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to run about the city with every body’s letters?—That
might do in a small country town, but in a city like Naples
the thing is out of all question ”
This argument was not carried to its proper close, be-
cause we had just now arrived at the water-side, where one
of the frigate’s boats, under the superintendance of a mid-
shipman, had been waiting for us. This young spark no
sooner beheld the gay costume of Don Michele, contrasted
with his grave and, just then, surly countenance, than he
made free to indulge in a titter, which, however stifled in
its birth, in all probability did not escape the keen looks of
its object; for immediately after he had seated himself, and
carefully disposed the skirts of his silken frock, D. Michele
expressed his surprise at my friend’s entrusting the safety
of his guest and of the boat’s crew to the conduct of such a
child as this; not omitting a severe reflection on the barba-
rity of English parents in sending their offspring adrift at so
tender an age, before they could have received proper in-
struction of any kind, and before their religious principles
could at alt have acquired a fixed bent.
To an Englishman, dear T. I need not repeat the weigh-
ty arguments I opposed to my wrangling boat-mate ; all, it
is true, to little purpose : even the name of Lord Nelson,
his great idol, was not admitted in favour of my position,
since, as my friend had been credibly informed, that great
admiral, instead of serving in the navy from his youth, had
been brought up for the church, and been in orders, before
ever he thought of going to sea—a fact he was the more rea-
dy to believe, from the perusal of his lordship’s official dis-
patch, relating to the victory of the Nile, which began with
the words, Almighty God-” There’s for you !
We had now neared the ship, heard the boatswain’s whis-
tle