The Desultory Man: Collection of Ancient and Modern British Novels and Romances. Vol. CXLVII.James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
The Desultory Man: Collection of Ancient and Modern British Novels and Romances. Vol. CXLVII.
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Fiction
"You are very wrong, sir;" replied he to the young man. "You are
wrong, and unjust. At a period too unhappy to France for a Frenchman
willingly to recal, did England take any unhandsome advantage of her
position? Who would have refused her, if she had demanded ten times
more than she required? And since then, of what has she defrauded the
nations? Of what has she robbed the world? Her only object has been to
guard and protect her commerce which, is her existence; and this she
has scarcely done as much as her able policy and successful arms gave
the title to expect, and the power to exact. So much for her
government; now for her people. No one shall say one word against them
before me. When I was an exile and a wanderer, without a country, and
without a friend, the English received me, protected me, supported me.
The nation gave me the means of existence, and individuals made that
existence happy. France is the country of my youth and of my love: in
my young days I drew my sword for her, but have never unsheathed it
against her. France shall have my bones when I die, and my affection
while I live; but England shall ever have my gratitude, and Englishmen
my esteem."
He spoke, and the fire that had animated him, passed away, and left
his countenance as mild and tranquil as it had been before.
At Tours I parted from the friend who had hitherto accompanied me, as
he intended to visit Blois and Orleans, while I was bent upon
wandering awhile in Brittany, which to my mind, filled as it was with
the memories of La Vendée and of the war of loyalty was quite a new
land of romance. To Rennes I first bent my steps, and there
accidentally made some acquaintances who proved very serviceable in
directing my steps aright to the various places of interest in the
province. I shall not, however, pause to narrate all my excursions, as
I am not writing an itinerary of Brittany--though to say the truth I
know few parts of the world which present more points of interest.
There is a frankness and good humour, too, about the people, which is
very agreeable. They want perhaps a part of the refinement of the
Parisians; but they make up in sincerity for all deficiencies in
polish. I cannot, indeed, say that their morality is very rigid, nor
can I boast that while I remained amongst them I avoided the ordinary
errors into which youth and inexperience are but too apt to fall. The
thought of Emily Somers, however, as well as still holier thoughts,
kept me from any very reprehensible conduct, and I took care by
constantly writing to her to prevent her from fancying that I had
forgotten her even for a moment.
I had been absent from England between four and five months when some
occurrences took place which must be mentioned. After various
expeditions to different parts of the country, I was thinking of
turning my steps towards my native land, and had returned to Rennes
with that view, when I was again called back half way to Nantes by a
tale which I may call
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