With the occurrences of those years I shall not swell my narrative. The joys and sufferings of a child are too minute and evanescent to afford matter for the grave records of maturer years. Their shadowy remembrance is food for midnight dreams, but eludes the glare of waking noonday contemplation.

It had been the intention of my father to superintend the education of my brother and myself, a task for which his talents and acquirements well fitted him; but the unsettled state of his spirits, and the extreme mental depression to which he was occasionally subject, soon compelled him to resign the task. The charge of our education, therefore, was committed to Dr. Lumley, the rector of a parish in a neighbouring county, between whom and my father there had subsisted an early friendship. They had been companions at college; and though, in after life. their intimacy had decreased, I believe they still did continue to entertain a mutual regard. At all events, my father was not unfortunate in his substitute. Dr. Lumley was a good scholar, and an excellent man; and whatever deficiency of early acquirement I have had since occasion to lament, is attributable not to the fault of the master, but the negligence of the pupil. The Doctor had a son, whose age nearly coincided with that of Charles. William Lumley was a young man of a quiet and studious disposition, ardent in his pursuit of learning, but taking little pleasure in those active recreations, which, to persons of his age, are generally so attractive. This was perhaps a favourable circumstance for Charles. The superior advancement of Lumley excited his emulation, and called into action those new energies and exertions, which were necessary to prevent his being distanced in the race by so formidable a competitor. We were not the only pupils whom Dr. Lumley admitted into his family. No. There was Jack Spencer, the best-natured and giddiest of God's creatures, now known as one of the best. officers of the navy. There, too, was Dick Sutton, with his round and stupid face, and look of self-satisfied dulness. He began Latin with a fair wind, got through his accidence with flying colours, but ran a-ground at "propria quæ maribus." There he stuck. Human exertion could get him no further, and further he never went, I'll answer for it, till this hour. Dick is now one of the most popular of our parliamentary orators, a ponderous debater on matters of finance,

eloquent on Catholic Emancipation, and overpowering Corn Laws.

For myself, I was not a dunce, but I found little pl in study. My energies were only fully excited by a exercises, and the sports of the field. In leaping, ru and vaulting, I had no competitors. In horsemans supremacy was disputed; and, to settle our rival cla superiority, we rode steeple chases on our ponies, and these generally ended in the bouleversement of both and riders, it is to these early trials of nerve and p that I owe the skill and confidence as an equestrian which I have in after life derived much pleasure a vantage.

There was too a pack of harriers in the neighbou with which, on holydays, we were suffered to hunt. our hearts bounded at the cry of the huntsman, a music of the dogs! the trumpets of the seraphim wo our ears have sounded less sweet: there was a halo a us, a glory on earth and in the sky. After all, how and miserable is the intoxication of the bottle, wher pared with that of the hunting-field! How perfect concentration of soul-of all energies, both menta physical-of heart and purpose, in the all-absorbing pu Hunting is your true leveller. In the field, all distin of youth and age, of rank and fortune, are forgotten. old man feels the blood of youth once more dancing veins; the boy anticipates the slow progress of natur at once swells into a man.

In such scenes and occupations years passed Charles was now sixteen, and my father determined to him to the University. He had always been his fav son, and, independently of his claims as the future h the family, destined to bear its honours, and transmit to posterity, his qualities were fully sufficient to justify a preference. Charles was indeed a universal favo I have known, I think, young men of greater talent, a equal goodness of heart, but I have never known any whom nature had so visibly stamped the signet of kin and benevolence; in whom vivacity of temper was s fectly amalgamated with gentleness of disposition. attachment which had subsisted between Charles and self, was strong as the love between brothers ever w can be. With me, he had never attempted to assum privilege or authority of an elder brother. We had

ing ciated as friends and equals, yet his maturer mind had not failed to exercise its natural influence, in guiding and directeple ing mine. We had never been divided, but y at

run

nship claim d the

"Still had slept together,

Rose at one instant, learn'd, play'd, ate together,
And wheresoe'r we went, like Juno's swans,
Still we went coupled and inseparable."

h hor In my character and disposition there was but little simiprow litude to his. I was not, like Charles, the idol of my coman, panions; and while every eye brightened at his approach, I and felt that mine was regarded with indifference. I had not,

t.

like him, the innate and spontaneous power to conciliate atour tachment; and in the little circle of my playmates, I knew that my absence occasioned no regret, my presence no joy. and But these wide differences of character did not in any degree Woul diminish our attachment, and we had grown together, in sun to ar and shower, like two young trees intertwining their branches, and ignorant of the support they mutually afforded, until one Then has been suddenly removed.

et is!

The current of my life had hitherto glided on smooth and ntal unruffled, and the separation from Charles, which was now purs about to take place, was the first sorrow of my youthful and tinct happy heart. William Lumley, too, was going to the Unin.versity, and in a month, he and Charles were to set out toi gether. They were attached to each other, and rejoiced in ure, the knowledge, that in the new and busy scene, in which they were about to mingle, they would not cease to be comawpanions.

g

to se

Dr. Lumley's reports of my application and advancemen vour I imagine, had not been very favourable. I manifested, on head all occasions, the strongest predilection for a military life, t th and entreated Dr. Lumley to make my wishes on this suby su ject known to my father. Never shall I forget the glowing ouri interest with which I read the history of the campaigns of and the Great Gustavus, Prince Eugene, and Lord Peterborough. up I followed the course of their armies on the map; I drew dne plans of the battles, and modelled little fortresses, on the o pe principles of Vauban.

T In a town about twenty miles distant, I had accidentally dm heard that a review of the troops of the district was to take was place. With what deep, but silent anxiety, did I expect the e th appointed day! I was too apprehensive of being prevented ass from gratifying my curiosity, to communicate my intentions VOL. I.-2

to any one. At length the day came, and the dawn of morning found me mounted on my horse, and proceeding, with a beating heart, to the scene of action. It may be conceived what effect the imposing spectacle of pomp and parade, which I there witnessed, was likely to produce on my excited spirit. It added fuel to the flame that already burned within me, and what Lord Peterborough and Gustavus had begun, the spectacle of this review completed.

My father, however, was not disposed to offer any vehement objection to my entering on a military life. His own views with regard to me had been directed to the bar; but finding I was neither suited, by character or inclination, for that profession, it was determined I should become a soldier, and that the two years which were to intervene before my obtaining a commission, should be spent in preparatory studies at the Military Academy at Marlow. When Charles, therefore, quitted Doctor Lumley's, I also returned to Thornhill, where it had been arranged that I should remain a few months, after his departure for the University. On taking our leave of the worthy Doctor, Iwe shed some natural tears, but wiped them soon." In that moment, we even loved Mrs. Lumley, and received her parting benediction with softened hearts, and an oblivion of all the petty annoyances, of which the over-anxiety of that worthy lady with regard to our outward elegance of deportment, had sometimes been the cause.

66

Warm welcome awaited us at Thornhill. The old Lions seemed to regard us with looks of peculiar benignity as we passed the gate, where our sisters were waiting our arrival. Jane locked her arms in ours as we walked onward to the house, and little Lucy bounded by our side, with a heart full of buoyancy and glee.

M.

CHAPTER III.

Will you follow?

Hel. Even where fate leads me-we are all her slaves,
And have no dwellings of our own.

M.

Yes-graves.

Royal King and Loyal Subject.

THE period of Charles's departure for College now rapidly approached, and nothing else could be talked or thought of in the family. All hands were busy, and everything around gave note of preparation. My mother was engaged in issuing, and the housekeeper in executing, orders for a copious supply of every imaginable comfort; Jane, in marking his linen with her own hair, and making little keep-sakes, that might recall her often to his memory. Even little Lucy would not be idle, and might be seen seated with unwonted gravity, assiduously employed in hemming his pocket-handkerchiefs. By my father he had been summoned to two long audiences in the library, and had been furnished with suitable directions and advice, for his guidance in the new circumstances of the life on which he was about to enter. For myself, I haunted him like his shadow. We rode and walked together, talked of our little griefs and glowing hopes, and bound ourselves by solemn promise to maintain a frequent and regular correspondence.

There was heaviness in every heart, but most of all in mine. It was now October, and Charles was to return home, for the summer vacation, in June. The very days were counted, and the length of his absence computed to an hour; but I would then be gone, and years might elapse before we again embraced in brotherhood and love. Our separation seemed long and limitless, for to a boy the future is an eternity, the past a point.

The

Thus did all things go on, until the day preceding that fixed for his departure. There is nothing in that day that is not burned deeply and indelibly on my memory. morning dawned in clouds. Volumes of deep red vapour obscured the rising of the sun, and seemed to presage a day of rain and storm; but at ten o'clock they began to disperse.