as related, also the expedient of sending the
Marabout of Bugia to negotiate.
Mr. Thomas Thompson was really the English Consul at the time, but
his share in the matter is imaginary, as it depends on Arthur's
adventures.
The account of the Marabout system comes from the Universal History;
but the arrival, the negotiations, and the desire of the sheyk to detain
the young French lady for a wife to his son, are from the narrative. He
really did claim to be an equal match for her, were she daughter of the
King of France, since he was King of the Mountains.
The welcome at Algiers and the Te Deum in the Consul's chapel also
are related in the book that serves me for authority. It adds that
Mademoiselle de Bourke finally married a Marquis de B--, and lived
much respected in Provence, dying shortly before the Revolution.
I will only mention further that a rescued Abyssinian slave named
Fareek (happily not tongueless) was well known to me many years ago
in the household of the late Warden Barter of Winchester College.
Since writing the above I have by the kindness of friends been enabled
to discover Mr. Scott's authority, namely, a book entitled Voyage pour
la Redemption des captifs aux Royaumes d'Alger et de Tunis, fait en
1720 par les P.P. Francois Comelin, Philemon de la Motte, et Joseph
Bernard, de l'Ordre de la Sainte Trinite, dit Mathurine. This Order was
established by Jean Matha for the ransom and rescue of prisoners in the
hands of the Moors. A translation of the adventures of the Comtesse de
Bourke and her daughter was published in the Catholic World, New
York, July 1881. It exactly agrees with the narration in The Mariners'
Chronicle except that, in the true spirit of the eighteenth century, Mr.
Scott thought fit to suppress that these ecclesiastics were at Algiers at
the time of the arrival of Mademoiselle de Bourke's letter, that they
interested themselves actively on her behalf, and that they wrote the
narrative from the lips of the maitre d'hotel (who indeed may clearly be
traced throughout). It seems also that the gold cups were chalices, and
that a complete set of altar equipments fell a prey to the Cabeleyzes,
whose name the good fathers endeavour to connect with Cabale--with
about as much reason as if we endeavoured to derive that word from
the ministry of Charles II.
Had I known in time of the assistance of these benevolent brethren I
would certainly have introduced them with all due honour, but, like the
Abbe Vertot, I have to say, Mon histoire est ecrite, and what is worse-
-printed. Moreover, they do not seem to have gone on the mission with
the Marabout from Bugia, so that their presence really only accounts
for the Te Deum with which the redeemed captives were welcomed.
It does not seem quite certain whether M. Dessault was Consul or
Envoy; I incline to think the latter. The translation in the Catholic
World speaks of Sir Arthur, but Mr. Scott's 'M. Arture' is much more
vraisemblable. He probably had either a surname to be concealed or
else unpronounceable to French lips. Scott must have had some further
information of the after history of Mademoiselle de Bourke since he
mentions her marriage, which could hardly have taken place when Pere
Comelin's book was published in 1720.
C. M. YONGE.
CHAPTER I
--COMPANIONS OF THE VOYAGE
'Make mention thereto Touching my much loved father's safe return, If
of his whereabouts I may best hear.' Odyssey (MUSGRAVE).
'Oh! brother, I wish they had named you Telemaque, and then it would
have been all right!'
'Why so, sister? Why should I be called by so ugly a name? I like
Ulysses much better; and it is also the name of my papa.'
'That is the very thing. His name is Ulysses, and we are going to seek
for him.'
'Oh! I hope that cruel old Mentor is not coming to tumble us down over
a great rook, like Telemaque in the picture.'
'You mean Pere le Brun?'
'Yes; you know he always says he is our Mentor. And I wish he would
change into a goddess with a helmet and a shield, with an ugly face,
and go off in a cloud. Do you think he will, Estelle?'
'Do not be so silly, Ulick; there are no goddesses now.'
'I heard M. de la Mede tell that pretty lady with the diamond butterfly
that she was his goddess; so there are!'
'You do not understand, brother. That was only flattery and compliment.
Goddesses were only in the Greek mythology, and were all over long
ago!'
'But are we really going to see our papa?'
'Oh yes, mamma told me so. He is made Ambassador
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