e. The journey in this case, unlike so f his later ones, was undertaken with no object beyond his own interest and enjoynd possibly the benefit of his health. Of ails of the tour we know nothing, save the t he visited France and Italy; but it was = at this time that some of the pictures rks of art were purchased which afterdorned the house at Cardington.

Low come to the curious story of Howard's rriage. Like his illustrious contemporary, nson, he married a woman old enough to mother; and, like Richard Hooker, his e was to some extent due to the discomfort n lodgings. But whereas in Hooker's case -riage was suggested by the landlady, who, presenting that he ought to have some one : after him, presented him with her er Joan as a suitable wife, in Howard's e suggestion was all his own, and it was dlady herself, and not her daughter, to harms he succumbed. The facts are these. return from his travels, Howard, whose was anything but good, was advised to to the country, and settled down in lodgfirst selected, and presently moved into the of a Mrs. Sarah Loidore, or Lardeau-the na given in both forms. Here he was seized v severe illness; and so grateful was he fo attention shown to him by his landlady, th his recovery, the first thing he did was to offe his hand in marriage. Owing to the dispar their ages, for Mrs. Lardeau was over fift Howard himself but twenty-four, the lady hesi to accept. But her suitor was persistent, a the end obtained her consent. The mar which took place in 1752, turned out better might have been expected. Mrs. Howa represented as a "sensible worthy woman,' her husband was sincerely attached to her. was, as we have seen, in easy circumst himself, and showed his disinterestednes settling his wife's small fortune upon her s The union, however, was not destined to long duration, for Mrs. Howard, who was in health at the time of the marriage, died to the close of 1755, and Howard was left a wid before he was thirty.

CHAPTER II

O THE DEATH OF HOWARD'S SECOND WIFE

f Residence-Foreign Tour-Capture by French teer-Experiences in a French Prison-Howard d F.R.S. Settles at Cardington-Second Marriage ecdotes of Mrs. Howard-Removal to Watcombe turn to Cardington-Birth of a Son and Death of Howard.

E death of Mrs. Howard led to the breakap of the house at Stoke Newington.

in characteristic fashion distributed his e among his dependents and poorer neighnd in after years his old gardener delighted how, on this occasion, he received as his nd" a bedstead and bedding, a table, six nd a scythe, in addition to a guinea for a ay's work, probably in removing furniture. ime Howard took lodgings in St. Paul's 'ard, but being now free to indulge his r roving and his desire to see foreign s, it was not long before he started once on his travels. Shortly before this, there moved probably by curiosity rather than an philanthropic design of relieving distress, dete mined to visit the scene of the calamity and make a tour in Portugal. He failed, however, reach the country, for the Hanover, the packet which he sailed, was captured by a Frenc privateer, and taken into Brest. The account Howard's experiences on this occasion must given in his own words, as he refers to the incide in a note in his book on Prisons, in order to illu trate the sufferings of prisoners of war.

"Before we reached Brest I suffered th extremity of thirst, not having for above for hours one drop of water, nor scarcely a morsel food. In the castle at Brest I lay six nights up straw, and observed how cruelly my countrym were used there and at Morlaix, whither I w carried next; during two months I was at Carha upon parole, I corresponded with the Engli prisoners at Brest, Morlaix, and Dinnan: at th last of these towns were several of our ship's cre and my servant. I had sufficient evidence of the being treated with such barbarity that mar hundreds had perished, and that thirty-six we buried in a hole at Dinnan in one day. When came to England, still on parole, I made known the Commissioners of Sick and Wounded Seam

Drought home in the first cartel-ships." 1 addition to the account of his sufferings, ned in this note, a few details are added by 1. At Brest the prisoners were kept for a Lerable time without nourishment; at last at of mutton was thrown into the filthy con, which the prisoners were obliged to tear ces and gnaw like dogs. At Carhaix, where ent two months on parole, the person at = house he lodged supplied him, though an stranger, with both clothes and money-for d been stripped of his belongings at Brest. when at length he was allowed to return to nd it was only upon his promise that he once more return to captivity, should the sh Government refuse to exchange him for a h naval officer.2

5 curious that at this early period, many years = his philanthropic labours began, Howard I thus have experienced in his own person hing of the sufferings which he was to spend er years in alleviating. The incident, howstands by itself, and can hardly be said to

State of Prisons, p. 11.

wn's Life, p. 19, cf. Universal Magazine for 1790.