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Original
Capítulo I
Definición del amor y de la hermosura
—Aunque me parecéis muy severa, prima mía –dijo Glanville– en el modo con que pretendéis que nuestro sexo sea tratado por el vuestro, sería, no obstante, de desear que las mujeres, generalmente, se arrimasen a vuestra opinión lo bastante para que su sociedad no fuese una esclavitud continua; cuántas veces, Jorge amigo, no hemos compadecido a ese corto número de personas de gusto que, uncidas a su pesar por el amor, al carro de las bellezas, hicieron voto de acompañarlas por todas partes... Únicamente atentos al cuidado de agradarlas es preciso mostrarse sordo en Rénelagh cuando canta la Sirena Trazy y en Drurylane resistir a las impresiones que produce en la escena el maravilloso Garrick78.
—Por cierto –repuso el caballero Jorge (olvidando el papel que representaba)– que me acuerdo de haber visto a uno de mis amigos en un palco ocupadísimo con una de esas damas: representábase la mejor comedia de Congreve y parecía que hablaban de ella, aunque no cesaban de hablar79: una sonrisa hechicera animaba las más hermosas facciones; unos ojos grandes, bien rasgados, se levantaban de cuando en cuando hacia el cielo para dejarse ver mejor y el juego del abanico, poniendo más a la vista una mano blanca, pequeña y torneada daba a su conversación un cierto aire de importancia. Creí que disertaban sobre la conducta de la pieza o sobre la representación de los actores, pero nada menos que eso. Mi amigo me dijo que se trataba de una ardilla, de una lugareña mal peinada y de una muñeca venida de París, que traía una nueva moda: estas son las conversaciones a que es menester sujetarse (hecha la debida abstracción del inagotable capítulo de las gracias atractivas) si quiere aspirarse a la dicha de suspirar a la inmediación de las mujeres, cuyas personas tienen alguna celebridad.
—¿Hay, acaso, asuntos –repuso Arabela– que presenten variedades más agradables que esos de que acabáis de hacer una crítica injuriosa? La beldad es un manantial abundante de elogios y debíais considerar que, entre todas las pasiones, no hay ninguna más noble, más sublime ni más propia a elevar el alma que el amor. p. 122
—Permitidme, prima mía, que os represente, con sumisión, que cuanto puede decirse del amor y de la hermosura es reducible a pocas palabras80: basta tener ojos para ser seducido al aspecto de una hermosa presencia; pero es cierto que el catálogo de las perfecciones es cortísimo: creo que cuando se ha hablado de ojos, de facciones, de tez, de pelo, de talle y que se añaden algunos adjetivos como hechicero, seductor, divino, majestuoso y algunos substantivos más, como rosas, azucenas, jazmines etc., el asunto está, a corta diferencia, apurado, a menos de que no se repita; lo mismo sucede con el amor: dicen que nace de la admiración, que se conserva por la esperanza y que se acaba por el odio; no es necesario mucho ingenio para pintar este sentimiento y, si no me engaño, el diccionario de los amantes pocas más palabras tiene que incendio, ardor, llama, tormento, deseo, tiro, languidez, celos y algunos otros casi sinónimos81.
—Sentando semejantes paradojas, Glanville, no reflexionáis ciertamente; leed las conversaciones de los amantes ilustres y veréis una inmensa variedad de sentimientos producidos por el amor y la belleza; veréis los guerreros más distinguidos disertar sapientísimamente sobre el color de los ojos y disputar una victoria, puramente de opinión, con tanto ardor como si se disputase de un campo de batalla y veréis los efectos del amor expuestos bajo diferentes puntos de vista, y explicados con admirable elocuencia.
—Sobrina mía –interrumpió el barón– no puedo ocultarte que haría yo malísimo concepto de un militar si le oyese discurrir sobre tales insulseces y, desde luego, afirmo que esos tus guerreros que disertaban tan bien eran unos cobardes.
—¡Es posible, tío mío, que penséis así! El gran Orondates, el invencible Artabano, el afortunado y valeroso Artamenes, el incomparable Cleomedón y el victorioso Juba son igualmente ultrajados por vuestra proposición. ¿Qué opináis, caballero Jorge?
—Opino como vos, señora; pero, no obstante, debe repararse que tiene algunas tachas la reputación de esos héroes que acabáis de nombrar: el gran Orondates fue acusado de haber vendido a su divina princesa; el afortunado y valeroso Artamenes sospechado de inconstancia, y se reprocha al victorioso Juba una infinidad de bajezas82.
—¡Voto a tantos, Jorge amigo –dijo Glanville–, que no te creí tan versado en la historia de los héroes! Sin duda que son conocimientos nuevamente adquiridos.
—No, no –replicó Arabela–. Es mucha la instrucción del caballero y no puede menos de haber empleado muchas horas en la lectura de unas obras que enseñan la metafísica del amor y de la bizarría, que son los conocimientos que forman los héroes, así como la virtud y la hermosura forman las heroínas; si no me engaño, ha aprovechado de tal manera, que nunca será infiel a la que ama.
—Pues, con todo, prima mía, está acusado de bastantes delitos de esta especie.
—¿Pues qué –preguntó Arabela muy admirada–, habrá podido el caballero Jorge romper sus contratos, ser infiel, violar sus juramentos y abandonar a la misma a quien consagró su existencia? No puedo creer tan odiosa imputación.
—No es este el momento –repuso Jorge– de contradecir a Glanville, que ha querido denigrarme: me basta el estar justificado por mi propia conciencia. p. 123
—Acusaciones tales no se desprecian: vuestro honor está lastimado y me parece que no puede una mujer permitir que la améis mientras no estuviereis justificado.
—Pues yo –dijo Carlota– soy de contrario dictamen y presumo que ninguna mujer llevará a mal que Jorge haya sido infiel; es muy dulce cautivar al amante de otra y creo que una conquista así es más honrosa que rendir un corazón totalmente nuevo.
—Te he comparado, prima mía, a la princesa Julia y te repito que no hubo jamás dos mujeres más conformes en todo.
—Te doy gracias por mi hija del paralelo –repuso el barón– porque presumo que será un cumplimiento lisonjero.
—No, tío mío: la distancia de mi prima a una princesa no es tan desmedida.
—No es dado a todos –prosiguió el caballero Jorge– ser Artabano ni ofrecer la elección de los reinos ni poner los cetros a los pies de la princesa de los Partos, pero, si me atreviera a hacer alguna comparación, diría, que fue, como yo, acusado de inconstancia83.
—Es verdad, pero no fue culpado; diferiré, pues, el sentenciaros hasta saber vuestras aventuras y, entonces, juzgaré si Glanville os dio el título de inconstante con razón o sin ella.
Acabose esta conversación con el anuncio de que ya estaba la comida en la mesa.
78 Se refiere a los jardines de Ranelagh, en Chelsea, muy famosos durante la segunda mitad del siglo xviii como lugar de recreo, pues contaba con diversas atracciones: un lago, pabellones chinos o un salón de té en forma circular; allí también se celebraban conciertos, bailes y fuegos artificiales. Drurylane es el teatro de Drury Lane, construido en 1663 en la calle de igual nombre en el distrito londinense de Covent Garden. David Garrick (1717-1779) fue el actor británico posiblemente más conocido de esta época, además de dramaturgo y director de ese teatro de 1747 a 1776.
79 William Congreve (1670-1729), escritor inglés, discípulo y colaborador de John Dryden, es considerado como uno de los mejores representantes de la comedia de la Restauración (1660-1700), caracterizada por la viveza e ingenio de sus diálogos y por su relajación moral y sexual, como puede observarse en su última obra The Way of the World [Así va el mundo] (1700), uno de los máximos exponentes del género.
80 ‘os informe’.
81 Tiro significa ‘daño’, pero también ‘chasco’, ‘burla’ (Aut).
82 Según se refiere en Cassandre I.4 y 5, la princesa Roxana, enamorada de Orondates, convenció con astucias a la princesa Estatira de que aquel le había sido infiel; en Artamène VI.3 se mencionan las acciones de Mandana contra Artemenes por su engañoso parecido con Espitridates: las «bajezas» que se reprochan a Juba, esto es, Coriolano, se hallarán en Cléopâtre II.4 y V.2, en boca de su amante Cleopatra y su amigo Marcelo (Dalziel 400-401).
83 Elisa fue reconocida como reina de los Partos (escribimos en mayúsculas para evitar la ambigüedad del término) por derecho propio, pero también por ser la princesa de Artabano y desear los partos el matrimonio entre ambos (Dalziel 401). La referencia a la falsa inconstancia de aquel ya fue aclarada más arriba.
Chapter III
Definition of love and beauty. The necessary qualities of a hero and heroine.
“Though,” replied Mr. Glanville, “you are very severe in the treatment you think it necessary our sex should receive from yours, yet I wish some of our town beauties were, if not altogether of your opinion, yet sufficiently so as to make it not a slavery for a man to be in their company; for unless one talks of love to these fair coquettes the whole time one is with them, they are quite displeased, and look upon a man who can think anything, but themselves, worthy his thoughts or observation, with the utmost contempt. How often have you and I, Sir George,” pursued he, “pitied the condition of the few men of sense, who are sometimes among the crowd of beaux* who attend the two celebrated* beauties to all places of polite diversion in town? For those ladies think it a mortal injury done to their charms if the men about them have eyes or ears for any object but their faces, or any sound but that of their voices, so that the connoisseurs in music, who attend them to Ranelagh, must stop their ears, like Ulysses, when the siren Frasi sings; and the wits who gallant* them to the side-box* must lay a much greater constraint upon themselves, in order to [227] resist the soul-moving Garrick, and appear insensible while he is upon the stage.”
“Upon my soul,” added Sir George (forgetting the character he assumed) “when I have seen some persons of my acquaintance talking to the eldest of these ladies, while one of Congreve’s comedies has been acting, his face quite turned from the stage, and hers overspread with an eternal smile, her fine eyes sometimes lifted up in a beautiful surprise, and a little enchanting giggle half hid with her fan, in spite of their inattention, I have been ready to imagine, he was entertaining her with remarks upon the play, which she was judicious enough to understand. And yet I have afterwards been informed by himself that nothing was less in their thoughts; and all that variety in her face, and that extreme seeming earnestness in his discourse, was occasioned by the most trifling subjects imaginable. He perhaps had been telling her, how the sight of her squirrel, which peeped out of her pocket, surprised some ladies she was visiting; and what they said upon her fondness for it, when she was gone, blaming them at the same time for their want of delicacy, in not knowing how to set a right value upon such pleasing animals. Hence proceeded her smiles, the lifting up of her eyes, the half-stifled laugh, and all the pretty gestures that appeared so wonderfully charming to all those who did not hear their discourse. And it is upon such trifles as these, or else on the inexhaustible subject of their charms, that all who are ambitious [228] of being near these miracles, are under a necessity of talking.”
“And pray,” interrupted Arabella, “what subjects afford matter for a more pleasing variety of conversation than those of beauty and love? Can we speak of any object so capable of delighting as beauty, or of any passion of the mind more sublime and pleasing than love?”
“With submission, madam,” said Glanville, “I conceive, all that can be said either of beauty, or of love, may be comprised in a very few words. All who have eyes, and behold true beauty, will be ready to confess it is a very pleasing object, and all that can be said of it may be said in a very few words. For when we have run over the catalogue of charms, and mentioned fine eyes, fine hair, delicate complexion, regular features, and an elegant shape, we can only add a few epithets more, such as lovely, dangerous, enchanting, irresistible, and the like, and everything that can be said of beauty is exhausted. And so likewise it is with love: we know that admiration precedes it, that beauty kindles it, hope keeps it alive, and despair puts an end to it; and that subject may be as soon discussed as the other, by the judicious use of proper words, such as wounds, darts, fires, languishings,* dyings,* torture, rack, jealousy, and a few more of no signification but upon this subject.”p. 155
“Certainly, sir,” said Arabella, “you have not well considered what you say, since you maintain that love and beauty are subjects easily and quickly discussed. Take the pains, I beseech you, to reflect a little upon those numerous and [229] long conversations, which these subjects have given rise to in Clelia and the Grand Cyrus, where the most illustrious and greatest personages in the world manage the disputes; and the agreeable diversity of their sentiments on those heads affords a most pleasing and rational entertainment. You will there find that the greatest conquerors and heroes of invincible valour, reason with the most exact and scrupulous nicety upon love and beauty; the superiority of fair and brown hair controverted by warriors with as much eagerness as they dispute for victory in the field; and the different effects of that passion upon different hearts defined with the utmost accuracy and eloquence.”
“I must own,” interrupted Sir Charles, “I should have but a mean opinion of those warriors, as you call them, who could busy themselves in talking of such trifles; and be apt to imagine such insignificant fellows, who could wrangle about the colour of their mistress’s hair, would be the first to turn their backs upon the enemy in battle.”
“Is it possible, sir,” resumed Arabella, glowing with indignation, “that you can entertain such unworthy thoughts of heroes, who merit the admiration and praise of all ages for their inestimable valour, whom the spears of a whole army opposed to each of their single swords would not oblige to fly? What think you, sir,” pursued she, looking at Sir George, “of the injurious words my uncle has uttered against those heroic princes, whose courage, I believe, you are as well acquainted with as myself? [230] The great Oroondates, the invincible Artaban, the valiant and fortunate Artamenes, the irresistible Juba, the incomparable Cleomedon and a hundred other heroes I could name, are all injured by this unjust assertion of my uncle, since certainly they were not more famous for their noble and wonderful actions in war than for the sublimity and constancy of their affections in love.”
“Some of these heroes you have named,” replied Sir George, “had the misfortune, even in their lives, to be very cruelly vilified. The great Oroondates was a long time accused of treachery to his divine princess; the valiant and unfortunate Artamenes was suspected of inconstancy; and the irresistible Juba reproached with infidelity and baseness, by both his mistress and friend.”
“I never knew you were so well acquainted with these persons,” interrupted Mr. Glanville. “And I fancy it is but very lately that you have given yourself the trouble to read romances.”
“I am not of your opinion,” said Arabella. “Sir George, questionless, has appropriated great part of his time to the perusal of those books, so capable of improving him in all useful knowledge; the sublimity of love and the quintessence of valour, which two qualities, if possessed in a superlative degree, form a true and perfect hero, as the perfection of beauty, wit and virtue make a heroine worthy to be served by such an illustrious personage. And I dare say Sir George has profited so much by the great examples of fidelity and courage he has placed before his eyes that no consideration [231] whatever could make him for one moment fail in his constancy to the divine beauty he adores; and, inspired by her charms, he would scorn to turn his back, as my uncle phrases it, upon an army of a hundred thousand men.”
“I am extremely obliged to you, madam,” said Sir George, bowing his head to the ground to hide a smile he could not possibly restrain, “for the good opinion you have of my courage and fidelity.”p. 156
“As for Sir George’s courage, cousin,” said Mr. Glanville, laughing, “I never disputed it; and though it be indeed a very extraordinary exertion of it, to fight singly against an army of a hundred thousand men, yet since you are pleased to think it probable, I am as willing to believe Sir George may do it as any other man; but, as for his fidelity in matters of love, I greatly suspect it, since he has been charged with some very flagrant crimes of that nature.”
“How, sir!” resumed Arabella. “Have you ever been faithless then? And, after having sworn, haply, to devote your whole life to the service of some beauty, have you ever violated your oaths, and been base enough to forsake her?”
“I have too much complaisance, madam,” said Sir George, “to contradict Mr. Glanville, who has been pleased positively to assert that I have been faithless, as you most unkindly phrase it.”
“Nay, sir,” replied Arabella, “this accusation is not of a nature to be neglected; and though a king should say it, I conceive if you are innocent, you have a right to contradict him, [232] and clear yourself. Do you consider how deeply this assertion wounds your honour and happiness for the future? What lady, think you, will receive your services, loaded as you are with the terrible imputation of inconstancy?”
“Oh! As for that, madam,” said Miss Glanville, “I believe no lady will think the worse of Sir George for being faithless. For my part, I declare nothing pleases me so much, as gaining a lover from another lady, which is a greater compliment to one’s beauty than the addresses of a man that never was in love before—”
“You may remember, cousin,” replied Arabella, “that I said once before, your spirit and humour resembled a certain great princess very much; and I repeat it again, never was there a greater conformity in tempers and inclinations.”
“My daughter,” said Sir Charles, “is mightily obliged to you, Lady Bella, for comparing her to a great princess; undoubtedly you mean it as a compliment.”
“If you think,” said Arabella, “that barely comparing her to a princess be a compliment, I must take the liberty to differ from you. My cousin is not so many degrees below a princess, as that such a comparison should be thought extraordinary; for if her ancestors did not wear a crown, they might, haply, have deserved it; and her beauty may one day procure her a servant, whose sword, like that of the great Artaban, may win her a sceptre, who, with a noble confidence, told his princess, when the want of a crown was objected to him: ‘I wear [233] a sword, madam, that can perform things more difficult than what you require; and if a crown be all that I want to make me worthy of you, tell me what kingdom in the world you choose to reign in, and I will lay it at your feet.’”
“That was a promise,” replied Sir George, “fit only for the great Artaban to make. But, madam, if you will permit me to make any comparison between that renowned warrior and myself, I would venture to tell you that even the great Artaban was not exempted from the character of inconstancy any more than myself, since, as you certainly know, he was in love with three great princesses successively.”p. 157
“I grant you,” replied Arabella, “that Artaban did wear the chains of three princesses successively. But it must also be remembered, in his justification, that the two first of these beauties refused his adorations, and treated him with contempt, because he was not a prince. Therefore, recovering his liberty, by those disdains they cast on him, he preserved that illustrious heart from despair to tender it with more passionate fidelity to the divine princess of the Parthians, who, though greatly their superior in quality and beauty, did permit him to love her. However, I must confess, I find something like levity in the facility he found in breaking his fetters so often; and when I consider that among all those great heroes, whose histories I have read, none but himself ever bore, without dying, the cruelties he experienced from those princesses, I am sometimes tempted to accuse him myself of inconstancy. [234] But indeed everything we read of that prodigy of valour is wholly miraculous; and since the performance of impossibilities was reserved for him, I conclude this miracle also, among many others, was possible to him, whom nothing was ever able to resist upon earth. However,” pursued she, rising, “I shall not absolutely condemn you till I have heard your adventures from your own mouth, at a convenient time, when I shall be able to judge how far you merit the odious appellation of inconstancy.”
Saying this, she saluted her uncle, who had for some time been conversing in a low voice with his son, with a grace wholly charming, and retired to her apartment. Miss Glanville following her a few moments after, (the compliment, extravagant as it was, which she had paid her, having procured her some good will from the vain and interested Miss Glanville), they conversed together with a great deal of good humour till dinner time, which, because Mr. Glanville was not absolutely recovered, was served in his chamber.