By continuing to teach music, I insensibly gained some knowledge of it.The life I led was sufficiently agreeable, and any reasonable man might have been satisfied, but my unsettled heart demanded something more.On Sundays, or whenever I had leisure, I wandered, sighing and thoughtful, about the adjoining woods, and when once out of the city never returned before night.One day, being at Boudry, Iwent to dine at a public-house, where I saw a man with a long beard, dressed in a violet-colored Grecian habit, with a fur cap, and whose air and manner were rather noble.This person found some difficulty in making himself understood, speaking only an unintelligible jargon, which bore more resemblance to Italian than any other language.Iunderstood almost all he said, and I was the only person present who could do so, for he was obliged to make his request known to the landlord and others about him by signs.On my speaking a few words in Italian, which he perfectly understood, he got up and embraced me with rapture; a connection was soon formed, and from that moment, Ibecame his interpreter.His dinner was excellent, mine rather worse than indifferent; he gave me an invitation to dine with him, which Iaccepted without much ceremony.Drinking and chatting soon rendered us familiar, and by the end of the repast we had all the disposition in the world to become inseparable companions.He informed me he was a Greek prelate, and Archimandrite of Jerusalem; that he had undertaken to make a gathering in Europe for the reestablishment of the Holy Sepulcher, and showed me some very fine patents from the czarina, the emperor, and several other sovereigns.He was tolerably content with what he had collected hitherto, though he had experienced inconceivable difficulties in Germany; for not understanding a word of German, Latin, or French, he had been obliged to have recourse to his Greek, Turkish, and the Lingua Franca, which did not procure him much in the country he was traveling through; his proposal, therefore, to me was, that I should accompany him in the quality of secretary and interpreter.In spite of my violet-colored coat, which accorded well enough with the proposed employment, he guessed from my meager appearance, that I should easily be gained; and he was not mistaken.
The bargain was soon made, I demanded nothing, and he promised liberally; thus, without any security or knowledge of the person I was about to serve, I gave myself up entirely to his conduct, and the next day behold me on an expedition to Jerusalem.
We began our expedition unsuccessfully by the canton of Fribourg.
Episcopal dignity would not suffer him to play the beggar, or solicit help from private individuals; but we presented his commission to the Senate, who gave him a trifling sum.From thence we went to Berne, where we lodged at the Falcon, then a good inn, and frequented by respectable company; the public table being well supplied and numerously attended.I had fared indifferently so long, that I was glad to make myself amends, therefore took care to profit by the present occasion.My lord, the Archimandrite, was himself an excellent companion, loved good cheer, was gay, spoke well for those who understood him, and knew perfectly well how to make the most of his Grecian erudition.One day, at dessert, while cracking nuts, he cut his finger pretty deeply, and as it bled freely showed it to the company, saying with a laugh, "Mirate, signori; questo e sangue Pelasgo."At Berne, I was not useless to him, nor was my performance so bad as I had feared: I certainly spoke better and with more confidence than Icould have done for myself.Matters were not conducted here with the same simplicity as at Fribourg; long and frequent conferences were necessary with the Premiers of the State, and the examination of his titles was not the work of a day; at length, everything being adjusted, he was admitted to an audience by the Senate; I entered with him as interpreter, and was ordered to speak.I expected nothing less, for it never entered my mind, that after such long and frequent conferences with the members, it was necessary to address the assembly collectively, as if nothing had been said.Judge my embarrassment!-a man so bashful to speak, not only in public, but before the whole of the Senate of Berne! to speak impromptu, without a single moment for recollection; it was enough to annihilate me- I was not even intimidated.I described distinctly and clearly the commission of the Archimandrite; extolled the piety of those princes who had contributed, and to heighten that of their excellencies by emulation, added that less could not be expected from their well-known munificence; then, endeavored to prove that this good work was equally interesting to all Christians, without distinction of sect; and concluded by promising the benediction of Heaven to all those who took part in it.I will not say that my discourse was the cause of our success, but it was certainly well received; and on our quitting the Archimandrite was gratified by a very genteel present, to which some very handsome compliments were added on the understanding of his secretary; these I had the agreeable office of interpreting, but could not take courage to render them literally.
This was the only time in my life that I spoke in public, and before a sovereign; and the only time, perhaps, that I spoke boldly and well.