Volume II Part 7 (2/2)
On the contrary, I considered that my misfortune to be a just and well-deserved punish abandoned myself to a Lais, after I had enjoyed the felicity of possessing a woman like Henriette
My disease was not a case within the province of e in M de is Haye as then dining every day with me, and made no mystery of his poverty He placed eon, as at the sanized certain symptoms which made it a necessity to sacrificeto the season of the year, co the winter of 1749
While I was thus curing ly disease, De la Haye inoculated me with another as bad, perhaps even worse, which I should never have thought , who left o--at least he said so--to church to perforot of reed with hiht a disease which was the origin of the faith now taking possession of my soul
I would thank God fervently and with theemployed Mercury to lead ht of holy truth! There is no doubt that such an extraordinary change in ht on by the mercury That impure and always injurious metal had weakened my mind to such an extent that I had becoment had been insane The result was that, ina totally different sort of life in future De la Haye would often cry for joy when he sawtears caused by the contrition which he had had the wonderful cleverness to sow in my poor sickly soul
He would talk to me of paradise and the other world, just as if he had visited thehed at him! He had accustomed me to renounce my reason; now to renounce that divine faculty a er be conscious of its value, he e of the state to which I was reduced by the following specimen One day, De la Haye said to me:
”It is not knohether God created the world during the vernal equinox or during the auturanted,” I replied, in spite of the mercury, ”such a question is childish, for the seasons are relative, and differ in the different quarters of the globe”
De la Haye reproached me with the heathenism of s and I gave way!
That man had been a Jesuit He not only, however, refused to admit it, but he would not even suffer anyone to mention it to hi me the history of his life
”After I had been educated in a good school,” he said, ”and had devoted myself with some success to the arts and sciences, I was for twenty years employed at the University of Paris Afterwards I served as an engineer in the army, and since that time I have published several works anonyiven up thepoor, I undertook and co men, some of whom shi+ne now in the world even more by their excellent conduct than by their talents My last pupil was the Marquis Botta Now being without e in God's providence Four years ago, I made the acquaintance of Baron Bavois, froiment in the service of the Duke of Modeh tobaron, a Calvinist like his father, did not like the idle life he was leading at home, and he solicited me to undertake his education in order to fit hihted at the opportunity of cultivating his fine natural disposition, I gave up everything to devote myself entirely to my task I soon discovered that, in the question of faith, he knew himself to be in error, and that he remained a Calvinist only out of respect to his fas on that head, I had no difficulty in proving to him that his most important interests were involved in that question, as his eternal salvation was at stake Struck by the truth of my words, he abandoned himself to my affection, and I took him to Rome, where I presented him to the Pope, Benedict XIV, who, iot him a lieutenancy in the army of the Duke of Modena But the dear proselyte, who is only twenty-five years of age, cannot live upon his pay of seven sequins afrohly incensed at what they call his apostacy He would find hio back to Lausanne, if I did not assist him But, alas! I am poor, and without e suood Christians horatitude, would be very glad to know his benefactors, but they refuse to acquaint hiht, because charity, in order to beof vanity Thank God, I have no cause for such a feeling! I a saint, and to have had a share, as the huhty, in the salvation of his soul That handso ularly twice a week I am too discreet to communicate his letters to you, but, if you were to read them, they would make you weep for syold pieces which you gave me yesterday”
As he said the last words my converter rose, and went to theto dry his tears, I felt deeply moved, anal full of admiration for the virtue of De la Haye and of his pupil, who, to save his soul, had placed hi al piety I told hi unknown to his pupil, but also upon ignoring the aht take out of ed that he would help hithat, by following the precepts of the Gospel so well, I should certainly win the kingdom of heaven
The e enjoyed by matter With an empty stomach, I became a fanatic; and the hollow made in my brain by theit to De la Haye, I wrote to adin and co ed to communicate my fanaticis is so catching as the plague; now, fanaticisue of the huood of our society depended upon the aduess it, but, having myself became a Jesuit, I took care not to say it openly It would of course be better if such an idea appeared to have emanated from those men, so simple, and at the same time so truly virtuous ”It is God's will,” I wrote to thee under the protection of that sacred name), ”that you employ all your influence in Venice to find an honourable position for M de la Haye, and to pro M Bavois in his profession”
M de Bragadin answered that De la Haye could take up his quarters with us in his palace, and that Bavois was to write to his protector, the Pope, entreating His Holiness to recommend him to the ambassador of Venice, ould then forward that recommendation to the Senate, and that Bavois could, in that way, feel sure of good employment
The affair of the Patriarchate of Aquileia was at that time under discussion; the Republic of Venice was in possession of it as well as the Eendi': the Pope Benedict XIV had been chosen as arbitrator, and as he had not yet given his decision it was evident that the Republic would shew very great deference to his reco all our sy in Venice a letter stating the effect of the Pope's recommendation, I was the hero of a comic adventure which, for the sake ofof April I was entirely cured of our, and I acco a serether at the cafe, where we generallythe and with the recital of the uished himself in the service of several countries, and principally in Spain As he was truly a source of amusement, everybody pretended to believe hi at hie, sir!”--I exclaiht side by side at the battle of Arbela?”
At those words everybody burst out laughing, but the boaster, nothing daunted, said, with ani so very laughable in that I was at that battle, and therefore this gentleht very well have remarked me; in fact, I think I can recollect hiiment in which ere brother officers Of course we e each other upon the pleasure we both felt in ain in Parma After that truly comic joke I left the coffee-room in the co, as I was at breakfast with De la Haye, the boasting Provencal enteredoff his hat, and said,
”M d'Arbela, I have so of importance to tell you; make haste and follow me If you are afraid, you ood for half a dozen men”
I left my chair, seized my pistols, and aimed at hiht to come and disturb me in my room; be off this minute, or I blow your brains out”