CONTENTS. PAGE, MOUNTJOT - 5 THE GREAT MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE DON JUAN
A Spectral Research BROEK OR THE DUTCH PARADISE 41 70 78 SKETCHES
IN PARIS, 1828 My French Neighbor the Englishman at Paris English
and French Character the Tuileries and Windsor Castle the Field of
Waterloo Paris at the Restoration 83 AMERICAN RESEARCHES IN ITALY
Life of Tasso Recovery of a Lost Portrait of Dante 101 THE TAKING
or THE UIL 106 THE CHARMING LETORIERES 118 i THE EARLY EXPERIENCES
OF RALPH RINGWOOD 116 THE SEMINOLBS Origin of the White, Red, and
Black Men the Conspiracy of Neamathla...., 144 KS LETTER PROM
GRANADA 155 K ABDERAHMAN, FOUNDER OP THE DYNASTY OF THE OMMIADES IN
SPAIN 161 v THE WIDOWS ORDEAL THE CREOLE VILLAGE N. A. CONTENTED
MAN 179 189 196 THE CRAYON PAPERS. BY GEOFFREY ORATOR, GENT.
MOUNTJOY OR SOME PASSAGES OUT OF THE LIFE OF A CASTLE-BUILDER. I
WAS born among romantic scenery, in one of the wildest parts of the
Hudson, which at that time was not so thickly settled as at
present. Myfatherwas descended from one of the old Huguenot
families, that came over to this country on the revocation of the
edict of Nantz. He lived in a style of easy, rural independence, on
a patrimonial estate that had been for two or three generations in
the family. He was an indolent, good-natured man, who took the
world as it went, and had a kind of laughing philosophy, that
parried all rubs and mishaps, and served him in the place of
wisdom. This was the part of his character least tomy taste for
Iwas of an enthusiastic, excitable temperament, prone to kindle up
with new schemes and projects, and he was apt to dash my sallying
enthusiasm by some unlucky joke so that whenever I was in a glow
with any suddenexcitement, I stood in mortal dread of his
good-humor. Yet he indulgedme in every vagary for I was an only
son, and of course a personage of importance in the household. I
had two sisters older than myself, and one younger. The former were
educated at New York, under the eye of a maiden aunt the latter
remained at home, and was my cherished playmate, the companion of
rny thoughts. We were two imaginative little beings, of quick
susceptibility, and prone to see wonders and mysteries in
everything around us. Scarce had we learned to read, when our
mother made us holiday presents of all the nursery literature of
the day which at that time eoiissted of little hooks covered with
gilt paper, adorned..with cuts, and filled with tales of fairies,
giantSjan-d. enchanters. What draughts of delightful fiction didwe
then inhale My sister Sophy was of a soft and tender nature. She
would weep over the woes of the Children in the Wood, or quake at
the dark romance of Bluo-Beard, and the terrible mysteries of the
blue chamber. But I was all for enterprise and adventure. I burned
to emulate the deeds of that heroic princewho delivered the white
cat from her enchantment or he of no less royal blood, and doughty
enterprise, who broke the charmed slumber of the Beauty in theWood
The house in which we lived was just the kind of place to foster
such propensities. It was a venerable mansion, half villa, half
farmhouse. The oldest part was of stone, with loop-holes for
musketry, having served as a family fortress in the time of the
Indians. To this there had been made various additions, some of
brick, some of wood, according to the exigencies of the moment so
that it was full of nooks and crooks, and chambersof all sorts and
sizes. It was buried among willows, elms, and cherry trees, and
surrounded with roses and hollyhocks, with honeysuckle and
sweet-brier clambering about every window...
