thr ough a forest o f pines and larch
trees
’
.
T hree hours toil completed the j ourne y
and placed us before the temple on the summit
The view from this is grand beyond
tion
of
To the south we
C ha rm a y
de Dru
,
;
sa w
feet
.
des crip
the N oir Aiguelle
on the north
six thousand
,
,
the
B
ougeatre
higher than
the
spo t whereon we stood from whi ch it is separated
,
by the Mer de Glace
.
Many other mounta ins of
extraordinary shape are visible from
M onta u vert
.
Underneath the valley o f C hamouni appears
,
while
t he
glaciers
,
and more particularly the
RA M B LING RE COLLE C T ION S
1 76
.
It would appear that women recover from
fatigue
rapidly ; for on our descent to T rient
I observed through a telescope a
lady
gentleman walking in front o f the
in
whom
I recognis ed
’
and
the old man s daughter
convalescence
a
lso
C hamouni he was
s ioner ,
lame
but a drive
the infirm member
,
in
b ge,
Mr
.
friend
’
Mac s
.
m iraculous
appeared
,
”
and
a u er
di sabled
my
,
At
.
as a G reenwich pen
the caleche
ha d
restored
and he moved as jauntily
about as if he had been receiving a lesson
from
C o ulon
.
Indeed
I
was
delighted
to
assure mysel f o f his identity at a mile
I know him to be
L ord
!
an honourable man
in the hurry he
,
forget
m ight
N
o
off
.
but
,
F o ur
.
.
From the miserable appearance o f this Alpine
hostle
,
we only waited to take a has ty
lunch ,
and proceeding on our route and crossing the
,
C ol de
F orclas ,
reached Martigny for dinner
.
We recommenced our j ourney very early next
morning ; passed through St
L ionha r d,
and
,
crossing again to the le ft bank o f the river
,
L euk on the opposite side
,
sa w
the village
of
.
perched on the brow o f the mountain
.
A
A T O UR
league farther
NO T S EN T I M EN T AL
—
at the hamlet
,
of
celebrated baths
of
1 77
.
G emmi
,
breakfasted
we
fall,
visit the
,
of
which is about a quarter
’
traveller s notice
of
I t is worth the
.
of
The height
.
is probably a hundred and fifty
there is always an
this cascade
feet ,
and as
of
immense body
w ater
discharging itself over the ledge o f rock
noise is deafening
portfolio
the
arm
M
—
if
or
of
a c,
E ryg ,
,
the man must be
the first village on the
We have parted with our
who
.
fellow
decline
E reig
reat
road
g
leading over the Simplon into Italy
,
t
ravellers
rossing the
c
Simplon and return to L ausanne to await
,
arrival
of
the
citizen has taken
At five we reached
.
rather unexpect e dly
of
,
O ld
,
th e
artist made a
course in charge
he has not
blind as a beetle
fair
The
.
I think the
.
al
—
a
and I think not inferior to
,
Martigny
hasty sketch
At
.
and went afterwards to
mile distant from the auberge
that
,
L euk are situated environed
by scenery o f the most romantic character
Visp
the
t he
a relation who p urposes accompany
ing them to It aly
,
.
I am glad
of
t
I
2
his
for
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T I ON S
1 78
every reason
T here is a mystery about M r
.
Mac Dermott that I have been
penetrate
.
able
un
At times he seems unhapp y
.
,
to
and
recollections obtrude upon his gayest moments
which cloud his brow
at concealment
rack
are
,
like
not
I suspect
indifference
—
but
efforts
that
His attentions to Miss
.
those
o f the fugitive
flirtatious in which I have seen
and she
hi s
to overcome thoughts
,
its quietude
S elwy n
while still
,
in di ca te a spiri t str uggling by
,
native elasticity
,
.
,
him
him
has not heard
will show
time
indulge
with
The
.
;
O ld
gentlema n is a retired trader ; wealthy no doubt
His daughter appears gentle and affectionate
I am not astray
If
night
,
after
.
retired last
we
there was a farewell interview
,
.
I
.
sa w
a tear fall from beneath her veil this morning
as
M
a c
handed her to the caleche ; and since
her departure the swain looks
ect e d,
tr is te
while frequently he contemplates a ring
j
which I never remarked before upon
B ut
,
forget
and de
hi s
finger
what are their follies to me P
’
her before we see S t
Although
we
.
Peter
had intended
’
s
to
.
He ll
!
start
for
RA M B LING RE C O LLE C T IONS
18 0
.
’
blood that flowed from the R edeemer s side
Heretics may cavil
—
but is there a true
be
liever who ever doubted these acknowledged
P
truths
letter
The post has brought a
suspect this to be the cas e
willingly
we
,
,
,
celebrated for
at B rescia
its
ac
has star ted
if the
for
C arra va g io,
with
silk mills and arrived
,
.
very considerable town
This we found a
and
M
have p as sed some interesting
C olomba C assano and
—
C hea r i,
late
as
least I
at
There never was a lovelier day
.
travelli ng and
places
—
—
population
retur ns
correct
be
,
,
judging from its size the last place upon the
,
C ontinent
that Malthus
would patronize
or
Miss Martineau
I t looks less than B elfast
.
,
but contains one fourth a greater po pulation
-
The cathedr al is modern and very fine
,
and
there are some good paintings to be see n
B
ut
B rescia
appears to
be
is
famous
a place
of
for
its
t
rade
unus ual bustle
.
,
!
.
and
Fire
arms are the chief manufactures ; and about a
m ile
from the town
,
on the Verona road
stands a foundry and arsenal
,
,
nearly completed
A TO U R
by Napoleon
and Italy
S EN T I M EN T AL
N OT
—
Turn where you will in France
.
you find mementos
,
18 1
.
ordinary spirit
that extra
illustrious unfortunate
that
—
of
<
>l
many
of
.
>1:
L ate on the following evening
of
the ancient city
”
S ha kspea r e
reached
we
Verona the scene of so
,
’
loveliest creations
s
The
.
for no city contributed
place is truly classic
—
to R oman literature so many venerated names
C atullus
C orneli us N epos
.
,
Pom ponius
Secundus Vitruvius and the elder
Pliny, form
Macer
,
,
,
,
a constellation
o wn
master
it in several
of
of
the first magnitude
of
the heart has immortalized
of
his dramas
Here is the scene
.
R omeo and Juliet
of
the luckless loves
Verona
ur
”
and we cannot forget
of
O
.
The
T wo
”
,
G entlemen
”
.
34¢
<
>l
Whether my worthy companion has received
a despatch from the pretty
his hope
ar
”
,
blighting
or that tender recollections have
isen over the tomb
whi ch
a r tis te ,
of
we have just
the
left
Dermott is melancholy as
gentle Montague
—
certes
Mr
M
.
an old lion
,
”
ac
or a
18 2
LIN G RE C O LL E C T I O N S
RAM B
’
lover s lute
”
I
.
am dying to
.
di scover
’
sadness lengthens R omeo s hours
”
—
what
and aft er
dinner will dissolve the mystery and conj ure
him
osalin e s brigh t e y es
”
her high forehea d a n d her s c arle t lip
“
By
’
By R
,
,
I f Verona hold
unlock
his
tongue
.
a stoop o f B urgundy
’
I ll
and between love and wine
—
if he retain his secret
’
I ll
,
,
believe that there
is constancy in man — faith in a kept mistress
honesty in a Jew
and no virtue in the bottle !
—
L ord ! what a
come against you
s
igh
M
,
T hat
.
overworked yourself to day
Why
faith
,
dull companion
.
,
I fear you have
a c.
-
sprain will
”
.
my dear boy
I am but a
,
I wish somebody would assist
me to break article
N
o
O
.
’
and I d call
ne—
the man my friend who would blow
brains
g
ent e ely
.
Z
ounds
I could jump into
!
the Adige burn a church turn methodist
,
,
my
ou t
.
—
for
I am in most villainous humour with the whole
human race
C ome
,
”
.
pass the bottle
,
M
ac
;
one or
two
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T IONS
184
.
hope and like a cameleon air crammed ? C ome
,
-
,
,
you are an excellent C atholic and know the
of
value
’
a clean breast ; and believe me you ll
your self all
find
the
of
better
confession
.
S urely you once thr eatened me with a narra
tive o f your adventures
Poor
M
”
.
was agitated
a c
his eye flashed
—
,
his cheek reddened as with much bitt erness he
,
,
replied
If
you are curious to he ar the
fessions o f a fool
No
,
M
a c—
,
as
k but
con
a detail o f my career
you are chagrined
”
.
Many a
.
man has made a wilder cas t and redeemed it
”
gallantly afterwards
.
In my cas e that is impossible
,
fl
p p
u
”
,
.
N othing to the determined is
far as breaking heads
arcass go
c
“
said my
and drilling a man s
,
you re not amiss
That may be so
”
,
and so
’
’
,
so—
”
.
said Mr
.
M
a c
what the devil can I expect in life
,
“
.
B ut
when I
”
am dead already P
Tha t is
defunct
,
indeed a puzzler
,
gentleman
swallow imaginable
—
,
”
.
you
have
and yet for a
the
sweetest
A TO U R
—
SEN T I M EN T AL
N OT
’
B ut I m worse than dead
”
185
.
returned Mr
,
.
Mac Dermott as he laid down the empty glass
,
Indeed !
Yes
”
”
.
”
H ow
pray P
He fetched a desperate sigh
There is no
friend
di sp uting
“
.
’
I m ma r r ie d !
your assertion
”
my
,
”
Where may the lady be at present P
.
Heaven only knows
“
.
”
,
responded Mr
M
.
”
When do you expe ct to see her P I
quired
a c.
in
.
N ever
—
I have
if
an
y
luck
of
Have any pledges
”
.
mutual attachment
”
blessed thi s auspicious union P
M
ac
smiled as he replied
,
“
,
score are not generally prolific
Alas ! my
friend ,
of
ladies
three
”
.
you must pardon me
I knew not the extent
of
your misfortunes
To be defunct was bad enough
—
.
.
but what
was that to matrimony P C ome out with the
,
tale while I order a fresh bottle
Make it
M
’
if
.
you love me
”
,
said Mr
or I ll choke in the middle
a c,
narrative
tw o
”
”
.
of
.
t he
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T IONS
186
The
having
place
”
,
Wine appeared
Mr
.
.
.
Mac Dermott
screwed his courage to the sticking
by the agency o f a second
bum per
gave a prelimina ry cough and thus began
,
,
188
R AM B
LIN G RE C OLLE C T IONS
.
himself on the antiquity o f his lineage and the
pedigree o f his horses ; and there
wa s
not a m ore
hospitable house withi n the Shannon than his
own
.
There the stranger was sure to find a good dinner
,
—
heavy drink
a
welcome
i i
their abiding pla ce
-
king
—
—
the day ; for my
of
to do him justice
lived like an Irish
,
spor ted a rattling stud and a p a ck you
,
could cover with a blanket
the house
,
and
tw o
—
kept a priest in
pipers into the bargain
O n my education and earlier
necessary to dilate
write
,
friars and phy
infested it by the dozen — drinking and
dancing was the order
father ,
,
and a hearty
Wanderers to wakes and markets made
.
Kilt y corm a ck
s c a ns
warm quarters
—
life
it is
.
un
At twent y I co uld read
.
and serve m ass in L atin
,
,
when my
m other and the maids confessed their pecca
dilloe s
to Father Anthony
horse with half an eye
at Knockcroghery
na sloe—
I knew a b lemished
.
—
w on
bullied a
—
a steeple chase
-
fir e- eater
.
at B alli
and entered the Galway militia a cap
ta in ; but then
,
if
the truth be told commissions
were at a discount
,
.
Three y ears passed ; and without vanity
I
’
M R M AC D E R M O TT S S T O R Y
.
may
a
189
.
cknowledge that my outward man
I was
generally admired by the softer sex
a clean timbered strapping
-
for
a flanker
fellow
may care swagger
,
and a devil
,
copied the elegancies of a sprig
knee
as
,
if
I had never blistered a broken
nor danced
,
apples
’
my mother s maid
buoy
orna
and passed currently in park and ball
—
room
fashion ,
of
fortunately
with whom our corps was
m ent ed
flippa ntly ,
rode hard talked
—
-
tall enough
—
with a merry eye
—
wa s
with
for
,
Knock
of
at the pattern
.
It
wa s
in the middle
of
January
,
that we got the route for Dublin ; and no
diss a tisfa c
order ever caused more pleasure and
tion to a marching regiment than that which
,
summoned us
duty
from
out quarters
-
for
garrison
The young and Single were delighted
.
with the change
—
the old and married horrified
at the bare idea o f dear lodgings
immediate
s u r ve
I ndeed ours
illa nce
wa s
,
o f a comma nder
not a
and the
-
in chi ef
crack corps
-
”
,
,
,
.
but
,
musical compositio n of great m erit al though as
in for m e d n o t ge n erall y dan ce d at C as tl e balls
A
.
I
am
RA M B LING RE C OLLE C T ION S
1 90
as slow a battalion
Phoenix - park
as
.
ever figured in the
Most o f the officers had p a ssed
.
their climacterics and were provided with fami
,
lies that would astonish H ar riette Martineau
.
Freeholders not fitness were passports to com
,
,
missions ; and I verily believe that the service
could not produce a stranger sample o f soldiers
w ho
than the honest gentlemen
G alway to the field
,
led the gallant
.
Of those most overj oyed at our removal to
the metropolis
lady foremost
fashion
,
.
I may pla ce the comm ander s
She was a
fine
of
woman
,
therefore
when the route
,
for
Dublin was re ceived
for
barouche turned out by Hutton
,
footmen multiplied
the name o f Mrs
of
—
C olonel
.
March
—
—
the
fill] ,
.
new
liveries were
a
’
O D ogherty
.
Patrick
ball had brought every body to town
was
a
and before
;
was foremost on the C astle list
It was the end
reat
the spring campaign
-
month
G
.
A house was taken in Merrion square
—
.
could exceed her raptures
were her prepara tions
renewed
high
to whom the country was intolerable
,
N othing
’
—
’
s night
Dublin
and the season was at its zenith
.
RA M B LIN G RE COLLE C T ION S
1 92
there
a
is
not
”
o dee in
f
one
of them
.
that
and some freeholders
has
not
”
.
Hang their fode e ins 1 Heaven knows how
dearly county honour s are purchased
With
.
one or
exceptions
t wo
,
is there a presentable
man among the gang P And
colonel
who
,
”
wo uld y o u
Hem
no w,
a sk P
hem
—
—
Why my dear Maj or Grogan
,
,
has never been her e since he j oined us in town
”
.
G ood G od colonel you would not surely
,
,
introduce
that
,
overgrown
monster
to
,
the
”
L orimers P
C ertainly Grogan is singular both in man
,
ners and person ; but t here is C aptain Demsey
Punchinello ,
A se cond
and bandy legs
“
”
.
with a civic paunch
”
.
What do you say to C aptain Joyce P
”
N othing
only send him a clean shir t with
—
the invita tion
.
The man
,
that linen was included in
I fancy
his
,
imagined
allo wances
or
—
’
supposed that our corps was like Falstaff S and
,
that he would find
enough on every hedge
A ng lice—
a
s mall est at e
.
’
.
’
M R M AC D ER M O TT S S T O R Y
.
Oh my love
,
1 93
.
indeed you are too severe
—
.
”
What say you to C aptain C ormack P
Worse and worse
He
!
speaks
to the
servants in Irish takes soup a second
t
,
t he
and calls
of
knave
clubs
Jack my j ewel
L ieutenant C orcoran
Has no clothes
ime
,
’
.
H
”
.
Lieut enant D aly
Wears a home made wig at total variance
-
of
with the colour
,
his whi skers
’
Well in Heaven s name
,
them
S
—
arrah
This
!
’
and
—
he
ah
now
!
and
—
that
,
dresses well
if
,
of
and
,
he did not say
’
of
flattering notice
delightful
too
my
from
,
merits was
a
fi rs t
’
-
rate
O D oghert y ,
and
observations I had overheard were
not
authori t y like Mrs
thrown away
my
of
C onyngham is a good style
.
would pass current enough
ah
is there any
,
P
r o duca ble
p
man ; and Mac Dermott
bu t
.
”
Ye
t he
”
.
C olonel
.
I did not play deaf adder
firmly resolved to abandon
now
”
for
well earned
-
ever
.
Determined
reputation
,
arrah
”
and
to
suppor t
though
deeply
al
K
RA M B LING RE C O LLE C T I ON S
1 94
’
registered in my ta ilor s
leger ,
.
I decided on
giving the unhappy man further instructions
in book keeping
-
ll
fu dress
.
and ordered for the nonce a
,
j acket
,
with the largest wings pro
,
cur able from B rady
L orimers
”
in public
To
.
be seen with
would sta m p me at once
,
a denizen o f the world o f fashi on
of
the leaders
the
be a u- m o nde ,
dis ting ué
were most
after L ady Jane
,
R ant
”
Among
.
the L orimers
bonnets being nominated
while the
c ontr
R otunda ball had opened with
last
the
é—da ns e
at the
’
L ady Mary s
N o wonder that I waited impatiently
.
for the promised invitation
It
.
duly cam e
and on the appointed day I drove to Merrion
square
,
dinner ,
full
in
feather to parta ke of an early
,
and afterwards escort the ladies to the
I was fir st o f the company
—
full length
to take a
-
and
ha d
time
peep at my outward man
in the tall pier glass between the windows
-
and
faith !
,
lower
good
silk s
,
nothing
extremities
—
ones
—
in
could be
better
.
My
my
legs were reputed to be
Short
kerseymeres and white
might have passed muster at a
dr awing
RA M B LIN G RE C O LLE C T IONS
1 96
moued us to dinner
eating room
-
Down
.
.
filed to the
we
’
—
and in the hos tess arrangements
,
the L ady Mary fell to my lot
,
S he descended
.
,
leaning on my arm and at table I was placed
,
next her
A ll
.
were
beautiful
as
in
glorious
eastern
spirits
sultanas
the
—
la dies
and brilliant as
,
jewels and ostrich plumes could make them
T he
able
—
.
L orimers seemed determined to be agree
and L ady M ar y listened to me with so
much pleasure and condescension
she le ft us for the drawing room
-
,
that
,
I
when
,
half
wa s
persua ded the fo undation o f a conquest had
been laid
and that I
,
blessed morning
,
m o da t e
.
the
G od knows when I
wa s
of
a
of
introduction
them with a daughter
I presented
on some
,
to astoni sh the establishmen t
at Kiltycorm a ck by
titled bride
fated
wa s
-
di fferent
di d
in la w ,
-
a
aecom
the one
description
!
Dublin was once remarkable for the purity
of
its
dr amatic
histrioni c
reception
ha d,
.
talent
taste
,
insur e
and
a
no
more
where
did
ent husias tic
A visit from some L ondon sta rs
of course
,
crea ted a sensation ; and
,
as
’
M R MA C D E R M OTT S S TO RY
.
the world o f fashion had
a
1 97
.
to congregate
r eed
g
on thi s eventful e v ening in C row street the
-
circle
dre s s
when
,
we entered the
presented a blaze o f beauty
to the ceiling
t he
,
F or
.
procura ble
obtain
a
a
,
introduced
a
week
boxes
the
tears
of beauty
second
who
man
sca rcely
:
,
and into the pit you
-
stick
,
F rom the floor
.
room for sta nding
no
miscalled standing room
have
theatre
house was crammed ; in
the gallery there was
could
,
seat ;
a
walking
had not
been
could not
and happy was the
by the ur banity o f a proprietor
,
chieved an occasiona l glance at the sta ge o v er
,
a tier of tur bans and a forest o f feathers
What were my feelings then
when
,
by the
,
graciou s pleasur e of the colonel s lady I
’
cu
co
,
pied
position in the front row
a
.
I
!
wa s
flanked by L a dy Jane and an aid de camp o f
-
’
the
v iceroy s ;
Tha is
me
”
—
I
and
,
happier
mean L ady
-
,
lo v ely
sate
beside
still
Ma ry
“
”
i
I t might a ppear an unusual stretch o f good
nature on the part of Mrs
’
.
in the interior of the box
O D oghert y ,
,
to v eil
,
the splendours of
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O N S
1 98
her diamond tiara
a s entimentalist
H om pescher
rear
—
’
B ut the colonel s lady was
.
in
is
de co uve r t
a
.
a
quiet
flirtation
wa y
not the thing
—
s
and the
he
were far more com fortable in the
the L orimers better seen in the front
the aid de camp could exhibit his
ai
I parade my wings
every were
-
-
therefore
u diciou sl
y
perfect satis faction
a
and
ll
placed
g
ule t t e s
and that to their
,
.
N ev e r was a lady in her own right more
affable than L ady M a ry
S he saw I
.
was
anxious to be agreeable and she condescended
,
to be amuse d
believed
little
S he was
.
i f D ebrett co uld be
,
verging upo n thirty
—
,
ée
consequently a
and
in
a
a irs de occ ur
as
it
was
p
fi
hinted she ha d been particularly unhappy She
a ss
—
,
,
,
.
‘
had been jilted by an earl
S aint S ebastian
—
lost a
—
lover
and been abominably
by an Irish baronet
who
,
,
before
ill
used
after naming the
happy day had broken his neck at a fox hunt
-
,
.
Her fortun e was ne v er mentioned ; and even her
enemie s
a
dmitted that she pro fessed no fancy
for a li fe o f celibacy
all
things
.
Was it wonderful there fore
considered
,
that
y oung
,
ambition
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 00
.
concerns were forgotten ; I had built a fairy
edifice
were
when suddenly
;
di spelled
The
my celestial reveries
,
by an infernal uproar in the pit
noise was indeed astounding
—
and
,
.
as
the row occurred nearly beneath the box we
occupied
L ady
,
desperately
proceed
alarmed
or affected to be
,
The
.
opera
Y oung M eadows
for
,
M ary was
in the sta ge box
-
”
could not
was unheard
and there seemed to be a
,
ri v alry between pit
gallery as to which
d
an
should deafen the audience by bellowing
him out !
”
,
The cause of
turn
this clamo ur was
a ll
a short personage whose sustained attempts to
,
force his way across the pit had occasioned thi s
’
general
'
br o u zlle r ze
that
the
had
a
All I could observ e was
.
offender was
fi ery- red
head
,
de vilish
and
troublesome
make fight with a brass handled thong whip
his
part
-
,
the denseness
the crowd rendered perfectly abortive
It was
purpose
R
,
he a d
ed
te r r e ,
a
a
,
endeavoured to
-
whi ch effort on
,
,
of
.
ma zing with wh a t pertinacity of
mid kicks
perse v ered
,
,
cuffs
,
and imprecations
struggled
and fairly established
a
cross the
hi m s elf
p
,
a r
below me
.
’
M R MA C DE R M OTT S S TO RY
.
2 01
.
There he stood gasping for breath
gentleman I
worse received
-
and a
—
ne v er witnessed
The cur se of C romwell light upon ye
exclaimed a
stout
marke t whose toes
,
the pit
dowager
R
,
e
dhe a d,
had invaded
,
sufferer
in his tra nsit across
C ouldn t ye h a v e
.
,
in
,
sustained a mortal injury
”
-v
’
keout
isa g d
”
I
rejoined a second
whose bonnet
,
!
’
,
speed ye
”
O rmond
from
remained where ye were ye ill
D ivil
.
the
scuffle
had
,
N one cried G od
.
bless him and while one moiety
infernals were applau ding
R osetta
o f the
to the
—
”
skies the other were heaping male dictions on
,
the short gentleman with the red head
I looked at the
delinquent
,
.
and at the
same moment he turned his face towards me
Alas
the snub nosed
!
-
and
rubicund
count e
nance could never be mistaken ; and
leered
u
pon
me
with
a
small
.
,
grey
as he
eye
,
corusca nt with recent excitement and whiskey
punch
I recogni sed Ned
,
na gra n
.
C urse upon him
s tride upon the
a
Fla nnega n
!
I wished him
pex o f the R eek
fathom under the Rialto
o f B a lli
or
,
”
.
K
2
a
fiv e
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TIO NS
2 02
N ed
.
a j obber by profession and living
wa s
—
in a country where the gentry were mostly
cattle breeders
-
he
,
,
collision with them
of course
,
was in constant
and no stranger to the
,
house of Kiltycor m a c
He had an extensive
.
stock of natural a s surance
,
and
wa s
that comfortable state o f inebriety
steam
was
diffi dence,
p
g
audacity
,
when the
suffi ciently up to overcome any
had he possessed it
his
e din
,
now in
articulation
.
B ut
without
,
with
all
im
his
surely the de vil would not tempt
him to claim
a
cquaintance with me in such
a place and such a presence
N evertheless
,
I was not on a bed o f roses and I wo uld
—
’
have given a month s pay for an exchange
t o a back seat
—
or
the best bullock he ever
bought from my father
was up to his neck
in
,
that M r
.
the Shannon
Fla nnega n
.
F or some time I hoped I might escape the
threatened da nger
.
It was an i dle expectation
.
N ed without a strong inducement would never
,
,
have endured the personal damage he had sus
t a ine d,
to whi ch the bastinado was a trifle
A ccordingly I he ar d his voice in a few seconds
,
.
,
2 04
R AM B
T igg um ,
ye know
’
’
L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
says I
pound note
This is the back hand
-
.
sa ys she
,
.
,
and she slipped me a ten
Gi v e that to Artur wid my
.
says she ;
an
’
’
tell him I haven t a
maj esty to bless myself upon
B
goold pocket piece till
-
,
ney
but the
,
M
ora
h
an
g
the wool money ; and you know N ed I
-
,
upon time
N ed
the
a
more
an
,
,
it
”
.
now fa irly divi ded the attention of
,
ttractiv e than the Opera
I thought I
.
Wre a thed
.
’
”
had long since deserted L a dy M ary s
and ill concealed anger told how
-
,
her
wa s
s o uld
-
should ha v e expired on the spot
face
p a ys in
udience and his monologue appea red far
a
smiles
owld
gav e him until little L a dy day
d
*
ha d
,
m or tifi ca t ion
at
deep
the ridiculous position
in which my pi t acqua inta nce Mr
,
had contrived to place us both
.
Fla nnega n,
.
He
,
honest
man seemed a mazingly gratified that one lately
,
,
selected t o bear
a
genera l assault and battery
should hav e cha nged to
order
,
a
lion o f the first
whose e v ery s ally told
,
i f uproarious
mirth were proo f
.
T ime,
i n C o nn ug ht m e ns
a
,
,
a
cr edit.
’
M R MA C DE R M OTT S S TO RY
.
’
Honor Brady s
’
and your mother s lookin
off,
out for a da iry m a id
2 05
.
the
div ils ,
that Honor los t her place through you
and
-
They s a id
’
.
he closed his left eye
and touched his nose
,
’
O D owd
but D octor
significantly ;
,
swore he
would ta ke the vestment it was nothing after
,
a
but the jaundice
ll,
”
.
Another screech succeeded
was impossible
Mrs
d
an
C olonel
.
To rem a in longer
rose the L a dies L orimer
Up
.
.
’
O D ogher ty
led the
her eyes flashing with indign a tion
denly
N ed
as
observ ed it
Art ur dear arrah
—
m a n,
wa y,
B ut sud
the retrea t was planned and executed
Fla nnega n
stop
,
.
de a th
,
,
-a
’
-
n
nouns
stop
—
,
’
.
Won t ye come to the C arlingford
’
’
when you re done wid the ladies
Two
or three college jibs
’
t ormentor s voice
,
d
an
mi micked
my
repeated the invitation
.
A roar o f laughter followed ; and our exi t
from the box
certainly
fa r
,
if not quite as agreeable
more
’
l tté
ec a
tha n
Need I mention the res ult
’
the
e ntr e
,
wa s
e
.
L a dy Ma ry
cut me dea d next morning in Sa ckville s treet
-
—
and I was quizzed by the women
,
and
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 06
worried by the men
gentleman in
.
until I hipped a pleasant
,
the Fifteen A cres
”
,
and gave
Philip C rampton the most troublesome j ob he
had met
wi th
for the season
D ur ing the
.
soj ourn of the gallant Ga lway in the me tr o
polis
Mrs
I ne v er stretched a silk stocking under
,
’
O D oghert y
.
’
s
mahogany ; and the brilliant
hopes I had cherished o f quartering the bear
ings o f the L orimers on the escutcheon o f the
M ac D ermotts
were thus for e ver blasted by
,
the recognition of an
old acquaintance
I t really was too provoking
as
Mr
,
.
I observed
,
I smiled at the unhappy consequences tha t
’
an s
visit to C row street had pro
Fla nneg
.
-
B ut for that
duce d
.
you might now
to
”
”
an
earl
,
To
.
M
a c,
lose
rascally
cattle dr over
-
have been son
a
-
,
in-law
int ole
wi fe was
rable
A y—
but not ha lf so bad as to recover
”
another
I ndeed
.
—
I
canno t comprehend you
you fa vour me with the particulars
plied
Will
.
I
re
.
N o no ; two melancholy reminiscences would
,
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O N S
2 08
the plains highly cultivated
at
The city is situated
.
the foot o f the Appenines
apparently about five miles
.
d
an
,
1s
in
ci rcuit
.
L eaving B ologna in the evening
we slept
,
at Sienna and next day commenced our ascent
,
o f the Appenines
.
F rom the upper ridges o f
.
this magnificent chain o f hills the Adr iatic S ea
,
is visible
We were belated not far from Pietra
.
Mala and witnessed a v ery s ingula r appearan ce
,
O n a mountain to the left o f
t he
.
road over
,
a portion o f the sur face o f the high ground a
,
bright phosphoric light was emitted
had set in
,
ght
ni
the effect was extremely curious ;
and on in quiry from our postillion
informed it was ca lled
F0 00
men o f science are divided
we were
,
de l Zig no
a strange natural phenomenon
effects
As
.
touching which
,
.
I t is
.
Harmless in its
it is not perceptible in the day ; but
,
at night it spreads a soft and mellowed light
,
around
and partially illuminates the drea riest
,
solitudes among the Appenines
highest o f the mountains
.
.
Giogo is the
The
roads
are
excellent and scarcely inferior to the Simplon
,
.
’
We descended the last hill at nine o clock
,
A TO U R
and
took
up
N OT SEN TI M EN T A L
—
our
quarter s
at
2 09
.
the
A ig le
'
N
ozr
.
.
x
x
>1<
><
><
F lorence is beautifully situated at the foot
of the Appenines
and
,
on
the river Arno
,
unequa l parts
,
which divides the city into
connected by four bri dges
miles in circumference
of eighty
-
fi ve
thous a nd
,
It is about six
.
and has a population
.
This city is a place of considerable impor
tance ln both ancient and modern history
I t was originally colonised by the R omans
,
.
,
d
an
’
its fo unders were as it is believ ed C aesar s
v et eran soldi ers
it was
Like the other Ita lian cities
.
exposed to
barbarians ;
fell into
,
,
the
aggressions of the
was ta ken by
decay
mass of ruins
C harlemagne
,
a nd
,
for
I t was
.
d
an
,
acqui red
the
yea rs
L ongobardi ;
rema ined
a
again restored by
a
dditiona l celebrity
,
from being the residence of C osmo and L o
renzo di M edici
.
Florence with gre a t justice is termed the
Athens of Italy
inhabitants is
a
.
Indeed the industry of it s
,
pp a rent to e v ery stra nger
.
The
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 10
men
are
active
and
employed
.
the women
,
remarkable for beauty and politeness
ll
and of
—
the Italian communities I have observed
,
I should pronounce that o f Florence to be
,
a
certainly the mo s t prosper ous and happy
,
.
>l
<
A more brilliant assemblage o f the d ead will
be found in the church o f S anta C roce than
,
in any cemetery o f classic I ta ly
the work o f his own
pupils
In a tomb
.
the
,
painter
,
,
sculptor archi tect and man o f letters Michael
Angelo lies
Here rests G alileo
.
for unfolding
li ttle
In
,
,
,
farther
,
persecuted
the secrets o f the skies
M achiavel
place o f a
tomb
,
and
A ritia n
”
repose
poet D ante
,
—
.
the F lorentines have
substituted a picture in honour o f their
t ing uishe d
A
.
dis
and boast o f the glory
o f that bright spirit whom they permitted to
,
perish in penury and exile
.
Aft er
they sent a deputation to R ome
,
hi s
death
,
to request
that his remains which had been interred at
,
R avenna
,
might be restored ;
refused the request
,
bu t
observing that
the
pope
the lan d
that receive s the exile becomes his native one
”
.
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 12
inly mourning for the
B ut
co urage
,
your
man !
,
fortunes
separates
ho w
you
from
Mr
,
of L ady M ary
time ;
your
for
the
I
Shall
.
s ea
affectionate
too
F la nnega n
.
.
will never mar
he a d
ed
a second
you
acquaintance
R
loss
.
t ell
to win a wife
I should be much more obliged by your
lose
telling me how to
M ac D ermott
What
I
,
returned M r
.
.
can
—
one
”
it
be
possible ?
are
you
B ene di ct
I
The married man
am—
e v ery
by
thing connubial
I
stared
me
my
defunct
.
puzzle
and now affirm that you are worse
;
married
o ff
—
D ead
if a
demise
,
I am
family
”
,
returned M r M ac D ermott
.
in second
,
,
if
the
Go
.
for
my
clerk o f S aint P ancras can
ri v et the bonds o f Hymen
”
mour ning
;
be any proof ; and I am lawfully
,
married
you
Y ou
di scipl e
not long since you hinted that you were
—
“
at
ou
—
M
a
—
c
I
am
”
.
prepared
to
pit y
A
TO U R
—
N OT
SE N T IM E N I A L
I am obliged to you
cork
one
flask
of
shiplo a d of sympathy
C ome
t u na te
—
I
—
.
.
but extract
Rhenish
”
2 13
'
is
a
not her
worth
a
He filled a bumper
may as well ge t rid o f
confession and here goes :
an
u nfor
.
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O N S
2 16
.
as in duty bound averred upon his conscience
,
that there was no cure for a case like mine
,
,
”
but
rum and true religion
ll
an d every o f these reme dies
a
cline d,
when
the
’
O Fla gher ty ,
,
the E aster holiday s
,
I felt
decided my fate
,
I t was after dinner
garden
and I
,
leaving
,
disin
arri val o f my
opportune
maternal uncle C aptain
out into the
To the use o f
.
to spend
.
strolled
ha d
my
honour ed
parents their worthy guest and F ather D enis
,
,
B oyle in close d ivan
fresh cork
D ick
.
gallant captain
M y father extracted a
.
”
he said
,
addressing the
,
I dont know what the devil
,
to do with F rank
’
It s a mortal sin
.
to
see
a strapping fellow like him idling about the
,
stables
I offered him the farm o f
.
and to stock it into the bargain
hav e it
’
—
but he won t
”
.
And I wanted him
to marry Judi th
for the
D urneein,
a
sking
.
,
He can have Judy
and she has two thousand
;
Two hundred
,
,
O B rien
,
hops the twig
said my lady mother
-
’
pounds and that ready
’
”
a-
”
.
year when her grandfather
adde d th e com man der
.
’
M R MA C DE R M OTT S S TO RY
.
2 17
.
the dev il a soul her uncle has to
A nd
gi v e a rap to
as e v ery body knows
,
,
bu t
her own four bones and F ather B ra dley will
—
leav e a churn
-
fun
of ha lf crowns behind him
quoth the confessor
And
what
to the match
-
ha v e
objection can the boy
’
inquired C a p t a in
He can t abide poor Judy
eye
,
.
’
mamma
”
O Fla gher ty
”
,
.
replied my
because she has a tur n in her left
,
”
.
N onsense
”
“
said the ca ptain
let him
a lw a ys
look at her steadily in the right one
,
,
”
.
The fa mily is objectiona ble
sire
Her grandfa ther
.
and her aunt went
gea nt
,
fa ncy
pries t s
’
”
,
brogue maker
a
-
wi th a recru iting ser
.
B radley
do
,
rej oined my
”
Well
no
off
wa s
”
O
;
you know tha t F rank would hav e
to
and
nieces
cla im
kindred
’
there s
in
a
genera l
bser ved the captain
send him to E ngla nd
.
with
F ather
prejudice
aga ins t
It
will
ne v er
B ut I hav e i t
.
’
.
He s a t eari ng looking
-
fellow let him but play his cards decently
—
’
;
he ll bring home an heiress in h a lf
,
a-
d
an
ye a r
.
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TIO NS
2 18
.
N othing goes down there but an Irishman
and the more brogue the better
After
what
language
is
termed
”
.
in
an animated debate
parliamentary
”
it was de
,
cided that I should proceed dir ectly to the
B ritish metropolis
put myself in the way o f
,
fortune and conquest was a matt er o f cours e ;
,
while my
mother
,
honest gentlewoman
,
lo st
’
ght s rest in determining which of
half her
ni
”
the best bed rooms her daughter
-
the blue or the buff one
occupy
—
in-law
should
.
O n this excellent errand o f fortune hunting
-
I bade adieu to home
safely
A ll was
.
M
ight y m ss
a
and reached L ondon
,
strange to me in that
of
b r i ck
a nd
,
st o n e
,
a nd s
hippi ng
.
I took lodgings in a private street near R us
sell square ; and spent as fresh ones generally
—
-
do
—
a
whole week in looking for and at
the
”
lions
B efore I had occupied my quarters many
.
day s
,
I could not avoid noticing the marked
attention
with
which
my
movements
observed b y a stout gentlewoman
,
were
my oppo
220
a
R AM B
L I N G R E C O LLE C TI O NS
cleaned out man
-
guinea
”
.
and master of a solitary
,
!
N ever
wa s
I rish gentleman in more
an
uncharitable temper with the human race than
myself as I crossed R ussell square on the way
-
to my own dom icile
I t was evening and I
—
.
rema rked a young lady issue from a house
,
leading a Blenheim spaniel in a ribbon leash
She was scar cely twenty
when a v ulgar
to
her ,
o v er
,
.
av erted
p
u dence
dr essed ,
e v ident
her
quickened her p a ce
cut or
-
,
her
head ; but
fellow
something
seized
The girl
.
pretty
face
,
,
her perse
,
and
the
favourite
she
im
ribbon and
.
I hur ried
with tears running down her
was
,
me
lady
with intolerable
,
took possession of the
up
The
.
did
and so
whispered
before
fellow accosted
annoyance
He
the
yards
.
vainly
remonstrating with
the scoundr el but I took a shorter and more
—
successful method
—
kicked
him
way restored the Spaniel to
—
offered
my
protection
and gratefully accepted
,
hi s
which
off
the path
mistress and
—
was promptly
.
We traversed several
tr eet s ,
and stopped
’
M R MA C DE R M OTT S S TO RY
.
a handsome
at
residence
which
,
’
informed me was her father s
the
lady
She thanked
.
me and bade me good evening
,
admitted her ;
22 1
.
A footma n
.
I lingered
the door closed
for a minute ascertained the number of the
—
hous e
of
“
and read
—
u
Mr S elwyn
.
pon a brass plate the name
”
.
A s I walked home
whirlwind
—
my head was in
,
one while br ooding over my losses
at another dreaming o f the pretty girl
her dog
-
when my reveries
,
were broken by the maid
a sealed note
who handed me
,
I opened it
.
F or the
o f me I could not but laugh
it
—
invitation to tea from Mrs
,
gentlewoman opposite
!
the thing
Green
.
,
:
she
I hesitated : that
.
time for an hour
crossed the street
an
the stout
,
was too ridiculous
e v ening I had nothing to do
kill
was
life
Should I accept it
.
was older than my mother
would
d
an
I threw myself on th e so fa and
.
commenced cas tle b uilding
P shaw
a
.
:
hang it ! i t
I took my hat
and found myself in the
’
presence o f the sugar boiler s widow
-
.
Mrs Green was a comely dowager now fall
.
,
,
R AM B L I N G R E C O LLE C T I O N S
222
ing rapidly in to flesh
doubt
a nd
y ears
.
but who no
,
some t wenty sum mers s ince
,
was
,
of
fre
that class o f vulgar bea uty that one so
quently meets within the so und o f B ow be ll
-
Sh e was as much over
-
dr essed
ing room was over furnished
-
-
her
as
.
dr aw
I was introduced
.
by a piq uant and pretty looking spider b rusher
-
to her presence
never
saw
a
and
;
,
hostess
-
for some
minut es
and
g uest
her
,
I
more
grievously embarrassed than the widow and
mys elf
.
I shall abridge the in terview
recovered her
self
once to business
a-
year
cents
;
-
.
fir st ,
possession
Mrs
.
Green
an d cam e at
She had four hundr ed pounds
ten thousand pounds in th e three per
her house was fr eehold property ; an d all
;
was in her own power
pleased
.
.
,
to dispose o f as she
She was a lone woman
,
her ! her relatives were worthless
G od help
and undu
tiful she wanted a husband and an heir
—
and the fi na le was
tune were at my
O dds wrinkles
,
that her han d an d for
di sposal
.
here was a confession
What the devil wa s I to say or do
I stam
!
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
224
fore s een
and the
,
expected
ruin was
M y father
.
of
,
.
sudden
course
,
as
involved
w as
with bank s and bankrupts ; and before I
an intimation o f
danger
hi s
on the eve o f destruction
un
ha d
his affair s w ere
,
.
I awoke next morning possessor of a guinea
,
and deeply enamoured wi th the mistress o f the
pretty
B lenheim
L ondon
.
,
without supplies
,
is as everybody adm its a less endurable place
,
,
than purgatory ; though the latter
a bad name
I breakfa sted sat down to write
.
,
and reques t an imme dia te
B ut before I
.
my epistle
had
proce eded with
’
the postman s knock was heard
,
and a letter
in the
,
o f my worthy father
the maid
ce rtainly
—
a penitential letter
remittance
ha s
,
well
-
,
known handwriting
was duly delivered b y
.
I broke the seal impatiently
.
Heaven and
earth ! what a deta il o f adv erse fortune that
I t is needless to
brief despatch contained !
particularise ; but unless one thousand pounds
were immediately proc ured
means
,
,
he
,
with
ample
must yield to the unexpec ted pressur e
o f the times
,
and b e come
,
like
hundreds o f
’
M R MA C DE R M OTT S S TO RY
.
others
an insolvent
,
communication was
cousin o f ours
The chief obj ect o f this
.
to desire me to visit a
,
a retired physician
,
2 25
.
He lived
.
in the vicinity o f town ; was wealthy
less
widower
a
,
,
,
and a man of no expense
an d conse quently the
likeli e st
distre s sing emergency
quired loan
child
person
on this
,
to contribute the
,
re
.
’
N or was there any indelicacy on my father s
part in applying in
,
opulent kinsman
hi s
—
hi s
hour o f need to this
,
He had been an orphan
.
during his s truggles to advance him self in
li fe
’
my parent s roo f had been
,
shelter
hi s
’
and for three years
my father s purse
had
borne
o f college
and
the
expenses
terms
,
supplied the means o f starting successfully in
the metropolis
.
I sent for a post chaise
-
the dowager unopened
—
—
left a billet from
dr ove
six mile s
town found out my relative
—
—
from
told him my
business begged the required loan and offered
—
to
—
oin my fa ther (a tenant for life ! in any
security he wo uld demand He listened coldly
,
,
,
.
replied that through life he had neither lent
,
L
2
226
nor borrowed
He
.
.
and remarked that he could not
—
be expected
rule
L I N G R E C O LLE C T I O N S
R AM B
ne w
lied ,
deviate from a general
to
the scoundrel
B ut for my
!
’
father s assistance he never could have obtained
a diploma
I left him with a look o f scorn
,
.
and a smothered curse
I reached
I
w hen
o wner
my lodgings
had
of
.
before two
discharged the post boy
-
a
splendid shilling
”
rascally world after all
was
,
I strode
.
through the room like a maniac
and
,
I t was a
.
M y kind and noble
.
hearted father for lack o f a miserable thou
,
sand
,
mus t sink
~
and he
the
,
whose fortunes he had founded
that paltry sum
scoundr el
had refused
,
’
I knew my parent s temper :
.
his proud hea rt would break
What was t o
.
I flung myself in bitter
be done
,
lVIr s
gony
’
upon the sofa
,
second time
to ask me to see her mistress
,
for five minut es
as
a
‘
.
G reen s maid ca me a
.
Why need I dwell upon it
’
diffi culties had dri v en me desperate
ca lmly to the dowager
ho w
.
I listened
and told her frankly
,
I was embarrassed
My father s
.
.
The interview ended
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
228
.
I was far too early for the coach
sho uld I turn my steps to
house
for I
—
dwelli ng
for me
the sweet girl whom
,
rescued from insult
ha d
—
I adv anced
me
e vening
G od
—
,
little
knows why
and with smiles
te cting her
—
bade me a good
,
who
,
him
she had not permitted
obligation in person
was at home
to
acknowledge
every
her parent
;
would I accompany her
;
word
could
hav e
and
,
O G od ! how
stung me to
the
soul
artless
and
be au
Here was a being young
—
the
She was return
.
allow her to introduce me
.
a
regretted that
ing from visiting a sick relative
her
.
She recog
.
told me that she had mentioned
occurrence to her fa ther
I
,
she thanked me again for pro
,
.
B lenheim
With all the artless warmth o f
.
young he a rt
tiful
a
I walked rapidly to the square ; and
.
issued with her favourite the
deeply
own
no any place but that home
,
two evenings before I
the
To my
P
—
from the same house
nis ed
Where
now absolute master o f
w as
No
.
.
,
lo v ed
,
.
her worshippe d
B ut I was bound to one
—
from
I could expect no congenial feelin gs
.
whom
I
wa s
’
M R MA C D E R M OTT S S TO RY
.
229
.
a victim at the altar a n isolated and devoted
wr etch doomed to see happiness within his
—
—
grasp
and
,
Tantalus like
-
were re fused him
from
his heart s wishes
,
.
some pretext I declined an intro
U nder
duction
’
to
Mr
L ondon
S elwyn
.
was
To tear myself
.
impossible
e v ery
and
,
evening found me walking with my pretty
I resided in a village near town ;
M arianne
the
week
elapsed
I
;
remained
p
’
and
er a u,
postponed my return to the Greek kalends
’
The
sugar boiler s
however
to become
,
thi s arrangement
;
leav e of ab s ence
off
relict
-
in
the
d
had
expired
R ed R o v er
was
her
inclined
on the very
reclaim her truant lord
Great
not
,
consenting p a rt y to
a
an
was
.
for
my
da y
she bundled
,
C heltenham
,
to
.
m ort ifi ca tion
finding
at
my name unnoticed in the list o f fashion
a
bles
.
A rapid search was made
that I
presence
ha d
,
it
a
ppeared
not fa v oured C heltenha m with my
and she set
off
for
but not wiser then she left it
t o be done
—
town
.
,
s a dder
What
wa s
A tender inv itation t o return
.
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
230
was inserted in the ne wspapers
e mployed to
street runner
treat
discover my
had
so
happened
that
finest peasantry on the earth
me with
the
took
and a B ow
re
.
It
to
,
.
a
call
dowager
her longing
and
;
arms
”
A ccident
.
the
introduced
him
M agin
der
un
to restore me to
,
He
.
of
had honour ed
Tony
for a consideration
,
one
averred
could do it but himsel f ;
that
none
he would know
my skin upon a bush and swear to my walk
,
a mil e
deemed
one
off
”
.
hi s
o f my
strong
Sure enough the
pledge
inter views
that
a
.
cost him broken bones
cline d
lady gay
”
,
and
recognition
having
wo uld
Tony pr udently de
,
,
and reported to the
di scovered
.
in the innocency o f my heart
,
dreamed
not of the agreeable surprise in prepara tion
and wr apped in my
,
,
the exact spot where her errant
consort might be
I
-
renewing our acquaintance in the street
but watched me home
“
re
popped upon m e during
—
e v ening
suspicions
scoundrel
dressing
-
,
gown was drown
,
ing uneasy thoughts over a trial for mur der
’
M R MA C DER M OTT S S TO RY
.
in
T he
H er a ld,
23 1
.
and between the production
o f fresh witnesses was quietly sipping my
The door opened
l
al
wor
no doubt
—
with a fresh mu ffi n
I
arms enfolded me —
bride
”
had
B ehind
,
looke d
the
t ea
.
maid of
A pair o f lusty
.
looked
u
p
—
bonny
my
me closely in her embrace
the villain Tony was standing ; for
!
,
doubtful of the reception his employer would
receive
,
he prudently enacted rear rank man
-
keeping the door
j r
a a
to secur e a retreat on
,
the first demonstration o f hostilities
I retur ned a captive
of my dear
motive
influenced
passive subm ission
afterwards
the
,
as
C ontinent
,
D uring
my
left
our
and the
,
hearts was revealed
part
,
,
this
L ondon
last
walk
for
I
secret of both
I loved her
.
p a ssion was returned
,
,
the
Alas ! I seldom saw her
.
took leave of her
of my marriage
I suspect
on
her father
.
.
but the contigui ty
;
Ma rianne was
that
,
,
and my
To confess the s t ory
.
was an effort that I had
neither virtue nor resolution to achie v e ; and
ll
a
Mari a nne knew was that at present a b a rrier
,
to our happiness existed ; and I solemnly promised
,
R AM B L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
23 2
that were it removed
mine
.
I should
,
make
her
.
To exist in town after that she left it was
impossible ; for to add to my embarrassments
,
my consort every
became
da y
an d mor e troublesome
in m y detection I
Tony
.
ha d
,
more tender
whose agency
,
not yet
di scovered ,
wa s retained by m y helpmate in the house ;
I
and
wherever
lik e
my shadow
spired ; I was
under strict
went
v illain followed
the
,
The truth at length tran
.
no
longer
a free agent
-
,
but
and that once known
—
i
e
o na
p
g
es
decided me in the course that I adopted
I levanted
forthwith
,
I hastened to the sea side
Magin apprehended me
.
and my adventures
for the next three months would
-
,
fill
a volum e
.
and there Tony
,
I hid myself in the
.
retirement o f an inland villa ge but the villain
,
discovered
me in a fortnight
.
O n every place
where I sought concealm ent he
,
blun der
keeper
—
I
obta ined
a
wa s
situation
as
sur e to
game
and had scarcely entered on my ser vice
wh en the eternal Tony appeared at the next
public house
-
.
I j oined a party o f strolling
23 4
a
R AM B
L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O N S
dvance a guinea
O f course I determined to
.
keep m y own counsel
the fa ct that I
and drawn a p ri ze
—
service
and not communicate
,
’
lov e s
ventured in
ha d
at Kiltycor m a ck
.
,
I was j oyfully receiv ed
.
I
lotte ry
”
had done
by timely
the s tate some
assistance had averted
the danger that was impen ding and enabled
—
my father to sur mo unt difficulties and maintain
his independence while
all
,
A month passed
r e-
q
u
aroun d were ruined
ietly ;
captur e had been made
;
no
.
attempt at
and I began to
hope that my fat admirer would not prove a
P enelope but allow time to abat e her sorrow
,
an d obliterate the image o f her absent lord
My father spoke occasionally on
the world
and my mother
touching Miss
Judy
O B rien
.
.
settling in
dr opped
’
,
She
sly hints
was a
greater catch it would appear than ever ; for
,
,
the priest had been gathered to his fathers
aft er bequeathing the produce o f
exertions to this
hi s
hi s
fa vourite niece
O Fla ghert y
clerical
.
I t was a fine autumnal evening
’
,
;
C aptain
had come over to shoot partridges
,
and a few friends were invited to do him
’
M R MA C D E R M OTT S S TO RY
.
honour
23 5
.
All save the p a rson attended in good
.
,
,
time ; and he being a late man it was resolved
,
him
to vote
present
D inner was ordered
.
accordingly when wheels grated over the gravel
,
announcing that the absentee was come
Step out Arthur
,
”
hurry
’
the doctor or he ll take half an hour to
,
the hall
.
said the captain ;
,
,
p
ee
l
in
as he never ventures out in the
,
”
evening without being swathed like a mummy
I obeyed the order opened the door and
.
—
—
found myself in the close embraces o f a female
w ell
while a
-
remembered v oice exclaimed tri
behind
um pha ntly
,
Arrah
mistress dear that
,
!
’
didn t I tell ye
,
he was over ground I
if
”
would find him for ye P
“
I
was
petrified
with horror ; but
gagi ng myself from my
’
consort s
di s en
arms
’
jumped do wn the steps ; rep aid Tony s
tions in recovering me with a flush
left him spra wling
madly
to
on the
the
stables
visitor s
horse
which
saddled
rode
’
,
whither
.
,
off
—
ground ;
hit
,
I
exer
that
rushed
and le a ping
upon a
fortunately
remained
at speed
,
and G od knew
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O N S
23 6
I stopped at an obscure
.
s he be e n- ho us e ,
and
’
despatched a courier for C aptain
O Fla gher ty
He came and I le a rned from
m that the
—
hi
.
,
astonishment of my parents was only exceeded
by the anxiety o f my wi fe
hapless
at
story
escape
,
—
—
I told him my
.
enum erated my various e fforts
and
confessed
that
concealment
withi n the four seas o f B ritain was
cable
—
that is if Tony remained unhanged
,
captain agreed with me and we sat
,
upon
lVIr
.
M agin
in
.
The
judgment
.
I t can be easily managed
‘
im prac ti
”
,
said my adv iser ;
it is only to pass the villain for a bailiff
and as a matter o f course
,
annihilate him on
simpler
scheme
the
for
the tenants will
,
spot
.
deliveran ce
your
shall leave the kingdom
report o f your death
,
B ut I have a
.
Y ou
while we spread a
,
and
thus enable the
old gentlewoman to replace you if she please
The plan was
a
greed to
replenished my purse
manteau
—
extii ca t e d
—
The
.
”
.
commander
smuggled out my port
me from pursuit by a forced
march across the mountains and after a safe
—
an d ra pid j ourn ey I reach e d Paris undiscovered
,
R AMB L I N G RE C O L LE C TIO NS
238
compliment
to
my
memory
a
,
.
lthough
there
was n ot a particle of evidence to criminat e
him the jury determined to find him guilty ; and
,
,
but for the interference o f the judge the dea ler
,
in hardware would have
spoiled a market
and orn amented a dissectin g room afterwards
-
Y ou know my story now
to add
,
”
,
.
I have only
.
that my wife is erecting a tombstone
to my memory and that the obituary notice s
,
in the newspapers were numerous and
ing
fl a tter
Hitherto I have remained undiscovered
.
C aptain
’
O Fla ghert y
.
sends me the supplies
and I expect to find a letter from him waiting
for me in R ome
.
I may as well tell
a ll
.
M arianne was the magnet that brought me
here
Y ou have se e n her
.
many
days
Heigh ho
!
pass
,
,
have that
and may
before
,
pleas ur e
again
.
Why the de vil do you keep the
’
D on t you perceive how much
bottle there
that confession has overcome me
I could not
on the
when we separated but ponder
,
,
m a dcap
’
s history ; and when I
d reamed that Tony had discovered
capitol
,
did
us
sleep
in
,
t he
and that th e disconsolate bride had
A TO U R
memori alized
N OT SEN TI M EN T A L
—
Holiness the P ope for resti
hi s
o f conjugal rights
t ut ion
23 9
.
.
916
*6
We left for R ome next morning
left C ortona on the left
A rizzo
the
slept at
—
crossing
mountain o f Spelonca and halted on the
,
shores o f lake P erugia
o
,
lim T hra sim ene
The adj a cent plain is full o f classic
tions
Here was
.
the b a ttle
Hannibal defeated the R omans
with tremendous slaughter
self fell
—
-
fi eld
im
der
.
llec
r eco
on whi ch
Fla m inius
The cons ul
.
,
him
and the blood of ten thousand R omans
coloured the waters o f the
the mountain stream was
a
S anguinetto
”
,
as
ppropria tely entitled
.
The pla in on which the battle was decided
is small and stretches between the la ke
,
the heights o f
from
G u a la ndr a
the hills
T hra sim ene
and
.
a nd
Two rivulets descend
unite
their
waters
in
O ne divides the Papal from the
.
Tuscan territories ; the other (the Sanguinetto !
bounds the scene o f bloodshed O r; the heights
upon the left the ruins of a tower are point ed
,
.
,
out by the peas a ntry as being the pla ce from
,
whi ch the C arth a ginian general directed the
2 40
R AM B
L I NG RE C O LLE C TIO NS
movements o f his troops
slaughter o f
enemies
hi s
and witn e ssed the
,
O f the
.
.
loca le
of the
battle there never has been a doubt ; and had
there been
any
,
the immense quantities
of
human and animal bones disinterred at vari ous
times would hav e sufficiently denoted the scene
,
of
foughten field
”
.
We crossed the Tiber soon aft er leav ing
and trav elled the valley o f P erugia
T hra s im ene ,
e steemed
t he
richest in I taly
several pretty hamlets
,
,
P assing through
.
and a rich la ndscape
int erspersed with several interesting remn a nts
o f antiquity we stopped for
di nner
,
at Spoletto
,
the place where Hannibal was repulsed after
the battle of
at least
T hra sim ene ;
inscription on one o f the gates
,
.
The aqueduct across a deep dell
o f an amphitheatre
conv erted into
waterfall
,
the
—
a
so says an
the ruins
—
temple o f D iana now
a church
—
and
the
C aduta del Marmora
beautiful
”
,
formed
by the Volino precipitating its stream from a
ledge four hundred feet high into the ri v er
Var
occupied us next day
,
route
,
.
R esuming our
we passed Nar ni and its magnifice nt
242
R AM B
L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
.
oth the C hri st i n T im e W Floo d nd Fi e
’
H v e d e l t upo n the s e v e n hille d it y s p r i d e
Sh
w he r glo r ie s s t r b y s t r e xpi r e
A nd b y th s t eep b rb r i n m o n rc h s r i d e
Whe r e the
c limbe d the C pitol f nd wi d e
T e m ple nd towe r we n t d ow n n o r le ft
s ite
C h o s f r uins ! Wh s h ll tr c e the v oi d
T he G
a
,
a
a
a
a
e
a
,
a
o
a
,
ar a
a
,
o
r
a
a
a
a
,
a
ca r
,
c
-
e sa
a
a r,
,
,
.
a
CHIL DE
HA R
O L D.
We were not many hour s in R ome until we
’
visited S t P eter s
.
.
Having entered
the eternal
”
city b y the P orta Angelica we passed in front
,
o f the chur ch an d our curiosity was too strongly
,
e xcited to allow a delay be fore we had inspected
the interior o f this
wonder o f the world
”
.
P rovided with a cicerone and a guide book we
-
,
cro ss e d the Tiber accordingly by the bridge
of
San Angelo an d turni ng to the le ft up a narr ow
,
,
and filthy street
,
entered the Grand Piazza
M uch as the stranger may be prepared to adm ire
.
,
his imaginatio n will fall infinitely short o f the
scene that there presents itself
.
A splen di d
colonnade with quadruple columns forms a semi
,
circular sweep and nearly incloses the vast area
,
I n the c entre stands the E gyptian obelisk
red granite
,
.
of
between two ex quisite foun tains
,
A TO U R
N OT SE N TI M EN T A L
—
243
.
which throw their waters to a height of forty
feet
U nder
.
a covered portico
,
surmounted
by equestrian statues o f C onstantine and C harle
magne
,
we entered by the middle door
the
denly ,
curtain was withdrawn
—
S ud
.
and the
interior burst upon us with a magnificent b eauty
,
’
that even a poet s fancy could not create
To describe S t
.
’
P eter s is impossible
.
.
On
every side the richest m a rbles present themselves
,
so elaborately beautiful that the eye can hardly
,
rest upon any indi vidual effort of the chisel
suffi ciently long to find out half its charms
The
.
mosaic work is so exquisite that it seems for a
-
,
time to have been produced by a pencil ; while
through lofty arches
altars
’
d
ce il
,
,
chapels and tombs
,
crowd upon the gaze
,
offering a
,
and
co u
p
that produces a mingled feeling o f asto
ni shm ent
and delight
.
And yet upon this grand and won dr ous display
my companion looked with in difference
a
I gazed
round with ra ptur ous surprise as advancing up
,
the nave
,
the altar
in
our
,
front by a curious
optical illusion appeared receding as we appro a ched
it
.
Passing the bronze image o f the patron saint
,
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O N S
2 44
.
once the Jupiter o f the C apitol our guide while
,
,
enumerati ng its beauties
,
directed
attention
o ur
to the toes which as he averred were polished
,
,
,
Mr M ac D ermott
,
with an i rr everence that startled the cicerone
,
by the kisses o f the faithful
.
.
“
observed that
were feet to be saluted there
,
were ancles before
that he would prefer to
him
’
every saint s in the calendar
to a kneeling devotee
friend
did
and he pointed
-
Although my excellent
.
not spe ak the purest Tuscan the lady
,
appeared to understand the compliment and lift
,
,
ing her dark and sparkling eyes from her rosary
requited it
a gracious s mile
wi th
—
,
while shocked
,
at th e desperate impiety that would compare
sinful flesh with sainted bronze the guide like
,
a true C atholic
,
crossed himself devoutly
,
muttered an anathema against
,
and
our heretical
unb elief
.
>l
<
The C apitol
cia t ed
—
what recollections are asso
with the name
wretchedness
,
>1<
Through filth
!
and ruins
,
,
and
we reached its base
,
and by a lofty flight o f marble stairs mounted
to the chur ch o f Aro
C
aelia ,
situated on the
R AMB L I N G RE C O L LE C TI O NS
246
.
the best preserved temple o f ancient R ome
.
The
inscriptions in front o f the b uilding intimate its
having been erected by M A grippa twenty six
-
.
years be fore the C hristian era
.
The P antheon
is celebrated for the beauty o f its proportions
.
It i s ornamented with sixteen column s formed
from single blocks of oriental granite each four
,
teen feet
height
circumference
in
,
and nearly forty in
There are no windows in the building
.
,
light being admitted thr ough a circular opening
in the roof
This matchless temple is now used
.
as a church and dedicated to the Virgin and
,
holy mar tyrs
.
Ar ound the walls are many busts
o f striking beauty
of
lik enesses ;
,
displaying a curious v a ri ety
for there sculp t ors and monks
painters and cardinals are singularly intermingled
,
,
.
We happened to be present while mass was
being celebrated
ill-looking
—
.
The priest was exce ssively
and his audi ence consisted o f a dozen
o f the shabbiest paupers that R ome itself produces
How we drew down upon us the ire o f
reverence
“
.
his
I never could discover ; but attracted
by his noise and gesticulation we soon discovered
,
that his
di scour se
was dir ected at our selves ; and
,
A TO U R
—
N OT SE N TI M EN T A L
247
.
to j udge from the manner o f the orato r his
,
rem ark s were any thing but complimentary
ruffia n
audi tory began to grin
a
t
us
.
The
and the
,
gui de hinted that it would be prudent to retreat
.
B ut Mac was obstinate in remaining— and s wore
sturdily that he would not quit the P antheon for
the pope l
The storm momently lowered ; the
priest anathematized awfully ; and my companion
res ponded in an unknown tongue
.
The mutter
ings o f the banditti that surrounded the preacher
ala med me and I j oin e d our cicerone in urging
r
—
my companion to retir e
He did s o reluctantly
.
What the devil were y ou afraid of
was
.
hi s
first remark when we were safe outside the walls
.
D o you think I cared for his curses if he bel
,
lowed till he was black in the face
Wa s I not
called out in th e chapel at home
M y name
,
indeed was not mentioned ; but F ather Murphy
,
des cribed me to a hair
stood Irish
—
Ah if y ou only under
,
.
for one blessing we got
mountebank had three
!
”
,
the old
Indeed I believe i t
was the cas e ; for duri ng the maledictory struggle
’
Mr Mac D ermott s volubility was astoni shing
.
.
,
R AMB L I N G R E C O LLE C TI O NS
2 48
A s a set
-
f
of
.
against the anathemas o f the
monk o f the P antheon we have received the
,
benediction o f the S overeign P ontiff and
,
re
turned to our hotel delighted with the urbani ty
,
and gentleness o f a most interesting old man
Having rea ched the p a lace
.
we found that our
,
arri v al was most opportune for the pope was
,
des cending the stairs to enter his carriage which
,
waiting at the door and we were just in
wa s
,
time to gain the end o f the hall before he made
his appear ance
A servant politely directed us
.
to kneel and pointed out the best and most
,
convenient situation to observ e the person o f his
holiness and secure
,
no unced
his
’
blessing
the pope s entran ce
;
,
purple an d fine linen
dignity
,
an
down we popped
upon our knees as a little figure
”
A buzz
.
clothed in
,
advanced with great
.
P iu s V II appeared to have passed his eigh
.
t ie th
man
.
year but he was still a well looking old
-
,
He
w a s idr e ss ed
in a crea m coloured gown
-
,
lined with crimson and bound round
hi s mi ddle
by a sash
,
,
.
.
His hat was crimson silk its broad
brim looped up at the sides
.
S carlet br ee ches
2 50
R AM B
L I N G RE C OL LE C TI ON S
.
th e hous ehold ; and another subsidy
sented
A third and a four th succeeded
.
pre
wa s
but
—
when the fifth laid claim to our consideration
Mr
’
M ac D ermott s irascible temperature
.
directly in a blaze
,
wa s
and pushing the applican t
,
aside he consigned the whole establishment in
,
,
one fell Swoop
na t ely
his
footman
to pandemonium
,
E nglish was
as
,
”
his
!
F ort u
unintelligible to the
as
Irish had been to the monk ;
and I ended the argum ent by r emoving m y
fi a ctory
re
‘
companion
A visit to S t
.
peramb ulations over
church
was
L a t ern
John
.
concluded our
the eternal city
erected by C onstantine
—
”
This
.
and
,
as
an
object o f interest to the traveller it is considered
,
’
only second to S t P eter s
.
the P orta G iovanni
structed
rebuilt
and enlarged
chapel is erected
—
h
a us
p g
XI I
.
o f porphyry
would be
highly
.
,
.
O verthrown by
burnt down
recon
In it the C orsino
.
wh ere
ar e d eposited
I t s tands n ear
and many have be e n the
,
ca s ualties it has undergone
an e ar thquake
.
,
the
in a beautiful sa rco
ashes
o f C lement
The curious
in relics
gratifi e d at the intere sting
A TO U R
—
N OT SE N TI M EN T A L
251
.
collection exhibited to th e faithful on Holy
Thursday
—
for a more mis cellaneous
never delighted a devotee
of St
P eter and St
.
ssortment
Here are the he ads
.
P aul ; a
.
a
lock
o f the
’
Virgi n s hair ; part o f her petticoat ; a robe
o f C hri st ; some o f his blood in a bottle ; the
table on which the last supper wa s laid out ;
splinters o f the ark of the covenant ; the rods
o f M oses and A ar on ; and the identical pillar
on whi ch the cock perched who crowed when
P eter d enied his M aster
!
B ut these are o f
small account compared with the holy stair
case opposite the church by which our Saviour
,
descended from the j udgment seat o f Pilate
-
!
N one are permitted to asce n d except upon
their knee s
—
and to
i s totally prohibited
des cend,
B ut if the ta sk o f mounting be troublesome
v erily the rewar d is great
operator
,
for an indulgence
—
o f three thousand years
.
is
granted to the
A t the top o f the s taircase is the
”
Holy of Holies
and a most uninviting
.
—
place
it looks
.
I recommended
D ermott to liberate
hims el f
Mr
.
Mac
from the load o f
his sins as he never could effect it on ea sier
,
R AMB L I N G RE C O L L E C TI O N S
2 52
condition s ;
but
with heretical obstin a cy
,
rej ected my advic e
ca s e
.
he
,
and chose the other stair
,
.
My tutelage is ended
Thanks to the gods
!
”
M r M ac D ermott no longer honour s R ome with
.
his presen e
c
history
and a new e ra
—
ope ned in
ha s
his
.
B rea k fas t was over and I had unclosed an
,
E nglish newspaper when a visitor was announced
and adm itted
it was
our
The fir st look assured me tha t
.
uondam
f
ellow
traveller
q
-
—
M
O n being seated I remarked that he
,
r
.
S elwy n !
greatly
wa s
agitated while my excellent companion was not
,
exactly on a bed o f roses
.
After a few common
place observations and a long pause
gentleman turned to my worthy
I am come
,
Mr
.
M
ac
the old
,
di sciple
D ermott
,
.
on any
thing but an agreeable errand ; yet parenta l
duty
renders
this
duty
indi spensable
My
.
daughter has placed thi s letter in my hand
and it is only necessary for me to add th a t
,
from a perusal o f it s contents
,
;
,
M arianne and
R AMB L I NG RE C O L L E C TI O N S
2 54
I am incapable
.
eve n in thought o f injur ing
,
,
the only woman I ever loved or ever shall love
We
I
m us t p a r t
—
I
will leave
R
.
ome this evening
will fly from her whom I idoliz e her whom
—
I wo uld give a world to call
mine
M r S elwyn was affected and
.
,
I
”
.
alm ost became
’
a driveller ; for there was a sincerity in M ac s
sorrow that none could witness with
ence
indiffer
To conceal my feelings I caught up the
.
newspaper and glanced my e ye over the columns
,
of
T he
continued
Y es
M
,
,
.
Alas
a rr ie d
A y,
while m y unhapp y disciple
sir a barrier
,
daughter
T imes ,
”
sir —
!
divides
me from y our
I am already married
!
”
.
”
in
a moment o f madne ss
a father from ruin
sacrificing my s elf
,
—
to s ave
I obtained the means by
”
.
From my soul I pity you
S elwyn
”
,
said Mr
.
’
.
B ut my daughter s peace o f mind
must not be perilled by a contin ued intimacy
would be dan gerous
it
sir
.
wish e s
—
indelica t e
.
W e part
,
M y poor M arianne se nds you her be s t
A TO U R
Stop
!
stop
!
”
SEN TI M EN T A L
N O T
—
I exclaimed
2 55
.
as my eye fell
,
upon a paragraph that astoni shed me
I rea d it silently
I ejaculated
“
True
It is true by H
,
.
n
.
What is true ?
!
Again
.
”
I handed M r S elwyn the newspaper and he
,
.
read the passage I pointed out
.
D ied suddenly at her residence in Great
,
R us s ell street
-
Sarah relict o f the late Arthur
,
,
M ac D ermott
,
E sq
.
,
county o f R oscommon
of Kilty corm a ck House
’
.
And what was the result
colonel
,
i
nqui red the
.
P shaw
surely you can guess it !
,
’
Y ou don t mean marriage
I do
.
,
”
I hope
Within ten days Marianne S elwyn
,
in the E nglish chapel plighted her vows to
,
my fri end
Arthur ;
d
an
Irish
the
papers
corrected their obituary mistake and declared
,
that the heir of Kiltycorm a ck wa s not
but
m a r r ied
”
.
de a d
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C T I ON S
2 56
W ell ce rtainly
,
the
little
”
obs e rved th e colonel
of
unique
headed be y ond belie f
,
right place after
-
m y ex cellent co un trymen
memorandum book
mortals
morocco bo und
his
p
-
are
all
co nstruction
”
.
a ll
,
ra
lity ,
wrong
—
but the h eart in the
Y ou will admi t also wi th
”
as
,
,
ocke t t e d
lawyer
.
illibe
your
rej oined the kinsman o f the commander
that the tone and
order o f society
,
,
d
an
especially those o f the aristocrac y have un der
,
gone
a
s triking re formation
has been abroad
The
.
s
choolmas ter
”
.
And upon my conscience
,
the schoolmas ter
had an ample field on which he might display
his abilities
”
,
remarked the host
.
Have not the habits and mann ers o f the
gentry
,
even
within
your
own
recollection
,
become infinitely more civilized and e nlight ened
Why
”
,
replied the com mander drily
,
,
men
do not lock up their company for security
and
drink
,
six and thirt y hours at a str etch
nor are inattentive waiters
ej ected from an
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
258
is not to be a duelli st
which
to
many a
been forced
high
I t i s an alternative
.
-
.
minded gentleman has
for there are inj uries to which
—
sensitive honour is exposed over whi ch the
,
can take no cogni zance
as a practice
—
la w
I reprobate duelling
.
and a melancholy reminisce nce
associated with my boyhood made
sion never to be removed
impres
an
,
On e fatal duel
.
,
,
and the extensive misery it occasioned taught
,
me a lesson which more than once I believe
,
,
proved useful
pa ssions exist
the
necessity
,
,
where strong
o f guarding rigidly against their
,
hasty eb ullition
.
C ome
glasse s while I proceed
,
gentlemen
,
fill
your
”
.
The colonel showed a laudable example to
hi s
tiv e
gue s ts
,
and thus commen c e d
his
n arra
T HE C O N DE M N E D SOL DI E R
.
n ow s a i d G e n tle m e n I will d eta i n y ou n o lo n ge r fo I
d e s ir e n ot to p r otr t my life s lute d the m with a n i of chee r
ful n e ss whi h d r ew te a rs fr o m e v e ry e y e but hi s own ; a nd h a s te n e d
to the sc a ffol d
D A H O
LO D B
O
He
,
ac
,
,
,
r
a r
a
c
”
.
E
IF
AL M E R IN
R
F
T
.
the present times be chargeable with increase
o f crime
,
it will be admitted that there is a
striking cha nge in the grade and chara cter o f
the crimina ls
ma de
state
A certain order of things has
.
Offences
infrequent
against treason are now
and
a
G
dead letter in the
’
statute book
the armoury
a
enactments
the hea dsman s axe
o f the tower
”
rusts in
N oble L ords
entlemen o f an cient des cent
ppear at the bar o f justice
—
”
”
seldom
and rarer still
,
does capital punishment fall upon any removed
,
by birth and fortune from the lowlier classes of
the community
.
That this change is attributa ble to any
r e for
mation in the principles of the upper ranks
,
R AMB L I N G R E C O LL E C TIO N S
2 60
.
would be a questionable inference
re ferable to a simple cause
and it is
In our days the
.
high born and the wealthy have small induce
-
ment to violate the salutary restrictions o f the
law
—
and howe v er the moral code may be
fringed
,
breaches
the criminal
of
respect ed
one is
privilege and honour
in
In
.
aristocratic
,
delinquency is generally comprised
and loss
—
o f character and caste are the severest penal
ties incurred by the offenders
There are
recollection
found
.
,
,
however
,
.
and within
o ur
own
some melancholy exceptions to
be
M en o f superior rank have occasionally
presented themselves as criminals
—
and as the
,
well being o f society demanded the impartial
-
,
hand o f j ustice visited their
unmitigated severity
offendi n s
g
.
O f the few unhapp y cases
remembered with lively regre t
,
-
a
more
may be
one
F or no crime
were there more n umerous apologists
punishment
with
—
for no
general s ympathy
—
and
while the sentence was accordant to the law
,
the sternest ethic lamented that justice r equired
a victim lik e M aj or Alexand er C ampbell
.
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 62
.
table had been deserted for the theatre
the o fficers had patronized a play
p
u ta nt s
,
wher e
and the
—
di s
were le ft together at a moment when
the presence o f a judicious fri end might have
easily averted the catastrophe
Heated with wine
.
and exasperated by what he concei v ed a
sioual insult
,
r ofe s
p
C ampbell left the table hastened
,
,
to his apartments loaded his pistols retur ned
,
,
,
sent for C ap t ain B oyd bro ught him to an inner
,
mess room
-
closed the door
,
and
,
without the
,
presence o f a friend or witness demanded instant
,
satis faction
.
Shots were promptly interchanged
and by the first fire B oyd fell mortally wounded
,
,
.
The dying man was removed to his barrack
rooms and C ampbell hastened from the scene o f
,
blood
.
The storm o f passion quickly subsided
,
and the bosom o f the wretched homicide was
tortured with unavailing remorse
.
In a state of
mental frenzy he rushed to the chamber where
his victim lay supported by his distracted wife
,
and surrounded by his infa nt family
knees the homicide supplicated pardon
B oyd to admit
U pon
.
,
d
urged
”
The
an
that every thing was fa ir
his
.
dying man whose sufferings were intense to the
,
,
TH E C O NDE M NE D S O LD I E R
repeated entreaties o f his
Y es
it
—
bad man
—
was fair but
—
opponent replied
C ampbell
,
you hur ried me
wards expired
in
2 63
.
”
,
you are a
and shortly after
,
’
his wife s arms
.
When the melancholy event was communi
ca t ed,
left
him
at the s olicitation o f his friends C ampbell
the town
—
N
.
O
attempt was made to arrest
and he might have remained in p a rtial
retirement had he pleased
B ut his high spirit
.
could not brook concealment
—
and
,
contrary to
the entreaties o f his fa mily and the Opinion of
,
hi s professional advis ers he determined to risk
,
a trial
and in due time he surrendered himself
—
,
previous to the summer assizes
.
F rom the moment the unfortunate duellist
entered the prison gates his mild and gentle
,
manly demeanour won the commiseration o f all
within
The governor confident in the honour
.
,
o f his prisoner subjected
him
,
to no restraint
he occupied the apartment s of the keeper went
—
over the buildi ng as he ple a sed
fr iends
—
—
received his
held unrestricted communication with
all that sought him
but in nam e
.
—
and in fact was a captiv e
,
,
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 64
I Shall never forget the
13
.
th o f August
,
1 8 08
.
’
I arrived in Armagh the evening o f the maj or s
trial and when I entered the court house the
-
,
,
j ury had retired to consider the verdict they
should pronounce
The trial had been tedious
.
twilight had fallen
—
and the hall of justice dull
,
at best was rendered gloomier from the parti a l
,
glare o f a few candles placed upon the bench
,
where Judge
was seated
A breathless
.
anxiety pervaded the assembly and the ominous
,
silence that reigned throughout the court was
unbroken b y a single whisper
sual
dr ead ,
I felt an unu
.
a sinking o f the h eart a
difficulty
,
of
respiration as I timidly looked round the melan
,
chol
y
crowd
.
M y eyes rested on the j udge
he was a thin bilious looking being and his cold
-
,
and marble features had caught an unearthly
expression from the shading produced by the
accidental disposition o f the candles
dered as I gazed upon him
fellow
-
—
.
I shud
for the fa te o f a
creature was hanging upon the firs t words
that should issue from the lips o f that stern and
inflexible old man
.
F rom the judge my eyes
turned to the criminal
—
what a subj ect the con
R AMB L I N G RE C O L L E C TI O N S
2 66
a
ll unmoved ,
his sentence
.
he pronoun ced and C ampbell hea r d
,
.
While the short address whi ch sealed the
’
prisoner s fate was being delivered
o f the court
wa s
the silence
,
broken o nly by smothered sobs
but when the sounds ceased
,
L ord hav e
and
”
mercy on your soul issued from the ashy lips o f
that stern old man a groan o f horror burst from
,
the auditory
and the Highland soldi ers
,
thronged the cour t ejacula ted a wild
,
,
who
Am en
”
,
while their flashing eyes betrayed how power
fully the fate o f their unhappy countryman had
affected them
N or
did
.
the result o f
hi s
trial
dis tur b
the
’
keeper s confidence in the honour o f the con
demned
soldi er
O n his retur n to the jail a
,
.
simple assur ance that he wo uld not escape was
required and given ; and to the last C ampbell
,
enj oyed
the comfort and liberty which the
all
prison could afford
M eantime
to save him
,
.
.
the strongest exertions were made
P etition s from the j ury the grand
panel o f the county
,
,
and the inhabitants o f
TH E C O NDE M NED S O LD I E R
2 67
.
Armagh were forwarded to the lord lieutenant ;
,
but the j udge declined to recommend the convict
,
and consequently the Irish go v ernment refused
to interfere
A respite however was sent down
.
,
,
,
to allow the case o f the unfortunate gentleman
to be submitted to the king
.
’
F or a time the agony o f C ampbell s wife was
severe beyond endurance ; but by a wonderful
,
exertion
,
she recovered sufficient fortitude to
enable her to set out in person for L ondon to
,
’
throw herself at the queen s feet and implore
,
commiseration and a pardon
.
T 0 cross the chan
nel before steam had been introduced was
fr e
quently te di ous and uncerta in ; and when the
la dy reached the nearest point o f embarkation
her j ourney was interrupted for
,
violence was raging
a
,
ga le of unusual
and every packet storm
,
stayed at the other side
.
She stood upon the pier in a state of exquisite
wretchedness
.
The days o f that being whom she
loved were numbered
—
and to reach the seat of
mercy was forbidden ! The storm was at its height
—
a
mountainous sea broke outside the harbour
while
a crowd anxiously wa tched the progress of
2 68
a
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
fi s hing
-
.
boat which under close reefed canvas
,
-
,
was struggling to bea t up to the anchorage
The success o f the little bark
uncertain
wa s
,
.
for a time
The spray flew in sheets over the
.
mast head ; and frequently the vessel was shut
-
from the view o f those on Shore
ship prevailed
.
B ut seaman
the pier was weathered
—
a nd,
amid the cheers of their companions and the
caresses of their wives
barked
the hardy crew
,
dis em
.
A t that moment the sorr ow
,
of
the notice o f the crowd and
,
the lady attracted
it
was whispered
that she was wife to the unhapp y convict whose
,
fate even in that remote spot had excited an unu
,
,
sual s ympathy
her
,
d
an
.
An aged fisherman stood near
Mrs C ampbell inqu ired
.
was likely to moderate
“
if the weather
The mariner looked
at the sky attentively and shook his head
,
G od
he will be lost
!
”
,
I but cross that angry sea
,
.
Oh
she mur mured :
co uld
he m ig ht g e t be
”
s a ve d
!
Her words were overheard by the crew o f the
fi shing
-
boat who were securing its moorings to
the pier
,
.
A momentary consultation took place
and with on e consent they offered to carry her
,
,
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 70
.
from a proposition that would compromise his
honour with the keeper
”
What ! he exclaimed
.
,
when as sur ed that otherwise his case was hope
less
shall I break faith with him who trusted
,
I know my fa te and am prepar ed to meet
in it
,
it manfully ; but ne v er will I deceive the person
who confided in my honour
”
.
Two evenings be fore he suffered
wa s
Mrs
,
earnestly urging him to escape
.
The clock
.
struck twelve and C ampbell hinted that it was
,
time she should retire
her to the gate
they found
whi sper to
a
’
and on entering the keeper s room
—
him
hi s
finger on
A s usual he accompanied
.
fast asleep
lip
hi s
P oor fellow
.
fa ir companion
so ftly from the table
C ampbell
.
”
,
—
hi s
would it not b e
,
said the lady
—
,
,
and
The
Hush !
hand upon her mouth
he replied as he gently forced her out
,
you have me violate my promise
her
this is
this is the moment o f
horses are in readiness
convict put
,
he said in a
he unlocked the outer
,
the crisis o f your destiny
escape
”
ood
night
g
”
,
he
his
Then taking the keys
pity to distur b him
wicket
C ampbell place d
.
,
looked
th e
”
P
wicket
,
”
would
B idding
carefully
,
TH E C O NDE M NE D S O LD I E R
271
.
replaced the keys and retired to his chamber
,
Wi thout
awaking the sleeping
The last scene of his life
a
ilor
wa s
.
in perfect keeping
with the calm and dignified courage he had
evinced d uring his
confinement
The night
before his execution the chaplain slept in his
room
’
.
This gentleman s exertions to obtain
a
remission of punishment had been incessant ; and
now when hope was at an end he laboured to
,
,
prepare the doomed soldier for the trying hour
that awaited him
he never closed
.
hi s
O n that melancholy night
eyes while C ampbell slept
,
as quietly as if no extraordinary event should
happen on the morrow
was unshaken
in
hi s
courage
and while his friends were dis
—
solved
To the last
.
grief he was manly
,
d
an
unmo v ed
He
.
mounted the stone stairs leading to the scaffold
with a
fir m
and measured step ; and while the
rope was being adjusted the colour never left
,
hi s
cheek nor
,
did
slightest agitation
.
O ne circumstance
a moment
.
his countenance betray the
di sturbed his
equanimity for
O n entering the press room the
-
,
executioner frightfully disguised suddenly pre
,
,
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TIO NS
2 72
.
C ampbell inv olunta rily shrunk
sented himself
.
from this loathsome being
but
—
as i f annoyed
,
.
that the wre t ch should shake his firmness he
,
calmly desired him to proceed and ta ke ca r e
,
that the arrangements for death were such as
should make his transit from the world as brie f
as possible
.
I t was a curious incident attendant on this
melancholy event that the forty s e cond regiment
-
,
with whom he
had
s erved in E gypt
,
then
,
'
garrisoned the town ; and that the same men
whom C am pbell led to a bayonet charge against
-
the I nvincibles of N apol e on formed the jail g uard
-
,
that witnessed his execution
.
The feelings o f
the Highlanders when drawn out to witness the
,
ignominious end o f their
'
were indescribable
.
lion- hea rted
com rade
,
Whe n the sufferer appeared
at the fatal door a yell o f anguish pea led along
,
the
ranks
,
and
every bonn et was remo v ed
.
C ampbell addressed a few words to them in
G aelic
,
and instantly every face was upturned
to heaven ; every cheek was bathed in tears ;
e very lip uttered a p rayer for mercy at the
j udgment seat ; and when the board descending
-
,
R AMB L I NG RE C O L LE C T I O N S
2 74
c e m e tr
y
.
’
and in the poet s word s
—
’
him in his fa ther s gra v e
They laid
”
.
The evening wore ple asantly
ou —
an d the
weather showed symptoms o f amendment
rain had ceased
—
the sky cleared
and th e moon
—
went racking through her clouds
careered over the blu e sky
smiles
The
.
at hand
,
as
they
dis
and by times
p ale C ynthia s chas te cold
Witching
and yet
—
”
’
closed and hid
”
,
Th e
.
hour o f
ni
ght was close
if laugh and song were
,
’
proof the revelry in the commander s domicile
,
continued with unabat e d spiri t
Jack
”
,
exclaimed the host as he exhibited
,
an empty glass
devoutly
.
,
I
as
I s wear by thy punch
abjur e thy
politics
another stoup be fore we part
—
,
as
C ome
.
and season the
mixture with one o f thy pleasant adventures
Whether it be lo v e or war it matters not
,
Tell us how cleverly
patriot who
,
i ng
fro m
la y
the
u
o
y
,
.
.
pinked the whit e footed
-
in wait for you when return
fair
—
or
’
whi sked the miller s
TH E C O NDE M NED S O LD I E R
daughter through the window
father the priest
,
2 75
.
even while the
,
and the old carle who had
,
come to wed her were settling the
toche r
,
the kitchen
”
.
N o more o f that
Hal
,
’
lov s t
thou
replied the colonel s kinsman
,
s m ile
an
’
’
”
in
me
with a
,
L ast autumn gentlemen I was caught
,
.
,
as you were yesterday in
a
,
,
,
gale o f wind and
,
Obliged to become a soj ourner and longer too
,
than I
in a wild and
WI shed,
situated in
the far west
”
,
mansion
kett y
ra c
and in that safe and
pleasant district whose staple manufactures are
,
restricted
to
whiskey
and C onnemara
The cellar was tolera bly stocked
case perfectly empty
a fortnight old
.
.
the book
—
and the latest paper just
—
I tired of playing
long upon the plate wa rmer
da y
hose
e ca r t
and
-
é
a ll
c ons e
quently the host set me down a bore while the
—
,
priest being a twenty tumbler man
-
—
”
come the p a ce at night
v er ence
So
p
,
,
re
declared me nothing better than a milk
determining between
ship
could not
and the refore his
Wha t could I do
.
I
After some dela y in
felo de se
I chose the latter
,
a nd
’
and
a
uthor
chronicled the
R AMB L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O NS
2 76
occurrences
destined to
o f my
visit
star it in the
my first
’
essay
,
j udgment on these my
as
lite rar y
I
world
am
,
it
O n their own merits
.
modest men are dumb
read
How far
.
’
is not for me to say
.
but to you
entreating
,
a
I shall
gentle
inklings o f adventure
Y ankee gentlemen now
-
designate their lucubrations
a-
”
.
’
,
days ar e pleased to
2 78
R A M B L IN G
2 8 th
RE C O L LE C T I O N S
.
A fresh hand at the bellows
.
”
.
In
s imple E nglish it blows a gale ; and a gale o n
,
this coast ! here
tumbling
Heavens
Atlantic comes
with every billow like a mountain
ln,
!
where the
—
how the spray flies over the ridge
o f rock which stretches seaward from the point
while the waves
the sandy cove
thunder
.
,
in quick succession rush up
,
and break upon the beach in
,
The rain has ceased
.
going to shoot
,
Shoot what
.
,
and we are
why
servants can scarcely close the hall door
two
,
B ut
.
time will tell
.
P rovided with an ample supply o f heavy
shot and a couple o f attendant s with gaffs and
,
boat hooks we set out for thi s novel
-
,
but from previous
preparation I could not
possibly conj ecture what
be
Westward
.
,
chasse
o ur
p ur suit should
the hill whi ch rises abruptly
from the ocean presents to the eternal roll o f
the A tlantic a cordon o f almost inaccessible
cliffs
,
varying in height from thirty to three
hundred feet
.
A narrow goat path winds over
-
the brows o f these tremendous precipices
,
an d
leads to two or three inl ets in the face o f the
LE A VE S F R O M A G AM E B O O K
hill,
terminating in huge
caverns
black
,
2 79
.
unexplored
,
into which a human being has never
,
ventured
.
Indeed to investigate them would
be impossible
they are too narrow and irregular
;
to admit the entrance o f a boat ; and in the
,
calmest day
inside
the swell breaks with violence
,
Within these caverns immense numbers
,
.
o f wild pigeons roost and build ; and in the
face of the cliffs around
rants
—
,
choughs and corvo
particularly if the evening be stormy
occupy e v ery point whi ch
rest
d
an
shelter
.
difii culty
With some
can afford them
we descended to one
o f these cav es ; for the rocky path
slippery by rain and spray
,
,
rendered
made a cautious
descent necessary while the roar of the surf
—
against the rocks with the feeling of insecur ity
,
in trea ding the verge of a giddy precipice
,
,
produced sensations any thing but agreeable
We reached the bottom safely
—
work o f death commenced
.
and then the
.
O n the first report o f a
n
u
g ,
a flight o f
pigeons issued from the cavern ; and these birds
,
once disturbed continued occasionall y returning
,
R A M B L I N G RE C O LL E C T I ON S
280
.
to th e ir holes during the ho ur we r emained
.
O f these we shot som e twen ty ; and by m eans
o f our gaff and boat hook got th em out o f the
-
surf with o nly the loss o f a couple
,
B ut the
.
as the p easantry c all the different
bla ch hug s —
vari e ties o f the corvorant
—
afforded us constant
p ractice ; and while we remained a regular fusi
,
,
lade
was m a intained upon those unfortunate birds
F lock upon flock continued
,
.
as the evening
advanced to come in rapid succession
,
from
sea
to seek their usual resting places ; and when we
-
left
the cave we
had
,
to load a donkey
bagged enough
I understood that the peasants
.
who picked them up skinned and
,
for food
—
.
—
dressed
,
.
The gale has moderated ; but it yet
blows fresh with a hea vy broken sea
,
s
them
but judging from their rancid smell
they must h ave been abominable
2 9th
bla ch g a me
ail upon the water
—
all
.
N ot a
safe within the islands
and there they seem determ ined to remain
We
.
have held a consultation with Tom R ush the
,
skipper o f the best hooker in the bay
.
He
say s we shall make the lan ding place o f Innis
-
Turk in
l
ha f a doz en
-
stretch e s
,
and hav e
a
282
R AM B
L I N G RE C O LLE C TI O N S
.
keel upp ermost ; the length was above s eventy
feet
and its whole appearance most
,
nary
had been dead undoubte dly for a con
It
.
s idera ble
e xtra or di
,
,
time before it was
di scovered
floating
o n the ocean for it was putrid when towed in
,
n
fi shi g
b y the united e fforts o f every
the island
evident
—
a
boat in
That it had been harpooned was
,
.
’
wound o f several inches diameter and
considerable depth was visible in the sid e
After cutting some o f the
whalebone
,
from the mouth
,
lamin ae,
.
or thin
we walked once
more round to view the mighty monster carefully
O ur
cicerone as we paused to examine the wound
,
determ ining that
a ll
our senses should be
.
,
g
ray
removed a wisp o f hay whi ch fi lled the
t ifi ed,
orifice
,
and the most pestilential
effl uvia
that
it is possible to imagine issued from the hole
,
.
I and m y companion had nearly fainted but
,
the islander seemed greatly gratified at the effect
,
observing with a grin in his peculiar E nglish
“
that it was a fine beast and she wa s a great
,
,
,
smell
”
.
Another puff o f that infernal exhalation
wo uld have finished us o n the spot
—
while
D e nis ,
LE A VE S F R O M A G A ME B O O K
with wonderful
to keep the
next visitor
sa
replaced the plug
f
r o id,
ng
great sm ell
”
283
.
,
in full force for the
.
The whale was fated
,
even after death
create an extraordinary sensatio n
,
to
The defunct
.
fish was claimed b y the landlord the captors
,
,
and to whose lot it fell I
and the admiralty
—
forget ; but it was purchased by a L iverpool
merchant
N ow he
.
good easy man
,
to ascertain its species ; and
’
,
omitted
after sending a
,
vessel and multitude o f casks for the blubber
di scovered
too late that it was not a sperm
whale and that the bone
—
any oil
—
,
—
for it had scarcely
would not pay for the hoops upon
his puncheons
.
We had a splendid passage home and landed
,
safely in an hour and a quarter
grand fi na le to our expe dition
—
Thi s was a
.
for to return
Innis Turk is rather precarious
fi om
and instances
,
have occurred o f people being weather bound
-
there
,
not for days but months
,
.
A curious
anecdote is told to illustrate the uncertainty o f
getting away
.
A tailor residing on the main was brought
,
,
R AMB L I N G R E C O LLE C TI ON S
284
.
one fine morning into the island to m ake a suit
,
o f cloth e s for a gentleman who had resolved
upon committing matrimon y
—
and when the
boat came to fetch him the artist was planting
,
his potato crop
The w ea ther chang e d before
.
his task wa s ended
;
th e communication with
the main wa s interrup te d ; and this state o f
affairs continued so long that when the
,
fractio n o f hum anity was restored to his
t una te
sorrowing hou s ehold
in
u nfor
digging
,
he found them occupied
th e v e ry pota to e s upon the planting
,
o f which he had be en engaged o n that unlucky
,
day when he left C onnemara for Turk I sland
Ju s t as w e were pulling
a man
to the hooker
,
with a pack presente d himself
loaded
,
off
.
,
upon the rock s an d be gged t o be accommodate d
,
with a passag e
stranger and
W e consented
.
his effects
an d took the
,
on boar d
.
He prov ed
to be one o f thos e travelling dealers who traffic
with the islanders and mountain people supply
,
ing them with all their
ve rtu
”
—
to wit
,
finery
gilt rings
,
and articles of
ni
k tting nee dles
-
,
looking gla s ses and clas p knives ; and in return
,
-
for barter is th e order o f the day
—
re ceiving
R AMB L I NG RE C O LLE C TI O NS
286
.
thr ough this dell ; the grass is short and v erdant ;
here the shooter will repose himself and here the
—
,
wayfarer suspend his j ourneying
,
O ne hesitates
.
to leave this oasis for the fen s and wastes that
encompas s it
U pon
.
its freshness the eye reposes
.
There is a holy calmness in its solitude that the
heart loves : and the murderer must be dead to
the voice o f nature altogether who would dese
,
crate this s weet spot by
blood
a damning deed of
”
.
R ivers dependent upon mountain sources rise
,
,
and fall with astonishing rapidity
ing a volume of
,
di scoloured
I n the morn
.
water rushed through
the channel o f this moorland stream tearing down
,
off
its banks and sweeping
,
opposed resistance to its fury
every obstacle that
.
A t evening the
,
peasant girl thr ew a glance around to see that no
cur ious eye observed her tucked her short kirtle
,
above the knee crossed the abated waters without
,
difficulty ,
and merrily pressed up the bank on
h er way to join the dance which on that night
,
,
,
was to be holden at a v illage beyond the wide
and dreary moor
B ut ere she proceeded many s teps an obj ect
.
,
LE AVES F R O M A G AM E B OO K
287
.
met her View which sent the blood to her heart
,
,
and changed her light ca rol to a shriek of horror
.
C lose to the path a human hand appeared a bove
,
I t was bare
the tur f
.
overflow o f the river
—
bleached by the recent
—
and encir cled by a scarlet
Av erting her eyes she fled
cuff
.
,
from
the little
dell hur ried across the waste rushed into the first
,
,
house she reached and faint ed
,
.
They recovered her and she told the cause
,
o f her
di smay
.
Instantly a number o f the pea
santry rep a ired to the spot disinterred the corps e
,
,
’
and recognised it by the dress (a soldier s slop
jacket ! to be the body o f a pedlar who with a
,
,
,
,
comrade o f the same calling had passed that way
,
some weeks before
robbed
pack
d
an
wa s
fira ct ur e
.
Tha t the dead man had been
murdered were equally apparent ; his
gone his pockets rifled and a
,
dr eadful
,
in the back o f the he a d told by what
,
fo ul means the wretched victim had met his death
.
After the deed was done the assassin ha d concealed
,
the body in a hole and covered it slightly with
turf which the ri v er in it s overflow reached
,
,
,
removed and thus betrayed the murder
,
ries were made
;
suspicions
,
.
a nd
Inqui
amounting alm ost
R AMB L I N G R E C O LLE C TI O NS
288
.
to certainty fell upon the companio n o f the
,
deceased and his absconding confirmed them
,
S weeney
—
for so the wretch was named
however hitherto evaded apprehension
,
—
had
.
,
.
The person we received on board had known
,
the deceased and
hi s
mur derer well and his own
,
escape from the monster seemed providential
.
He told us that he had been in E rris disposed
,
o f his pack
and was returning to C astlebar
,
procur e a fresh supply
to
In a pass of the hills
.
,
he met Sweeney on his j o ur ney into that wild
peninsula which he was leaving
conversation
the
,
murderer
After some
.
declared
that he
would proceed no farther but accompany his
,
fellow de aler to the town
-
termination
in
.
Thi s was a strange de
one who had already carried a heav y
load for thirty miles
—
and now when withi n a
,
short distance o f his market abandoned it for no
,
cause
,
and without making an attempt to sell
the wares he had brought in
.
There are two routes from E rris to the town
o f N ewPor t
That commonly taken runs through
,
.
the lowlands and skirting an inlet o f the
,
,
unites itself to the main road at
Dhuhill
.
s ea ,
The
R AMB L I N G RE C O L LE C TI O N S
2 90
a bed and whi ske y g a lor e
,
ducem ent
.
Thi s was a gr e at
"e
.
in
the route w as short er by t en m iles and
though the old road had a bad name and I had
,
four and twenty pounds in hard money in my pocket
-
-
y et as I had company I cons ent e d to tak e it
,
,
,
.
W e proceeded for a mile o r two ; the last
Villa ge was insight an d the sun had a full hour
,
yet before he wo uld sink behind the hills
I
.
’
don t know why it was but my h eart faile d and
,
,
e v ery s tep I took s e emed heavy
as
,
yet I was
if m y shoes
an d
light ,
were filled with
lead
Swee n ey loaded
He urged m e on an d s e emed
—
,
.
anxious to pass th e villag e without stopping ;
talked fr om tim e to tim e o f trade ; an d at
last in quir ed
i f I had brought this turn
,
”
large
alarm
‘
—
I
alr eady take n
ha d
I
pack into E rris i
stole a s ide glanc e
murder was in
hi s
eye
!
He
a
,
at
him
an d
al
way s carried
a yard measur e o f heavy oak ; it had worn
li ttle
at one en d
nailed upon it
walking s ta ff
-
,
,
and a copper s trap
C ommonly he used
,
.
or
a
it
as a
to support hi s pack when
A nglice— I n a
bun d nc e
a
.
LE AVE S F R O M A G AM E B OO K
light ;
2 91
.
t he
but now he clutched it firmly by
mi ddle ,
as if the hand obeyed the heart mecha
nica lly ,
and was prepared before
to
t irne
t he
do the deed o f murder !
I took my resolution ; the village was only
a cluster o f wretched cabins but there I should
—
,
when I reached
be safe till daylight ; and
the first house
,
I told
an d would proceed
th
that I was tired
no farther
,
He seemed
.
der struck ; he argued and he coaxed m e ;
un
‘
him
-
,
it was but three short
there
was
,
supper
’
.
a
warm bed
'
miles
—
to
there
his
,
B ut I was determined
temper failed
;
his face
—
’
cousin s
was a good
Then hi s
.
C hrist pardon u s
’
looked like the devil s ; and had we n ot bee n
’
in the village I m sure he would have killed
me on the spot Just at that moment the
,
,
.
poor youth he murdered came up
travelling into E rris
mountain road
.
he would retrace
.
He wa s
and had come by the
,
Sweeney declara i at once that
,
steps ; and before his victim
his
had time to sit down he h urried
,
him
off,
da rting
a look of deadly hatred at me the victim who
,
had e s caped his doom
.
R A M B L I N G RE C O LLE C T I O N S
2 92
Y ou know the rest
gentlemen
,
.
He kept
.
with him night and day until his goods were
,
,
sold
and then when they reached a proper
—
spot h e
,
did
the deed o f murder
”
.
A s I have mentioned thi s anecdote I must
,
become the chronicler o f Mr
Sweeney
.
.
The
murder occurr ed in my imme diate baili wick ; and
for a time
,
the V illain sk ulked among
in Achill an d
B a llycroy
and
,
hi s
clan
evaded ev e ry
attempt I made to apprehend him
.
F inding
,
however that it would be impossible to elude
,
my efforts
long ,
and trusting to the secrec y
with which the foul act had be en perp etrat e d
he came i n an d surr endered
.
I hav e s e en som e noted felons ; I s aw
B
ur he r s
—
f
f
l
sca o d
o n the
,
the
but I never looked
upon a countenance where natur e had written
’
blood so legibly as on S weeney s
.
He was an
under sized bullet headed beetle browed savage
-
-
,
—
,
with hair black and cur led like a negr o
lips wer e thi ck
restless ;
hi s
,
his eyes small
,
.
quick
,
,
His
and
form that o f a stunted Hercules ;
such limbs shoulders an d neck I nev er looked
,
,
at ; an d it i s a curious fact that to this s ur
,
2 94
L I N G R E C OL L E C TI O N S
R AM B
man
.
it th e valley an d h e was th e
u
q
s hor te r
,
o f the two
'
T h e very morning o f the t rial
.
,
she un exp e cte dly appear e d in C astlebar
She
.
kn ew n ot e ven that a mur der had been per
until she
ra t ed,
t
e
p
wa s
ascending the table
assist in the conviction o f the assas sin
old
S weene y was not twenty y ear s
s uffered
F or nearly
in pri s on
r emained
il
u
;
g
t
but
t wo
he
,
y ear s
.
when he
while
,
s teadily
to
he
d eni e d his
the moment that th e
re
turn ed th eir verdict he co nfes s e d e v ery circum
,
s tance attendan t
the m ur der
ou
The memory
.
o f the foul act n e ve r appear ed to hav e disturbed
him
for a moment
what
should
he
of
H e spok e
.
do
when
nothing but
libe rated ;
soun dly ; eat and drank h eartily ;
his confinement
,
becam e
am azingl y fat
s eemed a tiger h ea rted monster
-
w olfi sh
n atur e
,
a nd
—
slept
during
.
He
one to who se
pity and remorse w ere alien
.
I t was a lucky circumstance for society that
h e wa s so
sp e e dily removed from the world
He had tasted blood
—
t una t ely
loo s ed
and
ha d
he been
again o n mankin d
,
.
unfor
he would
have liv e d on s poliation obtain ed by mur der
.
LE A VES F R O M A G A ME B O O K
2 95
.
‘
b
I could have knocked down a puling senti
.
’
ruffi a n s
mentalist who attended the
He pitied
forsooth
,
the
,
execution
poor young man
”
,
and reprobated the sanguinary code of B ritain
ul
gallows
.
,
fellow
creature to the
Pity a bloodhound
that for day s
that wo d consign
”
.
a
had hung upon his
-
victim
,
and
,
done that
ruthless deed to obtain a sum not amounting
I confess that I saw the
to five pounds !
monster
hanged with pleasur e but then
—
I
,
am not a man o f sentiment :
Ala s
!
”
said the colonel
sweetest hour i
for parting
’
’
th
B ut
.
a:
a:
a:
,
night
’
that this
,
the
,
should be the one
,
gentlemen
,
I cannot pre
sume to stay y ou longer than the morning
’
I know a soldier s leave is
limited—
and Mr
.
.
S elwyn avows that he must retur n to Fig tree
-
C our t incontinently
—
o f the
and therefore
seem s ar e fast expiring
gi v e n t o the
S o ubr iquets
L w y e r s C o rp s
a
.
’
.
fur loughs
D evil s O wn
Y ou Mr
,
fi fty -
t he
’
”
D ie hard and the
-
,
’
.
O D onel,
s e v e nth r egim e nt
,
”
,
it
pl ead
a nd
the
R A M B L I N G RE C O L LE C TI O N S
2 96
.
I
matr im ony and sta te y ours elf in co nsequ en ce to be
,
’
a man un der authority
t rovert
times
hand
,
t hat
plea
,
I hav e heard
for
—
I fea r I cann ot
.
th e whi te s erj e ant
,
’
prove s
fi dgetty
as th e most
ever commanded a battalion
co n
that at
,
ti
as
ht a
fi eld o fficer that
I part from you
.
with regret slightly abate d b y the promi se you
,
hold out o f again bea ting up my quarte r s
y ou
,
.
M ay
sir be promote d in th e n ext G azette
,
d
y ou who have already attained the highes t
flight o f hum an happin e ss to the returning
an
,
—
welco m e s o f y o ur
On ce more
T
o
,
one
lady- lov e ,
”
I co n sign y ou
gentlemen
a nd a ll,
I dri nk
T HE
fa ir g
a
E N D
oo d nig ht
.
D UB L IN 3
P R I N T E D B Y JO H N
5
.
S
FO L D S .
B a che lor
SO N
s -w a lk
,
AN D
PA T T O N,
’
.