pleaded the cause of him who endured all for her sake." In opposition to this argument of a self-tormenting mind, I used to urge that my mother might at the moment have been near, or perhaps with her ; that she could not have known from whom the signal came, or probably was aware that the house was watched. These and a thousand other pleas I advanced in palliation of what he considered her apparent coldness, but to no purpose. Finding, therefore, that it was useless to combat with his gloomy and desponding method of review, all that was left me was to escape from the subject at quickly as possible, and live in hope, that time would bring about a better state of things. The waters had now in some degree subsided, and December had set in with a heavy fall of snow, quickly followed by a severe frost, which as effectually bound up all equestrian channels of communication, as the foregoing floods had done: consequently, though the scene of our sports was ex tended, there was but little variation in our mode of life. The Christmas decorations of the castle with the holly and mistletoe, the appearance at table of the boar's head, and the savoury concoction of toast and ale, made a diversion in our favour, and could the generous beverage we imbibed within, have extended its genial warmth to the fields without, I really think we drank ale enough to have thawed the whole way to Aust. But, when the evaporation of the rosy spirit, borrowed from fermented liquor, had taken place, the frost, the snow, and our situation seemed as intense and durable as before, and therefore in the next volume only, can be sought any change in our circumstances. ERRATA. Vol. 1st. Whenever the word " Mr." occurs read "Master." Page 12, Line 10, for "run" read "runs." 103, 143, 220, 2, for "Gray" read “ Grey.” 3, for "motioning," read "motioned." 15, for "attended by his brother Thomas Berkeley of Beverstone, read " attended by his brother Thomas, Berkeley of Burnstone." |