He makes some Progress in her Affections--Is interrupted by a Dispute
between Jolter and the Jew--Appeases the Wrath of the Capuchin, who
procures for him an interview with his fair Enslaver, in which he finds
himself deceived.
Peregrine, meanwhile, employed all his insinuation and address in
practising upon the heart of the Capuchin's fair charge. He had long ago
declared his passion, not in the superficial manner of a French gallant,
but with all the ardour of an enthusiast. He had languished, vowed,
flattered, kissed her hand by stealth, and had no reason to complain
of his reception. Though, by a man of a less sanguine disposition, her
particular complaisance would have been deemed equivocal, and perhaps
nothing more than the effects of French breeding and constitutional
vivacity; he gave his own qualifications credit for the whole, and with
these sentiments carried on the attack with such unabating vigour, that
she was actually prevailed upon to accept a ring, which he presented
as a token of his esteem; and everything proceeded in a most prosperous
train, when they were disturbed by the governor Israelite, who, in
the heat of disputation, raised their voices, and poured forth such
effusions of gutturals, as set our lover's teeth on edge. As they spoke
in a language unknown to every one in the carriage but themselves,
and looked at each other with mutual animosity and rancour, Peregrine
desired to know the cause of their contention; upon which Jolter
exclaimed, in a furious tone, “This learned Levite, forsooth, has the
impudence to tell me that I don't understand Hebrew; and affirms that
the word Benoni signifies 'child of joy;' whereas, I can prove, and
have already said enough to convince any reasonable man, that in the
Septuagint it is rightly translated into 'son of my sorrow.'”
Having thus explained himself to his pupil, he turned to the priest,
with intention to appeal to his determination; but the Jew pulled him by
the sleeve with great eagerness, saying, “For the love of God, be
quiet: the Capuchin will discover who we are.” Joker, offended at this
conjunction, echoed, “Who we are!” with great emphasis; and repeating
nos poma natamus, asked ironically, to which of the tribes the Jew
thought he belonged? The Levite, affronted at his comparing him to a
ball of horse-dung, replied, with a most significant grin, “To the tribe
of Issachar.” His antagonist, taking the advantage of his unwillingness
to be known by the friar, and prompted by revenge for the freedom he
had used, answered, in the French language, that the judgment of God
was still manifest upon their whole race, not only in their being in the
state of exiles from their native land, but also in the spite of their
hearts and pravity of their dispositions, which demonstrate them to be
the genuine offspring of those who crucified the Saviour of the world.
His expectation was, however, defeated: the priest himself was too
deeply engaged to attend to the debates of other people. The physician,
in the pride and insolence of his learning, had undertaken to display
the absurdity of the Christian faith; having already, as he thought,
confuted the Capuchin, touching the points of belief in which the Roman
Catholics differ from the rest of the world. But not cemented with the
imagined victory he had gained, he began to strike at the fundamentals
of religion; and the father, with incredible forbearance, suffered him
to make very free with the doctrine of the Trinity: but, when he leveled
the shafts of his ridicule at the immaculate conception of the Blessed
Virgin, the good man's patience forsook him, his eyes seemed to kindle
with indignation, he trembled in every joint, and uttered, with a loud
voice, “You are an abominable--I will not call thee heretic, for thou
art worse, if possible, than a Jew; you deserve to be inclosed in
a furnace seven times heated; and I have a good mind to lodge an
information against you with the governor of Ghent, that you may be
apprehended and punished as an impious blasphemer.”
This menace operated like a charm upon all present. The doctor was
confounded, the governor dismayed, the Levite's teeth chattered, the
painter astonished at the general confusion, the cause of which he could
not comprehend, and Pickle himself, not a little alarmed, was obliged to
use all his interest and assiduity in appeasing this son of the church,
who, at length, in consideration of the friendship he professed for the
young gentleman, consented to forgive what had passed, but absolutely
refused to sit in contact with such a profane wretch, whom he looked
upon as a fiend of darkness, sent by the enemy of mankind to poison the
minds of weak people; so that, after having crossed himself and uttered
certain exorcisms, he insisted upon the doctor's changing places with
the Jew, who approached the offended ecclesiastic in an agony of fear.
Matters being thus compromised, the conversation flowed in a more
general channel; and without the intervention of any other accident
or bone of contention, the carriage arrived at the city of Ghent about
seven in the evening. Supper being bespoken for the whole company, our
adventurer and his friends went out to take a superficial view of
the place, leaving his new mistress to the pious exhortations of her
confessor, whom, as we have already observed, he had secured in his
interest. This zealous mediator spoke so warmly in his commendation,
and interested her conscience so much in the affair, that she could
not refuse her helping hand to the great work of his conversion, and
promised to grant the interview he desired.
This agreeable piece of intelligence, which the Capuchin communicated to
Peregrine at his return, elevated his spirits to such a degree, that he
shone at supper with uncommon brilliance, in a thousand sallies of wit
and pleasantry, to the delight of all present, especially of his fair
Fleming, who seemed quite captivated by his person and behaviour. The
evening being thus spent to the satisfaction of all parties, the company
broke up, and retired to their several apartments, where our lover, to
his unspeakable mortification, learned that the two ladies were
obliged to be in the same room, all the other chambers of the inn being
pre-occupied. When he imparted this difficulty to the priest, that
charitable father, who was very fruitful in expedients, assured him
that his spiritual concerns should not be obstructed by such a slender
impediment; and accordingly availed himself of his prerogative, by going
into his daughter's chamber when she was almost undressed, and leading
her into his own, on pretence of administering salutary food for her
soul. Having brought the two votaries together, he prayed for success
to the operations of grace, and left them to their mutual meditations,
after having conjured them in the most solemn manner to let no impure
sentiments or temptations of the flesh interfere with the hallowed
design of their meeting.
The reverend intercessor being gone, and the door fastened on the
inside, the pseudo-convert, transported with his passion, threw himself
at his Amanda's feet; and begging she would spare him the tedious form
of addresses, which the nature of their interview would not permit him
to observe, began, with all the impetuosity of love, to make the most
of the occasion. But whether she was displeased by the intrepidity and
assurance of his behaviour, thinking herself entitled to more courtship
and respect; or was really better fortified with chastity than he or his
procurer had supposed her to be; certain it is, she expressed resentment
and surprise at his boldness and presumption, and upbraided him with
having imposed upon the charity of the friar. The young gentleman was
really as much astonished at this rebuff, as she pretended to be at his
declaration, and earnestly entreated her to consider how precious
the moments were, and for once sacrifice superfluous ceremony to the
happiness of one who adored her with such a flame as could not fail to
consume his vitals, if she would not deign to bless him with her favour.
Notwithstanding all his tears, vows, and supplications, his personal
accomplishments, and the tempting opportunity, all that he could obtain
was an acknowledgment of his having made an impression upon her heart,
which she hoped the dictates of her duty would enable her to erase. This
confession he considered as a delicate consent; and, obeying the impulse
of his love, snatched her up in his arms, with an intention of seizing
that which she declined to give; when this French Lucretia, unable
to defend her virtue any other way, screamed aloud; and the Capuchin,
setting his shoulder to the door, forced it open, and entered in an
affected ecstasy of amazement. He lifted up his hands and eyes, and
pretended to be thunderstruck at the discovery he had made; then in
broken exclamations, professed his horror at the wicked intention of our
hero, who had covered such a damnable scheme with the mask of religion.
In short, he performed his cue with such dexterity, that the lady,
believing him to be in earnest, begged he would forgive the stranger on
account of his youth and education, which had been tainted by the errors
of heresy; and he was on these considerations content to accept the
submission of our hero; who, far from renouncing his expectations,
notwithstanding this mortifying repulse, confided so much in his
own talents, and the confession which his mistress had made, that he
resolved to make another effort, to which nothing could have prompted
him but the utmost turbulence of unruly desire.