Part 11 (2/2)
HE APPEARS IN THE GREAT WORLD WITH UNIVERSAL APPLAUSE AND ADMIRATION
Meanwhile, Fathoe, so that in a few days he had procured a very gay chariot, adorned with painting, gilding, and a coat of ar to his own fancy and direction The first use henobleman from whom he had received such important civilities on the road, in consequence of an invitation at parting, by which he learned his title and the place of his abode in London
His lordshi+p was not only pleased, but proud to see such a stranger at his gate, and entertained him with excess of complaisance and hospitality; insomuch that, by his means, our hero soon became acquainted with the whole circle of polite co ht proper to tell the nobleman, at their first interview in town, that his reasons for concealing his knowledge of the English tongue were now reer deny hie which had been always music to his ear He had also thanked his lordshi+p for his generous interposition at the inn, which was an instance of that generosity and true politeness which are engrossed by the English people, who leave nought to other nations but the mere shadow of these virtues
A testier, won the heart of the peer, who professed a friendshi+p for him on the spot, and undertook to see justice done to his lacquey, who in a short tiratified with a share of the seizure which had beento fifty or sixty pounds
Ferdinand put not forth the whole strength of his acco a new mine of qualification every day, to the surprise and adifted with a sort of elocution, much more specious than solid, and spoke on every subject that occurred in conversation with that familiarity and ease, which, one would think, could only be acquired by long study and application This plausibility and confidence are faculties really inherited from nature, and effectually serve the possessor, in lieu of that learning which is not to be obtained without infinite toil and perseverance The most superficial tincture of the arts and sciences in such a juggler, is sufficient to dazzle the understanding of half ed with circu the literati, without once forfeiting the character of a connoisseur
Our hero was perfectly erdemain, which he carried to such a pitch of assurance, as to declare, in the ratify the public with a full confutation of Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy, to the nature of which he was as e Hottentot in Africa His pretensions to profound and universal knowledge were supported not only by this kind of presumption, but also by the facility hich he spoke so es, and the shrewd remarks he hadpoliticians, he settled the balance of power upon a certain footing, by dint of ingenious schemes, which he had contrived for the welfare of Europe With officers, he reformed the art of ith improveed in a , like a member of the Dilettanti club The theory of music was a theme upon which he seemed to expatiate with particular pleasure In the provinces of love and gallantry, he was a perfect Oroondates He possessed astories, of which he had a large collection; he sung with greatexecution To these qualifications let us add his affability and pliant disposition, and then the reader will not wonder that he was looked upon as the pattern of huly
While he thus captivated the favour and affection of the English nobility, he did not neglect to take other measures in behalf of the partnershi+p to which he had subscribed The adventure with the two squires at Paris had weakened his appetite for play, which was not at all restored by the observations he had ular systee of their functions, as to observe the iue of watching or exercise, and their ideas disturbed by the fuestion No Indian Brachman could live more abstemious than two of the pack, who hunted in couple, and kennelled in the upper apartments of the hotel in which our adventurer lived They abstained frooreans, their drink was a pure simple elelyster every third day, spent the forenoon in algebraical calculations, and slept froht then take the field with that cool serenity which is the effect of refreshment and repose
These were terms upon which our hero would not risk his fortune; he was too o every other enjoy; and did not so much depend upon his dexterity in play as upon his talent of insinuation, which, by this tian to indulge the hope of enslaving the heart of some rich heiress, whose fortune would at once raise him above all dependence Indeed, no man ever set out with a fairer prospect on such an expedition; for he had found reeable to the fair sex, that, like the boxes of the playhouse, during the representation of a new performance, his company was often bespoke for a series of weeks; and no lady, whether ife, or maiden, ever mentioned his name, without some epithet of estee Man! the Nonpareil, or the Angel!
While he thus shone in the zenith of admiration, it is not to be doubted, that he could havean enereat care and deliberation in an affair of such importance, especially as he did not find himself hurried by the iland, he had rather increased than exhausted his finances, by methods equally certain and secure In a word, he, with the assistance of Ratchcali, carried on a traffic, which yielded great profits, without subjecting the trader to the least loss or inconvenience Fathoe brilliant, which he played to such advantage one night, at a certain nobleman's house, where he was prevailed upon to entertain the company with a solo on the violin, that everybody present took notice of its uncommon lustre, and it was handed about for the perusal of every individual The water and the work the rest having expressed a desire of knowing the value of such a jewel, the Count seized that opportunity of entertaining them with a learned disquisition into the nature of stones; this introduced the history of the diamond in question, which he said had been purchased of an Indian trader of Fort St George, at an under price; so that the present proprietor could afford to sell it at a very reasonable rate; and concluded with telling the company, that, for his own part, he had been iined it would have a better chance for attracting a purchaser on his finger, than while it remained in his own custody
This declaration was no sooner made, than a certain lady of quality bespoke the refuse of the jewel, and desired Ferdinand to send the owner next day to her house, where he accordingly waited upon her ladyshi+p with the ring, for which he received one hundred and fifty guineas, two-thirds of the suain, and equally divided betwixt the associates
Nor was this bargain such as reflected dishonour upon the lady's taste, or could be productive of ill consequences to the ether arbitrary; and Ratchcali, as an exquisite lapidary, had set it in such a manner as would have imposed upon any ordinary jeweller By these means of introduction, the Tyrolese soon reat e contributions, without incurring the least suspicion of deceit He every day, out of pure esteeratitude for the honour of their coht of some new trinket, which he was never permitted to carry home unsold; and from the profits of each job, a tax was raised for the benefit of our adventurer
Yet his indultos were not confined to the article of jewels, which constituted only one part of his revenue By the industry of his understrapper, he procured a number of old crazy fiddles, which were thrown aside as lumber; upon which he counterfeited the Crereat dexterity; so that, when he had occasion to regale the lovers of music, he would send for one of these vamped instruments, and extract fro whom there was always some conceited pretender, who spoke in raptures of the violin, and gave our hero an opportunity of launching out in its praise, and declaring it was the best Cremona he had ever touched This encomium never failed to inflaenerous enough to part with it at priuineas clear profit; for he was often able to oblige his friends in thisan eminent connoisseur, his countenance was solicited by all the musicians, anted to dispose of such lect the other resources of a skilful virtuoso Every auction afforded sonorance of the tireatit to some noble friend This colios, and old china, and kept divers artificers continually elish nobility Thus he went on with such rapidity of success in all his endeavours, that he himself was astonished at the infatuation he had produced Nothing was so wretched a the productions of art, that he could not impose upon the world as a capital performance; and so fascinated were the eyes of his admirers, he could easily have persuaded them that a barber's bason was an Etrurian patera, and the cover of a copper pot no other than the shi+eld of Ancus Martius In short, it was beco relating to taste and politeness, that not a plan was drawn, not even a house furnished, without his advice and approbation; nay, to such a degree did his reputation in these s was known by the na croith upholsterers, and other tradesmen, who came, by order of their employers, to learn his choice, and take his directions
The character and influence he thus acquired, he took care to maintain with the utmost assiduity and circue at all public diversions and private assemblies, not only in conversation and dress, but also in the article of dancing, in which he outstripped all his fellows, as far as in every other genteel accomplishment
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
HE ATTRACTS THE ENVY AND ILL OFFICES OF THE MINOR KNIGHTS OF HIS OWN ORDER, OVER WHOM HE OBTAINS A COMPLETE VICTORY
Such a pre-e the ation of which none were so industrious as the brethren of his own order, who had, like him, made a descent upon this island, and could not, without repining, see the whole harvest in the hands of one man, ith equal art and discretion, avoided all intercourse with their society In vain they strove to discover his pedigree, and detect the particular circumstances of his life and conversation; all their inquiries were baffled by the obscurity of his origin, and that solitary sche of his career The whole fruit of their investigation amounted to no more than a certainty that there was no family of any consideration in Europe known by the denomination of Fathoe for the benefit of our adventurer, who had by this tireat, as to set all those little arts at defiance; and when the report reached his ear, actually made his friends merry with the conjectures which had been circulated at his expense
His adversaries, finding themselves disappointed in this effort, held a consultation to devise otherhidoe enough to resist, because his deportment had always been remarkably mild and pacific It was upon this supposition that they left to the determination of the dice the choice of the person who should execute their plan; and the lot falling upon a Swiss, who, from the station of a foot soldier in the Dutch service, out of which he had been drummed for theft, had erected himself into the rank of a self-created chevalier, this hero fortified himself with a double dose of brandy, and betook himself to a certain noted coffee-house, with an intent to affront Count Fathoh to find our adventurer sitting at a table in conversation with some persons of the first rank; upon which he seated hi intruded himself into their discourse, which happened to turn upon the politics of some German courts, ”Count,” said he to Ferdinand, in a very abrupt and disagreeable entle whom a dispute happened about the place of your nativity; pray, what country are you of?” ”Sir,” answered the other, with great politeness, ”I at present have the honour to be of England” ”Oho!”
replied the chevalier, ”I ask your pardon, that is to say, you are incog; some people may find it convenient to keep themselves in that situation”
”True,” said the Count, ”but soe” The Swiss being a little disconcerted at this repartee, which extracted a smile from the audience, after soood reason to drop the reood citizen will not forget his country, or former condition ”And a bad citizen,” said Fathom, ”cannot, if he would, provided he has et the shape of a die, or a discarded soldier the sound of a drum”