her. Her lover being ordered to the East, she determined to share his fortunes, and to that end put on the garb of a sailor, in which disguise she fell into the hands of the police, and refusing to discover herself, was shut up in the identical cell which was afterwards allotted me, and had learned a lesson of pity in an excellent school.

We were now put on board a royal gilded barge with the speed of twenty oars. We had the consolation of another salute from our fair spectators as we passed their windows, which overlooked the water: but from that day to this, having heard or seen nothing further from them, I endeavor to flatter myself with the hope that they are both happily married and settled in the world. Whilst I may have yet many years and many leagues to wander; and other countries, in all human probability, yet to visit.

I waited with patience to see what was to be done with me, and was soon put on board a certain little Danish dogger called the Dye-Hoffning, which I understood to mean the Hope, a fair sounding name, but alas, a deceitful one, as you shall presently acknowledge. The pilot was on board, the sails were full, the anchor weighed. In the barge with us had been sent, by whose care or whose bounty I could not learn, a provision of wine, fowls, onions and other articles, amply sufficient for a short voyage, but very inadequate to that long and cruel aration which we were destined to undergo.

The officer, of whom I have before spoken, and who conducted us on board, before his quitting us, and immediately before our sailing, put into the hands of Mr. Rivet and me separate passports for the port of Hamburg, where we were told that we were now to go; and to the captain be delivered, as had been stipulated, several certi

ficates; one from the English consul, one from the Danish consul, and for more authority endorsed by the ambassa dor of Denmark. There was another from Mr. Lafargue, the agent for French prisoners in Portugal; all evidently for the same purpose of securing the captain against seizure by armed vessels of all nations. The only one of these certificates, which mentioned me solely, was that of Mr. Lafargue, whilst that of Mr. Crispin mentioned only Mr. Rivet, each covering with his protection the prisoner of the opposite nation. For this piece respecting me, which I insisted upon having from the captain on landing, (See Appendix No. XII.) The Danish consul and ambassador certified for five persons put on board for reasons of state, and who had no charge on board of ship: perhaps the unfortunate Mr. A might have been intended for

the fifth.

I had forgot to mention, that the ecrivan had insisted on my signing a paper jointly with Mr. Rivet, that I should not return to Portugal, on pain of perpetual imprisonment. Mr. Rivet made no objection to sign this paper, which was drawn up so as to be jointly signed by him and me. He has, nevertheless, I understand, since exercised the office of Portuguese consul at Nantes, and is now as a commercial agent from France in Lisbon. But my case was very different. I had no government to protect me: on the contrary, the minister, whose duty it was to do so, seemed to spare no means, however shameful, to destroy me. I had no law to appeal to. For in my person all laws had already been outraged. My enemies were in power, and certainly had not enough of magnanimity to forgive the exposure of their crimes; and after the perfidies I had experienced, I had little reason to confide in any body. I

might be put back into Portugal, as I was so often into Dublin, and this paper be used as a pretext better than any yet found, for the eternal privation of my liberty. Besides I had perceived an affectation of styling that gentleman and me os duos amigos, (the two friends) at a time when we had never seen each other; which displeased me. I refused therefore to subscribe to such conditions: but at the request of the officer, and for his justification, gave my reasons in writing at the foot of his paper. 1st. That I had been obliged, in consequence of an agreement with the government of my country, to sign an obligation to come to Portugal and remain there during the war, and that therefore I could not now subscribe to terms directly contrary. 2dly. That this paper was made jointly with gentleman of a different nation, whom I had not advantage of knowing, and whose case from the circumstances could have nothing in common with mine. not seeing what profit I could reap from it, or with what motive it was proposed to me, I should decline it for that reason alone, as I could not presume it was intended to befriend me. Now let us take leave of this inhospitable and degraded land; and that you may have courage to accompany me through a long and painful suffering on the seas, I shall leave you for awhile to your repose.

3dly. That

LETTER XXIII.

Voyage-Discovery-French Privateer-English Frigate Dangers-Difficulties-Distresses-Landing in Spain.

IT was now the beginning of May, 1799, when I put to sea in the Die-Hoffning, having still in my possession the passports of those ministers who professed to shed blood for the delivery of Europe and the restoration of religion and law. No case need be stronger than mine to shew how much their actions agreed with their professions, and how much had their views succeeded there would have remained of religion, liberty and law. Before I crossed the bar I entered into conversation with the pilot, who seemed not to understand some questions I put to him touching the destination of the ship. This creating some suspicion, I was proceeding to press him for an explanation, when the captain interposed, and told me in a tone of confidence, to say nothing more; and that when we were once at sea and the pilot gone, he would tell me something that would be agreeable to me. But the motion of the vessel on crossing the bar produced an effect which curiosity could not counteract. I went to my bed over-powered with sickness, and remained in a state of stupor for three days, insensible to all occurrences; at the end of which time Mr. Rivet informed me, that he had discovered from the avowal of the captain and a view of the ship's papers, that we were bound and regularly cleared out for Bordeaux.

Now although a voyage to France had for me nothing terrible, in comparison with what I had suffered; yet inasmuch as it made a difficulty the more between me and my family, and that the consequence in many ways could not be calculated, I was much shocked at the discovery. Mr. Rivet did all he could to encourage and divert me from de unpleasant view my situation afforded, and in this as in every other stage of my persecution, I endeavored to strengthen myself with fortitude and patience and to make the best of my position.

But whatever might be my disposition to bear cheerfully the ills and wrongs I had to sustain, every thing, even the elements, seemed to conspire to second the malice of my enemies and to make my situation intolerable. For six tedious weeks was I tossed about in this little vessel, in the performance of a voyage which might well have been performed in as many days. We sometimes approached the coast; and sometimes stood across the ocean, as they termed it, looking for a wind. The course of the vessel, when traced upon a map, was a matter of real curiosity: and I had the satisfaction of finding, at the end of three wecks of sickness and pain, that we were further off by much from our destined port than when we started. We often requested the captain to put us somewhere on shore on the Portuguese or Spanish coast; and he as often positively refused. He seemed indeed to suffer as much as we, and on some occasions to have nearly lost his senses with vexation. He was in his own nature good; but he had been terror-struck and agitated in Lisbon, where he had been one day taken off the Change before the minister, and threatened with a gaol if he murmured against taking certain prisoners who should be sent on board of him.