Даниэль Дефо - Roxana

Sir Robert smil’d, and told me, I talk’d a kind of Amazonian [195] Amazonian : aggressively feminist (from the legendary race of female warriors). Language; that he found few Women of my Mind, or that if they were, they wanted Resolution to go on with it; that notwithstanding all my Notions, which he could not but say had once some Weight in them, yet he understood I had broke-in upon them, and had been marry’d; I answer’d, I had so, but he did not hear me say, that I had any Encouragement from what was past, to make a second Venture; that I was got well out of the Toil, and if I came in again, I shou’d have no-body to blame but myself.

Sir Robert laugh’d heartily at me, but gave over offering any more Arguments, only told me, he had pointed me out for some of the best Merchants in London , but since I forbad him, he wou’d give me no Disturbance of that Kind; he applauded my Way of managing my Money, and told me, I shou’d soon be monstrous rich; but he neither knew, or mistrusted, that with all this Wealth, I was yet a Whore, and was not averse to adding to my Estate at the farther Expence of my Virtue.

But to go on with my Story as to my way of living; I found, as above, that my living as I did, wou’d not answer; that it only brought the Fortune-Hunters and Bites [196] Bites : swindlers. about me, as I have said before, to make a Prey of me and my Money; and in short, I was harrass’d with Lovers, Beaus , and Fops of Quality, in abundance; but it wou’d not do, I aim’d at other things, and was possess’d with so vain an Opinion of my own Beauty, that nothing less than the KING himself was in my Eye; and this Vanity was rais’d by some Words let fall by a Person I convers’d with, who was, perhaps, likely enough to have brought such a thing to pass, had it been sooner; but that Game began to be pretty well over at Court : However, he having mention’d such a thing, it seems, a little too publickly, it brought abundance of People about me, upon a wicked Account too.

And now I began to act in a new Sphere; the Court was exceeding gay and fine, tho’ fuller of Men than of Women, the Queen not affecting [197] affecting : caring, inclining. to be very much in publick; on the other hand, it is no Slander upon the Courtiers, to say , they were as wicked as any-body in reason cou’d desire them: The KING had several Mistresses, who were prodigious fine, and there was a glorious Show on that Side indeed: If the Sovereign gave himself a Loose, [198] gave himself a Loose : indulged himself, showed no restraint. it cou’d not be expected the rest of the Court shou’d be all Saints; so far was it from that, tho’ I wou’d not make it worse than it was, that a Woman that had any-thing agreeable in her Appearance, cou’d never want Followers.

I soon found myself throng’d with Admirers, and I receiv’d Visits from some Persons of very great Figure, who always introduc’d themselves by the help of an old Lady or two, who were now become my Intimates; and one of them, I understood afterwards, was set to-work on purpose to get into my Favour, in order to introduce what follow’d.

The Conversation we had, was generally courtly, but civil; at length, some Gentlemen propos’d to Play, and made, what they call’d, a Party; this it seems, was a Contrivance of one of my Female hangers-on, for, as I said, I had two of them , who thought this was the way to introduce People as often as she pleas’d, and so indeed, it was: They play’d high, and stay’d late, but begg’d my Pardon, only ask’d Leave to make an Appointment for the next Night; I was as gay, and as well pleas’d as any of them, and one Night told one of the Gentlemen, my Lord —, that seeing they were doing me the Honour of diverting themselves at my Apartment, and desir’d to be there sometimes, I did not keep a Gaming-Table, but I wou’d give them a little Ball the next Day, if they pleas’d; which they accepted very willingly.

Accordingly in the Evening the Gentlemen began to come, where I let them see, that I understood very well what such things meant: I had a large Dining-Room in my Apartments, with five other Rooms on the same Floor, all which I made Drawing-Rooms for the Occasion, having all the Beds taken down for the Day; in three of these I had Tables plac’d, cover’d with Wine and Sweet-Meats; the fourth had a green Table for Play, and the fifth was my own Room, where I sat, and where I receiv’d all the Company that came to pay their Compliments to me: I was dress’d, you may be sure, to all the Advantage possible, and had all the Jewels on, that I was Mistress of: My Lord —, to whom I had made the Invitation, sent me a Sett of fine Musick [199] a Sett of fine Musick : music for a number of instruments playing together. from the Play-House, [200] the Play-House : probably the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. But it is also possible that Roxana means the near-by Queen’s Theatre (later the King’s Theatre), also called The Opera House, in the Haymarket, managed about this time by John James Heidegger, who had introduced masquerades there. See note 219. and the Ladies danc’d, and we began to be very merry; when about eleven a-Clock I had Notice given me, that there were some Gentlemen coming in Masquerade.

I seem’d a little surpriz’d, and began to apprehend some Disturbance; [201] some Disturbance : Roxana’s party resembles the large, public masquerades, revived by Heidegger in the early years of the reign of George I, which were immensely popular and had to be guarded. when my Lord — perceiving it, spoke to me to be easie, for that there was a Party of the Guards at the Door, which shou’d be ready to prevent any Rudeness; and another Gentleman gave me a Hint, as if the KING was among the Masks; I colour’d, as red as Blood itself cou’d make a Face look, and express’d a great Surprize; however, there was no going back; so I kept my Station in my Drawing-Room, but with the Folding-Doors wide open.

A-while after, the Masks came in, and began with a Dance a la Comique , performing wonderfully indeed; while they were dancing, I withdrew, and left a Lady to answer for me, that I wou’d return immediately; in less than half an Hour I return’d, dress’d in the Habit of a Turkish Princess ; the Habit I got at Leghorn , when my Foreign Prince bought me a Turkish Slave, as I have said; the Malthese Man of War had, it seems, taken a Turkish Vessel going from Constantinople to Alexandria , in which were some Ladies bound for Grand Cairo in Egypt ; and as the Ladies were made Slaves, so their fine Cloaths were thus expos’d; and with this Turkish Slave, I bought the rich Cloaths too: The Dress was extraordinary fine indeed, I had bought it as a Curiosity, having never seen the like; the Robe was a fine Persian , or India Damask; the Ground white, and the Flowers blue and gold, and the Train held five Yards; the Dress under it, was a Vest of the same, embroider’d with Gold, and set with some Pearl in the Work, and some Turquois Stones; to the Vest, was a Girdle five or six Inches wide, after the Turkish Mode; and on both Ends where it join’d, or hook’d, was set with Diamonds for eight Inches either way, only they were not true Diamonds; but no-body knew that but myself.

The Turban, or Head-Dress, had a Pinacle on the top, but not about five Inches, with a Piece of loose Sarcenet hanging from it; and on the Front, just over the Forehead, was a good Jewel, which I had added to it.

This Habit, as above, cost me about sixty Pistoles in Italy , but cost much more in the Country from whence it came; and little did I think, when I bought it, that I shou’d put it to such a Use as this; tho’ I had dress’d myself in it many times, by the help of my little Turk , and afterwards between Amy and I, only to see how I look’d in it: I had sent her up before, to get it ready, and when I came up, I had nothing to do, but slip it on, and was down in my Drawing-Room in a little more than a quarter of an Hour; when I came there, the room was full of Company, but I order’d the Folding-Doors to be shut for a Minute or two, till I had receiv’d the Compliments of the Ladies that were in the Room, and had given them a full View of my Dress.