and where the higher authorities knew, that whatever my political opinions had been, I had known how to conduct myself with discretion and without offence. But to be again a prisoner, to be again obliged to go through a painful course of interrogatories and vouchers, to be again suspected, to be perhaps obliged to quit from necessity that line of firm independence which I had hitherto preserved, was a thing to be avoided. And particularly now, when in an inhospitable country, I might have something to fear from malignity, and nothing to expect from justice; for as I said before, no city was ever more infested than Hamburg with the little instruments of corruption and intrigue, noxious to society, and sometimes ruinous to those who use them. Little indeed should I have regarded all this had it concerned myself alone; for I am now taught to despise my persecutors, and to bear any thing they can invent; but when I reflected, that for the faithful and innocent partner of my life and my misfortunes, there was no chance of any benefit in remaining here; but many of distress, and that for her it was now a matter of necessity to return with her children where she had friends and protection, I was not, you may suppose, much at ease.

I went, therefore, to Mr. Thornton, to know whether he had received any further instructions respecting me. He had not; but he seemed to take a humane concern in my hard situation. He offered to take so much upon himself as to give me a passport to England, and to write immediately to Mr. Fox and explain the grounds upon which he had done so.

Now it appeared to me, that if the late ministers, whom I never considered as my friends, had taken my case into consideration, or submitted it to the Irish government; if

they had seemed to require no more than some expressions of contrition, there could be no difficulty with the present, for the reasons I have already given. Particularly when at the head of that ministry appeared that exalted and benevolent man, in whose noble and generous heart the vile spirit of persecution never could find a place. I accordingly accepted the passport, and made instant dispositions for my departure.

But a fresh difficulty arose. The English vessels were ordered down the river to be under the protection of a British man of war; and the packets were, it was supposed, stopped. I asked Mr. Thornton, if he could not add to the kindness he had shewn me that of procuring a passage on board of some of the king's vessels, as I conceived that at all events his dispatches, and all those of the other ministers on the continent, must be conveyed. He did not feel that he could promise me that; but there were several merchant-men below, and I determined to take my chance; and at all events, if it was not safe to land with my family at Cuxhaven, to claim hospitality on board a ship. I had given a commission to an agent to find some person to join in the expense of a hoy, and the first person he met with was Mr. Sparrow, one of the king's messengers, who had been at Petersburg and all over the north of Europe as a courier, and happened then to be on his return in great haste with dispatches from the English minister at Vienna. He knew very well upon hearing my name, who I was, and I advised him to ask Mr. Thornton whether he saw any impropriety in our travelling together.

could see none, and we set out together.

Mr. Thornton

When we came

to Cuxhaven, no packet had arrived, though many were due; and the packet agent knew no more of the matter than

we did, and probably was thinking how he would have to provide for himself when a new order would come. Ap, plication had been made to the sloop of war to take charge of the messenger and his dispatches. The other passengers in the town were endeavoring each for his own passage, and I with no other vouchers than my passport as a French prisoner of war, and those of lord Castlereagh and the duke of Portland, was very likely to remain, with my wife and two poor infants, as a prize to his Prussian majesty, into whose service the Irish govern, ment had, some years before, transported so many of my miserable countrymen. These unfortunate men were, it is true, about that time released from their strange bond, age; but no one, I believe, can say what has since become of them. A king's cutter had just arrived, and was to return without coming to anchor. We obtained leave to go on board, and set out immediately with Mr. Sparrow and some other gentlemen.

LETTER XXXI.

Embarkation-Danger-Journey to London-Lord Spencer -Once more imprisoned-Mr. Sparrow--Governor Pic ton.

WE hired a little boat and embarked in her; but the weather was stormy and the sea ran very high with an in-blowing wind; and it was so cold, though in the month of April, that the spray of the sea froze upon us as it fell. We were close packed in this little boat. I could not move, for my legs were thrust among the baggage, and the children were lying shivering upon me, sick and vomiting. When we came along side of the cutter, the boatmen ran their mast foul of her yard, and but for the dexterity of the tars, that were in one moment upon the yard cutting away the rigging that held us, we should have been undoubtedly upset. The cutter then came to anchor to favor us; but as our rigging was cut and our sail split, we had great difficulty to get on board in the rapid tide, and when we did it was to run fowl again. This latter accident was like to be worse than the former; for we hung by the top of our mast; so that had our boat taken a shear with the current, we must have been swept out of her or sunk. But the activity of these good tars once more saved us, and before we had time to say long prayers they plucked us all on board. For myself I might have escaped, being, as you remember, a first rate swimmer; but I question if any man would desire to save his life, and see all that were

Ee

Whilst

dearest to his heart perish in his view. Never in my life, but in this moment, did I feel the full effect of terror. I once spent two days without meat or drink, or any port to stcer for, in a wintry and stormy sea, alone in an open skiff; but I would rather pass a hundred such, than endure the sudden pang that now shot across my heart. This was, however, but a short grief; the officers were kind to us, and Mr. Sparrow gave up his bed and lay on the cabin floor. We did not weigh anchor until next morning, and on the following one we made the English land. we were running along the coast in very thick weather, we were hailed by an armed brig, French built, and in the sea phrase, suspicious. Our captain at first hove too; but as she came nearer and looked more and more suspicious, this hearty Caledonian laddy damn'd his eyes if he would stop for her, ordered matches to be lighted, shoved out his little six pounders, and swore he had known a less vessel than his beat a damn'd French ****** twice as big: so all was prepared for an engagement. The brig was ten times as powerful as we, and we had a fair prospect of being blown out of water; and my wife, my children and I, would have had a full share of the glory; but it proved to be a French built privateer, now turned into an English cruiser.

Mr. Sparrow landed at Orford-West and proceeded to London; he promised, as soon as he arrived at the foreign office, to mention that I was on the way with Mr. Thornton's passport, and that my intention was to present myself immediately on my arrival to Mr. Fox; and with many hearty entreaties engaged me to go and see him at his house, when I should arrive in London: We spent that day and part of the next at Harwich, and next morning