to whom she was known, and stated the singular
correspondence which had taken place between herself and the heroic
captive in the Temple. Phelipeaux, who was acquainted with the fame of
sir Sidney, and chagrined at the failure of his former favourite scheme,
embraced the present project with a sort of prophetic enthusiasm, by
which he hoped to restore, to the british nation, one of her greatest
heroes, who, by his skill and valour, might once more impress the common
enemy with dismay, augment the glory of his country, and cover himself
with the laurels of future victory. Intelligent, active, cool, daring,
and insinuating, colonel Phelipeaux immediately applied himself to bring
to maturity, a plan at once suitable to his genius, and interesting to
his wishes. To those whom it was necessary to employ upon the occasion,
he contrived to unite one of the clerks of the minister of the police,
who forged his signature with exact imitation, to an order for removing
the body of sir Sidney, from the Temple to the prison of the
Conciergerie: after this was accomplished, on the day after that on
which the inspector of gaols was to visit the Temple and Conciergerie, a
ceremony, which is performed once a month in Paris, two gentlemen of
tried courage and address, who were previously instructed by colonel
Phelipeaux, disguised as officers of the marechaussee, presented
themselves in a fiacre at the Temple, and demanded the delivery of sir
Sidney, at the same time showing the forged order for his removal. This
the gaoler attentively perused and examined, as well as the minister's
signature. Soon after the register of the prison informed sir Sidney of
the order of the directory, upon hearing which, he at first appeared to
be a little disconcerted, upon which the pseudoofficers gave him every
assurance of the honour and mild intentions of the government towards
him, sir Sidney seemed more reconciled, packed up his clothes, took
leave of his fellow prisoners, and distributed little tokens of his
gratitude to those servants of the prison, from whom he had experienced
indulgencies. Upon the eve of their departure, the register observed,
that four of the prison guard should accompany them. This arrangement
menaced the whole plan with immediate dissolution. The officers, without
betraying the least emotion, acquiesced in the propriety of the measure,
and gave orders for the men to be called out, when, as if recollecting
the rank and honour of t