pect of regaining his esteem quickly banished unavailing regret, and she determined that nothing should be wanting on her part to accomplish so desirable an end.

It was the second day subsequent to the foregoing conversation, and amongst the travellers on the outside of a Portsmouth coach was an officer of the army, in an undress uniform, attended by a dapper little fellow in livery; his hat fiercely tipped over his right eye, and sporting a large military cockade. There was a glow of pleasure on the countenance of the latter, as the rapid progress of the vehicle and the constant change of scenery seemed to afford him gratification. But the nice observer, had he scauned closely, would have perceived that tears were occasionally gathering and ready to burst forth, and a sigh—a deep drawn sighwould escape in defiance of every attempt at mirth. A more interesting looking lad could not well be seen, and every order of the officer was obeyed with the utmost alacrity; and, notwithstanding a little awkwardness, John acquitted himself with great credit. It was evident that the youth had been unaccustomed to the society of the rough and unpolished: he shrunk from the rude jokes of the honest tars, his fellow passengers, who saw in the fair young groom a fit subject on whom to exercise their nautical jests.

"Yo hoy, young fly-by-night," exclaimed a naval lieutenant, who had for the first time mounted his white lapelles, "and where are you

bound to ?"

"I am going to Portsmouth, sir," answered John, with careless ease. "Well, his honour knows that, my boy," chimed in a veteran seaman, "I take it this here's the Portsmouth craft, and being aboard of it, and under way with our nose downards, why it stands in reason that, in due course, if we follows the figure head, as we shall bring up at Portsmouth -wind and weather permitting."

"Your conclusions are not altogether correct, my friend," observed a methodical looking elderly man, in very plain attire, and having the appearance of a tradesman; “although not very conversant with your sea terms, the coach, it is true, may reach Portsmouth, but this young man and his master might have remained in some intermediate place."

"Might," repeated the tar, "but they arnt going to bring up in the indy-middyate place, whatsomever latitude it may be in, ould genelman. Didn't the youngster say he was bound to Portsmouth? and according to my notion o' things we're on the right tack-"

"And clean full," said the lieutenant, catching at the seaman's expression," rattling along at eight knots an hour, and that's not bad going in such a hooker as this."

The army officer sat on the box by the side of the coachman, and his servant sat immediately behind, on the front of the coach, where the other three had also taken their seats, so that the conversation was kept up without difficulty, both the lieutenant and the seaman interlarding their

expressions with numerous oaths-the latter almost unremittingly following his oath with "axing yer pardon."

"It's not quite so fast as the ould bantum cock, Muster Jennings," remarked the seaman, as he addressed the lieutenant; and then turning to the youth, he continued-" Aye, my boy, that was the clipper for a short run; many's the times I've had the weather wheel, and she going fifteen knots upon a taut bow-line; and, as for sailing free, only give her half a fathom of the lee sheets, and all hands were obligated to shove their heads down the hatchway to draw breath."

"That's really wonderful," exclaimed the matter-of-fact tradesman, "and pray did ever any of you experience the ill effects arising from such quick sailing? it must have made you very short-winded."

"Short-winded, eh?" responded the seaman, "now that comes o' your long-shore know nothingness. What! short-winded, when we could n't carry another yard o' cloth abroad than just a treble reefed main topsel and a fore-course! No, no, ould genelman, it blow'd enough to blow the devil's horns off; one of the jollies did but face it for a minute or two, and it blowed all his hair off of his head-pigtail and all. Another had the buttons of his jacket blowed right through him, and the officer of marines ownly opened his mouth to order 'em below, when slap went all his teeth down his throat. So much for being short-winded!"

"A gale of wind must be a terrific spectacle, if the effects of what you have been describing was a mere breeze," said the young groom, apparently much affected with astonishment, and no small portion of fear; whilst the naval officer smiled, and the tradesman looked rather incredulous, but said nothing.

"Why, Lord love your heart, aye, it's no plaything, take ould Jem Manning's words for it," responded the veteran," mayhap if you're going in any of them there transports with your master, you'll not be many dogwatches afore you diskivers it. But there don't go for to be frightened, for notwithstanding you've hoisted an English dog-vane in your hat, I'm bless'd but you shows the lillies of France in your face."

"You are rather too hard upon the youth, my friend," said the tradesman complacently, "life has its roughs and its smooths."

"Has it, ould genelman," uttered the tar, with an arch look of humour, "then I'm blowed, if that ere's the case, I shall have a jolly merrymaking at last, seeing as I've had nothing but roughs as yet, and so in konsekence the smooths are all to come. But never mind young shiverthe-mizen," addressing the groom, you may see that, except being someut the worse for rubs and chafes by the way, ould Jem has weathered it out pretty tolerably well, arter all; and what part of the world is your redgment bound to?"

66

"We are going to the West Indies," responded the youth, on whom the tar's exaggerations had made a deep impression.

"A jolly tuck out for the land- crabs, yer honor," said old Manning, addressing the naval officer, with a broad grin; "cocoa-nuts will be cheap at the Pallisades."

"Come, come, my man," exclaimed the tradesman, "remember the tale of the boys and the frogs--what is fun to you may be death to others. This lad should be encouraged, not terrified; but I hope he has more sense and courage than to heed it."

"

Well, well, I meant no harm," responded the tar, "There's my of

ficer there as knows ould Jem wouldn't kick the starn of a cockroach to hurt him, much more a poor boy, who's like a young bear just caught, got all his sorrows to come."

"But I think you are rather mischievous in your jokes, my friend, though possibly not intentionally so," observed the tradesman.

"I take it all in good part, sir," said the youth, smiling, "I dare say he had no intention of alarming me."

"Your nerves must be very weak, in fact more like a great girl's, to mind what old Jem says," exclaimed the naval officer, whilst a crimson flush spread over the face of the groom; nor was the embarrassment diminished when the lieutenant, on noticing it, added, "So ho-you can show British colours at last-you would n't do for a ship of war, my lad, unless to be stowed away amongst the doctors in the sick bay.'

"Wherever I am, or may be, sir, I hope I shall do my duty as becomes me," rejoined the youth with spirit; "I shall serve my master faithfully, and where he leads I shall never be afraid to follow."

"Now, I'm really puzzled to tell, whether that is meant in compliment or in ridicule," said the naval officer, laughing.

"You probably would wish for satisfactory evidence," uttered the army officer from the coach box, "if such is your desire, you will not find me backward in affording it, when and where you please."

"You are rather smart upon me, sir," returned the navy blade, "I did but joke with your servant.'

"Had you known your proper station, sir, you would have preserved your superior distance," answered the other: " but, perhaps, your commission is so very green that you cannot reconcile your mind to the weather side yet; and, therefore, consort with inferiors, rather than with those of your own rank.'

"This is impertinence that you shall answer for," said the blue-coated gentleman, with an oath ; "I never put up with the language of a blackguard."

"I do," returned he of the scarlet jacket, looking the navy blade full in the face, "it is only from those whose appearance denotes that they associate with gentlemen that I demand explanation or satisfaction You will find in what character I estimate you, by my conduct hereafter."

"Really this is highly amusing," remarked the tradesman, ironically, "and I dare say you think it extremely brave and characteristic to threaten the cutting of each other's throats-or stabbing-or pistol bullets or something of a murderous nature. Now, gentlemen, could you see yourselves with my eyes, you would very soon form a totally different opinion. Your uniforms proclaim you to be in the service of your country, and if you must shed blood, let it be the blood of England's enemies, and not that of fellow subjects, engaged in the same cause. As for you, my friend," turning to the seaman, "for I must give you all a lessonI say, as for you, why, as well as your officer, you have scarcely uttered ten words without accompanying them with an oath, though I must confess you seem more sensible of its impropriety than your superior, by asking pardon every time you swear. Do not feel hurt at what I saywhy not, my man, get rid of the practice altogether?"

"Why, as for the matter of that, ould genelman," replied the seaman, somewhat abashed, "it shall never be said that I was angry with them as advised me for my good. And as for getting rid of the practice altogether,

why then I'm blessed, but it puts my larning clean out of countenance to tell you."

"It has often surprised me," remonstrated the tradesman persuasively, "that men who are so constantly witnessing the wondrous power of the Creator on the mighty waters should not feel more reverence for his holy name. Can you account for this, my friend ?"

The turn thus given to the conversation, stifled at once any further attempts at altercation between the two services which at that moment were anything but united; still angry and contemptuous glances passed, till eagerness to hear Jem Manning's answer subdued all feelings of hostility. The tar turned his quid, looked first at the coachman's broad brimmed hat, next at the horses, and then wide away at a distant parish church. This might be for the purpose of collecting his thoughts, which, by the prospective round he took, seemed to be much scattered. At length he took a severe bite at his pigtail, and ejecting the juice from his mouth with the violence of a cataract, he replied—

"That 'ere as you've jist axed me about, is someut beyond my calkelation, ould genelman. I must own they pay out a good deal of slack in the swearing line, in our sarvice; but then it seems to come natral to 'em like. As for the great name, it isn't often they profane it by taking it upon their onhowly tongues, though they do pretty often rap out an oath or two, by the way of what the larned calls a figure o' speech. But it's all habit, though mayhap a bad un; yet they gets used to it by practice, the same as handling the running gear, and larning where every rope leads. There's my last skipper, now, a genelman born, and the son of a Lord Chance-seller, which I take to be someut in the lottery line, though they tells me it's next rating to an Archbishop-well, ould genelman, he swears as much in five minutes as ud last the whole of the maintop-men for a middle watch in squally weather."

"Which proves," remarked the tradesman, "that swearing is not the offspring of ignorance, or proceeds from a want of education. I am aware that it has its origin in habit, but surely it may be corrected by constantly remembering that every oath, aye, and every idle word, is recorded against the utterer."

"Why you dont never mean that ere, ould genelman-do you?" inquired the seaman, somewhat startled at the announcement, "What, all logged down again us? Well, then I'm blowed-"

"It is most true, my friend," replied the tradesman solemnly; "and I trust the conviction of it will deter you from swearing again—"

"If it shant then, I'm-there, I was going at it again; but I'm blessed if I dont take a severe turn with that ere as you've just said; and, inayhap, I may rub off the chalks in time," returned the seaman.

The subject thus commenced was carried on for a long time, till anger passed away from the minds of the two officers, and the conversation became general; so that by the time they reached Godalming, good humor was perfectly restored.

(To be resumed.)

ENQUIRY

INTO THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE

Ancient Britons, and of British Bruidism.

BY THOS. RAGG.

Continued from Page 216.

IN the Pictorial History of England a comparison is instituted, to which I have previously alluded, between the manners and customs of the people of ancient Erin, and those of Iram, which was the early name of Persia. In that comparison, the round towers were particularly mentioned as not to be met with on the continent of Europe, or in any other place except Ireland and the East.* The same remark may be made respecting the Logan or Rocking Stones, the enormous Cromlechs, the Amphitheatres of oaks, and the rude circles of stones so much in use among the Druids of Great Britain. Between Britain and the East they were not to be found, excepting where Druidism had extended from the British Isles, and in some degree supplanted the more rude, but less superstitious, observances of the race of Japhet.

The evidence, however, which is to be drawn from architectural remains, strong as it may appear to many, is not, in my view, half so conclusive as may be obtained by comparison between the religious observances and the names of the gods of different nations.

It has been remarked to me, since I commenced this series of papers, that I take things rather too much for granted, and suppose an identity of origin on account of circumstances, which might easily be accounted for in other ways. That I am liable to err, and that, after years of patient investigation into a subject which has been but more interesting to me because it has baffled many others before, I may have come to wrong conclusions-is true. To admit thus much, is no more than admitting that I am a man; but I must certainly deprecate any judgment either from public or private critics till they see both what my conclusions are, and the evidence upon which I found them.

The remark, however, that other things beside identity of origin may account for the close resemblance between British and Eastern manners, is not new. This has been asserted by wiser men than any who have honoured my papers with such animadversions. Yet that the assertion was judicious, I must be allowed to question. I will cite one instance in Dr. Borlase, whose fairness in stating all questions that came before him, entitles him to especial regard. After instituting a comparison between the rites of the Britons and some of the eastern nations, especially those of Persia, "Whence," says he, "this surprising conformity in their priests, doctrines, worship, and temples, between two such distant nations as the Britons and Persians proceeds, it is difficult to say. There never appears to have been the least migration, or any accidental or meditated intercourse betwixt them, after the one people was settled in Persia and

* The author appears to have overlooked the round monuments in Devonshire and Cornwall.