The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 5
by Anthony Hamilton

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Title: The Memoirs of Count Grammont, Volume 5

Author: Anthony Hamilton

Release Date: December 4, 2004 [EBook #5413]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COUNT GRAMMONT ***

Produced by David Widger

MEMOIRS OF COUNT GRAMMONT, VOLUME 5.

By Anthony Hamilton

EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY SIR WALTER SCOTT

CHAPTER NINTH.

VARIOUS LOVE INTRIGUES AT THE ENGLISH COURT.

Every man who believes that his honour depends upon that of his wife is
a fool who torments himself, and drives her to despair; but he who, being
naturally jealous, has the additional misfortune of loving his wife, and
who expects that she should only live for him; is a perfect madman, whom
the torments of hell have actually taken hold of in this world, and whom
nobody pities. All reasoning and observation on these unfortunate
circumstances attending wedlock concur in this, that precaution is vain
and useless before the evil, and revenge odious afterwards.

The Spaniards, who tyrannise over their wives, more by custom than from
jealousy, content themselves with preserving the niceness of their honour
by duennas, grates, and locks.

The Italians, who are wary in their suspicions, and vindictive in their
resentments, pursue a different line of conduct: some satisfy themselves
with keeping their wives under locks which they think secure: others by
ingenious precautions exceed whatever the Spaniards can invent for
confining the fair sex but the generality are of opinion, that in either
unavoidable danger or in manifest transgression, the surest way is to
assassinate.

But, ye courteous and indulgent nations, who, far from admitting these
savage and barbarous customs, give full liberty to your dear ribs, and
commit the care of their virtue to their own discretion, you pass without
alarms or strife your peaceful days, in all the enjoyments of domestic
indolence!

It was certainly some evil genius that induced Lord Chesterfield to
distinguish himself from his patient and good-natur