260 



cident fortunately took place in the day time, and 

 when the sea was perfectly calm, it was speedily 

 remedied : but this was " talking of the devil and 

 his imps" with a vengeance. 



April 10. 



During the early part of my outward-bound 

 voyage I was extremely afflicted with sea-sickness ; 

 and between eight o'clock on a Monday morning, 

 and twelve on the following Thursday, I actually 

 brought up almost a thousand lines, with rhymes at 

 the end of them. Having nothing better to do at 

 present, I may as well copy them into this book. 

 Composed with such speed, and under such cir- 

 cumstances, I take it for granted that the verses 

 cannot be very good ; but let them be ever so bad, 

 I defy any one to be more sick while reading them 

 than the author himself was while writing them. 

 This strange story was found by me in an old 

 Italian book, called " II Palagio degli Incanti," in 

 which it was related as a fact, and stated to be 

 taken from the " Annals of Portugal," an historical 

 work. I will not vouch for the truth of it myself ; 

 and, at all events, I earnestly request that no per- 

 son who may read these verses will ask me <c who the 

 hero really was ?" If he does, I shall only return 

 the same answer which the lady gave her husband 

 when, being on the point of shipwreck, he re- 

 quested her to tell him whether she had really ever 

 wronged his bed ? " My dear," said she, " sink or 

 swim, that secret shall go to the grave with me." 



