’IstayedathomewithmyparentsuntilIwasabouteighteen，assistingmyfatherinvariousways。IthenwenttoliveattheSquire’s，partlyasgroom，partlyasfootman。Afterlivinginthecountrysometime，IattendedthefamilyinatripofsixweekswhichtheymadetoLondon。Whilstthere，happeningtohavesomewordswithanoldill-temperedcoachman，whohadbeenforagreatmanyyearsinthefamily，mymasteradvisedmetoleave，offeringtorecommendmetoafamilyofhisacquaintancewhowereinneedofafootman。Iwasgladtoaccepthisoffer，andinafewdayswenttomynewplace。Mynewmasterwasoneofthegreatgentry，abaronetinParliament，andpossessedofanestateofabouttwentythousandayear；hisfamilyconsistedofhislady，ason，afineyoungmanjustcomingofage，andtwoverysweetamiabledaughters。
Ilikedthisplacemuchbetterthanmyfirst，therewassomuchmorepleasantnoiseandbustle-somuchmoregrandcompany，andsomanymoreopportunitiesofimprovingmyself。Oh，howIlikedtoseethegrandcoachesdriveuptothedoor，withthegrandcompany；
andthough，amidstthatcompany，thereweresomewhodidnotlookverygrand，therewereothers，andnotafew，whodid。Someoftheladiesquitecaptivatedme；therewastheMarchionessof-inparticular。Thisyoungladyputsmemuchinmindofher；itistrue，theMarchioness，asIsawherthen，wasaboutfifteenyearsolderthanthisyounggentlewomanisnow，andnotsotallbysomeinches，butshehadtheverysamehair，andmuchthesameneckandshoulders-nooffence，Ihope？Andthensomeoftheyounggentlemen，withtheircool，haughty，care-for-nothinglooks，struckmeasbeingveryfinefellows。Therewasoneinparticular，whomI
frequentlyusedtostareat，notaltogetherunlikesomeoneIhaveseenhereabouts-hehadaslightcastinhiseye，and……butI
won’tenterintoeveryparticular。Andthenthefootmen!Oh，howthosefootmenhelpedtoimprovemewiththeirconversation。Manyofthemcouldconversemuchmoregliblythantheirmasters，andappearedtohavemuchbettertaste。Atanyrate，theyseldomapprovedofwhattheirmastersdid。Irememberbeingoncewithoneinthegalleryoftheplay-house，whensomethingofShakspeare’swasbeingperformed：someoneinthefirsttierofboxeswasapplaudingveryloudly。“That’smyfoolofagovernor，“saidhe；
“heisweakenoughtolikeShakspeare-Idon’t；-he’ssoconfoundedlylow，buthewon’tlastlong-goingdown。Shakspeareculminated“-Ithinkthatwastheword-“culminatedsometimeago。“
’Andthentheprofessorofelocution，ofwhommygovernorsusedtotakelessons，andofwhichlessonsIhadmyshare，bylisteningbehindthedoor；butforthatprofessorofelocutionIshouldnotbeabletoroundmyperiods-anexpressionofhis-inthemannerIdo。
’AfterIhadbeenthreeyearsatthisplacemymistressdied。Herdeath，however，madenogreatalterationinmywayofliving，thefamilyspendingtheirwintersinLondon，andtheirsummersattheiroldseatinS-asbefore。Atlast，theyoungladies，whohadnotyetgothusbands，whichwasstrangeenough，seeing，asItoldyoubefore，theywereveryamiable，proposedtoourgovernoratravellingexpeditionabroad。Theoldbaronetconsented，thoughyoungmasterwasmuchagainstit，sayingtheywouldallbemuchbetterathome。Asthegirlspersisted，however，heatlastwithdrewhisopposition，andevenpromisedtofollowthemassoonashisparliamentarydutieswouldpermit；forhewasjustgotintoParliament，and，likemostotheryoungmembers，thoughtthatnothingcouldbedoneintheHousewithouthim。Sotheoldgentlemanandthetwoyoungladiessetoff，takingmewiththem，andacoupleofladies’maidstowaituponthem。Firstofall，wewenttoParis，wherewecontinuedthreemonths，theoldbaronetandtheladiesgoingtoseethevarioussightsofthecityandtheneighbourhood，andIattendingthem。Theysoongottiredofsight-
seeing，andofParistoo；andsodidI。However，theystillcontinuedthere，inorder，Ibelieve，thattheyoungladiesmightlayinastoreofFrenchfinery。IshouldhavepassedmyidletimeatParis，ofwhichIhadplentyafterthesight-seeingwasover，veryunpleasantly，butforBlackJack。Eh!didyouneverhearofBlackJack？Ah!ifyouhadeverbeenanEnglishservantinParis，youwouldhaveknownBlackJack；notanEnglishgentleman’sservantwhohasbeenatParisforthislasttenyearsbutknowsBlackJackandhisordinary。Astrangefellowhewas-ofwhatcountrynoonecouldexactlysay-forasforjudgingfromspeech，thatwasimpossible，Jackspeakingalllanguagesequallyill。SomesaidhecamedirectfromSatan’skitchen，andthatwhenhegivesupkeepingordinary，hewillreturnthereagain，thoughthegenerally-receivedopinionatPariswas，thathewasatonetimebutlertoKingPharaoh；andthat，afterlyingasleepforfourthousandyearsinaplacecalledtheKattycombs，hewasawakedbythesoundofNelson’scannonatthebattleoftheNile，andgoingtotheshore，tookonwiththeadmiral，andbecame，incourseoftime，shipsteward；andthatafterNelson’sdeathhewascapturedbytheFrench，onboardoneofwhosevesselsheservedinasomewhatsimilarcapacitytillthepeace，whenhecametoParis，andsetupanordinaryforservants，stickingthenameofKatcomboverthedoor，inallusiontotheplacewherehehadhislongsleep。But，whateverhisoriginwas，Jackkepthisowncounsel，andappearedtocarenothingforwhatpeoplesaidabouthim，orcalledhim。Yes，Iforgot，therewasonenamehewouldnotbecalled，andthatwas“Portuguese。“I
oncesawBlackJackknockdownacoachman，sixfoothigh，whocalledhimblack-facedPortuguese。“Anynamebutdat，youshab，“
saidBlackJack，whowasalittleroundfellow，ofaboutfivefeettwo；“IwouldnotstandtobecalledPortuguesebyNelsonhimself。“
JackwasratherfondoftalkingaboutNelson，andhearingpeopletalkabouthim，sothatitisnotimprobablethathemayhavesailedwithhim；andwithrespecttohishavingbeenKingPharaoh’sbutler，allIhavetosayis，Iamnotdisposedtogivethedownrightlietothereport。Jackwasalwaysreadytodoakindturntoapoorservantoutofplace，andhasoftenbeenknowntoassistsuchaswereinprison，whichcharitabledispositionheperhapsacquiredfromhavinglostagoodplacehimself，havingseentheinsideofaprison，andknownthewantofameal’svictuals，allwhichtrialsKingPharaoh’sbutlerunderwent，sohemayhavebeenthatbutler；atanyrate，Ihaveknownpositiveconclusionscometoonnobetterpremisses，ifindeedasgood。AsforthestoryofhiscomingdirectfromSatan’skitchen，Iplacenoconfidenceinitatall，asBlackJackhadnothingofSatanabouthimbutblackness，onwhichaccounthewascalledBlackJack。NoramIdisposedtogivecredittoareportthathishatredofthePortuguesearosefromsomeilltreatmentwhichhehadonceexperiencedwhenonshore，atLisbon，fromcertaingentlewomenoftheplace，butratherconcludethatitarosefromanopinionheentertainedthatthePortugueseneverpaidtheirdebts，oneoftheambassadorsofthatnation，whosehousehehadserved，havingleftParisseveralthousandfrancsinhisdebt。ThisisallthatIhavetosayaboutBlackJack，withoutwhosefunnyjokesandgoodordinaryIshouldhavepassedmytimeinParisinaverydisconsolatemanner。
’AfterwehadbeenatParisbetweentwoandthreemonths，weleftitinthedirectionofItaly，whichcountrythefamilyhadagreatdesiretosee。Aftertravellingagreatmanydaysinathingwhich，thoughcalledadiligence，didnotexhibitmuchdiligence，wecametoagreatbigtown，seatedaroundanastysalt-waterbason，connectedbyanarrowpassagewiththesea。Hereweweretoembark；andsowedidassoonaspossible，gladenoughtogetaway-atleastIwas，andsoImakenodoubtweretherest，forsuchaplaceforbadsmellsIneverwasin。Itseemsallthedrainsandsewersoftheplacerunintothatsamesaltbason，voidingintoitalltheirimpurities，which，notbeingabletoescapeintotheseainanyconsiderablequantity，owingtothenarrownessoftheentrance，thereaccumulate，fillingthewholeatmospherewiththesesameoutrageousscents，onwhichaccountthetownisafamouslodging-houseoftheplague。TheshipinwhichweembarkedwasboundforaplaceinItalycalledNaples，whereweweretostaysometime。Thevoyagewasratheralazyone，theshipnotbeingmovedbysteam；foratthetimeofwhichIamspeaking，somefiveyearsago，steam-shipswerenotsoplentifulasnow。Therewereonlytwopassengersinthegrandcabin，wheremygovernorandhisdaughterswere，anItalianladyandapriest。OftheladyIhavenotmuchtosay；sheappearedtobeaquietrespectablepersonenough，andafterourarrivalatNaplesIneithersawnorheardanythingmoreofher；butofthepriestIshallhaveagooddealtosayinthesequelthat，bythebye，isawordIlearntfromtheprofessorofrhetoric，anditwouldhavebeenwellforourfamilyhadtheynevermethim。
’Onthethirddayofthevoyagethepriestcametome，whowasratherunwellwithsea-sickness，whichhe，ofcourse，feltnothingof-thatkindofpeoplebeingneveraffectedlikeothers。Hewasafinish-lookingmanofaboutforty-five，buthadsomethingstrangeinhiseyes，whichIhavesincethoughtdenotedthatallwasnotrightinacertainplacecalledtheheart。Afterafewwordsofcondolence，inabrokenkindofEnglish，heaskedmevariousquestionsaboutourfamily；andI，wonbyhisseemingkindness，toldhimallIknewaboutthem-ofwhichcommunicativenessI
afterwardsverymuchrepented。Assoonashehadgotoutofmeallhedesired，heleftme；andIobservedthatduringtherestofthevoyagehewaswonderfullyattentivetoourgovernor，andyetmoretotheyoungladies。Both，however，kepthimratheratadistance；
theyoungladieswerereserved，andonceortwiceIheardourgovernorcursinghimbetweenhisteethforasharkingpriest。Thepriest，however，wasnotdisconcerted，andcontinuedhisattentions，whichinalittletimeproducedaneffect，sothat，bythetimewelandedatNaples，ourgreatfolkshadconceivedakindoflikingfortheman，andwhentheytooktheirleaveinvitedhimtovisitthem，whichhepromisedtodo。WehiredagrandhouseorpalaceatNaples；itbelongedtoapoorkindofprince，whowasgladenoughtoletittoourgovernor，andalsohisservantsandcarriages；andgladenoughwerethepoorservants，fortheygotfromuswhattheynevergotfromtheprince-plentyofmeatandmoney；andgladenough，Imakenodoubt，werethehorsesfortheprovenderwegavethem；andIdaresaythecoacheswerenotsorrytobecleanedandfurbishedup。Well，wewentoutandcamein；goingtoseethesights，andreturning。Amongstotherthingswesawwastheburningmountain，andthetombofacertainsorcerercalledVirgilio，whomadewitchrhymes，bywhichhecouldraisethedead。
Plentyofpeoplecametoseeus，bothEnglishandItalians，andamongsttherestthepriest。Hedidnotcomeamongstthefirst，butallowedustosettleandbecomealittlequietbeforeheshowedhimself；andafteradayortwohepaidusanothervisit，thenanother，tillatlasthisvisitsweredaily。
’IdidnotlikethatJackPriest；soIkeptmyeyeuponallhismotions。Lord!howthatJackPriestdidcurryfavourwithourgovernorandthetwoyoungladies；andhecurried，andcurried，tillhehadgothimselfintofavourwiththegovernor，andmoreespeciallywiththetwoyoungladies，ofwhomtheirfatherwasdoatinglyfond。AtlasttheladiestooklessonsinItalianofthepriest，alanguageinwhichhewassaidtobeagrandproficient，andofwhichtheyhadhithertoknownbutverylittle；andfromthattimehisinfluenceoverthem，andconsequentlyovertheoldgovernor，increased，tillthetableswereturned，andhenolongercurriedfavourwiththem，buttheywithhim-yes，astrueasmylegaches，theyoungladiescurried，andtheoldgovernorcurriedfavourwiththatsamepriest；whenhewaswiththem，theyseemedalmosttohangonhislips，thatis，theyoungladies；andasfortheoldgovernor，henevercontradictedhim，andwhenthefellowwasabsent，which，bythebye，wasnotoften，itwas，“Fatherso-