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Article THE COLLECTOR. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Collector.
St . Balmont sent him a very civil letter of complaint on his ill behaviour , which he treated with great contempt . ' Piqued at this , she was resolved that he should give her sausfa & ion ; and , merely consulting her resentme ' nt , she wrote him a note , signed Le Chevalier de St . Balmont . In this note she observed to him , that the ungentleman-like manner in which he had behaved to his sister-in-law oblio-ed him to resent itand thathe would ive himwith his swordthat
satis-, g , , faction which his letter had refused . The officer accepted the challenge ., and repaired to the place appointed . Madame de St . Balmont met hur 3 dressed in man ' s clothes . They immediately dr-cw their swords , and our heroine had the advantage of him ; when , after having disarmed him , she said , with a very gracious smile , ' You thought , Sir , I make no doubt , that you were fighting with Le Chevalier de St ,
Balmont ; it is , however , Madame de St . Balmont , of that name , who returns you your sword , and begs you in future to pay more regard to the requests of the ladies . ' She then left him , covered with shame and confusion ; and , as the story goes , he immediately absented himself , and no one saw him afterwards . But , be that as it may , this incident serving merely to inflame the courage of the fair challenger , she did not rest satisiied with merely preserving her estates , by repelling force by force , but she afforded protection to many of the gentlemen in her nei g hbourhood , who made no scruple to take refuge in
her village , and to put themselves under her orders when she took the field ; which she always did with success , her designs being executed with a prudence equal to her courage . ' 1 " have often , ' says the Abbe , ' been in company with this extraordinary personage , at the house of Madame de Feuquieres , wife to the celebrated Marshal of that name , at Verdun ; and it . was quite ridiculous to see how embarrassed she appeared to be in her female dress- and after she had quitted it in the
, town , with what ease and spirit she got on horseback , and attended the ladies that were of her party , and whom she had left in the carriage , in their little excursions into the country . ' The manner of living , however , of Madame de St . Balmont , so far removed from that of her sex , and which , in all other females who have attempted it , has ever been found united with libertinism of
maimers , was , in her , accompanied with nothing that bore the least resemblance to it . When she was at home , in time of peace , her whole day was employed in the offices of reli gion ; in prayers ; in reading the bible and books of devotion ; in visiting the poor of her parish , whom she was ever assisting with the most active zeal of charity . This manner of living procured her the admiration and esteem of persons of all descriptions in her neighbourhood , and insured her a degree of respeft that could not have been greater towards a queen . '
HUNTING ANECDOTE . A FORMER Duke of Grafton , in hunting , was one day thrown into a ditch ; at the same instant a horseman , calling out ' Lie still , my Lord ! ' leaped over his Grace , and pursued his sport . When the Duke ' s attendants came up , he enquired of them who that person
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Collector.
St . Balmont sent him a very civil letter of complaint on his ill behaviour , which he treated with great contempt . ' Piqued at this , she was resolved that he should give her sausfa & ion ; and , merely consulting her resentme ' nt , she wrote him a note , signed Le Chevalier de St . Balmont . In this note she observed to him , that the ungentleman-like manner in which he had behaved to his sister-in-law oblio-ed him to resent itand thathe would ive himwith his swordthat
satis-, g , , faction which his letter had refused . The officer accepted the challenge ., and repaired to the place appointed . Madame de St . Balmont met hur 3 dressed in man ' s clothes . They immediately dr-cw their swords , and our heroine had the advantage of him ; when , after having disarmed him , she said , with a very gracious smile , ' You thought , Sir , I make no doubt , that you were fighting with Le Chevalier de St ,
Balmont ; it is , however , Madame de St . Balmont , of that name , who returns you your sword , and begs you in future to pay more regard to the requests of the ladies . ' She then left him , covered with shame and confusion ; and , as the story goes , he immediately absented himself , and no one saw him afterwards . But , be that as it may , this incident serving merely to inflame the courage of the fair challenger , she did not rest satisiied with merely preserving her estates , by repelling force by force , but she afforded protection to many of the gentlemen in her nei g hbourhood , who made no scruple to take refuge in
her village , and to put themselves under her orders when she took the field ; which she always did with success , her designs being executed with a prudence equal to her courage . ' 1 " have often , ' says the Abbe , ' been in company with this extraordinary personage , at the house of Madame de Feuquieres , wife to the celebrated Marshal of that name , at Verdun ; and it . was quite ridiculous to see how embarrassed she appeared to be in her female dress- and after she had quitted it in the
, town , with what ease and spirit she got on horseback , and attended the ladies that were of her party , and whom she had left in the carriage , in their little excursions into the country . ' The manner of living , however , of Madame de St . Balmont , so far removed from that of her sex , and which , in all other females who have attempted it , has ever been found united with libertinism of
maimers , was , in her , accompanied with nothing that bore the least resemblance to it . When she was at home , in time of peace , her whole day was employed in the offices of reli gion ; in prayers ; in reading the bible and books of devotion ; in visiting the poor of her parish , whom she was ever assisting with the most active zeal of charity . This manner of living procured her the admiration and esteem of persons of all descriptions in her neighbourhood , and insured her a degree of respeft that could not have been greater towards a queen . '
HUNTING ANECDOTE . A FORMER Duke of Grafton , in hunting , was one day thrown into a ditch ; at the same instant a horseman , calling out ' Lie still , my Lord ! ' leaped over his Grace , and pursued his sport . When the Duke ' s attendants came up , he enquired of them who that person