ABSTRACT
The unhappy, persecuted wanderer, thus fallen into the hands of men who sought his destruction, as well from motives of personal enmity, as public vengeance, remained their prisoner, expecting that every sun, that lent by reflection a pale light through the barred window of his dungeon, would be that which would witness his execution. In the mean time, his friend Ellesmere had entered into the career of what is called the glory, with the enthusiasm peculiar to his character, and the gallantry natural to his country. Whatever had been his original sentiments as to the affairs of France, he had, with every man of humanity, or principle, been so disgusted by the folly, the wickedness, and unmanly cruelty of the persons into whose hands the government of that country had fallen, that he wished nothing so ardently, as that the combined armies might put a final end to the war, where only it could be ended; and he felt indignant and impatient, that it was not possible to rescue from the unworthy insults of the most unfeeling wretches that ever disgraced humanity, the widow, the sister, and the children of the murdered monarch: with such a disposition, every movement seemed too slow for him. The horse had very few opportunities of being engaged, and weeks appeared to Ellesmere to be years, while they waited in hopes of bringing the Carmagnols47 to a general action. In the mean time he had no news of his friend D’Alonville, though they had parted early in March, and it was now the end of April; from this want of intelligence, he feared that his unfortunate friend had failed, and conjectured, as was but too true, that he had fallen into the hands of enemies from whom no mercy was to be expected. This idea aggravated the detestation with which he beheld the parties of them he occasionally met with, and encreased the rash bravery with which, whenever it was in his power, he 342threw himself among them; – twice he narrowly escaped being made prisoner by superior numbers; and so far exceeded his orders, that his colonel found it necessary to check his ardour, and to entreat him to forbear needlessly exposing himself and his men – for he was promoted to a Captain soon after he joined the regiment.
