The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and ModernBoyer, Abel
General
The Wise and Ingenious Companion, French and English;: or, A Collection of the Wit of the Illustrious Persons, Both Ancient and Modern
Boyer, Abel
Anecdotes; Wit and humor
It happened at that very time that the Governour of the Province
caus’d certain Thieves to be crucified near that Vault where the
virtuous Lady kept such desperate Mourning over the Corps of her
dear Husband. The Night following a Soldier who was set to guard
the Crosses, for fear the Bodies should be stollen away, having
seen a light in the Tomb, and hearing the Sighs and Complaints
of one in Sorrow, out of a curiosity incident to all Men, grew
desirous to know what this might be, and what passed there;
thereupon he descends into the Monument, and beholding a very
beautiful Woman, he stood both amaz’d and frighted, as if it had
been a Phantom: But then viewing a dead Body stretched before her,
and observing her Face bathed with Tears, and injured by her Nails,
with all the other marks of solemn Woe, he judged of the Matter as
it was, that an afflicted and disconsolate Woman that was not able
to bear her loss, had abandoned her self to Grief and Despair. A
moment after he brought his small Supper to the Tomb, and begins
to exhort her not to persevere any longer in fruitless Groans
and an unprofitable Sorrow; adding withal, that all Men have one
common Exit; that we must all come at last to that long Home, and
such other Reasons with which we generally use to cure the most
distempered Minds. But she still more exasperated by so unexpected
a Consolation, redoubles her Grief; tears her Breast with more
violence, and pulls off her Hair, which she throws on that woeful
Corps. The Soldier is not in the least discouraged by all this, but
repeats still the same Exhortations, and endeavours to perswade her
to take some Meat, till the Waiting-woman wrought upon, as ’tis
probable, as much by the smell of the Wine, as by his Discourse,
reach’d her Hand to him who so obligingly invited them, and having
recovered some strength with Meat and Drink, began her self to
attempt upon her Mistresses obstinacy. And what will your Ladiship
get, said she, by starving your self to Death, burying your self
alive, and giving up to Destiny that Breath which she does not
demand from you?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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