ecome practice and fact; fiery
dreams are at last permitted to realize themselves; and now is the time
or never!--How the Coleridge moonshine comported itself amid these hot
telluric flames, or whether it had not yet begun to play there (which I
rather doubt), must be left to conjecture.

Mr. Hare speaks of Sterling "sailing over to St. Valery in an open
boat along with others," upon one occasion, in this enterprise;--in
the _final_ English scene of it, I suppose. Which is very possible.
Unquestionably there was adventure enough of other kinds for it, and
running to and fro with all his speed on behalf of it, during these
months of his history! Money was subscribed, collected: the young
Cambridge democrats were all ablaze to assist Torrijos; nay certain of
them decided to go with him,--and went. Only, as yet, the funds were
rather incomplete. And here, as I learn from a good hand, is the secret
history of their becoming complete. Which, as we are upon the subject,
I had better give. But for the following circumstance, they had perhaps
never been completed; nor had the rash enterprise, or its catastrophe,
so influential on the rest of Sterling's life, taken place at all.

A certain Lieutenant Robert Boyd, of the Indian Army, an Ulster
Irishman, a cousin of Sterling's, had received some affront, or
otherwise taken some disgust in that service; had thrown up his
commission in consequence; and returned home, about this time, with
intent to seek another course of life. Having only, for outfit, these
impatient ardors, some experience in Indian drill exercise, and five
thousand pounds of inheritance, he found the enterprise attended with
difficulties; and was somewhat at a loss how to dispose of himself. Some
young Ulster comrade, in a partly similar situation, had pointed out to
him that there lay in a certain neighboring creek of the Irish coast, a
worn-out royal gun-brig condemned to sale, to be had dog-cheap: this he
proposed that they two, or in fact Boyd with his five thousand pounds,
should buy; that they should refit and arm and man it;--and sail
a-privateering "to the Eastern Archipelago," Philippine Isles, or I know
not where; and _so_ conquer the golden fleece.

Boyd naturally paused a little at this great proposal; did not quite
reject it; came across, with it and other fine projects and impatiences
fermenting in his head, to London, there to see and consider. It was in
the months when the Torrijos enterprise was