I then addressed myself to the marquis, who sat undetermined, as to speech:  My venerable lord, forgive me, that my address was not first paid here.  My heart overflows with gratitude for your goodness in permitting me to throw myself at your feet, before I took a last farewell of a city favoured with your residence.  Best of fathers, of friends, of men, let me entreat the continuance of your paternal indulgence to the child nearest, and deserving to be nearest, to your heart.  She is all you and her mother.  Restore her to yourself, and to her, by your indulgence:  that alone, and a blessing on your prayers, can restore her.  Adieu, my good lord:  repeated thanks for all your hospitable goodness to a man that will ever retain a grateful sense of your favour.

You will not yet go, was all he said—­he seemed in agitation.  He could not say more.

I then, turning to the count his brother, who sat next him, said, I have not the honour to be fully known to your lordship:  some prejudices from differences in opinion may have been conceived:  but if you ever hear anything of the man before you unworthy of his name, and of the favour once designed him; then, my lord, blame, as well as wonder at, the condescension of your noble brother and sister in my favour.

Who, I!  Who, I! said that lord, in some hurry.—­I think very well of you.  I never saw a man, in my life, that I liked so well!

Your lordship does me honour.  I say this the rather, as I may, on this solemn occasion, taking leave of such honourable friends, charge my future life with resolutions to behave worthy of the favour I have met with in this family.

I passed from him to the general—­Forgive, my lord, said I, the seeming formality of my behaviour in this parting scene:  it is a very solemn one to me.  You have expressed yourself of me, and to me, my lord, with more passion, (forgive me, I mean not to offend you,) than perhaps you will approve in yourself when I am far removed from Italy.  For have you not a noble mind?  And are you not a son of the Marquis della Porretta?  Permit me to observe, that passion will make a man exalt himself, and degrade another; and the just medium will be then forgot.  I am afraid I have been thought more lightly of, than I ought to be, either in justice, or for the honour of a person who is dear to every one present.  My country was once mentioned with disdain:  think not my vanity so much concerned in what I am going to say, as my honour:  I am proud to be thought an Englishman:  yet I think as highly of every worthy man of every nation under the sun, as I do of the worthy men of my own.  I am not of a contemptible race in my own country.  My father lives in it with the magnificence of a prince.  He loves his son; yet I presume to add, that that son deems his good name his riches; his integrity his grandeur.  Princes, though they are entitled by their rank to respect, are princes to him only as they act.