and paid my passage, giving me, at the same time, thirty Neapolitan ounces, which were sufficient to take me to Florence, where I might expect an engagement. After taking an affectionate leave of me, he sent his faithful valet Giuseppe, a Milanese, who had lived with him several years, in the boat with me, to see me safe on board. Giuseppe was a worthy creature, but as vain of his hair-dressing as the elder Vestris was of his dancing, and flourished his comb with as much grace and dignity as le Dieu de dance moved the minuet de la cour. Poor fellow, he shed tears at parting with me, and said,-" Farewell, Signor! remember your attached Giuseppe; in whatever part of the world you may be, if embarrassed, write to me, and I will go to you. I can live any where, for in classical hair-dressing I will yield to none, however illustrious; and thank heaven! in these days, the comb takes the lead of every thing."

The wind was fair, and we set sail from beautiful Sicily, "where Ceres loves to dwell." I was dreadfully sick during the first day and night, and obliged to keep below. The second, I went on deck, and had a view of the Lipari Islands, famous for their delicious wines; Stromboli, their chief, was out of humour, for it poured forth volumes of flame. It is said that this mountain discharges a greater quantity of lava than either Etna or Vesuvius, and never ceases roaring! On the third morning, I was

After

roused by a dreadful noise on deck; when I went up, all was uproar; at last the captain told me we were pursued by a Turkish galera; the crew, instead of working the vessel and endeavouring to escape, were on their knees, each praying to his patron saint! some one of which, however, was propitious, for a stout breeze springing up, we got close in shore, and lost sight of the terrible galera. After being six days at sea, during the last of which it blew a complete hurricane, at eight o'clock in the morning we arrived in the bay of Leghorn, and lay close to the Lazzaretto; it is a beautiful building, and was then used as an hospital for seamen. we had been visited by the officers of health, I went on shore to shew my passport at the Custom-house; I had on a Sicilian capote, with my hair (of which I had a great quantity, and which, like my complexion, was very fair) floating over it: I was as thin as a walking stick. As I stepped from the boat, I perceived a young lady and gentleman standing on the Mole, making observations; as the former looked at me she laughed, and as I approached, I heard her say to her companion in English, which, of course, she thought I did not understand, "Look at that girl dressed in boy's clothes!" To her astonishment, I answered in the same language, "You are mistaken, Miss, I am a very proper animal, and quite at your service!"

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We all laughed till we were tired, and became

immediately intimate; and these persons, my acquaintance with whom commenced by this childish jest on the Mole at Leghorn, continued through life the warmest and most attached of my friends. All love and honour to your memories, Stephen and Nancy Storace! He was well known afterwards, as one of the best of English composers; and she was at that time, though only fifteen, the prima donna of the Comic Opera at Leghorn. They were Londoners, and their real name wanted the t, which they introduced into it. Their father was a Neapolitan, and a good performer on the double bass, which he played for many years at the Opera House, when the band was led by the celebrated Giardini. He married one of the Misses Trusler of Bath, celebrated for making a peculiar sort of cake, and sister to Doctor Trusler, well known in the literary world as a chronologist.

The elder Storace, Doctor Arnold, and Lowe, the singer, opened Mary-le-bone Gardens for the performance of burlettas, &c. &c. Owing to the attraction of the music, and Miss Trusler's plumcakes, the Gardens were successful for a time; but, disagreeing among themselves, the proprietors closed them, I believe, with loss.

When Mr. Sheridan married Miss Linley, and brought her from Bath, their first lodging in London was at Mr. Storace's house, in Mary-le-bone,

and from that time a strong friendship existed between the families. Nancy, the only daughter, could play and sing at sight as early as eight years old; she evinced an extraordinary genius for music; and Stephen the son, for every thing! He was the most gifted creature I ever met with! an enthusiast and a genius. But in music and painting he was positively occult! I have often heard Mr. Sheridan say, that if he had been bred to the law, he thought he would have been Lord Chancellor.

His father sent him, when very young, to the Conservatorio St. Onofrio at Naples, to which he became a great ornament. Nancy Storace had the singular good fortune to be instructed by Sachini, and Rauzzini, in England; and after making prodigious progress under them, her father took her to Naples, where she sang at some of the Oratorios given at the theatre St. Carlo, during Lent. She was very well liked, and afterwards went to Florence, where the celebrated soprano singer, Marchesi, was engaged at the Pergola theatre. He was then in his prime, and attracted not only all Florence, but I may say all Tuscany. Storace was engaged to sing second woman in his operas; and to the following circumstance, well known all over the Continent, did she owe her sudden elevation in her profession.

Bianchi had composed the celebrated cavatina, "Sembianza amabile del mio bel sole," which Marchesi sung with most ravishing taste; in one passage he ran up a voletta of semitone octaves, the last note of which he gave with such exquisite power and strength, that it was ever after called “La bomba di Marchesi !" Immediately after this song, Storace had to sing one, and was determined to shew the audience that she could bring a bomba into the field also. She attempted it, and executed it, to the admiration and astonishment of the audience, but to the dismay of poor Marchesi. Campigli, the manager, requested her to discontinue it, but she peremptorily refused, saying, that she had as good a right to shew the power of her bomba as any body else. The contention was brought to a close, by Marchesi's declaring, that if she did not leave the theatre, he would; and unjust as it was, the manager was obliged to dismiss her, and engage another lady, who was not so ambitious of exhibiting a bomba.

From Florence she went to Lucca, and from thence to Leghorn, where I met her, and where she was a very great favourite. I dined with her and her brother the very memorable day of my landing; and Stephen, who had a wonderfully quick conception, intuitively, as it were, inquired into the state of my finances. I honestly told him

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