reasons for staying behind would turn out such as you represent them; and I firmly trust that Providence will at length restore you to those dear and affectionate friends, who can know no happiness until they are blessed with your loved society. Take care of your precious health, my angelic boy. I shall soon be with you; I have written to Mr. Heywood (your and our excellent friend and protector) for his permission to go to you immediately, which my uncle Heywood, without first obtaining it, would not allow, fearing lest any precipitate step might injure you at present; and I only wait the arrival of his next letter to fly into your arms. Oh! my best beloved Peter, how I anticipate the rapture of that moment!-for alas! I have no joy, no happiness, but in your beloved society, and no hopes, no fears, no wishes, but for you." Mr. Heywood's sisters all address their unfortunate brother in the same affectionate, but less impassioned strain; and a little trait of good feeling is mentioned, on the part of an old female servant, that shows what a happy and attached family the Heywoods were, previous to the melancholy affair in which their boy became entangled. Mrs. Heywood says, "My good honest Birket is very well, and says your safe return has made her more happy than she has been for these two-and-forty years she has been in our family." And Miss Nessy tells him, "Poor Birket, the most faithful and worthiest of servants, desires me to tell you that she almost dies with joy at the thought of your safe arrival in England. What agony, my dear boy, has she felt on your account; her affection for you knows no bounds, and her misery has indeed been extreme ; but she still lives to bless your virtues." The poor prisoner thus replies, from his majesty's ship Hector, to his "beloved sisters all:" "This day I had the supreme happiness of your long expected letters, and I am not able to express the pleasure and joy they afforded me'; at the sight of them my spirits, low and dejected, were at once exhilarated; my heart had long and greatly suffered from my impatience to hear of those most dear to me, and was tossed and tormented by the storms of fearful conjecture-but they are now subsided, and my bosom has at length attained that long-lost serenity and calmness it once enjoyed; for you may believe me when I say it never yet has suffered any disquiet from my own misfortunes, but from a truly anxious solicitude for, and desire to hear of, your welfare. God be thanked, you still entertain such an opinion of me as I will flatter myself I have deserved; but why do I say so? can I make myself too worthy the affectionate praises of such amiable sisters? Oh! my Nessy, it grieves me to think I must be under the necessity, however heart-breaking to myself, of desiring you will relinquish your most affectionate design of coming to see me; it is too long and tedious a journey, and even on your arrival you would not be allowed the wished-for happiness, both to you and myself, of seeing, much less conversing with, your unfortunate brother: the rules of the service are so strict, that prisoners are not permitted to have any communication with female relations; thus even the sight of, and conversation with, so truly affectionate a sister is for the present denied me! The happiness of such an interview let us defer till a time (which, please God, will arrive) when it can be enjoyed with more freedom, and unobserved by the gazing eyes of an inquisitive world, which in my present place of confinement would of course not be the case. 66 “I am very happy to hear that poor old Birket is still alive; remember me to her, and tell her not to heave aback, until God grants me the pleasure of seeing her. "And now, my dear Nessy, cease to anticipate the happiness of personal communication with your poor but resigned brother, until wished-for freedom removes the indignant shackles I now bear from the feet of your fond and most affectionate brother, "P. H." In a subsequent letter to his sister he says, "Let us at present be resigned to our fate, contented with this sort of communication, and be thankful to God for having even allowed us that happinessfor be assured the present confinement is liberty, compared with what it has been for the fifteen months last past." On the 15th July, Commodore Pasley addresses the following business-like letter to Miss Heywood. 66 "I received your letter, my dearest Nessy, with the enclosure [her brother's narrative], but did not choose to answer it until I had made a thorough investigation; that is, seen personally all the principal evidences, which has ever since occupied my whole thoughts and time. I have also had some letters from himself; and notwithstanding he must still continue in confinement, every attention and indulgence possible is granted him by Captain Montague of the Hector, who is my particular friend. I have no doubt of the truth of your brother's narrative; the master, boatswain, gunner, and carpenter, late of the Bounty, I have seen, and have the pleasure to assure you that they are all favourable, and corroborate what he says. That fellow, Captain Edwards, whose inhuman rigour of confinement I shall never forget, I have likewise seen; he cannot deny that Peter avowed himself late of the Bounty when he came voluntarily aboard; this is a favourable circumstance. I have been at the Admiralty, and read over all the depositions taken and sent home by Bligh and his officers from Batavia, likewise the court-martial on himself; in none of which appears any thing against Peter. As soon as Lieutenant Hayward arrives with the re mainder of the Pandora's crew, the court-martial is to take place. I shall certainly attend, and we must have an able counsellor to assist, for I will not deceive you, my dear Nessy, however favourable circumstances may appear, our martial law is severe; by the tenor of it, the man who stands neuter is equally guilty with him who lifts his arm against his captain in such cases. His extreme youth and his delivering himself up are the strong points of his defence. Adieu! my dearest Nessy; present my love to your mother and sisters, and rest assured of my utmost exertions to extricate your brother. "Your affectionate uncle, “T. PASLEY." This excellent man did not stop here: knowing that sea-officers have a great aversion from counsel, he writes to say, "A friend of mine, Mr. Graham, who has been secretary to the different admirals on the Newfoundland station for these twelve years, and consequently has acted as judge-advocate at courts-martial all that time, has offered me to attend you; he has a thorough knowledge of the service, uncommon abilities, and is a very good lawyer. He has already had most of the evidences with him. Adieu! my young friend; keep up your spirits, and rest assured I shall be watchful for your good. My heart will be more at ease if I can get my friend Graham to go down, than if you were attended by the first counsel in England."* Mr. Graham accordingly attended, and was of the greatest service at the trial. Nessy Heywoodt having in one of her letters inquired of her brother how tall he was, and having * The late Aaron Graham, Esq., the highly respected police magistrate in London. Till the moment of the trial, it will readily be supposed that every thought of this amiable young lady was absorbed in her brother's fate. In this interval the following lines appear to have been written : received information on this point, expressed some surprise that he was not taller. "And so," he re On receiving information by a letter from my ever dearly loved brother Peter Heywood, that his trial was soon to take place. Oh! gentle Hope! with eye serene, And aspect ever sweetly mild; Who deck'st with gayest flow'rs each scene, In sportive, rich luxuriance wild. Thou-soother of corroding care, When sharp affliction's pangs we feel, And know'st deep sorrow's wounds to heal. Thy timid vot'ry now inspire, Thy influence, in pity, lend; With confidence this bosom fire, Till anxious, dread suspense shall end. Let not fear invade my breast, My Lycidas no terror knows; With conscious innocence he's bless'd, And soon will triumph o er his foes. While waking, make each moment shine, Fell slander falls with cruel power. And glory crown each future day! His innocence shines forth at last: No care shall cause the heaving sigh, NESSY HEYWOOD. |