The Fortunes of Nigel

Chapter 13

It is seldom that a day of pleasure, upon review, seems altogether so

exquisite as the partaker of the festivity may have felt it while

passing over him. Nigel Olifaunt, at least, did not feel it so, and it

required a visit from his new acquaintance, Lord Dalgarno, to

reconcile him entirely to himself. But this visit took place early

after breakfast, and his friend's discourse was prefaced with a

question, How he liked the company of the preceding evening?

"Why, excellently well," said Lord Glenvarloch; "only I should have

liked the wit better had it appeared to flow more freely. Every man's

invention seemed on the stretch, and each extravagant simile seemed to

set one half of your men of wit into a brown study to produce

something which should out-herod it."

"And wherefore not?" said Lord Dalgarno, "or what are these fellows

fit for, but to play the intellectual gladiators before us? He of them

who declares himself recreant, should, d--n him, be restricted to

muddy ale, and the patronage of the Waterman's Company. I promise you,

that many a pretty fellow has been mortally wounded with a quibble or

a carwitchet at the Mermaid, and sent from thence, in a pitiable

estate, to Wit's hospital in the Vintry, where they languish to this

day amongst fools and aldermen."

"It may be so," said Lord Nigel; "yet I could swear by my honour, that

last night I seemed to be in company with more than one man whose

genius and learning ought either to have placed him higher in our

company, or to have withdrawn him altogether from a scene, where,

sooth to speak, his part seemed unworthily subordinate."

"Now, out upon your tender conscience," said Lord Dalgarno; "and the

fico for such outcasts of Parnassus! Why, these are the very leavings

of that noble banquet of pickled herrings and Rhenish, which lost

London so many of her principal witmongers and bards of misrule. What

would you have said had you seen Nash or Green, when you interest

yourself about the poor mimes you supped with last night? Suffice it,

they had their drench and their doze, and they drank and slept as much

as may save them from any necessity of eating till evening, when, if

they are industrious, they will find patrons or players to feed them.

[Footnote: The condition of men of wit and talents was never more

melancholy than about this period. Their lives were so irregular, and

their means of living so precarious, that they were alternately

rioting in debauchery, or encountering and struggling with the meanest

necessities. Two or three lost their lives by a surfeit brought on by

that fatal banquet of Rhenish wine and pickled herrings, which is

familiar to those who study the lighter literature of that age. The

whole history is a most melancholy picture of genius, degraded at once

by its own debaucheries, and the patronage of heartless rakes and

profligates.] For the rest of their wants, they can be at no loss for

cold water while the New River head holds good; and your doublets of

Parnassus are eternal in duration."

"Virgil and Horace had more efficient patronage," said Nigel.

"Ay," replied his countryman, "but these fellows are neither Virgil

nor Horace; besides, we have other spirits of another sort, to whom I

will introduce you on some early occasion. Our Swan of Avon hath sung

his last; but we have stout old Ben, with as much learning and genius

as ever prompted the treader of sock and buskin. It is not, however,

of him I mean now to speak; but I come to pray you, of dear love, to

row up with me as far as Richmond, where two or three of the gallants

whom you saw yesterday, mean to give music and syllabubs to a set of

beauties, with some curious bright eyes among them--such, I promise

you, as might win an astrologer from his worship of the galaxy. My

sister leads the bevy, to whom I desire to present you. She hath her

admirers at Court; and is regarded, though I might dispense with

sounding her praise, as one of the beauties of the time."

There was no refusing an engagement, where the presence of the party

invited, late so low in his own regard, was demanded by a lady of

quality, one of the choice beauties of the time. Lord Glenvarloch

accepted, as was inevitable, and spent a lively day among the gay and

the fair. He was the gallant in attendance, for the day, upon his

friend's sister, the beautiful Countess of Blackchester, who aimed at

once at superiority in the realms of fashion, of power, and of wit.

She was, indeed, considerably older than her brother, and had probably

completed her six lustres; but the deficiency in extreme youth was

more than atoned for, in the most precise and curious accuracy in

attire, an early acquaintance with every foreign mode, and a peculiar

gift in adapting the knowledge which she acquired, to her own

particular features and complexion. At Court, she knew as well as any

lady in the circle, the precise tone, moral, political, learned, or

jocose, in which it was proper to answer the monarch, according to his

prevailing humour; and was supposed to have been very active, by her

personal interest, in procuring her husband a high situation, which

the gouty old viscount could never have deserved by any merit of his

own commonplace conduct and understanding.

It was far more easy for this lady than for her brother, to reconcile

so young a courtier as Lord Glenvarloch to the customs and habits of a

sphere so new to him. In all civilised society, the females of

distinguished rank and beauty give the tone to manners, and, through

these, even to morals. Lady Blackchester had, besides, interest either

in the Court, or over the Court, (for its source could not be well

traced,) which created friends, and overawed those who might have been

disposed to play the part of enemies.

At one time, she was understood to be closely leagued with the

Buckingham family, with whom her brother still maintained a great

intimacy; and, although some coldness had taken place betwixt the

Countess and the Duchess of Buckingham, so that they were little seen

together, and the former seemed considerably to have withdrawn herself

into privacy, it was whispered that Lady Blackchester's interest with

the great favourite was not diminished in consequence of her breach

with his lady.

Our accounts of the private Court intrigues of that period, and of the

persons to whom they were intrusted, are not full enough to enable us

to pronounce upon the various reports which arose out of the

circumstances we have detailed. It is enough to say, that Lady

Blackchester possessed great influence on the circle around her, both

from her beauty, her abilities, and her reputed talents for Court

intrigue; and that Nigel Olifaunt was not long of experiencing its

power, as he became a slave in some degree to that species of habit,

which carries so many men into a certain society at a certain hour,

without expecting or receiving any particular degree of gratification,

or even amusement.

His life for several weeks may be thus described. The ordinary was no

bad introduction to the business of the day; and the young lord

quickly found, that if the society there was not always

irreproachable, still it formed the most convenient and agreeable

place of meeting with the fashionable parties, with whom he visited

Hyde Park, the theatres, and other places of public resort, or joined

the gay and glittering circle which Lady Blackchester had assembled

around her. Neither did he entertain the same scrupulous horror which

led him originally even to hesitate entering into a place where gaming

was permitted; but, on the contrary, began to admit the idea, that as

there could be no harm done in beholding such recreation when only

indulged in to a moderate degree, so, from a parity of reasoning,

there could be no objection to joining in it, always under the same

restrictions. But the young lord was a Scotsman, habituated to early

reflection, and totally unaccustomed to any habit which inferred a

careless risk or profuse waste of money. Profusion was not his natural

vice, or one likely to be acquired in the course of his education;

and, in all probability, while his father anticipated with noble

horror the idea of his son approaching the gaming-table, he was more

startled at the idea of his becoming a gaining than a losing

adventurer. The second, according to his principles, had a

termination, a sad one indeed, in the loss of temporal fortune--the

first quality went on increasing the evil which he dreaded, and

perilled at once both body and soul.

However the old lord might ground his apprehension, it was so far

verified by his son's conduct, that, from an observer of the various

games of chance which he witnessed, he came, by degrees, by moderate

hazards, and small bets or wagers, to take a certain interest in them.

Nor could it be denied, that his rank and expectations entitled him to

hazard a few pieces (for his game went no deeper) against persons,

who, from the readiness with which they staked their money, might be

supposed well able to afford to lose it.

It chanced, or, perhaps, according to the common belief, his evil

genius had so decreed, that Nigel's adventures were remarkably

successful. He was temperate, cautious, cool-headed, had a strong

memory, and a ready power of calculation; was besides, of a daring and

intrepid character, one upon whom no one that had looked even

slightly, or spoken to though but hastily, would readily have ventured

to practise any thing approaching to trick, or which required to be

supported by intimidation. While Lord Glenvarloch chose to play, men

played with him regularly, or, according to the phrase, upon the

square; and, as he found his luck change, or wished to hazard his good

fortune no farther, the more professed votaries of fortune, who

frequented the house of Monsieur le Chevalier de Saint Priest Beaujeu,

did not venture openly to express their displeasure at his rising a

winner. But when this happened repeatedly, the gamesters murmured

amongst themselves equally at the caution and the success of the young

Scotsman; and he became far from being a popular character among their

society.

It was no slight inducement to the continuance of this most evil

habit, when it was once in some degree acquired, that it seemed to

place Lord Glenvarloch, haughty as he naturally was, beyond the

necessity of subjecting himself to farther pecuniary obligations,

which his prolonged residence in London must otherwise have rendered

necessary. He had to solicit from the ministers certain forms of

office, which were to render his sign-manual effectually useful; and

these, though they could not be denied, were delayed in such a manner,

as to lead Nigel to believe there was some secret opposition, which

occasioned the demur in his business. His own impulse was, to have

appeared at Court a second time, with the king's sign-manual in his

pocket, and to have appealed to his Majesty himself, whether the delay

of the public officers ought to render his royal generosity

unavailing. But the Lord Huntinglen, that good old peer, who had so

frankly interfered in his behalf on a former occasion, and whom he

occasionally visited, greatly dissuaded him from a similar adventure,

and exhorted him quietly to await the deliverance of the ministers,

which should set him free from dancing attendance in London.

Lord Dalgarno joined his father in deterring his young friend

from a second attendance at Court, at least till he was reconciled

with the Duke of Buckingham--"a matter in which," he said, addressing

his father, "I have offered my poor assistance, without being able to

prevail on Lord Nigel to make any--not even the least--submission to

the Duke of Buckingham."

"By my faith, and I hold the laddie to be in the right on't, Malcom!"

answered the stout old Scots lord.--"What right hath Buckingham, or,

to speak plainly, the son of Sir George Villiers, to expect homage and

fealty from one more noble than himself by eight quarters? I heard him

myself, on no reason that I could perceive, term Lord Nigel his enemy;

and it will never be by my counsel that the lad speaks soft word to

him, till he recalls the hard one."

"That is precisely my advice to Lord Glenvarloch," answered Lord

Dalgarno; "but then you will admit, my dear father, that it would be

the risk of extremity for our friend to return into the presence, the

duke being his enemy--better to leave it with me to take off the heat

of the distemperature, with which some pickthanks have persuaded the

duke to regard our friend."

"If thou canst persuade Buckingham of his error, Malcolm," said his

father, "for once I will say there hath been kindness and honesty in

Court service. I have oft told your sister and yourself, that in the

general I esteem it as lightly as may be."

"You need not doubt my doing my best in Nigel's case," answered Lord

Dalgarno; "but you must think, my dear father, I must needs use slower

and gentler means than those by which you became a favourite twenty

years ago."

"By my faith, I am afraid thou wilt," answered his father.--"I tell

thee, Malcolm, I would sooner wish myself in the grave, than doubt

thine honesty or honour; yet somehow it hath chanced, that honest,

ready service, hath not the same acceptance at Court which it has in

my younger time--and yet you rise there."

"O, the time permits not your old-world service," said Lord Dalgarno;

"we have now no daily insurrections, no nightly attempts at

assassination, as were the fashion in the Scottish Court. Your prompt

and uncourteous sword-in-hand attendance on the sovereign is no longer

necessary, and would be as unbeseeming as your old-fashioned serving-

men, with their badges, broadswords, and bucklers, would be at a

court-mask. Besides, father, loyal haste hath its inconveniences. I

have heard, and from royal lips too, that when you stuck your dagger

into the traitor Ruthven, it was with such little consideration, that

the point ran a quarter of an inch into the royal buttock. The king

never talks of it but he rubs the injured part, and quotes his

_'infandum-------renovare dolorem.'_ But this comes of old fashions,

and of wearing a long Liddesdale whinger instead of a poniard of

Parma. Yet this, my dear father, you call prompt and valiant service.

The king, I am told, could not sit upright for a fortnight, though all

the cushions in Falkland were placed in his chair of state, and the

Provost of Dunfermline's borrowed to the boot of all."

"It is a lie," said the old earl, "a false lie, forge it who list!--It

is true I wore a dagger of service by my side, and not a bodkin like

yours, to pick one's teeth withal--and for prompt service--Odds nouns!

it should be prompt to be useful when kings are crying treason and

murder with the screech of a half-throttled hen. But you young

courtiers know nought of these matters, and are little better than the

green geese they bring over from the Indies, whose only merit to their

masters is to repeat their own words after them--a pack of mouthers,

and flatterers, and ear-wigs.--Well, I am old and unable to mend, else

I would break all off, and hear the Tay once more flinging himself

over the Campsie Linn."

"But there is your dinner-bell, father," said Lord Dalgarno, "which,

if the venison I sent you prove seasonable, is at least as sweet a

sound."

"Follow me, then, youngsters, if you list," said the old earl; and

strode on from the alcove in which this conversation was held, towards

the house, followed by the two young men.

In their private discourse, Lord Dalgarno had little trouble in

dissuading Nigel from going immediately to Court; while, on the other

hand, the offers he made him of a previous introduction to the Duke of

Buckingham, were received by Lord Glenvarloch with a positive and

contemptuous refusal. His friend shrugged his shoulders, as one who

claims the merit of having given to an obstinate friend the best

counsel, and desires to be held free of the consequences of his

pertinacity.

As for the father, his table indeed, and his best liquor, of which he

was more profuse than necessary, were at the command of his young

friend, as well as his best advice and assistance in the prosecution

of his affairs. But Lord Huntinglen's interest was more apparent than

real; and the credit he had acquired by his gallant defence of the

king's person, was so carelessly managed by himself, and so easily

eluded by the favourites and ministers of the sovereign, that, except

upon one or two occasions, when the king was in some measure taken by

surprise, as in the case of Lord Glenvarloch, the royal bounty was

never efficiently extended either to himself or to his friends.

"There never was a man," said Lord Dalgarno, whose shrewder knowledge

of the English Court saw where his father's deficiency lay, "that had

it so perfectly in his power to have made his way to the pinnacle of

fortune as my poor father. He had acquired a right to build up a

staircase, step by step, slowly and surely, letting every boon, which

he begged year after year, become in its turn the resting-place for

the next annual grant. But your fortunes shall not shipwreck upon the

same coast, Nigel," he would conclude. "If I have fewer means of

influence than my father has, or rather had, till he threw them away

for butts of sack, hawks, hounds, and such carrion, I can, far better

than he, improve that which I possess; and that, my dear Nigel, is all

engaged in your behalf. Do not be surprised or offended that you now

see me less than formerly. The stag-hunting is commenced, and the

prince looks that I should attend him more frequently. I must also

maintain my attendance on the duke, that I may have an opportunity of

pleading your cause when occasion shall permit."

"I have no cause to plead before the duke," said Nigel, gravely; "I

have said so repeatedly."

"Why, I meant the phrase no otherwise, thou churlish and suspicious

disputant," answered Dalgarno, "than as I am now pleading the duke's

cause with thee. Surely I only mean to claim a share in our royal

master's favourite benediction, _Beati Pacifici_."

Upon several occasions, Lord Glenvarloch's conversations, both with

the old earl and his son, took a similar turn and had a like

conclusion. He sometimes felt as if, betwixt the one and the other,

not to mention the more unseen and unboasted, but scarce less certain

influence of Lady Blackchester, his affair, simple as it had become,

might have been somehow accelerated. But it was equally impossible to

doubt the rough honesty of the father, and the eager and officious

friendship of Lord Dalgarno; nor was it easy to suppose that the

countenance of the lady, by whom he was received with such

distinction, would be wanting, could it be effectual in his service.

Nigel was further sensible of the truth of what Lord Dalgarno often

pointed out, that the favourite being supposed to be his enemy, every

petty officer, through whose hands his affair must necessarily pass,

would desire to make a merit of throwing obstacles in his way, which

he could only surmount by steadiness and patience, unless he preferred

closing the breach, or, as Lord Dalgarno called it, making his peace

with the Duke of Buckingham.

Nigel might, and doubtless would, have had recourse to the advice of

his friend George Heriot upon this occasion, having found it so

advantageous formerly; but the only time he saw him after their visit

to Court, he found the worthy citizen engaged in hasty preparations

for a journey to Paris, upon business of great importance in the way

of his profession, and by an especial commission from the Court and

the Duke of Buckingham, which was likely to be attended with

considerable profit. The good man smiled as he named the Duke of

Buckingham. He had been, he said, pretty sure that his disgrace in

that quarter would not be of long duration. Lord Glenvarloch expressed

himself rejoiced at that reconciliation, observing, that it had been a

most painful reflection to him, that Master Heriot should, in his

behalf, have incurred the dislike, and perhaps exposed himself to the

ill offices, of so powerful a favourite.

"My lord," said Heriot, "for your father's son I would do much; and

yet truly, if I know myself, I would do as much and risk as much, for

the sake of justice, in the case of a much more insignificant person,

as I have ventured for yours. But as we shall not meet for some time,

I must commit to your own wisdom the farther prosecution of this

matter."

And thus they took a kind and affectionate leave of each other.

There were other changes in Lord Glenvarloch's situation, which

require to be noticed. His present occupations, and the habits of

amusement which he had acquired, rendered his living so far in the

city a considerable inconvenience. He may also have become a little

ashamed of his cabin on Paul's Wharf, and desirous of being lodged

somewhat more according to his quality. For this purpose, he had hired

a small apartment near the Temple. He was, nevertheless, almost sorry

for what he had done, when he observed that his removal appeared to

give some pain to John Christie, and a great deal to his cordial and

officious landlady. The former, who was grave and saturnine in every

thing he did, only hoped that all had been to Lord Glenvarloch's mind,

and that he had not left them on account of any unbeseeming negligence

on their part. But the tear twinkled in Dame Nelly's eye, while she

recounted the various improvements she had made in the apartment, of

express purpose to render it more convenient to his lordship.

"There was a great sea-chest," she said, "had been taken upstairs to

the shopman's garret, though it left the poor lad scarce eighteen

inches of opening to creep betwixt it and his bed; and Heaven knew--

she did not--whether it could ever be brought down that narrow stair

again. Then the turning the closet into an alcove had cost a matter of

twenty round shillings; and to be sure, to any other lodger but his

lordship, the closet was more convenient. There was all the linen,

too, which she had bought on purpose--But Heaven's will be done--she

was resigned."

Everybody likes marks of personal attachment; and Nigel, whose heart

really smote him,, as if in his rising fortunes he were disdaining the

lowly accommodations and the civilities of the humble friends which

had been but lately actual favours, failed not by every assurance in

his power, and by as liberal p*****t as they could be prevailed upon

to accept, to alleviate the soreness of their feelings at his

departure; and a parting kiss from the fair lips of his hostess sealed

his forgiveness.

Richie Moniplies lingered behind his master, to ask whether, in case

of need, John Christie could help a canny Scotsman to a passage back

to his own country; and receiving assurance of John's interest to that

effect, he said at parting, he would remind him of his promise soon.--

"For," said he, "if my lord is not weary of this London life, I ken

one that is, videlicet, mysell; and I am weel determined to see

Arthur's Seat again ere I am many weeks older."