"This unexpected calamity occasioned me to consign myself to solitude for the space of some weeks, during which time I allowed no one to intrude upon the rights of my sorrow, choosing rather to reconcile myself to my misfortunes iii the solitude of my closet, than to attempt to procure consolation amid scenes of dissipation. Peace being soon afterwards proclaimed, I now felt disengaged from all earthly pursuits; and, after much consideration, determined to bid my adieu to my Sovereign, and to retire into one of those castles occupied by my ancestors in the Dutchy of Bavaria. This resolution was at first strenuously opposed by Rodolph, who held forth the most alluring promises to divert me from a project by no means favourable to his interests: hut finding I was not to be wrought upon by the sophistical arguments made use of in his defence, he left me to pursue my own inclinations with many marks of displeasure, without even hinting any thing as to a reward for my former services. I had already made every necessary arrange merit for my intended expedition, and was preparing to bid a long adieu to those scenes of illusion, which, from the prejudices of education, and the force of habit, had long occupied my thoughts, and was ruminating in silence on the new plan of life I was going speedily to adopt, when my reflections were disturbed by Count Wallestein, who having been long a concerned spectator of what was passing in my heart, besought me, instead of prosecuting my former intentions, to accompany him on a little rural excursion through Switzerland and Savoy.
"I know the nature of your feelings too well," resumed the Count, "to propose, what is usually recommended as a restorative to a wounded mind, scenes of levity and dissipation. These generally fail in their effect, and if otherwise, the remedy is too frequently a dangerous one; yet, though I mean to discountenance this method of subduing the pang of severe distress, I by no means approve the mode of conduct you have recently, and I may add, too hastily adopted. You are at present too young to bury yourself in total inaction; the duties of your station require exertion, and he who believes he can discharge them in solitude, suffers his judgment to be deluded. Much may be done, I acknowledge, in the narrow sphere of domestic arrangements; sorrow may be made to smile, and poverty to feel the diffusive power of benevolence. Virtue and content are said to inhabit the path of rural seclusion, and, like the wild flowers that decorate the forest, thrive best, amid the unfrequented shades of Nature; yet in situations like these, our sphere of action is too much contracted to lead to any high attainment in virtue. It is in society only that our power is equal to our inclination; and trust me, the blessings it bestows make ample amends for those little wayward accidents in human life, which will occasionally happen to the most fortunate however ardently they may endeavour to escape from them. Let me then," resumed the Count, "prevail upon you to renounce a plan which secludes you from the participation of pleasure, without retaining power sufficient to indemnify you from partaking of that joyless portion of bitter disappointment, which inevitably lingers in the cup of human life."
"These and other arguments, seducingly delivered, at last prevailed upon me to accede to the proposal, though I secretly resolved, on my return from this rural expedition, to quit Vienna, and to repair, at least for some time, to the seat of my ancestors. A few days after this event we commenced our journey towards Switzerland, meaning to perform it by easy stages, that we might occasionally loiter amongst the most picturesque scenes of this romantic country. It was now the beginning of June, and the heat not sufficiently intense considerably to retard our progress. Every object that presented itself was enrobed in that sublime simplicity which characterizes these charming regions, whose imagery is at once lofty and impressive, lilling the mind that contemplates it with the most exquisite emotions. Having coasted the Alps, whose snow-capped summits were half obscured in the clouds, viewing from these lofty eminences every unadorned beauty which the most glowing imagination could portray, we arrived at a beautiful village beneath the Alpine steep of a precipice, near St Julian in Savoy, whose prospect was bounded by a fine range of hills retiring into remote distance, which, being covered on one side with fine woods and vineyards, formed a striking contrast with the naked sublimity of the uncultivated side, deformed, or rather aggrandized by huge masses of frowning rock, rising in the most romantic directions.
"We did not reach this village till near an hour after sun-set for as we proceeded leisurely along the glen on our way thither, we frequently paused to survey the rich vermeil hue left upon Mount Blanc, long after the sun had receded from the horizon, which fired the whole western hemisphere with the most glowing tints, till the blue mist of the twilight stole meekly upon the scene, and the moon sailing silently towards her destination, commenced her reign of tranquillity. Fatigued with traversing these immense mountains, which it was impossible to avoid, I proposed taking our nightly rest at a small inn, situated about a quarter of a league from the village, which, however, appeared to be near; but the Count objected to the proposition, assuring me that the village was an object of too much importance to be neglected, since it possessed more natural beauty than many others which had attracted our attention; and as we were now at such an inconsiderable distance, he must insist upon our reaching it that night, intimating a desire that, for the sake of variety, we should leave our carriage and mules at the inn, and descend gradually the mountain till we had gained the object of our ramble. Feeling no inclination to contend with him in a matter of so little importance, I acquiesced; and having disposed of our mules and attendants agreeably to his desire, we advanced towards the hamlet, which consisted of a number of small white cottages, remarkable for their neatness and beauty, almost surrounded with mountains. In this sylvan spot the simple children of Nature, whose habitations were enclosed by these almost inaccessible barriers, seemed to repose in uninterrupted quiet, and to be equally removed from the cares and distresses of life. The song of the herdsman, the bleat of the lamb, or the carol of the hasty-footed passenger, tended to wrap the mind in that pleasing kind of melancholy, which rural sounds and rural objects never fail to inspire, when the heart is sufficiently at ease to be susceptible of these amiable impressions.
"Having examined all that had hitherto fallen within the sphere of our observation, we proceeded, by a little winding path, along a gentle descent, till we reached a cottage so peculiarly beautiful, that our senses were for some time absorbed in admiration. It was small, and of exact proportion; and so much taste was displayed in the grounds which enclosed it, that it appeared like the retreat of some sylvan deity, who had exhausted all the beauties of nature to harmonize her favourite residence. A little lawn led to the door, which was ornamented with several fanciful shrubberies, intermingled with a variety of those many-coloured flowers, wilieli enamel, and perfume with their odours, the flinty bosom of Savoy. A wood wound along its side, through which a stream, that had spent its fury among the rocks, was dimly and but at intervals seen through the deep-foliated branches that hung over it, whose sound died away in a gentle murmur, as it retreated from this beautiful dwelling to form a lake in front of the village.
"As we drew nearer to the cottage, a strain of music, so soft, so sweet, that it seemed to proceed from no mortal touch, came faintly to our ears in the silence of the night. It appeared to possess the powers of enchantment, for we were unable either to return or to proceed. Whilst we still listened, it paused, and then, accompanied by a voice which was melody itself, struck into another measure. The Count eyed me with a look of secret triumph, and then desired me to follow him. I obeyed in silence till we arrived within a few steps of the door, when I demanded in what manner he intended to introduce himself to the fair syren who had thus riveted our attention.
"Your curiosity will soon be gratified," returned the Count, with a smile, which was attended by a look I did not comprehend. "You have nothing to do but to follow my steps, and be assured the adventure will terminate to your satisfaction." While he yet spoke, the voice ceased, the music sunk into cadence, and low sobs, broken, but distinct, were heard in its stead.
"What can this mean?" cried I, interrupting him. "Can sorrow have found an asylum in this sweet abode? If so, where call we look for tranquillity?" The Count, without vouchsafing a reply, advanced towards the window from whence the music was heard, and encouraged by his example, I followed slowly along. The casement was thrown open to admit the cool breeze of the evening; but a shade of fine lattice-work, which was over-canopied with the clematis integrifolia, eglantine, and a number of variegated evergreens, concealed the inhabitants of this beautiful little cottage from the gaze of the passenger. Whilst we yet paused to observe the tasteful simplicity of its aspect, a rough breeze wafted aside the foliated covering, and discovered a female, clad in a white robe, bending gracefully over a harp. Her fine flaxen locks, which descended to her waist in the most luxuriant tresses, were simply confined with a ribbon passing over her forehead, and fastened, without the appearance of art, in a loose and airy manner. A thin veil, of the slightest texture, covered her face, to which imagination now gave all those charms of expression, all that softness of colour which glow in the mind of the painter, the poet, and the lover. In a few moments she arose, replaced the harp by her side, and then heaving a gentle sigh, advanced towards the window.
"Ashamed of being seen thus watching her movements, as the breath of the zephyr allowed me partially to observe her, I receded some paces back; but before I could conceal myself behind the interwoven branches of the clematis, she drew up the lattice-work with an intention of closing the casement, and gave us a full view of her person. Her veil was yet over her face; but as the Count approached nearer to the window she uttered an exclamation of surprise, and threw it back upon her shoulders. I caught the tones of her voice; but scarcely could I convince myself that I was still in existence, when, raising my eyes from the ground, I beheld in the beautiful recluse my beloved Augusta. To convey a just idea of my feelings at this moment would be impossible; I shall therefore pass them over in silence, observing only that she received me with those speaking tears, and blushing smiles, which convey more eloquently than words the genuine force of affection.
"As soon as I was a little composed, I desired the Count would explain this eventful mystery, since it was evident that to lead me to this spot was a preconcerted scheme, and that he was acquainted with the strange circumstance which had given rise to the report of her death.
"You are right, my dear Ferdinand," returned the Count, whose fine countenance was irradiated with a smile of benevolence; "I have been the chief performer in this little drama, and if you will give me a patient hearing, I will instantly explain my motive for having thus led you from joy to grief, and from grief to happiness. You are not ignorant of the passion that Rodolph cherished for Augusta, which he, however, long concealed from her; but this unfortunate prepossession increasing with her beauty, he was led, by slow progressive measures, to the attempt of conciliating her affections, which he had some hopes of effecting. Your attachment to his favourite, and the benignant glances which she sometimes cast upon you, gave him more serious uneasiness than he had ever before experienced. This accounts for a behaviour which before this discovery was uniformly different, and for the manner in which he precipitated your departure into Hungary.
"No sooner had you left the Court of Vienna than the Empress observed his emotions in the presence of Augusta, and instantly guessed the cause. In this affair she displayed less of that exalted magnanimity of conduct than she had formerly discovered on every other occasion. Her affection for Augusta was transformed into the most deadly hate, which instigated her not only to withdraw her protection, but to inflict some punishment as severe as undeserved. Hitherto I had been honoured with her confidence in affairs of equal importance; and fearing, lest the violence of her passions should plunge her into some unexampled error, I called a little dissimulation to my aid, and entering warmly into her feelings, promised to assist her design. Fortunately at this crisis Augusta was so much indisposed as to be obliged to remain in her apartment. This was favourable to my purpose; and during her confinement I prevailed upon the Empress to allow me to spread a report of her death, and also to permit me to convey her into a convent, which would effectually prevent her from being either seen or heard of more. Having undertaken the management of this affair, I contrived to inform this fair victim of unjust resentment of these newly-concerted measures; at the same time assuring her, that if she would assist my enterprise, by wearing an appearance of joy in the presence of the Empress at being allowed to end her days in a religious retirement, instead of devoting her to a conventual life, I would only remove her for a short time to a little romantic retreat in a remote province till I had acquainted you with her situation, who, I was convinced, would gladly liberate her from solitude. Since to leave the Court had been for some weeks the primary wish of her soul, she gladly consented to the proposal, and was immediately conveyed hither. In the meantime the report of her death was circulated so successfully by the Empress and her confidential dependants, who had bound themselves by oath to an eternal silence upon the subject, in consideration of a great reward, that none entertained any doubt of its reality. A coffin, attended by all the ladies of the Court, who knew not but that it contained the body of their companion, was interred with all the rites of burial; and so artfully was every thing conducted, that the Emperor, the Nobles, and the whole Court, were completely deceived.
"As then, you must allow," resumed the Count, "that I have acted the part of a friend, you will pardon me for having permitted you to taste of calamity, since without the bitter ingredients of life, the sweets would be deprived of their relish; and as you will have the justice to allow that the few weeks of separation, which were necessary for the furthering of our scheme, have been more than counter-balanced by the joys of meeting, you have now nothing to do," continued the Count, directing a playful smile at the blushing Augusta, "but to obtain the hand of this fair wood nymph, who, if I have any skill in physiognomy, bestowed her heart upon you almost before she knew she had one. A priest may easily be procured, by whom the ceremony may be performed, and your own prudence, as to secrecy, will instruct you how to act.—"
"The path being thus cleared, half the difficulties were removed; and having renewed my suit with all the ardency of the sincerest affection, she soon consented to bestow upon me the happiness I sought; and a priest being engaged, I was soon permitted to address her by the endearing appellation of wife."—The Monk now paused for a moment, to give a tear to the recollection of his former happiness, and then proceeded—
"As soon as the marriage was solemnized, we repaired, attended by the Count Wallestein, to this castle, in which I spent many years in uninterrupted felicity. Heaven blessed us with a daughter soon after our marriage, and the important secret remaining still undiscovered, I removed occasionally to Court during the reign of Rodolph; but my absences from the castle were never long, serving only to augment the happiness I enjoyed in the society of my wife and daughter. At last, however, it pleased Heaven to deprive me of my much-loved partner, though not till she had seen her daughter eligibly and happily united to the Conte della Caro, an Italian Nobleman, who accidentally saw her as he was making the tour of Europe, and who, on my consent to their marriage, promised to allow his bride to spend half the year in this castle, to which she was singularly attached. Thus deprived by death of my Augusta, I felt once more an inclination to travel, and to resume, if occasion required, my former profession, that of arms. Mathias had now succeeded to the empire; and though by no means attached to this haughty Prince, I determined to defend my country, now suffering from a confederacy called the Evangelical League, which was, however, counterbalanced by an host equally formidable, the assembly of the Catholics.
"Those who have courage to take an active part on either side when a kingdom is divided against itself, are encompassed with innumerable dangers, and few there are that escape persecution. Some trifling inadvertency, which I could never perfectly understand, was alledged against me, which was blackened
with so many malicious insinuations, that, without any formal accusation, I was conveyed by stratagem from the kingdom, after having rendered it many services; and having found means of escaping from my persecutors, was confined in a prison by order of Mathias, who recollecting that in the reign of his brother I was no friend to his unjust pretensions, eagerly listened to the calumnious reports which were circulated by my enemies for the accomplishment of my destruction. In this miserable situation I remained near two years, and then, without any reason being publicly given for this, or for my mysterious confinement, I was as strangely released. Thus emancipated from captivity, I resolved to leave the intrigues of Courts, and the uncertainty of arms, to the young and the fortunate, and to return again to my former residence. Having put my intention into practice, of resigning for ever a military life, I returned to the castle of Elfinbach, anxious to clasp to my heart a daughter from whom I had been so unjustly separated. But what was my grief, when I was informed that both she and the Conte were dead, the latter being slain by a party of banditti, or some other as lawless wretches, which caused the death of the lovely mourner, his widow, soon after she had given birth to a daughter, who, it was supposed, had died with her! Though I had no suspicion of the falsehood of the report concerning the fate of the infant, having never heard any thing to the disadvantage of the late Marchese de Montferrat, who I knew to be the nearest relative of the Conte della Caro, and consequently the next heir to his estates if he died childless; yet I could not forbear sometimes listening to reports which were circulated, though not generally believed, in the neighbourhood of Turin (whither I afterwards repaired) respecting a female infant, which was sent to nurse by the Marchese de Montferrat, believed by some to have been the daughter of the Contessa della Caro. This instigated me to call on the woman who had accepted the charge; but, except a numerous family of her own, she had no child in her care; and her replies were at once so simple and so artless, that I easily credited her assertion, which tended to convince me that all reports upon this subject were founded in error. Weary of a world in which I was left alone and unfriended, I finally determined to find out some secure and peaceful asylum, where I might terminate my days in peace and solitude; and at length fixed upon a little alpine spot amid the mountains of Switzerland, which was merely a cottage. In this melancholy retreat I remained many years under an assumed character and name, leading literally the life of a hermit, till a very singular dream, joined with an ardent desire of visiting my former dwelling, induced me to quit my retirement.
The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror) Page 374
