■ 
 
 A 
 
THE 
 
 MOUNTAIN 
 
 COTTAGER; 
 
 0 R, 
 
 WONDER UPON WONDER. 
 
 A TALE. 
 
 TRAXSLAtED FROM THE GERM Ay Of 
 
 C. H. SPIESS. 
 
 u Ye vifions that before me roll, — 
 
 €i That freeze my blood, — that fhake my foul,- 
 
 u Are ye the phantoms of a dream ?'* 
 
 H. M« WILLIAMS. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 Printed by and for W\ W. Woodward, No. 17. 
 Cbesnut Street, Franklin's bead. 
 
 i8oo* 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/mountaincottager01spie 
 
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 THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 COTTAGER. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 T the foot of the mountains which ie- 
 parate Savoy from Switzerland, there lived, 
 at the end of the laft century, in a humble 
 village, and a yet more humble cottage, a 
 poor Savoyard. In his youth he had travel- 
 ed through Germany with a marmot, and, by 
 the exhibition of this animal's tricks and gam- 
 bols, had not only gained a livelihood, but 
 had alfo, by his extraordinary frugality, fa- 
 ved a tolerable capital. With this he return- 
 ed homewards, refolving to build himfelf a 
 little cottage in his native country, to take a 
 wife, and to fpend the remainder of his days 
 in quiet. A t p ATcd through Swabia in his 
 way home, he became acquainted with a poor 
 but lively young maiden, who pleafed him 
 extremely. He made known his fentiments 
 
4 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 to her, his fuit was crowned with fuccefs, and 
 ftie accompanied him as his wife into Sa- 
 voy. 
 
 After an union of thirty years uninterrupt- 
 ed happinefs, {he died, and left him fix fons, 
 the three elder of whom were fettled in 
 France in the bufinefs of cleaning fhoes ; the 
 two next worked in the mines of their own 
 country ; and the youngeft, as his mother's 
 favourite, was ft i 11 at home. He was a ftout 
 Pomely youth of feventeen, and would, if bet- 
 ter dreffed, have excelled in appearance ma- 
 my Barons and Counts, and have engaged the 
 attention of many fair ladies. " It mull not 
 go on thus any longer," faid his old father to 
 him one day ; " here, if you work like a beaft 
 of burden, you can fcarcely earn dry bread ; 
 follow the example of your brothers) and go 
 mto fome other country. They have fuc- 
 ceeded by this means, and fo did I, and there 
 is no fear of your not doing the fame. The 
 fooner you go, the better ; I give you my 
 blefTmg, and for your mother's fake, a dollar 
 for your journey, and thus furnifhed you are 
 fecured from want." 
 
 The young Wolfgang, for fuch was the 
 name which his mother h&d given him, ac~ 
 c pted the blefiing and the money, and fat 
 out the next morning. The charming def- 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 criptions this tender parent had often given 
 him of her native country, had long excited 
 his curiofity, and he now determined to gra- 
 tify it by going thither. Before he arrived 
 there, he laid out his whole capital in moufe- 
 traps and hatchels, which he underftood how- 
 to make himfelf, and which his father told 
 him were a welcome commodity in every 
 German village. The truth of this he foon 
 experienced. He perfectly underftood the 
 German language, and with the innate elo- - : . 
 quence of all Savoyards, knew lb well ho\#* 
 to recommend his ware to the old mothere d 
 and the young maidens, that his capital was 
 often returned in a week with realbnable profit; 
 befides which, he had generally a bit of bread 
 given him, fometimes a dinner or flipper, and 
 always a night's lodging. By all thefe means 
 he was enabled, as early as from Nuremberg, 
 to remit two dollars to his father by a fellow 
 countryman, who was returning home. 
 
 From Nuremberg he went into Baireuth, 
 and wandered accidentally into the neigh- 
 bourhood of the celebrated Fichtelberor 
 Here, as he came one evening, quite fatigued, 
 - into a village, he knocked in vain at feveral 
 doors for admiffion, being every where, to his 
 great furprife, turned away contumelioufly, 
 and was thus obliged to do what had feldom 
 happened to him, leek his night's lodging at 
 
 A 2 
 
6 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 the public-houfe. Scarcely had he entered 
 the dcor when the holt came towards him 
 cap in hand, and exprefled the higheft fatis- 
 facYion at having the happinefs and the ho- 
 nour of entertaining fo illuftrious a gueft. 
 With a profufion of thefe compliments, he 
 compelled the Savoyard to go into a little 
 parlour, and, without paying any regard to 
 his remonftrances againfl this, he called to 
 his wife, who was in the kitchen preparing 
 fuppcr for her fervants — " Kate, give up 
 ^Whatever you are about! kill the fineft chick- 
 Jri ! mull fome wine ! cook the beft of every 
 thing that you have in the houfe ! the long 
 ex petted gueft is arrived \ make hafte, and 
 let nothing be wanting ! n The hoftefs wel- 
 comed this news with loud acclamations of 
 joy, and prepared to execute thefe orders 
 with the greateft expedition. 
 
 Wolfgang, who could only imagine that 
 they were in fome error refpedling him, now 
 feized the hand of the bufy hoft. u Sir," he 
 faid, u you mud be miftaken about me ; I 
 am only a poor Savoyard who fells moufe- 
 traps and hatchels, and how can I, therefore, 
 deferve fuch a reception ?" 
 
 Host. " Sit down, noble Sir, fit down ! 
 you muft be tired ! When a perfon travels fo 
 far on foot, who is not ufed to it, he muft be 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 7 
 
 doubly tired ! — Ha ! ha ! ha ! I miftake ! ha ! 
 ha ! ha ! I do not miftake. I am indeed on- 
 ly a poor hoft, but yet I know much that 
 others do not know. Such a happinefs, fuch 
 an honour, does not happen to one every 
 day, and one muft endeavour to make onefelf 
 worthy of it." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Dear honeft man, it is irn- 
 poflible but that you muft miftake me ! I re- 
 peat it once more, I am a poor Savoyard, 
 and earn my bread by this little trade, and 
 only beg for a night's lodging." 
 
 Host. " Ha ! ha I ha ! quite right ! that you 
 fhall have indeed with all my heart. I only 
 regret that I am not in a fttuation to receive 
 fo illuftrious a perfon according to his deferts; 
 and I hope your honour will take the will for 
 the deed. A knave only gives more than 
 he has." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Sir, tired as I am, you will 
 conftrain me to go and feek a night's lodging 
 with fome peafant. Here muft be fome mif- 
 take, of which I will on no account take ad- 
 vantage." 
 
 Host. You will not make me fo unhappy ! 
 will not defpife me ! certainly, certainly, I 
 - underftand it. I have blundered to be fure ? 
 
8 
 
 Tbe Mountain Cottager. 
 
 but out of pure joy, out of pure delight ! I 
 mould not have been fo flupid — I mould have 
 conlklered you as what you would be con- 
 fidered ! I beg pardon a thoufand times ; but, 
 ftay now ! I mall quite defpair if you.defpife 
 my houfe, and would feek a night's lodging 
 elfewhere." 
 
 Wolfgang. " I underftand your excufes as 
 little as your invitation. You call me 4 No- 
 ble Sir, your Honour !' I repeat it again, 
 you muft miftake me, and while you do this, 
 I cannot pofiibly confent to remain at your 
 houfe." 
 
 Host. " Well, well { I willingly own 
 that I have blundered. I underfland my er- 
 ror, and beg pardon. I know, and believe 
 indeed that you — yes, that you come out of 
 Savoy, and deal in moufe-traps and hatchels. 
 Are you eafy now ? Are you fatisfied ? Will 
 you ftay with me ?" 
 
 Wolfgang. " Witli all my heart ; it is in- 
 deed my requeft. But now you muft forbid 
 the (upper which you have ordered. 
 
 Host. " No ! no ! any thing that you will 
 but that. I know wha$ is proper and be- 
 coming. I love the Savoyards with all my 
 heart, and you muft give me leave to enter- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 tain you in the beft manner that is in my 
 power." 
 
 Wolfgang ( laughing.) " My hunger would 
 make that very agreeable, but it would be 
 very ill fluted to my purfe. And in order 
 flill further to convince you of your error, I 
 muft tell you, that my whole (lore would 
 fcarcely be fufficient to pay for this repaft." 
 
 Host. " To pay ! Who fpeaks of payment! 
 
 it is not as a landlord, but as as a good 
 
 friend, that I entertain you with what little I 
 have. To pay ! no, no ! underftand me bet- 
 ter. If you would give me a handful of 
 ducats, I would not accept a fmgle one of 
 them. Stay a week, fray a month, Hay a 
 whole year with me, and I give you leave to 
 call me the meaneft fellow in the world if I 
 mould defire a fmgle kreutzer of you ! I have 
 been in foreign countries, and I know how 
 it is when one meets by chance with a good- 
 natured man, who will fhare his little with 
 one. What I do, I do with an honed heart, 
 out of good- will, and you muft not defpife it." 
 
 Wolfgang. " No, certainly not. I accept 
 it, on the contrary, with many thanks."' 
 
 Host, " You make me quite afhamed ! 
 You thank me ! — I have fajd truly, I do it out 
 
io The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 of no felfifh views, but merely, if you will, 
 as a good work ; and fuch are, perhaps, often 
 richly rewarded before one expecls, or has 
 formed any idea of it. You will Hay with 
 me V* 
 
 Wolfgang. " How can I refift fuch an 
 invitation ! My father, who was alfo in Ger- 
 many " 
 
 Host. u Aye ! was he ? was he ? well that 
 doubles my joy, if he has indeed been in our 
 country." 
 
 Wolfgang. " It is very poflible.'' 
 
 Host. a Aye, aye ! ha ! ha ! it is very pof- 
 fibie. B.ut you were going to tell me iome- 
 thing of your oapa — of your father, I would 
 lay." 
 
 W olfgang. " My father has related much 
 to me of the honefly and good-nature of the 
 Germans; but fuch an honour, fuch an invi- 
 tation, I believe fcarcely happened to him in 
 his travels." 
 
 Host. " Well, that rejoices me ; rejoices 
 me exceedingly ! But now fit down." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 1 1 
 
 Wolfgang ( sits down J u I muft intreat you 
 once more, if you are miftaken in my perlon 
 and fooner or later difcover this miftake, that 
 you will not impute any blame to me. I think 
 I have done everything in my power to con- 
 vince you that 1 am nothing but a poor Sa- 
 voyard ! Read my paffport, which will yet 
 more fully confirm it." 
 
 Host. " I believe it, indeed ! — but be- 
 caufe you command it, I will read the pail- 
 port, (• reads it, and gives it to him again^ 
 laughing.) Aye, aye, all right, exactly as you 
 have faid ! A paffport is always neceflary on 
 a journey, whether one travels as one of us 
 or as a great perfon incognito-, but I mud 
 now give fome directions ; I mall not leave 
 you for a long time; I will be here again im- 
 mediately." 
 
 The hoft ran up and down, rinfed the 
 glaffes, brought a clean table-cloth, and clean- 
 ed the tin fpoons with chalk, while Wolfgang 
 fat, not knowing what to think of thefe pre- 
 parations. He was often tempted to doubt 
 whether the hofl: was in his right fenfes ; but 
 all the reft of his actions, and particularly the 
 accuracy with which he heard him in the 
 next room, noting down to every gueft his 
 mug of beer, convinced him to the contrary, 
 and increafed his furprife. 
 
12 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 The fupper was ferved up, with an hun- 
 dred apologies from the hod for not being 
 able in fuch a hurry, to get any thing better. 
 The hoftefs added herfelf to the company ; 
 but, notwithstanding Wolfgang's moil ear- 
 ned folicitations, he could not prevail on ei- 
 ther her, or her hulband, to fit down with 
 him to table ; both ftood behind his chair, 
 and waited his commands. He, who had 
 never been fo handfomely entertained in his 
 life before, forgot all his fcruples at the fight 
 of the fmoking difhes ; and to the great joy 
 of the hoftefs, he ate heartily, and drank fe- 
 veral glaffes of the light wine of the country 
 to her health. 
 
 After rifing from table, he was, with a 
 thoufand compliments, conducted to the bed- 
 chamber, where the hoft and hoftefs intreated 
 him to put up with their mean accommoda- 
 tions, and to confider, that they had not fo 
 foon expected fo welcome a gueft. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 13 
 
 C H A P. IL 
 
 OLFG ANG, as foon as he was alone, 
 began to reflect on his unexpected good for- 
 tune. He could not imagine howthefe peo- 
 ple came to diflinguifh a poor Savoyard by 
 ilich kind behaviour, unlefs from forne mif- 
 take, and only compofed himfelf by the re- 
 collection of his not having by any means 
 contributed to this. The foft bed foon pre- 
 vented all farther reflection, for he fell into 
 a found fleep, out of which he was firft awa- 
 kened, late the next morning, by a gentle 
 knock at his door. He arofe, and dreffing 
 himfelf haftily, opened it to fee who was there, 
 when the hoftefs ftepped in with coffee, and 
 every thing proper for brdakfaft ; hoped her 
 gueft had ftepf well, and alked if he would 
 permit a gentleman out of the neighborhood 
 to breakfaft with him. Wolfgang replied, 
 that he had nothing to command here, and 
 confequently as little to permit ; that a break- 
 faft, as well as fach a vifit; v/as to him an un- 
 deferved and unexpected compliment, and 
 mull entirely depend on the gentleman's in- 
 clination to do him this honor^ • 
 
 The hoftefs went out, and returned in a 
 few minutes with a rather elderly leaking 
 
14 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 gentleman, drefled in a fuit of green clothes 
 laced with gold. Wolfgang's embarrafirnent 
 at the light of him was very great ; he had 
 neyer been ufed to vifits of this kind, and 
 knew not what to underftand by it. The 
 only conjecture that feemed plaufible to him 
 was, that this gentleman was come with the * 
 view of fetting the hoft right reflecting the 
 incomprehenfible error that he had fallen in- 
 to with regard to him. It was therefore no 
 wonder that he flood quite confounded, and 
 began to tremble, and, but from the confci- 
 oufnefs that he had in no way contributed to 
 this error, he would not have been able to 
 fupport himfelf ; but confufed as he was, he 
 foon faw, to his great aftonifhment, that his 
 vifiter was not in a better fituation : for after 
 making many filent bows, and then a prom- 
 fion of compliments, begging pardon for the 
 liberty which he had taken, and fpeaking of 
 unexpected happinefs and honor, he re- 
 mained quite at a lofs ; and endeavoured, by 
 coughing frequently, to conceal his confu- 
 fion. 
 
 Little as Wolfgang knew of the world, he 
 foon perceived that this gentleman was not 
 come to threaten, or injure him in any way ; 
 and he waited quietly for what was to follow 
 this extraordinary behaviour. He entreated 
 the ftranger to fit down, who, in return, af- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 15 
 
 furecl him that he could not on any account 
 obey his commands, till he did the fame him- 
 felf. They then fat down together, and the 
 bufy hoftefs began to pour out the coffee. 
 
 Wolfgang now learned from her converfa- 
 tion, that his vifiter was a perfon of rank, and 
 Lord of the Manor of this village ; and that 
 he had a line cattle about a mile and a half 
 from thence, where it was his pleafure to en- 
 tertain all foreigners. 
 
 The noble Baron, who, as I lhall conceal 
 his real name, will be called the Baron von 
 Tiefenthal, confirmed every thing that the 
 hottefs laid, and added, that he would etteem 
 it a real happinefs and honor if Wolfgang 
 Would vifit him, and fpend fome time at his 
 cattle. Much furprifed as he had already 
 been with the Baron's vifit, he was now in- 
 finitely more fo at his invitation ; his amaze- 
 ment was indeed fo great, that he had not 
 power to make him any anfwer. 
 
 Baron. " I indulge great hopes of enjoy- 
 ing this happinefs, and entreat once more that 
 you will grant my requeft." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Noble Sir, you confufe and 
 furprife me to the greateft degree. What 
 can induce you, if I may be fo bold as to alk 
 
1 6 Tbs Mountain Cottager. 
 
 the queftion, to invite a llranger, a poor Sa- 
 voyard, to your caflie ? you mult, through 
 fome inconceivable error, take me for another 
 per ion of far more confequence. I affure you 
 molt folemnly, that the coat which I wear is 
 perfectly fuited to my rank ; that thefe are 
 my bed, my only clothes ; that my father is 
 indeed honeft, but one of the pooreft among 
 all the inhabitants of Savoy. Now I have faid 
 this, it remains for you to decide whether 
 yen will repeat an invitation that I fo little 
 deferve." 
 
 Baron. " I not only repeat it, but aflure 
 you again that it will give me the greateft plea- 
 lure if you will accompany me." 
 
 Wolfgang. " How I Hill deferve this ho- 
 nour after fuch a declaration as that which 
 I have made, I cannot comprehend ; but it 
 would be folly in me now if I refufed to ac- 
 cept it. The ways of God are wonderful ; 
 and that I, a poor llranger, mould find here 
 a friend fo difinterelled and of fuch eminence, 
 is certainly his doing. I mall to day attend 
 your Honour, and at leaf! endeavour, by my 
 gratitude, to deferve the favours which you 
 fo undefervedly bellow on me." 
 
 Baron. " You millake me, if you ima- 
 gine that I think myielf difinterelled in my 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 17 
 
 invitation, or that I merit gratitude for it : I 
 merely fulfil my duty, and a vow that I have 
 made, to receive the firft foreigner who 
 mould vifit our country, at my caftle, and 
 render his May here as agreeable as poffible. 
 But now I have feveral petitions and propo- 
 ials to make to you ; will you be fo good as 
 to give me your attention ?" 
 
 Wolfgang. u Your generofity and courte- 
 oufnefs quite confound me : command me, 
 and in whatever it is in my power, I will 
 obey you." 
 
 Baron. " I wifh to receive you at my 
 caftle asanintimate acquaintance, as a friend. 
 The clothes which you now wear, and your 
 trading in moufe traps and hatchels, would 
 make this, if not impoffible, at lead too par- 
 ticular ; for the peafants of our country are, 
 from a very unpardonable prejudice, ex- 
 tremely diftruftful of, and really churliih to- 
 wards all foreigners, and efpecially the Ita- 
 lians." 
 
 Wolfgang. " That I have experienced 
 myfelf ; for their inhofpitable behaviour obli- 
 ged me yefterd ay, againft my will, to leek 
 my fortune here at the ale-houfe." 
 
 B2 
 
1 8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Baron. " For the reafon already menti- 
 oned, which is {lengthened by what you fay, 
 it is my advice and requeft that you will lay 
 alide your prefent clothes and your trade, 
 unlefs fome iecret vow exprefsly forbids this, 
 while you continue with me, and appear in a 
 more fuitable drefs. I aflure you that you 
 will attain the purpofe which perhaps brings 
 3'ou here, far better than under the character 
 you have anumed." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Noble Sir, I do not under- 
 fland you ; but it is to me more and more 
 certain that you mi flake me. It is impoffible 
 for me to do what you defire ! this purfe con- 
 tains my whole ilock of money ; there are 
 feven florins in it, and fome kreutzers : judge 
 yourfelf whether that is fufficient for clothing 
 me genteelly ; and would I J* 
 
 Baron. " Permit me to put in a word. I 
 know very well, that you have but little mo- 
 ney with you, and may not have more ; and 
 for this reafon, I intreat you to permit me to 
 provide every thing that is neceiTary for you." 
 
 JVolfgang. " I permit I — T can no more 
 make any anfwer to this than to much that 
 has palled before. If you will make a poor 
 devil happy ! if you have really promiied to 
 receive a Granger with fatherly kindnefs, and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 19 
 
 if I am to be this fortunate perfon, I muft, I 
 Hiall acknowledge it with the greateft grati- 
 tude. I can make no other anfwer to your 
 noble, generous propofals." 
 
 Baron. " Let us embrace ! we will, we 
 certainly mall, become intimate friends! And 
 now hear what I have to fay : I had a fon ; 
 he was of your age, of your fize, and you re- 
 femble him very much in countenance. He 
 died laft year at the Univerfity, and his 
 clothes were fent to me. My grief, for hav- 
 ing loft an only fon fo early in life, has never 
 permitted me to open this box, and I long 
 ago deftined the contents of it to the fervice 
 of fome poor traveller : here is the key ; the 
 box Hands by the door, and mall be brought 
 in directly. I will wait below till you have 
 drefted yourfelf, and then take you in my car- 
 riage to my caftle, (looks at his watch J it is 
 almoft noon, and we have therefore no time 
 to lofe." 
 
 The Baron von Tiefenthal now left the 
 room with many compliments, and Wolf- 
 gang flood loft in aftonilhment ; he had not 
 recovered when the bufy hoilefs and her maid 
 came in, bringing with them a large heavy 
 box, which they fat down at his. feet. 
 
 " I lay a wager, noble Sir," faid the hoft> 
 cfs, as the maid went out of the room, " thai 
 
lo The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 you would not fo long have re fu fed to accom- 
 pany our noble Baron to the caftle, if you had 
 known who you will find there !" 
 
 Wolfgang. " Who can I find there whom 
 I know, or who can interefi: me ?" 
 
 Hostess (hi a low voice.) M A charming, 
 beautiful, moll lovely, delicious creature our 
 noble Lady Louifa ; me is now only fixteen r 
 but has the underftanding of a woman of 
 eighty ; me reads continually, plays on the 
 harpfichord — in fhort, far and near you will 
 not find her equal. And fome time or other 
 fhe will be rich, very rich ; me is heirefs to 
 two eftates, is — but here I ftand and prattle, 
 forgetting that you have to drefs. Don't be 
 long, for the noble Baron waits below." 
 
 She withdrew, with a deep courtefy, and 
 left Wolfgang to look into the box at his 
 plcafure ; it flood there for fome time un- 
 locked, but at laft he opened it, and broke 
 out into new wonder and tranfports at the 
 fight of the fplendid clothes which it contain- 
 ed. I mould be too diffufe if I were to de- 
 fcribe all the awkward, comical procefs of 
 his dreiiing ; he was more than an hour about 
 it, but was at lafi equipped like one cf the 
 firit beaux. He had on a fuit of blue laced 
 clo.hes ; his long black hair, which he ufugi* 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 21 
 
 ly wore twifted in a hard queue, was untied, 
 and carelefsly put up with a comb, the reft 
 of it fell in ringlets about his face, better than 
 any hair drefler could have done it, as it curl- 
 ed naturally; a large hat, which, after the 
 cuftom of that time, was alfo laced and orna- 
 mented with a feather, gave him completely 
 the look of a cavalier ; at leaft, fo the hoftefs 
 aliened, who had been for fome time at the 
 door ; this was confirmed afterwards by the 
 hoft, and, at laft, by the Baron von Tiefen- 
 thal himfelf, who embraced him, called him 
 his newly-found, his fecond ion ; and con- 
 ducting him to the carriage, drove away with 
 him with the greatell delight. 
 
 Wolfgang permitted all this in filence ; he 
 really believed himfelf dreaming, and dread- 
 ed awakening too foon from fo agreeable an 
 illufion. He was continually examining his 
 fine clothes, or ftroking down the ruffles of 
 his mirt, and felt the greateft impatience, to 
 have an opportunity of viewing himfelf in a 
 looking- glafs. The Baron was very talka- 
 tive, and often entreated him quite to forget 
 his former rank. Wolfgang anfwered merely 
 in monofyllables, and firft remarked, aim oil 
 at the end of their ride, that he had been ve- 
 ry ungrateful to the hoft and hoftefs, and ne- 
 ver thanked them for the generous reception 
 which they had given him, 
 
22 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 o 
 
 tc If you are fo confcientious," anfwered 
 Tiefenthal, w you may do this to-day, but 
 perhaps you will be able to reward thefe peo- 
 ple in another manner." As he ended this 
 fpeech, they flopped at the caftle. A fervant 
 affiled them both out of the carriage ; and 
 Wolfgang going up the fteps to the houfe y 
 by the fide of his new ho ft, was carried by 
 him into a room, where they found his daugh- 
 ter palying upon the harpfi chord. " There, 
 Lou i fa," laid the Baron, " I bring you a gueft 
 who has promifed to walk, and fmg, and read 
 pretty books with you, to pafs away your 
 time when I am hunting." 
 
 After this introduction Wolfgang made 
 fome awkward bows, and would have laid 
 fomethingof the favor and honor of being ac- 
 quainted with her ; but he could not arrange 
 his ideas properly, and was obliged to leave 
 it to her imagination to fill up what he had 
 murmured in broken fentences. Louifa, 
 who had been already apprized of his arrival, 
 paid her compliments to him, and congratu- 
 lated herfelf on having the happintfs of be- 
 coming acquainted with a man who was fo 
 much of a traveller.. " Italy," Ihe faid, " has 
 always been defcribed to me as a Paradife, 
 and I hope to hear from you a more particu- 
 lar account of that charming country." Wolf- 
 gang, whom Nature had endowed with a 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 23 
 
 good portion of wit and underftanding, now 
 iummoned all his powers in order to make 
 fome reply to the lair lady. He affured her, 
 fomewhat difFuiely indeed, but yet with a 
 great deal of naivete, that it was impoffible 
 Italy Ihould deferve to be called a Paradife, 
 becaafe it wanted the principal requifite, a 
 fair Eve ; but that Germany juftly deferved 
 that appellation, becaufe he now enjoyed in it 
 the happinefs of paying his refpecls to the 
 faireft Eve in the world. 
 
 Father and daughter united in admiring, 
 and laughing at this fally, and Wolfgang got 
 time to examine himfelf in a large looking 
 glafs, to which he Hood oppofite. He found 
 that, drefled in his fine clothes, he was really 
 handfome, and might very well perform the 
 part of cavalier : this conviction made him 
 vain, and leflened his bafhmlnefs ; he look- 
 ed about more unrefervedly, and fixed his 
 eyes full on Louiia's ; fee was not able to 
 bear this rather free look, and call her's mo- 
 deftly to the ground. W olfgang was a very 
 fine man, andLouifaoneof the moftdelicate of 
 woman ; but there was a Unking con.traft be- 
 tween them, as will appear from the follow- 
 ing defcriptions. 
 
 Wolfgang was in perfon tall, ftrong, and 
 well-made ; his complexion was fun-burnt, 
 
24 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 lie bad a high colour in his cheeks, and large 
 black eyes, with altogether a handfome face, 
 and long fhining black hair. 
 
 Louifa was rather little, her form remark- 
 ably fine, if any thing rather too {lender, her 
 hair very light, her complexion delicately 
 fair, the colour in her cheeks pale, and her 
 eyes of the cleared blue. 
 
 A fummons to table put an end to their 
 converfation. Loaifa prefented her hand to 
 Wolfgang ; but he, inftead of accepting it, 
 made a filent bow, and went out of the room 
 before her, and fhe followed, in the full con- 
 viction that this muftbe the cuftom in Italy. 
 His ruftic behaviour at table was viewed by 
 her in the fame light ; and informing her opi- 
 nion of him, me determined that when he 
 was better acquainted with German manners, 
 and had acquired a little French politenefs, 
 he would be a very agreeable man, and high- 
 ly deferving her dfteerh. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 r JTVlE company at table had juft emptied 
 their lad glafs of wine, in which the Baron 
 and his daughter had once more drank the 
 
The Mount am Cottager. 25 
 
 health of their new gueft, as the found of a 
 poll-horn drew them to the window. A 
 carriage with four fine horfes drove up to the 
 
 door, and the Countefs von M alighttd 
 
 from it. 
 
 The Baron von Tiefenthal, who never re- 
 membered having the honor of a vifit from her 
 before, haflened with his daughter to meet 
 her excellency. Wolfgang remained in the 
 room, and was thinking, with great anxiety, 
 how long this agreeable dream would laft, as 
 the Baron returned, handing in the Countefs. 
 
 All his former confufion was now renew- 
 ed, for he knew not how he ought to behave 
 to this lady, and yet fincerely wifhed not to 
 put his kind hoft to the blufh for him. Tief- 
 enthal had in the meantime conducted the 
 Countefs to the fofa, and turning to Wolf- 
 gang, laid, " Her Excellency the Countefs 
 
 von M Then turning towards her, 
 
 and preferring him to her, " This," he faid, 
 " is a very good friend of mine from abroad, 
 who will do me the honor of {pending feme 
 time at my cattle." Wolfgang bowed very 
 profoundly to her, and to his aftonifhment 
 Ihe continued ftanding, and returned his fa- 
 lutation in the molt courteous manner. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Countess. H I efleem it a particular honor, 
 Sir, to become acquainted with you ; may I 
 take the liberty ofafking your name r" 
 
 Wolfgang. " I — lam called properly — " 
 
 Baron (interrupting him.) " Your Excel- 
 lency fees the confufion of my friend. Cer- 
 tain circumftances prevent his making his 
 name known in this country ; he is come in- 
 cognito, and means to continue fo during his 
 Hay here; but I have the honor of affuring your 
 Excellency, that my friend is defcended from 
 a very old and refpedtable family, and that it 
 is neither from guilt, nor misfortune, that he 
 is induced to conceal his name. 
 
 Countess. " That I mould have believed, 
 Baron, without your aifu ranee. My dear 
 unknown, you muft pardon me for calling 
 you thus, come and fit by me ! Oh nearer, 
 nearer than that ! do you take the German 
 women for prudes; or, what would be cer- 
 tainly a great compliment to us, as too dan- 
 gerous to approach. 
 
 Vv r olfgang made no anfwer to this, but 
 drew his chair nearer to the Countefs. 
 
 'Countess. " You cannot imagine how 
 much I eiieem travelled, and confequently 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 27 
 
 learned men ; how much I enjoy their con- 
 verfation, and the account of their adven- 
 tures. Do you come directly from Italy? 
 
 Baron. " I beg your Excellency's par- 
 don ! My friend does not come out of Italy, 
 he never was there ; he is no Italian." 
 
 Wolfgang was quite loft in aftonilhment 
 at thefe affertions ; he could not in the leaft 
 comprehend why his hoft mould tell the 
 Countefs fuch direct falfities. 
 
 Countess (much surprised.) M No Italian! 
 never been in Italy ! I could have fvvorn, 
 would have wagered my little face, all my 
 moderate fhare of underftanding, that your 
 unknown friend was an Italian. His Roman 
 nofe, his black eyes, and black hair, feem 
 to prove it clearly ; but one may be miilaken, 
 and one may be alfo, from private reafons, 
 purpofely milled. What fay you to that, 
 Baron 
 
 Baron (confused). " I can only repeat 
 what I have already faid. — Will your Excel- 
 lency drink a difh of coffee ? Lou i fa, ring 
 the bell, and let us have coffee directly.' ' 
 
 1 
 
23 fffte Mountain Cottage? . 
 
 The converfation now took another turn : 
 the Countefs protefted againit having coffee ; 
 the Baron perfifted in having it, and it was 
 brought. They talked of the weather, of 
 husbandry, of Hate affairs, and whenever the 
 Countefs addrefTed any queflion to the Gran- 
 ger, Tiefenthal conftantly interrupted it by 
 feme other quefdon, fo that Wolfgang, to his 
 great fatisfacVion, played the part of a mere 
 fpeclator, and only now and then exprefied 
 his applaufe, or furprife,byhislocks. Afterma- 
 ny very vifible, but ineffectual experiments 
 to become better acquainted with him, the 
 Countefs at laft rofe from her feat. The Ba- 
 ron indeed begged to enjoy the honor of her 
 company longer, but this fee did not comply 
 with, as the fun was then very far gone down, 
 and me wifhed to return before it was fet* 
 She took leave, with many compliments, and 
 regretted extremely that ihe had not become 
 more fociable with the foreign gentleman. 
 14 You have really," Ihe faid to Wolfgang, 
 41 fcarcely fpoken a word to me the whole 
 time that I have been here. You know very 
 Well that I may with jultice take it ill of you." 
 
 Wolfgang, " Your Excellency, pardon 
 
 Countess (laughing.) " That I am filent 
 again already ! Well well, I forgive you wil- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang. " Such a defign I mould cer- 
 tainly never have guefted ; but I guefs your 
 Excellency's perfectly. You joke with me, 
 you would make fport of me, and however 
 this jeft vexes me in refpect of my benefac- 
 tor, I mu ft be content with it. But I beg 
 your Excellency to confider, that the Baron 
 von Tiefenthal knows me ; that he knows, 
 as well as you do, that I am a poor Savoyard ; 
 that I did not conceal my fituation from him, 
 but have earneftly warned him from every 
 miflake ; and he has aiTured me that it is 
 merely on account of a vow he has made to 
 make a poor foreigner happy, that he enter- 
 tains me fo generoufly." 
 
 Countess. " Oh the generous man I But 
 that you mould be caught in fuch a trap I re- 
 ally could not have believed. Yet you be- 
 lieve, and fay what you will, what appears 
 
 neceflary to you. Pardon, my dear Sig- 
 
 nor, my interfering in matters which do not 
 concern me. I promile you not to fpeak 
 another word on the iiibject. I only entreat 
 you to permit me, when I one day pay my 
 congratulatory vifit on the happy marriage, 
 to remind you of this, and that I may at the 
 fame time call on you to witnefs, that we 
 Germans fometimes know more than we 
 appear to know*" 
 
34 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 Wolfgang. " I do not in the leaft tinder- 
 ftand your excellency. This mult be the 
 cleared proof to you that you deceive your- 
 felf in your opinion. Every thing which 
 has happened to me fince yefierday is to me 
 a perfect riddle." 
 
 Countess. " I believe it with all my heart." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Sometimes I am certain 
 that there exifts a mi flake re 1 peeling my per- 
 fon : and then again I cannot comprehend 
 how fuch a miilake can fubfift, as I have 
 xlone all in my power to prove that I am the 
 perfon I give myfelf out to be." 
 
 Countess. " That I mufl bear witnefs to ! 
 You have already repeated it to me fo- often., 
 that it would be folly, or rather ill-breeding, 
 to doubt it." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Will your Excellency per- 
 mit me to aik one queiiion ? Forgive the li- 
 berty which I fhall take in it, but circunv 
 flances urge me to it." 
 
 Countess. " My dear Signor, aik me what 
 you will, you mail find me ready to anfwer 
 you fincerely in every thing." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Are you not alfo miftaken 
 in my perfon ? Do you really take me for 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 2$ 
 
 what I am, for a poor Savoyard who has no 
 fortune, nothing which he can call his 
 own ?" 
 
 Countess. " I — I certainly confider you 
 as fach, and believe it firmly." 
 
 Wolfgang. " And yet ride with me in a 
 -carriage I" 
 
 Countess. Ride with you in a carriage !" 
 
 Wolfgang. u Treat me as one of your 
 equals !" 
 
 Countess. " I not only treat you fo, but I 
 fhall efteem it the greateft honour if you 
 think me your equal." 
 
 Wolfgang. M Comprehend it who can, I 
 am not able ! I have often heard wonderful 
 hiltories of the peculiar good fortune of fome 
 men ; but fuch luck, fuch honour has never 
 happened to any one before. Yefterday I 
 worked for my bread, and to-day ride in a 
 carriage with four horfes, with an illuftrious 
 lady, and hear, from the mouth of the fame 
 lady, that (he will reckon it an honor if I con- 
 sider her as my equal. Pardon me, your Ex- 
 cellency, I am a fimple man ; I do not under- 
 hand making compliments, but I feel this 
 
36 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 honour, this happinefs very ftrongly. I am 
 fo moved, fo — fo — I mould not be able to 
 reftrain my tears, if I had not once heard 
 that illuftrious ladies think tears a difgrace." 
 
 Countess. " Heaven preferve us from 
 fuch an opinion : The fenfibility of a man 
 is always affe&ing to us, and if he only ap- 
 pears to weep, our tears flow directly. I give 
 you the cleareft proof of this myfelf, (she 
 
 ivipes the tears from her eyes) But, my 
 
 dear Signer, we forget the purpofe of our 
 ride ! We are to enjoy the fine evening to- 
 gether, and we fhall hardly do that fhut up 
 in the carriage. Let us walk through the 
 avenue ; the coach may go on before us." 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 j/\^S Wolfgang and the Countefs got out of 
 the carriage, (he prefented her hand to him, 
 and he, by this time, underftood that he 
 ought to accept a hand ib offered. They 
 went arm in arm, through the dark avenue, 
 and the Countefs difplayed all her legibility 
 in admiring the beauties of nature, on which 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 37 
 
 Wolfgang let her expatiate without inter- 
 ruption, tor he was occupied with feelings of 
 a different kind. His companion's arm lay 
 negligently in his, and the novelty of this 
 fituation to him, excited emotions which he 
 had never felt before. He now fir ft faw, as 
 his eyes wandered infenfibly towards her, 
 that the Countefs was a young and beautiful 
 woman. Her large eyes, her full cheeks, and 
 fine perfon, pleafed him extremely, and fully 
 employed his imagination. Might I, thought 
 he, but once call fuch a woman mine, fuch 
 a woman mull be heaven upon earth ! I 
 would willingly part with my laced coat again, 
 willingly work for my bread thefe fix years, 
 if I might but one day have fuch a woman ; 
 
 willingly But it would be tirefome, if L 
 
 were to relate all the projects which came 
 into his head. Thofe, who have been in fi- 
 milar circumftances, will be very well able 
 to fill up the chafm which I leave here ; and 
 thofe, who have never felt any thing of the 
 kind, will thank me for dropping the lubjecT. 
 
 Seldom, very feldom, and that only in 
 phlegmatic mortals, is love accuftomed to 
 come on ftowly, ftep by ftep : it comes on, if 
 I may fo exprefs myfclf, in full gallop, fur- 
 prifes the fecure unawares, and geneidlly 
 wounds him mortally. Like the water-fpout 
 no rain, not even a fingle drop of moifturb 
 D 
 
Tbc Mountain Cottager. 
 
 previoufly falling, announces its approach; 
 the cloud burfts fuddenly, and the unprepar- 
 ed traveller, finds himfclf up to the neck in 
 •Water, and carried forward by the potent 
 flream, before he knows whence the power 
 came which hurries him irrefiftibly down in- 
 to the valley. Any body is welcome to laugh 
 at this fimile ; it appears laughable even to 
 me, and, neverthelefs, I ihall let it remain ; 
 becaufe a water-fpout and impetuous love 
 have often very iimilar effects, both being 
 deftrudtive, but palling away again rapidly. 
 The black cloud promifes refreshment to the 
 thirfty land, and always lays it defolate. The 
 lover hopes to enjoy the moll perfect felicity 
 in the arms of his beloved, and finks under 
 the too abundant poifelTion of the happinefs 
 for which he fighed. 
 
 But to return to Wolfgang, whom my 
 readers left, like the unfufpecling traveller 
 up to the neck in water, or to lay afide my 
 fimile, falling defperately in love. The 
 Countefs, at laft, quite tired of talking with- 
 out having any anfwer — for it is very hard 
 to find onefelf not attended to — was iilent for 
 fome time, and then afked him, rather with a 
 tone of reproof, why he fpoke fo little, and 
 paid no attention to what fhe laid? Wolf- 
 gang took no more notice of this queflion, 
 •than he had done of what had palled before, 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 39 
 
 He looked towards heaven, and offered up a 
 filent prayer that he might one day be bleffed 
 with the object of his willies, forgetting that 
 flie was now by his fide. His perfevering 
 file nee made the Countefs obferve him atten- 
 tively, and, not unacquainted with love and 
 itsfymptoms, fhe foon decided that he was 
 under the influence of that paflion ; and con- 
 jectured that his imagination now carried 
 him back to the beloved of his heart, with 
 whom he was perhaps wifhing to enjoy this 
 glorious evening. As nothing is more tor- 
 menting than a curiofity to learn the truth of 
 > fuch an idea, fhe refolved to gratify it ; and 
 her fpeaking only being of no effect flie took 
 more forcible means of noufing him. u Sig- 
 ner/' llie cried, and (hook him by the arm, 
 ** where are you ? What is come to you 
 
 Wolfgang fas if awakened from a deefj 
 sleep. J " I— I, f rubbing bis forehead 'J what 
 has happened to me ?" 
 
 Countess. " That I know not ; and am 
 extremely defirous of learning. You have 
 walked by me a quarter of an hour without 
 fpeaking a word ; looked to heaven as if you 
 were in an ecftacy, and appeared to forget 
 the whole world." 
 
 Wolfgang. < : I — I know not, I was rs- 
 allv muiing," 
 
40 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Countess. ( laughing.) " Yes, yes, that you: 
 certainly were; and (kail I interpret this muf- 
 ing ? Shall I tell you what it was about ?" 
 
 Vifgang. 41 That yourExcellency can- 
 not do, that you fliall never guefs." 
 
 Counter. u No, we will fee : This walk 
 reminds you of a ftmilar one, which you took 
 ence in your own country. You were then 
 with the object of your afFe£tions: then found, 
 perhaps for the firfl time, an opportunity 
 hefitatingly to avow your love, and were 
 favourably heard. The remembrance of 
 thofe happy moments engage your imagina- 
 tion fo much, that you forget yourfelf and 
 every thing elfe. — Welt, do you take me 
 now for a prophetefs ? Shall you, in future, 
 place more confidence in my penetration ?" 
 
 Wolfgang fighs deeply. 
 
 Countess. " If you confirm it with fuch 
 deep fighs, you will make me proud of my 
 art. I have a great inclination to afk the 
 name of this envied fair one, if it will not 
 Betray too much curiofity in me ; and I have 
 
 hopes of your gratifying it. No, if you 
 
 are fo inflexibly fdent, and will not give me, 
 even by a yes or no, encouragement for far* 
 tfeer converfation, then I muft and mall re- 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 41 
 
 mind you that I am a woman, and as women 
 have a general claim to a man's attention, 
 confequently I ought not to be thus flighted." 
 
 Wolfgang, " How willingly would I, 
 your Excellency 
 
 Before Wolfgang could fpeak another 
 word, he felt fomebody from behind pulling 
 him ; he looked round, and a man, wrapped 
 in a great coat* flood clofe by him. " Sir> 
 he fakl, " one expects you with the moll anx- 
 ious impatience." 
 
 Wolfgang, " Me, who ?* 
 
 Countess. u Alas ! undoubtedly a meiien- 
 ger from the Baron von Tiefenthal. It is 
 certainly very uncivil of me to rob him fo 
 long of his new gueft ; bat really, on his fide, 
 it is not polite to take him away from me m 
 this manner. But I mull give way to the Ba- 
 ron's older and more important claims. I 
 willingly let you go therefore ; yet with one 
 condition which you mull promife folemnly 
 to keep. Will you do this ?" 
 
 Wolfgang. 16 Your Excellency has only 
 to command with me. Whatever is in my , 
 power, my abilities — — ,? 
 
 D a 
 
42 The Mountain Cottager* 
 
 Countess. M Oh you are too complaifantv 
 I do not afk fo much ; I afk nothing that 
 fhall cod you power or abilities. To-mor- 
 row at dinner you muft be my gueft, and I 
 merely defire it before you take leave, your 
 promife that you will be fo. 
 
 Wolfgang. " I fhall certainly come.'* 
 
 Countess. " Give me your hand in aflu- 
 t ance of it ( pressbig it softly.) I expect you 
 then for certain f with a friendly look ; J and 
 iliall really take it for an affront and negledt 
 if you do not come." 
 
 The man in the great coat. " Sir, every 
 minute is reckoned." 
 
 Counters. " Very punctual ! but no mat- 
 ter ! we fhall meet to-morrow. Till then, 
 Signor, good night, We will renew our con- 
 verfation when I fee you, for you have not 
 yet fatisfied my curiofity. Farewel." 
 
 The Countefs departed, with a very 
 friendly glance at Wolfgang, and after fhe 
 had gone fome fleps, turned and nodded to 
 him once more, a kind adieu ; as he, quite 
 tranfported, followed her with his eyes. 
 
 He would probably have flared after her 
 as long as flie was in fight, if his new compa* 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 45 
 
 nion had not again admonilhed him tohaften 
 his departure. Sir, he faid, it is full time, 
 
 You mull follow me, 1 am ready, faid 
 
 Wolfgang, fomewhat peevifhly : and his con- 
 ductor went on direcily without laying ano- 
 ther word. 
 
 CHAP. V, 
 
 Jn the certain conviction that this was a 
 meflenger from the Baron von Tiefenthal, 
 fent to bring him back to his caftle, Wolf- 
 gang followed him, and without obferving 
 the way which they went, gave himfelf up to 
 his own thoughts. Thefe, as is natural to 
 fuppofe, dwelt entirely on the beautiful 
 Countefs. She had made fo forcible an im- 
 prelhon on his heart, it was fo full of her 
 charms, that he beheld nothing but her 
 image. He was even thinking ferioully, for 
 impetuous love is very bold, how he might 
 declare his paffion the next day ; as his con- 
 duclor, by faying, 44 Here we are ; pleafe to 
 walk in," awakened him from his agreeable 
 dream. To his utter aftonilhment he now 
 firlt faw that they were arrived at a poor 
 pottage, the door of which the man in th^ 
 
44 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 great coat opened, and again defired him to 
 go in. Already too far advanced to return, 
 and ftill believing that he might perhaps 
 'find the Baron von Tiefenthal waiting for 
 him here, he ftepped into the room. It had 
 been growing dulk for fome time, and the 
 one little window of this place being very- 
 dirty, both together occasioned an aim oil 
 Egyptian carknefs. No wonder therefore 
 that Wolfgang, as he went in, favv no one, 
 and was greatly furprifed on hearing the fol- 
 lowing difcourfe , — 
 
 A voice in a deep rough bass tone. "Do 
 you bring him at laft, James . ? Do you bring 
 him ?" 
 
 Wolfgang^ s conductor. u Yes, I have ful- 
 filled my promife ; I have brought him !" 
 
 A languishing F ia/e Voice. "Did he 
 follow you willingly 
 
 • James. " I cannot fay that, but I did 
 not ftir from his fide, and would not have 
 done it on any account. n 
 
 The bass voice. 6i Where did you find 
 him ?' 
 
 James. " Where elfe fkould- 1 find him 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 45 
 
 but w ith the Countefs, with whom he was 
 walking arm in arm." 
 
 The Female Voice, in a disconsolate tone. 
 " Ah wretched, wretched me !" 
 
 The bass voice. " Weep not, Clara, weep 
 not, there mull, there fhall be fomething 
 clone now, either — or, fo I have refolved, 
 and fo it fhall be, James, light a candle. Sir, 
 fit down ." 
 
 Wolfgang flood there in amazement, and 
 what had juft paffed did not tend at all to 
 leflen it. He heard the order for a light 
 with great pleafure ; as the entrance of this, 
 he reafonably expected, would produce the 
 quickeft and beft explanation of their pro- 
 bable miftake. James came in at lad with 
 the fo much wifhed for caudle, which af- 
 forded indeed only a fcafljgy, but yet fufficient 
 light for the difplay of tue bare black walls 
 of this room, and a tall haggard-looking 
 man, who fat upon a decayed bench in one 
 corner of it, refling his arm upon a dill 
 more decayed table, an:! looking earneflly at 
 Wolfgang. His white hair teftified his 
 being old, and his clothes, which betrayed 
 indigence, that he had been a foldier, as there 
 might yet be difcriminated upon them the- 
 facing of an uniform. 
 
46 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang kept his eyes fixed on this old 
 man, impatiently expecting that he would 
 now perceive his error, acknowledge it, and 
 beg his pardon. To his aftonifhment, he 
 at laftarofe from his feat, and feized two pif- 
 tcis which were lying by him upon the 
 table, and which Wolfgang now firlt few. 
 He put them, with great coolnel's, under his 
 arm, took the light with the other hand,, 
 and going up to Wolfgang, " Sir, he faid, 
 u we have never feen each other before ; and 
 woe to me, woe to you, that we are obliged 
 to fee one another now, follow me." They 
 went together to the fide of a miferable ft raw 
 bed, upon which lay a woman, whofe face 
 wore the pallid hue of death ; her eyes were 
 clofed, and-her whole appearance was that of 
 extreme illnefs. 
 
 The Old Man (holding the tight near her. J 
 * 4 Villain ! there, you fee your work ! Clara, 
 dear Clara, awake, he is here, darling Clara, 
 do you not hear me ?" 
 
 James. " How mould me hear you ? At 
 fight of this wretch ihe has fainted again. 
 Was it but the calm of death, her for rows 
 would be ended !" 
 
 Old Man. " Villain, infamous^ detefta- 
 ble villain, feducer of my dear good child, 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 47 
 
 all, all your work, Oh we have a long, a 
 dreadful reckoning to fettle : You have de- 
 prived me of health, happinefs, honour, and 
 the peace of my old age, How will, how can 
 you repay all this ?" 
 
 Wolfgang. " Sir,—" 
 
 Old Man. « Silence." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Permit me only — you mif- 
 take." 
 
 Old Man. " Silence I fay ; the turn for 
 you to fpeak will come ; but, till I have con- 
 cluded what I have to fay, you mult not in- 
 terrupt me, left my old weak head begin to 
 ferment, and I forget that I would fir 11 be 
 the father, and only, if driven to the terrible 
 neceflity, the avenger. I am the aggrieved, 
 the deeply injured. I am the acculer, you 
 the accufed. Let me end my complaint, 
 and then you can fpeak. She (pointing to 
 the woman J fhall be the judge between you 
 and me. If fhe would have compaflion 
 fhewn you, it fhall be fo ; if fhe requires 
 vengeance, then, villain, I fhall require it 
 alfo ; and if there be a God in heaven, the 
 protedlor of innocence, it will be poured on 
 you in full meafure running over. Review 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 your own conduct, and if your mifdeeds ad- 
 mit of noexcufe, if you have nothing to urge 
 in your defence againft my complaints, then 
 acknowledge your crimes to your judge, and 
 throw yourfelf on her mercy. Oh ! me is a 
 tender, a companionate judge.! companionate 
 as heaven itfelf, whofe very image me once 
 was !" 
 
 Wolfgang. "Dear, good Sir! let me 
 Only — " 
 
 Old Man. " Silence, wretch ! I perceive 
 j r ou will irritate me to violence, will make 
 me an afliififl in my old age ! But, mark me ; 
 if you are not filent, if you interrupt me 
 again, one of thefe piftols fhall lay you dead 
 at my feet .; and, in the prefence of the eter- 
 nal upright Judge on high, you fhall receive 
 your fentence ! Woe, woe to thee ! it would 
 found horribly ! — Now hear my complaint, 
 dear Father in Heaven ! ( he takes off his hat 
 lays the pistol vj it bin it, and clasps his hands 
 together J hearken to it, and, if the obdurate 
 wretch fhall refufe to render fatisfaclion, 
 write it in thy univerfal regifter ! But if he 
 fink repentant at her feet, and promife to 
 atone for his offences, let it be blotted out — 
 let the numberlefs tears flied by this unhap- 
 py creature efface it for ever ? 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 49 
 
 " I am now fixty-eight years old ; from my 
 carlieit youth I have ftruggled with forrow, 
 poverty, and mifery of various kinds. Five 
 and forty years I have ierved my prince with 
 inviolable fidelity ; I have fought valiantly in 
 fupport of his rights ; been five times wound- 
 ed, and am now, in my old age, difmifled 
 without reward as a cripple, and am even 
 deftitute of a maintenance ! — Dear God 
 and Father in heaven, thou art an all- wife 
 Being! thou knoweft the moll: fecret thoughts 
 of men ! before thy all feeing eyes, I now 
 Hand in the undilguifed fimplicity of my 
 heart, and alk thee if I have ever murmured 
 at thefe things ? have ever once complained 
 of this injuftice ? have ever repented fhed- 
 ding my blood in the fervice of my country? 
 Oh be thou a fevere Judge over me, if I do 
 not fpeak the truth ! If I have uttered a falfe- 
 hood, annihilate me, rob me of the only 
 hopes which have confoled me in all my mi- 
 fery, that thou wilt reward me hereafter for 
 all that I have fuffered here. 
 
 u The joys of life have been meafured to 
 me with a penurious hand. Three times on- 
 ly, during the long courfe of my exiftence, 
 have I enjoyed perfecl happinefs ; once when 
 my excellent, my charming, my beloved 
 wife united her hand to mine, when {he vow- 
 ed to be mine for ever, and couraseoufly to 
 
 E 
 
3*o The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 to fhare with nie whatever afflictions thou 
 mighteft fend for our trial ; again, when this 
 fon was born to me ; — and, for the lall time, 
 when this daughter came into the world. But 
 that joy was of fhort duration ; for her life 
 was her mother's death ; her birth robbed me 
 of my fupport, my joy, my all ! 
 
 " Lord ! Father of all men ; Searcher of 
 all hearts ; thou knowelt the agony of my 
 foul, the weight of forrow with which I was 
 opprefied, as I approached her corpfe, and, 
 for the lall time, clafped her clay~cold hand, 
 and bade her farewel for ever ; Oh the feeling 
 of that moment; it was like the laft gafp of 
 fuffocation ; But I recovered my fortitude, 
 repreiTed the tears which were beginning to 
 flow, and feizingmy children, folded them to 
 my breaft, and cried, 1 You fhali one day 
 repair to me what I have loll, and thou Fa- 
 ther in Heaven, wilt reward to the deceafed 
 athoufand fold, her love and fidelity !' 
 
 " Eternal God! I now prefent my felf again 
 before thy judgment feat, with thefe two 
 children, the only treafure which thou ever 
 gaveft me, and afk thee if I have not fulfilled 
 my paternal duty with the ltric~teft integrity? 
 If i have not done every thing for them that 
 lay in my power ? If I have not often eaten 
 the coarfelt bread myfelf, that I might be able 
 to buy the belt for my poor little ones ? If I 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Si 
 
 have not as they grew older, often pinch- 
 ed myfelf to pay a mailer for them, who 
 ;would inftruct them in thy religion, and 
 in various kinds of knowledge ? If I — 
 but I will not reckon the performance of 
 my duty any merit, for it coit me little, as 
 I found my greateft pltafure in chertfhing 
 thefe young plants. I feek merely to prove 
 that 1 performed my duty faithfully, and 
 therefore had reafon to hope for reward^ not 
 punimment. And yet, omnipotent, righte- 
 ous God ! yet is the latter in full, in over-full 
 meafure, fallen on me ! 
 
 " This maiden, whom I here prefent be- 
 fore your judgment feat, wretched and 
 ft niggling with death as me now is, once 
 bloomed like a rofe, and was not lefs inno- 
 cent and pure ! She was the comfort of my 
 old age, and mould have-been alfo its fup- 
 port. When I engaged to inftrucl my fon 
 in his duty towards his Sovereign and his 
 country, when I went with him againll the 
 enemy, then I recommended her to thy Al- 
 mighty protection. Without thy will, thou 
 fayit thyfelf in thy Divine revelation, not a 
 fparrow falleth to the ground- On this pro- 
 mife I relied, and went quite eafy into the 
 field, to prefent my old body to the balls of the 
 adverfary. In the mean time came this vil- 
 lain, ( pointing 10 Wolfgang) who feigned love 
 
52 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 to this inexperienced creature, and won her 
 innocent heart ; polluted her pure foul with 
 voluptuous ideas, painted to her imagination 
 the moft charming reprefentations of the fu- 
 ture, and beguiled her of her honour and peace 
 of mind. 
 
 " When the poor fallen one perceived 
 the confequences of her folly, and mourn, 
 ed it with the bittereft tears and lamen- 
 tations, the feducer fvvore to be a father 
 to her child, and left her, as he fard, only to 
 obtain his father's confent to their union, 
 and then return lo her arms. Daily fhe 
 expected his arrival, but daily expected 
 it in vain. A letter, fent without her know- 
 ledge, acquainted me with her forrows, and 
 I ffeW to confole her. The pain which I felt 
 at the firft fight of her, I will not defcribe, 
 Oh God ! thou waft witnefs of my fufterings, 
 thou heardft, for the firft time, my com- 
 plaints ; The lovely rofe was faded, her 
 happinefs annihilated, all my hopes trodden 
 in the duft, all my proipedls darkened ! Lord, 
 in thy prefence I Iwore to demand revenge, 
 to take revenge on the villain who had fo 
 lhamefully abandoned her, and who, perhaps , 
 in fome diftant place, makes a jeft of her's, 
 and her afflicted father's forrows. My heart 
 was hardened, but her tears foftened it; and> 
 at her irrefutable entreaties I promifed to for- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 53 
 
 give the wretch if he would mary her, whom 
 he had forfaken, and become the acknowledg- 
 ed father of her child. 
 
 " With her I have followed his footfteps 
 till we came to this cottage, and here Ihe 
 has given birth to a child who has no father. 
 Nurtured with mifery, with tears in its mo- 
 ther's womb, it died in the hour of its birth, 
 and went out of the world a baftard ! f he 
 throws aside the covering of the bed, and 
 points to a dead child lying by the side of its 
 senseless mother.) Look there, vidian i it is 
 your child ! ycu are its father and its mur- 
 derer. Its fpotlefs foul now Hands as your ac- 
 cufer before the judgment-Hat of God. This 
 innocent creature, alfo facrificecl by ycu, who 
 is, perhaps, even now, releafed by death from 
 her calamities, was my child, my daughter ! 
 Oh my heart breaks, I can no longer fup- 
 port my mifery ! Forgive me, Almighty Fa- 
 ther, I muft complain, Oh it almoft choakes 
 me. I mull weep ( he wipes the tears from his 
 eyes.) Eternal God ! let not my lamentati- 
 ons rife up in judgment againft their author, 
 if, moved by my forrows, he repents his 
 crimes, will awaken the fufferer from her 
 fwoon with his careffes, and reftore her fmil- 
 ing to my arms, as I was accuMomed to fee 
 her in our happier days ! 
 
 E 2 
 
54 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Man ( he grasps V/olf gauges hand, J if 
 your heart be not of ftone, if your foul be 
 not quite depraved, pity this poor creature, 
 who in fpite of all her forrows, all the name- 
 leis miferies which you have brought on her 
 loves you ftill, tenderly, fmcerely loves you ! 
 Inhuman wretch, hear how fhe ihames you y 
 what a pearl you have call away ! This 
 child died two days ago, but we have not 
 ventured to take it from her yet. In her 
 fhort intervals of recollection, fhe prelfes it 
 earnefily to her breaft, and laments that her 
 only remembrance of you mould become the 
 prey of corruption. Ah you weep, you are 
 moved ! God has blelfed my words 1 I have 
 finiihed — do you begin now ! but this I mult 
 tell you, had you beheld this fcene unmoved 
 I would have fired thefe piflols through your 
 head, and then furrended myfelf up ta 
 juftice. I have killed the murderer of my 
 child, and of my grandchild, I would have 
 iaid ; condemn me if you can condemn me!'* 
 
 The fight of the fuffering female and the 
 dead child, with the harfh language of the 
 injured father, had made fo flrong an im- 
 preffion on Wolfgang's ingenuous heart, that 
 lie wept bitterly, and inwardly curfed the 
 author of all thefe forrows as fervently as the 
 wretched parent himfelf. It was now his 
 turn to fpeak, for the old man was filent, and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 55 
 
 awaited his determination ; but he was loo 
 much affected, at prefent, to attempt enter- 
 ing on the explanation necefiary to his ac- 
 quittal, and indeed felt that it would be in 
 pain till the fwooning female was recovered. 
 For as it plainly appeared from the old man's 
 difcourfe that her feducer was not known ei- 
 ther to him or his fon, Ihe was confequently 
 the only perfon who could, at once, fet right 
 this miftake. As he began therefore to re- 
 cover himfelf, and to reflect on what had 
 pafled, he waited anxioufly for the moment 
 when her returning fenfes would enable her 
 to fee this error, and acknowledge his inno- 
 cence. 
 
 But this moment came not. Tortured 
 and debilitated as ftie had been by all her 
 fufferings, this unfortunate creature could 
 not fupport the account of her betrayer's be- 
 ing walking arm in arm with another wo- 
 man, at the very time when, according to her 
 hopes and ideas, he was returning to her. 
 This laft blow fnapped the thread of life ; 
 and while her father was endeavouring to 
 foften the heart of her feducer towards her, 
 her foul was flown to a better world, there to 
 receive a recompence for all its wrongs. 
 
 The old man, who watched Wolfgang's 
 emotions, and faw how earnellly he looked 
 at his daughter, went up at laft to her bed. 
 
56 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 " Clara," he feid, " dear Clara, revive, 
 awake to joy, to happinefs, your deceiver 
 weeps, he loves you Hill : How often, with 
 the bare pofiibility of this being fo, have I 
 roufed you from the flrongefl fwoon, will 
 you not revive at the certainty of it? (he 
 seizes her hand;) hear what your fond old 
 father fays to you, What is this ? Her hand 
 is flhT, cold, Clara, are you dead ? f sinking 
 back J Ah me is ! fhe is 
 
 James, who had hitherto flood filent, now 
 fprang forwards and raifed the old man upon 
 'the bench ; then, with a countenance full of 
 anxiety, he approached his filler's bed, and, 
 in a mournful tone, confirmed the old man's 
 apprehenfions. A long and awful paufe en- 
 fued ; the father and fon, in deep defponden- 
 cy,~ felt themfelves deftitute of all confolation; 
 and Wolfgang, full of anxiety as to what the 
 iflue of this affair might now be, fought in 
 vain for any hopes of its coming to a happy 
 conclufion. The old man at laft broke 
 filence : like a lionefs, robbed of her young, 
 he ftarted up fuddenly, and feizeel the trem- 
 bling Wolfgang by the breafl — " You have 
 fnatched her away from me, You have killed 
 her," he cried with a dreadful voice. " Are 
 you omnipotent, then revive her again ! but 
 if you are not, then defpair, no, pray, pray, 
 your hour is come : you miift be facrificed 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 57 
 
 for my child, I will not he anfwerable for 
 your future wickednefs, will not fuffer you 
 to miflead more daughters, to make more 
 unhappy fathers! you muft die. Your father 
 alfo fhall feel what it is to have his deareft 
 hopes borne to the grave, to be, with one 
 ftroke, robbed of all the joy of life, Why did 
 he give exiftence to fuch a villain ? M 
 
 Wolfgang, who now perceived that fdence 
 would only aggravate his misfortune, who 
 was confcious of his innocence, and that, by 
 an extraordinary accident, he was in danger 
 of being made to expiate the fault of another, 
 had now recourfe to entreaties. He conjur- 
 ed the raving father to be calm for fome mi- 
 nutes, and hear what he had to fay ; and, if 
 he did not then find him quite innocent of 
 this crime, he would willingly undergo the 
 ignominious torture of the molt dreadful 
 death that could be inflicted on him. 
 
 Old Man ( seizing the pistols again, and 
 standing opposite to Wolfgang.) " What can 
 you fay in your defence ? How excufe your 
 profligacy, your flight, and your filence ? 
 Speak, but woe to you if you do not adhere 
 flridtly to the truth ; The firft lie that you 
 utter, I will Ihoot you through the head, and 
 you will certainly then go damned out of the 
 world." 
 
53 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang. " Only permit me to afk fbme 
 quefiions, and confider them well before, 
 through a rafh deed, you make yourfeif and 
 me unhappy. As I underftand from what 
 has paffed, you have never feen the feducer 
 of your daughter 
 
 Old Man. u No, I have never feen the 
 murderer of my daughter." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Has {he not often named him, 
 often defcribed his perfon to you ?" 
 
 01 i Man. " Oh often! but too often ! He 
 had black curling hair like your's ; was like 
 you, hypocritical and flattering ; ibit and 
 fmiline, full of tendernefs and love ; and vet 
 with a heart, as black as his hair, full of tricks 
 and wickednefs." S 
 
 Wolfgang. V Sir, I conjure you, by the 
 foul of your deceafed daughter, by your own 
 hopes of falvation, to examine this affair ac- 
 curately, to liften to me patiently. I will 
 lay before you undeniable, irrefutable proofs 
 that you have mifiaken me ; that I am quite 
 innocent of the death of your child ; that, 
 God be eternally thanked, no fuch crime op- 
 prefles my confcience ! I am a foreigner, 
 who " 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 59 
 
 Old Man ffuriousty.J How! do you deny 
 the fac~t ? You would avail yourfelf of the 
 circumftance of my not perfonally knowing 
 you ! Would turn the death of my child to 
 your advantage ! would difown this deed, 
 perhaps, to perpetrate future crimes of the 
 fame kind ! Ah, fuch an attempt is yet more 
 fhamefuj than her murder! This is your re- 
 pentance, This the reafon of the hypocriti- 
 cal tears with which you endeavor to move 
 my compaflion!" 
 
 Wolfgang. " For God's fake! only lifter* 
 to me, only " 
 
 Old Man (more furiously) " No, com- 
 panion were here a fin, die, pronigate vil- 
 lain ! and try if you can alfo deceive the Al- 
 mighty !" 
 
 As he faid this, he fired a piftol at Wolf- 
 gang, but as he trembled extremely, both 
 from age and paffion, the ball only palled by 
 his head without hitting him. 
 
 Self defence and prefervation are me- 
 chanical. Every one who falls, without 
 knowing it, puts his hand before his face, 
 as in the greateft danger of being injured by 
 the fall ; and ever}- one who is attacked, en- 
 deavors to defend himfelf on the fame 
 mechanical principle. When the old man, 
 
60 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 therefore, aimed the fecond piftol at Wolf- 
 gang, the latter feized his arm, and llruggled 
 with him for it. James hallened to the 
 afiillar.re of his father, and, at this moment 
 the piftol went off', and mot him through the 
 head, as he was bending forward to lay hold 
 of Wolfgang's arm. 
 
 James fell inftantly, and, in his fall, ex- 
 tinguHhed the light which Hood by Clara's 
 coi pie. The old man had been thrown 
 down in 0 e feuffle ; and, not knowing that 
 he had killed his fori, he called to him for 
 help, and raved with the greateil defpe- 
 ration. 
 
 Wolfgang, who merely wifhed to fave his 
 life, not revenge himfdf, took this oppor- 
 tunity of trying to make his efcape. He 
 had reached the door juli as it was opened, 
 in a great Lu ry, by a pcafant w ho lived in 
 the fame cottage, and who now came in with 
 his fen ants on the alarm of hearing the 
 piHo'S with a firebrand, by way of light, in 
 his hand. They forced Wolfgang back ; and 
 feeing J unes in the agonies of death, and 
 the old man Urupgling upon the ground 
 raving with all the frenzy of defpair, on the 
 murder of his child, it is no wonder that 
 they took the former for the perpetrator of 
 this deed, and, without liftening to his ex- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 6% 
 
 cufes, bound him, and dragged him ont of the 
 houfe diretlly. They threw him down in 
 the yard, and one of the fervants was left to 
 watch him, while the others returned into 
 the room. to the afMance of thofe within. 
 
 After a fhort interval, the peafant came 
 out again, and ordered his fervant to make 
 htile, and put the horfes to the waggon, and 
 carry the murderer before the Juflice imme- 
 diately. He Hood guard himfelf while the 
 fervant went to execute this order; and 
 though Wohgang earneilly endeavoured io 
 prove his innocence to him, his proofs made 
 not the leall imprefiion on the peafarit, 
 u Defend yourfelf as you can before the 
 Juftice," he faid ; " it is of no ufe your doing 
 it to me. But it will be a hard matter for 
 you to prove }our in-iccence there. The 
 wounded man is already dead ; the old man 
 lies in the lalt extremity, and will foon be 
 dead alio. How it is with the daughter I 
 do not know yet myfelf, but probably not 
 much better, for me is as cold as ice, and as 
 itm as a board, 't is very pofiible that veil 
 may have the lives of all thefe to anfwer for, 
 I would not take one of them on my con- 
 fcience." 
 
 Wolfgang, who muddered as much at this 
 account as the good-hearted peafant himfeJr, 
 
 F 
 
62 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 now entreated that they would carry him 
 either to the Baron von Tiefenthal, or the 
 
 Countefs von M . " Both know me," 
 
 Jhe added, " and both will attefl my inno- 
 cence." 
 
 - w Tell all this to our Juflice," faid the 
 peaiant ; u if he believes what you fay, it is 
 no concern of mine ; I have fulfilled my duty, 
 and warn my hands of it. But you may befure 
 that I fhall openly witnefs againil you what I 
 faw and heard. It is deteftable to murder 
 any man, but it is doubly detefiable and cruel 
 to murder fuch excellent people ; and if you 
 are the llray bird, whom the unhappy young 
 creature fought for lb earneflly, the Lord be 
 merciful to your poor foul ! You will then 
 certainly be damned ; for the favour of the 
 great is not current in heaven ; the nobleman 
 reckons for no more than the peafant there." 
 
 With fuch very poor confolation the cot- 
 ager entertained his prifoner till the fervant 
 had put the horfes to the waggon. Wolf- 
 gang begged that if they would not quite un- 
 do the cords with which he was bound, they 
 would, at leaf!, loofen them a little, as they 
 obflrucled the circulation of the blood, and 
 occafioned him almoft intolerable pain. But 
 his petition was not attended to ; they threw 
 him into the waggon, and the fervant fet off 
 .with it dire&ly. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 63 
 
 C H A P. VI. 
 
 V V OLFGANG's fitttation grew worfe 
 every moment ; for the cautious peafant had 
 fwathed him with cords till the blood was 
 almoft ftagnated throughout his whole body. 
 He lay nearly fenfejefs in the waggon, when 
 he ail at once heard a great noife about him, 
 and feveral voices plainly call, " Hold ! 
 Hold !" He looked up, and perceived a 
 number of horfemen, one of whom held the 
 waggoner by his coat, and aiked who he was 
 carrying. " A murderer," anfwered the 
 man : " do not detain me, for it may be the 
 worfe for you." 
 
 A horseman. " The worfe for us, rafcal ! 
 take care that it is not the worfe for you !" 
 
 A ftroke, with a naked fabre, cleft the 
 waggoner's head, and he fell dead from the 
 horfe. Well done," cried a voice from 
 amongft the crowd which thronged about 
 the waggon, " the fellow mull die, or he 
 might betray us !" 
 
64 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 A second Horseman. il Let us not, with 
 our too great caution, forget the prifoner ! I 
 will wager that the fellows have laced him 
 fi&together, lie can fcarcely breathe*' 1 
 
 A third Horseman. u It mud certainly be 
 fo, or elfe he would, at lead, have lpoken." 
 
 Some of them now raifed the benumbed 
 Wolfgang, untied his bands, and placed him 
 in the ilraw, of which there was abundance 
 in the waggon. 
 
 A Horseman. " How are you new \ % 
 
 - Wolfgang. " Something better." 
 
 Horseman. u You anfwer very weak- 
 ly though ; the amendment can be bit jult 
 hep inning. Anxiety and fear, before the 
 juitice, may have had a ftrtrag effeci on you. 
 But you might have relied boldly on our af- 
 fittance." 
 
 A sesond Horseman. u The devil fellow, 
 clo not talk fo long ! recoiled that we are 
 not judges ! Hollman, do you pet upon the 
 horfe, for he is not able to ride yet* Go on 
 as fail as you can, that you may be foon 
 over the frontiers, and Hop at the oak. V\ 7 e 
 Ami] expert you there, or at ieaft not be far 
 behind." 
 
"The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 65 
 
 H oilman got upon the horfe, and threw 
 his mantle to Wolfgang. tl There," fakl he, 
 " wrap youvfelf in that, and fleepaway your 
 fear; for when we get home, you muft be 
 jovial. We have all refolved to drink your 
 health to night." He now gave the horfes 
 a whip, and drove on to the left. The troop 
 of horfemen followed them at firft, and af- 
 terwards took another route. 
 
 To defcribe Wolfgang's feelings is impof- 
 fible. Of all the enigmatical occurrences 
 which had befallen him for the laft two days 
 the dreadful incidents at the cottage, and 
 his prefentextraordinary deliverance appear- 
 to him the n oft; lb; and though he could 
 only fuppofe, as in the former in franc e, that 
 they originated in miiiake, he perplexed 
 himfelf in vain to find out from whence thefc 
 miftakes could arife, and becaufe fo confufed 
 with a multiplicity of conjectures on the 
 fubje6t, that he lay, for fome time, like a 
 perfon in a dream. But, as his blood began 
 to circulate again freely, and reftored the 
 full powers of his understanding, he gradu- 
 ally loll the recollection of his pad, in the 
 examination of h s prefent fituation ; and, 
 from the lingular difcourfe and behaviour of 
 his deliverers, he foon concluded that he was 
 not in very good company. At nrll lie re- 
 folved to enter into converfation with his 
 F 2 
 
66 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 driver ; but when he confidered that, by this 
 means, they might eafily difcover their error 
 refpecting himfelf, and that this man might 
 not be pleafed to find he was carrying an 
 entire Granger, he thought it beft to be filent. 
 Reflecting then on the fate of the poor fer- 
 vant, and the indifference with which he was 
 murdered, he believed, not without reafon, 
 that the end of this adventure was to be dread- 
 ed, and therefore determined, while it was 
 pofiible, to make his efcape. 
 
 As he made this refolution, they were go- 
 ing up a ileep, woody hill, it was lb dark 
 that W olfgang could fee neither the horfes 
 nor driver ; and taking advantage of this fa- 
 vourable obfcurity, he crept flowly and filent- 
 ly out of the waggon. They were then at 
 the top of the hill, and to his great joy the 
 man drove on very fail. 
 
 Alone, and without any knowledge of the 
 country, W olfgang flood, for fome time, un. 
 decided what eburfe to purfue. At firft he 
 thought of going back to a village at the bot- 
 tom of the hill, through which they had paf- 
 fed ; but then recollecting that the horfemen 
 might be behind, whom he by no means 
 wiflied to meet, he gave up that idea, and 
 fought for a bye-way, which might carry him 
 in fecuiity, either to the right or Ml of the 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 6 7 
 
 road. After groping forward for a little 
 while, he law, notwithstanding the darknefs, 
 a road open to the left, upon which he walk- 
 ed forward as fail as poilible. This became 
 gradually narrower, and was fo deep and 
 rugged that poor Wolfgang laid down at laft 
 quite tired, glad rather to await the return 
 of day there, than to go on any farther in iuch 
 uncertainty. 
 
 He foon fell afleep, and did not awake 
 again till the fun wasrifen, and gave him an 
 opportunity of examining his new lodging, 
 which was in a craggy dell amidft fome high 
 rocks, from whence, in the dark, he mud 
 have vainly endeavoured to find his way out. 
 After clambering about now for a confider- 
 able time, he came to a kind of path which 
 led him from his rockey vale into one of afar 
 more agreeable nature. A beautiful mea- 
 dow, enamelled with flowers, andfurround- 
 ed by a thick wood, lay before Yarn ; and the 
 lowing of a little herd of cattle, which was 
 grazing not far off, gave him hopes that he 
 * as near fome inhabited place. Still trem- 
 bling from the yellerday's adventure, he 
 wifhed firft to fee fomething of the inhabi- 
 tants of this valley from a diflancel before he 
 ventured amoiigft them, and with this view 
 Hood for fome time under a tree ; but as he 
 few iio living creatures befides the herd, 
 
68 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 which could not at all fatisfy his curiofity, he 
 ventured at lalt to go on, and foon came in 
 light of a final 1 neat cottage. Agitated be- 
 tween hopes and fears, he went thither, wrap- 
 ped in his mantle, and knocked at the door, 
 wifhmg to obtain there both the means of 
 fatisfying his hunger, and a guide to conduct 
 him on his way. 
 
 After repeated knocking, an old woman 
 came to the door, afked him, in a very rough 
 manner, why he knocked fo violently, and 
 what he wanted there ? 
 
 Wolfgang. " Dear mother, I loft ihyfeif 
 yellerday in this folitary country. I flept lalt 
 night in the wood. I do not know my way, 
 and feek now for a guide who may conduct 
 me again to the road." 
 
 Old Woman (in a milder tone.) " Step in 
 here for a little while. When I have cooked 
 my porridge, I will be your conductor my- 
 felf." 
 
 Wolfgang followed her joyfully into a 
 neat little room, the wallsytff which were 
 hung with very pretty prints, and altogether 
 gave him the idea that it could not belong to 
 a quite common pofleffor. He had juft ac- 
 cepted the chair which was offered him, as 
 he faw, in one corner of the room, a young 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 69 
 
 maiden in a neat peafant's drefs, who was 
 combing out her longhair, and did not ap- 
 pear to concern herfelf with the entrance of 
 a ftranger. " Make hafte, and get yourfelf 
 ready," laid the old woman to her, and then 
 went oat to cook her porridge. The maiden 
 now iinilhed her employment, plaited up 
 her hair, and turned round to their guefh 
 
 " Good morning, Sir," fhe faid, fmiling ; 
 •* from whence comeft thou fo early ?" It 
 feemed to Wolfgang as if he had beard this 
 voice before, He looked at her, and his fur- 
 prife was excited to the higheft degree ; for 
 not only her voice, but her face, her whole 
 figure, her manner, were perfectly like the 
 
 Countefs von M , with whom he was 
 
 walking the evening before. Doubting, how- 
 ever, the poflibility of finding her here, he 
 looked at the maiden again, and the refem- 
 Wance appeared to him fo ftrong, that his 
 doubts began to give way to the evidence of 
 his eyes ; and lie was jufl going to afk her by 
 what miracle five was there, and in that 
 drefs, as the old woman came in with a bowl 
 of porridge, and interrupted his intended 
 que (lions. 
 
 Old Woman ( to the maiden.) Are you 
 ready at la ft ? — Come, eat a few fpoonsful 
 quickly, and go out ; it is high time." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Maiden f setting herself to the table ) "He 
 will not come lb early." 
 
 Old Woman. " You fpeak as you think." — 
 
 (To Wolfgang) " Sir, if you have a mind to 
 cat a few fpoonsful, pray feat yourfelf with- 
 out any ceremony. " 
 
 Wolfgang accepted her invitation in 
 filence, and continued looking fledfaftly at 
 the maiden, whofe llkenefs to the Countefs 
 increafed on him, till he thought it certainly 
 mull be her ; but to his great aflonifhment 
 ihe did not appear at all to know him. The 
 old woman in the meantime helped him to 
 fome porridge, and begged him not to be 
 afraid to eat. 
 
 Old Woman (to the Maiden.) " I beg, 
 above all things, that you will make hafte, 
 and do not forget a word of what you have 
 been taught, for it is all of importance. Are 
 you fure you are perfect in it ?" 
 
 Maiden. "O yes, quite fure; I can re- 
 peat it as perfectly as the Lord's prayer." 
 
 Old Woman. " Let us try. What will 
 you do when you fee him coming up the 
 path :" 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 7* 
 
 Maiden. " I will arife, and go towards 
 him, and fay, Good morning, Mr. Wolfgang, 
 from whence com eft thou fo early ?" 
 
 Old Woman. " And if he mould afk, how 
 you come to know his name V* 
 
 Maiden. " O dear, Sir, I fhall fay, I 
 know thee better than thou thinkeft. 
 Doit thou not come from Savoy ? doft thou 
 not deal in moufe-traps and hatchels ? 
 
 Old Woman. " And if he mould fay, how 
 come you to know that ?" 
 
 Maiden. " Then I {hall anfwer, my mo- 
 ther has told me every thing ; and if thou 
 wouldft know, Sir, of whom fhe learnt it, 
 go with me to her ; fhe Jives down here in 
 the valley." 
 
 Old Woman. " But if he fhoukj fay, My 
 good child, I have not time at prefent ; I 
 muft go farther :" 
 
 Maiden. u Then I will fpeak kindly to 
 him, and entreat him, till he fliall at laft 
 confent. Leave that to my care ; come he 
 certainly fliall if he poffefles the lead fenfi- 
 biUty, and if he mould pleafe me." 
 
7 2 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Old Woman. " Pleafe, or not pleafe you, 
 that fignifies nothing! Remember that 
 your's and your mother's happinefs depends 
 on it.'* 
 
 Maiden. " Very right ; but yet he mud 
 pleafe me, or elfe 1 will not bring him." . 
 
 Old Woman. « Wicked child ! do you 
 call that honouring your parents ? do you 
 call that obeying them ? if you will not mind 
 any thing elfe, remember the fifth com- 
 mandment." 
 
 Maiden. " Well, well ! I will think of it. 
 In the meanwhile, adieu." 
 
 Old Woman. " Good luck to you ! good 
 luck!" 
 
 The maiden took a little bafket of cherries 
 upon her arm, aud went out without even 
 looking at Wolfgang; whofe ailonimment, 
 during this conversation, had exceeded ad 
 that he had felt before, and by no effort of his 
 underftandlng could he form any conjecture 
 that feemed plabfible enough to elucidate 
 this my ft cry. The teftimony of his fenfes 
 almoR convinced him that the maiden, who 
 had juft left the room, was the Countefs von 
 M , with whom he had been walking 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 73 
 
 the preceding evening, and from whom he 
 was fo unpleafantly feparated ; and the fight 
 of her rekindled in his bofom the paflion he 
 then felt for her, and which the unfortunate 
 adventure of the night had fupprefled, but 
 not extinguimed. Several times he was 
 about to afk her the reafon of her being there, 
 and in fo different a drefs ; but her not ap- 
 pearing to know him, and her generally in- 
 different and even repulfive behaviour to- 
 wards him checked this inclination. 
 
 As he Hill farther revolved in his mind 
 the ftrange circumftanees of the Counters 
 being there in that drefs ; being fent out to 
 watch for him, and invite him thither ; of 
 her behaving fo kindly to him the day 
 before, and now, as if Ibe did not know him ; 
 of how they knew that he would come that 
 way ; and how he, a poor Savoyard, could 
 be of any importance to their happinefs, he 
 became more and more perplexed. Unable 
 to folve this in any other way, he began at 
 laft to think that he was purfued by fome 
 hoftile enchanter, who by his delufions 
 brought him into all thefe unaccountable ad- 
 ventures. 
 
 Some old romances, in which he had 
 learnt to read, had rather given him a turn 
 for the marvellous ; and his heated imagina- 
 G ' 
 
74 
 
 The Mountain Cottaper. 
 
 tton re preferred the probability of tb^s, till he 
 felt fatisaed that all Which had befallen him 
 was the effect of forcerv, and he fat in the ut- 
 molt anxiety, ex peeling new wonders to arife 
 every moment. 
 
 In the meanwhile the old woman, whofe 
 face nearly refembled the phyfiognomy of a 
 witch, as they are defcribed in Feenmarchen, 
 and other romances of the kind, was fetting 
 the room in order. Wolfgang, who examin- 
 ed her accurately during this time, took her 
 for the wife of the forcerer, and had juft re- 
 folved to be on his guard againft her, as fhe 
 had fmifned her bufmefs, and came towards 
 him. 
 
 Old Woman. 14 When do you wifh to go, 
 Sir, and to what road fliall I conduct you ?" 
 
 Wolfgang. " To which ever my perfecu- 
 tors have determined on. But, however 
 they may attempt to delude me, 1 hope to 
 God, that with his afliftance, I fliall happily 
 ■overcome all temptation." 
 
 Old Woman (stepping back frightened.) 
 " 4 Heaven protect me, the man is mad." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Not mad, but perhaps en- 
 chanted ; But I am under God's protection, 
 and no one fliall prevail againfl me." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 75 
 
 As he faid this with great emphafis, the 
 old woman thought it beft to make her ef- 
 cane, for file believed him to be either a mad- 
 man or villain, who under that deception, 
 came to rob and murder her. She went 
 backwards to the door, and foon as flie had 
 reached it, (prang out in a great hurry. 
 
 Wolfgang was ftill more confirmed in his 
 ©pinion by her flight, and rejoiced exceeding- 
 ly that he had, in this manner, avoided all 
 far- her temptation. Refolvednot to flay any 
 longer in this houfe, he went to the door ; 
 but the cautious old woman had locked it, 
 and was gone to a neighbour for affillance. 
 The fattened door, however, was rot fo for- 
 midable as fhe was ; and, after croffing and 
 blefling himfelf feveral times, he endeavour- 
 ed to get it off the hinges, but notwithstand- 
 ing his adjurations, and his labour, he was 
 foiled in this attempt. Determined, never- 
 thelefs, not to remain here, he got out of the 
 window, and ran forwards. He had fcarcely 
 reached the wood, when he faw the old wo- 
 man and two peafants going to the houfe* 
 At this fight he redoubled his fpeed, and 
 darted into the thickeft part of it, where he 
 was at lafl fo fortunate as to find a footpath, 
 which led him through a valley, and then up 
 a hill ; and here he once more loft all traces 
 of any human beings,. 
 
?6 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 A FTER walking till he was quite faint 
 and tired, Wolfgang paufed, and took off the 
 mantle given him in the night by the horfe- 
 man who drove the waggon, and which he 
 had from that time kept wrapped about him, 
 and folding it up, carried it under his arm. 
 By the height of the fun and his extreme hun- 
 ger, he guefled it muft be about noon, as he 
 came to a more open part of the wood, 
 which he judged to be near the end of it, and 
 going on with renewed alacrity at this prof- 
 peel:, he foon arrived at its terming l^n. 
 The joy which this at firft gave him was of 
 Ihort duration ; for on looking down a valley 
 directly before him, he perceived, to his utter 
 difmay, that he was oppofite the fame houfe 
 from whence he had efcaped that morning. 
 Firmly convinced now that he was enchanted 
 and conft rained by the art of the old woman 
 to return to this place, he had almoft refolv- 
 ed to refign himielf quietly to a fate which 
 feemed unavoidable, as he heard a voice not 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 77 
 
 far from him ; and giving way mechanically 
 to his fear, he fprung into the thicket, and 
 concealed himfelf under a bufh. He diftin- 
 guifhed the found of footfteps very plainly, 
 and looking ftedfaftly towards the quarter 
 from whence they came, to his great afton- 
 ifhment faw the Countefs von M ap- 
 proaching, drefTed as a lady. She was read- 
 ing, and walked flowly, followed by two ier- 
 vants, one of whom he immediately recol- 
 lected as alMingto put him into the carriage 
 the day before. A little dog, which wasrun- 
 ning after her, coming up to his hiding-place, 
 began barking fo violently that the Countefs 
 took notice of it, and flopping, ordered one 
 of the fervants to fee what occafioned his 
 making fuch a noife. Poor Wolfgang was 
 now loon difcovered lying, drawn together in 
 the imalleil pofTible compafs ; and like a hair 
 when it is furprifed, fitting, looking at the 
 dc G , not knowing which way to fly ; and the 
 man returned to his miftrefs with the infor- 
 mation, that the foreign gentleman, who 
 was with her yefterday, lay not far off under 
 a bum. 
 
 a How, the Signor here!" cried out the 
 Lady, and tried to make her way towards 
 him. Now or never ; you mult fly the en- 
 chantrefs, thought Wolfgang, and chofe the 
 G 2 
 
7 8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 former. As he heard her drawing" near, he 
 therefore ftarted up, and ran into the thicket. 
 The nolle that he made betrayed [lis flight to 
 the Couritefs, who called very earnellly af- 
 ter him, u Stop, Signor I only hear me ! I 
 have foiiiethmg very important to fay to you. 
 Indeed 1 will not afk you what you were do- 
 ing here !" But all her entreaties to him to 
 Hop, had no other effect than to increafe his 
 impatience to get away. 
 
 As long as I can efcape this Syren's voice 
 by flying, thought he, it is happy for me, 
 while he affiduoufly endeavoured to get 
 through the underwood. His purpofe was 
 foon anfwered, for the Countefs was not able 
 to follow him, as her dothes hung in the 
 bullies : and before fhe could difengage them, 
 he was out of the found of her voice. He 
 arrived at laft, quite fatigued, at the foot of 
 a high hill, which he mult either pafs over, 
 or return through the wood ; his fear decided 
 for the former, but his extreme wearinefs in- 
 duced him to relt a little before he commen- 
 ced this arduous undertaking. 
 
 He had wrapped himfelf again in his man- 
 tle, and laid down in hopes of getting to fleep 
 as the approach of fomebody difturbed and 
 alarmed him. He looked up with anxiety 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 and faw to his utter amazement that it was 
 
 the Countefs von M , as he had feen 
 
 her in the morning; at the old woman's in her 
 peafant's drefs, and with the bafket on her 
 arm. Though he crept clofe to the hill, (for 
 he was unable to flv) it was impoffible but 
 fhe mud fee him, as fhe came along a foot- 
 path, which he had not perceived before, di- 
 rectly oppofite to where he lay. She llared 
 at him, and ftood it ill in apparant irrefolu- 
 tion. In order to conceal her emb^rrurTment, 
 (he began to tie her fhoe- ribbon, which had 
 got loofe, and glanced fideways at Wolf ang 
 as heltood there in his mantle like a ftatue. 
 He had now an opportunity of feeing one 
 of the prettieft feet in the world ; but he 
 purpofely turned afide his head, to avoid, 
 as he believed, a temptation thrown in his way 
 by the devil. 
 
 When me had tied her irioe, me fun- eyed 
 him attentively, but did not dare to advance; 
 and he was Hill ftltmt. but involuntarily ftole 
 a lookeverv now and then at this charming 
 creature. At hit fhe began to fpeak. " Sir,'' 
 flie faid, timidly, aud came two fteps nearer 
 to him, I hope I have nothing to fear from 
 thee. 1 am battening home, for my mother 
 is certainly expecting me with impatience, 
 and i entreat thee not to prevent my going.- 9 
 
8o The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 Wolfgang. " Go, in God's name ! I do 
 not defire your company ! But do not betray 
 me. And if you have any compaffion for the 
 unfortunate, tell me the neareit v/ay out of 
 this place." 
 
 She now took courage, and darted by him 
 as quick as an arrow. When fhe was about 
 three fteps from him, me turned about, and 
 laid, u Sir, if thou art the unhappy murderer 
 whom they have been feeking for to-day in 
 the wood, fly diredlly over the frontiers ; go 
 up the hill to the right, and flraigbt down 
 from thence thou wilt fend the way, and 
 may ft get there before night .7 Having faid 
 this, fhe foonvaniihed^ and left him in the 
 greateft coniufion. 
 
 Nothing was really more probable than 
 that he was taken for a murderer, and pur- 
 sued asfuch ; yet it feemed much more pro- 
 bable to him that this caution was only the 
 deceit of the forcerefs, who* by means of her 
 colleague, wanted to frighten him into fol- 
 lowing the path to the right, that he might 
 come again to her dwelling, and at laft fall 
 into her fnare. He refolved therefore to con- 
 tinue his courfe to the left, and rather to re- 
 main all night under a tree — rather to die 
 for want of refrefhments, thap to go any 
 more into that neighbourhood ; and exerting 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 81 
 
 air his ftrength, he began to climb the hill. 
 After much labour he arrived at the f am mi t 
 of it, from whence he overlooked the whole 
 country, and faw at his feet a large village, 
 towards which he went, refolved there to en- 
 quire his way to the Baron von Tiefenthal's, 
 and if poflible to obtain from him his palfport 
 his clothes, and his wares, and then for ever 
 leave a country in which he thought the wel- 
 fare of his foul in danger. 
 
 Near him as the village appeared to lie, 
 owing to his fatigue, and accidentally taking 
 the longeft way, he did not get there till the 
 evening. Wrapt in his mantle, and without 
 a hat, for he had loft that, he knew not 
 where, the night before he went into the ale- 
 houfe of the village, and feating himfelf at 
 the neareft table, afked for a glafs of beer 
 and a bit of bread. The hoft, an unwieldy 
 corpulent man, who was fitting in an old 
 arm-chair, was the only perfon in the room, 
 and he let him afk two or three times before 
 he went out to fetch what he defired. ; At laft 
 he brought the refreflirnent lb much wanted 
 by Wolfgang, who ate and drank heartily, 
 without obferving that the hoft flood by ex- 
 amining him very narrowly. — " From 
 whence come you thus alone ?" laid he, after 
 fome time ; u and which way are you 
 going ?" 
 
§2 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 Wolfgang (somewhat confused, but soon 
 recovering himself) " I come from Nurem- 
 berg, and am going to the Baron von Tiefen- 
 thal's whom perhaps you may know." 
 
 Host. u O yes, I know him very well ; his. 
 Cattle lies about eight or nine miles from 
 hence." 
 
 Wolfgang ( much rejoiced at this answcri J , 
 tl I loft myfeif in the wood early this morn- 
 ing, and for a long time fought my way out 1 
 of it in vain, till by pood luck I fend the 
 path to this village. Will you procure me 
 a guide, who may conduct me to-morrow to 
 the Baron von Tiefenthal's caftle ?" 
 
 " May be fo," fa id the hoff, very phleg- 
 xnatically, and went out of the room. Two 
 very Rout fervants foon came in, and feated 
 themfelves oppofite to Wolfgang, who be- 
 gan to forget the mifery that he had endured 
 in the relifh of his bread and beer, and the 
 hopes of feeing the Baron von Tiefenthal 
 again, of whole exiftence, on the evidence of 
 the haft, he no longer doubted. Then, 
 thought he, I mall put on my jacket once 
 more, and joyfully quit this inchanted coun- 
 try." 
 
T/:e Mountain Cottager. 
 
 8 3 
 
 Scarcely had this paffed in his mind, be- 
 fore the holt returned with fome companions. 
 One of them, who had fetters in his hand, 
 and the two fervancs, drew near to Wolf- 
 gang. " Sir," feid this man, M will you yield 
 yout Telf a prifoiier, or muft we feize and bind 
 you by force ? Bat I can iell you that refin- 
 ance will be of no lervice to you, for care is 
 taken that you ftiall neither elude nor -over- 
 power us ; obucfe tue prudent part therefore, 
 and iubimt quici.lv to be fettered." 
 
 Wolf ;w's furprife at this fpeech maybe 
 eafily imagined- " i mall not make any re- 
 finance, n ne laid ; " do with me what you 
 will, but i am innocent." 
 
 14 That may pcffibty be," anfw-ered the 
 •ho ft ; " out probable it certainly is not. The 
 mantle, which the gentleman has about him, 
 was ltolen trom me, toother with many 
 otuer things, and fome money, lalt week; and 
 whoever has that, molt likely knows mme- 
 thing of the reft of the property, .i trie gen- 
 tleman can give but an account of whom he 
 bought it, or how elfe he came by it, after 
 •duly examining his evidence, we will give 
 the gentleman no farther trouble, but leave 
 him to go peaceably on his way." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 " Yes, if the gentleman can do this," faid 
 the man with the fetters, u I lliall on no ac- 
 count put on the irons. Come, Sir, fpeak 
 out, where had you the mantle V % 
 
 Wolfgang (in great confusion.) " This 
 mantle ? 1 found it to-day — to-day, upon 
 the read." 
 
 Host. " Aha ! the old ftory ! the common 
 cry of all rogues when they are taken with 
 ftolen goods ! Neighbour put on the irons. 
 Our Julticiary will foon force him to confef- 
 fion. I hope, with God's alii France, to get 
 hack all I have loll." 
 
 " I wihh you may with all my heart," an- 
 fwe red the man with the irons, as he fattened 
 them on Wolfgang's feet, who became con- 
 tented with his new iituation, becaufe he 
 hoped to prove his innocence before the Jus- 
 ticiary, and to be delivered at laft lrom the 
 perpetually renewed perplexities, and the 
 eternal anxieties in which he was involved. 
 But as they took off the mantle, and all at 
 once cried out, " Heavens ! this is the mur- 
 derer who was fought for fo affiduoufly in 
 the morning ! every thing anfwers to the de- 
 fcription of him ! the fame clothes — the fame 
 hair, the fame face ! his courage failed, and he 
 began to weep aloud. — " God !" he exclaim- 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 «5 
 
 fed, " in what mifeiy, in what forrow, (hall I, 
 though guiltlefs, be plunged V 9 
 
 The bye-ftanders were unmoved by his 
 diftrefs. — " Had you,'' faid one of them, 
 thought of what you were about beforehand, 
 you might have been fpared your fighs and 
 tears. But thefe warn out no blood ; that can 
 only be atoned by blood." 
 
 Amidft thefe comfortable remarks, Wolf- 
 gang's hands were bound behind his back, 
 notwith (landing his entreaties againft it, and 
 his aifurances that he would not fly ; and 
 then all prelent held a council, how they 
 could moft expeditioufly convey this dange- 
 rous thief and murderer to prifon while it 
 was light, that he might not again murder 
 Iris conductors, and efcape as he had done 
 the day before. 
 
 Every word of this converfation added to 
 Wolfgang's grief and defpair. He had been 
 eenfoled all day by the firm belief that thefe 
 terrible adventures had not actually happen- 
 ed, but were only an illufion ; and this was 
 now entirely deftroyed, ashe heard from every 
 mouth a confirmation of the dreadful hiftory. 
 One lingering hope fiill remained, that this 
 might be a new delufion ; but this gradually 
 forfook him, as they threw him bound into a 
 H 
 
86 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 waggon, furrounded by above a dozen armed 
 men, who threatened to moot him if he at- 
 tempted to Itir, and was completely annihila- 
 ted, as at laft, after a ride of two hours, he 
 was lifted from the waggon, and carried into 
 a dark. cave, the door of which was clofed af- 
 ter him, and carefully locked. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 OLFGANG lay weeping upon the 
 cold damp earth, bemoaning his misfortunes, 
 and protefting his innocence in vain .; for no 
 one was near to hear and anfwer him. The 
 mo fly walls indeed re-echoed hisfighs, but this 
 afforded him very little confolation. Far bet- 
 ter than that was the fuccefs of his efforts to 
 fet his hands at liberty. The cord, with 
 which they were bound, was accidentally 
 loofened in the wagpon, and the negligent 
 attendants had not examined it, as they well 
 knew that even with the ufe of his hands, he 
 could net force his way through the two iron 
 doors which guarded the entrance of the 
 xave. He was thus able to wind them gra- 
 
TJje Mountain Cottager. 
 
 8 7 
 
 dually out of their bonds, and render his 
 fituation by this means fomevvhat lefs irk- 
 lbme. 
 
 Though he had a hard bed, yet he had a 
 quiet conference; and thus, in conlequence of 
 extreme bodily fatigue, he foon fell afleep. 
 About midnight he was awakened by a kind 
 of dull continued knocking ; and, flatting up 
 itiil confufed with ftupor, he rubbed his eyes 
 to fee from whence this proceeded, but in 
 the darknefs which furrounded him he could 
 diftinguim nothing, and awaited, in trem- 
 bling filence, the event of this noife, which 
 feemed to iffue from the farther part of the 
 cave, and varied frequently in the found. - 
 Notwithstanding his being unable to fee, 
 fear kept his eyes turned towards this place, 
 when, all at once, he heard a loud crack, 
 and faw a ludden ray of light which fell on 
 the oppofite wall-, and after the noife of 
 fomething falling, as if not far from him, the 
 light encreafed, and by degrees illuminated, 
 the whole cave. His hair ftood now an end, 
 and he would have moved from the place 
 where he lay, but all his faculties were cen- 
 tred in his ears and eyes ; he was otherwife 
 paralyfed with terror, and had not the pow- 
 er to ftir. 
 
88 The Mountain Sottager. 
 
 A tall black man now came down into tfi£ 
 cave, aim oft clofe to Wolfgang, with a belt 
 acrofs his moulder, marked with feveral kinds 
 of necromantic figures. In his right hand 
 he carried a lighted torch, in his left a long 
 ftaff, and under his arm he had a roll of 
 white cloth which he laid upon the ground. 
 Another man foon followed him, who ap- 
 peared to be dreffed in white, and had fome 
 tools in his hands ; but what they were Wolf- 
 gang was not able to difcriminate, for he was 
 nearly deprived of all his fenfes by this un- 
 expected appearance. With the little (trength 
 he had remaining, he raifed himfelffrom the 
 ground, and, with an agitated and horrible 
 voice, cried out, All good fpirits praife God!' 
 Scarcely had he uttered thefe words, before 
 the torch fell from the forcerer's hand, and he 
 and the other man vanimed directly. 
 
 The torch continued burning, and as Wolf 
 gang came by degrees to the ufe of his fenfes, 
 it occurred to him that light was better than 
 darknefs ; for terror in creafed wiih the latter, 
 and leffened with the former. He therefore 
 mechanically feized it, and trembling, fur- 
 veyed his dwelling. At his feet lay the bun- 
 dle, and near it a pickaxe and fhovel, 
 which the forcerer and his companion had 
 left behind them. In looking carefully about 
 to fee if they were hidden there, he faw the 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 3 9 
 
 opening which they had made, and through 
 that the ftarry Iky and the moon, whole rays 
 then fell upon him. At this fight the love 
 of freedom, prevalent in every man, but mod 
 in the impriioned man, banifhed all terror 
 from the heart of Wolfgang, and he thought 
 only of being at liberty. 
 
 Without knowing the contents of it, he 
 took the roll of white cloth under his arm, 
 and did not forget the pickaxe, in order, with 
 the afliftance of this, to releafe himfelf from 
 his fetters. Holding the torch in his hand, 
 he went through the opening, and came into 
 a garden ; and having now light enough from 
 the moon, he threw the torch back into the 
 cave, and haitened forwards. He hadfearcely 
 gone a hundred fteps before he came to an 
 open door, and through that to a plain, the 
 extent of which he was not able to difcern. 
 He fat down on the outfide of the garden- 
 wall, andftriking his fetters with the pickaxe 
 the fattening of them gave way ; and thus de- 
 livered, he walked brifkly along the plain. 
 Being now delirous of feeing what the bun- 
 dle contained, he untied it as he went, and 
 found a very handfome green coat and waift- 
 coat. Thefe, thought he, are, without 
 doubt, given me by the forcerer with fome 
 fmifter defign, and I certainly would not put 
 them on, if I knew how otherwife to get ta 
 Hz 
 
tfo The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 the Baron von Ti e fen thai' s. But, as I am 
 ignorant of the way thither, and mult, there- 
 fore, inquire it of fomebody, it is very likely 
 that, in my prefent clothes, I may be again 
 taken for a murderer, and as fuch, dragged 
 anew to prifon. It appeared probable to him 
 befides, that he mould be purfued as foon as 
 his flight out of the cave was dilcovered, and 
 that he mould be known directly by the fame 
 means. 
 
 All thefe reafons werefo weighty, that they 
 not merely overcame his fears of the clothe^ 
 but gave him courage to put them on, which 
 he did immediately, and threw his blue-laced 
 fuit, which feemed to him at firft fo beauti- 
 ful, into the next bum. He then walked on 
 confidering over the adventures of this night. 
 That a forcerer tormented him, and would 
 for fome purpofe feduce him, no longer, in 
 his opinion, admitted of a doubt, after the ex- 
 perience of the laft two days, and his having, 
 not above an hour before, feen him face to 
 face. Yet, that he could not mean very ill 
 by him, as he always delivered him from the 
 greater!: dangers, appeared probable, and of 
 this he was ftill more convinced, as he felt, 
 by chance, in the pocket of his new clothes, 
 and found a leathern purfe ftored with 
 twelve fine new dollars, andfix mining pieces 
 ©fgold. He had never in his life been the 
 
The Mountain Cottager. pr 
 
 pofTeflbr of fo large a fum ; his joy was, 
 therefore, very great, and if his confidence 
 whifpered him that he ought iiol to keep the 
 devil's money, his inclination to it perfuaded 
 him, on the other hand, that one piece of it 
 offered to the church, when he returned to 
 his native country, would propi.iate the 
 whole fin. The power of the forcerer was 
 alfo become lefs terrible to him, lince he 
 found that he and his colleagues fled directly 
 on his uttering an exorcifm. But then again 
 reflection painted to him, in ftrong colours, 
 the danger of flaying any longer in this en- 
 chanted country. A beautiful female and a 
 large fum of money are fnares, thought he, 
 that will conduct me foon to the abyfs which 
 he has prepared for me, and then forrow and 
 repentance will be too late. 
 
 The importance of thefe confideratioris 
 confirmed Wolfgang in his intention of going 
 to the Baron von Tiefenthal's caftle ; and if 
 he found him, as he had reafon to believe he 
 was, in league with the forcerer, to get pof- 
 feffion, by lbme artifice, oi* his own clothes, 
 and, above all things, of his paflports, and 
 then to fly away by night. 
 
 Amidft thefe projects and refolutions he 
 had reached the end of the plain, and come 
 to the borders of a wood, into which he did 
 
92 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 not much like to enter at this late hour ; but 
 yet the dread of being purfued, and fooner 
 difcovered in the open country, determined 
 him, at laft, to give the preference to the 
 former. The moon was now going down, 
 and his fears increafing with the increafmg 
 darknefs ; and the thicknefs of the under- 
 wood making it difficult for him to advance, 
 he threw himfelf down under a tree, there to 
 await the dawn of day. Anxiety would not 
 fuffer him to fleep ; every little noife, even a 
 falling leaf, was magnified by his terrors into 
 a fubjecl; of alarm, that kept him conftantly 
 on the watch. 
 
 As the firft rays of the fun illuminated the 
 country, he rofe from his hard bed, and, in 
 hopes of finding a road, flole, like a frighten- 
 ed roe, to the end of the wood, and looked to- 
 wards the open plain which lay before him. 
 He foon ftarted back trembling, then rub- 
 bed his eyes, and looked again, and trembled 
 mil more violently. Willingly would he 
 have perfuaded himfelf that he had feen 
 wrong, but the third time that he ventured 
 to look confirmed his terror. 
 
 The fatal houfe, from which he had not 
 been able to get away the day before, was 
 now directly over againft him. " Am I 
 then condemned everlaftingly," he cried out 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 93 
 
 at Iaft, " to wander about this forcerer's 
 houfe ! What have I done, that I mud go 
 headlong into the fnare which he has fpread 
 for my ruin ? Bat if," added he refolutely, 
 44 all die powers of hell unite to lead me into 
 this enchantment, I will yet, as long as it is 
 poffible, wreftle againli the devilifh tempta- 
 tion !" Armed with this refolution, he turn- 
 ed quick about, and pre (Ted, on the contrary 
 fide, through the bufhes into the wood. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 .A FOOT PATH, at which Wolfgang 
 foon arrived, feemed, by his view of it, to 
 wind down the hill as if it would carry him 
 far from the houfe. Pleafed with this profpec~l 
 he inftantly ilruck into it, and, after fome 
 time, was fo fortunate as to come to the high 
 road, where he had not proceeded many 
 Heps before he faw a carriage, at a little dif- 
 tance, coming towards him. To efcape this 
 he would, with all his heart, have run to ei- 
 ther fide of the wood, to hide himfelf among 
 the trees ; but, before he could notice it, a 
 
94 The Mountain Cottager v 
 
 clog, who ran with the carriage, came bark- 
 ing after him, and detained him, by bringing 
 to his mind the yefterday's fimilar adventurer- 
 He endeavoured, in vain, to keep him off, 
 for his eagernefs to follow him was not to be 
 fubdued, and had juft taken up fome Hones, 
 to drive him away, if it was poffible, as the 
 coach drove pail him. 
 
 " Heavens ! that is the Signor V cried a 
 Female Voice, " Papa, the Signor is here IP 1 
 
 " Hold !" cries a bass Voice, " Hold!" The 
 carriage flopped, and inftantly out fprang the 
 Baron von Tiefenthal and Louifa. 
 
 Baron. " It is fortunate for me that I 
 have met with you, for it is entirely on your 
 account that I was now going to vifit the 
 lady, whofe charms have made you quite 
 forget your fir ft and fincere friends. I could 
 not have brought myfelf to do this, if I had 
 not confidered it as certain, that the crafty 
 Gountefs had exprefsly ftipulated with you 
 never to come to my cattle again, a.nd there- 
 fore thought this the only means I mould 
 have of delivering to you myfelf the packet 
 you left at my houfe, which, I imagined, 
 might contain matters of importance, and 
 of feeing you once more. Tnefe being the 
 only obje&s of my vifit, this unexpected 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 95 
 
 meeting gives me great pleafure, as T can ful- 
 fil them here. I mud own to you, at the fame 
 time, that it gives me great concern to have 
 loll you fo loon. I had indulged plealing 
 dreams of the future- -but they are paft : I 
 am awakened, and perceive cleady that 
 dreams are not always folSHed.™ 
 
 Wolfgang would have let the Baron fpeak 
 for an houi if he had choien it, without in- 
 terrupting him, as he did not underfland his 
 difcourfe, and had riot courage to afk for an 
 explanation of it, as the rn^etmg him in the 
 wood, in this manner, appeared to him like 
 enchantment. The Baron was now filen,t 
 expecting his anfwer ; but Wolfgang Hood, 
 with the two great irones in his hand, which 
 he had feized to defend himfelf againft tfaio 
 dog, with (taring eyes, and not fpeaking a 
 word, awaiting the moment in which Tiefen- 
 thal, according to his promde, would deliver 
 him his property, the object, at prefent, of 
 all. his withes. *• 
 
 Louifa, at length, broke this filence. She 
 was drefled to-day more advantageouily than 
 ever ; and a more attentive obierver than 
 Wolfgang in his prefent fituation could be, 
 mult have noticed that this was done pur- 
 pofely. A light flraw hat, which appeared, 
 by mere accident, to be put on fide ways, 
 
96 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 difcovered her light hair falling in natural 
 curls. This hat, it is true, rather hid the 
 languishing right eye of the fair Louifa, but 
 then it gave to the left a more extenfive 
 range for its operations. The frelh morning 
 air had overfpread her face with an agreeable 
 colour, which was yet more heightened by 
 the contrail of her entirely white drefs. 
 Thus dangeroufly equipped, fhe flood now 
 before Wolfgang, and <hut out every other 
 pro pe6t from his e}es. u Signor," me faid 
 coaxin- ly, and took his hand which fhe held 
 v/rrh both her's, " i have alfo abundant rea- 
 fon to complain of your leaving us fo abrupt- 
 ly, i alfo dreamt, like my father, of enjoying 
 your agreeable and inllru&ive converfation 
 for a long time. 1 hoped that you would 
 fcompenfate to my good father the lofs of his 
 fen, by fucceeding to his place. All thefe 
 charming profpects are now vanifhed. My 
 father mourns anew, and I have no more a 
 brother ! With you, dear Signor, it certainly 
 remains to revive our Lopes ! What the Ba- 
 ron would not venture to do, I, as a woman 
 may, with more right to expect, atleaft with 
 more hopes oi fuccefs. As, perhaps, it is 
 not mere chance that has brought us together 
 fo unexpectedly, and as the pre fence of the 
 certainly charming Gountefs does not anni- 
 hilate all the force of my petition, I venture 
 boldly to prels you, to entreat of you to re- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 97 
 
 turn with us, to live with us, to command 
 ourhoufe, our fortune, as the matter of them 
 (pressing his hand softly, and looking lan- 
 guishing in his eyes.) I fhall, certainly, do 
 eveiy thing in my power to make your flay 
 with us as agreeable as poflible." 
 
 Louifa paufed, and Tiefenthal, who flood 
 there full of expectation, like a General who 
 has fent the flower of his troops againft the 
 valiant foe, was flartled and grew pale as he 
 found all his hopes difappointed, himfelf and 
 his army totally defeated by Wolfgang's an- 
 fwer. 
 
 a I regret," faid the latter ftammering, u I 
 regret, with all my heart, that I am not de- 
 fending of your kind invitation, and cannot 
 accept of it. Circumftances, that I am not 
 able to relate, conftrain me to leave this 
 country as faft as pomble ; and I was actual- 
 ly walking this way, in order to fetch my 
 fmall ftock of clothes and the reft of my 
 things, and then forever to bid it farewell !" 
 
 Louifa ventured a new attack. " Well 
 then," flie cried out, " you fhall keep your 
 refolution thus : you faid you were coming 
 to us, therefore, to expedite your purpofe, 
 get into our carriage. I allure you we fhall 
 
 I 
 
9 8 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 be very foon at the caftle. Come then, Sig- 
 nor ! come I" ( drawing him towards her. J 
 
 Wolfgang. M I rnufi: — I can — I entreat 
 moil humbly — The Baron von Tiefenthal 
 had the kindnefs to promife, that he would 
 deliver me my packet here. I beg, there- 
 fore, very much — very earneftly — " 
 
 Louisa (interrupting him.) No ! no ! Pa- 
 pa, do not give it to him ! The Signor lhall 
 not have his way in every thing ; he lhall, at 
 leaft, vifit us once more !" 
 
 The Baron von Tiefenthal, who read a 
 refufal of this invitation in Wolfgang's refo- 
 lute mien, thought it belt to make his retreat 
 in good order, and, if poilible, to retire with 
 fome booty. " What figniiies all this ?" he 
 fa id to Lou i fa ; " if the Signor will not grant 
 us the honour of a vifit willingly, we have no 
 right to conltrain him to it. Here, Sir, f to 
 him J is the packet which contains all that 
 you left at my houfe. My fervant will carry 
 it after you to the Countefs von M — 's callle, 
 for that you are refolved, as you alien, to 
 leave this country, I do not at all believe. " 
 
 Wolfgang. " The event will convince you 
 of it. My parcel 1 lhall carry from hence 
 
 mylelL ,? 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 99 
 
 Baron. " You are mafter of your actions; 
 What I propofed, was merely on account of 
 the appearance ; but as it would be, perhaps, 
 impeding your purpofe, I defift from preffmg 
 it arn- farther ( he gives him the packet.) My 
 daughter has ventured to add to this parcel 
 ibme trifles made by her own hand. I hope 
 that you will not defpife them.' 
 
 Wolfgang ( with the packet under his 
 arm. J a Certainly not, I thank you alfo for 
 all the favours you have fliewn me, and would 
 yet farther have fliewn me. Were it pofiible i 
 fhould be the greater! fool in the world, if I 
 did not accept your offers. But — you know 
 every thing perhaps I" 
 
 Louisa fin a very wheedling manner.) 
 " Signor, you will come with us !" 
 
 Baron. u Do not prefs the Signor any 
 more, my daughter ; he has explainedhimfelf 
 very fufficiently. Impoffibilities we muft not 
 afK ; no longer indulge hopes that cannot be 
 fulfilled. Farewell, Signor! Fain- — —but 
 every wifh mall be from henceforth fupprefs- 
 ed ! Only one petition I have yet to make 
 to you, and this I hope confidently that you 
 will grant. Prefent me with fome little re- 
 membrance of you.' 
 
jee The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang. " Aik any thing within my 
 ability, and I will promife it to you uncondi- 
 tionally." 
 
 Baron. " Prefent me with the two ft ones 
 -which you hold in your hands.' ' 
 
 Wolfgang, who now fir ft noticed that he 
 yet held them, cried out, full of aftonifhment, 
 
 M How ! thefe two Rones !" 
 
 Baron. " Yes, Signor ; they will be a re- 
 membrance to me. I mall always think on 
 you when I fee them/' 
 
 Louisa. " I fhall alfo often look at them, 
 and be reminded of your hard heart." 
 
 Baron. " And you will even refufe me 
 this little — to you fo very little expenfive re- 
 membrance V 
 
 Wolfgang (quite confounded.) " If you 
 are really in earned, and not as I have ima- 
 gined in fport, they are your's, with the moft 
 fincere wilh that I could convert them into 
 gold, to give them fome value in your eyes." 
 
 The Baron von Tiefentha! accepted thefe 
 ftones with much apparent fati station ; and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 101 
 
 v/hifpered to his daughter, as he handed her 
 into the carriage, to alk for a fimilar remem- 
 brance. Louila fulfilled her father's com- 
 mands, and the ftill more aftonifhed Wolf- 
 gang made halte to gratify her wifh. It had 
 rained, and in order not to foil her hand, he 
 looked for feme clean pebbles, which he pre- 
 fented to her, with the wiih that they might 
 become precious itones to ornament her hair. 
 Louifa received the prefent and the wifh with 
 many handfome acknowledgments, andTie- 
 fenthal once more repeated his regret at be- 
 ing fo foon, lb unexpectedly, feparated from 
 his new friend. But as Wolfgang made no 
 other anfwer than by a iilent fhrug of the 
 moulders, there was nothing left for the Ba - 
 ron to do, but to* order the coachman to 
 drive on ; and the man, giving his hones a 
 whip, the carriage Was foon out of fight. . 
 
 Happy as a poor turner who has obtained 
 pardon at the place of execution, Wolfgang 
 now breathed freely, and ltepping alkie into 
 the thicket, began to unpack his parcel. 
 He found there his Savoyard jacket, his 
 palTport, fome clean linen, his wares, and at 
 lail Lotrifk's portrait very beautifully painted 
 in miniature, and let with pearls. Well 
 pleafed with the languishing maiden, who 
 appeared to fmile at him, he looked at the 
 picture for fome time ; but when he coafider- 
 
 I 2 
 
102 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 ed that fhe was certainly the daughter of a 
 forcerer who perfecuted him, he cafe it away, 
 and began to change his drefs. He foon be- 
 came the Savoyard again, with his hatchels 
 and moufe-traps upon his back ; and thank- 
 ing his Creator for having refcued him fo 
 happily from the threatening danger, threw 
 his green clothes into a bum ; but the purfe - 
 which he found in them he could not refolve 
 on parting with, the fum of money it contain- 
 ed leeming to him too great to renounce. 
 
 With joy and alacrity he now afcended 
 the hill, and faw, from the top of it a village 
 lying on the left in the valley, which he hop- 
 ed, by the look ot it, was not that where he 
 had been made a prifoner the day before. 
 His hunger, which had been for lbme time 
 very confide rable, increafed on the fight of the 
 fmoaking chimnies, and he refolved to gothi- 
 ther to fatisfy it, and then proceed on his 
 way into Saxony. An agreeable path, fhaded 
 with young beeches, feeming to promife him 
 a nearer way to the village; he turned into 
 it, but had not gone far, before he found him- 
 felf furrounded with high rocks, and looking 
 around him, trembling between hope and 
 fear, lie heard a noife, and almoit imme- 
 diately faw the Countefs dreffed as a pea- 
 fa at girl. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 103 
 
 Maiden. " Art thou here at laflr, dear 
 Savoyard ; I began to doubt whether I 
 mould ever fee thee. Thanks be to the hap- 
 py prognostic of my heart which drew me 
 irreliftibly hither ! More than a month I have 
 fought thee here every clay, and have often 
 repented the hours that I have waited for 
 thee in vain ; but now as I find thee at laft, I 
 mall repent no more. Thou art welcome 
 (she reaches him her hand J thou art hand- 
 fome, thou pleafeft me well I Wilt thou not 
 accept my hand IV 
 
 MfyfgQng (falling on his knee, and hold- 
 ing up his hands to her. J " Sorcerefs, I 
 conjure you to defift, and let me continue 
 my way in peace and quiet." 
 
 Maiden. u I would willingly grant thee 
 thy firft requeft, as thou canit entreat fo well 
 if it were not quite contrary to my purpofet 
 I wifli todetain thee a long time with us, to 
 go with thee every where, to pafs away the 
 time to thee, to tend and take care of 
 thee." 
 
 Wolfgang. u I thank you, I heartily 
 thank you for all your kind intentions ; but 
 I fhould thank you much more iincerely, if 
 you would let me go on unmolibfted." 
 
to 4 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Maiden. " Thou difagreeable man, thou ! 
 then I pleafe thee not ? then thou wilt not 
 ftay with us ? but I know better, thou fhalt 
 notefcape me." 
 
 Wolfgang. " There ! ( throwing his purse 
 to her J there, take every thing that I have ! 
 what perhaps may prevent my flight. Take 
 it, and let me go in quiet." 
 
 While the maiden opened the purfe, and 
 v/as looking at the gold and filver with great 
 delight, Wolfgang feized the favourable mo- 
 ment, and, urged on by anxiety, clambered 
 up the rock. When fhe looked up to thank 
 him, and faw him already far from her, fhe 
 ran after him, crying out, "Stop, dear Sa- 
 voyard, flop ! I have much more to fay to 
 thee ! thou mufl go with me." But the cry 
 of the hounds does not increafe the fpeed of 
 the frightened hare, more than this cry that 
 of the flying Wolfgang. He bounded up the 
 rock, and foon gaining the fummit, precipi- 
 tated himfelf down on die other fide, the 
 breathlefs maiden purfuing him all the time 
 with her utmoft fpeed. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 105 
 
 C H A P. X. 
 
 A 
 
 S it may perhaps be a long time before 
 the poor maiden overtakes the flying youth, 
 or may even be poflible that fhe quite loft 
 him in the thick underwood, I will, in the 
 meantime, relate another hiftory for the 
 amufement of my readers, which at firft fight 
 may appear to be out of its place here, and 
 to be as diftinet from this as any other hifto- 
 ry in the world ; but which they will foon 
 perceive to be very properly introduced, as 
 having a particular connection with the ftory 
 recorded in the preceding chapters. 
 
 Ten years previous to the adventures of 
 our Savoyard, there lived, in the neighbour- 
 hood of the Fichtelberg, a fturdy young vil- 
 lage ale-houfekeeper, who had formerly tra- 
 velled in many foreign countries as a butcher. 
 
lo6 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 but returned home, on the death of his fa- 
 ther to take pofleffion, as heir, of this ale-houfe 
 where the old man had gained an honed live- 
 lihood. 
 
 He married a handfome young wife, and 
 lived jovially with her. Bis only employ- 
 ments the whole day were, calling to her to> 
 go to the cellar when his guefts wanted beer, 
 and fitting and drinking with them. He left 
 the care of his farm to his fervants, and never 
 faw his corn or his beafts before he carried, 
 them to the market-town to be fold, from, 
 whence he never failed to come home, intoxi- 
 cated. 
 
 That fuch alehoufe-keeping, and fuch 
 farming, could only end in ruin, my readers 
 of any fenfe will already have forefeen. I 
 fhall therefore only add as a warning to the 
 imprudent, that at the end of three years, the 
 ineffeclual dunning of his creditors was fol- 
 lowed by a feizure and fale of his property ; 
 and that Jacob, for fo was this diforderly holt 
 called, being frill purfued by many difcon- 
 tented claimants, cut himfelf a flick from the 
 next tree, and with thislaft remains of his he- 
 reditary portion, wandered once more into 
 the wide world. He left his wife and child 
 as fecurity to his creditors, who were really 
 
The Mountain Cottager. i 0 j 
 
 fo companionate as to allow them a mainte- 
 nance. 
 
 Entirely unufed to labour, and wanting 
 fubliftence, he begged his way into Italy as 
 a Pilgrim, and laughed at the pious zeal of the 
 ibols, who fupported him in his holy purpofe 
 with plentiful alms, while he was in reality a 
 heretic. Before he reached Rome, he fell in 
 with ibme banditti who were going thither in 
 company to the Jubilee. The ability of the 
 man, his ftrength, his intrepidity, induced 
 this troop to accept him as a member, and ini- 
 tiate him into their myfteries. 
 
 Jacob was foon one of the mo ft adventu- 
 rous and formidable of the Italian banditti. 
 No one executed a murder, or any defperate 
 undertaking, with fuch cold blooded refolu- 
 tion. He was foon renowned amongft his 
 brethren for his great achievements, and 
 wherever any hazardous enterprife was de- 
 termined on, however diltant, the German 
 Jacob was conftantly feat for, who for double 
 pay always undertook and accomplished the 
 deed to the great increafe of his lame. By 
 theie means it was no wonder, that, notwith- 
 ftanding a life of pleafure and expence, he 
 foon amafted a handfome fortune. 
 
io8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 His numerous murders having, at length, 
 created a general alarm in the country, the 
 officers of jullice were every where on the 
 watch for him ; and, as the defcription of his 
 perfon was circulated throughout Italy, he 
 refolved to avoid the florm which threatened 
 him, and till it was fubfided again, to return 
 into Germany. 
 
 After feven long years, when his wife, 
 wearied with fruitlefs forrow and expectati- 
 ons, had given him up for loft ; when his 
 neighbours and acquaintance never hoped to 
 fee him again, he arrived, drelfed as an opu- 
 lent batcher, with a handfome cart and two 
 fine liorfes, at the public houfe of his native 
 yillage. All the inhabitants, who foon col- 
 lected about him, were aftonifhed at his ref- 
 peclable appearance, envied his wife, whom 
 they had before compaflionated, and were 
 quite ftupified withfurprife when the often- 
 tatloLis Jacob poured out a great bag of fe- 
 quins upon the table, and calling to his yet 
 Vnfatisfied creditors, paid them the principal 
 and intereft of his debt with friendly thanks. 
 
 The whole country foon refounded with 
 Jacob's return .ud great good fortune. Every 
 one was amazed at it, and every one alked 
 how he had ac quired it ; but no one could 
 give any account of this, becaufe Jacob him- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. iocj 
 
 (elf anfwered every queftion of the kind with 
 a myilerious laugh, or yet more myfte'rious 
 ftirug of his moulders. Often, when he ge- 
 neroufly paid the reckoning at a drinking 
 bout for his former friends and neighbours, 
 and thus awakened their curiofity anew, they 
 importuned him to tell them by what means 
 he had made his fortune. And once, when 
 the alehoufe-keeper of a neighbouring vil- 
 lage prelled him more ftrongly than all the 
 others, and directly taxed him with having 
 ftolen it, he wifely refolved to miflead this 
 man from his but too juft and and alarming- 
 idea, and to give him one lefs dangerous : 
 u Neighbour," he faid to him as they parted, 
 M in order to obviate your unjufl fufpicious, I 
 will relate my whole hiftory to you, which I 
 have not yet related to any one. You may 
 perhaps at fome future time derive the great- 
 eft advantage from it, and will then own 
 with gratitude that I have rewarded you 
 with good for evil. Come to me early to- 
 morrow morning, and then, to you confufi- 
 on, you mall hear every thing." 
 
 The curious hoft came to Jacob the next 
 morning ; and firft begging pardon for his in- 
 confiderate prattle the day before, then 
 claimed the performance of his promife. " I 
 will keep to it as a man of honour," faid ja- 
 
 K 
 
iio The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 cob, u if you will previoully agree to two 
 conditions." 
 
 Host. " I will fwear to whatever you re- 
 quire." 
 
 Jacob. " You mull not repeat to any one 
 what, for your fake, I ihall now difcover to 
 you." 
 
 Host. u I fwear i" 
 
 Jacob. " As you will be fatisfied by my 
 narrative, of the injuilice of your flanderous 
 fufpicions, you muft retraft them to-day at 
 the alehoufe, and fwear, in the pre fence of 
 all there, that you are now fully convinced 
 that I acquired my fortune in an honeft up- 
 right manner." 
 
 Host. " I will ! I will ! now proceed." 
 
 Jacob then began the following hiftory, 
 which he had deviled long before : and which 
 as my readers, after the above relation, will 
 know at once was entirely fabulous. 
 
 " Neighbour," he faid, u you will recoi- 
 led that people often come into our country 
 out of Italy, who deal in moufe-traps and 
 hatchels, or fometimes bring dancing mar- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. in 
 
 wots. You muft know alfo- that under this 
 pretence thefe people ileal to our Fichtel- 
 fcerg, and having, from their fuperior know- 
 ledge, the means of difcovering the treafure 
 concealed there, they return home laden 
 with great wealth, and laugh heartily at us 
 ftupid Germans." 
 
 Hoot, M That to be fure I know very well 
 I have a&ually feen one of them ftealing 
 about here. My father was alive at that 
 time, and was with me when I met him in 
 the field ; he told me then, that one of thefe 
 Italian hatchel-men had faid once to his fa- 
 ther, we were very ftupid people that we 
 did not make a better ufe of the treafure 
 which was laying about here every where. 
 He had often, he added, feen a heidiman 
 throw a itone after a cow which was worth 
 twice the value of the cow itfelf. My grand- 
 father entreated the liranger to teach him 
 the art of finding out thefe treafures. He ap- 
 pointed him therefore to meet him the next 
 day upon a rock; but as my grandfather came 
 there, he was terrified at the fight of a great 
 black he-goat, and ran back to his houfe, 
 and could not recover himfelf for a long 
 time." 
 
 Jacob* " It is very agreeable to me that 
 you are already fo well informed on this fub- 
 
Ii2 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 jedl, as I can for that reafon go on with my 
 hillory without digrefhon. When I kept the 
 alehoufe in the village ; an Italian hatchel- 
 man came to me one eevmng complaining of 
 a violent cholic, and begged for a lodging. — I 
 pitied him, and out of true Chriftian charity 
 Jet him want for nothing. Six weeks he lay 
 ill at my houfe, and I took care of him all 
 that time without any recompence. As he 
 recovered his health, he exprefTed the utmoft 
 gratitude to me. I I mall never forget what 
 you have dene for me,' he faid, at parting ; 
 4 mould any misfortune ever befall you in 
 Germany, then come to Rome, and vifit the 
 church of St. Peter. We mall certainly meet 
 there, and it will be a pleafure to me to re- 
 ceive and entertain you in this manner,' — At 
 the time I laughed at this odd invitation ; but 
 when my creditors feized all my property, 
 and were afterwards continually teazing me, 
 then it came into my mind ; and as I had no- 
 thing more to lofe here, I refolved to try how- 
 far I might confide in this man's fair 
 fpeeches. 
 
 " I begged my way to Rome, and vifited 
 St. Peter's Church every day, but never met 
 the Italian, and had at laft quite forgotten his 
 promife. I was diking alms once in a broad 
 ftreet not far from thence, when a gentleman 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 113 
 
 looked out of the window of a great palace, 
 made a fignal to me, and immediately lent 
 a fervant down to conduct me to him. I was 
 carried through many ftately rooms, the 
 fplendour and beauty of which quite dazzled 
 me, and came at laft into a cabinet, where a 
 gentleman in a brocaded night-gown fat up- 
 on a fofa, and was taking fnuffout of a gold- 
 en box. After commanding the fervant firft 
 to reach me a chair, and then to withdraw ; 
 4 Sit down,' he faid to me ; 4 fit down, good 
 Jacob, you muft be much tired with your 
 long journey. How does your wife ? how is 
 your child ? — I flood perfectly aftoniihed at 
 this fpeech, and could not imagine how it 
 could pofllbly be, that fo fine a gentleman at 
 Rome mould know me, my wife, and child. 
 
 He noticed my furprife, and afked me, 
 laughing, if I then really did not know him. 
 i No,' faid I, trembling, c I do not know your 
 Excellency.' Without faying a word more, 
 he arofe, and left the room. I had now an 
 opportunity of examining the cabinet, which 
 was extremely magnificent, being ornament- 
 ed with a profufion of gold and (liver veiTels 
 of various kinds ; and I was tempted more 
 than once, to put one of them at leaft into my 
 pocket. 
 
 K 2 
 
114 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 " After about a quarter of an hour the 
 door opened again, and the poor hatchel- 
 man, whom I once lodged in my houfe, and 
 had now fought for fo long in vain at Rome, 
 came in. He was in the fame clothes which 
 he wore then, and had hatchels and moufe- 
 traps upon his back. 4 Buy a hatchel ! buy 
 a moufe-trap H he cried, as he walked up and 
 down the room. ' Well/ faid he at laft, as I 
 ftared him in filence, 4 do you not know me 
 yet ?' 4 I know you well,' I anfwered ; 4 but 
 how you come here, how you dare venture 
 into this room to walk about, and cry your 
 wares, is a queilion, that, with the helpof all 
 my uriderllanding, I cannot anfwer to my- 
 felf.' — 4 But I will explain it to you in a mo- 
 ment,' he replied. 
 
 u On faying this,he began to undrefs him- 
 felf, by firfl throwing off fome falfe hair 
 which he had upon his head ; and then run- 
 ning out for a moment, he returned in his 
 brocaded night-gown. 4 Now do you know 
 me ?' he faid ; 4 now do you believe that the 
 moufe-trap dealer and I are the lame per- 
 fon ? 1 — 4 1 believe it, I anfwered, becaufe my 
 eyes convince me of it, though my under- 
 ftanding is ftill inclined to contradicl them.* 
 * It ihall foon be demonftrated as clearly to 
 that, as to your eyes,' faid he. 4 Sit down by 
 me, fit down ; make no ceremony, and liflen 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 115 
 
 to me patiently. The compaflion which you 
 fo difintereftedly exerciied towards me de- 
 fences not only reward but confidence. In 
 the lame proportion in which I now place 
 confidence in you, fhall alio be your re- 
 ward.' 
 
 4 I arn defcended (he continued) from a 
 poor, but very old and once refpected noble 
 Italian family. My father, from neceflity, 
 ferved in an inferior office under the Pope, 
 and when he died, left me without money, 
 without friends, and confequently without 
 any other profpecl than that of ftarving. I 
 am not afhamed to own that, like you, I 
 once alked aims in the ftreets of Rome ; and 
 was fed for fome years as a poor fcholar, 
 with the beggars' broth of the Capuchins. 
 As I was one evening fainting with hunger 
 and thirit, begging at a very late hour, I met 
 a hoary old man with a knotty flick and a 
 little lantern in his hand. He held the light 
 to my face, and examined it narrowly for a 
 long time, and then commanded me to follow 
 him in a folemn manner. I mould deviate 
 too much from the purpofe of my narrative, 
 if I related to you, circumftantially, how this 
 fmgular man, by degrees, won my affecYions. 
 He provided me with all the neceflaries of 
 life, inftrufted me in various fciences, and at 
 laft took me into his houfe : He was in Ihort 
 
ii 6 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 quite a father to me, for to him I owe all my 
 knowledge, and all my riches. 
 
 ' As he grew older and weaker, he taught 
 me the rare, but in Italy not quite forgotten 
 art, of difcovering treafures concealed in the 
 earth ; and of difcerning, in fome of the moft 
 apparantly common Hones, precious Hones 
 of infinite value. As he had always afpired 
 to the knowledge of the higheft fciences, and 
 flill hoped to find out the fecret of the bal- 
 fam of eternal' life, he had but feldom, and 
 only in cafes of neceffity, made ufe of this 
 glorious means of becoming rich with very 
 little trouble. He died without having at- 
 tained his object, and left me his writings* 
 his inftruments, and a moderate fum of mo- 
 ney. With this 1 immediately refolved to 
 travel about the world, and, by means of my 
 ineftimable art, to collect, a fufficient fortune 
 to pafs away my life in independence and 
 enjoyment. 
 
 ' From the papers of my fofter-father I 
 clearly perceived, that the German Fichtel- 
 berg was the fpot where the greatell treafures 
 lay concealed in the bowels of the earth, 
 and that this hill was alfo remarkable for a 
 profufion of precious ft ones. It appeared 
 likewife, that by attending to the proper fea- 
 fon and hour, it was extremely eafy to get 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 117 
 
 pofieflion of a portion of thefe riches. After 
 the example, therefore, of many others who 
 were in the fecret, and who, as it was rela- 
 ted in thefe manufcripts, had already amaffed 
 fortunes there, I went to the Fichtelberg as 
 a hatchel and moufe-trap dealer. But at 
 your houfe I mull have ended my life with- 
 out having attained my purpofe, if it had not 
 been for the kindnefs and attention of your 
 good heart, for my difeafe was extremely 
 itubborn. 
 
 4 I fhall now recompenfe you for the dif- 
 interefted companion you exercifed towards 
 me at that time. I would willingly have 
 done it at parting, for I had at that time 
 great wealth in my power ; but I reared to 
 excite fufpicions in your neighbourhood that 
 might prejudice me and any others of my 
 countrymen who came after me, and thence 
 prudently refolved to defer the reward till a 
 more feafonabie opportunity. Without hav- 
 ing occafion for more than common acute- 
 nefs, I plainly perceived that your hufband- 
 ry went on miferably ; that you were plun- 
 dered by your fervants, and that your credi- 
 tors would ultimately feize all your proper- 
 ty. On that account, when I bade you fare- 
 wel, I invited you to Rome, in hopes of be- 
 ing able to reward you there without creat- 
 ing any jealoufy again ft you, or any fufpici- 
 
3 1 8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 on againft myfelf. My wifh is now fulfilled- ; 
 flay with me, forget yeur ungrateful country, 
 and be happy here you fhall never more 
 feel want, but have every thing in abun- 
 dance.' 
 
 C H A P. XL 
 
 T 
 
 HE generous Marquis faithfully per- 
 formed his promife. I lived entirely with 
 him ; he appointed me his Mailer of the 
 Horfe, and 1 foon became his principal fa- 
 vourite. When any one wanted to foiicit a 
 favour from him, they applied to me ; and if 
 I gave them my affiiiance, they were certain 
 of fuccefs. You will eafily imagine that 
 this kind of life was very agreeable to me. ; I 
 had money always as plenty as hay, and 
 took many opportunities of turning it to a 
 good account. I mud to my lhame own to 
 you, that in an eternal round of pleafure I 
 forgot my native land, and every thing that 
 I had left behind me ; and for years never 
 thought even of my wire and child. But at* 
 Jail I grew tired of this fcene of dilfipation, 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 1 1 jn 
 
 and began to be very frugal and fteady, and 
 to think often of my poor child and my for- 
 faken wife. I became in fhort fo uneafy, that 
 frequently I was not able to conceal my tears 
 from my benefactor. 
 
 " Several times he enquired the caufe of 
 this dejection ; and when I could no longer 
 withhold it from him, he promifed to re- 
 move it immediately. 6 I fee,' he faid, 
 * that you are become home-fick ; I cannot 
 blame you for it, nor am I furprifed at it, for 
 I have been in foreign countries myfelf, 
 and well know what it is to languifh after 
 one's native land. I love you, and would 
 willingly have you always with me ; but as 
 rny firft wifli is to promote your happinefs, 
 I will, without hefitation, facrifice my incli- 
 nation to your's. Come to me at the fame 
 hour to-morrow-morning, and I will, in the 
 meantime, take care to provide you with a 
 comfortable independence.' I left him, and 
 no day in my life ever appeared tome fo long 
 as this ; I could neither eat norfleepfor joy, 
 that I mould foon fee my wife and child 
 again. 
 
 " I was with the Marquis the next morn- 
 ing before the appointed hour, and found 
 him in earned converfation with his eldeft 
 fon. 4 Are you here already,' he cried, laugh- 
 
120 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 ing, as he came to meet me. 1 Your hafte 
 clearly proves that I was not deceived in my 
 yefterday's conjecture. Go in peace ; and 
 that you may never experience any want in 
 Germany, take this bag of gold with you ; it 
 contains eight thoufand fequins, which I hope 
 will be fufficient to fupport you and your 
 wife and child decently. 
 
 " You may readily fuppofe, neighbour, 
 how I was Itartled at fo large a prefent. I 
 could not fpeak ; I threw myfelf, weeping, 
 at the feet of my benefactor, and knew not 
 how to exprefs my gratitude. The good old 
 man raifed me up, kindly alluring me once 
 more that he would never ceafe to be my 
 friend ; and that I might boldly return to 
 him, if through any accident I was again re- 
 duced to diftrefied circumftances. The young 
 Marquis then putting in, faid, 1 Dear Jacob, 
 I have a reciprocal fervice to aik of you. My 
 father has revealed to me to-day that I muft 
 foon travel into Germany, and vilit your na- 
 tive place. There is yet much concealed 
 treafure remaining there, which we {land in 
 need of for the further aggrandizement of 
 our family. 1 mall alfo appear in the cha- 
 racter of a hatchel and moufe-trap dealer, 
 and fearch for thefe treafures. Should any 
 misfortune befal me there, then, for the fake 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 121 
 
 of my father's kindnefs, be you my friend, 
 and I will reward it to your children.' 
 
 ' Dear, dear fon of my great benefactor I' 
 I cried out quite tranfported, • as foon as you 
 come to our village, put up at my houfe. I 
 will attend and take care of you as the apple 
 of my eye. I will accompany you every 
 where, and conduct you again in fafety to 
 the arms of your father.' 
 
 * Thanks ! a thoufand thanks for your 
 good intentions,' faid the Marquis, 4 but my 
 fon cannot take advantage of them. He mule 
 not, during his journey, go to the houfe of 
 any friend or acquaintance ; for if he did, the 
 aim of it would be loft. You cannot do him 
 any fervice yourfelf ; but I expect from your 
 gratitude, that you will prepare fome kind- 
 hearted people of you neighbourhood to be 
 courteous to him, and foften the hatred that 
 moll of your countrymen bear to us Italians. 
 Endeavour to make them fenfible, that a 
 flranger may often be able to reward the 
 flighted fervice a thoufand fold, and let them 
 underltand that we are actually bound to do 
 it. Your own experience mull convince you 
 of the truth of what I fay. You undoubtedly 
 know fome of your neighbours whole fadheft 
 and good hearts difpofe them to be benefi- 
 cent towards the poor ; name them to my 
 L 
 
T22 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 o 
 
 fon, that in a time of need he may feek fhel- 
 ter and protection with them ; and that I may 
 thus enjoy the greateft pleafure in life, 
 the receiving my lbn again in my arms in 
 health.' 
 
 " I promifed to do what he required, and 
 named to him all thofe on whole hospitality 
 I believed he might rely ; and he wrote their 
 names carefully in his pocket-book. 
 Amongft them I mentioned you, neigh- 
 bour ; you Hand uppermoft, and mould 
 he find it neceflary, he will come to you 
 direaiy." 
 
 Host. " How ! is it pofllble that you 
 thought of me at that time ? That you wifh- 
 ed to be the maker of my fortune ? O dear, 
 dear neighbour ! God reward you !*' 
 
 Jacob. P Do not fpeak till I have ended. 
 'Then 1 mall certainly expect that you afk 
 my pardon, and declare me an honeil 
 man. 5 ' 
 
 Hmf. « I mall do both moft fmcerely." 
 
 Jacob. " I was obliged, finally, to promife 
 the moil rigid fecrecy. I was made to fwear 
 that I would not difcover to any one the in- 
 tended journey of the young Marquis, became 
 
The Mountain Cottager. ia-3 
 
 then there would be a number of interefted 
 perfons, who would ihew him beneficence 
 merely from felfifh views ; and thus the 
 riches which he collected here would not be 
 fufFicientfor the repayment of thefe obligati- 
 ons. Judge now yourfelf, neighbour, what 
 a ftruggle it halt coft me, to become as it 
 we x, perjured, and betray my great benefac- 
 tor. Had you not yefterday fo openly and 
 exprefsly attacked my honour, and had I not 
 apprehended that your fiander might bring 
 me tojuftice, where I might perhaps have 
 been conftrained to make every thing known 
 the greatefl treafure in the world would not 
 have tempted me to violate his confidence. 
 Be grateful therefore now, and promife me 
 ftricl fidelity. Ufe this information to 
 your advantage, but do not injure me, 
 or my benelaclor, by iiiconfiderate blab- 
 bing." 
 
 Host. lt May T grow crooked and lame, if 
 one word of it ever comes from my lips! And 
 may I die a violent death, if I do not formally 
 beg your pardon to-day at the public houfe, 
 and declare before every body there, that 
 you have acquired your fortune in a truly 
 honell manner. But tell me now when the 
 young Marquis comes, and how I lhall re- 
 ceive him ?" 
 
124 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Jacob. " His arrival does not depend on 
 himfelf, but on the ftars. He muft be regu- 
 lated by them, in order to accomplifh his 
 enterprize happily. Perhaps he may be 
 now on his journey ; perhaps he may not 
 come thefe two years." 
 
 Host. u But he certainly will come ? 
 
 Jacob. w Undoubtedly ! you may rely on 
 it ; and the better you receive him, the more 
 courtefy you ihew him, the greater will be 
 your reward." 
 
 The inquifitive heft appeared now quite 
 contented and full of joy, and was already 
 building a thoufand caftles in the air. The 
 cunning Jacob laughed within himfelf, and 
 was rejoiced that he had fo completely de- 
 ceived him, and could now enjoy his plunder 
 in peace. 
 
 The fplendid profpecls which the hoft was 
 now inceffantly dreaming of, made him often 
 mufing and thoughtful ; he no longer worked 
 fo diligently as he had done, but loved belt to 
 fit in fome corner, where he might, without 
 being difturbed, bufy himfelf with the idea of 
 his future fortune. His wife was offended at 
 this unufual behaviour in her hulband, and 
 refolved to find out the reafon of it. Whoe- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. » 125 
 
 ver knows any thing of women, will know 
 very well how continually they plague their 
 hulbands on fuch an occafion, and will al- 
 ready have prophefied that fhe carried her 
 point at laft. In fact me was very foon the 
 joint poflefibr of the fecret. - 
 
 Nothing opprelTes a weak mind like a fe- 
 cret, or gives it the fancied importance it 
 wifhes for, like being able to reveal one. 
 Thus Catherine, for fuch was the name of 
 our muling holt's wife, was no fooner miftrefs 
 of this, than fhe combed her hair lmooth, 
 put on her Sunday gown, and battened to the 
 cattle of the Lord of the Manor. She had 
 ferved there fix years as cook, with great 
 diligence and honelty, and was for this rea- 
 fon always well received in the family, and 
 now hoped to acquire much greater confe- 
 quence. there from the nature of her prefent 
 errand. She went from the kitchen directly 
 up to the apartment of the miftrefs of the 
 cattle, and was conducted by her to her papa, 
 who was no other than the Baron von Tie- 
 fenthal. As he inferred from the importance 
 of her look that, file had forae weighty intel- 
 ligence to communicate, he fpoke very cour- 
 teoufly to her, and, offered her a chair. This 
 fet Catherine's tongue a going, and the Ba- 
 ron was minutely informed of the above mar- 
 vellous hiftory. The Countefs von .M— . 
 
126 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 alfo learnt it a fhorttime after, much in the 
 fame manner, as Ihe was buying fome flax 
 of Catherine, and won her confidence by her 
 affable behaviour. 
 
 Hod, Baron, and Countefs, now all fabri- 
 cated their particular plans how to decoy the 
 young Marquis, when he appeared, as a 
 hatchel and moufe-trap dealer, iri their 
 neighbourhood ; and to entitle themfelves,by 
 the moll attentive beneficence, to a part, or 
 perhaps the whole, of his great treafures. By 
 Catherine's prudent management fhe per- 
 fuaded her hufband to reveal the fecret, that 
 he knew already, to the Baron ; and the Ba- 
 ron prevailed on the hoft to promife, that he 
 ihould have immediate information of the ar- 
 rival of the young Marquis. 
 
 The Baron von Tiefenthal was the eco- 
 nomical fon of a very extravagant father, and 
 it was with difficulty that he could fupport 
 his fituation vt ith an inheritance encumber- 
 ed with the debts of the latter. He was ve- 
 ry naturally therefore extremely rejoiced that 
 fo fortunate an opportunity was likely to be 
 prefented to him of difencumbering hiseftate. 
 His daughter was now marriageable, and 
 who can blame the good father that he wim- 
 ed to bring about a match between her and 
 the rich Marquis ? and the more certainly 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 127 
 
 to accomplish his purpofe, he confided his 
 whole plan to her beforehand. 
 
 The Counters von M was the lively- 
 widow of an old dtfagreeable hufband, who, 
 to her great joy., died foon after their marri- 
 age, and left her the unlimited pofleflion of 
 a large fortune. Being much inclined to 
 lhow, luxury, and diffipation, me had, with- 
 in two years, nearly run through this for- 
 tune, when fhe heard from the good natured 
 hollefs this lucky fecret. It was therefore 
 equally natural that me mould alfo devife 
 every means to decoy the expected Marquis 
 to herfelf, and thus hope to fecure an inex- 
 haullible fource of riches. 
 
 In her early youth the Countefs had ten- 
 derly loved, and been beloved by, a hand- 
 fome Lieutenant ; and in confequence of this 
 amour, at feventeen fhe became the mother 
 of a daughter, whofe birth was fo carefully 
 concealed that the Countefs was never fuf- 
 pecled, though fhe remained at her father's 
 houfe. The child was immediately com- 
 mitted to the care of a poor parfon's widow. 
 
 When the Countefs became a widow 
 herfelf, me took her daughter and this old 
 woman to live near her ; for notwithstand- 
 ing the general giddinefs of her character. 
 
123 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 fhe loved the former with maternal affe&iorh 
 This child of love, whofe name was Emily, 
 was extremely like her mother ; but with- 
 out making any remarks on this ilriking 
 refemblance, fhe was unanimpuily held, by 
 the good natu red peafaiits, to be the daugh- 
 ter of the paribn's wi ow and in order to 
 avoid more critical obfervers, Ihe lived with 
 her in a retired -cottage built for them by the 
 Countefs in her park ; to which, after the 
 death of her hufband, flie had added part of 
 a neighbouring wood. 
 
 The real mother of this child, who wifhed 
 to eitabliih her darling refpeclably, thought 
 the prefent a fine opportunity to endeavour 
 to accomplifh her object ; and by throwing 
 her in his way, hoped that ihe might capti- 
 vate the inexperienced Marquis. With this 
 view, Emily had been fent every day du- 
 ring the whole fummer, to the fummit of the 
 Fichtelberg, to- await his. coming, and, by 
 the inftruclions of her mother, Ihe was 
 to do all in her power to attract and detain 
 him. 
 
 Such was the fltuatfon of affairs when the 
 innocent Wolfgang arrived in this country. 
 By all thofe who were interested in the com- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 129 
 
 ing of the expsdled Marquis, he was taken 
 for him, and tor this reafon was received by 
 them with fo much honour. 
 
 It is now certain that no forcerer deluded 
 him when he thought he faw the Counsels 
 
 von M , fometimes as a fine lady, and 
 
 fometimes as a peafant girl. Nor was it 
 more extraordinary, when he was in a park 
 laid out after the Englifh iafhion, that he 
 fhould by various ways, conllantly come 
 again to the houfe fituated at the end of it 
 and to which all thefe ways purpofely led. 
 
 But then who was the old man whom 
 Wblfgangfc undefined ly murdered ? Who 
 the poor forfaken female? Who were the 
 horfemen who releafed him the firft time ? 
 And who the forcerer who releafed him the 
 fecond time out of captivity ? 
 
 Thefe que (lions I cannot poffibly anfwer 
 now. The time will come when my rea- 
 ders will learn every thing ; but the where 
 and the when I mull leave undetermined ; 
 becaufe the little Atalante has overtaken the 
 panting Wolfgang, notwithstanding his great 
 advantage of her, and is holding him fall by 
 the arm. And it is proper now to liften tQ 
 
130 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 their difcourfe, or there would be. a chafm m 
 the hiftory. 
 
 Attend therefore, and I will go on.. 
 
 C H A P. XII. 
 
 OLFGANG font of breath, heated, 
 trembling, and looking with fear at his Com 
 qucress.) u I can go no farther ! let what will 
 happen, I can go no farther ! I have done 
 every thing that the power of man could 
 do ; but I mull yield, and it is not my fault." 
 
 Maiden (also out of breath. J Thou rude 
 ill-behaved man Lat laft I have caught thee ; 
 I called to thee fevera! times, but thou 
 wouldft not mind me ; and what is now 
 come of it ? We are both out of breath, and 
 not able to talk with. one another." 
 
 IVolgang finding his eyes. J Ah V I dare 
 not look at you, left I am quite loft. 
 
 Maiden. " Why, for what reafon ? do 
 look at me ! am I then fo ugly ?" 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang. " Oh that it was but nature ! 
 that it was no enchantment !" 
 
 Maiden. " How ! do ft thou believe, dear 
 Savoyard, that I paint myfelflike a fine la- 
 dy ? that I flaking bis band, and rubbing 
 her cheek with it softly J convince thyfelf! 
 look, my colour is as natural as thine ; is the 
 conference of running fo faft ; only feel 
 how I burn ( putting his band to her bosom) 
 only feel how my heart beats." 
 
 Wolfgang. " If you were the devil himfeif, 
 I muft kills you." 
 
 In order to avoid the appearance of any 
 thing unnatural and inconfiftent in my nar 
 rative, I cohfider myfelf as neceftitated here 
 to defcribe the lituation of poor Wolfgang, 
 when he was led fo unexpectedly from one 
 extreme to another. In running he had 
 "Humbled over a flick, and, though he had 
 indeed endeavoured to penerve his balance, 
 after tottering up and clown for fome time, 
 like a nine pin when it is touched by the 
 ball, the difproportion of gravity at laft 
 drew him backwards co the ground : he fell 
 amongft the elaltic branches of fome young 
 beeches, which rocked him up and down, 
 and made it impoffible for him to rife, be- 
 caufe every fupport which he caught at was 
 .too weak, and let him fink again. 
 
The Mountain Ccttigcr. 
 
 In this fituation the purfuing damfel over- 
 took him. She laid hold of his arm, but 
 prudently did not draw him from it, as he 
 was now no longer able to fly, but remained 
 in her power. In running after him the 
 bullies had often caught her ; one of them 
 had half torn off her handei kerchief, another 
 {hatched it quite away ; but entirely occu- 
 pied with the defire to overtake the flying 
 youth, fhe perceived nothing of this. But as 
 Wolfgang uncovered his eyes, and from an 
 irreliltible irnpulfe drew her towards him, 
 and boldly matched a kifs, fhe became at 
 once fenlible of her lofs, and fpringing from 
 his arms with all her ftrengtb, in extreme 
 confufion turned her back to him. 
 
 It would have been eafy for him now to 
 fly, but the tables were turned, and at this 
 moment, if the maiden had flown, Wolfgang 
 would have followed her, as afTiduoufly as me 
 had followed him before. Devils and forcery 
 were altogether vanifhed from his re- 
 membrance, and he thought only of the hea- 
 ven in the damfel's arms. You mull be mine! 
 my wife ! thought he at this moment, and 
 drew near to her again. 
 
 " Rude unmannerly man !" fhe faid, 
 "give me back my handkerchief O; I will 
 
The Mown can Ccturcr. 133 
 
 never look at you any more ; give it me, or I 
 will go away diredtly." 
 
 Wolfgang. " Dear, dear maiden ! how 
 fliould I give you what I do not poflefs ? 
 probably you have loft it in running." 
 
 Maiden. " And who is in fault then ? cer- 
 tainly thou ; and now thou mayilhelp me to 
 look for it." 
 
 Emily, for it was her, went on before, and 
 Wolfgang followed patiently after her. He 
 looked carefully at every bufh, for he hoped, 
 if he found the handkerchief, at leaft to fee 
 the fair maiden's face again, and perhaps to 
 earn a reward for his zeal. Fortune favour- 
 ed him ; he law it hanging on a bulb not far 
 off, and jumping forward, he cried out, as 
 happy as a king who had reconquered his 
 loft kingdom, " I have it ! I have it !" 
 
 Emily (looking after him J " Then thrc > 
 it to me." 
 
 Wolfgang (dolefully.) " Throw it to you ! 
 and you will not fetcja it yourfelf, nor give 
 me a kifs as a reward ?" 
 
 Emily. . " No ! give it to me now." 
 
 M 
 
?34 The Mountain -Cottager. 
 
 Wolfgang ( throwing the handkerchief to 
 her. J 
 
 " There you have it then "! Butf — " 
 
 ( Emily) putiing it on hastily, and turn- 
 ing to him.) ct Well, but— what then ?" 
 fwith a kind look at him ;) " perhaps thou 
 wilt runaway from me again." 
 
 Wolfgang (rather huffily.) Very poffi- 
 
 Emily. " Well, go, go ! I certainly fhall 
 not run after thee any more. But if thou 
 goeft, then thou wilt never obtain in thy life 
 .Yet go, now go." 
 
 Wolfgang. " What fhall I never obtain in 
 my life ? O fpeak out ! what ?" 
 
 Emily. " Thou wouldeft know it already. 
 But go now ; I certainly do not hinder 
 thee." 
 
 Wol/gang. u But if I do not go ? if I follow 
 you patiently wherever you lead me ; how 
 then !" 
 
 Emily, " Then, indeed, I will forget eve- 
 ry thing ; then thou fhalt be rewarded." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 *3S 
 
 She looked kindly at him ; and Wolfgang, 
 quite tranfported, took his reward. 
 
 Emily (putting her hand before his mouth J 
 " Enough, enough ! Wilt thou always follow 
 me I never more forfake me ? I can love thee 
 w ith ali my heart. Thy curling hair," ( she 
 strokes him softly on the forehead J " pleafes 
 me ; thy rofy cheeks and thy black eyes am 
 fine; Do I pleafe thee alio ?" 
 
 Wolfgang, c< Do you pleafe me ! he funk 
 on his knee — 11 1 adore you." 
 
 Wolfgang pre (Ted Emily to his bread, and 
 though they ipoke not a word, their hearts 
 under ft ood each other, and the infeparabla 
 bond of love was inwardly fworn to by them 
 both. 
 
 Emily (disengaging herself from bimj 
 " Dear, good ! now let us go ! My mother 
 will expect me ; I cannot any longer de- 
 prive her of the joy of hearing that I have 
 found thee." 
 
 They walked on, and as Wolfgang began 
 now to recover his recollection, the terror 
 that this lovely creature might be an illufion 
 of enchantment took polfeiiion of his mind, 
 for he extremely dreaded the lofs of her. In 
 
136 Tbs Mountain Cottager. 
 
 order to become more certain on this point, 
 he began to aik, u Who is your mother, dear 
 
 maiden 
 
 Minify. " We mall foon be with her ; me 
 lives at the end of the park in the little white 
 cottage, the roof of which thou feell mining 
 
 there." 
 
 At the words, white cottage, he flarted ; 
 and when he actually faw the top of the roof, 
 1. teps tottered. The magnet by his fide 
 drew htm forwards; fear of the forcererand 
 ajl Ills crew, held him back. But, as the 
 melt ane ent of the Poets have already evi- 
 dently proved that love vanquishes every 
 thing, my readers will eafily imagine that, 
 notwithstanding his doubts and fears, he re- 
 folved to follow the fair maiden, and could 
 not poffibly perfuade himfelf that Satan could 
 affumeaform of fuch purity and perfection. 
 To obtain, if poffible, ilill farther light, he be- 
 gan again to alii queftions. 
 
 Wolfgang. " Sweet maiden, do you know 
 the Countefs von M V 9 
 
 Emily. " Do I know my fecond mother ! 
 what a queftion? I am indebted to her for all 
 that I poffefs ; — the houfe to which we arc 
 going is her property; this wood, and every 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 *37 
 
 thing that thou feeft belongs to her. No mo- 
 ther can love a child more tenderly than me 
 loves me." 
 
 Wolfgang. " You are extremely like her ; 
 fo like her, that I mould take you and her 
 for the fame perfon, if your own account and 
 your more youthful figure did not convince 
 me to the contrary, I have feen and converf- 
 ed with the Countefs von M ." 
 
 Emily. " I know that, fimpleton ! She hag 
 told me every thing, and complained bitterly 
 that thou waft fo abominably taken away 
 from her lately, as me was bringing thee to 
 vifit me." 
 
 Wolfgang was very glad, from this relati- 
 on, to be more and more confirmed in his 
 conjecture, that his fuppofition about the 
 devil and forcery had been an error. Cer- 
 tainly, he thought, as the Countefs von Al- 
 and this maiden are different perfons, the 
 other forcerer-like adventures may probably 
 have arifen from equally natural caufes. 
 Wi filing to inveitigate this flill more clearly, 
 he refolved to continue his queftions ; and 
 hoped from the information of his beloved 
 maiden, to obtain fatisfa&ory explanations 
 on thefe heads. He was juft going to *fk 
 kow it could poffibJy be, that from various, 
 
*3« 
 
 The Mountain Cottager* 
 
 o 
 
 and apparently contrary ways, he always 
 returned to the fame houfe, from which he 
 believed himfelf far diftant, when all at once 
 a great noife behind them caught his attenti- 
 on. He turned about inftantly, and faw two 
 men in malks Handing before him. " We 
 have you at lad, my Lord Marquis V they 
 called out, jeeringly ; and before Wolfgang 
 could recover himfelf, and make any anfwer, 
 one of them ftabbed him twice in the body 
 with a dagger, and then they both made their 
 efcape into the thicket. 
 
 Wolfgang funk, rattling in the throat, to 
 tne earth ; his eyes clofed, and the afEicted 
 defpairing Emily foon faw no figns of life in 
 him. She at laft recollected, that if it were 
 poflible for any afliftance yet to be of fervice 
 to him, her mother, who had fome fkill in 
 the ufe of certain herbs, was mofl likely to 
 render it efficacioufly. She haftened there- 
 fore, to her, and foon returned, weeping and 
 out of breath, with the old woman. As they 
 came to the place where Wolfgang was at- 
 tacked by the murderers, a profufion of blood 
 plainly pointed out where he had lain ; but 
 « the body was gone. They perceived a bloody 
 track from this fpot, which they followed, 
 and it led them down through the thicket, 
 and brought them at no great diftance to the 
 *edge of the fliaft of an old mine, where the 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 139 
 
 track ceafed ; and convinced them, that du- 
 ring Emily's abfence the murderers had re- 
 turned, carried off the bleeding corpie, and 
 thrown it into this fliaft in order if poflible, 
 to elude all enquiry on the fubject. 
 
 Emily and the old woman flood for foms 
 time quite difconfolate by the fide of this hor- 
 rible grave. The former wept, though a 
 new acquaintance, the object of a ftrong and 
 tender paffion ; the latter mourned over her 
 difappointed hopes of wealth, which had all 
 vanifhed with the fuppofed Marquis. The 
 fear that the murderers might return once 
 more and plunge them, as evidence of their 
 guilt, into the dreadful abyfs, at length 
 roufed the old woman to think of returning ; 
 and Emily, entirely abforbed in her forrow, 
 followed her in iilence. 
 
 CHAR XIII. 
 
 APTAIN Wildner became a foldier rft+ 
 ther from necqflity than inclination ; becaufe 
 
140 The Mountain Cottager* 
 
 his father, Colonel Wildner, though he left 
 behind him a high reputation for courage 
 and integrity, fcarcely left a pittance of for- 
 tune fu$icient to pay the expences of his 
 funeral. The fon, who had always main- 
 tained as diftinguifhed a character for virtue 
 and bravery as the father, at forty years old 
 had only rifen to the rank of Captain. 
 With the fomewhat more liberal income 
 which he then enjoyed, he began to feel in 
 its full force the truth of the faying, " That 
 it is not good for man to be alone. " He 
 fought therefore for a helpmate amongft the 
 daughters of the land, and foon found one in 
 the perfon of a parfon's daughter, who wa3 
 indeed poor in worldly wealth, but rich in 
 the qualities which mod lafringly fecure the- 
 happinefs of the marriage Hate. 
 
 Wilcrner began firft. to live in her fociety r , 
 #id his wife and two children became fo» 
 dear to him, that he would not have exchang- 
 ed his fituation for the poffeffion of kingdoms* 
 After a few years of enjoyment, a war, which 
 defolated his native land, tore him from the 
 only bl effing that the world had ever afforded 
 him, and which he refigned, on the call of 
 duty, with infinite reludtance. 
 
 When he returned home for the firft time, 
 after an abfence of ten years, he found his 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 141 
 
 wife dead, and his two children, a boy and 
 girl, under the care of a near relation, whofe 
 fcxtratfrdinary kindnefs to his forfaken wife 
 and babes gave fome confolation to the af- 
 flicted hufhand. As thefe children were 
 nearly giown up, the father took his fan 
 with him, to join tike army now ready 
 to march, to oppofis an enemy which had iuft 
 rekindled the flame of war againft his coun- 
 try. His daughter, an almoft perfect model 
 of confummate beauty, and with a mind of 
 the nioft untainted innocence, continued un- 
 der the protection of her fecond mother , and 
 nothing but the hope that the welfare of his. 
 darling would be fee ure under fuch protecti- 
 on, could have enabled the father to fupport 
 this feparation with any fortitude. 
 
 The fofter-ttidther of Clara had hitherto 
 lived in the town ; but longing for quiet, a 
 not unnatural confequence of age, ihe moved 
 into a neighbouring village, and (there, in the 
 calm of folitude, devoted the remainder 
 of her ( days to God. Clara accompanied 
 her thither, and from her gentle lentimen- 
 tal character, foon found a thoufand pleafures 
 in the country, thatihe had never felt in the 
 town. It was a luxury to the native fitfu 
 plicity of her foul, to leave her downy pillow 
 early in the morning, and contemplate, from 
 an adjoining hill, the majeftic rifing of the 
 
142 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 fun. Her heart expanded, with the reviving 
 animation of nature, to the fublimeft emoti- 
 ons of delight. She adored the omnipotence 
 of God in this glorious pitture ; lhe wormip- 
 ped him in every blade of grafs, and in e very- 
 drop of dew which {hone like chryftal upon 
 its delicate texture and vivid hue. 
 
 Nothing opens the heart, and awakens 
 every dormant feeling in the human foul, to 
 a Hate fo fufceptible of impreffion, as the fe- 
 rene beauty of fuch a morning. Every thing 
 lives, every thing moves, every thing expref- 
 fes, in its own peculiar manner, its participa- 
 tion in the joys of this moment. Thelowing 
 of the herds, the bleating of the fheep, the 
 finging of the birds, the hum of the infedls, 
 all fill the great chorus which hails the return 
 of day. But it is a fcene only to be felt, not 
 defcribed. No poet, no painter, can do it 
 juftiee ; it is too great, too fublime, to come 
 within the limits of their powers. Whoever 
 really feels and enjoys it, will own with ir.e, 
 that at no other time he ever finds his mind 
 elevated towards the Sovereign of the Uni- 
 verfe with fuch' a fervor of devotion. The 
 heart overflows with an excefs of feeling ; 
 one ftretches out one's arms, and longs to 
 embrace the utmoft bounds of creation ; the 
 grafp is too mighty, and the full foul feeks a 
 
The Mountain Cottager, r4j 
 
 kindred mind to mare thefe overpowering 
 emotions. 
 
 As Clara fat, in one of the fined mornings 
 of the fpring, under the made of a {lately 
 old oak, with all thefe fenfations newly 
 awakened in her bofom, fhe was feen by the 
 young Baron von Tiefenthal, who lived in a 
 town not far diftant. He had been fent 
 thither by his father for the purpofe of pur- 
 fuing his ftudies ; but inftead of fulfilling 
 this, devoted himfelf to all kinds of diflipati- 
 on. He was hunting in this romantic coun- 
 try, as he now faw, unnoticed by her, the 
 beautiful Clara. The power of her charms 
 had an inftantaneous effect on him. In the 
 courfe of his licentious amours, he had never 
 feen the bloom of fuch a cheek, the expref- 
 fion of fuch an eye, and Mill lefs any thing 
 like the innocent pleafure which was paint- 
 ed on her lovely face, evidently arifmg from 
 her enjoyment of the beauties of nature, as 
 {he contemplated the furrounding country. 
 
 Tiefenthal, whofe intemperate paffions 
 were already highly excited, refpec~tiully ap- 
 proaching the fair creature. u I am fortu- 
 nate," he faid, " to find here a congenial foul, 
 which can feel whit I feel, and will there- 
 fore pardon my breaking in on thefe feelings 
 which my heart is full of, and fo ardently 
 
144 
 
 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 wifhes to fhare with one of iimilar fenti- 
 meiits." — Clara flarted up, alarmed, and 
 would have flown, if her heart had not felt 
 this fimUarity too powerfully ; or if the youth 
 who Hood before her, had not been fo hand* 
 fome, and had not fupplicated fo urgently for 
 her longer Hay. One word brought on 
 another. The diflembler knew fo well how 
 to play his part ; talked fo much of the beaiu 
 ties of nature, of the pleafures they held out 
 to the admirers of them, that the unfu {peel- 
 ing female foon found his company agree- 
 able, and was not difpleafed when he pro- 
 #iifed to come there again the next morning, 
 and fhare with her this rational delight. 
 
 I mould deviate from my purpofe, and 
 extend my hiflory to many volumes, if I 
 mould continue to relate thus circumftanti- 
 ally the whole account of the feduclion of 
 the artlefs Clara. I will therefore be as 
 concife as pofiible. She faw the beautiful 
 youth again the next and many following 
 days. She found his converfation extremely 
 agreeable, and giving way to the impulfe of 
 nature, fhe foon loved him with the greateft 
 tendernefs, without having any idea of his 
 villainy, and her own danger. But before 
 two months were elapfed he had taken ad- 
 vantage of her innocence, and ihe became 
 his vi&im. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 145 
 
 Clara felt her fall very deeply, and in the 
 firlt bitter moments of regret, determined 
 never to fee the youth again. But his per- 
 fuafions, and the pleadings of her own heart, 
 for him, were fo powerful, that notwith (land- 
 ing her refolution, me faw him again in the 
 evening, and from that time received his clan- 
 deltine vifits in a remote chamber in the 
 houfe of her fofter mother. The natural con- 
 fequence of this connection enfued ; and as 
 foon as Clara was fenfible of it, ftie claimed 
 from her lover the fulfilment of his folemn 
 engagements, and entreated him with anguifh. 
 to conceal her ihame, and marry her as foon 
 as poflible. 
 
 Tiefenthal renewed his promifes, and then 
 left her, in order, as he faid, to mention the 
 iubjedt to his father, and to obtain his confent 
 to their marriage. But this was only a pre- 
 tence to deceive her, for he returned immedi- 
 ately to the town; and while theanxious Clara 
 was praying for the fuccefsful iflue of his 
 errand, and his fpeedy return, he had for- 
 gotten her in the arms of proftitution. One 
 evening when he w as drunk, a quarrel arofe 
 between him and one of his companions, 
 from whom he would forcibly have taken a 
 favourite girl, and he was ilabbed by him in 
 the fcufHe, and died without having repented 
 •—without having even confelTed the crimes 
 
 N 
 
i 4 6 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 that he had committed here below. His fa- 
 ther was informed of his rniferable end, and 
 as he very naturally endeavoured to draw a 
 veil over it, his being dead was but little 
 known, and the manner of his death itill 
 lefs. 
 
 While the corpfe of Tiefenthal was moul- 
 dering in the grave, and his foul gone to its 
 dreadful account, Clara was impatiently ex- 
 pecting his return. Every day increafed her 
 forrow, and alio made her Situation more 
 confpicuous, till at kill fhe was no longer 
 able to conceal this, and much lefs her tears 
 from the watchful eye of her foiler-mother. 
 She owned to her the reafon of her forrow ; 
 and the dreadful intelligence had fuch an ef- 
 fect on her, that it threw her into a deadly 
 ficknefs. Before {he died fne wrote to Cap- 
 tain Wildner, informing him of Clara's un- 
 happy fituation, and of the probability of 
 her own death. 
 
 On the very day in which the wretched 
 Clara had buried her invaluable, and now 
 for ever loft friend, her father and brother 
 returned, and entered her room in a violent 
 agitation. She fainted away at the fight of 
 them, and was only recovered, after fome 
 time, by the affectionate carcfies of her fa- 
 ther. He fbothed her angnifh, and promifed 
 
 I 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 147 
 
 never to think harfhly of her ; and alfo to 
 pardon her feducer if he would repair the in- 
 jury that he had been guilty of, and reward 
 her too tender love by making her his wife. 
 As me ftill believed that her lover was fin- 
 cere, and now with his father, the Captain 
 did not go to the town, where, by minute en- 
 qutries, he would probably have learnt his 
 dreadful end ; but he fet out with her direct- 
 ly for the village in which was the Baron von 
 Tiefenthal's caftle. His intention was, firft 
 to fpeak with the young man, and if he found 
 him faithful, then to talk with the old Baron 
 on the juftice due to his daughter ; but if he 
 found young Tiefenthal a villain, unmindful 
 of his engagements, he then refolved to take 
 fearful vengeance on the traitor. 
 
 Before fhe could reach the village, poor 
 Clara, overcome by fatigue and anxiety, fell 
 dangeroufly ill. In confequence of this they 
 flopped at a cottage, the owners of which re- 
 ceived them with kindnefs, and entertained 
 them in the belt manner they were able. 
 After two days of fevere fuffering, Clara, ra- 
 ther before her time, was delivered of a boy. 
 Both mother and child were almoft dead; 
 and unfortunately in this part of the country 
 there was no medical aiTiftance to be obtain- 
 ed. The poor difconfolate old father often 
 fat for hours by her bedfide in filence and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 defpair ; bat when now and then Clara ap- 
 peared to revive, and clafped her crying in- 
 fant to her breaft, he was comforted again, and 
 hoped that all might yet be well. 
 
 In converfation with his kind hoft, he 
 learned that the old Baron von Tiefenthal's 
 Caftle was only about nine miles from thence ; 
 that his fon was a profligate youth, the ter- 
 ror of all parents who had handfome daugh- 
 ters, and of all huffends who had handfome 
 wives; and that he was now the declared lover 
 of the beautiful Countefs von M . Whe- 
 ther he w as at prefent with his father, or ro- 
 ving about elfewhere, the old peafant, who fel- 
 dom left his folitude, could not tell. 
 
 This heart-rending difcrlption of the fedu- 
 cer of his child induced the Captain to fend 
 his fon to the village, which lay near the 
 caftle, to learn fome farther particulars re- 
 fpetting young Tiefenthal, arB whether he 
 was now in the country. He went the fame 
 day on which the old Baron brought poor 
 Wolfgang with him to his houfe. Many of 
 the inhabitants of the v llage, who in paffing, 
 took him for his fon, warned their daughters 
 of him in the pre fence of young Wildner ; and 
 when he made farther enquiries about him, 
 he heard the fame account that had already 
 been given to his father. " "We fuppofed 
 
The Mountain Cottager. rqg 
 
 him," they added, " dead ; but ; weeds do not 
 die, and now we muft take care, or we fhall 
 live to fee new diftrelfes brought amongft us 
 by his debaucheries." 
 
 When the fori returned with this lamenta- 
 ble account to his father, both, glowing with 
 indignation, vow r ed to revenge themfelves on 
 the traitor, if he would not render full and 
 complete fatisfaction to the injured Clara. 
 Young Wijbdner went out again, and fwpre to 
 his father not to return till he brought the be- 
 trayer with him. 
 
 He met the Countefs von M 's coach 
 
 as (lie was carrying Wolfgang to her cattle ; 
 and being informed by a peafant that it was 
 her, and that her companion was no doubt 
 the young Baron von Tiefenthal, he followed 
 the carriage with hafty fteps, and overtook 
 them walking in the grove. His impatience 
 for revenge did net permit him to afk for any 
 explanation ; he only peremptorily com- 
 manded Wolfgang to follow him, who inno- 
 cently complied with this demand. 
 
 The fequel of this melancholy flory is al- - 
 'ready known to my readers, and it would . 
 therefore be fuperfluous to relate it again. 
 N 2 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 o 
 
 N the evening of the fame day, in which 
 poor Wolfgang was fo barbaroufly murdered, 
 the innocent Emily, feated under the ihade 
 of a lime, wept fincerely this unexpected 
 misfortune. He was, in their fhort acquaint- 
 ance, become very dear to her, and was al- 
 ways prefent to her imagination, as he had 
 knelt before her, when they filently, but ex- 
 preflively pledged to each other mutual fide- 
 lity. To have loft him in a moment after, 
 and that without a hope of ever feeing him 
 again, were circumitances of fuch bewilder- 
 ing horror, that all attempts to reconcile 
 herfelf to them were vain. Not far from her 
 fat her fofter-mother and the Countefs von 
 M , with difappointment flrongly depict- 
 ed on their countenances, in earned conver- 
 sion. All their plans and hopes were de- 
 feated by Wolfgang's death, and the thought- 
 lefs Countefs felt, for the firft time, a real 
 anxiety how to difengage herfelf from her 
 debts, and leave em unencumbered eitate to 
 her daughter. They had juft come to a. reftu 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 lutlon to have the dead body drawn out of 
 the fhaft early the next morning, and to ap- 
 propriate tothemfelves whatever they might 
 find in the pockets of the deceafed, as a law- 
 ful inheritance, as a young peafant ran by 
 them in the utmoft hade ; anguifh and fear 
 were painted on his brow, and his terrible 
 groans made them notice and ftop him. 
 4t What has happened to you?*' afked the 
 Countefs. 
 
 Young Peasant f breathless. J " I was ga- 
 thering berries in the wood near the fhaft — 
 there is fomething alive in it — it moaned — I 
 ran away ! and now I always think it is com- 
 ing after me !" 
 
 u That is my poor Savoyard !" cries Emily, 
 ftarting up ; a Oh if he yet lives, how happy 
 I fhall be I" " Yes, indeed, how happy we 
 ihall be !" cry the Countefs and the old wo- 
 man. — " I will go to him ! I mull fee him 
 and comfort him !" cries Emily, and fhe was 
 going forwards. The prudent old woman 
 detained her, and convinced her that to com- 
 fort him was impoffible, till they had obtain- 
 ed affiftance to draw him from the fhaft. 
 
 The inhabitants of the neighbouring vil- 
 lage were fummoned ; and, furnilhed with 
 $ords 7 poles, and ladders, let out to accom- 
 
x$z The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 plifli this purpofe. On the way it firfl occur- 
 red to the Countefs, that perhaps the depth 
 of the fhaft might bafHe all their endeavours ; 
 but an old peafant, who walked next to her, 
 allured her to the contrary, for that one of 
 his calves had fallen in there the year before, 
 and that he had ventured down to refcue it, 
 and did not find the hole above forty feet 
 deep, and the bottom of it was overgrown 
 with foft mofs. He offered to go down now 
 with a rope, and bind the unfortunate perfon 
 who had been thrown in there, when thofe 
 on the outfide could draw him up, and after, 
 wards himfelf. This comfortable account 
 drew them all on with increafmg hade, and 
 they came to the mouth of the fhaft in a very 
 fhort time. Emily was the firfl: there, and 
 bending over the edge, fhe called to her dear 
 Savoyard, and was anfwered by a deep moan. 
 
 The peafant went down, and foon called 
 out, " Draw him up, I have fattened him 
 well. He is frill alive, and fpeaks, but it is 
 in a language that I do not underftand. V 
 Every one took hold of the ropes, and drew 
 with united ftrength ; Emily herfelf was 
 amongft them, and was anxioufly careful 
 that her Wolfgang might not be wounded 
 anew in this operation. At lad the load came 
 near, and with one effort more it lay before 
 them, when they all became fpeechlefs with. 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 153 
 
 aftofiifhmerit at feeing, not the hoped-for Sa- 
 voyard, but a handfomely dreffed woman. 
 She moaned lamentably, and kept her right 
 hand upon her heart. Her clothes were 
 blood)' - , and when they examined her, they 
 found a dagger plunged, up to the hilt, in 
 her left bread. As fhe endeavoured, in vain, 
 to draw this out, a good-natured peafant 
 rendered her this afTulance, and a fcream of 
 blood flowed after it. The unfortunate wo- 
 man once opened her large blue eyes, and 
 then expired in the arms of the Countefs. 
 
 Emily very earneftly entreated the peafant 
 in the fhaft, to fearch if there was not ftill 
 another body to be found. But he allured 
 her, on his honour, there were no more. 
 
 Deceived in their hopes, the whole com- 
 pany wandered back in a melancholy difpo- 
 fition, fully convinced by this double proof, 
 that there mud be robbers and murderers 
 harboured in the wood. The Countefs re- 
 folved, therefore, to have it fearched tho- 
 roughly the next day, and, in the meanwhile, 
 for the greater fecurity of her darling, to 
 take her, and her fofter- mother, with her to 
 the caftle. The corpfe of the ftranger was 
 alfo brought there, and they examined her 
 clothes and her pockets, but found not the 
 teaft clue to lead them even to guefs who flic 
 
154 Mountain Cottager . 
 
 might be ; they only di {covered that this poor 
 murdered woman was very big with child. 
 This dreadful fight excited new companion 
 in the heart of the Countefs ; ftie wept very 
 fincerely for her, and the next day had her 
 buried in her family vault. 
 
 Early the enfuing morning, the peafants 
 from the village afiembled again, and went, 
 wkh the fervants of the Countefs, to fearch 
 the wood ; and if they did not take the mur- 
 derers, at leaft to alarm them by this atten- 
 tion, and probably remove them from thence. 
 They returned, in the evening, without fuc- 
 cefs ; for, notwithstanding their extreme dili- 
 gence, they had neither found any traces of 
 Wolfgang, nor of the murderers. After this, 
 Emily returned to the cottage with the old 
 woman, and the Countefs refolved to go and 
 refide, for feme time, in the neighbouring 
 town, partly to baniih care, and partly to 
 execute a plan which fhe had formed, for 
 the payment of her moft urgent debts. 
 
 The day before that fixed on for her de- 
 parture, a firanger arrived at the caflle, and 
 enquired of the fervants if the Countefs von 
 
 M lived there. On being anfwercd in 
 
 the affirmative, he defired to fee her, and, 
 when he was conducted to her, he prefented 
 her with a cafket carefully fealed up, and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 begged for a certificate that he had delivered 
 it faithfully. The Countefs opened the 
 t'afket directly, and found, to her great 
 iftonifhment, that it contained four thouland 
 fequins, and a quantity of jewels which were 
 apparently of great value. She examined it 
 with the greateii. care, but found neither let- 
 ter nor any thing elfe, by which me could at 
 all imagine from whom this magnificent pre - 
 fent came, or whether it was properly allot- 
 ted to her. But the addrefs, to which lhe 
 again referred, appeared to prove this clear- 
 ly. She enquired in vain of the bearer for 
 farther fatisfaction, for he was unable to gra- 
 tify her curiofity. — u I am," he laid, " a No- 
 tary and Magistrate of the little town of W — 9 
 which lies four miles from hence. Yeiter- 
 day afternoon a carriage arrived there, and 
 Hopped at the Golden Sun, and a gentleman 
 who had been darigeroufly wounded, was 
 lifted out of it by his fervants. ■ He defired 
 that a furgeon might be fent fcr directly ; but 
 as the only one who lives in our lown, was 
 gone into the country, this requeft was of no 
 avail. He. then begged to ha\ e a notary fent 
 for, and I was fummotied to him immediate- 
 ly. He fpoke to me at fir ft in Italian, but 
 as I did not underftand him, he fpoke to me 
 
 in German. His firil enauiries were about 
 
 a. 
 
 the next town, and whether he fhould meet 
 with a ikillul furgeon there. When I had 
 
156 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 given him information on thefe particulars, 
 he afked if I knew where your Excellency- 
 lived. On my alluring him that I did, he or- 
 dered his valet to reach him this cafket. With 
 much difficulty he wrote a very fliort note, 
 and laid it in the cafket, which he then feal- 
 ed up himfelf, and dictated the direction that 
 is upon it to his valet. At lad he delivered 
 it to me with the molt urgent requeft to bring 
 it over myfelf to your Excellency without de- 
 lay. This I faithfully promifed ; and he then 
 gave me, as he exprefled himfelf, a purfe of 
 fifty ducats for my trouble, and ordered his 
 fervants to carry him again to his carriage. 
 Before I could fet out, he drove pall my 
 houfe ; and what furprifed me very much, 
 went a quite contrary way than the directi- 
 on which I had given him to the capital. 
 
 Countess. "Very extraordinary indeed! and 
 to me at leaf! quite incomprehenfible. You 
 mentioned a little note that the itranger put 
 into the cafket, and which, notwithllanding 
 my having looked with the greateft care, I 
 have not found." 
 
 Notary. " I give my word, as a perfon of 
 honour, for the truth of my account ; the 
 note mult be there," 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 157 
 
 The Countefs emptied the cafket quite out, 
 and examined every paper in which any of 
 the jewels were wrapped, but found nothing. 
 At laft flie law a paper folded together ly- 
 ing upon the ground. She took it up, and 
 found that it contained the following words, 
 written in a very illegible hand, in Italian, 
 which it colt the Countefs much trouble to 
 decipher : 
 
 u I fend the adjoining, as the pro- 
 perty of my dear, my adorable Emily. I 
 entreat you to deliver it to her, and to allure 
 her that I am, in my laft moments, her faith- 
 ful 
 
 Marojjis Lane go." 
 
 Countess. " Though there is a great deal 
 that I do not underftand in this affair, and 
 perhaps never mail underftand, this note 
 certainly throws fome light on the fubjecl; 
 Was the perfon, who gave this calket to you, 
 young ? Had he black eyes and black hair I 
 
 Notary. " He can fcarcely be more than 
 three or four and twenty, has large black 
 eyes and black hair." 
 
 Countess. " What clothes did he wear V\ 
 
 O 
 
ij8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 Notary. " That I cannot fay, becaufe he 
 was laid upon the bed, and had a long man- 
 tle thrown over him. His ill irt was framed 
 with blood, and he complained of having 
 two dangerous wounds on the left fide." 
 
 Countess. " Did he fpeak good German ?" 
 
 Notary. " Me fpoke it fluently, but from 
 weaknels very flowly." 
 
 Countess. " Did he not relate to you by 
 what accident he was wounded — whether by 
 murderers, or in a duel ?" 
 
 Notary. " No ! I afked him about it more 
 than once, but 1 never obtained a direct an- 
 fwer ; one time he faid, if I had attended, I 
 might have guefled by what adventure it 
 happened, but that I had not taken notice of 
 it." 
 
 Countess. " It can be no other ! I believe 
 that I may now fafely fay, that I know him 
 very well, and was in company with him 
 lb me days a*go, It is true ! Carriage, horfes, 
 and fervants ! yet what is there impoflible in 
 this ? It is he ! it is he VI 
 
 Before the Notary took leave of the Coun- 
 ters, fhe made him a Landiome prefent^ and 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 earneftly entreated him to enquire which 
 way the Marquis was gone ; and \i he learnt 
 where he was, to let her know directly. The 
 Notary proinifed to do this, and the better 
 to keep his word, left the caftle immediately. 
 
 The Countefs examined the prefent to 
 Emily once again, and found that it was 
 more than fufficient for the payment of her 
 molt prefTing debts; but as it belonged en- 
 tirely to her darling, (he was too conlcien- 
 tious not to mow it to her, and afk her con- 
 lent firft, before fhe appropriated it to this 
 purpofe. She lent for her ; and firft relating 
 the incident which had jnit occurred, then 
 mentioned her wifli to apply this treafure to 
 the liquidation of her debts, to which file af* 
 fented without hefitaiion. 
 
 Emily, who was as firmly convinced as 
 the Countefs that no other than her dear 
 Savoyard could have fent her this magnifi- 
 cent prefent, wept and lamented him fmcere- 
 ]y. u He became dear to me," Ihe laid, u in 
 the few moments of our acquaintance, and 
 will eternally continue fo from this dying- 
 proof of his love for me. Oh ! could « r but 
 fave him, could I but nurfe and comfort him ! 
 I would willingly pafs my life witfe him, even 
 if it was to be in poverty." The Countefs en- 
 deavoured to confole her, and attained her 
 
160 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 end completely, as fhe clearly proved to her, 
 that a man, endow ed with fuch fupernatural 
 flrength, would certainly alfohave the means 
 to heal his wounds. u If he could," fhe ad- 
 ded, " refcue himfelf out of the fhaft with- 
 out any affiftanee \ if he could, in fo fhort a 
 time, provide himfelf with a carriage, horfes, 
 and fervants, he, no doubt, pofTeffes the 
 power of relioring himfelf to health, by his 
 fu peri or knowledge probably in the ufe of 
 fimplcs. In the meanwhile only wait pa- 
 tiently ; he will fooner or later return quite 
 recovered, and make you the happiefl of 
 women." Emily promifed to be eafy, and 
 looked anxioully towards the day in which 
 ihe fliould again fee the beloved of her heart. 
 
 Before two days were paffed, the Coun- 
 tefs had fold the jewels ; and being now pof- 
 feffed of fixty thoufand florins, on. the third 
 day fhe fatisfied the greater part of her cre- 
 ditors. As fhe fat down to table in the even- 
 ing, in company with her Emily, much ea- 
 fier in her mind on being relieved from thefe 
 incumbrances, a meffenger on horfeback ar- 
 rived at the caftle. He brought her a letter 
 from the Notary, in which he informed her, 
 that he had been fortunate enough to difco- 
 verthe route which the Marquis had taken, 
 and followed him to the next Saxon frontier 
 town, where, to his great grief, he found 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 161 
 
 him in his coffin, and faw him buried the 
 fame day. That to the furprife of every bo- 
 dy, his fervants had vanifhed immediately af- 
 ter his death, and left no traces of which way 
 they were flown. That the magiflrate of 
 the town had been called in to take charge of 
 whatever he might have left ; but that, ex- 
 cepting fome few clothes, and a little linen^ 
 there was not any thing found. It was there- 
 fore a well grounded prefumption, that his 
 fervants had taken polTeffion of whatever 
 papers and money he might have had with 
 him, as foon as their mailer was dead, and 
 had difappeared on that account. 
 
 C H A P. XV. 
 
 MIL Y, on this frefh difappointment of 
 her fondeft hopes, felt all her forrow renew- 
 ed with the greater keennefs. She mourned in 
 Wolfgang a lover and benefactor, who had r 
 in her opinion, undeniably proved in the 
 latter his fincerity in the former character- 
 Gratitude and love thus combined to fill her 
 foul with a lively grief, that fhe did not a£~ 
 O 2 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 tempt to diffemble. In vain her noble mo- 
 ther fought to confole her ; me rejected all 
 confolation, and withdrew, unperceived from 
 the company, in order to be able to weep 
 without interruption. 
 
 The evening was delightful; the full moon,, 
 with her melancholy light, illuminated the 
 whole region, and invited Emily to wander 
 down the avenue of the Caftle, at the end of 
 which me Hood fiiil, abforbed in her diftrefT- 
 ful feelings. In this fituation, without having 
 heard any previous noife, {he felt herfelf all 
 at once feized by fomebody with very flrong 
 arms, who held her from behind, while ano- 
 ther Hopped her mouth, and covered her 
 head ; and then lifting her up, they carried 
 her off with the utmoft hafte. After run- 
 ning for fome minutes, they put her into a 
 carriage, but ftirl covered up, and drove off 
 directly ; and now as the rattling of the 
 wheels would prevent her cries being heard* 
 they took the bandage from her mouth. 
 
 She wept and complained in vain, for they 
 appeared not to mind her, as Ihe received no* 
 a«afwer, though fhe perceived plainly that 
 fo^Qbody fat on each fide of her. When they 
 had driven for about an hour, the carriage; 
 flopped. Emily was lifted out, and not* 
 wuhfundaig her earneft remonftrances, they 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 163 
 
 undrcfled her to her fhift. In her efforts to 
 refill them me pulled off the cloth that co- 
 vered her head, and faw to her great amaze- 
 ment, that (lie was in a wood ; that it was 
 two men who were undrefling her, and that 
 two others Hood by with lighted torches. 
 Believing herfelf to be, without doubt, in the 
 hands of thofe villains who had murdered 
 her poor Wolfgang before her eyes, ftie fully 
 expected to mare the fame fate ; and, over- 
 come with apprehenfion, funk into a fwoon, 
 out of which fhe was firfi roufed by the mak- 
 ing of the carriage. To her great aftonifh- 
 ment fhe found herfelf quite dreffed again ; 
 and this aftonifhment was increafed, as me 
 perceived that me was drelled as a man. The 
 clay now began to dawn, and fhe looked with 
 furprife alternately at herfelf, at the fine car- 
 riage, and at her conductors; an old gentleman 
 fat on her left hand, and oppofite to her two 
 domeftics, who carefully obierved all her mo- 
 tions ; the former held a faieliing bottle in his 
 hand, and addreffed himfelf toEmily in a lan- 
 guage of which fhe underftood not a word* 
 Quite confounded by all the inexplicable cir- 
 cumftances of her fituation, me remained for 
 fome time filent ; but as me began to recover 
 from this, and to feel with renewed force her 
 cruel feparation from her mother, fhe w-as 
 entirely overcome, and, beginning to weep 
 bitterly x fell at the feet of die old man.— * 
 
164 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 \\ Whoever thou art," fhe faid, " let me hope 
 for companion from thy age, and they vene- 
 rable countenance ! What have I done that 
 I am treated in this manner ? Whither doll 
 thou carry me ? Oh, take me again to my 
 difconfolate mother, or at lead leave me at 
 liberty !" 
 
 The old gentleman fmiled rather con- 
 temptuoufly, and made a long ferious ha- 
 rangue in the fame, to her unintelligible lan- 
 guage, as he fpoke before ; and notwithftand- 
 ing her repeatedly affuring him that fhe did 
 not under Itand him, he went on with yet 
 more ferioufnefs, and at laft pulled out a dag- 
 ger and a piitol, which he held to her breaft 
 with terrible threats ; and Emily, trembling 
 and weeping, fhrunk from him into, the cor- 
 ner of the carriage. 
 
 A repetition of fuch fcenes frequently took 
 place between this poor captive and the old 
 gentleman, who fhe obferved was treated by 
 the others with great reverence. They tra- 
 velled very faff, only Hopping occafionally 
 for very Jhort intervals ; and previoufly to 
 thefe, bandages were always put over Emily's 
 eyes and mouth, and me was made to fit up- 
 on the floor of the coach, and obliged often to 
 remain fome hours in this fituation. She 
 foon took notice that it. was only in uninlia- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 165 
 
 bitecl places that they allowed her the privi- 
 leges of fight and fpcech, or ever permitted 
 her to get out of the carriage, at which times 
 the old gentleman always kept watch over 
 her at a little diftance, and never ceafed to 
 threaten her terribly. All kinds of refrefh- 
 ments were offered to her, but fee ftubborn- 
 ]y refufed them, till the old man conftrained 
 her to eat by the terrors of the piftol. 
 
 Emily, who had never before been fepa- 
 rated for a day from her fofter mother, was 
 dreadfully harafTed by a behaviour to which 
 file was fo entirely unaccuftomed, and by a 
 thoufand painful apprehenfions as to the fate 
 to which me might be deftined. She was un- 
 able to fleep, and, but for her youth and vi- 
 gorous conllitution, muft have funk under 
 the fatigue and diftrefs which me fuffered. 
 The idea of making her efcape was conftant- 
 ly prefent to her, and particularly during 
 the night, when her conductors were over- 
 powered with fleep ; but fhe foon perceived 
 that this would be impracticable, as two fer- 
 vants, who fat upon the box all day, always 
 rode by the fide of the carriage at night, and 
 waked the guards within whenever they came 
 to a place where they were to take freih 
 horfes. 
 
1 66 The Mountain GottagSr. 
 
 Four days and five nights they v/ent on in 
 this manner, and poor Emily was become 
 extremely weak, when at the dawn of the 
 fifth day they flopped at a houfe, without her 
 conductors having as ufual put the bandages 
 upon her eyes and mouth. To her great 
 aftonifhment and fatisfaclion the door of the ! 
 carriage was opened, and fhe was urged to 
 get out, and immediately fhewn into a room. 
 But her joy was fcon damped when fhe heard 
 that all the inhabitants of the houfe fpoke the 
 fame language, with which fhe was daily 
 tormented by her conductors ; and fhe was 
 now convinced that fhe was in a country 
 where this was the native language. They 
 brought her fome coffee, which Ihe fwallcw- 
 .ed with great eagernefs, not having had any 
 thing of the kind during her journey ; and the 
 old gentleman took more pains to entertain 
 her than ever. On Emily's again alluring 
 him that fhe did not underiland one word of 
 what he faid, he ended the converfation with 
 reproaches ; and fhe plainly faw that he 
 made complaints of her behaviour to the 
 owner of the houfe, and fhewed him a letter 
 which greatly excited his furprife ; but fhe 
 M as already fo much ufed to riddles, that this 
 appeared indifferent to her, and, mufmg with- 
 in herfelf, fhe did not pay them any farther 
 attention. 
 
T be Main ta in Co t tager, 167 
 
 They foon fet out again on their journey, 
 and travelled now more leifurely, putting up 
 regularly at the inns, where fhe was liberally 
 provided with every thing, and a particular 
 table was always prepared for her. In the 
 evening, as the old gentleman conducted her 
 to a feparate bed chamber, he gave her a 
 parcel of women's apparel, at fight of which 
 fne once more felt real pleafure. Out of gra- 
 titude fhe killed the hand of the old man, who 
 endeavoured to prevent her fhewing him this 
 refpecl ; and killing her's in return, he then 
 withdrew, and left her to examine the clothes, 
 which Ihe found much hanciiomer than thofe 
 flie had been accultomed to wear. 
 
 One of Emily's great concerns had been, 
 the being obliged to be dfeffed like a man; 
 and her awkward comical manner in this 
 drefs had Oi'ten excited the fmiles of her con- 
 ductors, and as often made her blufh. A long 
 mantle, which they had given her, was her 
 only coufolation, and me was never content- 
 ed but when me could cover herfelf in it en- 
 tirely. Every female, who imagines herfelf 
 for a moment in Emily's fituation, will not 
 probably be furprifed tftat ftie put on this 
 long wilhed-for drefs direclly, and throwing 
 herfelf upon the bed, flept foftly after her ex- 
 ceffive fatigue. 
 
1 68 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 On the evening of the tenth day, after this 
 metamorphofis, they travelled later than 
 ufual. The old gentleman was this day more 
 than commonly eloquent; his manner was 
 urgent, and often affecting, and Emily could 
 underftand plainly that he was very folicitous 
 for an anfwer from her. But however wil- 
 lingly fhe would have gratified him, it was 
 not in her power ; Ihe could only reply to 
 him by tears and geftures, and was obliged to 
 bear patiently his thrulting her from him, 
 and the renewal of all his former threats. 
 About midnight he became quiet, and the 
 carriage foon Hopped at a large building, 
 which flood in a wild country, furrounded 
 with wood. 
 
 Emily, who had hitherto been always pro- 
 jecting plans for her efcape, which ihe Hill 
 hoped to accomplifh, was in terrible confler- 
 nation when fhe law this building, on account 
 of its being fo entirely different from all thofe 
 to which Ihe had been habituated. An in- 
 ward foreboding pointed it out to her as the 
 boundary of her journey ; and though fhe 
 hoped indeed now for fome explanation of 
 this enigmatical affair, Ihe alfo feared to ex- 
 perience new misfortunes. After knocking 
 a long time, and ringing a great bell, fome- 
 body came to one of the windows ; and after 
 making many enquiries of thofe waiting with- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. i6§ 
 
 out, the door was at laft opened. Two wo- 
 men, whofe flrange drefs excited Emily's ad- 
 miration, came out with lamps in their hands, 
 and received her as fhe was lifted out of the 
 carriage ; and likewife a letter, which was 
 delivered to them by the old gentleman. The 
 door was fhut again directly, and Emily's 
 aftonifhment was extreme, to find herfelfleft 
 by ail her hitherto conductors, and only in the 
 company of the two women. 
 
 They carried her through a long paffage, 
 fparingly lighted by one lamp, till they came 
 to a little room which they forced her to en- 
 ter. They talked to her for fome time, but 
 flie did not underftand them, and the} were 
 as much at a lofs when fhe anfwered them in 
 German. At length they left tier alone, and 
 her diftrefs and fear were much increafed 
 when fhe began to examine her room nar- 
 rowly. In one corner of it there was a ftraw 
 bed, upon which lay an indifferent woollen 
 cover ; next to this ftood a little altar, and 
 upon it there were a crucifix and fome other - 
 images : a fmall wooden table and a ftool 
 completed the inventory of the furniture of 
 this place. My readers will immediately un- 
 derftand that Emily was in the cell of a con- 
 vent ; but tiiis fne could not guefs, as fhe 
 was educated in the Proteftant religion, and 
 from her youth had lived in a folitude, where 
 
i 7 o 
 
 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 fhe never even faw any Catholic clergy, or 
 could acquire any idea of a cloifter. It was 
 not at that time the cuftom of writers to make 
 romantic hillories of Monks and Nuns, and. 
 confequently ihe could not, through fuch me- 
 diums, become acquainted with the cuftom 
 and appearance of convents. It is eafy to 
 pardon her, therefore, if ihe feared and be- 
 lieved, from this indifferent furniture, that 
 ihe was in a prifon, and gave herfelf up to 
 forrow. She ran to the window, to breathe 
 the free air, and tranquillize her beating 
 heart ; but the clofe grate which furrounded 
 it frightened her back, and contributed to 
 confirm her the more in her terrible conjec- 
 ture. 
 
 It was paft midnight, and fhe was extreme- 
 ly tired with her long journey, but yet found 
 no inclination to lleep. She ftarted indeed 
 with horror from the bed, upon which, ac- 
 cording to the fuggefiions of her ardent ima- 
 gination, many innocent victims had lain 
 convulfed with agony. As fhe was dwelling 
 on this idea, (lie all on a fudden heard the 
 found of a dull bell, and foon after a noife in 
 the whole building, fucceeded by a murmur 
 of praying mournfully. This (lie immediate- 
 ly concluded to be the carrying lb me poor 
 imner to the place of execution, having often 
 heard from her fofter-mother accounts of this 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 171 
 
 kind ; and, fuppofmg herfelf to be now in 
 clanger of a fimilar fate, fhe funk to the ground 
 in a fwoon. 
 
 Early in the morning the Nuns found her 
 in a lamentable fituation ; the fatigue and 
 terror that fhe had undergone had brought 
 on a violent fever, attended with delirium ; 
 fhe raved dreadfully, and fancied every Nun 
 who came near her, was one of the fervants 
 of the executioner. Thefe feeble creatures 
 could with difficulty get her into bed, and 
 they were obliged to gird her down in order 
 to keep her there. 
 
 In this manner lay the poor loll Emi!y, 
 flowly knguilhing out her exiflence ; for all 
 the affiftance which the Nuns attempted to 
 adminifter to her, and that of the fpiritual 
 and bodily phyficians, who were called in to 
 her directly, was of no avail, for the fever 
 continued to rage unabatedly, and the deli- 
 rium increafed. On the twentieth day of 
 her fuffering fhe received general absolution, 
 and the extreme unclion, without being at all 
 fenfible of what they were doing to her ; and 
 on the evening of the fame day, the Nuns an- 
 nounced to the Abbefs that the fick ftranger 
 was even then expiring. 
 
172 
 
 The Mountain C&ttager. 
 
 CHAR XVI. 
 
 f HE flumbering powers of juftice having 
 been once more awakened in Italy again ft 
 the daring banditti, the former colleagues of 
 Jacob, they continued, after his departure, to 
 experience fo vigorous a profecution, that, 
 no longer finding any profpecl: of fafety in 
 their native land, the majority of them re- 
 folved to follow the example of their re- 
 nowned companion, and retire till the ftorm 
 was laid ; and in the meantime determined to 
 pay him a vifit in Germany. cc We may pof- 
 fibly," faid they among themfelves, " find 
 fomething to do there ; the cold-blooded 
 Germans will perhaps fuffer us quietly to 
 gain a livelihood on their highways till we 
 can return hither without danger." 
 
 Jacob' was very much furprifed one day at 
 meeting two of his molt intimate comrades in 
 one of the ftreets of the capital, and to learn 
 from them that there were twenty others be- 
 fides themfelves likewife in the neighbour- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 173 
 
 hood. Their joy at this unexposed rencon- 
 tre was much greater than his, becaule hq 
 had at that time firmly refolded never to en- 
 gage in robbery and murder again, but to en- 
 joy his lately acquired fortune in quiet. But 
 in this company he was fdon induced to give 
 up his refoiution, and to unite in their 
 fcheme of highway robbery. He carried 
 them into a wood through which the road to 
 Saxony lay ; and before the c'ofe of the f}r$ 
 day, after they were lodged there, this ban- 
 ditti, eager for prey, had robbed three car- 
 riages, and murdered as many men. Thefe 
 unufual accounts frightened the whole coun- 
 try ; every one talked of thefe murders, and 
 every one armed themfelves again!! trie mur- 
 derers. 
 
 As one of the banditti ventured once into 
 a village to buy provilions, he was, on fome 
 iufpicious circumflances, arretted by the 
 peafants, as one of the perpetrators of thefe 
 recent murders, and carried before, the ma- 
 giilrate to be examined. When the reft of 
 the troop heard from their trusty Jacob, 
 that their comrade would be conveyed in the 
 evening from the village Judge to the office 
 of the inquifition, they waited in the road 
 for him ; and while they believed that they 
 were refcuing their comrade, they let poor 
 Wolfgang at liberty, who was then carried 
 x *» 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 as a prifoner the fame way. His efcape 
 therefore was no more fupernatural than his 
 being taken up for a thief on entering the 
 ale houfe of the village, wrapt in the very 
 mantle which had been Rolen from the hott, 
 or than his being fufpected as a murderer,, 
 after the defcription given of him by Captain 
 . Wildner. 
 
 Wolfgang was at that time unknown to 
 himfelf, carried to the cattle of the Countefa 
 von M — : — , becaufe the village in which 
 they arretted him lay within her jurisdiction, 
 and there, as my readers will recollect, he 
 was confined in a cave for want of a better 
 prifon. In this cave, according to the ac- 
 count of a foreigner, a huntfman who had 
 often fojourned there, a great treafure was 
 burned. The lleward of the Countefs, who 
 had often, as he waited on her at table,, 
 heard her talk of the great treafure which 
 lay concealed in this country, heard about 
 this time from a peafant what was faid by 
 the huntfman, in confequence of which, he 
 lent for hirn direclly. The huntfman not 
 only maintained the truth of his account, 
 but allured the fieward that this treafure 
 might eafily be obtained ; and he engaged to 
 fearch for it, for him, if he would give him a 
 new coat and waiftcoat, fome linen, twelve 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 *75 
 
 new dollars, and fix new ducats for the fpi- 
 rit who guarded it. 
 
 The fteward agreed to every thing, and 
 promifed to bring the prefent with him to the 
 place ; and the cunning huntfman hoped to 
 efcape with it, and elude the expected per- 
 formance of his engagement. The fun pie 
 fteward was in his room, preparing himfelf 
 by praving and tinging, for this undertaking, 
 when Wolfgang was brought prifoner to the 
 caftle, and without his knowledge confined in 
 the cave. When he came, equipped with his 
 prefent, and whatever eife was requifite for 
 their employment, to the door of this place, 
 which was ufually open, and found it barred, 
 the huntfman, who was eager for the prize, 
 afliired him that this was the only night that 
 the treafure could be railed "without danger ; 
 and advifed that they ihould go down through 
 the air-hole of the cave, which was refolved 
 on, and they enlarged it with their tools for 
 this purpofe. 
 
 The huntfman who had often pracli fed 
 frauds of this kind, was drefled as a forcerer, 
 in order to make more imprefiion on the 
 foolifh {reward. Wolfgang, whole imagina- 
 tion was full of forccfers, really took him for 
 one, and, terrified at the fight of him, uttered 
 a violent ejaculation, which equally terrify- 
 
Ij6 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 ing them, they made their efcape as fad as 
 poffible, leaving all their things behind them, 
 and thus pointed out to Wolfgang the means 
 of effecling his efcape, and left him in poffef- 
 fion of their bundle, which he took away 
 with him. 
 
 The village hod, whom Jacob impofed on 
 with his well invented tale, and who, by his 
 loquacity had occafioned fo much refpect to 
 be paid to, and lb many misfortunes to befall 
 poor Wolfgang, met Jacob the morning after 
 this adventure. He told him that the young 
 Marquis was actually arrived, in the charac- 
 ter of a moufe-trap and hatchel dealer, and 
 had ftaid or,e night at his houfe* 
 
 Jacob liftened attentively to this account,, 
 and learnt, on further enquiry, that, not- 
 withftanding his promife, his neighbour had 
 not kept his fecret, but had related the h'uio- 
 ry that he entrusted him with, to oaiers ; and 
 that the Baron von Tiefenthal^ and the 
 Countefs von M , were now eagerly en- 
 deavouring to d.coy the fuppofed Marquis 
 to their houfes, that they might create to 
 themfelves, by their attention, an ample 
 claim to his remunerations. He promifed 
 his neighbour, who was jealous of this, to 
 take an opportunity of informing the young 
 
TJje Mountain Cottager. ij] 
 
 Marquis of thefe defigns, and then flattened 
 forwards. 
 
 Sooner or later thought Jacob, as he went 
 along, it will- be difcovered, that the Mar- 
 quis, whofe coming I have foretold, is only a 
 poor moufe-trap and hatchel-dealer, and I 
 fhall then be known for a liar, and perhaps 
 draw on myfelf a judicial examination. It 
 will be belt, therefore, that I prevent this 
 difcovery, by removing the object who would 
 occafion it out of the way. He confulted 
 with his comrades on this, and went out, 
 with one of them, to fearch for the innocent 
 creature who was to be their facrifice. They 
 went with this view through the wood be- 
 longing the Couivefs von M , and faw, 
 
 from a little di fiance, Wolfgang and Emily 
 come down the hill together. They recog- 
 nized their victim diredly, and Healing near, 
 {tabbed him twice with a dagger, and left 
 him, as they hoped, dead. They purpofely 
 fpared Emily, that (he might fpread the new 7 s 
 of his death in the country, and iikewife the 
 belief that he was really a perfon of emi- 
 nence, becaufe he was murdered without be- 
 ing robbed, by two men in mafks, who called 
 him Marquis. 
 
178 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 C II A P. XVII., 
 
 J j€)VE acknowledges no rank, no laws ; 
 it derides all threats, defies all dangers, and 
 overcomes all the impediments, which like a 
 barrier, eppofe themfeJves again ft it. If any 
 evidence were yet wanting of the truth of a 
 proportion already fa clearly proved, it is 
 Hill farther confirmed. by the hiftory of the. 
 young Duchels R — — , which I fiiall now 
 relate, to my readers. 
 
 The Duke of R , her father, was 
 
 a man of the fipfl rank and fortune in 
 Italy.- She was his only child, and the 
 heirefs to his great property ; in addition to 
 which, me was univerfaHy allowed to be one 
 of the moft beautiful women of her time. 
 With thefe attractions, it was not furprifmg 
 that a multitude of lovers facrificed to her 
 charms the incenfe of flattery and adoration ; 
 and that themoftdiftinguimed families in Italy 
 courted her alliance. But to all this homage 
 Hie w r as infenfible ; for me had long loved in 
 
The Mountain Cottager. ijy 
 
 fecret, with the tendered affection, a young 
 Marquis, who was indeed extremely hand- 
 fome, but fo poor, that for want of any other 
 means of living, he had for fome years ferved 
 her father as his mailer of the horfe. She, 
 who had before feldom rode out, now found 
 her only pleafure in this exercife, which gave 
 her an opportunity of being in the company 
 of this beloved object ; a part of whofe fer- 
 vice it was, to ride by the fide of any of the 
 family when they went out on hcrfeback. 
 Often when they went through a folitary 
 wood in this manner, fhe would purpofely 
 by a quick gallop, leave the hoft of fervants 
 far behind them ; and when they were thus 
 alone, her ufual timidity gave way to an elo- 
 quent, but yet perfectly modeft expreftion in 
 her fine countenance, of the inward fenti- 
 ments of her heart. 
 
 The happy mailer of the horfe at I aft un- 
 derftood her, and thefe young inexperienced 
 children foon gave themlelves up entirely to 
 the guidance of their tender paffion. As 
 they frequently loft themfelves in the thick- 
 ell parts of the woods., and were fome hours 
 before they returned to their followers, the 
 moft attentive of thefe probably conceiv- 
 ed fufpicions of them, ?,nd immediately im- 
 parted their conjectures to the old Duke. 
 Without giving any reafon for it to his daugh* 
 
zSo 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 ter, he difmiflfed the mailer of the horfe di- 
 rectly from his fervice, and hoped, in this 
 manner, to avoid making the affair public, 
 and put an end at once to what he thought a 
 mere romance. But this precaution came 
 too late ; a month fooner perhaps the young 
 Duchefs might have been able to forget her 
 lover, but now fhe was reminded of him eve- 
 ry day, every hour, by the confequences of 
 their pafilon, which, together with the an- 
 guifh occafioned her by this feparation, made 
 the unfortunate Marquis a thoufand times 
 more dear to her. She foon found an oppor- 
 tunity of writing to him, and in this letter fo- 
 lemnly avowed not to expofe herfelf to the 
 dreaded wrath of her parents, but to follow 
 the impulfe of her aHedtions, and fly with 
 him into the wide world. Full of anxiety, 
 Hie made preparations for this flight with the 
 greateft caution and expedition, and when 
 fhe accomplished it, took with her all her 
 jewels, and a cafket of her father's full of gold. 
 
 When the old Duke heard of the elope- 
 ment of his only child, he was quite raving, 
 and fwore to facrifice all his fortune if he 
 could but fee her again, and take his revenge 
 on her, and the companion of her flight. He 
 fent out fcouts after them to all countries, 
 fupplied them with large funis of money, and 
 made them take an oath not to return with- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 18 1 
 
 out the delinquents. But one after another 
 returned without having attained their obje&, 
 till the houfe governor of the Duke was the 
 only one ft ill remaining in purfuit of them. 
 His letters were the fole comfort, the forlorn 
 hope of the diffracted father ; for this man al- 
 ways wrote word that he was on the track 
 of the fugitives, and expected yet to overtake 
 them. 
 
 This auftere, but faithful fervant, had cho- 
 fen four men in Italy for his companions, 
 whofe capacities for fuch a fervice he knew 
 from experience ; and with the afliftance of 
 thefe excellent blood-hounds, he had always 
 difcovered the route of the perfecuted lovers, 
 who perceiving that they were followed, con- 
 tinued their flight without intermiffion. They 
 had already wandered through France, and 
 the greater half of Germany, when they ar- 
 rived at Leipfic ; and here, as they had not 
 for a- long time had any frefh alarm of being 
 purfued, they refolved to reft. 
 
 In the fame hotel at which the Marquis 
 and the Dutchefs put up, lodged the Baron- 
 
 efs von Z , from Drefden. This Lady, 
 
 attracted by the angelic countenance, and 
 the whole appearance of the Dutchefs, fought 
 to become acquainted with her, and me, 
 happy to meet with fuch a perfon in a foreign 
 
 a 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 country, who appeared to take a cordial in- 
 terelt in her fete, encouraged this acquaint- 
 ance, which foon became a iincere friendfhip. 
 As the Dutchefs was one day about to open 
 her whole heart to the Baronefs, the Mar- 
 quis came into the room in great embarraff- 
 ment, and in a few words made known to 
 her, that her father's old houle-governor was 
 that moment arrived at Leipfic, and had put 
 up at a neighbouring hotel. " I pafied by," 
 added the terrified Marquis, " as he Hepped 
 out of the carriage, and can hardly doubt but 
 that he mull have feen and known me." 
 
 This account overwhelmed the Dutchefs 
 with affliction ; and as the amiable Baronefs 
 enquired into the cauie of her dhlrefs, they 
 revealed their fituation to her, and entreated 
 to have her advice and protection. u I will 
 endeavour," faid the Baroneis, quite affected, 
 " to procure you an afylum. You mult fly, 
 but l3y in fuch a mariner that your followers 
 ihall not be able to difcover you any more. 
 On the populous highways from one great 
 town to another, you will always be tracked, 
 and never enjoy any relh I have a friend in 
 Bayreuth, who, like you, has felt die power 
 of love ; and I will fend you to her, where 
 you will be kindly received, and may live fe- 
 'Curely under her protection till this liorm is 
 over, and the anger of your parents is fotten- 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 183 
 
 ed." The} 7 thanked her moft cordially for 
 this advice and ailiiiance, and let out die lame 
 night. The Baronefs fent her gentleman with 
 them, and gave them a letter to the Counteis 
 
 von M ; for this was the friend to whole 
 
 attention fhe recommended them. 
 
 This old fervant, who knew all the bye- 
 roads, conducted them happily over the 
 frontiers, and they almoft believed themfelves 
 out of the reach of danger, as they were now 
 not above five miles from the CountciVs caf- 
 tie, when they were flopped in a wood by 
 fix men in mafks. Theie were fome of Ja- 
 cob's comrades, who were lurking here for 
 booty, and hoped to obtain it from theie 
 travellers ; but this time their expectations 
 were deceived. The Marquis's fervants wt ! -e 
 well armed, and refilling their attack, wound- 
 ed them fo live rely, that they were glad to 
 leek their fatetv in flight, though im fortu- 
 nately not till they had wounded the Mar- 
 quis, whofe only fohcitude had been to pro- 
 tect the Duchefs from their aflauks. 
 
 Being apprehenfive that this might be the 
 party fent after them by the Duke, and that 
 they would return to the purfuit of them, the 
 Marquis entreated the fervants to drive on 
 again with the utmolt fpeed. The blood was 
 all this time flowing fall from his wouads, 
 
184 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 and when they came to the end of the wood, 
 they ventured to make a paufe, that they 
 might endeavour to Hop it. But he, more 
 anxious about his beloved Dutchefs than for 
 himfelf, faid earneftly, " Do not mind me, 
 but afl&ft her, and fave her if poffible ; for I 
 fear much that this alrrtn may bring on her 
 premature delivery, and make our farther 
 progrefs im poffible." 
 
 The Baronefs's gentleman was of the fame 
 opinion, and therefore advifed the hiring a 
 carnage in the next village, 11 in which," he 
 added, " I will carry the Dutchefs to the 
 Countefs's, where fhe will find fafety and 
 confolation in the arms of a friend, while you 
 go on to the nearefl town, and put yourfelf 
 under the care of a furgeon. I will come to 
 you there, and if your wounds do not prevent 
 it ; will conduct you unnoticed to the caftle, 
 and thus fruftrate all further purfuit." 
 
 The Marquis approved of this plan, and 
 conjured the gentleman to put it into execu- 
 tion without delay, as he found his wounds 
 grow fo extremely painful as absolutely to 
 require affiftance. They were juft fetting off 
 a.^ain, as a well dreffed farmer paffed them 
 in a light carriage. The gentleman called to 
 him, and afked if he would, for double the 
 ufual pay, carry a lady, who was taken ill 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 185 
 
 in confequence of a fright, to the Cotmtefe 
 
 von M 's caflle. The man inflantly 
 
 agreed to it, and they all rejoiced that lb fa- 
 vourable an opportunity had occurred to 
 forward their fcheme. The frill feinting 
 Dutchefs was put into the carriage directly, 
 and the gentleman feated himl rlf by her ; and 
 in their hurry a little medicine cheft, in the 
 form of a chatulle, was all that they took 
 with them. The poor Marquis was thus 
 parted from this beloved object without be- 
 ing able to bid her farewell ; but the h ope of 
 feeing her again foon made him fupport this 
 feparation .with tolerable fortitude. 
 
 It is with forrow that Tacquaint my read- 
 ers of thefe hopes being difappointed, from 
 t h e u n fo rt u n at e c i r c u m ft a n c e o f t h e Du t c h e i s ' s 
 falling into the hands of the formidable Ja- 
 cob; for he was the man in whofe carriage 
 me was placed, it was in the Kiternitig of 
 this day that he had murdered poor Wolf- 
 gang, and he was now going to viftthis com- 
 rades in the wood, to hear what they had 
 made of their day's work. The prefent op- 
 portunity of acquiring, in all probability, a 
 confidcrable booty, was too enticing for him 
 to let it pals by unemployed. He purpofely 
 carried his charge the wrong way ; and flop- 
 ping in a remote part of the park, while the 
 gentleman was bufy in endeavouring 10 re- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 vive the Duchefs, he thruft daggers into the 
 hearts of both of them. His firf! care, after 
 this deed, was to fecure all the property of 
 the deceafed, and then to conceal their bo- 
 dies. He carried the murdered gentleman a 
 considerable way to a fiream of water, which 
 he knew to be of a great depth ; but as this 
 fatigued him very much, and the fear of being 
 diicovered filled him with anxiety, he threw 
 the body of the Duchefs into a neighbouring 
 fliaft, which he thought deep enough to con- 
 ceal his villainy from all the world. He then 
 haiiened to his companions, to whom he 
 gave an account of this tran facYion ; but be- 
 ing at the fame time alarmed letl the hand of 
 Juilice mould be raifed againft them by the 
 friends of thefe victims, and that they fhould 
 be furprifed in their retreat, he warned them 
 of this, and advifag them o retire for a few 
 days, affitted himfeif in carrying fuch of them 
 as were wounded over the frontiers. Thence 
 it came, that the huntfmen and peafants, who 
 fearched the wood the next day, found no 
 traces of the robbers. 
 
 \ 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 187 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 HE wounded Marquis, not meeting- 
 with a furgeon in the next town, and perceiv- 
 ing his debility increaie, difpatched the Nota- 
 ry from thence, with all the jewels which he 
 had with him, befides a large film of money, 
 
 to the Countefs von M , with whom he 
 
 flattered himfelf the Dutchefs was then ar- 
 rived in fafety, and whom he wilhed, in cafe 
 of his death, to fecure from all danger of fu- 
 ture want ; and as her name was Emily, 
 from thence arofe the miftake of the Coun- 
 tefs, already known to my readers, in fuppoi- 
 ing this depofit was a prefent to her daugh- 
 ter. He let out again direclly, and took the 
 road to a little Saxon town, where, accord- 
 ing to the account of his holt, he would find 
 a fkilful furgeon : but too much enfeebled by 
 the Jofs of blood, he died after the firft dref- 
 fmg of his wounds. He had previoufly di- 
 vided the remainder of his money amongft 
 his fervants, and advifed them to withdraw 
 immediately after his death, that they might 
 
1 88 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 elude the fearch of the Duke's emiflaries, and 
 thus efcape his vengeance. To one of them 
 he confided a ring of great value, and a let- 
 ter to the Countefs von M , in which he 
 
 informed her of his approaching fate, and con- 
 jured her to be a mother to his Emily, and 
 earneftly de fired, that in her prefent circum- 
 llances fhe might not be informed of his 
 death. 
 
 This treacherous fervant refolved to make 
 his advantage of this truft ; and firit deii rov- 
 ing the letter, he went to Leipfic in order to 
 fell the ring, and then intended to return to 
 his native country. As he was going through 
 one of the ftreets of this town, he was met by 
 companions of the Duke's houfe governor, 
 who knowing him directly for an Italian, 
 foon made an acquaintance with him, and 
 heard, over a glafs of wine, the whole hifto- 
 ry of his unfortunate mailer ; and that the 
 young Dutchefs, for he could not guefs to 
 the contrary, was with the Countefs von 
 
 M , and there expected the arrival of 
 
 the Marquis. 
 
 •Rejoiced at this difcovery, they carried the 
 traitor directly to the bed of their fick chief, 
 who was fo enfeebled by the unufual fatigue, 
 of their haraiTmg journey, that he had been 
 confined to it for many days. Bis illnefs had 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 189 
 
 rather been a check to their enquiries after 
 the fugitives, and he already feared to have 
 loft all traces of them, when he was unex- 
 pectedly delighted by this account. He pro- 
 mifed the betrayer a thoufand fequins, if he 
 would, by craft, get the Dutchefs into their 
 hand; and he immediately undertook this, 
 and the plan of carrying her off' was projected 
 the fame night. 
 
 As the houfe-governor had no expectation 
 of being able to travel at prefent, and wilh- 
 ed not to lofe any time in the execution of 
 this fcheme, he confided the profecution of 
 it to one of his comrades, who was once 
 Captain to the conftable of Mantua, and who 
 knew very well how to conduct an enterprize 
 of this kind. He had three companions 
 with him, whofe courage he had already 
 proved on fimilar occafions, but who all, like 
 himfelf were unacquainted with the perfon 
 of the young Dutchefs. The houfe-governor 
 promifed to follow them as foon as he was 
 well enough ; and if he mould not overtake 
 them on the road, he ordered them to carry 
 their prifoner to the Convent della Redemp- 
 tione, to the Abbefs of which he gave them a 
 letter. He alfo gave them letters to the Duke, 
 and furnilhed them with money in abundance 
 for their journey. One of them went for- 
 ward, in order to befpeak horfes at the ftage 
 
The Mountain Co'tager. 
 
 neareft to the Counted von M H caftle; 
 
 and their informer, who knew the road, was 
 to be their coachman. The careful houfe- 
 governor commanded them to ufe the great- 
 eft precaution in all Protei'iant countries, 
 becaufe he had an idea that the young Dutch- 
 els, who fpoke German fluently, would be 
 immediately refcued and protected, if fhe 
 called for afljrcance, and offered to adopt 
 that belief. He provided them with both 
 men's and woman's clothes for her ; and 
 charged them to drefs her as a man till they 
 got into Italy. From the firft itage, where 
 the betrayer was to receive his reward if 
 they accomplished their project., he engaged 
 to come back to Leipfic with the horfes, and 
 acquaint the houfe-governor with their fuc- 
 cefs. 
 
 They fat out on the third day, and arrived 
 in the evening of the fifth, ju'ft at twilight, 
 at a little diliance from the Gountefs von 
 M 's cafHe. According to their pre-con- 
 certed plan, the traitor was to go thither, 
 and to fay in fecret to the Dutchels, that the 
 Marquis, who was much better, had dif- 
 patched him to warn her of the Gountefs, as 
 he had certain proof that flie was in un- 
 demanding with the emifTaries of her father, 
 and would ihortly deliver her to them. That 
 he therefore conjured her to follow his mef- 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 191 
 
 fenger privately to the carriage, in which he 
 was waiting not hs oft', to receive her with 
 Open arms. In this trap they all hoped the 
 inexperienced Dutchefs would be caught, be- 
 caufe this faithlefs lervant was confided in by 
 the Marquis ; and, on account of his know- 
 ledge of the German language, had been ve- 
 ry valuable to them. 
 
 He ftole down the cattle avenue with this 
 view, as Emily was walking there bewail- 
 ing her Wolfgang. The lhade of the trees, 
 and the pale illufive light of the moon, led 
 him into the error of fuppofrng her to be 
 the young Dutchefs ; and he returned to his 
 comrades to give them an account of this 
 fortunate incident. Quite delighted at this 
 information, they went foftlv down the walk, 
 and leized Emily jult as lhe was feating 
 herielf upon a bank of turf. That the error 
 refpedinu. ner was not immediately detected, 
 arofe from the circumltance which I have al- 
 ready mentioned, of none of thefe men, ex- 
 cepting her own treacherous fervant, know- 
 ing the Dutchefs ; and he had now remained 
 with the carriage in order to be ready in his 
 office, as coachman, to fet off the moment 
 that they had lecuted her. 
 
 As they undreffed Emily in the wood, this 
 traitor firft perceived his miftake, and was 
 
192 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 more than once half inclined to difcover it to 
 his comrades ; but as he confidered that he 
 fhould thereby lofe his promifed recompence, 
 he refolved to keep his own fexret. Be the 
 unkown who (he will, he thought, me will at 
 laft be known ; and whatever fhe may have 
 endured, will probably be made ample 
 amends for it. He let them go on therefore, 
 and when they were happily arrived at the 
 deflined ftage, with fome trepidation he alked 
 for his reward ; and when he had obtained 
 this, he promifed indeed to carry the account 
 of their proceedings to the houfe-governor ; 
 but inftead of doing it, he left the horfes to 
 run in the next wood, and went directly to 
 Tyrol, on his way to his native town. 
 
 His departure made it impolfible for Emily 
 and her conductors to come to any explana- 
 tion, as none of them understood a word of 
 German, and fhe as little of Italian. Not- 
 withftanding this centainly doubtful circum- 
 ftance, it never came into the mind of the 
 other wife fenfible Captain, that there was 
 any miftake in this affair ; for he was firmly 
 convinced that the Dutchefs was only acting 
 a part, becaufe Ihe faw herfelf amongil Gran- 
 gers, whom fhe thought fhe could miflead by 
 atFecYmg a total ignorance of her native lan- 
 guage. Emily's eyes, her hair, her whole 
 countenance, her fize, anfweredfo exa&ly to 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 193 
 
 the defcription of the fugitive, which he had 
 often ftudied with great attention, that to 
 que (lion this being her, feemed almoft impof- 
 fible ; and if he ever had any doubts of it, 
 they were all at an end when he faw a dia- 
 mond crofs upon her neck, exactly corref- 
 ponding to that defcribed as worn by the 
 Dutchefs, and winch Emily had taken from 
 amongft the jewels fent by the Marquis, re- 
 folving to wear it as an everlafting remem- 
 brance of him. The impenetrable diffimula- 
 tion of his pri loner, therefore, added much to 
 her offence in the eyes of her cond actor, and 
 he often, for hours together, endeavoured in 
 vain to imprefs her with this idea. 
 
 The joy of the old Duke was very great 
 when he heard from the Captain of his 
 daughter's being found, and placed in the 
 convent. In the violence of his anger, on her 
 firft going off, he had threatened to murder 
 her with his own hand if he ever law her 
 again ; but time, and the long-felt abfence of 
 this only and beloved child had moderated 
 this terrible refolution ; and he was even con- 
 fidering whether he mould not forgive her, 
 when a meiTenger arrived from the convent 
 with an account of her being dangeroufly ill, 
 and not likely to recover. This intelligence, 
 and her difconfolate mother's moumfuf 
 ihriek, made him tremble, and he diredtly 
 R 
 
194 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 refolved that they ihould fet out together to 
 vifit their fick child, and if their forgivenefs 
 could lave her, to grant it without referve. 
 
 Juft after the Nuns had informed the Ab- 
 befs of Emily's death, the Duke and Dutchefs 
 arrived at the convent, languifhing to em- 
 brace their daughter. The Abbefs re- 
 ceived her exalted guefts with a forrowful 
 countenance, and announced to them the 
 fatal news of her deceafe. The Duke, 
 ftruck to the heart, remained fiJent for fome 
 time ; at laft he cried out, " It is hard, very 
 hard, to have loft my only child fo Jong, and 
 now to find her dead !" He tottered to a 
 chair, and, without farther complaint, fat 
 quite abforbed in his dee p : feelings. The old 
 Dutchefs, weeping and lamenting bitterly, 
 haftened to the cell to vifit the death-bed of 
 her daughter. " If I can no more," fhe cried, 
 " prefs my living child to my breaft, nothing 
 fhall hinder me from killing her corpfe, and 
 dying with her I" She threw herfelf down by 
 Emily, and kitted her pale face ; but ftarted 
 back, as fhe, with a deep figh, raifed herfelf 
 up and flared at the unknown Dutchefs. 
 To defcribe the fenfations of the latter is not 
 poftible. For one moment, her joy at finding 
 her child, whom fhe believed dead, ftill liv- 
 ing, was inexpreffible ; but terror and afto- 
 luflunaot inftantly fupplanted her joy, as fhe 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 195 
 
 perceived that inftead of being her, this was a 
 perfon whom {he had never feen before. 
 The Nuns ltood by in amazement, and nei- 
 ther party at all knew how to account for 
 this extraordinary circumftance. 
 
 Emily funk back upon her bed direclly ; 
 fhe felt herfelf better, but extremely weak. 
 Her death-like fleep had been the crtfis of 
 her fever, and the awakening her would 
 have been very dangerous, if fhe had not 
 fallen intoit again immediately. She was fait 
 aileep before the Dutchefs got breath to en- 
 quire of thofe about her the particulars of her 
 being brought thither; on hearing which, 
 fhe was convinced that the conductors of 
 Emily were either deceived themfelves on 
 this occafion, or had deceived them for the 
 fake of the reward that they had ofTered for 
 this fervice. 
 
 As Emily was the only perfon from whom 
 the Dutcheis could hope for an explanation 
 of this myftery, fhe recommended her ear- 
 nellly to the care of the Nuns, and returned 
 to the Duke to acquaint him with the mi f- 
 take fiie had difcovered. Without a mo- 
 ment's delay he fent off a meiTenger to the 
 Captain who had left Emily at the convent, 
 to defire that he would come to him, and in 
 the meantime he continued there to await 
 
196 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 her recovery. He heard from the Nuns that 
 
 the llranger fpoke only German ; but as he 
 was raafter or that language, this was of no 
 confequence to him, and he was very impa- 
 tient to iee her. On the fourth day from her 
 beginning to amend, me found herfelf much 
 better, and was able toconverfe; and, as ac- 
 cording to the ftridt rules of the place, no 
 man, the phylician and confeffor excepted, 
 was permitted to vifit the cells of the Nuns, 
 fhe was brought into an outward room, 
 where the Duke was expecting her. 
 
 Emily wept for joy at being once more ad- 
 drefled in her mother tongue, which had a 
 happier effect on her than all the medicines 
 ihe had taken. She anfwered all the Duke's 
 enquiries ; and it was with grief he found, 
 that me could not give him any account of 
 his daughter. 
 
 Thefe unhappy parents experienced ano- 
 ther fimilar difappointment on the arrival of 
 the Captain, who heard of this miilake with 
 aftoniihment. He ov/ned that he had at firft 
 almoft doubted himfelf whether this could be 
 the Dutchefs, but was confirmed in her being 
 fo, on feeing the brilliant crois upon her 
 breaft, which exaftly anfwered the defcripti- 
 on of that fhe was faid to wear. Her refuf- 
 ing to fpeak Italian he therefore confidered 
 
TJjc Mountain Cottager. 197 
 
 as mere diffimulation, and had purpofely con- 
 cealed it from her father, left it mould ftili 
 more inflame his anger againft her. 
 
 The crofs was now produced, and imme- 
 diately recognized by the Duke and Dutchefs 
 as belonging to their daughter, and they pref- 
 fed Emily to tell them where, and from whom 
 Hie had obtained it. 
 
 The innocent Emily related every thing 
 that flie really knew, and much more that 
 ftie believed me knew. She aflured the Duke 
 that flie had received this crofs, together with 
 many other jewels, and a large fum of money 
 from her lover, who was called the Marquis 
 Lanego. He had been, flie faid, fome time 
 about in their country, as a moufe-trap and 
 hatchel dealer, and had collected a great deal 
 of the treafure which lay concealed in the 
 Fichtelberg. That on the day in which 
 they had firft become acquainted, he was 
 mortally wounded in her prefence by two 
 men in mafks, and, as ftie fuppofed, killed 
 upon the fpot ; but that fhe heard of him af- 
 terwards with a carriage, horfes, and fervants, 
 travelling to a neighbouring town, from 
 •whence he had fent her the money and jewels 
 as a token of remembrance, and that he had 
 died at another town upon the frontiers of 
 Saxony. 
 
 R 2 
 
j r;3 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 At firlt the Duke confidered this account 
 as the delirium of her fever ; but as me con- 
 ilantly repeated the fame ftory, he knew not 
 at laft what to think or believe. The mafter 
 of the horfe, who ran away with his daugh- 
 ter, was named Lanego: he could only there- 
 fore fuppofe that this, in his eftimation, great 
 villain, had lhamefully forfaken her, and dif- 
 fipated her fortune with another woman. If 
 this was the cafe, then his child, he reflected, 
 might now be languilhing in the molt ex- 
 treme mifery ; and wretched at this idea, he 
 thought directly of going into Germany to 
 feek for her, but previoufly he defired once 
 more to talk with Emily, and begged her to 
 relate the whole ftory circumftantially. She 
 accordingly did fo ; and as me now found 
 that the Duke was in fearch of his daughter, 
 whom the Marquis had carried off, it came 
 at once into her mind whether the lady they 
 had drawn out of the ftiaft might not be this 
 daughter. 
 
 The Duke, on farther enquiry, was by 
 degrees nearly convinced that this murder- 
 ed lady was his child ; but, in order to ob- 
 tain greater certainty on this point, he refolv- 
 ed to go into Germany immediately. He 
 concealed from the poor mother the new 
 fears that he entertained, and flattered her 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 199 
 
 with hopes of conducting his beloved daugh- 
 ter again to her arms. With this profpedt 
 the Dutchefs fuffered him to go quietly, and 
 on the third day he fet out with the Captain 
 and Emily. The joy of the latter was with- 
 out bounds, when fhe heard that fhe was to 
 return to her native country, and fee her mo- 
 ther and the Countefs again. This joy made 
 her very talkative, and with the naivete of 
 her manner fhe often charmed the Duke from 
 his reveries, and almoft annihilated every 
 fufpicion which he had fecretly indulged 
 againft her. He began to believe her account 
 to be literally true, and that fhe, as well as 
 his own daughter, had been innocently de- 
 ceived by the arts of the Marquis. She won 
 the heart of the Duke fo much during their 
 long journey, that he often fwore in fecret, if 
 he found his own child dead, and Emily re- 
 ally faultlefs, that me mould fupply her 
 place to him, and mould be his heirefs. 
 
200 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 A 
 
 FTER a journey of four weeks, the 
 travellers arrived at the Countefs von M — 's 
 eftate. Emily's heart overflowed with joy, 
 as fhe difcovered from a diftance the turrets 
 of the caflle, and the little white cottage in 
 the wood. Her unaffected expreffions of de- 
 light drew tears from the Duke, and me 
 confirmed her intereft in his heart as fhe ten- 
 derly wiped away thofe tears ; and repeated- 
 ly affured him, that fhe would do everything 
 in her power to comfort him, if he did not 
 find his child again. 
 
 As they drove into the court yard of the 
 caflle, and the fervants difcovered Emily, 
 every one of them broke out into a loud cry 
 of joy, and ran into the houfe, which foon 
 refounded with the united fhout of " Emily 
 is here again ! Emily is here again !" The 
 
 Countefs von M flew impetuoufly to the 
 
 window, and fell back in a fwoon as fhe law 
 her child, whom fhe believed to be dead. 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 201 
 
 Emily hurried up ftairs, and found her in 
 this fituation ; but her tears and her kifles 
 foon revived the fainting Countefs ; but me 
 could not • fpeak — me could only feel, and 
 locked her child in her arms. 
 
 The old Duke flood there fpeechlefs, and 
 beheld this meeting with tears in his eyes. 
 He was fully ffefilible of the delight it muft be 
 to embrace a child again under thefe clrctim- 
 ftances, from the eagernefs with which he 
 longed for it himfelf. 
 
 When Emily was able to fpeak, me en- 
 quired after her folter-mother, and wifned 
 to mare her joy with her. On this the ma- 
 ternal heart of the Countefs was no more 
 mailer of itfelf ; fhe knew that Emily muft 
 take the old woman for her mother, and flie 
 was envious of another's bearing away this 
 tender appellation from her. — " Your old 
 fofter-modier," laid the Countefs, u has 
 died during your abfence ; but Heaven has 
 preferved your true mother in me. You are 
 my child, and all the world (hall know that 
 you are fo, and honour you as fuch." 
 
 The furprife of all the domefVics prefent 
 was very great , but the Countefs continued 
 her difcourfe, and prefented Emily to them 
 all, as her child, and as her heirefs. She faw, 
 
2&2 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 me thought only of her ; and was too much 
 taken up for fome time to notice the Duke, 
 who had no inclination to interrupt fuch a 
 fcene. After fhc became a little. more com- 
 pofed, flie perceived him, and Emily prefent- 
 ed him to her, as her deliverer, her father. 
 
 " I am happy," laid the Duke, almoft over- 
 come, u to have reftored a loft child to your 
 arms ; but I am very felfdh, for I afk of you 
 a like return. It were cruel now to check 
 your enjoyment ; but .when you can turn 
 your attention to me, pity an afflicted father, 
 who has fought a lofl child for a full year, 
 and who hopes to learn tidings of her from 
 you. Is my daughter really dead ? Was me 
 the ftranger to whom you generouily .crave a 
 decent grave ? Yet I do not wilh to hear it 
 to day ; In the uncertainty of my fate, I will 
 fatisfy myfelf with partaking your joy, and 
 hoping that the fame may yet be mine. But 
 if my daughter really lives, then no longer 
 delay the blefted moment when I (hall prefs 
 her again to my childlefs bofom." After a 
 paufe, the Duke added, " I know, I feel 
 that it is in contradiction to my requeft ; but 
 I can no longer fubdue the emotions of my 
 heart, which impetuoufly demands intelli- 
 gence of its darling." 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 203 
 
 The Countefs, who was but juft relieved 
 from a fimilar fituation, was deeply affected 
 by the Duke's diilrefs, and found, with real 
 forrow, from his anfwers to her enquiries, 
 that me was under the cruel neceflity of rob- 
 bing him of all hope. " Unfortunate old 
 man," fhe faid, " your daughter is too fare* 
 ly dead ! It is but too true that I fulfilled the 
 lall mournful duty to her, and that fhe lies 
 buried in the vault of my chapel." 
 
 The Duke gnafhed his teeth, and mur- 
 mured fome unintelligible words. 44 Oh, 
 Madam !" he cried out at laft, u the fe- 
 vered torments are nothing to what I feel. 
 To be childlefs in my old age, and not to 
 have the fatisfaction of retaliating on the 
 author of my miferies, what he has fo cruelly 
 inflicted on me, my poor wife, and our only 
 child, is too much. Mother of a child, pity 
 me ! If he is yet alive, and you know it, and 
 conceal him from me, then may the curfe 
 fall on you, which my bleeding heart now 
 teems with againfl him, but which my tongue 
 has not power to utter !" 
 
 Countess. " Your affliction is juft, but the 
 revenge you feek, if . it were poflible, would 
 not foften it. The Marquis is dead ; he was, 
 as well as your daughter, murdered by a def- 
 perate banditti. He had, no doubt, injured 
 
a 04 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 you, but he was faultlefs towards her. To 
 the laft hour of his life he loved her with the 
 utmoft tendernefs, and never would have fe- 
 parated himfelf from her, but with the hope 
 of its being for her fecurity, and that it would 
 be but for a fhort time." 
 
 Duke. Hypocrite ! liar ! — yet no ! forgive 
 me in this boundlefs grief if I fpeak with too 
 little constraint. You, perhaps, think not 
 that your daughter has difcovered to me that 
 the bale wretch alfo feigned to love her ; that 
 he fent a prefent to her, the jewels and the 
 money which my daughter, out of love to 
 him, ftole from me. And probably — Oh not 
 probably, too certainly, he murdered my 
 child, in order the more eafily to betray 
 your's. Oh Madam ! if you, on whom he 
 would have drawn a like misfortune, can yet 
 excufe him, then — then I have nothing more 
 to fay with you ! then — farewell ! I will 
 hence to my old wife, and weep, and complain 
 with her of a creature who thinks thus, and 
 cannot feel with me." 
 
 Countess, " Stay, dear good old man, 
 ftay with me ! You will hardly find a heart 
 that can take a deeper intereft in your 
 affliction. I pardon all your injurious ex- 
 preffions, and feel, that in your fituation, I 
 ihould have as little command of myfelf. I 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 205 
 
 will relate the whole flory of this misfortune 
 to you faithfully, as it may prove a con'oia- 
 tion to you to be let right in this error, 
 which I was once in my lei f, and to be con- 
 vinced that the Marquis is innocent of the 
 death of your daughter, that he loved her to 
 his laft moment, and never even faw my 
 child." 
 
 Duke. " Oh ! it will give me confolation ! 
 prove it ! prove it to me, and I will iincerely 
 thank you I" 
 
 The Countefs related to the old Duke the 
 hiftory of the unfortunate lovers, as I have 
 alreadv related it to my readers. She had 
 
 heard it from the Baronefs von Z , who 
 
 had vilited her, in the expectation of find- 
 ing them under her protection. Inltead of 
 which (lie only heard the melancholy catai- 
 trophe, as me did not doubt it would prove 
 to be, of their fate ; and the coffin of the 
 murdered lady being opened to afcertain 
 this, me immediately knew her to be the 
 young Dutchefs. As it appeared from the 
 Baronefs, that Emily and Lanego were the 
 names of thefe lovers, the Countefs was 
 fatisfied that the calket lent by the Notary 
 was deftined for the deceafed, not for her 
 daughter; and that the wounded Marquis 
 who had fent it, was not, as Ihe had lup- 
 S ' 
 
2o6 The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 pofed, the Savoyard who had been lately in 
 that neighbourhood. There ftill remained 
 a myfterioufnefs in this affair, which the 
 Countefs and Baronefs could not folve ; but 
 in forming their conjecture on it, they were 
 induced to believe, that it mult have been the 
 emiffaries of the irritated Duke who were 
 the murderers of thefe untimely victims, and 
 they often execrated this unnatural revenge. 
 But in another week this riddle was quite 
 unfolded. 
 
 The wounded banditti put themfelves un- 
 der the care of the fame furgeon who had 
 dreffed the wounds of the deceafed Marquis ; 
 and being fufpe&ed by him, they were, on 
 his advice, arrefted by the officers of juftice, 
 and they immediately confefled their guilt. 
 Soon afterwards, the renowned Jacob was 
 alfo taken as he was attempting to fly, and 
 committed to prifon. He was fubject to 
 the Countefs, and confequently was brought 
 before her judiciary, who, as was the cuftom 
 with thofe who would not voluntarily con- 
 fefs their crimes, put him to the rack, and 
 ibon extorted his confeffion. He not only 
 acknowledged his recent murders, but alfo 
 that he had deceived his neighbour, who had 
 related it again to the Baron von Tiefenthal 
 and the Countefs von M with a fabu- 
 lous account of the means by which he had 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 acquired his fortune ; and that thefe, tru fling 
 to his word, had taken a poor Savoyard for 
 a- Marquis, and that he had, for his own fecu- 
 rity, murdered the innocent creature. 
 
 This confefTion enabled the Countefs to 
 prove clearly to the Duke the innocence of 
 the Alarquis, and the miilake of Emily ; and 
 this operated fo powerfully on him, that his 
 ardent defire of revenge was extinguished, 
 and facceeded by a deep forrow. The idea of 
 the perfecuted lovers flying from one place to 
 another, and being compafTionated by Gran- 
 gers, who had endeavoured to protect them 
 from his anger, affected him very fenlibiy. 
 He wept bitterly ; and though the tears flowed 
 principally for his daughter, they fell alfo for 
 the Marquis, whom he would now willingly 
 have accepted for his fon-in-law. He begged 
 pardon of the Countefs for his injurious ex- 
 preffions towards her, and thanked her fin* 
 cerely for the interment of his child. " To- 
 morrow," he faid, " I will vifit her fad re- 
 mains, and mourn over her coffin, which I 
 will take with me ; and if my old wife afks me 
 whether I do not bring back her daughter, I 
 will give it to her. That moment will cer- 
 tainly be her laifc ! but of what ufe are child- 
 lefs parents in the world ? They are like an 
 arid tree, which if it is not thrown into the 
 fire, only {lands mouldering to decay." 
 
2o8 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 The Count efs endeavoured in vain to 
 footh the old Duke ; but the Toothings of 
 Emily, who was already dear to him, and 
 who became (till dearer, on being quite clear- 
 ed from his fufpicions, were of much more ef- 
 fect. i4 Be you," he cried out, tranfported, 
 as fhe fell weeping upon his neck, u be you 
 my fecond Emily. Fate has not brought you 
 to my arms in vain. I feel that only your 
 fociety can confole me." 
 
 The Duke indeed fpoke truly ; for though 
 he wept frequently, he always became calm 
 when Emily wiped away his tears, and call- 
 ed him father. As the Countefs was very 
 eager to learn how her daughter came into 
 Italy, and met with him, he gave her the hif- 
 tory of her adventure, and {he then regretted 
 that fhe had never made fuch enquiries after 
 her, as might have led to the di r covery of 
 this circumltance. But as fhe was in her own 
 mind Fully convinced that fhe alfo was mur- 
 dered, nothing eife had in her defpair occur- 
 ed to her, but to beg of the Jufticiary to ufe 
 every poffible means of making the banditti 
 own where they had concealed the body, 
 that fhe might at lead have the fatisfaclion 
 of giving it honourable burial. But all the 
 efforts of the Jufticiary to this effect were of 
 courfe of no avail ; and the Countefs was de* 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 200 
 
 nied her wiflied-for confolation, of vifiting 
 the grave of her child. 
 
 In recounting over this feries of events, it 
 did not efcape the recollection of the 
 Countefs, that fhe was accountable to the 
 Duke for the money and jewels which me 
 had received from the Marquis, as being the 
 property of his daughter. " That I acknow- 
 ledge myfelf your debtor," me faid, u and 
 fully intend to repay what fell thus acci- 
 dentally into my hands, will fufficiently 
 appear, from a letter which I wrote to you 
 a month ago, mentioning this bufmefs, and 
 the unhappy fate of the Dutchefs. At that 
 time, as I fuppofed, : my child was dead, and 
 every thing on earth was become indifferent 
 to me, I offered to repay the value of this de- 
 pofit immediately, by the fale of my eftate ; 
 but now that I have her again, I wifh to 
 leave her my eftate, and hope, from your 
 generofity, to obtain time to reftore, by pru- 
 dent management, what favedme from ruin. 15 
 
 The Duke affuredlh^ fjCountefs, that he 
 never mould defire, nor-accept of any restitu- 
 tion ; and as the Countefs refufed this, he 
 turned to Emily, and conjured her to grant 
 this firft requeft of her new father. Unable 
 
 S 2 
 
2,io The Mountain Cottager, 
 
 to withftand his earneft entreaties, fhe grate- 
 fully accepted his munificent prefent, and 
 put an end to this generous contention. 
 
 CHAR XX. 
 
 A 
 
 LL the inhabitants of the caftle now 
 lhared a general joy, excepting the old 
 Duke ; for the lofs of his child was too re- 
 cent and too deeply felt, for him to take a 
 part in it. As they were about to fit down 
 to fupper, the Countefs afked Emily, if fhe 
 thought no more of her Wolfgang. " It is 
 not handfome," fhe faid, " thusfoon to have 
 forgotten fo tender a lover." 
 
 Emily's cheeks were ftiffufed with a deep 
 blufh at this queftion. " Forgotten !" fhe 
 anfwered \ " 1 mall never forget him ! He 
 was very dear to me before, and his death 
 and his innocence make his memory yet 
 dearer to me. 1 fhould forget all my paft 
 misfortunes, if he was but ftill alive L" 
 
The Mountain Cottager, 211 
 
 Countess. 4 ' It is poflible that he may yet 
 live. I believed you dead, and yet now en- 
 joy the delight of having you again in my 
 prefence." 
 
 Emily. " But I was eye witnefs of his 
 death !" 
 
 Countess, u Only of his wounding, dear 
 Emily. How if he really yet lives ?" 
 
 Emily. " Yet ! yet ! Oh it is not poflible!" 
 
 Countess. " But if it were ?" 
 
 Emily. "'Then, ah then ! indeed, I mould 
 weep for joy !" 
 
 Countess. " That joy fhall be your's ; he 
 will fup with us this evening, and if you will 
 give him leave, fit by your fide." 
 
 Emily. " Ah, no I it is not — Oh you ha- 
 iafs me to no purpofe — it is not poflible !'* 
 
 Countess. " Incredulous girl ! then look 
 round and be convinced to the contrary." 
 
 At this moment Wolfgang came into the 
 room, Amply, but very genteely dreffed. He 
 had heard long before of Emily's arrival, and 
 
212 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 hurried to fee her as fhe came up flairs, and 
 thus thought himfelf prepared for this inter- 
 view ; but all his refolution vanifhed as he 
 approached to kifs her hand, and congratulate 
 her on her happy return. He trembled, he 
 looked earneftly at Emily ; tears of joy dart- 
 ed into his eyes, and he could only figh. 
 
 Emily was in a fimilar, or even more con- 
 fufed fituation. This unexpected meeting 
 with a man whom fhe loved, and lamented as 
 dead, was almoft too much for her. She in- 
 voluntarily gave him one hand, and catch- 
 ing his with the other, funk fobbing into his 
 arms. 
 
 The Countefs witnefied this mutual over- 
 flow of tendernefs with much emotion. " Sig- 
 ner Tartini, f> fhe faid to Wolfgang, u you are 
 right; the bond of pure love is eternal !" — 
 " Yes indeed, eternal !" he cried out, quite 
 tranfported. — " Eternal! eternal!" Hammer- 
 ed Emily after him. — As fhe recovered a lit- 
 tle from her aflonifhment, me began to afk 
 how it was pofhble that he yet lived ; that he 
 who was fo dreadfully wounded, now flood 
 before her quite well ? 
 
 As the like queftion will no doubt be afked 
 by my readers, I will relate his hiflory in the 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 213 
 
 mod concife manner poffible, to them and 
 the enquiring Emily at the fame time. 
 
 Wolfgang had indeed received two fiabs 
 v/ith a dagger from the wicked Jacob ; but 
 one of them had only bent a rib, and the 
 other, from his giving a fudden turn, had on- 
 ly cut the flefh without injuring any vital 
 part ; but overcome by pain and terror, he 
 fell apparently lifelefs to the ground, Jacob, 
 in general unerring in his blow, believing him 
 dead, efcaped with his colleague ; and Emily 
 went to fetch the old woman. 
 
 Wolfgang revived fhortly after, and his 
 imagination picturing to him thefe murder- 
 ers, as in league with the forcerers, he exert- 
 ed all his ftrength, and fled. Notwithftand- 
 ing he endeavoured to tie up his wounds, 
 they bled very much, and at the end of the 
 wood he funk down quite exhaufled. There 
 he was found by a fhepherd, who took him 
 to his cottage, and tended him carefully. As 
 perfons of this defcription have commonly 
 fome practical knowledge in phyfic, he ap- 
 plied the juice of certain herbs to his wounds, 
 and nature operating yet more powerfully 
 than the medicine, in four weeks he was able 
 to leave his ftraw bed. 
 
214 
 
 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 About this time his benefaftor, who lived 
 in a folitary place, heard from a huntfman 
 who palled by his flock, the hiitory of the 
 banditti, with all the particulars before re- 
 lated. The circumftance of this difcovery be- 
 ing made, by means of fome wounded men 
 belonging to this troop, excited fufpicions in 
 the mind of the Ihepherd. Perhaps, he 
 thought, my guefc is one of thefe wretches ; 
 and the certainty of his being an Italian con- 
 firming this conjecture, in order to purify 
 himfelf from all imputation of guilt for hav- 
 ing harboured him, he left the nSck to his 
 fon's care, and went to the jufuciary of the 
 Counreis, to whom he revealed what he fuf- 
 pecled. He, very naturally from this ac- 
 count, immediately arrefted Wolfgang, and 
 threw him into prifon. 
 
 His examination, by leading to the know- 
 ledge of who he was, entirety exculpated him 
 from thefe fufpicions, and gave the Countefs 
 the fatisfacYion of finding that her Savoyard 
 yet lived. He was directly releafed from con- 
 finement, and as his wounds had grown 
 worfe in prifon, fhe took him into her houfe 
 to be taken care of till he was perfectly reco- 
 vered. She was, by Jacob's confeilion, ap- 
 prized of her error of his being a rich Mar- 
 quis, and having the knowledge of concealed 
 treafures; but as her heart was peculiarly 
 
The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 open to companion by the lofs of her child, 
 and as he had fufiered ib much from her mif- 
 take about him, and had become dear to her 
 daughter, inclination, as well as juftice, led 
 her to pay him this attention. 
 
 The Countefs often vifited "Wolfgang dur- 
 ing this time ; and befides her difcovering ma- 
 ny good qualities in him, he gained on her af- 
 fections by the cordial ihare he took in her 
 affliction for the loft Emily, whom he lament- 
 ed with lb much unfeigned tendernefs, that 
 me wept in return with him, and was often 
 obliged, in the midft of her own forrow, to 
 give him confolation. 
 
 As foon as Wolfgang's health was re-eila- 
 blifhed, the Countefs gave him the appella- 
 tion of her Secretary, clothed him properly, 
 and let him eat at her table. He felt thefe 
 beneficences deeply, ftudied with great dili- 
 gence, and was not afhamed at the age he 
 then was, to learn to write, in order to be. 
 come worthy of the title which his beneiac, 
 trefs had at firll beftowed upon him ib unde. 
 iervedly. His continued application, his fin. 
 cere gratitude, and his unceafing regret for 
 Emily, fo won the heart of the Countefs, that 
 Ihe foon loved him as her ion. It was in 
 fhort with her as with the old Duke, that me 
 felt a chafm in her heart, and wiilied to fill it 
 
216 The Mountain Cottager. 
 
 up; thus file hoped that Wolfgang would 
 leflen, if not fupply, the lofs of Emily to her, 
 when Emily herfelf appeared. 
 
 I will not be prolix on the conclufion to 
 which my hiftory now tends, as I hope my 
 readers guefs it already. 
 
 At the end of three months, Wolfgang and 
 Emily were, with the confent of the noble 
 mother, man and wife. If any of my readers 
 wonder that a lady of rank could fo readily 
 marry her only child to a poor young Savoy- 
 ard peafant, I muft courteoully entreat them 
 to remember, that file was an illegitimate 
 child, and having no pedigree of high decent, 
 could never expe£t that a legitimate no- 
 ble would marry her. 
 
 The old Duke, who became daily more at- 
 tached to thefe young people, was prefent at 
 their nuptials. His firft intention had been, to 
 leave the calile immediately after the full 
 conviction of his misfortune, with the body of 
 his dead child ; but before he could fet out, 
 he received advice by a courier of the death 
 of his wife, who was unable to fupport the 
 certain lofs of her daughter, which fhe had 
 learned from the Countefs's letter, foon after 
 his departure. He now therefore Hood more 
 in need of confolation, and was eafily pre- 
 
Tbe Mountain Cottager. 217 
 
 vailed on to ftay and receive it from Emily, 
 who made it her ftudy to foften his affliction. 
 
 By the advice of the Duke, the Countefs 
 
 von M foon fold her eflate, and went 
 
 with him and her children into Italy. He 
 there endowed our young Savoyard with 
 confiderable pofTefTions, and by his influence 
 got him raifed to nobility ; and the family 
 of Wolfgang ftill flourtfhes there in great af- 
 fluence and refpectability. 
 
 The Duke married the Countefs von M — , 
 and lived with her and his adopted children, 
 during the remainder of his life, in perfect 
 happinefs. 
 
 FINIS 
 
 T 
 
[ 2I 9 ] 
 
 SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES. 
 
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 Arden William 
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220 
 
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 Deney Daniel 
 
Subscribers* Names. 
 
 221 
 
 E 
 
 EckenHorft Mo tin 
 Evir.s M rgareita 
 EhringhattS Adplph 
 Evans Robert, jun. 
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 Everiy Adam 
 Ei winc R )bert 
 E:\itwick Wtlliam 
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 Evans Ellin 
 E^ans George 
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 Engear.t M s. 
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 F 
 
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 Fricke Mrs. 
 Fridge Alexander 
 Fitzpatrick Leticia 
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 G 
 
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 H 
 
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 Kifielman Sufanna Mi s. 
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 Kins; Daniel, jun. 
 Kefl'er John 
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 Leonard Elizabeih 
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 MaiFey J.imes 
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C 22 7 ] 
 
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[ 22S ] 
 
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