er the care of a French abbe to Germany and Italy. It
was in this latter country that he first began to cause his guardians
serious uneasiness. He was in the heyday of youth when he visited Italy,
and he entered wildly into the various delights of that fascinating
region, and, what was worse, falling into the hands of certain sharpers,
not Italian, but English, he was fleeced of considerable sums of money.
The abbe, who, it seems, was an excellent individual of the old French
school, remonstrated with his pupil on his dissipation and extravagance;
but, finding his remonstrances vain, very properly informed the guardians
of the manner of life of his charge. They were not slow in commanding
Francis Ardry home; and, as he was entirely in their power, he was forced
to comply. He had been about three months in London when I met him in
the coffee-room, and the two elderly gentlemen in his company were his
guardians. At this time they were very solicitous that he should choose
for himself a profession, offering to his choice either the army or
law--he was calculated to shine in either of these professions--for, like
many others of his countrymen, he was brave and eloquent; but he did not
wish to shackle himself with a profession. As, however, his minority did
not terminate till he was three-and-twenty, of which age he wanted nearly
two years, during which he would be entirely dependent on his guardians,
he deemed it expedient to conceal, to a certain degree, his sentiments,
temporising with the old gentlemen, with whom, notwithstanding his many
irregularities, he was a great favourite, and at whose death he expected
to come into a yet greater property than that which he inherited from his
parents.

Such is a brief account of Francis Ardry--of my friend Francis Ardry; for
the acquaintance, commenced in the singular manner with which the reader
is acquainted, speedily ripened into a friendship which endured through
many long years of separation, and which still endures certainly on my
part, and on his--if he lives; but it is many years since I have heard
from Francis Ardry.

And yet many people would have thought it impossible for our friendship
to have lasted a week--for in many respects no two people could be more
dissimilar. He was an Irishman--I, an Englishman;--he, fiery,
enthusiastic, and open-hearted; I, neither fiery, enthusiastic, nor open-
hearted;--he, fond of pleasure and dissipation; I, of study and
reflecti