ANCESTORS OF THE AUTHOR.

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Another neutral vessel, that had sailed from Egypt incompany with that which carried Dolomieu, surprised bythe same tempest, was compelled to take refuge in the portof Agosto, in Sicily. She was conveying to France forty-eight persons, between officers, soldiers, and members ofthe commissariat, all miserably blinded by the ophthalmia.But no compassion for the wretched condition of those unfor-tunates, nor reverence for the numerous scars discernibleon their sightless faces, nor the neutrality of the vessel,nor the cause which forced it into port, in ignorance of therenewed hostilities, could in the least avail to touch thehearts of the “ conservative ” supporters of the “ socialorder” of legitimate despotism! The fiendish partizans ofthe Bourbon rushed into the vessel, and with protractedtorments, murdered every one of these blind and helplessvictims.

In 1792, my father left Manchester for London . In 1795,out of deference to my Catholic mother, I was sent to aRoman Catholic school at a village called Bridzor, inWiltshire, which had been established by the Earl ofArundel, a Papist peer, whose mansion is situated atabout a mile from the school.

This was what is called a very cheap school; cheap, atleast, for those times. But I am sorry to say, that any pricewould have been dear, with reference to the treatment re-ceived by those who paid for it. Scanty and coarse food;instruction none, save psalm-singing and serving atMass in the chapel of “ the castle ” of my Lord of Arundel.Fortunately, my father had some personal acquaintancewith his “ lordship,” who consequently directed his steward,a kind-hearted man named Barnard, and whose comfortablehouse was close to the school, to pay all possible attentionto my brother and myself. Many were the times, when, Ireally believe, I should have dropped to the ground forVol. i. c