Ellustrated Article.

THE VOLUNTARY EXILE;
A SEAMAN'S TALE.
(For the Olio.)

"List, ye landsmen, all to me."

KIND reader, hast thou ever strolled through Wapping and its kindred parish of Ratcliff? Start not at the question; if I have offended thy dignity by putting it, I would have thee remember, that this " end o' the town" has been the scene of many a merry frolic of the profligate Charles and his dissolute companion, Rochester; who have strolled through its miry streets in search of adventures, at all hours and all seasons. Methinks I already see the contemptuous curl of thy lip, but I would have thee know, that Wapping was not thought so lightly of in the old time; even St. Katharine's was y'clep'd "faire," in the days of Sir Thomas More. *

* Vide the ballad of the man who needes must plaie ye frier," written by Master Thos. More in his youthe," and quoted by the great Johnson.

But I am not about to tell thee of Sir Thomas, or the "Merry Monarch." Wapping is strangely altered since those days; there is scarcely an ancient building left standing, with which the curious antiquary can feast his vision. Still, spite of the hosts of water-men, corn-meters, coal-heavers, skippers, and captains, and the lack of ancient buildings, a visit to Wapping never fails to produce in me a long train of reflections. I view each old-fashioned gable-fronted house, and its latticed windows, with a curious eye; for I consider that it may have been the habitation of

some of those rude and boisterous sons of

the ocean, whose courage and intrepidity will not be soon forgotten by our neighbours on the other side of the channel. Here, too, in our forefathers' time, the desperate pirate and the hardy smuggler were nursed and schooled for their dangerous career; indeed, there was less difference between the two professions than there now is, since the "forest of masts" in the river has thickened and extended. The names of some of these desperadoes are still remembered in the flowing cups of those who frequent the public-houses

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"along-shore." Black Beard, Paul Jones, and other heroes, who have set the laws of nations at defiance, are not forgotten; and the merits of each are frequently discussed over a cool tankard of Barclay's entire, or Barclay's a glass of grog; and not unfrequently mine host will add a note or two of his own, when these "tough yarns" are spun. But, gentle reader, perhaps thou art, by this time, ime, tired by this preamble; so I'll to my tale, or rather to that of my companion's, at once.

Know, then, that on a cold winter's evening, some few years back, I had occasion to visit one of the houses I have mentioned along-shore, in search of the mate of a schooner in the Harlingen trade, whom I expected would be there with a few things which it may not be prudent to mention here, lest it should rouse some keen eyed tide-waiter, as I am no friend to that fraternity. Well, then, being seated in the parlour of the aforesaid house, I found myself amongst some half score of captains, belonging to the different vessels then lying in the neighbourhood. I was particularly struck by the appearance of one of them, a fine looking old man,

of good figure and more gentlemanly exterior than the rest of the company. Не sat near the fire, puffing at a clean pipe of best Virginia, and occasionally pausing to take a sip from the glass of grog which stood by him. The rest of the company. were descanting o on the merits of their different vessels, in their usually rude and boisterous manner, without heeding the person I have alluded to, who sat listening to their conversation, and occasionally smiling at the pertinacity of their arguments.

At length he ceased to send forth such huge puffs of smoke; the charge in his pipe had been gradually decreasing; at last totally failed, and the smoke he had created rolled off as if to join that raised by the other party.

"'Tis a dull time with us just now," said the stranger, speaking for the first time, as he knocked the ashes from his pipe, "we are fast locked in the river by the ice, and if I may judge, are likely to continue so for some days to come."

I remarked in reply, that our companions must find it difficult to employ their time; to which the stranger answered,

"Why, as to that, the present is their chief employment; -a good thing for the landlords along-shore, but not so well for their wives and families at home."

"Truly," said I, "you speak more thinkingly than men of your profession usually do."

"Adversity is the best school for experience," replied the old man, as he finish ed his glass;-" I was not bred to the sea, yet I am fond of it, though it has ever proved treacherous to me. I have encountered many perils by land and water; I have been chained and disfigured by infidel hands," (here he pointed to a large sear which extended across his right cheek, as far as his ear); " I have been shipwrecked twice; yet all the perils I have encountered - all the hardships I have endured-are but slight when compared with what I have suffered through the treachery and malice of a false friend and

kinsman-"

"Pardon me," I cried, hastily drawing my chair closer to his, "I could never find the sorrows of others a theme for jest and laughter. Perhaps you may find that I can sympathize with the unfortunate; I would fain hear your sad story-for sad it must be, to be still so strongly remembered."

"It is indeed a sad story," said the old sailor, with a deep sigh," and I would tell it you, but we are not alone."

I replied, that there was no fear of interruption from the company at the other end of the room, as they were too busily engaged to take any notice of our conversation. The old man paused for a few moments, then looked round him; drew up his chair, stirred the fire, and spoke as follows.

" I was born, Sir, in the village of -, in the Isle of Wight, and when I tell you that I was my father's only child, you will not be surprised to hear, that by the time I was twelve years old, I was one of the most unruly cubs in the whole island. But my father's fondness would not allow him to perceive it. The good man had a tutor for me in his own house, to prevent, as he said, my contracting bad habits, which he was certain would be the result of my mixing with a number of boys in a public school. I had long lost

my mother, who died when I was about nine months old, so that I could form no estimate of maternal tenderness and affection.

"My tutor, who was a persevering man, with all his endeavours, could scarcely curb my restless spirit; -for three years, all went on pretty well, except when any of our poorer neighbours would lodge complaints against me for riding over their poultry, or driving their pigs into other parishes, where the ill-used animals were impounded. I, however, attended pretty closely to my exercises, and made such progress, that my father was quite delighted with me. About this time, he had occasion to pay a visit to a friend in London, and, as he always said he wished his boy to have a thorough knowledge of the world, he thought this a fitting school for acquiring it. I accordingly attended him. On arriving in this great metropolis, you may judge of my surprise on beholding its numerous buildings, its crowded streets, its river, and the numberless vessels lying in it-all was a scene of wonder to me. My father, who was determined that I should enjoy myself, put no restraint upon me, and always supplied me with plenty of money, saying, that he could trust to his boy's making a proper use of it.

"I will leave you to judge, Sir, whether I did so; my father, I well remember, was often petitioned for a fresh supply; so many applications would have astonished most parents, but mine was far too indulgent to make inquiries of me how I had spent it. He never hesitated to draw out his purse, always giving me rules for my making a proper use of money. He made a long stay in London, during which I took care to see every thing worthy of notice; at length my father returned, taking me with him, and we arrived safe again at the village. I had grown much taller, and this, together with my having visited London, made me hold my head much higher than my compa nions, who greeted my return. I treated them very cavalierly, and looked upon them as nothing better than a parcel of clowns. I never joined their water. parties, but always studiously avoided them, and wandered about by myself, like some restless spirit, my mind filled with what I had seen in London. I have often strolled down to the shore, and gazed on the vessels as they sailed by, wishing a thousand times that I might make a voyage in one of them, and be beyond the reach of my father and my tutor. I continued in this mood for a long time, and my father, always considering my waywardness as a sign of incipient genius, suffered me to ramble wherever my fancy led me.

"Another year passed, at the end of which a cousin of mine arrived from the West Indies, bringing a letter from his father to mine, begging him to receive and provide a tutor for him, and promising to defray all expences my father might incur. My cousin was about my own age, tall and well made; and my father was pleased with his charge, as he hoped I might find an agreeable companion in him. My cousin and I managed to live upon pretty friendly terms, though I was not at all pleased to find

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that our tutor was more partial to him than to myself; however, this gave me very little uneasiness.

"About six months after my cousin arrived in the Island, it was my fortune to fall in love with the daughter of a near neighbour. He was not in very good circumstances, but he possessed a treasure in his only child. Poor Mary! the recollection of thee fills my old eyes with tears." The old man here paused, and seemed sensibly affected. I watched him for some moments; his suppressed sobs plainly shewed that time had done little to alleviate his sorrows. -" I am ashamed of this weakness," he continued ; "but you will not mock me I have not forgotten her, though my blood runs not so freely as it did then, and time has thinned the locks that she was wont to call beautiful. Poor flower! death ne'er plucked thy equal: but thou art gone, and I am left to think on what thou wert, and curse my wayward folly! Why did I leave thee exposed to such a designing villain? But a truce with this. I fell deeply in love, Sir, with her; we had our secret meetings-our vows, sighs and protestations: she trusted to me, but her father was ignorant of our attachment, for we well knew if he were acquainted with it he would put an end to our correspondence, for fear of offending my parent, to whom he was under many obligations. But it did not escape the keen searching eye of my cousin, who was himself smitten with her beauty. Little did we suspect that our sweetest stolen interviews were narrowly watched by him.

"One day calling at her father's house he found her alone. She was sitting under a sort of arbour, by the side of the cottage, and on perceiving him arose; but my kinsman seizing her hand, placed her on a seat, and falling on his knees before her, poured forth a torrent of vows and protestations. Alarmed at his vehemence, the innocent girl fled into the cottage, whither he followed her, and thinking this a fit opportunity for consummating his hellish designs, he secured the door, advanced towards her, and

caught her in his arms. She shrieked loudly, but her calls for help were in vain, and the villain had almost overpowered his victim, when one arrived to rescue her. It chanced that I had strolled out that evening, and attracted to the spot where all my earthly hopes were centred, I instinctively strayed towards the cottage. You may judge of my horror and astonishment on hearing the voice of my beloved Mary, now growing almost inarticulate from the efforts she had made to free her

self from the ruffian grasp of my unworthy kinsman. Without waiting to go round to the gate in front of the cottage, I leaped the small fence which surrounded the little garden, and the next moment knocked loudly at the door, -for on my lifting the latch, I found that it was securely fastened -it resisted my utmost efforts to force it open. I ran to the window, dashed in the lattice, and sprung into the cottage. My cousin, thus suddenly pounced upon, was for the moment paralyzed, and ere he could recover himself I stretched him on the floor, by the side of the now almost inanimate girl. I raised her up, placed her on a seat, and bathed her temples with water. So intently was I engaged with this, that I did not perceive my cousin had fled from the cottage. When I did perceive it, however, I rushed from the spot, and first hastily begging a female friend of Mary's (who lived near) to repair to the cottage, I proceeded to search for my villanous cousin. I hastened home, and looked for him in vain ; I sought him on the beach by the sea-side; not finding him, I returned home, my breast filled with a thousand conflicting feelings, amongst which rage and hatred, deadly hatred, held absolute sway. My father and my tutor observed my condi tion, but I gave them no time to make inquiry, and hastened into the garden at the back of the house. I proceeded down one of the long paths, and entered an arbour erected at the bottom. Here I found my hated cousin sitting on one of the seats, and calmly watching the sun as it slowly descended towards the horizon. 'Villain!' cried I, springing forward; but without any apparent emotion, he drew forth a pistol, which he cocked and presented at my breast. 'Ay,' cried I, almost choked with rage, 'do thy worst thou fiend of mischief-add murder to villany!'-The wretch, waving his left hand, (still keeping the pistol pointed towards me with his right), answered with a smile, which enraged me the more,-. "Cousin, this war of words is more becoming a school-boy; thou art a man now, and should not give way to these childish bursts of passion.'