ead
and buried, along with a thousand other worldly cares and ambitions, he
who felt it can recall it out of its grave, and admire, almost as fondly
as he did in his youth, that lovely queenly creature. I invoke that
beautiful spirit from the shades and love her still; or rather I should
say such a past is always present to a man; such a passion once felt
forms a part of his whole being, and cannot be separated from it; it
becomes a portion of the man of to-day, just as any great faith or
conviction, the discovery of poetry, the awakening of religion, ever
afterwards influence him; just as the wound I had at Blenheim, and of
which I wear the scar, hath become part of my frame and influenced my
whole body, nay, spirit subsequently, though 'twas got and healed forty
years ago. Parting and forgetting! What faithful heart can do these?
Our great thoughts, our great affections, the Truths of our life, never
leave us. Surely, they cannot separate from our consciousness; shall
follow it whithersoever that shall go; and are of their nature divine
and immortal.

With the horrible news of this catsstrophe, which was confirmed by the
weeping domestics at the Duke's own door, Esmond rode homewards as quick
as his lazy coach would carry him, devising all the time how he should
break the intelligence to the person most concerned in it; and if a
satire upon human vanity could be needed, that poor soul afforded it in
the altered company and occupations in which Esmond found her. For
days before, her chariot had been rolling the street from mercer to
toyshop--from goldsmith to laceman: her taste was perfect, or at least
the fond bridegroom had thought so, and had given her entire authority
over all tradesmen, and for all the plate, furniture and equipages, with
which his Grace the Ambassador wished to adorn his splendid mission. She
must have her picture by Kneller, a duchess not being complete without
a portrait, and a noble one he made, and actually sketched in, on a
cushion, a coronet which she was about to wear. She vowed she would wear
it at King James the Third's coronation, and never a princess in the
land would have become ermine better. Esmond found the ante-chamber
crowded with milliners and toyshop women, obsequious goldsmiths with
jewels, salvers, and tankards; and mercers' men with hangings, and
velvets, and brocades. My Lady Duchess elect was giving audience to
one famous silversmith from Exeter Change, who brought with hi