Chapter XIII: Part 13

A short time after, the king of England, having resolved also to explore the African coasts, fitted out a squadron for an expedition to Guinea, which was to be commanded by Prince Rupert. Those who, from their own experience, had some knowledge of the country, related strange and wonderful stories of the dangers attendant upon this expedition that they would have to fight not only the inhabitants of Guinea, a hellish people, whose arrows were poisoned, and who never gave their prisoners better quarter than to devour them, but that they must likewise endure heats that were insupportable, and rains that were intolerable, every drop of which was changed into a serpent: that, if they penetrated farther into the country, they would be assaulted by monsters a thousand times more hideous and destructive than all the beasts mentioned in the Revelations.

But all these reports were vain and ineffectual: for so far from striking terror into those who were appointed to go upon this expedition, it rather acted as an incentive to glory, upon those who had no manner of business in it. Jermyn appeared among the foremost of those; and, without reflecting that the pretence of his indisposition had delayed the conclusion of his marriage with Miss Jennings, he asked the duke’s permission, and the king’s consent to serve in it as a volunteer.

Some time before this, the infatuation which had imposed upon the fair Jennings in his favour had begun to subside. All that now inclined her to this match were the advantages of a settlement. The careless indolence of a lover, who faintly paid his addresses to her, as it were from custom or habit, disgusted her; and the resolution he had taken, without consulting her, appeared so ridiculous in him, and so injurious to herself, that, from that moment, she resolved to think no more of him. Her eyes being opened by degrees, she saw the fallacy of the splendour, which had at first deceived her; and the renowned Jermyn was received according to his real merit when he came to acquaint her with his heroical project. There appeared so much indifference and ease in the raillery with which she complimented him upon his voyage, that he was entirely disconcerted, and so much the more so, as he had prepared all the arguments he thought capable of consoling her, upon announcing to her the fatal news of his departure. She told him, “that nothing could be more glorious for him, who had triumphed over the liberty of so many persons in Europe, than too and extend his conquests in other parts of the world; and that she advised him to bring home with him all the female captives he might make in Africa, in order to replace those beauties whom his absence would bring to the grave.”

Jermyn was highly displeased that she should be capable of raillery in the condition he supposed her reduced to; but he soon perceived she was in earnest: she told him, that she considered this farewell visit as his last, and desired him not to think of making her any more before his departure.

Thus far everything went well on her side: Jermyn was not only confounded at having received his discharge in so cavalier a manner; but this very demonstration of her indifference had revived, and even redoubled, all the love and affection he had formerly felt for her. Thus she had both the pleasure of despising him, and of seeing him more entangled in the chains of love than he had ever been before. This was not sufficient: she wished still farther, and very unadvisedly, to strain her resentment.

Ovid’s Epistles,--[This is the translation of Ovid’s Epistles published by Mr. Dryden. The second edition of it was printed in 1681.]--translated into English verse by the greatest wits at court, having lately been published, she wrote a letter from a shepherdess in despair, addressed to the perfidious Jermyn. She took the epistle of Ariadne to Theseus for her model. The beginning of this letter contained, word for word, the complaints and reproaches of that injured fair to the cruel man by whom she had been abandoned. All this was properly adapted to the present times and circumstances. It was her design to have closed this piece with a description of the toils, perils, and monsters, that awaited him in Guinea, for which he quitted a tender mistress, who was plunged into the abyss of misery, and was overwhelmed with grief and despair; but not having had time to finish it, nor to get that which she had written transcribed, in order to send it to him under a feigned name, she inconsiderately put this fragment, written in her own hand, into her pocket, and, still more giddily, dropped it in the middle of the court. Those who took it up, knowing her writing, made several copies of it, which were circulated all over the town; but her former conduct had so well established the reputation of her virtue, that no person entertained the smallest doubt but the circumstances were exactly as we have related them. Some time after, the Guinea expedition was laid aside for reasons that are universally known, and Miss Jenning’s subsequent proceedings fully justified her letter; for, notwithstanding all the efforts and attentions Jermyn practised to regain her affections, she would never more hear of him.

But he was not the only man who experienced the whimsical fatality, that seemed to delight in disuniting hearts, in order to engage them soon after to different objects. One would have imagined that the God of Love, actuated by some new caprice, had placed his empire under the dominion of Hymen, and had, at the same time, blind-folded that God, in order to cross-match most of the lovers whom we have been speaking of’

The fair Stewart married the Duke of Richmond; the invincible Jermyn, a silly country girl; Lord Rochester, a melancholy heiress; the sprightly Temple, the serious Lyttleton; Talbot, without knowing why or wherefore, took to wife the languishing Boynton; George Hamilton, under more favourable auspices, married the lovely Jennings; and the Chevalier de Grammont, as the reward of a constancy he had never before known, and which he never afterwards practised, found Hymen and Love united in his favour, and was at last blessed with the possession of Miss Hamilton.

[After the deaths of Miss Boynton and of George Hamilton, Talbot
married Miss Jennings, and became afterwards Duke of Tyrconnel.]

[“The famous Count Grammont was thought to be the original of The
Forced Marriage. This nobleman, during his stay at the court of
England, had made love to Miss Hamilton, but was coming away for
France without bringing matters to a proper conclusion. The young
lady’s brothers pursued him, and came up with him near Dover, in
order to exchange some pistol-shot with him: They called out, ‘Count
Grammont, have you forgot nothing at London?’ ‘Excuse me,’ answered
the Count, guessing their errand, ‘I forgot to marry your sister; so
lead on, and let us finish that affair.’ By the pleasantry of the
answer, this was the same Grammont who commanded at the siege of a
place, the governor of which capitulated after a short defence, and
obtained an easy capitulation. The governor then said to Monsieur
Grammont, I’ll tell you a secret--that the reason of my capitulation
was, because I was in want of powder.’ Monsieur replied, ‘And
secret for secret--the reason of my granting you such an easy
capitulation was, because I was in want of ball.”--Biog. Gallica,
vol. i., p. 202.

Count Grammont and his lady left England in 1669. King Charles in a
letter to his sister, the Duchess of Orleans, dated 24th October, in
that year, says, “I writt to you yesterday, by the Compte de
Grammont, but I beleeve this letter will come sooner to your handes;
for he goes by the way of Diep, with his wife and family; and now
that I have named her, I cannot chuse but againe desire you to be
kinde to her; for, besides the merrit her family has on both sides,
she is as good a creature as ever lived. I beleeve she will passe
for a handsome woman in France, though she has not yett, since her
lying-inn, recovered that good shape she had before, and I am
affraide never will.”--Dalxymple’s Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 26.

“The Count de Grammont fell dangerously ill in the year 1696; of
which the king (Louis XIV.) being informed, and knowing, besides,
that he was inclined to libertinism, he was pleased to send the
Marquis of Dangeau to see how he did, and to advise him to think of
God. Hereupon Count de Grammont, turning towards his wife, who had
ever been a very devout lady, told her, Countess, if you don’t look
to it, Dangeau will juggle you out of my conversion. Madame de
l’Enclos having afterwards written to M. de St Evremond that Count
de Grammont was recovered, and turned devout,--I have learned,
answered he to her, with a great deal of pleasure, that Count de
Grammont has recovered his former health, and acquired a new
devotion. Hitherto I have been contented with being a plain honest
man; but I must do something more; and I only wait for your example
to become a devotee. You live in a country where people have
wonderful advantages of saving their souls, there vice is almost as
opposite to the mode as to virtue; sinning passes for ill-breeding,
and shocks decency and good manners, as much as religion, Formerly
it was enough to be wicked; now one must be a scoundrel withal, to
be damned in France. They who have not regard enough for another
life, are led to salvation by the consideration and duties of this.”
--“But there is enough upon a subject in which the conversion of the
Count de Grammont has engaged me: I believe it to be sincere and
honest. It well becomes a man who is not young, to forget he has
been so.”--Life of St. Evremond, by Des Marzeaux, p. 136; and St.
Evremond’s Works, vol. ii. p. 431.]

PG EDITOR’S BOOKMARKS:

All day poring over his books, and went to bed soon
Ambition to pass for a wit, only established her tiresome
An affectation of purity of manners
As all fools are who have good memories
Better memory for injuries than for benefits
Better to know nothing at all, than to know too much
Better to partake with another than to have nothing at all
Busy without consequence
By a strange perversion of language, styled, all men of honour
Despising everything which was not like themselves
Devote himself to his studies, than to the duties of matrimony
Duke would see things if he could
Embellish the truth, in order to enhance the wonder
Entreating pardon, and at the same time justifying her conduct
Envy each other those indulgences which themselves refuse
Every thing that is necessary is honourable in politics
Four dozen of patches, at least, and ten ringlets of hair
Good attendants, but understood cheating still better
Great earnestness passed for business
Grew so fat and plump that it was a blessing to see her
Hardly possible for a woman to have less wit, or more beauty
He had no sentiments but such as others inspired him with
He talked eternally, without saying anything
He as little feared the Marquis as he loved him
His mistress given him by his priests for penance
How I must hate you, if I did not love you to distraction
Impenetrable stupidity (passed) for secrecy
Impertinent compliments
Life, in his opinion, was too short to read all sorts of books
Long habit of suffering himself to be robbed by his domestics
Maxim of all jealous husbands
Never felt the pressure of indigence
Not disagreeable, but he had a serious contemplative air
Not that he wanted capacity, but he was too self-sufficient
Obstinate against all other advices
Offended that his good fortune raised him no rivals
One amour is creditable to a lady
Possessed but little raillery, and still less patience
Public is not so easily deceived as some people imagine
Public grows familiar with everything by habit
Reasons of state assume great privileges
Resolved to renounce the church for the salvation of my soul
She just said what she ought, and no more
So weak as to transform your slave into your tyrant
Terrible piece of furniture for the country (educated girl)
The shortest follies are the best
There are men of real merit, or pretenders to it
They can by no means bear the inconstancy of their mistresses
Those who open a book merely to find fault
Very willing to accept, but was tardy in making returns
Wealth was necessary for the conveniencies of a long life
What jealousy fears, and what it always deserves
What a glory would it be to have a Cato for a husband
Would have been criminal even in chastity to spare (her husband)