Narrative and Miscellaneous PapersDe Quincey, Thomas
General
Narrative and Miscellaneous Papers
De Quincey, Thomas
English essays; English fiction
the bishop, 'in the name of the Virgin, I enjoin you to surrender your
sword.' 'My lord,' said Kate, 'I dare not do it with so many enemies
about me.' 'But I,' replied the bishop, 'become answerable to the law
for your safe keeping.' Upon which, with filial reverence, all parties
dropped their swords. Kate being severely wounded, the bishop led her
into his palace. In an instant came the catastrophe; Kate's discovery
could no longer be delayed; the blood flowed too rapidly; the wound was
in her bosom. She requested a private interview with the bishop; all was
known in a moment; for surgeons and attendants were summoned hastily,
and Kate had fainted. The good bishop pitied her, and had her attended
in his palace; then removed to a convent; then to a second at Lima; and,
after many months had passed, his report to the Spanish Government at
home of all the particulars, drew from the King of Spain and from the
Pope an order that the Nun should be transferred to Spain.
Yes, at length the warrior lady, the blooming cornet, this nun that is
so martial, this dragoon that is so lovely, must visit again the home
of her childhood, which now for seventeen years she has not seen. All
Spain, Portugal, Italy, rang with her adventures. Spain, from north to
south, was frantic with desire to behold her fiery child, whose girlish
romance, whose patriotic heroism electrified the national imagination.
The King of Spain must kiss his _faithful_ daughter, that would not
suffer his banner to see dishonor. The Pope must kiss his _wandering_
daughter, that henceforwards will be a lamb travelling back into the
Christian fold. Potentates so great as these, when _they_ speak words
of love, do not speak in vain. All was forgiven; the sacrilege, the
bloodshed, the flight and the scorn of St. Peter's keys; the pardons
were made out, were signed, were sealed, and the chanceries of earth
were satisfied.
Ah! what a day of sorrow and of joy was _that_ one day, in the first
week of November, 1624, when the returning Kate drew near to the shore
of Andalusia--when, descending into the ship's barge, she was rowed to
the piers of Cadiz by bargemen in the royal liveries--when she saw every
ship, street, house, convent, church, crowded, like a day of judgment,
with human faces, with men, with women, with children, all bending
the lights of their flashing and their loving eyes upon herself. Forty
myriads of people had gathered in Cadiz alone. All Andalusia had turned
out to receive her. Ah! what joy, if she had not looked back to the
Andes, to their dreadful summits, and their more dreadful feet. Ah! what
sorrow, if she had not been forced by music, and endless banners, and
triumphant clamors, to turn away from the Andes to the joyous shore
which she approached!
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