_Guzman proceeds with the Company to Barcelona, where he plays a trick
upon a Jeweller, and embarks for Italy._
The galleys at length arrived at Barcelona. As soon as we received this
intelligence, we marched thither to embark; but as the wind was not
favourable, we were obliged to remain a considerable time in that city,
where something more than my usual address was necessary to enable us to
live in plenty at so cheap a rate as before. I soon remarked that my
Captain was relapsing into his former despondency, and I easily guessed
the cause: well might I know the nature of his complaint, since I was
the physician who had already cured him of it.
For this once, however, I felt at a loss how to prescribe, being
entirely unacquainted with the map of Barcelona, and the disposition of
its inhabitants. I did not, however, forget to tender my exertions as a
specific to my patient, who replied, in a serious manner, that we had no
longer peasants to deal with, and that I must be very cautious what I
did. Difficulties tended only to quicken my apprehension, and an idea
occurred to me which I resolved to follow. I have already told you that
the Captain had some jewels which he reserved for a rainy day. Amongst
these jewels was a gold Reliquary, set round with diamonds, which he
intended to dispose of for subsistence until we embarked. I requested
him to shew it me, and asked if he could place so much confidence in me
as to entrust it to me for a day or two, adding that I would return it
to him with usury. “Oh! Oh! my little Guzman,” answered he with a smile,
“what piece of roguery have you now in contemplation?” “You have only,”
replied I, “to let me have the Reliquary, and keep up your spirits. If,
notwithstanding all the precautions that I can take to perform safely
the trick that I have in my head, I should be so unfortunate as to meet
with any check from justice, I can at least pledge myself to save your
honor, and to bear all the ill consequences of it myself.”
My Captain could hold out no longer, but gave me the Reliquary, saying,
that he wished me success in my enterprize, whatever it might be.
Nobody, indeed, had more interest in it than himself, to whom all the
profit would accrue. I put the jewel into a purse which I hid in my
bosom, the string of which I tied to the buttons of my doublet; after
which I went to the first Jeweller’s I could meet, who, fortunately for
me, was well known in the city as a noted usurer. I asked him if he was
inclined to purchase a fine Reliquary. I shewed it him, and could easily
perceive that he liked it very well, although he pretended not to think
much of it. I did not wait until he asked me the usual questions, but
told him that I was a soldier in a company newly raised, and that was
destined for Italy; that I had spent all my money, and having no other
resource, found myself reduced to dispose of this jewel, that I might
not be entirely destitute. “You are at liberty,” added I, “to go and
ascertain from my Captain, from the other officers, and even soldiers,
who I am; they will inform you that I am styled Don Juan de Guzman: upon
their report of me, you can make up your mind whether you will buy the
Reliquary or not. While you are making these inquiries I will go and
wait for you on the quay, where I have a little business to settle.”
The Jeweller, who was not willing to allow this jewel to escape him,
took his cloak immediately, and hastened to the place where I told him
we lodged, and did not fail to question several of the officers and
soldiers, as to the character of a certain Don Juan de Guzman who
described himself as belonging to their company. Every man of them (for
I was generally beloved) assured him I was a young man of quality, who
intended to pass over to Italy with them, and that they had known me
make a most brilliant figure. In short, they spoke so well of me, that
he soon returned to look for me on the quay, where he had no great
difficulty to find me, for I had no other business there but to wait for
and entrap him. He requested me, as soon as he came up, to allow him to
see the Reliquary again, which he was come to treat for. “Willingly,”
replied I, “but let us retire a little, as I have no wish to have a
crowd assembled about us.”
I then drew the jewel out of my purse and handed it to him: he looked at
it on all sides, and after having examined it minutely, asked me what I
would have for it. I told him two hundred crowns; and though that was
not half its value, the old usurer pretended to be quite astonished at
such a price, and began to tell me that the gold was by no means of the
finest quality. Besides which he found great fault with the workmanship,
as well as with the diamonds: nevertheless, he offered me one half, and
I was surprised in my turn. “That will not do,” cried I, “you take
advantage of my situation; but distressed as I am for money, I declare
that you shall not have it for less than a hundred and fifty crowns.”
He still continued to make so many objections, that I was at last
contented to conclude the bargain at a hundred and twenty, and he
requested me to accompany him to his shop to receive the money. This I
refused, telling him that I expected a person to meet me on the quay,
and, therefore, could not leave it; that if he would return home and
procure the sum agreed on, he would find me again in the same place. The
Jeweller, finding that I could not be prevailed on to accompany him, and
being apprehensive that the person whom I expected might be another
Jeweller, whom I had appointed to meet on the same subject, ran home
with great haste, lest he should be deprived of his bargain before his
return.
The old rogue soon returned to me again, quite out of breath, bringing
with him in a small bag the hundred and twenty crowns, which he counted
into my hand. I requested the bag of him in which I put the money, and
offered him in exchange the purse that the Reliquary was kept in; but
affecting to find great difficulty in untying the strings, which I had
purposely well fastened, I snatched, as though from impatience, a knife
which I observed in a sheath at his girdle, and cut them asunder.
Although this action seemed to surprise him a little, he was so far from
guessing the cause, that he departed and walked towards home, well
satisfied with his purchase, and very far from suspecting the snare that
I had laid for him.
After having allowed him to proceed a few steps, I beckoned to one of my
comrades, as great a rogue as myself, whom I had stationed near at hand
so as to be ready when called for, and desired him to carry the crowns
to our Captain. Then I ran as fast as I could after my Jeweller, for I
had not lost sight of him, and overtook him at a part where the roads
met, where there happened to be some soldiers assembled, to whom I
pointed him out, crying aloud, “stop thief, fellow soldiers, stop thief!
for God’s sake stop that old rascal there, who has just robbed me; let
him not escape!” The soldiers, some of whom belonged to our own
company, stopped the poor Jeweller immediately, asking him how he had
given me cause to complain thus of him. He was at first so bewildered
with fear and astonishment, that he had not the power of uttering a
word. Had he spoken, however, it would not have availed him, for his
voice would have been drowned by that of his accuser: nobody was to be
heard but myself, who kept up a continued roar; and to make more
impression on the soldiers, I fell down on my knees before them, and
forcing some tears into my eyes, implored their assistance.
“Gentlemen,” said I, “you see before you in that old rogue one of the
greatest hypocrites in Spain. I chanced just now to be standing by him
on the quay, where he remarked that I had a purse in my bosom, and asked
me what was in it? a Reliquary, answered I, which my master the Captain
accidentally left at the bed’s-head this morning, and that I have taken
care of to give it to him again; upon this, the old rascal whom you have
secured requested me in a civil manner to shew it him, telling me that
he was a Goldsmith, and was curious in jewels. I satisfied his
curiosity, and he asked me if I would dispose of this Reliquary. That
cannot be, said I, for it is my master’s; at the same time I replaced it
in my purse which was tied to my button; whereupon my thief, while he
amused me with words, drew forth a knife which he had in a sheath at his
girdle, and suddenly cut the strings, the ends of which are still to be
seen. Take the trouble. Gentlemen, of searching him, I beg of you,”
added I, “and you will find the purse containing the jewel somewhere
about his person, for I have followed him so closely, that he has not
had an opportunity of otherwise disposing of it.”
The soldiers instantly began to search him: they drew forth the purse
containing the Reliquary from his bosom where he had placed it, and
perceiving that the strings had really been cut, they no longer doubted
the Goldsmith’s guilt: in vain did he protest and swear that I had sold
it him; they would not believe him, it being so extremely improbable
that an old and experienced Jeweller could consent to purchase so rich a
Reliquary of a young soldier, without suspecting that it must have been
stolen. “Once more,” cried the accused, “I assure you that I paid this
young man for the Reliquary a hundred and twenty crowns in gold, which I
reckoned into his hand, and which he must now have about him: you have
only to search him also to find these gold coins, which I paid him only
a few minutes since.” The soldiers, to satisfy him, rummaged my pockets
out; and finding no money about me, they began to revile him most
unmercifully, and even to beat him. Nevertheless, as he insisted on
being conducted to a Judge, they carried us both before one.
Here I related my case in the same manner as I had reported it to the
soldiers, who, upon being interrogated by the Judge, said more than was
sufficient to convince him that the Jeweller had really seized this
Reliquary from me by force; in addition to which, this citizen being so
well known as a covetous man who would not scruple at a trifle, they
were the more disposed to think him guilty. The Magistrate, however, out
of consideration for his family, which consisted of some of the first
persons in the city, was content to reprimand him severely, and
delivered the jewel into my hands again, desiring me to carry it to my
master, which I did immediately.
When I related this adventure to the Captain, he returned thanks to
Heaven that it had ended so well: he had feared, and with some reason,
that I should have come but scurvily off in so slippery an affair, and
my boldness made him tremble. Although he was the only person that
profited by my rogueries, yet he resolved to get rid of the rogue,
fearing that I should at last ruin him as well as myself by some unlucky
adventure. He was impatient for the day when we should embark, which at
length arrived. The galleys left the harbour of Barcelona, and
transported us in safety to Genoa, where we were no sooner landed, than
my Captain said to me in private, “my dear Guzman, we are now in the
country whither you have been so extremely anxious to come,” for I had
communicated to him my intentions of visiting my kindred; “we must now,
with your leave, begin to think of parting, for I am not more afraid of
all the devils together than of the consequences of these legerdemain
tricks of yours: farewell, my friend,” added he, putting a pistole into
my hand, “I much regret that I am not in a situation to make you a
better acknowledgment for your services.” Thus saying, he departed,
leaving me so thunderstruck with his compliment, that I could not utter
a word. But what could I have said to him? was it necessary to represent
to him all the dangers I had faced on his account? he was well aware of
them, for what else was it that caused my dismissal. I could not be
surprised at his behaviour. I had only the common fate of rogues, who,
like vipers and scorpions, are made use of, while any thing useful can
be extracted from them, and afterwards thrown to the dogs.