PAUL JONES.

A ROMANCE.

1

BY ALLAN CUNNINGHAM,

AUTHOR OF

“SIR MARMADUKE MAXWELL,” “TRADITIONAL TALES,” &c.

Success, the mark no mortal wit,
Or surest hand, can always hit:
For whatsoe'er we perpetrate,
We do but row, we're steer'd by Fate,
Which in success oft disinherits,
For spurious causes, noblest merits.

BUTLER,

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

EDINBURGH:
PUBLISHED BY OLIVER & BOYD;
LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, & GREEN,

LONDON

1926.

m. Sun

PAUL JONES.

CHAPTER I.

Streets and walls,
The painted chamber, and the desert sea,
And upper ends of tables, had they tongues,
Could tell what blood has followed, and what feud
About your ranks.

The caprice of a young and beautiful lady is pure constancy, compared with the caprice of dame Fortune; she showers her favours on strange places, and scatters her gifts at random. From the heir of some noble name, fed on the dainties of the earth, clothed in scarlet and in purple, and endowed with the gathered wisdom of many tongues, she withholds all farther increase of renown; while over some clod of the valley, some lump of rude and undistinguished clay, she causes her luckiest star to shine, endows him with wit at will, covers him with her glory as with a mantle, consecrates the

VOL. I.

А