wide-spreading, and perhaps five hundred years old. These were, seemingly, the only signs that ornament or shelter had ever been thought of by the former owners of the castle.

One, and one only, interesting object presented itself, in what I took for the remains of a stone-quarry, but which had formerly been an oratory, half hid by two large yews, and constructed of rock and pebbles from the sea-shore. It was kept in tolerable preservation, for the sake, as I afterwards learned, of an inscription on a slate tablet, supposed to have been engraved for that Earl of Northumberland of whom, as having lost his head for the sake of Queen Mary and Popery, mention has been made already. It must have been composed just before he felt forced to leave this retreat for a still more dangerous one among the Scottish borderers, who betrayed him. It ran thus:

While this engaged me, a proper pendant, I thought, for Apemantus's Grace (both of them seeming so apposite to the present condition and humour of the marquess), Mr. Simcoe brought his lord's compliments and request to see me, as he was afraid, with his gout, of the damp of the garden.

I found him still in the dining-room, which indeed, and his bed-chamber, were the only rooms in the castle fit for a Christian to live in, and only filled me with wonder that he should have remained in them so long (nearly seven months) without flinching.

He seemed in deep reflection when I came in, with both his letters open on the table.

"I know not," said he, "whether these will assist your object of calling me back to the world, but they shew me (I do not thank them for it) that I have still some business in it

*This is to be found in the ancient ballad," Northumberland betrayed by Douglass.-Percy, 1. 220.

which I cannot neglect Pray heaven it take me not away. In a word, Mr. Courtall, my member (my member, observe), who did not choose either to follow my lead or to vacate (no doubt for conscience' sake), is gone to get his reward. He is dead, and a new writ must be moved without delay. Lord Castleton presses me for a nomination; which, little dreaming I should again care for it, I am not prepared to give. Yet if I don't, and immediately too, or perhaps go myself to oppose an opposition, I may lose this precious bubble, and then" Here he paused.

"I wait your lordship's meaning," said I.

"Why, then, my Lord Castleton, or my lord anybody, will not trouble themselves to send their secretaries after methat is all."

I immediately combated this, by shewing him (in which I was most sincere) that the wish for him was personal, and not for his parliamentary interest; which was proved by the fact that all his friends had supported the government, though he

had retired.

"You are armed, I see, at all points," he observed, "and no time must be lost, for the post starts in two hours, and if I were to go up myself, which I could not if I would, and would not if I could, I should be too late, with this gout hanging about me.-Even this," continued he, "seems to have fallen out on purpose to vex me, for you see I cannot hold a pen."

On this, I ventured to say that if he would forgive the presumption, which I only entertained from his having promised me the honour of his confidence, I should be happy to take down his answer from his own dictation.

His answer astounded as well as affected me.

"You say well," said he, "and it will be convenient, and the less liable to objection; because, as I must give a name, I know no one at this moment which I would sooner adopt than your own. The experience I have had of all others. effectually prevents me from thinking of the hacks of the world. You at least seem virgin, and of your fitness this very visit leaves me without a doubt."

I was penetrated and overpowered; knew not how to answer, still less what to decide. So many things to consider

-my own prospects-my situation with Lord CastletonLord Castleton himself.

"Come," said the marquess, seeing me embarrassed, "decide, for, as I tell you, no time must be lost."

"Of that I am aware," returned I, "but your lordship must give me leave to collect my ideas, which are all scattered; first, by this most extraordinary mark of favour, for which I know not how to thank you; but nex:(to say nothing of my ignorance of my own fitness), the absolute necessity of knowing the sentiments of Lord Castleton, to whom I belong-more especially as your lordship has not signified your decision on bis offers, nor in what light, politically, you regard his application. Ignorant of what answer I am to take back, will it be justifiable in me, who am in his service and devoted to his politics, to appear to have even listened to the proposal (however honourable and undeserved) of one who is at least not yet identified with him in his plan of action?"

'Fairly answered," said he; "and only confirms the opinion I just now expressed, that you were virgiu in the world. To relieve you, therefore (to say nothing of saving the post), you shall give your name only conditionally; and if Lord Castleton objects, you shall vacate. Not only this, but, if he approves and you remain permanently in, I absolve you from all obligation, which, as a man of honour, you might think yourself under, to follow my lead instead of Lord Castleton's. Indeed, I begin to think I am scarcely separted from him in any of his views; and though my personal objections to unite with his government, in form, remain where they were, yet upon the particular measure he refers to me, I should have but one objection to make against it, besides the long journey, in my state of health, that would be necessary to enable me to support it."

I felt myself leap for joy at the mere prospect of this, and eagerly asked what was his one objection?

"The fear of the world," answered he; "not, as from your countenance you perhaps think, that it should reconcile me to it, but that I should hate it more. God knows I hate it enough, and retain such people as Parrot and Juniper, whom I see there, climbing the hill, merely to have something to laugh at, and keep me, by that semblance of cheerfulness, from turning an absolute savage. By the way, their visit is

extremely mal a propos, and I'll wager that fellow Parrot, who is as inquisitive and gossipping as a village barber, has heard you are here, and will never rest till he finds out why."

Here I thought it but just to my old acquaintance to inform bis patron of my having met him at Alnwick, if only to account for his knowledge that I was here.

"N'importe," said the marquess; "he has no business to be here except by appointment; he has presumed, too, of late, more upon the necessity I have for him in business than I choose, and must have a rap of the knuckles."

"May I ask the character of his companion," said I, "whom he represented as so greatly inferior, that he said, nothing but your lordship's want of society could make you tolerate him?"

"He is an impudent hound," replied Lord Rochfort, "for, of the two, Juniper is far the superior in real sense, though coarse and abrupt in manner, more especially towards the lawyer himself, and at the very moment when he thinks he has most shewn his superiority. It diverts me to set one

against the other; and would now, but that we are better employed. Both are vulgar-both parasites; Parrot tries to disguise Juniper does not conceal it; Parrot thinks himself a gentleman-Juniper knows he is but a gauger. But to return to our subject, I own that one objection I have to the world is the fear I have of hating it more even than I do."

"Fear not, my lord," I replied; for I will venture to affirm that these thoughts are not really deserved. The court, I allow, has treated you ill, but you are too good to visit the sins of the court on the world at large. Return to it, and it will do you justice."

"Let us first see what Don Castleton will say to our letters," replied he, "which you must now lose no time in writing."

This was true; so at his dictation I wrote with hurried feelings a paragraph on myself, as the ground of his wish for me to succeed Mr. Courtall; and a long letter of my own, being a sort of journal of all that had occurred since I had been at the castle, and in particular the whole of my conver sation with the marquess, in all its bearings, on the subject of his return.

Long before I had done, the auxiliaries, Parrot and Juni

per, had applied to the gate trumpet for admittance, and were told by a message, in no very measured terms, through Simcoe, to employ themselves in the garden till my lord had finished the business he was upon.

Juniper obeyed by reposing himself in Simcoe's room; Parrot, disdaining such a basement, demanded the last newspaper, with which he amused himself on the parapet of the castle wall overlooking the German Sea.

OF THE STRANGE

CHAPTER XII.

COMPANIONS THE MARQUESS HAD CHO

SEN IN HIS RETIRMENT, AND THE THRALDOM OF SUPE RIORS WHO HAVE INTRUSTED SECRETS TO INFERIORS.

Because that I familiarly, sometimes,

Do use you for my fool, and chat with you,
Your sauciness will jest upon my love,
And make a common of my serious hours.
When the sun shines let foolish gnats make sport,
But creep in crannies when he hides his beams.
SHAKSPEARE.-Comedy of Errors.

On the admission of the illustrious associates, so important to his happiness, that, as Parrot had told me, Lord Rochfort could not do without them, I was curious (especially after what the marquess had said of them) to mark their reception.

My fellow-student exhibited himself very frankly as the enfant de famille of the place-rather, perhaps, I might say, the major-domo, prime minister, confidant, and groom of the chambers; in one word-factotum.

The consciousness of this made him but ill bear the dishonoring stigma conveyed to him through Simcoe, in the prohibition to enter till his chief sent for him. This I could see had affected him not a little when he joined us, to which I also saw that my presence had not a little contributed.

Our equality at Queen's would not allow him to brook what