and offered him what lay in his Power: “I do not do this,” said he, “in
design to force your Daughter’s Inclinations when she shall be here; I
shall love her always, but I will never displease her.” My Father having
no other way of Relief, thankfully accepted of what was offered him; and
in a word, embarkt himself, and happily arriv’d at Algiers, in the time
when I thought only of dying.
‘He forbore all those Reproaches I deserv’d; he redeem’d me, and at my
Intreaty, this young Woman of Seville, for a moderate Ransom. We
return’d together, and my Mother receiv’d me with such joy as is
impossible to be exprest. I answer’d hereto as much as was possible; but
I carried always in my Heart, Madam, the fatal Stroke which had wounded
me: Whatever my Reason could represent to me, was not sufficient to
Eface out of my Remembrance the Image of the Traitor Mendez.
‘I saw the Marquess de Los Rios: he dared not mention the Inclinations
he still had towards me; but I had such pressing Obligations to him,
that Gratitude made me do for him, what my Inclinations would have made
me do for another.
‘I gave him my Hand, and he his to me, with such Affection, as if he had
had no solid Matter of Complaint against me.
‘In fine, I married him, and apprehending lest I should see Mendez, that
Ungrateful Wretch, to whom I owe such Horrour, and for whom I had so
little, I pray’d the Marquess we might dwell in the Country-house he had
near Seville.
‘He ever approv’d of what I liked; he would have my Father and Mother
retire; he less’ned the sad Condition of their Fortune, by considerable
Liberalities: and I may truly say, there never was a greater Soul.
Judge, Madam, of all the Reproaches I made my Heart for its not being so
tender to him as it ought to have been: It was not in my power to forget
Mendez, and I always felt new Regrets, when I learnt his Felicity with
the Unfaithful Henrietta.
‘Having past two Years in a continual watching over myself, that I might
do nothing but what was agreeable to my Husband, Heaven depriv’d me of
him, of this Generous Husband; and he did for me in these last Moments,
what he had already heretofore done, giving me all he had, with such
Testimonies of Esteem and Affection, as much enhanced the Price of the
Gift: He made me the richest Widow of Andalousia, but he could not make
me the Happiest.
‘I would not return to Seville, where my Parents would have had me been;
and to avoid it, I pretended a Journey farther into the Country, to look
after some part of my Estate. I set out; but there being a particular
Fatality in whatever relates to me, in arriving at an Inn, the first
Object which struck my sight, was the Unfaithful Mendez: he was in deep
Mourning, and had lost nothing of whatever made me heretofore fancy him
too Lovely. It is impossible to express the Condition I was in, for
endeavouring to get speedily from him, I found myself so weak and
trembling, that I fell at his Feet. Although he knew me not that
instant, yet he earnestly endeavour’d to raise me up; but the great Veil
under which I was conceal’d, flying open, what became of him in seeing
me? He remain’d no less confused than I was: he would have drawn near to
me, but casting a furious Look on him: “Darest thou, Perjured Wretch!”
said I to him, “darest thou approach me! Art thou not afraid of the just
Punishment of thy Perfidiousness?” He was some time without answering
me, and I was about leaving him when he stopt me: “Confound and
overwhelm me with Reproaches, Madam,” said he to me: “Give me the worst
and most perfidious Names as is possible; they cannot be more than I
deserve: but my Death shall soon revenge your Quarrel: I ought to die
with Sorrow for having betray’d you; and if I regret any thing in dying,
it is only the having one Life to lose, to expiate all the Crimes you
can justly accuse me of.” He appear’d to me much affected in ending
these words; and would to Heavens his Repentance were really sufficient
and true! I would not hazard a longer Conversation with him: I left him,
disdaining to return him an Answer. And this Mark of Contempt and
Slighting, was, without doubt, more sensible to him, than all the
Reproaches I might have made him.
‘He had some time since lost his Wife, that Unfaithful Creature, who had
helpt him to Revolt against all the Offices of Love, Honour, and
Gratitude. And from that time he follow’d me every-where: he was like a
Complaining Shadow, ever fastened to my Feet; for he became so lean,
pale, and chang’d, that he was no longer discernable. Heavens! Madam,
what Violence did I not offer myself, in continuing to ill Treat him: I
found at last I wanted Strength to resist the Weakness of my Heart, and
the Ascendant this Wretch had over me. Rather than to commit so shameful
an offence, and to Forgive him, I parted for Madrid, where I have
Relations, and sought among them a Shelter against the Violence of mine
own Inclinations.
‘I was not there long but Mendez found me out: I must confess to you, I
was not heartily displeas’d at his Attendance on me; but maugre my
Inclinations towards him, I put on a firm Resolution to avoid him,
seeing I could not sincerely hate him; and unknown to every Body, I took
the Road to Burgos, where I am going to Cloyster myself with a Religious
there, my Friend. I flatter myself, Madam, with the Hopes of finding
more Rest there, than I have hitherto met with.’
The Beautiful Marchioness here held her peace; and I testified to her my
particular Acknowledgments for the Favour she had done me: I assured her
of the part I took in her Adventures: I conjured her to write to me, and
let me hear from her at Madrid; and she promised it me in the most
obliging Manner as is possible.
We found the next Morning we could not set out, it having snow’d all the
Night, and no Path appearing on the Ground; but we wanted not Company to
pass the time in Play and Discourse. Having been three days with the
Marchioness de Los Rios, without any Weariness at the length of the
Time, through the pleasure I had of seeing and hearing her talk (for she
is one of the most lovely Women in the World.) We parted with a mutual
Regret, and it was not without doubling our Promises of writing to, and
seeing one another hereafter.
The Weather mended, and I continued on my Journey to Lerma: We had
traverst dreadful Mountains, which bear the Name of Sierra de Cogollos,
and it was not without great trouble we got thither: This Town is small;
she has given her name to the famous Cardinal de Lerma, Chief Minister
to Philip III: it is from him that Philip IV. took the great Revenues he
had receiv’d from the King his Master. Here is a Castle which I will see
to Morrow, and of which I shall give you an Account in my next. I am
told an Extraordinary Express is arriv’d, and will set out to Night: I
will lay hold of this Opportunity of sending to you, and ending this
long Letter; for in truth I am tired both with the Way, and with
Writing, but I shall never be weary of Loving you.
From Lerma,
Mar. 5, 1679.
_FINIS._
-----
Footnote 3:
This happened in 714, after the Battle of St. Martin, wherein D.
Rodrigue lost his Life; others say, he fled into Portugal, and died in
a Town there call’d Viscii.
Reprinted for
Archer M. Huntington
At the Knickerbocker Press
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
1899
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Punctuation has been normalized. Variations in spelling and hyphenation
have been retained as they were in the original book. The following
changes have been made:
Castlenau —>Castleneau {page 3}
a bundant —> abundant {page 29}
Mesignac —> Messignac {page 40}
Quebare —> Quebara {page 56}
Marquiss —> Marquess {page 66}
Accomphisht —> Accomplisht {page 66}
psent —> spent {page 103}
Coulour —> Colour {page 109}
scaace —> scarce {page 133}
Acknowedgements —> Acknowledgements { page 211}
Los Reos —> Los Rios {page 229}
removed duplicate “a” {page 232}
Argiers —> Algiers {page 233}
Footnotes have been moved to the back of the chapter in which they
occurred.
Italicized phrases are presented by surrounding the text with
_underscores_.