Shews in what manner anger and revenge operate on the mind, and how
ambition is capable of stifling both, in a remarkable instance, that
_private injuries_, how great soever, may seem of no weight, when
_public grandeur_ requires they should be looked over.
Nothing is so violent as anger in its first emotions, it takes the
faculties by surprize, and rushes upon the soul like an impetuous
torrent, bearing down all before it: its strength, however, is owing
to its suddenness; for being raised by some new and unexpected
accident or provocation, reason has no warning of its approach, and
consequently is off her guard, and without any immediate power of
acting: the sweetest, and most gentle disposition, is not always a
sufficient defence for the mind, against the attacks of this furious
passion, and may be hurried by it to deeds the most opposite to its
own nature; but then as it is fierce, it is transient also; should its
force continue, it would lose its name, and be no longer anger, but
revenge; which, though the worst and most fiend-like propensity of a
vicious inclination, is sometimes excited by circumstances, that seem
in a great measure to alleviate the blackness of it:--repeated and
unprovoked insults, friendship and love abused, injuries in our
person, our fortune, or reputation, will sour the softest temper, and
are apt to make us imagine it is an injustice to our selves, not to
retaliate in kind, the ill treatment we receive. Religion, indeed,
forbids us to take our own parts thus far, and philosophy teaches,
that it is nobler to forgive, than punish wrongs; but every one is not
so happy as to have either of these helps; and I do not find but those
who boast both of them in the most superlative degree, stand in need
of something more, to enable them to restrain this prevailing impulse;
and that it is not so much to the precepts they receive from others,
as to some dictates from within, that many people are indebted for the
reputation of patience and forbearance.
It is the peculiar providence of Heaven, as I took notice in the
beginning of this work, that the more ignoble passions of human
nature, are, generally speaking, opposites, and by that means serve as
a curb to bridle the inordinancy of each other; so that, though _one
alone_ would be pernicious to society, and render the person possessed
of it obnoxious to the world, _many_ will prevent the hurt, and make
the man himself tolerable.
The adventure I am now going to relate, will prove that Natura had the
greatest excitements, and the greatest justification both for wrath
and revenge that could possibly be offered to any one man: yet did
another passion, not more excusable than either of these, suppress all
the turbulent emotions of both, and quench the boiling flames within
his soul, insomuch as to make him appear all calmness and
contentedness.
But though I made use of the word passion to express the now
prevailing propensity of Natura's soul, I do not think that ambition,
strictly speaking, can come under that denomination:--to me it rather
seems the effect of an assemblage of other passions, than a passion
simple of itself, and natural to the mind of man; and I believe,
whoever examines it to the fountain head, will find it takes its
origin from pride and envy, and is nourished by self-love, nor ever
appears in any great degree, where these do not abound.--Were it born
with us, there would doubtless be some indications of it in
childhood, but it is observable, that not till man arrives at
maturity, and even not then, unless the sight of objects above himself
excites it, he discovers the least sensation of any such emotion.--In
fine, it is an inclination rarely known in youth, ordinarily declines
in age, and never exerts itself with vigour, as in the middle stage of
life, which I reckon to be from about five-and-twenty to fifty, or
somewhat more, according to the strength of the natural stamina, or
constitution.--But to go on with my history.
Since Natura had been in what they call a settled state in the world,
it had always been his custom to distinguish the anniversary of that
day which gave him birth, by providing a polite entertainment for his
friends and kindred: he had now attained to his fortieth year, and
though it had been that in which he had known more poignant disquiets,
than in any one of his whole life before; yet thinking that to neglect
the observation of it now, would give occasion for remarks on his
reasons for so doing, he resolved to treat it with the usual ceremony.
It was in that delightful season of the year, when nature, adorned
with all her charms, invites the senses to taste that regale in the
open air, which the most elegant and best concerted entertainments
within doors cannot atone for the want of. After dinner was over, the
whole company which was pretty numerous, adjourned from the table to
the garden, a small, but well ordered spot of ground, at the lower end
of which was a green-house, furnished with many curious exotic plants.
While Natura was shewing this collection to those of his guests, who
had a taste that way, others were diverting themselves with walking in
the alleys, or set down in arbors, according as their different
fancies inclined, as it is common for people to divide themselves into
little parties, when there are too many for all to share in a general
conversation.
As they were thus employed, the minister, who though he had not
thought it beneath the dignity of his character to do honour to the
birth-day of the husband of his neice, yet had his mind taken up with
other things than the amusements of the place, took Natura aside on a
sudden, and asked him if he had not a paper in his custody, which he
had some time before put into his hands; to which the other answering
in the affirmative, 'There are some things in it I do not well
remember,' said the great man; 'and a thought just now occurs to me,
in which they may be of use':--Natura then offered to fetch it; 'No,'
replied the other, 'I will go with you, and we will examine it
together.'
There was no need of making any apology to the company, they being, as
I have already said, dispersed in several parts of the garden; but had
they not been so, the statesman was absolute master wherever he came,
and no one would have taken umbrage at Natura's following him.
They went hastily up stairs together, and the door of a room, thro'
which they were to pass to Natura's study, being shut, he gave a push
against it with his foot, and it being but slightly fastened,
immediately flew open, and discovered a sight no less unexpected than
shocking to both;--the wife, and own brother of Natura, on a couch,
and in a posture which could leave no room to doubt of the motive
which had induced them to take the opportunity of the company
separating themselves, to retire, without being missed, which, but for
this accident, they probably would not have been.
It is easy to conceive what a husband must feel in so alarming a
circumstance, nor will any one wonder that Natura behaved in the
manner he did, in the first emotions of a rage, which might very well
be justified by the cause that excited it.--Not having a sword on, he
flew to the chimney, on each side of which hung a pistol; he snatched
one off the hook, and was going to revenge the injury he had received
on one or both the guilty persons, when the minister, stepping
between, beat down that arm which held the instrument of death, crying
at the same time, 'What, are you a madman!--would you to punish them
expose yourself!'--The passion with which Natura was overwhelmed was
too mighty for his breast; it stopped the passage of his words, and
all he could bring out was 'villain!'--'whore'--while those he called
so, made their escape from his fury, by running out of the room. In
attempting to follow them he was still with-held; and the minister
having with much ado got the pistol from him, began to expostulate
with him, in order to disarm his mind from pursuing any future
revenge, as he had done his hand from executing the present.
'Consider,' said the statesman, 'that these are but slips of nature,
that there are in this town a thousand husbands in the same
situation:--indeed the affair happening with your own brother, very
much enhances the crime and the provocation; but as the thing is done,
and there is no remedy, it will but add to your disgrace to make it
public.'
Little would it have been in the power of all the arguments in the
world, if made use of by any other person, to have given a check to
that just indignation Natura was inflamed with: but as patience and
moderation were prescribed him by one to whom he was indebted for all
the grandeur he enjoyed, and by whose favour alone he could hope for
the continuance, of it, he submitted to the task, difficult as it was,
and consented to make no noise of the affair. The minister assured him
he would oblige his brother to exchange the commission he was at
present possessed of, for one in a regiment that was going to
Gibraltar, 'which,' said he, 'will be a sufficient punishment for his
crime, and at the same time rid you of the sight of a person who
cannot but be now detestable to you;--as to your wife, I expect you
will permit her to continue in your house, in consideration of her
relation to me, but shall not interfere with the manner of your living
together;--that shall be at your own discretion.'
As neither of them imagined the lady, after what had happened, would
have courage enough to go down to the company, it was agreed between
them to make her excuse, by saying, a sudden disorder in her head had
obliged her to absent herself.
Natura cleared up his brow as much as it was possible for him to do in
such a circumstance, and returned with the minister to his guests,
among whom, as he supposed, he found neither his wife nor brother; as
for the latter, much notice was not taken of his absence, but the
ladies, by this time, were full of enquiries after her; on which he
immediately made the pretence above-mentioned; but unluckily, one of
the company having been bred to physic, urged permission to see her,
in order to prescribe some recipe for her ailment.--Natura was now
extremely at a loss what to do, till the minister, who never wanted an
expedient, relieved him, by telling the doctor, that his neice had
been accustomed to these kind of fits from her infancy, that it was
only silence and repose which recovered her, which being now gone to
take, any interruption would be of more prejudice than benefit.
This passed very well, and no farther mention was made of her; but the
accident occasioned the company to take leave much sooner than
otherwise they would have done, very much to the ease of Natura, who
had been in the most intolerable constraint, to behave so as to
conceal the truth, and longed to be alone, to give a loose to the
distracting passions of his soul.
The more he ruminated on the wrongs he had sustained, the more
difficult he found it to preserve that moderation the minister had
enjoined, and he had promised: he had long but too much reason to
believe his wife was false; but the thought that she had entered into
a criminal conversation with his own brother, rendered the guilt
doubly odious in them both.--Had not his own eyes convinced him of the
horrid truth, he could have given credit to no other testimony, that a
brother, whom he had always treated with the utmost affection, and
whose fortune it had been his care to promote, should have dared to
harbour even the most distant wish of dishonouring his wife. He
seemed, in his eyes, the most culpable of the two, and thought the
banishment intended for him much too small a punishment for so
atrocious a crime. It is certain that this young gentleman had not
only broke through the bands of duty, honour, gratitude, and every
social obligation, but had also sinned against nature itself, by
adding incest to adultery.--Natura could not indeed consider him as
any thing but a monster, and that as such he ought to be cut off from
the face of the earth; and neither reason nor humanity, could alledge
any thing against the dictates of a revenge, which by the most
unconcerned and disinterested person could not be called
unjust.--Strongly did its emotions work within his soul, and he was
more than once on the point of going in search of him, in order to
satiate its most impatient thirst, but was as often restrained, by
reflecting on the consequences.--'Suppose,' said he to himself, 'I
should escape that death the law inflicts for murder, in consideration
of the provocation, I cannot hope to preserve my employments.--I must
retire from the world, live an obscure life the whole remainder of my
days, and the whole shameful adventure being divulged, will render me
the common topic of table conversation, and entail dishonour and
contempt upon my son.'
Thus did ambition get the better of resentment;--thus did the love of
grandeur extirpate all regard of true honour, and the shame of private
contempt from the world lie stifled in the pride of public homage.
The minister in the mean time kept his word; he let the offending
brother know it was his pleasure he should dispose of his commission
in the guards, and purchase one in a regiment he named to him, which
was very speedily to embark for Gibraltar: the young gentleman obeyed
the injunction, and doubtless was not sorry to quit a place, where
some accident or other, in spite of all the care he had resolved to
take, might possibly bring him to the sight of a brother he had so
greatly injured, the thoughts of whose just reproaches were more
terrible to him, than any thing else that could befal him.
The wife of Natura being also privately admonished by her uncle how to
behave, kept her chamber for some days, not only to give the better
colour to the pretence had been made of her indisposition, but also to
avoid the presence of her husband, till the first emotions of his fury
should be a little abated;--he, on the other hand, profited by this
absence, to bring himself to a resolution how to behave, when the
shock of seeing her should arrive:--as her crime was past recal,
reproaches and remonstrances would be in vain to retrieve her honour,
or his peace; and if they even should work her into penitence, what
would it avail? unless to soften him into a pity, which would only
serve to render him more uneasy, as there was now no possibility of
living with her as a wife.--Having, therefore, well weighed and
considered all these things, it seemed best to him to say nothing to
her of what had happened, and indeed to avoid speaking to her at all,
except in public.
What she thought of a behaviour she had so little reason to expect,
and what effect it produced on her future conduct, shall hereafter be
related: I shall only say at present, that Natura gave himself no pain
to consider what might be her sentiments on the occasion, as long as
he found her uncle was perfectly satisfied with his manner of acting
in this point, which he had no reason to doubt of, not only by the
assurances he gave him in words of his being so, but by a more
convincing and substantial proof, which was this; an envoy
extraordinary being about to be sent to a foreign court, on a very
important negociation, he had the honour of being recommended, as a
gentleman every way qualified for the duties of that post.--The
minister's choice of him was approved by the king and council, and he
set out on his embassy, with an equipage and state, which, joined to
the attention he gave to what he was employed in, greatly dissipated
the chagrin of his private affairs, and he seemed to have forgot, for
a time, not only the injuries he had received, but also even the
persons from whom he had received them.