delicately perch'd is it not a pretty way of obeying Divine Revelations Poor Solomoune looked very seriously and told her Mistress she could not chuse but pity him I advise you said Josebeth giving her a good bang to fall a crying Why said the Nurse 't is natural to have compassion on any thing that loves us especially a man of that consideration 'T is on that accompt said Josebeth that he deserves no pity if a man of his Consideration had done nothing but expounded the Law a Sundays and offer'd Incense on the New Moons I should have continued my Friendship for him for ever but seeing he forgets his Profession and his Age to run into the extravagancies of Love and Youth that he laughs at his Religion nay abuses it the better to destroy my Honour there is nothing in the World that I despise so much as this Fallen Angel Whiles they were talking the Rabbin was come down into the little Court before her Chamber very easily because the ground on that side was raised higher than the Garden and filled up almost half the Balustrade he was no sooner down but he ran to the door that opened out of the Chamber and finding it shut contrary to his expectations he was almost mad and began to think that they had played him a trick However not to be wanting in any thing he scratched a good while at the door and though it continued raining extremely yet he stayed a little longer coughed and threw little stones against the Window till at last he had wakened Josebeth's Spaniels that made such a barking that Manassas for fear he might be caught began to climb up the Balustrade and though it were very high from the ground towards the Garden yet he thought he might slide down without any great trouble as indeed he might easily have done if in passing the Balustrade his Velvet Coat had not unluckily hung in the Spikes of Iron that were set all along on the top of the Balustrade he did not perceive it till the weight of his body having made the Spikes enter fully into his Coat he found himself staid by it dangling in the air and after having struggled all he could the Coat being new and strong he was fain to unbutton himself and leave the Coat hanging on the Iron He durst not stay any longer for a huge noise of laughter at the Window and the noise the Spaniels made with barking hearing him fall into the Garden made the poor man run as fast as he could to the Garden door which he shut very softly after him Josebeth was ready to die with laughing and she thought it was some piece of Justice that the same Man who had given her so much trouble the same day should afford her so much diversion at night But for all her mirth she forgot not to send Solomoune for the Velvet Coat which being wet through they imagined its Master was in a fine pickle Alas said Solomoune considering his age and the cold he must needs take it will certainly cost him his life and you will be Madam doubly the cause of his death Let him live or die says Josebeth let him love or hate me I care not I am only glad to see my self freed from his Insolence it present and for the time to come from his importunities for after this usage I suppose I shall no more be troubled with them Manassas by that time he came home was of the same mind and resolved instead of making her any more offers of Love to shew her all the effects of his hate that he could he fell into so deep a melancholly that when the Deputies were come back from Rotterdam eight days after their setting out from Amsterdam and that they waited upon him to give him an accompt of their Journey which afforded no great matter of hope he heard their Relation with an unconcern that very much surprized them All this was passed but a Month before the Adventure of Villeneufe and without doubt it had been an excellent occasion for our Rabbin to have revenged himself on Josebeth in the Profanation of the Synagogue if he had been as lucky to have discovered as the Lovers were indiscreet in making such an appointment for their diversion in a place where he had so many Spies and so much power When Solomoune had told Villeneufe this story he was frighted at the danger they had passed and he concluded that both his Mistress and he must use more discretion for the time to come He charged the Nurse to give her that advice till he could come himself to inculcate it and to shew her a good example he resolved not to stir out of the house where he was till it was dark Afterwards he put off his Womans Cloaths to put on his own but he was as long in undressing as the Ladies use to be a dressing for every part of Josebeth's Cloaths that he pulled off gave him occasion to fall into some Contemplation or other that kept him a good while And when he came to her Smock as he was pulling it over his head there came into it the most ridiculous fancy that ever was which he immediately executed for laying the Smock at length on the Table before him he took that part of it before that was to be next her Heart and wrote in it these Verses making the Smock speak I Lovers that have felt each panting heart Beat in its breast without the dress of Art Can safely say that Nature did design Your loving hearts in equal Bonds should joyn The things that Love make people do appear ridiculous to those who have not their hearts warmed with that passion but yet have much weight and mystery with the amorous themselves this writing on the Smock was one of Loves fooleries and yet Villeneufe was very much pleased with himself for having found out such an extravagant way of shewing his affection and hoped that it would please his Mistress if it were only for the newness of the invention He gave it Solomoune and bid her carry it to her Mistress and prayed her to insinuate slily that this was a piece of Gallantry that had never been practised before for though it was no great matter in it self yet he hoped she might be taken with its singularity And being now alone he resolved to see what 't was that he had stole in the Synagogue which he had taken out of the Pocket of his Mistresses Coat before he sent it away He unfolded the little Pacquet and found rowled up in two or three Papers a little Picture of a Lady in Mourning that seemed to be about thirty years old that had so fine an air that without … g the Idea of Josebeth in ones head one could not have escaped being very much taken with it I shall not be long in the doubt who she is said Ville neufe for certainly these Papers will instruct me fully The first that he opened was
and therefore I must come back to my first opinion that you are a little apt to be ungrateful Villeneufe had not great difficulty to appease this little anger and afterwards asked of her with great passion what he should do to make her happiness as she had intimated in her Note You are little too hasty said Josebeth blushing we do not yet know one another enough to explain that mystery Ah Madam says he quite transported I do not so much as know whether you are already in the power of another Man Solomoune said she that brought you hither will inform you of my concerns take notice of her House and come thither Monday towards the Evening where she will fully instruct you and afterwards bring you hither in the beginning of the Night Villeneufe again threw himself at her feet and Josebeth holding down her head to take him up inclined it a little towards his with which he was so transported that he cryed out Oh why does not all the world know my good Fortune and why may not I cry out I have seen her I have seen her I have seen her No more of this said she a little troubled and very serious though you are a Frenchman remember you are not in France and therefore pray no crying out of your Victory That little heat of joy scaped from Villeneufe against his will and without design for though he was a Frenchman yet in that he differed from most of his Nation being most perfectly discreet and thence he took occasion to make a thousand Vows both of his Secresie and Faith to which she gave a ready belief because she had no mind to doubt them As he was going away he would have left some Tokens of his liberality with Solomoune but she refused them with some kind of disdain Though it were a good way from thence to his own Lodging yet he was at home before he thought of it so much was he taken up with his own Reflections among which he had some that he could not well reconcile He saw plainly enough that Josebeth was married and that being he could not comprehend how she had put honour into her Note she had sent upon the Water On the other side if it were only an amorous Intrigue without other design than that of pleasure why had she not made use of the first occasion that was so favourable to satisfie it To think she was in a confusion because of the odness and newness of the Adventure was ridiculous for 't was an appointment of her own making and of which she was absolutely the Mistress Amidst all these doubts there was one thing sure enough and that was the merit of Josebeth which he preferred to all that ever he had known even to young Riparda that was then the handsomest Person at the Hague and now is Countess of Caravas Being so taken with the Qualities of the lovely Josebeth he expected impatiently to have a full account of all her concerns and being come to his Lodgings he made a resolution which he had never done before to go through all difficulties for the obtaining of Josebeth Who for her part was as much pleased with him as he could be with her Fortune said she has done more for me than Wisdom and thereupon she applauded her own fancy which gave her more satisfaction in one hour than all the wise counsels of her Friends had given her in all her life The only trouble she had was caused by her fear that Villeneufe for whom she already had felt so great a kindness might abate in the eagerness of his desires when he came to know her story But sure that cannot be said she he appears generous and there is nothing in my story that can occasion any thing but pity So that she would not recall the orders she had given Solomoun to tell her life to Villeneufe Who being ready at the hour appointed You shall know all our Affairs said she and judge by that if we have a Friendship for you or no. Our Mistress being you will have it so was born at Metz in Lorraine two and twenty years ago her Father was one of the richest Men of that City and of that sort that live upon the income of their Rents Though he made an outward profession of Christianity yet in his heart he was a Jew being descended of the Tribe of Benjamin as well as his Wife She left him Widdower when he was but young without any Child but the little Josebeth who though she were but six years old was admired by all the World I had been her Nurse and her Father was pleased to trust me so far as to make me her Governess and to take the care of his House to which I agreed against the advice of my Friends that I might be near a Child for whom I had so great a love She passed for a Christian as well as her Father and the better to colour the business she was called Mary and not Josebeth which was the name her Mother had ordered should be given her when she was grown up She had not been taught any thing of Jewish Religion in which I durst not instruct her for fear lest the innocence and simplicity of a Child might reveal the secret of the Family which was extremely zealous for the Law of Moses It had been considerable at Rome and chose rather to leave that City than either to go to Mass or else to wear a Hat covered with Yellow as Paul the Fourth ordained all those of our Religion should do both as a distinction and a disgrace The zeal of the Family was not at all diminished in our Master who forbare to give his Daughter a Jewish Education only out of a belief he had that a Husband of his own Religion would easily bring her back to it In the mean time the poor man found himself decay every day and therefore was very solicitous to provide a Husband for his Daughter lest his death might prevent the design he had of marrying her to a Jew He wrote therefore to a Friend of his own Tribe at Amsterdam offering him his Daughter and twenty thousand Pounds for her Portion The young Jewish Hollander came a wooing the Match was concluded and Josebeth married before she was full fifteen years old Within three Months the Father dyed and we left Metz to come hither And here the good Nurse stood still to cry and Ville neufe took that occasion to ask her wherein was the unhappiness of Josebeth Has she an ill Husband does he not use her well But Solomoune who had no mind to have her discourse broke off presently wiped her Eyes and thus continued it Her Husband whose name is Wanbergue denyes her nothing is handsome is not above thirty years old and has a very great Fortune being one of those rich Merchants who are more considerable than Lords and send little Fleets to trade on their own account His Father
of health and giving marks of Love at the same time Oh says Solomoune you are too hard to be pleased would you have the poor man give himself a wound indeed that he might send you some of his blood in a Complement for to do so he must be in a more despairing condition than your goodness is like to reduce him to Very well said Josebeth thou seest I have a mind to be merry and taking a Pen in her hand sent him this Answer Cherish the Stream that runs within thy Veins And by thy own increase not Cloris pains For know that she will ever bear her part In all the sufferings of a loyal heart These verses were not made by Sappho but however might pass being of a Womans hand that did not at all pretend to Poetry nor Rime except when she had a mind to fool But Villeneufe was charmed with them and said they were the best that ever he saw In the mean time he had a certain Curiosity to see Abigal that he might have the pleasure to laugh at their folly who compared her to Josebeth With that design he went next day to the Synagogue believing that Josebeth would not come thither that day and he only minded who went out and in at the fifth Tent in which he had found the Picture and the Papers A great many Women had passed by him that were not very likely to be what he sought when at last he saw one that took up his looks more than all the rest She was dressed very plain because the Law sorbids any finery at that Feast but her shape was of it self so fine and there appeared such a Majestick Air in her gate and in the lower part of her Face that a Vail of Gare that came to her Mouth discovered that made Villeneufe conclude it must be Abigal Having an impatience to know he stopp'd a Woman that followed her with something under her Arm just as he saw the first go into the fifth Tent as he thought she would If all the rest be answerable to as much of her as I have seen she must indeed be very beautiful he had a mind to see how she look'd with her long Mantle on as she stood in her row among the other Women she was taller by almost the Head and held her Bough with a certain grace peculiar to her self As he beheld her in that posture he could not hinder himself from making Reflexions one would not have expected from him How true it is said he that Hypocrisie it self is a homage that Vice renders to Virtue and a confession of its excellence For the wicked by constraining themselves to an appearance of good do thereby own that there is nothing so desirable as a real Reputation of probity And methinks Abigal her self who I know in my Conscience is an ill Woman yet in that outward Figure of Devotion she appears so lovely that that false appearance makes me almost forget what I know her to be and I warrant you she her self is well pleased with this shew of Religion that by it she may keep some pretence to it But those thoughts all ended in Josebeth as 't is natural for those that have any particular Fancy that governs in their Head to reduce all things to it I confess said he that Josebeth did not shew much Religion neither in the Synagogue but she is young and perhaps she is not in her heart a Jew who can tell As he went home he pulled out Abigals Picture and often looked upon it and comparing the Picture of Josebeth that he carried in his heart with that other which he carried in his hand he found in the first an Air of Sincerity and Constancy which the last did no way promise But on the contrary a Physiognomy that appear'd with something of lightness and falseness which indeed was the true Character of Abigal The night that brings rest under its soft Wings to all the World brought none to Villeneufe for the agitation of his own thoughts would not suffer him to take any For the Passion which he had for Josebeth which his heart told him was very different from the former amusements of gallantry which he had the difficulties he saw to oppose his desires and yet the hopes that she her self had so plainly given him of possessing her in the ways of honour all this together raised a confusion in his mind and overspread it with a darkness thicker than that the night was wrapt in Above all he was cruelly troubled about the meaning of one part of Wanbergues Letter 'T is most certain said he that this Rascal of a Husband would fain be rid of Josebeth that he might have liberty to marry Abigal But how can I be sure they will stop at desires only for they have neither of them over much scruples of Conscience and therefore they may easily go on from unjust desires to unjust actions In a word 't is a Jew that hates his Wife and writes to his Mistress of designs that he has to gain her What can those designs be and if he should really go on to execute any of them on Josebeth which she might possibly prevent by having notice of them from me and so perish by my fault I could not in my own death find a consolation for hers Being overcome with this fear he took Abigals Picture and Papers when it was time to go to Josebeth Well tell me said that lovely Woman when she saw him is it not true that a little absence does no injury to Love when it is such as it ought to be I confess Madam he answered that a short separation can work no change in a heart that loves truly but 't is as true that all that while that heart injoys no quiet and if it should last long it could have no joy For there is this difference betwixt a Husband and a Lover that the last looks upon every distance as a danger he runs of losing his happiness which every thing threatens in his absence Whereas the other whose business is already done makes him more desirable by his absence and therefore makes a Journey on purpose to bring back the conjugal affection more enflamed But says Josebeth you do not consider that when the Eyes the Mouth and the Ears are not taken up with the Object before them the flame that else would be divided into those several quarters is all united in the Heart and burns there so much the stronger You may call it Singularity if you please but I should best like so to order Love that desires and impatiencies should follow pleasures and injoyments I know not Madam said Villeneufe if the frequent occasions Monsieur Wanbergue takes to absent himself produce those good effects betwixt you that you seem to desire and commend But this I know that you are nor the Person whose absence he mourns but that there is another in the world whose company he desires much
execute his malice both effectually and secretly And he had an extraordinary satisfaction to think that Josebeth should receive her death from his hand for he then resolved to poyson the Water he should give her to drink It had been difficult for another to have had a Poyson that would not have shewed it self by changing the colour and taste of the Water but he knew too well that Nation that is famous for the secrets of Poyson to want one at his need He wished only that Solomoune could have been obliged to pledge her Mistress that so he might not have left in the World a Witness able to reproach him for his loosness Josebeth had so much reason to fear this practice that she used the more vehemence to obtain the order from the Rabbins that he might drink it with her that so she might draw that Hypocrite into the same Snare he had laid for her Her Wit ended not there for seeing that Manassas after having drunk the Water dismissed the Assembly she imagin'd it was chiefly for himself that he might in time go and take some powerful Antidote and therefore did all she could to detain the Company 'T is very fit said she that I should stay some time here before you that you may judge of my Innocence by the effects of your Water That fearful Water said Manassas does not always work presently and sometimes its Operation is suspended by the Divine Goodness that would give time for the Sinner to repent I have heard though said Josebeth out of your Books that as soon as the guilty Woman had taken it down it immediately made her Countenance change and her body swell While she was discoursing in this manner they heard a terrible knocking at the door and a mighty cry to open it At this noise they all turned their eyes towards Josebeth believing that noise was made for her sake and they began to fear the effects You look pale said she is this your zeal for Zion for which you so often protest that you would lay down your lives But above all others Manassas fear increased knowing in his own Conscience the Merit of his Actions The Rabbin Eliezer who was one of Solomounes Friends had given her advice that they intended to condemn Josebeth to drink the Waters of jealousie and that the Sentence would be immediately executed which made the faithful Nurse immediately run to some Christian Ladies who knew Josebeth begging them to implore the assistance of the Magistrate and do what they could to save so fine a Woman and having given advice of what passed to Villeneufe she ran her self to the Council of the Jews endeavouring by accusing Manassas to gain time for her Mistresses deliverance And it was the Officers those Christian Ladies had sent who with a crowd of people were at the door which sufficiently frighted the Jews who had reason to believe Josebeth would not save them from the fury of the people In this apprehension the Rabbins came to her and besought her to have pity on them Those submissions which she knew were extorted only by fear did not work much upon her and she was not resolved what to do On one side she saw the Justice of punishing such Rascals and on the other the glory of pardoning those whom she had the power to destroy In the mean time the noise without increased and seeing they did not open the door a young Seaman that was more zealous than all the rest cryed Break down the Doors which was executed in a moment That was no sooner done but the furious people broke in with a horrible disorder and in the Head of them that young Seaman that was Villeneufe disguised in that manner to conceal the concern of his Love He had a great Hatchet in his hand ready to cut the Rabbins to pieces if they had done any harm to Josebeth She that knew him immediately through his disguise sighed for joy when she saw him and hearing the people cry out with a furious tone Where are these Jews that would murder a Christian she ran to the door of the Chamber where the Rabbins were and holding her Arms across it that no body might go by her Christians said she that will be my Brethren very quickly for Gods sake forgive these poor Wretches and being you are come hither for my sake content your selves to see me triumph over them The admiration they had of so much goodness stopt their fury and they that just before breathed nothing but threats and ruine to the Jews sent up nothing to Heaven but praises of Josebeth But those acclamations were redoubled when after having beckned to them with her hand that she might be heard said aloud to her Husband whom she saw in the Crowd Men here Wanbergue I here declare to you in the presence of all these good People that I renounce the Jewish Religion and am resolved to turn Christian therefore consider what you will do for if you persevere in your own Doctrine I pretend according to the Law to have the Marriage dissolved betwixt us The Hollander half frighted out of his wits said that she should suddenly know his mind and so got out of the Crowd as fast as he could for fear the People should do him a mischief Josebeth ought not to have made that Declaration any where but before the Magistrates but she made so much the more haste to oblige Villeneufe whom she had before her Eyes and in truth it was the only way to make amends for his sufferings the eight days past But his joy did not so take him up as to make him neglect his business for seeing Wanbergue go out fearing it might be to do something against the Interest of Josebeth he went out too but just at the Door met the Sindike of the Town with orders from the Magistrate to take Josebeth into their protection And as he was speaking the chief Women of Amsterdam came also they looked upon Josebeth as one of the chiefest Ornaments of their Sex and disputed who should have the pleasure to entertain her But at last Madam de Gere got the Victory and carried Josebeth in triumph to her House The joy this strange change caused was not general for while the Christians sung Victory and ran from all parts to see Josebeth The Jews bewailed that day as one of the most unfortunate they had seen of a great while Josebeth was not the only cause of their sorrow for it was increased by another loss very considerable and that was the death of Manassas whom they looked on as a Pillar of their Church and the glory of their Nation He was taken with an ill fainting twice in their Meeting-Chamber and they had got him to life again and believing it was only occasioned by the fright he was in for himself and the other Rabbins they thought his sickness was nothing But when the Clamour was over and the Rabble gone the Rabbins went