Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A43913
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The history of the amours of the Marshal de Boufflers, or, A true account of the love-intriegues and gallant adventures which have been privately carry'd on by him ever since he first obtain'd a command in the French king's armies till his marriage with Mademoiselle de Grammont the whole relation being faithfully translated into English out of the French original lately publish'd at Paris.; Histoire des amours du mareschal de Bouflers. English
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D. P. E.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing H2143B; ESTC R40990
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148,763
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322
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Chaise and no body else for some very weighty reasons which related to the satisfaction of a wounded Conscience and the Salvation of an immortal Soul Brother Ambrose told him That he would go up to Father La Chaise ' s Chamber and let him know what he said The Foot-man pray'd him to make all possible haste he could by reason that no time was to be lost Brother Ambrose having awaken'd Father La Chaise inform'd him of what he knew of the matter Father La Chaise having ask'd him the Name of the Lord or Lady that sent for him Brother Ambrose told him That by the Train and Equipage it should be a Person of the highest Quality He also told him that there was a mourning Coach at the Gate drawn by six black Horses That the Coachman Postilion and four Foot-men who attended it were all cloathed in black that they appear'd as black in their Faces as Negroes and that they had no Flamboys along with them neither could he devise what might be the meaning of it because they refus'd to tell the Name of him who had sent them Father La Chaise being by this time got out of Bed went down to the Gate himself where the same Foot-man who had spoke before to the Porter said Good Father I entreat you to get up into this Coach with six Horses Who is it that sent you to fetch me reply'd Father La Chaise Good Father said the Foot-man We came from a Person of the first rank in the Kingdom who desires to impart to you something of great consequence before he dies He is not inclin'd to have any other Confessor but your self and we dare not tell his Name because we are forbid it Father La Chaise who could not discover whose Equipage this was the Foot-men being all disguis'd by their black Faces like your very Negroes thought it most convenient to advise with the Rector Praefect and other Superiors of the Order whether they would approve of his going along with those unknown Persons He began to make serious reflections upon the matter his Head being fill'd with jealousies that perhaps some Person of Quality disgrac'd at Court and excited by discontent hatred or revenge against his Person might by this means endeavour to get him into some private place or another there to serve him an Italian trick without being any more to be heard of for ever All the good Fathers being got out of their Beds and having weigh'd the matter with deliberation it was resolv'd that Father La Chaise who was so dear to theirwhole Order ought not to expose himself to this hazard The Rector being of opinion that some body else ought to be sent in his stead Father Bourdalou generously offer'd himself But being come down the Foot-man who had spoke to Father La Chaise before told him That they had orders to bring along with 'em none else but Father La Chaise and that he need not make any scruple to trust himself with 'em they being assur'd that he would be in no more danger than if he staid in the Convent For the rest they desir'd him to consider That the Welfare of a Soul lay at stake and that it was one of the greatest Men at Court whose Conscience could not be satisfy'd till he had seen him that there was not much more time to lose that if he tarry'd one quarter of an hour longer it was to be fear'd it would be too late because the sick Person was almost at the last gasp Father La Chaise who shews much zeal in matters relating to the Salvation of Souls being mov'd at these words entreated the rest of the Fathers to let him perform his duty in a place whereto his Conscience call'd him and so in spite of all the disswasions of the Rector Praefect and Father Bourdalou who went down with him to the Gate he resolv'd to go whatever might come of it Having therefore cross'd himself three times with the sign of the Cross he went into the Coach The Coach-man lashing the Horses soundly with his Whip drove away with a full Gallop Father La Chaise tho it was very dark did take as much notice as possibly he could of all the Streets and by-lanes thro which they past and tho he knew exactly all the places throughout that vast City yet he was never able afterwards to find out any of those parts thro which he was convey'd the Coach-man being order'd to drive round about some parts of the Town passing and repassing several times the same Streets the better to deceive the Father and to prevent any discovery of those places thro which they went In the mean while Father La Chaise lying along the bottom of the Coach began to make a thousand ominous Reflections accusing himself of Imprudence to have so slightly expos'd himself to the utmost hazard of his Life But as the case now stood the best advice he could take was to set his Conscience at rest and to prepare himself for Death in case he should have occasion to dye at that instant Conformably to this Resolution he made a full Confession of his Sins to Almighty God begging pardon for those that he had committed since his last Confession and for all such as might not then occur to his Memory adding that if he had done some ill office to some great Man or another with the King who stir'd up by his hatred against him had resolv'd to make use of this opportunity to draw him into a Snare which should cost him his Life he pray'd God to forgive him because the Station he was in of being Confessor to the greatest Monarch made him against his Will often liable to the Discontents of the Courtiers who laid claim to some office or another which were often bestow'd upon others by his sollicitation Having been thus perplex'd in his thoughts for a good half hour he came to the place where he was to be set down The Coach having stopt he saw a Foot-man coming out of a great Gate which was all hung with black Cloath that hid the Coat of Arms belonging to the Family to keep it from his sight The same Foot-man having in one Hand a Flamboy made of black Wax open'd the door of the Coach and with his other Hand helpt our Father out who was conducted into a great and and very fine Palace all hung with black several Foot-men all with Flamboys made of black Wax in their Hands standing at the Stair-foot from whence they led him up Stairs two stories high backwards into a very fine Appartment All the Domestick Servants were cloathed in black as were likewise their Faces shining as if they had been true Black-moors This was contriv'd on purpose to deceive Father la Chaise who perhaps had seen them a thousand times in his Life time but was not able to give the least guess at them under this disguise This Appartment was like all the rest hung all over with
black and as soon as Father la Chaise was entered all the Candles were put out at once so that all upon a sudden he was left quite in the dark and conducted up to the other end of the Room where a Chair was set for him under a Canopy upon a piece of Tapestry spread upon the floor When he was set down he could hear the voice of a Lady bewailing her self and imploring the mercy of a Person who as he understood was about to put her to death for her unfaithfulness Come come Madam said the Nobleman your Father Confessor is ready you have but a few moments to live which you may bestow in settling your Conscience The time draws near for me to revenge my self in puting an end to your Life I pray God to forgive you your sin Immediately after the Lady was conducted out of an Appartment hard by under favour of the darkness directly to the place where our Father expected her coming Father la Chaise by her Confession was inform'd of the crime which was the occasion of her death but she did not say one word either concerning her own Name or his who intended to put her to death and whatever pains he took he could not bring out one word from her as to that matter till at last the Lady perceiving the curiosity of her Confessor told him that she was afraid lest his Curiosity might prove fatal to him and that therefore she advis'd him not to dive any farther into the matter or to oblige her to commit an indiscreet Act because if her Lover should get the least notice of it he would certainly be the death of him and would perhaps provide for him the same entertainment which she was about to receive There needed nothing else to silence our Father for in an instant he lost the use of his Tongue not speaking so much as one word more but employ'd the rest of his time in hearkening to this disconsolate Lady whilst she made a particular confession of all her sins which having ask'd pardon of Almighty God she received Absolution from the Mouth of her Confessor It is to be observed that during the whole time as well as before that the Lady was with him they were without light so that he had not the least opportunity to know her But to come to an end of this Tragical History no sooner had the Father Confessor pronounc'd these words Absolvo te or I absolve you but a certain Gentleman-Usher came to re-conduct this unknown Lady into a Room next by where a Bath was prepar'd for her After she had been undress'd by her waiting Gentlewomen she enter'd the Bath and being set upon a Chair the Veins in her Arms and Feet were open'd till all-her Vital Spirits having left her with the Blood she dy'd in the same manner as Seneca did heretofore this being look'd upon as one of the most gentle kinds of death Father la Chaise was re-conducted to the same Coach which had brought him thither attended by the same Coach-man and Foot-men who carry'd him back to the Convent but by a quite different way than what they had pass'd thro before having made so many turnings and windings that 't was impossible for the good Father to remember them who besides this was very glad to see himself return safe and sound and to have paid no dearer for his Journey As soon as they were come again to the Gate of the Monastery one of the Foot-men open'd the Coach-door and rung the Bell to awaken the Porter Father la Chaise coming out of the Coach had no sooner set his Feet to the ground but away drove the Coach-man whip and slash immediately out of sight not staying to see whether the Gate were open'd or not As soon as the Porter had let Father la Chaise in he went up directly to the Chamber of the Rector and the Praefect O my good Fathers said he I never heard of any description of Hell more terrible than what I have seen since I left you Every thing about me was black and frightful the most dismal Funeral pomp that ever was beheld Then Father la Chaise gave 'em an exact account of all that had pass'd without being able to tell 'em one word which might contribute any thing towards the discovery of the Noble Man's Name or of that of the Lady who had received Absolution from him The good Fathers were extremely surpriz'd at the strangeness of the Matter of Fact which appear'd to 'em so terrible and so Tragical that the like had not been known in Paris in the Memory of Man And what I have told you added Madam de Maintenon is true even beyond contradiction Father la Chaise being the Man who was concern'd in that Affair no longer than some few weeks ago from whose own Mouth I have received it with all these circumstances which I have related to you Madam answered Monsieur de Surlaube Love is a strange capricious Passion it is the cause of great Evils in this World the fewest of which come to our Knowledge the rest being bury'd in Eternal Oblivion If Men are once possess'd with jealousie it makes 'em furious and incapable of Compassion towards their Mistresses the least slip they make is sufficient to raise in 'em a suspicion of Unfaithfulness which is enough for 'em to render their Mistresses Criminal in their sight I cannot deny it Sir reply'd Madam de Maintenon but Methinks this Crime ought not to be look'd upon as so enormous as not to be expiated without death A Gentleman of Honour ought to take Compassion of the frailty of the Fair Sex And if they will needs make it a rule to be inexorable upon that account towards their Mistresses why should not they with justice pretend to the same right to inflict such rigorous Punishments upon their Lovers when they prove treacherous We are pretty well acquairted with the Qualities of your Sex added the Marchioness if Women are sometimes unfaithful you I am sure a thousand times more the least thing in the world makes you changeable How many do you think there are of your Men of Fortune in the World whom Baron has so lively represented in his Comedys I believe there are very few among you all but what may find their true Character there and turn it which side you will you do us the greatest Injustice in the World thus to exercise your Tyranny in exacting a blind Obedience from our Sex and to deprive us of that small share of Liberty which is allowed us If you Gentlemen were all to be put to death as this poor Lady was of whom you have heard this Tragical Relation as often as you prove perjur'd and unfaithful to those several Ladies unto whom you have sworn one after another an inviolable Love confirm'd by most sacred Oaths the common Language of Lovers I believe verily there would scarce be any one living but that deserv'd to undergo the like