228 [=230]

228 Letters Historical and Galant. Vol. 4.

of Industry, and I admired it too. He must be a Gascon to think of such a thing, and to bring himself off as he did. But let this pass; tis no more than one of your merry Conceits; and the Adventure of one of these poor French Girls they call Regies here, contains something of a more melancholy nature.

This Damsel Left France, and after Crossing Geneva, and part of Switzerland, came down the Rhine to get to Holland having all her little treasure with her in a little box. it consisted of Rings, Necklace's, Gold chains, and other things of this kind, which she had pick'd up from her Mother's Toylet, and pretended to make a little fund of for her Support in foreign countries. A Sharper that pass'd for a Baron happened to be in the Boat with her, and as their voyage was pretty long, they had time to get acquainted. The Pretended Baron guess'd by the Care she took of her box, that it must Contain some valuable things; and as he travelled only to make Dupes, made no doubt but he had hit upon one: he therefore stuck close to the young fugitive, prais'd her zeal first, and then her Charms, and after shewing her the first day, what Esteem so generous a resolution as her's deserved, he acted the Passionate Lover the next; and from offers of his service, proceeded to offer her his heart and hand to. So quick and Lively a Passion ought to have been suspicious to our poor Hugenote, if Self Love, which makes us all so apt to flatter sour selves, had not made her imagine she had something in her self capable of inspiring these Sentiments. Not doubting therefore but she had made this illustrious Conquest, she began to think of raising her self and becoming a Baronness at least. As she could not pretend to a rank equal to it in her own Country, she look's upon this fortune to be a Reward from Heaven for her Piety, and formed to her self beforehand a very agreeable Idea of her future Grandeur, and the Envy she would excite in her family and among her old Friends, which with most of our Sex is the Clove of Garlick of Felicity. All these Reflections obliged her to have a great Regard for the Baron, who on his side painted them wonderfully. Sighs and eager addresses cost him nothing. The Lady was almost as sensible of them as of the advantages she thought to get by him: thus Love, Interest and Ambition determined her to all that her Lover wished. She made him master of her Box and heart. I would piously believe this adventure was carryed no farther. Be that as it will, as soon as the Baron was in possession, the Damsel was look'd upon as his wife. He told her his name, and promised rank and a very considerable fortune. The rest of the voyage pass'd away very gayly. But when they came near Wesel, for which this imposter said he was a native; "My Dear, says he, to his Mistress, tis necessary I should go before you, to tell my father I am bringing a Daughter in Law; I'll go ashore, and take post to be the sooner at home, where I shall dispose every thing for your Reception: You have nothing to do when you come to Wesel, but to go directly to my house: this is my Address, my Name is so well known in town that the least person you meet will shew you my house." The new Baroness thought all this very proper; she begg'd her Lover to acquaint Mr. his Father with her Tenderness and Gratitude, that those may supply the want of Fortune: and to swell the portion she gave him all the money she had even to the very half pence, keeping no more than what would carry her to Wesel, afterwhich they parted with tears in their eyes, tho it was to be but for a little while; and the Lover set his foot on shore, loaden with his little Prize. The Bark contintued rowing and landed just fine at Wesel, the Port so wished for by the poor Lover. She made to get on shore among the first, and Ran to the house she had the Address of, ask'd for the Baron de **; the Servants told her he was from home. "He should be returned by this time replyed she. How, said the Servants, he will not return in six months; and you don't know what you say." Upon it, taking her for a Cheat, they desired her very uncivilly to leave the door. She begg'd to speak with the Baron's Father, who hearing her sobs and Cries, came to see what was the matter, and was a little more moved than his Domesticks. He told the poor afflicted creature, that she was imposed on, for that his son was above two hundred Leagues off; and by the description she gave him of the Impostor, he knew him to be one of his servants, that he had discharged some time before, and had taken up the fine trade of a Sharper. He bewailed the Damsel's fate, blamed her Credulity, and gave her something out of Charity to hel her on her way. They say she married afterwards very advantageously in Holland, tho' she had no longer the Box to second the power of her Charms, for the Impostor took care not to part with it, and he has made a fund of it with which he is come to cut a figure here, and make Dupes at Gaming, as she did before in Love. See, in what consists the Greatest Revenue of those Gamesters by profession, who come here twice a year without drinking a drop of water. Unhappy are the Strangers that get into their Clutches! Ingenious men know and suspect them; and for my part I shall have no Correspondence with them. As play is none of my reigning Passion. I give it little or none of my time. Tis easy to divert one's self without it, and to chuse among a great number