the place described in
the billet which he had received, was accosted by a person muffled in a
cloak, who began to amuse him with a feigned story of Aurelia, to which,
while he listened with great attention, he found himself suddenly
surrounded by armed men, who seized and pinioned down his arms, took away
his sword, and conveyed him by force into a hackney-coach provided for
the purpose. In vain he expostulated on this violence with three persons
who accompanied him in the vehicle. He could not extort one word by way
of reply; and, from their gloomy aspects, he began to be apprehensive of
assassination. Had the carriage passed through any frequented place, he
would have endeavoured to alarm the inhabitants, but it was already clear
of the town, and his conductors took care to avoid all villages and
inhabited houses.

After having travelled about two miles, the coach stopped at a large iron
gate, which being opened, our adventurer was led in silence through a
spacious house into a tolerably decent apartment, which he understood was
intended for his bed-chamber. In a few minutes after his arrival, he was
visited by a man of no very prepossessing appearance, who endeavouring to
smooth his countenance, which was naturally stern, welcomed our
adventurer to his house; exhorted him to be of good cheer, assuring him
he should want for nothing, and desired to know what he would choose for
supper.

Sir Launcelot, in answer to this civil address, begged he would explain
the nature of his confinement, and the reasons for which his arms were
tied like those of the worst malefactor. The other postponed till
to-morrow the explanation he demanded, but in the meantime unbound his
fetters, and, as he declined eating, left him alone to his repose. He
took care, however, in retiring, to double lock the door of the room,
whose windows were grated on the outside with iron.

The knight, being thus abandoned to his own meditations, began to
ruminate on the present adventure with equal surprise and concern; but
the more he revolved circumstances, the more was he perplexed in his
conjectures. According to the state of the mind, a very subtle
philosopher is often puzzled by a very plain proposition; and this was
the case of our adventurer.--What made the strongest impression upon his
mind was a notion that he was apprehended on suspicion of treasonable
practices, by a warrant from the Secretary of State, in consequence of
some false m