All the Informations that the deceased Lady d'Englesac had drawn up against me in order to my destruction he causeth Copies thereof to be taken out of the Office They again set on foot the Slanders wherewith all our Proceedings did abound The last Arrest of the Parliament at Grenoble was not forgot and the Orders formerly obtained of the Queen-Mother were strangely recovered I was amazed when the Chevalier du Buisson came and told me that they laboured for a new Order to clap me into a Convent and were upon the very point of getting it You may imagine Madam said du Buisson in giving me this Information that I have no hand in the mischief they intend you 'T is true I have had a little prejudice for you and if I should well consider it it may be owed you some still but this does not extend to the extremity that they aim at against you I have done what I could to hinder it though it has proved ineffectual and they take so little notice of my entreaties that I must dispence with those Measures hereafter as ineffectual See now what I can serve you in I know a good way for you to revenge your self and if you please we will get such an Order granted for your Adversary as they would have against you I did not accept of his Proffer as your Highness may imagine for I had business of my own to defend without employing my self in attaquing other persons But I did seem to be obliged to him for his good will and that made me forget all the causes of Complaint I had against him In the interim they sollicited the procuring of the Order against me very diligently and the Great Lord I mentioned before did me all the disservice imaginable I know not by what means my Counterfeit-she prudently discovered that he was not my friend but in the end she had engaged him on her side and I was certainly advertis'd that he wounded me most grievously All my hope was in Monsieur de Lionne nor was it in vain he had defended me generously for he lov'd what he lov'd extreamly and did not take slight notice of those that injured their Reputation But he was at Fontainbleau where the Court then resided and as I was making preparation to go and finde him out I understood that he was come back to Paris very sick His Distemper was at first onely a Tertian Ague and the Physicians did mock at them that asked if his Life was not in some danger But 't were to no purpose for them upon that account to deal with me en ridicule Something I know not what did foretel me the mischief that would befal me And from the time Monsieur De Lionne fell sick I durst have sworn he was on his Death-bed Ah! Madam what a Loss was this to me The Generous and Powerful Protector which I had in this worthy Officer I did not lament alone for every one regretted his Loss and it was the common Cry of the people that Persons so Meritorious as he was should be immortal But the truth is there are so few of them that it is not worth the while to make a Law purposely for them Assoon as his Death was known at Languedoc the Relations of the Earl of Englesac would not stand to their word in any thing they had promised him they had agreed by their Writings to own my Marriage and give me a reasonable Pension for Life I was content with Six Thousand Livres per Annum and they were of opinion that I subscribed to reason herein but when Monsieur de Lionne was dead they did not think themselves obliged to pay me any thing They said I was not the Earl of Englesac's Widow and began afresh their Persecutions and Calumnies I durst not make any further Addresses to the King as I resolved to do coming from Grenoble for I was afraid that my new contracted Enemies had bespatter'd me before his Majesty 'T is probable I did ill to have such apprehensions and it is to little purpose to entertain the King with so small a matter but in the end I was possess'd with this phancy that I would not expose my self to the vexatious Consequences they might have Then I took up a Resolution to go and see if I should not have better Success in receiving the Grant of the Lady de Sevil than to prosecute the Succession of the Earl of Englesac I was at Paris without Substance or Allies the Chevalier du Buisson did assure me that they were ready to do me a prejudice and the Heirs of the Marchioness of Sevil did get ground of me at Brussels by my absence What could I do better than in going thither Then I put my self in condition for that Journey and Madam although many unhappy things befel me at Paris yet I protest to your Highness that I left it not without some Sighs 'T is a Commodious and Charming Residence there are in other places as well as there Palaces Promenades and the like but you finde only at Paris that freedom of Living which is there practised which to my phancy is the most valuable thing in the world I had a mind to Travel by the Countrey of Artois to see a Man of Business belonging to the Marchioness of Sevil who I knew retir'd thither after her Death from whom I hoped to draw very great and clear Discoveries And this had like to have involved me in fresh Troubles and procure me new Enemies My Hostess understood by my Servants that I took the Road to Artois and begg'd of me to let a certain Female who she said was a Relation to one of her Friends have a place in my Coach who had a desire to see her Husband who was in the Garrison at Arras I know not whether they had gain'd this Hostess by Bribes or whether they had only deceived her but Madam the person that she charg'd me with was Madamoiselle de who after she had secreted her self three or four Months at Paris fled away Incognita and was going to the Duke of in Flanders You have heard her History Madam for she made too much Bustle and Noise in the World not to reach you ear Do but think Madam in what a pickle I should have been if this Maids Parents had taken me carrying her so privately from Paris they would never have forgiven me this and they are not people that will give grains of allowance to those they have no kindness for 'T is true I was not long expos'd to this danger for the Duke of overtook us the second days Journey and convey'd Mademoiselle de to a Castle of his own beyond the Frontiers of France I cannot tell how these two came acquainted at first 't is possible that they who concealed this Gentlewoman at Paris did not hide her from all the world and that he had seen her in that Journey that he made not long since Whatsoever it is they
her that she knew her to be so wise as not to be in danger of ever yielding to any act of folly and so just and acknowledging as not to be desirous to make her advantage of the folly of her Son concluding that she desired her that she would so cut off all hope to her Son that he should forsake the design he had lately engaged in Do not you be angry said the Countess to Silvia seeing that her discourse had made her blush that I speak to you so freely 'T is because I love you dearly and would never forgive my self if for want of giving you timely notice you should engage in any thing that might oblige me to desire your abfence and to complain of you A secret pain which succeeded Silvia's blush had kept her eyes down till the Countess made an end of her discourse And although she did fore-see that she should have much to do to observe what she was going to promise Yet lest the Countess should resolve to put her away she pass'd her word for what that good Lady would have her It was not long e're this resolution did vex the young Earl extreamly who was not able to imagine with himself the cause of the alteration that he saw in Silvia A hundred times he would have asked her what occasion she had to do so But still she was so wel observ'd somtimes of Birague sometimes of the Mother that she durst never speak with him for all she was near as desirous as the Gentleman to have done it whilst the good man taking it for a slight of him grew so desperate upon it that he fell dangerously sick And in this place Madam I could wish your Highness would please to dispense me of the Law that I have made my self to say many things in few words and give me leave to be less short in the Relation of that Love which is yet dear to my memory But I fear Silvia may be deceived in that hope she hath that she shall give your Highness an account of things that will please you whilst they may perhaps please none but her self who is still concern'd in them What a folly it is for a Woman to be in Love And how unhappy must she be that hath Honour and Virtue both with Love what a sufferer was poor Silvia during the dayes that her Lover kept his Bed and she was not suffered to see him What pains did he suffer himself whilst he did not see her I believe the spight he took of it was that that made him get up the sooner out of the desire he had to reproach her with her hard-heartedness I remember the very words he told her in that spightful humour which he did conclude in himself was the best grounded in the world The Countess of Englesac was employed on a certain day to entertain the Duke of Villars and the Bishop of Aggde who came together to visit her The Chevalier des Essars a worthy Gentleman and the handsomest man in his Country was come along with them And as I have said already that the Count of Englesac had two Sisters the Eldest of which the Chevalier made love to I think the Duke was come thither on purpose to find a way to match them together and I cannot tell what was the reason that the Match was not concluded However whilst the Mother was talking in a great Room with the Duke the Bishop had put the rest of the Company in mind of going into a Gallery and all went to sit down at the end of it Silvia's young Earl came thither also to sit by her and having first sighed very deeply that she did not look upon him for she durst not do it by reason his younger Sister did hold her on the other side and lean'd fooling on her shoulder he told her softly with a tone full of spight You will have me dye I can see it well enough yea you will have it so and it is easie to see that you would have been pleased if you had seen me dye of my last sickness But I shall live long enough yet to reproach you with your inconstancy oftner than you would have it Silvia not answering him any thing but on the contrary lest his Sister should hear what he told her turning her shoulder to him and making a shew of fooling with her whilst he spoke This provoking more and more his anger he went on with these words You are I must tell it you again the most unsincere person in the World thus to hide your self from me And you are no less unjust whilst you punish a man that you will not hear speak for himself Whatsoever doth fill the room of your heart which was only due to me I hope it shall have but a short joy of it By my destiny I can fore-see that of my Rivals none of which can pretend to be more happy in you than he that did love you more than any man else in the World can do and for ought I see more also than you deserve To this he added so many reproachful words that Silvia had much ado to keep her tears from appearing and to answer him she cover'd her face with her Fan and taking her time when the Chevalier des Essars had obliged the young Lady Englesac to turn her self towards him she told that desperate Lover looking side-wayes on him these words Be silent do no longer afflict me What I do I do by meer force and constraint I am the most unhappy Woman in the World and I do wish I had never seen you She rose up from her seat presently after these words taking his Sister along with her and went away resolving to avoid a commerce which could not be otherwise than hurtfull to them both It would be too hard for me to express the perplexity of mind and the trouble wherein that loving Gentleman found himself upon the hearing of this news He knew very well for all he said that Silvia was sincere and that she must have very pregnant causes and reasons for what she did since she did speak to him in that manner Yet she had not said enough to his mind and nothing could satisfie him but another interview to clear himself of the doubts which he was left in What did not he do to obtain it It is almost incredible Madam and it was such a thing as was still worthy of Silvia who was destined to see and to occasion all manner of extraordinary effects He set fire to one part of the Castle because he could devise no other way to disperse all the people that seemed to be hired to vex him and his Love but by obliging them to fear something of worse than their meetings The Countess of Englesac will possibly wonder when she shall reade here the true cause of this Accident which otherwise she might probably have been for ever ignorant of Such was the passion her Son had for Silvia And
she sometimes spoke a greater truth than she was aware of when to express the trouble occasioned to her Family by Silvia she said that fair Lady had brought fire into her House Silvia indeed was never so surprized as she found her self when she saw that perplext Lover come into her Appartment where he fell on his knees before her whilst the rest were saving themselves almost in their shirts for it was in the night And when hindering her from running away with them he confest to her that he had caused that disorder on purpose Fear nothing said he there is a ditch full of Water betwixt us and the fire You may be safe here and never stir from your Chamber Deny me not one moment to hear me when I do sacrifice all to so dear an occasion Silvia did what he desired and heard him whilst she was making her self ready Being convinc'd that he must be in great need of speaking with her who for that purpose only had set his House on fire She told him the reason of all the cold usage he had found by her of late in her feigned slights and the discourse she had had with his Mother and lastly the promises which she thought her self obliged to make that Lady lest she should take a resolution to part them The Lights he got by this Conference did him all the good in the World And lastly Madam after a quick deliberation about what measures they should keep to deceive their Overseers for the time to come She saw her Gentleman so well pleased that he would not for a great deal not to have burnt a piece of a fair Building Mean while the fire which was seen afar off had Alarm'd the Neighbouring Towns and Castles round about The Marquis de Birague being but four or five miles off was none of the last that perceived that it was our Castle which was on fire He got his Horses sadled and rid up in hast to us Not finding Silvia among the other Ladies in the Park where they were fled he ran every where to know what was become of her He went up to her Chamber at last and was like to have surprized there the Earl of Englesac But as the Marquis to whom indeed she was then extreamly obliged did as he went call her with a loud voyce and made much noise that gave time to the Earl to hide himself Silvia did escape that danger by counterfeiting her self to be in a swoon that so she might be excused for staying behind And by enduring some kisses that the Marquis took on her cheeks for his pains of carrying her away in his Arms She did abide it and made no shew of coming to her self again till she was a pretty way out of her Chamber so that the cold Air might seem to have done it Since that time the brave Earl and the fair Lady did live together with a great deal of care and circumspection and the better to conceal their Love they feigned to hate one another mortally They laid this plot and went on with it with discretion and cunning enough pretending for it the most probable causes that was possible for them to invent Birague was so glad of it that he was the first person deceiv'd in it Englesac's Mother was the next and to that degree as to chide her Son for it and seek out a thousand wayes of shewing her love to Silvia to comfort her as to the hatred of that Gentleman and to assure her of her protection against him In a word they were happy had they but been content with this precaution A man of Quality of that Country about that time fell in Love with Silvia at a Visit that he made to thâ— Countess of Englesac For though she had no intention to intangle any body else into her Love and was content with that she found in Englesac yet it is very hard for such persons as have set their hearts at rest enjoy the happiness that Silvia found her in to forbear being extream civil to others and shewing them that complaisance and good humour by which they are catcht on a sudden before either party be aware of it The Earl who knew wherein lay the true charms of Silvia would have her make as if she had liked his Love well This was too much subtilty That Gentleman became deeply in Love with her did often write to her and the Earl by a youthful imprudence took a fancy to make him an answer in Silvia's name wherein the humour of making a sport on 't caused him to take the Liberty to make her speak amourously enough This undiscreet Rival as scarce any man can forbear to be otherwise when they think they are in favour and even when they do not think so shew'd this Letter to a Friend That Friend told it another This told it to Birague who believed it to be Silvia's hand and complained of it very much to her She did chide the young Earl for it seeing the wrong that Letter did her But he acknowledging his errour and thinking to mend it by a greater fault took a resolution to discover that himself was the Author of that writing and that he had made only for to put a jest upon his Rival In conclusion a very great mischance was occasioned by these follies Not long after the Chevalier des Essars gave the divertisement of a Ball or Feast with Dances as the custom is in France to the Elder of the Ladies of Englesac There was a great Assembly and very good Company which the nearness of the Court had occasioned to meet at the Marquis d' Ampus The two Rivals were there and having pickt a Quarrel I know not how they agreed to meet the next Morning about a Town called Villeneufue Their Combat was bloody two Seconds were kill'd upon the place and the Earl's Adversary very much wounded This business had two very sad effects The one that the King having renew'd his Edicts against Duels there was no safety for Silvia's poor Lover to stay any longer in France And the other that when the true cause of that Duel came to be known the Countess of Englesac could not but see clearly that the hatred betwixt her Son and Silvia was but a trick they had joyntly contriv'd to put upon her Nothing at that time could have happened to Silvia of worse consequence than that For as she was the visible cause of all that trouble and of all those disorders that the Countess was fall'n into with her whole Family That good Lady the very next morning commanded her to be carried away into a Cloyster at the same time strictly forbidding to let any body come to her till she were resolved to take the Vow of a Nun. Besides the affliction of being thus closely shut up Silvia had another in this occurrence which was that the Cloyster she was lockt in was not that where she had been before and where being acquainted with the
door she saw the face of Birague and the Company had enough to do to settle her spirits from the fright that she took at that sight Why then would say that poor Gentleman who was really afflicted to see Silvia so hard set against him Had you rather in good faith be still in the Cloyster and lye open to the revenge of Madam of Englesac and all the effects that in time it was like to have brought upon you than to think your self a little beholden to me for your Liberty Fouquet and his Lady did much help him to perswade Silvia to shew her self less wild and more acknowledging of his intended good Service And she was at last with much ado prevail'd upon to pardon them that treachery Next they advised all together what measures they should take to avoid or prevent the ill consequences of that Escapade w Silvia and the Religious Woman went both to bed together and the Gentlemen thought fit to return to Avignon before day that they might both shew themselves there and hear the news of the Town And so went in at another Gate than that they had gone out by It was scarce break of day when the Alarm began to be very hot in the Monastery The news of the Ladie 's flight was spread abroad in a moment An Aunt of the Nun which was then at the Court did complain very highly of the Nuns saying they had given their consent to the flight of her Niece The Lady of Englesac fearing lest her Son of whose pardon she had still some hopes should take the opportunity of marrying Silvia somewhere out of France spoke yet with more earnestness than any body And did even implore the Queen's Justice Her Majesty suspecting the Duke of Guyse had a hand in the business did look less kindly upon him all that day The Duke who was very innocent of all did protest that he had no share in it And desiring to remove all suspition from him seat some of his own Servants to seek after the Nuns So that Silvia and her Camrade were not a little busie being embark't into an affair of that consequence and having so many set up against them All they could do was only to let things slumber a little and slip out of the discourse and memory of men whilst the King was reducing Orange and in the mean while to comfort themselves the best they were able in Birague's House It hath not been the Opinion nor the talk of the World that those two Gentlemen were during that time as wise and sober as the strictest Monks Every body hath been inclinable rather to believe they made use of the opportunity and did enjoy those Goods which Fortune seemed to offer unto them Yet Silvia cannot but do them that Justice as to profess that never men were more respectfull nor more modest that in the condition wherein she saw her self and full of fears and terrours as she was she did not hope they would have been so discreet and so temperate And that it was then that she began to set a greater value upon Birague then she had ever done before Let any body else that will be as just to her as she is to the Gentleman Silvia and the Nun did not stay long in that House For the King a few dayes after had the Keys of Orange delivered to him and having set a good number of Pioneers to demolish the Cittadel he went all along the lower Languedoc till he came to the Isle of the Conference where the Infanta was to meet him Fouquet who wanted neither wit nor Friends did think fit to make use of the passage of that little Army which commonly does compose the attendance of Kings to ride away with less suspition out of a dangerous Neighbour-hood He put the Ladies into Chariots of Baggage dressed them like Merchant's Wives following the Court and the word being given to take on the right hand when they should come beyond Carcassonne he had them carried to Thoulouse under pretence of going thither to take in Provisions for Monsieur the King's Brother The Lady President x of I know not what I have forgot her name A good Old Widdow and a Couzen of the Nun's who had never approv'd of her being forc'd to take the vows of a Religious Life received them both into her House And taking presently in hand the defence of her Kins-woman brought her cause to the Parliament of whom she desired a Warrant for her Niece to have the liberty of her Person that she might pursue the dissolution of her Vows She obtain'd it at last after a long time and much ado And Fouquet although he had been put almost to all the trouble did not reap the fruit of it But I need say no more of the circumstancs of that story which now has nothing to do with that of Silvia Being come to the Old President she did not think her self much safer there than in Birague his House It may be she was less For Fame that Monster that grows bigger and bigger as it sets forward had spread the noise of her Story as far as Thoulouse and drawn her Character in far worser colours than those the Marqueeze of Ampus and the Countess of Englesac had made use of to ruine her with the Queen Several came every day without knowing who she was to tell her Stories or Fables rather of her Life which did not a little vex the poor Lady On the other side the Old President seeming to suspect somewhat of the truth though Silvia went only for a Maid that waited on the Nun was not very well pleas'd to see her in her House It was much worse when her Cousen thinking to do Silvia good Service did open the whole Mystery unto her She took exception against those assiduities of Birague And the jealousie of the Marqueeze his Wife which did now proclaim every where how much she did suspect the familiarity of her Husband with Silvia gave another onset to the business The watchfulness and diligence that the Countess of Englesac did use for to find her out went still beyond all the rest of her persecutions The good Old Woman was affraid lest any body should come to her Cousin to be inform'd of what was become of Silvia For the Nun was now no longer concealed and it was easie for any body to think that being both miss'd in the Convent at the same time they had gone out together and knew something one of the other All that caused the good Woman under a fair pretence of being careful of Silvia's Interest to advise her to go out of Languedoc as soon as she should be able Silvia understood what she meant and took it for granted that she must be gone and that it must be so but yet found her self in a strange perplexity of mind not knowing any further which way to go nor how to dispose of her self as having no Friends no Kindred no Acquaintance that
he did not care for writing to me any longer fell into a grievous disorder and was made a Prey to that Passion which I concealed not without difficulty In fine I would needs go to reproach this perfidious Man with whatever came into my minde before the face of his new Mistriss All the reasons that the Marchioness and Merinvil could alledge to disswade me from it did much ado defer my departure for some days I had but one pretence to make that I might take this Journey the more plausibly and having found it out I parted with him and all my anger at once or if you had rather have it so worded with all my Jealousie for I really think it was so but I must tell you what this pretence was I have discoursed to you elsewhere of the goodness of the Noble Duke de Candale and I have acquainted you that entreating the Sieur de Moliere one of the Receivers in the Exchequer-Office to adopt me he had inspir'd strange paternal tenderness in this Man by vertue of his Money the pretence took original from thence I always looked upon that Money as lost and thought it a very rash thing to demand Restitution of his Heirs not dreaming in the least that the Duke had the pre-caution to take security for it But the Marchioness who was always a meet help to me in my exigencies recollected her Memory as to this particular business and informed me that there was formerly some Writing seal'd which she did not well remember about this Mystery She told me farther that the Duke himself had deposited it in the hands of a Frier belonging to the Chartreux of Villeneufe Procurator of the house at that very time and that this Chartreux had made a promise to return me the Money if it should happen that my Father the Exchequer-Officer should not make the best advantage of it This Discovery rejoyced me beyond imagination not so much for the benefits that might accrew to me thereby as that this would be my true Pass-port to Languedoc and return'd the Marchioness Thanks with many repeated Embraces and to the end I might testifie my acknowledgement of so great a kindness I did not amuse my self to discompose her with Questions by what Interest she was so well inform'd heretofore of all these passages nor what was the reason she never told me a syllable of it from the time that we met together at Bourdeaux After this I took my intended Journey accompanied all along with my faithful Servant Merinvil and an antient Man who was my Gentleman-Usher And what are we Madam when we are overtaken with any Passion I never came soon enough to any of my Stages I would have had a Coach that should have been some flying-Chariot or I my self Wings to be at Montpellier with the greater speed where my Desires were lodg'd before my arrival However at last I reach'd the place and could have rested satisfied with my diligence if it had not prov'd unsuccessful for I was soon assured when I came thither that the Earl of Englesac was not in that Country The anxiety of my Minde for not receiving any more Letters and the rumour that Birague had purposely spread abroad of some new Passion that I entertained his Jealousie Spight and Anger which were as vehement on his part as my own All these together had forced him to leave his Mother and Mistriss rudely without bidding them adieu He took Post for Flanders to come and upbraid me there at the very same time when I came with the like intent to Languedoc and had left no other hint with his Servants of the cause of his departure but some suspition of a new Duel which had already forced tears from all persons interessed How great Madam think you was my Amazement when I arrived not when I understood all these circumstances for I was not acquainted with them till the Earl had instructed me with them at his return but when I heard it reported that they knew not what was become of him And to heighten my discontent the Marquiss de Birague met me that very day at Montpellier and coming to see me he put it into my head that the pretence of this Duel was taken from the bruit of my coming that he might not be engag'd to apologize for the Marriage The Imposture took and I believe'd it although if I had made but some slight Reflections upon it I had soon found his Story impossible My Affliction was extraordinary but I omit discoursing of it to turn my thoughts again upon the malice of the Marquiss de Birague When I reflect Madam upon the means that he us'd to perswade me what he pleas'd I could not forbear crying out It is the greatest mischief that can oppress a Lady to have such a burthen as a second Lover like him and not to be able to love two men at one and the same time Yet his expectation was frustrated in thinking to transport me to the extremity of anger against Englesac which tended onely to increase my adversion against himself whom I accus'd as the Author of all my Disparagements I was forced to exclaim bitterly maugre the resolution I had taken to feign that I came not thither to see the Earl O how I am absolutely destin'd to constant Sufferings Then looking on the Marquiss with a menacing Eye and full of Tears Be gone Sir said I and secure your self from my presence your onely Treasons your Remisness solely have made me lose Monsieur Englesac if it be true that I have lost him and you are too audacious to come notwithstanding this and insult over me with your Visits after that you have been the cause of all the miseries of my Life after you have rendred me the Fable of the whole World He was very much astonished and did not expect this roughness from me He blushed and looked pale at some other passages in my discourse He knew not how to answer me he was so distracted for which I ask his Pardon now that nothing more does engage me to be his Enemy I came again to my self a little after I had been thus violently transported which fell out so luckily that it appear'd onely to him and so was not divulged he would not be too impetuous with me having not as yet lost the hope of reducing me one day to a Compliance with his desires and the day following I departed to go to the Chartreux and demand my Writing which I found and had and returned back with it to put it into the hands of those that belong to the Palace to commence a Suit about it which did amaze abundance of people who dream'd of nothing less I was visited fawn'd upon and menaced by the parties interessed They proposed an accommodation which was begun broken off and renewed and at last I was satisfied by my Debtors in process of time But that is too forrain to my Subject and therefore I leave it I charged
but yet in the mean while I always kept my self within such a Decorum as to outward Appearances that he could desire no greater and if I had been defective in any of them yet did I not think that for that they would study revenge against a Woman of my Quality Therefore instead of being terrified at their Advice I became more jocular and one day when I was in a waggish Humour I said in relation to that business that he was ingrateful and should remember that I once understood him I confess that this passage was very poignant to a person who was drol'd at for his Pedlers French discourse but it seem'd so pleasant to me that I could not but out with it and it fared with me as it does usually with people that are over-eager to throw out a Jest for not only the great Lord understood it and would never pardon it as your Highness shall soon be informed but it drew abundance of troublesom business upon me I did this waggery before the Chevalier du Buisson who was by accident in a House where I used to play often You Madam know this Knight and understand what an impression witty Raillery made with him He was touched with this and desiring to be more particularly acquainted with me he intreated the young Earl d'Eschapelles who was a very intimate Friend of mine to accompany him to my Apartment D'Eschapelles asked my leave and I freely condescended to it now do but observe the concatenation of Causes what a thing ' t is The deceased Madam d'Englesac had told me formerly that she had some Pretence to the Succession of Monsieur Deslandes-Payen who was Uncle to this Chevalier I had by chance the Writings concerning that affair in my own hands I came by them I know not how at the death of Madam d'Englesac I enquir'd for some person that understood the affairs of Monsieur Deslandes deceased to see if I could not squeeze somewhat out of his Heirs The Chevalier du Buisson did seem to me a person very fit for the undertaking I told the Earl d'Eschapelles that I should be very glad to see him and that he might bring him with him when he thought convenient who brought him accordingly and to my Misfortune I pleased him as I had done many other persons He told it very confidently to the young Earl as I had it from him since and made him think that he went to make his utmost Efforts to gain a share in my favour I acquainted your Highness that the Earl d'Eschapelles was my very intimate friend and you may remember that we were of the number that did designe to visit you at the time when he died This poor Youth who knew my sincerity and to whom I had often protested that I abhorred nothing so much as Lovers did his endeavour to free me from this person Don't you fool your self with this Woman said he she will afflict you too much She is repulsed by Love and has no reason to commend it She will have no Adventures and 't would be a very difficult matter for one that should love her really to accost her Du Buisson did nothing but laugh at this his advice and though he was not perswaded of the cruelty of Ladies he judged of my Heart by the Intrigues that I had received And you may easily apprehend Madam that upon that account they ought not to believe me too severe He asked the Earl d'Eschapelles with a pleasant Air where he had so well studied the Map of the World and they growing warm in discourse laid a Wager the one that he would gain my Love before I was two Moneths older the other that he would never obtain it Whether the Earl d'Eschapelles did me sufficient Justice to believe that I should make him win without his Intreaties or that he had engaged himself not to say any thing to me of the Wager he kept his word with the Chevalier du Buisson and I knew not one Syllable of what had passed between them therefore I entertained this new Courtier very civilly and accepted of his Complaisance and Services He did not draw any trouble upon me on the account of his Uncle for it could not well be and my Papers were not in good form but he seemed to have done his utmost and that to me was as much as if he had succeeded He did every day afford me some new Divertisement and knew so well how to play his part that I always believed he did it for some other person and that others knew he did it for my sake This is not all he affected the Grimaces of a Prosperous Lover he counterfeited the Mysterious and false Discreet one he would depart from me assoon as it was observed that he was with me and he was always taken reading one Letter or other which he did hide assoon as he was discovered All this looked like something extraordinary but in the interim he could not perswade the Earl d'Eschapelles that he had lost He would hear me say with my own Mouth that I loved du Buisson which was not like to be for how could I make that acknowledgement The Chevalier du Buisson had not as yet told me that he fancied me and I said such dismal things before him both against Love and Lovers that he durst not attempt that Declaration Yet he would however maintain the Wager for he though without doubt it would be a disparagement to him to lose or it may be he is of the temper of some other people in the World who are almost as much pleased to be thought they are beloved as to be so indeed What did this wily Youth do He had some Letters whose hand did sufficiently resemble mine and which were very melting He made the Earl d'Eschapelles believe that I wrote them made use of some other elusions to make me come to the Tuilleries with him at suspitious hours What shall I say Madam He play'd his Cards so cunningly that the poor Earl was deceived by him and convinced that he had lost There was a great deal of subtlety required to cheat him thus for besides that he had a very penetrating Wit he was not a Novice in all the Humours or Courses of du Buisson and if the world say true he was a Man able to read Lectures how to put tricks upon others but for this bout he met with his Master and he was never more firmly satisfied of any thing than my private association with the Chevalier du Buisson He had perswaded him to make a great Oath to behave himself closely and I think they might willingly have remitted his Wager upon that account But which way How could a man very familiar with me and who saw himself deceived in his Confidence of me be silent He was not Madam and the first day that I was in private with him he quarrell'd with me for my Dissimulation and acquainted me with all that I have said I did
she said that at last she did yield to the perseverance of both these Lovers That she was now in balance her Daughter being gone and that she was much troubled she did not give her time to determine that business But Madam she might say and do what she would the Lover still was Amorous of his Mistriss and if he were grown desperate to see himself thus betray'd yet it was a tender Despair and not a brutish and vindicative Resentment Two moneths compleat were elapsed in this manner during which time our new-married Gentlewoman who was not for all this the Wife of her Husband did so feelingly represent unto him the remorse that an honest man exposeth himself to when he exerciseth violence upon a Woman's Inclinations and that he abuseth a power that is not lawfully given him that he conceived a kind of horrour within himself for the action he had done and resolved to make reparation for it by all possible means The new-married Man was as I acquainted your Highness a kind of tractable Youth and well enough principled who demonstrated more Obedience than Malice in all these Transactions His Father-in-Law proposed this Cheat to him and he acted it without prying into the consequences that might follow but when he saw apparently that he should make a person very unhappy and lead his life with a woman from whom he could expect nothing but Complaints and Reproaches he freely set his hand to the rupture of the Marriage and leading his Wife into a Convent whereof one of his Aunts was Abbess and she her self became Abbess afterwards they parted the best friends in the world This Retreat made a great noise throughout the whole Countrey where 't was transacted the cause was at last known and the Lover making haste to clear up the truth no sooner understood the innocence of his Mistris but thought to bring her back with him and at last to conclude that Marriage which had been so often crossed But she had an insuperable reluctancy to see that she had two Husbands at once he might talk if he would and say that he did not believe her to be Wife to the first and that he would remember that Adventure only to enhance her estimation with him She said that all the world would not be of his opinion and continuing firm in her Resolution of making her self a Nun they converted their Love into such innocent and endeared Friendship that it cannot be too much admir'd One day they would have married the man I am talking of and the Religious Woman newly entred who judged this Match might be advantageous advis'd him to accept of it I shall see you then with less scruple said she for I shall never possess your whole heart And though mine be replete with none but innocent desires and that I believe yours are the same Methinks an honest Wife and one that should love you well would better suit with this Innocence and this is a Caution we should do well to give one another You have a sufficient one in the Character of your Soul Madam said he and in that that you have been able to imprint upon my esteem of you I look upon you with admiration which permits me not to love you like another woman and judge you Madam if it be not with justice that I make such a difference between you and others I have found you tender not weak You have seen your self basely betrayed without Despair You have quitted one Husband and he ne'er complains of your Conduct you have driven one Lover into Despair and yet he cannot reproach you in the least and by a Priviledge granted from Heaven to you onely you are a Wife Lover and Nun without failing in any of your Duties How can I know you so well and suffer any vacant place in my Heart for another Woman to supply Madam don't ordain me to marry an honest person and one that could love without doubt would complain of her Choice and in the humour I am in now I should look upon my self as very unhappy if I should not make may Wife absolutely happy This was the delicate and passionate Gentleman that was wounded at the siege of Cologne and that I found the poor Abbess drown'd in the Tears he had so well merited when I came to acquaint her with my last Adventure She was so pleased herewith that she made a Truce with her Grief for a small time to give ear to it And as my Stars will create me Lovers and Suiters everywhere she gave me Relation for Relation and told me that Don Pedro was also grown in Love with me I perceived no such thing and I did not believe the Abbess when she told me this news But Madam I could not by any means question it afterward for as she went for my Aunt and that he believed I was committed to her Tutelage he addressed himself to her discovered his Amours assuring her that he had but an Honest and Lawful Designe This did not take much with me for in the humour I was in at that time I did as much detest a Lover under the name of a Husband as under any other form But I thought I stood in need of all the world and feared some dreadful effects of our Marquiss his Resentment if he came to discover the cheating trick that his Heart had play'd him Therefore I treated his Rival more civilly than I should have done if I had followed my own Sentiments and as that did somewhat confine my Spirit and did not willingly admit of Courtiers or else did divertise my self by turning what they said into Ridicule I often revenged my self of this constraint by the Questions that I put on my part and by the Person that I made him represent He was engaged very deeply in many of my particular Concerns and told me all the ways that he made use of to deprive me of the Requests of the Marchioness of Sevil. This put me upon it to ask him sometime or other some news of my own and you would have laughed Madam sufficiently had you but heard how I persecuted him on this Subject He knew nothing of them as your Highness may imagine but I pretended that he did and that it was out of mistrust or defiance that he would not acquaint me therewith He would not let me continue long in that opinion and giving me a relation of the first Adventure that he could call to minde he put me in thoughts of the most pleasant things in the world I remember that one day he made me walk in Man's Apparel in I know not how many Towns in Italy and gave me several Adventures which are known to befal a fair Lady of great Quality for whom certainly I could not be mistaken He told me one among the rest which was very pleasant and would agree with me well enough if I were detained in a Convent where I should give my self over to wearisomness and tire the
depart so rudely out of the Garden that I had not so much time as to exchange one word with him I was troubled that he left us thus and would willingly have made an Essay how he stood affected towards me before he had seen any person that might have incensed him against me I desired Don Pedro to go after him and to bring him back to me if possible but he could not finde him for he had taken Horse and it was not known till a long time after what was become of him You cannot believe Madam the noise that this accident made at Brussels Maubeuge as 't is probable you know is not far distant from thence and there is great Communication between both these Towns for many Ladies of Maubeuge have their Families at Brussels and make it their Winter-quarters They soon knew that the Marchioness de Meneza which was then known to be the Countess of Englesac was in that Country that she had sojourned there for some time under an imaginary Name and as those people who make it their business to poison all things with the virulency of their Tongues do not stop half way they assigned several causes of this my Disguise which I never so much as thought of and indeed was certainly incapable of dreaming any such thing The absence of the Flemish Marquiss did help to render these rumours more dangerous The Earl of Monterey was angry with him because he went away without taking leave of him His Lady was so vexed at it that she grew worse ill than ordinary and they looked upon me as the cause of all for they began to reason and argue upon his being so long at Maubeuge It was well known that he visited me as often as he had an opportunity and when they saw him thus departed almost half desperate and without prosecuting any of his Suits against me they guessed at one part of the Truth and his Parents wish'd me very ill for it My Abbess and I did imagine with reason that we must steal our selves away from their Resentments and we also apprehended that the Ladies of Maubeuge were discontented that this Comedy was acted among them but we knew not how to get from them for this was the time when the French King made War against the Hollanders and all these Countries were over-run with Souldiers some being put into Maubeuge for its safeguard to hinder the Enemy from insulting Upon this consideration we durst not expose our selves to pass through so many Troops unknown and much less required Guards or Pasports under our Name for I feared some ill turn from the Heirs of the Marchioness of Sevil and my Abbess had the goodness to believe upon my account as if they had been her own The Love of Don Pedro was hereupon a great help to us for Don Antonio of Corduba was at last reconciled to his Mistriss and resolved to consummate the Marriage This left Don Pedro entirely to me and I was not less acceptable to him when I was the Lady d'Englesac than how as Niece to the Abbess of Cologne On the contrary I think that I pleased him better and that he framed within himself such Idea's of my person since he knew me as rejoyced him more than those he had when he knew me not Hereupon he came very obligingly and proffered us a Castle for our Retreat in a Country that was Neuter and his Guard to conduct us I confess Madam that this offer did not a little please me and that in spight of my scornful humour I knew then that I had really touch'd the Heart of Don Pedro. We did accept of his Retirement with satisfaction and his Conduct also and had all the reason in the world to be pleased therewith at the very first for the Castle whither he led us was very pleasant and we arrived there without any accident It belonged to a Lord of Liege one of his Friends who was then near the Prince of Liege and had a very great Employment that fixed him there who had left there two Sisters and one Relation who seemed to be very rational persons Don Pedro leaving us with them return'd for Brussels where his Duty obliged him to be but promis'd to come and revisit us assoon as he could and in the mean time to inform us of all News wherein I was in the least concern'd I heard none but what was troublesome for Madam the absent Marquiss was dead since our departure and they wish'd me as much prejudice upon the account of his Death as if I had murdered him Alas I could not contribute much to it for Madam if you remember the first time that her Husband spake to me of her he told me she was threatn'd with sudden Death But they had intercepted I know not what Letter which this man had sent to me at Maubeuge wherein he made as they report great Protestations of Love to me This woman was jealous hereat and they would have this to be the cause of her Death rather than the mortal Disease which had seized upon her a long time before This Letter so surpris'd created two or three bad effects For the Love of the Marquiss pass'd for currant which at first was only suspected upon very weak grounds They supposed and that is seldom wanting in Detractors that I had entertained him either with Favors or Hopes This did again cloud my Reputation de novo and that which proved worse in the consequence was that Don Pedro seeing he had a declar'd Rival and understanding that the Death of his Wife made him sole Master of his Actions he fear'd some Enterprizes and hereupon made me be kept up in this Castle like a Prisoner I did not perceive any thing of this for I seldom went abroad and if I did and had spied any Souldiers I should have look'd upon them as our Protectors and not our Goalers Thus I patiently waited for the end of the War at Cologne and according to the gayety of my own Humour I only sought after some company among the Ladies of Liege to comfort up my self in these new troubles that befel me I told your Highness that they were persons very rational and they proved so indeed They had been educated at Brussels where the Gentry are very polite and endeavour to imitate their great Lords They were more witty and pleasant than usually the Women of Liege are and his Niece above all was the most Complaisant and Mild Person that ever I was acquainted with her Name was Angelica and her Mother was the Confident of the Amours of the Duke Uncle to the deceased person last mentioned and of the Countess of This Gentlewoman and I contracted a very firm Friendship and she sometimes gave me an account of what she had learn'd from her Mother concerning this Love I am discoursing of Without any fallacy Madam these two Lovers must needs love each other very passionately and I wonder that their Love continued not
she could think of So that the only refuge that was left to her was to resign her self again to Birague's discretion He offered to carry her to Paris and never to leave her But his passion was to be feared and his Company was subject to too much suspition What to do in so intricate an occurrence Her good Fortune still took care to rid her out of this When the Lady Moliere did formerly proclaim against Silvia intending to revenge the Death of her Husband The news of it had been spread up every where The story of her Birth had been read as a curious piece in all the Gazetts and News-Books A Duke of Kendale mixt therein did set it out extreamly The noise of it had gone beyond the Frontiers and most remote Borders of the Kingdom The Marquis de St. Estienne one of the Commanders under the Prince of Conde being still at Brussels gave it as a novelty and a piece of curiosity to one of the most charming Ladies in that Countrey who was a passionate Lover of fine Adventures and this was a means and as it were the first step to Silvia's preservation The Marqueeze of Sevill such is that Lady's name whose Ruëlle y hath ever been full of what the Low-Countries have had of most choyce and accomplished Gallants was a Lady of a most exact and delicate Shape z Who had been formerly very young and very handsom and in whose physiognomy something of Princely might be seen She had infinitely of that fine wit which took so much in France before the fashion was of being 1 less formall and curious in discourse and behaviour both and you could in nothing oblige her more than by imparting to her some witty intrigue Princes Marquesses Earls and Barons have had the good luck to please her that way And not so much as a Brother to the 2 Secretary of Commands to the Prince of Conde hath escaped being intangled by her into some Adventure not unworthy of her great wit Your Highness will not think this Character free from guilt when you see by the rest of my story that this Lady hath bestow'd a great deal upon Silvia and done her much good But who is able to conceal from a Friend so rare and so fine a Picture It would rather be a Crime to hide it considering chiefly that the Person her self would take it kindly from us So far she would be from being against it if she were living still I will therefore add that the Duke of Kendale being young and handsome was her first Heroe When she had leave to go through Paris upon her way to Catalonia whither she was going to meet her Husband That six or seven years after when that Duke was Lieutenant General of the King's Army in those parts she was like to have 3 confounded him with pleasant Adventures and Gallantries in the very bustle of the War and Arms though never so cumbersom There was not a day that she sent not to him and she made use for that of incredible subtilties she would often put on a disguise to go and meet him in his very Tent So that one time among the rest she was taken for a Spie and carried to him by the Souldiers The Duke who had been extreamly taken with her in the year 1645 or 46 was not ungrateful to those new tokens of so particular an esteem 'T is said that he did return his thanks to her by all the complaisance that might be expected from him And they that desire to find a reason for every thing may assure themselves that if it were not meerly Hunting and hazzard which brought him into the Child's Cottage in 1652 He must have come thither upon the desire of the Marqueeze who might have heard something of the extraordinary Birth of Silvia and who having compassion on her had without question engaged that charitable Lord to do her good But I stay too long upon this digression let us come up again to our Subject The Marquis de St. Estienne did then according as I have said above entertain that Lady with the Relation of Silvia's Adventures And she being naturally very compassionate to gallant infortunes presently took a fancy to relieve Silvia Whether this was a continuation of that tender pity which the Marqueeze is thought to have had for her in 1652 or the effect of a more casual commiseration which she had of the famous destiny of an unknown Person Yet Silvia must still acknowledge her self bound to her for it To this effect the Marqueeze began 4 to make shew as if she had the curiosity which otherwise she was not like to have of being present to the interview of the two Kings on the River of Bidassoa and to see the Ceremony of the Infanta's marriage with Lewis August She took her way by Land from one end of France almost to the other And that she might have an occasion to come and hear of Silvia in the County of Venaissin 5 She gave out that she did intend to meet the Court in those parts At that very time Fouquet and Birague were stealing and carrying away the Nun and Silvia The Marqueeze came to Avignon the very next day after that expedition which gave her still a greater mind to find out the Person she was in search of For her Noble heart did measure the esteem that is to be made of people according to the more or less Adventures which they had gone through Yet Silvia's being stoln away and lost out of the eyes of the World was a thing that mixt a great deal of melancholy to the satisfaction the Marqueeze had to find Silvia thereby the more worthy of her care and affection And really it would have vext any body being come so far of purpose to see an unknown Person at the end of so long a Journey to miss her She was continually amongst those that were most deeply concern'd in those affairs that she might make her own Advantage of what should come to their knowledge For that same reason she sought to be acquainted with the Marqueeze d' Ampus Renewed her old friendship with the Duke of Guyse whom she had formerly known in the Low-Countries when he was following his Loves there and she had great hopes to engage him to reveal unto her a secret which he himself knew nothing of So that she made him almost mad with the desperate persecution she made him about the flight of Silvia But all that care and trouble was fruitless The Court removed from thence e're any body could tell which way the stoln Ladies had gone The Marqueeze did attend it as far as the Isle of the Conference and could hear no further of the Subject of her own Journey The King's Marriage was not like the Conclusion of a Romance where all the Heroes must have a meeting together That was rather the cause that she could not think of going to Thoulouse to seek for Silvia For she went away
e're any thing was known of the retreat of the Nun with whom afterwards it was thought that Silvia might be At last she was upon her return homewards full of confusion and discontent telling every where as she went to all the people she met with the lamentable story of Silvia and the ill success of her labour in so tedious a Journey Sometimes her Gentleman-Usher 6 did perform that Office whilst she took some Rest when an unexpected and unlookt for Adventure accrewing to so many others gave the Marqueeze all manner of satisfaction The Countess of Englesac not failing to send to Thoulouse as the Old President had fore-seen and the Person she sent shewing an Order from the Queen that Silvia should be taken and shut up wheresoever she should be found It would not have been safe for Silvia to balance or waver any longer betwixt the offers that Birague had made and falling into the disgrace that threatned her She had accepted of them and was gone to Bourdeaux under the conduct of my Lady Pratt a Kins-woman of Birague with an intention to stay for him there whilst the Lady took care of some business she had in that Parliament Silvia was afterwards to trust her self upon his word into Birague's hands and so go to Paris where she resolved to put her self into a Cloyster of her own accord the very next day after that of her arrival What does your Highness think happened then The Lady Pratt and Silvia went to Lodge at Bourdeaux just at the very same place where the Marqueeze of Sevil had took her Lodgings the day before Silvia did see her A certain je ne scay quoy did strike into the minds of both at the first sight And whether it was an effect of sympathy betwixt her that was the scope of Adventures and she that did aim at them or that a more secret spring did move them both From that moment they begun to look and wonder at one another and to be desirous of knowing more each of the other Silvia told it the Lady Pratt who found yet that they had some resemblance Both Ladies having those dispositions to a correspondence at last resolved upon a visit The Lady who did use as hath been said to tell or get her Gentleman to relate her story to every one she met who had the meen of Illustrious Strangers as Silvia and her Guide left them at night her Servant to inform them of what she was Judge you Madam what was Silvia's wonder and amazement when she heard her name in that Relation and when the Gentleman added that the Marqueeze was come expresly from Brussels to adopt her and carry her away into Flanders and that she would give half of her Estate to know where Silvia was At the first she thought her self discovered and could not imagine what should be the reason of that Ceremony with which they came coldly to speak to her of her self without it were for to make sport and play with her a little before they did shew the Order they had to stop her To be short Silvia not knowing as yet the true Character of the spirit of that Lady could see nothing in that occurrence that did look natural and ingenuous She had thereupon the worst night that ever she past in all her life And for all the hopes that the Lady Pratt would have given her who made a better Judgment of it she could not keep her self from trembling at the thoughts of the friend of Madam Englesac till it was day 'T is true the excess of her trouble was somewhat alay'd the day after when the Marqueeze came to render them a second visit which was as soon as she was dress'd My Lady Pratt who certainly hath a very gallant wit begun to dive into the humour 8 of so extraordinary a Person And after many questions she thought fit to return her one story for another and to let her see that Silvia was the very same person of whom she had so tender and generous a compassion For my Lady Pratt had a fancy as it might very well be that the Relation of the misfortunes of Silvia which was made to the Marqueeze by St. Estienne had inspired into that merciful Lady a Motherly love towards her In effect a greater joy could not be imagined in the World than was her joy when she heard Silvia's name and that manner of finding her or rather lighting upon her by so great a chance endearing her still the more to that Noble Lady her transport was so great as that they could not be parted for a long while and Silvia was like to have left her life for joy in her first embraces Two dayes after Silvia did resolve to make use of that Adventure and not to stay for the Marquis of Birague who out of the spight that he took at it lost in time the remembrance of Silvia's Charms and renew'd his Friendship with the Widdow Moliere Though some people may blame him for that yet Silvia her self did not But rather said that the Marquis was not the first man who being much in Love or else taking himself to be so after an ill success with the subject of his desire had sought for some satisfaction elsewhere Silvia did thank the Heaven for a succour so unexpected and so seasonable and necessary a favour And left Bourdeaux few dayes after with much more content and less fear than she had come to it The Marqueeze did bestow a whole World of Commendations and caresses on her by the way as they went and gave her such tokens of an earnest and pressing tenderness that at the last she could not forbear to look upon her as upon one that was her true Mother Yet she did not like Silvia should call her so But told her that her face would not give consent to a truth which was acknowledged by the heart And really the former of these two had till then for above five and twenty years preserv'd it self in such a flower of Youth as rendred the quality of a Mother inconsistent with so much of Youth and Beauty Thus Silvia was oblig'd to keep within the name of Sister wherewith she was content and thought her self too much honoured At last they came to Paris and there they staid till after the magnificent Entry of their most Christian Majesties In a space of time so considerable and with such a Sister spent in Paris whither in that conjuncture the curiosity of the shew had drawn the eyes of strangers from all the parts of Europe Your Highness will easily conceive that there might have happened to Silvia many things worth the mentioning But whatsoever happened she was not concern'd in it All went to the Marqueeze of Sevil of whom she had desired that she might be seen but of few people till they should come to Brussels I must except only that a Friend of the Duke of Guyse coming in a disguise to see her did offer