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
for obtaining the liberty we desire The worst of it is that being obliged to leave our houses for a whole week to pass it here we are forced to eat and drink and sleep in the same place where we assemble for our devotions which is very inconvenient And must all Persons of each Family be assistant at this Ceremony said Villeneufe No Sir said he and we have ordered now because of the hot weather and littleness of the place that there shall come but one of a Family and having said that the Ceremony would not begin yet a good while our Adventurer went away full of new hopes She 'll lye alone said he and will have much greater freedom this eight days of the Fedst than she could have at any other time I see she has wit to chuse her time and order her designs With these fancies in his head he went away a little longer than he should for when he came back he saw the Ceremony was begun But he was strangely confounded when before the Door of the Synagogue he met two Gentlemen of his own Country and acquaintance who had been in the Army before Amsterdam as well as he and who he thought had been returned as the Army was into the several Garrisons They had both more green Ribband than he himself one had nothing else but green in his Hat and the other had a trimming all of the same eolour All three fell a laughing at one another and Villeneufe cryed out 'T is the same design that has brought us all hither With that the other two confessed the truth and each of them produced their Notes all writ with the same hand and containing the very same words In troth says Villeneufe we may call this fishing for Gallants for we were all in the Water when we were biting at these Notes And so burst our a laughing maintaining however that he was not made so great a Fool as they because he was come to Amsterdam to embarque for Sueden whereas they had come thither only to be laughed at The truth is it was pleasant enough to see three French Gentlemen all dress'd up in green entertaining themselves at the Door of a Synagogue with a design upon some of the Daughters of Abraham and they were so sensible themselves of being exposed that they agreed among themselves never to speak one word of it In the mean time the Ceremony was begun and being at it they resolved to satisfie their curiosity and see it before they went to suptogether The Women were all on one side covered with great Mantles that hid all their shape and they held in their hand Branches of Trees as well as the Men who were placed over against them so that all the place was full of green which made some mystery in their Religion For ought I see says one of our Sparks green makes a piece of the Ceremony and when we were ordered to put it in our Hats we were treated like Proselyte Jews Whiles he was talking Villeneufe who still had a strong fancy of some real adventure turned his Eyes on all sides and he perceived a Woman covered with her Mantle left her place and with a languishing Air went into one of the Tents where another Woman followed her but he had not observed that the other which was her Woman had before softly pulled her by the Mantle which had made her counterfeit a little indisposition to leave her place Madam says she there are Three with green Ribband and therefore I thought fit to ask you what I should do The Lady having thought a little at last took the end of a piece of Parchment that was interwoven up and down on her Garments according to the Jewish Custome and after having done something with a little Bodkin she pulled out of her Head Here says she give this to one of them so neatly that the others may not see you But to which of them Madam To him that has the best Meen says she But because thy judgment it may be will be different from mine go about them and having well marked them bring me word what thou thinkest of them She came back presently and told her Oh Madam one cannot mistake There is one so extraordinary who is as handsome for a Man as you are for a Woman Perhaps for all that said she laughing you may be deceived for there be a many of those handsome Men who are great Cheats However they resolved the handsomest should have it which the good Woman could not have so well executed if Villeneufe had not plaid his part For seeing the Woman fig'd about as she did he imagined there was something in the Wind and as she came by him he let fall his Handkerchief which she took up and gave him with a great deal of civility The Ceremony lasted not long for it consisted chiefly in bowing of themselves towards the East where Jerusalem is scituated and in singing the 113. Psalm waving up and down the Branches they held in their Hands After the Ceremony was over the Three Cavaliers passed the Evening together though Villeneuf was impatient till he had seen what 't was that he thought he felt in his Handkerchief 'T was very late before he could satisfie his curiosity and at last he found 't was a bit of Parchment where he saw nothing but Characters that he did not understand that were writ on the sides of it They laugh at me says he flinging down his Parchment to write me Love Letters in Hebrew do I look so like a Rabbin that they think I understand their Language However being loath to give over his hopes he fancied there was some mistake and that he should see more of it the next day To consider the matter right one could not judge very well of a Note sent so uncertain a way and of so odd a kind of an assignation given at the Door of the Synagogue and of a concern that made an interruption in the solemnest act of Divine Worship There was in all this a certain Air of Intrigue and Face of Gallantry on which the greatest goodness in the World could not put a favourable construction But appearances are false as they were here where all this idle and vain romantick shew did cover a very good intention and a very laudible design The Night being spent Villeneufe again looked on his Parchment and all the while his Man was dressing him did nothing but turn it up and down and at last perceived some Letters marked without Ink on the side where nothing was writ To Morrow at the same hour again With all my heart says he though there were a thousand dangers in the way Dumaiest said he to his Man thou laughest but for all that here is a business will stop our Journey to Sueden For he no longer doubted but in the progress of such an Adventure he should find engagements sufficient to detain him And being in this mind he wrote to
his Friends La Chastre and Persans to execuse himself from going with them as he had promised to Stockholm without giving them any account of the true reason of his stay After having sent away these Letters he made haste to his assignation the second time where he found the Bearer of the Parchment who without looking on him bid him follow her at a distance and go into the house after her He obeyed exactly and after having passed several Streets he saw his Guide open a little Door he went in after her into a little Room pretty neat where he found himself alone with a Woman who was about Five and Fifty dressed like a Citizens Wife Here Sir said she is a glorious Fortune enough to make the Paradise of a Prince I am much obliged to you said Villeneuse but when shall I know the Person that is to make my happiness There is time enough for that said she and in the beginning of the Night What do you mean says he by the beginning of the Night 't is now but four of the Clock if you make me stay so long you 'll find me dead We 'll prevent that I warrant you says she laughing here is Wine and Sweet-meats and if you have a mind to read there are Books for you for I provided for you that you might not be tired with being alone Villeneufe seeing her gone What a do is here said he what is this to raise my desires by greater expectation Then looking on the Bottles of Wine I am treated here right according to the custom of the Country imagining I cannot be uneasie as long as I have the Bottle by me Then looking upon the Books he found they were the Tomes of Astrea and Polexandre and that on the first Leaves there was writ Josebeth With that he assur'd himself he had found the name of his Mistress These Books said he are not very proper for an old Woman They are Josebeth's said he and 't is like the name of a Maid as I wished in my soul she would be And now the Night came on and there being no Moon it was extreme dark the only thing that could draw Villeneufe from his solitude His Guide then being come to take him she carried him three or four Houses farther where they found a back door open which let them into a little Garden out of which our Frenchman was led into an Apartment where he was locked in The Cieling that was richly gilt made it self be seen in the Floor which being paved with polished Marble in Squares of black and white shined all over like a Glass except in that part where there was a Turky Carpet laid under a little Summer Bed of green Sattin lightly embroidered with Silver with a Furniture of the same rich enough for the Season There it was that Villeneufe as stout as he was began to have his Heart beat and though he had passed dangers enough in his life in none of them had he ever felt such emotions as he did now And he had reasonenough for never did there any thing present it self to his Eyes that struck them and his Heart so much as a Person that he saw enter the Room at a Door over against him She had on a Simarr of Cloth of Gold tucked up on each side with a great bunch of Cherry-colour Ribband and under it a Petticoat of so fine a gare that discovered all the shape of her Legs and Knees About her Neck another sort of light gare folded together like the Venetian Women that hung over her Breast but left open its gentle rising as she breathed enough to have kindled flame in a Stoick Behind her Head her Hair bound up with Pearl in great foldings and falling down on the sides in curls of the loveliest black in the World which yet was not necessary to set off her complexion the whiteness of her Skin being of a kind to dazle any Eye that beheld it Her Eyes alone without any other help had but too much power to dazle an Admirer for they had so much Fire but so soft and gentle a Fire that with the briskness of black Eyes for so they were there sparkled too all that which the gray Eyes use to have that 's tender and moving You may best guess what Josebeth was when all the Women that saw and envyed her Beauty yet could find no fault in it but that her mouth was rather too wide but that fault was very necessary because without it one could not have seen the delicatest Teeth that ever were With all this a certain air of youth that hung about her and a way and port that would have covered any faults her Person could have had rendred her a most accomplished Creature And this Villeneufe found by experience to be true for at the instant that he saw her he ran to fling himself at her Feet without being able to say one word but Oh Madam which he repeated two or three times like a Man possessed and so staid a great while with his mouth fastned on her hand which the beautiful Vision had reached out to take him up Something must be allowed said she smiling for the transports of a surprise but you must not expect to be used always at this rate And then having obliged him to rise they began a Conversation so full of wit and to have a reciprocal esteem so great as made them wish they two had only been made for one another The meeting of an inclination so strong and sudden kept them not from having a Quarrel in the beginning of their acquaintance For Villeneufe either willing to shew his wit or else out of a braver concern which a strong passion does often raise looking very gravely And what Madam will you say if the first time I see you I should take the confidence to pick a quarrel with you with good appearance of reason I should say answered she disdainfully and pulling back her Hand that you were very ungrateful and gathering from thence a belief of your ill nature and ingratitude for any further favour I might shew you 't is very likely I should presently put an end to our story But Madam suppose my complaint should only come from an excess of esteem You might then make it said she with a great deal of assurance and pray let us know what it is Thereupon he confessed he was really vexed she had sent so many several Notes a swimming considering that thereby he had been in danger to have lost her if any other that had found them had had better fortune than he in coming first to the Door of the Synagogue Truly says she you are very pleasant and how should I have sent out one to you whom I never saw but me thinks you should rather be pleased with the success which has given me occasion to prefer you by my own choice to two others that had the same fortune at first with your self