Part 55 (1/2)

Chapter 4.XX.

And now for Lippius's clock! said I, with the air of a man, who had got thro' all his difficulties-nothing can prevent us seeing that, and the Chinese history, &c. except the time, said Francois-for 'tis almost eleven-then we must speed the faster, said I, striding it away to the cathedral.

I cannot say, in my heart, that it gave me any concern in being told by one of the minor canons, as I was entering the west door,-That Lippius's great clock was all out of joints, and had not gone for some years-It will give me the more time, thought I, to peruse the Chinese history; and besides I shall be able to give the world a better account of the clock in its decay, than I could have done in its flouris.h.i.+ng condition-

-And so away I posted to the college of the Jesuits.

Now it is with the project of getting a peep at the history of China in Chinese characters-as with many others I could mention, which strike the fancy only at a distance; for as I came nearer and nearer to the point-my blood cool'd-the freak gradually went off, till at length I would not have given a cherry-stone to have it gratified-The truth was, my time was short, and my heart was at the Tomb of the Lovers-I wish to G.o.d, said I, as I got the rapper in my hand, that the key of the library may be but lost; it fell out as well-

For all the Jesuits had got the cholic-and to that degree, as never was known in the memory of the oldest pract.i.tioner.

Chapter 4.XXI.

As I knew the geography of the Tomb of the Lovers, as well as if I had lived twenty years in Lyons, namely, that it was upon the turning of my right hand, just without the gate, leading to the Fauxbourg de Vaise-I dispatched Francois to the boat, that I might pay the homage I so long ow'd it, without a witness of my weakness-I walk'd with all imaginable joy towards the place-when I saw the gate which intercepted the tomb, my heart glowed within me-

-Tender and faithful spirits! cried I, addressing myself to Amandus and Amanda-long-long have I tarried to drop this tear upon your tomb-I come-I come-

When I came-there was no tomb to drop it upon.

What would I have given for my uncle Toby, to have whistled Lillo bullero!

Chapter 4.XXII.

No matter how, or in what mood-but I flew from the tomb of the lovers-or rather I did not fly from it-(for there was no such thing existing) and just got time enough to the boat to save my pa.s.sage;-and ere I had sailed a hundred yards, the Rhone and the Saon met together, and carried me down merrily betwixt them.

But I have described this voyage down the Rhone, before I made it-

-So now I am at Avignon, and as there is nothing to see but the old house, in which the duke of Ormond resided, and nothing to stop me but a short remark upon the place, in three minutes you will see me crossing the bridge upon a mule, with Francois upon a horse with my portmanteau behind him, and the owner of both, striding the way before us, with a long gun upon his shoulder, and a sword under his arm, lest peradventure we should run away with his cattle. Had you seen my breeches in entering Avignon,-Though you'd have seen them better, I think, as I mounted-you would not have thought the precaution amiss, or found in your heart to have taken it in dudgeon; for my own part, I took it most kindly; and determined to make him a present of them, when we got to the end of our journey, for the trouble they had put him to, of arming himself at all points against them.

Before I go further, let me get rid of my remark upon Avignon, which is this: That I think it wrong, merely because a man's hat has been blown off his head by chance the first night he comes to Avignon,-that he should therefore say, 'Avignon is more subject to high winds than any town in all France:' for which reason I laid no stress upon the accident till I had enquired of the master of the inn about it, who telling me seriously it was so-and hearing, moreover, the windiness of Avignon spoke of in the country about as a proverb-I set it down, merely to ask the learned what can be the cause-the consequence I saw-for they are all Dukes, Marquisses, and Counts, there-the duce a Baron, in all Avignon-so that there is scarce any talking to them on a windy day.

Prithee, friend, said I, take hold of my mule for a moment-for I wanted to pull off one of my jack-boots, which hurt my heel-the man was standing quite idle at the door of the inn, and as I had taken it into my head, he was someway concerned about the house or stable, I put the bridle into his hand-so begun with the boot:-when I had finished the affair, I turned about to take the mule from the man, and thank him-

-But Monsieur le Marquis had walked in-

Chapter 4.XXIII.

I had now the whole south of France, from the banks of the Rhone to those of the Garonne, to traverse upon my mule at my own leisure-at my own leisure-for I had left Death, the Lord knows-and He only-how far behind me-'I have followed many a man thro' France, quoth he-but never at this mettlesome rate.'-Still he followed,-and still I fled him-but I fled him cheerfully-still he pursued-but, like one who pursued his prey without hope-as he lagg'd, every step he lost, softened his looks-why should I fly him at this rate?

So notwithstanding all the commissary of the post-office had said, I changed the mode of my travelling once more; and, after so precipitate and rattling a course as I had run, I flattered my fancy with thinking of my mule, and that I should traverse the rich plains of Languedoc upon his back, as slowly as foot could fall.

There is nothing more pleasing to a traveller-or more terrible to travel-writers, than a large rich plain; especially if it is without great rivers or bridges; and presents nothing to the eye, but one unvaried picture of plenty: for after they have once told you, that 'tis delicious! or delightful! (as the case happens)-that the soil was grateful, and that nature pours out all her abundance, &c...they have then a large plain upon their hands, which they know not what to do with-and which is of little or no use to them but to carry them to some town; and that town, perhaps of little more, but a new place to start from to the next plain-and so on.