only difference was, it could not rule me, and therefore I was not to be endured. Let one instance of his ferocity sufficeone which happened several years after this, when he was residing in London. It was his custom to appropriate a room in the house to the conservation of those things he loved,-choice wines, foreign preserves, cordials. This sanctum sanctorum was a room on the ground floor, under a sky-light. Our next door-neighbours' pastime happened to be a game of balls, when one of them lodged on the leaded roof of this consecrated room. Two of my sisters of the ages of fourteen and sixteen, though, in appearance, they were women, ran from the drawing-room back window to seek for the ball; and slipping on the leads, the younger fell through the sky-light, on the bottles and jars upon the table below. She was dreadfully bruised, and her hands, legs, and face were cut; so much so, that she still retains the scars. Her sister gave the alarm. My mother was called; she went to the door of the store-room; her child screamed out, for God's sake to open the door, she was bleeding to death. She continued to scream, while my mother endeavoured to comfort her, but dared not break the lock, as my father had prohibited any one from entering this, his blue chamber; and, what was worse, he had the key. Other keys were tried, but none could open the door. Had I been there, my foot should have picked the lock. Will it be believed that, in that state, my sister was compelled to await my father's return from the House of Commons, of which he was a member? What an admirable legislator! At last, when he returned, my mother informed him of the accident, and tried to allay the wrath which she saw gathering on his brow. He took no notice of her, but paced forward to the closet, where the delinquent, awed by his dreadful voice, hushed her sobs. He opened the door and found her there, scarcely able to stand, trembling and weeping. Without speaking a word, he kicked and cuffed her out of the room, and then gloomily decanted what wine remained in the broken bottles. TH CHAPTER VI. And now I'm in the world alone, When none will sigh for me? BYRON. 'HERE was some talk of my going to Oxford, as one of my uncles had livings in his gift, which my father could not, without pain, contemplate as property out of the family. I was consulted; but the decided manner in which I declined priesthood, left no hopes of my ever being guided by self-interest. Soon after this I was taken to Portsmouth, and shipped on board a line of battle ship, the Superb, as passenger to join one of Nelson's squadron. She was commanded by Captain Keates; and thence we sailed to Plymouth to take on board Admiral Duckworth, who hoisted his flag, and detained the ship three days to get mutton and potatoes from Cornwall. By this delay we unfortunately fell in with the Nelson fleet off Trafalgar, two days after his deathless victory. Young as I was, I shall never forget our falling in with the Pickle schooner off Trafalgar, carrying the first despatches of the battle and death of its hero. We had chased her many hours out of our course, and but that our ship sailed well, and the wind was fresh, we should not have brought her to. Her commander, burning with impatience to be the first to convey the news to England, was compelled to heave to, and come on board us. Captain Keates received him on the deck, and when he heard the news, I was by his side. Silence reigned throughout the ship; some great event was anticipated; the officers stood in groups, watching, with intense anxiety, the two commanders, who walked apart: battle,-Nelson,-ships,—were the only audible words which could be gathered from this conversation. I saw the blood rush into Keates's face; he stamped the deck, walked hurriedly, and spoke as in a passion. I marvelled, for I had never before seen him much moved; he had appeared cool, firm, and collected on all occasions, and it struck me that some awful event had taken place, or was at hand. The admiral was still in his cabin, eager for news from the Nelson fleet. He was an irritable and violent man; and had been much incensed at the schooner's having disobeyed his signal, until she was compelled. After a few minutes, swelling with wrath, he sent an order to Keates; who, possibly heard it not, but staggered along the deck, struck to the heart by the news, and, for the first time in his life, forgot his respect to his superior in rank; muttering, as it seemed, curses on his fate that, by the admiral's delay, he had not participated in the most glorious battle in naval history. Another messenger enforced him, such is discipline, to descend in haste to the admiral, who was high in rage and impatience. Keates, for I followed him, on entering the admiral's cabin, said, in a subdued voice, as if he were choking: "A great battle has been fought, two days ago, off Trafalgar. The combined fleets of France and Spain are annihilated, and Nelson is no more!" He then murmured," Had we not been detained, we should have been there. The captain of the schooner entreats you, Sir, not to detain him, and destroy his hopes, as you have destroyed ours." Duckworth answered not, conscience-struck, but stalked on deck. He seemed ever to avoid the look of his captain, and turned to converse with the commander of the schooner, who replied, in sulky brevity, "yes," or "no." Then dismissing him, he ordered all sail to be set, and walked the quarter-deck alone. A death-like stillness pervaded the ship, broken at intervals by the low murmurs of the crew and officers, when "battle" and "Nelson," could alone be distinguished. Sorrow and discontent were painted on every face; and I sympathised in the feeling without a clear knowledge of the cause. On the following morning we fell in with a portion of the victorious fleet. It was blowing a gale, and they lay wrecks on the sea. Our admiral communicated with them, and then joining Collingwood, had six sail of the line put under his command, with orders to pursue that part of the enemy's fleet which had escaped and I joined the ship to which I was appointed. It is unnecessary to dwell on the miseries of a cockpit life; I found it more tolerable than my school, and little worse than my home. Besides, I was treated with exceeding kindness, and I began to be delighted with the profession. We returned to Portsmouth. The captain wrote to my father to know what he should do with me, as his ship was about to be paid off. My father, in his reply, determined not to have me at home, ordered that I should instantly be sent to Dr. Burney's navigation. school. I was horror-stricken at this news, thinking I had done with schools; and, supposing they were all like my former one, I anticipated a state of suffering. We had had a rough passage, being five or six sail of the line in company, some totally, and others partially dismasted. Our ship, having been not only dismasted, but razed by the enemy's shots (that is, the upper deck almost cut away,) our passage home was boisterous. The gallant ship, whose lofty canvass, a few days before, had fluttered almost amidst the clouds, as she bore down on the combined fleets, vauntingly called the Invincible, now, though her torn banner still waved aloft victorious, was crippled, jury-mast, and shattered, a wreck labouring in the trough of the sea, and driven about at the mercy of the wild waves and winds. With infinite toil and peril, amidst the shouts and reverberated hurrahs from successive ships, we passed on, towed into safe moorings at Spithead. What a scene of joy then took place. From the ship to the shore one might have walked on a bridge of boats, struggling to get alongside. Some, breathless with anxiety, eagerly demanded the fate of brothers, sons, or fathers, which was followed by joyous clasping and wringing of hands, and some returned to the shore, pale, haggard, and heart-stricken. Then came the extortionary Jew, chuckling with ecstacy at the usury he was about to realize from anticipated prize-money, proffering his gold with a niggard's hand, and demanding monstrous security and interest for his monies. Huge bomboats, filled with fresh provisions, and a circle of boats hung round us, crammed with sailor's wives, children, and doxies, thick as locusts. These last poured in so fast, that of the eight thousand said to belong at that period to Portsmouth and Gosport, I hardly think they could have left eight on shore. In a short period they seemed to have achieved what the combined enemies' fleets had vauntingly threatenedto have taken entire possession of the Trafalgar squadron. I remember, the following day, while the ship was dismantling, these scarlet sinners hove out the three first thirty-two pound guns; I think there were not less than three or four hundred of them heaving at the capstan. Our captain, suffering from a severe wound, went on shore, and gave me, with two youngsters like myself, in very particular charge to one of the master's mates, who shortly after crossed over with us to Gosport. He had orders to convey us to Dr. Burney's. O CHAPTER VII. If any person should presume to assert This story is not moral, first, I pray, That they will not cry out before they're hurt. BYRON. LD NOAH and his heterogenous family felt not greater pleasure in setting their feet on terra firma than we did. The mate's face, which had been, by long habit of obedience and command, settled into a wooden sort of gravity, now relaxed, and became animated as a merry andrew's. Looking about as if he had taken entire possession of the island, and as if he considered it treason and blasphemy in any of his subjects to appear malecontent, he turned sharply to me, and said, "Holla! my lad, what's the matter? Why, you are as chop-fallen as if it was Sunday, and the prayer-bell was ringing. You don't take me for that lubberly school-mastering parson on board, do you?" He had nearly hit it. The accursed school had crossed my mind, and I guessed he was taking us there. However, I said nothing, and he continued, "Never go to church on shore or in soundings. At sea can't help it sometimes. Besides, then there is something to pray for-fair weather and prize-moneydon't want to pray for any thing on shore. Come, my lads, keep a sharp look out for the Crown and Anchor. It should be somewhere in these latitudes if it has not driven or slipped its moorings." "A reprieve!" thought I; "he has forgotten the school, and we are bound to the tavern!' I stepped out like an unbitted |