Flemish language with fuch fuency and purity. But fome people fometimes confider certain things true merely on account of their improbability, for they think that in cafe they were fictions, the nairator would have taken care to give them more plaufibility; and none are fo ready as the proud to be lieve a tale, because they fuppofe it immpoffible that any one would attempt to impofe upon them, especially in fo clumfy a manner. No fooner, therefore, did Baldwin hear this ftory about a king's daughter and the heirefs of a great kingdom, than he was inflamed with the defire of poflefling it. The beauteous eyes of the ftranger, her majeftic figure, the grace and cafe of her manner, appeared at once doubly captivating. He already be held in imagination millions of proftrate fubjects; regions embracing half a hemifphere; precious ftones in profufion inexpreffible, thoufands of elephants, and folders innumerable as the fand of the fea. All thefe he beheld depending on the hand of the beauteous Ellore, and that hand his own whenever he pleafed. He therefore invited the fugitive princefs with great cordiality to accompany him to his refidence; and by the way he began to prefs his fuit with the greateft ardour. Eldore had now no occafion to regret vehemently the life fhe had led at her father's court, however magnificent the had defcribed it; here the again found fubje&ts, royal state, and abundance. Baldwin was the most attentive of lovers; her look was equivalent to a command, and a word from her more impreffive than a devine law. Often did the repay thefe attentions with fuch tender glances, with fach flattering acknowledg. ments, as at length left Baldwin no Toom to doubt that he had gained her heart. He therefore affembled his barous and vaffals, communicated to them, what to be fure they had long known, that he had at his court a great prince's, who was, indeed, an Afiatic, and confequently an idola trefs; but who, he added, combine. fuch an amiable difpofition with the certain expectation of future greatnets, that he was determined to overlock her idolatry and to folicit her hand. The barons fomewhat furprised at the concluding words of his addrets, would have made objections to the refolution, hut before they had time to recover themselves, Baldwin r from his feat. Love would not per mit him to remain any longer, be flew to his beauteous Eldore, a made her a tender of his hand and his heart. • Your hand I fee, and the finceri ty of your heart I have no occafion to doubt, replied the with a look at dignity; but, Baldwin, where is the kingdom that authorizes your folicit an alliance with the daugher of a king?" The confounded prince ftood for fome time fpeechless. It might be fuppofed that fuch an answer wool have offended him, and yet it served only to inflame his defire fill more ftrongly. In his eyes Eldore's charms encreafed with her hautinefs; he was fo tender, fo prefling, fo perfevering, that, at length, he carried his point. He was admitted to the bed of Eldore and the fhared his grandeur. The happiness of a husband is fail, filled according as the wind of the wife's caprice happens to blow. Love is moft affuredly the m precious boon beflowed on man but love in the conjugal union us tinctured with intereft is extreme rare. It is only at a high price that a wife in general fells her husband the pleafuies of matrimony. Obinacy, jealousy, infatiable pretentions, compel repayment with ufury; and both the prince and the private indivi dual are in general doomed alike to repent their choice. Baldwin foon had abundant rea fon for this kind of repentance, te ver was hufband more completely bject to a wife. It was not indeed ith that arbitrary tone, with that ameless and ever-varying caprice, with that irretating obflinacy, that Idore ruled. She knew but too well at fuch conduct would finally be inifhed with hatred and contempt, d her art therefore confifted in genintreaties, imperceptible and yet folute, oppofition, apparent timidity, attering careffes, and thofe dangeris weapons-tears. All the pows of wit, all the charms of convertion, and all the glow of fancy ere hers. By degrees fhe rivetted er chains too firmly to be fhaken f, before the affectionate Baldwin onceived the flighteft fufpicion of ay intention of the kind. It is extraordinary, thought he of n, when he had again facrificed his ill to her withes, it is extraordinary hat an Afiatic thould fo exactly reemble our European women in her ifpofitions, and in her defire of fubting every thing, and efpecially er hufband to her fway! And I, vho once knew not what compliance neant-1, who have been accufomed to fee every word pafs for a command, am now fubfervient to all he caprices of a woman!-Who can orbear being attonithed; and who has more reaion to be furprifed at it han mytelf! A year had already clapfed fince their union, and Eldore prefented her hufband with a lovely boy. A courier had been dispatched to Afia, but he did not come back. A fecond was fent off, and his return was looked for in vain, The hoped for kingdom was continually uppermoft in the thoughts of the count. He meafured, he embellished, he peopled and enlarged it; he gave it new laws; he enriched it with arts and fciences; he perfuaded his mighty father-in-law to admit him to participation in the throne; and even prevailed on him to cfign the fatigues of bofinets, to pats his declining years in retirement, and to be fatisfied with witnelling me activity and the achievements of his fon. Nething was fo fweet and fo flattering to Baldwin as this profpect and thefe reveries. But the not pleafing reverie in the end tires, and the long unaccomplished dreams of his imagination were at length productive of impatience. Eldere foon remarked this difpofition of his mind. Are you not happy then the would frequently afk him. Not content with the poffeffion of a wife who adores you? For your fake I forget a kingdom which I was born to inherit; and cannot you banith from your thoughts one which you merely hope to obtain ?--Do not I-does not the pledge of our love deferve all your tenderness? Why fhould you fuffer the dreams of ambition inceffantly to difturb your repofe? What empire can be fairer than the poffeffion of a heart? What fubjects can be compared with thofe whom love and nature procure us?' The countefs feemed to be perfectly in the right. Baldwin, as often as he received this reproof, fell upon his knees and implored her forgivenefs, but yet his eyes were always turned towards Afia; his impatience of the delay became daily more manifeft; in vain he ftrove to reprefs it; his heart was every moment on his lips. find themselves at a lofs during the journey.' That I can believe; but people that have a tongue can afk the way, and fo get forward. Zounds! I think that with my tongue I could find the way to the world's end. And nothing short of that our couriers have to go. Afia is a very far diftant; at the extremity of Afia lies my father's kingdom; nay, if I am not mistaken, there is another kingdom between.' And if there were thirty between ; -ways mut exift every where; there must be people coming and going, who would liften to and direct one.' O no, my dear. I recollect that for a very long time I did not meet with a living creature; I even remember that after travelling across a defart for at least two months together I came to a kind of funnel, which it was extremely difficult to creep through, and which brought me at laft to the fhore of a prodigious fea.' What! the way to your country leads through a funnel! A pretty ftory truly you attempt to palm upon me! time he may havé fubjected ten cha kingdoms to his crown. Still would be my only joy-Come your boy! Beg my pardon, behave better in future.' Baldwin was going to reply, win a hermit was announced, who cam but very feldom to vifit the coun though he always met with a we come reception. Eldore, as foon his name was mentioned, took her lap-dog on one arm and her ch in the other, and withdrew. The hermit was now admit He had one of thofe uncom countenances which denote the l of a faint, combined with the unde ftanding of a philofopher, Gra and yet animated in company, could mingle without lowering hi felf, among the throng of the co tiers. He was fure to obtain reip when he affumed an air of familians ty, and he was fill more fure command it when he fpoke in a fe ous manner. For virtue dwelt in h difcourfes, perfuafion hung upon lips; but he feldom made ufe of the emphatic tone, but a cheerful fiile a moit always played upon his coun nance. The count advanced a few flens t meet him, and teftified his joy at his long deferred vifit. The old me bowed and faid:- Your kindnes my lord, makes a deep impreffon upon me. I am come to offer you fome fruit out of my garden, and a fruit of a much more uncomm fpecies,-truth and good advice. A report concerning you, which g appeared to me incredible, las pene uated to my lonely retreat. Yea have been married, I am told, ab a year; and to an Afiatic princel the heirets to an extenfive kingdo t I thought I might at first over -k.' It is with pleafure that I too, at nes, make fome allowance for huan foibles; but I cannot help find50 fome fault with you. I am told at the exiftence of this kingdom is no means certain. You have, erefore, married Eldore, upon her e word, and without inquiring here the dominions of her father cre fituated. You have fent to ake thefe enquiries, but your mefgers do not return. It is now to fure rather too late for an enquiry this kind; for if we entertain the ea of making a confiderable facrie for the poffeffion of an object, ought at least to have afcertained e exiflence of that object.' 'I perfectly agree in your opinion,' plied the count, but permit me aufwer, that there are certain ilfions which cannot be imagined, rtain tales which cannot be invent money; but to fuppofe that among this crowd there is a man poffeffing fufficient courage and magnanimity to rifk even his life for you, would he the height of folly. Hearken to me, therefore, hearken prince, when I tell you, that you are flumbering in indifcreet repofe on the abrupt brink of a bottomlefs abyfs! Heaiken to me when I announce, that he whole throne is exalted above the thrones of all the monarchs of this earth, has fent me to require you to invite me for once to your table in the presence of your wife; for it is only before her that I can difclofe the complete object of my miffion. Never had any one yet ventured to fpeak to Baldwin in this tone, neither was he pleafed with the request of the hermit; for he was moft tenderly attached to his wife; he forefaw that this repaft would not be one of the most agreeable, and was afraid of afflicting her. At the fame time there was fomething in the countenance and manner of the hermit that commanded refpect. An inexpreffi. ble agitation overpowered Baldwin's foul: he imagined that he faw and heard the voice of the deity himfelt, and felt himself contained to obey. He likewife promifed to comply with the injunction of the hermit not to mention a word of what had paffed to Ellore. No, prince, no; to fovereigns ho, like you, prefume that refpect one will reftrain the impoftor, evething is reprefented in a falfe light. im convinced that there is not a fernt whom you feed at your court, om the molt cunning to the moft upid, who would not have the couge to impofe fome abfurdity upon u; and for this reafon the court of great prince, when he relies with Dinner was foon afterwards ferved o much fecurity upon his greatnefs, up. Eldore had already feated heray be converted into a rendezvous felf; around her food a number of contemptible jugglers and mounte- courtiers. The count took his place, inks. But to return from this dif- and laft of all, as it had been agreed, etion to Eldore.You have already, the hermit entered the dinner hall. lowed my zeal for your welfare ma Eldore call her eyes upon him; and any a liberty, it is therefore my inflantly her face was horribly diftortty, as I have already obferved, to ed. She puthed back her chair, and ing to your ears the tribute of truth was going to rife. x of bold advice. Petty hints opped by accident, I leave for the ttle minds of courtiers. It is but ur that infects of this kind should be ffome ufe, and perform fame ferice to the prince in return for his Stop, reprobate fpirit,' cried the hermit aloud :- flop, and await thy merited punishment! Down with the matk, pretended princefs of Afia! look at me, and tremble before the meffenger of God! Then wilt arrive timely enough in thine in- fhail he on, leaving the church at s fernal abode.' What a ipectacle, terrific beyond defcription, now prefented itfelf! It was manifeft that it was no other than the devil himself, who had impofed upon Baldwin, and whom he had married. Flames iued from Eldore's nofe, mouth, and eves; fer breath refembied fiery clouds; a Lor rible abyfs opened under her feet. All the couriers betook thendras 10 flight from fo dangerous a neighbour hood, and Baldwin was one of the foremost; but the heran back oned, and all of them, agunt their will, flood as if ootyl to the spot. He then unloord the cold wilch ferved him for a ghidle, and wourged the infernal fit with fuch leverity, that he wanted fo itcoufly, and howled to tenibly, as at laft to make the ipodiators almost feel compaffion for the, devil hiirateif. He wat odiged to confels, in the hearing of all, that he was the demon of pride, and was then commanded to be gone to his abyfs. He did not wait for this injunction to be repeated; he vanished, and with him the fuppofed inf. nt prince. W The count, and the throng of courtiers, now recovered the power of motion. The latter were again going to retire, probably to take harthorn after fuch a terrible fight, when the hermit again commanded them to remain and, turning to Baldwin, he thus addreffed him: My mifion is yet but half accomplished. Know, that God would not abandon thee a prey to the tempter who so often would fain have caried thee away to his kingdom, after which thou fo eagerly atpiredit: but the ambition mult at leaft be punithed. Thou rejectedeft the land of a king's daughter, kings have their avengers in Heaven; liften therefore to the decree of Heaven! For the fpace of forty days hall the proud Baldwin daily perform public pe mance in the church. Forty days principal entrance, and in the p force of the people, prefent! bare back to the meanett of h fcullions, and each time receive f and twenty ftripes. When t torty days of penance are or when thefe thousand fripes are d inflicted, let him repair to Rome. obtain pardon of the pope. Burs fails to comply with one of thete junctions, if but one of thefe tie is given to the haughty count and to the penitent finner, his fair coat will prepare a treat for him in kingdom.' The holy man then retired wi ot waiting for an answer. E commands were certainly a Dea thunder-bolt for the proud couc but the terrific threat annexed to the would have extorted even fill me painful facrifices. The very nex day he continued a full hour upon knces before the altar; the very bes day the fcullion fcourged his mate with all his might. The crowd courtiers laughed in their hearts; b nevertheless they could not files flattering their lord-for what fol is there on which flattery is not er ployed on his heroic fortas and the manly beauty of his uncur cd body. Forty days were now paft; fu hours he had knelt; and a thou fripes (often did the count would the rapidity with which the h mit calculated their number) .4 been indicted. From Paris, 4 from beyond the fea, people hau fembled to behold fuch an extract nary fpectacle; and ten acade were already engaged in difcul the qucttion:-Whether it was zebub or lucifer that had dug himfelf in the term of Eidore? count paid no regard to this dipas happy that he had endured his 4 nithment, he flew to Rome, and the feet of the pope, implored parce for his fins. A hund |
