Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A27474
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The female prince, or, Frederick of Sicily in three parts.
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Bernard, Catherine, 1662-1712.; Spence, Ferrand.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing B1984; ESTC R26538
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65,886
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254
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THE FEMALE PRINCE OR FREDERICK OF SICILY In Three Parts LONDON Printed for H. Rodes next door to the Bear Tavern near Bride Lane in Fleetstreet 1682. TO THE Right Honourable THE COUNTESS OF CONWAY Madam IT is now become so general a Custome to Devote things of this nature to some eminent Patronage that such as appear in the World without a considerable Protector seem like men abandoned by their good Genius run a kind of Gauntlet and lye exposed to the lashes of every Satirical Wit Thus Madam having found so much Innocence and Beauty in this Story as made me think it Merited a better Destiny I have presumed to make an Offering of it to your Ladyship in hopes that the entertainment it may afford will both atone for the confidence of this Address and ingage your Ladyship to allow it your Favour and Countenance I was easily made sensible that it could be no where so sure as in such a Sanctuary since so many Illustrious even Divine Qualities conspire to the Composing your Ladyships Character that it would be a kind of Prophanation to attach it when owned by a Person of your Fame and Merit For it is not only Madam all the advantages of Wit and Beauty of Alliance and Extraction that have procured you that Universal admiration in the World your Ladyship is as much renowned for the Qualities of your Mind as you are for those of Body and Fortune insomuch that all the Incense the Age can afford is not sufficient to Celebrate so much Merit and Virtue nor am I able to express the respect and Devotion with which I am Madam Your Ladyships most Humble and most Obedient Servant F. S. THE FEMALE PRINCE OR FREDERICK OF SICILY PART I. SIcily enjoyed great Satisfaction in the Reign of Menfroy that Prince having all the Qualities which obtain the Admiration of the People He had render'd himself formidable both in Spain and Italy and tho' he had no other Enemies than those his Valour had occasioned he had already given several Battels and it is certain that he conquered as often as he fought Queen Cassandra his Wife Daughter of Roger King of Naples was likewise an accomplish'd Princess having all the Virtues that can be wish'd for in a Great Queen and the King who loved her with an extraordinary Affection would have had nothing more to desire if Heaven had not deprived him of several Princes whom the Queen had brought into the World This misfortune of their Family made a great part of their Lives very afflicting Daughters not being capable of Succeeding in the Crown that Kingdom must inevitably have fallen into the hands of Berranger King of Majorca Minorca and Terra Nova his Cousin-German and greatest Enemy These two Kings being extraordinarily animated against one another would never have suspended the Effects of their Hatred if Prince Ordogne Count of Barcelonna and their Allies had not made them agree to a Truce which they represented to be necessary for the Repose of their People The King of Sicily notwithstanding the Advantages he had over Berranger was prevailed with to consent to this Proposition for indeed continual Victory does almost as much weary the Conquerour as the Vanquished and the King of Majorca being brought into Despair through the ill Success of his Arms accepted though with Repugnance all the Conditions that the King of Sicily imposed upon him hoping that by the Length of the Truce he might the better put himself in a Posture of resisting the Forces of Menfroy who had almost exhausted all those of his Kingdom Those kind of Treaties that are made out of Necessity do not put an end to Quarrels they only help to foment them and the Moment of seeing them revived is impatiently expected Such were the Sentiments of Berranger and which he endeavoured to inspire as much as possible in young Amaldee his Son and the young Camilla as soon as they came out of their Nurses Arms. The King of Sicily being returned to Messina the place of his usual Residence found the Queen his Wife ready to lye in This Princâ—ss who through the loss of her Children was become insensible of any Joy received the King with all the Tenderness she was capable of but with a Languishing and Dejectedness that cannot be conceived The King made it his Business to divert her Grief putting her in hopes that Heaven would be more favourable to them and that it would perhaps conserve the Child with which she went but if by Misfortune she was delivered of a Girl he was resolved to conceal her Sex and to bring her up as a Prince Majeur a Name consecrated in Sicily as the Prince of Wales in England for to exclude Berranger from hopes of succeeding in his Crown The Queen did willingly agree to this Design and some days after she was brought to Bed of a Princess who was called Frederick a Name famous in Sicily The Nurse Governess and the Lord High Admiral were the only Persons who had the Secret of this important Mystery The Queen dyed some time after whose Loss occasioned a publick Affliction the King being infinitely grieved and received no Consolation but what the sight of Frederick afforded him of whom he took a most particular Care And indeed never was Prince better bred than this his Natural Endowments being polished by a good Education quickly rendred him the most accomplished of all those of his Age. He was a Prodigy of Beauty but his Wit surpassed the Charms of his Person whereof he gave early and considerable Instances The young Prince of Naples called Leon who was brought up with Frederick walking one day with him and seeing a Number of fair Ladies attended by a Throng of Courtiers they continued their Walk with great Indifference as to those who followed them which Prince Leon taking notice of You must confess said he to Frederick that we are no great Gallants since we are so solitary in the Presences of so many Beauties You are in the right replyed Frederick we might at least agreeably employ our Eyes though our Hearts are not yet in a State of being sensisible but it is perhaps the little Peril we should thereby run that makes us so negligent of pursuing it The Truth is dear Cousin said Leon to him with an Ingenuity altogether charming I am very far from running any such Danger and hitherto I find in my self so little Disposition to Love that it would require a great deal of time to prepare me for the least Sence of it There needs no more replyed Frederick gallantly than two Eyes and perhaps not so many Years to make you change your Stile But you said the Prince of Naples once again Do not you find something surprizing in what they tell us of Love whom they describe to us as an Infant and however would persuade us that he is a dreadful Enemy I know not what to think of it said Frederick to him but perhaps we shall