THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE. BY HENRY CURLING, ESQ. Oh Heaven! that one might read the book of fate; Oh, if this were seen, The happiest youth,-viewing his progress through, Would shut the book, and sit him down and die. SHAKSPERE. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1843. • Chatts. 3 vol. 4.68 ADVERTISEMENT. THE following story records the life of a man who, because he met with frequent misfortunes, believed himself to be languishing under the ban of fate, a notion consonant to a popular fallacy. A more dangerous delusion, however, cannot be entertained. It is one that deadens our endeavours; precludes a scrutiny into the character of those means which, as they often miscarry, ought at least to be suspected; hinders us from adopting new schemes of life, and new modes of action; and tempts us to lay on chance the blame more justly attributable to ourselves. (RECAP) 7-10-39- Hunt - Picker The hero of this tale then shows the folly and madness of unbridled passion and reckless impulse, which never fail to produce 3704 .36 988 disastrous results. His sophistical reasoning is, in fact, only the blind solace of self-love-of that unhappy flattery and egotism which veil from us one of the most important truths, namely, that " CONDUCT IS FATE.” LONDON, NOVEMBER, 1843. THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. "With all my heart," cried the host, who, going to his own chamber, brought out an old portmanteau secured with a chain, which being opened, the priest found in it three large volumes, and some manuscripts written in a very fair character. DON QUIXOTE. It was about the autumn of the year when two gentlemen of the military profession were seated in a dilapidated room of a miserable pot-house, the only place of entertainment in a small savage looking village situated amongst the bogs and mountains of the west of Ireland. Although the sign pertaining to this ill-favoured hostel, creaking and swinging in the VOL. I. B |