treated like dogs." Our friend was mute for some time: perhaps he had thought me rather an object of helplessness than otherwise, and as such had stepped forward to serve me; and I thought his reply justified the conclusion; but I may be mistaken. "As this is the case, Mr. Seaward," said he, "I might leave you to fight your own battle; for it is odds you do not beat the minister." A smile of inward worth and strength passed across my dear wife's countenance; and putting claret in her glass, "Come, Mr. Powis," said she, "we will drink the King's health, and all his true friends." Powis and I filled a bumper, as the monks would fill au bon pere, and we drank the toast, like honest and true men. Mr. Powis was a good-hearted man, at least I thought so; and, as I said before, believed he had taken a fancy to me; so, notwithstanding the issue of his kindly intended visit, I was not surprised he took leave of us in perfect good humour.

On the 23d, I got the box of valuables from the clutches of the custom-house officers, after paying the duties; and was glad to find the contents uninjured and correct. We now began to think seriously of giving up any further attempt to procure the grant, notwithstanding what Mr. Powis had said as to my chance of beating the minister; as I thought very differently from him on that point, and principle stood immmovably in the way of the only now apparent practicable road. To-day, however, I had a call from Mr. Powis; who told me, as I liked straight-forward business, he thought he could not please me better than by putting the de

claration I had made at our last interview in a train to reach Sir Robert Walpole, to try its effect; and he knew the minister had, in consequence, written a note to Mr. Perry, to enquire whether I were the man of property I represented myself to be; and that Perry had replied, "he knew nothing more of my property than that I had a very handsome balance in his hands, and held upwards of 60,000l. in three per cent. stock." I thanked Mr. Powis for his information, and told him that he and Mr. Perry both had acted perfectly right.

I waited anxiously for a week, venturing to hope that something might come out of this; but, being in the end disappointed, I began to suspect the accuracy of the statement Mr. Powis had made; and I therefore put the question to Mr. Perry, with respect to the minister's note, which he acknowledged to be correct, but added "I cannot imagine how you can have come to the knowledge of the communication; for it was endorsed private, or I certainly would myself have told you." I replied, that I was quite satisfied with his conduct; and as the communication to me was also endorsed private, he must excuse my not disclosing it. He then turned the conversation to the subject itself, and said, he feared I was too inflexible in my principles to succeed with the minister; but deeply regretted the despicable policy of expediency that actuated all his measures, by which he surrounded himself with rotten sticks, and often lost the support of a staff of true British oak, for a consideration in itself not worth a straw. When this discourse drew to a close, I told him, if nothing occurred to prevent

it, I should leave town next week, and act according to circumstances.

On Sunday we visited Greenwich, and, after attending divine service at the chapel, had the gratification of seeing the beautifully painted hall, finished a few years ago by Sir Christopher Wren, now no more. It is all very fine, or rather imposing, excepting what I would call the altar-piece; in which two miserable portraits of His present Majesty and the Prince of Wales are introduced. Here, to my great surprise and joy, we met Captain James and his wife; with whom we had the pleasure of dining, and passed altogether an interesting and highly agreeable day.

On Monday, the 4th of October, we began to pack up for quitting London, to revisit our dear friends at Awbury. While thus engaged, a lady called and sent up her name - Lady Sundon. My dear wife was soon ready to meet her; which she did with that courteous ease and dignity that ever flows from a noble and ingenuous nature; apologising, nevertheless, for being obliged to receive her in such a place, not as yet having any home in England, and being at this moment on the move from London. The stranger replied, that an apology was rather due from her, for venturing an intrusion; but she hoped the object of her visit would plead her excuse. After being seated, she said she had called by command of the Queen; who, having heard that Mrs. Seaward possessed some very rich gold tissue, superior to any thing ever seen in Europe, Her Majesty had honoured her Lady Sundon-with a command to purchase it at

any price, if it were indeed what it was reported to be. My dear wife smiled. "That cannot be, madam," said she; "but I shall be most happy to present some pieces of gold tissue, or any thing else I am possessed of, to Her Majesty." "I fear," replied the lady, "the Queen cannot accept of it from Mrs. Seaward."-"Then," rejoined my wife, "I shall have to regret, for once in my life, that I am only Mrs. Seaward." After a pause, the stranger requested to be gratified with a sight of the gold web; and, in compliance with the wish, one of the richly wrought pieces (which the tirewoman had not seen) was shown to her. She was struck at once by its incomparable richness, and could not restrain her admiration, observing "This, truly, is fit for a queen." I now left my dear Eliza and the lady together. It seems they soon became sociable, for I found her still with my Eliza, after an hour's absence. My well-judging wife had profited by the opportunity, to give her an outline of our shipwreck, and of our little settlement; and also told her, that our business in England was to purchase from the Crown a grant of the islands, so as to secure our people in the pos session of their grounds and habitations; but as we could not succeed in obtaining it, we were going away, and would try to establish them as well as we could without it. She did not, in the course of this conversation, omit to mention how we had trained them to the observance of divine worship, and to reading on the Sabbath-day. Lady Sundon was a kind-hearted, and somewhat pious woman; so that she took great interest in the detail, and, on taking

leave, promised to endeavour to persuade Her Majesty to allow Mrs. Seaward to present the tissue for acceptance. "But, at any rate," added she, taking my wife's hand, "I hope you will not leave town immediately. I am desirous of cultivating your acquaintance, and I would say your friendship." My dear wife returned her a suitable compliment, and I had the honour of handing Her Ladyship to the carriage, which bore the royal arms.

After the departure of this lady, my Eliza and myself turned the matter over, and hoped it might prove one of those mysterious interpositions of Providence, to accomplish that for us which we had failed in ability to do for ourselves, and, in consequence, were about to abandon as hopeless; we therefore determined to wait the issue of this adventure.

On Tuesday, my wife had a second visit from Lady Sundon, who imparted to her the pleasing intelligence, that the Queen would receive her at the palace on Thursday; and it had been arranged that Her Ladyship, who now told us she was Mistress of the Robes and Lady in Waiting to Her Majesty, should call in a royal carriage for Mrs. Seaward, and accompany her to the presence. I soon begged . permission to retire; and having left them together, Lady Sundon very kindly entered into all the minutiæ, with my wife, of the honour intended her. The dress she was to wear was then settled, and the etiquette to be observed was pointed out; but there was a point, on which Her Ladyship had directions to be informed. "What is Mr. Seaward?-is he a merchant?" "He was a merchant," replied