$70

CALDWELL The lieutenant under whom he had enlisted, having con mended him in the highest terms, these circumstances we communicated by the colonel to the marshal, and by the la ter to the empress, who soon after gave him a lieutenane He continued to apply himself very diligently to the stud of his profession, but an accident happened to him whic was near putting an end to his life and prospects at once Reading one night in bed, he fell asleep, and the cand falling from his hand, set fire to the curtains; he wa however, fortunate enough to escape in time to save th house from destruction, but the greater part of the furn ture in the room was consumed; on account of which t le of the house obtained the sequestration of half hi till the damage was made good. This involved hin pay, in great distress, but he acquiesced without complaint The circumstance, however, soon became known, ane coming to the knowledge of a large convent of Irish fran ciscans established at Prague, one of the fathers of which happening to have known Sir John Caldwell, our young hero's father, in Ireland, gave this account of him to the fraternity-f Sir John," said he, " thougb a staunch protes tant, always treated the Roman catholics with humanity and tenderness: in particular, one stormy day, when it rained very bard, he discovered a priest with his congre gation, at mass under a hedge: and instead of taking that opportunity of blaming them for meeting so near his house, be ordered his cows to be driven out of a neigh- bouring cow-house, and signified to the priest and people that they might take shelter from the weather, and finish their devotion in peace. It ill becomes us, therefore, brethren," said he, "to see the son of Sir John Caldwell distressed in a strange country, remote from all his friends, without affording him assistance." The fraternity, having heard this account, contrived, by mutual consent, to have the debt paid, unknown to young Caldwell, who, shortly afterwards, being advanced to a company, presented them with treble the sum, and returned bis brother's letter of credit. From this time he was