She could not, however, think of quitting him in a state so truly deplorable, and so unbecoming of his circ.u.mstances and character:--she remained in his house, would pursue him wherever he retired, and as she was a woman of excellent sense, as well as good-nature, invented a thousand little stratagems to divert his thoughts from the melancholly theme which had too much engrossed them, but had not the satisfaction to perceive that any thing she could say or do, occasioned the least movement of that fixed sullenness, which, by a long habit, appeared like a second nature in him.
This poor lady found also other matters of surprize and discontent, on her staying in town, besides the sad situation of her brother"s health:--as she had never been informed of the disunion between him and his wife, much less of the occasion of it, the behaviour of that lady filled her with the utmost astonishment:--to perceive she took no pains to alleviate his sorrows, never came into the room where he was, or even sent her woman with those common compliments, which he received from all who had the least acquaintance with him, would have afforded sufficient occasion for the speculation of a sister; yet was this manifest disregard, this failure in all the duties of a wife, a friend, a neighbour, little worthy of consideration, when put in comparison with her conduct in other points.
After the adventure of her detection, finding the minister was resolved to support her, and that her husband durst not come to any open breach with her, she immediately began to throw aside all regard for decorum;--she seemed utterly to despise all sense of shame, and even to glory in a life of continual dissolution;--the company she kept of both s.e.xes, were, for the most part, persons of abandoned characters: whether she indulged herself in a plurality of amours, is uncertain, though it was said she did so; but there was one man to whom she was most particularly attached;--this was a person who had formerly enjoyed a post under the government, but was turned out on the score of misbehaviour, and had now no other support than what he received from her:--with him she frequently pa.s.sed whole nights, and took so little care in concealing the place of their meeting, that the sister of Natura easily found it out.
On relating the discovery she had made to some of their relations, they advised her to tell her brother, imagining this glaring insult on his honour would effectually rouse him out of the stupidity he languished under:--she was of the same opinion, and took the first opportunity of letting Natura into the whole infamous affair, not without some apprehensions, that an excess of rage on hearing it, might hurry him into a contrary extreme; but her terrors on this head were presently dissipated, when having repeated many circ.u.mstances to corroborate the truth of what she said, there appeared not the least emotion in his countenance; and on her urging him to take some measures to do himself justice, or at least to put a stop to this licentiousness of a person whose dishonour was his own; all she could get from him was, that he had neither regard enough for her to take any pains for the reclaiming her, nor for the censure of the world on himself, and desired she would not trouble him any farther on this point.
This strange insensibility afforded cause to fear his faculties were all too deeply absorbed in melancholy, for him ever to become a man of the world again, and as she truly loved him, gave both her, and all his other friends, an infinite concern.
CHAP. III.
The struggles which different pa.s.sions 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 pa.s.sions, generally speaking, operate according to the const.i.tution, 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 pa.s.sion whatsoever;--the effects of it are the same, invariable in every const.i.tution; 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 pa.s.sion 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 pa.s.sion, 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 pa.s.sion, than that which so powerfully engrossed him, and from which all the endeavours. .h.i.therto 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 ingrat.i.tude 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 pa.s.sions 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 pa.s.sions 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.
CHAP. IV.
Contains a further definition of _revenge_, its force, effects, and the chasm it leaves on the mind when once it ceases. The tranquility of being entirely devoid of all pa.s.sions; and the impossibility for the soul to remain in that state of inactivity is also shewn; with some remarks on human nature in general, when left to itself.
I have already shewn, in the example of Natura, how not only resentment for injuries, but even the extremest and most justifiable _rage_, may be subjected to _ambition_, and afterwards how that _ambition_ may be quelled and totally extinguished by _grief_; and also that _grief_ itself, how violent soever it appears, may subside at the emotions of _revenge_.--This last and worst pa.s.sion alone finds nothing capable of overcoming it, while the object remains in being.
It is true, that we frequently in the hurry of resentment, threaten, and sometimes act every thing in our power, against the person who has offended us, yet on his submission and appearing sorry for what he has done, we not only forgive, but also forget all has past, and no longer bear him the least ill will; but then, this pa.s.sion, by which we have been actuated, is not properly _revenge_, but _anger_, of which I have already sufficiently spoke, and, I flatter myself, proved how wide the difference is between these two emotions.
Natura had no sooner taken it into his head to revenge himself in the manner above related, on his transgressing brother, than he resumed great part of his former chearfulness, conversed again in the world as he had been accustomed; nor, though he perceived his interest with the minister fall off ever since he had been divorced from his neice, and easily foresaw, that he would, from his friend, become in time his greatest enemy, yet it gave him little or no concern, so wholly were his thoughts and desires taken up with accomplishing what he had resolved.
He was, however, for some time deliberating within himself to whom he should direct his addresses on this score; the general acquaintance he had in the world, brought many ladies into his mind, who seemed suitable matches for him; but then, as they were of equal birth and fortunes with himself, he reflected, that a long formal courtship would be expected, and he was now grown too indolent to take that trouble, as he was not excited by inclination to any of them, and had determined to enter a third time into the bonds of matrimony, meerly through the hope of depriving his brother of the estate.
Besides, the accidents which had lately happened to him, had very much altered his way of thinking, and though he had shaken off great part of the chagrin they had occasioned, yet there still remained a certain languor and inactivity of mind, which destroyed all the relish he formerly had of the noisy pleasures of life:--he began now to despise that farce of grandeur he once testified so high a value for, and to look on things as they really deserved;--he found his interest with those at the helm of public affairs, was very much sunk, and he was so far from taking any steps to retrieve it, that he seldom went even to pay that court to them, which his station demanded from him;--he grew so weary of the post which he had, with the utmost eagerness, sought after, and thought himself happy in enjoying, that he never rested till he had disposed of it, which he did for a much less consideration than it was really worth, meerly because he would be in a state of perfect independency, and at full liberty to speak and act, according to the dictates of his conscience, or his inclination.
He was no sooner eased of his attendance at court by this means, than he retired to his country seat, in which he now thought he found more satisfaction, than the town, with all its hurrying pleasures could afford; there he intended to pa.s.s the greatest part of the remainder of his days, with some woman of prudence and good nature, which were the two chief requisites he now wished to find in a wife.--There were several well-jointured widows in the county where he resided, and also young ladies of family and fortune, but he never made the least overtures to any of them, and behaved with that indifference to the s.e.x, that it was the opinion of all who conversed with him, that he never designed to marry again, when at the same time, he thought of nothing more than to find a partner in that state, such as promised to prove what he desired.
To this end he watched attentively the behaviour of all those he came in company with, and as he was master of a good deal of penetration, and also no small experience in the s.e.x, and besides was not suspected to have any views that way, it is certain he had a good chance not to be deceived.
It was not among the fine ladies, the celebrated beauties, nor the great fortunes, he sought himself a wife; but among those of a middling rank; he only wished to have one who might bring him children, and be addicted to no vice, or caprice, that should either scandalize him abroad, or render him uneasy at home, and in all his inspection, he found none who seemed so likely to answer his desires in every respect as a young maid called Laet.i.tia; she was the daughter of a neighbouring yeoman, not disagreeable in her person, or behaviour, yet possessed of no accomplishments, but those which nature had bestowed: her father was an honest plain man, he had four sons and two daughters, who had been married some time, and had several children; Laet.i.tia was his youngest, and promised to be no less fruitful than her sisters; and this last was the chief inducement which made Natura fix his choice upon her.
Having resolved to seek no farther, he frequently went to the old man"s house, pretending he took delight in country affairs, would walk with him about his grounds, and into his barns, and see the men who were at work in them. One day he took an opportunity of going when he knew he was abroad, designing to break his mind to the young Laet.i.tia, who, being her father"s housekeeper, he did not doubt finding at home: accordingly she was so; and, after some previous discourse, a little boy of one of her sisters, being playing about the room, "This it a fine child," said he; "when do you design to marry, pretty Mrs.
Laet.i.tia?"--"Should you not like to be a mother of such diverting little pratlers?"--"It is time enough, sir," replied she modestly, "for me to think of any such thing."--"If you get a good husband,"
resumed he, "it cannot be too soon":--"Nor, if a bad one, too late,"
cried she, "as there are great odds on that side."--"That is true,"
said he, "but I believe there are many ill husbands, who owe their being such, to the ill conduct of their wives":--"now I fancy,"
continued he, "whoever is so happy as to have you, will have no such excuse; for I firmly believe you have in you all the requisites to make the marriage state agreeable." To this she only made a curtesy, and thanked him for his good opinion: "I do a.s.sure you," resumed he, "it is so sincere, that I should be glad to prove it, by making you my wife. What say you," pursued he, "could you be willing to accept of my addresses on that score?" With these words he took hold of her hand, and pressing it with a great deal of warmth, occasioned her to blush excessively.--The inability she was in of speaking, through the shame this question had excited in her, gave him an opportunity of prosecuting what he had begun, and saying many tender things, to convince her he was in earnest; but when at last she gave him an answer, it was only such as made him see she gave little credit to his professions.--Some people coming in on business to her father, and saying they would wait till he came home, obliged Natura to take his leave for that time, well satisfied in his mind, that he had declared himself, and not much doubting, but that in spite of this first shyness, she would easily be prevailed upon to correspond with his desires, when his perseverance in them, should have a.s.sured her of their sincerity.
He was, notwithstanding, a good deal surprized, when, going several times after to the house, he could scarce see her, and never be able to exchange a word with her in private, so industriously did she avoid coming into his presence.--Such a behaviour, he thought, could proceed only from one of these two motives, either thro" an extraordinary dislike to his person, or through the fears of giving any indulgence to an inclination, which the disparity between them might make her mistake for a dishonourable one. Sometimes he was tempted to think the one, sometimes the other; but not being of a humour to endure suspense, he resolved to take effectual measures for coming at the certainty.
He went one day about noon, and told the yeoman he was come to take a dinner with him, on which the other replied, that he did him a great deal of honour; but should have been glad to have been previously acquainted with it, in order to have been prepared to receive a gentleman of his condition.--"No," said Natura, "I chose to come upon you unawares, not only to prevent you from giving yourself any superfluous trouble on my account, but also because I would use a freedom, which should authorize you to treat me with the same;--we are neighbours," continued he, "and neighbours should be friends, and love one another."
Some other little chat on trivial affairs pa.s.sed away the short time between the coming of Natura, and dinner being brought in; on which, the yeoman intreated him to sit down, and partake of such homely food as he found there.--"That I shall gladly do," answered Natura, "but I waited for your fair daughter; I hope we shall have her company. I do not know," said the yeoman, "I think they told me she was not very well, had got the head-ach, or some such ailment;--go, however,"
pursued he, to a servant, "and see if Laet.i.tia can come down."--"But, sir," cried he, perceiving his guest discovered no inclination to place himself at the table, "do not let us wait for her."
Natura on this sat down, and they both began to eat, when the person who had been sent to call Laet.i.tia returned, and said, she begged to be excused, being very much indisposed, and unfit to be seen.--The old man seemed to take no notice, but pressed Natura to eat, and somewhat embarra.s.sed him with the many apologies he made for the coa.r.s.eness of his entertainment; to all which he gave but short answers, till the cloth was taken away, and they were alone.--Then, "I could not wish to dine more to my satisfaction," said he, "if the sweetness of your meat had not been imbittered by your daughter"s absence";--"to be plain,"
continued he, "I fear I am the disease which occasions her retirement."--"You, sir!" cried the father, affecting a surprize, which he was not so well skilled in the art of dissimulation, to make appear so natural, but that Natura easily saw into the feint, and told him with a smile, that he found the _country_ had its arts as well as the _court:_--"but let us deal sincerely with each other," pursued he, "I am very certain, it is from no other motive, than my being here, that your daughter refused to come to table; and I also faithfully believe you are no stranger to that motive:--be therefore free with me; and to encourage you to be so, I shall acquaint you, that I have made some overtures to Mrs. Laet.i.tia,--that I like her, and that my frequent visits to you have been entirely on her account:--now, be as sincere with me, and let me know, whether the offers I made her will be approved."
The yeoman was a little dashed on Natura"s speaking in this manner, and was some moments before he could recollect himself sufficiently to make any reply; and, when at last he had, all he could bring out was, "Sir, my girl is honest, and I hope will always continue so."
"I am far from doubting her virtue in the least," answered Natura hastily, "but I think I cannot give a greater testimony of the good opinion I have of her, than by offering to make her my wife."--"Ah, sir," cried the yeoman, interrupting him, "you must excuse me, if I cannot flatter myself you have any thoughts of doing us that honour.--I am a mean man, of no parentage, and it is well known have brought up a large family by the sweat of my brow."--"Laet.i.tia is a poor country maid;--it is true, the girl is well enough, but has nothing,--nothing at all, alas! in her to balance for that vast disparity of birth and fortune between you."
"Talk no more of that," said Natura, taking him by the hand, "such as she is, I like her; and I once more a.s.sure you, that I never had any dishonourable intentions on her, but am ready to prove the contrary, by marrying her, as soon as she approves of me, and you agree to it."
The old man looked very earnestly on him all the while he was speaking, and knew not well whether he ought to give credit to what he said, or not,--Natura, perceiving his diffidence, continued, by sparing neither arguments, nor the most solemn imprecations, to remove it, till he was at last a.s.sured of a good fortune, which, as he said, he had thought too extraordinary to happen in his family. He then told Natura he would acquaint his daughter with the happiness he intended for her, and dispose her to receive it with that respect and grat.i.tude that became her. On which Natura took his leave till the next day, when he found Laet.i.tia did not make any excuse to avoid his presence, as she had lately done.--He addressed himself to her not in the same manner he would have done to a woman of condition, but yet in very tender and affectionate terms:--her behaviour to him was humble, modest, and obliging; and though she was not mistress of the politest expressions, yet what she said discovered she wanted not a fund of good sense and understanding, which, if cultivated by education, would have appeared very bright. He easily perceived, she took a great deal of pains to disguise the joy she conceived at this prospect of raising her fortune, but was too little accustomed to dissimulation, to do it effectually, and both the one and the other gave him much satisfaction.
Circ.u.mstances being in the manner I related, it is not natural to suppose any long sollicitation was required.--Laet.i.tia affected not an indifference she was free from, and Natura pressing for the speedy consummation of his wishes, a day was appointed for the celebration of the nuptials, and both the intended bride and bridegroom set themselves about making the necessary preparations usual in such cases.
But see, how capable are our finest resolutions of being shaken by accidents!--the most a.s.sured of men may be compared to the leaf of a tree, which veers with every blast of wind, and is never long in one position.--Had any one told Natura he had taken all this pains for nothing, and that he would be more anxious to get off his promise of marrying Laet.i.tia, than ever he had been to engage one from her for that purpose; he would have thought himself highly injured, and that the person who said this of him was utterly a stranger to his sentiments or character; yet so it happened, and the poor Let.i.tia found all her hopes of grandeur vanish into air, when they seemed just on the point of being accomplished.--The occasion of this strange and sudden transition was as follows:
Two days before that prefixed for his marriage, Natura received a packet from Gibralter, which brought him an account of the death of his brother.--That unfortunate young gentleman, being convinced by his sufferings, and perhaps too by his own remorse, and stings of conscience of the foulness of the crime he had been guilty of, fell into a languishing disorder, soon after his arrival in that country, which left those about him no expectations of his ever getting the better of.--Finding his dissolution near, he wrote a letter to Natura, full of contrition, and intreaties for forgiveness. This epistle accompanied that which related his death, and both together plunged Natura into very melancholly thoughts.--The offence his brother had been guilty of, was indeed great; but, when he remembered that he had repented, and was now no more, all resentment, all revenge, against him ceased with his existence, and a tender pity supplied their place:--what, while _living_, he never would have forgave, when _dead_ lost great part of its atrocity, and he bewailed the fate of the transgressor, with unfeigned tears and lamentations.
This event putting an end to the motive which had induced Natura to think of marriage, put an end also to his desires that way;--he was sorry he had gone so far with Laet.i.tia, was loth to appear a deceiver in her eyes, or in those of her father; but thought it would be the extremest madness in him to prosecute his intent, as his beloved sister had a son, who would now be his heir, and only had desired to be the father of one himself to hinder _him_ from being so, whose crimes had rendered him unworthy of it.
The emotions of this revenge having entirely subsided, he now had leisure to consider how oddly the world would think and talk of him, if he perpetrated a marriage with a girl such as Laet.i.tia;--he almost wondered at himself, that the just displeasure he had conceived against his brother, should have transported him so far as to make him forgetful of what was owing to his own character; and when he reflected on the miseries, vexations, and infamy, his last marriage had involved him in, he trembled to think how near he had been to entering into a state, which tho" he had a very good opinion of Laet.i.tia"s virtue, might yet possibly, some way or other, have given him many uneasinesses.