The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete
her beauty, added a most engaging sweetness to her looks. In short,
every feature was elegantly perfect; and the harmony of the whole
ravishing and delightful.
It was easy to perceive the mutual sentiments of the two lovers at
meeting, by the pleasure that sensibly diffused itself in the
countenances of both. Fathom was received by her as the intimate friend
of her admirer, whom she had often heard of in terms of the most
sincere affection; and the conversation was carried on in the Italian
language, because she was a foreigner who had not as yet made great
proficiency in the knowledge of the English tongue. Her understanding
was such as, instead of diminishing, reinforced the prepossession which
was inspired by her appearance; and if the sum-total of her charms
could not melt the heart, it at least excited the appetite of Fathom to
such a degree, that he gazed upon her with such violence of desire, as
had never transported him before; and he instantly began to harbour
thoughts, not only destructive to the peace of his generous patron, but
also to the prudential maxims he had adopted on his first entrance into
life.
We have already recorded divers instances of his conduct to prove that
there was an intemperance in his blood, which often interfered with his
caution; and although he had found means to render this heat sometimes
subservient to his interest, yet, in all probability, Heaven mingled
the ingredient in his constitution, on purpose to counteract his
consummate craft, defeat the villany of his intention, and at least
expose him to the justice of the law, and the contempt of his
fellow-creatures.
Stimulated as he was by the beauty of the incomparable Monimia, he
foresaw that the conquest of her heart would cost him a thousand times
more labour and address than all the victories he had ever achieved;
for, besides her superior understanding, her sentiments of honour,
virtue, gratitude, religion, and pride of birth, her heart was already
engaged by the tenderest ties of love and obligation, to a man whose
person and acquired accomplishments at least equalled his own; and
whose connexion with him was of such a nature as raised an almost
insurmountable bar to his design; because, with what face could he
commence rival to the person whose family had raised him from want and
servility, and whose own generosity had rescued him from the miseries
of a dreary gaol?
Notwithstanding these reflections, he would not lay aside an idea which
so agreeably flattered his imagination. He, like every other projector
in the same circumstances, was so partial to his own qualifications, as
to think the lady would soon perceive a difference between him and
Renaldo that could not fail to turn to his advantage in her opinion. He
depended a good deal on the levity and inconstancy of the sex; and did
not doubt that, in the course of their acquaintance, he should profit
by that languor which often creeps upon and flattens the intercourse of
lovers cloyed with the sight and conversation of each other.
This way of arguing was very natural to a man who had never known other
motives than those of sensuality and convenience; and perhaps, upon
these maxims, he might have succeeded with nine-tenths of the fair sex.
But, for once, he erred in his calculation; Monimia’s soul was perfect,
her virtue impregnable. His first approaches were, as usual, performed
by the method of insinuation, which succeeded so well, that in a few
days he actually acquired a very distinguished share of her favour and
esteem. To this he had been recommended, in the warmest strain of
exaggerating friendship, by her dear Renaldo; so that, placing the most
unreserved confidence in his honour and integrity, and being almost
quite destitute of acquaintance, she made no scruple of owning herself
pleased with his company and conversation; and therefore he was never
abridged in point of opportunity. She had too much discernment to
overlook his uncommon talents and agreeable address, and too much
susceptibility to observe them with indifference. She not only regarded
him as the confidant of her lover, but admired him as a person whose
attachment did honour to Count Melvil’s choice. She found his discourse
remarkably entertaining, his politeness dignified with an air of
uncommon sincerity, and she was ravished with his skill in music, an
art of which she was deeply enamoured.
While he thus ingratiated himself with the fair Monimia, Renaldo
rejoiced at their intimacy, being extremely happy in the thought of
having found a friend who could amuse and protect the dear creature in
his absence. That she might be the better prepared for the temporary
separation which he meditated, he began to be less frequent in his
visits, or rather to interrupt, by gradual intermissions, the constant
attendance he had bestowed upon her since her mother’s death. This
alteration she was enabled to bear by the assiduities of Fathom, when
she understood that her lover was indispensably employed in negotiating
a sum of money for the purposes of his intended voyage. This was really
the case; for, as the reader hath been already informed, the provision
he had made for that emergency was expended in behalf of our
adventurer; and the persons of whom he had borrowed it, far from
approving of the use to which it was put, and accommodating him with a
fresh supply, reproached him with his benevolence as an act of
dishonesty to them; and, instead of favouring this second application,
threatened to distress him for what he had already received. While he
endeavoured to surmount these difficulties, his small reversion was
quite exhausted, and he saw himself on the brink of wanting the common
necessaries of life.
There was no difficulty which he could not have encountered with
fortitude, had he alone been concerned. But his affection and regard
for Monimia were of such a delicate nature, that, far from being able
to bear the prospect of her wanting the least convenience, he could not
endure that she should suspect her situation cost him a moment’s
perplexity; because he foresaw it would wring her gentle heart with
unspeakable anguish and vexation. This, therefore, he endeavoured to
anticipate by expressions of confidence in the Emperor’s equity, and
frequent declarations touching the goodness and security of that credit
from which he derived his present subsistence.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
ANECDOTES OF POVERTY, AND EXPERIMENTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHOM IT
MAY CONCERN.
His affairs being thus circumstanced, it is not to be supposed that he
passed his time in tranquillity. Every day ushered in new demands and
fresh anxiety; for though his economy was frugal, it could not be
supported without money; and now not only his funds were drained, but
also his private friends tired of relieving his domestic necessities;
nay, they began to relinquish his company, which formerly they had
coveted; and those who still favoured him with their company embittered
that favour with disagreeable advice, mingled with impertinent reproof.
They loudly exclaimed against the last instance of his friendship for
Fathom, as a piece of wrong-headed extravagance, which neither his
fortune could afford nor his conscience excuse; and alleged that such
specimens of generosity are vicious in any man, let his finances be
never so opulent, if he has any relations of his own who need his
assistance; but altogether scandalous, not to say unjust, in a person
who depends for his own support on the favour of his friends.
These expostulations did not even respect the beauteous, the
accomplished, the gentle-hearted, the orphan Monimia. Although they
owned her perfections, and did not deny that it would be highly
meritorious in any man of fortune to make her happy, they disapproved
of Renaldo’s attachment to the fair beggar, made light of that intimate
union of hearts which subsisted between the two lovers, and which no
human consideration could dissolve; and some among them, in the
consummation of their prudence, ventured to hint a proposal of
providing for her in the service of some lady of fashion.
Any reader of sensibility will easily conceive how these admonitions
were relished by a young gentleman whose pride was indomitable, whose
notions of honour were scrupulously rigid and romantic, whose temper
was warm, and whose love was intense. Every such suggestion was as a
dagger to his soul; and what rendered the torture more exquisite, he
lay under obligations to those very persons whose selfish and sordid
sentiments he disdained; so that he was restricted by gratitude from
giving vent to his indignation, and his forlorn circumstances would not
permit him to renounce their acquaintance. While he struggled with
these mortifications, his wants grew more and more importunate, and his
creditors became clamorous.
Fathom, to whom all his grievances were disclosed, lamented his hard
hap with all the demonstrations of sympathy which he could expect to
find in such a zealous adherent. He upbraided himself incessantly as
the cause of his patron’s distress; took God to witness that he would
rather have perished in gaol than have enjoyed his liberty, had he
known it would have cost his dearest friend and benefactor one-tenth
part of the anguish he now saw him suffer; and, in conclusion, the
fervency of his affection glowed to such a degree, that he offered to
beg, steal, or plunder on the highway, for Renaldo’s assistance.
Certain it is, he might have recollected a less disagreeable expedient
than any of these to alleviate the pangs of this unhappy lover; for, at
that very period he was possessed of money and moveables to the amount
of a much greater sum than that which was necessary to remove the
severest pangs of the Count’s misfortune. But, whether he did not
reflect upon this resource, or was willing to let Melvil be better
acquainted with adversity, which is the great school of life, I shall
leave the reader to determine. Yet, so far was he from supplying the
wants of the young Hungarian, that he did not scruple to receive a
share of the miserable pittance which that gentleman made shift to
extort from the complaisance of a few companions, whose countenance he
still enjoyed.
Renaldo’s life was now become a sacrifice to the most poignant
distress. Almost his whole time was engrossed by a double scheme,
comprehending his efforts to render his departure practicable, and his
expedients for raising the means of daily bread. With regard to the
first, he exerted himself among a set of merchants, some of whom knew
his family and expectations; and, for the last, he was fain to depend
upon the assistance of a few intimates, who were not in a condition to
furnish him with sums of consequence. These, however, gradually dropped
off, on pretence of friendly resentment for his indiscreet conduct; so
that he found himself naked and deserted by all his former companions,
except one gentleman, with whom he had lived in the most unreserved
correspondence, as with a person of the warmest friendship, and the
most unbounded benevolence; nay, he had actually experienced repeated
proofs of his generosity; and such were the Count’s sentiments of the
gratitude, love, and esteem, which were due to the author of these
obligations, that he would have willingly laid down his own life for
his interest or advantage. He had already been at different times
accommodated by this benefactor with occasional supplies, amounting in
the whole to about forty or fifty pounds; and so fearful was he of
taking any step by which he might forfeit the goodwill of this
gentleman, that he struggled with unparelleled difficulty and vexation,
before he could prevail upon himself to put his liberality to another
proof.