was advised to go to Leghorn,
which being a very great port, it would be no difficulty to find a
ship bound for Holland or England, in which he might take his passage
at an easy rate. He had certainly taken this method, but meeting with
an English gentleman, who was on his travels, and had not yet been at
Rome, was perswaded by him to go back, on his offering to bear the
whole expences of that route, for the pleasure of his company.--After
a stay of two or three months there, they pursued their journey to
Paris, where Natura renewed all the former acquaintance he had
there:--the baron d' Eyrac, with whom he had contracted an intimate
friendship, and from whom he concealed nothing of his affairs, was
extremely concerned to hear the occasion of his being recalled so much
sooner than he had expected, and made him an offer which suited very
well with Natura's inclination to accept: it was this.

That an old officer in the army having obtained leave to dispose of
his commission, Natura should become the purchaser; and to enable him
to do so, the baron would advance a sum of money, to be returned at
several easy payments, as he received the profits arising from his
troop.

Love and gallantry had already had their turns with Natura; ambition,
and the pride of being in an independent state, began now to work in
him:--as France was in alliance with England, there was neither shame
nor danger in entering into her service:--besides, he considered, that
as his father was no longer in a condition to supply him with money
abroad, he could not expect any settlement to be made on him at home
that would be answerable to his former expectations;--and that by a
captain's pay, joined to some assistance he might hope to receive
sometimes from England, he should be enabled to make a very good
figure in the world, till the misfortunes of his family should be
retrieved, and if they never were so, he should at least have a
provision for life, in a country he was not weary of.

He therefore made no hesitation of accepting this proof of the baron's
friendship, who immediately went about making good his promise; and
what with his money, and the great interest he had, both with the
court and army, Natura was dispensed with, for not having been in the
service before; and in a very few days saw himself at the head of a
troop of horse.

His father, to whom he wrote an account of the step he had taken, with
his motives for it, was far from being