light。
  My　father　was　a　Cornish　man；　the　youngest；　as　I　have　heard　him　say；
  of　seven　brothers。　　He　sprang　from　a　family　of　gentlemen；　or；　as
  some　people　would　call　them；　gentillatres；　for　they　were　not　very
  wealthy；　they　had　a　coat　of　arms；　however；　and　lived　on　their　own
  property　at　a　place　called　Tredinnock；　which　being　interpreted
  means　THE　HOUSE　ON　THE　HILL；　which　house　and　the　neighbouring　acres
  had　been　from　time　immemorial　in　their　possession。　　I　mention　these
  particulars　that　the　reader　may　see　at　once　that　I　am　not
  altogether　of　low　and　plebeian　origin；　the　present　age　is　highly
  aristocratic；　and　I　am　convinced　that　the　public　will　read　my　pages
  with　more　zest　from　being　told　that　I　am　a　gentillatre　by　birth
  with　Cornish　blood　in　my　veins；　of　a　family　who　lived　on　their　own
  property　at　a　place　bearing　a　Celtic　name；　signifying　the　house　on
  the　hill；　or　more　strictly　the　house　on　the　HILLOCK。
  My　father　was　what　is　generally　termed　a　posthumous　child　…　in
  other　words；　the　gentillatre　who　begot　him　never　had　the
  satisfaction　of　invoking　the　blessing　of　the　Father　of　All　upon　his
  head；　having　departed　this　life　some　months　before　the　birth　of　his
  youngest　son。　　The　boy；　therefore；　never　knew　a　father's　care；　he
  was；　however；　well　tended　by　his　mother；　whose　favourite　he　was；　so
  much　so；　indeed；　that　his　brethren；　the　youngest　of　whom　was
  considerably　older　than　himself；　were　rather　jealous　of　him。　　I
  never　heard；　however；　that　they　treated　him　with　any　marked
  unkindness；　and　it　will　be　as　well　to　observe　here　that　I　am　by　no
  means　well　acquainted　with　his　early　history；　of　which；　indeed；　as
  I　am　not　writing　his　life；　it　is　not　necessary　to　say　much。
  Shortly　after　his　mother's　death；　which　occurred　when　he　was
  eighteen；　he　adopted　the　profession　of　arms；　which　he　followed
  during　the　remainder　of　his　life；　and　in　which；　had　circumstances
  permitted；　he　would　probably　have　shone　amongst　the　best。　　By
  nature　he　was　cool　and　collected；　slow　to　anger；　though　perfectly
  fearless；　patient　of　control；　of　great　strength；　and；　to　crown　all；
  a　proper　man　with　his　hands。
  With　far　inferior　qualifications　many　a　man　has　become　a　field…
  marshal　or　general；　similar　ones　made　Tamerlane；　who　was　not　a
  gentillatre；　but　the　son　of　a　blacksmith；　emperor　of　one…third　of
  the　world；　but　the　race　is　not　always　for　the　swift；　nor　the　battle
  for　the　strong；　indeed　I　ought　rather　to　say　very　seldom；　certain
  it　is；　that　my　father；　with　all　his　high　military　qualifications；
  never　became　emperor；　field…marshal；　or　even　general：　　indeed；　he
  had　never　an　opportunity　of　distinguishing　himself　save　in　one
  battle；　and　that　took　place　neither　in　Flanders；　Egypt；　nor　on　the
  banks　of　the　Indus　or　Oxus；　but　in　Hyde　Park。
  Smile　not；　gentle　reader；　many　a　battle　has　been　fought　in　Hyde
  Park；　in　which　as　much　skill；　science；　and　bravery　have　been
  displayed　as　ever　achieved　a　victory　in　Flanders　or　by　the　Indus。
  In　such　a　combat　as　that　to　which　I　allude；　I　opine　that　even
  Wellington　or　Napoleon　would　have　been　heartily　glad　to　cry　for
  quarter　ere　the　lapse　of　five　minutes；　and　even　the　Blacksmith
  Tartar　would；　perhaps；　have　shrunk　from　the　opponent　with　whom；
  after　having　had　a　dispute　with　him；　my　father　engaged　in　single
  combat　for　one　hour；　at　the　end　of　which　time　the　champions　shook
  hands　and　retired；　each　having　experienced　quite　enough　of　the
  other's　prowess。　　The　name　of　my　father's　antagonist　was　Brain。
  What！　still　a　smile？　did　you　never　hear　that　name　before？　　I　cannot
  help　it！　　Honour　to　Brain；　who　four　months　after　the　event　which　I
  have　now　narrated　was　champion　of　England；　having　conquered　the
  heroic　Johnson。　　Honour　to　Brain；　who；　at　the　end　of　other　four
  months；　worn　out　by　the　dreadful　blows　which　he　had　received　in　his
  manly　combats；　expired　in　the　arms　of　my　father；　who　read　the　Bible
  to　him　in　his　latter　moments　…　Big　Ben　Brain。
  You　no　longer　smile；　even　YOU　have　heard　of　Big　Ben。
  I　have　already　hinted　that　my　father　never　rose　to　any　very　exalted
  rank　in　his　profession；　notwithstanding　his　prowess　and　other
  qualifications。　　After　serving　for　many　years　in　the　line；　he　at
  last　entered　as　captain　in　the　militia　regiment　of　the　Earl　of　…；
  at　that　period　just　raised；　and　to　which　he　was　sent　by　the　Duke　of
  York　to　instruct　the　young　levies　in　military　manoeuvres　and
  discipline；　and　in　this　mission　I　believe　he　perfectly　succeeded；
  competent　judges　having　assured　me　that　the　regiment　in　question
  soon　came　by　his　means　to　be　considered　as　one　of　the　most
  brilliant　in　the　service；　and　inferior　to　no　regiment　of　the　line
  in　appearance　or　discipline。
  As　the　headquarters　of　this　corps　were　at　D…　the　duties　of　my
  father　not　unfrequently　carried　him　to　that　place；　and　it　was　on
  one　of　these　occasions　that　he　became　acquainted　with　a　young
  person　of　the　neighbourhood；　for　whom　he　formed　an　attachment；
  which　was　returned；　and　this　young　person　was　my　mother。
  She　was　descended　from　a　family　of　French　Protestants；　natives　of
  Caen；　who　were　obliged　to　leave　their　native　country　when　old
  Louis；　at　the　instigation　of　the　Pope；　thought　fit　to　revoke　the
  Edict　of　Nantes：　　their　name　was　Petrement；　and　I　have　reason　for
  believing　that　they　were　people　of　some　consideration；　that　they
  were　noble　hearts；　and　good　Christians；　they　gave　sufficient　proof
  in　scorning　to　bow　the　knee　to　the　tyranny　of　Rome。　　So　they　left
  beautiful　Normandy　for　their　faith's　sake；　and　with　a　few　louis
  d'ors　in　their　purse；　a　Bible　in　the　vulgar　tongue；　and　a　couple　of
  old　swords；　which；　if　report　be　true；　had　done　service　in　the
  Huguenot　wars；　they　crossed　the　sea　to　the　isle　of　civil　peace　and
  religious　liberty；　and　established　themselves　in　East　Anglia。
  And　many　other　Huguenot　families　bent　their　steps　thither；　and
  devoted　themselves　to　agriculture　or　the　mechanical　arts；　and　in
  the　venerable　old　city；　the　capital　of　the　province；　in　the
  northern　shadow　of　the　Castle　of　De　Burgh；　the　exiles　built　for
  themselves　a　church　where　they　praised　God　in　the　French　tongue；
  and　to　which；　at　particular　seasons　of　the　year；　they　were　in　the
  habit　of　flocking　from　country　and　from　town　to　sing　…
  'Thou　hast　provided　for　us　a　goodly　earth；　thou　waterest　her
  furrows；　thou　sendest　rain　into　the　little　valleys　thereof；　thou
  makest　it　soft　with　the　drops　of　rain；　and　blessest　the　increase　of
  it。'
  I　have　been　told　that　in　her　younger　days　my　mother　was　strikingly
  handsome；　this　I　can　easily　believe：　　I　never　knew　her　in　her
  youth；　for　though　she　was　very　young　when　she　married　my　father
  （who　was　her　senior　by　many　years）；　she　had　attained　the　middle　age
  before　I　was　born；　no　children　having　been　vouchsafed　to　my　parents
  in　the　early　stages　of　their　union。　　Yet　even　at　the　present　day；
  now　that　years　threescore　and　ten　have　passed　over　her　head；
  attended　with　sorrow　and　troubles　manifold；　poorly　chequered　with
  scanty　joys；　can　I　look　on　that　countenance　and　doubt　that　at　one
  time　beauty　decked　it　as　with　a　glorious　garment？　　Hail　to　thee；　my
  parent！　as　thou　sittest　there；　in　thy　widow's　weeds；　in　the　dusky
  parlour　in　the　house　overgrown　with　the　lustrous　ivy　of　the　sister
  isle；　the　solitary　house　at　the　end　of　the　retired　court　shaded　by
  lofty　poplars。　　Hail　to　thee；　dame　of　the　oval　face；　olive
  complexion；　and　Grecian　forehead；　by　thy　table　seated　with　the
  mighty　volume　of　the　good　Bishop　Hopkins　spread　out　before　thee；
  there　is　peace　in　thy　countenance；　my　mother；　it　is　not　worldly
  peace；　however；　not　the　deceitful　peace　which　lulls　to　bewitching
  slumbers；　and　from　which；　let　us　pray；　humbly　pray；　that　every
  sinner　may　be　roused　in　time　to　implore　mercy　not　in　vain！　　Thine
  is　the　peace　of　the　righteous；　my　mother；　of　those　to　whom　no　sin
  can　be　imputed；　the　score　of　whose　misdeeds　has　been　long　since
  washed　away　by　the　blood　of　atonement；　which　imputeth　righteousness
  to　those　who　trust　in　it。　　It　was　not　always　thus；　my　mother；　a
  time　was；　when　the　cares；　pomps；　and　vanities　of　this　world
  agitated　thee　too　much；　but　that　time　is　gone　by；　another　and　a
  better　has　succeeded；　there　is　peace　now　on　thy　countenance；　the
  true　peace；　peace　around　thee；　too；　in　thy　solitary　dwelling；
  sounds　of　peace；　the　cheerful　hum　of　the　kettle　and　the　purring　of
  the　immense　angola；　which　stares　up　at　thee　from　its　settle　with
  its　almost　human　eyes。
  No　more　earthly　cares　and　affections　now；　my　mother！　　Yes；　one。
  Why　dost　thou　suddenly　raise　thy　dark　and　still　brilliant　eye　from
  the　volume　with　a　somewhat　startled　glance？　　What　noise　is　that　in
  the　distant　street？　　Merely　the　noise　of　a　hoof；　a　sound　common
  enough：　　it　draws　nearer；　nearer；　and　now　it　stops　before　thy　gate。
  Singular！　　And　now　there　is　a　pause；　a　long　pause。　　Ha！　thou
  hearest　something　…　a