Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A70038
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The fair one of Tunis, or, The generous mistres a new piece of gallantry / out of French.
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Cotton, Charles, 1630-1687.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing F102; ESTC R21870
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123,223
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318
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it neither learns nor is to be taught Nature alone reads to us her Lectures and imprints them in us with her own hand Where this Law commands the powers of the earth can signify nothing since even Heaven it self obeyes it Methought every thing was lawful for me to do in a captivity so strange and so unjust at least my disordered Reason made me to believe so for to tell you the truth one is not alwaies willing to produce the best arguments and such as they ought to do against a design with which we are pleased and if we reproach our selves with it as a crime to be in Love the weakest Arguments we can pick out for such a purpose we are willing to think is all that can be said In the mean time what way soever I could contrive for the execution of our design I found them all not only very difficult but almost impossible to succeed and very well foresaw that if my dear Cousin did not assist me in this extreamity my hope would utterly forsake me and I must infallibly be a victime to my Fathers cruelty and my own life I then after having laid open to her the excess of my passion with a torrent of tears and in the best terms I could express propos'd the business to her but I was not so happy as to perceive that I did perswade her to it She would by no means be drawn to have a hand in an affair that she foresaw must needs be a blemish to her honor and trouble her repose so that all she would be induc'd to do was through the compassion she had for my sad condition to mix with me some of her tears and try to comfort me They already began to talk of an accommodation with the Marquiss and of rediâ—tegrating the friendship of our two Families by a marriage betwixt him and me To which end several friends on both sides began to treat and every person and every thing seem'd to be conspir'd to the ruine of our Loves So that I saw nothing but death for my last refuge which also I would rather be married to than to the Marquiss or than I would do that wrong to my beloved Don Pedro without whom I could neither live happily nor live at all This dear Lover of mine heard all this news he trembled at the good success of his Rival and already saw himself in his imagination depriv'd of a Treasure for which he would have expos'd a thousand lives in which despair he writ to me these words The unfortunate Don Pedro to his Princess L. S. D. I. THere is of late a certain rumor spread abroad concerning you and the Marquiss that pierces my heart and which if it be true will bring me to my Grave I dare not search into the truth of it for fear I should find it so but I know very well that I was only born to be miserable and that my Destiny did not render me worthy to burn for the fairest eyes in the world but with design to make me see them possest by another Alass since it is my fate that I must only love to perish by my flame why may I not at least have the honor to dye at your feet my dearest Princess and there render up a Soul that is wholly yours Ah what a joy would it yet be to me that dying you might receive my last sighs and to hear you say Dye Don Pedro dye my dear and since I cannot be thine for Heavens sake do you make out the rest for in the abundance of tears that sally from my heart I am able to write no more So soon as I had read this letter I threw my self upon my bed there to dissolve into tears in which posture I continued all that day and I had so much the more reason to be so afflicted because that that very Evening my Brother and the Marquiss were to be brought together to be made friends The Vice-roy was the person their friends on both sides had applied themselves unto to do this business who being my Fathers intimate friend was willing enough to undertake it and in order thereunto had invited both parties to supper then and there to make the reconciliation This it was that depriv'd me of all manner of hope forasmuch as upon this reconciliation I certainly knew a marriage would suddainly follow but I was resolv'd to beg of my Father in the last necessity either to put me to death or to give me leave to go end my dayes in a Convent With this determinate resolution my heart took a little truce for there is no more to do in the last extreams but positively to resolve upon something to gives ones heart a little ease In this sad tranquility I was wherein people usually are when they despair of all manner of relief when about ten or eleven of the Clock at night I saw Don Pedro enter my chamber who at his coming in cried out Madam to see you I am come to brave my death too happy if I may receive it after this good fortune for in the affliction I have liv'd ever since I was blest with your sight nothing can be more welcome and I shall die content if the blow come after I have been so happy as to kiss your feet Now you must know that Don Pedro having learnt that there were but two men left in the house one whereof was plac'd over me in the nature of a Keeper and the other had the charge of the Gate committed to him whilst my Father and Brother were at the Vice-Roys at Supper had so well ordered his business that having by the dexterity of some of his servants who had corrupted the Porter made himself master of the Gate and kill'd the other whom they found asleep he came up to my Chamber without any other opposition than that of some women whom the very fear of death withheld from crying out to give any Alarm If ever any person was surpriz'd it was I when I saw Don Pedro he seem'd me thought an apparition I scarce knew how to believe my own eyes and so many different motions at once opprest me betwixt the joy of seeing him and the fear least some mischief should befall him that I knew not what to say To what shall I attribute this silence Madam said he is it that you condemn me to dye and that my passion is not powerful enough to move your pity Pronounce my sentence if my life seem any thing considerable to you save it in escaping your self out of the hands of my Rival If you love me let me deliver you out of this captivity or if you will that I die by a cruel denyal I am ready to satisfie and obey you No no Don Pedro answered I all confus'd I am not insensible of what your heart suffers for me but do not you forget that it is with a man of honor I entrust my self and that it would be the
serve him but that then he must take heed he did not put her upon any thing that was inconsistent with the honor of a Maid a point wherein she was exceeding tender and that especially he must excuse her from carrying any Letters Tickets or any other thing whatever in writing that she would speak to his Mistriss in his behalf but that she was very sorry to see him engage himself in an affair wherein so many and so invincible difficulties besides those at present wereto be foreseen Whereupon she fell to saying a great many fine things and that were very rational upon that subject to divert him from further engaging himself in so dangerous affection but it was all in vain and all the dangers she represented to him did not in the least stagger his resolution from prosecuting his design He already lov'd too much to be capable of any Counsel against it and it was impossible for him to wrastle with a passion by which he was already overcome This dear Cousin of mine came the same day to see me and needed not many preambles to make me fall upon the discourse of Don Pedro for as I had a very great confidence in her I had already committed the greatest part of my bosome to her trust She found me in an excessive melancholy which a little to divert and to put me into a better humor she acquainted me at the very first with the visit she had receiv'd I embrac'd her five or six times for joy and being she had a very great kindness for me soon won her over to my side Thus did she every day comfort me and consolate Don Pedro in carrying some message or another betwixt us but nevertheless this satisfaction was imperfect and poor if it proceeded no further I never discover'd to her the one half of what I had a mind to tell her and I had yet discretion enough to conceal part of the flame by which I was devour'd At last that she one day saw sorrow painted in my eyes and death in my countenance she demanded of me what I ail'd whereupon laying my heart a little more open to her than I had formerly done I by degrees wrought upon her to carry me a Letter to Don Pedro which she having engaged to do I took Pen Inck and Paper and write after this manner Donna Isabella to Don Pedro. I Have at last prevail'd with my Cousin to deliver you this Letter a favor that she has granted in your consideration as well as mine and that you are to manage with your best discretion she will not refuse to bring another from you and therefore loose not the opportunity for above all things in this world I long to be satisfied under your own hand that you still continue constant and faithful to me I do here franckly declare unto you that it will be no hard matter for me to dye but it would be utterly impossible for me to live without your love Love me then my dearest and remember that the indignation of a Father incenst to the degree that mine is is nothing so insupportable as the absence of him I love above my life Farewell This beautiful young Cousin of mine was engaged too far in our confidence to recede and her severe humor with the aversion she had for Love intrigues grew pliant by degrees by conversing with so much flame and although Don Pedro with all his wit had not had the power to perswade her into that complacency my sufferings nevertheless had awak'd her pity and indeed the condition to which I was reduc'd would have touch'd a soul of marble with compassion She restor'd my dear Lover from death to life in delivering my letter to him there was nothing of grateful and obliging he did not say to thank her and he had in his transport of joy thrown himself at her feet to embrace and kiss them had she not hindred him from doing it for the favor He was quite another man after he had read it and put on another countenance his looks before overcast with melancholy clear'd up and joy sparkled in his eyes Which my Cousin seeing and that he was so thankful for so small a service she could not forbear making him a voluntary offer to carry back his answer which he also sent me and which I will now shew you This is it To my Princess Sennora Donna Isabella Don Pedro. I Would here present you with an image of my affliction did I not fear in so doing to augment yours but my dearest Princess what you already suffer is more than sufficient without adding to them the torments of a heart that dies for your love You ask me if this heart still faithfully loves you Ah! know that it is only you that obliges me to live and that there will be no more for it to do in this life when it ever ceases to love you Fortune has found a way to stretch my patience to the utmost in separating me from your sight but if you will provided the courage I have observ'd in you fail you not we shall overcome Fortune The Torments we are made to suffer are too intollerable and we must joyntly endeavour to free our selves from them be you therefore pleased to consider of the means only and rest assured in the courage of your faithful Lover that he will attempt all things to procure you the liberty to make him happy My Kinswoman brought me this letter two dayes after which I rewarded with a thousand caresses and kisses that I gave unto her with which she was also content promising me the same service so oft as I would command it from her which generosiâ—y of hers I made very good use of as also did Don Pedro with whom for about a month I continued this private correspondency and answer'd that she brought me after this manner Donna Isabella to her dear Don Pedro SO long as you shall continue to love me at the rate you say you do I shall have resolution enough to endure all the torments mankind can make me to suffer and there cannot be an affliction of force to pierce so far into my heart as there to disturb the joy I have to see my self so well establisht in yours Doubt not then of my courage for you have too well perswaded me of the greatness of your passion not to have enough to follow you over the world The means indeed appear unto me very full of difficulty but love especially when it is in despair is ingenuous enough and makes us try all wayes and attempt even impossibilities Farewell I shall think of something or other that perhaps may succeed I cannot but confess to you Albirond that my passion proceeded a little too farin making me resolve to do a thing so contrary to my Fathers command and my own duty but alass the Law of Love is the strongest Tye and takes place of all other obligations it is born and grows up with us