this honest Woman help’d me to slip out at the Back-door, and lent me a Cloak, in which having muffled myself up, I had nothing to think of but how to get away from the Hague: I put myself on board the Delft Passage-Boat, and went in quest of Texera, a rich Portuguese, who had a House half a League from the Hague. We were such good Friends, that I was persuaded he would not abandon me in the Situation he found me in: And indeed, with all the Generosity possible, he advanc’d me what Money I wanted, and had me conducted to Honslaerdyk, where I stay’d Two Days in the Castle: My Keeper happen’d to be one that was Waiting-woman to my late Mother, who did me all the Services she was capable of, and went and acquainted Pyll where I was; upon which she came to see me, and brought me my Cloaths: I then consider’d what I had to do next: I had a great mind to return to the Hague, to treat with the Creditors who prosecuted me; but considering, that perhaps as soon as I had made these easy, others would give me fresh Trouble, I resolv’d to go to Germany, where I should be nearer at hand to write to my Family for the settling of my Affairs; for I was still under a Prohibition to go to Berlin; tho’ why I was thus forbid to go to my own native Place, I knew not.
I went the Road to Aix la Chapelle, in Hopes that I should there find the Count de L——, to whom I had lent 400 Ducats 7 or 8 Years ago. He was then in the Service of the Elector Palatine, and I was assur’d that he was in waiting about Aix. The first Day I went to Dort, and from thence to Bois le Duc.
This is a pretty considerable Place in Dutch Brabant: ’Tis encompass’d all round with
Marshes, and may easily be laid under Water for several Leagues round, which makes it one of the strongest Places in Europe: ’Twas Henry of Brabant that gave it the Name of Bois le Duc, or Bolduc, i. e. the Duke’s Wood, because he directed the Building of it in 1171, in the same Place where he caus’d a Wood to be cut down.
At Bois le Duc I went into the Diligence, which is the Name of the Stage-Coach that goes to Mastricht: I made an Acquaintance in it with an English Gentleman that was going to Aix la Chapelle, to make use of the Waters: He came directly from England, and being, as ’tis probable, over-burden’d with his Guineas, he was at every turn exclaiming against the Cheapness of every thing on this Side of the Water: But a little Adventure he was engag’d in at Mastricht alter’d his Opinion: He went out all alone the very Night we came thither, with a Design, he said, to take a little Walk about the Town; and in his Ramble he met with a very amiable young Creature upon the great Square, with whom he enter’d into a Conversation: After having parley’d with her some time, he offer’d to wait upon her to her Lodgings, and she was not so unsociable, but she accepted of his Proposal: My Englishman thought himself a happy Mortal, and the Damsel appear’d so amiable in his Eyes, that he begg’d her Permission when he was at her Quarters to treat her with some Refreshments: When they had empty’d some Bottles, and the Englishman was ready to take his Leave, he threw down a Guinea, and thought he paid full enough, but the Damsel demanded another: The Gentleman scrupled to give it, and insisted upon it with some Warmth, that a Guinea was sufficient in all Conscience to discharge the Expence he had put
her to: No doubt he should have paid more Respect to such civil Company. The offended Damsel call’d the Landlady, who fell upon the poor Englishman like a mad Woman: These Two were join’d by a Third Fury, who all together pummell’d the Englishman soundly, tore his Cravat, and turn’d him out of Doors without so much as giving him his Perriwig: To complete his Misfortune, it rain’d as hard as it could pour, and the Night was so dark, that he could not see which way to steer his Course: He knew not who to ask for; and besides, he had forgot both the Inn, and the Name of the Street where we lodg’d: At last, being quite weary of running up and down the Streets so long, he took it into his Head to knock at every Door, from whence he met with no Return but hard Names: While he was rapping at one Door, he was surpriz’d by the Patroll, who carry’d him to the Watch-house: It was well for him that the Officer upon Guard was not an ill-natur’d Man, for he had the Patience to hear him give a very confus’d Description of the Inn, of which he had absolutely forgot the Name; and upon his saying that there were several other Inns in the same Street where his was, they guess’d pretty near where-abouts it was: Then the Officer lent him a Cloak, and having given him a Watchman to go along with him, they thundred at the Doors of several Inns, which not being the Inn that they wanted, there would certainly have been some Uproar, if it had not been for the Watchman that the Englishman had to attend him: At last, as they were still wandring about in quest of the Inn which neither of them knew any thing of, the Englishman’s Lacquey, who was seeking his Master, met him, and carried him to his Quarters: You must
know, that this Adventure made it a very disagreeable Night to me; for being extremely tired, I went to Bed as soon as I had supp’d, and the Englishman being to lie in my Chamber, his Lacquey, who staid up there for him, disturb’d me sadly; for when he saw ’twas late, and that his Master was not return’d, he came every now-and-then to my Bed-side, and wak’d me to know what he should do; so that, to get rid of him, I advis’d him at last to turn out, and look for him. As soon as they came into the Room, I was forc’d to undergo the Penance of hearing the whole Story of his Adventure: The Lacquey was in a terrible Wrath with the honest People that had insulted his Master, and he propos’d to go out that Moment, and break open the Doors, and turn the House out of the Windows; but the Master having more Wit in his Anger, thought it best to bear his Disgrace with Patience, and to rest his Bones after so much Fatigue.
We set out next Day for Aix la Chapelle; but the Count de L—— whom I thought to have found there, was at that time in the Palatinate, and therefore having nothing to do at Aix, I took Leave of my Englishman, and proceeded in my Journey towards Cologne: As soon as I came thither, I fell ill of a Fever, nevertheless I push’d on, and was preparing to go up the Rhine, but when I came to Andernach, a little Town in the Dominions of Cologne, I found myself so ill, that I was absolutely oblig’d to stop: Mean time my Fever prov’d a continual one, and I was in a Place where I could not expect much Relief: The Mistress of the House where I was told me, that there was an able Physician some Leagues from Andernach, upon which I jogg’d
on thither as well as I could, and in a Fortnight’s time my Fever left me: Some Days after this I propos’d going towards Mentz, but when I came to Coblentz, I found myself worse than ever, and not being willing to change my Doctor, I return’d down the Rhine, and went to spend another Fortnight with the Man that had cur’d me before: Nevertheless, my Distemper grew worse, and even affected my Mind so much, that I imagin’d I should never be cur’d where I was: I had withal conceiv’d such a mortal Aversion to my Doctor, that I could no longer bear the Sight of him; and fancy’d that a Physician of Cologne, whom I knew, was the only Man that could cure me, for which Reason I was wonderfully impatient to go to Cologne; and notwithstanding all the Arguments of my Doctor to convince me that in the Condition which I was then in it would be Death for me to undertake a Voyage, yet I embark’d in a Vessel, and went down the Rhine: When I arriv’d at Cologne, I put myself with Confidence under the Care of the Physician of whom I had such an Opinion, and after having taken his Drugs about Two Days, whether it was owing to their Virtue, or to the Force of my Imagination, the Fever visibly diminish’d, and at last quite left me.
When I was perfectly recover’d, I went up the Rhine again to Mentz, where I hop’d to have found my Cousins; but I was told, that they were at their Estate in Franconia: This unlucky Absence of theirs perplex’d me very much, and what to do now I could not tell: I chose to go to Zell, where my Brother liv’d, and by good Luck I met with a Coach that was going to Hanover: From Hanover I went to Zell, where I heard that my Brother was at Berlin, and I resolv’d