Introduction
.
HENRY
De
S—
,
Baron
of
D—
,
was
betrothed
to
Eulalia
De
L—e
,
a
Daughter
of
the
Marquis
De
L—e.
An
offer
more
suitable
to
the
ambi
tious
views
of
the
Marquis
,
being
made
to
him
,
for
his
Daughter
;
he
compelled
her
to
write
a
refusal
to
her
first
Lover
,
which
was
accompanied
by
a
per
emptory
one
from
himself
.
The
young
Lord
,
unable
to
bear
the
thoughts
of
seeing
the
amiable
woman
he
doated
on
given
in
marriage
to
another
,
secretly
quit
ted
his
house
;
leaving
a
letter
behind
him
,
written
in
a
style
which
indicated
a
mind
bordering
on
despair
and
madness
,
declaring
that
all
search
after
him
would
be
in
vain
;
desiring
,
in
a
formal
manner
,
that
his
Kins
man
might
,
as
his
Heir
,
take
possession
of
his
Titles
and
Estate
,
giving
to
Eulalia
De
L—e
,
all
the
for
tune
of
which
he
had
a
right
to
dispose
.
Let
her
be
told
,
adds
the
unhappy
De
S—
,
"
that
this
must
be
looked
on
as
a
Brother's
,
not
a
Lover's
gift
:
that
Duty
and
Virtue
forbid
the
Wife
of
the
Duke
of
—
to
shed
one
tear
of
Love
,
to
the
Memory
of
the
Baron
De
S—
;
let
one
wretched
Victim
to
affection
suf
fice
—
let
him
be
forgotten
.
—
May
Heaven
bless
her
.
—
Give
her
,
great
God
!
the
happiness
which
might
have
fallen
to
my
share
!
—
add
my
date
of
days
to
hers
!
!
—
!
"
When
this
young
Nobleman
disappeared
,
it
was
imagined
from
the
whole
tenor
of
his
incoherent
Letter
,
addressed
to
several
friends
,
in
different
parts
,
but
directed
to
no
one
;
from
his
taking
nothing
of
value
with
him
,
and
leaving
even
his
purse
in
his
inkstand
,
that
he
left
his
house
with
an
intention
of
putting
an
end
to
his
Life
.
And
,
though
after
the
most
careful
search
,
his
body
was
not
found
,
yet
it
was
still
believed
that
he
had
completed
his
shocking
purpose
.
Disguised
in
the
Habit
of
a
Pilgrim
,
Henry
De
S—
went
to
the
Abbey
of
La
Trappe
,
in
the
Pro
vince
of
Perche
,
in
the
diocese
of
Séez
.
He
gained
admission
.
And
the
Father
Abbot
immediately
re
ceived
him
into
the
fraternity
.
The
Rules
of
this
order
are
more
austere
than
those
of
any
other
of
the
Romish
Church
.
Perpetual
silence
is
enjoined
to
the
Monks
.
They
are
allowed
neither
to
receive
nor
write
letters
.
None
of
their
friends
may
see
them
,
so
that
they
are
totally
ignorant
of
what
passes
in
the
World
.
Their
only
food
is
Bread
and
Pulse
;
their
drink
Water
.
Meat
,
Fish
,
Eggs
,
Milk
,
Butter
,
Wine
and
Oil
,
are
forbidden
to
them
.
—
They
are
not
al
lowed
to
study
.
The
Bible
,
and
a
very
few
books
of
severe
morality
and
self-denial
,
compose
the
whole
Library
of
a
Monk
of
La
Trappe
.
They
live
a
very
laborious
Life
,
cultivating
the
earth
,
or
following
some
manual
employment
,
such
as
they
are
found
most
fitted
for
.
The
Father
Abbot
only
is
allowed
to
speak
.
When
they
are
in
the
last
agonies
of
Life
,
they
are
placed
on
a
Bier
covered
with
Straw
and
Ashes
;
and
carried
into
the
Church
.
They
lie
on
this
Bier
till
they
expire
:
and
if
they
retain
the
power
of
speech
,
in
this
last
strife
of
Nature
,
their
Vow
of
Si
lence
is
dispensed
with
;
in
order
that
they
may
ex
hort
their
Brethren
:
this
permission
has
sometimes
given
rise
to
very
affecting
scenes
and
discoveries
.
The
uncommon
severities
which
the
young
Baron
De
S—
was
obliged
,
by
the
Rules
,
to
practise
in
the
Monastery
of
La
Trappe
,
injured
his
health
.
He
had
sound
retirement
,
but
not
peace
.
The
continual
agita
tions
of
his
mind
,
which
converse
with
the
friendly
part
of
the
World
might
have
relieved
,
disturbed
his
reason
,
after
he
had
been
in
this
gloomy
solitude
two
years
.
The
Monks
of
La
Trappe
dig
a
part
of
their
Grave
at
certain
stated
hours
:
Whilst
employed
in
this
occupation
,
Henry's
now
weakened
mind
pic
tured
the
form
of
his
once-loved
mistress
sinking
into
it
:
This
impression
once
made
upon
his
imagina
tion
,
constantly
returned
,
at
the
same
place
,
and
time
.
His
reason
was
not
enough
extinguished
to
make
him
suppose
Eulalia
really
present
;
but
the
picture
once
formed
by
his
disordered
imagination
was
so
strong
,
that
he
thought
it
a
Vision
:
Impressed
from
this
Idea
,
the
coinage
of
his
weakened
reason
,
he
determined
,
difficult
and
dangerous
as
the
execution
of
such
a
design
was
,
to
escape
from
La
Trappe
:
as
he
thought
that
Eulalia's
appearance
to
him
indicated
a
want
of
some
assistance
,
which
it
might
be
in
his
power
to
give
to
her
.
Forbidden
by
the
Rules
of
his
order
to
speak
but
in
prayer
;
and
all
the
Brethren
avoiding
one
another
,
except
at
Church
,
as
much
as
possible
;
the
state
of
Henry's
mind
,
balancing
between
reason
and
madness
,
of
which
he
himself
at
times
was
sensi
ble
,
escaped
observation
.
He
got
away
amongst
a
number
of
Pilgrims
who
came
to
La
Trappe
to
per
form
some
acts
of
devotion
;
disguised
in
the
very
dress
which
he
had
on
two
years
before
,
when
he
entered
the
Monastery
.
—
How
or
where
he
parted
from
the
other
Pilgrims
is
not
known
.
After
the
second
day's
travelling
,
in
the
depth
of
a
severe
Winter
,
he
was
benighted
,
on
a
heath
:
he
wandered
there
for
some
hours
,
till
his
strength
and
vital
heat
,
spite
of
the
hardships
to
which
he
was
accustomed
,
were
nearly
exhausted
,
when
his
undirected
steps
brought
him
to
the
Convent
of
Meu
don
.
Father
Hubert
found
him
kneeling
in
the
Portico
of
the
Church
,
as
he
came
out
,
from
cele
brating
Midnight
Mass.
The
Benevolent
Priest
seeing
a
way-worn
Pilgrim
,
at
that
time
of
the
night
,
in
such
an
unprotected
situation
,
invited
him
to
his
Cell
.
After
he
had
been
refreshed
there
;
confidence
in
the
fame-known
character
of
Father
Hubert
,
despair
,
and
the
workings
of
a
disordered
imagination
,
joined
to
make
him
discover
his
wildly
conceived
design
.
Father
Hubert
attempted
to
win
him
from
his
purpose
of
pursuing
his
journey
;
he
could
not
find
which
way
he
was
bending
his
course
,
and
he
feared
to
ask
him
too
many
questions
.
Finding
common
persuafion
,
and
what
force
he
could
oppose
to
him
ineffectual
,
to
deter
him
from
continuing
his
journey
;
he
feigned
to
suspect
the
real
motive
of
it
:
but
as
the
test
of
the
purity
of
his
intentions
,
Father
Hubert
offered
him
self
to
be
his
conductor
,
if
he
would
stay
till
the
Noon
of
the
coming
day
;
as
in
the
Morning
he
was
obliged
by
his
office
,
being
Almoner
,
and
Priest
to
the
Con
vent
,
to
attend
and
officiate
in
an
extraordinary
solem
nity
,
which
was
to
be
performed
.
Henry
accepted
of
his
offer
,
and
,
somewhat
calmed
,
spent
the
remaining
part
of
the
night
in
prayer
.