Henry Esmond; The English Humourists; The Four Georges

is equal to her fate." Her gentlewoman, Victoire, persuaded her that her prudent course was, as she could not fly, to receive the troops as though she suspected nothing, and that her chamb

he page to say her ladyship was ill, c

ere posted at the gate-a half-dozen more walked towards the stable; and some others, preceded by their commander, and a man in black, a

ame through the ante-room to the tapestry parlour, and

an," says the captain kindly,

is ill abed,"

t has she?" as

id, "the r

es the good-natured captain; "and the coach i

know," sa

has her lady

know," sa

my lord

rday n

"With Fat

Mr.

id they travel?"

d without me,"

ee Lady Ca

ut at this moment Victoire came out. "Hush!" says she; and, as if not knowing tha

dy Castlewood," says t

ith a nightcap on her head, and propped up by her pillows, looking none the less ghastly

he doctor?

her names and designations, a Jesuit priest, who officiated as chaplain here in the late king's time, and is now at the head of the conspiracy which was about to break out in this country against the authority of their Majesties King William and Que

ommonly ghastly as she sat up in her bed, where however she had had her cheeks painted,

"Your woman will show me where I am to look;" and Madame Victoire, chattering in her half-French and half-English jargon, opened while the captain examined one dr

t her arms, and, with a piercing shriek, cried, "Non, jamais, monsieur

y's wigs, washes, and rouge-pots, and Victoire said men were monsters, as the captain went on with his perquisition. He tapped the back to see whether or no it was hollow, and as he thrust his hand

politeness. "I have found nothing which concerns the Government as yet-only the weapons with which beauty is autho

wretch in the room with me," crie

u must have to smooth your pillow

reamed ou

"I must have in four of my men to lift you off in the sheet: I must examine this bed,

and bolsters, at last came to "burn", as they say in the play of forfeits, and wrenching awa

my lady, sitting up in the bed, showing

o rise. You will have to travel for some distance, as far as Hexton Castle to-night.

is down," said my lady, with some d

me search the bed," said the captain; "ther

shoes sitting up in the bed, and stepping down from it. The trunks were ready packed for departure in her ante-room, and the horses ready harnessed in the stable: about all which the captain seemed to know, by informat

what the papers contained, of which Captain Westbury had made a seizure, and which

. Freeman's (King James's) friends-a similar paper being found among those o

on my Lord Castlewood, and the heirs male of his body; his ap

d him very eagerly in Mr. Freeman's cause, showing him the great advantage he would have by trading with that merchant, offering him large premiums there as agreed between us. But he says no: he considers Mr. Freeman the head of the firm, will never trade against him or embark with any other trading company, but considers his duty was done when Mr. Free

of Castlewood was deeply engaged in that quarter. But for his part he had broke his sword when the K. left the country, and would never again fight in that quarrel. The P. of O. was a man, at lea

congratulated himself, as he had good reason, that he had not joined in the scheme which proved so fatal to many concerned in it. But, naturally, the lad knew little about these circumstances when they

e very rigorously. They examined Mr. Holt's room, being led thither by his pupil, who showed, as the father had bidden

he brazier, they examined them eagerly enough, and the

these?"

lawyer. "What are you laughing at, little whelp?

rry said, "and bade me to burn them;"

reason, I would lay a w

says Captain Westbury. "Ca

a little,"

sir, on your peril," said the law

, shaking the boughs thereof, and seeking the fruit, being for the most part unmindful of the tree of life.' O blind generation! 'tis this tree of knowledge to

eeper than he seems: who knows

stbury, laughing; and he called to a trooper out o

e good-humoured face, came in at

s this, Dick,"

"I may be Dick for my friends, but I don't

"Well the

address a gentleman of his Majesty's Horse

ow, sir," sa

are not accustomed to meet wi

read that bit of pa

s officer, "and from a sermon of Mr. Cudworth's," and he trans

r you are," says the

s," says the lawyer. "I think we will pa

f Latin?" said the capt

ere," Harry Esmond said, simply, "

his solitude-for the captain looked at him very good-naturedly, and the trooper, calle

e say?" says

himself," cried

nd had learned to succour the miserable, and that'

captain said. And Harry Esmond, always touched by a kind face a

nd were put into the vehicle. This woman, who quarrelled with Harry Esmond all day, was melted

be found, and give you protection. Situated as I am, they will not dare wreak their vengeance on me now." And she kissed a medal she wore with great fervour, and Henry Esmond knew not in

of stature, and looked much younger than his age), and such questions as they put he answered cautiously enough, and professing even more ignorance than he had, for which his e

coach. And Harry was left behind at the Hall, belonging as it were to nobody, and quite alone in the world. The captain and a guard of men remained in possession there; and

nd poor little Harry thought his duty was to wait upon Captain Westbu

d whose goodness Harry was never tired of speaking, Dick, rather to the boy's surprise, who began to have an early shrewdness, like many children bred up alone, showed a great deal of theological science, and knowledge of the [pg 065] points at issue between the two Churches; so that he and Harry would have hours of controversy together, in which the boy was certainly worsted by the arguments

old me that a young gentleman of Edinburgh, eighteen years of age, student at the college there, w

uch persecution on both side

tyr downwards-"this one's fire went out under him: that one's oil cooled in the cauldron: at a third holy head the executi

n the Protestant alike. For faith, everywhere multitudes die willingly enough. I have read in Monsieur Rycaut's History of the Turks, of thousands of Mahomet's followers rushing upon death in battle as upon certain Paradise; and in the Great Mogul's dominions people fling themselves by hundreds [pg 066] under the cars of the idols annually, and the widows burn themselves on their husbands' bodies, as 'tis well known. 'Tis not the dying for a faith that's so hard, Master Harry-every man of every nation has done that-'tis the living up to it that is difficult, as I know to my cost," he added, with a sigh. "And ah!" he added, "my poor lad, I am not strong enough to convince thee by my life-though to die for my religio

at deal of good?" as

ast he taught me to see and approve better

ery good,"

moking of tobacco, and singing and cursing, over the Castlewood ale-Harry Esmond found Dick the Scholar in a woful state of drunkenness. He hiccuped out a sermon; and his laughing companions bade him sing a hymn, on which Dick, swearing he would run

m them, from time to time, how the lady at Hexton Castle was treated, and the particulars of her confinement there. 'Tis known that King William was disposed to deal very leniently with the gentry who remained faithful to the old king's cause; and no prince usurping a crown, as his enemies said he did (righteously taking it as I think now), ever caused less blood to be shed. As for

ought his lady and little daughter to see the prisoner, to the latter of whom, a child of great beauty, and many winning ways, the old viscountess took not a little liking, although between her ladyship and the child's mother there was little more love than formerly. There are some injuries which women never forgive one another; and Madam Francis Esmond, in marrying her cousin, had done one of those irretrievable wrongs to Lady Castlewood. But as she was now humiliated, and in misfortune, Madam Francis could allow a truce to her enmity, and could be kind for a while, at least, to her husband's discarded mistress

ion of one or the other considerable, it was deemed advisable that they should separate; and the priest betook himself to other places of retreat known to him, whilst my lord passed over from Bristol into Ireland, in which kingdom King James had a Court and an army. My lord was but a small addition to this; bringing, indeed, only his sword and the few pieces in his pocket; but the king received him with some kindness and distinction in spite of his poor plight, confirmed him in his new title of marquis, gave him a regiment, and promised him further promotion. But titles or promotion were not to benefit him now. My lord was wounded at the fatal battle of the Boyne, flying from which field (long after his maste

land to England: where, when it did arrive, it did not find my lady at her own house; she was at the king's house o

ht in as Captain Westbury and Lieutenant Trant were on the green playing at b

y; "Harry, did you ever see Colonel Esmond?" And Cap

m but once when he was at

he say

ars of age: he knew what his birth was and the disgrace of it; and he felt no l

ve my Lord

, sir, to say," the boy answer

, in a vary grave tone-"something which must happen to us all. He

ought for the right

continued Mr. Westbury. "I hope he has made some testament, or provided for thee somehow. This letter

acknowledge in secret and with a blush, and whom he could neither love nor revere. And he sickened to think how Father Holt, a stranger, and two or three soldiers, his acquaintances of the last six weeks, were the only friends he had in the great wide world, where he was now quite alone. The soul of the boy was full of love, and he longed as he lay in the darkness there for some one upon whom he could bestow it. He remembers, and must to his dying day, th

rief," Dick said, "I ever knew. I remember I went into the room where his body lay, and my mother sat weeping beside it. I had my battledore in my hand, and fell a-beating the coffin, and calling papa; on which my mother caught me in her arms, and told me in a flood of tears papa could not hear me, and would pla

Though there might [pg 071] be a bar in Harry Esmond's shield, it was a noble one. The counsel of the two friends was, that little Harry should stay