246 [=248]

[246]

[Letters Historical and Galant. Vol. 4]

with tearing one another to pieces, call in the turk too to help them, who after diverting himself at our Divisions, will know how
to turn them to his profit. But 'tis enough to suffer present evils, without Augmenting them by the fear of those that one may fore[?]

I agree with your Lady of Provence, that the Misfortunes she has undergone are most terrible; but I think we may
till find people more unfortunate Even than she; and the fate of a young man of Lyons, that was hanged at London, some time
after the peace of Ryswick, was much more Melancholy, for in short, as the Devil said of Job, Men are more sensible of what
befalls them personally, that of what does not touch them but in another. He I speak of was of a very good Family; He had
fortune, Merit, and Relations of rank in the world. His Unhappy planet, and the Love of travelling carried him to England; There
He made good and bad acquaintance, and one evening being in a Coffea house with three French Refugees, he told them of
a thousand little Secrets he knew how to make use of, and among others one to take Gold from a Pistole or any other piece of money
of that sort without clipping. Those lurious Auditors ask'd him several Questions upon it, and he told them, that with a kind
of water he could attract and take off a leaf of Gold from the piece without it's being perceived. They thought the Secret was
very particular, and entertained themselves with several other curious observations more; after which those Charitable French
men went and informed against him as a false Coiner, push'd on by their Zeal for the good of the state, or the hopes of the Rewards
due to Informers. They made all the necessary discoveries, and the accused was seized and hanged, notwithstanding the Sol-
licitations of a lady of the first quality who was his near relation; The Rigor of the Laws in respect of the Crimes of the Nature
of that he was charged with, obliged the Judges to condemn him, tho they were well persuaded of the Innocence of his Inten
tions. They even did all they could to put things into his head to make him bring himself off, which he might have easily
done, had he known the Customs of the Country and denied his handwriting. The Judges seemed willing to inspire him to it
for they said to him: "See, consider well whether you wrote that paper." He answered always in the Affirmative, and
on his own Confession his Tryal was brought on and Compleated: Thus his Imprudence alone conducting him to the Gibbet, he prov'd
the truth of the Proverb, that tis erected for the most unhappy rather than the most guilty. I believe, a misfortune of this
Nature is worse than all your Lady of Provence met with in her life, tho' they were very terrible.

The adventure of the Thunder puts me in mind of a Story I heard at Nimes, and I thought particular enough. The
Wife of one Mr. Masodier a Counsellor in that Country was returning from a Country Wedding: The Curate of the place was
carrying her home, on a Pillion behind him; a way of riding that is still used in Languedoc. The
Day seemed the finest in the world; but they had hardly rid a mile and half, when the Air grew dark, Thunder rattled, and
This lace of different species and different Sexes, saw a most frightful Storm falling on them. They had no way to keep them
selves from it; they were in the middle of a plain, not a tree, nor even a Bush in sight, nor any shelter any where. Each
made vows in his manner, for there was a difference in Religion as well as in sex, and the Lady was a Huguenot: but all
their prayers did not hinder the horse from being struck down with a Clap of Thunder with his double Load. Madam
Masaudier knew no more what became of her self! She only thought she was Crushed with the Weight of some Mountain;
and when the Storm was over, some Charitable Peasants drew her from under these two thunderstruck Corpses. That
of the priest was quite burnt, and had nothing whole but the place where the Lady had her hand; which would have
been enough to make her be canonised, had she been a Catholick. Be that as it will, she escap'd this danger as it
were by miracle, and lived several years after. Which shews us plainly that our days are numbered, and that as
our Saviour says on a like Occasion one shall be taken, and the other left. The one was taken and the other left.

There was a thing happened Some time ago in England, which a Nobleman of that Country told me the other day.
A Great Lord, after several vain attempts upon the Vertue of a Woman that was inferior to him, finding he could neither
Conquer her, nor his passion, resolved to marry her; but would have it done privately. This Condition did not break the
match; it was too advantageous to the lady after bringing her Consciense and her honour off safe to require any more. See
her then a Great Lady, but a great Lady incognito, till her Spouse should be able to satisfy his Creditors, who waited till
a Good Marriage should do so, and would not have had the same forbearance had they known he had made a bad one; so
twas his interest to conceal it from them; but he could not long, and one of the Most interested in this affair, came to him one day
and told him he heard it was so, and demanded a Sum, which this Lord, had by no means in his power to give him. This
obliged him to insist upon the Negative; but the Cunning Creditor laid a trap in his way that he could not avoid falling into.
"My Lord, says he, I will not be made a fool of, you are married, or you are not; if you are, 'tis time for me to take care
"of my self, and without amusing my self with Chimeras I shall seize upon your Estate, to get what you owe me out of it;
"If you are not, as you protest to me, do but marry my Daughter, which will be the only way to persuade me, and put a
"Stop to any further pursuits of mine; I'll give her to you with a Receipt in full for what you owe me: Chuse
"which you please: and I shall not quit you till you determine." The Lord, thought to find a mean between those
two Extremes, and elude his Creditor's Proposal, but his Refusals, persuaded the other of what he only doubted