may in return make you forget all your sorrows; and with that he took me in his arms, and kissing me twice, told me he would see me again, but with less ceremony. Some little time after this, but the same day, his gentleman came to me again, and with great ceremony and respect, delivered me a black box tied with a scarlet ribband, and sealed with a noble coat of arms, which I suppose was the hear of his coming at that time with them; that he had not ordered him to attend with them at Versailles, but told him that he would come to Paris by such a day, so that he was no way accessary to the disaster. I told him gravely I knew very well that all his highness had said of that part was true: that these villains knew his profession, and knew, no doubt, that he always carried a casket of jewels about him, and that he always wore a diamond ring on his fingerprince's. worth a hundred pistoles, which report had magnified to five hundred; and that if he had been going to any other place, it would have been the same thing. After this his highness rose up to go, and told me he had resolved however to make me some reparation; and with these words put a silk purse into my hand with a hundred pistoles, and told me he would make me a further compliment of a small pension, which his gentleman would inform me of. You may be sure I behaved with a due sense of so much goodness, and offered to kneel to kiss h's hand, but he took me up and saluted me, and sat down again (though before he made as if he was going away), making me sit down by him. He then began to talk with me more familiarly; told me he hoped I was not left in bad circum. was reputed to be very stances; that Mr rich, and that he had gained lately great sums by some jewels, and he hoped, he said, that I had still a fortune agreeable to the condition I had lived in before. I replied, with some tears which I confess were a little forced, that I believed if Mr had lived, we should have been out of danger of want, but that it was impossible to estimate the loss which I had sustained, besides that of the life of my husband. That, by the opinion of those that knew something of his affairs, and of what value the jewels were which he intended to have shown to his highness, he could not have less about him than the value of a hundred thousand livres. That it was a fatal blow to me, and to his whole family, especially that they should be lost in such a manner. There was in it a grant from his high. ness, or an assignment, I know not which to call it, with a warrant to his banker to pay me two the jeweller, menthousand livres a year, during my stay in Paris, as the widow of Monsieurtioning the horrid murder of my late husband as the occasion of it, as above. I received it with great submission, and expressions of being infinitely obliged to his master, and of my showing myself on all occasions his highness's most obedient servant; and after giv.ng my most humble duty to his highness, with the utmost acknowledgements of the obligation, &c. I went to a little cabinet, and taking out some money, which made a little sound in taking it out, offered to give him five pistoles. He drew back, but with the greatest respect, and told me he humbly thanked me, but that he durst not take a farthing; that his highness would take it so ill of him, he was sure he would never see his face more; but that he would not fail to acquaint his highness what respect I had offered; and added, "I assure you, madam, you are more in the good graces of my master, the Prince of than you are aware of; and I believe you will hear more of him." Now I began to understand him, and resolved I told if his highness did come again, he should see me under no disadvantage, if I could help it. him, if his highness did me the honour to see me again, I hoped he would not let me be surprised as I was before; that I would be glad to have some little notice of it, and would be obliged to He told me, he him if he would procure it me. was very sure that when his highness intended to visit me, he should be sent before, to give me notice of it, and that he would give me as much warning of it as possible. His highness returned, with an air of concern, that he was very sorry for it; but he hoped, if I He came several times after this, on the same settled in Paris, I might find ways to restore my fortune; at the same time he complimented me errand, that is, about the settlement, the grant upon my being very handsome, as he was pleased requiring several things yet to be done, for making to call it, and that I could not fail of admirers.it payable without going every time to the prince I stood up and humbly thanked his highness, but again for a fresh warrant. The particulars of this told him I had no expectations of that kind; that part I did not understand; but as soon as it was I thought I should be obliged to go over to Eng-finished, which was above two months, the genand, to look after my husband's effects there, tleman came one afternoon, and said his highness which I was told were considerable; but that I designed to visit me in the evening; but desired did not know what justice a poor stranger would to be admitted without ceremony. get among them; and as for Paris, my fortune being so impaired, I saw nothing before me but to go back to Poictou to my friends, where some of my relations, I hoped, might do something for me, and added, that one of my brothers was -, near Poictiers. an abbot at He stood up, and taking me by the hand, led me to a large looking-glass which made up the pier in the front of the parlour, "Look there, madam," said he, "is it fit that that face," pointing to my figure in the glass, "should go back to stay and No, madam," says he, Poictou? make some gentleman of quality happy, that 66 I prepared not my rooms only, but myself; and when he came in there was nobody appeared in the house but his gentleman and my maid Amy, and of her I bid the gentleman acquaint his highness that she was an English woman; that she did not understand a word of French, and that she was one also that might be trusted. When he came into my room, I fell down at his feet, before he could come to salute me, and with words that I had prepared full of duty and respect, thanked him for his bounty and goodness to a poor desolate woman, oppressed under the weight of so terrible a disaster, and refused to rise till he would allow me the honour to kiss his hand. "Levez-vous donc," says the prince, taking me in his arms, "I design more favours for you than this trifle;" and going on, he added, "you shall for the future find a friend where you did not look for it, and I resolve to let you see how kind I can be to one who is to me the most agreeable creature on earth." I was dressed in a kind of half mourning, had turned off my weeds, and my head, though I had yet no ribbands nor lace, was so dressed as failed not to set me out with advantage enough, for began to understand his meaning: and the prince professed I was the most beautiful creature on earth." And where have I lived," says he, "and how ill have I been served that I should never till now be shown the finest woman in France ?" This was the way in all the world the most likely to break in upon my virtue if I had been mistress of any, for I was now become the vainest creature upon earth, and particularly of my beauty, which, as other people admired, so I became every day more foolishly in love with myself than before. He said some very kind things to me after this, and sat down with me for an hour or more, when getting up, and calling his gentleman by name, he threw open the door. "A boire," says he, upon which his gentleman immediately brought up a little table covered with a fine damask cloth, the table no bigger than he could bring in his two hands, but upon it was set two decanters, one of champagne and the other of water, six silver plates, and a service of fine sweetmeats in fine China dishes, on a set of rings standing up about twenty inches high, one above another. Below were three roasted partridges and a quail. As soon as his gentleman had set it all down, he ordered him to withdraw. "Now," says the prince, "I intend to sup with you." When he had sent away his gentleman, I stood up and offered to wait on his highness, while he eat, but he positively refused, and told me, "No, to-morrow you shall be the widow of Monsieur the jeweller, but to-night you shall be my mistress. Therefore, sit here," says he, "and eat with me, or I will get up and serve.' I would then have called up my woman Amy, but I thought that would not be proper neither; so I made my excuse that since his highness would not let his own servant wait, I would not presume to let my woman come up; but if he would please to let me wait, it would be my honour to fill his highness's wine; but, as before, he would by no means allow me. So we sat and eat together. -- 66 "Now, madam," says the prince, "give me leave to lay aside my character; let us talk together with the freedom of equals; my quality sets me at a distance from you, and makes you ceremonious; your beauty exalts you to more than an equality. I must then treat you as lovers do their mistresses, but I cannot speak the language; it is enough to tell you how agreeable you are to me, how I am surprised at your beauty, and resolve to make you happy, and to be happy with you." I knew not what to say to him for a good while, but blushed, and looking up towards him, || said I was already made happy in the favour of a person of such rank, and had nothing to ask of his highness out that he would believe me infinitely obliged. After he had eaten, he poured the sweetmeats into my lap; and the wine being out, he called his gentleman again to take away the table, who, at first, only took the cloth and the remains of what was to eat, away; and laying another cloth, set the table on one side of the room with a noble service of plate on it, worth at least 200 pistoles. Then, having set the two decanters again upon the table, filled, as before, he withdrew, for I found the fellow understood his business very well, and his lord's business too. About half an hour after, the prince told me that I offered to wait a little before, but if I would now take the trouble, he would give me leave to give him some wine; so I went to the table, filled a glass of wine, and brought it to him on a fine salver, which the glasses stood on, and brought the bottle or decanter of water in my other hand, to mix it as he thought fit. He smiled, and bid me look on that salver, which I did, and admired it much, for it was a very fine one indeed. "You may see," said he, "I resolve to have more of your company, for my servant shall leave you that plate for my use." I told him I believed his highness would not take it ill that I was not furnished fit to entertain a person of his rank, and that I would take great care of it, and value myself infinitely upon the honour of his highness's visit. It now began to grow late, and he began to take notice of it. But," says he, "I cannot leave you; have you not a spare lodging for one night? I told him I had but a homely lodging to entertain such a guest. He said something exceeding kind on that head, but not fit to repeat, adding, that my company would make him amends. About midnight he sent his gentleman on an errand, after telling him aloud that he intended to stay here all night. In a little time bis gentleman brought him a night-gown, slippers, two caps, a neck cloth, and shirt, which he gave me to carry into his chamber, and sent his man home; and then, turning to me, said I should do him the honour to be his chamberlain of the household and bis dresser also. I smiled, and told him I would do myself the honour to wait on him upon all occasions. About one in the morning, while his gentleman was yet with him, I begged leave to withdraw, supposing he would go to bed; but he took the hint, and said, "I am not going to bed yet, pray let me see you again." I took this time to undress me, and to come in a new dress, which was in a manner une dis habille, but so fine, and all about me so clean and so agreeable, that he seemed surprised. "I thought," says he, "you could not have dressed to more advantage than you had done before: but now," says he, "you charm me a thousand times more, if that be possible." "It is only a loose habit, my lord," said I. "that I may the better wait on your highness." He pulled me to him. "Your are perfectly obliging," says he, "and," sitting on the bed-side, "now you shall be a princess, and know what it is to oblige the most grateful man alive:" and, with that, he took me in his arms. I can go no further in the particulars of what passed at that time, but it ended in this, that, in short, I lay with him all that night. I have given you the whole detail of this story to lay it down as a black scheme of the way how unhappy women are ruined by great men; for though poverty and want is an irresistible temptation to the poor, vanity and great things are as irresistible to others. To be courted by a prince, and by a prince who was first a benefactor and then an admirer; to be called handsome, the finest woman in France, and to be treated as a woman fit for the bed of a prince; these are things a woman must have no vanity in her, nay, no corruption in her, that is not overcome by it; and my case was such that, as before, I had enough of both. I had now no poverty attending me; on the contrary, I was mistress of ten thousand pounds before the prince did anything for me. Had I been mistress of my resolution; had I been less obliging, and rejected the first attack, all had been safe; but my virtue was lost before, and the devil, who had found the way to break in upon me by one temptation, easily mastered me now by another; and I gave myself up to a person, who, though a man of high dignity, was yet the most tempting and obliging that ever I met with in my life. I had the same particulars to insist upon here with the prince as I had with my gentleman before. I hesitated much at consenting at first asking, but the prince told me princes did not court like other men; that they brought more powerful arguments; and he very prettily added, that they were sooner repulsed than other men, and ought to be sooner complied with; intimating, though very genteely, that after a woman had positively refused him once, he could not, like other men, wait with importunities and stratagems, and laying long sieges; but as such men as he stormed warmly, so, if repulsed, they made no second attacks: and, indeed, it was reasonable; for as it was below their rank to be long battering a woman's constancy, so they ran greater hazards in being exposed in their amours than other men did. I took this for a satisfactory answer, and told his highness that I had the same thoughts in respect to the manner of his attacks; for that his person and his arguments were irresistible; that a person of his rank, and a munificence so unbounded, could not be withstood; that no virtue was proof against him, except such as was able to suffer martyrdom; that I thought it impossible I could be overcome, but that now I found it impossible I should not be overcome; that so much goodness, joined with so much greatness, would have conquered a saint; and that I confess he had the victory over me, by a merit infinitely superior to the conquest he had made. He made me a most obliging answer; told me abundance of fine things, which still flattered my vanity, till at last I began to have pride enough to believe him, and fancied myself a fit mistress for a prince. As I had thus given the prince the last favour, and he had all the freedom with me that it was possible for me to grant, so he gave me leave to use as much freedom with him another way, and that was to have everything of him I thought fit to command; and yet I did not ask of him with an air of avarice, as if I was greedily making a penny of him, but I managed him with such art that he generally anticipated my demands. He only requested of me that I would not think of taking another house, as I had intimated to his highness I intended to do, not thinking it good enough to receive his visits in; but he said my house was the most convenient that could possibly be found in all Paris for an amour, especially for him, having a way out into three streets, and not overlooked by any neighbours, so that he could pass and repass without observation; for one of the back ways opened into a narrow dark alley, which alley was a thoroughfare or passage out of one street into another; and any person that went in or out by the door had no more to do but to see that there was nobody following him in the alley before he went in at the door. This request I knew was reasonable, and therefore I assured him I would not change my dwelling, seeing his highness did not think it too mean for me to receive him in. He also desired me that I would not take any more servants, or set up any equipage, at least for the present; for that it would then be immediately concluded I had been left very rich, and then I should be thronged with the impertinence of admirers, who would be attracted by the money, as well as by the beauty of a young widow, and he should be frequently interrupted in his visits; or that the world would conclude I was maintained by somebody, and would be indefatigable to find out the person; so that he should have spies peeping at him every time he went out or in, which it would be impossible to disappoint; and that he should presently have it talked over all the toilets in Paris that the Prince de had got the jeweller's widow for a mistress. This was too just to oppose, and I made no scruple to tell his highness that since he had stooped so low as to make me his own, he ought to have all the satisfaction in the world; that I was all his own; that I would take all the measures he should please to direct me to avoid the impertinent attacks of others; and that, if he thought fit, I would be wholly within doors, and have it given out that I was obliged to go to England to solicit my affairs there, after my husband's misfortunes, and that I was not expected there again for at least a year or two. This he liked very well, only he said that he would by no means have me confined; that it would injure my health, and that I should then take a country house in some village, a good way from the city, where it should not be known who I was, and that he should be there sometimes to divert me. I made no scruple of the confinement, and told his highness no place could be a confinement where I had such a visitor, and so I put off the country house, which would have been to remove myself further from him, and have less of his company; so I made the house be, as it were, shut up. Amy, indeed, appeared, and when any of the neighbours or servants enquired, she answered, in broken French, that I was gone to you are England to look after my affairs, which presently "When deep intrigues are close and shy, Thus his highness had the most easy, and yet fortnight; and that fortnight he stayed wholly with me, and never went out of my doors. Never woman, in such a station, lived a fortnight in so complete a fulness of human delight; for to have the entire possession of one of the most accomplished princes in the world, and of the politest best-bred man; to converse with him all day, and as he professed, charm him all night; what could be more inexpressibly pleasing, and especially to a woman of a vast deal of pride, as was? I To finish the felicity of this part, I must not forget that the devil had played a new game with me, and prevailed with me to satisfy myself with this amour, as a lawful thing; that a prince of such grandeur and majesty, so infinitely superior to me, and one who had made such an introduction by an unparalleled bounty, I could not resist and therefore, that it was very lawful for me to do it, being at this time perfectly single, and unengaged to any other man, as I was, most certainly, by the unaccountable absence of my first husband, and the murder of my gentleman : who went for my second. It cannot be doubted but that I was the easier to persuade myself of the truth of such a doctrine as this, when it was so much for my ease, and for the repose of my mind, to have it be so. another; nor could I go to confession, who knew nothing of the manner of it, and should betray myself to the priest to be an Hugonot, and then might come into trouble; but, in short, though I was a whore, yet I was a Protestant whore, and could not act as if I was Popish, upon any account whatsoever. But, I say, I satisfied myself with the surprising occasion, that, as it was all irresistible, so it was all lawful; for that heaven would not suffer us to be punished for that which it was not possible for us to avoid; and with these absurdities I kept conscience from giving me any considerable disturbance in all this matter; and I was as perfectly easy as to the lawfulness of it, as if I had been married to the prince, and had had no other husband: so possible is it for us to roll ourselves up in wickedness, till we grow invulnerable by conscience; and that sentinel once dozed, sleeps fast, not to be awakened while the tide of pleasure continues to flow, or till something dark and dreadful brings us to ourselves again. that my intellectual part was under all that of it at all. As for me, However, I say, as to my own part, I enjoyed myself in perfect tranquillity; and as the prince his idol; and however it was with his princess, I was the only deity I worshipped, so I was really assure you his other mistresses found a sensible difference, and though they could never find me out, yet I had good intelligence that they guessed very well that their lord had got some new favourite that robbed them of his company, and, perhaps, of some of his usual bounty too. now I must mention the sacrifices he made to his idol, and they were not a few, I assure you. And "In things we wish, 'tis easy to deceive, What we would have we willingly believe." Besides, I had no casuists to resolve this doubt; the same devil that put this into my head bade As he loved like a prince, so he rewarded like me go to any of the Romish clergy, and, under a prince, for though he declined my making a the pretence of confession, state the case exactly, figure, as above, he let me see that he was above and I should see they would either resolve it to doing it for the saving the expense of it, and so be no sin at all, or absolve me upon the easiest he told me, and that he would make it up in penance. This I had a strong inclination to try, other things. First of all, he sent me a toilet. but I know not what scruple put me off to it, with the appurtenances of silver, even so much for I could never bring myself to like having to as the frame of the table; and then for the house do with those priests; and though it was strange he gave me the table, or sideboard of plate I menthat I, who had thus prostituted my chastity, tioned above, with all things belonging to it, of and given up all sense of virtue, in two such par-massy silver, so that, in short, I could not for my ticular cases, living a life of open adultery, should life study to ask him for anything of plate which scruple anything; yet so it was. I argued with || I had not. myself that I could not be a cheat in anything that was esteemed sacred; that I could not be of one opinion, and then pretend myself to be of He could then accommodate me in nothing more but jewels and clothes, or money for clothes; he sent his gentleman to the mercer's, and bought THE FORTUNATE MISTRESS. me a suit, or whole piece, of the finest brocaded silk, figured with gold, and another with silver, and another of crimson, so that I had three suits of clothes, such as the queen of France would not have disdained to have worn at that time; yet I went out nowhere; but as those were for me to put on when I went out of mourning, I dressed myself in them, one after another, always when his highness came to see me. I had no less than five several morning dresses besides these, so that I need never be seen twice in the same dress; to these he added several parcels of fine linen and of lace, so much that I had no room to ask for more, or, indeed, for so much. I took the liberty once, in our freedoms, to tell him he was too bountiful, and that I was too chargeable to him for a mistress, and that I would be his faithful servant at less expense to him; || and that he not only left me no room to ask him for anything, but that he supplied me with such || a profusion of good things that I scarce could || wear them, or use them unless I kept a great equipage, which he knew was no way convenient for him or for me: he smiled, and took me in his arms, and told me he was resolved, while I was his, I should never be able to ask him for anything, but that he would be daily asking new favours of me. After we were up, (for this conference was in bed) he desired I would dress me in the best suit of clothes I had. It was a day or two after the three suits were made and brought home. I told him, if he pleased, I would rather dress me in that suit which I knew he liked best. He asked me how I could know that before he had seen them. I told him I would presume for once to guess at his fancy by my own; so I went away and dressed me in the second suit, brocaded with silver, and returned in full dress, with a suit of lace upon my head, which would have been worth in England £200 sterling; and I was every way set out as well as Amy could dress me, who was a very genteel dresser too. In this figure I came to him, out of my dressing room, which opened with folding doors into his bedchamber. He sat as one astonished a good while, looking at me, without speaking a word, till I came quite up to him, kneeled on one knee to him, and almost, whether he would or no, kissed his hand. He took me up, and stood up himself, but was surprised when, taking me in his arms, he perMy dear," ceived tears to run down my cheeks. " says he, aloud, "what mean these tears ?"-" My lord," said I, after some little check, for I could not speak presently, "I beseech you to believe me, they are not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy. It is impossible for me to see myself snatched from the misery I was fallen into, and at once to be in the arms of a prince of such goodness, such immense bounty, and be treated in such a manner; it is not possible, my lord," said I, "to contain the satisfaction of it; and it will break out in an excess in some measure proportioned to your immense bounty, and to the affection which your highness treats me with, who am so infi- || nitely below you." It would look a little too much like a romance here to repeat all the kind things he said to me on that occasion, but I cannot omit one passage; as he saw the tears drop down my cheeks, he swore, 66 Nor was I a very indifferent figure as to shape; though I had two children by my gentleman, and six by my true husband, I say, I was no despicable shape; and my prince (I must be allowed the vanity to call him so) was taking his view of me as I walked from one end of the room to the At last he leads me to the darkest part other. of the room, and standing behind me, bid me hold up my head, when putting both his hands round my neck, as if he was spanning my neck, to see how small it was, for it was long and small, he held my neck so long and so hard in his hand, that I complaind he hurt me a little. What he did it for, I knew not, nor had I the least suspicion but that he was spanning my neck; but when I said he hurt me, he seemed to let me go, and in a half a minute more led me to a pier glass, and behold I saw my neck clasped with a fine necklace of diamonds; whereas I felt no more what he was doing than if he had really done nothing at all, nor did I suspect it in the least. If I had an ounce of blood in me that did not fly up in my face, neck, and breasts, it must be from some interruption in the vessels. I was all on fire with the sight, and began to wonder what it was that was coming to me. However, to let him see that I was not unqualified to receive benefits, I turned about: "My lord," says I, "your highness is resolved to conquer, by your bounty the very gratitude of your servants; you will leave no room for anything but thanks, and make those thanks useless too, by their bearing no proportion to the occasion." "I love, child," says he, "to see everything suitable. A fine gown and petticoat, a fine laced |