she sometimes spoke a greater truth than she was aware of when to express the trouble occasioned to her Family by Silvia she said that fair Lady had brought fire into her House Silvia indeed was never so surprized as she found her self when she saw that perplext Lover come into her Appartment where he fell on his knees before her whilst the rest were saving themselves almost in their shirts for it was in the night And when hindering her from running away with them he confest to her that he had caused that disorder on purpose Fear nothing said he there is a ditch full of Water betwixt us and the fire You may be safe here and never stir from your Chamber Deny me not one moment to hear me when I do sacrifice all to so dear an occasion Silvia did what he desired and heard him whilst she was making her self ready Being convinc'd that he must be in great need of speaking with her who for that purpose only had set his House on fire She told him the reason of all the cold usage he had found by her of late in her feigned slights and the discourse she had had with his Mother and lastly the promises which she thought her self obliged to make that Lady lest she should take a resolution to part them The Lights he got by this Conference did him all the good in the World And lastly Madam after a quick deliberation about what measures they should keep to deceive their Overseers for the time to come She saw her Gentleman so well pleased that he would not for a great deal not to have burnt a piece of a fair Building Mean while the fire which was seen afar off had Alarm'd the Neighbouring Towns and Castles round about The Marquis de Birague being but four or five miles off was none of the last that perceived that it was our Castle which was on fire He got his Horses sadled and rid up in hast to us Not finding Silvia among the other Ladies in the Park where they were fled he ran every where to know what was become of her He went up to her Chamber at last and was like to have surprized there the Earl of Englesac But as the Marquis to whom indeed she was then extreamly obliged did as he went call her with a loud voyce and made much noise that gave time to the Earl to hide himself Silvia did escape that danger by counterfeiting her self to be in a swoon that so she might be excused for staying behind And by enduring some kisses that the Marquis took on her cheeks for his pains of carrying her away in his Arms She did abide it and made no shew of coming to her self again till she was a pretty way out of her Chamber so that the cold Air might seem to have done it Since that time the brave Earl and the fair Lady did live together with a great deal of care and circumspection and the better to conceal their Love they feigned to hate one another mortally They laid this plot and went on with it with discretion and cunning enough pretending for it the most probable causes that was possible for them to invent Birague was so glad of it that he was the first person deceiv'd in it Englesac's Mother was the next and to that degree as to chide her Son for it and seek out a thousand wayes of shewing her love to Silvia to comfort her as to the hatred of that Gentleman and to assure her of her protection against him In a word they were happy had they but been content with this precaution A man of Quality of that Country about that time fell in Love with Silvia at a Visit that he made to thâ— Countess of Englesac For though she had no intention to intangle any body else into her Love and was content with that she found in Englesac yet it is very hard for such persons as have set their hearts at rest enjoy the happiness that Silvia found her in to forbear being extream civil to others and shewing them that complaisance and good humour by which they are catcht on a sudden before either party be aware of it The Earl who knew wherein lay the true charms of Silvia would have her make as if she had liked his Love well This was too much subtilty That Gentleman became deeply in Love with her did often write to her and the Earl by a youthful imprudence took a fancy to make him an answer in Silvia's name wherein the humour of making a sport on 't caused him to take the Liberty to make her speak amourously enough This undiscreet Rival as scarce any man can forbear to be otherwise when they think they are in favour and even when they do not think so shew'd this Letter to a Friend That Friend told it another This told it to Birague who believed it to be Silvia's hand and complained of it very much to her She did chide the young Earl for it seeing the wrong that Letter did her But he acknowledging his errour and thinking to mend it by a greater fault took a resolution to discover that himself was the Author of that writing and that he had made only for to put a jest upon his Rival In conclusion a very great mischance was occasioned by these follies Not long after the Chevalier des Essars gave the divertisement of a Ball or Feast with Dances as the custom is in France to the Elder of the Ladies of Englesac There was a great Assembly and very good Company which the nearness of the Court had occasioned to meet at the Marquis d' Ampus The two Rivals were there and having pickt a Quarrel I know not how they agreed to meet the next Morning about a Town called Villeneufue Their Combat was bloody two Seconds were kill'd upon the place and the Earl's Adversary very much wounded This business had two very sad effects The one that the King having renew'd his Edicts against Duels there was no safety for Silvia's poor Lover to stay any longer in France And the other that when the true cause of that Duel came to be known the Countess of Englesac could not but see clearly that the hatred betwixt her Son and Silvia was but a trick they had joyntly contriv'd to put upon her Nothing at that time could have happened to Silvia of worse consequence than that For as she was the visible cause of all that trouble and of all those disorders that the Countess was fall'n into with her whole Family That good Lady the very next morning commanded her to be carried away into a Cloyster at the same time strictly forbidding to let any body come to her till she were resolved to take the Vow of a Nun. Besides the affliction of being thus closely shut up Silvia had another in this occurrence which was that the Cloyster she was lockt in was not that where she had been before and where being acquainted with the
her that she knew her to be so wise as not to be in danger of ever yielding to any act of folly and so just and acknowledging as not to be desirous to make her advantage of the folly of her Son concluding that she desired her that she would so cut off all hope to her Son that he should forsake the design he had lately engaged in Do not you be angry said the Countess to Silvia seeing that her discourse had made her blush that I speak to you so freely 'T is because I love you dearly and would never forgive my self if for want of giving you timely notice you should engage in any thing that might oblige me to desire your abfence and to complain of you A secret pain which succeeded Silvia's blush had kept her eyes down till the Countess made an end of her discourse And although she did fore-see that she should have much to do to observe what she was going to promise Yet lest the Countess should resolve to put her away she pass'd her word for what that good Lady would have her It was not long e're this resolution did vex the young Earl extreamly who was not able to imagine with himself the cause of the alteration that he saw in Silvia A hundred times he would have asked her what occasion she had to do so But still she was so wel observ'd somtimes of Birague sometimes of the Mother that she durst never speak with him for all she was near as desirous as the Gentleman to have done it whilst the good man taking it for a slight of him grew so desperate upon it that he fell dangerously sick And in this place Madam I could wish your Highness would please to dispense me of the Law that I have made my self to say many things in few words and give me leave to be less short in the Relation of that Love which is yet dear to my memory But I fear Silvia may be deceived in that hope she hath that she shall give your Highness an account of things that will please you whilst they may perhaps please none but her self who is still concern'd in them What a folly it is for a Woman to be in Love And how unhappy must she be that hath Honour and Virtue both with Love what a sufferer was poor Silvia during the dayes that her Lover kept his Bed and she was not suffered to see him What pains did he suffer himself whilst he did not see her I believe the spight he took of it was that that made him get up the sooner out of the desire he had to reproach her with her hard-heartedness I remember the very words he told her in that spightful humour which he did conclude in himself was the best grounded in the world The Countess of Englesac was employed on a certain day to entertain the Duke of Villars and the Bishop of Aggde who came together to visit her The Chevalier des Essars a worthy Gentleman and the handsomest man in his Country was come along with them And as I have said already that the Count of Englesac had two Sisters the Eldest of which the Chevalier made love to I think the Duke was come thither on purpose to find a way to match them together and I cannot tell what was the reason that the Match was not concluded However whilst the Mother was talking in a great Room with the Duke the Bishop had put the rest of the Company in mind of going into a Gallery and all went to sit down at the end of it Silvia's young Earl came thither also to sit by her and having first sighed very deeply that she did not look upon him for she durst not do it by reason his younger Sister did hold her on the other side and lean'd fooling on her shoulder he told her softly with a tone full of spight You will have me dye I can see it well enough yea you will have it so and it is easie to see that you would have been pleased if you had seen me dye of my last sickness But I shall live long enough yet to reproach you with your inconstancy oftner than you would have it Silvia not answering him any thing but on the contrary lest his Sister should hear what he told her turning her shoulder to him and making a shew of fooling with her whilst he spoke This provoking more and more his anger he went on with these words You are I must tell it you again the most unsincere person in the World thus to hide your self from me And you are no less unjust whilst you punish a man that you will not hear speak for himself Whatsoever doth fill the room of your heart which was only due to me I hope it shall have but a short joy of it By my destiny I can fore-see that of my Rivals none of which can pretend to be more happy in you than he that did love you more than any man else in the World can do and for ought I see more also than you deserve To this he added so many reproachful words that Silvia had much ado to keep her tears from appearing and to answer him she cover'd her face with her Fan and taking her time when the Chevalier des Essars had obliged the young Lady Englesac to turn her self towards him she told that desperate Lover looking side-wayes on him these words Be silent do no longer afflict me What I do I do by meer force and constraint I am the most unhappy Woman in the World and I do wish I had never seen you She rose up from her seat presently after these words taking his Sister along with her and went away resolving to avoid a commerce which could not be otherwise than hurtfull to them both It would be too hard for me to express the perplexity of mind and the trouble wherein that loving Gentleman found himself upon the hearing of this news He knew very well for all he said that Silvia was sincere and that she must have very pregnant causes and reasons for what she did since she did speak to him in that manner Yet she had not said enough to his mind and nothing could satisfie him but another interview to clear himself of the doubts which he was left in What did not he do to obtain it It is almost incredible Madam and it was such a thing as was still worthy of Silvia who was destined to see and to occasion all manner of extraordinary effects He set fire to one part of the Castle because he could devise no other way to disperse all the people that seemed to be hired to vex him and his Love but by obliging them to fear something of worse than their meetings The Countess of Englesac will possibly wonder when she shall reade here the true cause of this Accident which otherwise she might probably have been for ever ignorant of Such was the passion her Son had for Silvia And
door she saw the face of Birague and the Company had enough to do to settle her spirits from the fright that she took at that sight Why then would say that poor Gentleman who was really afflicted to see Silvia so hard set against him Had you rather in good faith be still in the Cloyster and lye open to the revenge of Madam of Englesac and all the effects that in time it was like to have brought upon you than to think your self a little beholden to me for your Liberty Fouquet and his Lady did much help him to perswade Silvia to shew her self less wild and more acknowledging of his intended good Service And she was at last with much ado prevail'd upon to pardon them that treachery Next they advised all together what measures they should take to avoid or prevent the ill consequences of that Escapade w Silvia and the Religious Woman went both to bed together and the Gentlemen thought fit to return to Avignon before day that they might both shew themselves there and hear the news of the Town And so went in at another Gate than that they had gone out by It was scarce break of day when the Alarm began to be very hot in the Monastery The news of the Ladie 's flight was spread abroad in a moment An Aunt of the Nun which was then at the Court did complain very highly of the Nuns saying they had given their consent to the flight of her Niece The Lady of Englesac fearing lest her Son of whose pardon she had still some hopes should take the opportunity of marrying Silvia somewhere out of France spoke yet with more earnestness than any body And did even implore the Queen's Justice Her Majesty suspecting the Duke of Guyse had a hand in the business did look less kindly upon him all that day The Duke who was very innocent of all did protest that he had no share in it And desiring to remove all suspition from him seat some of his own Servants to seek after the Nuns So that Silvia and her Camrade were not a little busie being embark't into an affair of that consequence and having so many set up against them All they could do was only to let things slumber a little and slip out of the discourse and memory of men whilst the King was reducing Orange and in the mean while to comfort themselves the best they were able in Birague's House It hath not been the Opinion nor the talk of the World that those two Gentlemen were during that time as wise and sober as the strictest Monks Every body hath been inclinable rather to believe they made use of the opportunity and did enjoy those Goods which Fortune seemed to offer unto them Yet Silvia cannot but do them that Justice as to profess that never men were more respectfull nor more modest that in the condition wherein she saw her self and full of fears and terrours as she was she did not hope they would have been so discreet and so temperate And that it was then that she began to set a greater value upon Birague then she had ever done before Let any body else that will be as just to her as she is to the Gentleman Silvia and the Nun did not stay long in that House For the King a few dayes after had the Keys of Orange delivered to him and having set a good number of Pioneers to demolish the Cittadel he went all along the lower Languedoc till he came to the Isle of the Conference where the Infanta was to meet him Fouquet who wanted neither wit nor Friends did think fit to make use of the passage of that little Army which commonly does compose the attendance of Kings to ride away with less suspition out of a dangerous Neighbour-hood He put the Ladies into Chariots of Baggage dressed them like Merchant's Wives following the Court and the word being given to take on the right hand when they should come beyond Carcassonne he had them carried to Thoulouse under pretence of going thither to take in Provisions for Monsieur the King's Brother The Lady President x of I know not what I have forgot her name A good Old Widdow and a Couzen of the Nun's who had never approv'd of her being forc'd to take the vows of a Religious Life received them both into her House And taking presently in hand the defence of her Kins-woman brought her cause to the Parliament of whom she desired a Warrant for her Niece to have the liberty of her Person that she might pursue the dissolution of her Vows She obtain'd it at last after a long time and much ado And Fouquet although he had been put almost to all the trouble did not reap the fruit of it But I need say no more of the circumstancs of that story which now has nothing to do with that of Silvia Being come to the Old President she did not think her self much safer there than in Birague his House It may be she was less For Fame that Monster that grows bigger and bigger as it sets forward had spread the noise of her Story as far as Thoulouse and drawn her Character in far worser colours than those the Marqueeze of Ampus and the Countess of Englesac had made use of to ruine her with the Queen Several came every day without knowing who she was to tell her Stories or Fables rather of her Life which did not a little vex the poor Lady On the other side the Old President seeming to suspect somewhat of the truth though Silvia went only for a Maid that waited on the Nun was not very well pleas'd to see her in her House It was much worse when her Cousen thinking to do Silvia good Service did open the whole Mystery unto her She took exception against those assiduities of Birague And the jealousie of the Marqueeze his Wife which did now proclaim every where how much she did suspect the familiarity of her Husband with Silvia gave another onset to the business The watchfulness and diligence that the Countess of Englesac did use for to find her out went still beyond all the rest of her persecutions The good Old Woman was affraid lest any body should come to her Cousin to be inform'd of what was become of Silvia For the Nun was now no longer concealed and it was easie for any body to think that being both miss'd in the Convent at the same time they had gone out together and knew something one of the other All that caused the good Woman under a fair pretence of being careful of Silvia's Interest to advise her to go out of Languedoc as soon as she should be able Silvia understood what she meant and took it for granted that she must be gone and that it must be so but yet found her self in a strange perplexity of mind not knowing any further which way to go nor how to dispose of her self as having no Friends no Kindred no Acquaintance that
sporting with Fortune who plai'd the wag with me should extricate my self chargeable with so few suspitions and I say so few Madam because they imagined and that not without cause that the absolute necessity of concealing my self had engaged me to be prudent as well as my innate vertue and permitted me at the most onely to make other women to miscarry Besides the major part of the Flemish Ladies I say the most rigid did not look upon me with a more evil Eye They did not so much as open their Mouth but onely to bemoan my Misfortunes Nay I am apt to believe that to plead my Justification throughly I put some of them in the way to justifie my former proceedings for the Countess du Cardonnoy did as much five or six days after my arrival and fled in Man's Apparel from her Husband's house who Treated her too inhumanely You may possibly have heard all the particulars of that Story for the Lady took Sanctuary in your Highnesses Countrey Yet I did not procure my Dower without a Suit at Law with my Husband's Heir who was his Nephew and called Meneza also besides it had proved an intricate business when he grew Amorous and which would have continued a long time e're I could have accomplished it if a Brother of this Meneza who was Governour of several places in West India under the King of Spain had not been so audacious as to declare himself King This News coming luckily to the Marquiss of Castel-Rodrigo with Orders to secure all the Relations of this new Monarque the good Gentleman was taken into custody which tended somewhat to the advantage or at least expedition of this curious Enterprize and this was all that I met with in this Country As for the Earl of Englesac he was not so happy in Languedoc The Marquiss de Birague who was resolved not to lose his pretentions was very industrious from time to time to inform himself of all News He was not ignorant of my good or bad Fortune He knew that I was taken away by violence and suspected the Author of it He understood that my Husband was dead and I know not by what means he had discovered that the Earl and I had promised Marriage probably 't was by his friend Monsieur de la Frette who was told it at Brussels But at length to break the neck of all our designes he saw him no sooner arrived but he put it in the head of Madam his Mother to marry him with a She-Cousin of his Birague by name The person was Illustrious and the name of Birague correspondent Her Estate great for she was an Heiress and the Wit and Beauty of the Lady was much greater which rendred her not onely worthy of the Alliance of the Countess of Englesac but of a Prince himself so that I had no mean Rivaless The Earl soon understood the Stratagem which was the more intricate because the Marquiss did revenge himself on him by all the apparent tokens of highest esteem and that in effect that Marriage had proved a kinde of Fortune to him if without the enjoyment of me there could be any for that faithful Lover Besides as passionate as he was for me he wanted not good Conduct he rais'd this storm onely feignedly He was not so great an Heretick as some are who make it an Article of their Creed that when a Man is amorous of a Woman he is prohibited to play the Counterfeit gentilely with others and that he must grossly offend them all to make trial of his Fidelity Besides he was not a man that could do a publick injury to a young and fair person by a denial And on the other hand he could not do it without extreamly provoking his Mother who was a severe Lady What was his last resolution think you To see his new Mistriss and to make his Amours to her he behaved himself herein as many true-hearted men do who judge it no great crime to dissemble with Ladies what risque soever he runs by that means falling in love with them and all this in expectation of an opportunity to break off with them handsomely He believing also that it was not necessary for him to afflict me by giving me to understand that he was obliged to have recourse to his dissimulation he wrote nothing to me about it which occasioned a great confusion Birague the most experienc'd Lover in the world and the most perplexing Rival two qualities inherent in him which are no more to be disputed than that of a brave and accomplish'd Gentleman For in truth he is such as I Characterize him to be he has a Nobler Spirit than all the Heroes in History put them together He is one of the most Complaisant Gentlemen in the whole Universe when he is not unfortunate in his Love and truely I shall not be disturb'd if he should hear that I do him this Justice to publish his rare Qualities to the end that he may the better excuse the Complaints that I shall make of him in this insuing Story Birague I say who knew that de la Frette at Brussels held a general Correspondence of Intelligence by Letters with the Ladies of Montpellier and with some others of his Neighbours did not fail to make them write to this Gentleman about the Marriage which was in agitation La Frette who frequently visited the Marchioness of Sevil who had the goodness to flatter her self that it was upon her own account acquainted him with this Novel then he communicated it to me very cunningly and with a designe the more malicious because he thought that would disturb me and revenge himself of me for my cruelties I speak thus Madam because he was as yet one in the Catalogue of my Lovers and that my Malevolent Stars had such an Influence as to perswade him as well as many others that I must not be seen without being beloved or at least without being told so You may pretty well guess what I did then divine understanding this news which I did not suspect the Ladies of Montpellier to have a hand in besides that it was not barely invented yet for all that 't was somewhat irksome to me at first to perswade my self that it was so but at last my Capricio joyning with my Misfortune I was so offended with the Earl that without any farther examination of matters I desisted altogether from writing to him The Marchioness of Sevil who was so fond as to disclose all her Secrets to her dearly beloved Monsieur de la Frette went also to compleat my Misfortune and made him her Confident of this effect of my Choler and he looked upon it as an happy occasion to supply the Earl's place in my Affection if he could redouble the causes of my Defiance of him He intercepted and suppressed some Letters he sent to me which probably might have undeceiv'd me and wherein he acquainted me that my Silence was death to him and I really believing that
Madam this is not yet the whole History I must begin where I left off at what this dangerous man said to me after he was got into my Appartment and what I said to him my self he informed me among other things that his Wife lay a dying if she were not dead already which was nothing but truth What! said I in a foolish tone which I thought would prove much to his diversion if he had not been both Amorous and ill treated but an unfortunate Lover cannot laugh What! said I that might well be that you might have been or should be a Widower now Go Sir I added farther and assoon as you can possible deliver me from your sight Fly from hence and if you can be grateful think no more of me I thought also to have told him that I repented I had been instrumental to the saving of his Life But I ought perhaps to conceal these last circumstances which do me no great credit and will not appear in themselves very probable because it is a thing unheard-of almost that the folly of a Woman at least one that has not hitherto been judged unworthy of a Noble Family should hurry her self to such extremities However I have told you nothing but what hapned and my Stars were the cause of it I will adde farther boldly that I did not rest here and in time I might possibly have committed many greater Extravagancies if the Earl d'Englesac whom I had bewail'd as dead for above ten Moneths had not at last returned on purpose to put a stop to the whimsical effects of two different Passions I must inform you Madam of what pass'd particularly at this his unexpected Return First It was de Signac who though he was the Earl's absolute Rival brought him back more Amorous than before and having greater estimation of my Vertue than ever he himself had taken pains to undeceive him Could there be any thing done more honest They met with one another upon the Avenues of Champlastreux where one was walking when the other was travelling for Paris Secondly The way of bringing him to me was altogether new in that to surprize me the more pleasantly or to say truth more dangerously for it had almost been the death of me this young Gentleman was resolved to make me suddenly change my Anger into Joy and to effect it in lieu of submissive and modest complaints which he us'd in writing to me since his Exile told me Gentleman-like that he was weary of his Banishment and that I should prepare my self to receive him in my Chamber at midnight that he had found out a secret to render me Amorous and have thanks for his own visit and if I would not accept of the party I should dearly repent of it What could I think of such expressions which seem'd so insolent to one that did not apprehend them as I was far enough from understanding them yet this was nothing to what follows I was astonished when I found my Gentleman fail'd not to wait upon me at the hour appointed and advancing as far as the Door of my Chamber without any opposition or consideration 'T is true he was most certain of his excuse because accompanied with the Earl of Englesac I was I say amazed when I heard him say Open the Door Madam order the Door to be opened I come to bring you both Joy Love and a Repose that will be far more acceptable than that which I now interrupt I cannot express how highly he incensed me by this proceeding so void of Respect and so far estranged from the civility wherewith he ever treated me Merinvil was not yet in bed and I commanded her to tell that indiscreet person through the Key-hole that he should retreat and that I was cruelly offended at the liberty he had taken But he made answer he would not depart till they had opened the Door and that he would force it open rather than pass over that night without making his Peace with me as he designed He added many other things which were able to put me into a Passion though he pronounced them in a milde tone that spake his good Intentions so I resolved at last to open the Door but it was after I had seiz'd on a Sword in order to his Reception as I believed such an Insolent person deserved O! said I then aloud open him the Door and let 's see what he aims at I believe truely I had not spared him in that angry fit at that time Alas Madam how my Weapon dropt presently out of my hand at the sight of the Earl of Englesac who gave way to this cheating Surprize I made a great out-cry and that was all for I immediately fell into a Swoon and was too happy that the various Joys which were assembled together in my Heart all at once did not kill me upon the spot for they say Women do die thus sometimes When I was come again to my self my Tears onely spake for me and running to embrace this my dear Object I found it true that Signac had brought me both Joy and Love As for the Earl of Englesac he being prepar'd to see me before brought to me he might not probably undergo such violent Passions as I suffered though in standing mute and making use of no other Language but that of his Tears as well as I he sufficiently discovered the bottom of his Heart Almost an hour was spent in this manner after which having returned many thanks to the generous Signac and my Lover and I having clear'd one another and made a promise never more to question our fidelity we took leave in order to our meeting the next day at a certain place For the Countess of Englesac was as yet ignorant that her Son was alive or returned and he would not present himself to her till he had taken some Measures to marry me at last maugre all opposition whatsoever or at least be assured of this Contentment before he would re-commit himself to the discretion of Fortune which was so averse to us both Here Madam you have the Third Part of my Rehearsal In the Fourth I will give your Highness an account of what we were forced yet to rub over before this Marriage was happily compleated and this may prove as great a Curiosity as any of the rest I will also tell you in what part of the World my dear Earl had been so rigorously detain'd or rather in what place so remote he had spent all the time wherein he was suppos'd to be dead and could not write to any person In the mean time I beseech you to honour me so far as to believe it is in obedience to your commands that I continue the Relation of such things which possibly might be more properly omitted And that I am Your Highness's most Humble and most Obedient Servant H. S. D. M. THE ADVENTURES AND MEMOIRES OF Henrietta Sylvia Moliere PART the IV. I Am at length Madam arriv'd
Errour I found my Rival so handsome that we ever after linked our selves in a most perfect Tye of Friendship I told her with a smile that I forgave the Earl of Englesac's Infidelity which she was the cause of She replied with much Gallantry that she would not pardon him What shall I say Madam we had the most rare and agreeable Conversation imaginable I was not the onely Night-walker at that time for I found under the Porch of la Place Royale a man who without doubt waited upon some good success in his Amours and it was as I gathered by his Discourse the young Prince de Salmes whose Name I had formerly taken upon me and who had since that by his vanity disturbed the Earl of Englesac and my self He knew me assoon as I spake not to be the person he expected but however I seemed handsome enough to supply her place He desired me to take a turn or two with him in the Gallery to which I consented I had had a longing desire for some time past to meet with this Prince and to upbraid him with what he had said of me And this Adventure I ordered to my purpose and without discovering my self I demanded the particulars of him I did expect at least that he would be at a loss and to seek for an Answer But Madam to what are poor Females exposed my German-Prince told me such Circumstances of my Intrigue with him which had almost wrought upon me to believe them they carried so much probability along with them I was like to have been very loud with him and had been so beyond dispute if the Duke de Richelieu who came from the Mareschal d'Albret had not interrupted us and his Servants carrying Flambeaux before him the Prince de Salmes durst not as I presume be seen thus without any Retinue and I should not have been much pleased to be found alone with him so we departed hastily without Ceremony I know not whether what I had told him of my self had made him remember my Name or that he onely came to my House by mere accident but he did come some few days after with the Earl of Englesac to dine with me they met together at the Grand Prior's house and the Earl of Englesac loved dearly to treat his Friends nobly He did not know me again to be the Lady which he entertained in discourse at the Place Royale I gave him the relation as if I had received it from other hands and asked what he thought of it I put him in a great perplexity and he had divertised me a long time if the Earl of Englesac who was almost grown desperate for the trick I had put upon him had not told the Prince that I my self was the person I discoursed of The Prince de Salmes without doubt remembred some other things he had discoursed to me I found he blush'd and I apprehended him by the confusion he was in to be more bashful than scrupulous This had been a sufficient Intrigue with him if Fortune would have committed the Management of it to me but she did not at all advise with me thereupon I believe this Prince would endeavour to speak truth if he should boast of any Intrigue with me for the future From that day his Discourses were very passionate and some others afterward finding me in a Balcony of Madam de Montausier at St. Germains where I was placed to see the Russian Embassador go by and he told me in an Amorous way that I was the most Beautiful Lady of all the Court He did amplifie his Discourse with many Circumstances nay I must needs be very handsome that day for the Earl of Englesac took notice and told me of it also Furthermore he shew'd me to the Marquiss de Castelan Major of the Regiment of Guards that was walking with him in the Court and by this little Transport he added to the number of my Importunate Suiters by whom as it is registred in Heaven I shall be oppressed as long as I live For Madam this Marquiss fell in love with me and to compleat my Anxiety the Marchioness of Sevil grew Amorous of him And thus I came to learn it The Marchioness's Love was altogether fictitious and never had any other Woman so many Intrigues and so few extricated She sent every morning either Verses or Notes to Castelan though he knew not from whence these Gallantries were Castelan did somewhat depend upon the success of his Amours but some Ladies had baulk'd him upon that account He let one of his Notes fall in my Chamber and did what in him lay to perswade me after his way that it was a Favour received from some considerable Lady I knew the Hand upon sight and laugh'd heartily at the vanity of this Cavalier The Marchioness came in while I was laughing and understood the occasion of my Raillery though much against my will But this was not the greatest mischance that I received by this vanity of his The Marchioness had ordered a rich Scarf to be made and took her time to send it to Castelan on a certain day when the King had appointed a general Muster to be made for the entertainment of the Prince of Florence who was then at the Court Incognito She employed one of my Servants to carry this Present and though they had disguised him as a Courier that came from remote parts Castelan knew him again He unfolds the Scarf admires and shews it to all that had a minde to see it There were persons there who were so malicious as to say that he made himself that Present He endeavoured to prove the contrary and could not tell how to do it well but by naming me I was amazed to finde my self in Veau-de-ville with Castelan I cannot tell you Madam how many troubles this whimsie brought upon me Two or three Ladies who deserved to bear a part herein more than my self thinking that I was their Rivaless did grosly abuse me This came to the Ears of the Earl of Englesac and he was apt to believe them his Language was sharp to me and if the Lady of la Place Royale had not made it her business to appease him I had been in danger to lose him for ever But this was not all he had a private grudge within himself because that I was so much in favour with the person he loved Perhaps he thought that our friendship would obstruct the prosecution of his Affairs and I saw that it was time for me to go and intreat that Lady to be more tractable to make the Earl of Englesac in a better humour The Marchioness of Sevil helped to compleat my Vexation She thought at that time to have done me a piece of Service in divulging to the world that 't was she that sent the Scarf to Castelan He would not believe it because he thought not the Lady as I believe young enough to do him any kindness by her Present She made me
bear the burthen of that Contempt We wrangled again afresh and the Earl of Englesac who observing the maxime of distracted Husbands fell out about every thing wished me ill because the Marchioness complained of me This Misfortune was attended by another far more grievous and the Consequences thereof have been more tedious The Prince de Salmes continued his Amours to me and was wearied to finde no other effect of his Love but a freedom of visiting me He unbosom'd himself of this perplexity to I know not what Woman whose Name I have forgot and if I should remember it I know not whether I may be so bold as to acquaint your Highness therewith This Woman droll'd with him because he had made no farther progress and assured him that she knew a shorter way for him to the Conquest of my Heart I know not withal whether she did not tell him that it was no untrod-Path and that by his Conduct some Lovers had already followed him The German Prince believed her and promised her vast sums of Money if she could seduce me She pretended to endeavour it very earnestly and moving me sometimes to Cruelty and sometimes to Condescention she made me in fine resolve to subscribe to whatever the Prince de Salmes could desire I had engaged my word and upon my Lady's request I know not how I was discharged of that Obligation Do you not startle Madam at this piece of Impudence or at least to hear it from the Mouth of the person to whom this hapned Can you believe it to be probable I know not what course they took to deceive the Prince de Salmes whether the darkness onely contributed thereunto or that they applied themselves to Magique but he was so neatly cheated by a Bracelet which he thought he had bestowed upon me that he was also perswaded he had the entire fruition of his Desires This Mistake put him upon the spur to be familiar with me he did make use of his Priviledge and the first day he found me alone he lost himself in my opinion by his private Caresses I leave it to your Highness to think with your self how much I was surprized herewith I who had always found him the most respective man in the world and had done nothing to divert him from it I asked him if he had dined in the City and thought I had been favourable in accusing him onely of taking a Cup too much He broke out into a great laughter but observe what reason he had for it I had at that time on my Wrist the same Bracelet which he thought he had given me The person that received it had more need of Money than Precious Stones She gave it to a Woman-Huckster who by chance brought it to me and profered it me at so low a rate that I could not refuse the Purchase Do but frame to your self in your minde Madam the Personages that we represented the more the Prince de Salmes laugh'd the more I was offended He looked upon my Anger as counterfeit hard words passed between us and without allowing him time to explain himself better I forbad him my house You may judge that a happy Lover who sees himself thus used would think he was not obliged to be discreet The Prince de Salmes published the Adventure as he thought convenient and by this means it came to the Ears of the Earl of Englesac I cannot describe to you Madam his great Commotion He reproached me very outrageously and without lending an Ear to any Justification he made a vow never to set eye on me more and retired to his Mother's I ran about to seek the Prince de Salmes and said all that a just Resentment could move one to He knew not what to answer but at last gave me an account of the false Game they had play'd with us I undeceived him and doubted not but the Traytress that had put this vile trick upon me would her self confess the truth hereof for the Prince de Salmes divulged it with all the signes of true remorse for the Mischiefs he had brought upon me Yet his Discourse and Penitence was unprofitable the Earl of Englesac gave no credit to them but contrarily fancied with himself that had purchased the Attestation of the Prince de Salmes by the grant of some new Favours and being stir'd up daily more and more against me he set his Hand to the rupture oâ— the Marriage Then they took up the Cause again de novo the Countess of Englesac who depended upon the disgust of her Son letting the business lie dormant for some time till there was a better opportunity to prosecute it The Earâ— of Englesac was not of Age when I was espoused by him besides this Marriage was noâ— made with all the Forms and Circumstances requisite thereunto Is not here a fine Return to so violent a Passion and are not Women foolish to love in this manner I used my utmost endeavour to come to the sight of the Farl of Englesac and to make the last Essay whether my power over him were so great as formerly but he shun'd me carefully and that cruelty made me despair I walked one day musing with great Anxiety of minde in the Garden of Luxemburg A person of Quality whose Name I will conceal because his Repentance has purchased that respect since came and sate down on the Bank where I was reposed We did discourse indifferently on the Beauty of young Madam Stoup and Madam de la Mailleraye formerly Ladies of Honour to Maâ—am the Princess of Carignan who were walkâ—ng in the same Ally with us The man I â—â—eak of liked my Conversation and told me â—fter we had had some discourses concerning the various Charms of brown and fair Complexions that the cause first would be best managed by my Discourse I was out of humour to make a return to his Gallantry but I found that this man did relate to the Law and in that condition I was then I had need of the assistance of all persons We had an entertainment long and Ingenious enough He begged the freedom of visiting me and I granted it for the very samâ— reason that obliged me to enter into discourâ— with him I know not whether my free and joviaâ— way of behaviour gave him such hopes as never thought of or whether 't was his custom rashly to lay hold of them but he had not often repeated his Visits e're he gave me to understand his fatal Intentions I made him so sensible of my Displeasure that there was no way for him but to renounce his Courtship Yet this wrought not upon him and brought his Enterprize to that height as to leave a Purse of Gold upon my Carpet I sent it to him again and took such strict order with my Attendants that let him come when he would he should never see me more He was transported with anger at this divulged the circumstances and accident of the Purse without so much as
the first that did droll in Company after our own way of Entertainment But when malicious Spirits go about to poison Discourse they make every thing a Crime Your Highness may remember that I had stollen away the Heart of the Marquiss de from a Gentlewoman of Grenoble she ever owed me ill will after that Larceny and knowing that my Protector was a very vertuous man she understood so well how to work upon him that he was perswaded the Visits of the Chevalier de Montchevreüil were more culpable than they appeared to be insomuch that he would not concern himself with my business any longer I know not how so wise a man was so easily seduced nor how those innocent Toys which passed between the Chevalier and I could have so bad a Construction put upon them but in fine they did interpret them very prejudicially and said such things of us both as put me to the blush when I think of them The persons of Quality on whom he depended blamed him for his Gaming and in truth he was never cut out for a Gamester he was ever so unfortunate But he could not leave it off nay he would shut himself up with Gamesters that he might play all night long without interruption He honoured me with his Watches as if he were in my company and they perswaded the good man that I spake of that whenever they searched for Montchevreüil and could not finde him he was then Caressing of me My Adversaries buoy'd up this false rumour by their Authority and Testimony and I know not whether they did not likewise make use of some shift to countenance it for the talk was concerning a man muffled up in a great Champaigne-cloak that went out of my house at break of day They invented several other strange circumstances besides which had as little of truth in them What shall I say Madam my Protector was ashamed that he ever had born that Name and write what I could in my own Justification for he would not permit me to see him he continued inexorable His change made so great an alteration in my Affairs that I concluded I should lose my Cause and therefore took a resolution to go and cast my self at the King's Feet to Petition him that I might sue in another Court or have other Commissioners deputed to try my Cause I departed from Grenoble upon this designe and however I gained this advantage by my Misfortunes that all men were insupportable to me One of my greatest griefs in going to Paris was in thinking that I must be obliged to lend an ear to some of them for I guessed very right that when a Woman is somewhat handsome and that she undertakes Sollicitation at Court she is frequently exposed to be caressed by Courtiers This reflection more than once perswaded me to steer my old course I know not what I should have done without the Remonstrances of Merinvil but she asked me whether I would live without Estate and Name in the World and when I was not sufficiently sensible of this consideration she grew angry told me that I had lost my sense and that she could wish I had ten Lovers provided that one of them would free me from trouble She had not any long time to discourse me with these kinde of Follies for I learned by my arrival at Lyons that the King was upon his departure for the Isle where he was resolved to pass away two moneths time and better This delay afflicted me very much I did not question but my departure from Grenoble would have lost me those few Friends that I had left and seeing my self deprived of the ready help which I expected I repented my self that I had taken such ill Measures But Patience was the onely remedy What could I do The King would not hear any business till his return and if I could possibly move him with Compassion how should I overtake him that makes such long Journeys and was 100 Leagues before me Well I comforted my self as well as I could and resolved to go to Lyons all the time that the King would be in Flanders I thought that it would be more easie for me to live there a solitary Life than at Paris and I had formerly made a friend at Languedoc which was then a Pensioner in St. Peter's Abbey from whom I expected great matters She had no greater cause to praise men than I had and we spent our time whole days together in strengthening our selves in the Spleen we owed them A Divota one of her friends who was very Ingenious and Complaisant did sometimes come to our entertainment and did always make it very pleasant for she was naturally merry She told me and my friend that we were Fools to shun the society of Men because they had injured us 'T is not by avoiding their Company that they are punished said she on the contrary you should converse with them endeavour to please them and then make them run mad But I replied By enraging them they destroy Women and if they are so civil as not to do it the Publique will without their assistance Adde to that says my Friend that usually by endeavouring to bring but one Lover to despair we come to love him insensibly and prove by this means that Love is not to be sported with We entertained one another one day after this manner when the Earl de Tavanes who went from Lyons in order to his passage to Candia where he after lost his Life and who was very intimately acquainted with the Religious Woman I speak of came to see her the Nun that attends at the Round Box or Portress sent him into the Parlour where we were and though I disappeared at his sight yet I was very much offended at this Rencounter I told my friend the next day after that if her Parlour were made so common to all the world she should seldom have me there with her She appeased me as well as she could and assured me that I need not have any apprehension of fear upon the account of that Gentleman that I saw there And indeed Madam she had already seen the Earl de Tavanes several times who perswaded her that he hated our Sex as much as I hated theirs I did not at first believe that Hatred was real I told my friend that there was some mystery hid under that and that she was the person to be wheedled But the Religiosa and she told me so many things to take off that suspition that in conclusion they did perswade me and I my self had a desire to see a person so rarely to be found That was no difficult matter I went every day to St. Peter's Abbey and he himself seldom missed coming thither We met together as we did the first time and I protest to you that I confirmed that was said of him He made the difference considerable between her and other Women She is not a little obliging added he and he must
depart so rudely out of the Garden that I had not so much time as to exchange one word with him I was troubled that he left us thus and would willingly have made an Essay how he stood affected towards me before he had seen any person that might have incensed him against me I desired Don Pedro to go after him and to bring him back to me if possible but he could not finde him for he had taken Horse and it was not known till a long time after what was become of him You cannot believe Madam the noise that this accident made at Brussels Maubeuge as 't is probable you know is not far distant from thence and there is great Communication between both these Towns for many Ladies of Maubeuge have their Families at Brussels and make it their Winter-quarters They soon knew that the Marchioness de Meneza which was then known to be the Countess of Englesac was in that Country that she had sojourned there for some time under an imaginary Name and as those people who make it their business to poison all things with the virulency of their Tongues do not stop half way they assigned several causes of this my Disguise which I never so much as thought of and indeed was certainly incapable of dreaming any such thing The absence of the Flemish Marquiss did help to render these rumours more dangerous The Earl of Monterey was angry with him because he went away without taking leave of him His Lady was so vexed at it that she grew worse ill than ordinary and they looked upon me as the cause of all for they began to reason and argue upon his being so long at Maubeuge It was well known that he visited me as often as he had an opportunity and when they saw him thus departed almost half desperate and without prosecuting any of his Suits against me they guessed at one part of the Truth and his Parents wish'd me very ill for it My Abbess and I did imagine with reason that we must steal our selves away from their Resentments and we also apprehended that the Ladies of Maubeuge were discontented that this Comedy was acted among them but we knew not how to get from them for this was the time when the French King made War against the Hollanders and all these Countries were over-run with Souldiers some being put into Maubeuge for its safeguard to hinder the Enemy from insulting Upon this consideration we durst not expose our selves to pass through so many Troops unknown and much less required Guards or Pasports under our Name for I feared some ill turn from the Heirs of the Marchioness of Sevil and my Abbess had the goodness to believe upon my account as if they had been her own The Love of Don Pedro was hereupon a great help to us for Don Antonio of Corduba was at last reconciled to his Mistriss and resolved to consummate the Marriage This left Don Pedro entirely to me and I was not less acceptable to him when I was the Lady d'Englesac than how as Niece to the Abbess of Cologne On the contrary I think that I pleased him better and that he framed within himself such Idea's of my person since he knew me as rejoyced him more than those he had when he knew me not Hereupon he came very obligingly and proffered us a Castle for our Retreat in a Country that was Neuter and his Guard to conduct us I confess Madam that this offer did not a little please me and that in spight of my scornful humour I knew then that I had really touch'd the Heart of Don Pedro. We did accept of his Retirement with satisfaction and his Conduct also and had all the reason in the world to be pleased therewith at the very first for the Castle whither he led us was very pleasant and we arrived there without any accident It belonged to a Lord of Liege one of his Friends who was then near the Prince of Liege and had a very great Employment that fixed him there who had left there two Sisters and one Relation who seemed to be very rational persons Don Pedro leaving us with them return'd for Brussels where his Duty obliged him to be but promis'd to come and revisit us assoon as he could and in the mean time to inform us of all News wherein I was in the least concern'd I heard none but what was troublesome for Madam the absent Marquiss was dead since our departure and they wish'd me as much prejudice upon the account of his Death as if I had murdered him Alas I could not contribute much to it for Madam if you remember the first time that her Husband spake to me of her he told me she was threatn'd with sudden Death But they had intercepted I know not what Letter which this man had sent to me at Maubeuge wherein he made as they report great Protestations of Love to me This woman was jealous hereat and they would have this to be the cause of her Death rather than the mortal Disease which had seized upon her a long time before This Letter so surpris'd created two or three bad effects For the Love of the Marquiss pass'd for currant which at first was only suspected upon very weak grounds They supposed and that is seldom wanting in Detractors that I had entertained him either with Favors or Hopes This did again cloud my Reputation de novo and that which proved worse in the consequence was that Don Pedro seeing he had a declar'd Rival and understanding that the Death of his Wife made him sole Master of his Actions he fear'd some Enterprizes and hereupon made me be kept up in this Castle like a Prisoner I did not perceive any thing of this for I seldom went abroad and if I did and had spied any Souldiers I should have look'd upon them as our Protectors and not our Goalers Thus I patiently waited for the end of the War at Cologne and according to the gayety of my own Humour I only sought after some company among the Ladies of Liege to comfort up my self in these new troubles that befel me I told your Highness that they were persons very rational and they proved so indeed They had been educated at Brussels where the Gentry are very polite and endeavour to imitate their great Lords They were more witty and pleasant than usually the Women of Liege are and his Niece above all was the most Complaisant and Mild Person that ever I was acquainted with her Name was Angelica and her Mother was the Confident of the Amours of the Duke Uncle to the deceased person last mentioned and of the Countess of This Gentlewoman and I contracted a very firm Friendship and she sometimes gave me an account of what she had learn'd from her Mother concerning this Love I am discoursing of Without any fallacy Madam these two Lovers must needs love each other very passionately and I wonder that their Love continued not