The Fortunate Foundlings | Page 2

Poland.
CHAP. XII.
Continuation of the Adventures of Louisa: Her quitting Vienna with Melanthe, and going to Venice, with some Accidents that there befel them.
CHAP. XIII.
Louisa finds herself very much embarrassed by Melanthe's imprudent Behaviour. Monsieur du Plessis declares an honourable Passion for her: Her Sentiments and Way of acting on this Occasion.
CHAP. XIV.
The base Designs of the Count de Bellfleur occasion a melancholy Change in Louisa's Way of Life: The generous Behaviour of Monsieur du Plessis on that Occasion.
CHAP. XV.
Louisa is in Danger of being ravished by the Count de Bellfleur; is providentially rescued by Monsieur du Plessis, with several other Particulars.
CHAP. XVI
The Innkeeper's Scruples oblige Louisa to write to Melanthe: Her Behaviour on the Discovery of the Count's Falshood. Louisa changes her Resolution, and goes to Bolognia.
CHAP. XVII.
Horatio arrives at Warsaw; sees the Coronation of Stanislaus and his Queen: His Reception from the King of Sweden: His Promotion: Follows that Prince in all his Conquests thro' Poland, Lithuania and Saxony. The Story of Count Patkull and Madame de Eusilden.
CHAP. XVIII
King Stanislaus quits Alranstadt to appease the Troubles In Poland: Charles XII. gives Laws to the Empire: A Courier arrives from Paris: Horatio receives Letters, which give him great Surprize.
CHAP. XIX.
The King of Sweden leaves Saxony, marches into Lithuania, meets with an Instance of Russian Brutality, drives the Czar out of Grodno, and pursues him to the Borysthenes. Horatio, with others, is taken Prisoner by the Russians, and carried to Petersburg, where he suffers the extremest Miseries.
CHAP. XX.
The Treachery of a Russian Lady to her Friend: Her Passion for Horatio: The Method he took to avoid making any Return, and some other entertaining Occurrences.
CHAP. XXI.
The Prisoners Expectations raised: A terrible Disappointment: Some of the chief carried to Prince Menzikoff's Palace: Their Usage there: Horatio set at Liberty, and the Occasion.
CHAP. XXII.
What befel Louisa in the Monastery: The Stratagem she put in Practice to get out of it: Her Travels cross Italy, and Arrival at Paris.
CHAP. XXIII.
Shews by what Means Louisa came to the Knowledge of her Parents, with other Occurrences.
CHAP. XXIV.
The History of Dorilaus and Matilda, with other Circumstances very important to Louisa.
CHAP. XXV.
Monsieur du Plessis arrives at Paris: His Reception from Dorilaus and Louisa: The Marriage agreed upon.
CHAP. XXVI.
The Catastrophe of the Whole.

THE FORTUNATE FOUNDLINGS.

CHAP. I.
Contains the manner in which a gentleman found children: his benevolence towards them, and what kind of affection he bore to them as they grew up. With the departure of one of them to the army.
It was in the ever memorable year 1688, that a gentleman, whose real name we think proper to conceal under that of Dorilaus, returned from visiting most of the polite courts of Europe, in which he had passed some time divided between pleasure and improvement. The important question if the throne were vacated or not, by the sudden departure of the unfortunate king James, was then upon the tapis; on which, to avoid interesting himself on either side, he forbore coming to London, and crossed the country to a fine feat he had about some forty miles distant, where he resolved to stay as privately as he could, till the great decision should be made, and the public affairs settled in such a manner as not to lay him under a necessity of declaring his sentiments upon them.
He was young and gay, loved magnificence and the pomp of courts, and was far from being insensible of those joys which the conversation of the fair sex affords; but had never so much enslaved his reason to any one pleasure, as not to be able to refrain it. Hunting and reading were very favourite amusements with him, so that the solitude he now was in was not at all disagreeable or tedious to him, tho' he continued in it some months.
A little time before his departure an accident happened, which gave him an opportunity of exercising the benevolence of his disposition; and, tho' it then seemed trivial to him, proved of the utmost consequence to his future life, as well as furnished matter for the following pages.
As he was walking pretty early one morning in his garden, very intent on a book he had in his hand, his meditations were interrupted by an unusual cry, which seemed at some distance; but as he approached a little arbour, where he was sometimes accustomed to sit, he heard more plain and distinct, and on his entrance was soon convinced whence it proceeded.
Just at the foot of a large tree, the extensive boughs of which greatly contributed to form the arbour, was placed a basket closely covered on the one side, and partly open on the other to let in the air. Tho' the sounds which still continued to issue from it left Dorilaus no room to doubt what it contained; he stooped down to