NEW-YORK _July 22, 1796_.
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[[For sources, see the end of the e-text. This story is also available
from Project Gutenberg as e-text 30794.]]
Interesting History Of
THE PRINCESS DE PONTHIEU.
_Translated from the French._
Among all the great families which flourished in France in the reign of
Philip the First, the Count de St. Paul and the Count de Ponthieu were
the most distinguished; but especially the Count de Ponthieu, who,
possessing a great extent of dominion, maintained the title of sovereign
with inconceiveable magnificence. He was a widower, and had an only
daughter, whose wit and beauty, supported by the shining qualities of
her father, made his court polite and sumptuous, and had attracted to it
the bravest Cavaliers of that age. The Count de St. Paul had no children
but a nephew, son of his sister, by the Sieur la Domar, who was the only
heir of his title and possessions. This expectation was for the present
his only fortune; but Heaven having formed him to please, he might be
said to be one of those whose intrinsic worth is sufficient to render
them superior to the rest of mankind: courage, wit, and a good mien,
together with a high birth, made ample atonement for his want of riches.
This young Cavalier having engaged the notice of the Count de Ponthieu
in a tournament, where he had all the honour; he conceived so great an
esteem for him, that he invited him to his court. The considerable
advantages he offered him were so much above what the Count de St.
Paul’s nephew could for the present expect, that he embraced the
proposals he made him with pleasure, and the Count thought himself happy
in having prevailed on him to stay with him. Thibault, for so history
calls this young Cavalier, was no sooner come to court, than the beauty
of the princess inspired him with admiration, which soon ripened into
love; and it was but in vain that reason opposed his passion, by
representing how little he was in a condition to make any such
pretensions. Love is not to be controuled, it is not to be
repelled.--But in some measure to punish his temerity, he condemned
himself to an eternal silence; yet, though his tongue was mute, the
princess, who had as great a share of sensibility as beauty, soon
perceived the effect of her charms written in his eyes, and imprinted in
all his motions, and, in secret, rejoiced at the conquest she had
gained. But the same reasons which obliged Thibault to conceal his
sentiments, prevented her from making any discovery of her’s, and it was
only by the language of their glances, they told each other that they
burned with a mutual flame.
As at that time there were great numbers of sovereign princes, there
were very often wars between them; and as the Count de Ponthieu had the
greatest extent of land, so he was the most exposed: But Thibault, by
his courage and prudence, rendered him so formidable to his neighbours,
that he both enlarged his dominions and made the possession of them
secure. These important services added to that esteem the Count and
Princess had for him before; but at last, a signal victory which he
gained, and which was of the utmost consequence to the Count, carried
the gratitude of that prince to such a height, that in the middle of his
court, and among the joyful acclamations of the people, he embraced the
young hero, and begged him to demand a reward for his great services;
assuring him, that did he ask the half of his dominions, he should think
himself happy in being able to give a mark of his tenderness and
gratitude. Thibault, who had done nothing but with a view of rendering
himself worthy of owning the passion he so long and painfully had
concealed, encouraged by such generous offers, threw himself at the feet
of the Count, telling him, that his ambition was entirely satisfied in
having been able to do him any service; but that he had another passion
more difficult to be pleased, which induced him to beg a favour, on
which depended the whole felicity of his life. The Count pressed him to
an explanation of these words, and swore to him by the faith of a
knight, an oath inviolably sacred in those times, that there was nothing
in his power he would refuse him. This promise entirely recovering the
trembling lover from that confusion which the fears that accompany that
passion had involved him in, “I presume then, my lord,” said he, “to
beg, I may have leave to declare myself the Princess’s knight, and that
I may serve and adore her in that quality. I am not ignorant,” continued
he, “of the temerity of my wishes, but if a crown be wanting to deserve
her, let me flatter myself with the hope that this sword, already
successful over your enemies, may one day, enforced by love, make my
fortune worthy of the glory to which I aspire.” The joy which appeared
in the face of the Count at this demand, would be impossible to
represent: he raised Thibault, and again tenderly embracing him, “My
son,” said he, “for so henceforth I call you, I pray heaven to dispose
my daughter to receive your vows as favourably as I shall satisfy them.”
He took him by the hand with these words, and led him to the Princess’s
apartment; “Daughter,” said he, “as I have nothing so dear to me as
yourself, you alone can recompense the obligations I have to this young
warrior.--The respect he has for you, makes him desire only to be
entertained as your knight; but I come to let you know. I would have you
receive him as your husband.” The Princess blushing cast down her eyes;
but being commanded to reply, she confessed the choice he had made for
her was agreeable to her inclinations, and that it was with pleasure she
submitted to her father’s will. Thibault thanked the kind concession in
terms that testified his excess of transport. The Count perceiving their
mutual wishes, suffered them not to languish in expectation of a
blessing he had resolved on; but gave immediate orders for the marriage
preparations, and a few days after it was celebrated with the
magnificence the occasion deserved. Hymen, in agreement with love, only
rendered their flames more lasting; possession was so far from
extinguishing them, that it seemed to be the torch which kindled them.
The Count was charmed with the happy union he saw between them, and his
heart could scarce decide which he most loved, his own daughter, or
son-in-law.
(_To be continued._)
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THE VICTIM OF MAGICAL DELUSION.
_OR, INTERESTING MEMOIRS OF MIGUEL, DUKE DE CA*I*A._
Unfolding Many Curious Unknown Historical Facts.
_Translated from the German of Tschink._
(Continued from page 29.)
“Conceive our astonishment, when we heard who the man was whom we had
handled in such a dreadful manner! It was Miguel, the son of the Duke of
C***na, and Count ****ez, his tutor. Most of the conspirators proposed
to dispatch both of them, lest our secret should be betrayed; I insisted
however upon their being examined before any thing should be determined,
to which they consented. Miguel confessed that he had been sent by his
father to visit the principal towns of Europe in company of his tutor,
and that the account of the priest at whose house he had supped, had
made him curious to have a sight of the inhabitants of the castle. Their
examination being finished, they were ordered to retire, and I harangued
the assembly in the following manner:
“You expect to avoid a discovery by destroying our prisoners; however,
I believe just the contrary will happen. The servant, the priest, and
his family, know that they have spent the night at the castle, and if
they do not return to-day, the whole village will be alarmed. The old
Duke will be informed of the incident, and who can seriously expect that
he will be so credulous as to attribute the death of his son to ghosts.
His life is too important to the father and the state, not to cause the
strictest investigation. The castle will be surrounded, searched, and we
shall be detected, or obliged to save ourselves by flight. In either
instance, we must leave the castle. This will be the natural
consequence, and the death of these two men will certainly be the surest
means of betraying our asylum. I would therefore advise you to spare
their lives, I know the family of Villa R***l too well, to apprehend the
least danger from the execution of this proposal. Miguel and Count
***rez, are men of honour, and if they pledge their word to conceal the
events of this night we shall be safe. However, this is not the sole
reason for which I would advise you to spare their lives; I have a more
important view at heart; I intend to gain Miguel over to our party. He
shall become a principal actor in the great drama which we are going to
perform, and untwist the knot which we have tied. You are astonished?
however, I would have you to recollect that I am not wont to attempt
what I am not sure to be able to perform. I will tell you my plan more
at large, at some other time; at present let us demand an oath of
secrecy from our prisoners and set them at liberty.
“My proposal was adopted, and I sat instantly down to inform your
Excellency of that incident.”
I should never have believed the _Unknown_ to be the writer of this
letter, if I had not been convinced of it by the other papers. I had
always looked upon my adventure at the castle, as a scene which I
thought to have been closed with the recovery of our liberty, and
entirely unconnected with the subsequent events of my life. I had not
entertained the most distant suspicion that the rest of my adventures
were any ways connected with that incident. I suspected indeed, from the
beginning, the masked persons at the castle to be men of high rank,
however, I should never have thought that they were the heads of the
conspiracy which had been formed to set my country at liberty. I fancied
the _Unknown_ had framed his design upon me when we met him in the
disguise of a beggar; but I never dreamed that he had formed it already
at the castle; and that I and my tutor owed our lives to his mediation.
You may, therefore, easily conceive how much I was surprised at this
discovery. I vowed never to forget how much we were indebted to the
_Unknown_. How remarkable was this letter to me! however the second was
still more so.
“I intend to submit Miguel to my will by the delusions of magic. Your
Excellency perhaps may think, that this plan may be rendered abortive by
a young man who gives so little credit to the reality of apparitions,
that he dares to take up his night’s lodging at a castle which is famed
for being the haunt of ghosts. However, even if I should suppose that he
had no other view in his visit to the castle, than to encounter an
adventure, yet I must conclude from that step that he has a tendency for
enthusiasm, which, however, is very different from that which I want him
to have; yet enthusiasm, however it may display itself, is always
enthusiasm; and the only thing I have to aim at, is to give it a turn
most consistent with my plan, which will be no difficult matter with a
young man of his temper, his thirst for knowledge, and unstable
principles.
“Certainly it would be a great mistake, if one should conclude from his
visit to the castle, that he does not believe in the reality of
apparitions. On the contrary; I think I have reason to make just the
opposite conclusion from it. If Miguel had been convinced of the vanity
of apparitions before he came to the castle, he would not have taken the
trouble of acquiring that conviction by experience; a secret voice,
which, in spite of his philosophy, pleaded for the possibility of
apparitions, excited his curiosity, and gave rise to that resolution
which he had carried into execution. If Miguel had been convinced, that
the inhabitants of the castle could be no other beings but men, his
resorting to the castle would have been not only superfluous, but also
fool-hardy, as he would have exposed his life to unknown and suspected
people, for no other reason but to convince himself of a truth which he
already knew. However, his want of a firm conviction, his wavering
between belief and unbelief, was the ground on which he risked so much
in order to come to the truth. I am certain Miguel’s philosophy would
have received a mortal blow, if Grigorio had acted his part with more
moderation.
“It will be my chief, and, I hope, no fruitless aim, to effect this by
means of magical delusions and art. If I can but gain so much advantage
over Miguel, that he, for want of capacity to explain my deeds
naturally, shall begin to think me gifted with supernatural power, then
he will suffer himself to be entirely ruled by me. His thirst for
knowledge, and his fondness of adventures, will assist me to gain my
aim, which would be a difficult matter, if he were of a different turn
of mind. In order to enthral his head and heart at one time, I intend to
make him acquainted with a female enthusiast who has been prompted by
the extraordinary incidents of her life, to believe in wonders and
apparitions of all kinds. Enthusiasm is catching, and particularly so,
if the enthusiast is such a beautiful and charming woman as the Countess
of Clairval. In her company Miguel will easily become an enthusiast, who
will be equally capable of seeing ghosts, and staking his life for his
mistress and his country. If that point is but gained, then I shall find
it easy work to lead him with rapidity to the mark. _All arguments of
philosophy and patriotism never would be able to gain him so decidedly
and so rapidly to our party, as the word of a man whom he fancies to
possess supernatural power, and to have been sent from above._ I shall
think it my duty to account to your excellency for every important step
I shall take in this matter, because you being the soul of our
undertaking, renders it necessary you should be informed of every action
of each individual member, in order to regulate your conduct
accordingly. I only beg not to acquaint the Archbishop of L*sbon of my
magical operations. Your excellency is no stranger to his rigid
principles; how active soever he be in our cause, and how great soever
his satisfaction at the conquest of Miguel will be, yet he would condemn
without mercy the means by which I intend to gain him over to our party.
My own heart would certainly reproach me severely for the fraud which I
am going to commit against that excellent young man, if the important
end which I am aiming at, did not plead my excuse, and I was not firmly
resolved to open the eyes of the deluded man, as soon as I shall have
gained my purpose.
“I am, &c. &c. &c.”
The last lines confirmed the declaration of the Count, that the
_Unknown_ would have removed himself the veil from my eyes. But this did
not justify him in my opinion. Though he should have destroyed the
delusion at some future period, was I on that account less imposed upon
while the deceit lasted, and can ever low and illicit means be ennobled
by laudable views?--However, I cannot deny that the sagacity with which
the _Unknown_ had explored my weak side, the dextrous use he made of
that discovery, and the finesse of the artifices which he employed to
deceive me, excited my admiration to the highest degree; but at the same
time, I must confess that I was severely vexed at the ease with which my
philosophy yielded to his delusive artifices. I was very agreeably
surprised to find that the Archbishop of L*sbon was one of the
conspirators. I knew him very well, and it flattered my pride to have a
share in an undertaking in which a divine of his worth and uncommon
learning was concerned. His rigid principles, which the _Unknown_
dreaded so much, were to me the best security for the justness of his
undertaking. I took up the third letter, burning with an impatient
desire to know the names of the rest of the conspirators; but its
contents were of a different nature.
(_To be continued._)
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