in the birth-throes; crying
wildly for capital, of all things. Boyd naturally spoke of his projects
to Sterling,--of his gun-brig lying in the Irish creek, among others.
Sterling naturally said, "If you want an adventure of the Sea-king sort,
and propose to lay your money and your life into such a game, here is
Torrijos and Spain at his back; here is a golden fleece to conquer,
worth twenty Eastern Archipelagoes."--Boyd and Torrijos quickly met;
quickly bargained. Boyd's money was to go in purchasing, and storing
with a certain stock of arms and etceteras, a small ship in the Thames,
which should carry Boyd with Torrijos and the adventurers to the south
coast of Spain; and there, the game once played and won, Boyd was to
have promotion enough,--"the colonelcy of a Spanish cavalry regiment,"
for one express thing. What exact share Sterling had in this
negotiation, or whether he did not even take the prudent side and
caution Boyd to be wary I know not; but it was he that brought the
parties together; and all his friends knew, in silence, that to the end
of his life he painfully remembered that fact.

And so a ship was hired, or purchased, in the Thames; due furnishings
began to be executed in it; arms and stores were gradually got on board;
Torrijos with his Fifty picked Spaniards, in the mean while, getting
ready. This was in the spring of 1830. Boyd's 5000 pounds was the grand
nucleus of finance; but vigorous subscription was carried on likewise
in Sterling's young democratic circle, or wherever a member of it could
find access; not without considerable result, and with a zeal that may
be imagined. Nay, as above hinted, certain of these young men decided,
not to give their money only, but themselves along with it, as
democratic volunteers and soldiers of progress; among whom, it need not
be said, Sterling intended to be foremost. Busy weeks with him, those
spring ones of the year 1830! Through this small Note, accidentally
preserved to us, addressed to his friend Barton, we obtain a curious
glance into the subterranean workshop:--

"_To Charles Barton, Esq., Dorset Sq., Regent's Park_.
[No date; apparently March or February, 1830.]

"MY DEAR CHARLES,--I have wanted to see you to talk to you about my
Foreign affairs. If you are going to be in London for a few days, I
believe you can be very useful to me, at a considerable expense and
trouble to yourself, in the way of buying accoutremen