It was no difficult Matter for the Messenger of Love to Hide this
Billet into the Hands of the Lover, who seldom fail'd of walking
by her Mistress's Door every Morning, Noon, and Night, so that
she might meet and talk with him whenever she pleas'd, without
any Notice taken of her. Mean time, _La Foret_ seriously went to
work upon her Watch, and labour'd so hard at it, that it was
ready by the fifth Day. It was extremely pretty; the Graving of
the Box was beautiful, nor was the Case inferior to the
Workmanship within. The Evening was hardly shut in, but he went
out with his Machine in his Pocket, and finding the young Woman
of whom he was in quest, he put it into her Hand, and desir'd her
to present it for him to the Queen, to whose Favour he always
recommended himself. If ever Woman, discover'd her Joy, _Lidola_
did at the Sight of this pretty Watch. We were told that she
kiss'd it a thousand times, and bless'd herself for having
succeeded so well in her Intrigue.
One would have thought that this fine Pledge of _La Foret_'s Love
would have hasten'd the Happiness he expected for his Reward, but
in truth, he heard no more of it. The Waiting-maid who formerly
was so eager to find him out, was as watchful afterwards to avoid
him. This made him very uneasy; but as he had no room to suspect
the Lady, he imagin'd that the young Woman was disgusted to find
her Mistress so highly gratify'd, and herself unrewarded in
companion, of the Pains she had taken. In short, not long after,
when he scarce thought any thing of it, the young Woman to his
great Surprize accosted him at a Place where there was no
Witness, and after having dropp'd a Sigh, you are wretchedly
deceived, _said she_, I really pity you, and have the utmost
Abhorrence of my Mistress's unjust Proceeding. All that she has
done hitherto was only to coax you out of a Watch, and now she
has it, she has order'd me to tell you, that she finds it too
difficult and dangerous for her to receive you at her Apartments
any more, that she is troubled for it to the last Degree, that
her Grief is even inexpressible, that it will certainly break her
Heart, and a great deal more of such Cant which is all meer
Hypocrisy.
The King, _continued she_, was with us Yesterday, and hearing the
Beat of the Watch, immediately ask'd what it was. Being under a
Necessity of telling him, he seem'd surpriz'd at it, and would
needs know how Madam came by that Jewel. The ungrateful Creature,
as she herself confess'd to me, was just going to tell him, that
you had sent it to her with a Design to make use of it as a Bribe
to debauch her, and that you had actually made an Attempt to that
end; but for fear of involving herself in a Scrape, wherein
perhaps she would have run as great a Risque as you, or at least
have been in Danger of restoring the Watch, she told him that I
had found it, and that she had it from me. Upon this, I was
call'd, and question'd as to the Truth of it. I perceiv'd by her
tipping the Wink on me at every Word, that she was in a Plunge,
and that there was a Necessity for my confirming every thing she
had said. Very well, if it be so, _said the King_, I know whose
it is, and Justice demands the Restitution of it to the Right
Owner. I would have done so before, _said the Queen_, for as soon
as my Maid found it, I imagin'd it belong'd to those Foreigners
who made yours, and I sent it back to them that Instant, but when
my Servant told from whom she came, they protested that they
would never take it again, and that their Design was to make one
for the Empress, and for all the other Queens. Thus, _said the
Chambermaid_, have I told you what Turn the Matter has taken.
Possibly you expect some Reward for your Present, but I don't
think you will have any as long as you live. 'Tis enough, _said
La Foret_, I thank you my Dear; undoubtedly I shall remember your
Hint, and will take my Measures accordingly.
It being then past Supper-time, _La Foret_ made haste to his
Chamber, and went to Bed without saying a Word. You are in the
Dumps, Friend, _said I_, what ails you? Don't Affairs go to your
Mind? No verily, they don't, _said he_, for I heard that just
now, which I should never have thought of; and thereupon he gave
me the Relation of every Thing that the Maid had told him. Alas!
_said I_, did nor I tell you as much before? However, you are
come off better than I thought you would. But after all, consider
the Consequences of this Affair. You are hereby brought under a
Necessity of making Watches with all Speed for all the King's
Wives on Pain of incurring their Displeasure, and perhaps too the
Monarch's Hatred, who if you should fail in that Point, might
well mistrust that you gave that Watch with a Design to insinuate
yourself into the Affections of the most beautiful of all his
Wives, which Suspicion you know would be corroborated upon the
least Noise of your having been seen Abroad at an unseasonable
Hour, either in the Water, or going in at our Window, if any Body
has ever so little Hint of it. The D---l take all Women then,
_said he in a Passion_, I'll never trust another be she of what
Quality she will. Fair and softly, _said I_, your being in a Rage
won't help the Matter. I plainly see what is to be done. That we
may have at least some Respite, we must desire the King to let us
go and spend the Summer at our former Village, and then we will
consider what we have to do.
Next Day the King came as usual to see what we were about, and
banter'd us on the Affair of the Watch. _La Foret_ confirmed
every Tittle that the Chamber-maid had said about it, and then
added, that it being hot Weather, and not so proper for working
as the Winter Season, he desir'd that his Majesty would consent
that we might go and spend some Months in our old Village. With
all my Heart, _said the King_, and after having order'd us a
hundred Pieces, he wish'd us a happy Journey. We went soon after
to take our Leaves of the Court, and the Cook in particular being
our very good Friend, we thought it our Duty to crack a Bottle
with him. The Moment that we told him of our Resolution, the Man
seem'd Thunder struck, which we both mistook for the Effect of
his Friendship and his Concern to part with us for so long a
Time, but when he recover'd his Speech, he said to our very great
Surprize, are you really going away, Gentlemen, do you consider
well what you are doing? Don't you know what People say of you?
God forbid that I should suspect you of the least foul Action.
You never gave me any Occasion for it, nor any one else that I
know of; but every Body does not know you so well as I do. If you
will be rul'd by me, you ought to justify yourselves before you
change your Quarters, otherwise you'll run the Risque of being
accus'd as Incendiaries; for they who have spread the Report will
triumph in your Absence; and who knows but such as doubt of it at
this present will then give Credit to it? How! Incendiaries!
_said I_, are we charg'd with a Design of laying the Place in
Ashes before we go away? No, _reply'd he_, but they give out,
that _La Foret_ is the Man who set Fire to Queen _Lidola_'s
House. We are very much oblig'd to you, _said I_, for your good
Caution, and we'll go this Moment and inquire into the Cause of
so groundless a Scandal, of which I don't think it will be very
difficult to clear ourselves. As soon as we were gone out, I'll
lay a Wager, _said I to my Comrade_, that you were seen returning
to your Lodging at a late Hour the very Night the Fire happen'd,
and that some ill-designing Person has drawn this Conclusion from
it to your Disadvantage. Let us go to the King, _said I_, and
open the Matter to him, when we shall presently see what he will
say of it.
As soon as the Monarch saw us, What's the Matter, _said he_, my
dear Friends? have you not receiv'd the Money I order'd for you,
or do you want any more? What is it you stand in need of, I
conjure you to tell me freely. We want nothing, Sir, _said I_,
but the Continuance of your Favour; for we have just heard
something which very much afflicts us, and we must lie
inconsolably at your Feet 'till your Majesty has procur'd us
Satisfaction. We are slander'd with having form'd a Design to
reduce this Royal Canton to Ashes. If we are guilty, we deserve
to be punish'd, if not, the Calumny is so heinous, that we hope
from your Clemency, the Inventor of it will have exemplary
Chastisement. Tush, _said the King_, I heard this several Days
ago, but I gave so little Heed to it that I did not think it
worth while to mention it to you. However, to satisfy you, I'll
go straight and order Informations to be taken about it with all
Speed. And indeed they who had the Commission, discharg'd it with
such Diligence, that by tracing the Matter from one to another,
the Person that first invented the Lye was found out in an Hour's
time, who prov'd to be one of the King's Equerries, an honest
sober Man of exemplary Modesty.
The King at our Sollicitation was pleas'd to send for him in our
Presence, and having ask'd him what Motive he had to give out a
Rumor so prejudicial to our Reputation, he made this Defence. I
had been a little indispos'd for some Days, _said he_, when the
Court Physician whom I consulted, prescrib'd a Purge to me which
operated 36 Hours after I had taken it. Being obliged during
this to rise in the Night, I heard a great Noise in the Canal
facing my Chamber, at the Entrance of the neighbouring Canton. My
Curiosity to know what it was, made me look out at the Window,
and it being not very dark, I saw a Man in the Canal who got
Ashore over-against the Queen's Pavilion, shook his Clothes, and
ran towards the Temple-Bridge. Upon this I open'd my Door softly,
ran after him as hard as I could, and having watch'd him towards
the Senate-House, I saw him rap at a Window, and on its being
open'd, he got thro' it into the House. I knew it was the
Apartment of these Gentlemen by their Stature, and a certain Air
which I know is peculiar to them. A little after this, _Lidola_'s
Apartment was in a Flame. Now, Sir, said he, I ask whether
putting all these Circumstances together, my Conjectures were so
ill founded, and if wiser Men than I might not have been as much
mistaken? I own, _said the King_, there was a Probability, but
something more was requisite in order to ground an Accusation.
But before I determine any thing on the Point, what say you to
all this? said the King to _La Foret_. Nothing, Sir, _reply'd my
Comrade_, every Tittle that the Gentleman has told you, is true,
only the Inference he draws from it is false, so that I have
nothing to reproach him with but Want of Charity. My Companion,
_continued he_, is an Astronomer, of which, Sir, you are not
ignorant: He has been teaching me for some time past to find out
the principal Stars, and my Desire to perfect myself in that
Science, makes me often rise in the Night to see if the Sky is
clear, and then I am us'd to take a Tour in one of the four
Cantons, because the Buildings being lower there than in this, I
have a better View of the Stars. That very Night I went Abroad
for the very same Purpose, and having cast my Eyes on _Sirius_
and _Procion_, and observing their Situation and Distance as I
walk'd along, I had the Misfortune to fall into the Canal before
I was aware of it. Being stun'd as it were with such an
unexpected Fall, I made a little Pause to look about me, and fell
a swimming without knowing where I should land, 'till at last I
got Ashore where this honest Gentleman saw me, and from whence I
made all the Haste I could directly to my Chamber into which I
enter'd thro' the Window, not only for fear of awaking our
People, but of being seen in a Pickle which would no doubt have
rais'd their Laughter. You see, Sir, that we agree perfectly in
our Depositions, but that Mr. _Equerry_ is quite mistaken in the
Cause of my being sous'd in the Water; I hope however that after
this, he will be fully convinc'd of my Innocence. I am sorry that
this Misfortune occasion'd such an ill Opinion of me. My own
Destiny is properly speaking, the Cause of it; therefore I owe
you no Grudge for it. I am oblig'd to you, _reply'd the_ Equerry,
and beg Pardon for the Injury I have done you, for which I am
really sorry. I see plainly that I was too rash upon this
Occasion; but it will teach me to be more cautious another time.
Are you both satisfy'd, _said the King_. Yes, Sir, _reply'd
they_. Very well, _said the King again_, shake Hands, and let it
be never mention'd more. Thereupon we again took our Leaves, and
render'd as well pleas'd as a Couple of Kings. _La Foret_ with
his Presence of Mind, and I with the Civilities of our Prince,
and because we had so happily escap'd a Scouring.
We set out next Day without taking any thing but our Gowns, and
some Trifles which we thought absolutely necessary. We did not
want Money, we were known, and the People of the Country are very
hospitable, so that we were in no danger of faring ill. The King
having recollected that he did not ask us what Conveniency we
intended to make use of for our travelling, sent a Domestic after
us to conjure us to take the best that he had, and to tell us,
that if we did not, he should resent it. We had travell'd about
half a League when the Messenger overtook us; he would fain have
had us gone back with him, or to have told him how we intended to
be carry'd, whether in a Chariot or a Gondola which he would
accommodate us with on the Spot, adding, it was the King's
Pleasure. We thank'd the Messenger for his Civility, and pray'd
him to tell his Majesty, that we were confounded to find him so
very obliging, that we should gladly embrace his kind Offer, but
that we chose to walk from one Village to another after we had
staid long enough to make an Acquaintance with the Judge or the
Priest. This Answer did not satisfy our Man who left us with some
Uneasiness, for fear perhaps that the King should think he had
not duly discharg'd his Commission.
By the way now, let any one judge from this little Incident,
whether we had any Reason to complain of our Fortune, and whether
we were not compleatly happy, setting aside that unlucky Affair
of my Comrade. It was not only at Court that particular Respect
was paid us, but every where upon the Road the People throng'd to
do us Honour, so that one would have swore an express Order had
come from Court to receive us like the chief Men of the Kingdom.
We had been gone about 17 Days when we were surpriz'd to meet two
Domestics of our Judge and our Priest with a Canoe laden with
Spades, Mattocks, Pick-Axes, Hatchets, Bows, Habits, and
necessary Provisions to make a trading Voyage for Copper. They
told us, that their Masters wish'd we would be so good as to make
them another Clock bigger than the former with a Bell in
Proportion, which they intended to present to their Governor, in
order to gain his Consent that each of their Sons might have one
of his Daughters, who as they describ'd them, were perfect
Beauties. And as a pretty deal of Copper would be wanting for the
Purpose, they said their Masters were sending them to the Mines
with Goods to truck for that Metal; and indeed they had a very
good Stock of Provisions on Board, and a Permission to stay out
as long as they thought fit. My Comrade presently gave me to
understand, that this News chagrin'd him not a little. What,
_said he_, I came from a Place to avoid continual Labour, and
they are cutting out Work for me in another Place where I am come
for Rest; but I'll see the whole Nation at the Devil before I'll
file a Stroke more for any of them, tho' I should not be against
it if there was any thing to be got by it worth our carrying Home
whenever a Conveniency offers, but all our Reward is only a
Piece of Metal which will yield but 15 _d._ a Pound in _Europe_.
Let us be gone, _continued he_, as soon as possible, for I had
rather hazard 100 Lives if I had them to go back the Way we came,
into our own Country, than stay here any longer.
You don't consider, _La Foret_, _said I_, nor have you well
examin'd the Obstacles that we shall have to surmount. We had
great Advantages when we came, which we have not now. We were
then three in Number all provided with Fire-Arms, and press'd by
Necessity; but now the Case is quite otherwise. Be rul'd by me,
my Friend, let us stay where we are, we shall be still more and
more belov'd by amusing ourselves in Clock-making, part of our
Time, and one cannot be always idle. Wherever we are we can have
but Food and Raiment, and here we have as much again as we want.
Let us not imitate our Countrymen who are so fickle that they are
always shifting from one Place to another. Before we have
travell'd much farther we shall repent of our Folly. Finally, I
expatiated upon the Difficulties which hinder'd our Return, but
it was all in vain, and he told me in plain Terms, that he would
go alone if I was obstinately bent not to go with him. Very well
then, _said I,_ since you are inexorable, and as on the other
hand, I am resolv'd not to part with you; 'tis necessary we
should take the Opportunity of this Boat, and try So escape with
it thro' that frightful Cavern as they still call the Place
where, as I said before, their first King pretended that the
Earth brought him forth.
While we were forming this Design, our two Peasants were
impatient to see the End of our Dialogue. I told them that we had
been divided in our Opinions what Course it were best for us to
take, whether to return to the Village, or to go along with them
to the Copper-Mines where we had never been yet, and that we had
determin'd to keep them Company. They express'd great Joy at it,
and in order to add to it, we resolv'd to go to the next Canton,
and buy some Flagons of the best Liquors they had. We also took
some more Provision with us, but persuaded them at the same time
to turn towards the River, on pretence that as we had seen it but
in one Place, we had a Curiosity to survey the Shores of it from
one End to the other, and we assur'd them also, that we would
assist them alternately to row, and would furnish them with all
Necessaries if our Voyage was retarded some Days by the Current
of the Water, which however was not very rapid in that Place. The
poor Fellows consented to every thing we propos'd, the only
Difficulty being that as they were both of them Natives of a
Canton not many Miles of, they made Account to go thither and see
their Relations. I presently gave them to understand that far
from hindering their Design we would forward it. Go, _said I to
them_, this instant, and spend two or three Days with your
Friends while we march so slowly on that when you turn towards
the Current, you will soon overtake us. They were in Raptures at
my Complaisance, and I was as much rejoyc'd that I was not forc'd
to the Trouble of contriving to get rid of 'em in any other
Manner.