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A Modern Telemachus By: Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823-1901) |
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{'Be still' illustration: p1.jpg} 'Be still; I want to hear what they are saying.' P. 2. ILLUSTRATED BY W. J. HENNESSY. London
MACMILLAN AND CO.
AND NEW YORK
1889 All rights reserved First Edition (2 Vols. Crown 8 vo ) 1886
Reprinted 1887, 1889
PREFACE
The idea of this tale was taken from The Mariners' Chronicle , compiled
by a person named Scott early in the last century a curious book of
narratives of maritime adventures, with exceedingly quaint illustrations.
Nothing has ever shown me more plainly that truth is stranger than
fiction, for all that is most improbable here is the actual fact. The Comte de Bourke was really an Irish Jacobite, naturalised in France,
and married to the daughter of the Marquis de Varennes, as well as in
high favour with the Marshal Duke of Berwick. In 1719, just when the ambition of Elizabeth Farnese, the second wife of
Philip V. of Spain, had involved that country in a war with England,
France, and Austria, the Count was transferred from the Spanish Embassy
to that of Sweden, and sent for his wife and two elder children to join
him at a Spanish port. This arrangement was so strange that I can only account for it by
supposing that as this was the date of a feeble Spanish attempt on behalf
of the Jacobites in Scotland, Comte de Bourke may not have ventured by
the direct route. Or it may not have been etiquette for him to re enter
France when appointed ambassador. At any rate, the poor Countess did
take this route to the South, and I am inclined to think the narrative
must be correct, as all the side lights I have been able to gain
perfectly agree with it, often in an unexpected manner. The suite and the baggage were just as related in the story the only
liberty I have taken being the bestowal of names. 'M. Arture' was really
of the party, but I have made him Scotch instead of Irish, and I have no
knowledge that the lackey was not French. The imbecility of the Abbe is
merely a deduction from his helplessness, but of course this may have
been caused by illness. The meeting with M. de Varennes at Avignon, Berwick's offer of an escort,
and the Countess's dread of the Pyrenees, are all facts, as well as her
embarkation in the Genoese tartane bound for Barcelona, and its capture
by the Algerine corsair commanded by a Dutch renegade, who treated her
well, and to whom she gave her watch. Algerine history confirms what is said of his treatment. Louis XIV. had
bombarded the pirate city, and compelled the Dey to receive a consul and
to liberate French prisoners and French property; but the lady having
been taken in an Italian ship, the Dutchman was afraid to set her ashore
without first taking her to Algiers, lest he should fall under suspicion.
He would not venture on taking so many women on board his own vessel,
being evidently afraid of his crew of more than two hundred Turks and
Moors, but sent seven men on board the prize and took it in tow. Curiously enough, history mentions the very tempest which drove the
tartane apart from her captor, for it also shattered the French
transports and interfered with Berwick's Spanish campaign. The circumstances of the wreck have been closely followed. 'M. Arture'
actually saved Mademoiselle de Bourke, and placed her in the arms of the
maitre d'hotel , who had reached a rock, together with the Abbe, the
lackey, and one out of the four maids. The other three were all in the
cabin with their mistress and her son, and shared their fate. The real 'Arture' tried to swim to the shore, but never was seen again,
so that his adventures with the little boy are wholly imaginary. But the
little girl's conduct is perfectly true. When in the steward's arms she
declared that the savages might take her life, but never should make her
deny her faith. The account of these captors was a great difficulty, till in the old
Universal History I found a description of Algeria which tallied
wonderfully with the narrative. It was taken from a survey of the coast
made a few years later by English officials... Continue reading book >>
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Fiction |
Historical Fiction |
Literature |
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