- Besides, Her Removal From St. Germains, Depriving Me In A
Great Measure Of Those Opportunities I Had Before Of Entertaining
Her,
might very well contribute to wean off a passion, not settled either by
time or expectation, of ever being
Gratified; and I hope, continued he,
I shall always have so much command over myself as not to become
ridiculous by aiming at impossibilities.
Whether the baron gave any credit to what he said on this account or
not, he had too much politeness to press him any farther; and the
discourse soon after taking another turn, Horatio was very well pleased
to think he had got off so well.
De la Valiere having related to him some particulars of the late
campaign, which the public accounts had been deficient in, they passed
from that to some talk of the brave young king of Sweden, a topic which
filled all Europe with admiration: but the French being a people in whom
the love of glory is the predominant passion, were more than any other
nation charmed with the greatness of that prince's soul.
What indeed has any hero of antiquity to boast of in competition with
this northern monarch, who conquered and gave away kingdoms for the
benefit of others, disdaining to receive any other reward for all his
vast fatigues, than the pleasure of giving a people that person whom he
judged most worthy to reign over them!
The baron, who had attended the Count de Guiscard when he was
residentiary ambassador from his most christian majesty at the Swedish
court, had an opportunity of seeing more of this monarch than any other
that Horatio was acquainted with; he therefore, on his requesting it,
informed him how, at the age of eighteen, he threw off all magnificence,
forsook the pomp and delicacies of a court he had been bred in, and
undertook, and compleated the delivery of his brother-in-law, the duke
of Holstein, from the cruel incursions of the Danes, who had well nigh
either taken or ravaged the greatest part of his territories. He also
set forth, in its proper colours, the base part which Peter Alexowitz,
czar of Muscovy, and Augustus, king of Poland, acted against a prince
who was then employing his arms in the cause of justice; the latter of
these bringing a powerful army to take from him one part of his
dominions; and the former, at the head of an 100,000 men, were
plundering the other: but when he concluded his little narrative, by
reciting how this young conqueror, with a handful of brave Swedes,
animated by the example of their king, put entirely to route all that
opposed him, Horatio felt his soul glow with an ardour superior even to
that of love: he longed to behold a prince who seemed to have all the
virtues comprized in him, and whose very thoughts, as well as actions,
might be looked upon as super-natural.
He is, however, greatly to be pitied, said the baron de la Valiere, that
the wars he is engaged in, and which, in all probability will be of long
continuance, hinders him from the possession of the most amiable
princess in the world, and I dare answer, at least if I may credit those
about her, she wishes he were of a less martial disposition.
He will be the more worthy of her, cried Horatio interrupting him, and
the immortal fame of his actions be a sufficient attonement for all the
years of expectation that may be its purchase.
From the time Horatio had this discourse with the baron, the king of
Sweden was ever uppermost in his thoughts: he had always reflected that,
in the station he then was, it would be impossible to obtain any more of
mademoiselle Charlotta than her heart, at least while the baron de
Palfoy lived, and that a thousand accidents might deprive him of all
hopes of ever being more happy; but, said he to himself, were I among
the number of those who attend this hero in his martial exploits, I
might at least have an opportunity of proving how far fortune would
befriend me; - who knows but I might be able to do something which might
engage that just and generous monarch to raise me to a degree capable of
avowing my pretensions even to her father, and the same blessed day that
joined our principals, might also make me blessed in the possession of
my dear Charlotta.
With these ideas did he often flatter himself; but the manner in which
he should accomplish his desires was yet doubtless to him. The chevalier
St. George treated him with so much kindness, that he had no room to
doubt his having a great share in his favour; and was fully perswaded,
that if he communicated his intentions to him, he would vouchsafe to
give him letters of recommendation to a prince who was to be his
brother-in-law: but this he feared to ask, lest it should be looked upon
as ingratitude in him to desire to leave a court where he had been so
graciously received, and had many favours, besides the perquisites of
his post, heaped upon him, not only by the chevalier himself, but also
by the queen and princess, who, following the example of the late king,
behaved with a kind of natural affection to all the English.
He sometimes communicated his sentiments on this head to mademoiselle
Charlotta, who was too discreet not to allow the justness of them; and
well knew, that in the station her lover now was, they never could be on
any terms with each other than those they were at present: her reason,
therefore, and the advantage of her love, made her sometimes wish he
would follow the dictates of so laudable an ambition; but then the
dangers he must inevitably be exposed to in following a monarch who
never set any bounds to his courage, and the thoughts how long it might
possibly be before she saw him again, alarmed all her tenderness; and he
had the satisfaction of seeing the tears stand in her eyes whenever they
had any discourse of this nature; and tho' her words assured him that it
was her opinion he could not take a more ready way to raise his own
fortune, yet her looks at the same time made him plainly see how much
she would suffer in his taking that step.
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