xlii 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



the lives of these amusing choristers. I had 

 known the Viscount ever since the year 1796. He 

 was of mild and polished manners, and his loss will 

 be sorely felt by the citizens of Bruges in particu- 

 lar, near to which ancient city, stands his finely 

 ornamented and venerable chateau. 



But time gets on apace. An inspection of this 

 silvery head of mine, which has now seen nearly 

 seventy-five long years, gives hints, that henceforth, 

 I shall not have many more adventures, either 

 bright or dark, of sufficient import to merit a 

 reader's notice. 



Ere I close this page, I would fain pen down a 

 word or two of a visit which I paid at Christmas, to 

 the good Jesuit Fathers, at Stonyhurst College, 

 now, " into such beauty spread, and blown so 

 fair." The very sight of her lofty towers warms 

 my heart into a full glow of gratitude and friend- 

 ship for the solicitude with which dear Alma 

 Mater watched over my youthful days ; and for the 

 innumerable attentions which she has most kindly 

 shewn to me, up to the present time. 



The English nation is too well informed now- 

 a-days to be gulled, (thanks to the change of times 

 and temper,) by the old bigot-cry of away with 

 Eriars, Jesuits, Monks and Nuns. 



These holy people, — these learned and disinter- 



