ar with her
now as a young man, as, when a boy, he had been timorous and silent.
She was as good as her word respecting him. She introduced him to her
company, of which she entertained a good deal--of the adherents of King
James of course--and a great deal of loud intriguing took place over her
card-tables. She presented Mr. Esmond as her kinsman to many persons
of honor; she supplied him not illiberally with money, which he had no
scruple in accepting from her, considering the relationship which he
bore to her, and the sacrifices which he himself was making in behalf
of the family. But he had made up his mind to continue at no woman's
apron-strings longer; and perhaps had cast about how he should
distinguish himself, and make himself a name, which his singular
fortune had denied him. A discontent with his former bookish life and
quietude,--a bitter feeling of revolt at that slavery in which he had
chosen to confine himself for the sake of those whose hardness
towards him make his heart bleed,--a restless wish to see men and the
world,--led him to think of the military profession: at any rate,
to desire to see a few campaigns, and accordingly he pressed his new
patroness to get him a pair of colors; and one day had the honor of
finding himself appointed an ensign in Colonel Quin's regiment of
Fusileers on the Irish establishment.

Mr. Esmond's commission was scarce three weeks old when that accident
befell King William which ended the life of the greatest, the wisest,
the bravest, and most clement sovereign whom England ever knew.
'Twas the fashion of the hostile party to assail this great prince's
reputation during his life; but the joy which they and all his enemies
in Europe showed at his death, is a proof of the terror in which they
held him. Young as Esmond was, he was wise enough (and generous enough
too, let it be said) to scorn that indecency of gratulation which broke
out amongst the followers of King James in London, upon the death of
this illustrious prince, this invincible warrior, this wise and moderate
statesman. Loyalty to the exiled king's family was traditional, as has
been said, in that house to which Mr. Esmond belonged. His father's
widow had all her hopes, sympathies, recollections, prejudices, engaged
on King James's side; and was certainly as noisy a conspirator as ever
asserted the King's rights, or abused his opponent's, over a
quadrille table or a dish of bohea. Her ladyship's house swarmed wit