CHAP. XXXVII.

Guzman takes the road to Bologna, in the hope of there meeting with and prosecuting Alexander Bentivoglio, who had robbed him.

When we came to the first stage, we stopped to take some refreshment and rest, which I stood very much in need of, having partaken of neither for the last twenty-four hours. After that we began to consult together.

“I think,” said I to Sayavedra, “that we ought without delay to go to Bologna. I have some idea that we shall there meet Alexander Bentivoglio, and if it be our good luck to find him, I do not doubt but by composition, or a law suit, I shall get part of my property again.” My confidant confirmed me in my opinion, by saying; “let us hire horses then, and set off to Bologna; but give me leave, if you please, to remind you of the danger I shall run in appearing in that town. I am fully of opinion as well as you that Alexander is there, and if unluckily for me, he should see me there, he will be anxious to know what brought me to Bologna, and as sure as he discovers that we came together, he will suspect your design and either run away himself, or get me assassinated. This is not all,” added he; “I cannot be of any use to you in the business, without running the risk of my own neck; since I must suffer myself to be committed to prison; and once confined, shall never get out again, except by a special dispensation from heaven.”

I approved of Sayavedra’s reasons, and we agreed that he should not appear in the streets of Bologna, but keep as closely concealed as he could in the inn where we should take up our lodging, and not meddle in the law-suit, in case I should institute any. After all, I did not imagine his testimony would be necessary to help me to get my thief compelled to restore at least part of my property. My confidant, pleased with this agreement, professed himself quite ready to follow me. We set off immediately on common hacks, and the next day towards evening we reached Bologna. We alighted at an inn, where I found some strangers brought to that town by their several occupations. I supped with them, and retired pretty early into a neat little room which Sayavedra had bespoke for me. I slept very little, all my thoughts being taken up about that rogue Alexander, and I rose early in the morning to inquire at once if he was not in the country. I went out by myself, and walked for a quarter of an hour about the streets. As I was passing before the great church, I cast my eyes upon five or six young fellows who were at the door, and I observed one among them whose coat impressed me with a strong suspicion that he was the man I was looking for. I at first mistrusted my eyes, but after a long examination, I knew for certainty that it was the coat which a Neapolitan officer had made me a present of, to whom I had been serviceable in speaking to my Lord Ambassador in his behalf.

I was so enraged at seeing this rascal bedecked in my finery, that it was with some difficulty I could restrain myself from running him through with my sword; but as his good luck would have it, or perhaps mine rather, my more reasonable thoughts prevented me. “Softly,” said I to myself, “be not too hasty: let the gaol-bird live, and he may then possibly pay his debts; but if you kill him you will certainly be as much the sufferer as he. Besides those young fellows that are standing by him will of course take his part; and even if they should not interfere, remember that he has the reputation of a bully, and you may not have fair play. At all events, instead of plaintiff, you would become defendant.” Having thus fully convinced myself of the folly of exposing myself by such an action, which would have made my journey fruitless at least, if not fatal; I returned to the inn, and asked my landlord if he could recommend me an experienced lawyer. He answered in the affirmative, and immediately sent for one who lived in the neighbourhood, and who, considering his profession, was a tolerably honest man. I first inquired of this gentleman, whether he knew one Alexander Bentivoglio, son of a solicitor of the same name? He replied, “that there were very few who did not know both father and son.” I then asked, “if he was any relation or friend to them?” “No, thank God!” answered he with some haste; “I should be very sorry to have any such relations or friends.”

After these two questions, which I thought prudent and necessary, I told him the particulars of the loss of my trunks. He listened to me with the utmost sang-froid, and did not seem in the least surprised. He even owned to me, that in Bologna, they were quite used to hear such adventures of master Alexander, who frequently played similar games. I am by no means certain, however, continued he, even though you commence an action against him, that you will be at all the better for it. You will have to deal with a formidable opponent in his father, who has put himself above the laws by the wickedness of his disposition, and rendered himself terrible to all the inhabitants of this city, who dread him as much as fire. The best advice I can give you, is to have a conversation with this father of his, who, perhaps, may rather choose to come to terms with you, than suffer such a piece of villainy to be made public. This is the only probable way to recover any part of the property you have lost. I answered, “that I was of the same opinion; for, besides the dislike I had for law-suits, I considered that I should not get much by prosecuting a thief, and particularly one who happened to be the son of a man of such a character. I therefore requested him to call upon the father himself; but, as I found he did not wish to have any thing to do in an affair disagreeable to counsellor Bentivoglio, I promised him a good reward for his trouble in case of success.” He could not stand against this promise, and at once found resolution enough to go to Alexander’s father.

My Solicitor soon returned, but his looks showed that his answer was not satisfactory, and I could easily perceive, that his trouble had been in vain. He told me, that the haughty lawyer had used him very ill; that so far from agreeing to any terms of accommodation, he said that he felt his honour wounded, and was so offended at such a proposal, that he insisted that I was the thief, and his son the person who had been robbed, and ended his discourse with the most violent threats against me. I resolved then, since I was compelled to do it, to implore the help of justice. The Solicitor, good man, prayed to be excused; for his undertaking the cause would be the ruin of himself and family, the father of my adversary having threatened to send them all to the hospital, if he knew that either directly or indirectly he gave me the least assistance. “Recommend me then, at least,” said I, “to some able lawyer.” He was in doubt whether he would even oblige me so far as this, so great was his dread of the Bentivoglio’s; but observing that I pulled some money out of my pocket to pay him for his trouble, he named a counsellor of great experience and probity; and what was more, a secret enemy of my adversary’s, but he desired me not to mention who had directed me to him.

I went accordingly to this gentleman, told him my case, and how I had been robbed at Sienna. As soon as I had finished, he said, the whole city of Bologna was already informed of this adventure. Alexander returned home laden with clothes, which, it was reported he had won of a young Spaniard at Rome, but it was well understood at what game he must have played to get them. “Do not lose time, added he; carry on the business briskly; I do not doubt that justice will be done to you, in spite of all the exertion of old Bentivoglio to the contrary.” I replied, “that I depended entirely on his integrity and capacity, putting myself and my cause into his hands, not doubting that he would act in the business so that I should have no occasion to repent of having come to Bologna.” He assured me, that he would do his best; and that I had only to take a walk in the town, and call upon him three hours after; which I did. When I returned, I found my declaration ready drawn, with a true recital of the case, arranged much to my satisfaction.

We went together and gave it to the magistrate called El Oydor del Torron[A]. The more I observed my lawyer, the more was I convinced that he went regularly to work, as much to maintain my rights as to vex his brother lawyer Bentivoglio; but whether this latter had been aware of my design, or that he was an intimate of the auditor or register, no sooner was my declaration against Alexander delivered in, than he had a hint of it, and another was presented against me before the same magistrate, in the name of the lawyer Bentivoglio, setting forth that I had defamed his son, requiring damages for the injury done his reputation, and further that I should have corporal punishment. My lawyer said that was nothing; “if Bentivoglio,” said he, “has no more skill to show us than this, we have not much to fear; we shall be able to answer him when the auditor has answered our petition,” which he soon did. But in what manner, good heaven? by ordering that within three days at the furthest, I should produce my evidence of the robbery of which I accused Signor Alexander Bentivoglio.

Had I dispatched a man express to Sienna for a copy of the allegations mentioned in my declaration, I could not have had an answer in so short a time.

The auditor could not be ignorant of this, since in my petition I had expressly declared that it was from Sienna that I expected my strongest proofs. My lawyer remonstrated in a second petition, that it was against custom to prescribe a fixed time to the plaintiff. By this he hoped at least to maintain a longer time, but he was again disappointed. Not being able now to doubt any longer the connexion that subsisted between the auditor and the honest man I had to contend with, he said to me with the utmost confusion, and blushing at the horrible injustice I met with in his own country; “I have no other advice to give you but to quit this town; it is not safe for you to remain here; I see but too well the wicked trick they have served you; you will only spend your time and money here to no purpose, and I am not sure that you will even get off at so cheap a rate. In one word you are a stranger: and I blush to confess that every thing is thought lawful here against foreigners.”

“Is it possible?” said I, in a tone expressive enough of my indignation; “sure we are not at present in a country of barbarians.” “Yes, worse than barbarians,” said he, “for among them, justice is administered according to the law of nature, but here we have no law at all. I repeat it again,” continued he, “my advice is, that you tarry no longer in a part of the world where the chief magistrates are so little scrupulous as to make the guilty pass for innocent, and treat the innocent as guilty.” I promised my lawyer that the very next day I would follow his advice. I thanked him for the pains and trouble he had been at, and pulled out my purse to recompense him, but he declined taking any thing from me. “You have lost enough already,” said he, “if I were to take any fee from you, I should deserve, I think, to be considered as one of those whom you have to complain of. Besides, I wish, that in quitting the city of Bologna, you may be convinced that though rogues are abundant, yet there are a few men of honour to be found in it.”

I returned to my lodging, mightily pleased with the frank proceeding of my lawyer, and found Sayavedra in no small fear, lest I should sacrifice him to recover my goods. Undoubtedly, if I had produced him in Court, it would at once have defeated the arts of old Bentivoglio; but it never entered into my heart to be guilty of such a piece of treachery. I had forgiven him, and since that time he had served me so faithfully, that he left me no occasion to remember what he had done. I told him that our law-suit was finished, though no judgment had been given upon it; that we had but to seek our fortune elsewhere, and that, as I intended to set out for Milan the next day very early in the morning, he had nothing to do but to hire post-horses, and prepare every thing for our journey. I had scarcely finished giving these orders to Sayavedra, when there entered the inn a great number of bailiffs and bailiffs’ followers,—a trade the devil would not be of. They made no more ado, but took me by the collar and hauled me off to prison. I asked for what I was committed, and what I had done to merit such usage? I was answered I should know in good time; which I did indeed, and found that it was for the crime of having been robbed, and that I should be very lucky if I got out of prison by being sent to the galleys. That Counsellor Bentivoglio, in order to punish me for my insolence in bringing an action against his son, and presenting petitions that were looked upon as defamatory libels against the nobility of his family, and more particularly against Signor Alexander, whose morals and good manners were so well known in the city of Bologna, had obtained from the justice of the Auditor a warrant to arrest me, until I should be adjudged a punishment suitable to my rashness.

This notable accusation took up a whole sheet of paper, and all the while I read it I raised my hands and eyes towards Heaven with looks of astonishment, to the great amusement of the jailor and his companions, who laughed heartily in their sleeves at me. I remained two or three days without seeing any body but the keeper and his men, who wantonly insulted me, and made me their laughing-stock. This place appeared to me to be the true picture of Hell. I should have been starved had I not had money, and as it was, I paid for what I had at least three times its value. In addition to this, I was obliged to keep on terms with the jailor, who, out of an excess of civility, constantly visited me at my meals, eat up half of what I had paid for, and afterwards had the impudence to say he did not honour any other prisoner so much as to give him his company.

Sayavedra, who, for the reasons I have before mentioned, dared not appear in the town to solicit for me, employed my landlord, who, moved with compassion to see me so ill used, went to my lawyer to prevail upon him not to give me up to the wickedness of my enemies. This counsellor, like a charitable and generous man, indignant at the tyranny that was exercised, in contempt of the laws, against a helpless stranger, again espoused my cause, to get me out of the clutches of these robbers; and, to avoid an ignominious sentence, he advised me to consent to an accommodation proposed to me by the adverse party, and which I shall not fail here to mention. They made me sign a paper containing in substance a recantation of my charge against Signor Bentivoglio, and a declaration, drawn up in excellent form, that I knew this same Signor to be a very honest gentleman, of a moral life and irreproachable honour, begging his pardon for having accused him of so foul an action, and stating that what I had done was at the instigation of some enemies of his, having myself no manner of cause of complaint against him.

These were the honourable means they found to accommodate the parties. I had no sooner signed this declaration against my honour and my conscience than I was discharged; and, in truth, what would not I have written? What would not a man say or do to get out of prison? Those who know what it is to live in such a place will excuse me for having proclaimed a thief to be an honest man for the sake of my liberty. I repaired immediately to my inn, where I found Sayavedra in a most disconsolate state of mind, much doubting whether the application of my solicitor, and the scandalous reports in the town concerning my imprisonment, would prevail so far as to extricate me from confinement. This dear confidant was overjoyed to see me, whom he did not in the least expect. The gentlemen who lodged at the inn were just going to sit down to dinner. As soon as they saw me enter, they all embraced me, and wished me joy of my enlargement, telling me how much they had been concerned at my misfortune. During dinner the whole discourse ran upon my judges, and Heaven knows they did not spare them. For my part I spoke of them with a great deal of prudence, for fear of some new accident.