247 [=249]

[247]

[Lett. lxvi. Letters Historical and Galant.]

before He redoubted his Menaces, and did not let go his hold till he made his Daughter a Lady: for that Lord who persists
always in the Negative, could not get out of his trouble without it. Notwithstanding his Chagrin at being obliged to break his faith
with his former love, his Marriage was done in all the forms, and with all suitable Pomp. Terms were proposed to the forsaken
Sultana, and rewards offered her to oblige her to submit to her unhappy destiny; but she would enter into no Compositions, but made
her Complaint to Charles the Second, the King then reigning. The Lord Confess'd the fact, and excused himself upon the cruel
Necessity that forced him to this Infidelity. The King remitted the decision of the Case to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The
Affair was spun out to a length, and the Parties that were most concerned dyed before it was terminated; So, "Says the Gentle[man]
"that told us this story, Destiny sways it always, as you say sometimes; for observe two women lawfully married, one of
"whom was taken and the other left, because one was more happy than the other ---- "You are right, said I, and I find
"something very extraordinary in this Adventure: for methinks, in point of Marriages, those of the first date should be the
"best, and that antiquity gives the Right: Tis not the same in Gallantry, but that is not the case here ----

"You would be much more surprised then, says a Dutch Lady, if I should tell you, that a French Refugee at the Hague
"gave his wife a bill of Divorce in the Jewish manner, after marrying another." We begg'd the Lady to tell us the fact, and
she acquainted us that having had occasion to know the woman she was talking of, she had ask'd her whether she was a Widow;
that the other Replyed she was, and yet that her husband was not dead; that so ambiguous an Answer excited her Curiosity, &
after asking her question upon Question, she shewed her an Act pass'd before several Witnesses, in which her Husband had wrote
I the Undernamed &c. &c. declare that having by a spirit of Libertinism quitted && my lawful Wife, to marry
another, I give her her liberty, and henceforth discharge her of all her Engagements with me, permitting her to
marry whom she pleases, without any person's having a right to make her the least reproach for it; acknowledging
her to be discreet and Vertuous, and taking upon my self the Whole fault of the Divorce. -- " "As I had never seen
an Act conceived in those terms, I did not know what to think when I read it. I advised the Woman to commence a suit with
"him, but she said, that as she had accepted it, she could never recall it." and indeed, she never troubled her husband in his
new family; and I admired her tractableness, for I could nevver be so complying in such a Case. Tho' that perhaps was her sa-
fest way, since 'tis to be feared that when a husband has resolved to get rid of his wife, he might proceed to the last Extremities,
and it were better still to be repudiated, than meet such a fate as the lady of Arles did, whom her husband made to drink
her self to death; Nor was the Liquor Wine. I don't know whether I have told it you already: I should be in despair to
give into Repetition, and if I should fall into this fault, I must ask your pardon beforehand.

With this precaution I shall tell you, that a Gentleman of Arles, resolving to be a Widower at any rate, thought on a way
for it, that would shelter him from the Rigour of the Laws. He had a Country house by the Rone's Side. His wife went there
very Often, and generally rode a little mule, properly harnessed, which was taken as much Care of as that of the Pope whose freaks
are so boasted of. The Expedient the Husband found was, to keep the Mule from water three days, after which he proposed
a Ride to his Country house. The Lady consented, and they took the road; but as soon as they came to the Rone, the thirsty
Mule threw herself in with the fury of a Stag when at bay and pursued by a pack of Hounds he takes the Soil. It
was not possible to stop her, she dragg'd the poor lady after her in the River, and the Rapidity of the flood, soon carried her from
the place where the misfortune happened. The Husband seemed inconsolable. So true is it, that Men are Masters in the Art of
dissembling! But it came out at last from the persons he had ordered to keep the Mule from Water, that it was to this Invention
he owed his Widowhood, and he was not let to taste the sweets of it long.

I cannot affirm to you a piece of news I heard just now, that the Turk has made a present to the King of Sweden
of all the Christian Slaves he had in chains, to the number of twenty thousand, with whom that Prince will swell his Army. This
deserves confirmation; and after the Example of a celebrated * Author, I tell you things that are sure for sure,
false for false, and doubtful for doubtful. So, madam, when I tell you tis very certain that I love you,
you are to be entirely persuaded of it, and would do me a great Injury, if you doubted a Moment of the Affection with
which I am, Madam Your &c.
*Godeau in his universal history

[Letter lxvi. From Paris.]

I agree with you, Madam, that Fontaine's Gare was in the right, and that one may have the same thoughts of
Misfortunes as that little Creature had of Cowardise, and say in the same tone. "Now I see plainly, there is not an Un-
happy person living, but may find one more Unhappy than himself. For I know one whose fate has been sadder again
than that of the Poor Young Lionnois, whose imprudence brought him to the Gallows at London: I mean Madam de
Liancourt, a Lady of Merit whose History is particular enough. Her name is Chapellier, and she was an Orphan in
a lucky hour enough, for her Father's Brother took her to his house, And designed her for his Son. But this son, who
was afterwards shut up in the Bastille, turning out unworthy of her tenderness, she resolved to look out elsewhere. And
this was not very hard to do; Admirers enough offered themselves, but very few for husbands, because her fortune