CHAPITRE IV. ADDISON

sombre que la martre, et le tablier de linon, plus blanc que Therinine. Sa robe était du plus riche velours noir, et, juste à Tendroit du cœur, garnie de larges diamants d'un prix inestimable disposés en forme de croix. Son maintien respirait la dignité et la sérénité riante, et, quoique avancée en âge, son visage montrait tant d'animation et de vivacité, qu'elle paraissait à la fois âgée et immortelle. A sa vue, je sentis mon cœur touché de tant d'amour et de vénération, que les larmes coulèrent sur mes joues, et plus je la regardais, plus mon cœur se fondait en sentiments de tendresse et d'obéissance filiale. — A sa droite était assise une femme si couverte d'ornements que sa personne, son visage et ses mains en étaient presque entièrement cachés. Le peu qu'on pouvait voir de sa figure était fardé, et, ce qui me parut fort singulier, on y démêlait des sortes de rides artificielles. ... Sa coiffure s'élevait fort haut par trois étages ou degrés distincts; ses vêtements étaient bigarrés de mille couleurs et brodés de croix en or, en argent, en soie. Elle n'avait rien sur elle, pas même un gant ou une pantoufle qui ne fût marqué de ce signe ; bien plus, elle en paraissait si superstitieusement éprise, qu'elle était assise les jambes croisées.... Un peu plus loin était la figure d'un homme qui regardait avec des yeux pleins d'horreur un bassin d'argent rempli d'eau. Comme j'observais dans son maintien quelque chose qui ressemblait à la folie, j'imaginai d'abord qu'il était là pour représenter cette sorte

408 LIVRE m. L'ÂGE CLASSIQUE.

« de démence que les médecins appellent hydroc phobie; mais m'étant rappelé le but du spectacle, « je revins à moi à Tinstant, et conclus que c'était « TAnabaptisme *. » C'est au lecteur de deviner ce

^ 1 . The mlddle figure which immediately attracted the eyes of the whole Company and was much bigger than the rest, was formed like a matron, dressed in the habit of an elderly woman of quality in Queen Elizabeth's days. The most remarkable parts of her dress were the beaver with the steeple crown, the scarf that was darker than sable, and the lawn apron that was whiter thân hermine. Her gown was of the richest black velvet, and, just upon her heart, studdcd with large diamonds of an inestimable value disposed in the form of a cross. She bore an inexpressible cheerfulness and dignity in her aspect; and though she seemed in years, appeared with so' much spirit and vivacity, as gave her at the same time an air of old âge and immortality. I found my heart touched with so much love and révérence at the sight of her, that the tears ran down my face as I looked upon her ; and still the more I looked upon her, the more my heart was roelted with the sentiments of filial tenderness and duty. I discovered every moment something so charming in her figure that I could scarce take my eyes ofl" it. — On its right hand there sat the figure of a woman so covered with ornaments, that her face , her body, and her hands were almost entirely hid under ihem. The little you could see of her face was painted; and what I thought very odd, had something in it like artificial wrinkles. But I was the less surprised at it, when I saw upon her fore* head an old fashioned tower of gray hairs. Her hair-dress rose very high by three several stories or degrees. Her garments had a thousand colours in them and were embroidered with crosses in gold, silver, and silk; she had nothing on, so much as a glove or a slipper, which was not marked with this figure. Nay, so superstitiously fond did she appear of it, that she sat cross -legged.... The next to her was a figure which somewhat puzzled me. It was that of a man looking with horror in his eyes upon a silver bason fiUed wilh water. Observing something in his countenance that looked like lunacy, I fancied at fir^t that he was to express that kind of distraction which the physicians call the hydrophobia. But considering what the intention of the show was, J immediately recel lected myself and concluded it to be Anabaptism.

{Tatler, n« 257.)