Chapter
11
Beauty alone is but of little worth;
But when the soul and body of a riece
Both shine alike, then they obtain a price.
And are a fit reward for gallant actions.
--YOUNG
When
Enrico and the Conte had been absent some weeks, their return was daily
expected; and as it was determined that the family should then remove to the
mansion on the Saltzburg estate, till the castle of Elfinbach was made fit for
their residence, Laurette besought the Monk, whose spirits were less oppressed
than before, to perform his long-neglected promise before she quitted the seat
of her ancestors.
'What
relates merely to myself,' replied the Father, 'may be less interesting than
you imagine. A life which has chiefly been spent amid the bustle of Courts and
the clang of arms, though it may be marked with some affecting incidents, does
not usually form a pleasing narrative: I shall therefore pass the greater part
of it over in silence. I have before informed you that your mother was a native
of Germany, and that my name was Ferdinand Baron Neuburg.
'It was in
the reign Rodolph, the son of Maximilian the Second, that I first entered into
the service of my eountry, which at that time suffered not only from internal
commotion, but was involved in wars with the Hungarians, and disturbed with the
difference between this Monarch and Mathias his brother, to whom he finally
ceded Hungary and Austria.
'Under the
patronage of Rodolph, who regarded me with the most flattering attention, I
became skilled in every military art, and received many enviable proofs of his
attachment; but scarcely was I enlisted among the number of his favourites
before an unfortunate affair deprived me of this flattering distinction. In the
Empress's train was a young orphan beauty, whose name was Augusta, of a noble
but reduced family, who had received her education under the sanction of her
Imperial Mistress, and was introduced at Court much earlier than damsels of
rank usually are. Any attempt to portray the extreme loveliness of this fair
young creature, would convey but an imperfect idea of her charms, as it was not
so much the graces of symmetry, or the bloom of complexion, though in these she
excelled in an eminent degree, as it was a certain delicacy of sentiment and
ingenuousness of mind, discovering themselves in every movement and action
which diffused such universal enchantement.
'To see
frequently the lovely Augusta, without feeling the influence of her charms,
would have justly exposed me to the imputation of stoicism, particularly when I
perceived that she bestowed upon me a decided attention whenever I presumed to
address her, not less grateful to my affection than my vanity. As she was
always about the person of the Empress, who distinguished her with peculiar
marks of her favour, seldom a day passed at Court which was not rendered
interesting by the object of my admiration and I observed, with no common share
of delight, when compelled, under the banners of the Duke of Bavaria, to lead a
detachment of the Imperial armies into Hungary, that there was a transporting
melancholy in her deportment, which seemed to intimate that she suffered the
keenest apprehensions for my safety.
'My
absence from Vienna was not long; the rebel armies were soon routed, and I
returned once more to lay my laurels at the feet of my Master.
"You
are brave, Ferdinand," cried Rodolph, rising graciously to receive me,
"and I would fain think of something to bestow as a reward for your
valour, something adequate to your worth I know you are not mercenary, and
either I mistake, or you are not ambitious, yet you would not disdain to
receive a recompence from your Sovereign. I would raise you to the rank of
General, did not your extreme youth stand in the way of your advancement; but
this is a difficulty which time will remove, and an honour that may be
conferred at some future period. If in the meantime I can serve you in any
other respect, you have only to mention your request; and if it is within the
bounds of possibility, it shall be granted."
'Deprived
of the power of utterance by this unexpected generosity, I could not for some
moments express the warmth of my gratitude. Rodolph perceived my emotions, and
finding I had something to ask, conjured me not longer to deprive him of the
power of obliging me, but to name my request.
'It was
not immediately that I could form a reply; when I did, I touched upon the
subject nearest to my heart, and asked, as the reward of my services, the hand
of Augusta. Scarcely had I pronounced her name before I observed art expression
of uneasiness and displeasure in his countenance which alarmed and perplexed
me; and as I continued to expatiate on the ardent affection I had long
conceived for this beautiful maid, he eyed me with a disordered air; and after
assuring me that this was a recompence not in his power to bestow without the
permission of the Empress, who would unwillingly part with her, and that these
were affairs in which he always considered it prudent to remain neuter, he left
me to all the chagrin and mortification that grief and disappointment could
inflict.
'As soon
as I was awakened from my astonishment to a sense of my hopeless situation, I
naturally imagined that Rodolph was himself the lover of Augusta; and this surmise
was soon afterwards confirmed.
'It was in
commemoration of a victory formerly gained by the Emperor, Charles the Fifth,
over the French King, Francis the First, that a society of German Nobility
assembled to partake of a sumptuous banquet, given by the Duke of Bavaria in
honour of this interesting event. Being included among the number of patriots,
I endeavoured, as much as possible, to conceal the mortification I had lately
experienced under an aspect of assumed gaiety. The conversation, though it was
chiefly on the cabinet and the field, was lively and unconstrained; unbounded
hilarity universally prevailed, and, after many attempts to obtain a temporary
animation, r finally succeeded, though my heart was still occupied by one
favourite object-the image of Augusta. As soon as the dinner was concluded, the
wines sparkled on the board, and the exhilarating draught went round. The name
of Rodolph was given--his praises echoed through the room. The flames of my
loyalty had been somewhat extinguished, yet I accorded with the rest; I acknowledged
him brave, noble, and warlike; I would have added disinterested, but my heart
contradicted the assertion.
'The
Empress was then given; her virtues were applauded, and encomiums, that would
have enhanced the reputation of the immaculate Portia, were bestowed, or rather
lavished, upon her. Then followed the Princes of the Blood, excepting only
Mathias, whose disaffection to his Sovereign justly excluded him from this
honorary attention; and then the Nobles in general, particularly those who had
distinguished themselves in the Senate or the Camp.
"We
have hitherto confined our attention to the brave and the virtuous," cried
a young soldier, who was seated at the right-hand of the Duke, because
accidentally related to him. "Shall not beauty come in for its share? has
it not hitherto been offered as the reward of military glory, and shall we not
exalt its praise? Let us then," resumed he, filling high the sparkling
goblet, "drink to the matchless Augusta, the brightest gem of the
Crown--the rose of Vienna!"
'I raised
the cup to my lips, but scarcely could I keep it from falling; her name
penetrated my soul, and brought with it a thousand uneasy sensations. The mirth
of the assembly now became boisterous; the name of Augusta was frequently
repeated, and it was easy to discover that sire was universally considered as
the favourite of the Emperor. My distress now became too deep for conccalrnent,
and without offering any apology for my conduct, I quitted the company
abruptly, that I might converse with my own soul in secret, and reconcile
myself, if possible, to my disappointment.
'In vain
did I endeavour to combat my affection, or to convince myself that she merited
the oblique aspersions that had been thrown upon her character; her modesty,
her unexampled beauty, the dignity of her demeanour, the retiring delicacy of
her manners--all pleaded eloquently her cause, and seemed to reproach me for
having even listened to a conversation tending to deprive them of their
influence.
'A few
days after this event I was summoned into the presence of the Emperor, who
received me with an affected satisfaction, which displeased me, because I
easily discovered that it was not genuine. After having accosted me with his
accustomed familiarity, he praised my former exploits, and concluded with
making known his intention of sending me on another expedition into the
precincts of Hungary. The coldness with which I received this proposal, for I
was a stranger to the arts of dissimulation, offended him; but he cautiously
avoided a verbal confession of his displeasure, still endeavouring to conceal
it under an appearance of cordiality. He saw he had injured himself in my
esteem, and considered that from the intestine divisions of his country, for
many had secretly espoused the causc of Mathias, it would be a politic measure
to regain it. Easily penetrating his design, I shrunk from the meanness of it
with contempt; yet the strength of my local attachment determined me to defend
my country, though I now no longer regarded with partiality the man who was
reputed its father.
'Having
acceded to his desires, I once more quitted Austria, but not till I had first
accomplished an interview with my Augusta, by means of a confidential
dependant. This was with difliculty effected, as native modesty for some time
prevented her from according with my desires; but affection finally triumphed,
and in accents which are indelibly impressed upon my memory, she acknowledged
herself concerned in my welfare. Still, however, I was dissatisfied and
restless; what I had heard at the banquet, with what had fallen under my
immediate observation, gave room for conjecture; yet scarcely could I summon
resolution enough to make it known. To hint my suspicions, to throw a shade
upon her conduct which, if spotless, must so tenderly wound a heart incapable
of depravity, would, I considered, be raising an insurmountable bar to my
hopes. Yet to remain in a state of suspense, to endure the idea that her
affections were devoted to another, to feel the possibility of doubting whether
they were my own, was a reflection that brought with it the most acute anguish;
and at length I resolved to free myself from these inquietudes by a disclosure
of my halfindulged surmises.
'The
result of this conference placed her worth and honour beyond a doubt, and
occasioned me to depart with a full determination of returning as soon as
possible to Vienna, and of renewing my suit. Released from these visionary
distresses, I commenced my military tour. Success crowned our endeavours--the
enemy retreated as far as Buda--the General of the Hungarian forces, after a
severe and sudden attack, laid down his arms--victory seemed on all sides to
decide for us--and, every way fortunate, we returned to the metropolis loaded
with spoils and honours.
"Surely,"
cried I, "Rodolph will no longer refuse to bestow upon me the lovely
Augusta. If my former deeds in arms have not entitled me to so rich a reward
after this change in his favour, he will no longer slight my services but will
confer upon me this mestimable maid, the only return I shall require, or deign
to receive."
'Full of
these warm, these sanguine hopes, whose only tendency is to mislead the
judgment, I arrived at Vienna, and took the first opportunity of throwing
myself before the throne of Rodolph, whose arms were open to receive me. But
before I had time fully to acquaint him with the extent of my good fortune, or
to repeat my request, I perceived a fixed expression of melancholy in his
countenance, so nearly connected with despair, that my heart glowed with every
sentiment of compassion. He observed it, and endeavoured to force a smile upon
his features, as he congratulated me on the success of my undertaking; but it
was a smile that had more in it of internal sadness than of tranquillity.
Finding that he listened to me with a divided attention, and being unwilling to
probe the wound he seemed recently to have received, I left him with an
intention of seizing a more favourable moment of winning him to my interest.
Scarcely had I removed from his presence before Count Wallestein, a courtier in
the train of the Empress, crossed my path. I inquired of him the cause of this
universal silence which seemed to reign throughout the Court; and was informed,
to my unspeakable grief and astonishment, that my Augusta was no more; that she
had been attacked with a severe disorder soon after I left Austria, which in a
few days proved fatal! The anguish I endured at this moment can be scarcely
conceived; the Count saw it, and offered something which he meant for consolation,
at the same time convincing me by his manner, rather than his words, that he
had been acquainted with the attachment subsisting between me and Augusta.
'This
unexpected calamity occasioned me to consign myself to solitude for the space
of some weeks, during which time I allowed no one to intrude upon the rights of
my sorrow, chusing rather to reconcile myself to my misfortunes iii the
solitude of my closet, than to attempt to procure consolation amid scenes of
dissipation. Peace being soon afterwards proclaimed, I now felt disengaged from
all earthly pursuits; and, after much consideration, determined to bid my adieu
to my Sovereign, and to retire into one of those castles occupied by my
ancestors in the Dutchy of Bavaria. This resolution was at first strenuously
opposed by Rodolph, who held forth the most alluring promises to divert me from
a project by no means favourable to his interests: hut finding I was not to be
wrought upon by the sophistical arguments made use of in his defence, he left
me to pursue my own inclinations with many marks of displeasure, without even
hinting any thing as to a reward for my former services. I had already made
every necessary arrangemerit for my intended expedition, and was preparing to
bid a long adieu to those scenes of illusion, which, from the prejudices of
education, and the force of habit, had long occupied my thoughts, and was
ruminating in silence on the new plan of life I was going speedily to adopt,
when my reflections were disturbed by Count Wallestein, who having been long a
concerned spectator of what was passing in my heart, besought me, instead of
prosecuting my former intentions, to accompany him on a little rural excursion
through Switzerland and Savoy.
"I
know the nature of your feelings too well," resumed the Count, "to
propose, what is usually recommended as a restorative to a wounded mind, scenes
of levity and dissipation. These generally fail in their effect, and if
otherwise, the remedy is too frequently a dangerous one; yet, though I mean to
discountenance this method of subduing the pang of severe distress, I by no
means approve the mode of conduct you have recently, and I may add, too hastily
adopted. You are at present too young to bury yourself in total inaction; the
duties of your station require exertion, and he who believes he can discharge
them in solitude, suffers his judgment to be deluded. Much may be done, I
acknowledge, in the narrow sphere of domestic arrangements; sorrow may be made
to smile, and poverty to feel the diffusive power of benevolence. Virtue and
content are said to inhabit the path of rural seclusion, and, like the wild
flowers that decorate the forest, thrive best, amid the unfrequented shades of
Nature; yet in situations like these, our sphere of action is too much contracted
to lead to any high attainment in virtue. It is in society only that our power
is equal to our inclination; and trust me, the blessings it bestows make ample
amends for those little wayward accidents in human life, which will
occasionally happen to the most fortunate however ardently they may endeavour
to escape from them. Let me then," resumed the Count, "prevail upon
you to renounce a plan which secludes you from the participation of pleasure,
without retaining power sufficient to indemnify you from partaking of that
joyless portion of bitter disappointment, which inevitably lingers in the cup
of human life."
'These and
other arguments, seducingly delivered, at last prevailed upon me to accede to
the proposal, though I secretly resolved, on my return from this rural
expedition, to quit Vienna, and to repair, at least for some time, to the seat
of my ancestors. A few days after this event we commenced our journey towards
Switzerland, meaning to perform it by easy stages, that we might occasionally
loiter amongst the most picturesque scenes of this romantic country. It was now
the beginning of June, and the heat not sufficiently intense considerably to
retard our progress. Every object that presented itself was enrobed in that
sublime simplicity which characterizes these charming regions, whose imagery is
at once lofty and impressive, lilling the mind that contemplates it with the
most exquisite emotions. Having coasted the Alps, whose snow-capped summits
were half obscured in the clouds, viewing from these lofty eminences every
unadorned beauty which the most glowing imagination could portray, we arrived
at a beautiful village beneath the Alpine steep of a precipice, near St Julian
in Savoy, whose prospect was bounded by a fine range of hills retiring into
remote distance, which, being covered on one side with fine woods and
vineyards, formed a striking contrast with the naked sublimity of the
uncultivated side, deformed, or rather aggrandized by huge masses of frowning
rock, rising in the most romantic directions.
'We did
not reach this village till near an hour after sun-set for as we proceeded
leisurely along the glen on our way thither, we frequently paused to survey the
rich vermeil hue left upon Mount Blanc, long after the sun had receded from the
horizon, which fired the whole western hemisphere with the most glowing tints,
till the blue mist of the twilight stole meekly upon the scene, and the moon
sailing silently towards her destination, commenced her reign of tranquillity.
Fatigued with traversing these immense mountains, which it was impossible to
avoid, I proposed taking our nightly rest at a small inn, situated about a
quarter of a league from the village, which, however, appeared to be near; but
the Count objected to the proposition, assuring me that the village was an
object of too much importance to be neglected, since it possessed more natural
beauty than many others which had attracted our attention; and as we were now
at such an inconsiderable distance, he must insist upon our reaching it that
night, intimating a desire that, for the sake of variety, we should leave our
carriage and mules at the inn, and descend gradually the mountain till we had
gained the object of our ramble. Feeling no inclination to contend with him in
a matter of so little importance, I acquiesced; and having disposed of our
mules and attendants agreeably to his desire, we advanced towards the hamlet,
which consisted of a number of small white cottages, remarkable for their
neatness and beauty, almost surrounded with mountains. In this sylvan spot the
simple children of Nature, whose habitations were enclosed by these almost
inaccessible barriers, seemed to repose in uninterrupted quiet, and to be
equally removed from the cares and distresses of life. The song of the
herdsman, the bleat of the lamb, or the carol of the hasty-footed passenger,
tended to wrap the mind in that pleasing kind of melancholy, which rural sounds
and rural objects never fail to inspire, when the heart is sufficiently at ease
to be susceptible of these amiable impressions.
'Having
examined all that had hitherto fallen within the sphere of our observation, we
proceeded, by a little winding path, along a gentle descent, till we reached a
cottage so peculiarly beautiful, that our senses were for some time absorbed in
admiration. It was small, and of exact proportion; and so much taste was
displayed in the grounds which inclosed it, that it appeared like the retreat
of some sylvan deity, who had exhausted all the beauties of nature to harmonize
her favourite residence. A little lawn led to the door, which was ornamented
with several fltnciful shrubberies, intermingled with a variety of those
many-coloured flowers, wilieli enamel, and perfume with their odours, the
flinty bosom of Savoy. A wood wound along its side, through which a stream,
that had spent its fury among the rocks, was dimly and but at intervals seen
through the deep-foliated branches that hung over it, whose sound died away in
a gentle murmur, as it retreated from this beautiful dwelling to form a lake in
front of the village.
'As we
drew nearer to the cottage, a strain of music, so soft, so sweet, that it
seemed to proceed from no mortal touch, came faintly to our ears in the silence
of the night. It appeared to possess the powers of enchantment, for we were
unable either to return or to proceed. Whilst we still listened, it paused, and
then, accompanied by a voice which was melody itself, struck into another
measure. The Count eyed me with a look of secret triumph, and then desired me
to follow him. I obeyed in silence till we arrived within a few steps of the
door, when I demanded in what manner he intended to introduce himself to the
fair syren who had thus riveted our attention.
"Your
curiosity will soon be gratified," returned the Count, with a smile, which
was attended by a look I did not comprehend. "You have nothing to do but
to follow my steps, and be assured the adventure will terminate to your
satisfaction." While he yet spoke, the voice ceased, the music sunk into
cadence, and low sobs, broken, but distinct, were heard in its stead.
"What
can this mean?" cried I, interrupting him. "Can sorrow have found an
asylum in this sweet abode? If so, where call we look for tranquillity?"
The Count, without vouchsafing a reply, advanced towards the window from whence
the music was heard, and encouraged by his example, I followed slowly along.
The casement was thrown open to admit the cool breeze of the evening; but a
shade of fine lattice-work, which was over-canopied with the clematis
integrifolia, eglantine, and a number of variegated evergreens, concealed the
inhabitants of this beautiful little cottage from the gaze of the passenger.
Whilst we yet paused to observe the tasteful simplicity of its aspect, a rough
breeze wafted aside the foliated covering, and discovered a female, clad in a
white robe, bending gracefully over a harp. Her fine flaxen locks, which
descended to her waist in the most luxuriant tresses, were simply confined with
a ribbon passing over her forehead, and fastened, without the appearance of art,
in a loose and airy manner. A thin veil, of the slightest texture, covered her
face, to which imagination now gave all those charms of expression, all that
softness of eolour which glow in the mind of the painter, the poet, and the
lover. In a few moments she arose, replaced the harp by her side, and then
heaving a gentle sigh, advanced towards the window.
'Ashamed
of being seen thus watching her movements, as the breath of the zephyr allowed
me partially to observe her, I receded some paces back; but before I could
conceal myself behind the interwoven branches of the clematis, she drew up the
lattice-work with an intention of closing the casement, and gave us a full view
of her person. Her veil was yet over her face; but as the Count approached
nearer to the window she uttered an exclamation of surprise, and threw it back
upon her shoulders. I caught the tones of her voice; but scarcely could I
convince myself that I was still in existence, when, raising my eyes from the
ground, I beheld in the beautiful recluse my beloved Augusta. To convey a just
idea of my feelings at this moment would be impossible; I shall therefore pass
them over in silence, observing only that she received me with those speaking
tears, and blushing smiles, which convey more eloquently than words the genuine
force of affection.
'As soon
as I was a little composed, I desired the Count would explain this eventful
mystery, since it was evident that to lead me to this spot was a preconcerted
scheme, and that he was acquainted with the strange circumstance which had
given rise to the report of her death.
"You
are right, my dear Ferdinand," returned the Count, whose fine countenance
was irradiated with a smile of benevolence; "I have been the chief
performer in this little drama, and if you will give me a patient hearing, I
will instantly explain my motive for having thus led you from joy to grief, and
from grief to happiness. You are not ignorant of the passion that Rodolph
cherished for Augusta, which he, however, long concealed from her; but this
unfortunate prepossession increasing with her beauty, he was led, by slow
progressive measures, to the attempt of conciliating her affections, which he
had some hopes of effecting. Your attachment to his favourite, and the
benignant glances which she sometimes cast upon you, gave him more serious
uneasiness than he had ever before experienced. This accounts for a behaviour
which before this discovery was uniformly different, and for the manner in
which he precipitated your departure into Hungary.
"No
sooner had you left the Court of Vienna than the Empress observed his emotions
in the presence of Augusta, and instantly guessed the cause. In this affair she
displayed less of that exalted magnanimity of conduct than she had formerly
discovered on every other occasion. Her affection for Augusta was transformed
into the most deadly hate, which instigated her not only to withdraw her
protection, but to inflict some punishment as severe as undeserved. Hitherto I
had been honoured with her confidence in affairs of equal importance; and
fearing, lest the violence of her passions should plunge her into some
unexampled error, I called a little dissimulation to my aid, and entering
warmly into her feelings, promised to assist her design. Fortunately at this crisis
Augusta was so much indisposed as to be obliged to remain in her apartment.
This was favourable to my purpose; and during her confinement I prevailed upon
the Empress to allow me to spread a report of her death, and also to permit me
to convey her into a convent, which would effectually prevent her from being
either seen or heard of more. Having undertaken the management of this affair,
I contrived to inform this fair victim of unjust resentment of these
newly-concerted measures; at the same time assuring her, that if she would
assist my enterprise, by wearing an appearance of joy in the presence of the
Empress at being allowed to end her days in a religious retirement, instead of
devoting her to a conventual life, I would only remove her for a short time to
a little romantic retreat in a remote province till I had acquainted you with
her situation, who, I was convinced, would gladly liberate her from solitude.
Since to leave the Court had been for some weeks the primary wish of her soul,
she gladly consented to the proposal, and was immediately conveyed hither. In
the meantime the report of her death was circulated so successfully by the
Empress and her confidential dependants, who had bound themselves by oath to an
eternal silence upon the subject, in consideration of a great reward, that none
entertained any doubt of its reality. A coffin, attended by all the ladies of
the Court, who knew not but that it contained the body of their companion, was
interred with all the rites of burial; and so artfully was every thing
conducted, that the Emperor, the Nobles, and the whole Court, were completely
deceived.
"As
then, you must allow," resumed the Count, "that I have acted the part
of a friend, you will pardon me for having permitted you to taste of calamity, since
without the bitter ingredients of life, the sweets would be deprived of their
relish; and as you will have the justice to allow that the few weeks of
separation, which were necessary for the furthering of our scheme, have been
more than counter-balanced by the joys of meeting, you have now nothing to
do," continued the Count, directing a playful smile at the blushing
Augusta, "but to obtain the hand of this fair wood nymph, who, if I have
any skill in physiognomy, bestowed her heart upon you almost before she knew
she had one. A priest may easily be procured, by whom the ceremony may be
performed, and your own prudence, as to secrecy, will instruct you how to
act.--"
'The path
being thus cleared, half the difficulties were removed; and having renewed my
suit with all the ardency of the sincerest affection, she soon consented to
bestow upon me the happiness I sought; and a priest being engaged, I was soon
permitted to address her by the endearing appellation of wife.'--The Monk now
paused for a moment, to give a tear to the recollection of his former
happiness, and then proceeded--
'As soon
as the marriage was solemnized, we repaired, attended by the Count Wallestein,
to this castle, in which I spent many years in uninterrupted felicity. Heaven
blessed us with a daughter soon after our marriage, and the important secret
remaining still undiscovered, I removed occasionally to Court during the reign
of Rodolph; but my absences from the castle were never long, serving only to
augment the happiness I enjoyed in the society of my wife and daughter. At
last, however, it pleased Heaven to deprive me of my much-loved partner, though
not till she had seen her daughter eligibly and happily united to the Conte
della Caro, an Italian Nobleman, who accidentally saw her as he was making the
tour of Europe, and who, on my consent to their marriage, promised to allow his
bride to spend half the year in this castle, to which she was singularly
attached. Thus deprived by death of my Augusta, I felt once more an inclination
to travel, and to resume, if occasion required, my former profession, that of
arms. Mathias had now succeeded to the empire; and though by no means attached
to this haughty Prince, I determined to defend my country, now suffering from a
confederacy called the Evangelical League, which was, however, counterbalanced
by an host equally formidable, the assembly of the Catholics.
'Those who
have courage to take an active part on either side when a kingdom is divided
against itself, are encompassed with innumerable dangers, and few there are
that escape persecution. Some trifling inadvertency, which I could never
perfectly understand, was alledged against me, which was blackened with so many
malicious insinuations, that, without any formal accusation, I was conveyed by
stratagem from the kingdom, after having rendered it many services; and having
found means of escaping from my persecutors, was confined in a prison by order
of Mathias, who recollecting that in the reign of his brother I was no friend
to his unjust pretensions, eagerly listened to the calumnious reports which
were circulated by my enemies for the accomplishment of my destruction. In this
miserable situation I remained near two years, and then, without any reason
being publicly given for this, or for my mysterious confinement, I was as
strangely released. Thus emancipated from captivity, I resolved to leave the
intrigues of Courts, and the uncertainty of arms, to the young and the
fortunate, and to return again to my former residence. Having put my intention
into practice, of resigning for ever a military life, I returned to the castle
of Elfinbach, anxious to clasp to my heart a daughter from whom I had been so
unjustly separated. But what was my grief, when I was informed that both she
and the Conte were dead, the latter being slain by a party of banditti, or some
other as lawless wretches, which caused the death of the lovely mourner, his
widow, soon after she had given birth to a daughter, who, it was supposed, had
died with her! Though I had no suspicion of the falsehood of the report
concerning the fate of the infant, having never heard any thing to the
disadvantage of the late Marchese de Montferrat, who I knew to be the nearest
relative of the Conte della Caro, and consequently the next heir to his estates
if he died childless; yet I could not forbear sometimes listening to reports
which were circulated, though not generally believed, in the neighbourhood of
Turin (whither I afterwards repaired) respecting a female infant, which was
sent to nurse by the Marchese de Montferrat, believed by some to have been the
daughter of the Contessa della Caro. This instigated me to call on the woman
who had accepted the charge; but, except a numerous family of her own, she had
no child in her care; and her replies were at once so simple and so artless,
that I easily credited her assertion, which tended to convince me that all
reports upon this subject were founded in error. Weary of a world in which I
was left al-e and unfriended, I finally determined to find out some secure and
peaceful asylum, where I might terminate my days in peace and solitude; and at
length fixed upon a little alpine spot amid the mountains of Switzerland, which
was merely a cottage. In this melancholy retreat I remained many years under an
assumed character and name, leading literally the life of a hermit, till a very
singular dream, joined with an ardent desire of visiting my former dwelling,
induced me to quit my retirement.
'It was
one night, when I had fallen into a sleep much earlier than usual, that I
thought a person approached me as I slept, and bade me to repair without delay
to the castle of Elfinbach, for in that mansion the offspring of the
unfortunate Conte della Care was receiving her education, and that it depended
upon myself not only to reinstate her in the possessions of her ancestors, but
to save her from misery and from death. This visionary address was so deeply
impressed upon my mind, that it was long before I could recompose my spirits,
or convince myself it was but a dream. At the same hour the next night the
command was repeated; the same figure appeared to me again in the visions of my
sleep, bidding me depart, and watch unobserved the movements of the present
inhabitants of the castle; not openly to declare what I had been told, but to
wait the effects of time, which would eventually unravel all. This repetition
of the last night's adventure determined me to adhere to the advice delivered;
and having procured the habit of a white Friar, the better to protect me from danger
and impertinence, I commenced, in the character of a ghost, my nightly
watchings. I soon, however, discovered means of informing Ambrose that I was
mortal, and from him gained an accurate account of what was passing in the
castle, and what had happened before I reached its boundaries. From what he
affirmed, I had every reason to believe that my dream was founded on truth,
though it was riot sutflcient to lead to a certainty.
'To the
chapel I had free access, continued the Monk, 'at every hour of the night, and
also to the burial-vault beneath, which I entered by means of an outward door
opening behind the headless statue erected at the extremity, where I frequently
spent some time in conversation with Ambrose, or, when alone, allowed myself
the sad indulgence of weeping over the remains of my beloved Augusta, which
were entombed in that place.
'When I
beheld you, which was not, in spite of my utmost endeavours, till several weeks
after my arrival, the resemblance you bore to your mother, convinced me you was
her child; and thinking it necessary to warn you of your danger whilst in the
power of the Marchese de Moutferrat, I delivered you her picture, and meant to
have disclosed the secret of your birth, and then to have offered you my
protection; but was prevented by the interference of Paoli and your sudden
removal. Not knowing whither you was conveyed, till after the return of
Ambrose, which did not happen till a considerable time afterwards, I suffered
the most restless anxiety for your safety. His presence, however, when lie came
to discharge the domestics, relieved me from apprehension, though the
information he gave me determined me to go immediately in quest of you. Not
knowing the exact situation of the castle in the principality of Saltzburg, I
was obliged to repeat my inquiries; and being at first unsuccessful, was
directed by chance, or rather by Providence, into the chapel of a forsaken
abbey, which you afterwards entered, attended by a stranger of a dignified and
amiable aspect, who proved to be the present Marchese. His presence prevented
me from addressing you as I should otherwise have done; but by following you
along the mountains, I had soon an opportunity of discovering your place of
residence. After this event, I frequented the castle of Lunenburg as I had
formerly done this, but without obtaining the accomplishment of my desires. Soon
afterwards I learned from Ambrose, whom I largely rewarded for this
intelligence, that you was sent into a convent on the borders of Italy, and
that the Marchese had retired in extreme perturbation of spirits and distress
of mind to the castle of Elfinbach. Knowing, if this was the ease, which I had
no reason to doubt, that I might be enabled by some means, during your year of
initiation, to contrive your escape, could I inform myself of your place of
destination, I repaired again to this ancient and almost deserted mansion,
entertaining some hopes that, with the assistance of Ambrose, I might repeat
with success my supernatural appearances, and thus surprise and terrify the
Marchese into confession; since it was now evident, from the whole of his conduct,
that he had concealed, and usurped the rights of, a defenceless orphan. In this
attempt I succeeded, and by the assistance of a trap-door, so artfully
contrived as not to be perceived by the most careful observer, gained the
interior of his apartment, and so well accommodated myself to his own guilty
feelings, that the disorder of his mind hourly increased, and was followed by
an alarming disease, attended with many dangerous symptoms. This occasioned him
to send for a Confessor from the Carthusian monastery, that he might have an
opportunity of unburthening his conscience.
'I was
fortunately at the abbey of St Angelo at the time the message arrived, in the
society of Father Benedicta, with whoni, under my assumed habit, I had
accidentally formed a superficial acquaintance, and whose worth and goodness
led me to esteem his character long before I was personally known to him. As to
learn the substance of a confession, which appeared to promise much important
information, was of the utmost consequence to my future interests, I formed the
resolution of attending as Confessor, as I knew the severity of the
ecclesiastical rules would effectually prevent my obtaining this knowledge,
however necessary, by any other means. This induced me to make my intention known
to Father Benedicta relative to my plan of personating a Carthusian, though
without disclosing to him that I was not really a Friar; and with some
difficulty, after making my reasons partly known, prevailed upon him to supply
me with a habit of the order.
As the
Marchese had not signified a desire that any particular Friar should attend, I
was readily admitted, and soon learned the cause of his remorse; but the
purport of this singular confession I consider myself as bound, by the
strictest ties of religion, as well as of honour, strictly to conceal, and
should consider myself as culpable by the laws of justice, if I suffered myself
to reveal it, as if I had taken the indissoluble oath administered in the
period of initiation, which binds to eternal secrecy as to the nature of
confessions.
'When the
Marchese had completely unburthened his conscience, which was not till my third
visit, and it was proved, after the arrival of the Conte della Croisse, that
you was in a place of security, which appeared to take a considerable weight
from his heart, I sent one of the brotherhood to bestow absolution, not being
empowered to perform this ceremony myself, to whom also the substance of the
confession was repeated in the same manner as before, though from the appearance
of the Monk, which perfectly corresponded with my own, the Marchese was not
conscious of the deception.
'As soon
as these ceremonies were properly adjusted, I informed Father Benedicta of the
artifice I had employed; and having thrown aside the habit I had formerly worn,
substituted that adopted by the Carthusiaris; and entering juto the convent of
St Angelo, agreeable to mv former intention, took the name of Father Andrea.
'With all
the rest, my dear child,' rejoined the Monk, 'you are already acquainted. I
have now related to you all the material mcidents of my past life, which for
many years has been marked with severe misfortune; but Heaven, in your
preservation and happiness, has bestowed some sweeteners of my melancholy
existence, and I receive them with gratitude.'
