.V '^^mi//^.-' ^^^^ oV^^^^P^^ ^^^. <-^ ^4 o^ V A' i9^.. .0 0^ "^^ aV *. .Ov^ .Ort ^<^ .0' ^^0^ < o ^ »A^ ^O ,'\' PREFACE. VH pass unobserved by the writers of the daily newspapers. At an epoch when every cir- cumstance relating to any of the belliger- ent nations occupied the attention of so- ciety ; when political combustion and mu- tual animosity raged not only among na- tions, but between individuals (who nat- urally interest themselves in every meas- ure, and every occurrence, of their re- spective countries) ; and when every such event became a subject of common con- versation : — At a crisis too when Europe had become the field of slaughter, of re- venge, and of oppression ; while nothing was spoken of but killed and prisoners : — the deliverance of a lady of distinction from the bondage of the French, and the dangers inseparable from such an action, were not likely to pass unnoticed ; consid- ering besides, the subsequent detention to which she had been subjected, her labo- rious journey through Germany^ Poland, Vm PREFACE. and Livonia, and voyage across the Baltick, on her way to England, where alone she was able to find peace and personal se- curity. The Gazettes of Prague and Hamburgh soon announced that a young Sicilian had planned and effected the release of Mrs. Spencer Smith, on which I was obliged to satisfy the curiosity of the persons who wished to hear the narrative of that event ; but I began to grow tired of so frequently repeating it during the space of two months that I staid in Poland and Livonia, and wished that it were forgotten. On my ar- rival in England, however, it was impos- sible that I should object to a similar com- pliance with the inquiries of those who so warmly interested themselves in the fate of a lady who had been a French pris- oner. Still 1 did not intend to render pub- lick this account of my late travels, aa PREFACE. 12i. I rather preferred reading of the actions of others than writmg of myself; espe» cially at a time when the fortune of war so eminently concerns every class of soci- ety ; and when the peace and liberty of Europe occupy the thoughts of English- men with such unremitting attention, that they not only pant for tidings from the field of battle, but dream of victories and prognosticate defeats. At a season when London, this great city, affords the stran- ger so many objects of admiration, where he sees arise from a perpetual conflict of opinions and party animosity, the vigour, security, and prosperity of a wise and in- dustrious nation, I could not bring myself to the resolution of writing upon what had occurred to me, as it would only interest the transient curiosity of the moment ; par- ticularly from a conviction that such an undertaking would impede studies to me by far more interesting, in the acquisition t,:' PREFACE. of information conducive to tlie develope-* jnent of my mind. But my friends, from the time of my first arrival, expressed their desire to read the journal of my res- idence in Venice, departure from Bres- cia, detention and imprisonment in Ger- many, and journey in Styria and Bohe* mia, with the incidents attending our es- cape from Italy, and journey to England. Being apprehensive that those w^ritten sheets might one day reach the hands of some periodical writer or novelist, and be gilded with the tinsel of romance, in ad- dition to a misrepresentation of the truth, and fearful of becoming the hero of a fic- titious history, I have preferred publishing them myself for the satisfaction of my friends. They begin with January 1806, and include October of the same year ; containing a faithful narrative of Mrs. Smith's deliverance. I have scrupulously PREFACE. XI adhered to the truth, avoiding all imita- tion of romance, which is often replete with incongruous images, and reflections inconsistent with either veracity or reason, and seldom written with any other view than merely to counteract the ennui of in- dolence. The detail is simple, being em- bellished by no elaborate efforts of elo- quence, a quality unnecessary when a strict adherence to truth is wished to be main- tained ; and in order that the reader may be acquainted with my situation previous to the time when I undertook the libe- ration of the lady, I shall first take the liberty of giving a hasty sketch of my travels. INTRODUCTION. FROM my earliest youth I had har- boured a strong inclination to quit my na- tive country. How often did I gaze with a longing eye on the opposite continent, anxious to observe the manners and see the curiosities there ! and at a later period I wished to become acquainted with those laws and constitutions that influence so essentially the peculiar characters of dif- ferent nations. I availed myself of the peace that caus- jerd the disasters of Europe to subside for a time, and resolved on undertaking, about the close of 1803, the journey which had constantly been the object of my thoughts. Italy oiFered me an immensity of attrac- tions : a v/ide field for the curiosity of an inquisitive traveller. This unhappy coun» B XIV INTRODUCTIO]^. try exhibited throughout a state of debili- ty, to which it had been reduced by so many political vicissitudes. Its incom- parable soil and position had ever allured the ambitious. A few provinces were now beginning to revive, and recover their former splendour ; others were unable ei- ther to support or defend themselves ; and in general there was none so secure as not to have reason to fear, or so powerful as to attempt emancipation from those suf- ferings, which it endured. Naples alone was in a flourishing con- dition. I found it in such a state of com- fort and tranquillity, that I could hardly perceive any trace of the recent calamities that it had endured. The people, how- ever, still deplored the blood that had been shed during the fatal epoch of anar- chy, but manifested their joy on the re- turn of their sovereign and of order. Ev- ery subject had resumed his regular avo- cations. I admired the activity of its in- ternal trade, which fully evinced the vast resources of that prolilick and rich coun- INTRODUCTION. 'XV try ; it appeared to abound with whatever convenience or luxury could demand. The civil code of this kingdom, though blamed for its great variety of laws, is nevertheless adapted to the feudal system of a country that has often clianged its monarchs. The position of its metropo^ lis, almost at the extremity of the king- dom, and the circumstance of several prin- ces who are proprietors of land, inhabit- ing the capital throughout the year, are perhaps the causes why there does not ex- ist a more extensive degree of commerce and agriculture in Calabria and other prov- inces. The monuments of antiquity not only recal to the memory the Ceesars, the Sybils, and the philosophers of Rome ; but exhibit the ancient splendour of Mag- na Greece, vestiges of which are perceiv* ed about Naples, and render that country extremely interesting to the traveller whose mind is above prying into the do- mestick concerns of families, recording amours, assisting at ladies' toilets, scru- tinizing the conduct of priests and friars, lecturing upon tlie fare at taverns, &.c. as Xvi II^TRODUCTION. M. Kotzebue has done in his Travels hi Italy. Rome appeared to me a vast museum of the fine arts. Marble monuments at ev- ery step, stupendous edifices, splendid churches, the picturesque ruins of ancient temples and palaces, columns, obelisks, and pyramids, statues, pictures, engravings, jnosaicks, and bas-reliefs^ meet the sight in all parts. But I could perceive neither activity nor energy in that city ; all was- languid and supine. I was not at ail sur- prised, however, at finding the seat of the head of the Catholick religion in such tran- quillity ; for I thought this more appropri- ate than what must have been its condition formerly, v/hen Christian Rome was the political arbiter of the interests cf king- doms, deciding in all cases on war and peace, and when it was the scene of the intrigues of every court. The apathy not- withstanding of the people is evident in other cities of the Roman state ; rich and extensive lands are left Vvdthout cultiva- tion, immense tracts are s(:en throu ghoul; INTRODUCTION* XVll the country naked and barren, from neg- lect alone. The Romans attribute such sterility to the pernicious influence of the atmosphere, which is certainly very un-^ healthy ; but what they imagine to be the cause is no more tlian the effect. The monuments of antiquity, and the remnants of the objects of art, that have, escaped the avidity of invaders, render Rome still a great field for the develope- ment of «:enius ; and the celebrated trav- eller of Siberia ought really to be asham- ed of his countrymen, at seeing them come to learn the principles of art from the Italians, who, according to him, ex- cel in nothing but tlwir ^oice, Rome, that once used to behold mon- archs prostrate before her sacred chief, receiving their sceptres from his hands, when I was there witnessed the departure of the Pope for Paris. Some were appre- hensive that he was never to return ; but the Roman people were no longer capable df mailing any opposition to whatever me- B 2 :xviu i^rrnoDUCTioivr. iiace might have been held out to them, and only rehed on the enemy's respect towards their religion. * The report that the yellow fever raged at Leghorn, induced me to leave Florence, and I passed through Bologna without staying there more than a few days. This city, I perceived with pleasure still re- tains its taste for learning, notwithstand- ing its subjection to a military system of government, from forming a part of the Cisalpine republick. The Bolognese are better astronomers and aeronauts than pol- iticians, as they were the only people of Italy that had not foreseen the dissolution of that Republican system by which so ma- ny countries had been duped. Parma and Placentia appeared to me merely two unattached cities. Genoa had not been able yet to repair the dreadful ef- fects of those intestine broils, bankrupt- cies, and civil wars, which it had suffered during the first disasters of Italy. After being stripped of its property by thq. con-» INTRODUCTION. XIX' f querours on the one side, it was driven to the last stage of wretchedness by a close siege on the other, for two years, by whicii means their only resource of commerce was completely annihilated. The princi- pal families had emigrated, and Genoa re- tamed no further proofs of its former af- fluence, than the empty name of republick. Twelve thousand French were constantly garrisoned at Alessandria ; two Cisalpine regiments occupied the environs of Ge- noa, and Salicetti indirectly controuied all the operations of the government. Sev- eral of the inhabitants flattered themselves that the names of Durazzo, Cambiaso, Brignoli, and Spinola, would again be numbered among their doges ; but in gen- eral they apprehended that they were to share the fate of Piedmont. The conscription to which the Milanese people had been subjected, occasioned a certain degree of agitation in Milan. The Lombards, formerly engaged in agricul- ture, were become soldiers. That city^ however, appeared to be in a flourishing SX INTRODUCTION. condition, whence many persons inferred that all Lombardy had gained advantages by the recent changes ; but on a closer in- spection this prosperity was found to arise merely from che activity of the persons employed under the new system ; while in fact, industry was neglected, the man- ufactures and other objects of luxury were imported from France, and the proprie- tors dissipated their incomes at Paris. Contributions were imposed to such an extent, that the inhabitants complained of their being reduced to subsist on half their incomes ; all the rest of Italy was greatly paralysed ; the principal families in Milan endured the weight of these burthens, and contemplated with the deepest regret those comforts which they had formerly enjoyed under the Austrian government. The activity which I perceived appeared to me constrained, it being contrary to the hab- its and character of the Lombards. I re- marked besides, that the Italian soldiers did not like to be under the controul of the French ; but the Italians were only rousing from the lethargick state to which INTRODUCTION. XXI a long series of peaceable years had redu- ced them ; and although unenlightened as }'et, they felt a rising disposition to imi- tate their masters. In all tliese parts of Italy the traveller who is not of the cast of the celebrated Kotzebue, (a writer that contemns '' the Gothick taste of Italy ^'^^ because he had been accustomed to admire the gaudy carving of the columns in the squares of Styria, and of the churches in Carinthia) -cannot withold his astonishment at seeing so many master-pieces of architecture and sculpture ; and such productions of the vivifying pencils of the immortal Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as of artists now living, w^ho still reflect honour on Italy. For this country, notwithstanding the lengthened horrours of war and bloodshed, continues to teem with a race capable of closely following the steps of nature, men endowed with the gifts of transcendant imagination and invention ; and neither oppression nor chains are sufficient to repress the soarings of their genius, XXll INTRODUCTION. ' I left Italy after staying a short time at Turin. This city, deprived of all the splendour it had enjoyed while the court existed, had now become the seat of phi- losophy. Many of the literati of Italy had fixed their residence here : for as Pied- mont and Lombardy did not border oH countries suspicious to the Austrian gov- ernment, the people were no longer afraid of their territory becoming the immediate seat of war. The successes of the French in Piedmont had never occasioned my as- tonishment till I visited that country, ex- amined its topography, and convinced my- self of the facility by which its position might have been rendered impregnable, particularly as the inhabitants are acknowl- -edged to be of a martial disposition. France at that time had already confer- red the imperial diadem on one of the most strenuous defenders of the republick ; but such a political change, though so very interesting and astonishing in a nation that had v/aded in the blood of millions of vic- tims for the establishment of that chimera INTRODUCTIOK. XXlU equality^ merely occupied the mind of the French as a matter of novelty. The meas- ures of government were no longer ob- jects of their attention, as is natural to every people whose thoughts are princi- pally fixed on pleasure and amusement. What inconsistency of character did 1 not perceive at Paris ! I found the men who had been the most virulent persecutors of the bishops, and of the catholick religion, during the commencement of the revolu- tion, now become the apologists of that religion : those who h..d formerly been the most credulous, were pointed out to me as true and zealous devotees ; and it was quite the ton to be thought a rigid cath- olick. I found men in the senate, who liad been the abettors of the most dread- ful massacres while liberty was in fashion, but were now the most ardent supporters of the recent elevation of Bonaparte. The Parisians would shed tears on speaking of the cruel end of Lewis the Sixteenth, and Marie Antoinette, though accelerated by tliemselves. The women talked with rap- ture of the beauty and affability of the de- 'SxiV Il^TRODUCTIOK'* ceased queen ; and the men of the moral- ity of Lewis ; yet they applauded the gov- ernment of the man who now wielded the sceptre ; and while they condemned many violent measures of the present court, they in the mean time found reasons to excul- pate and justify them. In general they accused Bonaparte of partiality and ambi- tion ; although in fact they did not con- cern themselves so much about the gov- ernment as about their diversions, and dis- sipation, or the study of the sciences, and other branches of learning. They were tired of commotion and massacre. To some the fortune and riches they had ac- quired, were inducements to tranquillity, others were reconciled through fear, sev- eral by the allurements of distinction, and others again were remarkable for their flat- tery of the new men. The generality were marked by inconstancy, a quality peculiar to almost every people guided in tlieir opinion by the few, because incap- able of judging for themselves ; they al- ways concur in the success, accede to the elevation, and participate in the misfor- INTRODUCTION. XXV tunes of their chiefs. The affluent French were satisfied with their theatres, their National Institute, and the decorations of the Legion of Honour ; and the people were contented with the occasional reports of some great project, or favourable intel- ligence, which seldom failed to excite mo- mentary enthusiasm. The government had already become 'purely military, and consequently incon- sistent with a S3^stem of peace, which would have disbanded the immense ar- mies calculated for conquest, though at first they had been formed for the purpose of crushing the revolt likely to happen a- gainst a government tottering and inse- cure, from the want of that popular attach- ment and respect, which are incompatible with power nev/iy acquired. The senate and legislative body still appeared the bul- wark of a constitution, which however had been completely subverted : their sole remaining prerogative extended no further than merely to assent to the laws or orders that were imposed. The generals being c XXVI INTRODUCtlOH. possessed of vast property, and themselves Frenchmen, soon laid aside the jealousy "which the elevation of an individual might have at first occasioned. Bonaparte, subsequent to the accom^ plishment of those plans to ^^ hich his cares were directed during the space of three years (while he pressed the French people to compliance Vvith them) permitted Eu- rope to repose for a short interval. When he had surprised the French by his as- sumption of the imperial dignity, and dis- covered his inclination to establish himself their absolute chief, he found it requisite to engage his armies in further conquest ; thus pleasing the people with the prospect of glory and prosperity to the nation. Having augmented his powerful iniiuence by the subjugation of countries bordering- on France, and putting them under the^ government of persons on whose adhesiorr to the French interest he could depend ; new projects, and more extensive prepara* tions, were then in agitation throughout France, for the purpose of carrying on the INTRODUCTION^'. XXVU maritime wai\ Though Bonaparte pro- mulgated his desire of conckiding a peace Vvith Great Britain in a letter to the king, he continued to adopt measures for pursu- ing war on the continent* He began the establishment of the mon- archy intended for Holland, by first framing its constitution, and naming a chief- magis- trate. He also successfully obtained the alliance of some of the German princes, of which he well knew how to avail hini^ self in case of a war with Austria, an event easily foreseen, after the changes he thought to have effected in Italy. The adhesion of Prussia to the steos which had been taken by France ; the complaints of the king of Prussia Against Sweden respecting a treaty of subsidies iviiich that country wished to conclude with England, and the answer of Austria to France, that the troops which vrere maixhing down the Tyro], as well as into Dalmatia, Vvxre intended only for extend- ing a line to keep off the yellow fever, S^VUl INTRODUCTION. then raging in Tuscany ; made Bonaparte imagine that no continental coalition with England was likely to impede the execu* tion of the innovations v/hich he premed- itated. The principality of Piombino was conferred on his brother-in-law : in the oext place he got himself proclaimed king of Italy ; and soon after departed for Mi- lan to assume the iron crown of the Lom- bards. All this news set the French in activity, for their busy minds are contin- ually in pursuit of novelty and pomp ; but Bonaparte had hardly left Paris, before these topicks appeared forgotten,^ nor did I hear a single word more about them. The Parisians became deeply engaged in the composition of epigrams, and inscrip- tions for triumphal arches, while the as- s^mbltd senate pronounced their senti- ments upon the journey that Bonaparte was performing in the Alps and F/edmont. A misunderstanding had then arisen be- tween the king of Sweden and Prussia, .about the Legion of Honour^ and that of t|ie Black Eagle ; but something of great* INTRODUCTION. XXIX er importance interfered, which caused these punclilios to be set aside. The demolished Cisalpine repubiick had witnessed the iron crown of Desiderio on the brow of Bonaparte. The new title he had assumed, sufficiently announced the consequences that were likely to result to the rest of Italy, and every power appre- hended that changes would take place in- compatible with that system of peace, which the journey of the emperour Alex- ander's negotiator had induced people to expect. On my road to Germany at that time, while passing by the w^ay of Venice, I heard that Genoa had been constituted a department of France, and the repub- lick of Lucca annexed to the dominioUvS: of the prince of Piombino, BachioccL Germany w^as but just recovering from the evils of scarcity : the people, however, appeared to enjoy ease, and were extreme- ly attached to their just and clement sove- reign. I remarked that the variety of laws, and complex methods by which the XXX INTR0DUCTr0Br> emperour's different states were governed, render the dispatch of business in the councils of Vienna rather tardy ; and, be- sides, the number of dialects spoken in Bohemia, Moravia, Hungaiy, Carnia, &c, with their several constitutions, impede in some measure a certain degree of una- nimity in that empire ; yet, notwithstand- ing, it was gratifying to learn that the in- habitants of those countries, satisfied with their present condition, were the least in- clined to sedition. A deficiency of gold and silver coin pre- vents the greatest part of Germany from enjoying the advantages of an extensive trade, the principal source of national pros- perity. As the bank notes pass for a third less than their nominal value, this reduces its commerce and exchange with other na- tions, to a stat^ of increasing debt ; how- ever, the internal resources of the mines, and productions of the earth, ensure a permanent means of prosperity, independ- ent of navigation, which certainly contri- butes but little towards it% INTRODUCTION. XXXI During the first days of my residence in Vienna, every thing breathed happiness and joy, though an active correspondence was known to prevail between that cabinet, and those of St. James's and Petersburg. 7'he German people are nowise concerned about the fate of foreign countries, yet take a lively interest in whatever regards their own sovereign. The couriers that arrived daily from Russia', the continual march of troops by Vienna, the empe- rour's visit to the camp at Wells, attract- ed the curiosity of the inhabitants toward events which seemed to promise results of the greatest importance ; and I do not remember any occurrence of the kind that I had felt so forcibly, as the change occa- sioned by this means in the circles there, in which formerly I had hardly ever heard a word spoken on politicks. The title of king of Italy, by which Bonaparte had superseded the Cisalpine republick ; the recent annexation of the Genoese state to the French empire, and of the republick of Lucca, to Piombino ; XXXll IN'TRODUCTION. in addition to the march of French forces to the Tyrolese frontiers and into Dalma- tia ; not only obstructed a continuation of the treaty of peace, for the completion of which M. NovozilzoiF had undertaken his journey, but convinced the emperours of Russia and Germany, that Bonaparte had hostile views with regard to the Venetian state and the kingdom of Naples. Thus all hope having vanished of restoring a general peace to Europe, it became the interest of every power to put a stop to the pretensions of France, which, in defi- ance of treaties, continued to augment its territory, giving no other reason, than that it was for the peace and security of the people, - At the cabinet of Vienna the coalition was now forming between the Northern Powers. The tergiversations of the king of Prussia, and the equivocal conduct of Bavaria had created the greatest anxiety in every mind ; yet this, instead of occa- sioning a protraction of military proceed- ings on the part of Austria (at least till the INTRODUCTION. XXXIU, Russians should be nearer at hand), accel- erated the accompUshment of the concert- ed measures for commencing hostilities. A seeming impatience on the side of the ministers precij)itated the operations ; and notwithstanding the intelligence received that the Elector Palatine was in alliance with France, while Prussia was irresolute> ly acting only by complaints and empty words, and nowise disposed to fight ^ while the Swedish troops were in Pomera- nia, and those of Russia in Moravia ; the alarm of war resounded from the banks of the Rhine. The internal trade of Germany was al- most completely annihilated from the com- mencement of the war,, particularly in the neighbouring provinces of Austria ; and the immense consumption of the armies reduced them to the most exhausted state. At the same time every foreigner was obli- ged to depart from Vienna, and I, like the rest, left it, directing my way to Trieste* XXKlV INTRODUCTION-, I had beeii long absent from my native country ; and to return to my parents now became a desire so ardent, that I did not allow myself the necessary time for that examination of objects, which renders traveMing beneficiaL On almost every oc- casion that offered for my edification, the 1^ collection of my distant relatives, with whom 1 shoy^ld have wished to divide my pleasures, rose to embitter my amuse- ments* Europe having again become the -theatre of war, it was neither agreeable noi* secure for a traveller to pass through fields of battle, or reside in towns wher^ the police scrutinize even the most harm- less actions of strangers, and where at is necessary to give ample details of e very- step one takes, undergoing the calumni- ous denunciations of those informers, who, instead of preserving peace, are often in- tent on subverting tlie people'^ happiness ; detestable miscreants, actuated hj their ,own hatred, instead of that zeal in favour of the government, which is expected of them. liNTROBUCTION* XXXV" I'htse reasons induced me to return to Sicily, and I would ha\;e c^mbarkcd at Trieste, if I had been able to find a ves- sel bound for that island ; at that time, however, the commerce between Trieste and the ports in the Mediterranean was greatly diminished. I proceeded to Ve- nice therefore, as it appeared to me the least insecure of those cities near the seat of war. Some of the Venetians were very uneasy about the results to which they thought themselves exposed, in case of the cnem.y's gaining any advantages. The news of the battles of Wertineen and Gunsburg had arrived, and the Frenc h retained their position at Verona. Though the Arch-duke had been victorious at Cal- diero, the dreadful check received by the Austrians at Uim, and the insufficiency of force in-the Tyrol to assist him, obliged him to carry his aimy through the defiles of Garinthia, for the purpose of protect- ing' Austria, which was already in clanger. The Austriai^ had been employed in putting Venice in a stitte of defence, rais- ing batteries on all the islands thereabout ; and the communication was cut off be^ tween this city and the Tyrol, and the rest of Italy. Several Austrian regiments were left for its protection ; but in the mean time the enemy's cannon was actually heard, as he furiously advanced ; and while the French were insulting the resi- dences of the greatest sovereigns in Ger- many, and the Bavarians were seen to titke up arms against the chief of the Ger- manick body, in favour of their new al- lies, news reached us from every quarter, of the slaughter and defeats in Austria. Venice was now besieged so closely, that it appeared as if it were soon to be redu- ced to the miseries of famine ; yet with such horrours around them, the Venetians in triumph contemplated those waniours whose arms had terrified and reduced the inhabitants of every neighbouring city ou the terra Jirma ; and felt conscious that their town, being surrounded by Water^ v/as out of the reach of their enemies' artillery. Though all the usual passages of communication were blocked up, pro- INTRODUCTION. XXXVll tisions arrived by other channels (as is natural when the prospect of gain is ofter- ed, for all duties were abolished by pro- clamation), notwithstanding the strict vigi- lance of the French. The awful state of the continent, the devastation and dread- ful calamities of the war, and even their own blockade, were incapable of suspend- ing for a moment the gaiety of the Vene- tians. They took no more concern iu these disasters, than merely that of con- sidering them as ne^w topicks of conversa- tion ; the theatres and coffee-houses con- tinued, as usual, to be their delight, and I never once perceived the smallest change in that hilarity peculiar to them. But what was the fate of the Venetian land- holders at the time ! Their estates and country houses were exposed to depreda- tion ; and their incomes were absorbed in paying the burdensome contributions of the enemy ; to whose rapacity and fury at the first shock, the whole country was left exposed and abandoned ! The Austrian government ordered many of the strangers to quit Venice ; and I, though the subject OiXXVlll TNTRODITGTIOH. of a monarch who had taken no active part in that war, was sent to look for safe- ty among the French ! But this was im- practicable ; for I had hardly arrived near Fiisina, when a French piquet saluted me with a double discharge of their muskets, and I was obliged to return to Venice. Fortunately, however, the Austrian gov- ernment was not one of terrour, and in- stead of being forced away, I was permit^ ted to remain in peace : but of how short a duration v/as the tranquillity which Ve- nice enjoyed under the Austrians 1 About this time we heard of the won- ders achieved at Trafalgar, by the tri* iimphant fleet of Great Britain, but fame seemed equally solicitous to announce the fall of her victorious hero. News also came, that the French had penetrated in- to Moravia ; that Hungary offended at the conduct of the EniDcrour's ministers, and sensible of the difliculty of unitifig her forces with the Austrians, had resolved to think only for her own safety, and avoid the uncertain chances of war ; that the INTRODUCTION. XXXIX urch-duke Charles was not yet in a situa- tion to assist the imperial army ; and that the king of Prussia, (the only power able to cause a diversion of the enemy's forces, by helping the combined armies of Ger- many and Russia), adopting a line of pol- icy which has led to his ruin, had order^ ed his troops to stop their march, contra- ry to general expectation, as people were led to believe, that they were to join in the coalition. Serious fears consequently began nOw to be entertained ; it was -per- ceived that the enemy would be able to bring his forces to bear on one point ; and that by a single battle, the fate of all Ger^ many might be decided. While individ* aals were thus engaged with these political speculations, the destiny of kingdoms and armies had been already effected in the ensanguined plains of Austerlitz, Peace was desirable, in order to termi- nate the dreadful carnage of a fatal war^ which in the course of two months had occasioned the fall of thousands of victims : it was loudly demanded, not only Ibr the M INTRODUGTIO^r. purpose of relieving individuals from dis- tress, but whole nations ^ and what man would not have offered his m llf'^RODUCTION. Xli I could have by no means imagined that I should be obliged to iiy from Italy, to pass through the Tyrol, Styria, Austria, and Bohemia ; to transport myself to Po- land and Livonia, and pass the Baltick on my way to England ; at a time when I had thought my travels completed, and was. anxious to arrive in Sicily ! Who could have supposed that I was to remain at Ve- nice such a length of time, and subse- quently to participate in the vicissitudes reserved for a person unknown to me ; en- counter the most imminent dangers ; re- treat by the most rugged paths of the mountains ; suffer imprisonment, change my name, deny my condition, and seek for hospitality and shelter among the Rus- sians ; and finally proceed to England, there to admire the basis of its commer- cial riches, arising from industry unpar- alleled ; and to observe the consummate wisdom by which its incomparable consti- tution is supported and kept in activity, rendering political discord compatible with personal friendship and esteem ? D 2 ilii iNTRODuexfo^." I only waited for the final arrangement of affairs at Venice to depart, and expect- ed to have the pleasure soon afterwards of being with my relatives. Little did I imagine that the actions of a man does not depend upon himself; or at least that it was impossible to divine their occurrence ; but experience taught me that any similar calculations were fallacious, and solely the result of my own presumption. While war continued in Germany, I her^ to * continue to enj oy the /benefit of 'that climate at no great distance from Ve- mee, which would facilitate the pleasure rof seing^ her . sister frequently;. In coin- .pliance with her request, she wats allowed ten days before her departure, for the pur- pose of arranging, her concerns, and fix^ ing on the place of her future ■residence, Bhe went with me to visit the neighbour- ing towns ; and having fixed on Padua for Jier abode, she let the police know this, that her pa?iS]X)rt might be made for that fjlaee : but the next d^y, instead of re- jceiving it, she met a soldier in her apart- mentsj who came to announce that by or« 59^ der of the government he was placed there to guard her person wherever she went; and that he wa^ answerable for her during her stay at Venice. This naturally ex- cited her suspicions as to what might en- sue ; and she in consequehce again soli- cited the police for the passport, six day» having expired of the ten. Far from re- fusing it, they promised to let her have it immediately ; and this, in a measure, eased her mind. This arrest of her person roused the c^iriosity of the Venetians ; and on its be- ing mentioned in several French, circles, die real destiny of Mrs. Smith was dis- covered by the undisguised hints of some of the French officers. I was one even* ing at the gaming-saloons of the Phenix theatre, the: great resort of people of fasli^ ion, when a female friend of mine, ^ Ve- netian fe'x-jioble, asked me whether I had heard ^oftlic 'unhappy fate reserved for Mrs. Smith. I answered, that I knew she was to reside at Padua iYi future, agree^ ably to the will of the French government ; 60 feut tny frifend mysteriously replied, that Lao:arde had received instructions to send her to Valenciennes. I shuddered at the intelligence, and considered for some hours whether I ought to inform Mrs, Smith of it or not ; however, imagining that though it might cause a disagreeable surprise, it would prepare her against the immediate consternation that such an event would produce if abruptly intimated, I resolved on letting her know what I had heard* Countess Attems also discovered some- thing similar ; but the police continuing to promise the passport to Padua for the next day with certainty, we were led to believe the report to be unfounded. The next day passed however without bring- ing any passport ; and in the evening, while we were at the house of Madame Attems^ extremely uneasy on account of this de-^ lay, and anxious to know what would happen, (as on such occasions people ex- ert their sagacity in conjecture and consul- tation), we brought forward all our stock of information and hypothesis, and dis- cussed the measures to be adopted in eve- 61 ry event. But about ten o'clock that night, the arrival of a serjeant, accom- panied by three gend'^armesy dissipated our suspense ; he arrested the person of Mrs. Spencer Smith, in the name of the Emperoiir of the French ; and conducted her with him, followed by the other sol- diers, to her lodgings. She there receiv- ed orders not to quit her chamber ; for the enforcement of which the gend/arme^ were posted outside the door. The most infamous assassin or traitor (^ould not have been more rigidly watch- ed, or surrounded by stricter guards, than was this unhappy lady. If she had con- spired against the French government, it would have been impossible to persecute her with more acrimony ; considering her distressed situation, borne down as she was by an illness that menaced her life. The confidence which she had placed in the enemy's promise of security was her only fault ; no stain of culpability appear- ed even to the French, except her con- nection with a name synonimous of patriot- a2 ick attachment. This proceeding could xiot fail to rouse the feelings of every per- son, however disinterested, and inspire horrour at seeing such treatment offeredi to a young and delicate female. When we reflect on the commiseration arising at the sight of even the guilty when brought to punishment, what must our sentiments be, on beholding the innocent, and help- less victim, dragged to the altar of re- venge ! We should surely endeavour to snatch it from its persecutors. I now for the first time found myself agitated by a tumult of the most vehement feelings, affecting my soul far beyond the Usual sentiments of sorrow or compassion. My imagination at times was inllam.ed in a degree that gave me the keenest anguish ; and I shrunk with horrour at the condi^ tion of a lady, who far from her husband^ her mother, and her other friends, was left destitute of even a hope of relief. A desire of rendering myself serviceable to , her, filled my bosom. 63 The precise reason of all this rigour, however, was still unknown ; and as two days yet remained before her departure from Venice was to take place, Mrs. Smith requested leave to speak with the minister, that she might receive further information respecting her fate. Lagarde granted this, for no other end than to shew her prince Eugene^s order, in the name of the Emperour ; which specified, that with- in forty-eight hours she must depart from Venice, to be sent a prisoner of war to the fortress of Valenciennes, under the escort of genscTarmes. Every argument or entreaty in her behalf was entirely use- less : the will of those who imposed such orders was not to be appealed from. Sen- timents of pity too were out of the ques- tion ; and the natural difficulty arising from her impaired state of health, seemed only to stimulate Monsieur Lagarde to- wards accelerating the execution of his commission. It was ten o'clock in the morning, when "Mrs. Smith, having thus learnt the real 64 hitate of thin^s^ returned to her apartments: where the sister and brother-in-law, with two friends more, besides myself, waited ; and who were the only persons that ap- peared to condole with her in her present affiicting situation. The countess gave way to her grief, and shed tears in abund- ance, at finding they must soon part : she was unable to support the idea of Mrs. Smith's being consigned to a French pris- on, or perhaps even to w^orse evils ; and offered to participate in all the sufferings of her captivity. Embracing her, she cri- ed : *' I will go with you to Valenciennes, to alleviate the sorrows of confinement, and remain always with you, to partake of all your misfortunes.'' Her other friends endeavoured to console her, by represent- ing milder prospects of futurity : they ad- vised her to demand justice and compas- sion from the prince at Milan, and to write to her mother for the purpose of obtaining a release. But all this could give her lit- tle comfort : she alone felt even now all the pain of her situation ; she anticipated all the danger incident to her fiite, and hu 65 boiired under an awful presentiment of future events. Yet superiour to all this, and endued with fortitude sufficient to re- pel the terrour of impending evils, she roused the courage of her weeping friends ; nor once appeared shaken, till her lovely infants came running to her arms, to ask their mamma why she was so dull. While impressing kisses on them, she accused herself as the cause of their subjection to imprisonment, by her blind reliance on the promises of the enemy. She wished, by any sacrifice, to preserve them from such a situation : but how was this to be done ; and who was able to help her by saving them ? In evident anguish, she looked round on each of us for relief, and in mournful silence her eyes explained her supplication to us all : her maternal affec- tion begged for succour, and her mind for advice. At this distressing moment, I felt myself quite oppressed by a variety of sensations : unable to endure such a scene any longer, I left the room, and ran to shut. myself in my ow^n, where I could reflect on the best means to be adopted for F 2 CO afibrding her my assistance ; with more €Oohiess> and without being distracted by the sight of their tears and affliction. As a loyal subject of the monarch by whose government and laws I was pre- served, and my property secured, I was bound to quit a place under the controuL of the enemies of my country ; nor was I then insensible how much it was indebted to the protection and alliance of England. i knew well that the security of our walls,, and the prosperity of our provinces, arose from the formidable interposition of Bri-^ tons in our behalf: and that my country ^vas defended by the aid alone of that mighty nation, from the hurricane that overthrew and shook so many thrones. I considered what v/ould- have been the dangers of Sicily, if the invincible British flag had not cooled the ardour of those who had menaced that island. Ought I not therefore, on all occasions that should offer, to afford proof of my gratitude, as an).individual, towards every subject be- Jonginsr to the friendly and protecting na- 67 tion : aad m^re especially in the case of one like Mrs. S. Smith, harassed, sickly, and forlorn ; and whose situation called aloud for the friendly intervention of every man of feeling and resolution ? I con- jectured that she would perhaps have to endure the most trying hardships, from the circumstance of her connection with Sir Sidney Smith : but this was a still stronger stimulus ; for that British admi- ral had guarded my sovereigns to their throne, had exerted his transcendant cour* age and genius in the defence of my king luid country, and in my estimation de- served every token of my grateful ac- knowledgment. Such reflections alone would have been sufficient to incite me to the attempt: but they were vastly strength- ened by the deplorable situation of this lady, in being under the necessity of ei- ther abandoning her two infant boys ; or carrying them with her as prisoners, and deprived of all hope of relief or justice* Having reflected on these considerations^ I firmly resQlved on endeavouring to res- 68 cue her. In this I could perceive no in- surmountable difficulty, nor bring myself to calculate the dangers : my determina- tion precluded all susceptibility of fear ; and I believed that fortitude and persever- ance (if necessary) would ensure success. I thought the best method to adopt was, a secret flight. I ran to Mrs. Smith about six in the evening, to communicate my projects to her, availingmyself of the moments when we could not be overheard, for this pur- pose. '' Madam," said I, " sensible as I am of the unhappy situation and the dis- tress that await you, and conscious of my duty to assist in whatever I am able any individual belonging to the British nation, I offer you all the help that is in my power. Flight alone can save you : I will prepare and undertake it ; you shall second me, and follow my steps." On hearing these words, she looked at me with astonish- ment. Forgetful of her actual situation, she reproved me for even thinking of thus exposing my life and liberty. She said^ 69 tHat any such attempt would be attended with certain death ; and she then repre- sented the despair of my affectionate pa- rents at the loss of their son. " What remorse must I feel," continued she, *' if you were to fall a sacrifice to the enemy, who must discover any such plan ! What reproach, if you are surprised at the time without effecting any thing ! Would you not be the object of their most cruel re- venge ; and could I then forbear to accuse myself bitterly for encouraging such a desperate undertaking ? Should I not have reason to consider myself a probable cause of your untimely end, if I were to pef - mit measures, however generous, that are certainly neither prudent nor wise ? And what hope can there be, while I am thus continually watched ? How can you ex- pect success, when the government not only places guards over me in my room, but will order me to be followed by an armed force wherever I go ? It will ren- der the police and military force of every place through which I shall have to pass, responsible for my person. How can yoti 70 therefore be so blind, when such impedi- ments and dangers obviously present them^ selves ? Any attempt would at best turn out but fruitless, and very likely fatal to you in its consequences." All these ar» guments however could not induce me to relinquish my plan ; and the interest which she took in my personal security, served only to strengthen the duty that I conceiv* ed myself under of saving her if possible by any means. I answered her, that enterprises ingeti- eral increase in merit, propbrtionably with the dangers attending their execution : that all similar actions are uncertain as to their jposltive result; but when attended with success, their former uncertainty only serves to proclaim the degree of courage Or sagacity evinced by the projector of them. I expostulated with her on the ne- cessity which I felt of discontinuing habits of life that were insupportable, any longer, and that every man ought to seek for op- portunities of distinguishing himself hon- ourably : that in my own opinion and feel- ings, I wanted an object worthy of ex- citing me to be usefui, and rousing me to the performance of any deed that could reflect honour on my name. I convinced her that it was my positive duty to assist her ; and of the propriety of my quitting a country belonging to the foes of my sove- reign, as well as of the sanction of my relatives to any attempt that rendered me worthy of my family. As to the difficulty of escaping from the guards that so watchfully surrounded her, and the dangers of pursuit and surprise, to which she alluded, I answered that I did not fear them ; and that I thought it impossible they could discover me. *^ This/' said I, *^ may appear rash and inconsiderate, but on the present occasion no other words can be used. Fear must never intervene to obstruct, when prudence is insufficient to deter. No man ought ever to suppose himself either weaker or less capable than another. If by tho mind alone we are able to transcend the Usual sphere of human capacity, or to sink to a level with the brute , Why are we to apprehend being accused of vanity by the prejudiced and obscure being who casts his virulent aspersions against every hu- man action j whether virtuously or vicious- ly directed? Regardless of the shafts of malignity, let us adhere to a favourable opinion of our own capacity, and not think ourselves less sagacious or daring than the enemy with whom we haveto contendi By a base dereliction of our resources, and confession of our weakness, we af- ford him every advantage : on the contra- ry, let us imagine ourselves equal to vic^ tory, and success must ensues" I assured her that death is at a greater distance from the man who does not fear it, than most people imagine ; and finally that my desire could no longer suffer to be rejected or even opposed. This language^ pronounced with a force of emphasis- aris- ing from the sentiments by which I was animated^ reduced her to the necessity of resisting me no longer : I availed myself of the moment, for obtaining her word of 73 konour to second me ; and insisted on her keeping the secret to herself. These preliniinaries being agreed upon, I commenced my plan by saving the chil- dren ; for as they had not been placed under the immediate vigilance of the gov- ernment, I supposed they might be easily carried off from Venice. I made no se- cret of this to the eountess or her friends ; and the same nidit it was settled that the following day, under pretence of going to hear mass with their preceptor at the next church, they were to come to a certain spot where I was to wait with a gondola, to convey them to Mestre, the nea.rest city on the terra-firma. From this place they were to be sent post, w^ithout delay, to Gratz ; where the countess Strazzoldo, another sister of Mrs. Smith resided. At seven o'clock in the morning, the children were with me. Ignorant of their destiny, they asked me more than once why their ^ mother did not come with them ; and why the soldiers were about the house ; when they were to see mamma again, and why G 74 they left her behind now. At every step their woj ds drew tears from my eyes ; re- jecting how uncertain the period was when they were again to meet her- — perhaps never. At eleven o'clock, Elmaurer (the preceptor) had not returned from prepar- ing the things for the journey, and the boat for Mestre. During this interval I con- ceived die idea of offering a most agree- able sight to a mother who must have thought her children gone several hours before, but this must take place unknown to the guards. For that purpose I wrote her a note in the form of a bill of ex- change, and told the servant to inform the sentinels that it was sent to her by the banker on money affairs : it was to desire her to come to a certain window, under which I should pass with the boys in a gondola. The servant succeeded in giv- ing her the paper ; and I at some distance saw her at the window. I advanced witli the gondola, and ordered the gondolier to stop at a certain place ; and then pointed to the boys, whom I desired not to speak a word. This excited all the violence of n a mother's feeling, at beholding her dar- ling children going from her. I perceived that she wept bitterly, and seemed much agitated ; and a sort of convulsive trans- port under which sh^ appeared to labour, made me apprehend other consequences that might serve to betray us. I there- fore directed the boatman to go on, thus breaking off this affecting scene ; and we proceeded to Mestre, from which place the children set off in a post-chaise to Gratz with their preceptor. Only twenty-four hours now^ remained of the time which Mrs. Smith had been allowed to stay at Venice. The state of that city, and its position, rendered her escape totally impossible : it being situa- ted in a body of water five miles broad at the narrowest part ; and after reaching the land, a space of abo\si^a hundred miles was to be travelled before we could get out of the French dominions, so that we should have been much exposed to detention. To get away by sea to Trieste was equally difficult, as we were subject to the punc-. 76 jtual visit of the guards posted at every outlet ; and it would have been necessary to secure a large boat, the master and sail- ors of which must in some degree know the secret. In short, such v/ere the ob- stacles, that it would have been folly to attempt any thing at the time ; and we therefore resolved on availing ourselves of the first opportunity during the journey, before we should reach the Alps. It was necessary that I should accom» pany Mrs. Smith on the road. Nothing could be more reasonable, than her de- mand that a friend might be permitted to travel with her ; it being very improper that a lady should undertake so long a journey in the company only ofge?isd^annes, without having any person to converse with. Mrs. Smith illustrated such an in- convenience in a very able letter to Mons. Lagarde ; intreating that he would be pleased to allow me to be her companion in the journey, at least as far as Milan. During my residence at Venice I had formed an extensive acquaintance ; and I - / i have reason to flatter myself that I had several friends : on this occasion they were not backward in giving the most satisfac- tory information in my behalf to Monsieur- Lagarde, who made some inquiries on the subject. He agreed to Mrs. Smith's demand without delay ; and gave me at the same time a passport for Milan, to take also a servant ; but as I did not wish any person with me, which might in some measure obstruct my plans, I sent my servant to Bologna immediately ; with orders to wait for me there (with some of my effects) for about a week. I next wrote to my parents, informing them, that as the French troops were in the kingdom of Naples, it was difficult to send letters to Sicily, and of course they might be some time with-. Qut hearing from me again. At eight o'clock in the evening we left Venice, which had been so agreeab e to me before, but was now grown quite odious. The calm surface of the water^ G 2 78 and the serene sky, seemed favourable omens for us. I could not refrain from often turning my eyes on the stupendous edifices of that rich and magnificent city, from whence I was departing perhaps nev- er to return. I called to mind the happi- ness which I had enjoyed during my stay there ; and from my dubious anticipations of futurity, my imagination fluctuated to the recollection of the charming amuse- ments of ^^enice, embellished by the pe- culiar hilarity and civility of the inhabi- tants. This is, in my opinion, by far the most gay and splendid city of Italy. Its prospect, as it retired from my sight, left on my mind an impression of attachment ^\''hich can never be obliterated. Countess Attems, her husband, the prince Parr, and baron Viiletti, accom- panied Mrs. Smith in their gondolas as far as Fiisina, the first landing-place, five miles from Venice ; but the approach of niQ'ht oblis-ed them to return. The ami* able countess could not resolve on finally leaving her sister, or abandoning her ^ 79 victim to the sufferings that now gathered round her. They embraced each other : a thousand kisses, and promises of eternal affection were interchanged: they vowed to live under the same roof, in whatever place Mrs. Smith should be taken to. Tears were a welcome resource, sighs were necessary : the instant that should again unite them was their only consola- tion, and that of parting was the most poignant of their torments. I embraced my friend Villetti ; but the soldiers losing patience at this lengthened scene of dis- tress, ordered our gondoliers to put off; and we proceeded on our way to Padua, in the deepest affliction. We sailed up the Brenta till midnight ; but when we had reached Dolo, an im- petuous north-west gale, accompanied by heavy showers, stopped the course of our gondola. The locks which from time to time occur in this river being shut, we were obliged to wait in oiu^ frail bark, ex- posed to the violence of the storm, till day-light appeared. As we could not pro- 80 ceed by water to Padua, we engaged a vettura (or carriage), into which we had to admit two soldiers, under whose care Mrs. Smith was left : two more followed us on horseback. She had received no directions to pre- sent herself to the colonel of the chasseurs, and therefore on our arrival at Padua,, drove to the Paris hotel, where she re- mained w^ith her maid to take some rest after the fatigue of her journey, while I went to the colonel to inform him tliat \ was with Mrs. Smith, Count Ghizzalo^ the commandant of the gend^armerie^ of-^ fended that this prisoner had not come to him herself immediately, with that tribute of submission which he arrogantly expect- ed, ordered me to tell Mrs. Smith to wait on him before she engaged any apartment at the inn ; but altering his mind, he con-, descended to let her remain where she was. He asked me for what purpose I Was with the prisoner ; and when he un^ derstood that my intention was to continue the journey in her company as far as Mi- 81 Ian, he said that I should not be allowed to follow her farther than Padua ; as no person was permitted to be with prisoners under the vigilance of government. ** Re- turn to Mrs. Smith," said he, *' and in an hour I shall do myself the pleasure of calling on her." I went instantly to acquaint her with this obstacle, which threatened to prevent the accomplishment of our plan ; and advised her to write to Monsieur Lagarde, beg- ging that he would be pleased to authorise the commandant to let me continue with her. Count Ghizzalo came to Mrs. Smith soon afterwards : he expressed his dis- satisfaction at her neglecting to appear be- fore him ; and then informed her that he could not permit her to go forward in com- pany with a man whom he knew nothing of, and who might in some measure em- barrass the custody of her person ; and that he would not suffer it, as the strictest care was ordered to be taken of her. Mrs. Smith answered : ** This person w horn you know nothing of must go \yith 8^ me to Milan, aecording to the orders; of tlie government itself, which will be full^ coiiiirmed,. if you write to the minister of the police at Venice." Ghizzaio, contra- ry to his wish, w^as obliged to consult the government, and wait for an answer, which detained us two daj^s at Padua. I endeavoured to render Mrs, Smith's situation here as easy as circumstances, and the peculiar duiness of the city, would admit. I introduced to her M. Bellotto, who politely used every attention suitable to a man of his excellent education, and eount Zigno ; and count Ghizzaio even permitted her to go to the theatre, follow- ed however by a guard ; so that this short stay was rarthei* agreeable than otherwise* At last the permission of the police at Venice arrived ; and we proceeded on the 27th of April, accompanied by three gen-^ d^armes who were to continue all the journey with us. The colonel himself ac- companied us as far as Vicenza, and re- turned to Padua the next day. u One genfParme ^at with us in the car- iriage, and the two others followed on horseback. The fellow in the carriage wished to occupy my attention with the history of his crimes, which he recited as noble trophies of his revenge. He ap- peared certain of persuading me that re- venge was suited to the character of a man of feeling : that to plunge his steel into the body of whoever refused to agree to his desire, was ai act worthy of every lofty mind : that his fellow-creature gasp- ing his last from wounds inflicted by him^ was the most pleasing spectacle to him ; as it afforded him a proof of his own strength, and of the other's weakness : that the sight of blood and carnage v/as so habitual to him, that he could not re- main long without enjoying it. A legacy, he continued, which his brother had dis- puted with him, had kindled in his bosom the desire of murdering that brother ; and he expressed with the greatest energy how useful it would be to humanity, if he were only permitted to put to death all priests and monks. But while this wretch, ^4 wiio thirsted for human blood, continued his blustering thus, I sat deeply engaged in reflecting on the means of baffling his vigilance ; and all this stupid bravado di- rected of course to me, I smiled at in si- lent contempt. As we entered Verona in the evening, he pointed to a spot where he said he once murdered his comrade ; but regardless of all this, I determined that in this very city I would attempt Mrs* Smith's escape, 1 considered this to be the fittest placCj as I flattered myself with the assistance of some friends whom I expected to meet here according to appointment, but I was unfortunately deceived, for they had set out the same morning for Milan. I had still the hope of receiving the aid of one of my most intimate Venetian friends, who was at this time to come to his country- house (which was only two posts from Ve- rona), on purpose to help me. I had im- parted the secret to him, and desired him to meet me at a certain place in Verona tliat night. We had agreed that Mrs. Smith, 8^ t)n first escaping, was to take shelter in his seat, and to remain, conceaied there for a short time, whence, in the disguise of a country dress, she could have easily reach- ed the imperial dominions by secret paths, as they are at no great distance from Ve- rona. To settle our measures still better, I wrote him a few lines, and sent it by ex- press, desiring to receive an answer as quickly as possible. I told him to repair to Verona ; where, in the most solitary p-ace, he would find me exactly at mid- night, as he w^as already informed. I went punctually to the spot ; and there did I stand, amidst the ruins of the ancient amphitheatre, during a heavy shower of rain, even previous to the ap- pointed hour. At length twelve o'clock struck ; yet the awful silence still continu- ed : nor could I hear the step of any one approaching. After waiting some tim.e in vain, I ran to the post*house to inquire for the young man by whom I expected the answer ; but on passing by the Piazza dell Erbc, a man came up to me, and stopped H lj»e, without speaking a word. I instant* ly presented a loaded pistol at him, which caused him to take to his heels ; but not a syllable was uttered on either side. I could not imagine what this meant. The man had not yet returned with an answer, and I thought of returning to the amphi- theatre, in hopes that he might be waiting there ; but it was to no purpose. Two o'clock in the morning had struck, when, tired of lookine for him, I returned to the inn ; desirous to ease Mrs. Smith's mind from the agitation and suspense in which she naturally w^as, by acquainting her with my ill success : but her room^ was surrounded by the gend'cirmes, and I wjls denied admission to her at such an houn The same day, before I went to see her, -I tried as:ain to lea,rn scmethins^ of the messens'er whom I so anxiously expected. He at last arrived with the letter from my friend ; in which, after the usual silly eom- pliments, he expressed the impossibility of his combing to Verona, on account of business that kept \vm at home. This 97 Weak maM, resembling, both in character and principles, the generality of the in- habitants of that country, was terrified at the thought of incurring the smallest risk of personal danger, or exposing his inter- est, for the purpose of lending aid to the unhappy, and participating in the glorious claims of friendship. With what facility do men use the most generous expressions of friendship, and make professions of attachment ; but how seldom do they fulfil them ! He who de- clares himself a friend at the festive board, in assemblies of pleasure, or at the gam- ing-table, rarely considers himself bound to act as such, and hardly ever do his ac- tions agree with his w^ords. The answer of this Venetian nobleman, whom I thought my friend, convinced me that no further help could be expected than my own ; and even, instead of the former, I had reason to expect treachery. Whoever finds him- self incapable of conducting an enterprise- alone, is unworthy of success. Every man's best friend in the end is himself)^ 88 md. his best help his own sagacity and fortitude, when excited by a high sensq of honour and rectitude. I did not wish however that Mrs. Smith should remain ignorant of the truth, and therefore I went to shew her the letter. She expressed her fear that no other means Gould be devised for escaping ; but when^ I communicated to her the stratagem which 'was to be effected that evenings, she recoV'^ ered her hopes again, I had marked a cave that was near the Adige, as the place in which we were to hide ourselves, after absconding during the night ; and had prepared a small post- chaise for our departure in the morning early; but the gend^armes told us that they wished to proceed on the journey, as no more than tv/o days repose v/as granted. That day Mrs. Smith was ill with a slight fever, and I vv ent in search of a phy- sician to testify the lady's state of healthy sind thus prevent her from being forced t^ 89 continue travelling for the day. Doctor Dalbene, after visiting Mrs. Smith, at- tested on paper the nature of her com- plaint, which procured us the delay of another day. The conversation of this man was of great use to us, as it prevent- ed us from attempting any thing at Vero- na, since we should have been inevitably stopped at the gates. I never disclosed any part of the secret to doctor Dalbene m the course of my inquiries : yet he in- formed us that this being a place d'armesy or fortified city, the gates were closed every night till sun-rise ; and he also in- formed us of the extreme caution that was used with regard to the passports of every person leaving the city. When I had first planned our flight by the assistance of my friend, I had overlooked this essential point : and now, perceiving the impossi- bility of success, I renounced every idea of attempting any further step at Verona ;> 30 we departed for Brescia on the first ot May. H 2^ 9§ On the road, I observed the various as.- pects of the country between Verona and Brescia : and when we drew near Peschie-- ra, 1 stepped out of the carriage^ on pre- tence of drawing; a sketch of the view of the lake di Garde ; but in reality for the purpose of obtaining information respect- ing the different interiour roads thereabout,, as I conjectured that from thence to the confines of the Tyrol the distance was in- considerable. I made several inquiries on this subject, and discovered the different roads : I found that Feschiera was so sit- uated as to oblige us to pass Brescia on our way to Riva, the nearest village to the Tyrolese confines. I continued my way on foot ; inquiring which was the nearest place to Brescia, and the most convenient for passing the lake ; and was in general answered Said, it being the least distant from Brescia and nearest to the Tyrol. Thus instructed, I returned to the car- riage ; and shewed Mrs. Smith, in the presence of the soldier, my drawing of the fortress of Peschiera, and of the adjoining- hill by which it was shaded. 9£ Count Attems had promised to overtake us at Milan, and go with Mrs. Smith to Valenciennes. This gentleman however, came up with us a little before we reached Brescia, having obtained leave from colonel Ghizzola to follow Mrs. Smith. We were cautious in keeping our secret from count Attems ; as we reflected on the dan- ger of his person, the tranquillity of his family, and the probable confiscation of his property by the government ; but at the same time we intended to prevent his situation from being such as might raise suspicions of his concern in the plot. r The same day (the first of May) wc entered Brescia ; where I had irrevocably determined to execute Mrs. Smith's de- liverance (it being the nearest place to a neutral territory), and to fly from the do- minions of the new Icing of Italy, For this purpose, before engaging the inn at which she was to rest the two days allow- ed, I ran to examine the windows of the different inns, and see- of what height they were from .the ground; but they all re-» 92 sembled each other so much in constmc- tion and elevation, that we remained a^ the one at which we had stopped with the gend^armes. A room was"" appointed foi? Mrs. Smiih, fifty feet from the ground ; the gendhirmes took the room adjoining to her's, leaving the corresponding door half open, according to their custom ; count Attems had the room beyond the soldiery^ so that all secret communication between him and. his sister-in-law was precluded ;, and I contented myself with a mean apart- . ment in another part of the house. The lateness of the hour at which we arrived,, and the presence of the count, who had brought many letters for Mrs.. Smith, prevented me from concerting with, her the measures to be adopted. I wish- ed to visit Salo, and examine its position, and police ;. and also to obtain information; of the rules observed at the gatqs of Bres-. cia in passing.: For this purpose, and- while the police of Brescia yet remained, ignorant of my arrival with Mrs. Smith,, I went early the next morning to get my- 93 passport . signed for Tyrol. I wished t^ have, it done for Vienna ; but this was im* possible, as it had been made out for Mi* km at Venice. From the police I hasten- ed to observe the outlets of the city, ancj discover the easiest way of getting away ; but, to my sorrow, I could see no other passage than througli the gates, which were all strongly guarded. I next set about providing a light carriage, in order to be always furnished with a vehicle ; and also obtaining horses, so that we might be able to avoid waiting at the post-houses, where we might possibly be in danger of being surprised. . } was"^ not abk to find either the horses or carriage so soon as I v/anted them ; however, as I never allow- ed any accident to depress me, or destroy my determinations, I considered them as only useful, but by no means indispens*. able. I employed the short remaining part of th^ morning (before the gend'^armes were likely to look after me), in obtaining a bill of health at the office, which would be necessary on entering another country, I next went in search of a man's dress for m the disguise of Mrs. Smith. All this I accomplished before ten o'clock in the forenoon ; when I went to see her, ancj found her alone. I shewed her the pass- port signed for Trent, and the bill of health ; and told her that I had in my pos- session the clothes with which she was to disguise herself as a man. On my produ- cing these to her, she was at once forcibly struck with the dangers that were to be encountered : and the idea of attempting a task so extremely arduous, threw her for the first time into an apparent alarm, leaving her no resource but the mere d.e- aire of obtaining liberty. Being fixed in my resolution, however, I could perceive nothing but the glorj?^ that shone before me, and guided my steps ? and I accordingly availed myself of the hour while the soldiers were at the street door, to settle with her all that was to be prepared and attempted. I told her that I should go during the night to reconnoitre the environs of Brescia and the town of Salo, that I would examine whatever ob-^ ^5 Macles might occur likely to occasion a siir-^ prise on our outset ; and that I would ac- quaint her, and at least prevent every sus- picion : that I would investigate the im* pediments likely to happen in the Tyrol, and endeavour to counteract them : in short, that I would collect all the informa^ tion possible respecting the places through which we vvere to pass^ ensure our pas- sage through the gates of Brescia, fix oil each station, and contrive infallible meas- ures for eluding the vigilance of every fe- rocious Argus, however attentive. 1 re- minded her of the importance of conceal- ing the secret from the count. Her mind, notwithstanding, still laboured under the notion that I stood exposed on the brink of a precipice. At every proposal to re^ lieve her, she seemed to forget her own situation : and tried to dissuade me from the attempt of a scheme pregnant with great danger to my life and liberty, and grief to my parents ; telling me that the least punishment w4iich I should meet would be imprisonment for the most prc^ cious years of my youth. She finished by exhorting rne to continue my joiii^ney to Milan. In: reply, I. used but few argu- ments to convince her, that all she could say was insufficient to change my resolu- tion ; but I sincerely admired her delicacy, and her sentiments concerning the possible consequences. She thought she perceived the will of Providence in my determination to save her : and regarded me as the friend who was to break her chains ; and to guide her to a husband, to her children, and relatives- She therefore confided herself to my care : she agreed to follow up all my steps ; and overcome, as far as she was able, every impediment. I could hot however depart from her, and go avv^ay alone, without ac- quainting the gencVarmes^ to whose vigi- lance I was in some degree entrusted, with instructions, stating that I Was to accom- pany her to Milan. Nothing was more easy than to obtain from the soldiers permission to leave her, as a stranger's presence incommoded them } ^7 besides the incessant watch they kept over him, the orders of the government relative to the lady being extremely rigid in every respect. On quitting Mrs. Smith, I told the guards that my affairs prevented me from continuing any longer in the company of this woman : that the slow manner in which she travelled, staying so long at ev- ery place, greatly retarded my journey : that I had to go to Paris with all possible dispatch : and besides (flattering them by apparent confidence), I assured them that it was disagreeable to mc to continue any longer with a prisoner ; nor did I like to expose my conduct to the stigm.a of being the friend of a woman whose arrest was demanded by the emperour of the French. I added, that for this last reason in partic> ular, I did not wish to go to Milan with her, and desired that very evening to de- part from Brescia ; adding, that as I did not like to tell the lady that such was my intention, I begged as a favour that they would have the goodness to inform her of it themselves. The fierce-looking senti- nels murmured their opinions to one r 9g another, and turning to me in a fi iendly tone, advised me to leave her, promising that they would acquaint her punctually* Count Attems afterwards, on hearing that I had left them without saying a vvord to him, was astonished, as much friendship had always existed between us. I hired a horse and small chaise for a couple of days, agreeing to leave them at Sal >, to a Vettiirhio of which place, named Silvestro, the chaise belonged. After this I concealed myself in the most solitary part of the city, to avoid suspicion. Count Ghizzalo (brother to the colonel of that name), to whom Mrs. Smith was directed at Brescia^ endeavoured very politely to render her short stay there agreeable, and offered to accompany her himself, with the gendhvines, to the theatre. I was to set out that night, but wished first to have a few more explanations with Mrs. Smith, I wanted to instruct her how she was to be sure of my secret return to Brescia^ and to act so precisely as might preclude eyery possibility of surprise. 99 The better to conceal every appearance of our project, I went to the theatre with her ; in the view likewise of finding, after our return, a favourable moment for speak* ing to her alone. I reflected that this would be our last interview if my eftbrts should fail : it was at such a crisis that she had to rely on her own courage and presence of mind, while irresolution or delay might prove fatal ; fear was to be avoided, and every weakness to be set aside. At twelve o'clock at night, after our return from the theatre, we endeav- oured to send every one away, and fortu- nately were left alone. " This is the last- time," said I, ^' that we are to speak to- gether. I now depart, nor am I to see you again but out of these walls, where you are closely guarded. I can no longer visit the room where you are a prisoner, and I am no further to continue a witness of your all-fated journey. Should my mo- tions be traced by the subtle traitor ; or, on my return, should I be surprised at ' the gates, or when I am near the inn ; — then if my evil destiny becomes known 100 to you, be sure to deny that you were in any manner concerned in my schemes. Say that you had never discovered in me the least inclination to relieve you : com- plain of my conduct which occasioned the suspicion of the government; and repre- sent in the harshest terms, to the officers who may suppose you concerned, the im* prudei;ice of my character : appear amazed at what I dared to attempt, curse the day that I came with you from Venice, and shew the greatest willingness to pursue your journey. Thus these enemies will not vent their rage upon you ; it will fall on my head, who am better able to bear it. They will be satisfied by punishing him who will repeat in the hour of torment, his constant desire, his duty as a man, to save you. But if I succeed in eluding their attention :-^if, happy in the lonely silence of night, to-morrow I regain these walls : and in darkness accost this house unnoticed by any person, while you in this chamber anticipate my steps in your mind: -r— then, at eleven o'clock, free from the in- trusion of others, do you let down a string 101 from the window to the ground, to which 1 will tie a paper that shall convey all that I may have discovered and prepared, and what I shall have resolved upon. I shall mention the precise time for the attempt, the plan to be followed, and the measures conducive for ensuring a happy issue. I shall not conceal from you the impediments that may strike me as likely to obstruct us: do not fear that 1 shall betray you and my- self, if it is impossible to escape. In short, you shall read what you have to perform : you will then consider how much you have to undertake, and how you are to accom- pany me. If you should deem your cham- bermaid an object of hindrance to you, or consider her capable of betraying us at such a juncture, let her drink be cautious- ly mixed widi some narcot ck, that may lay her to sleep. Take leave of your brother only in thought, and beware of speaking a word that may lead him to ap- prehend what you are about to do : let no involuntary impulse of nature expose you, but reflect on what is to be done. Avoid all confusion and agitation as much as pos-- I 2 102 sible : let the idea of sacred liberty shield you from anxiety ; let the fond hope of seeing your children and relatives once more, animate you in the trial : be certain of a happy result, and reject every perni- cious doubt." Her mind was strengthened i her cour-^ age supported her amply, and all her ac- cents tended to convince me of the forti- tude of her character. I glowed with rap-^ ture at seeing her equal to the imminence of the risk : her sentiments stimulated me not to make the least further delay, and I immediately took my leave of her. At four o'clock in the morning I passed the gates of Brescia, and directed my steps to Sal 6. I viewed the surrounding hills and the chain of mountains along the road : open cavities and recesses proper for shel- tering the forlorn fugitive, drew my atten- tion ; these I strictly inspected ; determin- ing, in case circumstances should turn out unfortunate, and the soldiers should be in pursuit of us, we would hide oiu'selvea 103 there till the danger in some degree sub- sided. The prospect of the country was delightful, and the silence and solitude, so congenial to my situation, that reigned throughout the scene, seemed to prognos- ticate that the path which I then trod was the least replete with danger. On my arrival at Salo, no officer appear- ed at the gate to demand my passport ; nor did I perceive any crowd of idle gazers gathering about my chaise to look at the stranger, as is the custom in the small towns and villages of Italy. This made me hope that I should be able to pass through this place with eas€ ; as such cu- riosity, besides being troublesome, might to people in our situation (who have every thing to apprehend) turn out fatal, I vis- ited the village ; and perceiving no sign of a military force, I resolved with pleasure to come this way. I applied to the police, to have my passport signed for Trent ; saying that I wished to get it done the day before, as I intended to come the foU lowing morning very early. I then has-* 104 tened to the borders of the lake di Garde ; where 1 engaged a covered boat with twelve oars, to be ready the next.mornmg at six o'clock for passing the lake with all expedition. I feared, and justly, that on landing on the other sidfe of the lake, we might not be able to find either horses or carriage, and thus be obliged to go as far as Roveredo on foot ; and as in such a case we should be exposed to the greatest danger of being overtaken, I resolved on hiring a carriage and horses at Salo to car- ry us to Trent. I settled for another boat (to convey the carriage, Sec. across the lake to Riva, the landing-place), which was to follow the course of ours.. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, noth- ing remained further to prepare at Salo, but asi 1 could not well return to Brescia before the evening, so I was obliged to wait at Salo till eight o'clock, at the house of Silvestro, to whom the chaise belong- ed. I sat reflecting on the perilous mo- ment of Mrs. Smith's escape from the room. In this first, this difficult step to* 105 wards her freedom, I considered the ex- treme danger of her leaping from a win- dow at such a great height ; and to get avv^ay hy any door of the inn was totally impossible. I therefore studied how I couid make a ladder of rope and pieces of wood : and though I never had any taste for mechanicks, I bought the necessary materials, and succeeded in making one as long as I thought would be required. When. this important implement was fin- ished, I wrote the letter, in which I in^ formed her minutely of what I had pre- pared, and what I had discovered : assur- ihg her that we had no prominent obstacle to fear in our flight. I told her of the lad- der, which she was to tie to the iron of the window ; and that by two o'clock in the morning I would be under the window, waiting for her : that she must avail her- self of the time when the guards were all fast asleep, for descending ; but to wait first for a signal from me, which would assure her that no body was in sight : for if persons passed at the time, it might frustrate all our operations, and perhaps betray us. I concluded by exhorting her not to hesitate an instant in exposing her life thus, to recover her freedom ; rather than submit herself a victim to a cruel captivity, I left Salo when the sun had sunk below the horizon, and in repassing the hills^ the hope of seeing them again the next morning, and the fear of never returning that way, agitated me extremely. One moment I was overjoyed with the idea that perhaps within a few hours, I should there sing my first hymn to newly recovered lib>. erty, in company with the unhappy fugi- tive ; and at an other I was filled with the apprehension of being surprised there by the gend* arjnes : my imagination some- times anticipated the most favourable night for the accomplishment of our design ; and soon after figured some person observe ing our motions, then our discovery, my seizure, bloodshed, Mrs. Smith's dread ; in short, the most cruel terrours. These images were heightened by the darkness that enveloped every object* 107 As I drew near the walls of Brescia, I could not help considering them as about to be those of my prison. I entered the very instant of shutting the gates. I left the horse and chaise at an inn situited in a solitary square on the left, telling the ostler that I would return by three o'clock in the morning. It was near eleven o'clock, when drest as a Brescian postilion, and with the rope- ladder and letter under my cloak, I ad- vanced through the most lonely streets, towards the inn called the Two Towers, where Mrs. Smith w^as. A high wind which thickened the atmosphere with clouds of dust, had caused the inhabitants to retire into coffee-houses and the theatre, leaving the city quite deserted even at that hour. Being apprehensive that the ge?!- d^armes, or ethers on the watch, miglit observe me from the inn, I stopped before I approached to the window : I ii-.tened for some time to the ncise of the soldiers ; and after convincing myself that they were occupied in djinking, I diew near, and i08 felt for tlie string with my hand. Having found it, I tied the ladder and letter to it ; and on my pulling gently, she drew up the parcel. I then retired, overjoyed at see- ing the first danger so well got over. I had to wait three hours before I was to return under the window ; and in the mean time, being in want of some nourishment, I entered a mean tavern in a remote corner of the town, mixing with people of the lowest description. Here I satisfied my hunger, and rested myself. I then went to a coffee-house near the Ghetto (or resi- dence of the Jews), where I waited till one o'clock. After this, in order to ascertain whether ail was quiet, and the people re- tired to their homes, I went toward the theatre. On my way, I perceived several coffee-houses full of officers and citizens : and passed by other places of resort full of the dissolute rabble [or canaglia) with which this city particularly abounds ; for as it is near the confines of the Tyrol and the mountains of Switzerland, the Bres- ciaus easily find an asylum in those situa- 109 tions for their frequent crimes of murder' and robbery. I could not therefore be too cautious among such people, from whom I had every evil to apprehend. Though I found myself quite alone in the publick places, and the awful silence was unin- terrupted by the step or voice of any hu- man being, I often stopped to listen whether any body was advancing towards or following me, and to observe vvhether any one stood watching me, but I perceiv- ed nothing to alarm me, so therefore pro- ceeded to the imi with an easy and careful pace. Two o'clock now struck ; and the hour in which our destiny was to be fixed) call- ed me to action. My mind suffered that insurmountable agitation which frequent- ly accompanies any hazardous enterprise Vherein our life and liberty are eminently exposed. I hurried on, alm.ost heedlessly, till I was opposite the window ; impatient to carry the prisoner from those walls where I im.agined she stood trembhng at my delay, and eager for my friendly assist- K 110 ance. 1 stood under the window confused and absent in mind, but ready to speak to her, to assure her of my presence, to call her. I suddenly discovered, notwith^ standing the darkness of the night, that the windows of her room were still shut* On this I stood motionless, but continued to fix my eyes on them, when I was struck with terrour at perceiving the window of the room occupied by the gend'armes wide open. I heard the voice of one of them, and was afraid they watched us. I shud- dered at the idea that ail was divulged ; that they knew of the ladder which I had tied to the string, and were only waiting for the critical moment, to exert their fury upon us. I suspected that they might have seen the clothes for their captive's disguise. I feared that the chambermaid might have betrayed us ; or that perhaps some person had followed me the day be- fore, as a spy on my actions : In short, I firmly believed that they stood ready to as- suage their thirst of blood on me for da* ring to deceive them^ Ill This cruel state of doubt, suspense, and terrouf, gave way however to my anxiety for Mrs, Smith's situation. I could never once suppose her capable of having relin- quished the attempt, for I was convinced of her fortitude ; nor think her so thought- less as to have allowed any thing to tran- spire or appear, capable of exciting the suspicion of the guards. I could not guess therefore what prevented her from shew- ing herself at the vv'indow at the appoint* ed time. I summoned up my spirits, though the windows of the soldiers' room continued open ; and though conscious of the effects of their revenge if I were once discover- ed, I stood collected in the face of danger, and grasped my pistols. Vain resource ! What defence could these arms make while such im.plements of death as French bayonets threatened me ? Culpable in the eyes of government, opposition would on- ly have accelerated my -f Jl. I w^as the projector of a flight which, if successful, would not only have involved the guards to whom the custody of the prisoner was- entrusted, but also the government itself for neglecting the adequate means of se- iEuring her : I could therefore expect no trial by law, as the remissness of the guards would appear ; and must evidently have been sacrificed that instant to preclude aa exposure of circumstances. . As I retired a few paces from the spol after waiting so long, I perceived a maa approaching the fountain that was close at liand : he stood nigh a door, which I saw him enter slowly ; but at that instant my eyes caught the opening window of Mrs* Smith's chamber, at which a figure pre- sented itself : I could have no doubt of its being her ; and after looking round to see whether all was safe, I drew near : but she being ignorant of the disguise which I wore, asked in a low voice if it was I. I replied, " I am that h^iend, and wait for you." I now resumed my hopes that ev- ery thing was unknown to the guards, and that no fatal occurrence would ensue du- ring the critical moment. She continued 113 however in the room ; and I stood unable to breathe, for fear of some hidden wit- ness of the scene, ready, perhaps to sound the alarm, and call the patrole of the city. I earnestly wished to remind her of the pressing danger incident to every mo- ment's delay ; but I heard a noise proceed from the window, which was occasioned by her tying the end of the ladder to the iron : my terrour increased at this unwel- come sound ; I thought it, above all others, the most likely to rouse the soldiers, and occasion the worst of disasters. Scarcely did the ladder appear to be fastened, when I saw Mrs. Smith take hold of the win- dow and cling to the wall, pressing witK her uncertain foot the first step. I perceiv- ed she was reluctant in trusting herself upon it : the unhappy lady stood tottering upon the step ; and seemed to tremble so much, that I was' under the necessity of attending particularly to her, fearing that she might fall. But I was agreeably de- ceived when I beheld her grasping the knots of the ladder, and boldly determin* ed to descend. What an interesting spec^ K 2 114 tacle ! a forlorn woman, anxious to escape from captivity, committing herself from a height to ropes which, even while they tore her delicate fingers, she kissed in ex- tacy, because they were instrumental to her release : and at the same moment armed sentinels in the adjoining apartment, who were ready to dart upon her if their sleep were interrupted by the least noise. Had they nov/ come to their own window, she would have been discovered on the ladder, myself below waiting to lead her off, and the maid above accessary to the bold attempt of her mistress. What a field for their vengeance ! What victims for their fury ! Happily, however, the si» lence of the night, and its intense gloom, remained undisturbed : she reached the ground without receiving any essential in- jury ; and the maid, to Vvhom the secret had been imparted, threw a bundle from the vv'indow, containing w^hatever could be saved. We instantly began our flight ; running along unknown streets, without meeting 115 any person. Our trepidation — the haste with which we went, and our mean dress, would have been strong unfavourable in- dications if we had been observed. From solitary street to street we precipitated our steps till we reached the summit of the fortress of Brescia. Here the violence of my companion's desire to save herself was such, that she actually offered to attempt scaling the walls ; but on my acquainting her that the chaise was ready for us at the tavern near the gates, she followed me with less agitation. The ostler, seeing me return in compa- ny with a youth (whom, by the by, it was not difficult to mistake for a woman), gazed at us with surprise ; and appeared to. suspect something uncommon and mys- terious. We had still to wait another hour before we could set off, as the gates were never opened before four o'clock. This protraction of our anxiety was almost enough to extinguish every ray of hope : we continually expected the arrival of the gend^armes : and could hardly help ima- 116 gining that the stable had been discovered to be the place where we had taken re- fuge ; and that the alarm of our escape must by this time have spread to e very- part of the city, and our retreat be con- sequently cut off. The ostler, perceiving our perturbation and impatience, went to see whether the passage was free ; he soon returned with the happy intelligence that the guards had come to the gates, and we might depart. Still, however, for our fur- ther alarm, we found them shut ; but on our entreaties, the guard opened them ; and we passed through on the 3d day of May, at four o'clock in the morning. The beauteous skv seemed to welcome our escape with its smiles : the mighty orb of light shot forth its beams from be- low the horizon with uncommon - splen- dour — and appeared to transfuse universal joy. With what happiness did I view the places which a few hours before had filled me with terrour ! Our pleasure was ex- treme in passing the hills free from the gal- ling incumbrance of gend^armes* What 117 >Vere our transports in scouring the path by ourselves, unobserved by the eyes of treachery, and breathing the balmy air of liberty ! To have overcome the principal dangers, — and to have broken from the walls which the grim satellites of govern- ment stood guarding, — to have succeeded thus far, — caused our apprehensions to subside. We looked back on the odious city, while we continued to hurry on to- ward the land of freedom. We reached Salo at half an hour after six, the same morning; yet here, though all was ready, we had to wait at the house of the worthy Silvestro till the boatmen should call us to pass the lake. Every moment of this delay was almost msup- portable ; even the velocity of wrings could have scarcely satisfied our impatience ; but it was out of our power to advance with more celerity ; and w^e were obliged to submit, though we were but too sensible that time was flying fast. At eight o'clock we unfurled our sails, agreeably certain that none of the idlers ^vho stood gazing 118 at us knew any thing of our escape. With what satisfaction did we abandon that place, to us the last under French domina- tion ! Siivestro and his family, from the beach, wished us a happy journey ; and we returned the salute by signs expressing our hearty desire never to return. The wiiid was against us, and the gon- doliers found much difficulty in proceed- ing. The prospect of the surrounding country drew our attention ; and the sin- gular positions of several of the villages, as Tremogine and Melesina, were very in- teresting. The variegated appearance of the numberless orchards and cottages along the shore of Carignano, charmed us as much Sls Cur situation could permit. During our passage I told Mrs, Smith all that I had seen and perfornied since I had left her ; and she informed me of the means which she had used to gain her chambermaid— and of her astonishment at finding the ladder prepared. I asked her why she had staid till three o'clock be- fore she descended; to which she replied 119 that On0 of the gend^armes was awake i and that she was writing a letter to the colonel of the gend^armerie, begging par- don for her conduct, and exculpating the guards as well as count Attems from any sliare in what she had done ; and another to the count, explaining her reasons for not having imparted the secret to him. We calculated that the guards would have discovered our escape by eight o'clock, the hour at which we had left Sa- le. We were anxious, of course, to reach Riva, and proceed thence instantly ; as any delay would have been still very dan- gerous, considering (as we did) the wide- extended influence of the French. At length we arrived at the Tyrolese frontier, after a passage of eight hours. I ran to present my bill of health, which was sign- ed without hesitation for Trent : but the boat that carried our chaise and horses had not yet come over ; so we were obliged to wait at the only tavern there, which stood near the lake. I could not suppress my 12D impfecations at this delay, while eVeiy m^^ ment was so precious. At five o'clock we perceived no less than three boats coming toward us. It was natural for us to suppose that the gen- d^armes were on board some of them in pursuit of us, and that the police might have discovered the road which we had taken ; but where could we now hide our- selves, or whither direct our flight ? At Riva there was neither carriage, horses, nor post ; and we should have certainly been traced within an hour, for the inhab- itants would have pointed out the way to our pursuers. I wished to conceal my suspicions from Mrs. Smith, yet I reject- ed that it was best to prepare her for the evils that might ensue. Her courage never forsook her a single instant : she proposed we should hide ourselves in the cavity of a mountain at hand, and continue cur journey on foot ; but the boat v/ith our chaise and horses reached the shore some time before the others. Without losing a moment, we set off for Trent with all the 121 speed that spur and lasli could produce ; nor could we learn who were in the other boats : the people, however, who seemed to feel for our agitation, assured us that they did not come from Salo. We could never have supposed that we should be obliged to ily, even from Trent by a necessity as urgent as the former. The post-master could not supply any stranger with horses without orders from the director of the police, whose signature was also to be put to the passport. My pass was for Trent only, so of course I had to request a fresh one for the continu- ance of my journey : the director however of the police not only refused to sign the pass made out at Brescia, but, on observ- ing in it the last letter of the word came- riere (signifying 2i footman) substituted by an a (making a chambermaid)^ he remark- ed that suspicious people like me ought not to have the boldness to present them- selves at his tribunal ; and that instead of allowing me to proceed to Germany, he Avould direct me back to Italy, adding that 12^ I must not stay in Trent. In vain did I insist on his giving reasons for such con- duct : my endeavours were useless to per^ suade him that my character in no way was liable to blame for having a servant- woman instead of a man^ and that such trifles could not deserve the notice of gov- ernment : Every argument was ineffectual with this obdurate Bavarian ; who imme- diately ordered that no horses should be given to me, except to go back to Italy* In returning to the inn, the servant that accompanied xvxQ gave a strange character of this man, and promised to adopt any method which should suggest to elude his prohibition. I was far from trusting him, considering of what serious consequence deception would still be to us. To return to Italy, however, would have been to throw ourselves into the hands of the en- emy. Some road must be devised by which we could travel in the Tyrol after quitting Trent, without the danger of be- ing taken by the gencParines^ who probably were stili in quest ct us. For this pur^ 123 pose no better way appeared to us than to leave the city at night, and take the secret road below the castle. Having resolved to follow this plan I went to the inn, where I found Mrs. Smith at table, taking some refreshment after her severe fatigues. Without speaking to her, I told the inn- keeper to prepare some eggs and roast meat ; and on her asking me for what pur- pose, I remarked that she as a servant had nothing to do with my orders. As soon as we were alone, I told her that there were no hopes of escaping but by walking through the defiles of the sur- rounding mountains ; and though she was almost overcome by the agitation and fa- tigues of the preceding night, she did not hesitate a moment in embracing the propo- sal, and exposing herself to n£W hardships. Her bad health rendered such an under- taking almost impracticable,— but absolute necessity forced us to it. As we were on the stairs in our way out, the innkeeper expressed a wish to be of service to us, whom he thought enibar- 124 rasscd, as we had to perform the journey ©n foot, as far at least as the first village^ where we heard that horses might be easi* ly found. He offered to sell us a country- man's small vehicle for one horse, for thirty-two loiiis^ which he observed, after W^e had used it, we could sell at any vil- lage thereabout. Our joy was extreme on being thus relieved, and we paid the thirty-two louts without hesitation : we then hastened from that place, as well as from the evil destiny that still hovered xound us. But how could we expect to #scape the vigilance of the sentinels, or persons belonging to the police, at the gates, probably sent on purpose to arrest us. I reflected on this, and imagined that a guide would be useful in leading us the safest way out. The innkeeper accord- ingly sent a man with us at our desire^ who preceded our steps for about a league,, knd thus eased us of much embarrass- ment. At midnight we parted with our guide^ and fouiid ourselves alone in a path utterly 125 unknown to me. Mrs. Smith was seated in the chaise, exposed to all the rigour of the atmosphere ; she was however drest in woollen clothes, and I sat before her, driving. Sleep, to which we had been en- tire strangers for two successive nights, weighed down our eyelids forcibly ; but the sense of our extreme danger, which still continued, was superiour to our want of that refreshment. We arrived at a village where, though it was still dark, we found a post-horse, and a young man for the purpose of driv- ing us till day-break, and by this means I was enabled to avail myself of a few hours uneasy rest, I afterwards reassumed my office of postilion, directing our way toward Batzen with our usual speed. We suddenly heard the noise of a carriage advancing upon us. Our delay at Riva and Trent afforded sufficient time to the officers of government for overtciking us : at such a juncture nq other supposition could find a place in our minds, and every thought anticipated our arrest by ihe geU". L 2 126 cParmeSj presuming that it was they who now drove so hard to come up with us. No refuge remained but to hide ourselves. On our left there ran a torrent, at the foot of the mountain, and on the right was a thick wood : through the thorny windings of this, and without the guidance of any track, 1 led the horse for some distance, and when surrounded by bushes and trees^ we stopped till the carriage passed. To return now to the road would have been imprudent ; therefore after lead- ing the horse with the greatest difficulty over the rugged heights, and arriving at the bottom of the mountain, we proposed resting ourselves here for a short time. We inquired of the people at a cottage, which was the way to pass the chain of mountains, and go to Styria, to which a woman, of whom Mrs, Smith begged a room to repose for a few hours, replied,, that being then alone in the house, she could not dispose of the rooms without her husband's leave. Like a true woman, however, she was soon touched with com- 127 passion at our words and situation, and permitted us to take some sleep, which was become so urgent a want, that we con- fided ourselves to her without any suspi- cion of danger. Indeed who could hrive entertained an idea that people thus unex- posed to any incitements towaixl crime, would have been capable of denouncing us, and displaying a satisfaction in procur- ing our arrest, in the very place granted to us as an asylum, merely because we had in some degree a strange appearance ? The husband, on coming home, and being in- formed by his wife that she had two stran- gers, soon came to the rooms in which we w^ere, and disturbed us : he asked us how we could have thought of coming to such a remote place to which there was no path, and then told us to be gone immediately. While I was getting the horse ready, he locked up our few effects in a room, and hastened to the neighbouring village to ac- cuse us. But we were not so unfortunate as to fall a sacrifice to this wretch's perfidy. The good woman, struck with horrour at such a violation of the sacred laws of hos- 128 pitality, ran after him, and entreated hitxi to desistj adding, that these poor people had trusted themselves to her : her words soothed him, and he gave .us back our clothes and trinkets ; telling us however not to stay any longer. Thus we were obliged to set out for Batzen ; but bein^ apprehensive that the people in the carriage which had passed, might be waiting for us at that place, we wished to avoid enter-, ing the gates : therefore we drove by the suburbs as fast as the horsq could gallop,. On our way to Brixen, Towards the evening we met a waggon^ on which there were several French cuiras-. siers ; but as they were ignorant^ of our case, they only laughed at our mean equip- age. We crossed the Tyrolian mountains with our usual celerity, without stopping either night or day ; nor did we allow our- selves that repose which our fatigue ur- gently called for. The scorching rays of the sun incommoded us by day ; and af- ter its setting, the keenness of the air: and t^e were obliged to pursue our way during 129 the night through the craggy valleys near the Brinner, Schoenberg, and Inspruck, though I was entirely unacquamted with the road. How often were we under the necessity of descending and leading the horse, to avoid the dangerous fragments of the mountains ! The poor animal was very much exhausted, having travelled all day through the most fatiguing paths, but seemed sensible of his utility to us, and never once slackened his pace till he had ©arried us to a land of security. The people of the Tyrol are of an un- couth and stubborn cast of mind : they possess so small a share of humanity of hospitality, that exclusive of our fears arising from a knowledge of their depend- ence on Bavaria, and their connections with the French, we were desirous of quitting their country, and not to expose ourselves long to their ill-treatment and extortion. As we approached the extrem- ity of the Tyrol, we were accosted in % wood about noon by a man dressed in a soldier's uniform, who, drawing his sword^ 139 desired us in a threatening tone to lend him some money. My situation was such, that I could not possibly perceive what went on, nor abandon the horse, but Mrs. Smith snatched the loaded pistols that we had with us, and answered his menace by presenting one of them at him. This made the fellow step back instantly, and renounce his plan of robbing ; leaving us to proceed towards the Saltzburghese ter« ritory. We knew that on our entrance there we should be on neutral ground; but we apprehended that difficulties woul4 arise at the barrier, on account of our passr^ port. The only one which we could pre^- sent, was that given to us by general Lau- riston, empowering Mrs. Smith to travel wherever she pleased : our fears, however^ happily subsided, when the proper officer signed this passport without hesitating an instant, or asking who I was (thinking mc to be her servant). We rejoiced extreme- ly at having so easily overcome such a prominent obstacle : but continued to has- ten our steps, as we were afraid of being cdled back, to have the pass re-examined. 131 We judged it prudent to keep the ckv dumstance of our flight a profound secret, as vvc could not flatter ourselves with the hope that the passport would ensure us a free passage through Saltzburgh, it having become utterly useless, for it was con- firmed by no signature at any place in Ita- ly or the Tyrol. Our intention was, to go to Gratz, where Mrs. Smith's children and sister (Mad. Strazzoldo) were, and the only way to be attempted w^as by the Saltzburghese hills, asking the road to Styria as we went. We determined at random on crossing the mountain of Ber- toscad, though we knew nothing of the di- rection to be taken ; but the country peo- ple pointed this out to us, and I managed the reins of our wearied animal accord- ingly. The same day we arrived at Waispack, situated at the foot of this mountain, and containing a church and an inn. Ah ! how can I ever lose the memory of this place, which offered us the first asylum af- ter such tempestuous agitation, so many 13^ cares, such trouble and fatigne ! and where, secluded in a manner from the whole Avorld, we were able to indulge ourselves in the hope of perfect security I This village, standing at a distance from the highway and from any city, is sur- rounded by hills, in which silence and solitude reign, interrupted only by the streams that rush down the sides of the mountain in their rugged channels. We were invited here, for the first time, to re* pose ourselves, free from our late cruel solicitude : we were no longer oppressed by a fear of treachery at the hands of those whom we met, or a dread of being arrested by whoever approached us. At Waispack we staid a whole day, and the next we intended to reach the summit of the mountain ; but Mrs. Smith's strength was not equal to such a walk : the people however directed us another road, along the river, leading to Zell, whence we w^ere to proceed to Styria, through a most delightful country. No landscape better deserves to be de- 15S scribed in the liveliest colours of language, than the enchanting scenes which are so richly lavished by the hand of nature along the banks of the lake of Zell. Were I endowed with the transcendant genius of Horace or of Virgil, what a truly fascina- ting sketch would I not produce of a coun- trv less dreary than the mountains of Berne or Zurick, but replete with all that beauti- ful contrast, so peculiar to many of the most romantick parts of Switzerland ! The eye is pleased with a multitude of cot- tages, the simple inhabitants of which are agreeably united, and pursue their agri- <:ultural labours. Further up among the hills, small houses are interspersed every- where ; and from time to time the wel- come inn is found, which affords better fare than that of the large villages in the Tyrol. These people have been attentive to the place of their religious exercise : the church is splendid, and well officiated; and for this purpose they deprive them- selves of a certain superfluity of domestick 134 comforts. The inhabitants of the environs of this lake are robust, and well made ; yet through the most of the Saltzburgese territory one is disagreeably struck with the sight of a race of beings who exhibit art extraordinary chain of the modifications of nature, almost from the monkey to the man* I looked with compassion at a num- ber of deformed wretches, whose config- uration was so little human, that every movement was accompanied by perpetual contortion. What objects of pity are those miserable creatures who, though members of society, hardly possess the faculty of vegetating, being actually defi- cient in animal orsranization. Even their expression is unconnected with articulate sounds, and they are unable either to an- swer or to comprehend whatever is said to them. Such are seen trailing them- selves from place to place in the vicinity of Salt z burg. Oblisred as we were to advance throueh mountainous defies, destitute of a path to follow, we fouiid it necessary to walk through many a wild passage ; we often joined the country folks on their way home- Avards, as the day began to close, and I led by the bridle our horse with our batter- ed vehicle. I now felt that our late vicis- situdes realized the ideal adventures of romance : — shut out from the vortex of societ}^, and buried in the solitude of such a country, after suffering from the intense heat of the sun, we rested ourselves, as evening approached, on the borders of some stream, or took shelter beneath the humble roof of a cottage : considering ourselves no longer bound to accelerate our steps, how often did we sit in the shade of some pine, listening to the night- ingale's notes ! Harassed no more by the dread of seizure, our minds rambled in an investigation of the works of nature. But alas, of how short duration was this enchanting illusion ! we were destin- ed to the most barbarous retribution^ for having thus indulged ourselves in a few days of peace and comfort. Though de- livered from our enemies, capricious fbr. i3^ time determined on loading us with the chains of that very goveinment under whose jurisdiction we had hastened tQ elaim protection. We had to endure th^ sufferings of delinquents, and to inhabit the loathsome cell of a prison : it appear^ ed that the hardships to which we had beea subjected were not sufficient to expiate the audacity of our enterprise, and that on our heads was to fall the punishment which had been reserved for persons unknown to us. A Tyrolese lady, on whom neither ran6 inor fortune could justify her passion, lov- ed a youth of the condition of a merchant, and the obstacles to the accomplishment of her desires caused her to elope with him. His flight became a matter of publick concern ; and all the guards at the con- .*iineSj as well as the police, were caution- ed for the detention of the parties. The vigilance intended for them soon fell upon us, and when we reached the frontiers, we were prevented from passing them, the people there supposing us to be the fugi* 137 tives in question. We discovered the mo- tive of this impediment, and found that it would render our journey by the way of Carinthian Styria quite impracticable, as also bv the other frontier. This adventure seemed almost to have something theatrical in it, as in many dra- matick plots similar incidents form the ba- sis of intrigues and interesting scenes. We at first merely smiled at the curiosity of the people ; but as we were obliged to return to places which we had already pas-, sed, we began to be seriously displeased. At every step fortune seemed to rejoice in oppressing us ; my tranquillity fled before unhappy presentiments ; and an idea of additional disasters obscured the brighter prospect which had begun to dawn. Noth- ing now appeared agreeable to our eyes ; no object afforded us delight ; and the same hills, rivers, and valleys, that before had enlivened our imagination, were be-. come sources of melancholy, and even of disgust. M 2 138 The affair of the fugitives made us ap- prehend that we should be arrested in any of the adjacent countries to which we might return. From the time of our quit- ting Piadstadt we were unable to devise measures either decisive or accurate. We hoped to be able to ascend the steep moun- tain called the Tauro ; and we set out for this purpose ; but being obliged to traverse the precipices on foot, without being able to avoid the frontiers of Carinthian Styria (on the other sidfe of the mountain), we judged it prudent to return to Radstadt^ after having fatigued ourselves for several hours. We had now again to contrive the means of escaping even from a coun-^ try v/hich we could not call inimical ; but it seemed as if captivity hovered round us wherever Vv^e went, danger faced us at ev- ery avenue, and liberty fled from us as we hastened to overtake it ; we were doomed to struggle against our adverse fate, and elude the vigilant police of (^vtry country ; not only constrained to avoid cities, but to jBy from the confines of kingdoms. 139 How were we to pass that frontier where we had been mistaken for the fugitives of Saltzburg, without making ourselves known ? We thought it expedient, in or- der to avoid betraying ourselves, to aban- don our chaise, and put on the dress of peasants, in which disguise we could easi* ly pass with the shepherds at sun-rise, as they led their flocks : this we conceived tQ .be the surest way of averting danger. As Vagrain, a small Village four posts from Radstadt, had afforded us the most perfect repose the day before, we of course thought we might return to leave the horse and chaise at the inn there ; with orders to send them by a man to Gratz ; and also purchase the peasant's clothes, in which disguise we were to continue our journey that night. Could we have imagined that in this village we should find the hidden means of our misfortune ? Could we have supposed that, after baffling the strict vigi- lance of the French government, and elu- ding the rigour of the Bavarian officer, we were to become the dupes of a traitor 10 an insignificant and peaceable place ? 140 On our arrival at Vagrain the same dajj. we trusted the chaise and horse to the mistress of the inn, informing her that af- ter a few days we should return to take them again : and every thing appearing se- cure, we afterwards bought the country- dresses openly. This became a subject of the publick curiosity ; and we thought the people would have been pleased at seeing us lay aside our usual attire, and wear their 's. We could not suppose that wear- ing the habit of simplicity was a fault ; nor were we sensible that the continuance of our usual dress was a duty ; least of ail could we have suspected that this deserv- ed to attract the rigour of government. But in these respects we found ourselves mistaken ; our adoption of this dress was suspected to be a stratagem of deceit and perfidy. We had little imagined that this would excite malignity ; yet a wretch was found whom it prompted to such a line of conduct. I now retrace in my mind his horrible looks, wherein enough was im-. printed to cause every one to shun hini^ and believe him dangerous : his forehead truiy shewed itself the seat of duplicity ; it could almost create in me a sentiment of revenge, though unaccustomed to harbour such inclination. I see him hastening to denounce to the police of San Giovanni, that two suspicious persons were endeav- ouring to escape in the disguise of coun- try dresses : and himself almost by the hand conducted the soldiers, with the min- ister of the police, who appeared ignorant of their object : he entered our rooms, exulting in the accomplishment of his wan* ton malice, occasioned by no fault of ours : he pointed to the country -dresses which we wore, caused the bavonets to be di- Fected to our persons, and looked around for further signs of suspicion and culpa- bility ; but none could be found in us, except that of not having presupposed the possibility of such a monster's existence* But I cannot, without horrour, continue to depict such a wretch as he appeared to me, though I was then ignorant that h^: was the cause of our arrest, 142 It was nine o'clock in the evening wheitj dressed in the country-habits, we were ready to depart, carrying on our shoulders a basket that contained our other clothes ; but we were suddenly alarmed with the sound of arms, and strange voices. As these approached, a secret impulse pre- pared me against a surprise I had hardly called the mistress of the inn, to enquire of her w^hat this bustle meant, when I saw myself surrounded by soldiers and a commissary of the police ; who, after ta.- king me into custody , entered Mrs. Smith'$ room with violence, arrested her, and d€/ manded her passport. The measures thus taken against us by the police of San Giovanni, arose, from the circumstance of our being mistake^ for the fugitive lady and young man. Mrs. Smith shewed the old passport given by general Lauriston, and signed at the barrier of the Saltzburg states ; and as her name, together \yith that of her fam- ily, was perfectly well known in that part of Germany (her mother having been for 143 many years conspicuously engaged at the elector of Saltzburg's court), the com- missary, on perusing this passport, looked with amazement at her, and asked whether she could possibly be Mrs. Smith. I now attentively viewed the soldiers, and the wretch who had been the cause of bring- ing them hither ; but he stood apparently satisfied in havino; secured us. I wished to enquire for what reason we were treat- ed thus : but the orders issued by the ma- gistrate were, that we rrust be put into prison the same evening, unless we could shew passports that were sufficient to iden- tify our name and character. _ The com- missary however recollected having seen Mrs. Smith at the gay assemblies of Saitz- burg, though she was now so coarsely dressed ; and on that account he declined to adhere strictly to his instructions, but allowed her to remain in her room for that night. I had already been announced as her valet, as she in some degree had reason for this, and I for adopting that character. Being apprehensive of miscliief, I liad some days before torn the passport that had given suspicion to the director of the police at Trent, and thought it would be better to pass for her servant than by my real name ; as in the latter character, and with a lady travelling through the Tyrolese defiles in a stvle so uncommon, our sus,- jpicious appearance would have been still greater. This fiction however was now attended with very unpleasant circumstances to me, for I was confined all night in the room with the soldiers. I pretended to be asleep, but listened to the conversation \i^* tween the commissary and the mistress of the inn. She gave him all the informatioii she was able, from the time we had first come that way : and the man who had de- liounced us, examined the whole room to see that all was faithfuHv under the care of our guards, and that every paper found in our port-folios was seized, particularly our country -dresses, as they were to jus- tify this proceeding. Day-light had hard- 145 ly appeared when we wer€ obliged to quit the inn at Vagrain as prisoners, and sur- I'ounded by the soldiers ; the wretch who had denounced us went on before. We reached San Giovanni at ten o'clock 'the same morning. The director of the pohce of this village was an old man, so ignorant ;of every language excepting Ger- man, that all his endeavours to compre- hend the Italian passport were ineffectual : iie therefore requested the assistance of ,an officer of the infantry, whom he order- ed to interrogate us. This gallant Ger- man used the most insolent expressions to Mrs. Smith ; saying she was nothing more than a servant-maid who had the imperti- nence to adopt the name of Smith, and audacity to shew a passport in that name for the purpose of passing unmolested ; but this fellow was strangely surprised when Mrs. Smith recalled to his mind the circumstances attending her residence at Inspruck (in consequence of his assertion that he had been acquainted wath Mrs. Spencer Smith), and even the invitatioa K U6 Which he had received from her to an a$^ sembly held at her house there. He thus at last fully recognized her, but looked awkward enough after his improper con^ duct. However, he told the minister of the police that the passport was regular, and this was actually the lady mentioned therein ; yet the police of San Giovanni had not the power either to decide on what appeared mysterious, or to grant us our liberty after this explanation* Such an important concern v/as necessarily to be transferred to the superiour jucigment of the police direction of Saitzburg : for which purpose w^e were obliged to quit San Giovanni on our way to the former place, accompanied by an armed escort* I must be permitted to describe my ad- miration on viewincc the countrv about Saitzburg, though my feelings at the time were very little disposed for the re- ception of agreeable impressions ; yet such were those proceeding from the alluring prospect, that I could hardly forbear from exclaiming : Nature here appears rich in 147 awful variety, precipices, streams, and trees, blending their colours with a taste- ful distribution, which no art can imitate, no fiction equal. This enchanting scene continues for the extent of four posts and a h-ilf. It was then that I said : " Here indeed do I admire the majesty of Na- ture : never has she appeared hitherto be- fore my eyes in such splendid attire/' But these effusions ill became my station of valet ; and Mrs. Smith, with a sign, explained her disapprobation of my non- conformity to the simplicity suiting the character which I now represented. Every forest, every rising ground seem-, ed to issue forth to view with a sort of pride that demanded the tribute of our praise. The surrounding objects ; the fanciful form of the mountain ; the grace- ful masses of the foilage ; the hideous as- pect of the caverns ; the silence along the lofty pines ; the lucid tears of the droop- ing willows ; the majesty of the firs ; and the fugitive horizon, purple-grey, at an immense distance ; the proiiiick field, as 14'^ jf bashful to appear before these shaded vortexes ; a wavering atmosphere ; a- ;melancholy sounding echo ; the sight of. •scattered flocks ; the reiterated murmurs of the waters ; the contrast, in short, of the grand productions of nature, who without colours or canvas, steel or marble^ -creates and does not imitate — displays and does not illude — exhibits the most fasci- ^iiating pictures yet does not paint ; wha offers the archetype to the research of truth ; gives animation to her works and motion to her offspring :— ail concurred m forcing from my lips the accents of my transport, the expansions of my enthusi- asm ; and the blessings arising from my joy and content in observing and admir^ ing her. What must have been the sufferings of a mind which had constantly been the asylum of truth, when called upon in such, moments to suppress its emotions, and as- sume the mask of dissimulation ! In se^ cret, however, I indulged my feelings j and even was on the point of giving nU 149 terance to the impression made on me by the magnificence of nature, when an im- perious glance from Mrs. Smith checked my transport, and told me to be silent. I willingly affected to act the submissive part assigned me of valet to the unhappy victim ; and braved every trial, every hardship, in order to alleviate her suffer- ings : for I determined to complete the friendly services which I had promised, and save her if possible. Indeed was not my patient forbearance fully evinced by the suppression of all resentment upon this occasion ? We entered Saltzburg at eleven o'clock at night, after being drenched by continual showers of rain during three or four hours: and were conducted to an inn ; where a maid-servant, who had formerly attended Mrs. Smith, recollected her instantly, but appeared astonished at seeing her in com- pany of the officers of justice. We w^ere soon announced to the government ; and shortly afterward a rigorous minister visi- ted us, who desired to know our names. N 2 150 I told him that mme was Raimondi, and I was valet tro the lady ; and Mrs. Smith told him her real name : but this did not appear satisfactory to him, and he de- manded to know the reason of onr dis^ guise. A mere w^him replied she : But a simple answer hardly ever suffices to con» viace those employed in the discovery of guilt ; and in the present case it was ill adapted to appease a set of men, whose thirst after punishment is seldom assuaged unless actions present them-selves under criminal appearances ; unless thoughts are disclosed which may often be neither pro- per nor prudent, and unless they are fur- nished with a^ string of argument and mat- ter on which they imy exert their baleful sophistry. How does it happen that those to whom the judgment of human actions is referred, and upon whom depends the civil security of the subject, should har- bour an anxious desire of finding men culpable, and of inflicting punishment^ thus conducting themselves as a scourge towards society ? They odiously seek, by CYery sort of casuistry and chicanej foi? 151 marks of crime ; and interpret actions so subtilely as to make them come under the lash of the law with apparent propriety* Ought they not, on the contrary, with the gentle sentiments of humanity, to be aw^ake to a sense of human frailty ; and overlook^ or even conceal many of the inferiour fail- ings of man ? But do I say conceal them P ah, no ! such was not the design of tha minister who came to investigate our ad- ■\^enture. He took pleasure iti misrepresenting our harmless conduct, and framing his report of it in terms of suspicion : he tried to confuse the words of Mrs. Smith and me, and insisted that he could perceive crimi- nality ; but we found ourselves out of the reach of similar accusations. Every meth- od was used by him to draw from us the secret of our flight. He pretended to be Mrs. Smith's friend, and begged her to explain the motive that led her to wander in such places with an equipage so very inferiour : and next adopted threats ; urg- ing that the whole must be confessed to 152 him as minister, since her situation was truly suspicious. He alternately promised us our liberty and menaced that we should undergo the rigours of the law. But how could we hope for protection from men who, though unable to trace any crime in us, were capable of arresting and tradu- cing us like delinquents before their tribu- nals ? Had we not reason to fear, on the contrary, that if we had divulged our flight, we should have been subjected to measures the most severe ; or even, per- haps, that they would have considered it a duty to make it known to the enemy ? Mrs. Smith, who was always firm in her answers, told him that she disregarded his threats, since she knew herself exempt from any fault that could have oiTended the Austrian government ; and in order to convince him that all his efforts v/ere use- less, she observed that she was not bound to disclose what could never concern any tribunal of Germany. ■ Our examiner, (whose name was Car- nieri), offended by these answers, conceiY- 15a ed £l sentiment of revenge ; the usual re- source of those who go beyond the extent of their power, for the purpose of perse- cuting innocence. Quite enraged on find-, ing that all his arguments were unavailing^ *' Madam," said he, " this is the last time that I shall insist on being made acquaint* te 1 to my name, but carefully avoided sp3 iking of Mrs. S nidi's detention or es- Ciipe. His former injustice was now chan- ged into the m s flattering marks of fa- vour, and assurances of the sincerest re- p 170 gret for the steps which he had taken in consequence of this accident ; but he used every argument to justify these, obhging me to blame only myself. *' The suspi- cions," said he '■' respecting your persons, have occasioned a juridical report to be sent to those who are to decide upon your destiny ; in the mean time, you may, in the company of a commissary, continue your journey to Lintz, where, with Mrs. Smith, vou are to wait for further orders." I set out the same evening for Lintz, where I arrived the following night ; and though, as still being the servant of Mrs. Smith, a room had been intended for me in the prison there, the police director, when informed of the sudden change of my character, agreed instantly to afford me all the favour that could be granted to a young traveller who Was under the vigi- lance of the government. During the first days 1 was not allowed to visit Mrs; Smith, whom 1 thought informed of all that had happened : on the third day, how- ever, I had the honour of seeing her : she 171 expressed her amazement at my disclosure of my name ; and when she had heard that 1 had been led to it by what had fal- len from her own lips, she shuddered widi horroiir at so base a falsehood, as well as at hearing from me the suITerings to which I had been subjected since I left her. She had been unable to procure any certain in- formation relating to me, but the people at Saltzburg had told her that I was to go tQ Italy. Lintz, situated on the banks of the Danube, appears toward the river in one of the most fanciful and pretty aspects that can be found any where. Almost every morning before the sun rose, I walk- ed along the borders of the river, breath- ing the air of liberty, but still uncertain how long I was to remain free. With what real satisfaction did my mind look back on the dangers which I had escaped, and the fears I had endured, yet my un- certainty respecting events that might still render all my hopes illusory, damped ni}^ spirits. How pleasant it was to me to sit 172 in the shadow of the rock, and hear only the sound of the gliding waters, while the serene and placid atmosphere was all in silence. Many a time did I wish for the permission to live there forever in free-. dom ; but while I was thus engaged, our fate was ordained. On the fifth day after my arrival at Lintz> I had heard at Mrs. Smith's house that our release was fully granted, on conditioa of our departing under fictitious names^ from the states of a power whose neutrality ipreclyded our further stay. 173 SECOND PART I OUGHT perhaps to commence this epoch of my vicissitudes in the language of tranquillity. It seemed that our evil star had set at last, and that we should exn perience no more such days as those which had obliged us to wander in the trackless mazes of the mountains, fai' from human intercourse, while our sole resource was the tacit expansion of our heavy hearts. A road was opened to us by the govern- ment. Our liberty had been at first pur- chased with fear and hardship ; and after- ward by retreating from places replete with danger, and where, though our escape might have been admired, it could not have been protected. It had appeared as if our deliverance from captivity demand- ed so many cares, that all others were precluded, and the ultimate fulfilment of our desires v/as impeded. It was to see lier mother, to embrace her sister, and re« p3 174 ©over her darling children, that my com- panion v/ent through Germany by these provinces ; but the road ordered to be ta- ken by the cautious government rendered these designs abortive^ The attainment of her desires being thus denied, she trav- elled without pleasure ; she complained of the immense distance from one place to another, and found fault with the divisions of territory. By the aid of her imagina- tion, she drew into one point those objects of her affection, representing them at some of the places which she was to pass ; but this illusion vanished upon her receiv- ing orders two days afterv/ards to repair to Prague in Bohemia, whence she was ta take the road to Saxony or Russia. She had washed for nothing more than her liberty ; yet now it was not sufficient to make her happy. She had trembled for her personal security ; but even afiti: obtaining this, she was still uneasy and discontented. Hov/ difficult it is to se-. cure for a single instant that complete feli« city to which every human, action tend§* 175 When free from all physical ills, from ter- rour and fatigue, the mind and the passions militate against those comforts which ought to result. Who would not have supposed Mrs. Smith happy at such a time, when every difficulty had been so fortu- nately surmounted ? But her children were far from her, nor did she know where to find them, whether at her sister's or mother's, or in the hands of the enemy. Coaid she possibly abandon Germany with- out getting intelligence regarding them, and without taking them with her to Eng- land, if possible, where she was anxious to arrive to join her husband ? But it was not the children alone that she abandoned, in quitting the continent, for perhaps they were already on their v/ay to London, with their preceptor. On leaving Styria, she would have been de- prived of the happiness of embracing her sister, of giving her a detail of her vicis- situdes, and of consoling her with regard to the apprehensions of her safety. Both Mrs, Smith's mother and sister were igno- 176 s, rant of her escape, and having learned that she had been made a prisoner, must have still supposed her in the custody of the French. These considerations greatly diminished the pleasure of emancipation. Real joy cannot be concealed ; neither prmdencc nor dissimulation can prevent it from ap- pearing manifest to the nice. observer ; but a contrast of sensations naturally occasions Jt depression of spirits. This was the state of Mrs. Smith's mind when she con-, versed with me in the house of the director of the police of Lintz. She observed that the duty imposed by the government embittered that felicity which she would have experienced, if she had been permit- ted to seek her children, and to deposit in the breast of her dear Clementina (her sister) the tale of her adventures, and per- haps succeed in persuading her to come to England, in order to alleviate the hard- ships of the journey. Thus another fa- vourable occasion of enterprise offered it- self to me, and if a sense of my duty had 177 stimulated mc to the attempt of efFecting her release, the same piinciple was now sufficient to induce me again to use my endeavours in whatever could tend to her happiness. I did not then imagine that I was forbidden to stay any length of time in the imperial dominions ; I therefore told her that 1 was ready to undertake any journey through Germany for the purpose of recovering her children, and that I would conduct them from Gratz, where I supposed they were, to Prague ; she ac- cepted my offer with joy, and this w^as all I wished. The worthy director of the police re* presented to me the impediments likely to occur in the journey, and the danger inci- dent to my situation ; but of what weight could such considerations be, when the forlorn mother stood trembling for the safety of her children ! My imagination figured the lovely boys running to my arms to ask me tidings of their mamma, whom thev had left surrounded with French guards, and I anticipated the rapture of 178 the countess on my announcing the escape of her sister. No ; it was impossible that I could have resigned such an enterprise, worthy at once of the man of feeling and the disinterested friend. From Lintz to Gratz there is no direct road, except across the enormous moun- tains. Though I had visited Germany the year before, the nature of this part of it was totally unknown to me : it is extreme.. ly uneven, and the paths along the valleys being made only for the use of the coun^ try people, are often dangerous and steep. No other road however was I permitted to take than this ; in which there was no post established, and of course I could never expect to find either a chaise or horses_, so that I had no resource but the faithful animal that hadindefatigably performed our escape through the Tyrol and Saltzburg. Without further delay I confidently prom- ised Mrs. Smith to overtake her at Prague in the space of ten days, together with her two boys, and left Lintz towards even^ ing, in the original vehicle drawn by tli^ ' 179 (did horse, an equipage truly grotesque, being the same that we had purchased of the innkeeper at Trent. The environs of Lintz, on each side the rivers Vein and Ems, appeared lux- uriant and rich ; and it was pleasing to observe the women retiring at that hour from the town to their villages, carrying the articles which they had been purchas- ing. In their company I travelled till night came on, when I found myself alone in a forest of oak trees, at no great dis^ tance from the river, the course of which regulated the steps of the horse. I ar- rived soon after midnight at a village call- ed Stayer, and after giving the horse a fev/ hours rest, I continued my way as the day approached, without knowing the proper roa^l to be taken. The aspect of the country throughout Styria is rugged and coarse, exhibiting a profusion of awful prospects. By means of steep mountains the eye is prevented from enjoying a spacious horizon, and all 180 the level space which is visible, consists t)nly of a road winding along the bottom of tremendous masses, where nature, a mighty hermit, sits formidably at top in savage and wild appearance* The travel- ler, surrounded by a numerous heap of rude precipices, either grows weary and dull at such monotony, or is absorbed in the gloom of misanthropy, which in that silence assails the mind congenially. Yet let not the eye that seizes on these resrions - - - ■ ■ V O O ' cease to admire the happy compensations granted by nature for the deficiency of blooming fields ; the solitary valley, sha- ded by the ridiest vegetation, receives its moisture from a multitude of streams i; woods adorn the variegated sides of the mountain ; and the pines rooted aloft, close these picturesque sceries, with their tops frequently immersed in the cljuds. The most beautiful flowers too are profusely in- terspersed with the abundant pasture. I compared the population, productions, and comforts of this romantick country with those which I had observed to exist 181 u\ a soil extensively level. In the former, the villages were more frequent than in the other, cattle also were more numerous on the rising grounds of Styria, than in the j)4ains of Austria or Bohemia ; the labour- ers were less wretched, industry was bet- ter conducted, their manners were sim- pler, and their minds more sincere. In this stupendous labyrinth I travelled a whole day, beholding with silent aston- ishment the stern and ericrantick exhibi- tions of nature. I could descry no egress, except my narrow path, edged on one side by a furious torrent that ran beneath those precipices whose tops seemed to de- fy the storm, and which, hanging over my head, threatened in every direction my al- most affrighted imagination with impend- ing ruin* In this seat of terrour I indul- ged in the melancholy which reigns there eternally. No sound reached me but that of the rushing streams ; my eyes were fixed in amazement at the tremendous fragments of fallen rocks, while others ap- peared aloft on the verge of dislocation ; 182 the horizon Was closed from my sight all around,, and the vapour in such a depth inade even respiration disagreeable* To- wards eight o'clock in the evening I stop- ped at the foot of a mountain, a portion of which formed the roof of a cottage 5 and in this solitary place I passed the night. The scene before me was truly majestick .: the primitive age of sublime poetry came to my mind, and its fabulous conceptions appeared to have received their origin from similar prospects; and as darkness ap* iproached, my thoughts wandered to the remotest times of antiquity* But sleep at last enveloped my senses. The next day I continued my journey t but from tim.e to time stopped to see the cascades which, being formed by the thaws of the snow^ fell from the precipices* The numerous fiocks of sheep afforded a proof of the comfortable state of the peas- ants:; which- was confirmed on beinq: told^ that each of them, however poor, was pos- sessed of two cows, and a field of grass* In general they are the cultivators of their ^83 own lands, and woodmen of their own share of the forest. The people in other villages thereabout subsist entirely by ma- king charcoal. In passing Retfling, 1 per- eeived the huts almost subterranean » as the people are all manufacturers of char- coal, and that occupation necessarily ren- dering them as black as negroes, they ap- peared like an African colony come to set. tie in Styria. I considered the active traf- ick of these provinces as humiliating to my own country, for there were roads across the mountains, from the top of •which I beheld the carts descend, contauir ing their produce. On my arrival at Leoben, I entered that place again with pleasure, though 1 had taken my leave of it the year before, in the intention of not returning so soon. I drew near to Gratz ; and was anxious to arrive to see the Countess, and to know the fate of the dear children. At length this city appeared, nor could I help being agitated in more respects than one. I feared that I should have to -encounter the 184 ©bstacles of the police in the execution of; my designs ; but I passed the gates with- out interruption, after shewing my pass- port, and giving to the officer the name of the inn that I was going to. I enquired immediately for the countess Strazzoldo's house, which I soon found out ; but I was doubtful w^hether I ought to announce my- self, thinking that she might be in compa- ny. Without saying any thmg therefore to her man, further than asking where she Was, I entered her room, and found her sitting alone. I told her my name ; but is it possible for me to find language suffi- .cient to express her immediate astonisK- ment, emotions, and transport ! On seeing me, she recalled to mind her sister ; she thought of the prison where she still sup- posed her confined, of her possible escape, of her misfortunes, perhaps of her death ! She doubted, she wished, and asked, all at once. A thousand words were ready, and a thousand questions in the same in- stant : impelled by her emotion, she sprung from her occupations, and ran about al- most out of breath, through the violence 185 of her agitation ; she raSed her hands, and every motion was eloquent in expres- sing her desires, while her lips faultered. I found myself seized by the enchanting sympathy of real feeling ; the attraction burst upon me with irresistable force, and rendered our affections mutual. She con- fusedly asked me : '' My sister — where is she ?" but before I could answer, the voice of Elmaurer and the cries of little Sidney and Edward drew my attention. I flew to meet them, I embraced them ; and saw the lovely infants happy. I told them that their mamma had escaped, and that thev would shortlv see her. It was then indeed that I experienced the pleasure of having been instrumental to their es- cape, and to that of their mother ; of hav- ing averted the horrours incident to their captivity, and of havj^ig probably saved their lives : my imagination glowed in tri- umph, and my satisfaction was complete. In the mean time the countess, impa- tient to hear her sisters's adventures, pres* sed me to take a seat with the preceptor The Countess Megeasca^ was the first to afford us the pleasures of society by- inviting us to pass several hours of the day at her country-house, situated in the mid- dle of a thick forest. Our conversation had hitherto been confined to dialogues with supercilious police-agents, rough sol- diers, and tippling postilions. I perceived that the house of the Coun- tess abounded with all the comforts requi- site for the enjoyment of life, and thai the land round it was fertile and well cultiva'- ted ; a hundred servants swelled her es- tablishment, as is the case with most of the ancient families of Poland. I found an old French abbe (a necessary appendage to every large family there), a secretary- fit for all occupations, the speaker (who is the reporter of the news), and a young man who seemed to be a husband-elect. Next were the daughters, who of course could sing, and consequently speak Italian ; the Countess who was to pronounce on * This name is written in the Italian manner, as I am unacqiudnted with Polish orthography, 214 politicks, and the superannuated Count, naturally subject to continued attacks of illness. There were besides the sprightly young lady oversowing with repartee, and the restless lordlings du bel air. The history of Poland was almost con- stantly the theni€ of conversation in this company ; and the degrees of civilization of the Russians who governed th€ country, seemed to form the utmost extent of their erudition ; but when the prince Wolkon,- sky honoured the assembly with his pre- sence, as he was a Russian general, these topicks were dropped, and musick alone engaged their whole attention. They vied with each other m their po- liteness toward us. The juvenile nobility treated us with a grand ball, and appeared amply satisfied when we expressed our sentiments of gratitude for so much kind- ness : they all addressed us very politely though we were strangers, which is seldom the case in a certain capital, where it is considered almost a crime to be a stran* 215 ger, and where a ticket of invitation is re- quisite before such a one is admitted to visit any person, a way somewhat similar to that used in visiting objects of curiosity. I contracted an acquaintance with Mar- shal K , one of the most ancient no- bles of the place. He resided in the coun- try at a short distance, and spent many hours of the day in a delightful garden, where I perceived verses of Segur cut in the bark of several trees, and other sen- tences of his servant ; who, the marshal told me, was his rival in political reason- ing, and in opinions on war and peace, or on the strength or decline of nations: *' This servant,'' said he '' was the first who predicted all the dreadful consequen- ces of Bonaparte's elevation to power, and I think him one of the first politicians in Poland." This gentleman had been an impetuous orator in the diet, and one of the most strenuous supporters of the rights of the nobility ; as such, after the subversion of m6 lli€ constitution under wliich lie had livedo BO further consolation remained to him than that of contemplating the vicissitudes, and listening to the news of other nations* He introduced me to a friend of his, with whom he had once formed the project of putting into practice all the principles of Rousseau's social contract. I took the liberty of remarking, that they would have acted better by increasing the stability of the throne, and fixing an hereditary mon*- archy, thus putting an end to all the party- dissention which distracts Poland, and leaves it a prey to other nations. Woful experience had fully convinced him of the truth of this, and he seemed of opinion that the monarchy should not be elective, and that the nobles, instead of being so much concerned in establishing their own power, ought to contribute to that of the sovereign by an adequate military force. This the nature of the soil would greatly facilitate, particularly in point of cavalry, for the plains are very extensive. In short, he thought that they < should have constituted in Poland a firm, instead of a • 117 fluctuating and revolutionary systera ; they tvould then have prevented the aggrandise* ment of Prussia, and perhaps repelled the measures adopted by the other two pow- ers who availed themselves of the vices inherent to the Polish constitution. The position of Poland, no doubt, ren- dered its defence and preservation extreme a. ]y difficult, surrounded as it is by the most powerful nations of Europe ; but this in- convenience might probably have been averted, were the monarch to take that lively interest in the safety of his kingdom, which the former state of things in a measure precluded ; or were the people, by enjoying the privileges of freedom, stimulated to the defence of their homes and property. The marshal observed^ *' Poland has been offered to sale by every one." I re- plied, " of course it belonged to nobody." *' Corruption and venality," said he, ^* per- vade each class, nor have the nobles blush- ed to subsist on the donations of Catharine 2ia and Josepli II." ^* Thus the nobility,'^ continued I, possess more power than the monarch*" The marshal appeared to me perfectly recovered from his thoughtless propensity toward the rights of the diet^ and told me that he had determined on living retired in the cultivation only of philosophy, a science often entered upon too late, and frequently even then merely to counterpoise the irksome recollection of past errours* Eight days elapsed wathout the pass* ports from Grodno appearing^ but we could not leave Bresk without them. I endeavoured in the mean time to gain in- formation relative to the opinion of the few native inhabitants who were not Jewsi* * The Jews have no fixed political opinion ; nor from their condition cpn they be expected to t^.ke any interest in the fute of governments, destitute as thev are of coiintiy or home. To every n tion that tc:srutes them tbf:y are equally indifferent. No people have retained their primitive character lA greater purity. The French and Italian Jew resem^ bles thiOse of Germany and Poland, and the Asiftick h stmilar to the African Jew. In "whatever clime> . 219 I was unable to discover any national char- acter. Two classes only were to be found ; one of the nobles extremely rich, the other of wretched slaves. The latter are so little susceptible of patriotick senti- ments, that they are even ignorant of what the word government means ; to obey the commands of their superiours, is all they aim at. Among the nobles, one seemed partial to Austria, another to Prus- sia, and a third to Russia ; but hardly any to France. The Count Mageasca said, in the senatorial emphasis of an ancient Ro- man, ** Of the Poles, the name only sur- vives, we are no longer a nation." I an- swered, ** You were in a state of perpet- ual discord, which is not the case now that you belong to a government." It was not possible how^ever to persuade either him or any other Pole that such was the truth, while the prince Wolkonsky governed and other Russian generals commanded them. under all circumstances, they never relax in their pursuit of gain : they are not only of an uncUminish- ing avidity, but (v>'^hat is more rem.arkable) bear still every where those same Hebraick features which we perceive in the monuments of antiquity. '^20 In society, the Polish ladies and the mti% also pointed at the uncouth behaviour of the Russians, and complained of being under the yoke of such a rude and unciv-. ihzed people. The condition however of -the nobles is generally respected by the e^mperour, and the language, as well a§ the national prejudices seemed to resem-* ble those of the Russians. It was at Bresk in general DimidofF's house, that I first heard the chorus of Rus- sian soldiers. I listened with amazement to this perfect union of harmony, which might very justly have been taken for the production of consumm.,ate skill in mu- sick. It consisted of a continuation of melodious passages, in a sort of inverse modulation of the different voices ; the dissonances by which they apparently com-, inenced, were resolved by the profoundest art. I thought I might compare it to the ,melody of ancient Greece, mxntioned by Anacharsisand Polixenes ; and I was con-, vinced, that were the climate of bqth 121 equally mild, the Russians would eclipse the Italians in musick. The Poles have also a taste for singing, which is generally of the sentimental kind. Their canzones always express the sorrows of unhappy lovers ; thus differing from those of the Germans, who prefer the martial notes of a soldier, or the ungrate- ful shrieks of a fiend ; or the Italians, who choose warbling heroes and gods ; and of the French, who admire the plaintive sohg of innocence, or the obstreperous bawlings of low life. Pastorals please the Rus- sians. Education is in general highly refined in Poland, nor is the cordial reception of- fered to the stranger, one of the least con- vincing proofs of the truth of this as^ sertion. After a stay of seventeen days at Bresk- we departed ; and it was then that the children for the first time were permitted to travel with their mother, a satisfaction T 2 which they continued to enjoy till we reached London. I was obliged to per- form the same journey, finding myself de- prived of any place of security, except England or Russia. As my intention was to go to Sicil}', no way was open to me but the Baltick and the ocean. I was far from my relatives, nor was it in my pow- er to inform them of my situation ; but though I left them, was it not for the pur- pose of liberating an unhappy captive and two infants from unmerited imprisonment ? Italy and Germany were shut against me, as I had reason to apprehend the most se- rious punishment if I were to return ta either. My fate, however, far from seeming cruel, coincided perfectly with iny inclination. Nor did necessity ever appear so congenial to me as on this oc- casionc Being compelled to travel through coun« tries, entirely ncAV to me, I observed at- tentively the manners and customs of the Poles, who at present have almost lost tK? jr ancient habits^ as their national splen* 223 dour IS decayed, and their country subju- gated by the neighbouring powers. One of these is advancing fast to civilization, and seems emulous to deserve the rank of a polished nation. To obtain this end, its people imitate the manners of the French, and resort to theatres where French pieces are acted ; the Italian manners and mu- sick are likewise followed ; and the mari- time skill and method of carrying on trade of the English are cultivated : yet the na-. tional character still remains. As I have observed, I was under the ne- cessity of coming to England, a pleasing duty to me, as it fulfilled those wishes which I had alwavs entertained, of visi- ting a powerful and victorious country, and beholding the prodigious effects of commercial industry, by which the pro- ductions of a hundred climates are inter- changed, and rendered familiar to all its inhabitants. In this hope I left Bresk, on my way tlvQugh the rest of Poland to Petersburgh^^ 224 whence I intended to embark for London. My desire to gain all the information pos- sible, led me to make the strictest inqui- ries ; but, unluckily, the whole country that I traversed offered no more than a con- tinued scene of misery. For whole days did I pursue my way without seeing any human being, though the soil was rich in pasture and trees. No mark of industry or cultivation could I perceive ; and at the wretched and distant villages, almost eve- ry house appeared to be deserted. From time to time however, the lofty mansions towered to the sight from within the spa- cious and delightful forest : there the Po- lish nobles reside, to whom belong the dreary and wide-extended plains which I had passed the whole day in crossing. A rich Jew, in the spring, engages for the year, an immense tract of land, for the sole purpose of feeding cattle, and provi- ding hay ; and expects from it no other benefits than these, there being no haiids to be found for cultivating the ground. The lower class, who are slaves, are obli- ged to serve their master, unless they are ,225, rich enough to purchase their emancipa- tion for a few months or years. It is needless to observe, that while things con- tinue in this state, the country must ever remain destitute of population. Nature herself shrinks at such a dreadful anti- social system. Can men, thus oppressed, look forward to their offspring without feel- ing the pangs of remorse ? and must they not rather curse the connubial bond that gives existence to beings doomed to chains and poverty ? Accordingly, what in fact is the population covering an extent of 13,400 square miles ? Hardly seven millions of souls, of which three millions are Jews. The soil of the parts of Poland which I saw, appeared equal in quality to that of the richest countries in Europe. Its neg- lected state, no doubt, arises from the se- rious wars in which the powers it belongs to are so deeply engaged, being thus pre- vented, of course, from directing their attention to the amelioration of a country, of all the north of Europe the most sus? ceptible of cultivation. 226 However disagreeable the sight of s6 many sordid Jews was to me in Poland, I could have wished to meet them every Avhere. Without these fallen Israelites, the stranger in Lithuania would find it impos- sible to travel or even exist ; it seemed as if the government itself, the lands, pro- ductions, houses, all, in short, were in their possession : without recurring to them> neither food nor horses are to be found* There is no fixed price for the horses, this depends on the will of the Jew ; if the traveller thinks it exorbitant, or threatens to enforce justice, the jew smiles with ©ontempt. After a journey of several days, I arri- ved at Wilna ; where, on making inquiry for the ladies and children, I was told that Mrs, Smith laboured under a severe illness which threatened her life. Terrour and fatigue, in addition to her former impair- ed state of health, had reduced this lady to the vers:e of dissolution. Almost eve- ry hope was lost ; the children were kept from her ; and her sister, in the deepest 22 T afiliction, was unable to assist or even to look on her : She who had escaped from the grasp of bondage, lay supine at the mercy of all powerful Providence, and W'as unable any further to resist the laws of nature. They sent in quest of Doctor Frank, but this celebrated physician had gone to Petersburgh : Mrs. Smith was therefore confided to the care of Dr. LobenweiL This learned professor of the university of Wilna, in the course of a few days, suc- ceeded in relieving her from the immedi- ate diinger of death ; and through his un- remitting attention and skill, in about a month she was restored to a tolerable con- dition. As the month of August was exniring and any further delay might render the passage of the Baltick difficult, I determin- ed on accompanying the ladies to Riga, there to embark for England, and gave up the idea of visitin": St. Petersbur^rh. Most of the gentry of Wilna being then . in the country, and the university vacant, I was unable to obtain much information relating to the manners of this capital of Lithuania. From the discourse in the few circles there, however, I could find that both the people and nobles were satisfied with the Russian government ; which has respected, not only the dignity and rights of the Polish nobility, but also the na- tional customs ; and has endeavoured be- sides to encourage agriculture and render the condition of the lower class less in- supportable. But abuse and fraud still continue, and are perhaps even greater than ever : the ancient government of Po- land w^as certainly by no means calculated to extirpate these evils. I perceived too that what I heard in these respects was true. This city was governed by Russian generalsj who were highly esteemed : the nobles considered themselves fortunate in being allowed to retain their privileges ; and the people, who were more active than those in any 229 othef part of Poland, cherished the pros- pect which would enable them to purchase their libert}^ for a few years. Though this administration can conduce but little to relieve Poland from the pressure of a rigid feudality it no doubt reconciles the Poles to their recent master. Of all Poland, the Prussian part is the most dissatisfied with its fate, notwith- standing the attention of the king to amelio- rating the condition of his new subjects. He has established useful institutions, and abolished many abuses j but the Poles wish for their ancient privileges, and ut- terly detest these innovations. The nobles are incensed against the king of Prussia for laying pecuniary imposi- tions upon them, and the ciergy consider him as a heretick. Hence it is not sur- prising that we find many of the Poles act- ing in favour of his enemy. The Prus- sian monarch required the exertion of all his wisdom to suppress the turbulent spir- it of this people, even though he had tri^^ IT ed to fender tlieir condition more eas/*- I do not think that the Lithuanians and Gallicians will ever be seen seconding the ambitious views of France, or favouring by secret schemes the conquest of their countries. As the affluence of the nobles depends upon the preservation of the feu- dal system, it is impossible that they should ever consent to be governed by the laws of Bonaparte, which subvert every anti- quated institution of the kind. The Po- lish gentry will of course oppose the French violently.* I could not help inquiring after the hus- bands of some of the ladies at Wilna i and was answered, that they generally * The French might have spared themselves the trouble of honouring the Jews with their sanhedrim of Paris : Circumcision itself would not induce them to perform any thing important in favour of France. The Jews, as I have already observed, are selfish and timid, and incapable of acting vigorously on any occasion. Have they been ever known, in the wars of Poland, or in those of the rest of Eu- rope, to have taken any side with energy or co\if^ ;rage ? 23 i lived at their estates, or in other cities. It was natural to infer, that the sole ob- ject of matrimony was merely that of preserving the inheritance in the family. When once the heir is born, the husbanfl and wife live separate ; and to render this perfectly unobjectionable, the lady is al- lowed the exclusive enjoyment of all her property. This convention is so strictly adhered to, that at the house of a Coun- tess, where I had frequently dined, the husband, on coming occasionally, actually paid for his board and lodging there, After leaving Wilna, the country bears a very different aspect. Corn and other productions in great abundance, afforded me the most agreeable prospect as I has^ tened along. ♦ An active trade appeared to be carried on throughout these parts, and as the land seemed less fertile, the villa- ges were more numerous and well peo- pled. Most of the inhabitants convey the produce of their labour to the ports of Memel, Koningsberg, Riga, &:e. and for 202 that purpose the rivers are seen covered with boats. Having arrived in Courland, and when ^bout a post distant from Mittau, 1 was obliged to wait two days in a wretched hut, as it was impossible to obtain horses -, thus I found both men and beasts were equally scarce. To a Sicilian, like me, quite new to perceive the corn still green toward the end of August ; this was the case in that part of Courland, so the har* vest could not be got in before the autumn was very far advanced. I stopped only a day at Mittau ; and the following evening entered Riga, with Mrs. Smith and the Countess Strazzoldo. No sight could be more interesting to me who had beheld nothing for four months but steep moun- tains, woods, and lonesome plains, than that of an immense river covered with hundreds of vessels and boats, where the people were observed busily employed in shipping or unloading every sort of mer- chandise, the cries of the active sa'i Oi s heard as they unfurled their saiio for de- 235 parture, and ships seen entering with theic national colours flying. This was a most edifying scene, after having witnessed the distressed condition of the lower orders of the Poles throughout the interiour. At Riga all was in motion, the inhabitants of every climate lived here united, inter- changing their several commodities, and the stimulus of riches seemed, through the medium of commerce, to give ex- traordinary animation to each individual. I had been for some time a stranger to such sensations as those which were impressed by the activity of this extensive city. We immediately exerted ourselves to procure a passage for England ; but, as usual, we were doomed to meet with ob- stacles even in this respect, and were un- der the necessity of protracting our stay no less than seventeen days, as there was no vessel bound for England. Through all Poland, and especially a^ Wilna, the people complained bitterly of the excessive duties on all foreign goodsj u 2 234 particularly English. I was told that these frequently amount to half of the prime cost ; and the injustice of the custom-house directors was related in the most virulent terms. I heard of an accusation made against a man of probity w^ho had attempt- ed to suppress these measures so subver- sive of prosperity and industry, and that every effort of the emperour to counteract such evils had proved unavailing. I ob- served, in answer, that every disorder has its attendant symptoms, and that to extir- pate all abuses, nothing could be more ef- fectual than entire freedom. These com- plaints liowever were never made at Riga, though the duties on every article are enormous there also : for the riches pro- duced by its extensive trade with every northern country, render them less bur- densome, so that among forty thousand in- habitants, no mark of poverty is to be seen.* * A proof of this is particularly remarkable in England ; where the treasures that flow from trade enable the people to support burdens which would ©verwhelm any other country in misery. For on 235 At Riga (as is the case in every city in- habited by merchants and bankers), polit- ical news is speedily and faithfully receiv- ed. On the first report of the prepara- tions for hostility between France and Prussia, a rich English merchant gave a splendid entertainment. The history of our escape was already knovi^n to many, and such of the gentry as had returned from their country-seats, very kindly af- forded us repeated proofs of their hos- pitable attention ; besides the nobles, the secondary class were extremely polite. The Livonians do not like to be mista- ken for Russians, notwithstanding their attachment to the government. They pre- serve the chronological list of their pro- gressive advancement in civilization, which is anteriour by far to that of the Russians ; and consequently expect a certain degree of deference on account of their antiquity. 'svhat further object can the English be taxed, unless they are to pay for the faculty of respiration ? Yet there is no other country in so flourishiiip; a condi- tion, or still possessed of such immense riches. 236 We at length embarked about the be- gmning of September, and in twelve days arrived at Copenhagen, v\^hence, after a short stay, we continued our passage to England, and on the 26th day of the same month, I for the first time beheld the happy shores of that powerful md: wealthy island* ^j^m- 1 .0 » '4- 4 -^ ,40. ?>■ ^> * .4^^ ^ '.-^^//>^^* ^^ ^ o V .4^^ o V ^ .°-n^ .^ 4^^ 'V-' v^ -^ ^oK ^S ^x °T^ ^^^