cipal reasons for their wish of my adopting this line of conduct, that might avoid the enmity of the ecclesiastic.

Of course, to benefactors such as these, I could deny nothing. So I became, in some sort, a willing prisoner in my cabin. At this interview I gained the intelligence that the ship in which I was, had formerly been a Spanish sixty-four, that she was now armed en flute, and though not regularly commissioned, was commanded by a captain of the royal navy of Spain; the other officers and the crew being similar to those employed in the merchant service. It had come from Lima, and had on board of her many passengers, and a considerable quantity of troops of the line. She was also richly laden, and I understood that there was no small degree of apprehension on board as to her meeting either with French or English cruisers. Indeed, at that time, every Spaniard was liable to be accosted in the bombast of ancient Pistol,

"Under which king, Benzonian-speak, or die?"

For, at this crisis, Joseph was reigning at Madrid, and Ferdinand, though in France, together with the English, was reigning over most of the provinces. Don Mantez, the commander, had, therefore, till he reached Cadiz, resolved to be all things to all men. However, he had not much occasion to make use of his diplomacy, as the English cruisers alone were upon the seas, and to these only had he to give an account of himself.

Don Julien had learned incidentally from my conversation, that I had come from England, and, when the ship met with the first British man-of-war, he was considerate enough to ask me if I wished to communicate with her. As my intentions were to get to Spain, and to Barcelona with all despatch, I declined the offer. Whether this proceeding made a favourable impression upon him or not, at that time, I could not tell.

At length we arrived off Cadiz, and heaving to, several boats, containing various military and naval officers, came on board, and, for several hours, the decks, both above and below, were crowded with persons in brilliant uniforms, for an arrival like ours was an affair of some singularity, and of consequence to the Spaniards. Just at this time, Don Mantez, the captain, condescended to remember that he had taken my miserable self, and my as miserable suite on board. Consequently, he sent for Julien, as he afterwards informed me, and addressed him thus.

"Don Julien de Aranjuez, I understand that you have been harbouring in your cabin that miserable, beggarly, and heretic Spaniard that we picked up at sea with the black and the dog. I have nothing to say to it. Your cabin for the voyage is your private propertyyou certainly have paid for it handsomely-but it is my duty to put on shore these miserable infidels; from their appearance, they must be the lowest of the low-let the blackguards depart."

"Don Mantez, none such are now on board. I certainly have two friends in my cabin, and to whom, with your permission, I shall give a passage to Barcelona."

"Don Julien, you are heartily welcome. Will you and your friends

dine with us to-day? As we shall not sail eastward until seven this evening, his excellency, the governor and suite, will do my poor board the honour of their presence. And so you rid yourself as soon as you could from your mendicant pensioners. Truly you were wise. We shall see you at three o'clock."

Julien, accompanied by his blooming cousin Isidora, now entered their cabin, their countenances radiant with mirth and self-satisfaction. After a few compliments between my lady preserver and myself, Julien rather rudely pushed her out of the cabin, and then, immediately opening one of his large ironbound chests, produced a magnificent costume of a colonel of hussar cavalry. "Here, my friend, quick, dress yourself in some of these, my vanities,-leave nothing: I order it. And here, my black merry face, whip me on this embroidered jacket-now the Turkish trousers and red boots; put this muslin turban on a little on one side. He'll do-he'll do. Here, Sambo, look at your manifold beauties in this glass! Holy mother! but he seems born to it!"

When Jugurtha beheld himself in the mirror, he pranced about with delight, and much to our confusion in the confined space of the berth, whilst the mutilated remains of his tongue, made a shrill, vibratory sound, not unlike the clashing of cymbals.

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When I had finished my toilet, Julien walked round and round me with pride and satisfaction. Ignatio! but you are superb. Three weeks have done the wonders of years. I hardly dare let Isidora see you! My life for it, you are a gentleman-and you'll be an excellent Catholic soon, for 'twere a pity that a man with so noble, so distinguished an air, should be a heretic. Now, my dear sir, it is the only confidence I will require of you till we separate. What is your lordship's appellation ?"

"No lord, good Julien-in sooth, but a simple gentleman-by name, Ardent Troughton."

"Ardent Troug-Troot-Trotoon-it is dangerous to the teethit will never do the name is positively impossible-at least to the mouth of any thing but a Saxon. Do me the singular favour to repeat it."

"Ardent Troughton."

"Ah! it is downright barbarous, and should be English; but by your air-your complexion-your speech-English you cannot be."

"No," said I, "I am native-born of Spain."

"It rejoices me to hear it. But we must make your name more Spanish. What think you of Don Ardentizabello de Trompe Hilla? Will you remember it-Don Ardentizabello de Trompe Hilla ?" "I will try."

"And you have lately arrived at Cadiz from a secret mission to the court of Persia, with your mute; and you are now desirous of visiting, before you return to finish your negotiations, your château near Barcelona."

"And his excellency the ambassador's luggage."

"I have taken care of that in my cabin. Now, steal out, and mingle with the crowd of poking fools in uniforms and canonicals,

that are thrusting themselves in every corner of the between decks, and take care to come on the quarter-deck with the largest bevy of them that you can. I'll go before to receive you."

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Jugurtha," said I, as I left the cabin, "stick close to me, and when I speak, do you salaam me, as in your own country."

The negro grinned a willing assent from ear to ear.

I and Jugurtha soon, in the imperfect light of the between decks, mingled unnoticed with the crowd of curious visitors, and my accoutrements jingling harmoniously, I ascended to the quarter-deck. No sooner had I gained footing upon it, than Don Julien stepped forward, and taking me very respectfully by the hand, led me up first to the governor, and then to the captain, introducing me as "His Excellency Don Ardentizabello de Trompe Hilla, lately from the court of Persia." We bowed to each other diplomatically, arms were presented by the guard, and the band struck up with the constitutional air.

I was then led to the ladies, and bland smiles and honeyed words met me from all quarters. When presented to the Donna Isidora, she drily remarked," that she had seen somebody very like me before, and that she thought my complexion had been a little spoiled by exposure to the sun."

No one recognised us, and Jugurtha and I were the admiration of every body. The captain only was a little annoyed that I should have come on board without being perceived. The day passed merrily. All was gaiety, and courtesy, and gallantry-we dined under an awning of flags on the quarter-deck, and Jugurtha waited assiduously, and with tolerable expertness, behind my chair. About six the party broke up, the visitors went on shore, and sail was made upon the vessel.

When every thing was put to rights, sail shortened and trimmed for the night, the passengers, the military officers, and myself, retired with the captain into the state cabin. Don Xavier, the priest, was most attentive to me, indeed, he divided his discourse between the Donna Isidora and myself. We then had some very good music and singing, that would have done honour to any amateur party.

Taking advantage of a pause in our amusements, the captain approached to where Isidora, the padre, and myself, were seated, and after several compliments and apologies, begged to be informed in what manner it had escaped his notice when I came on board.

"Indeed, Don, I've no recollection of the matter: it has quite escaped my notice, too. But I suppose," said I, with all the nonchalance of a superior, "that some of your people handed me up the side."

"I am sure of it," said the lady archly.

"But truly grieved am I, that I was not at the gangway to receive you."

"But I do not think that you were so remiss. However, I did not much mark my reception. Was the gallant captain present when I first made my appearance on board, lady?"

"Most certainly; and in a detestable humour. He swore awfully. It was a happy thing that you did not hear him. I would not have answered for the consequences."

Don Mantez began to twirl his mustachios and look pugnacious, as well as mystified, when his tormentor, perceiving that she might carry her banter too far, said, "Do not, captain, suppose for one moment that when the Don came on board, you lost sight of your natural character; you acted up it :-the gentleman, for reasons that I dare say he can explain, came on board under an impenetrable disguise, and from a very humble conveyance."

"Consequently," said the captain, "I am pardoned for any unintentional neglect," bowing very low.

"Completely," said I, with a patronizing air, and the conversation dropped.

It may be well supposed that I enjoyed the liberty and the fresh breezes now at my command, and instead of retiring to our cots, Julien, Isidora, and myself, grouped ourselves apart upon the poop, and conversed til long past midnight. I then prevailed upon my kind host to forego his scruples, founded upon his chivalrous notions of hospitality, and to listen to every particular of my life. He did so with an attention the most absorbed, and parts of my narrative beguiled his beautiful betrothed of many tears. When I had finished, they both extended to me the hand of friendship, and were profuse in their offers of assistance. Alas! they little knew how much themselves stood in need of it.

They were both descendants from the same noble Catalonian family, possessing large estates in South America. The cry of independence, accompanied by all the ferocities of a civil and exterminating war, had long been raised in the American possessions of Spain. Don Julien had commanded a calvary regiment-had fought,-and now that the struggle seemed all but hopeless, was bringing his beautiful cousin, and much of their mutual wealth in specie, to their native country. After their espousals and the placing of his wife in a situation of safety, it was his intention, either to join the struggle for Spanish independence at home, or again to go to America, and discover what might yet be saved of the paternal estates. They had in their infancy resided in the vicinity of Barcelona, but though they could remember the names of several of the families in the city, they had no recollection of that of my father.

The disguise that Julien had compelled me to assume was still persevered in-none were in the secret but ourselves and the faithful domestic of the cousins, who had supplied all our wants whilst we were confined to the cabin, and it was generally thought throughout the ship that the two wretches that had been picked up at sea, had stolen away in a shore-boat at Cadiz for some very good reasons best known to themselves, but not over-honourable to the parties. As to Bounder, he, fattened up as well as his companions, had the whole run of the vessel, and became a general favourite. Indeed, Captain Mantez had expressed his intention of keeping the fine animal, against which I vehemently entered my silent protest.

After a short and prosperous voyage, we cast anchor outside of the harbour of Barcelona.

(To be continued.)

July 1836.-VOL. XVI.—NO. LXIII.

T

PASSION OF PROGRESSION.

DEFINITIONS Constitute the heaviest item in the catalogue of philosophical perplexities. Let the ingenious artificer of truths "profound and rare," elaborate and amplify, modify and rectify, contrive and contract, to an infinite degree, and still the goal of perfection is before him. To give satisfaction to all parties is beyond the scope of human ambition. Universal approbation might as soon be expected to smile on a Chancellor's budget. Who will presume to define that locomotive phenomenon-man? Procure (by one of the three ordinary channels) an individual of the barn-door tribe-having undergone the operations of plucking and trussing, according to the prescript of the worthies of old, establish it on a pike-staff, and proclaim such the archetype of humanity. Will not some obtuse intellects fail to perceive the resemblance? Curtail an ourang-outang-insert a small pane of quizzing-glass in its dexter socket, and how limited a number of the beau monde will acknowledge their own identity!

Under these discouraging circumstances, it is with no small portion of diffidence that we venture upon the same perilous expedition in which so many intelligent spirits have been lost-to all vulgar perception. As, however, in the complacency of our own peculiar keen-sightedness, we entertain ourselves with a sly detection of the knotty point on which our predecessors have foundered, we pursue our destined track with a vast accession of moral heroism. We intend to draw no invidious comparisons at which the most sensitive might take umbrage. Accordingly, leaving bipeds and quadrupeds of all denominations to arrange amongst themselves their conflicting claims to the fraternity of us, we shall simply lay down our incontrovertible opinion, that "man is an animal, whose legs bear a very diminutive proportion to the length of his views and inclinations."

Progression forms the essential principle of his being. Advancement, philosophical and local, he must prosecute, or cease to be. In the first, he stands alone and pre-eminent in the scale of sentient existence. The latter is a general privilege of all plebeian classes beneath him, with a reservation in favour of oysters, periwinkles, and sundry other monastic characters, who, like meritorious spinsters, never stir from home. But even in this particular our hero's ambition outruns his ability. We have seen such a spectacle, (an uncommon one, be it confessed, since the establishment of our blue police,) as a jockey of an ape in cap, whip, and spur;' but saving this audacious usurper of humane recreations, his more exalted kinsman is the only despotic authority within our cognizance, who levies contributions on the blood and muscles of his most tameable subjects. But we must progress, whether philosopher, poet, politician, or pedestrian, how insignificant soever the sport in view-a bubble, an ignis fatuus, a straw, or a bauble-honour, fame, place, or a puerile exhibition of "raree shows and great men's edifices."