after leaving the deserted garden, returning to his convent,while Malagrida sought the river's side. He there found a boat awaitinghim, with a single rower. He silently took his seat in the stern, andthe man plying his oars with vigour, the small skiff shot rapidly fromthe shore. The Jesuit, keeping a watchful eye on every side, directedher course so as to avoid any of the boats rowing guard on the river,which might have impeded his progress.
Volume 3, Chapter VI.
On the following morning, the King, accompanied by his Ministers, andthe chief officers of his household, held a grand review of all thetroops quartered in and about Lisbon, in an open space in theneighbourhood of Belem.
After performing various evolutions, in no very perfect manner, it mustbe confessed, the troops marched past him in close order. At the headof a regiment of horse, called the Chaves Cavalry, rode the Marquis ofTavora, he being their colonel. He bowed respectfully to his sovereign,and passed on to form his men in line with the other troops, beforefiring the parting salute.
"That man can be no traitor," said the King, in a low voice, toCarvalho, who was close to him.
"I wish he was the only one in the kingdom," answered the Minister; "butI fear me there are many more."
"I trust you are mistaken, my good friend," replied Joseph. "If thereare no worse than the Marquis of Tavora in my kingdom, I shall havelittle to fear."
"Some day I shall be able to convince your Majesty by clear proofs,"said the Minister; "otherwise I would not thus alarm you with reportswhich may seem idle."
The Portuguese army was at this time the very worst in Europe. Throughthe supine negligence of former sovereigns, it had been allowed tobecome completely disorganised. The troops were ill paid, ill clothed,and ill fed. The officers, chiefly of the inferior grades of society,were ignorant of their duty, and illiterate, without a particle of the_esprit de corps_ among them; nor did Carvalho, among his other designsat this period, take any measures to improve them.
The review being over, the King returned to his palace at Belem, wherehe received all those who had the _entree_ at Court. On theseoccasions, it was the custom for the nobles to assemble first, when thesovereign, entering the rooms, passed among them, addressing each intheir turn in a familiar way.
It was the duty of Teixeira, the chief domestic of the King, and theconfidant of his amours, to stand at the door of the ante-room, to seethat none but the privileged entered. He had, some time before, fromsome insolent behaviour, seriously offended the Marquis of Tavora, whothreatened him with punishment. When the Marquis now approached,Teixeira, who was standing directly in the way, pretended not to observehim. The Marquis, enraged at the premeditated insult, exclaimed, "Standout of my way, base pander, or I will run my sword through your body."
"If I am a pander, as your Excellency thinks fit to call me," answeredTeixeira, turning round, and eyeing him malignantly, "I am one to yourwife and daughter, haughty noble."
"Wretched slave, dare you speak thus to me?" returned the Marquis,forgetting, at the moment, that he was within the precincts of thepalace; "you shall rue those insolent words;" and half drawing hissword, he made as if he would put his threat into execution.
"Your Excellency forgets where you are," exclaimed the servant,trembling for his life.
"I do not, nor do you, when you venture to speak thus," answered theMarquis; "but remember, insolent wretch, you will not escape punishmentas easily as you expect;" and passing on, without speaking another word,he entered the principal apartment.
When the King appeared, he made his complaint of Teixeira's insolence;but the former, assuring him that the insult was not intended, took nofurther notice of the circumstance.
The Levee, for so it might properly be called, being quickly over, theKing retiring to his private apartments, the Marquis returned to hishome. As he sat down to dinner with the Marchioness and his family,while the domestics were standing round, he complained bitterly of themanner in which Teixeira had insulted him, and of the King'sindifference to his complaints.
"The servant has but learnt to copy his master," said the Marchioness."Yet he deserves a severe chastisement, though it would disgrace yourrank to bestow it. There are, however, many of your followers who willgladly avenge their master's honour."
Several of the attendants, who hated Teixeira for his good fortune, notmore than for the insolence with which he had treated them, lookedeagerly towards their master, as if they would willingly undertake theoffice; but he, either not observing them, or pretending not to do so,made no answer, and soon turned the conversation.
When left alone with her lord, the Marchioness used her utmost eloquenceto persuade him to take instant vengeance for the insult he hadreceived; for the circumstance alarmed her, lest her own plots might, bysome extraordinary means, have been discovered.
"Depend on it," she said, "if the servant dares thus to act, he knowsfull well that his master will not be displeased."
"I think not thus of the King," answered the Marquis. "He has somefaults, but he has too much respect for himself to ill-treat his nobles.On another occasion, I will complain of this villain Teixeira'sconduct, and I doubt not he will be dismissed."
"I think far differently from you, my lord," returned the Marchioness."The King, by the instigation of his upstart Minister, has becomejealous of the power and wealth of our Puritano families. In every oneof us he has been taught to suspect a foe, and he waits but the firstopportunity to crush us."
"Your feelings of indignation have exaggerated the danger, DonnaLeonora. The only foe we have to fear is the Minister; and we mustendeavour, by exhibiting our love and devotion to our sovereign, tocounteract his evil influence."
"It will be the very way to increase the suspicions of the King,"returned the Marchioness. "Half measures are of no avail. If we are toretain our wealth and influence, if we are to remain grandees ofPortugal, we must either compel the King to dismiss his counsellor, orhe himself must suffer the punishment of his obstinacy."
"What mean you?" exclaimed the Marquis, with an alarmed expression ofcountenance.
"I mean, my lord," returned Donna Leonora, with a firm voice, "that theKing who dares insult his nobles, who interferes with our privileges,who is a despiser of religion, and heaps contumely on its ministers,must die."
"Great heavens! utter not such dreadful treason!" cried the Marquis."The very walls might hear you; and such thoughts alone might bring ruinon yourself and your whole family. From henceforth banish such an ideafrom your mind."
"Never!" exclaimed the Marchioness. "I have far too great a respect forour family honour, and for our holy religion, to submit tamely to suchindignities. If you forget that you are a Tavora and a Catholic, I donot forget that I am your wife."
"I prize the honour of my family as I do my life, but it shall never besaid that a Tavora became a traitor to his sovereign," said the Marquis.
"None shall have cause to say it, my lord," answered his wife; "it isunsuccessful treason which is alone so stigmatised, and the nobleenterprise in which I would have you engage will, I have been assured bya voice from heaven, succeed."
"Say rather, by the instigations of the evil one," said the Marquis,with agitation.
"It was through the voice of that living saint, the holy FatherMalagrida," responded Donna Leonora. "He has ever led me in the rightpath to holiness, and why should I now doubt his words? Oh, harden notyour heart, my lord, but put faith in that holy man, for be assuredwhatever he utters proceeds alone from the fountain of truth. Of whatobject would have been all his fastings, his penances, and his prayers,if Heaven had not more particularly selected him among men to utter thewords of truth to mankind? I feel assured that those who follow hisadvice cannot err; then wherefore hesitate in this ease?"
"I doubt not the sanctity of the Father Malagrida, Donna Leonora, but Ihave reason to doubt his sanity. His enthusiastic mind has beenoverthrown, and what he now conceives to be the inspirations of Heaven,are but the workings of a disordered i
magination."
"Cease, cease, my lord, from giving utterance to such dreadful impiety,"exclaimed the Marchioness, interrupting him; "do not peril your immortalsoul by speaking blasphemy. The holy Father Malagrida insane? Thegreatest prophet of modern days, the speaker of unknown tongues, a meremad enthusiast! Oh, my beloved lord, say not thus, as you value myhappiness."
"I will not discuss the character of the Father Malagrida," answered theMarquis. "But tell me how you would wish me to act, for against thesacred life of his Majesty will I not lift up my hand."
"I would wish you to act like a high noble of Portugal, worthy of yourPuritano descent," returned Donna Leonora.