had sufficient eloquence to prove it You have Madam answered Scipio to prove things much more difficult and Varro has not served himself of reasons strong enough to perplex so excellent a capacity as yours For Varro affirm'd continued he that 't is more noble to love then to be lov'd because when when we love we act and that with choise and liberty having in our power to determine to love or not the first moment we engage our selves But to be lov'd said he is to speak properly to do nothing but lend a dead pretence and receive testimonies of a passion that is not to be destroy'd which is not difficult to be refuted For if the person that loves acts and the person lov'd does not the forbearance of the latter is much more noble then the action of the other since the inducement to act proceeds from as well as the end of the action terminates in the person lov'd As it is the grandeur of a King to cause a thousand persons to act without taking the pains to act himself and doing that for his subjects which they are oblig'd to do for him But I have wondred more at that which Varro dar'd to affirm that 't is in our power to determine our selves to love or not and that to be lov'd is to do nothing but receive the tokens of an affection which we cannot extinguish I will not insist in finding out a contradiction in these words though it would be no difficult search But if a man can love or not love a Lady that desires not to be loved by him might easily give him powerful inducements to resolve not to love her so that contrary to the sentiments of Varro it will be in her power to extinguish the passion that such persons has for her But Varro is excusable for having spoken in this manner for he knows not very well what love is since according to his sentiment a man is able to determine to love or not to love and since he is ignorant that our hearts are on a suddain engaged before our reason deliberates the matter and we take the chains upon us without knowing whether we ought to wear or break them But in my judgement Varro is yet more unjust when he says with a kind of contempt that to be lov'd is to do nothing but onely receive the testimonies of an affection that cannot be extinguished For indeed what can be more glorious then that desirable impatience of not being able to hinder our selves from being beloved What can we say more magnificent of our Gods then that it is impossible to know them without loving and adoring them Thus you see Ladies how much Varro hath mistaken the matter and whether he has done well in going about to maintain an opinion which he ought never to have thought worthy to defend After these words Aemilia Fulvia Attilia Servilius and my self spoke somthing to intimate that the discourse of Varro had made no impression upon our minds or at least none that was very advantageous to him And it now growing late it fell out by chance that Scipio Varro Minutius and I went forth together when beholding one another with looks that spoke no great kindness as you may well judge Madam we silently and unadvertingly went along till we came upon the bank of Tyber where we walk'd some moments all in silence till at length Varro whose nature is sufficiently violent regretting what had pass'd at Aemilia's house lookt stedfastly upon Scipio after having blush'd two or three times You have had more assistants said he to him then I at Aemilia's but I do not despair having an other party which perhaps will render me happy in the manner I wish For I believe not continued he a Lady of extraordinary merit and whom I should honour infinitely as I do Aemilia ought to think her self injur'd if I take all manner of courses to marry her But on the contrary as there is nothing better evidences the greatness of a passion then the extraordinary means which are us'd to satisfie it I conceive a Lady how averse soever she seem would be glad to have great projects and contrivances employ'd to conquer her and indeed they bring more glory to him that serves himself of them and to the person for whom they are undertaken then those kind of little diligences slight complacencies and secret insinuations which being ordinarily without lustre are also ordinarily without glory You deceive your self Varro answered Scipio if you believe a Lady that were of Aemilia's humour could approve such violent proceeding which you term extraordinary courses On the contrary pursued he you must know that Virtue and seemliness have constituted certain waies beyond which all passes for rudeness and irregularitie and therefore a virtuous person would be so far from being wrought upon by those great projects and contrivances you speak of or to speak more clearly those boisterous attempts and violences that she would perfectly hate a man who in order to marry should take your great courses employ your grand projects and make choise of your extraordinarie means You ill apprehend my sentiments Scipio replied Varro when you speak of boisterous attempts for what power soever I have in Rome I will never make use of it to do violence to Aemilia You would have done verie well Varro said Scipio disdainfully to have said before that fair person what you say now though it had bin onely to have setled her mind For the house of the Aemilii have great reason to fear the power of Varro in Rome But Varro continued he with a fierce air you would do yet better not to speak so high of the party you have in Rome but believe your self not capable of using it against a house so illustrious as that of the Aemilii For when all is done Varro Aemilius will spoil your plots at his return and if in his absence you offer to execute any design not consistent with virtue I will do the same that he would do if he were at Rome It belongs not to you answered Varro blushing to examine of nature the designs I am framing are and I conceive you have not yet bin long enough at Rome either to make plots there or to be able to break them And 't is so little a while replied Scipio with a scornful air that your name has been known there that my name alone would break the partie that you have form'd and if this means be too weak I shall find others that will do it both more powerful and more infallible Those other means you intimate answered Varro fiercely will as little daunt me as the pronouncing of a name which seems to me to have nothing mysterious enough in it to do great exploits These words of Varro made Scipio lose the patience which he had till then preserv'd so that suddenly wresting a sword which was carryed by a slave Let us trie Varro cryed he whether I can well make use
so young a Conqueror is nevertheless extreamly virtuous and infinitely amiable But Laelius continued she smiling since you have begun to make me obliging proposals in publick it is fit you speak of Love in General though it were onely to do displeasure to the persons with whom you give me notice I am not upon good terms Forbearing to speak in particular answer'd he I shall do all that you please and maintain against all your Enemies that there is nothing more powerful nothing more noble and advantageous then love And I shall prove interposed Regulus pleasantly that what you say of Love may be with more justice attributed to hatred But to make the conversation more handsome answered Nadalia it is requisite that you speak seriously as also that Cato declare himself and take his turn and when you have all three given your opinions the judgement of the difference shall be referred to the Princess I consent to the conditions said Laelius and I do the same added Regulus my submission then to the proposal shall follow agreed Cato But it must be known said Nadalia to him whether you will defend Love or Hatred I shall speak against both answered he But Nadalia said the Princess of Hippo I will not decide this debate or at least not without your judgment It is necessary that you do it Madam answered she for not to make the Elogium of your wit I can only say for my self that I am suspected in this matter Well then Nadalia replyed the Princess to avoid a new dispute which would arise betwixt you and me I will do what you desire though on condition that after I shall have declared my judgement you tell your own without dissimulation or complyance I shall obey your pleasure answered she To begin therefore to speak of Love said Laelius I shall assert that we have nothing more powerful nothing more advantageous or noble then the excellent passion I speak of We see Love is a God and a God so powerful that he hath subdu'd all the rest to his Empire and who that he might triumph generally over all hath overcome himself and sometimes sigh'd after the fair Psyche And if it be true proceeded he that Division of what nature soever is a thing absolutely destructive is it not just to affirm that we have nothing more advantageous then Love which is a passion that preserves all things while it unites them And indeed was it not Love that establish't civil society amongst the first men Was it not love that afterwards incited them to elegancy of life and teaches us every day to live as much for others as for our selves But these are not all the effects of love for if virtue makes it self to be belov'd it must be love that inspires it since love seeks alwayes to extend it self in the heart of the beloved person Moreover we see every day this excellent passion gives courage to the Pufillanimous moderates the fierceness of Conquerors opens the Purse of the Covetous and daily inspires us with such excellent sentiments that we may in a manner say that Nature by giving us Being onely makes us living Creatures but 't is love which afterwards renders us reasonable In truth said Regulus when he perceived Laelius had no more to say I am in a strange perplexity being oblig'd to answer a person of a transcendent wit It lies upon me to speak in commendation of hatred before the beautiful persons who ought extreamly to abhor it since they look upon the contrary passion every day as an effect of their beauty and in brief I must be the Patron and Protector of a thing whose onely name seems presently odious But since it cannot be evident continued he agreeably I shall maintain that Hatred is more powerful more advantageous and more noble then Love And in effect Is it not true that there is more evil then good in the world that Grief acts more vigorously then Joy and that Poysons deprive us of a life which remedies are unable to restore If this be true as is not to be doubted Is it not also true that the passion which with-drawes from all these things I mention'd ought to be more powerful and advantageous then that which leads us to good which is usually found more weak then evil as I said before I might hereunto add a hundred other particulars to the advantage of Hatred but I shall content my self with answering what Laelius hath spoken in the commendation of Love I observe then that he said Love is a God and a God that hath subdued all the other Deities to his Empire Nevertheless also I observe it may be answered that that very God may as well bear the name of the God of Hatred And indeed does he not shoot as many Arrows headed with lead which produce hatred in the breasts they touch as he does of those which are pointed with Gold which inflames the hearts which they wound and consequently causing as much hatred as love he might assume the name of the former of these Passions if perhaps the people had not been at first dazled with the effects of the richer mettal or at least if they had not conceiv'd some greater pleasure in naming them then in naming Hatred which was produc'd by a metal not esteem'd of For in truth one of these Passions does not satisfie more then the other and I believe a person that hates pleases himself as much in his aversion as a person that Love finds satisfaction in reflecting on his affection Therefore let Laelius change his opinion and let him no longer say That 't is Love rather then Hatred which establish'd civil society by uniting our fore-fathers together that love hath induc'd us to politeness of manners and taught us liberality and the way to act for the interest of others For as for my part I believe Hatred produc'd these excellent effects and think it not difficult to be prov'd For be pleas'd Ladies to imagine the world without society and civil manners you will soon apprehend how men continuing in Desarts without union and order would kill one another like Tygers and Leopards but you will also see that coming by degrees to conceive a hatred against such disorder they will unite to preserve themselves they will build Cities to secure themselves from the attempts of strangers and constitute punishments against those that shall cause disturbance amongst them Thus you see Hatred will establish civil Society And let it not be objected to me that this proceeds rather from the love we bear our selves which causes to unite for our own conversation since on the contrary 't was that self-love which caused all the former disorder for the strong would never go about to oppress the weak if he were not desirous to ravish from him what he sees him possess so that it may be said 't is that self-love which caused division and hatred that has afterwards establisht civil society But this is not
Varro as fierce and sprightly as he is was extreamly dejected with these last words of Emilia so that endeavouring to compose his countenance the best he could and beholding that charming person with a forced smile as if to intimate to her that what he had said was onely in jest But Madam said he you mistake the matter for you may understand my sentiments are wholly pure and unconcern'd if I pretend to marry a fair person whom I love and by whom I dare not hope to be belov'd again That term dare was wrong placed answered she with the same air but Varro since I am not in the humour to examine whether your sentiments are pure and unconcerned you will do me a great pleasure to speak no more of these matters But Madam said I to Emilia 't is unjust to impose silence to Varro for since his opinion ought not to be followed it is requisite that he change it forth-with or after having said his utmost to confirm it be convinced of his error by contrary reasons If Varro should not change his opinion said Attilia there would be no danger of drawing much of the world to be of his judgement The sentiments of the multitude are not alwayes the best answered Minutius and the greatest part of man-kind is not perpetually the wisest Should what you say be true replyed Fulvia yet there would at least be in the kind of sentiments the satisfaction of not erring but in good company Besides added I an error ceases to be such when it is generally receiv'd And what will become of our priority if the sentiment opposite to that of Varro be perfectly good and generally receiv'd We may examine the goodness of it answered Minutius but as for being generally receiv'd I shall not agree to that for in the Chamber where we are the opinion of Varro ought to find many defenders since the Ladies who are present ought either to approve it or confess that they take pleasure in being belov'd For my part said Attilia I should take none inbeing hated But Madam proceeded she addressing to Aemilia whose countenance spoke her unwillingness to declare her self you shall tell us your sentiment also if you please To tell it you ingeniously since you desire it answered she I shall acknowledge that I conceive the friendship or the indifference of persons that are worthy of both ought to be desir'd as they say 't is a pleasure to be commended by a person that is commendable himself But Madam said Varro if an amiable person should not love you would you be less satisfi'd when you consider'd that you did what you ought in loving a lovely person and especially that does not love you since you would act without interest There would be more generosity in that which you say answered Scipio but I do not conceive there would be more satisfaction That generosity replyed Varro would cause the pleasure I speak of but since you require I should speak of a pleasure that is more essential to the thing I have onely to tell you that if you come to marry a person that loves you passionately you act as well for her as for your self so that this satisfaction being divided is weakened on your side whereas if you act onely for your own interests you have the pleasure of seeing that all you do is done for your self and that you triumph over the passions of a fair person Besides when you act in this manner you resemble Conquerors who gloriously win a place that resists whereas they who get themselves to be affected by their little diligences attendances and complacencies are like those Captains that take Cities onely by intelligence or some other secret means Moreover added Minutius in the deportment of a person that loves you observe something so obliging that seems to disparage modesty whereby you are not so lively affected with it besides that such a person requires at several times you should perform certain duties to her and certain services which she overcomes according to the capriciousness of her passion and so taking them as tributes which you owe her it is impossible you should render them without regret because you do with constraint But upon the countenance of a person that loves you not you alwayes see such a coldness and reservedness which increases modesty and ravishes you with a joy beyond my ability to express I shall go further replyed Varro and say that there is something more noble in this sentiment of mine For either the person we love has wit or she has not if not you may easily judg there is no great advantage in being lov'd by her if she has and does not love us we have the glory of doing what we ought in loving as I said before and surmounting the greatest obstacles in the course of our passion which unquestionably are the insensibility and the ingratitude of the person beloved And to shew you proceeded Varro that what I say is beyond all doubt let us examine friendship which nearest approaches love and the name of which having nothing in it but sweetness will not affright the Ladies who entertain it oftentimes under the name of the passion I mentioned which they conceive something too untameable and tumultuous Let us speak I say of friendship and suppose Madam continued he with a hidden design addressing to Aemilia that Attilia lov'd you passionatly and you did not love her it would without doubt come to pass that Attilia would take a thousand and a thousand cares to please you whilst you paid her with ingratitude and return her cruel and severe words in acknowledgment of her blandishments so that it would also happen that all the world would commend the generous procedure of Attilia and blame yours For friendship which is an union not being possible to be built but upon two foundations and that which is between two persons extreamly accomplisht not possible to be other then commendable and illustrious You will be blamed Madam for not supporting it on your part and your indifference will augment the lustre of Attilia's sincere and generous affection You will I hope permit me to leave you added he smiling to make the application of what I have said and at least in conversation to make you pass from friendship to love for if you judge a friend to be so much the more generous in that his affection is not countenanc'd why will you not judge the same of a lover whose passion being more ardent merits more acknowledgment Confess therefore I beseech you that my opinion is not absurd as you believed it which is that there is much sweetness and generosity in marrying a fair person whom we love without being loved for if I love I act and act with choise yea with liberty too since at the beginning of my passion I have power to determine to love or not to love whereas if I am lov'd I am without action I onely lend a dead presence as
so many tokens of sorrow upon their countenances that my Master was much astonished and dared not to turn his head towards the bed of Thomira He had not the assurance even to require the cause of the sadness he observed and I believe there would have been a long silence if one of the Ladies to whom the rest seem'd to give place had not begun to break it and with a low voice told to my Master that the Princess was dangerously sick but My Lord continued she in the same strain that which afflicts us most is that the Princess will not admit of any remedies and even refuses to take that which is pressed upon her for the support of life so that we are in danger of losing the most fair and lovely person upon the earth and perhaps yes perhaps added she redoubling the violence of her sighes we shall be sufficiently unhappy to lose her within a few hours if we may credit the fatal report which the Physitians have made concerning her Hannibal being terrified with these last words continued as it were immovable and his soul was so overwhelmed with his sorrow that the Prince seem'd deprived of the use of his senses and could only utter these words Ha Madam what say you but afterwards when his fiery temper had rendred him more disposed to express his grief by transports then complaints he found himselfe affected with I know not what ardency to behold Thomira and thereupon cast his eye upon this young absolutely fair and charming Princess and survey'd those beauties and charmes which were menac'd with approaching loss and considered Thomira as the greatest and yet most patient and innocent sufferer that he had ever seen In a word my Master beheld the fair Thomira in such a charming plight as to be infinitely touch'd with her and to augment the violence of his passion It is true that this passionate Prince not being able to sustain this sight long turn'd himself towards the Lady that had spoken to him and looking upon her with an anxious air No no Madam said he with an unexpressible assurance the Princess will not dye but those ignorant and odious persons that threaten us with such a loss shall themselves perish before this happens I will even destroy every thing that does not contribute to the recovery of the Princess and will do such things as will amuse all posterity After these words my Master made a few turns without speaking and then suddenly approaching the same Lady and laying hold of her arme without knowing what he did Madam said he be stirring give orders promise all give all command Yes Madam command but save the Princess After which without expecting the Ladies answer he stept forward to see the Princess but being no more able to bear the powerfulness of that view then at the first he went forth of the Chamber and entered into a large Hall where he walked for some time and turning himselfe towards me Aspar said he have you seen the Princess and can you wonder at my dispair having heard what hath been told me Will you say perhaps continued he after a few moments that I have an affection towards Thomira and will you not also confess that I have a passion for her which is infinitely above that love This discourse strangely surprised me when I considered that at the same time the Prince told me he neither was nor would be in love he had such symptomes as not onely evidence but transcend the ordinary standard of that passion that at the same time I say he should tell me he had sentiments infinitely above those of Love It is true My Lord answered I at length perceiving he expected my reply that you are extreamly passionate for the princess of Castulon You may adde Aspar interrupted he that I resent that which never any other person hath done so that Love which is a common and general passion could never cause me to have such resentments nor produce so extraordinary effects It is true My Lord answered I that Love is a common passion but it is also true that the soul of the prince Hannibal being no ordinary one I do not wonder that the molestations which a passion excites in it be conformable to the place wherein they are excited I did not continue on my discourse because I observed my Master was making towards the Chamber door to hear what was said there where after a little hearkning without being able to understand distinctly he heard the princess cry out O the great Gods most just and most good is it not enough for this infortunate Damsell after having lost her Father and beheld the destruction of her Country but I must needs be obliged to him who hath caused all these miseries and for whom I ought to have nothing but aversion and detestation And you pitiless Nadalia continued the princess would you have me protract an unfortunate life and that grief should by long torments bring me that which my disease is ready to afford me in a few hours The impatient Prince could not hear more but entered into the Chamber and approaching towards the princesses Bed wholly amorous and afflicted Ah Madam said he will you then dye will you dye most excellent Lady Yes my Lord answered the princess and I am not sorry that I shall do it in your presence to acquit my selfe of the obligation I have to you for in the condition I am in I can do no more for you then give you the satisfaction of seeing a Virgin dye who hath made vowes against you and bewailed your Victories Your complaints have been with reason replyed the Prince and I wish I had rather lost a thousand lives then to have caused them Ah my Lord answered she do not carry your generosity so far unless it be intended as a piece of cruelty to me Ah Madam replyed he do not carry your design so far unless you intend it should be fatal unto me As they were upon these terms one of the Physitians came to present some kind of portion of Thomira which she refused not without a kind of pleasingness she refused it with a certain tranquillity of spirit and a stediness of soul so heroical that she caused in those of the assistance a mixed passion of an extraordinary admiration and an extream dispair At length while things were in this pitiful estate Nadalia came to my Master and beseeched him to permit that the prince Lucius might be brought into the princess's Chamber My Master granted it at first and soon after saw the prince of Celtiberia there who approached to the Princess after his civilities to my Master who returned the like and retired into the Hall Lucius beheld Thomira and Thomira Lucius while both these illustrious persons expressed their affliction by their tears â—eing not able to do it with their Tongues The fair eyes of Thomira issued â—orth a stream of liquid chrystal and those of Lucius melted into some drops
found Laelius Cato and Regulus who were walking there whilst Magasba lead Scipio into a Garden to shew him the handsomness of the Alleys Statues Grottoes and Fountaines The conversation which was then made between Palmira Nadalia Laelius Cato and Regulus was absolutely pleasing and gallant for these five persons were of rare address capacities and politeness And what rendered this conversation more agreeable was that the greatest part of their wits were different and had their particular excellencies Those of Palmira and Laelius were gallant and Noble that of Nadalia sprightly and mirthfull that of Regulus partaking of both and Cato had in his something so cold and severe that it was great pleasure to see him in contestation with Nadalia with whom he did not not very often agree But it being upon the Princess of Hippo to pass the first honours she conceived her self also obliged to begin the discourse which she did in these words addressing to the three Romanes which were with her If you are deprived of the happiness of being with the illustrious Aemilia the beauty and wit of Nadalia will cause you to induce that loss with less regret Alas Madam interrupted that admirable Lady I beseech you cause not these persons eyes to be turn'd upon me where you are present and be pleased not to attribute those blandishments to me which I do not deserve Hindering me from speaking out what I intended replyed Pallmira you prevented me from comforting you for the same loss by making you hope very much satisfaction from the conversation of three illustrious Romanes who have rare qualifications of ingenuity Speak of your self if you please Madam answered Laelius and you will speak with justice And you will give less offence to Nadalia added Cato who loves not to hear the Romans commended of whom she hath conceived so strange an opinion that she takes them all for Catoes Alas Cato interrupted this admirable Lady I do not that favour to all the Romans and if I have sometimes had an unkind opinion of them you ought to forget what I ever said out of that prejudice since from the time I knew the Romanes I have infinitely esteemed them And moreover added she smiling I may say I am now perfectly reconciled to Rome and am extreamly glad of being so for in truth my imagination was tyr'd out with contending every day against that powerful City But it would be known said Palmira after having laugh'd at this speech of Nadalia how you could do otherwise then esteem a people who in the judgement of all others is indued with virtue wit and valour To tell you the truth answered Nadalia and according to the liberty permitted me every where to speak of things according to the apprehension I have of them I conceived indeed the Romanes had virtue really but that their virtue was nothing at all lovely on the contrary I believed it was so rigid and severe that it never beheld joy and divertisements without discontent and inquietude If I believed the Romans valiant proceeded she I thought they were so by wit rather then greatness of courage that they adventured upon dangers because they were constrained to it and if they lost their lives rather then commit an ignoble act or a cowardize it was onely because they lookt upon infamy as something more terrible then death And in a word added she smiling I imagin'd the glory the Romans fought for not to be a beautiful Virgin lovely and resplendant but a Woman of a good age severe and Majestical As for wit I believed none of the Romanes destitute and that their wit was cultivated and pollisht but not well contriv'd that it was a dry wit if I may so speak and averse from all jollity and gallantry And in fine added she smiling I imagin'd the Romans so enamour'd on their Country that in their conversations they never utter'd other pleasantnesses but political Maxims But fair Nadalia said Regulus to her the first Roman whom you knew was not I conceive of that severe humour That was your self Regulus answered she who convinc'd me of my prejudice at Saguntum Not but that before I ever see you continued she smiling I violently dreaded your conversation and that more then I should have fear'd that of Cato or Fabritius I beseech you earnestly said Regulus agreeably tell me what it was that so terribly affrighted you 'T was because answered she I believ'd you a greater lover of Rome then all the other Romans and consequently more severe and political You pronounce very confidently in favour of Regulus said Palmira without declaring your reason 'T is easie to render it answered Nadalia for if it be reasonable added she smiling to measure the love of a man by the hatred he bears his Rivals may not I conclude that Regulus loves Rome more then all the Romans besides since he hates Carthage more then then they all do which I have heard a hundred times term'd the Rival of Rome But Nadalia take care what you say interpos'd Cato smiling a little for according to what you asserted first it will follow that Carthage should be the Rival of Regulus and not of Rome You have suffered me to proceed a long time without reproving me answered Nadalia with her accustomed pleasantness but take heed your self continued she with the same air and know that what would not be exact speaking in the mouth of Cato is very tolerable in that of Nadalia and after all it suffices that Regulus hates Carthage more then you do to give me ground to infer that he loves Rome more then you do as much Cato as you are Nadalia pronounced these last words so agreeably having utter'd them with a little pleasing commotion that all the company smiled thereat After which Laelius beginning to speak I perceive Nadalia said he to her you have need of my friendship because you agree but ill with Cato and not exceeding well with Regulus For which reasons I offer it to you without expecting till you desire it of me and I will use all means to make it acceptable unto you For I will renounce in your presence all sort of affairs And since the hatred of Regulus added he smiling has not made a good impression in your mind to give you better for my humour I shall never speak to you but of love In truth answered she smiling you will perhaps do me a greater pleasure then you believe provided this last but two or three dayes for during that time a quite contrary conversation becomes vehemently fastidious to me and I dare affirm the illustrious Aemilia hath made me despair For when I went about to speak to her concerning Scipio she in treated me to forbear but it was with such a touching sweetness as would have constrain'd the most rebellious heart in the world to obey her so that I was depriv'd of the satisfaction I should have had of performing a good office in some measure to a person who being
I may so speak and in sum only receive the tokens of an affection which I cannot destroy I believe said Scipio 't is possible to find either effectual or apparent reasons for all the things in the world but this does not hinder but there may be found others contrary of more or less prevalence according to the justice or injustice of the subject they concern Wherefore you must not wonder Varro if you are told you are mistaken in your reasonings For did not you say the satisfaction of a man that acted for his own interests was much greater then when he acts also for those of the person loved It follows therefore that you must confess you love your self onely for it would be a strange contradiction to pretend that you love a fair person at the same time that you condemn acting for her You also said afterwards as I remember that your satisfaction being shared by the person you lov'd would be much weakned on your side Alas Varro you understand little of the nature of love since you are ignorant that this passion is so far from dividing that it unites all things and instead of sharing satisfaction makes you enjoy that of the person loved too and so gives you a double one Then would be the time Varro said Servilius that you might abandon your self to the ravishment of joy that was spoken of when you should see your own passions excite the like in a fair person when you beheld your joy glitter in her eyes and her fair mouth sigh for your griefs This Varro proceeded he is that delicacy of pleasure you ought to wish to reâ—ent for we may say that he that is not capable of it is uncapable of the highest satisfaction These words of Servilius caused Scipio to blush upon which I immediately began to speak and that with some heat to the end no notice might be taken of the alteration in the countenance of this illustrious-Lover and addressing to Varro If you surpris'd me said I to him when you termed that a divided satisfaction of two persons whom you confess to be united because they love one another I was not less amaz'd when you compar'd the heart of a fair Lady to a City besieg'd for I can fancy nothing more discrepant If we see continued I that the force of battering Rams and other warlike Engines make breaches by which the Victor enters the place besieg'd we see on the contrary a generous heart is never gain'd upon but by complacencie submissions respects and a thousand little acts which cannot be taught but are daily inspired by love We see I say a generous heart that noble and independent place which is able to breath an air of libertie amidst chains is so far from giving enterance to any whatsoever by violence that it never receives a conqueror but by the gate which it self freely opens Nevertheless though I should have approv'd your comparison yet you would be obliged to confess that a man that raigns by violence cannot raign long that he must stand in fear of all the world since all the world does so of him that he is ready every day to see his very Guards turn their Arms against him and his subjects wearie of being such shake off his tyrannicall yoke and therefore I believe it will easily be judged better to enter and raign by gentleness in a place and to be the lawfull possessor then a severe usurper of it As for the sentiment of Minutius said Scipio it will not perhaps be better entertain'd because himself follow'd that of Varro You asserted continued he addressing to Minutius that we see in the countenance of a fair person that loves us such a kind of obligingness that disparages modesty But do not you know that love is alwaies accompanied with respect fear and languor I mean those respects which do not torture the mind and those sweet fears that delight the persons who cause them and those languors which embellish the countenance and give it an air infinitely affecting And not of those which you spoke of which can have nothing lovely in them because 't is aversion which produces them As for the services and duties you mention'd which you imagine a person that loves us exacts imperiously your self destroy what you establish for in saying such a person loves us do not you also imply that she desires nothing but what pleases us and when you suppose we love such a person do not you also grant that we do nothing for her with constraint In the distinction which Varro made afterwards continued Scipio it may be said he has not stood to his first sentiments for I conceive at the beginning of his discourse he designs to act onely for himself and in the place I speak of he remembers that he ought to be generous and that he ought not to act but for the interest of the person loved But to omit this kind of discussion is it not to be thought an unhappiness to love and not be lov'd again whethersoever the person lov'd be ingenious or otherwise For if we love a person without wit and worth we may without much arguing conclude that our engagement alone renders us unhappy But we are much more to be pittied when a Lady of a sprightly and judicious wit is averse from loving us for all the world wil have ground to conclude us undeserving to receive that which a Lady that judges prudently of matters refuses to grant us Besides added I for accomplishment of the misery such a Lady should refuse that which she were in some measure oblig'd to grant namely to love him that loves her For indeed continued I for the Interest of my friend 't is a peculiar grandeur of love that all the Treasures and Empires of the World cannot satisfie it but it must suffice it self and the inflamed heart communicate its flame As I was pronouncing these words I lookt upon Aemilia though without unseemliness and that fair person began to speak after a smile infinitely charming addressing to Aemilia at the venture of saying nothing considerable said she it is requisite for me to answer to what has bin said concerning me and to declare that the supposition is impossible that was made of my not esteeming and loving you But though you had not that goodness for me answered Attilia and should happen not to love me the reasoning of Varro would not I conceive be the stronger for in truth I should esteem my self infinitely unhappy But so far would your proceeding be repli'd Aemilia from being noble and generous as they say it would be that you would be accus'd of stupidity if you could persist in loving a person who in not loving you would assuredly be highly unjust For my part said Fulvia agreeably blushing a little since it is lawful for me to confess there is sweetness in loving it will be also lawful for me to say that there is infinite in being lov'd and I wish I