Mateo Alemán

“ Sayavedra, who observed my astonishment, said to me with a smile, “it appears to me, that you are somewhat agreeably surprised at the sight of this city.” “In truth, you have guessed rightly,” replied I, “I am completely charmed with it; I did not think there was another Rome in the world.” “And yet,” replied he, “you see nothing of its beauties to what may be seen. Some of the houses here, which might pass for as many palaces, are ornamented within with some of the most beautiful works of architecture. ”

“ Upon this, Nicoleta came to seek for me, and, as if the excess of her joy had almost deprived her of her senses, she threw her arms round my neck, crying out, “My dear friend, you will be transported at the agreeable news I bring you: my mistress resists no longer, but is willing to make your master the happiest of men.” I was so delighted at hearing these words, which I little expected, that I took Nicoleta by the hand, and led her like a triumphant general into my master’s closet, where we began to congratulate ourselves on the change that we had wrought in Fabia. ”

“ Soon after his departure from Sienna, Guzman meets with Sayavedra, whom he takes into his service, and carries with him to Florence. I was so anxious to escape from Sienna, that clapping spurs to my horse, I disappeared like lightning from the eyes of the ungrateful Pompey. After proceeding some miles, I perceived at a distance a man on foot, who appeared exactly to resemble my thief Sayavedra. ”

“ My highest ambition is to unite my fate with hers; your views should yield to mine: sacrifice the mad hopes you have conceived. I expect this effort from your friendship and your virtue.” “You might add,” said Dorido, “that I owe it to the family of Clorinia; yes,” continued he, “I will leave the field open to you; and if Valerio’s sister should accept your addresses and consent to give you her hand, I will cease to be your rival. I will do more, I will speak in your favour, and I assure you that in that case it shall not be my fault if your wishes be not fulfilled.” ”

“ Fabia’s husband will doubtless inquire your business here the first thing in the morning. And what answer can you make? If you should tell the truth, for the first time in your life, you will make your master and yourself the common talk of Rome. What answer can you make then, but that Nicoleta had invited you, and that you were under a promise to marry her? And even should they oblige you to keep your word, this misfortune would be preferable to having all your bones broken to make you confess the truth. ”

“ It was the pity of their master that I hoped to excite, who no sooner made his appearance than I redoubled my cries and complaints, addressing him in these words: “O noble Christian! friend of Jesus Christ! take pity on a poor afflicted sinner, diseased and crippled in the flower of his age; be pleased, your Eminence, to take compassion on my misery, and praised be the passion of our Redeemer.” ”

“ Nevertheless, as I was ambitious to distinguish myself in every profession I embraced, I was frequently tempted to run risks which turned out neither to my honor nor profit. An unlucky adventure of this description occurred to me one day in the month of September. The day was oppressively hot; I happened to go out between one and two o’clock, to beg from door to door in the streets of Rome, imagining that every one who saw me begging at such a time would be sure to think I must be half starved, and that I should not fail to have either victuals or money given me on that account. ”

“ How pitiable is the situation of that man whose love tyrannizes over his reason! Horatio, seeing that his passion was despised, and his rival triumphant, felt all his love changed into hate: he now considered Clorinia only as an object of detestation; and refusing to listen to the voice of reason, he desired nothing more ardently than an opportunity to avenge himself at once on the lady and her favored lover. ”

“ They did nothing but cry to the people of the house to turn me out again; and any one, to see their fury in persecuting me, would have concluded that I had committed some enormous crime which had brought on me this exemplary punishment. To crown my misfortune, the master of the house in which I had taken refuge, did not seem much inclined to take my part against the insolent rabble. ”

“ Stop, Guzman, cry you, or you will lose yourself in moral reflections. Whither will this learned discourse lead you? To my basket again, reply I; yes, my friend, to my basket, which, having now become to me as useful as eloquence was to Demosthenes, or stratagems to Ulysses, consoled me under my present misfortune. Long may the basket-trade flourish, which a man, having once tried, will never fail to resume. ”

“ After the old Cordovan had given me these political precepts, he taught me how I might raise a pretended leprosy and ulcers; how a leg might be swelled; how I might make an arm appear dislocated, and render my face paler than death itself. ”

“ Take compassion, my dear gentlemen, on one who is but a man like yourselves. You well know that the rich are so hard-hearted now-a-days, that it is impossible for the poor to excite their pity, otherwise than by covering themselves with wounds and sores, and that it is but seldom that we can obtain any thing but the most miserable pittance even by these means. What can you gain by discovering my knavery? ”

“ What punishment can console us under our present affliction?” “Sir,” answered Dorido, “suspend we our lamentations for a while, and let us think of one thing only which concerns us all. The author of this misery must perish;{309} I will inflict on him an adequate punishment. But before I execute a revenge on him which shall astonish and horrify posterity, I must make myself what I now am not. Receive me, therefore, for your son-in-law; it will be more for the honour of us all that it should be said that Clorinia was avenged by her husband, than by her father’s friend.” ”

“ It was well for me that I had been accustomed to misfortunes, and that I had already made some progress in the art of begging. What would have become of me without this resource? I should have been much to be pitied. Any one that possesses the talent of exciting his neighbour’s charity may travel all over Italy without money. I must render this justice to Italy, that no nation in the world has more charity in it. In proof of which assertion, I reached Rome without spending a single sous of all the money that I was able to collect on the road, and which I carefully reserved. ”

“ When the wretched Horatio found himself so extremely fast bound that he could not stir, he soon perceived the danger which threatened him, and, hoping to soften his rival’s anger, he confessed his crime, and implored his mercy in terms the most pathetic that his fear of death could inspire him with. ”

“ He affected some surprise at the sight of my clothes and effects, all spread out in my chamber, and my trunks open before me. “Ah, Signor Guzman!” cried he, “do you then intend to follow my advice?” “You have guessed right,” answered I. “I have mentioned my intention to my master, who has given it his hearty concurrence. Every thing is decidedly fixed upon. I purpose in two days time to quit Rome for Sienna, where I shall make some stay at the house of a friend of mine, a merchant of the name of Pompey. ”

“ In the mean time my purse, having no flux and reflux like the sea, began to empty itself visibly, without any prospect of being filled again. What with my clothes, my gallantries, and my travelling expenses, in addition to these entertainments and presents, I had already squandered away more than half of my reals, without reckoning what I had lost at play with the officers, the majority of whom knew better than myself how to take advantage in gaming of every turn of fortune in their favour. ”

“ Even though beggars had no other advantage than that of begging and receiving without either embarrassment or shame, they enjoy therein a privilege which none of the rest of mankind possess, sovereigns only excepted, who also beg of their people without blushing: but the difference between them is, that sovereigns often make poor folks contribute to their wants, while beggars seldom ask of any but such as are richer than themselves. ”

“ The Laws of begging. As beggars of every nation are distinguished from each other by their different modes of imploring alms; as the Germans beg by singing, and in troops, the French by their praying, the Flemings by their respectful bowings, the Bohemians by fortune telling, the Portuguese by their crying, the Italians by long harangues, the English by abusing, and the Spaniards by their haughty growlings: we hereby command them all to observe the following Statutes under pain of our heavy displeasure. ”

“ Mendicity in that country is a fine resource for persons of spirit in bad circumstances who cannot make up their minds to be industrious. For my own part, I was so naturally inclined to that trade that I wished for no better. I must confess that when I found myself in the capital of the Catholic World with money enough in my pocket to buy a new suit of clothes, I was at first somewhat tempted to employ it that way, with design to offer my services to some nobleman; but I had courage enough to resist this desire, which I considered in no other light than as a temptation of the devil. ”

“ That honour belongs to a certain Alexander Bentivoglio, of whom I have heard but too often: and who may yet some day fall into my clutches; however,” continued he, “console yourself: the scoundrel who is the cause of your misfortune is in our power, and I promise you that he shall be hung.” I could scarcely repress my rage at this impertinent discourse. I fairly wished them all at the devil together. The Provost who talked to me in that manner,—his man who had cost me a pistole,—and the merchant who, by his imprudence, had placed me in this embarrassing situation. ”

“ After having thus taken my part, he called me aside in a low voice, and asked me several questions; as, in what part of Spain I was born? what was my name, and how long I had been at Rome? When I had answered all these queries in a very laconic style, he proceeded to represent to me, but in a very mild manner, the mutual feeling that beggars were bound to observe towards each other, that a proper decorum might be supported among them; that they ought to be so united as to play into each other’s hands like brother pick-pockets in a fair. ”

“ I hope they may be simple enough to believe me; but I fear they cannot fail to treat me like a rogue and an impostor, if only to support the honour of the family. Perhaps I may not escape even so well as this; for my father, who was thoroughly acquainted with the dispositions of his countrymen, has often said that a Genoese is not to be trusted in any case where his interest or reputation is concerned. ”

“ We arrived at Malagon at night, whence I set out again the next day, without any other scurvy trick of fortune except having lost one bottle of wine, which I missed when we had got about three or four leagues from the town. “As I live,” quoth I, “this theft brings to my recollection, and verifies the old proverb which declares, that in Malagon there is a thief in every house, but in that of the Alcaid two, the father and the son. Upon this the muleteer asked me if I knew the origin of this proverb. ”

“ Guzman enters into the service of the Spanish Ambassador. My ridiculous pride long prevented me from perceiving the extreme folly of my behaviour. At first I amused myself by strolling about the streets of Rome and eating at the houses of my acquaintance, but I found that my civil reception among them did not last long; scanty fare and gloomy looks saluted me every where, and I was soon at a loss for a dinner. This verifies the Spanish proverb: Live a week with your uncle or cousin, a month with your brother, a year with your friend; but in the house of your father you may live for life. ”

“ My little gentleman turned pale at these words; he considered me a knave who intended to repay myself for the breakfast by robbing him of a part of his property, or at least, that I was willing to amuse myself at his expense; for when he surveyed my elegant attire, which was not worth four maravedis, he could not for a moment think that I was in earnest: every one is apt to judge in this manner, forming opinions of strangers from the difference of dress and outward appearances. ”

“ This I have thought fit to inform you, that you may learn not always to judge of people by their looks. When I left Burgos I had as good clothes as you, but I sold them in the first village I passed through, to relieve myself of so inconvenient a burden, and contented myself with these tattered garments, which would excite the pity, or at the worst the compassion, of thieves whom a better dress would probably have tempted. ”

“ Valerio told him in a few words, and requested him to accompany him to the surgeon, but Dorido refused, saying to him, with an air which shewed the fury that began to animate him; “No no, Valerio, I shall employ my time better; there is no occasion to engage ourselves both on the same errand, when there is so much more to be done. ”