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enemy with difmay, augment the glory of his country, and cover himself with the laurels of future victory. Intelligent, active, cool, daring, and insinuating, Col. Phelipeaux immediately applied himself to bring to maturity, a plan at once fuitable to his genius, and interefting to his wifhes. To thofe whom it was neceffary to employ upon the occafion, he contrived to unite one of the clerks of the minifter of the police, who forged his fignature with exact imitation, to an order for removing the body of Sir Sidney, from the Temple to the prifon of the Conciergerie: after this was accomplished, on the day after that on which the infpector of goals was to vifit the Temple and Concier gerie, a ceremony, which is performed once a month in Paris, two gentlemen of tried courage and addrefs, who were previously inftructed by colonel Phelipeaux, difguifed as officers of the marechauffee, prefented themselves in a fiacre at the Temple, and demanded the delivery of Sir Sidney, at the fame time showing the forged order for his removal. This the goaler at tentively perufed and examined, as well as the minifter's fignature. Soon after the register of the prifon informed Sir Sidney of the order of the directory, upon hearing which, he at firft appeared to be a little difconcerted, upon which the pfeudo-officers gave him every affurance of the honor and mild intentions of the government towards him, Sir Sidney feemed more. reconciled, packed up his clothes, took leave of his fellow prifoners, and diftributed little tokens of his

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gratitude to those fervants of the prison, from whom he had experienced indulgencies. Upon the eve of their departure, the register obferved, that four of the prifon guard fhould accompany them. This arrangement menaced the whole plan with immediate diffolution. The officers, without betraying the least emotion, acquiefced in the propriety of the measure, and gave orders for the men to be called out, when, as if recollecting the rank and honor of their illuftrious. prisoner, one of them addressed Sir Sidney, by saying, "citizen, you are a brave officer, give us your parole, "and there is no occafion for an escort." Sir Sidney replied, that he would pledge his faith, as an officer, to accompany them, without refiftance, wherever they chose to conduct him.

Not a look or movement betrayed the intention of the party. Every thing was cool, well-timed, and natural. They entered a fiacre, which, as is ufual, was brought for the purpose of removing him, in. which he found changes of clothes, false paffports, and. money. The coach moved with an accustomed pace. to the Fauxbourg St. Germain, where they alighted,. and parted in different directions. Sir Sidney met. Colonel Phelipeaux at the appointed spot of rendez

vous.

The project was fo ably planned and conducted, that no one but the party concerned was acquainted. with the efcape, until near a month had elapfed, when the infpector paid his next periodical visit. What pen can defcribe the fenfations of two such men as

Sir Sidney and Phelipeaux, when they firft beheld each other in fafety? Heaven befriended the generous and gallant exploit. Sir Sidney and his noble friend, reached the French coaft wholly unfufpected, and committing themselves to their God, and to the protective genius of brave men, put to fea in an open boat, and were foon afterwards difcovered by an English cruifing frigate, and brought in safety to the British fhores.

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The gallant Phelipeaux foon afterwards accompanied Sir Sidney in the Tigre to Acre, where, overwhelmed by the fatigue of that extraordinary campaign, in which he fupported a diftinguished part, and the noxious influence of a fultry climate, operating upon a delicate frame, he expired in the arms of his illuftrious friend, who attended him to his grave, and fhed the tears of gratitude and friedship over his honored and lamented obfequies. But ere the dying Phelipeaux clofed his eyes, he received the rewards of his generous enterprise. He beheld the repulfed legions of the republic, flying before the British banners, and the irresistible prowefs of his valliant companion; he beheld the diftinguished being, whom he had thus rescued from a dungeon, and impendiug deftruction, by an act of almoft romantic heroifm, covered with the unparticipated glory, of having overpowered a leader, who, renowned, and long accustomed to conqueft, faw, for the first time, his invincible troops give way; who, inflamed to defperation, deemed the perilous exposure of his perfon neceffary, to

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rally them to the conteft, over bridges of their flaughtered comrades, but who at length was obliged to retire from the field of battle, and to leave to the heroic Sir Sidney, the exclufive exultation of announcing to his grateful and elated country, that he had fought, and vanquished the laurelled conqueror of Italy, and the bold invader of Egypt.

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Sir Sidney has no vices to conceal behind his spreading and imperishable laurels. His public character is before the approving world. That peace which his fword has accelerated, has afforded us an undisturbed opportunity of admiring his achievements in the field, and of contemplating his conduct in the retired avenues of private life, in which his deportment is without a stain. In him there is every thing to applaud, and nothing to forgive.

Yet thus glorious in public, and thus unfullied in > private, the conqueror of Bonaparte, and the faviour of the east, owes the honors, which he adorns, to foreign and diftant powers.

To the grateful government of his own country, - he is indebted for an ungracious paltry annuity, inadequate to the difplay of ordinary confequence, and wholly unequal to the suitable support of that dignity, which ought for ever to diftinguifh fuch a being - from the mafs of mankind.:

The enemies of Sir Sidney, for envy furnishes every great man with his quota of such indirect eulogifts, if they fhould honor these pages with a perufal, may, perchance, endeavor to trace the approving, warnth

with which I have fpoken of him, to the enthufiafmof a friendship dazzled, and undiscriminating; but I beg to affure them, that the fame of Sir Sidney is better known to me than his perfon, and that his noble qualities have alone excited the humble tribute which is here offered to one, for whom delighted Nature, in the language of our immortal bard,

-might stand up,

"And fay to all the world, this is a man-,"

CHAP. XVI.

Afafbionable Poem.-Frere Richart.-Religion.-H6tel des Invalides.—Hall of Victory.—Enemies' ColBors. Sulky Appearance of an English Jack and En.fign.—Indecorum.The aged Captain-Military School-Camp de Mars.-The Garden of Mouffeaux.

THE converfation whilft I was at Paris, was much engaged by a poem, defcribing the genius and progrefs of Chriftianity written in imitation of the ftyle of Offian, which excited very confiderable curiofity. From the remarks of fome fhrewd acquaintances of mine, who had perufed the work, I learnt that the principles of the poem feemed ftrongly tinctured with the bewildered fancies of a difordered mind, conveyed in very heavy profaic blank verfe. It was the madness "of poetry, without the infpiration."

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