CAP OF LIBERTY.-ENGLISH PREJUDICE.

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Throughout this embarrassing interview, the lady Cary appears to have conducted herself with great temper, dignity, and resolution, whilst, on the other hand, the chaplain of that day, whose opinions were not very favourable to the revolution, unlike his present amiable and enlightened successor, left his lady in the midst of her perplexities, and fled.

In the Abbey, I was much pleased with an interesting, though not very ornamental, trophy of the glorious victory of Aboukir. The truckle heads of the masts of the Aquilon, a French ship of the line, which struck to the then brave captain, now admiral, Louis in that ever memorable battle, were covered with the bonnet rouge; one of these caps of liberty, surmounted with the British flag, having been committed to the care of the family by that heroic commander, at this time constituted a temporary ornament to their dining-room.

Here we laid in provision for our little voyage, without, however, feeling the same apprehension which agitated the mind of a fair damsel in the service of a lady of rank who formerly resided in * Rev. John Halford.

my neighbourhood, who, preparing to attend her mistress to the continent, and having heard from the jolly historians of the kitchen, that the food in France was chiefly supplied by the croaking inhabitants of the green and standing pool, contrived, very carefully, to carry over a piece of homebred pork, concealed in her workbag.

Early in the morning after we set sail, we passed through the Needles, which saved us a very considerable circuitous sail round the southern side of the Isle of Wight, a passage which the late admiral Macbride first successfully attempted, for vessels of war, in a ship of the line.

The vessel, in which we sailed, was a fireship; a costly instrument of destruction, which was never called into action during the recent war, and only once, and that unsuccessfully, during the preceding one. We have several of them in commission, although they are confessedly of little utility in these times, and from the immense stores of combustibles with which they are charged, promise more peril than glory to the commander and his crew.

We soon after dropped anchor, and proceeded

SOUTHAMPTON RIVER.

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to Portsmouth in search of a packet for Havre-deGrace. In the street, our trunks were seized by the custom-house officers whilst conveying to the inn, but after presenting our keys, and requesting immediate search and restoration, they were returned to us without further annoyance. Finding that the masters of the French packets were undetermined when they should sail, we resolved upon immediately leaving this celebrated sea-port, and proceeding by water to Southampton, distant about twenty-four miles; where, after a very unpleasant passage, from its blowing with considerable violence soon after we left Portsmouth, we arrived, in a little wherry, about twelve o'clock at night, at the Vine inn, which is very conveniently situated for passengers by the packets.

It will not be required of me, to attempt a minute description of the Southampton river, at a time when I expected, with some reason as I afterwards understood, to sink to the bottom of it. An observation very natural to persons in our situation, occurred to me all the way, viz. that the shores seemed to be too far distant from each other, and that had there been less water, the