The Battles of Animals are not the only ones to be seen in England, there being very often Combats of Gladiators, when the Wretches for pitiful Lucre fight with one another at Swords, and very often wound each other cruelly: The English delight very much in this sort of Prize-fighting: They shout loud Applauses when either of the Two wounds his Antagonist, and when the Battle is over, the Two Combatants shake Hands, and make each other a low Bow, to shew they don’t bear one another any Malice: I can’t conceive how they find any Fellows to take up such an Exercise; the rather, because ’tis liable to very fatal Consequences; for they say, that by their Laws, he who wounds his Adversary, shall be at the Expence of curing him, and he that kills him, is to be hang’d without Mercy.
There’s another sort of Prize-fighters, who fight every Evening in the Summer in a Square near St. James’s, with no other Weapons but Quarter-staves, or wooden Swords, with which they break one another’s Ribs, or knock one another on the Head, and the Victor is generally regal’d by some or other of the Spectators. I have also seen, as I have been going over the Square, a pack of Wrestlers, that endeavour’d to throw one another down, and when one of the Two has tripp’d up his Adversary’s Heels, he politely gave him his Hand to help him up again: At all these Performances considerable Wagers are laid, as I have already had the Honour to tell you.
After having seen every thing at London worth a Stranger’s Curiosity, I was prevail’d on, before I left England, to go and take a View of the Royal Palaces in the Country: I saw Hampton
Court and Windsor, which are Two magnificent Palaces, yet Trifles in comparison with the Royal Palaces of France: Kensington Palace pleas’d me well enough: ’Tis a House that formerly belong’d to an English Nobleman, of whom King William bought it, because ’twas so near London: They were making some Alterations at it when I was there: The King’s Apartment is very spacious, but not the most magnificent, and ’tis adorn’d with some Paintings by Vandyke, which are of uncommon Beauty; One of these Pictures represents King Charles I. on Horseback, and in another are his Queen, her Waiting-women and all her Children: I never saw any thing better done than these Two Pieces are. Kensington Gardens would be very fine for a private Person, but for a King, methinks I could wish them to be somewhat more magnificent.
Having finish’d my Travels in England, where I stay’d near a Month, with a View of the Royal Palaces, I embark’d for Holland; but had not a quick Passage, by reason of a Calm, that surpriz’d us at Sea, so that we could neither go forwards nor backwards: At length, in Five Days after we had left London, we arriv’d in the Mouth of the Maese, where we bore a hard Gale of Wind, which blew all Night: Next Day we got safe into the Maese, and by Noon came to Rotterdam, from whence I set out the same Day for the Hague.
As soon as I arriv’d there I thought of renewing my Wardrobe, and refitting my Equipage. Tho’ all this would not come to a great deal, yet being then very short of Money, I was forc’d to go a borrowing: I therefore gave Letters of Attorny to my Creditors, to receive an Annuity
which came to me from my Family, and of which I shar’d one Third with my Brother, and Madamoiselle de Pollnitz. As my Brother and I were Minors when my Grandmother left us that Annuity, Madamoiselle de Pollnitz being the eldest of the Family, qualify’d herself to receive it: She was first paid the whole upon her own Receipts, but afterwards she gave each of us our Share, which she all along continued to do ever since I was of Age: My Creditors were glad to accept of the Powers which I delegated to them, but, for their greater Security, they desir’d me to make myself sure and certain that Madamoiselle de Pollnitz would punctually pay them: I wrote immediately, and desir’d them to write to her likewise; but as my good Cousin was never a hearty Friend to me, she thought fit to thwart me in the Expedient I had contriv’d to raise Money: Instead of doing me the Honour to write me an Answer, she wrote to my Creditors, to caution them to be upon their Guard; that I only meant to cheat them, that I had no Share in any such Annuity, and that every Word I had told them about it was a Lye. My Creditors were somewhat startled at this Intelligence, and imagin’d that they had to do with a Knave, who only intended to bilk them, and that they should be left without Remedy if I once gave them the Slip: I did every thing on my Part to make them easy; I told them that Madamoiselle de Pollnitz had conceal’d the Truth from them, on Purpose to involve me in Trouble; and that I would engage she should retract the Letters she had sent them: Besides this, I offer’d to pay them out of the Income of my own Estate: But all I could say to them signify’d nothing; their Jealousy had taken deep Root, and they resolv’d, in order
to secure their Debts, to arrest me: And so they actually did; for one Sunday Morning I was accosted by some ill-favour’d Companions, who desir’d me to remove with a good Grace to the Prisons at the Hague, if I did not like to be carry’d thither by Force. I was a little confounded at such a Visit, and saw that I must instantly lose my Liberty, and perhaps for a long time too, when Madame Pyll, a Tradeswoman at the Hague, to whom I was already indebted, was so kind as to advance me what was necessary to pay my Creditors; by which means I got out of the Clutches of those impertinent Fellows.
Not many Days after this happen’d, other Creditors being inform’d of it, imagin’d that the only infallible Method for their being paid was, to take the same Course with me, and they also resolv’d to arrest me: Accordingly, Notice was brought to me at 6 o’Clock in the Morning, that ’twas apprehended there was a Design form’d against me, and that some Serjeants were sauntring about to nab me: I had my Breeches on indeed, but nothing more than a Night-gown; and not caring to take the Trouble of dressing myself intirely, especially as I knew that there were not many People stirring at the Hague at that time, I thought it best to steal off in my Night-gown: I made my Escape to the House of my dear Madame Pyll: I could have wish’d this good Woman would have once more pacify’d those ravenous Hounds, but I had not the Assurance to mention it to her; and only desir’d she would give me Shelter for a little while, which she granted with Pleasure: But I was soon under a Necessity of shifting my Quarters, for the Catch-Polls being inform’d where I was harbour’d, were actually coming to take me, when