to his court, and governor W----. The latter
was dressed like a decayed gentleman, and bore about him all the
indications of his extreme condition. They had not been seated at the
table long, before the latter informed the former, with evident marks of
perturbation, that his name was W----, that having been charged in
England with offences, which, if true, subjected him to heavy
punishment, he was anxious to place himself at the disposal of its laws,
and requested of him, as he was an english messenger, that he would
consider him as his prisoner, and take charge of him.

The messenger, who was much surprised by the application told him, that
he could not upon such a representation take him into custody, unless he
had an order from the duke of Portland's office to that effect, and that
in order to obtain it, it would be proper for him to write his name,
that it might be compared with his hand writing in the office of the
secretary at war, which he offered to carry over with him. Governor
W---- still pressed him to take him into custody, the messenger more
strongly declined it, by informing him that he was the bearer of
dispatches of great importance to his court, that he must immediately
cross the Channel, and should hazard a passage, although the weather
looked lowering, in an open boat, as no packets had arrived, and that
consequently it was altogether impossible to take him over, but again
requested him to write his name, for the purpose already mentioned; the
governor consented, pens and paper were brought, but the hand of the
murderer shook so dreadfully, that he could _not write it_, and in an
agony of mind, bordering upon frenzy, he rushed out of the room, and
immediately left the town.

The messenger entered the boat, and set sail; a storm quickly followed,
_the boat sunk in sight of the pier_, and all on board but one of the
watermen, perished!!!

The great disposer of human destiny, in vindication of his eternal
justice, rescued the life of this infatuated delinquent from the waves,
and from a sudden death, to resign him to the public and merited doom of
the laws.

CHAPTER VII.

_Filial Piety.--St. Catharine's Mount.--Madame Phillope.--General
Ruffin's Trumpet.--Generosity.--Love Infectious.--Masons and
Gardeners._

I have before had occasion to mention the humane conduct of Madame G----
towards the persecuted abbe; she soon afterwards, with the principal
ladies of the city, fell