I heard

eye towards the door, then cast it down-fhook his head, and went on with his work of affliction. his chains upon his legs, as he turn'd his body to lay his little ftick upon the bundle-He gave a deep figh-I faw the iron enter into his foul-I burst into tears I could not fuftain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn-I ftarted up from my chair, and calling Le Fleur, I bid him befpeak me a remife, and have it ready at the door of the hotel by nine in the morning.

-I'll go directly, faid I, myself to Monfieur Le Duc de Choiseul.

Le

Le Fleur would have put me to bed; but not willing he fhould fee

any thing upon my cheek which

would cost the honest fellow a heartach-I told him I would go to bed by myself-and bid him go do the fame.

Vot. II. D

THE

THE STARLING.

ROAD TO VERSAILLES.

I

:

GOT into my remife the hour I propofed Le Fleur got up behind, and I bid the coachman make the best of his way to Verfailles.

As there was nothing in this road, or rather nothing which I look for in travelling, I cannot fill up the blank better than with a fhort history of this felf-fame bird, which became the fubject of the last shapter.

Whilft the Honourable Mr. * was waiting for a wind at Dover it had been caught upon the cliffs before it could well fly, by an English lad who was his groom; who not caring to destroy it, had taken it in his breaft into the packet and by courfe of feeding it, and taking it once under his protection, in a day or two grew fond of it, and got it fafe along with him to Paris.

At Paris the lad had laid out a livre in a little cage for the ftarling, and as he had little to do better the five months his mafter ftaid there, he taught it in his mother's tongue the four fimple words-(and no more)D 2

to

to which I own'd myfelf fo much its debtor.

Upon his mailer's going on for Italy-the lad had given it to the mafter of the hotel-But his little fong for liberty being in an unknown language at Paris, the bird had little or no ftore fet by him-fo Le Fleur bought both him and his cage for me for a bottle of Burgundy.

In my return from Italy I brought him with me to the country in whofe language he had learn'd his notes---and telling the ftory of him to Lord A-Lord A begg'd the bird of mein a week Lord A gave him to Lord B-Lord B made a prefent of him to Lord C-and Lord C's gentle