Catherine

Thackeray William Makepeace

Description

Though he originally set out to depict criminals in as harshly accurate a light as possible, without the sentimentalization that he saw and disdained in Dickens' work, Thackeray's fictionalized account of the life of Catherine Hayes, an eighteenth-century woman who was burned at the stake for the murder of her husband, depicts the titular character in a somewhat more appealing and charming manner than the author intended. A must-read for fans of rollicking picaresque tales such as Moll Flanders.

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 novembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775419884
• Langue: English

Extrait

CATHERINE
A STORY
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WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
 
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Catherine A Story First published in 1839 ISBN 978-1-775419-88-4 © 2010 The Floating Press
While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike.
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Contents
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Chapter I - Introducing to the Reader the Chief Personages of thisNarrative Chapter II - In Which Are Depicted the Pleasures of a SentimentalAttachment Chapter III - In Which a Narcotic is Administered, and a Great Deal ofGenteel Society Depicted Chapter IV - In Which Mrs. Catherine Becomes an Honest Woman Again Chapter V - Contains Mr. Brock's Autobiography, and Other Matters Chapter VI - Adventures of the Ambassador, Mr. Macshane Chapter VII - Which Embraces a Period of Seven Years Chapter VIII - Enumerates the Accomplishments of Master ThomasBillings—Introduces Brock as Doctor Wood—And Announces the Executionof Ensign Macshane Chapter IX - Interview Between Count Galgenstein and Master ThomasBillings, When He Informs the Count of His Parentage Chapter X - Showing How Galgenstein and Mrs. Cat Recognise Each Other inMarylebone Gardens—And How the Count Drives Her Home in His Carriage Chapter XI - Of Some Domestic Quarrels, and the Consequence Thereof Chapter XII - Treats of Love, and Prepares for Death Chapter XIII - Being a Preparation for the End Chapter the Last Another Last Chapter Endnotes
Chapter I - Introducing to the Reader the Chief Personages of thisNarrative
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At that famous period of history, when the seventeenth century (aftera deal of quarrelling, king-killing, reforming, republicanising,restoring, re-restoring, play-writing, sermon-writing,Oliver-Cromwellising, Stuartising, and Orangising, to be sure) had sunkinto its grave, giving place to the lusty eighteenth; when Mr. IsaacNewton was a tutor of Trinity, and Mr. Joseph Addison Commissioner ofAppeals; when the presiding genius that watched over the destinies ofthe French nation had played out all the best cards in his hand, and hisadversaries began to pour in their trumps; when there were two kings inSpain employed perpetually in running away from one another; when therewas a queen in England, with such rogues for Ministers as have neverbeen seen, no, not in our own day; and a General, of whom it may beseverely argued, whether he was the meanest miser or the greatest heroin the world; when Mrs. Masham had not yet put Madam Marlborough's noseout of joint; when people had their ears cut off for writing verymeek political pamphlets; and very large full-bottomed wigs were justbeginning to be worn with powder; and the face of Louis the Great, ashis was handed in to him behind the bed-curtains, was, when issuingthence, observed to look longer, older, and more dismal daily....
About the year One thousand seven hundred and five, that is, in theglorious reign of Queen Anne, there existed certain characters, andbefell a series of adventures, which, since they are strictly inaccordance with the present fashionable style and taste; since they havebeen already partly described in the "Newgate Calendar;" since they are(as shall be seen anon) agreeably low, delightfully disgusting, and atthe same time eminently pleasing and pathetic, may properly be set downhere.
And though it may be said, with some considerable show of reason, thatagreeably low and delightfully disgusting characters have already beentreated, both copiously and ably, by some eminent writers of the present(and, indeed, of future) ages; though to tread in the footsteps ofthe immortal FAGIN requires a genius of inordinate stride, and to goa-robbing after the late though deathless TURPIN, the renownedJACK SHEPPARD, or the embryo DUVAL, may be impossible, and not aninfringement, but a wasteful indication of ill-will towards the eighthcommandment; though it may, on the one hand, be asserted that only vaincoxcombs would dare to write on subjects already described by men reallyand deservedly eminent; on the other hand, that these subjects have beendescribed so fully, that nothing more can be said about them; on thethird hand (allowing, for the sake of argument, three hands to onefigure of speech), that the public has heard so much of them, as tobe quite tired of rogues, thieves, cutthroats, and Newgatealtogether;—though all these objections may be urged, and each isexcellent, yet we intend to take a few more pages from the "Old BaileyCalendar," to bless the public with one more draught from the StoneJug: [1] —yet awhile to listen, hurdle-mounted, and riding down theOxford Road, to the bland conversation of Jack Ketch, and to hang withhim round the neck of his patient, at the end of our and his history.We give the reader fair notice, that we shall tickle him with a few suchscenes of villainy, throat-cutting, and bodily suffering in general, asare not to be found, no, not in—; never mind comparisons, for such areodious.
In the year 1705, then, whether it was that the Queen of England didfeel seriously alarmed at the notion that a French prince should occupythe Spanish throne; or whether she was tenderly attached to the Emperorof Germany; or whether she was obliged to fight out the quarrel ofWilliam of Orange, who made us pay and fight for his Dutch provinces;or whether poor old Louis Quatorze did really frighten her; or whetherSarah Jennings and her husband wanted to make a fight, knowing how muchthey should gain by it;—whatever the reason was, it was evident thatthe war was to continue, and there was almost as much soldieringand recruiting, parading, pike and gun-exercising, flag-flying,drum-beating, powder-blazing, and military enthusiasm, as we can allremember in the year 1801, what time the Corsican upstart menaced ourshores. A recruiting-party and captain of Cutts's regiment (which hadbeen so mangled at Blenheim the year before) were now in Warwickshire;and having their depot at Warwick, the captain and his attendant, thecorporal, were used to travel through the country, seeking for heroes tofill up the gaps in Cutts's corps,—and for adventures to pass away theweary time of a country life.
Our Captain Plume and Sergeant Kite (it was at this time, by the way,that those famous recruiting-officers were playing their pranks inShrewsbury) were occupied very much in the same manner with Farquhar'sheroes. They roamed from Warwick to Stratford, and from Stratford toBirmingham, persuading the swains of Warwickshire to leave the ploughfor the Pike, and despatching, from time to time, small detachmentsof recruits to extend Marlborough's lines, and to act as food for thehungry cannon at Ramillies and Malplaquet.
Of those two gentlemen who are about to act a very important part in ourhistory, one only was probably a native of Britain,—we say probably,because the individual in question was himself quite uncertain, and, itmust be added, entirely indifferent about his birthplace; but speakingthe English language, and having been during the course of his lifepretty generally engaged in the British service, he had a tolerablyfair claim to the majestic title of Briton. His name was Peter Brock,otherwise Corporal Brock, of Lord Cutts's regiment of dragoons; he wasof age about fifty-seven (even that point has never been ascertained);in height about five feet six inches; in weight, nearly thirteen stone;with a chest that the celebrated Leitch himself might envy; an armthat was like an opera-dancer's leg; a stomach so elastic that it wouldaccommodate itself to any given or stolen quantity of food; a greataptitude for strong liquors; a considerable skill in singing chansons detable of not the most delicate kind; he was a lover of jokes, of whichhe made many, and passably bad; when pleased, simply coarse, boisterous,and jovial; when angry, a perfect demon: bullying, cursing, storming,fighting, as is sometimes the wont with gentlemen of his cloth andeducation.
Mr. Brock was strictly, what the Marquis of Rodil styled himself in aproclamation to his soldiers after running away, a hijo de la guerra—achild of war. Not seven cities, but one or two regiments, might contendfor the honour of giving him birth; for his mother, whose name he took,had acted as camp-follower to a Royalist regiment; had then obeyed theParliamentarians; died in Scotland when Monk was commanding in thatcountry; and the first appearance of Mr. Brock in a public capacitydisplayed him as a fifer in the General's own regiment of Coldstreamers,when they marched from Scotland to London, and from a republic at onceinto a monarchy. Since that period, Brock had been always with the army,he had had, too, some promotion, for he spake of having a command at thebattle of the Boyne; though probably (as he never mentioned the fact)upon the losing side. The very year before this narrative commences,he had been one of Mordaunt's forlorn hope at Schellenberg, for whichservice he was promised a pair of colours; he lost them, however, andwas almost shot (but fate did not ordain that his career should closein that way) for drunkenness and insubordination immediately after thebattle; but having in some measure reinstated himself by a displayof much gallantry at Blenheim, it was found advisable to send him toEngland for the purposes of recruiting, and remove him altogether fromthe regiment where his gallantry only rendered the example of his riotmore dangerous.
Mr. Brock's commander was a slim young gentleman of twenty-six, aboutwhom there was likewise a history, if one would take the trouble toinquire. He was a Bavarian by birth (his mother being an English lad