vailing, he was dismissed by these pious pilgrims to the tender mercies of the deep. Well for him was it that the vessel was so nigh the shore. It was among the accomplishments of his desultory mode of life that he was an able swimmer. His heart did not fail him, nor his limbs. Buffeting the seas manfully, he succeeded in making his way, with little hazard or difficulty, to the dry land on St. Mary's isle. The place was uninhabited, except by a few kine or goats; and here, but for his better fortune, he might have become another Alexander Selkirk, with a temper quite as well prepared as his to make the most of his barren empire. But the very next day he was taken off by a French vessel, which, like his own, had put in to find shelter from the storm. This vessel was commanded by one Captain La Roche, of St. Malo, who proved to be a friend of the Earl of Ployer. When he ascertained the friendship of this nobleman for Smith, he treated him with. the utmost kindness and consideration.

To the roving mind of our hero it did not much matter to what quarter of the globe his face was turned, and, well entertained, he made no sort of objection to accompanying his new acquaintance on his voyage. They sailed accordingly to Alexandria, in Egypt. Smith does not tell us in what capacity he went with Captain La Roche, nor whether he participated, except as a looker on, in any of the proceedings of the latter. But he was of an age and a character which must have made him highly useful in any situation, and we may readily conceive that he was not simply "an idle mouth" on the passage. Discharging her freight at Alexandria, they went to Scanderoon, rather," says Smith, "to see what ships were in the roade than anything else." The truth seems to be that our vessel of Brittany was something more than a merchantman. She could serve a turn at other purposes,

and her cruise simply "to see what ships were in the roade" was not a quest of idle curiosity. "Keeping their course by Cypres and the coast of Asia, sayling by Rhodes, the Archipellagans, Candia and the coast of Grecia, and the isle of Zeffalonia," they lay-to for a few days, evidently on the watch for prey, between the isle of Corfu and the Cape of Otranto at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea.

Here they did not watch in vain. Their cruise was rewarded by an encounter with a Venetian argosy, richly laden with gold, silks, velvets, tissue, and other rare products of that genius and invention, in which the Venetians were then very much in advance of the age. This encounter enlightens us somewhat in regard to the object of our Frenchman's course, although it is not certain that his quest was a Venetian vessel. It does not appear that war at that time existed between France and the Republic, but this was not necessary to make insecure the rich argosies of the one nation, meeting with a cruiser of the other, where no cognizance of their mutual doings might be had. The suspicious demeanor of our vessel of Brittany startled the fears of the vigilant .Venetian. He very imprudently answered the civil salutation of Capt. La Roche with a shot, affording him in all probability the very pretext which he desired. This shot, killing one man on board the Frenchman, brought on a general action. The conflict which followed was exceedingly fierce. Twice in the space of an hour and a half did the French board the Venetian, and twice were they gallantly repelled. A third attempt resulted in the two vessels taking fire. The mutual danger led to their separation. The fire was soon quenched, but not the fury of the assailants Their rage at being baffled led to more desperate efforts and these were successful. The Venetian, in a sinking condition, yielded to the captors. They went to work to

stop the leaks only that they might be enabled to rifle het of her valuable merchandize. This required twenty-four hours at the least, and Smith tells us that the silkes, velvets, cloth of gold and tissue, pyastres, chicqueens and sultanies which is gold," of which they despoiled her in that space of time, was wonderful." Having crammed their own vessel, they cast off the prize, leaving in her as much good merchandize as would have "fraughted such another Britaine." The Venetian was four or five hundred tons in burthen, the Frenchman but two hundred. The latter lost fifteen, the former twenty men in the engagement -a sufficient proof of its severity. That Smith took conspicuous part in the fight, with the hearty good will and the stubborn courage of the Englishman, may be inferred from his share of the spoils, which amounted to "five hundred chicqueens (sequins) and a little box," God-sent him (that is, we suppose, the immediate spoil of his own right hand) with as many more. The box was probably one of jewels.

But

Smith, so far as mere pecuniary fortune was concerned, had every reason to be satisfied with this adventure. he was not satisfied to pursue the career thus handsomely opening before his eyes. He prepares to leave La Roche, and, at his own request, with his sequins and his jewelry, is set on shore in Piedmont. He parts kindly with La Roche, whom he styles "this noble Britaine," and who seems to have treated him with an appreciating and just consideration. His next journey is for Leghorn; and, making the tour of Italy, he meets the friends with whom his first pilgrimage had been made, Lord Willoughby and his brother. He finds them under painful circumstances upon which he does not dilate: "Cruelly wounded in a desperate fray, yet to their exceeding great honour." Yet what had been their experience, compared with his,

from the moment of their first separation, when all of them were boys, to that of their present meeting? Wha: a life of adventure had the nobleman of nature led in comparison with the easy fortunes which were theirs-the noblemen of society? What lessons had he learned of courage, and wisdom, and expedient, to serve him in a perilous career, and to secure him future eminence?

Smith visits Rome, where it was "his chance to see Pope Clement the Eighth, with many cardinals, creepe up the holy stayres." From Rome he went to Naples, and other great places, "to satisfie his eye with faire cities, and the kingdome's nobilitie;" and after a very ample tour, the description of which, as contained in his own. narrative, is exceedingly bald and valueless, but in which we have reason to suppose that he was pretty well relieved of all his sequins, we find him suddenly awakened to a recollection of the original purpose for which he sailed from France-that of joining the armies of Rodolph of Germany, then waging war against the Turks, under the third Mahomet. From Venice he proceeded to Ragusa, on the Adriatic, where he lingered "some time to see that barren, broken coast of Albania and Dalmatia;" thence to Capo D' Istria, " travelling the maine of poor Slavonia," till he came to Gratz in Styria, the residence of Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, and afterwards Emperor of Germany. Here he met with an Englishman and an Irish Jesuit, by whom, having made them acquainted with his desires, he was presented to Lord Ebersbaught, Baron Kisell, the Earl of Meldritch, and other persons of distinction in the imperial army. He was soon successful in finding his way to the confidence of these noblemen; and attaching himself to the staff of the latter, who was a colonel of cavalry, proceeded with his regiment soon after to Vienna.