nt for the occasion. He had also bespoke a small but
excellent band of music, which regaled their ears while they sat at
dinner; and the afternoon being calm and serene, he prevailed on them to
take the air on the river, in a barge which he had prepared for the
purpose.

But, notwithstanding this diversity of amusement, Renaldo would have
found it the longest day he had ever passed, had not his imagination
been diverted by an incident which employed his attention during the
remaining part of the evening. They had drunk tea, and engaged in a
party at whist, when they were surprised with a noise of contention from
a public-house, that fronted the windows of the apartment in which they
sat. Alarmed at this uproar, they forsook their cards, and, throwing up
the casement, beheld a hearse surrounded by four men on horseback, who
had stopped the carriage, and violently pulled the driver from his seat.
This uncommon arrest had engaged the curiosity of the publican's family,
who stood at the door to observe the consequence, when all of a sudden
appeared a person in canonicals, well mounted, who, riding up to those
who maltreated the driver, bestowed upon one of them such a blow with the
butt-end of his whip, as laid him sprawling on the ground; and, springing
from his saddle upon the box, took the reins into his own hand, swearing
with great vehemence, that he would murder every man who should attempt
to obstruct the hearse.

The good priest who had married Renaldo was not a little scandalised at
this ferocious behaviour in a clergyman, and could not help saying aloud,
he was a disgrace to the cloth when the horseman looking up to the
window, replied, "Sir, may I be d--n'd, if any man in England has a
greater respect for the cloth than I have; but at present I am quite
distracted." So saying, he whipped up the horses, and had actually
disentangled the hearse from those who surrounded it, when he was opposed
by another troop, one of whom alighted with great expedition, and cut the
harness so as that he could not possibly proceed. Finding himself thus
driven to bay, he leaped upon the ground, and exercised his weapon with
such amazing strength and agility, that several of his antagonists were
left motionless on the field, before he was overpowered and disarmed by
dint of numbers, who assailed him on all sides.

The mad parson being thus taken prisoner, an elderly person, of a very
prepossessing appearance, went up to the he