The Fortunate Mistress: Or A History Of The Life Of Mademoiselle De Beleau, Known By The Nam... Book

[Such excess is most wearisomely evident in A Journal of the Plague Year and in Robinson Crusoe. Here though, it is used so sparingly that, when it is deployed, it is quite effective. Consider, for example, this moment from later in the novel where (the currently regretful, remember) Roxana finally becomes engaged to her Dutch merchant, and they reveal to each other the extent of the wealth that they have heretofore individually accrued and are now bringing to their connubial "jointure"and hymeneal couvenante, such a nuptial concordat and conjugal bargain as the world of accountancy has never seen! <--I do go on a bit there, cos Defoe himself then proceeds to do exactly that, diving into the kind of joyous detailing he is so fond of elsewhere, but because he has held himself back, we readers also revel in Roxana's and her fiancé's Scrooge McDuck-like revelling in their untold (well, now very much "told") wealth: So we open’d the Box; there was in it indeed, what I did not expect, for I thought he had sunk his Estate, rather than rais’d it; but he produc’d me in Goldsmith’s Bills, and Stock in the English East-India Company, about sixteen thousand amounting in the whole to 5800 Crowns 289 per Annum, or annual Rent, as ’tis call’d there and lastly, the Sum of 30000 Rixdollars in the Bank of Amsterdam; besides some Jewels and Gold in the Box, to the Value of about 15 or 1600 livres among which was a very good Necklace of Pearl, of about 200 livres Value; and that he pull’d out, and ty’d about my Neck; telling me, That shou’d not be reckon’d into the Account.

I was equally pleas’d and surpriz’d; and it was with an inexpressible Joy, that I saw him so rich: You might well tell me, said I , that you were able to make me Countess , and maintain me as such: In short , he was immensly rich; for besides all this, he shew’d me, which was the Reason of his being so busie among the Books, I say , he shew’d me several Adventures he had Abroad, in the Business of his Merchandize; as particularly, an eighth Share in an East-India Ship then Abroad; an Account-Courant with a Merchant, at Cadiz in Spain ; about 3000 livres lent upon Bottomree? upon Ships gone to the Indies ; and a large Cargo of Goods in a Merchant’s Hands, for Sale, at Lisbon in Portugal ; so that in his Books there was about 12000 livres more; all which put together, made about 27000 livres Sterling, and 1320 livres a Year.

I stood amaz’d at this Account, as well I might , and said nothing to him for a good-while, and the rather, because I saw him still busie, looking over his Books: After a-while, as I was going to express my Wonder; Hold , my Dear, says he , this is not all neither; then he pull’d me out some old Seals, and small Parchment-Rolls, which I did not understand; but he told me , they were a Right of Reversion which he had to a Paternal Estate in his Family, and a Mortgage of 14000 Rixdollars , which he had upon it, in the Hands of the present Possessor; so that was about 3000 livres more.

But now hold again, says he , for I must pay my Debts out of all this, and they are very great, I assure you; and the first, he said , was a black Article of 8000 Pistoles, which he had a Law-Suit about, at Paris , but had it awarded against him, which was the Loss he had told me of, and which made him leave Paris in Disgust; that in other Accounts he ow’d about 5300 livres Sterling; but after all this, upon the whole, he had still 17000 livres clear Stock in Money, and 1320 livres a-Year in Rent.

After some Pause, it came to my Turn to speak; Well, says I , ’tis very hard a Gentleman with such a Fortune as this, shou’d come over to England , and marry a Wife with Nothing ; it shall never, says I , be said, but what I have, I’ll bring into the Publick Stock; so I began to produce.

First , I pull’d out the Mortgage which good Sir Robert had procur’d for me, the annual Rent 700 l . per Annum ; the principal Money 14000 livres
Secondly , I pull’d out another Mortgage upon Land, procur’d by the same faithful Friend, which at three times, had advanc’d 12000 livres.
Thirdly , I pull’d him out a Parcel of little Securities, procur’d by several Hands, by Fee-Farm Rents, and such Petty Mortgages as those Times afforded, amounting to 10800 livres principal Money, and paying six hundred and thirty six Pounds a-Year; so that in the whole, there was two thousand fifty six Pounds a-Year, Ready-Money, constantly coming in.

When I had shewn him all these, I laid them upon the Table, and bade him take them, that he might be able to give me an Answer to the second Question , viz. What Fortune he had with his Wife ? and laugh’d a little at it.But as my Scots great-grandmother apparently used to say, "Too much laughing always leads to crying", of course—alas! (hide spoiler)]