Roxana by Daniel Defoe
All this while I said I knew not what, and said what I was no more able to do, than he was able to leave me; which, at that time, he own’d he cou’d not do, no, not for the Princess herself.
But another Turn of Affairs determin’d this Matter; for the Princess was taken very ill, and in the Opinion of all her Physicians, very dangerously so; in her Sickness she desir’d to speak with her Lord, and to take her Leave of him: At this grievous Parting, she said so many passionate kind Things to him; lamented that she had left him no Children; she had had three, but they were dead; hinted to him, that it was one of the chief things which gave her Satisfaction in Death, as to this World; that she should leave him room to have Heirs to his Family, by some Princess that should supply her Place; with all Humility, but with a Christian Earnestness, recom mended to him to do Justice to such Princess, whoever it should be, from whom, to be sure, he would expect Justice; that is to say, to keep to her singly, according to the solemnest Part of the Marriage-Covenant; humbly ask’d his Highness Pardon, if she had any way offended him; and appealing to Heaven, before whose Tribunal she was to appear, that she had never violated her Honour, or her Duty to him; and praying to Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin, for his Highness; and thus with the most moving, and most passionate Expressions of her Affection to him, took her last Leave of him, and died the next Day.
This Discourse from a Princess so valuable in herself, and so dear to him; and the Loss of her following so immediately after, made such deep Impressions on him, that he look’d back with Detestation upon the former Part of his Life; grew melancholly and reserv’d; chang’d his Society, and much of the general Conduct of his Life; resolv’d on a Life regulated most strictly by the Rules of Virtue, and Piety; and in a word, was quite another Man.
The first Part of his Reformation, was a Storm121 upon me; for, about ten Days after the Princess’s Funeral, he sent a Message to me by his Gentleman, intimating, tho’ in very civil Terms, and with a short Preamble, or Introduction, that he desir’d I wou’d not take it ill that he was oblig’d to let me know, that he could see me no more: His Gentleman told me a long Story of the new Regulation of Life his Lord had taken up, and that he had been so afflicted for the Loss of his Princess, that he thought it would either shorten his Life, or he wou’d retire into some Religious House, to end his Days in Solitude.
I need not direct any-body to suppose how I receiv’d this News; I was indeed, exceedingly surpriz’d at it, and had much a-do to support myself, when the first Part of it was deliver’d; tho’ the Gentleman deliver’d his Errand with great Respect, and with all the Regard to me, that he was able, and with a great deal of Ceremony; also telling me how much he was concern’d to bring me such a Message.
But when I heard the Particulars of the Story at large, and especially, that of the Lady’s Discourse to the Prince, a little before her Death, I was fully satisfied; I knew very well he had done nothing but what any Man must do, that had a true Sence upon him of the Justice of the Princess’s Discourse to him, and of the Necessity there was of his altering his Course of Life, if he intended to be either a Christian, or an honest Man: I say, when I heard this, I was perfectly easie; I confess it was a Circumstance that it might be reasonably expected shou’d have wrought something also upon me: I that had so much to reflect upon more, than the Prince; that had now no more Temptation of Poverty, or of the powerful Motive, which Amy us’d with me, namely, Comply and live; deny and starve; I say, I that had no Poverty to introduce Vice, but was grown not only well supply’d, but Rich, and not only Rich, but was very Rich; in a word, richer than I knew how to think of; for the Truth of it was, that thinking of it sometimes, almost distracted me, for want of knowing how to dispose of it, and for fear of losing it all again by some Cheat or Trick, not knowing any-body that I could commit the Trust of it to.
Besides I should add at the Close of this Affair, that the Prince did not, as I may say, turn me off rudely, and with Disgust; but with all the Decency and Goodness peculiar to himself, and that could consist with a Man reform’d, and struck with the Sence of his having abus’d so good a Lady as his late Princess had been; nor did he send me away empty, but did every thing like himself; and in particular, order’d his Gentleman to pay the Rent of the House, and all the Expence of his two Sons; and to tell me how they were taken Care of, and where; and also, that I might, at all times, inspect the Usage they had, and if I dislik’d any thing, it should be rectifid; and having thus finish’d every thing, he retir’d into Lorrain, or somewhere that Way, where he had an Estate, and I never heard of him more, I mean, not as a Mistress.
Now I was at Liberty to go to any Part of the World, and take Care of my Money myself; The first thing that I resolv’d to do, was to go directly to England, for there, I thought, being among my Countryfolks, (for I esteem’d myself an English-Woman, tho’ I was born in France,) but there, I say, I thought I cou’d better manage things, than in France, at least, that I would be in less Danger of being circumvented and deceiv’d; but how to get away with such a Treasure as I had with me, was a difficult Point, and what I was greatly at a Loss about.
There was a Dutch merchant in Paris, that was a Person of great Reputation for a Man of Substance, and of Honesty, but I had no manner of Acquaintance with him, nor did I know how to get acquainted with him, so as to discover my Circumstances to him; but at last I employ’d my Maid Amy, such I must be allow’d to call her, (notwithstanding what has been said of her) because she was in the Place of a Maid-Servant; I say, I employ’d my Maid Amy to go to him, and she got a Recommendation to him from somebody else, I knew not who; so that she got Access to him well enough.
But now was my Case as bad as before; for when I came to him, what cou’d I do? I had Money and Jewels, to a vast Value, and I might leave all those with him; that I might indeed, do; and so I might with several other Merchants in Paris, who wou’d give me Bills for it, payable at London, but then I ran a Hazard of my Money; and I had no-body at London to send the Bills to, and so to stay till I had an Account that they were accepted; for I had not one Friend in London, that I cou’d have recourse to, so that, indeed, I knew not what to do.
In this Case I had no Remedy, but that I must trust somebody; so I sent Amy to this Dutch Merchant, as I said above; he was a little surpriz’d when Amy came to him, and talk’d to him of remitting a Sum of about 12000 Pistoles122 to England, and began to think she came to put some Cheat upon him; but when he found that Amy was but a Servant, and that I came to him myself, the Case was alter’d presently.
When I came to him myself, I presently saw such a plainness in his Dealing, and such Honesty in his Countenance, that I made no Scruple to tell him my whole Story, viz. That I was a Widow; that I had some Jewels to dispose of, and also some Money, which I had a-mind to send to England, and to follow there myself; but being but a Woman, and having no Correspondence in London, or any-where else, I knew not what to do, or how to secure my Effects.
He dealt very candidly with me, but advis’d me, when he knew my Case so particularly, to take Bills upon Amsterdam, and to go that Way to England; for that I might lodge my Treasure in the Bank there, in the most secure Manner in the World; and that there he cou’d recommend me to a Man who perfectly understood Jewels, and would deal faithfully with me in the disposing them.
I thank’d him, but scrupled very much the travelling so far in a strange Country, and especially with such a Treasure about me; that whether known, or conceal’d, I did not know how to venture with it: Then he told me, he wou’d try to dispose of them there, that is, at Paris, and convert them into Money, and so get me Bills for the whole; and in a few Days he brought a Jew to me, who pretended123 to buy the Jewels.
As soon as the yea; saw the Jewels, I saw my Folly; and it was ten Thousand to one but I had been ruin’d, and perhaps, put to Death in as cruel a Manner as possible; and I was put in such Fright by it, that I was once upon the Point of flying for my Life, and leaving the Jewels and Money too, in the Hands of the D
As soon as the Jew saw the Jewels, he falls a jabbering in Dutch, or Portuguese, to the Merchant, and I cou’d presently perceive that they were in some great Surprize, both of them; the Jew held up his Hands, look’d at me with some Horrour, then talk’d Dutch again, and put himself into a thousand Shapes, twisting his Body, and wringing up his Face this Way, and that Way, in his Discourse; stamping with his Feet, and throwing abroad his Hands, as if he was not in a Rage only, but in a meer124 Fury; then he wou’d turn, and give a Look at me, like the Devil; I thought I never saw any thing so frightful in my Life.
At length I put in a Word; Sir, says I, to the Dutch Merchant, What is all this Discourse to my Business? What is this Gentleman in all these Passions about? I wish, if he is to treat with me, he wou’d speak, that I may understand him; or if you have Business of your own between you, that is to be done first, let me withdraw, and I’ll come again when you are at leisure.
No, no, Madam, says the Dutchman, very kindly, you must not go, all our Discourse is about you, and your Jewels, and you shall hear it presently, it concerns you very much, I assure you: Concern me, says I, what can it concern me so much, as to put this Gentleman into such Agonies? and what makes him give me such Devil’s Looks as he does? why he looks as if he wou’d devour me.
The Jew understood me presently, continuing in a kind of Rage, and spoke in French, Yes, Madam, it does concern you much, very much, very much, repeating the Words, shaking his Head, and then turning to the Dutchman, Sir, says he, pray tell her what is the Case; no, says the Merchant, not yet, let us talk a little farther of it by ourselves; upon which, they withdrew into another Room, where still they talk’d very high, but in a Language I did not understand: I began to be a little surpriz’d at what the Jew had said, you may be sure, and eager to know what he meant, and was very impatient till the Dutch Merchant came back, and that so impatient, that I call’d one of his Servants to let him know, I desir’d to speak with him; when he came in, I ask’d his Pardon for being so impatient, but told him I cou’d not be easie, till he had told me what the Meaning of all this was: Why Madam, says the Dutch Merchant, in short, the Meaning is, what I am surpriz’d at too: This Man is a Jew, and understands Jewels perfectly well, and that was the Reason I sent for him, to dispose of them to him, for you; but as soon as he saw them, he knew the Jewels very distinctly, and flying out in a Passion, as you see he did; told me, in short, that they were the very Parcel of Jewels which the English Jeweller had about him, who was robb’d going to Versailles, (about eight Years ago) to show them the Prince d’ —, and that it was for these very Jewels that the poor Gentleman was murther’d; and he is in all this Agony to make me ask you, how you came by them; and he says, you ought to be charg’d with the Robbery and Murther, and put to the Question,125 to discover who were the Persons that did it, that they might be brought to Justice: While he said this, the Jew came impudently back, into the Room, without calling, which a little surpriz’d me again.
The Dutch Merchant spoke pretty good English, and he knew that the Jew did not understand English at-all; so he told me the latter Part, when the Jew came into the Room, in English; at which I smil’d, which put the Jew into his mad Fit again, and shaking his Head, and making his Devil’s Faces again, he seem’d to threaten me for Laughing; saying in French, This was an Affair I shou’d have little Reason to laugh at, and the like; at this, I laugh’d again, and flouted him, letting him see, that I scorn’d him; and turning to the Dutch Merchant, Sir, says I, That those Jewels were belonging to Mr.—, the English Jeweller, naming his Name readily, in that, says I, this Person is right, but that I shou’d be question’d how I came to have them, is a Token of his Ignorance; which, however, he might have manag’d with a little more good Manners, till I had told him who I am; and both he, and you too, will be more easie in that Part, when I should tell you, that I am the unhappy Widow of Mr. —,who was so barbarously murther’d going to Versailles; and that he was not robb’d of those Jewels, but of others; Mr.—having left those behind him, with me, lest he should be robb’d; had I, Sir, come otherwise by them, I should not have been weak enough to have expo’d them to Sale here, where the Thing was done, but have carried them farther off.
This was an agreeable Surprize to the Dutch Merchant, who being an honest Man himself, believ’d every thing I said, which indeed, being all really and literally true, except the Deficiency of my Marriage, I spoke with such an unconcern’d Easiness, that it might plainly be seen, that I had no Guilt upon me, as the Jew suggested.
The Jew was confounded when he heard that I was the Jeweller’s Wife; but as I had rais’d his Passion, with saying, he look’d at me with a Devil’s Face, he studied Mischief in his Heart, and answer’d, That should not serve my Turn; so call’d the Dutchman out again, when he told him, that he resolv’d to prosecute this Matter farther.
There was one kind Chance in this Affair, which indeed, was my Deliverance, and that was, that the Fool cou’d not restrain his Passion, but must let it fly to the Dutch Merchant; to whom, when they withdrew a second time, as above, he told, that he would bring a Process against me for the Murther; and that it should cost me dear, for using him at that rate; and away he went, desiring the Dutch Merchant to tell him when I wou’d be there again: Had he suspected, that the Dutchman wou’d have communicated the Particulars to me, he wou’d never have been so foolish as to have mention’d that Part to him.
But the Malice of his Thoughts anticipated him, and the Dutch Merchant was so good, as to give me an Account of his Design, which indeed, was wicked enough in its Nature; but to me it would have been worse, than otherwise it wou’d to another; for upon Examination, I cou’d not have prov’d myself to be the Wife of the Jeweller, so the Suspicion might have been carried on with the better Face; and then I shou’d also, have brought all his Relations in England upon me; who finding by the Proceedings, that I was not his Wife, but a Mistress, or in English, a Whore, wou’d immediately have laid Claim to the Jewels, as I had own’d them to be his.
This Thought immediately rush’d into my Head, as soon as the Dutch Merchant had told me, what wicked things were in the Head of that cursed Jew; and the Villain (for so I must call him) convinc’d the Dutch Merchant that he was in earnest, by an Expression which shew’d the rest of his Design, and that was a Plot to get the rest of the Jewels into his Hand.
When first he hinted to the Dutchman, that the Jewels were such a Man’s, meaning my Husband’s, he made wonderful Explanations on account of their having been conceal’d so long; where must they have lain? and what was the Woman that brought them? and that she, meaning me, ought to be immediately apprehended, and put into the Hands of Justice; and this was the time that, as I said, he made such horrid Gestures, and look’d at me so like a Devil.
The Merchant hearing him talk at that rate, and seeing him in earnest, said to him, Hold your Tongue a little, this is a thing of Consequence; if it be so, let you and I go into the next Room and consider of it there; and so they withdrew, and left me.
Here, as before, I was uneasie, and call’d him out, and having heard how it was, gave him that Answer, that I was his Wife, or Widow, which the Malicious Jew said shou’d not serve my turn; and then it was, that the Dutchman call’d him out again; and in this time of his withdrawing, the Merchant finding, as above, that he was really in earnest, counterfeited a little to be of his Mind, and enter’d into Proposals with him for the thing itself.
In this they agreed to go to an Advocate, or Council, for Directions how to proceed, and to meet again the next Day, against which time the Merchant was to appoint me to come again with the Jewels, in order to sell them: No, says the Merchant, I will go farther with her than so; I will desire her to leave the Jewels with me, to show to another Person, in order to get the better Price for them: That’s right, says the Jew, and I’ll engage she shall never be Mistress of them again; they shall either be seiz’d by us, says he, in the Ki
The Merchant said Yes to every thing he offer’d, and they agreed to meet the next Morning about it, and I was to be perswaded to leave the Jewels with him, and come to them the next Day, at four a-Clock, in order to make a good Bargain for them; and on these Conditions they parted; but the honest Dutchman, fill’d with Indignation at the barbarous Design, came directly to me, and told me the whole Story; and now, Madam, says he, you are to consider immediately what you have to do.
I told him, if I was sure to have Justice, I would not fear all that such a Rogue cou’d do to me; but how such things were carried on in France I knew not; I told him, the greatest Difficulty would be to prove our Marriage, for that it was done in England, and in a remote Part of England too, and which was worse, it would be hard to produce authentick Vouchers of it, because we were Married in Private: But as to the Death of your Husband, Madam, what can be said to that? said he; nay, said I, what can they say to it? In England, added I, if they wou’d offer such an Injury to any one, they must prove the Fact, or give just Reason for their Suspicions; that my Husband was Murther’d, that every one knows; but that he was robb’d, or of what, or how much, that none knows, no, not myself; and why was I not question’d for it then? I have liv’d in Paris ever since, liv’d publickly, and no Man had yet the Impudence to suggest such a thing of me.
I am fully satisfied of that, says the Merchant; but as this is a Rogue, who will stick at nothing, what can we say? and who knows what he may swear? Suppose he should swear, that he knows your Husband had those particular Jewels with him the Morning when he went out, and that he shew’d them to him, to consider their Value, and what Price he should ask the Prince de — for them.