I have melancholy news to inform you of, by order of the Chevalier
Lovelace. He showed me his letter to you before he sealed it;
signifying, that he was to meet the Chevalier Morden on the 15th.
Wherefore, as the occasion of the meeting is so well known to you, I
shall say nothing of it here.
I had taken care to have ready, within a little distance, a surgeon and
his assistant, to whom, under an oath of secrecy, I had revealed the
matter, (though I did not own it to the two gentlemen;) so that they were
prepared with bandages, and all things proper. For well was I acquainted
with the bravery and skill of my chevalier; and had heard the character
of the other; and knew the animosity of both. A post-chaise was ready,
with each of their footmen, at a little distance.
The two chevaliers came exactly at their time: they were attended by
Monsieur Margate, (the Colonel's gentleman,) and myself. They had given
orders over night, and now repeated them in each other's presence, that
we should observe a strict impartiality between them: and that, if one
fell, each of us should look upon himself, as to any needful help or
retreat, as the servant of the survivor, and take his commands
accordingly.
After a few compliments, both the gentlemen, with the greatest presence
of mind that I ever beheld in men, stript to their shirts, and drew.
They parried with equal judgment several passes. My chevalier drew the
first blood, making a desperate push, which, by a sudden turn of his
antagonist, missed going clear through him, and wounded him on the fleshy
part of the ribs of his right side; which part the sword tore out, being
on the extremity of the body; but, before my chevalier could recover
himself, the Colonel, in return, pushed him into the inside of the left
arm, near the shoulder; and the sword (raking his breast as it passed,)
being followed by a great effusion of blood, the Colonel said, Sir, I
believe you have enough.
My chevalier swore by G--d he was not hurt; 'twas a pin's point; and so
made another pass at his antagonist; which he, with a surprising
dexterity, received under his arm, and run my dear chevalier into the
body; who immediately fell; saying, The luck is your's, Sir--O my beloved
Clarissa!--Now art thou--inwardly he spoke three or four words more. His
sword dropt from his hand. Mr. Morden threw his down, and ran to him,
saying in French--Ah, Monsieur! you are a dead man!----Call to God for
mercy!
We gave the signal agreed upon to the footmen; and they to the surgeons;
who instantly came up.
Colonel Morden, I found, was too well used to the bloody work; for he was
as cool as if nothing extraordinary had happened, assisting the surgeons,
though his own wound bled much. But my dear chevalier fainted away two
or three times running, and vomited blood besides.
However, they stopped the bleeding for the present; and we helped him
into the voiture; and then the Colonel suffered his own wound to be
dressed; and appeared concerned that my chevalier was between whiles
(when he could speak, and struggle,) extremely outrageous.--Poor
gentleman! he had made quite sure of victory!
The Colonel, against the surgeons' advice, would mount on horseback to
pass into the Venetian territories; and generously gave me a purse of
gold to pay the surgeons; desiring me to make a present to the footman;
and to accept of the remainder, as a mark of his satisfaction in my
conduct, and in my care and tenderness of my master.
The surgeons told him that my chevalier could not live over the day.
When the Colonel took leave of him, Mr. Lovelace said, You have well
revenged the dear creature.
I have, Sir, said Mr. Morden; and perhaps shall be sorry that you called
upon me to this work, while I was balancing whether to obey, or disobey,
the dear angel.
There is a fate in it! replied my chevalier--a cursed fate!--or this
could not have been!--But be ye all witnesses, that I have provoked my
destiny, and acknowledge that I fall by a man of honour.
Sir, said the Colonel, with the piety of a confessor, (wringing Mr.
Lovelace's hand,) snatch these few fleeting moments, and commend yourself
to God.
And so he rode off.
The voiture proceeded slowly with my chevalier; yet the motion set both
his wounds bleeding afresh; and it was with difficulty they again stopped
the blood.
We brought him alive to the nearest cottage; and he gave orders to me to
dispatch to you the packet I herewith send sealed up; and bid me write to
you the particulars of this most unhappy affair: and give you thanks, in
his name, for all your favours and friendship to him.
Contrary to all expectation, he lived over the night: but suffered much,
as well from his impatience and disappointment, as from his wounds; for
he seemed very unwilling to die.
He was delirious, at times, in the two last hours: and then several times
cried out, as if he had seen some frightful spectre, Take her away! Take
her away! but named nobody. And sometimes praised some lady, (that
Clarissa, I suppose, whom he had invoked when he received his death's
wound,) calling her Sweet Excellence! Divine Creature! Fair Sufferer!--
And once he said, Look down, Blessed Spirit, look down!--And there stopt;
--his lips, however, moving.
At nine in the morning he was seized with convulsions, and fainted away;
and it was a quarter of an hour before he came out of them.
His few last words I must not omit, as they show an ultimate composure;
which may administer some consolation to his honourable friends.
Blessed--said he, addressing himself no doubt to Heaven; for his dying
eyes were lifted up--a strong convulsion prevented him for a few moments
saying more--but recovering, he again, with great fervour, (lifting up
his eyes, and his spread hands,) pronounced the word blessed: Then, in a
seeming ejaculation, he spoke inwardly, so as not to be understood: at
last, he distinctly pronounced these three words,