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THE

STRANGER IN FRANCE.

CHAPTER I.

Torr Abbey-Cap of Liberty.-Anecdote of English Prejudice.-Fire Ships. Southampton River.Netley Abbey.

IT was a circumftance, which will be memorable with me, as long as I live, and pleasant to my feelings, as often as I recur to it, that part of my intended excurfion to the Continent was performed in the last ship of war, which, after the formal confirmations of the peace, remained, of that vaft naval armament, which, from the heights of Torbay, for so many years, prefented to the aftonished and admiring eye, a fpectacle at once of picturefque beauty, and national glory. It was the last attendant in the train of retiring war.

Under the charming roof of Torr Abbey, the refi dence of George Cary, Efq. I paffed a few days, until the Megæra was ready to fail for Portfmouth, to be paid off, the commander of which, captain Newhoufe, very politely offered to convey my companion, captain W. Cary, and myself, to that port.

In this beautiful spot, the gallant heroes of our navy have often found the fevere and perilous duties of the boisterous element alleviated by attentions, which in their fplendid and cordial display, united an ele gant tafte to a noble spirit of hospitality.

In the Harleian Tracts there is a fhort, but rather curious account preferved of the fenfation produced at the Abbey on the 5th of November, 1688, after the prince of Orange had entered the bay with his fleet on their paffage to Brixham, where he landed

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"The prince commanded captain M to fearch "the lady Cary's house, at Torr Abbey, for arms and "horfes. The lady entertained them civilly, faid «her husband was gone to Plymouth they brought "from thence fome horfes, and a few arms, but gave "no farther disturbance to the lady or her houfe."

Throughout this embarraffing interview, the lady Cary appears to have conducted herfelf with great temper, dignity and refolution, whilft, on the otherhand, the chaplain of that day, whofe opinions were not very favorable to the revolution, unlike his pref ent amiable and enlightened fucceffor,* left the lady in the midst of her perplexities, and fled.

In the Abbey, I was much pleafed with an interefting, though not very ornamental trophy of the glori→ ous victory of Aboukir. The truckle heads of the mafts of the Aquilon, a French fhip of the line,. which ftruck to the brave captain Louis, in that ever memorable battle, were covered with the bonnet rouge; one of thefe caps of liberty, furmounted with the British flag, has been committed to the care of the family, by that heroic commander, and now conLitutes a temporary ornament of their dining room. *Rev. John Halford.

Here we laid in provifion for our little voyage, without, however, feeling the fame apprehenfion, which agitated the mind of a fair damfel, in the fervice of a lady of rank who formerly refided in my neighborhood, who, preparing to attend her mistress to the Continent, and having heard from the jolly hiftorians of the kitchen, that the food in France was chiefly fupplied by the croaking inhabitants of the green and standing pool, contrived, very carefully, to carry over a piece of home-bred pork, concealed in her workbag.

Early in the morning after we fet fail, we paffed through the Needles, which faved us a very confiderable circuitous fail round the fouthern fide of the Ifle of Wight, a paffage which the late admiral Macbride firft fuccessfully attempted, for veffels of war, in a fhip of the line.

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The veffel, in which we failed, was a firefhip; a coftly inftrument of deftruction, which has never been applied during the recent war, and only once, and that unfuccefsfully, during the preceding one. We had feveral of them in commiffion, although they } are confeffedly of little utility in these times, and from the immenfe ftores of combuftibles with which they are charged, threaten only peril to the commander and his crew.

We foon after dropped anchor, and proceeded to Portsmouth, in fearch of a packet for Havre-de-Grace. In the street, our trunks were seized by the customhoufe officers, whilft conveying to the inn, but after

presenting our keys, and requesting immediate fearch and restoration, they were returned to us without further annoyance. Finding that the masters of the French packets were undetermined when they should fail, we refolved upon immediately leaving this cele brated seaport, and proceeding by water to Southampton, diftant about twenty-four miles; where, after a very unpleasant paffage, from its blowing with confiderable violence foon after we left Portsmouth, we arrived in a little wherry, about twelve o'clock at night, at the Vine inn, which is very conveniently fituated for paffengers by the packets.

It will not be required of me, to attempt a minute defcription of the Southampton river, at a time when I ́expected, with some reason, as I afterwards underftood, to fink to the bottom of it. An obfervation very natural to perfons in our fituation occurred to me all the way, viz. that the fhores feemed to be too far diftant from each other, and that had there been lefs water, the scenery would have been more delightful; an observation which however, the next day confirmed, when it prefented the fafe and tranquil appearance of a mirror.

Finding that the packet for France was not likely to fail immediately, we hired a boat, and proceeded down the river, to view the beautiful ruins of Netley Abbey, in the great court of which we dined, under the fhade of aged limes, and amidst the flappings of its feathered and reftlefs tenantry.

As I am no great admirer of tedious details, I fhall not attempt an antiquarian history of this delightful fpot. I fhall leave it to more circumstantial travellers, to enumerate the genealogies of the worthies who occupied it at variousæras, and to relate, like a monumental entablature, when, where, and how they liv-. ed and died; it will be fufficient to obferve, that the fite of this romantic abode was granted by Henry VIII. in 1757, to a Sir William Paulet, and that after having had many merry monks for its mafters, who, no doubt, performed their matutinæ laudes and nocturnæ, vigilia with devout exactnefs; that it is at length in the poffeffion of Mr. Dance, who has a very fine and picturefque eftate on that fide of the river, of which thefe elegant ruins conftitute the chief ornament. The church ftill exhibits a beautiful specimen of gothic architecture, but its tottering remains will rapidly fhare the fate of the neighbouring pile, which time has proftrated on the earth, and covered with his thickest shade of ivy.

Our watermen gave us a curious defcription of this place, and amufed us not a little with their ridiculous anacronifins.

"I tell you what," faid one of them, contradicting "the other," you are in the wrong, Bob, indeed

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you are wrong, don't mislead them gentlemen, that

"there Abbey is in the true Roman ftyle, and was. "built by a man they call but that's neither

here nor there, I forget the name, however, it's a

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