HISTORICAL AND ALLEGORICAL, HE Abbè de Vateville was a man of T warm lively imagination, and of warm paffions. Hearing, one day, a fermon on the fire of hell, he was inftantly feized with the terror of eternal damnation. In order to mortify his unruly paffions, he became a Capuchin friar. But, finding no fufficient mortification in this order, he entered into that of the Carthufians. There he paffed three or four years in a very edifying manner; but, not being able to drive from his memory the pleasures of the world, he fettled in the opinion, that to live in the world would be no obstacle to his falvation. Having laid a plan for his escape, he was seized by the prior in attempting to fcale the wall. To difengage himself, he pulled out his knife, and and laid the prior dead at his feet. In the inn, where he lodged that night, he had a quarrel with a young French officer. They went to the field in the morning, and the officer was killed. Vateville, inclining to enlift in the troops of the King of Spain, his mafter obtained letters of recommendation to several gentlemen in Madrid. At Perpignan, where he stopped some days, he debauched the daughter of his landlord, promifing to marry her as foon as he should be in office. While he was foliciting employment at Madrid, he quarrelled with a cavalier on the street: They fought by moonlight: The cavalier was killed; and being found to be the son of a grandee, our adventurer retired to a village where there was a nunnery, to the abbefs of which he had let-i ters of recommendation. He told her his adventure, and suggested to her the neceffity of hiding till the matter fhould be forgot. The abbefs received him with great civility, and permitted him to converse with the nuns at the grate. He fell in love with one of the nuns, young and handsome, who had been been thrust into the nunnery againft her inclination. It was not difficult to gain her heart; and they made fhift to meet fometimes without being obftructed by the grate. The intrigue being discovered, he was bitterly reproached by the abbefs for his ingratitude. He fhed many tears, and appeared to be a fincere penitent. Her advice was, that he fhould flip off privately; and fhe even gave him money for his journey. He wrote to his nun, with an offer to marry her: She made her escape, and flew to his arms. They got to Lisbon without being difcovered, where they found a fhip ready to fail for Smyrna. He fold his horfe, bought fome merchant-goods, and agreed with the captain for his paffage. The captain treated him with great civility, chiefly on the lady's account, who touched his heart. She appeared fo fond of her husband, that he loft all hopes; but he esteemed her the more on that account. Having landed at Smyrna, Vateville was warmly recommended by the captain to his acquaintance. In this city the lady fell ill, and died, leaving her husband inconfolable. K He |