第107章

I have nothing uncommon to take Notice of，in my Passage through France；nothing but what other Travellers have given an Account of，with much more Advantage than I can. I travell'd from Tholouse to Paris，and without any considerable Stay，came to Callais，and landed safe at Dover，the fourteenth of January，after having had a severely cold Season to travel in.

I was now come to the Center of my Travels，and had in a little Time all my new discover'd Estate safe about me，the Bills of Exchange which I brought with me having been very currently paid.

My principal Guide，and Privy Councellor，was my good antient Widow，who in Gratitude for the Money I had sent her，thought no Pains too much，or Care too great，to employ for me；and I trusted her so entirely with every Thing，that I was perfectly easy as to the Security of my Effects；and indeed，I was very happy from my Beginning，and now to the End，in the unspotted Integrity of this good Gentle-woman.

And now I began to think of leaving my Effects with this Woman，and setting out for Lisbon，and so to the Brasils；but now another Scruple came in my Way，and that was Religion；for as I had entertain'd some Doubts about the Roman Religion，even while I was abroad，especially in my State of Solitude；so I knew there was no going to the Brasils for me，much less going to settle there，unless I resolv'd to embrace the Roman Catholick Religion，without any Reserve；unless on the other hand，I resolv'd to be a Sacrifice to my Principles，be a Martyr for Religion，and die in the Inquisition；so I resolv'd to stay at Home，and if I could find Means for it，to dispose of my Plantation.

To this Purpose I wrote to my old Friend at Lisbon，who in Return gave me Notice，that he could easily dispose of it there：But that if I thought fit to give him Leave to offer it In my Name to the two Merchants，the Survivors of my Trustees，who liv'd in the Brasils，who must fully under+ stand the Value of it，who liv'd just upon the Spot，and who I knew were very rich；so that he believ'd they would be fond of buying it；he did not doubt，but I should make 4 or 5000 Pieces Of Eight，the more of it.

Accordingly I agreed，gave him Order to offer it to them，and he did so；and in about 8 Months more，the Ship being then return'd，he sent me Account，that they had accepted the Offer，and had remitted 33000 Pieces Of Eight，to a Correspondent of theirs at Lisbon，to pay for it.

In Return，I sign'd the Instrument of Sale in the Form which they sent from Lisbon，and sent it to my old Man，who sent me Bills of Exchange for 32800 Pieces of Eight to me，for the Estate；reserving the Payment of 100 Moidores a Year to him，the old Man，during his Life，and 50 Moidores afterwards to his Son for his Life，which I had promised them，which the Plantation was to make good as a Rent-Charge. And thus I have given the first Part of a Life of Fortune and Adventure，a Life of Providence's Checquer-Work，and of a Variety which the World will seldom be able to show the like of：Beginning foolishly，but closing much more happily than any Part of it ever gave me Leave so much as to hope for.