Nantes; promising to let me know the result at Exeter, where I agreed to establish my head-quarters. The passing to the coast of Britanny was the least difficult part of Willoughby's undertaking, and in about a week I received the letter, which will form the next section of these memoirs.

SECTION XXXIII.

THE SMUGGLER'S STORY.

1st Outlaw.

"Know then that some of us are gentlemen,
Such as the fury of ungoverned youth
Thrust from the company of lawful men:
Myself was from Verona banished,
For practising to steal away a lady."

2d Outlaw.

"And I from Mantua, for a gentleman,
Whom in my mood I stabb'd unto the heart."

3d Outlaw.

"And I for such like petty crimes as these."

Two GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.

"WILLOUGHBY TO FIELDING.

"Nantes, June 20, 18-.

"You laughed at my eagerness, and, I believe, doubted my success; but, as far as finding the man I sought, you must laugh no longer. As many, particularly at the hotel I chose, were talking of the capture of the Fair Trader,' it was easy to find out to whom she belonged, Messrs. -, on whom I waited, fairly telling them my object. They were civil enough, allowed they knew where Bowser was, but naturally wished to consult him before they promised an interview. The next day, however, brought me his consent, and I found myself alone with him in an apartment at their house. He showed some emotion at the sight of me; but it went off.

66

“I have consented,' said he, 'to trust myself with you; first, because, here at least, you can do me no harm; next because, though you may owe me a

grudge for making and keeping you a prisoner, I believe you saw it was through necessity, and not my will; lastly, because you owe me far more thanks than resentment, for nothing less than having saved your life. Add, that your keeping aloof from giving information against us, shows you one above a nasty revenge, and, in short, that you are a gentleman.'

"I replied to this pithy exordium, by telling him, I knew I owed my life to his protection from Tomlins, who, however, was about to expiate his cruelty, for I had left him in prison for trial.

"He turned as pale as he could on this intelligence, and shrugging his shoulders, said, 'If that is so, he must swing for it; there is more against him than would hang half a dozen of us: but I always told him it would be so. He is a butcher and a blackguard, and deserves his fate; the worst part of mine has `been to have had him for an associate. But now, sir, as to your object in searching me out?'

"I told him fairly my motive, which was to do him good, if I could, in return for the good he had done to This rather affected him, and with some eagerness he asked, if I thought I could obtain him protection if he came to England.

me.

"I said, that was at best uncertain, and at best could only be purchased by the discoveries he might make as to the unlawful trade he carried on; especially as a man had been killed, which would be held to be murder. At this he flew into a sort of rage, and stamped,

"Murder!' exclaimed he; Unlawful trade! Discoveries! Never, sir; never shall it be said-and yet,' he added, more calmly, and as if recollecting himself, it is a wretched trading, and could I quit it; could my life he passed over again!'-Here he paused, but afterwards burst out with-But, no! They never will grant a pardon; I must continue an outlaw; and as to murder or unlawful trade, I deny it, and the crimes be on those that call them so. I am oppressed, deprived of my rights, and ruined, and yet called a criminal. I would quit my misery, if I could, yet am punished if I continue it. Hard! hard! d-d hard!'

6

Here he walked about in agitation, and beat his breast more than once. " Would to God,' at last he said, I had been the meanest labourer in Devonshire, rather than what I am;—but it is false to say I am a criminal.'

"I let this burst subside a little, and then observed, I was sorry to think that he did not see his situation in the proper light, and only wondered that a man who seemed to have so many good points, should so disguise the truth from himself, as to the bad ones. I added, that my wish was to reclaim him, if possible; -which if seriously done, efforts, at least, should not be wanting to restore him to society.

"On this he fixed his eyes upon me with much scrutiny.

6

"I believe,' said he, you may be sincere in what you say. I on my part ought to be equally so; and if I am, I am bound to own that I fear you will not succeed. No! I am too confirmed in wickedness, if it is wickedness; and though I may be sold to the devil, and know it, I cannot break the contract if I would.'

"This is shocking,' said I. "It is so, but it is true. for me.'

My habits are too strong

"I trust not,' said I, as mildly as I could; 'your terrible occupation has, no doubt, hardened your feelings, but something tells me this could not always have been so. You are evidently an educated man, and must have been born'

"Do not go farther,' he interrupted, it will be worse both for you and for me. I have been too long an outcast to make recollection other than misery : and, after all, I only fulfil my destiny.'

"You glanced at this,' said I, 'some time ago, and as I really wish to be useful to you if I can, I would ask for as much information, as it may not be disagreeable to you to give.'

7

"He paced the room two or three times in silence, or muttering to himself; when, after a pause, he said, 'Stranger as you are, you could not have taken all this trouble for a person to whom you are indifferent;

and it will, perhaps, only relieve the loaded mind of a man whose vices have ruined him, if I fairly confess my history to you.'

"I bowed assent, and he went on.

666

'Whatever I may think of destiny and its irresistible decrees, I certainly should not have imagined from my education, or the situation of my family, that I could ever have been intended for this wretched life. I believe I was born a gentleman, if the son of a Methodist minister (of good private substance, however,) can pretend to that title. My father, as I said, was a Methodist, but of what exact sect, I never could well make out, if he could himself. All I could discern was, that he was a most determined and implicit believer in and preacher of predestination. He talked much of a great divine, John Calvin; though what John Calvin taught I never knew, except, as I collected when a boy, from my father's discourses, that it signified little what we were inclined to, as every thing was determined for us. I own this laid early hold not only of my imagination, but of such reasoning powers as I had, which were very little; and I betook myself, therefore, to any thing that struck my fancy, without examining consequences as to myself or others. I was full fourteen years old, before my father, who was a severe man, had done flogging me for this, and it was in vain I pleaded, according to his own doctrine, that what I had done was not my choice, but ordained for me. His reply always was, " True, and it was also ordained that I should flog you for it." This went on till I began almost to hate my father; which I also believed I was predestinated to do Notwithstand ing this severity, there were other tenets, of a political nature, which my father held, and which made a still deeper impression upon me. It was upon the unlawfulness of law, as emanating, not from the ordinance of Heaven, or even the intentions of nature, but the mere caprice of man. Hence he held that it was a mere question of prudence, whether any person should obey or disobey the laws, if he thought them tyrannical.' "Upon my word,' said I, your reverend father

6