taking its dignity, and fharing its fortunes. Of thefe, one was in a particular manner the favourite of bis mafter. Albert Bane (the firname, you know, is generally loft in a name deferiptive of the indi vidual) had been his companion from his infancy. Of an age fo much more advanced as to enable him to be a fort of tutor to his youthful lord, Albert had early taught him the rural exercifes and fural amufements, in which himself was eminently kilful; he had at. tended him in the course of his education at home, of his travels abroad, and was ftill the conftant companion of his excurfions, and the affociate of his fports.

"On one of thofe latter occa fions, a favourite dog of Albert's, whom he had trained himself, and of whofe qualities he was proud, happened to mar the fport which his matter expected, who, irritated at the difappointment, and having his gun ready cocked in his hand, fired at the animal, which, however, in the hurry of his refentment, he miffed. Albert, to whom Ofcar was as a child, remonstrated gainst the rafinefs of the deed, in a manner rather too warm for his maiter, ruffled as he was with the accident, and confcious of being in the wrong, to bear. In his paffion he ftruck his faithful attendant; who fuffered the indignity in filence, and retiring, rather in grief than in anger, left his native coun try that very night; and when he reached the nearest town, enlisted with a recruiting party of a regiment then on foreign fervice. It was in the beginning of the war with France which broke out in 1744, rendered remarkable for the rebellion which the policy of the French court excited, in which some

of the first families of the Highlands were unfortunately engaged. Among thofe who joined the flandard of Charles, was the matter of Albert.

"After the battle of Culloden, fo fatal to that party, this gentle man, along with others who had efcaped the flaughter of the field, feltered themfelves from the rage of the unfparing foldiery, among the diftant reccffes of their country To him his native mountains of fered an afylum, and thither he na turally fled for protection. Ac quainted, in the purfuits of the chafe, with every fecret path and unworn track, he lived for a confiderable time, like the deer of his foreft, clofe hid all day, and only venturing down at the fall of even ing, to obtain from fome of his cottagers, whofe fidelity he could truft, a fcanty and precarious fup port. I have often heard him, for he is one of my oldest acquaint ances, deferibe the fcene of his hid ing-place, at a later period, when he could recollect it in its fublim ity, without its horror."-" At times," faid he, "when I ventured to the edge of the wood, among fome of thofe inacceffible crags which you remember a few miles from my houfe, I have heard in the paufes of the breeze which roll ed folemn through the pines be neath me, the diftant voices of the foldiers, fhouting in answer to one another amidst their inhuman fearch. I have heard their fhots re-echoed from cliff to cliff, and feen reflected from the deep ftill lake below, the gleam of thofe fires which confumed the cottages of my people. Some tines fhame and indignation well high overcame my fear, and I have prepared to rush down the steep, unarmed as I was, and to die at

once

once by the fwords of my enemies ; but the inftinctive love of life prevailed, and starting as the roe bound. ed by me, I have again thrunk back to the fhelter I had left."

"One day," continued he, "the noife was nearer than ufual; and at Iaft, from the cave in which I lay, 1 heard the parties immediately be low fo close upon me, that I could diftinguish the words they fpoke. After fome time of horrible fufpenfe, the voices grew weaker and more diftant; and at laft I heard them die away at the further end of the wood. I rofe and tole to the mouth of the cave; when fuddenly a dog met me, and gave that fhort quick bark by which they indicate their prey. Amidft the terror of the circumftance, I was yet mafter enough of myfelf to difcover that the dog was Ofcar; and I own to you I felt his appearance like the retribution of justice and of Heaven. Stand! cried a threatening voice, and a foldier preffed through the thicket, with his bayonet charged. -It was Albert! Shame, confufion, and remorfe, ftopped my utterance, and I ftood motionlefs before him.—

My mafter," faid he, with the fitted voice of wonder and of fear, and threw himself at my feet. 1 had recovered my recollection. "You are revenged," faid I," and I am your prifoner."-" Revenged! alas! you judged too hardly of me; I have not had one happy day fince that fatal one on which I left my mailer; but I have lived, I hope, to fave him. The party to which I belong are pafled; for I lingered behind them among thofe woods and rocks which I remembered fo well in happier days.-There is, however, no time to be loft. In a few hours this wood will blaze, though they do not fufpect that it

fhelters you. Take my drefs, which may help your escape, and I will endeavour to difpofe of yours. On the coaft, to the weftward, we have learned there is a final party of your friends, which, by following the river's track till dusk, and then ftriking over the fhoulder of the hill, you may join without much danger of difcovery.""I felt the difgrace of owing fo much to him I had injured, and remonstrated a gainst expofing him to fuch imminent danger of its being known that he had favoured my escape, which from the temper of his commander, I knew would be inftant death. Albert, in an agony of fear and diftrefs, befought me to think only of

my own fafety.-" Save us both," faid he, "for if you die, I cannot live. Perhaps we may meet again; but whatever becomes of Albert, may the bleffing of God be with his master!"

"Albert's prayer was heard. His mafter. by the exercife of talents which, though he had always poffeffed, adverfity only taught him to ufe, acquired abroad a fiation of equal honour and emolument; and when the profcriptions of party had ceased, returned home to his own native country, where he found Albert advanced to the rank of a lieutenant in the army, to which, his valour and merit had raised him, married to a lady, by whom he had got fome little fo tune, and the father of an only daughter, for whom nature had done much, and to whofe native endowments it was the chief study and delight of her parents to add every thing that art could bestow. The gratitude of the chief was only equalled by the happiness of his follower, whofe honeft pride was not long after gratified, by his

daugh