When they were out upon their cruize hovering on the Spanish coaft, it occurred to Nicolas that the inquifidor general at Madrid had told him of the expected arrival of the prefident of Quito, and having imparted this to one of the lieutenants, he reported it to the captain, and, as the intelligence feemed of importance, he availed himself of it by hawling into the track of the homewardbound galleons, and great was the joy, when at the break of the morning the man at the masthead announced a fquare-rigged veffel in view: The ardor of a chace now fet all hands at work, and a few hours brought them near enough to discern that she was a Spanish frigate and feemingly from a long voyage: Little Pedrofa, as alert as the reft, ftript himself for his work and repaired to his poft in the cock-pit, while the thunder of the guns rolled inceffantly overhead; three cheers from the whole crew at length announced the moment of victory, and a few more minutes afcertained the good news that the prize was a frigate richly laden from the South Seas with the governor of Quito and his fuite on board. Pedrofa was now called upon deck and fent on board the prize as interpreter to the first lieutenant, who was to take poffeffion of her. He found every thing in confufion, a deck covered with the flain and the whole crew in confternation at an event they were in no degree prepared for, not having received any intimation of a war. found the officers in general and the paffengers without exception under the most horrid impreffions of the English, and expecting to be plundered and perhaps butchered without mercy. Don Manuel de Cafafonda the governor, whofe countenance He bespoke bespoke a conftitution far gone in a decline, had thrown himself on a fopha in the last state of defpair and given way to an effufion of tears; when the lieutenant entered the cabin he rofe trembling from his couch and with the moft fupplicating action prefented to him his fword, and with it a cafket which he carried in his other hand; as he tendered thefe fpoils to his conqueror, whether through weakness or of his own will, he made a motion of bending his knee; the generous Briton, fhocked at the unmanly overture, caught him fuddenly with both hands, and turning to Pedrofa, faid aloud-" Convince this gentleman he is fallen "into the hands of an honourable enemy."-" Is "it poffible!" cried Don Manuel, and lifting up his ftreaming eyes to the countenance of the Britifh officer, faw humanity, valour and generous pity fo ftrongly charactered in his youthful features, that the conviction was irrefiftible. "Will he "not accept my fword," cried the Spaniard? "He defires you to wear it, till he has the honour "of prefenting you to his captain."-" Ah then "he has a captain," exclaimed Don Manuel, bis fuperior will be of another way of thinking; "tell him this cafket contains my jewels; they are valuable; let him prefent them as a lawful "prize, which will enrich the captor; his fuperior "will not hesitate to take them from me."-" If "they are your excellency's private property," replied Pedrofa, "I am ordered to aflure you, that "if your fhip was loaded with jewels, no British "officer in the fervice of his king will take them at your hands; the fhip and effects of his Ca"tholic Majefty are the only prize of the captors; "the perfonals of the paffengers are inviolate.""Generous exclaimed Don Manuel, "Generous nation!" "How greatly have I wronged thee !"-The boats of the British frigate now came alongside, and part of the crew were shifted out of the prize, taking their clothes and trunks along with them, in which they were very cordially affitted by their conquerors. The barge foon after came aboard with an officer in the ftern-fheets, and the crew in their white shirts and velvet caps, to escort the governor and the ship's captain on board the frigate, which lay with her fails to the mast awaiting their arrival; the accommodation ladder was flung over the fide and manned for the prifoners, who were received on the gang-way by the fecond lieutenant, whilft perfect filence and the strictest discipline reigned in the fhip, where all were under the decks and no inquifitive curious eyes were fuffered to wound the feelings of the conquered even with a glance; in the door of his cabin ftood the captain, who received them with that modeft complaifance, which does not revolt the unfortunate by an overftrained politeness he was a man of high birth and elegant manners with a heart as benevolent as it was brave; Such an address set off with a perfon finely formed and perfectly engaging could not fail to impress the prifoners with the most favourable ideas, and as Don Manuel spoke French fluently, he could converse with the British captain without the help of an interpreter: As he expreffed an impatient defire of being admitted to his parole, that he might revifit friends and connections, from which he had been long feparated, he was overjoyed to hear that the Englifh fhip would carry her prize into Lisbon; and that he would there be set on fhore and permitted to make the beft of his way : from from thence to Madrid; he talked of his wife with all the ardor of the moft impaffioned lover, and apologized for his tears by imputing them to the agony of his mind and the infirmity of his health under the dread of being longer feparated from an object fo dear to his heart and on whom he doated with the fondeft affection. The generous captor indulged him in thefe converfations, and, being a husband himself, knew how to allow for all the tenderness of his fenfations. "Ah, fir," cried Don Manuel, "would to Heaven it were in my power to have the honour of presenting my "beloved Leonora to you on our landing at Lifbon. "Perhaps," added he, turning to Pedrofa, who at that moment entered the cabin, "this "gentleman, whom I take to be a Spaniard, may "have heard the name of Donna Leonora de Ca"fafonda; if he has been at Madrid, it is poffible "he may have seen her; fhould that be the cafe "he can testify to her external charms; I alone <can witnefs to the exquifite perfection of her "mind."-" Senor Don Manuel," replied Pedrofa, "I have feen Donna Leonora, and your "excellency is warranted in all you can fay in her "praife; fhe is of incomparable beauty." Thefe words threw the uxorious Spaniard into raptures; his eyes fparkled with delight; the blood rushed into his emaciated cheeks and every feature glowed with unutterable joy: He prefled Pedrofa with a variety of rapid enquiries, all which he evaded by pleading ignorance, faying that he had only had a cafual glance of her, as the paffed along the Pardo. The embarraffment however which accompanied these answers did not escape the English captain, who fhortly after drawing Pedrofa afide VOL. IV. K into into the furgeon's cabin, was by him made acquainted with the melancholy fituation of that unfortunate lady, and every particular of the story as before related; nay the very vial was produced with its contents, as put into the hands of Pedrosa by the inquifidor. N° CXLIV. "CAN there he fuch villainy in man?" cried the British captain, when Pedrofa had concluded his detail; "Alas! my heart bleeds for this un"happy hufband: affuredly that monster has de"ftroyed Leonora; as for thee, Pedrofa, whilst "the British flag flies over thy head, neither Spain, "nor Portugal, nor Inquifitors, nor Devils fhall "annoy thee under its protection; but if thou 66 ever ventureft over the fide of this fhip and rafhly "settest one foot upon Catholic foil, when we "arrive at Lisbon, thou art a loft man."—“ I "were worse than a madman," replied Nicolas, "fhould I attempt it."—"Keep close in this asylum "then," refumed the captain, " and fear nothing: "Had it been our fate to have been captured by "the Spaniard, what would have become of "thee?"-In the worst of extremities," replied Nicolas, "I fhould have applied to the inquifidor's "vial; but I confefs I had no fears of that fort; "a fhip fo commanded and so manned is in little "danger of being carried into a Spanish port.""I hope not," faid the captain, "and I promife "thee |
