thievings and his whippings very materially shook his credit; and, to the satisfaction of the whole court, he was at last convicted of a palpable falsehood, for which the judge ordered him to be immediately whipped through the town. The wretch dropped upon his knees and screamed for mercy, but in less than a quarter of an hour he was heard yelling very audibly on his march, amidst the hootings of the mob. This circumstance, however, produced but little advantage to the prisoner. The testimony of the other witnesses was too strong for him, and a case was made out but too conclusive. He was now called upon for his defence. I could see that he made a strong effort to collect firmness, but it was unavailing, for he was obliged to grasp firmly by the bar before him, to prevent himself from sinking. At first he was not audible, and when he was so, the poor wretch's attempt to divest his address of any disrespectful slang terms, which were the only language he could talk, plunged him into an ocean of mistake and confusion which extracted a murmur of pity from all present. He endeavoured, as is usual in such cases, to assert an alibi. "Have you no witnesses to call?" said the Judge. The Smasher looked vaguely round. young "I don't see any body, my Lord. I thought the Squire would have been here, but I suppose he can't The imputation of having deserted my old companion, guilty as he was, was stronger than my fear or my shame. I stepped forward, with a determination of, at any rate, not being classed with such scoundrels as the Skulker, kissed the book which was tendered by the officer, and ascended into the witness's-box like a soldier to the forlòrn hope. "God bless you, Squire!" cried the Smasher, pene trated by the sight of a friend amongst so many who were hostile to him" God bless you! I thought you'd come to speak a good word for me." me. My heart rose to my throat, and seemed as if it could only be kept down by main force. I turned my eyes rapidly round the court to prevent them from filling with tears, and betraying any appearance of unmanliness. The first face I encountered in the grand jury-box was that of my uncle: it was flushed with confusion, and his lips were compressed with an expression of anger and irony which seemed, as I had dreamt, to congratulate me on the credit I reflected on my family. At any other time I should have been appalled, but my feelings were now too forcibly drawn into another channel. The sound of my voice, when my examination commenced, gave me a degree of courage, which increased as we proceeded, till I was enabled to answer with a propriety which rather surprised Character I could give none; but something, I fancied, might be said in palliation of the want of it. My strangeness to courts of justice, perhaps, caused the infliction of death to appear more terrible to me than to persons more experienced in the world; and I was inspired with a feeling of eloquence which burst forth, however rude the medium, impetuously, and apparently without intention. Its aim, I am told, was to apply the blame of his misdeeds to myself, and to insist that, had he not been incited to them by encouragement from those upon whom he depended for support and example, he had possibly never turned either to poaching or prize-fighting. My heart swelled with every thought-my vehemence increased-my frame shook as if with the recoil of every sentence-and words came to my assistance which till then had been strange to my mouth, and almost beyond my comprehension. Never, I believe, will it be my fate to excite such interest as was rivetted by this burst of boyish agony. The spectators gazed upon me with an appearance of commiseration and friendliness mingled with their attention; and the Judge himself seemed to forget the rules of the court, till he found I was in danger of committing myself. I "Young gentleman," said he, "this is irregular. admire your candour and your spirit. Seek other companions and other occupations. If I mistake not, you will turn them to good account. You may withdraw." "God bless you, Squire!" again exclaimed the Smasher, in a voice which showed that in spite of his fears he was deeply affected" God Almighty bless you I knew you would speak a good word for me-I knew you would!" I struggled to make my escape from the court, and effected it with difficulty; for I was unable to trust my voice in petitioning for a passage, and the crowd gathered round me almost to suffocation. As I was rushing out of the door, my uncle seized me by the hand. There was a degree of kindness in his countenance which he had never before manifested towards me, and apparently a corresponding cordiality in his words. Whatever they may have been, I heard them not, and extricated myself from his grasp without uttering a syllable. I rushed straight to the inn where I had put up my horse, and remained in a conflict of the bitterest thoughts till the noise of the departing rabble informed me that the trial was concluded. I asked but one brief question. The Smasher was sentenced to be hanged on Friday. I mounted my horse in silence, and galloped rapidly towards home, with a forcible endeavour to expel the agony of thought. It was a fine spring evening, and when I pulled up in the meadows at a short distance from the house, the thrushes were singing sweetly over Jessie's bank of wild-flowers, and Jessie herself was strolling pensively along in expectation of meeting me. The scene, and the beautiful being, presented a contrast to the last few hours which melted at once the rigid horror of my soul. I leaped from my horse, and, for the first time, catching her in my arms, suffered my tears to fall unrestrainedly upon her bosom. She guessed the cause too well, and asked not a single question, but suffered me to weep on, and press her more firmly to my heart and to my lips. "Sweet Jessie," I cried, "if I were not sure that you love me, I should envy the fate of the miserable man I have just parted from. Promise me, Jessie, that you will love me!" Jessie made no promise-she spoke no word-she only blushed, and trembled, and wept with me, and looked as though she asked if such a promise was necessary. "Oh teach me," I again exclaimed, I again exclaimed, "teach me to be worthy of you, and I will obey you like a child!" "Then promise me," she whispered, in a tone of timidity, as if doubtful of offending "To give up my evil habits," I added, " and the companions who have disgraced me?" "Oh yes-yes!" "From this moment, as I hope for heaven!" Sweet Jessie-my own-my dearly loved. Have I not kept my promise? 310 THE RETURN OF FRANCIS THE FIRST FROM CAPTIVITY. THE restoration of Francis the First to his liberty took place beside the little river Andaye, which divides the kingdoms of France and Spain. The moment his Spanish escort drew up on one side of the river, an equal number of French troops appeared on the opposite bank, and immediately afterwards Francis leaped into the boat which awaited him, and reached the French shore. He then mounted his horse, and galloped off at full speed, waving his hand over his head, and crying aloud, with a joyful voice, "I am yet a king!" O glorious is that morning sky! And gloriously beneath, Those vine-clad hills and valleys lie, Fair France's living wreath! And yet that sky, ere dimmed by night, Shall canopy a fairer sight, And France exultant see, More glorious than her vine-clad hills, As yet, amid the landscape fair, On river, vale, and hill; While low sweet sounds that murmur there, Seem, as they rise, to melt in air, And make repose more still. |