1830.] The Half-Hanged Italian. 39 



one of those to whom the moment is every thing, and who give them- 

 selves but little concern about their evening couch or their morning 

 meal. His countenance was frank and open, and his whole person was 

 marked by an appearance of careless jollity, a total abandonment of all 

 sublunary concerns to the supreme divinity of chance ; and I must con- 

 fess that such a system has always appeared to me full as philosophic 

 as any other. In support of my vagabond theory and practice, it may 

 be observed, that he who " takes no thought for the morrow" possesses 

 a prodigious advantage over your cautious calculating reasoner, that true 

 follower of holy precept enjoys the good that fortune scatters in his path, 

 nor alloys it by anticipation of the evil reserved for a darker hour. In 

 short, I have ever remarked, that the man who in the disagreeable 

 journey of existence abandons himself blindly and unhesitatingly to the 

 empire of circumstances comes off better than his fellow-travellers, and 

 is distinguished from tjie crowd by an air of boldness and freedom not 

 without its value. This was precisely the case with the pedestrian 

 whom I now overtook. As I make it a point to turn every incident to 

 account, and as he seemed inclined to be sociable, I slackened my pace, 

 in order to keep alongside of him, and was soon convinced that I had 

 formed a correct judgment of his jovial disposition, for he was the first 

 to break silence. 



" You are probably going to Paris, monsieur," said he carelessly: " if 

 so, you can show me the way, for I have twice lost myself in these cursed 

 by-roads." 



" With all my heart, my good fellow : you have only to keep along 

 with me, and we shall reach Paris together ; though, by the way, you 

 seem in no great hurry to arrive." 



' ' Oh, as for that, I never hurry when I feel myself in safety. Simple 

 as I stand here, many a rock in Italy has served me as an ambuscade for 

 more than fifteen days together; and there have I been planted, my good 

 carbine in my hand, my ear cocked, and my eye on the look-out for 

 game that I could not always start." 



I am not naturally timid ; and after all, what was there to fear ? I was 

 a match for the stranger in physical advantages, and besides was armed ; 

 but I own that I felt an awkward uncomfortable sensation, more attri- 

 butable, perhaps, to surprise than to any other cause. I soon, however, 

 recovered my self-possession sufficiently to reply to him. 



" Is it possible, signor, that I see before me one of those hardy 

 Sicilian brigands to whose account have been laid so many delightful 

 adventures of robbery and murder, and whose daring career has fur- 

 nished so fine a subject for the pencil of Salvator Rosa?" 



' ( Faith, even so," replied the bandit ; ' ' I have in my day been en^- 

 rolled among those daring Sicilian bands, those brave fellows that would 

 snatch you up a man from the high road with as much ease as a sneaking 

 beggarly purse-lifter at a village fair would extract a handkerchief or a 

 greasy note- case from a bumpkin's pocket." At these recollections he 

 shook his head mournfully, and gave a long-drawn sigh to days of de- 

 parted glory. 



' ' Ay," said I with an appearance of the deepest interest, " you may 

 well regret those golden days !" 



" Regret them ! ah ! the bandit's is the only life. Nothing under the 

 sun could compare with our brave mountaineers. Only fancy a dashing 

 young fellow of eighteen ; his dress a smart green frock with gold but- 



