Devonshire Characters and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Devonshire Characters and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England) -- Biography; Devon (England) -- History
“When I came to Franckfort, the Gates of the City were just ready to be
shut, and I offering to go in, the Centinel demanded of me who I was. I
told them I was an Englishman. They bid me show my Passport, but I had
none. I having therefore no pass, they would not let me into the City.
So the Gate was shut. I sat down upon the Ground and wept, bewailing my
hard Fortune and their Unkindness, having not a bit of Bread to eat,
nor Fire to warm myself in the extreme cold Season which then was.
“But there being just outside the Gate a little Hutt, where the
Soldiers Kept Guard, the Corporal seeing me in such a condition as I
was, called me in, where they had a good Fire, and he gave me some of
his Victuals; for which seasonable Kindness I gave him some money to
fetch us some good Liquor. And I told the Corporal, if he would get me
into the City the next Day, I would Requite him for it. Accordingly he
did. He brought me to a Frenchman’s House, who had a Son that lived in
England some time, and was lately come home again, who made me very
Welcome. He ask’d me what my Business was; I told him ’twas to get a
Pass to go safe down the River, (for they are so strict there in time
of War, that they’ll even examine their own Countrymen), and withal,
desired him to change a Pistole for me, and to give me instead of it
such Money as would pass current down the River. For (as I told him)
I have sometimes chang’d a Pistole, and before the Exchange of it had
been expended in my Travels, some of the money would not pass current.
He chang’d my Pistole for me, and told me what Money would pass in such
a place, and what in such a place, and what I should reserve last to
pass in Holland. And he was moreover so civil, as to go to the public
Office and obtain a Pass for me. After which he brought me to his House
again, and caused one of his Servants to direct me to an Inn, where I
should Quarter, and bid me come again to him the next Morning, when
he sent his Servant to call me, and also to pay off my Host, but I
had paid him before, for which he show’d Dislike. After all which, he
conducted me to the River’s side where was a Boatfull of Passengers
ready to go to Mentz. This obliging Gentleman (whose name was Van der
Luh’r) told the Master of the Boat, that he would satisfy him for my
Passage to Mentz; and moreover desired an Acquaintance of his in the
Boat to take care of me; and when at Mentz, to direct me to such a
Merchant, to whom he gave a Letter, and therewith a piece of Money to
drink his Health.
“When we came to Mentz, we were every Man to produce his Passport;
and as the Passes were looking over, the Person in the Boat, who was
desired to take care of me, sent a Boy to call the Merchant to whom I
was to deliver the Letter; who immediately came, and invited me to his
House.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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