Part 7 (2/2)
HE ARRIVES AT PARIS, AND IS PLEASED WITH HIS RECEPTION
He was not so shtful situation of this ancient town, but that he abandoned it as soon as he could procure a post-chaise, in which he arrived at Paris, without having been exposed to any other troublesos at a certain hotel in the Fauxbourg de St Gerers that resort to this capital; and now sincerely congratulated hiarian connexions, and from the snares of the banditti, as well as upon the spoils of the dead body, and his arrival at Paris, froland, whither he was attracted, by far other motives than that of filial veneration for his native soil
He suppressed all his letters of recommendation, which he justly concluded would subject hireat, and lay hi prefer was farther from his inclination; and resolved to entle the different scenes of life in such a gay metropolis, so as that he should be able to choose that sphere in which he could ly hired an occasional domestic, and under the denomination of Count Fathom, which he had retained since his elopement from Renaldo, repaired to dinner at an ordinary, to which he was directed as a reputable place, frequented by fashi+onable strangers of all nations
He found this piece of information perfectly just; for he no sooner entered the aparte confusion of sounds, ah and Low Dutch, barbarous French, Italian, and English languages He was rejoiced at this occasion of displaying his own qualifications, took his place at one of the three long tables, betwixt a Westphalian count and a Bolognian marquis, insinuated himself into the conversation with his usual address, and in less than half an hour, found means to accost a native of each different country in his own e did not pass unobserved A French abbe, in a provincial dialect, co that purity in pronunciation, which is not to be found in the speech of a Parisian The Bolognian,him for a Tuscan, ”Sir,” said he, ”I presume you are from Florence I hope the illustrious house of Lorrain leaves you gentleret the loss of your own princes” The castle of Versailles beco the subject of conversation, Monsieur le Compte appealed to him, as to a native Gernificence to the chateau of Grubenhagen The Dutch officer, addressing himself to Fathom, drank to the prosperity of Faderland, and asked if he had not once served in garrison at Shenkenschans; and an English knight swore, with great assurance, that he had frequently ra the hundreds of Drury
To each person he replied in a polite, though mysterious ood breeding and i before the dessert appeared, he was by all the coreat consequence, who for some substantial reasons, found it convenient to keep hi the case, it is not to be doubted that particular civilities were poured upon him froed the with that sort of co condescension in a character of superior dignity and station His affability was general but his chief attention lientlemen already mentioned, who chanced to sit nearest hiave theer in Paris, than they unani him acquainted with the different curiosities peculiar to that metropolis
He accepted of their hospitality, accompanied them to a coffee-house in the afternoon, from whence they repaired to the opera, and afterwards adjourned to a noted hotel, in order to spend the re It was here that our hero secured hiraces He in a h all the characters of the party, and adapted hi from that elevation of behaviour which he perceived would operate a them in his behalf With the Italian he discoursed on music, in the style of a connoisseur; and indeed had a better claienerality of those upon whom it is usually conferred; for he understood the art in theory as well as in practice, and would havethe best perforenius to the abbe, as a wit and critic, ex officio, or rather ex vestitu for a young pert Frenchman, the very moment he puts on the petit collet, or little band, looks upon himself as an inspired son of Apollo; and every one of the fraternity thinks it incumbent upon him to assert the divinity of his mission In a word, the abbes are a set of people that bear a strong analogy to the templars in London Fools of each fabric, sharpers of all sorts, and dunces of every degree, profess the, a prig, so is the abbe: both are distinguished by an air of petulance and self-conceit, which holds a middle rank betwixt the insolence of a first-rate buck and the learned pride of a supercilious pedant The abbe is supposed to be a younger brother in quest of preferment in the church--the Teer sons intended for the bar; but a great number of each profession turn aside into other paths of life, long before they reach these proposed goals An abbe is often metamorphosed into a foot soldier; a tealleys of France abound with abbes; and many templars may be found in our American plantations; not to mention those who have ht that my description includes every individual of those societies Soreatest scholars, politicians, and wits, that ever Europe produced, have worn the habit of an abbe; and land derive their honours from those who have studied law in the Temple The worthy sons of every community shall always be sacred froh at the folly of particular members, I can still honour and revere the institution
But let us return from this comparison, which some readers may think impertinent and unseasonable, and observe, that the Westphalian count, Dutch officer, and English knight, were not excepted froard and attention of our adventurer He pledged the German in every bumper; flattered the Hollander with compliments upon the industry, wealth, and policy of the Seven United Provinces; but he reserved his chief battery for his own countryman, on the supposition that he was, in all respects, the best adapted for the purposes of a needy gamester
Hiular observance; for he soon perceived him to be a humourist, and, froe of his own success The baronet's disposition seelish mould He was sour, silent, and contemptuous; his very looks indicated a consciousness of superior wealth; and he never opened his mouth, except to make some dry, sarcastic, national reflection Nor was his behaviour free from that air of suspicion which a man puts on when he believes hiilance set at defiance In a word, though his tongue was silent on the subject, his whole de, ”You are all a pack of poor lousy rascals, who have a design upon eneration, but I won't be bubbled, d'ye see; I aainst all your knavish pranks; and I come into your co reconnoitred this peculiarity of te him with that assiduous coentlemen of the party, kept aloof from him in the conversation, with a remarkable shyness of distant civility, and seldom took notice of what he said, except with a view to contradict him, or retort some of his satirical observations This he conceived to be the best lishman would naturally conclude he was a person who could have no sinister views upon his fortune, else he would have chosen quite a different ht seemed to bite at the hook He listened to Ferdinand with uncoard; he was even heard to coth drank to their better acquaintance
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ACQUITS HIMSELF WITH ADDRESS IN A NOCTURNAL RIOT
The Italian and the abbe were the first who began to grohiundy; and, in the heat of their elevation, proposed that the co part of the night, at the house of an obliging dame, who maintained a troop of fair nymphs for the accommodation of the other sex The proposal was approved by all, except the Hollander, whose economy the wine had not as yet invaded; and, while he retreated soberly to his own lodgings, the rest of the society adjourned in two coaches to the temple of love, where they were received by the venerable priestess, a personage turned of seventy, who see, in despite of the e had bent her into the foritated by the palsy, like the leaf of the poplar tree; her hair fell down in scanty parcels, as white as the driven snow; her face was not sihed into innu tooth; one eye distilled a large quantity of rheue that surrounded it; the other was altogether extinguished, and she had lost her nose in the course of her ministration The Delphic sibyl was but a type of this hoary ht have been mistaken for the consort of Chaos, orable reeable contrast with the beauty and youth of the fair damsels that wantoned in her train It resembled those discords in music, which, properly disposed, contribute to the hariants, who, in the world of roates of the castle in which the enchanted daanda seemed to be aware of her own importance, and perfectly well acquainted with the huo her enificent livery, ushered them into a superb apart favoured with the appearance of the ladies, to the ouvernante, reprimanded her severely for her want of politesse The old lady, as by no means a pattern of patience and subreat eether in the Covent Garden strain; and I question whether the celebrated Mother Douglas herself could have ure in an exte bestowed upon the abbe the epithets of saucy insignificant piood offices which he had received at her hands; how she had supplied hireatest necessity; sent him abroad with money in his pockets--and, in a word, cherished him in her bosom, when his own mother had abandoned hi to affront her before strangers, and gave the co ladies would wait upon them as soon as they could be confessed and receive absolution fro that charitable office The gentleued the old lady's pious concern for the souls that were under her care, and our adventurer proposed an accommodation betwixt her and the abbe, as prevailed upon to ask her pardon, and received her blessing upon his knees
This affair had not been long adjusted, when five daay dishabille, and our hero was co his Amanda froan to pair themselves, and, unhappily, the German count chanced to pitch upon the saht A dispute ilish the least regard to the priority of the other's clai pleased with his attachment, did not scruple to renounce his rival, ore by the thunder, lightning, and sacrament, that he would not quit his pretensions for any prince in Christendolish cavalier, who to be his coht, provoked at this stately declaration, which was the ionist with a most contemptuous aspect, and advised him to avoid such comparisons for the future ”We all know,” said he, ”the importance of a German count; I suppose your revenue amounts to three hundred rix-dollars; and you have a chateau that looks like the ruins of an English gaol I will bind e of your estate, (and a bad bargain I am sure I shall have,) if I do not, in less than twoale than the sum-total of your yearly income; and, were the truth known, I believe that lace upon your coat is no better than tinsel, and those fringed ruffles, with fine Holland sleeves, tacked to a shi+rt of brown canvas, so that, were you to undress yourself before the lady, you would only expose your own poverty and pride”
The count was so ed at these sarcastic observations, that his faculty of speech was overwhelh, in order to acquit hilishman's imputation, he forthwith pulled off his clothes with such fury, that his brocade waistcoat was tore fro, considered this dee, to try which was the better an to strip in his turn, when he was undeceived by Fathoht interpretation upon the count's behaviour, and begged that the affair ht be compromised By this tiue, and with many threats and imprecations, desired they would take notice how falsely he had been aspersed, and do hi his claim to the damsel in question
Before the company had time or inclination to interest themselves in the quarrel, his opponent observed that no person as not athe inclinations of a pretty girl, whom the accidents of fortune had subjected to his power; that such compulsion was equivalent to the most cruel rape that could be com; for, to speak his own sentirant favours to a Westphalian hog, as to the person of his antagonist The Gered at this comparison, was quite abandoned by his patience and discretion He called the knight an English clown, and, swearing he was the most untoward beast of a whole nation of mules, snatched up one of the candlesticks, which he launched at hih the air, and, winging its flight into the ante-chamber, encountered the skull of his own valet, ith ie of his ht not be behindhand with the Westphalian in point of courtesy, returned the co chandelier, which also e mirror that was fixed behind theht expect to hear if a hts being thus extinguished, a furious combat ensued in the dark; the Italian scaility, and, as he went downstairs, desired that nobody would interpose, because it was an affair of honour, which could not be ht; Count Fathom slyly retired to one corner of the roo upon him the terrors of the commissaire, endeavoured to appease and part the combatants, and, in the attempt, sustained a rando into the other cha his band besan to caper about the aparte and vexation
Meanwhile, the old gentlewo alarmed with the noise of the battle, and apprehensive that it would end in er and discredit of herself and family, immediately mustered up her myrmidons, of who herself at their head, lighted them to the scene of uproar Ferdinand, who had hitherto observed a strict neutrality, no sooner perceived them approach, than he leaped in between the disputants, that hein the character of a peacemaker; and, indeed, by this time, victory had declared for the baronet, who had treated his antagonist with a cross-buttock, which laid him almost breathless on the floor The victor was prevailed upon, by the entreaties of Fathom, to quit the field of battle, and adjourn into another room, where, in less than half an hour, he received a billet frole combat on the frontiers of Flanders, at an appointed tie was i flushed with conquest, treated his adversary with great conteundy were quite exhaled, and the adventure recurred to his remembrance and sober reflection, he waited upon our adventurer at his lodgings, and solicited his advice in such a ave him to understand that he looked upon what had happened as a drunken brahich ought to have no serious consequences Fathoed for his own interest, professed himself of the baronet's opinion; and, without hesitation, undertook the office of ahis principal, that his honour should suffer no stain in the course of his negotiation
Having received the Englishments for this instance of friendshi+p, he forthwith set out for the place of the Ger he was still asleep, insisted upon his being ientleman from the chevalier desired to see him, upon business of ily, his valet-de-chambre, pressed by Fathoo in and shake the count by the shoulder; when this furious Teutonian, still agitated by the fever of the preceding night, leaped out of bed in a frenzy, and seizing his sword that lay upon a table, would have severely punished the presumption of his servant, had not he been restrained by the entrance of Ferdinand, ith a pereave him to understand that the valet had acted at his ilish the appointe effectually calmed the Gerreeably disturbed He could not help cursing the i that he would have acteda desire of seeing the affair accoressor, consequently the first offender against the laws of politeness and good-fellowshi+p Fatho hi to the reasonableness of his observation
He ventured to condemn the impetuosity of the baronet, who, he perceived, was extremely nice and scrupulous in the punctilios of honour; and said it was a pity that two gentlemen should forfeit each other's friendshi+p, much less expose their lives, for such a frivolous cause ”My dear count,” cried the Westphalian, ”I am charmed to find your sentiments so conforer; e, thank Heaven! has been ements as well as in private rencounters; but, to break with my friend, whose eminent virtues I admire, and even to seek his life, on such a scandalous occasion, for a little insignificant w---e, who, I suppose, took the advantage of our intoxication, to foest it”
Having expressed himself to this purpose, he waited impatiently for the reply of Ferdinand, who, after a pause of deliberation, offered his services in the way of reat delicacy, and the event altogether uncertain ”Nevertheless,”