"Alas! my good dame," said she, "unless you had been ravished by two
Bulgarians, had received two deep wounds in your belly, had seen two
of your own castles demolished, had lost two fathers, and two mothers,
and seen both of them barbarously murdered before your eyes, and to
sum up all, had two lovers whipped at an auto-da-fe, I cannot see
how you could be more unfortunate than I. Add to this, though born a
baroness, and bearing seventy-two quarterings, I have been reduced
to the station of a cook-wench."
"Miss," replied the old woman, "you do not know my family as yet;
but if I were to show you my posteriors, you would not talk in this
manner, but suspend your judgment." This speech raised a high
curiosity in Candide and Cunegund; and the old woman continued as
follows.
CHAPTER 11
The History of the Old Woman
I have not always been blear-eyed. My nose did not always touch my
chin; nor was I always a servant. You must know that I am the daughter
of Pope Urban X, and of the Princess of Palestrina. To the age of
fourteen I was brought up in a castle, compared with which all the
castles of the German barons would not have been fit for stabling, and
one of my robes would have bought half the province of Westphalia.
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