drinking the same wine at the Cape that surely won, than here,-where Art is enthe same grape produced upon the French couraged, and will soon rise high,—where mountains, he was too phlegmatic for that; Nature (take her altogether) has so little to -but, undoubtedly, he expected to drink answer for,—and, to close all, where there some sort of vinous liquor; but whether is more wit and variety of character to feed good, bad, or indifferent,-he knew enough the mind with:-Where, then, my dear of this world to know that it did not depend countrymen, are you going?— upon his choice, but that what is generally We are only looking at this chaise, said called chance was to decide his success: they.-Your most obedient servant, said I, however, he hoped for the best; and in these skipping out of it, and pulling off my hat. hopes, by an intemperate confidence in the -We were wondering, said one of them, fortitude of his head, and the depth of his who, I found, was an Inquisitive Traveller, discretion, Mynheer might possibly overset what could occasion its motion.—'Twas both in his new vineyard; and, by discover- the agitation, said I, coolly, of writing a ing his nakedness, become a laughing-stock preface.-I never heard, said the other, to his people. who was a Simple Traveller, of a preface Even so it fares with the poor Traveller wrote in a desobligeant.—It would have sailing and posting through the politer king- been better, said I, in a vis-a-vis. doms of the globe, in pursuit of knowledge and improvements. As an Englishman does not travel to see Englishmen, I retired to my room. CALAIS. Knowledge and improvements are to be got by sailing and posting for that purpose; but whether useful knowledge and real improvements are all a lottery;-and, even where the adventurer is successful, the ac- I PERCEIVED that something darken'd quired stock must be used with caution and so- the passage more than myself, as I stepp'd briety, to turn to any profit:-but, as the chan- along it to my room; it was effectually ces run prodigiously the other way, both as to Mons. Dessein, the master of the hotel, the acquisition and application, I am of opin- who had just returned from vespers, and, ion, That a man would act as wisely, if he with his hat under his arm, was most comcould prevail upon himself to live contented plaisantly following me, to put me in mind without foreign knowledge or foreign im- of my wants. I had wrote myself pretty provements, especially if he lives in a country well out of conceit with the desobligeant; that has no absolute want of either; and in- and Mons. Dessein speaking of it with a deed much grief of heart has it oft and many shrug, as if it would no way suit me, it a time cost me, when I have observed how immediately struck my fancy that it bemany a foul step the Inquisitive Traveller longed to some Innocent Traveller, who, has measured, to see sights and look into on his return home, had left it to Mons. discoveries, all which, as Sancho Pança said Dessein's honor to make the most of. Four to Don Quixote, they might have seen dry- months had elapsed since it had finished its shod at home. It is an age so full of light, career of Europe in the corner of Mons. that there is scarce a country or corner of Dessein's coach-yard: and having sallied out Europe, whose beams are not crossed and from thence but a vampt-up business at the interchanged with others.-Knowledge, in first, though it had been twice taken to most of its branches, and in most affairs, is pieces on Mount Sennis, it had not profited like music in an Italian street, whereof those much by its adventures,-but by none so may partake who pay nothing.-But there little as the standing so many months unis no nation under Heaven, and God is my pitied in the corner of Mons. Dessein's coachrecord (before whose tribunal I must one yard. Much, indeed, was not to be said for day come and give an account of this work) it, but something might,—and, when a few -that I do not speak it vauntingly,-But words will rescue Misery out of her Distress, there is no nation under Heaven abounding I hate the man who can be a churl of them. variety of learning,-where the -Now, was I the master of this hotel, be more fitly woo'd, or more said I, laying the point of my fore-finger on with more Sciences may Mons. Dessein's breast, I would inevitably the rotation of all the movements within me, make a point of getting rid of this unfortu- to which the situation is incident;—I looked nate desobligeant; it stands swinging re- at Monsieur Dessein through and through, proaches at you every time you pass by it.-eyed him as he walked along in profile,Mon Dieu! said Mons. Dessein,-I have then en face;-thought he looked like a no interest.-Except the interest, said I, Jew, then a Turk,—disliked his wig, curswhich men of a certain turn of mind take, ed him by my gods,-wished him at the Mons. Dessein, in their own sensations.- Devil! I'm persuaded, to a man who feels for others as well as for himself, every rainy night, disguise it as you will, must cast a damp upon your spirits. You suffer, Mons. Dessein, as much as the machine. -And is all this to be lighted up in the heart for a beggarly account of three or four Louis d'ors, which is the most I can be over. reached in?-Base passion! said I, turning myself about, as a man naturally does upon a sudden reverse of sentiment,-base, ungentle passion! thy hand is against every man, and every man's hand against thee.— Heaven forbid! said she, raising her hand up to her forehead, for I had turned full in front upon the lady whom I had seen in conC'est bien vrai, said he.—But in this case, ference with the monk;—she had followed I should only exchange one disquietude for us unperceived. — Heaven forbid, indeed! another, and with loss. Figure to yourself, said I, offering her my own;-she had a my dear Sir, that in giving you a chaise black pair of silk gloves, open only at the which would fall to pieces before you had thumb and two fore-fingers, so accepted it got half-way to Paris,-figure to yourself without reserve,—and I led her up to the how much I should suffer, in giving an ill door of the remise. impression of myself to a man of honor, and lying at the mercy, as I must do, d'un homme d'esprit. I have always observed, when there is as much sour as sweet in a compliment, that an Englishman is eternally at a loss within himself whether to take it or let it alone; a Frenchman never is; Mons. Dessein made me a bow. The dose was made up exactly after my own prescription; so I could not help taking it,—and returning Mons. Dessein his bow, without more casuistry we walked together towards his remise, to take a view of his magazine of chaises. IN THE STREET. CALAIS. Monsieur Dessein had diabled the key above fifty times, before he found out he had come with a wrong one in his hand: we were as impatient as himself to have it open'd; and so attentive to the obstacle, that I continued holding her hand almost without knowing it; so that Mons. Dessein left us together, with her hand in mine, and with our faces turned towards the door of the remise, and said he would be back in five minutes. Now, a colloquy of five minutes, in such a situation, is worth one of as many ages, with your faces turned towards the street. In the latter case, 'tis drawn from the objects and occurrences without;—when your It must needs be a hostile kind of a eyes are fixed upon a dead blank,—you world when the buyer (if it be but of a sorry draw purely from yourselves. A silence of post-chaise) cannot go forth with the seller a single moment, upon Mons. Dessein's leav thereof into the street, to terminate the dif- ing us, had been fatal to the situation, she ference betwixt them, but he instantly falls had infallibly turned about;-so I began the into the same frame of mind, and views his conversation instantly. conventionist with the same sort of eye, as -But what were the temptations (as I if he was going along with him to Hyde write not to apologize for the weaknesses of Park Corner to fight a duel. For my own my heart in this tour,-but to give an ac part, being but a poor swordsman, and count of them)-shall be described with the no way a match for Mons. Dessein, I felt same simplicity with which I felt them. THE REMISE DOOR. CALAIS. clension which had passed the two first paroxysms of sorrow, and was quietly beginning to reconcile itself to its loss;-but a WHEN I told the reader that I did not care thousand other distresses might have traced to get out of the desobligeant, because I the same lines; I wish'd to know what they saw the monk in close conference with the had been, and was ready to inquire (had lady just arrived at the inn, I told him the the same bon ton of conversation permitted truth; but I did not tell him the whole truth; as in the days of Esdras)—“What aileth for I was full as much restrained by the ap-" thee? and why art thou disquieted? and pearance and figure of the lady he was talk-" why is thy understanding troubled?”. ing to. Suspicion crossed my brain, and In a word, I felt benevolence for her, and said, he was telling her what had passed: resolv'd, some way or other, to throw in my something jarred upon it within me, I mite of courtesy,-if not of service. wished him at his convent. Such were my temptations; and in this When the heart flies out before the un- disposition to give way to them, was I left derstanding, it saves the judgment a world alone with the lady, with her hand in mine, of pains. I was certain she was of a better and with our faces both turned closer to the order of beings;-however, I thought no door of the remise than what was absolutely more of her, but went on and wrote my necessary. preface. The impression returned, upon my encounter with her in the street; a guarded frankness with which she gave me her hand, showed, I thought, her good education and her good sense; and, as I led her on, I felt a pleasurable ductility about her, which spread a calmness over all my spirits. -Good God! how a man might lead such a creature as this round the world with him! THE REMISE DOOR. CALAIS. THIS certainly, fair lady, said I, raising her hand up a little lightly as I began, must be one of Fortune's whimsical doings; to take two utter strangers by their hands,— of different sexes, and, perhaps, from different corners of the globe, and in one moment place them together in such a cordial situation as Friendship herself could scarce have achieved for them, had she projected it for a month. -And your reflection upon it shows how much, Monsieur, she has embarrassed you by the adventure. - You I had not yet seen her face,-'twas not material for the drawing was instantly set about, and, long before we had got to the door of the remise, Fancy had finish'd the whole head, and pleased herself as much with its fitting her goddess, as if she had dived into the Tiber for it;-but thou art seduced, and a seducing slut; and albeit When the situation is what we would thou cheatest us seven times a day with thy wish, nothing is so ill-timed as to hint at the pictures and images, yet with so many circumstances which make it so. — charms dost thou do it, and thou deckest out thy pictures in the shapes of so many angels of light, 'tis a shame to break with thee. When we had got to the door of the remise, she withdrew her hand from across her forehead, and let me see the original: -it was a face of about six-and-twenty, of a clear transparent brown, simply set off without rouge or powder ;-it was not criti- It is a miserable picture which I am going cally handsome, but there was that in it to give of the weakness of my heart, by which, in the frame of mind I was in, at- owning that it suffered a pain, which wortached me much more to it,-it was inter- thier occasions could not have inflicted.—I esting I fancied it wore the characters of was mortified with the loss of her hand; and a widow'd look, and in that state of its de- the manner in which I had lost it, carried thank Fortune, continued she-you had reason,-the heart knew it, and was satisfied; and who but an English philosopher would have sent notice of it to the brain to reverse the judgment? In saying this, she disengaged her hand, with a look which I thought a sufficient commentary upon the text. neither oil nor wine to the wound; I never of the line, as if uncertain whether he felt the pain of a peevish inferiority so mis- should break in upon us or no.—He stopp'd, erably in my life. however, as soon as he came up to us, with The triumphs of a true feminine heart a world of frankness, and having a horn are short upon these discomfitures. In a snuff-box in his hand, he presented it open very few seconds she laid her hand upon the to me.-You shall taste mine, said I, pulling cuff of my coat, in order to finish her reply; so, some way or other, God knows how, I regained my situation. -She had nothing to add. The pulsations of the arteries along my fingers pressing across hers, told her what was passing within me. She looked down: -a silence of some moments followed. out my box (which was a small tortoise one), and putting it into his hand. - 'Tis most excellent, said the monk.-Then do me the favor, I replied, to accept of the box and all; and when you take a pinch out of it, ing of a man who once used you unkindly, but not from his heart. I forthwith began to model a different conversation for the lady, thinking, from the sometimes recollect it was the peace-offerspirit as well as moral of this, that I had been mistaken in her character; but, upon turning her face towards me, the spirit The poor monk blush'd as red as scarlet, which had animated the reply was fled,- Mon Dieu! said he, pressing his hands tothe muscles relaxed, and I saw the same gether, you never used me unkindly.-I unprotected look of distress which first won should think, said the lady, he is not likely. me to her interest: - melancholy! to see I blush'd in my turn; but from what such sprightliness the prey of sorrow,-I movements, I leave to the few who feel, to pitied her from my soul; and, though it analyze.-Excuse me, Madam, replied I— may seem ridiculous enough to a torpid I treated him most unkindly; and from no heart, I could have taken her into my provocations. "Tis impossible, said the arms, and cherished her, though it was in lady. - My God! cried the monk, with a the open street, without blushing. warmth of asseveration which seemed not to belong to him,-the fault was in me, and in the indiscretion of my zeal.—The lady opposed it: and I joined with her,—in maintaining it was impossible that a spirit so I fear, in this interval, I must have made regulated as his could give offence to any. some slight efforts towards a closer com- I knew not that contention could be renpression of her hand, from a subtle sensa- dered so sweet and pleasurable a thing to tion I felt in the palm of my own,-not as the nerves as I then felt it. We remained if she was going to withdraw hers, but as silent, without any sensation of that foolish if she thought about it;—and I had infalli- pain which takes place, when, in such a bly lost it a second time, had not instinct, circle, you look for ten minutes in one anmore than reason, directed me to the last other's faces without saying a word. Whilst resource in these dangers,—to hold it loose- this lasted, the monk rubb'd his horn-box ly, and in a manner as if I was every moment going to release it of myself: so she let it continue till Mons. Dessein returned with the key; and, in the mean time, I set 'Twas too late to say whether it was the myself to consider how I should undo the weakness or goodness of our tempers which ill impressions which the poor monk's story, in case he had told it her, must have planted in her breast against me. THE SNUFF-BOX. CALAIS. upon the sleeve of his tunic: and as soon as it had acquired a little air of brightness by the friction, he made a low bow, and said, had involved us in this contest;-but, be it as it would,―he begged we might exchange boxes.-In saying this, he presented his to me with one hand, as he took mine from me in the other; and having kissed it,with a stream of good-nature in his eyes, he put it into his bosom, and took his leave. THE good old monk was within six paces I guard this box as I would the instru of us as the idea of him cross'd my mind; mental parts of my religion, to help my and was advancing towards us a little out mind on to something better. In truth, I - seldom go abroad without it;-and oft and the Simple Traveller. - You go directly many a time have I called up by it the through the town, added the other, in your courteous spirit of its owner to regulate my road to Paris. I was going to return a own, in the justlings of the world: they thousand thanks for the intelligence that had found full employment for his, as I Amiens was in the road to Paris; but upon learnt from his story, till about the forty- pulling out my poor monk's little horn-box fifth year of his age, when, upon some mili- to take a pinch of snuff, I made them a tary services ill requited, and meeting at quiet bow, and wished them a good passage the same time with a disappointment in the to Dover.-They left us alone. tenderest of passions, he abandoned the Now where would be the harm, said I to sword and the sex together, and took sanc-myself, if I was to beg of this distressed tuary, not so much in his convent as in lady to accept of half of my chaise ?-and himself. what mighty mischief would ensue ? twenty livres out of your pocket. - You know not what she is, said Caution; or what scrapes the affair may draw you into, whisper'd Cowardice. I feel a damp upon my spirits as I am Every dirty passion and bad propensity going to add, that in my last return through in my nature took the alarm as I stated the Calais, upon inquiring after Father Loren- proposition;-It will oblige you to have a zo, I heard he had been dead near three third horse, said Avarice, which will put months; and was buried, not in his convent, but according to his desire, in a little cemetery belonging to it, about two leagues off I had a strong desire to see where they had laid him, when upon pulling out his little horn-box, as I sat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at the head of it, which had no business to grow there, they all struck together so forcibly upon my affections, that I burst into a flood of tears; --but I am as weak as a woman; and I beg the world not to smile, but pity me. THE REMISE DOOR. CALAIS. -Depend upon it, Yorick, said Discretion, 'twill be said you went off with a mistress; and came, by assignation, to Calais for that purpose. -You can never after, cried Hypocrisy, aloud, show your face in the world;-nor rise, quoth Meanness, in the church;-nor be any thing in it, said Pride, but a lousy prebendary. But 'tis a civil thing, said I;—and as I generally act from the first impulse, and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant,-I turn'd instantly about to the lady,— I HAD never quitted the lady's hand all this time; and had held it so long, that it But she had glided off unperceived, as would have been indecent to have let it go, the cause was pleading, and had made ten without first pressing it to my lips: the or a dozen paces down the street by the blood and spirits, which had suffered a re- time I had made the determination; so I vulsion from her, crowded back to her as I set off after her with a long stride, to make did it. her the proposal with the best address I Now the two travellers, who had spoke was master of; but observing she walk'd to me in the coach-yard, happened at the with her cheek half resting upon the palm crisis to be passing by, and, observing our of her hand,-with the slow, short-measur'd communications, naturally took it into their step of thoughtfulness, and with her eyes, heads that we must be man and wife at as she went step by step, fixed upon the least; and so stopping as soon as they came ground, it struck me she was trying the up to the door of the remise, the one of same case herself.-God help her! said I, them, who was the Inquisitive Traveller, she has some mother-in-law, or tartufish ask'd us if we set out for Paris the next aunt, or nonsensical old woman, to consult morning?—I could only answer for myself, upon the occasion, as well as myself: so I said; and the lady added, she was for not caring to interrupt the process, and Amiens.-We dined there yesterday, said deeming it more gallant to take her at dis 2 L 24* |
