Ingenious and diverting letters of a lady's travels into Spain; describing the devotions, nunneries, humour, customs, laws, militia, trade, diet, and recreations of that people / [Marie Catherine Jumelle de Berneville Aulnoy].
- Madame d'Aulnoy
- Date:
- 1717
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Ingenious and diverting letters of a lady's travels into Spain; describing the devotions, nunneries, humour, customs, laws, militia, trade, diet, and recreations of that people / [Marie Catherine Jumelle de Berneville Aulnoy]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![I faw the Marquefs de Los Ries: He dared not mention the Inclinations he fill had towards me ; but I had fuch preffing Obligations to him, that Gratitude made me do for him, what my Inclinations would have made me do for another. ‘I gave him my Hand, and he his to me, with fuch Affec- tion, as if he had no folid Matter of Complaint againft me. : In fine; I married him, and apprehending left I fhould fee Mendez, that ungrateful Wretch, to whom I owe fuch Horror; and for whom I had fo little, I prayed the Marquefs we might dwell in the Country-Houfe he had near Seville. He ever approved of what I lik’d: He would have my Fa- ther and Mother retire ; he leffened the fad Condition of their Fortune, by confiderable Liberalities: And I may truly fay, there never was a greater Soul. Judge, Madam, of all the Re- proaches I made my Heart for its not being fo tender tohim as it ought to have been: It was not in my Power to forget Men- dex, and I always felt new Regrets, when I learnt his Felicity with the unfaithful Henrietta. pia Having paft two Years in a continual watching over my felf, that I might do nothing but what was agreeable to my Huf- band, Heaven deprived me of him, of this Generous Huf- band: And he did for me in thefe laft Moments, what he had already heretofore done, giving me all he had, with fuch Tefti- monies of Efteem and Affection, as much enhanced the Price of the Gift: He made me the richeft Widow of Ardaloufias but he could not make me the happiett. “I would not return to Seville, where my Parents would have had me been; and to avoid it, I pretended a Journey farther into the Country, to lock after fome part of my Eftate. I fet out ; but there being a particular Fatality in whatever relates to me, in arriving at an Inn, the firft Object which ftruck my Sight, was the unfaithful Mendez : He was in deep Mourning, and had loft nothing of whatever made me heretofore fancy him too Lovely. It is impoflible to ex refs the Condition I was in; for endeavouring to get fpeedily from him, I found myfelf fo weak and trembling, that I fell at his Feet. Al- though he knew me not at that Inftant, yet he earneftly endea- voured to raife me up; but the great Veil, under which I was concealed, flying open, what became of him in feeing me? He remained no lefs confufed than I was: He would have drawn near to me: But cafting a furious Look on him; Dareft thou, perjured Wretch ! faid I to him, dareff thou approach me ! Art thou not afraid of tbe: juft Punifoment of thy Perfidioufne]s? He was fome time without anfwering me, and I was about F 2 Hd leaving, 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30538178_0089.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
