attention and wonder imagining that the greatest Orators of the Kingdom could not be able to utter any thing beyond it After this the Strollers desir'd time to prepare themselves and had eight Days given them The Company parted after Dinner just as the Prior of St. Lewis hapned to come in Madam Star told him he had done well to come having sav'd Olive the trouble of looking after him The Actresses seated themselves upon the Bed and the Actors in Chairs The Door was shut and the Porter had Orders to send away every Body that came to speak with them After silence was proclaim'd the Prior began his History as you may find in the following Chapter if you 'll take the pains but to read it CHAP. X. The History of the Prior of St. Lewis and the Arrival of Monsieur Verville THE beginning of this History quoth the Prior cannot but be a little tedious since it consists chiefly of Genealogy Nevertheless this sort of begining is necessary too to introduce a perfect understanding of the matter in Dispute I shall not endeavour to disguize my Condition since I am in my own Country In another it may be I might have pass'd for what I really was not which nevertheless I have never yet done I have always been very sincere in this Point I am then a Native of this City the Wives of my two great Grand-fathers were Gentlewomen and had a de tackt to their Sir-names But as you know the eldest Sons going away with the greatest part of the Estate leave but little for the younger Children who according to Custom are either oblig'd to go into Orders or else to Marry some inferiour Person or other suitable to their Condition providing she be Rich and Honest pursuant to the Proverb which has been a long time currant in this Country More Money and less Honour So that my two Grand-mothers were Marry'd to two rich Tradesmen the one a Woolen-draper and the other a Linnen-draper My Father's Father had four Sons whereof my Father was not the eldest My Mothers Father had two Sons and two Daughters whereof she was one and Marryed to the second Son of the Woolen-draper who had left off his Trade to follow Petty-fogging whereby he fool'd away most of his Estate which was the Reason that he left me but little My Father had formerly thriv'd very much by his Trade and Marryed a very rich Woman for his first Wife who dyed without Children He was pretty well advanc'd in Years when he Marryed my Mother which she consented to rather out of Duty than Inclination insomuch that there was more of Aversion on her side than Love which no doubt was the reason that they were thirteen Years Marryed before they had the least hopes of having any Children At last my Mother was big and when the time of her Lying-in was come she brought me into the World with a great deal of Pain having been four full Days in Labour My Father who was at that time employ'd in prosecuting a Man that had killed his Brother was overjoy'd when at his return the Women gave him joy of a Son He treated them all as well as he could and made some of them drunk having given them strong White-wine on the Lees instead of Perry which he has many a time after told me and whereat we have laughed heartily Two Days after my Birth I was Baptised My Name signifies little to be mention'd I had for Godfather the Lord of the Place a very rich Man and my Father's Neighbour who having understood by the Lady his Wife that my Mother was with Child after so many Years Marriage desired he might hold what God sent her to the Font. What he desired was readily granted my Mother having no more Children than me bred me with all the care imaginable and perhaps a little too nicely for one of her Quality As I came to grow up it was observ'd I would be no Fool which occasion'd me to be mightily belov'd by every body especially by my Godfather who had but one only Daughter that had been married to a Gentleman a Relation of my Mothers She had two Sons one elder by a year than I and one younger by a Year but both who were as backward in Parts as I were forward which occasion'd my Godfather to send for me always when he had any of the better sort of Company which you must know he often had being accustomed to treat all the Princes and great Lords that passed by our Town to divert them which by Dancing Singing and Pratling I did For this purpose I was always kept in a better Garb than ordinary and I had surely made my Fortune with him had not Death taken him away suddenly as he was on a Journey to Paris I nevertheless was not so sensible then of his Death as I have been since My Mother sent me to Study and I profited extremely but when she understood my Inclinations ran towards the Church she took me from the College and brought me into the World notwithstanding her Vow to devote her first-fruits to God if he should please to give her any She prov'd quite contrary to other Mothers who do all they can to prevent their Childrens falling into ill Courses for she was continually feeding me with Money Sundays and Holy days especially to go a Gaming or to the Tavern Nevertheless having some discretion of my own all my Liberties and Abilities amounted only to making merry sometimes with my Neighbours I had contracted a more than ordinary Friendship with a young Lad Son to a certain Officer belonging to Lewis XIII's Queen Dowager who had likewise two Daughters He lived in that fine Park which as you may have heard was one of the greatest Delights of the ancient Dukes of Alençon His House there had been given him by the aforesaid Queen Dowager his Royal Mistress who had an Appennage upon that Dutchy We led a pleasant Life in this Park but that still like Children never thinking of what was to come This Officer of the Queens was called Monsieur du Fresne who had a Brother an Officer likewise who belong'd to the King This Brother requir'd du Fresne to send his Son to him which he could by no means refuse to do Before his Son went for the Court he came to take leave of me and I must own the parting with him raised the first Grief that ever I felt We lamented our Separation reciprocally but I had much greater Reason two Months after when I heard from his Mother the News of his Death I shew'd as much concern for the loss of him as I was capable of shewing and went immediately to join with his Sisters in their Grief for him which was exceeding great But as Time lessens all things when this sad remembrance was a little over Madam du Fresne came and desired my Mother that I might teach her younger Daughter a little to write whose name was Mademoiselle du
little difficulty to suffer them to enter and search his House as believing that they would not open his Chamber wherein he had hid the Gentleman he protected Don Sancho perceiving it was impossible for him to escape being found amidst the great number of the Watchmen and Mob that were spread all over the Garden came out of his own accord from the Lawrel-Grove and going up to Don Manuel who was not a little surpriz'd to see him whisper'd him in his Ear That a Cavalier of honour should always keep his Word and ought never to abandon one that he had once thought fitting to take into his Protection Hereupon Don Manuel desired the Constable who was one of his Friends to leave Don Sancho in his Custody which request was readily granted him being a Man of Quality and the rather because the Wounded Person was not yet Dead After this the Constable and Watch retired and Don Manuel having discovered Don Sancho and finding by his Answers that he was really the Person he had admitted into his Garden he did not doubt but the other must have been some Love-adventurer intended to have been introduced to his Daughters by Isabella To be the better convinc'd of the Truth he desired Don Sancho to go into a Chamber and not to stir thence till he came to him again which Sancho promised he would In the mean time Don Manuel went to Don Iuan de Peralta to whom he feigned that his Servant had come into the Garden at the same time with the Watch and desired to speak with him Don Iuan knew very well that his Servant was Sick a Bed and therefore could not well come to him besides he had had no Orders from him so to do and moreover knew not where he was all this together made him extremely concern'd at what Don Manuel had said to him Nevertheless that he might not discover himself thro' the want of a ready Answer he immediately reply'd to Don Manuel at random If you please Sir let him be ordered to attend me at my Lodgings Don Manuel then presently discovered him to be the young Indian Gentleman that had madâ— such a noise for some time in Seville and having been alreadâ— informed of his Quality and Estate resolv'd not to suffer hiâ— to go out of his House till he had married her of his Daughters whom he could best fancy He discours'd some time with him to be better satisfied in those matters which kept him still in suspence Isabella saw them talking together from the other Door and immediately went and told her Mistress of it Don Manuel soon perceived her and thought she was coming to bring a Message from one of his Daughters to Don Iuan and therefore left him to run after her and intercept her Design Just as he overtook her the Light that was in the Chamber was burnt out Whilst he was groping after her being in the Dark Isabella got clear of him and went and told Dorothea and Feliciana that Don Sancho was in their Father's Chamber and that she saw them talking together The two Sisters immediately run thither Dorothea for her part was not affraid of meeting her dear Don Sancho with her Father being resolv'd to confess how much she loved and was beloved by him as likewise for what end she had made that Assignation with Don Iuan. She happen'd to come into her Father's Chamber just at the same instant that Don Iuan was stealing out whom she taking for Don Sancho caught by the Arm and spoke to him thus Why cruel Don Sancho doest thou thus fly from me and wherefore wilt thou not hear my Vindication against the unjust Aspersions thou hast cast upon me I confess you could not have reproached me sufficiently had I but been guilty of what you have some sort of reason to believe me But you know there are many Falsities which sometimes have as great resemblance of Truth as Truth it self which is ever best discovered by Time Allow me therefore so much as may serve to unravel this Confusion wherein yours and my Misfortune and perhaps that of divers others has involv'd us Help me to justify my self and let not thy Passion which hurries thee on to condemn me provoke thee to pronounce an unjust Sentence before a due Conviction You may perhaps have heard continued she that a certain Cavalier Loves me but did you ever hear that I return'd his Love You may likewise have seen him here and it is most true that I have sent for him but when you shall also know for what reason I am pretty well assured you will repent of your cruel Usage to me and be inclinable to own that I could give you no greater proof of my Fidelity Why is he not now in thy Presence this Spark that importunes me so frequently with his Passion that I might have an opportunity to ask him before thee whether I ever gave him leave to profess he loved me or if he ever had any reason to believe I had read his Letters But my Misfortune is such added she sighing that as often as I would have shun'd him he has appear'd before me but now I have occasion for him to clear my Innocence he is absent Don Iuan had so much patience as to hear all she could say without giving her the least Interruption and that chiefly that he might thereby discover what she had all along before kept a Secret from him At last just as he was going to reproach her with baseness Don Sancho who had been groping from Room to Room to find the way into the Garden and still missing it at length came so near as to hear Dorothea talking with Don Iuan whom he knowing by her Voice approached them as softly as he could but was notwithstanding soon discover'd by Don Iuan and the two Sisters At the same Moment Don Manuel came into the Chamber with Lights carried before him by two Servants Hereupon the two Rival Brothers presently star'd each other in the Face looking fiercely and laying their Hands upon their Swords Don Manuel stept in between them to prevent any mischief and immediately commanded his eldest Daughter to make choice of one of them who as her Husband might be authoriz'd to chastize the other Don Iuan then began to speak and told Don Manuel that for his part he resign'd up all Pretentions to the Cavalier that was before him but that not through fear Don Sancho said the same thing adding moreover that since Don Iuan had been introduced into Don Manuel's House by his Daughter it was probable that she both loved him and was beloved by him and therefore for his part he would die a thousand Deaths before he would marry one with the least scruple upon her Then Dorothea throwing herself at her Father's Feet conjured him to hear her She related to him all that had passed between Don Sancho de Sylva and her to the time of his killing of Don Diego on her account She
They therefore thought themselves oblig'd to acquaint his Father therewith by a Messenger on purpose which they soon after did and who arrived just as a Letter was delivered the old Gentleman from Leander whereby he gave his Father to understand that he design'd for the Wars and therefore desired a sum of Money to accoutre himself This Stratagem had been laid between Destiny and him when he first discovered his Quality to him at the Inn where he was Wounded His Father soon discovering the Cheat flew into an excessive Passion which together with his great Age threw him into a Distemper that quickly concluded his Life Perceiving his end to approach he called one of his Tenants to him and commanded him immediately to go find out his Son which he told him he was most likely to do among the Strollers This the Farmer knew as well as he having been the Man that had furnish'd Leander with Money from the time that he had left the College so that understanding that there was a Company of Strollers at Mans he made all the haste he could thither and found his young Landlord as you have heard in the foregoing Chapter Ragotin was desir'd by the Company to leave them for some time to confer with the Tenant newly arriv'd which you may imagine he was very unwilling to do yet at last he retired into an adjoining Chamber where he waited with great impatience till their Business was over They had no sooner got him out of the Room but Leander brought in his Father's Tenant who immediately related the bad Condition the old Gentleman was in as likewise his earnest desire to see his Son before he died Thereupon Leander immediately craved leave to comply with his Father's dying Request which was judg'd reasonable to be granted by the whole Company It was then that Destiny revealed the Secret of Leanders Quality which he had all along kept private and which he did not come to the knowledge of till after the ravishing of Madam Angelica as you may have read in the Second Part of this true History He thought it now high time to let it be known as well to disabuse Mrs. Cave who could not get it out of her Head but that Leander was either the Principal or Accessory in the carrying off her Daughter as to oblige him who had done him the Honour to be his Serving-Man and would have continu'd so had he not found himself oblig'd to tell who he was while he was in quest of Madam Angelica He was moreover so far from consenting to the carrying away of Angelica that having met with her Ravishers he had hazarded his Life in her Assistance but that not having been able to resist so many People he had been dangerously Wounded and left for dead upon the place All the Company then immediately asked his Pardon for not having treated him according to his Quality which they thought themselves the more excusable for by not having any knowledge of the Matter Madam Star added farther that she had always suspected something from the great store of Wit and Merit she had observ'd in him and which she was afterwards confirm'd in especially when she saw her Mother Mrs. Caves Letters from him nevertheless she did not know what to think when she saw him so employ'd in her Brothers Service Then began Mrs. Cave to speak Addressing her self to Leander after the following manner Truly Sir after I had in some measure discover'd your Quality by the Letters you writ to my Daughter I had no small reason to distrust your Sincerity being not enclinable to believe that a Person who was to have so good an Estate after his Fathers death would ever condeshend to marry a poor Stroller But continued she I thank God the time is at length come that you are to be made happy in plentiful Possessions and I am to be deliver'd from a future possibility of being any more impos'd upon by your false Pretentions Leander being extremely surpriz'd at these Words quickly reply'd All that you say Madam I am likely to possess would not render me a jot happy if I were not assur'd at the same time of the Possession of your Daughter Angelica Without her I renounce all the Fortune which Nature and my Father's Death shall cast upon me and I declare to you before all this good Company that I go with so much willingness to enter upon my Succession upon no greater account than to return speedily to perform my Promise to Marry your Daughter which I here once more confirm and will speedily accomplish providing both she and you will do me the Honour to afford your Consents And if so added he I would not have you to think that I design to carry her to my own Home that is not at all in my Intentions for I have found so much Pleasure in a Strolling Life that I could never be perswaded to quit so many worthy Companions that have so largely contributed towards it After this obliging Declaration both the Actors and Actresses speaking altogether return'd him their most humble Acknowledgments averring at the same time that Mrs. Cave and her Daughter would not be a little to blame if they refused so advantageous a proffer Angelica for her part said no more than became one that was at her Mother's disposal only she bid Leander at parting to Hope if he continued in the same mind at his return After all the mutual Endearments and Tears that commonly pass between parting Friends it was agreed that Leander should go the next Morning upon one of the Horses that had been hired but which he refused chusing rather that of his Tenant which he thought would carry him better and would leave the Hackny for his Companion But we forget all this while quoth Destiny that Monsieur Ragotin is waiting without to speak with us Is there none among us added he that knows what he would have Hereupon Rancour who had been silent for some time open'd his Mouth to let them know that he knew and that that very Morning he had treated him with a Breakfast to procure himself an opportunity to acquaint him that he had a mind to be admitted of the Company without pretending to any share in the Profits having sufficient of his own and which he would rather chuse to spend in seeing the World than to live altogether at Mans as he had been advised to do Hereat Roquebrune presently advanced to give his Opinion that he ought not to be admitted and that for these Reasons Because said he two Poets under one Roof never agree it being with them as with Women where there are more than one there are too many Besides quoth he Ragotin ' s shape would never suffer him to be an Ornament to the Stage but would rather disgrace it For added he What Parts could he propose to Act As for the principal ones Monsieur Destiny would not permit him to undertake them and for the second best
reproach'd Destiny and Star that though during all the time they had liv'd together they might have seen how much she was their Friend yet they repos'd so little Confidence in her and her Daughter that they were still unacquainted with their Birth and Quality adding she had not met with Crosses enough in her Life to be able to advise unfortunate Persons such as they seem'd to be To which Destiny answer'd that their not discovering themselves to her was not out of any Distrust but because he thought the recital of their Misfortunes could not but be very tedious telling her withal he would be ready to entertain her with the Story of their Adventures whenever she was willing to throw any time away upon the hearing of it Cave was glad of this Opportunity of satisfying her Curiosity and her Daughter who had the same eager Desire being sat near her on Stat 's Bed Destiny was going to begin his Story when they heard a great Noise in the next Chamber Destiny stood listning a little while but the Noise and the Squabble encreas'd instead of ceasing and some Body cry'd out Murder Help Murder Destiny with three Leaps got out of the Chamber at the Expence of his Doublet which Cave and Angelica tore as they were going to stop him He went into the Chamber from whence the Noise came which was so dark that he could not see his own Nose and where the Fisty-cuffs Boxes on the Ears and several confus'd Voices of fighting Men and Women together with the hallow Noise of naked Feet stamping on the Floor made an hideous and frightful Uproar He ran very rashly amongst the Combatants and in one Moment receiv'd a Cuff on one side and a Box on the Ear on the other which changed his good Intention of parting those Hobgoblins into a violent Thirst of of Revenge He began to set his Hands a-going and made a Flourish with his two Arms by which many a maim'd Chops were abus'd as it afterwards appear'd by his bloody Fists the Scuffle lasted so long till he receiv'd twenty Cuffs more which he returnd with double the Number In the heat of the Fight he felt himself bit at the Calf of the Leg and clapping his Hands to it he met with something hairy which he took to be a Dog but Cave and her Daughter who appear'd at the Chamber Door with a Candle like the fire of Saint 〈◊〉 after a Storm espy'd Destiny and let him see he was amidst seven Persons in their Shirts who being in close Conflict before begun to let one another go as soon as the light appear'd This Tranquility did not last long The Innkeeper who was one of the naked Combitants grappl'd the Poet anew Olive who was also amongst 'em was attack'd by the Innkeeper's Man another of the Combatants Destiny went to part em whereupon the Hostess who was the Animal that bit him and whom he took for a Dog because she was bare-headed and had short Hair flew at his Face assisted by two Maids as naked and bearheaded as her self The Shreeks and Cries fill'd the Air once more the Cuffs and Boxes made the Room ring again and the Fight grew still warmer than before At last several Persons who wak'd at the Noise came into the Field of Battel parted the Combatants and procur'd a second Suspension of Arms. Now the question was to know the occasion of the Quarrel and what fatal Accident had brought seven naked Persons into one Room Olive who seem'd the least concern'd of all said that the Poet was gone out of the Room and that he saw him come back as fast as he could run follow'd by the Innkeeper who had a mind to beat him that the Hostess follow'd her Husband and fell foul of the Poet that as he was going to part 'em a Servant and two Maids fell upon him and that the Light happening to go out at the same time made the Fight last longer than 't would have done Now 't was the Poet's turn to speak for himself He said that he had made two of the finest Stanza's that ever were written since Stanza's were in Fashion and fearing to lose 'em he went to the Maid of the Inn for a Candle which they scornfully refused to give him that the Inn-keeper call'd him Rope-dancer which he return'd by calling him Cuckold He had no sooner spoke the word but the Host who was within reach gave him a good slap on the Chops you would have thought they made a fighting Consort together for as soon as the box on the Ear was given the Inn-keeper's Wife his Man and his Maids rush'd upon the Strollers who receiv'd 'em with sound Cuffs This last Encounter was more fierce and obstinate that the other two Destiny having clos'd with a lusty Wench and tuck'd up her Smock gave her a Thousand flaps on the Butrocks Olive who saw the Company pleas'd with it did the same to the other Maids The Inn-keeper was busie with the Poet and the Hostess the most Furious of all the Combatants was seizd by some of the Spectarors which made her fly into such a Passion that she cry'd out Theves Her Cries awak'd La Rappiniere who liv'd over against the Inn. He caus'd the Door to be open'd and judging by the Noise he heard that there could be no less than seven or eight People kill'd upon the Spot he parted the Fray in the King's Name and having learnt the cause of all the Disturbance he Exhorted the Poet not to make any more Verses in the Night-time and was like to beat the Inn-keeper and his Wife for giving a hundred abusive Names to the Players whom they call'd Jack-puddings and Tumblers swearing withal to turn them out of Doors the next day but La Rappiniere to whom the Inn-keeper ow'd Money threatned to Arrest him which threatning presently stopt his Mouth La Rappiniere went home again the rest return'd to their Chambers and Destiny to that of the Players where Cave desir'd him not to defer any longer to give her the story of his and his Sisters Adventures He told her he was ready to satisfie her Curiosity and begun his Relation in the same manner you shall see in the next Chapter CHAP. XIII The History of Destiny and Mistress Star I was born in a Village near Paris and I might make you believe that I came of a very Illustrious Family since no Body can disprove what a stranger says of himself but I am too Generous and too much a lover of Truth to deny the meanness of my Extraction My Father was one of the Topping and most Substantial Men in his Village whom I often heard say that he was a poor Gentleman's Son that he spent his Youth in the Wars where having got nothing but dry Blows and empty Pockets he betook himself to the Service of a rich Parisian Lady in the Quality of her Gentleman-Usher and that having scrap'd a Sum of Money in his Place because he was also
the Steward and Caterer of the House and had the knack of emptying his Mistress Purse to fill his own Pockets he Marryed an old Waiting-woman of the Family who dy'd soon afteâ— and left him all she got in her Service Being soon weary of his condition of a Widower and no less of that of a Servant he Marryed a Country-woman who furnish't his Lady's House with Bread And 't is to this last Marriage I owe my Birth My Father was call'd Gariques what Country he was of I never could learn and as for my Mother's Name it signifies nothing to my Story Let it suffice that she was more coverous than my Father and my Father more covetous than she and that they had both a pretty large Conscience My Father had the Honour of being the inventer of the piece of Flesh tied with a string to the Pot-handle which having boil'd a considerable time may be taken out again and serve several times to make Soop I could tell a hundred more pieces of Husbandry which gain'd him with Justice the Reputation of a Man of Wit and Invention but for fear of being Tedious I will content my self with relating only two which may seem Incredible though most certainly true He bought up a great quantity of Corn with design to sell it very dear if the year should prove bad but the Harvest being plentiful and Corn falling in its Price he was so possess'd by Despair and the Devil that he had a mind to hang himself One of his Neighbours who happen'd to be in the Room when he enter'd upon that Noble Design and had hid her self for fear of being seen for what reason I know not was not a little Surpriz'd when she saw him hang on one of the Joynts of the Cieling She ran to him crying out help help she ran to cut the Rope and by the help of my Mother who came to the Noise got it from his Neck Perhaps they repented the doing of so good an Action for he beat 'em both to Mummy and made that poor Woman pay for the Rope she had cut by stopping some Money he ow'd her His other Prowess is no less strange He grudged himself whatever he eat and his Wife being brought to bed of a Boy the Fancy took him in the Crown that she had Milk enough to Nourish both his Son and himself and hop'd that by sucking his Wife he would save Bread and live upon a Food of easie Digestion My Mother's Wit was much inferior to his though her Avarice was as great but though she did not invent things as my Father did yet having once conceiv'd 'em she put 'em in execution more exactly than he She therefore try'd to nourish both her Son and Husband with her own Milk and ventur'd also to feed upon it her self with so much Obstinacy that the little Innocent Creature was starv'd to Death and my Father and Mother so weakned and so famish'd that when they came to eat they Surfeited themselves and fell both Sick upon it Some time after my Mother went with Child with me and having happily brought forth a most unhappy Creature my Father went to Paris to desire his Mistress to stand Godmother to his Son with an honest Church-Man residing at his Village where he had a Benefice As he was returning home in the Evening to avoid the heat of this Day and pass'd through a great Strect in the Suburbs the Houses whereof were for the most part a building he saw afar off by the Moon-shine something that glister'd to his Eyes as it was crossing of the Strect He did not think it worth his while to enquire what it was but hearing the Groans of one in Pain at the same place where what he had seen vanish'd out of sight he boldly enter'd one of those unfinish'd Buildings where he found a Woman sitting on the Ground The place she was in receiv'd sufficient Light from the Moon as to let my Father perceive that she was very young and very richly clad having a Gown of Silver Tissue which was the glistering thing my Father saw a Moment before You must not question but my Father who did not want Resolution was less surpriz'd than the young Lady but she was in a condition that nothing worse could happen to her This Consideration gave her the assurance to speak first and tell my Father that if he was a Christian he would take pity on her that she was in Labour ready to be brought to Bed and the Maid she sent for a â—usty Midwife not returning she slipt away from her House without waking any Body her Maid having left the Door open that she might come in again without making a Noise She had scarce made an end of this short Relation when she was deliver'd us a Child which my Father receiv'd into the Lappet of his Cloak He acted the Midwife as well as he could and the young Lady conjur'd him to carry away the little Creature with all speed to take care of it and not to fail two days after to go to an old Churchman she nam'd to him who would give him Money and all necessary Orders for the Nursing of the Child At this word Money my Father who had a penurious Soul was going to display all the Eloquence of a Gentleman-Usher but she would not give him time she put into his hands a Ring for a Token to the Priest he was to go to from her caus'd him to swaddle the young Creature in her Neck-handkerchief and sent him away in hast Maugre his unwillingness to leave her in the condition she was in I am inclin'd to believe she had much adoe to get home again as for my Father he return'd to his Village gave the Child to his Wife and did not fail two days after to go to the old Priest and shew him the Ring He learnt of him that the Child's Mother was a young Lady of a very good Family and very rich that she got this Child by a Scotch Lord who was gone into Ireland to raise Soldiers for the King's Service and that this Foreign Lord had promis'd her Marriage Moreover the Priest told him that by reason of her precipitate Delivery she was fallen desperate sick and being in that Extremity she consest all to her Father and Mother who instead of Chiding her endeavour'd to Comfort her because she was an only Child that the thing was a Secret in the House and afterwards he assur'd my Father that if he would take care of the Child and keep Council his Fortune was made Thereupon he gave him fifty Crowns and a bundle of all sorts of things necessary for a Child My Father return'd home after he had well Dined with the Parson I was put out to Nurse and the Stranger kept at home in my stead A Month after the Scotch Lord came back and having found his Mistress so very ill that she would not live much longer he married her one day
before she died and so was no sooner Husband than Widower He came two or three days after to our Town with the Parents of his Wife There they began to weep afresh and were like to stifâ—le the Child with Kisses my Father had reason to be thankful to the Scotch Lord for his Generosity and the Parents of the Child did not forget him They return'd to Paris very much satisfied with the Care my Father and Mother took of their Son whom they would not yet take to Paris with them because the Marriage was still kept Secret for some Reasons which never came to my Knowledge As soon as I was able to walk my Father took me home to keep the young Earl of Glaris Company for so he was call'd by his Father's Name The Natural Antipathy which is said to have been between Iacob and Esau in the very Womb of their Mother was never greater than that which was between the young Earl and me My Father and Mother lov'd him tenderly and had an Aversion for me though I was the more hopeful Boy of the two There appear'd nothing but Mean in him As for me I seem'd to be what I was not and rather an Earl's Son than Gariquet's and if I am at last no more than a wretched Player 't is undoubtedly because Fortune had a mind to be reveng'd upon Nature for designing to make me something without her help or if you please because Nature is sometimes willing to favour those whom Fortune is cross to I shall pass over in Silence the Infancy of two young Clowns for Glaris was such by inclination as much as my self since our most Memorable Adventures were nothing but abundance of Fisty-cuffs In all the Quarrels we had together I always got the better of him except when my Father and Mother sided with him which they did so often and with so much Heat that my Godfather Monsieur Saint Sauveur by Name was highly offended at it and demanded me of my Father He made him a present of me with great Joy and my Mother had yet less Regret than he to lose me Thus I was at my Godfathers well Clad well Fed much Caress'd and never beaten He spar'd no Cost to make me learn to Read and Write and as soon as I was fit to learn Latin he obtain'd of the Lord of the Village who was a very civil Gentleman and very Rich that I should study with two of his Sons under a Learned Man he had from Paris and to whom he gave a very good Salary This Gentleman the Baron d'Arques by Name took great care to have his Sons well brought up The eldest call'd Saint Far was a handsom Gentleman but as untractably rough and brutish in his Nature as ever any Man was to make amends the young Brother was both handsomer than Saint Far and had a Vivacity of Mind and a Greatness of Soul equal to the Beauty of his Body In short I do not think there ever was a more hopeful young Gentleman than Vervelle for this was the younger Brother's Name He honour'd me with his Friendship and as for me I lov'd him like a Brother and ever respected him as a Master As for Saint Far he had none but ill Inclinations and I cannot better express the Sentiments he had both for his Brother and me than by telling you that he lov'd not his Brother more than me for whom he had a great indifference and that he hated me no more than he did his Brother whom he lov'd but little His Diversions were indifferent from ours for he lov'd nothing but Hunting and quoted Books of Morality whereas Vervelle seldom went out a Hunting and took great delight in Reading wherein I agreed wonderfully with him as in every thing else without being put to the trouble of doing any thing out of Complaisance as in Duty I ought The Baron d'Arques had a large Library of Romances Our Tutor who had never read any in his College who at first forbad us the reading of 'em and had condemn'd 'em a hundred times before the Baron d'Arques to render 'em as odious to him as he found 'em Delightful grew at last so much in Love with 'em himself that having devour'd both the old and the new ones he confest that the reading of good Romances was as Instructive as Pleasant and no less proper to inspire young People with Noble Sentiments than the reading of Plutarch He therefore encourag'd us to read 'em as earnestly as he had discourag'd us before and first of all advis'd us to peruse the Modern but these were not yet suitable to our Palate and till we were fifteen we were much more delighted by the reading of Amadis de Gaul than Astrea and other fine Romances that have been made since by which the French have shewn to the World as by a thousand things besides that if they do not invent so much as other Nations yet they bring the Inventions of others to a far greater Persection We therefore bestow'd upon the reading of Romances the greatest part of the time we had allow'd us for Diversion As for Saint Far he call'd us the Ruyters and went abroad every day either to Hunt or to beat the poor Country Fellows which he did with wonderful Succesâ— The Inclination I had to do well gain'd me the Favour of the Baron d'Arques who lov'd me no less than if I had been his near Relation He would not suffer me to leave his Sons when he sent 'em to the Academy but sent me thither along with 'em rather as a Companinon than a Servant There we stay'd about two year to learn our Exercises at the end of which time a Man of Quality Related to the Baron d'Arques raising Soldiers for the Venetians Saint Far and Verville persuaded their Father to let 'em go to Venice with their Kinsman The good Gentleman desir'd that I should accompany 'em still and Monsieur de Saint Sauveur my Godfather who lov'd me extreamly gave me very gener ously Bills of Exchange for a considerable Sum to make use of 〈◊〉 in case those I had the Honour to accompany should be unwilling to bear my Charges We went the longest way about on purpose to see Rome and the other fine Cities of Italy in each of which we staid a considerable time excepting those which are in the Spaniard's Hands I fell sick at Rome and the two Brothers went on their Journey the Gentleman under whose Conduct they were being willing to lay hold on the Opportunity of the Pope's Gallies which were putting out to Sea to joyn the Venetian Army near the Streights of the Dardanells where they waited for the Turks Verville was extraordinary sorry to leave me and I almost mad to part from him at a time when by my Services I might in some measure have deserv'd the Love he had for me As for Saint Far I believe he lest me with as much indifference as if he had never seen me
represented to me how unworthy I was of your Love However that would have serv'd only to exasperate my Disease with unprofitable Remedies and after having strugled a while I must at last have yielded to the irresistible Necessity of loving you which you impose on all that see you Well I love you my charming Leonora but with so much Respect that you ought not to hate me for it although I have the Boldness to discover it to you But how is it possible to die for you without boasting of it And how can you refuse to pardon a Crime with which you cannot reproach me long I own your being the Cause of a Man's Death is a Recompence not to be merited but by a great Number of Services and you will perhaps cnvy me an Happiness which you procure me without Design But do not grudge it me lovely Leonora since 't is no more in your Power to make me lose it and that 't is the only Favour I ever receiv'd from Fortune who will never sufficiently reward your Merit but by procuring you Adorers as much above me as all other Beauties in the World are below yours Therefore I am not so vain as to think that you will bestow the least Sentiment of Pity on I was not able to make an end of my Letter my Strength fail'd me on the sudden the Pen fell from my Hand for my Mind went so fast that my Body could not keep pace with it else that long beginning you have heard had been but a small part of my Letter so much was my Imagination warm'd by my Fever and by my Love I was a long time in a fainting Fit without giving the least Sign of Life which Signior Stephano perceiving he open'd the Chamber Door to send for a Priest In that very Moment Leonora and her Mother came to visit me having been inform'd of my being wounded Now as they thought this Accident besel me upon their Account and therefore that they were the innocent Cause of my Death they did not scruple to come to see me in the Condition I was in My Trance lasted so long that they went away before I was come to my self again very much afflicted as one may imagine and fully persuaded that I would never recover They read what I had been writing and the Mother more curious than the Daughter perus'd also the Papers I left on the Bed amongst which there was a Letter from my Father Garignes I was a long time struggling betwixt Life and Death but at last Youth got the better on 't in a Fortnight's time I was out of Danger and in five Weeks I began to walk about the Room My Landlord entertain'd me often about Leonora He acquainted me with the charitable Visit which she and her Mother had given me at which I was over-joy'd And if I was a little troubled at their reading my Father's Letter I was highly pleas'd that my own had been read also As often as I happen'd to be alone with Stephano I could talk of nothing but Leonora One Day calling to mind what her Mother told me that he could inform me who she was and what Reasons oblig'd her to stay in Rome I desir'd him to acquaint me with what he knew about it He told me that she was come to Rome with the French Ambassador's Lady that a Man of Quality a near Relation of the Ambassador was fallen in Love with her that in time she lov'd him too and that being married clandestinely she had the beautiful Leonora by him He inform'd me likewise that that Nobleman was fallen out with all the Family of the Ambassador upon this Account which oblig'd him to leave Rome and go to Venice with Madam la Boissiere for this was her Name till the time of the Embassy was expir'd that having brought her back to Rome he furnish'd her a House and gave her all Necessaries to live like a Person of Quality whilst he staid in France whither his Father call'd him back and whither he durst not carry his Mistress or if you please his Wife well knowing that none of his Relations would approve his Match I must confess I could not sometimes forbear wishing that Leonora were not the Legitimate Daughter of a Person of Quality that the Blemish of her Birth might excuse the Meanness of mine but soon repented so Criminal a Thought and wish'd her Fortune were answerable to her Merit Tho' this last Thought cast me into Despair for as I lov'd her more than Life it self I plainly foresaw that I could never be happy without enjoying her nor enjoy her without making her unhappy When I began to recover and that there was no other Remains of my Distemper but a great Paleness in my Face occasion'd by the vast quantity of Blood I lost my young Masters return'd from the Venetian Army the Plague which infected all the Levant not suffering them to signalize their Courage there any longer Verville had still the same Affection he ever had for me and Saint Far did not yet shew he hated me as he has done since I recounted to them all my Adventures except my falling in Love with Leonora Both express'd a great desire of being acquainted with her which my exaggerating the Merit both of the Mother and the Daughter encreas'd A Man ought never to commend the Person he loves before those who may love her also since Love enters at the Ears as well as at the Eyes This Folly has often been pernicious to those who were guilty of it which my own Experience will justifie as you shall see anon Saint Far ask'd me every Day when I design'd to carry him to Madam la Boissiere One Day when he was more pressing than ordinary I answer'd I could not tell whether she would admit of his Visit because she liv'd very retir'd Nay reply'd he I now plainly see you are in love with her Daughter and adding he knew how to go to see her without me in a very blunt manner I was so daunted◠that he firmly believ'd what he did scarce suspect before Afterwards he pass'd an Hundred silly Jests upon me and dash'd me so out of Countenance that Verville pity'd me He took me away from his unmannerly Brother and carried me to the * Place to take the 〈…〉 Coach as Hide-Park Course where I was extremely Melancholy though Verville out of a Kindness extraordinary in a Person of his Age and so much above me by his Quality us'd all possible Means to divert me In the mean time the ill-natur'd Saint Far endeavour'd to satisfie himself or rather to ruin me He went strait to Madam la Boissiere where they took him at first for me because he had my Landlord's Servant with him who had often accompanied me thither but had it not been for that I believe he had never been admitted Madam la Boissiere was very much surpriz'd to see a Man she did not know She told Saint Far she could not
shews the thing is not to be easily understood or is such as may Displease I must confess I have admir'd a hundred times since how I was able to answer her my Mind being less intent upon what she said than full of Fears of her Mother's return and losing the Opportunity of entertaining her with my Love However at last I muster'd all my Assurance and without prolonging a Conversation which did not carry me fast enough to the Point I aim'd at I told her without minding her last words That I had long sought the Opportunity to speak with her thereby to confirm what I had presum'd to express in my Letter which yet I durst not have undertaken but on the knowledge that she had seen that Writing To this I added a great deal of what I had Written and said Moreover that being upon my Departure to serve the Pope in the War he was making on some Princes of Italy and resolv'd to die there since I found my self unworthy to live for her I would entreat her only to tell me what Sentiments she would have entertain'd for me had my Fortune answer'd the Ambition I had to love her She told me with a Blush that my Death would not be indifferent to her and therefore added she if you are still of the same obliging Temper towards your Friends do not let 's loose one who has been so serviceable to us or at least if you will needs die for some greater reason than what you have just now express'd yet defer your Death till we have seen one another in France whither my Mother and my self are suddenly returning I press'd her to explain more clearly the Sentiments she had for me but her Mother was by this time come so near us that she could not have satisfi'd me if she had intended it Madam de la Boissiere look'd but coldly upon me perhaps because I had had an Opportunity to entertain her Daughter who likewise seem'd to be somwhat uneasie which made me stay but a little while with them after their being return'd home I left 'em highly pleas'd with my Adventure putting the best Interpretation on Leonora's Answer which I inferr'd to be favourable to my Passion The next day I omitted not to wait upon them according to my Custom I was told they were gone abroad and the same answer I receiv'd for three days together for I was not Discourag'd by the first or second Denial In fine Signior Stephano advis'd me to go no more because Madam ' de la Boissiere would not suffer me to see her Daughter adding he took me to be a Man of more Sense than to Expose my self to a Refusal Then he acquainted me with the reason of my Disgrace Leonora's Mother had caught her writing a Letter to me and having severely Reprov'd her for it did afterwards give a strict Order that her People should always deny their being within when I came to pay my Visit to 'em And then I likewise discover'd the ill Office Saint Far had done me and that ever since that time the Mother had been very much displeas'd with my Visits As for the Daughter Stephano assur'd me that my Personal Merit would have made her wave my mean Birth and Fortune could she have gain'd her Mother's Consent who was too Haughty and Covetous to be perswaded to it I shall not trouble you with the desperate Thoughts this unwelcome News put me into I was as much concern'd at it as if I had Injustice done in being refus'd by Leonora thô I never durst hope to have the least possession in her Heart I rail'd against Saint Far and had some thoughts of Fighting him but then considering how much I was oblig'd to his Father and Brother I had no other Refuge but my Tears I wept like a Child and was always uneasie but most of all in Company Now came the sad moment of our Departure and I was forc'd to go away without taking my last Farewell of Leonora We made a Campaign in the Pope's Armies where I courted Death as much as I could but Fortune disappointed me in this as she had e're done in all my other Attempts I could not meet with Death which I sought for but gain'd Reputation I did not aim at thô I had been proud of it at any other time whereas then I could cherish nothing but the pleasing remembrance of Leonora Verville and Saint Far were recall'd to France by the Baron d'Arques who receiv'd 'em like a Father who dotes on his Children My Mother gave me a very indifferent Reception and as for my Father he dwelt at Paris with Count Glaris who had chosen him Governor to his Son The Baron d'Arques who was made acquainted with my feats of Arms in the War of Italy where I had sav'd Verville's Life would needs have me live with him in Quality of a Gentleman and Companion He gave me leave to visit my Father at Paris where I found less welcome than I had done from my Mother Any other Person in his Station that had had a Son so Accomplish'd as my self would certainly have presented him to the Scotch Earl but my Father carried me out of his House in great hast as if he fear'd I should Disgrace him As we went about the Streets he Reproach'd my being too fine and gallant told me I seem'd proud and that 't were better for me to learn a Trade than thus to strut it with a Sword on my side you may imagine this Discourse sounded but harsh in a young Man's Ears that had been well Educated and gain'd some Reputation in the Wars And who besides had dared to love a handsom young Lady and declare his Passion to her I must freely own that the Sentiments of Love and Respect which a Son own to his Father could not make me refrain from looking on him as a very Troublesom old Man He led me about through three or four several Streets with the same Civility and Caressing Expressions and then shook me off Abruptly charging me not to come near him any more I was willing enough to obey this last Injunction and therefore quitted him to go and wait upon Monsieur de Saint Sauvour who receiv'd me like a Father indeed and blam'd my own Parents for their unnaturalness promising withal never to abandon me The Baron d'Arques had some Business which oblig'd him to go and dwell at Paris He took his Lodgings the further end of Saint Germains Suburb in a very stately House that had been lately built with many others which have rendred that Suburb the finest part of the City of Paris Saint Far and Verville made their Court to the King went to the * At the Ring in Hide-Park Park or a Visiting as all young Men of Quality are wont to do in that vast City which makes the Inhabitants of all other Cities in the Kingdom that never come there be accounted Clowns For my own part when I waited not on
Britany of a very disagreeable Figure and a worse Brain When I saw him going it came into my Thoughts that if the Party whether Waiting-Woman or Chamber-maid whom I had entertain'd should see him in that rugged Shape and speak with him a while that certainly she would not mistake him for the Person that waited on Verville This great Looby did his Message well enough for a looby having found Madam Saldagne with her other Sister nam'd Madam Lery whom she had entrusted with Vervilie's Love to her As he was waiting for an Answer they heard Monsieur Saldagne singing on the Stairs He was coming to his Sister's Chamber who hastily convey'd the British Mercury into a Press for Clothes However the Brother made no long stay with his Sister and so the Britan was set in the open Air. Madam Saldagne lock'd her self up in her Closet a while to answer Verville's Letter and Madam Lery discours'd the Britan whose Conversation I doubt was not very entertaining Her Sister having made an end of her Letter releas'd her from our Clown sending him back with a Billet wherein she promis'd to meet him that Night at the same Time and Place as before As soon as it was Night you may imagine that Verville was ready to go to the Place of Assignation We were admitted into the Garden and it fell to my Lot to cope with the same Person I entertain'd before and whom I found so very witty She express'd more Wit this second time than she had done at first and both her Accent and manner of Speech was so charming that I confess I wish'd she might be as Handsom as she was Ingenious In the mean time she could not believe me to be the Britan she had seen before nor could she apprehend why I should have so much more Wit by Night than by Day for having heard the Fellow relate that Monsieur Saldagne's coming into his Sister's Chamber had put him into a great Fright I took it upon my self and plaid upon her with it assuring her that I was not then in so much fear for my self as for Madam Saldagne This put it out of all Dispute that I was the same ill-favour'd Râ—gue and I observ'd afterwards she began indeed to discourse like a Chamber-maid She then inform'd me that Monsieur Saldagne was a terrible Man that having lost both Father and Mother in his Youth being Master of a great Estate and having only few of his Kindred he exercis'd a great deal of Tyranny over his Sisters to make them turn Nuns using them not only like an unjust Father but like a jealous unsupportable Husband I was about to take my turn and tell a Story of the Baron d'Arques and his Sons when the Garden-Door which we had not made fast was thrown open and in comes Monsieur Saldagne attended by two Footmen the one carrying a lighted Flamboy in his Hand He came from a House which stood in the same Row with his and ours where they gamed every Day and which Saint Far frequented to pass away the time They had both plaid there that Evening and Saldagne having soon lost his Money was coming home by his Garden contrary to his Custom and there surpriz'd us as I told you finding the Door open We were at that time all four of us together in a cover'd Walk which gave us opportunity to shun his and his Mens View The Gentlewoman remain'd in the Garden upon pretence of 〈◊〉 king the fresh Air and to give it the better Colour began to sing though she had little Inclination to it as you may easily imagine In the mean time Verville having scall'd the Wall by mean of a Vine-Arbour jump'd down on the other side But a third Footman of Saldagne's that was but coming in seeing him leap fail'd not to run and give his Master notice he had seen a Man leap from the Garden-Wall into the Street At the same instant I fell down with a great noise into the Garden the same Arbour by means of which Verville made his escape being unfortunately broke down under me This Noise together with the Fellow's Tale alarm'd all those that were in the Garden Saldagne runs to the Place from whence the Noise came Follow'd by his three Men and spying a Man with his Sword drawn for as soon as I could get up I put my self in a posture of defence he attack'd me at the Head of his Company but I soon made him know I was no easie Conquest The Fellow that carried the Flamboy advanc'd farther than the rest which gave me opportunity to see Saldagne's Face whom I presently knew to be the same Frenchman that would have murder'd me at Rome for having hindred him from being rude to Leonora as I before related He knew me likewise at first sight and making no doubt but I was come thither to take my just Revenge he cry'd out You shall not escape me now I assure you And then I was hard put to it indeed besides that I had almost broken one of my Legs with my Fall I maintain'd a running Fight till I retreated into a Summer-house whither I saw Verville's Mistress run in before in a woful Condition She staid within it though she saw me enter whether she wanted time or Courage to go out I know not For my part my Resolution encreas'd when I consider'd they could attack me only before at the Summer-House-Door which was very narrow I wounded Saldagne in one of his Hands and the boldest of his Footmen in his Arm which procur'd me a little Respite yet could I not have any Hopes of escaping believing they would at last make shorter work with me and dispatch me with Pistols having found it too difficult to be done with Swords But Verville came to my Relief He would by no means go Home without me and having heard the Bustle and clashing of Swords he ventur'd to bring me off from the Danger he cast me into or at least to share it with me Saldagne with whom he had already made an Acquaintane thought he came to his Aid as a Friend and Neighbour He took it as a great Obligation and accosting him said You see Sir how I am set upon in my own House Verville who understood his meaning immediately reply'd He would be his Servant against any other Man but that he came to protect this one against all the World Saldagne enrag'd to find himself mistaken swore desperately he did not doubt to make his Party good against two such Traytors himself and at the same time charg'd Verville most furiously but was repuls'd by him with a great deal of Gallantry Then I thought it high time to get out of my Summer-house to joyn with my Friend and surprizing the Lacquey that carried the Flamboy I was loath to kill him and contented my self to give him a back-stroke over the Pate which put him into such a Fright that he ran off from the Garden into the Fields crying out Thieves
to find our Conditions more equal than if either of us had been a Mercenary Servant The Day appear'd while we were yet talking together We left our Ladies in my Chamber where they might sleep if they would whilst Verville and I went to consult what was next to be done For my part having no Love-fancies to disturb my Breast as Verville had I died almost for want of sleep but there was no appearance I should abandon my Friend with such a load of Business I had a Footman as Subtle and Witty as Verville's Valet de Chambre was dull and Blockish I gave him what Instructions I could and sent him to make Discovery how Affairs stood at Saldagne's He perform'd his Message very discreetly and brought us this Account that Saldagne's Servants reported the Thieves had desperately wounded their Master but as for his Sisters there was no more mention made of them than if there had never been any such alive whether he little car'd for 'em or because he gave positive Orders to his Servants not to speak of 'em to stifle such disadvantageous Rumours I see here must be something of a Duel after all this said Verville nay perhaps something of a Murder replyed I Whereupon I acquainted him that Saldagne was the same Hector that intended to murder me at Rome and how we came to know one another in the Garden adding withal that if he did but imagine as there was all the likelyhood in the World that I lay there in wait to take my Revenge of him then certainly he could not at all suspect the intelligence between his Sister and us I went to give an account to those fair Ladies of our Discoveries and in the mean time Verville Visited Saint Far to sound his Sentiments and discover the truth of our Suspicions He soon perceiv'd his Face full of scratches but whatever question Verville put to him he could get no other Answer save only that as he came from the Gaming-house he found Saldagne's Garden-Door open his House in an Uproar and himself very much Wounded in the hands of his Servants who were carrying him to his Chamber A very strange Accident said Verville no doubt but his Sisters will take it very much to Heart They are very handsom Ladies and I must go and give 'em a Visit. What 's that to me said this Brute who then fell a Whistling not minding or giving any answer to whatever his Brother afterwards desir'd to know Verville left him and return'd to my Chamber where I was employing all my Eloquence to comfort our fair Distress'd Ladies They were Disconsolate even to Desperation and apprehended the roughest usage from their Brother's Jealousie and Savage Humour as being a Man wholly enslav'd to his Passions My Lacquy brought 'em some Meat from the next Cook which he continu'd to do for fifteen Days together so long were they conceal'd in my Chamber which was above the rest and so much out of the common Road and Passage that no Body disturb'd 'em in the least They could willingly have put themselves into some Nunnery for shelter but after their sad Adventure they had just reason to fear their Brother would have confin'd 'em longer than they should care for In the mean time Saldagne's Wounds were in a fair way of Curing and Saint Far as we observ'd went every day to visit him Verville stirr'd not out of my Room which was not taken much notice of in the Family he being wont to pass many whole Days in it either Reading or in Discourse with me His Love for Madam Saldagne encreas'd every day neither did she love him less Her Eldest Sister lik'd me pretty well nor was she indifferent to me Not that my Passion for Leonora was abated but I had no manner of hopes from her thô I might have obtain'd her yet should I have made it a matter of Conscience to render her unhappy Upon a certain day Verville receiv'd a Note from Saldagne wherein he challeng'd him to meet him with a Second in the Plain of Grenelle to decide their Quarrel by the Sword By the same Note he desir'd Verville to bring no other but my self against him which made me suspect he intended to take us both in the same Trap. My suspicion was not altogether groundless having already experienced his Treachery however Verville would not mind it resolving to give him any just Satisfaction and to offer a Marriage with his Sister He sent for a Hackney Coach thô there were three belonging to the Family We went to the place of Assignation where Saldagne waited for us and where Verville was much astonish'd to find his own Brother seconding his Enemy We omitted neither Submissions nor Intreaties to bring all things to a fair Accommodation but nothing less than Fighting would serve the turn of those two unjust and irrational Men. I was about to protest to Saint Far how much it was against my Will to draw my Sword against him he told me bluntly that he never lik'd me in his Life nor could any thing endear me to him till he open'd a passage or two with his Sword point for his good will to enter at With these words he came fiercely towards me I only put by his Thrusts for some time resolv'd if possible to grapple with him and so Disarm him thô with apparent danger of being Wounded my self Fortune befriended my good Intention for he slipt down at my Feet I gave him time to rise and that which should have made him my Friend encreas'd his Enmity In fine having given me a slight Wound in the Shoulder he vapour'd like a Bully-huff and cry'd I think you feel me now My Patience being worn out I prest upon him and having put him into Disorder I got so happily within his Sword that I seiz'd on the Hilt The Man you hate so very much said I will however give you your Life Sir He struggled a while to no purpose and would not reply a Word like an obstinate rash Brute as he was though I represented to him it was our Duty to go and part his Brother from Saldagne who were grappled and fowling over one another upon the Ground But I perceiv'd I must be more rough and therefore wrench'd his Hand and forc'd away his Sword which I threw a great distance from him I ran immediately to assist Verville who was closed with his Antagonist When I came up to 'em I saw afar off several Horsemen galloping towards us Saldagne was soon after Disarm'd and at the same instant I found my self run through the back by Saint Far. I could no longer Master my Resentment and so return'd him a thrust that made no little Wound The Baron d'Arques his Father who came in at that Moment and saw me wound his Son did now hate me as much as he lov'd me before He spurr'd his Horse up towards me and gave me a great blow on the Head Those that came with him followed his Example
and joyntly set upon me I defended my self most happily from so many Enemies but must needs at last have fallen a Sacrifice to this Multitude if Verville the most generous Friend on Earth had not thrust himself betwixt them and me at the hazard of his own Life He gave his own Footman a good cut over the Pate because he found him more forward than the rest to get his Masters Applause I yielded up my Sword to the Baron but that could not appease him he call'd me Rascal ungrateful Villain and all the Injurious Names his Anger could suggest him even so far as to threaten to have me hang'd I boldly reply'd that as much Rascal and ungrateful Villain as I am I had given his Eldest Son his Life nor had I offer'd to hurt him till he had treacherously wounded me Verville maintain'd to his Father I was in the right but he said he would never see my Face again Saldagne went with the Baron d'Arques into the Coach where they had already put Saint Far and Verville who would by no means leave me took me into another with himself He set me down at one of our Princes Houses where he had many Friends and return'd to his Father 's soon after Monsieur de Saint Sauveur sent a Coach for me that very Night and carried me privately to his own House where he took as great care of me as if I had been his only Son Verville came to see me the next day following and told me his Father had been inform'd of the Challenge by Saldagne's Sisters whom he happen'd to find in my Chamber He afterwards assur'd me with a great deal of Joy that the Business was made up by an Agreement of a Double Marriage to be consummate as soon as his Brothers Wounds were healed which were not in any dangerous place That it lay in my Power to be made Friends with Saldagne and that his Father's Anger was appeas'd who was very sorry he had Misused me He added he wish'd I might soon recover to be a sharer of their Joy but I reply'd I could not find in my Heart to stay in a Country where they might Reproach me with the meanness of my Birth as his Father did but would soon leave the Kingdom either to lose my Life in the Wars or raise my self by my Sword to a condition proportionate to the Sentiments of Honour his noble Example had inspir'd me with I am apt to believe he was concern'd at my Resolution but a Man in Love cannot mind any thing long besides his own Passion Destiny was thus pursuing his story when they heard the Report of a Gun in the Street and presently after one playing upon a pair of Organs This kind of Musick never perhaps us'd at the Gate of an Inn call'd all those People to their Windows that had been wak'd with the Gun In the mean time the Organs plaid on and those who were no strangers to such Instruments took notice that the Organs plaid a Church-Tune No Body could apprehend the Design of so devout a Serenade which however was not yet acknowledg'd for such But the doubt was soon clear'd by two pitiful Voices the one of which squeal'd out a Treble part and the other roar'd out a rumbling Base These two Catter-wauling Voices were accompanied by the Organs and all together made such a horrible Consort as set all the Dogs a howling round about They sung Our Warbling Notes and Ivory Lute 's Shall Ravish every Soul c. with the rest of that old Ditty after these harsh Notes they over-heard a Person whispering as loud as ever he could and scolding at the Singer's for singing so Cuckoo-like always in one Tune The poor Choristers reply'd they knew not what the Devil he would have them sing Sing what you will else said he speaking a little louder for I will have singing for my Money Upon this peremptory Sentence the Organs chang'd their Tone and another plous Anthem was sung as devoutly as before None of the Hearers had yet dar'd to speak for fear of interrupting the Musick when Rincour who could not for his Life hold his Tongue on this Occasion baul'd out aloud What! do they use to perform Divine Service here in the Street One of the Assistants said they were singing Tenebrae in good earnest 'T is a Nightly Procession adds a third In fine every merry Fellow in the Inn had his Jest upon the Musick neither could any one guess who was the Serenading Fool nor whom he design'd to Complement In the mean time the Anthem was carrying on to a Conclusion when ten or a dozen Dogs which followed a proud Bitch ran in betwixt the Musicians Legs and because many Rivals cannot be long together without Quarrelling after some Grumbling Snarling and Grinning of Teeth they fell together by the Ears of a sudden with so muchâ— Fury and Animosity that the poor Musicians to save their Shins betook themselves to their Heels leaving the Organs at the mercy of the Dogs These immoderate Lovers were so uncivil in the heat of their scuffle as to throw down the Harmonious Machine with the Frame that supported it and I should be loath to Swear that some of these cursed Dogs did not lift up a Leg and pisâ— upon the batter'd Organs those Creatures being very Diuretick in their Natures especially when some Bitch or other of their Acquaintance is dispos'd to proceed to the Multiplication of her Species The Consort being thus out of Tune mine Host order'd the Inn Door to be open'd intending to secure the Organs with the Table and Trestle on which it stood from farther Mischief whilst he and his Servants were busie about this charitable Office The Organist return'd accompani'd by three Persons amongst whom were a Woman and a Man mufled up in his Cloak This Man was the very Ragotin in Person who designing to Serenade Madam Star addrest himself for that purpose to a little Eunuch Organist of a Church 'T was this Monster neither Man nor Woman that sung the treble Part and play'd on the Organs which his Maid had brought an overgrown Chorister sung the Base both for the sum of two Testers such was the scarcity of Provisions in the plentiful Country of Mayne As soon as the Inn-keeper found out the Author of the Serenade he cry'd aloud on purpose to be heard by all that were at the Window Is it then you Mosieur Ragotin that come with your Vespers to my Door You had best go to Bed and not disturb my Guests at this time of Night Ragotin reply'd that he was mistaken in his Man and yet spoke it so as if he intended to discover what he seem'd to deny In the mean time the Organist finding his Instrument much batter'd and being a veâ—ry Cholerick Creature as all Beardless Animals are wont to be â—wore to Ragotin he would make him pay for it Ragotin reply'd he did not care a straw Ay but I 'll make you care said
of Doors as seldom as I could for fear of being seen by some of my Acquaintance nor did I find it a great Trouble to stay within so long as I enjoy'd my Leonora's Company whose Favour I gain'd more and more by my constant Care of her Mother Upon this Woman's Persuasion who as I told you came often to visit us we went one Day to Saint Clou to air and refresh our sick Lady Our Landlady came in for one amongst us and Rancour for another We took a Boat when we came to the Waterside afterwards we walked in the fairest Gardens and having made a small Collation Rancour conducted the Women towards the Boat whilst I staid behind to scan the Reckoning with an unreasonable Hostess who kept me longer from 'em than I intended I got off as cheap as I could and hastned to rejoyn my Compapany But I was not a little astonish'd to see the Boat gone a good way from Shore carrying my Company towards Paris and leaving me behind without any notice or so much as my Footboy that had my Sword and Cloak to wait upon me Standing at the Water-side very much troubled at their not waiting for me I heard a great Uproar in another Tilt-Boat that lay there and drawing somewhat near I perceiv'd two or three Gentlemen or Persons that look'd like such who would need fall soul on a Waterman because he would not follow our Boat I leap'd at a venture into that Boat just as it was launching forth the Waterman fearing he should be roughly handled But if I was troubled that my Company had left me at Saint Clou I was no less perplex'd to find that he that offer'd this Violence was the same Saldagne whom I had so much Reason to hate At the instant I discover'd him he remov'd from the place he sat in and came just by me I did not know which way to look and hid my Face from him the best I could But finding him so near that it was impossible to conceal my self long and knowing I had no Sword I took the most desperate Resolution that could be which hatred alone could not have suggested me had it not been attended with Jealousie I seiz'd him by the Middle at the same time he began to know me and threw my self into the River with him He was not able to keep hold of my Clothes whether his Gloves hindred it or his sudden Surprize Never was any Man nearer drowning than he A great many of the neighbouring Boats came in to save us every one thinking we had fallen into the Water Accidentally except Saldagne who knew the Truth but was not in a Condition to discover it so soon or to pursue me So I got on Shore again without much difficulty having only a thin Sure on which did not much hinder my swimming and thinking it worth my labour to make haste I got far enough off from Saint Clou before Saldagne was fish'd up As they had not a little ado to save him so I dare say they could hardly believe his Relation how I threw him into the Water when he affirm'd I ventur'd my own drowning to procure his For I cannot imagine why he should hide it from ' em I was forc'd to go a great way about to get into Paris and durst not enter the city till Night having no need to dry my Clothes the heat of the Sun and my violent Exercise having left but little Moisture in them At length I got to my dear Leonora whom I found in great Affliction Rancour and our Landlady were overjoy'd to see me again and so was Madam de la Boissiere likewise who the better to make her think I was her Son acted the Part of a distress'd Mother She excus'd her self in private to me for their not staying assuring me the fright Saldagne put 'em into hindred them from thinking on me besides that except Rancour the rest of our Company would have rather embarrast than help'd me if I had engag'd Saldagne They told me that at their going from the Tavern this Spark follow'd 'em to the Water-side where he very uncivilly press'd Leonora to unmask her self And her Mother discovering him to be the same Man that had attempted the like at Rome she shuffled into the Boat in a fright and made the Waterman put from the Shore without staying for me Saldagne in the mean time having a couple of Rakes like himself come to him got into the next Boat with his two Comrades where I found him threatning the Waterman to make him follow Leonora This Adventure made me keep more within Doors than I had done formerly A little while after Madam de la Boissiere fell sick her Melancholy contributing much to her Malady which made us remain part of the Winter at Paris We were inform'd that an Italian Prelate who came from Spain was going into Flanders through Perone and Rancour made Interest to have us comprehended in the Passport in Quality of Comedians One Day as we had waited upon this Italian Prelate who lodg'd in the Street de Seine we supped in a Frolick in the Suburbs of Saint Germains with some Players of Rancour's Acquaintance He and I going over the Pont-neuf afterwards very late were set upon by five or six Rogues I made the best defence I could and to give Rancour his due he did as much as any brave Man could do insomuch that he sav'd my Life tho' he could not keep me from being seized by these Robbers my Sword being unhappily fallen from my Hands Rancour got very stoutly out of their Clutches with the loss of a sorry Cloak only As for me I was plunder'd of all I had about me excepting my Doublet and Breeches And to aggravate my Misfortune they rifled me of an enamell'd Box with Leonora's Father's Picture which Madam de la Boissiere had left with me to try what I could get for some Diamonds it had round the Case I found Rancour at the Bridge-foot wounded in the Arm and Face as I was though lightly in the Head Madam de Boissiere was very much concern'd for the loss of the Picture but the Hopes of seeing the Original shortly comforted her In fine we went from Paris to Perone from Perone to Brussels and from Brussels to the Hague from whence Leonora's Father was gone about a Fortnight before over into England where he intended to serve the King against the Parliamentarians Leonora's Mother was so deeply afflicted at his Departure that she fell suddenly sick and died As she was going to breath her last she saw me grieve as much as if I had been her own Son She recommended her Daughter to me and made me engage I would not forsake her but endeavour to find out her Father and restore her to his Possession Not long after a Frenchman robb'd me of all the rest of my Money which reduc'd both Leonora and me to that Necessity that we were forc'd to get into your Company who
to her Design She told her young Lady that if she had a mind to meet her Lover Don Diego there was nothing more easie her Father's House being the most convenient that could be and that since the Play was not to begin till Midnight she might go out a little earlier and have time enough to speak with Don Diego and then go to her Relations Elvira who really lov'd Don Diego and had consented to marry Don Ferdinand only out of Respect to her Father's Command shew'd no Reluctancy to do whatever Victoria propounded Wherefore they took Coach as soon as ever Don Pedro was gone to Bed and went to Victoria's House Santillone as Master of the Family and Beatrix who personated the Mother-in-Law welcom'd them very civilly Elvira wrote a Billet to Don Diego which was deliver'd immediately whilst Victoria dispatched another privately away to Don Ferdinand in Elvira's Name to let him know it was in his Power to compleat the March on which his extraordinary Merit engag'd her to adventure as not desiring to make her self unhappy for ever by losing him only to please a Father's crabbed suspicious Humour In the same Note she gave him such particular Directions to find the House that it was impossible he should miss of it Which Note was carried a little while after that other from Elvira to Don Diego Victoria wrote a third likewise which Santillane carried himself to Don Pedro de Sylâ—â—a and by which she inform'd him as a trusty Governante that his Daughter instead of going to the Play would needs stop at her Father's House and had sent for Don Ferdinand to consummate her Marriage with him which she believing to be against his Consent she though her self bound to give him notice of it that he might know he was not at all mistaken in the good Opinion he entertain'd of her Honesty when he chose her to be his Daughter's Governante Santillane likewise told Don Pedro his Daughter had charg'd him not to come thither by any means without bringing an Algouazil along with him which is an Officer much like a Commissary in Paris Don Pedro being in Bed hasten'd to put on his Clothes in a great Passion But whilst he is dressing himself and sending for a Commissary let us go back and see what they are doing at Victoria's By good Fortune the Notes came safe to the Brace of Lovers Hands Don Diego who had receiv'd his first came likewise first to the Assignation Victoria met him at the Door and conducted him into a Chamber where she left him with Elvira I will not trouble you with the Relation of all the Endearments which pass'd betwixt these young Lovers and if I would Don Ferdinand 's knocking at the Door gives me not time enough Victoria lets him in her self after having magnified the great Service she did him on this Occasion for which the Amorous Spark return'd her a Thousand Thanks promising he would yet do more for her than all his former Promises engag'd him to She leads him into a Chamber where she desir'd him to stay a while for Elvira who was coming and so lock'd him in without any Light telling him his Mistress would needs have it thus but that 't would not be long before he should be visible again adding a young Lady's Modesty would not suffer her to bear without blushing the Sight of him for whom she did so bold an Action This done Victoria with all the haste she could attired her self as well and as nicely as the short time would admit She goes into the Chamber where Don Ferdinand was who had not the least Suspicion but that she was Elvira being no less young than she and having Perfumes about her according to the Spanish Fashion as would have made a Chamber-maid pass for a Woman of Qualâ—ty Thereupon Don Pedro the Algouazil and Santillane arrive They enter the Chamber where Elvira was in private with her Lover at which they both were not a little surpriz'd Don Pedro was blinded by the first Transports of his Passion that he was ready to run the Person thro' the Body with his Sword whom he took for Don Ferdinand The Commissary discovering it was not he but Don Diego held back his Arm bidding him have a care what he did since it was not Don Ferdinand de Ribera that was with his Daughter but Don Diego de Maradas a Person of as great Quality and Riches as he Don Pedro at this behav'd himself like a discreet Gentleman and rais'd up his Daughter who had cast her self upon her Knees at his Feet He wisely consider'd that if he should cross her Inclination by opposing this Match he would create both her and himself a great deal of Trouble and besides that he could not pitch upon a better Son-in-Law if he had had the chusing of him himself Santillane desir'd Don Pedro the Algouazil and all those that were with 'em in the Room to follow him and led them to the Chamber where Don Ferdinand was shut up with Victoria They commanded the Door to be open'd in the King's Name Don Ferdinand letting them in and seeing Don Pedro attended with the Commissary told them with a great deal of Confidence that he was with his Wife Elvira de Sylva Don Pedro answer'd he was mistaken his Daughter being married to another and as for you added he you cannot deny but Victoria Porto-carrero is your lawful Wife Victoria then undiscover'd her self to her faithless Gallant who remain'd full of Confusion She expostulated his Ingratitude to which his Silence was his only Plea as well as to the Commissary when he told him he could do no less than carry him away to Prison In short his Romorse of Conscience and fear of Imprisonment together with Don Pedro's Exhortations who minded him of his Honour and Reputation joyn'd to Victoria's Tears and Beauty nothing inferior to Elvira's and above all the rest some Sparks of Generosity still remaining in his Heart notwithstanding his Debaucheries and Follies of Youth made him yield to Reason and Justice and Victoria's bright Charms He tenderly embrac'd her she being likely to swoon in his Arms which no doubt but his warm Kisses preserv'd her from Don Pedro Don Diego and Fair Elvira shar'd in Victoria's Happiness and Santillane and Beatrix were ready to die for Joy Don Pedro very much commended Don Ferdinand for thus nobly repairing the Wrongs he had committed The two young Ladies embrac'd each other with as great Testimonies of Love as if they had hugg'd their own Husbands Don Diego de Maradas made a Thousand Protestations of his Obedience to his Father-in-Law or he that should be so in a short time Don Pedro before he went home with his Daughter made them promise that they should all come and dine the next Day at his House where for fifteen Days following he would endeavour by solemn Rejoycings to dispel the Thoughts of their past Troubles The Algouazil was invited too who promis'd to be there
Don Pedro took him along with him and Don Ferdinand remain'd with Victoria who now had as much Reason to bless her good Fortune as she formerly had to curse it CHAP. XXIII An unexpected Misfortune which prevented the Acting of the Play INezilla recounted her Story with admirable Grace Roquâ—brune was so pleas'd with it that he caught up her Hand and kist it whether she would or no. She told him in Spanish That Great Men and Fools have the liberty to do any thing for which Rancour gave her Thanks in his Heart This Spanish Lady's Face began to break yet there were many fine Remains of her former Beauty to be seen But had she been less handsom her Wit made her to be preferr'd to a younger Person All those that heard the Story agreed in this that she had made it very entertaining in a Language she was but yet a Novice in being oftentimes oblig'd to intermix Spanish and Italian with it to express her Meaning Madam 〈◊〉 told her that instead of begging Excuse for putting her to the trouble of speaking so long she expected her Thanks for giving her so fair an Occcasion to shew her extraordinary Wit The rest of the Afternoon was spent in Conversation the Garden being full of Ladies and many Citizens of Note till Supper-time They supp'd after the way of Mans that is to say they made very good Chear which being over every one took their Places to see the Play But Madam Cave and her Daughter were missing They sent to seek them out and it was half an Hour before any Tidings came At last they heard a great noise without the Hall and presently after in comes Madam Cave with dishevelled Hair her Face bloody and bruis'd crying out like a distracted Creatute that her Daughter was stollen away Her Sobs and Sighs did so interrupt her Speech that it was a long time before she could make 'em understand how a couple of Strangers being through a Back-door got into the Garden where she and her Daughter were rehearsing their Parts one of 'em seiz'd upon her whose Eyes she 'd almost scratcht out of his Head seeing two others take away her Daughter by force the same Villain having put her into that sad Condition they saw and afterwards mounting on Horseback follow'd his Comrades one of whom held Angelica before him She told 'em likewise that she pursu'd 'em as far as she could crying out a Rape but finding no Body was within hearing she hasted back again to the House to beg their Assistance With these last words she shed such a Flood of Tears as mov'd all the Beholders with Pity Destiny got presently on the back of a Horse on which Rogatin was just Arriv'd from Mans but whether or no it was the same that threw him in the Morning I cannot justly tell Many other young Men mounted the Horses they could lay their Hands on and rode after Destiny who was got a good way before ' em Rancour and Olive march'd on Foot with their Swords in their Hands in the Rear of the Horse and Roquebrune staid with Star and Inezilla who were endeavouring to Comfort Cave as well as they could Some found fault with him for not going along with the rest ascribing it to want of Courage but others more favourable have commended his Discretion for staying with the Women In the mean time the Guests were reduc'd to change their Comedy for Dancing and having no Fidlers because they expected a Play they trip'd about by the singing of some of the Company Poor Cave found her self â—o Disorder'd that she went to Bed in one of their Dressing-Chambers Star took as much care of her as if she had been her own Mother and Inezilla was very Officious likewise The Indispos'd Woman desir'd they would leave her alone and so Roquebrune leads the two Ladies into the Hall where was the rest of the Company They were hardly set down but one of the House-Maids came and told Star that Cave desir'd to speak with her she promis'd the Poet and Spanish Lady to return immediately to â—â—em and went to Caveâ— 'T is probable that if Roquebrune had any Wit in him he made use of that Opportunity to acquaint the fair Inezilla with his Necessities However as soon as Cave saw Star she desir'd her to make the Door fast and come to her Bed-side Star having seated her self as she desir'd the first thing she did was to Weep afresh and then she laid hold of her Hands bathing 'em with her Tears and Groaning and Sobbing in a lamentable manner Star endeavour'd to comfort her giving her hopes her Daughter would soon be recover'd again her Ravishers being persued by so many People I wish she may never return said she Weeping still more and more I wish she might never be found repeated she again and that this were all my Grief But I must blame her most Nay I must have her and curse the hour I brought her into the World Look here I said she putting a Paper into Star's Hands Look and satisfie your self what a fine Companion you had and read in this Letter the Sentence of my Death and my Child's Infamy Cave sell a Weeping again and Star perus'd the following Note which you may read if you think fit You ought not to doubt the Truth of what I have often told youâ— of my Quality and Fortune since there is no probability that I should deceive a Person to whom I cannot Recommend my self but by my Sincerity This fair Angelica is the only way by which I can Merit your Favour And therefore you may safely promise to grant my Request which I cannot nor shall not desire to obtain till I have convinc'd 〈◊〉 of my Reality As soon as she had perus'd this Letter Cave ask'd her if she knew that Hand As well as my own replied Star It is Leâ—â—der's my Brother's Servant that writes all our Parts This is the Traytor that will break my Heart said the poor Woman see if he have not contriv'd it fairly added she giving another Letter of the same Leander's Writing into Madam Star's Hands which you may read as follows Word for Word It rests only in you to complâ—â—â— my Happiness by continuing in the same Resolution you were in two days since My Father's Tenant who is us'd to supply me with Money has sent me a hundred Pistols and a brace of good Horses which will be more than enough to carry us both into England and being there I am much deceiv'd if a Father who loves his only Son more than his own Life do not quickly condescend to all his desires to make him return again Well said Cave what think you now of your Companion and your Brother's Servant What think you of that Girl I had bred up with so much Care and that young Fellow whose Wit and Discretion we so often admired My greatest Wonder is that they were never observ'd to speak to one another and that my
News of her But not finding a Horse either for Love or Money he could never have kept his Promise had not his Miller lent him his Mule which he mounted without Boots and so arrived as I said before at the Village where the two Strollers had lain Rancour had a strange ready Wit and so he no sooner saw Ragotin in Shoes but he thought Fortune favour'd him with an opportunity of concealing his Theft which he was much in pain how to do Wherefore he presently desired him to lend him his Shoes and to take his Boots which being new did hurt one of his Feet Ragotin accepted his Proposal with much joy for as he was Riding on his Mule the Tongue of the Stirrup-buckle had torn his Stockins which made him heartily wish for a Pair of Boots Now to acknowledge the Favour in some measure he paid for the Players Dinner as well as for his own and his Mule's And because since his late Fall when his Carabine went off betwixt his Legs he made an Oath never to get upon the Back of any Saddle-Beast without taking care of his Safety he therefore made use of a jossingblock but yet with all this Precaution he had much ado to get into the Pack-saddle His Brain was too full of Quicksilver to be judicious a sign of which was his turning up the Tops of his Boots up to his Waste which hindred him from having the free use of his Hams that were none of the most vigorous in the Province However Ragotin mounted on his Mule and the Strollers on Foot set forward on their Journery and followed the next Road they came at As they were going along Ragotin opened his Mind to the Strollers and told them his Design of turning Player and acting in their Company protesting withal that tho' he did not doubt but in a short time he would prove the best Actor in the Kingdom yet he did not expect any profit from his Profession and that he only did it out of Curiosity and to let the World know that he was fit for any thing he had a mind to undertake Rancour and Olive fortified him in his noble Design and what with Commending and Encouraging of him they put him into so good a Humour that from his high Station he began to recite Verses out of Theophilus's Piramus and Tâ—isbe Certain Peasants who attended a loaden Cart and were going the same way hearing him speak with the Emphasis of Enthusiast thought he could do no less than preach the Word â— the Lord and as long as he rehears'd his Heroicks they walk'd Cap in Hand and respected him like a High-way Preacher CHAP. III. The History of Cave THE two Women-Strollers whom we left in the House from whence Angelica was stollen away had no better Nights rest than Destiny Mistriss Star went into the same Bed with Mistriss Cave both not to leave her alone with her Despair and to endeavour with gentle Perswasions to alleviate her Affliction At last finding that so just a Grief did not want Reasons to defend it self she us'd no Arguments to oppose it only to make a Diversion she began to complain of her hard Fate as much as her Bedfellow did of hers and thus cunningly engag'd her to relate her Adventures the more easily because at that juncture Cave would not allow any Body to be more unfortunate than her self She therefore wip'd off those Tears that trickled down her Cheeks in abundance and fetching a sound and deep Sigh that she might not have the trouble to sigh again so soon she thus began to tell her Story I was born a Player Daughter to a Player of whom I never heard that he had any Relations but Players My Mother was Daughter to a Merchant of Marseilles who bestowed her in Marriage to my Father as a recompense for venturing his Life to defend his against a Gally-Officer as much in Love with my Mother as he was hated by her who had attack'd him to his disadvantage This was an extraordinary good Fortune for my Father for without being put to the trouble of Suing and Wooing he married a Wife Young Beautiful and Richer than a Stroller could ever pretend to His Father-in-Law endeavour'd to persuade him to leave his Profession and betake himself to the business of a Merchant as the most profitable and creditable of the two But my Mother who was a great lover of Plays hindred him from leaving the Stage tho' to give him his due he was inclin'd to follow his Wife's Fathers Advice as one that knew much better than she that a Player's Life is not so happy as it appears to be My Father left Marseilles soon after his Marriage carried away my Mother to make her first Campagne she being more impatient than he and in a little time made an excellent Player of her She proved with Child the first Year of her Marriage and was brought to Bed of me behind the Scenes a Year after I had a Brother whom I loved dearly and by whom I was much belov'd Our Company was made up of our Family and of three Players one of which had a Wife who acted under Parts Upon a Holy-Day we went through a small Town in Perigord my Mother the other Player and I on the Cart that carried our Baggage and our Men on Foot to Guard us when our little Caravan was attack'd by seven or eight ugly Fellows so very drunk that meaning only to fright us with shooting off a Gun I felt their Shot all over me and my Mother receiv'd a dangerous Wound in the Arm. They seiz'd my Father and two of his Companions before they were able to defend themselves and beat them unmercifully My Brother and the youngest of our Men fled away and ever since I could never hear of my Brother The Inhabitants of the Town joined themselves to those who offered us this outragious Violence and caused our Cart to go back This eager Mobb ran fiercely like People who have got a great Booty and are willing to secure it and made such noise that they did not hear one another speak After an Hours March they carried us into a Castle which we had no sooner entred but we heard several People cry out with great Joy that the Gypsies were taken by that we found their Mistake which gave us a little Comfort the Mare that drew our Cart fell down dead with weariness having been hard put to it and soundly beaten The Player to whom the Mare belonged and of whom the Company hired her fell a roaring in as lamentable a manner as if her Husband had been dying At the same time my Mother felt such violent Pain in her Arm that she fainted away which made me roar so loud that my Cries drowned those of the Player upon account of her Mare The noise we made together with the hallowing of the rude Rabble and of the Drunken Scoundrels who brought us thither caused the Lord of the Castle to come
favour and the esteem of all the Gentlemen of your Company nay Rancour himself did not hate me tho' he has the Reputation amongst you to love no body I shall not waste much time in relating to you all the fine Things which two Persons equally in Love may say to one another as often as they happen to be together you know it well enough by your own Experience I will only tell you that Mistriss Cave suspecting our private Correspondence or rather having certain Proofs of it charg'd her Daughter never to speak to me that her Daughter did not obey her and that having surpriz'd her Writing to me she us'd her so roughly both before People and in private that since that time I found no great difficulty in perswading her to consent to be stollen away I fear not to make this plain Confession to you knowing you to be as Generous as any Man and at least as Amorous as my self Destiny blush'd at these last Words of Leander who went on with his Discourse and told Destiny that he left the Company in order to put his Design in Execution that one of his Fathers Tenants promis'd him to furnish him with a Sum of Money and that he hop'd to receive some at St. Maloes from a Merchants Son his intimate Friend who was lately come to his Estate by the death of his Parents He added that by the assistance of this Friend he hop'd to go easily over into England and from thence to make his Peace with his Father without exposing to his Anger either Mistriss Angelica or her Mother whom in all probability he would prosecute with all the advantage that a Man of Wealth and Quality may take over two poor Players Destinyâ— made Leander sensible that by reason of his Youth and Quality his Father would certainly have Indicted Mrs. Cave for a Rape He did not endeavour to make him forget his Mistriss for he was sensible that Persons in Love are not capable to follow any Counsels but what are suggested by their Passion and are more to be pittied than to be blamed but he highly disapproved his Design of going over into England and represented to him what People might think of two young Strangers in a foreign Country the Hazards and Fatigue of a Sea-voyage the difficulty of being supplied with Money in case he should want and lastly the Attempts to which they would be exposed by Mistriss Angelica's Beauty and the Youth of both Leander did not endeavour to defend a bad Cause He ask'd once more Destiny's Pardon for having conceal'd himself so long from him and Destiny promis'd him to use all the Interest he had with Mistriss Cave to incline her to be favourable to him Moreover he told him that if he was fully resolv'd never to marry any Woman but Mistriss Angelica he ought not to leave their Company adding that in the mean time his Father might die or his Passion abate or perhaps be quite extinguish'd Oh! never never cry'd Leander Well then said Destiny to secure your Mistrisses Heart your best way is never to lose Sight of her Be a Player with us for you are not the only Man that treads the Stage when he could follow a better Employment Write to your Father make him believe you are in the Army and try to get Money from him in the mean time I will converse with you as if you were my own Brother and by that means endeavour to make you forget the indifferent Usage you receiv'd from me whilst I was unacquainted with your Quality and Merit Leander would have thrown himself at his Feet if the violent Pain he felt all over his Body from his Bruises would have let him However he return'd him Thanks in so obliging a manner and made him such hearty Protestations of Friendship that from that moment he had as great an esteem for him as one Gentleman can have for another They Discours'd afterwards which Way they should go in Search of Angelica but a great Noise interrupted their Conversation and caus'd Destiny to go down into the Kitchen where was transacting what you shall hear in the next Chapter CHAP. VI. A bloody Fight at Cuffs The Death of the Inn-keeper and other memorable Occurrences TWO Men one of which was in Black like a Country School-Master and the other in Gray who look'd like a Catch-pole laid hold of one another by the Hair and the Beard and now and then Box'd one another in a most cruel manner Both were indeed what their Habits and their Looks shew'd 'em to be He in Black the School-master of the Town Brother to the Curate and the other in Gray a Bailiff of the same Town and Brother to the Inn-keeper This Inn-keeper was then in a Chamber next to the Kitchen ready to give up the Ghost being Sick of a violent Feaver which so disorder'd his Senses that he broke his Head against the Wall and this Wound join'd to his Distemper brought him so low that when his Frenzy left him he was fain to part with Life which perhaps he regretted less than his ill-gotten Money He had been a long time a Soldier and was at last come home loaden with Years and so light of Honesty that he might be said to have less of it than Money altho' he was extraordinary Poor But because Women are very often catch'd by those very things they ought least to be catch'd by his twisted Hair longer than any Peasants in Town his Cursing and Swearing like a true Son of Mars a bristling Feather which he wore on his Hat upon Holy-days when the Weather was Fair and a rusty long Sword that flap'd against the old Boots he had on altho' he never bestrid a Horse all these I say gain'd him the Heart of an old Woman that kept an Inn. She had been Courted by the richest Tenants in the Country not so much on account of her Beauty as because she got an Estate with her first Husband by exacting upon People and cheating in the Measure both of Wine and Oats yet she couragiously resisted all the Assaults of her Woers but at last an old-beaten Soldier triumph'd over an old Hostess This Tayern-Nymph had the least Face and the biggest Belly of any Woman in Mayne thâ— which Province aboundâ— in Big-bellyed People I leave it to the Naturalists to find out the Reason of it as well as of the Fat of the Capons of that Country To return to this short Big-Woman whom I fancy to see as often asâ— I think on her She married her Warriour without acquainting her Relations with it and having liv'd to a crazy old Age and undergone great Hardships with him she had the Satisfaction to see him Die of a broken Scull which she look'd as a just Judgment upon him for his repeated Attemps of breaking hers When Destiny came into the Kitchen mine Hostess and her Maid helpt the old Curate of the Town to part the Combatants who grappled one another like
she set about it she had little reason to think she should be refus'd because she had been so wonderfully Civil to her Agreeable to her Wishes the fair Spaniard answer'd her that she would satisfie her Curiosity whenever she pleased but having nothing but Misfortunes to acquaint her with she feared she would find her Relation somewhat tiresom You will be convinc'd reply'd Zoraide that is cannot be so when you see the attention I shall give to it and by the concern that I shall infallibly shew for your bad Portune I dare say you will be apt to believe you could entrust your Secrets with no truer Friend This said they threw their Arms over each other Necks and embraced so heartily as if they never dosigned to quit that Posture Afterwards the fair Slave wiping her Eyes which shed Tears abundantly at the remembrance of her Misfortunes began her Story in the following manner I am said she a Spaniard by Birth was born at Valencia and my name is Sophia I was Educated with that Care and Charge as would become a rich Father and Mother to bestow on the first Fruits of their Marriage I had a Brother younger than I by a year He was lovely as may be and loved me dearly as I loved him our mutual Friendship was so great that we were never easy when we were asunder aud therefore our Parents took care that we should seldom be so We learnt together all those Exercises that are usually taught Youth of either Sex and thence it came to pass to the surprize of every Body that I was equally skillful with him in the Manege as he was with me in the Arts of the Needle This extraordinary sort of Education of ours caused a Gentleman our Neighbour to desire of my Father that his Children might be bred along with us His Request was granted and having only a Son and Daughter about the Age of us it gave occasion to the Town of Valencia to think that there would one Day be a Counter Marriage between us Don Carlos and Lucy were the Names of these two young Companions of ours The former was handsom and loved me dearly which I reciprocally returned Our Parents observ'd it but were so far from either disliking or opposing it that they rather encouraged and approved it and I believe would certainly have soon married us together had not they thought us too young At length our delusive Happiness was stifled by the Death of my Brother a violent Feavour carried him off in eight Days and from his Death sprung the first cause of my Misfortunes Lucy was so affected with it that she obstinately re'solv'd to turn Nun. I had brought my self even to Deaths door for Grief and Don Carlos likewise had so great a share of Concern that he gave his Parents little hopes to believe he would survive it so much the loss of my Brother the danger I was in and the Resolutions of his Sister had wrought upon him At last thanks to our Youth we all recover'd and Time in some measure moderated our Afflictions The Father of Don Carlos died not long after and left him both Rich and out of Debt His Riches furnisht him with Ability to gratifie his gallant Humour and his Gallantry flatter'd my Vanity expos'd his Love to publick knowledge and augmented mine Don Carlos was often found at my Parents Feet conjuriug them not to defer his Happiness any longer and my Father was inclinable to hearken to his Request for fear his profuse Courtship might in time diminish his Fortune he gave him Hopes therefore that he should speedily be his Son-in-law This raised Don Carlos to so high a pitch that he lavisht out his Love at an extraordinary rate and which would have been alone sufficient to have convinced me of his Sincerity had I not had so many preceding Proofs of his Passion To add to his other profuseness he presented me with a Ball and invited all the Town of Valencia to it But to his Misfortune as well as mine thither came among the rest a Neapolitan Count whom some Affairs of Importance had brought into Spain This Count it seems took so great a fancy to me that he must needs be in Love with me and in order to gratific his Passion was not long before he demanded me in Marriage after having been inform'd of the quality of my Father in the Kingdom of Valencia My Father was so dazl'd with the Title of this Stranger that he immediately consented to all he ask'd and from that very Hour forbid Don Carlos to pretend any more to me He likewise strictly enjoined me to receive no more of his Visits and moreover Commanded me for the future to look upon the Italian Count as a Person that was to marry me at his return from Madrid whither he was then going and would come back in a short time I dissembled my dislike for the present to my Fathers Proposals but when I was alone Don Carlos would sincerely come into my Mind whom I thought the most aimable Man in the World while I could not find with my utmost endeavours the least thing agreeable nay scarce tolerable in his Rival so that it was equally impossible for me to Love the one and to forget the other I had recourse upon this occasion to Tears but sound those a feeble remedy against so great a Malady as mine While I was in this Condition Don Carlos entred the Room but that without his usual Custom of asking leave He found me all in Tears which made him to lose the Power of witholding his own however great had been his Resolutions not to betray the Sentiments of his Heart till he had dived into the utmost of mine He threw himself at my Feet and taking me by the Hand which he all bathed with his Tears Sophy said he to me What must I loose you then Must a Stranger who has scarce the Honour to be known to you be notwithstanding prefer'd to me Shall he possess you Sophy and will you consent to it You whom I have loved so dearly and who have always endeavoured to make me believe that you loved me likewise Shall your Father pretend to dispose of you when he has already given you me Your Father the most unjust Man living If you were a Person continued he whose Merit could be valued my Fidelity alone would be able to purchase you But pursued he since you are inestimable I beg you to believe that if I have had the ambition to aspire to you I shall not want the Courage to revenge my self on him whom you causeless prefer to me But however added he sighing If it be your pleasure that my Rival should live happy in your Favour I will forego all attempts upon him and only Revenge your unkindness upon my self by some cruel and suddain Death Don Carlos answered I will you join with an unjust Father and a hated Lover to torment me and do you impute that to me
neglect so fair an occasion to shew it self and therefore he was resolved to engage in this Enterprize The Admiral that commanded received him on Board his Gally and lodged him in his own Cabbin being not a little proud that he had a Person of his Quality and Merit to accompany him These six Neapolitan Gallies â—net eight Algerines almost within sight of Messina and were not long before they engaged them After a dubious Fight the Christians took three of the Turks and sunk two The Neapolitan Admiral happen'd to be grappled with the Turkish Admiral which being better Man'd than the rest had made a much greater resistance The Sea in the mean time grew rugged and the Storm encreased so fast that at length both Christians and Turks had more regard to their own safeties that to endeavour each others ruine They as it were consented then mutually to withdraw their Grappling-Irons and disengage themselves from one another and which happen'd much about the time that Don Sancho being over-bold had thrown himself into the Turkish Admiral without being so happy as to have any body to follow him Seeing himself thus alone and more than that in the Power of his Enemies he preferred Death to Slavery and immediately flung himself into the Sea hoping only to escape Drowning by his excellent Swimming But the bad Weather proving so extraordinary it hindred him from being discover'd by the Christian Gallies altho' the Admiral having been an Eye-witness of his Action and being extremely concern'd at the loss of him which he look'd upon as unavoidable had tacked about towards the place where he saw him leap in Don Sancho in the mean time cut the Waves with his Skilful Arms and after having Swom a while to the Leeward whither both the Wind and the Tide carried him he by luck met with a Plank which had been torn from the sides of one of the Turkish Gallies by the Cannon This he looked upon as a Present sent him from Heaven and which he immediately made use of with that success that in a short time he got a Shore on the Coast of Scicily which was not above a League and half from the place where the Battle was fought He landed without any prejudice done him by the Rocks and after having returned thanks to Heaven for â—his preservation he walked forward as far as his Weakness would suffer him At last making shift to get up a little Hill â—he perceived from the top a Neighbouring Hovel whither he immediately went and found it Inhabited by Fishermen who approved themselves to him the most charitable People in the World The over-heating himself in the Fight and afterwards â—renching himself in the Water together with the wet Cloaths he was forced to wear brought so violent a Feaver upon him that he was oblig'd for some time to keep his Bed but whereof he in a short time recovered without doing any thing more than living regularly During his Illness he did all that in him lay to make the World believe he was Dead â—hereby as well to abate his Enemies Don Diego's Relations Maâ—â—ice to him as to make tryal of his Dorothea's Constancy Whilst he was in Flanders he had contracted an extraordinary Friendship with a Sicilian Marquess of the Family of Montalâ—â—â—o whose name was Fabio He desired one of the Fishermen â—o make enquiry whether he was then at Messina where he knew he liv'd Being inform'd that he was he went immediately thither in a Fishers Habit and arrived at the Marquesses House about Night The Marquess was extremely overjoy'd at the sight of a Friend whom he had given over for soft Don Sancho gave him an account how he came to be sav'd and moreover told him his Adventure at Seville without concealing from him the violent Passion he had for Dorothea The Marquess proffer'd his service to go for him into Spain and to carry off Dorothea and bring her to Sicily provided she would but consent to the doing of it Don Sancho would by no means put his Friend to so dangerous a trial of his Friendship as to go alone on his account and therefore proposed to go along with him Sanchez Don Sancho's Man had been so afflicted for the loss of his Master that when the Gallies came into the Port of Messina to refresh themselves he entred into a Convent resolving to pass there the remainder of his Days Fabio who had been the cause of his being admitted sent to the Superiour to release him again and which was the readier comply'd with by reason he had not yet received the Habit of the Order Sanchez was over-joy'd at the sight of his dear Master and assoon shook off all thoughts of returning to the Monastery again His Master not long after sent him into Spain to prepare his way for him and in the mean time charged him to send him News of his dear Dorothea who like others had been possessed with the belief of his Death This Report had spread it self even to the Indies and which had caused his Father to die with regret leaving four hundred Thousand Crowns to another Son on Condition that if his Brother Sancho appeared again he should refund to him a Moiety Don Sancho's Brothers name was Iuan de Peralta the same with his Fathers His Father being dead he embark'd for Spain and arriv'd at Seville about a Year after the before mention'd Misfortune had befel his Brother Having a quite different Name it was easy for him to conceal that they werâ— Brothers and which he thought very necessary for him to do since he was oblig'd to reside for some time in that City where Sancho had left so many Enemies He happen'd soon after to have a sight of the fair Dorothea and like his Brother became quickly enamour'd of her tho' not with the same success This fair afflicted Lady could Love nothing after her dear Sancho All that Don Iuan de Peralta could do to please her prov'd only tiresom to her and she moreover utterly refused the beâ— Matches in Seville which her Father Don Manuel had proposeâ— to her About this time Sanchez came to Seville and observing his Master's Orders immediately set himself about enquiring into Dorothea's Behaviour He learnt from a common Report about the City that a very wealthy Person lately comâ—â— from the Indies had fallen desperately in Love with her and who omitted nothing to set forth his Gallantry and Affectionâ—â— This he soon inform'd his Master of but made the Story much worse than it was told him and his Master believed it to be yet worse than he related it The Marquess Fabio and Don Sancho embarked not long after at Messina on Board the Gallies that were then returning to Spain and arrived safe in a short time at St. Lucar where they immediately took Post for Seville It was Night before they got thither when they went forthwith to the Lodgings which Sanchez had assign'd them They kept all the next Day close in
in the following Chapter CHAP. II. Where you 'll find Ragotin's Design THE Criers of Aqua Vitae had not yet wak'd those that were in a profound sleep when Ragotin being already drest was going to propose to the Strolling Company his Inclinations to be admitted amongst them He went then to the Players Lodgings whom he found neither up nor awake and happen'd to have the Discretion to leave them as he found them Nevertheless he could not help entering one Chamber where he found Olive abed with Rancour This last he desired to get up and walk with him to la Cousture a fine Abby in the Suburbs of the same Name and thence to go to Breakfast at the great golden Star where he had order'd a Collation to be prepared for them Rancour who was one of those who love to eat at other Mens costs was almost assoon got ready as the proposition was made him and which you may be easily enclin'd to believe if you consider that these sort of People are accustom'd to dress and undress behind the Scenes to Act different Parts which will admit of but little delay Ragotin and Rancour then march'd on towards the Abby of la Cousture but we must suppose that they called at some Church by the way to say a short Prayer for Ragotin's Thoughts that he had in his Head would not admit of a long one He nevertheless acquainted Rancour with nothing of the matter for fear it might have kept him from his Breakfast which he knew he had a greater Inclination for than to give Ear to any thing he could tell 〈◊〉 They came to the Inn where being enter'd the little Man 〈◊〉 to fly in a great Passion because the petits pâtéz he had order'd were not yet got ready To which the Hostess answer'd without rising off from the seat where she sat Truly Monsieur Ragotin I know not how you could expect that I should divine when you would come but since you are now here the Pâtéz shall not be long after you Pray walk into the Hall where you 'll find a Cloth laid and a Westphalia Ham to stay your Stomach This she spoke after a grave Hostess-like manner and which inclined Rancour to be on her side who turning to Ragotin cry'd Sir pray let us comply with my Hostesses Proposal and take a Glass or two while our Breakfast is getting ready They sat down to Table which in a very short time after was cover'd and they Breakfasted after the Mode of Mans that is to say very heartily They Drank the same and put about several Healths among which the Reader may imagine Madam Stars was not forgot Little Ragotin tost up above a dozen Glasses successfully sometimes sitting and sometimes standing with his Hat in his Hand But at last he would needs drink his Mistresses Health on his Knees and bare-headed which made him to look just for all the World as if he had been doing Penance at the Door of some Church It was then that he earnestly reminded Rancour of his Promise to assist him in the Conquest of Madam Star's Heart Whereupon Rancour half angry or at least feigning to be so answered him a little roughly I thought Monsieur Ragotin you had known that I was a Man that never embark'd without Ammunition I mean engaged in any thing that I were not able to bring about Be satisfied I will omit no Opportunity to serve you I tell you so again and have ways in my Head whereby to compass it But I see one great Obstacle in our way and that is our sudden departure from hence the only method therefore that I can advise you in to bring about your Ends is to be resolv'd to be admitted amongst us You have all the Qualifications for it that can be desired You have a good Mien a strong Voice a good Tone and a better Memory and in a Word you seem to have nothing about you that looks Country You appear to have lived all your Life time at Court having so much the Air of it that you might be known for a Courtier above a Mile off You need not proceeded he to Act above a dozen times before you 'll be able to out-start all our young Pretenders who must resign up the chief Parts to you and then leave the rest to me As for the present quoth he you 'll have but a tough bit of her you must manage her with Policy wherewith I know you to have sufficient but however a little Instruction may not be amiss I would advise you therefore not to let her know your design at your first entrance into our Company for that would certainly be the way to lose her but rather to keep her in suspence till you have a convenient opportunity to make your Addresses and after you have sufficiently won upon her by your Conversation which I dare promise you 'll soon do The little Man had been so attentive to Rancour's discourse that he was almost ravish'd into an Extasy imagining that he had already as we say the Wolf by the Ears when coming to himself all of a sudden as it were out of an Apoplexy he started from the place where he sat and went to the other side of the Table to embrace Rancour whom he thanked heartily for his Councel and begged of him to continue his Friend in this Affair protesting at the same time that his only Design in inviting him to Breakfast was to have declared his Mind to him concerning his being admitted of his Society and which he resolv'd forthwith to be After this they reckon'd with their Landlady and Ragotin paid all When they were out of Doors they took their course directly towards the Scrollers Lodgings which was not far off from where they had been They found the Women up and drest but Rancour had no sooner open'd Rogotin's design to them than he was interrupted by a Messenger from Leander's Father who sent his Son Word by him that he was Sick to Death and desired to see him before he paid that Debt to Nature which all Men must This obliged all the Company to lay their Heads together and consult how they should bear against an Accident so unexpected Leander took Angelica aside and told her that his time was now come to live Happy if she would but contribute towards it otherwise he must be unfortunate tho' Rich and Poor tho' he had a good Income She promised him all the Favours that lay in her Power and particularly those you will meet with in the next Chapter CHAP. III. Leander's Project and Harangue together with Ragotin's Admission among the Strollers THE Jesuites of la Fleche not having been able to make Leander continue his Studys and perceiving his Inclinations ran high to be a Player presently concluded that he must be in Love with some Actress or other and which they were altogether confirm'd in when after the departure of the Company they found he had followed them to Anvers
had Adventures in his time which possibly might not prove unacceptable in a Romance in the room of many fabulous Stories it is commonly stuffed with To which Star briskly reply'd that she was very well satisfied they would be entertaining and therefore immediately engag'd him in the Relating of some of them the first opportunity they should have Her request he promised to gratify and then Mrs. Cave proceeded with her Account after the following manner The Dog that frighted us prevented what I was then going to say and what ye shall now hear The Proposal the Baron of Sigâ—gnac caus'd to be made to my Mother by the good Curate that he would marry her Afflicted her no less than it pleased me as I have already told you but what encreased her Affliction was that she could not propose a way to herself how she might get out of his House To do it alone she thought would be to little purpose since she could not think to get far before he would certainly send and overtake her and perhaps abuse her to boot Moreover we thereby ran a risque of losing our Baggage which was the only thing we had left to subsist on At length Fortune offered us an opportunity to escape the most plausible that could be which was this This Baron who had always hitherto been of a morose inflexible Temper was all of a sudden chang'd from his insensible Brutality to the sofâ—est of Passions Love and that to so great excess that he became even Sick with the violence of it nay more Sick to Death At the beginning of his illness my Mother would needs be frequently offering her Service but she no sooner came near his Bed than he always began to rave This my Mother perceiving and being a Woman of no common contrivance she immediately apply'd herself to his Servants telling them that she observ'd her Daughter and she were rather an hindrance to their Lord's recovery than a help and therefore desir'd of them to procure us Horses for our selves and a Waggon for our Baggage and she would be gone This the Servants would by no means hearken to till at length the Curate coming and having understood the Baron was raving resolv'd forthwith to deliver him from the occasion thereof and immediately setting about it he soon provided us with all those necessaries we requir'd Next Morning we loaded the Cart with our Equipage and after having taken leave of the Servants but especally of the obliging Curate we set forth and arriv'd at Night at a little Town of Perigord whose name I have forgot but which I nevertheless remember to be the same place from whence a Surgeon had been fetch'd to my Mother when she was wounded by the Baron of Sigognac's Servants who took us for Gypsies We alighted and went to an Inn where we were immediately discover'd for what we were for the Chamber-Maid no sooner saw us but she cry'd out aloud to her Companions Courage my Hearts we shall quickly have Play acted here since the rest of the Company are arriv'd This gave us to understand that there were some Strollers in the Town which we were heartily glad of being in hopes that we might have the good Fortune to join with them and so get our Lifelihoods and wherein as it happen'd we were not deceiv'd for the Morning following after we had just discharg'd our Waggon and Horses two Actors who had heard of our arrival came to see us who acquainted us that one of their Companions with his Wife having quitted their Company we if we pleas'd might have their places which if we would but condescend to accept of he promised himself that they might perform wonders My Mother who was always very obliging accepted their proffer and it was agreed that she should have the chief Parts another Woman that was among them the second and I such as they should assign me or think me capable of for I was but then thirteen or fourteen Years of Age at farthest We continu'd acting here about fifteen Days this Town being no sufficient to maintain us any longer My Mother press'd heartily to be gone and to leave this Country having a dread upon her that assoon as the Baron were recover'd he might make search after us and give us some Affront We consequently set out and rid near 40 Leagues before we pitch'd upon any place where to Act. The Master of the Company whose name was Belle fleur talk'd of Marriage to my Mother but which she absolutely refused conjuring him at the same time not to trouble himself with making love to her since she began to be somewhat old and moreover had enter'd into a Vow never to marry again Belle-fleur hearing this my Mothers resolution troubled her with no more of his Addresses We rubb'd on three or four Years with success At length I began to grow up and my Mother became so crazy that she could not well Act her Parts wherefore the Company having a tolerable Opinion of my Performance I was substituted in her place Belle-fleur who found he could not have my Mother demanded me of her for his Wife but which favour she again deny'd him having a mind to take the first opportunity to retire to Marseilles But falling afterwards sick at Troyes in Champagne and fearing to leave me behind her unmarried in case she should die she Communicated to me Belle-fleurs request Present necessity oblig'd me to accept of the proffer tho' he was old enough to be my Father yet considering that he was a very Honest Man I was the easier induc'd to consent to marry him My Mother then had the satisfaction to see me Married before she died which happen'd in a few Days after I was concern'd as much as a good Daughter ought to be which nevertheless wore away in a little time I began then to apply my self altogether to my Business again and in a short time became with Child The Day of my lying down being come I brought into the World this Daughter Angelica you see here who cost me so many Tears and is like to cost a great many more if I continue much longer in this World As she was going to proceed with her Relation Destiny interrupted her telling her she might promise herself a great deal of Satisfaction for the future instead of Disquiet since that so rich a Gentleman as Leander desir'd her Daughter for his Wife Whilst Mrs. Cavi was about to finish her Account Leander enter'd the Room and Saluted all the Company He was all drest in black and attended by three Footmen in Black likewise which presently gave every body reason to conceive that his Father was dead in earnest The Prior left the Company and went his way and 't is here that I conclude this Chapter CHAP. VIII The end of Mrs. Caves History AFter Leander had finished his Compliments upon his Arrival Destiny told him that he must desire leave both to Condole him for the loss of his Father
we thought fitting to pass by contenting our selves only with tipping them the Wink to follow usâ— which they soon after did but with the young Fellows along with them which we perceiving immediately enter'd our Boat and landed near one of the Gates of the City where we met the Siâ—ar du Fresne who forthwith demanded of me where I had left his Daughters I not knowing presently whaâ— Answer to make told him frankly that I had not had the Honour to see them all that Night Having heard this he took his leave bidding us good Night and went towards his Park at the Gate whereof he overtook his Daughters whom asking where and with whom they had been du Lys pertly answer'd with such a one naming me At that the Father reach'd her a sound Box o'th'Ear together with you Lye at the end on 't for continu'd he had he been with you tho' it were much later I should never have ask'd you the Question Next Day the aforesaid Widow came again to let me know what had happen'd the Night foregoing and to acquaint me that du Lys was extremely Angry with me not only at the box o'th'Ear she had received on my account but also at my disappointing of her she intending to have got quickly rid of those Impertinent young Fellows I excused my self as well as I could and declin'd going near her for four Days together But one Day as she and her Sister sat with some other young Ladies on a Bench before a Shop in a Street next to the City Gate which I was going out at to the Suburbs I passed by them moving my Hat a little but without looking much upon them or saying any thing to them The other Ladies immediately ask'd what was the meaning of my so cold Deportment which they scarce took to be Civil Du Lys gave them no Answer but her elder Sister told them that she did not know the Reason and that if they had a mind to be satisfied in it they must know it from my self Adding moreover Come let us go place our selves a litâ—le nearer the Gate that he may not be able to get by us as he comes back without taking more notice I quickly return'd when this good Sister catching me hold by the Cloak and pulling me to her said to me How comes it Haughty Sir that you can pass by your Mistress without taking any notice and at the same time pulled me down by her but when I turned to embrace her and tell her the reason she slung away like a Mad thing I staid a little longer with them and after went my ways I resolv'd then not to go near my Mistress for some Days longer and which I perform'd but which seem'd as so many Ages to me till at length one Morning I met Madam du Fresne who stopping me ask'd me what had made me so great a stranger to her House I answer'd that it was the ill-humour of her younger Daughter whereupon she immediately promis'd to make up the difference betwixt us and bid me meet her within an Hour at her House I was not a little impatient till I had obey'd her and herefore went at the time appointed to Madam du Fresnes House As I was going up into her Chamber according to her Direction I met du Lys coming down who perceiving me made so much haste by me that I could not stop her I afterwards went into the Chamber where I found her Sister who began immediately to Simper whereupon I told her how briskly her Sister had gone by me but she assur'd me that that was all seigned and that to her Knowledge she had gone a Hundred times to the Window to look whether she could see me and farther that she was now gone but into the Garden whither I might go after her if I pleas'd I took the hint and went to the Garden-door but found it lockt whereupon I beg'd of her to open it but she would not which her Sister hearing from the top of the Stairs came down and open'd it for me by a Trick she had got I went in but du Lys ran from me as if she had been Mad. I followed and overtook her and catching her by one of her Sleeves pull'd her dovvn upon a Camomil-bank clapping my self at the same time dovvn by her I made her all the Excuses that I vvas capable of doing but she continued inexorable at length I acquainted her that my Passion vvas not to be fool'd vvith and that therefore iâ— she did not quickly think fit to let me knovv her Mind Despair might drive me to the doing of something vvhich she might repent having been the Cause of This never theless vvrought nothing upon her the vvhich perceiving drevv my Svvord out of the Scabbard and presenting it â— her naked desir'd that she vvould be pleas'd to thrust it thro' mâ— Heart telling her at the same time that it vvas altogether impossible for me to survive a deprivation of her Favourâ— She thereupon rise to be gone informing me that she haâ— never yet kill'd any body and that vvhen she vvas so dispos'd I should not be the first Person Then I stopt her aâ— beg'd she would stay and see me do it my self to whicâ— she answer'd coldly that I might do as I pleas'd for 〈◊〉 should nor go about to hinder me At that I clapt 〈◊〉 Point to my Breast and put my self into a Posture to 〈◊〉 upon it which she observing immediately grew pale 〈◊〉 kickt away the Hilt from the Ground so that the swâ—â—â— fell down assuring me withal that that Action had extremely frighted her and beg'd that I would let her see 〈◊〉 more such Sights I answer'd I were willing to obey 〈◊〉 providing she vvould be less unkind to me for the futâ—â—â— vvhich she promis'd to be We aftervvards embrac'd so 〈◊〉 iugly that I could have vvisht ' to have had a Quarrel 〈◊〉 her every Day of my Life to occasion so charming a 〈◊〉 conciliation Whilst vve remain'd in these Transports her Mother enter'd the Garden and told us she vvould have come sooner but that she imagin'd vve had no need of her interposing to reconcile us One Day as the Sieur du Fresne his Wife du Lys and I were Walking together in the Park this good Mother told me aside that she had been a faithful Advocate in my behalf She might easily speak this without her Husbands hearing of it since he was very deaf We both thank'd her however rather by Gesture than Words A little after Monsieur du Fresne took me aside and told me that his Wife and he had agreed to give me their younger Daughter in Marriage before he went to Court to wait his Quarter in his turn and therefore desir'd I would put my self to no more Charges in Serenades or the like I return'd him my Acknowledgments but after a confus'd manner being more than ordinarily Transported at so unexpected a Happiness But I well remember I told him
that I should never have dar'd to have ask'd his Daughter in Marriage as well considering my small Merit as the inequality of our Conditions To which he answer'd that as for Merit he was well satisfied that I had sufficient and for Quality every body knew I had that would very well supply it meaning I suppose my Estate I don't remember what reply I gave but this I know well that he invited me to Supper that Night and where it was concluded that the Sunday following we should have a Meeting of our Friends to finish the Nuptials He acquainted me likewise what Portion he design'd to give with his Daughter but as for that I told him I had sufficient for us both and therefore required her Person only Then I thought my self the most happy Man in the World But alas That Happiness did not last long for the Night before the Day that we were to be Marryed as du Lys and I were sitting upon a Grass-plat we perceiv'd at a distance a Councellor of the Presidial-Court coming to pay a Visit to the Sieur du Fresne his Kinsman whereat both she and I conceiv'd the same thought at a time and began to be both concern'd tho' we knew not well at what which nevertheless the event of what we feared made but too perspicuous For next Day when I went to meet the Company at du Fresne's House according to Agreement I found du Lys at the Court-gate crying Upon asking her what she ail'd I could obtain no answer whereupon I enter'd into the House and found her Sister in the same Condition I ask'd her likewise what was the meaning of so many Tears She answer'd sobbing that I would know but too soon Then I went up into the Chamber and found the Mother but she no sooner saw me than she went out without scarce speaking a Word to me for Tears Sobbs and Sighs had so disturbed her that all she could do was to look pittifully upon me and cry Ah poor young Man I resolved to know the Cause of this sudden Change and therefore immediately went to Monsieur du Fresne's Chamber where I found him sitting in an Elbow-chair At my coming in he told me bluntly that he had alter'd his Mind and would not now Marry his younger Daughter before his elder and tho' he did Marry her it should be sure not to be before his return from Court I answer'd upon these two Heads first That his elder Daughter would not at all be displeas'd to have her younger Sister Marryed before her providing it were to me since she had always loved me as her Brother and more than once professed as much And secondly I acquainted him that I would willingly stay for her ten Years instead of three Months that he should be from home At last he told me in plain Terms that I must think no more of his Daughter and so turn'd from me Having heard this I immediately determin'd to go home and kill my self But as I was drawing forth my Sword for that purpose the aforesaid Widow that had formerly been our Confidence came in upon me where I was and prevented me in that Design by telling me that she came from du Lys and that she desired me by her not to afflict my self but have Patience and Matters might perhaps change to my advantage She farther inform'd me from her that I had her Mother and Sister sure to my Interest and above all herself whose Kindness and Constancy to me was unalterable She likewise told me that the Sisters had resolved as soon as their Father was gone that they would give me an opportunity to continue my Visits as before Tho' this Discourse was extremely pleasing to me yet could it not altogether comfort me for I afterwards fell into so deep a Melancholy that Despair suggested to me to consult the Devil about my Fate Hereupon a little before Monsieur du Fresne's Departure I went to a large Copse about half a League from the Town where it was the Vulgar Report that evil Spirits inhabited and where 't is certain the Fairies who are no doubt the Devil's Imps had formerly been I went a great way into this Copse and when I thought I was far enough I began to call upon and invoke the Spirits to Assist me in this worst of Misfortunes but after I had Pray'd and Bawl'd for some time to no purpose and only heard the Birds warble which I interpreted to be their concern for my Misfortune I return'd home to my House not at all satisfied when throwing my self upon the Bed I was immediately seiz'd with such a wild Frenzy that I even lost my Speech insomuch that 't was thought I could never have escap'd Death Du Lys was ill at the same time and much after the same manner which has inclin'd me to believe ever since that there is something in Sympathy more than ordinary for as the Cause of our Sickness was the same so was its effect which we understood by our Doctor and Apothecary having both the same but as for our Surgeon 's they were several I grew well a little before du Lys which made me to go or I might rather say be carryed to see her When I came to her House I found her a Bed and her Father gone to Court She no sooner saw me but she seem'd to recover which made me desire her to rise but she was no sooner got out of Bed than she fainted away in my Arms. This made me extremely sorry that I had desir'd so unreasonable a thing of her and therefore I had her immediately put to Bed again where after some time I left her to recover by Sleep which perhaps she would not have done had I staid with her Not long after we were both entirely recovered and pass'd our time very pleasantly all the while her Father continued absent till at last returning again he was inform'd by some secret Enemies of ours that I had kept his Daughter company ever since he had been from home This made him to rave extremely and to forbid his Wife and Daughters seeing me any more which I learnt afterwards by our Confidente as likewise that they had notwithstanding engaged in a Resolution to see me often and inform'd me of the means by this Widow The first was that I should observe when this unkind Father came into the City when I might go to his House and continue there till his return which was well enough known by his Knock. Then were I to step behind the Tapistry and afterwards while either a Man or Maid or one of his Daughters took off his Cloak I might easily slip out behind him which he could never hear by reason as I have told you before that he was Deaf This contrivance I frequently made use of but which being at length discovered I was forc'd to have recourse to another which was to meet my Mistriss and Friends in our Confidentes Garden which I did several
in being none of the wisest Men in the World that du Val-Rochet might have an opportunity to kill him which she fancyed no hard matter and then she propos'd to Hang him out of the way for his pains But as Fortune would have it it hapned quite otherwise for Val Rochet trusting to his skill in Fencing seem'd to dispise du Lac thinking he durst not make a Thrust at him but herein he was extremely deceiv'd for whilst he put himself out of guard du Lac made a home Thrust at him and run him thro' the Body whereof he instantly dyed This done du Lac went home to his House and acquainted his Wife therewith who was not only surpriz'd but concern'd at so unexpected an Accident He after this fled away privately to a Relation of his Wives who as I have told you before had several Persons of Quality to her Kindred who labour'd incessantly to obtain her Husbands Pardon from the King Madam Fons-blanche was not a little astonish'd when she was first told that her Husband was kill'd but coming afterwards to herself she was advised to Bury him quickly and privately to prevent his Body being Arrested by the Bailiffs Thus in less than six Weeks time Fons-blanche had been a Widow twice Du Lac not long after obtain'd his Pardon which was confirmed by the Parliament of Paris notwithstanding all the opposition the deceas'd Person 's Widow could make This made her to entertain a wilder Design than Madam du Lac had done before and that was to Stab du Lac as he walked in the Market-place with some of his Friends For this purpose she provided herself of a Ponyard and marching up to him attackt him so furiously that before he could get himself into a Posture of Defence or have any of his Friends turn about to help him she had Stabb'd him mortally in two Places vvhereof he died three Days after His Wife immediately got this Virago seiz'd and clapt up in Prison Her Tryal came on and she was Condemn'd to Die but her Execution was respited by reason of her being with Child nevertheless not long after the Stench of the Prison did the Work of the Hang-man for she dyed of a Disease caus'd thereby after having been first delivered before her time and her Child being Baptiz'd died likewise soon after Madam du Lac began afterwards to reflect on what she had been the occasion of and therefore forthwith resolv'd to turn Nun which she did after having put her Affairs in order in the Nunnery of Almeneche in the Diocess of Sées where she now continues if she be not yet dead of her Austerities which she voluntarily inflicted on her self The Actors and Actresses countinu'd their Attention even while Monsieur de la Garrouffiere had done speaking so well they lik'd the Story he had entertain'd them with Roquebrune starting up all of a sudden told the Company after his usual way that this was a rare Subject for a Grave Poem and he would make an excellent Tragedy of it which he would reduce to Dramatick Rules The Company took little notice of what he said but all admir'd at the wonderous Courage of the Women who being push'd on by Jealousie did not boggle at the most hazardous Attempts Then it was Disputed whether Jealousie were a Passion or not and all concluded that whatsoever it was it ruin'd the Noblest of Passions Love There was a good while yet to Supper when all the Company agreed to go and Walk in the Park which they did and afterwards sat themselves down on the Grass Then Destiny said he thought nothing so pleasant as Novels which Leander confirming offer'd to relate another concerning a Neighbour's Daughter of his which was accepted and after three or four times Coughing he began as follows CHAP. XVI The Capricious Lady a Novel THere liv'd in a small Town of Britany call'd Vitray an ancient Gentleman who had been Married a great while to a very virtuous Lady without having any Children by her Amongst other Houshold-Servants he had a Steward and a Housekeeper thro' whose Hands most matters relating to the Family passed These two Persons as most Servants do sooner or later made Love and promiss'd each other Marriage They had so well play'd their Parts in their several Stations that both the good old Gentleman and his Lady died not long after very much incumber'd As for the two Servants they became Rich and Married having little or no regard to their Masters Misfortune Some Years afterwards a certain ill Accident fell out that caused the Steward to fly his Country and which to do the more securely he listed himself in a Troop of Horse leaving his Wife without Children She having waited for his return about two Years and hearing nothing of him caus'd a Report to be spread abroad that he was Dead and accordingly went into Mourning for him When this was a little over she was sought after by several Persons in Marriage and among the rest by a rich Merchant who marry'd her and at the Years end had a Child by her who might be about four Years old when her Mothers first Husband return'd home to his House To tell you which was the most surpriz'd the two Husbands or the Wife is not in my Power but certain it is that the first Husbands occasion of going away still continuing against him he was easily prevail'd upon by the other Husband to take a small sum of Money to be gone again 'T is true he every now and then return'd secretly for a little Subsistance from his Wife which was not refus'd him In the mean time the Daughter whose Name was Margaret grew up and being Rich tho' she was not handsome did not want for Sparks to Court her Among the rest was a rich Merchants Son who did not mind his Fathers Business but lov'd to frequent Gentries Company where he often met with his Mistress Margaret who was received among them on account of her Riches This young Man whose Name was Monsieur de St. Germain had a good Countenance and Courage enough to engage him often in Duels which at that time were very frequent He Danc'd very gracefully Gam'd with all the better sort of Company and was always well drest In the many meetings he had with this young Lass he took all opportunities to let her know what a kindness he had for her and how desirous he was to be her Husband This she seem'd to approve of well enough and consequently invited him to come and see her at home which he did by permission of her Father and Mother who extremely favour'd the Match But afterwards when he was about to ask her of her Parents he would by no means do it till he had her consent likewise not believing when she had yeilded so far in other things she would oppose him in that but to his great surprize upon putting the Question to her he found her to repulse him furiously both in Words and
th' unlucky Ragotin lies Who liv'd a Slave to fair Star's Eyes Yet Destiny him of her deprived Which made him strait resolve to float To th' other World without a Boat For needs must where the Devil driv'd For her a Stroller he became And here with Life he ends the same The Actors and Actresses return'd Home to their Lodgings and continu'd their Exercise with their ordinary Applause A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE Third PART Chap. Page I. WHich may serve for an Introduction to the Third Part. 265 II. Where you 'll find Ragotin's Design 268 III. Leander's Project and Harangue together with Ragotin's being admitted among the Strollers 271 IV. Of Leander's departure the Strollers going for Alençon and Ragotin's Misfortune 275 V. What happen'd to the Strollers between Vivain and Alençon together with another Misfortune of Ragotin's 280 VI. Of Saldaigne's Death 286 VII The sequel of Mrs. Caves History 291 VIII The end of Mrs. Caves History 295 IX How Rancour undeceiv'd Ragotin concerning Madam Star together with the arrival of a Coachful of Gentry and some other Comical Adventures of Ragotin's 298 X. The History of the Prior of St. Lewis and the arrival of Monsieur Verville 303 XI Resolutions of Destiny's Marrying with Star and Leander with Angelica 313 XII What happen'd in the Iourney to Fresnaye as likewise another Misfortune of Ragotin's 315 XIII The continuation and conclusion of the Prior of St. Lewis's History 318 XIV Verville's return accompanied by Monsieur de la Garrouffiere The Actors and Actresses Marriages together with an Adventure of Ragotin's 336 XV. The two Iealous Ladies a Novel 341 XVI The Capricious Lady a Novel 346 XVII Ragotin's Despair and Death with the end of the Comical Romance 353 FINIS SCARON's Novels NOVEL I. Avarice Chastis'd OR THE Miser Punished T Is not quite a thousand years ago since a pretty Younker who was full as ambitious as poor and had a greater itch upon him to be thought a Gentleman than a Rational Creature left the Mountains of Navarre and came in company with his Father to find that at Madrid which was not to be got in his own Country I mean wealth and riches that are sooner â—cquired at Court than any other place and indeed are selâ—om acquired there but by importunity and asking He had â—he Credit I cannot inform you how it came about to be â—eceived as a Page by a certain Prince which quality in Spain is not so happy as that of a Lacquey in France and â—ot much more honourable When he first put on his Liveâ—y he was about twelve years old and from that moment might be called the thriftiest Page in the World and the â—east given to spending All his worldly stock not to reckon â—is expectations that were very big consisted in a wretched Bed set up in a Garret which he had hired in that quarâ—er of the Town where his Master lived and there he â—igged every night with his venerable Father who may be said to be rich in Gray hairs because by procuring him the charity of well-disposed persons they helpt to maintain him At last the old Gentleman troop't off at which his unrighteous Son rejoyc'd fancying himself already enriched by that which his Father did not spend From that hour he enjoyn'd himself so severe and strict a sort of life and practis'd so wonderful a frugality that he spent not a farthing of that little money his Master gave him to keep body and soul together It is true he did this at the expence of his Belly which often grumbled at him for it and of all his acquaintance Don Marcos for that was our Hero's name was of a stature below the common pitch and for want of due repairing the decays of his little carcass he became in a short time as slender as a Lath and as dry as a Deal-board When he waited on his Master at Table he never took off a Plate with any Meat in it but he dexterously whipt the best part into his pocket and because it could not so well contain Soops and other liquids he made money of a great number of Torches ends which he had kept together with great industry and bought him a pair of Tin Pockets by the help of which he soon began to perform miracles for the advancement of his fortune Misers are for the most part careful and vigilant and these two good qualities joyn'd to the furious passion which Don Marcos had to become rich made his Master take such a fancy to him that he was resolved never to part with so excellent a Page For this reason he made him wear a Livery till he was thirty years old But at last this Phoenix of a Servant being oblig'd to undergo the Tonsorâ—s hands too often to clear him of his ungodly beard his Master metamorphos'd our Page into a Gentleman and thus made him that which Heaven never design'd him to be And now you must know his revenues were augmented by the addition of several Reals aday but instead of augmenting his expences our Spark shut his purse so much the closer as his new employ one would have thought might have obliged him the more to open it He had heard stories told him of some of his own profession who for want of a Valet would call up your fellows that cry Brandy about the streets in a morning to make their Beds and sweep their Chambers under pretence of buying some of their Liquor and of others who in the winter got themselves undrest at night by your Cryers of gray pease or Link-boys but as this was not to be done without some sort of injustice and our Don Marcos made a conscience of wronging any one but himself he thought it much better to shift as well as he cou'd without a Valet He never burnt an inch of Candle in his Chamber but what he stole and to manage it with more Oeconomy he began to unbutton himself in the Street at the very place where he lighted it put it out as soon as he got to his Lodgings and so tumbled into bed in the dark But still finding that there was a cheaper way of going to bed than this his busie inventing Genius set him upon making a hole in the Wall which divided his Room from that of his neighbour who no sooner lighted his Candle but our Don immediately opened his hole and by that means received light enough to do any thing he had occasion for Being not able to dispense with himself from wearing a Tilter at his Breech by reason of his noble descent which required it of him he clapt a Lath into a Scabboard wore it one day on the right and the next on the left side in order to use his Breeches to some sort of Symmetry and because his trusty Whinyard wou'd wear them out the less being equally divided between the right and the left At break of day he stood at the Street-door begging a Gods name a cup of
herself against so many noble qualities nor was she willing to be any longer in his debt after she had received so many obligations from him In short she marry'd him Both Court and City approved her choice and that she might not have any reason to repent of it not long after it so happen'd that the King of Spain bestowed a Commandery of St Iago upon Don Garcias And before that happen'd it so happen'd that our Bridegroom convinc'd Eugenia the first night of his bedding her that he was another sort of a man than Don Sancho and she found in him what she had not found in the Portuguese Andrada They had abundance of Children because they took abundance of pains to get them and the people of Spain to this day tell their History which I have given you here for a true one as it was given me NOVEL V. The Generous Lover OR The Man of Deeds and not of Words UNder a King of Naples whose name I cannot tell however I suppose it might be Alphonso Leonard de St Severin Prince of Tarento was one of the greatest Lords of his Kingdom and one of the most celebrated Generals of his time He died and left the Principality of Tarento to his Daughter Mathilda a young Princess about seventeen years old as beautiful as an Angel and as good condition'd as she was beautiful but so extremely good condition'd that those that did not know she had an infinite deal of wit would have been apt to call it in question Her Father long before his death had promis'd her in marriage to Prosper Prince of Salerno This latter was a man of a haughty disagreeable temper and the sweet and gentle Mathilda by virtue of being long accustomed to bear with him was so well prepared to love and fear him that never did Slave depend more upon the imperious will of his Master than this young Princess did upon that of old Prosper I think a man at the age of forty-five may very well be call'd old when he is mention'd with one so young as Mathilda Her affection to this superannuated Lover may be said to proceed rather from custom than inclination and was as sincere as his was interressed Not but that he was as fond of her too as 't was as possible for him to be and this was no more than what any man would have done as well as himself for indeed she was all amiable but 't was not in the nature of the beast I beg his pardon but 't is out to love very much and he rather esteem'd a Mistress for her dirty acres and unrighteous Mammon than for her merit and beauty The truth is he made love but awkwardly however he was so happy or to express my self more properly she was so easy to be pleased that altho he did not pay her half the respect and complaisance which one might expect from a generous Lover yet for all that he was absolute master of her heart and had brought her to such a pass as to submit to all his ill conditions He found fault with all her actions and plagued her incessantly with those musty advices that old men in their great wisdom so often inculcate to the young and the other so little care for In short he would have been a greater thorn in her side than a peevish malicious Governante if he could have found out any faults in her conduct It is true that when he was in a good humour he would tell her stories of the old Court play on his Guitarre and dance a Saraband before her I have already told you his age but to go on with his Character He was spruce in his Person and Cloaths curious in his Pertiwigs an infallible sign that his hair was none of the best he took mighty care of his Teeth tho time began to play tricks with them he valued himself upon his Lilly-white hands and suffer'd the Nail of his left little Finger to grow to a prodigious length by the same token he thought it one of the prettiest sights in the world He was nice to admiration in his Feathers and Ribbonds punctually twisted up his Mustachio's every night was always perfum'd and always carry'd some tid bit in his pocket to eat and some Verses to read As for himself he was an execrable versifyer was a walking Magazine of all the new Songs play'd upon most Instruments perform'd his Exercises with a grace but his chief Talent was Dancing He lov'd the wits that ask'd him nothing had perform'd some actions in his time that were brave and some that were otherwise and as one might say he had two Buzzards to one Hawk or if you please two Blanks to one Benefit In short I may properly apply to him a burlesque Song of my own making the latter part of which is almost worn into a Proverb SONG HEre lies a sine wight That cou'd sing you at sight And dance like a sprite And verses indite And bravely recite What 's more he cou'd fight I swear by this light Like Fury or Knight He knew what was what Cou'd gallop and trot And toss off his Pot And swear at the Shot Yet with all he had got It was the hard lot Of this boaster God wot To be a damn'd sot With all these fine qualities one of the loveliest Princesses in the world was desperately in love with him 'T is true indeed she was but seventeen years old but our Noble Prince of Salermo did not stand much upon that There is no doubt but the Princess Mathilda being so rich and beautiful as she was would have had a hundred Gallants more if it had not been universally believed in Naples that her Marriage with Prosper was as good as concluded in her Father's time or if that Prince's quality had not discouraged other pretenders who tho they wanted his Title were men of fortune and birth good enough to be his Rivals Thus the greatest part of these Lovers either govern'd by a principle of fear or discretion were content to sigh for her in private without daring to speak Hippolito was the only man that had the courage to own himself in publick the Rival of Prosper and the respective Lover of Mathilda He was descended from one of the best Families in Spain and came in a direct line from the great Ruis Lopezâ—dâ— Avalos Constable of Castile who was so remarkable an instance of the inconstancy of fortune since from the richest and most powerful Grandee of his own Country he was turned out of it poor and miserable forced to borrow money of his Friends and fly to the King of Arragon who took him into his own protection and gave him a fortune sufficient at Naples to support him according to his quality This Hippolito was one of the most accomplish'd Cavaliers of his time His valour had gain'd him reputation in several parts of Europe and all the world own'd him to be a man of the nicest honour As I
both in City and Court I don't say this with a design to insinuate that we at Paris pretend to enter into any competition with your Deities at Brouage and with your other happy Persons that enjoy such instructive Conversation there But their true Element is Paris or the Court and when upon their leaving Brouage they leave you in your Primitive nothing where they found you you will be no better nor worse than Country-Bumpkins and meer Clowns Adieu my Hand akes with Writing LET. XLIX To the Count de Vivonne Sir I Have found the foul Copy of the Letter which I writ to you and must needs own to you I think it very foolish but since you have a mind to see it I send it you such as it is 'T is a wonderful satisfaction to me that you keep me still in your Remembrance and indeed you do me but justice for you are oblig'd in Conscience to think sometimes of a Man that esteems you so much as I do and I beseech you to believe that your retirement at Roissy is not half so tiresome to your self as me who should hope sometimes to see you at my poor Quarters if you were in Paris I mean when you can find no body in the Ruedes Tournelles or elsewhere and you have nothing better to employ you Our Neighbours should be the principal Subject of our Conversation or if you please the Burthen of the Song and to relieve the Scene we would sometimes tell merry bantering Stories without which I positively maintain that all Conversation in a little time becomes insipid and languishing Mons. d'Elbene and I remember you frequently over our Wine and I wish with all my Heart you were here to Pledge us Monsieur de Mata is in Xaintonge and 't wou'd be well for me if he were in Paris for then you would have less reason to fear being tir'd with impertinent Chat when you would be so good natur'd as to make a short Visit to Your most humble Servant Scarron LET. L. To Sept. 5. 1â—60 Sir AT last my Affair is Sign'd and I owe all the Obligation of it to you I wish I were Master of something better than Complements to testifie my Acknowledgment to you but they are at least valuable upon this score that they are hearty and sincere and I beg you to believe that I would not publish to all the World that I am the greatest Admirer of Mons. de Guiche and the most Zealous of his Servants if I were not really so Scarron LET. LI. To the Marquess de Villarceaux Sir I Am extremely oblig'd to you for refreshing me when I walked this Morning with the agreeable Vision of the two Angels of your own making 'T is certain you had an excellent Model by you when you made them and that you must know something more of those happy Beings than the rest of Mankind Accident and Chance never use to produce any thing so perfect as they are especially in things of this Nature where a Man must run it off hand in spite of his Teeth and where he must finish all at a stroke or else give over My Friend Roisleau said very pleasantly upon this occasion that you ought to do nothing else but get Children To return now to yours I confess they are admirable and as every thing has its value the greatest is in my opinion the Eldest of the two whether it be because he is more advanc'd than his Brother who likewise will have his Admirers stand up for him in his turn or because my inclination leads me that way and fixes me there for which I can assign no reason In short both of them are very worthy of their Father and since you would have me tell you by their Physiognomy what their Fortunes are like to prove they will commit a world of Ravages upon People of both Sexes It will not be long before the Eldest will begin to push on his Conquests and perhaps will make an Attempt upon some of yoursâ— May Heaven in Mercy avert such a Misfortune from your Family which may sow Division between two Brothers and make Father and Son two irreconcileable Rivals There hapned to be in my Room when they came thither three or four Gentlemen of very good Judgment and Sense who agreed that both of them were Excellent but were of my opinion that the Elder was the better of the two and have given me their Votes for him In truth I believe that one may justly say of him His Shape is Divine and so is his Face So in â—hort is all about him And if his Soul with his Body keeps pace What Mortal alive can rout him LET. LII To I Am infinitely oblig'd to you for your Civility and for offering to do me good Offices with the Queen Ever since I have been in Disgrace I never durst write to her Majesty to complain of my ill Fortune and make my Innocence appear The Vexation it gave me did not allow me the least Intermission till such time as you gave me to understand that her Majestyâ— had ask'd for some of my Plays which makes me flatter my self that she still remembers such a Wretch as I was once in the World During the Troubles of the Regency my unfortunate Reputation made every thing that was printed at Paris whether Good or Bad to pass under my Name This Abuse still continues notwithstanding all the Pains I have taken to undeceive the World Some insolent Libels against his Eminence were father'd upon me and the Reason perhaps was because another Gentleman of the Purple who was of the contrary Faction to his Eminence was pleased to honour me with his Friendship tho' I was both known and loved by him from my Youth long before his Reputation began to sink at Court But suppose I had been so ungrateful and so thoughtless as to be wanting in my Respect to her Majesty and his Eminanceâ— May not a sincere Repentance hope to find that from them which it expects from Heaven I am not so vain to ask to be admitted again into her Majesty's good Graces which the unhappiness of the Time rather than any Crime of my own made me lose I wou'd only beseech her to drop her Indignation against an unhappy Wretch who has not long to live This wou'd be worthy of the Generosity of her Soul and if this great Happiness should arrive to me through your Mediation and good Offices I shou'd be more obliged to you than any Man living I am Sir Your most humble c. Scarron To that pair of worthy Gentlemen and my dearly beloved Friends Menage and Sarrazin or Sarrazin and Menage Gentlemen and dear Friends TO Dedicate the same Book to two Persons is to kill two Birds with one Stone I cannot tell whether I have any pretence to go upon this Proverb being a Cripple in my Hands and Feet and perhaps this is introducing a Novelty in Dedications which my Brother Poets will never