The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗

prince, who was well aware that

Roger had been for two months sinking under a complaint gradual

in its progress but fatal in its nature, was not astonished at

this news. And yet, struck with his sudden exaltation, he felt a

thousand confused motions rising up by turns in his heart. He

mused for some time, then breaking silence, addressed these words

to Leontio — Wise Siffredi, I have always considered you as my

father. I shall make it my glory to be governed by your counsels,

and you shall reign in Sicily with a sway paramount to my own.

With these words, advancing to the standish and taking a blank

sheet of paper, he wrote his name at the bottom. What are you

doing, sir? said Siffredi. Proving my gratitude and my esteem,

answered Enriquez. Then the prince presented the paper to

Blanche, and said — Accept, madam, this pledge of my faith, and

of the empire with which I invest you over my thoughts and

actions. Blanche received it with a blush, and made this answer

to the prince — I acknowledge with all humility the

condescensions of my sovereign, but my destiny is in the hands of

a father, and you must not consider me as ungrateful if I deposit

this flattering token in his custody, to be used according to the

dictates of his sage discretion.

 

In compliance with these sentiments of filial duty, she gave the

sign manual of Enriquez to her father. Then Siffredi saw at once

what till that moment had eluded his penetration. He entered

dearly into the prince’s sentiments, and said: Your majesty shall

have no reproaches to make me. I shall not act unworthily of the

confidence … . My dear Leontio, interrupted Enriquez, you and

unworthiness never can be allied. Make what use you please of my

signature. I shall confirm your determination. But go, return to

Palermo, prescribe the ceremonies for my coronation there, and

tell my subjects that I shall follow you in person immediately,

to receive their oaths of allegiance, and assure them of my

protection in return. The minister obeyed the commands of his new

master, and set out for Palermo with his daughter.

 

Some hours after their departure, the prince also left Belmonte,

with his thoughts more intent on his passion than on the high

rank to which he was called. Immediately on his arrival in the

city, the air was rent with a thousand cries of joy. He made his

entry into the palace amid the acclamations of the people, and

everything was ready for the august formalities. The Princess

Constance was waiting to receive him, in a magnificent mourning

dress. She appeared deeply affected by Roger’s death. The customs

of society required from them a reciprocal compliment of

condolence on the late event; and they each of them acquitted

themselves with good breeding and propriety. But there was

somewhat more coldness on the part of Enriquez than on that of

Constance, who could not enter into family quarrels, and resolved

on hating the young prince. He placed himself on the throne, and

the princess sate beside him, in a chair of state a little less

elevated. The great officers of the realm fell into their places,

each according to his rank. The ceremony began; and Leontio, as

lord high chancellor of the kingdom, holding in his possession

the will of the late king, opened it, and read the contents

aloud. This instrument contained in substance that Roger, in

default of issue, nominated the eldest son of Mainfroi his

successor, on condition of his marrying the Princess Constance;

and in the event of his refusing her hand, the crown of Sicily

was to devolve, to his exclusion, on the head of the infant Don

Pedro, his brother, on the like condition.

 

These words were a thunderstroke to Enriquez. His senses were all

bewildered even to distraction; and his agonies became still more

acute, when Leontio, having finished the reading of the will,

addressed the assembly at large to the following effect: My

lords, the last injunctions of the late king having been made

known to our new monarch, that pious and excellent prince

consents to honour his cousin the Princess Constance with his

hand. At these words Enriquez interrupted the chancellor.

Leontio, said he, remember the writing; Blanche… . Sire,

interrupted Siffredi in his turn with precipitation, lest the

prince should find an opportunity of making himself understood,

here it is. The nobility of the kingdom, added he, exhibiting the

blank paper to the assembly, will see by your majesty’s august

subscription, the esteem in which you hold the princess, and your

implicit deference to the last will of the late king your uncle.

 

Having finished these words, he forthwith began reading the

instrument in such terms as he had himself inserted. According to

the contents, the new king gave a promise to his people, with

formalities the most binding and authentic, that he would marry

Constance, in conformity with the intention of Roger. The hall

re-echoed with pealing shouts of satisfaction. Long live our high

and mighty King Enriquez! exclaimed all those who were present.

As the marked aversion of the prince for the princess had never

been any secret, it was apprehended, not without reason, that he

might revolt against the condition of the will, and light up the

flame of civil discord in the kingdom; but the public enunciation

of this solemn act, quieting the fears of the nobility and the

people on that head, excited these universal applauses, which

went to the monarch’s heart like the stab of an assassin.

Constance, who had a nearer interest than any human being in the

result, from the double motive of glory and personal affection,

laid hold of this opportunity for expressing her gratitude. The

prince had much ado to keep his feelings within bounds. He

received the compliment of the princess with so constrained an

air, and evinced so unusual a disorder in his behaviour, as

scarcely to reply in a manner suited to the common forms of good

breeding. At last, no longer master of his violent passions, he

went up to Siffredi, whom the formalities of his office detained

near the royal person, and said to him in a low tone of voice —

What is the meaning of all this, Leontio? The signature which I

deposited in your daughter’s hands was not meant for such a use

as this. You are guilty of … .

 

My liege, interrupted Siffredi again with a tone of firmness,

look to your own glory. If you refuse to comply with the

injunctions of the king, your uncle, you lose the crown of

Sicily. No sooner had he thrown in this salutary hint, than he

got away from the king, to prevent all possibility of a reply.

Enriquez was left in a most embarrassing situation. A thousand

opposite emotions agitated him at once. He was exasperated

against Siffredi: to give up Blanche was more than he could

endure: so that, balancing between his private feelings and the

calls of public honour, he was doubtful to which side he should

incline. At length his doubts were resolved, under the idea of

having found the means to secure Siffredi’s daughter, without

giving up his claim to the throne. He affected therefore an

entire submission to the will of Roger, in the hope, while a

dispensation from his marriage with his cousin was soliciting at

Rome, of gaining the leading nobility by his largesses, and thus

establishing his power so firmly, as not to be under the

necessity of fulfilling the conditions of the obnoxious

instrument.

 

After forming this design, he got to be more composed; and

turning towards Constance, confirmed to her what the lord high

chancellor had read in presence of the whole assembly. But, at

the very moment when he had so far betrayed himself as to pledge

his faith, Blanche arrived in the hall of council. She came

thither, by her father’s command, to pay her duty to the

princess; and her ears, on entering, were startled at the

expressions of Enriquez. In addition to this shock, Leontio,

determined not to leave her in doubt of her misfortune,

accompanied her presentation to Constance with these words:

Daughter, make your homage acceptable to your queen; call down

upon her the blessings of a prosperous reign and a happy

marriage. This terrible blow overwhelmed the unfortunate Blanche.

Vain were all her attempts to suppress her anguish; her

countenance changed successively from the deepest blush to a

deadly paleness, and she trembled from head to foot. And yet the

princess had no suspicion how the matter really stood; but

attributed the confused style of her compliment to the

awkwardness of a young person brought up in a state of

rustication, and totally unacquainted with the manners of a

court. But the young king was more in the secret. The sight of

Blanche put him out of countenance: and the despair, too legible

in her eyes, was enough to drive him out of his senses. Her

feelings were not to be misunderstood; and they pointed at him as

the most faithless of men. Could he have spoken to her, it might

have tranquillized his agitation: but how to lay hold of the

happy moment, when all Sicily, at least the illustrious part of

it, was fixed in anxious expectation on his proceedings? Besides,

the stern and inflexible Siffredi extinguished at once every ray

of hope. This minister, who was at no loss to decipher the hearts

of the two lovers, and was firmly resolved, if possible, to

prevent the evil consequences impending over the state from the

violence of this imprudent attachment, got his daughter out of

the assembly with the dexterity of a practised courtier, and

regained the road to Belmonte with her in his possession,

determined, for more reasons than one, to marry her as soon as

possible.

 

When they reached home, he gave her to understand all the horror

of her destiny, by announcing his promise to the constable. Just

heaven! exclaimed she, transported into a paroxysm of despair,

which her father’s presence could not restrain, what unparalleled

sufferings have you the cruelty to lay up in store for the ill-fated Blanche? Her agony went to such a degree of violence as to

suspend every power of her soul. Her limbs seemed as if stiffened

under the icy grasp of death. Cold and pale, she fell senseless

into her father’s arms. Neither was he insensible to her

melancholy condition. Yet, feeling as he did all the alarm and

anxiety of a parent, the stern inflexibility of the statesman

remained unshaken. Blanche, after a time, was recalled to life

and feeling, rather by the keenness of her mental pangs than by

the means which Siffredi used for her recovery. Languishingly did

she raise her scarcely conscious eyes: when glancing on the

author of her misery, as he was anxiously employed about her

person; … . My lord, said she, with inarticulate and

convulsive accents, I am ashamed to let you see my weakness: but

death, which cannot be long in finishing my torments, will soon

rid you of a wretched daughter, who has ventured to dispose of

her heart without consulting you. No, my dear Blanche, answered

Leontio, your death would be too dear a sacrifice: Virtue will

resume her empire over your actions. The constable’s proposals do

you honour; it is one of the most considerable alliances in the

state … . I esteem his person and am sensible of his merit,

interrupted Blanche; but, my lord, the king had given me

encouragement to indulge … . Daughter, vociferated Siffredi,

breaking in upon her discourse, I anticipate all you have to say

on that subject. Your partiality for the prince is no secret to

me, nor would it meet my disapprobation under other

circumstances. You should