CHAPTER XII. RETURNING to Philadelphia in June, 1797, the Princes had scarcely time to locate themselves ere the yellow fever broke out with violence, and they were counselled to follow the examples of all persons of respectability, and to leave the city. But this was impossible, owing to the reduced state of their finances, and they were forced to remain until the fall, when they received supplies from their mother, and proceeded northward by the way of Trenton. In New York the Princes were guests of Talleyrand, who inhabited a small house in the environs of the city, and was on the point of setting out for Boston when they arrived, to transact some commercial affairs. He persuaded his wandering countrymen to join him, and taking passage on board the sloop "Yankee Blade," they traversed the Sound in seven days to Providence. Here places were secured in a stage which was to start in three days, and which was a day and a half on the road to Boston. They were set down at the Hancock House in Corn Lane, then kept by a Mrs. Brazier, who was often afterwards mentioned by Louis Philippe to Bostonians as a pattern housewife. The arrival of the Princes in the metropolis of New England was announced in the Columbian Centinel of October 21st, 1797, then edited by Major Russell, to whom Louis Philippe had made himself known as a brother freemason, possessing means scarce sufficient for a week's subsistence. The Prince did not ask that direct charity which had been given to Brissot and other French masons by the Boston Lodges, but "offered him some books of great value." Without cheapening, the Major purchas d them. He penetrated the exigency. He gave the assistance cir cuitously which he had too much delicacy, too nice an apprehension of the sensitiveness of greatness in distress to offer directly, and an atlas, among the books thus purchased, he kept through life. To the claims of misfortune he never turned a deaf ear, whether his brother came from afar or from the next door, whether he was a pauper or a Prince. It is the distress, not the rank of the sufferer, which creates the claim to Masonic assistance." * On the afternoon of the above announcement, Major Russell took the Princes to witness the launch of the Constitution into that element upon which she has since won so much honor, and they afterwards visited the monument erected to the memory of Dr. Warren. By his advice they took board with a tailor named Amblard, whose house stood where the Globe Bank now stands, and every morning after breakfast they used to visit the Centinel office in Congress street, to read the foreign news in the exchange papers. Nor did Major Russell's good offices stop here; for he opened the columns of his excellent paper to Louis Philippe for the vindication of his father's memory from the black pall of infamy which shrouded it. The Centinel of November 15th,† contains a curious letter purporting to be written. by the confessor of " Egalité," before his execution. The writer goes on to say, that having proved to him by passages from Scripture that his "noble repentance would grant him salvation," "Yes," said the Duke, "I die innocent of the crime of which I am accused; may God forgive my judges as I forgive them. I have indeed deserved death in order to expiate my sins. I have contributed to the death of an innocent person, and that has been my bane, but he was too good not to forgive me, - God will join us both with St. Louis." This letter, coupled with the gentlemanlike deportment of the Princes, opened to them the doors of the first houses * Baylies' Eulogy on Benjamin Russell. + This was kindly communicated to the compiler by the Rev. J. B. Felt. in the city, even those belonging to the Federalists, who lamented Louis XVI. as America's greatest benefactor, and were contending against a spirit which was endeavoring "to organize Jacobin Clubs, as the legitimate organs of American Government." Owing to the prevalence of the yellow fever in the more southern cities, Boston was then unusually thronged with strangers, and Louis Philippe has often since spoken with great satisfaction of the pleasant evenings he passed at the houses of the Hon. H. G. Otis, John Amory, Esq., Col. Pickering, Gen. Knox, and others. He also recollected a Museum which was a place of fashionable resort, dancing assemblies given by Monsieur Duport, and the humble Roman Catholic chapel, which had just been graced by the pious Cheverus. Talleyrand was meanwhile busy in making purchases for the West India market, and wishing to visit the lumber contractors in Maine, the Princes joined him. They left Boston in a covered wagon, and passed some days at Newburyport, riding up one bank of the Merrimac to Haverhill, and returning by the other; and it once afforded great pleasure to the compiler of this work to hear Louis Philippe speak in high praise of this beautiful, though neglected river: "Earth has not any thing to show more fair." Journeying northward, the Princes were for a week guests at the Martin farm, on the borders of Sagamore creek, near Portsmouth. The Martin homestead is still standing, and some flowers sent from its garden to the Tuileries after Louis Philippe had ascended the throne, were acknowledged by an autograph letter. At Gardiner they accepted the hospitality of General Henry Dearborn, who occupied a house built in 1785, and destroyed by fire while the first sheet of this work was in press. Kosciusko had arrived in the United States, and the papers announcing that Lafayette and the Duchess of Or leans were on their way, the Princes returned to New York by Boston, Worcester, Hartford, New Haven, and New London. Letters of introduction given them in Boston procured them a hospitable greeting, and General Cass says that Governor Clinton, Judge Jay, Colonel Burr, and Colonel Hamilton appear to have been well known to Louis Philippe. One day Talleyrand invited the Princes to join him on a fishing excursion, and they left in a small sail-boat without any attendant. The weather was delightful, the wind fair, and their boat glided along up the East River, the exiles singing some of the glees which they had learned at the Court of Versailles. All at once, they found themselves drawn into a large eddy, in which their frail craft was carried round and round with considerable velocity, and they were forced to ply their oars in order to escape. Louis Philippe used often to speak of Hell Gate, and laugh at the fears of the ex-bishop Talleyrand, which displayed themselves in a continued volley of curses. The commercial emporium of America was then a comparatively small town, and when a map of New York was exhibited to Louis Philippe in 1838, he could scarce credit its astonishing growth. With the lower part of the city, however, he appeared to be perfectly familiar, and descanted on the fine view from the Battery, and the meats at Fly Market, in a manner that would have gladdened the heart of Knickerbocker. Instead of welcoming their mother to the land which had been a peaceful refuge to the Princes, they learned while at New York from the newspapers that she had been transported with the Prince of Conti and the Duchess of Bourbon to Spain. A law had been passed at the close of the 18th of Fructidor, banishing every Bourbon from France, and the affectionate trio of exiled sons were again sorrowful. 66 My poor mother, my beloved mother!" exclaimed Louis Philippe; "she also is included in this unjust and severe decree! What has she done to France, but love it, cherish it, plead for it, weep over it, suffer for it? We will speedily join her. She is gone to Spain! Dearest mother, thou shalt not remain sonless as well as a widow whilst we are alive!" From that moment their resolution was taken; but how long it was before it could be carried into effect! England and Spain were at war. The communications between the United States and the Peninsula were, therefore, either interrupted or dangerous, and many difficulties opposed themselves to the realization of their filial enterprise. The only practicable route which offered itself was to repair to Louisiana over land, and then endeavor to find a vessel bound for Havana, whence English vessels sailed for Europe. The Princes accordingly left Philadelphia on the 10th of December, 1797, on horseback, but Beaujolais becoming fatigued, they purchased a wagon. Arriving at Carlisle on Saturday, when the town was full of the neighboring yeomen, they drove up to a public house, in front of which was a feeding-trough for the use of travellers, who might not choose to have their horses put up in the stable. The bits were removed, and while the horses were feeding, they became frightened by a passing squad of volunteer soldiers, and dashed off at full speed. For a while they kept on well enough, and the Princes began to congratulate themselves, when they came to a tree which remained standing in the centre of the road, with a path on either side of it as is often seen at the present day in the far West. One of the horses chose to pass on one side, and his fellow on the other, so the pole came in violent contact with the tree, and the occupants of the wagon were thrown out with great violence. Stunned by the fall, Louis Philippe lay for some moments insensible, but on recovering, managed to bind up and draw blood from his arm. Quite a crowd had collected to watch the operation, and as at that period the New England States were sending out swarms of emigrants to |