The struggles which different passions occasion in the human breast,
are here exemplified; and that there is no one among them so strong,
but may be extirpated by another, excepting _revenge_, which knows
no period, but by gratification.
Though it must be acknowledged, that the passions, generally speaking,
operate according to the constitution, and seem, in a manner, wholly
directed by it, yet there is one, above all, which actuates alike in
all, and when once entertained, is scarce ever extinguished:--it may
indeed lie dormant, for a time, but then it easily revives on the
least occasion, and blazes out with greater violence than ever. I
believe every one will understand I mean _revenge_, since there is no
other emotion of the soul, but has its antedote: _grief_ and _joy_
alternately succeed each other;--_hope_ has its period in
possession;--_fear_ ceases, either by the cause being removed, or by a
fatal certainty of some dreaded evil;--_ambition_ dies within us, on a
just sense of the folly of pursuing it;--_hate_ is often vanquished by
good offices;--even greedy _avarice_ may be glutted; and _love_ is,
for the most part, fluctuating, and may be terminated by a thousand
accidents.--_Revenge_ alone is implacable and eternal, not to be
banished by any other passion whatsoever;--the effects of it are the
same, invariable in every constitution; and whether the man be
phlegmatic or sanguine, there will be no difference in his way of
thinking in this point. The principles of religion and morality indeed
may, and frequently do, hinder a man from putting into action what
this cruel passion suggests, but neither of them can restrain him who
has revenge in his heart, from wishing it were lawful for him to
indulge it.
This being so fixed a passion, it hardly ever gains entrance on the
mind, till a sufficient number of years have given a solidity to the
thoughts, and made us know for what we wish, and why we wish.--Every
one, however, does not experience its force, and happy may those be
accounted who are free from it, since it is not only the most
unjustifiable and dangerous, but also the most restless and
self-tormenting emotion of the soul.
There are, notwithstanding, some kind of provocations, which it is
scarce possible, nor indeed consistent with the justice we owe to
ourselves, to bury wholly in oblivion; and likewise there are some
kinds of revenge, which may deserve to be excused; of these, that
which Natura put in practice, as shall presently be shewn, may be
reckoned of the number.
I doubt not, but my readers, as well as all those who were acquainted
with him at that time, will believe, that in the situation I have
described, he was for ever lost to the sense of any other passion,
than that which so powerfully engrossed him, and from which all the
endeavours hitherto made use of, had been ineffectual to rouse him.
But it often happens, that what we least expect, comes most suddenly
upon us, and proves that all human efforts are in vain, without the
interposition of some supernatural power.
I have already said, that the bad conduct of his wife had been
repeated over and over to him without his discovering the least
emotion at it; yet would not his sister cease urging him to resent it
as became a man sensible of his dishonour, that is, to rid himself, by
such ways as the law puts it in the power of a husband so injured, to
get rid of her; and imagining that an ocular demonstration of her
crime, would make a greater impression on him, than any report could
do, she set about contriving some way to bring him where his own eyes
might convince him of the truth of what he had been so often
told:--but how to prevail on him to go out of his house, which he had
not now seen the outside of for some months, was a difficulty not
easily surmounted:--the obstinacy of grief disappointed all the little
plots they laid for their purpose, and they were beginning to give
over all thoughts of any future attempts, when chance accomplished the
so-much desired work.
He had ordered a monument to be erected over the grave of his beloved
son; which, being finished, and he told that it was so, 'I will see,'
said he, 'if it be done according to my directions.' Two or three of
his kindred were present when he took this resolution, and one of them
immediately recollecting, how they might make it of advantage to their
design, said many things in praise of the structure; but added, that
the scaffolding and rubbish the workmen had left, not being yet
removed, he would have him defer seeing it, till it was cleaned. To
this he having readily agreed, spies were placed, to observe the time
and place, where the lady and her favourite lover had the next
rendezvous. As neither of them had any great caution in their amour, a
full account was soon brought to the sister of Natura, who, with
several of their relations, came into his chamber, and told him that
the tomb was now fit to be seen in all its beauty.
On this he presently suffered himself to be dressed, and went with
them; but they managed so well that, under pretence of calling on
another friend, who, they said, had desired to be of their company in
this melancholly entertainment, they led him to the house where his
wife and enamorato were yet in bed. The sister of Natura having, by a
large bribe, secured the woman of the house to her interest, they were
all conducted to the very scene of guilt, and this much injured
husband had a second testimony of the perfidy of his wife; but alas!
the first had made too deep an impression on him to leave room for any
great surprize; he only cooly turned away, and said to those who had
brought him there, that they needed not have taken all this pains to
make him a witness of what he was convinced of long before.
His wife, however, was frighted, if not ashamed, and hid herself under
the bedcloaths, while her gallant jumped, naked as he was, out of the
window; but though Natura discovered very little emotion at all this,
yet whether it was owing to the arguments of his friends, or that the
air, after having been so long shut up from it, had an effect on him,
they could not determine, but had the satisfaction to find that he
consented an action in his name should be awarded against the lover,
and proper means used for obtaining a bill of divorce from his wife.
The real motive of this change in him none of them, however, could
penetrate:--grief had for a while obliterated the thoughts of the
injustice and ingratitude of his brother, but what he had now beheld
reminding him of that shocking scene related in the first chapter of
this book, all his long stifled wishes for revenge returned with
greater force than ever; and thinking he could no way so fully gratify
them, as by disappointing him of the estate he must enjoy at his
decease, in case he died without issue, a divorce therefore would give
him liberty to marry again; and as he was no more than three-and-forty
years of age, had no reason to despair of having an heir, to cut
entirely off the claim of so wicked a brother. Having once began to
stir in the affair, it was soon brought to a conclusion.--The fact was
incontestable, and proved by witnesses, whose credit left no room for
cavil; a bill of divorce was granted on very easy terms, and the
gallant fined in so large a penalty, that he was obliged to quit the
kingdom, to avoid imprisonment for life.
Thus did revenge produce an effect, which neither the precepts of
religion, philosophy, or morality, joined with the most tender and
pressing remonstrances of his nearest and dearest friends, could ever
have brought about;--and this instance, in my judgment, proves to a
demonstration, that it is so ordered by the all-wise Creator, that all
the pernicious passions are at continual enmity, and, like
counter-poisons, destroy the force of each other: and tho' it is
certain, a man may be possessed of many passions at once, and those
also may be of different natures, and tend to different aims, yet will
there be a struggle, as it were, between them in the breast, and which
ever happens to get predominance, will drive out the others in time,
and reign alone sole master of the mind.