refines the other Tho' possibly Atlante thought as ill of the Count as her Sister yet in Respect to him she would not own it Atlante was now arriv'd to her thirteenth Year when her Beauty which every day increas'd became the discourse of the whole Town which had already gain'd her as many Lovers as had beheld her for none saw her without Languishing for her or at least but what were in very great Admiration of her every body talkt of the young and charming Atlante and all the Noble Men who had Sons knowing the smallness of her Fortune and the lustre of her Beauty would send them for fear of their being Charm'd with her either to some other part of the World or exhorted them by way of precaution to keep out of her fight Old Bellyuard was one of these Wise Parents and by a timely prevention as he thought of Rinaldo's falling in Love with Atlante perhaps was the occasion of his being so he had before heard of Atlante and of her Beauty but it had made no impressions on his Heart but his Father no sooner forbid him Loving than he felt a new desire Tormenting him of seeing this lovely and dangerous young Person he wonders at his unaccountable Pain which daily solicits him within to go where he may behold this Beauty of whom he frames a thousand Ideas all such as were most agreeable to him but then upbraids his fancy for not forming her half so delicate as she was and longs yet more to see her to know how near she approaches to the Picture he has drawn of her in his Mind and tho he knew she liv'd the next House to him yet he knew also she was kept within like a Vow'd Nun or with the severity of a Spaniard And tho he had a Chamber which had a jetting Window that lookt just upon the the door of Monsieur De Pays and that he would watch many hours at a time in hope to see them go out yet he could never get a glimps of her yet he heard she often frequented the Church of our Lady thither then the young Rinaldo resolv'd to go and did so two or three Mornings in in which time to his unspeakable grief he saw no Beauty appear that charm'd him and yet he fancy'd that Atlante was there and that he had seen her that some one of those young Ladies that he saw in the Church was she tho he had no body to inquire of and that she was not so fair as the World reported for which he would often sigh as if he had lost some very great Expectation however he ceas'd not to frequent this Church and one day saw a young Beauty who at first glimps made his Heart leap to his Mouth and fell trembling again into its wonted place for it immediately told him that that young Maid was Atlante she was with her Sister Charlot who was very handsom but not comparable to Atlante He fixt his Eyes upon her as she kneel'd at the Altar which he never remov'd from that charming face as long as she remain'd there he forgot all Devotion but what he paid to her he Ador'd her he Burnt and Languish'd already for her and found he must possess Atlante or Dye often as he gaz'd upon her he saw her fair Eyes lifted up towards his where they often met which she perceiving would cast hers down into her Bosom or on her Book and blush as if she had done a Fault Charlot perceiv'd all the Motions of Rinaldo how he folded his Arms how he sight and how he gaz'd on her Sister she took Notice of his Cloaths his Garniture and every particular of his Dress as young Girls use to do and seeing him so very handsom and so much better drest than all the young Cavaliers that were in the Church she was very much pleas'd with him and could not forbear saying in a low voice to Atlante look look my Sister what a pretty Monsieur yonder is see how fine his Face is how delicate his Hair how gallant his Dress and do but look how he gazes on you This wou'd make Atlante blush anew who durst not raise her Eyes for fear she should incounter his While he had the pleasure to imagine they were talking of him and he saw in the pretty Face of Charlot that what he said was not to his disadvantage and by the blushes of Atlante that she was not displeas'd with what was spoken to her he perceiv'd the young one importunate with her and Atlante jogging her with her Elbow as much as to say hold your peace all this he made a very kind Interpretation of and was transported with Joy at the good Omens he was willing to flatter his new Flame and to Complement his young Desire with a little Hope but the divine Ceremony ceasing Atlante left the Church and it being very fair weather she walkt home Rinaldo who saw her going felt all the Agonys of a Lover who parts with all that can make him Happy and seeing only Atlante attended with her Sister and a Foot-man following with their Books he was a thousand times about to speak to 'em but he no sooner advanc'd a step or two towards 'em to that purpose for he followed them but his Heart fail'd and a certain awe and reverence or rather the fears and tremblings of a Lover prevented him but when he consider'd that possibly he might never have so favourable an opportunity again he resolv'd anew and call'd up so much Courage to his Heart as to speak to Atlante but before he did so Charlot looking behind her saw Rinaldo very near to 'em and cry'd out with a voice of Joy Oh! Sister Sister look where the handsom Monsieur is just behind us sure he is some body of Quality for see he has two Foot-men that follow him in just such Liveries and so Rich as those of our Neighbour Monsieur Bellyaurd at this Atlante could not forbear but before she was aware of it turn'd her Head and lookt on Rinaldo which incourag'd him to advance and putting off his Hat which he clapt under his Arm with a low Bow said Ladies you are so slenderly attended and so many Accidents arrive to the fair in the rude Streets that I humbly implore you will permit me whose Duty it is as a Neighbour to wait on you to your Door Sir said Atlante blushing we fear no insolence and need no Protector or if we did we should not be so rude to take you out of your way to serve us Madam said he my way lyes yours I live at the next door and am Son to Bellyaurd your Neighbour but Madam added he if I were to go all my Life out of the way to do you Service I should take it for the greatest Happiness that could arrive to me but Madam sure a Man can never be out of his way who has the Honour of so Charming Company Atlante made no reply at this but blusht
THE Lucky Mistake A New NOVEL Written by Mrs. A. Behn LONDON Printed for R. Bentley at the Post-House in Russel-Street in Covent Garden 1689. To George Greenviel Esq SIR AT this Critical Juncture I find the Authors will have need of a Protector as well as the Nation we having peculiar Laws and Liberties to be defended as well as that but of how different a Nature none but such Judges as you are fit to determine whatever our Province be I am sure it should be Wit and you know what Ellevated Ben says That none can judge of Wit but Wit. Let the Heroes toyl for Crowns and Kingdoms and with what pretences they please Let the Slaves of State drudge on for false and empty Glories troubling the repose of the World and ruining their own to gain uneasy Grandure whilst you Ob happyer Sir great enough by your Birth yet more Illustrious by your Wit are capable of enjoying alone that true Felicity of Mind which belongs to an absolutely Vertuous and Gallant Man by that and the lively Notions of Honour Imprinted in your Soul you are above Ambition and can Form Kings and Heroes when ' ere your delicate Fancy shall put you upon the Poetical Creation You can make those Heroes Lovers too and inspire 'em with a Language so Irresistable as may instruct the Fair how easily you can Conquer when it comes to your turn to plead for a Heart nor is your delicate Wit the only Charm your Person claims an equal share of Graces with those of your Mind and both together are capable of rendering you Victorious whereever you shall please to Address 'em but your Vertue keeps you from those Ravages of Beauty which so wholty imploy the hours of the Rest of the Gay and Young whilst you have â—â—siness more sollid and more â—oble for yours I would not by this have the World imagine you are therefore exempt from the tenderness of Love it rather seems you were on purpose form'd for that soft Entertainment such an Agreement there is between the Harmony of your Soul and your Person and sure the Muses who have so divinely inspir'd you with Poetic Fires have furnisht you with that Necessary Material Love to maintain it and to make it burn with the more Ellevated Flame ` T is therefore Sir I expect you will the more easily Pardon the the Dedicating to your idler hours if any such you have this little Amour all that I shall say for it is that 't is not Translation but an Original that has more of realty then fiction if I have not made it fuller of intreague 't was because I had a mind to keep close to the Truth I must own Sir the Obligations I have to you deserves a greater testimony of my respect then this little peice too trivial to bear the honour of your Name but my increasing Indisposition makes me fear I shall not have many opportunities of this Kind and shou'd be leath to leave this ungrateful World without acknowledging my Gratitude more signally then barely by word of Mouth and without wishing you all the happiness your merit and admirable Vertues deserve and of assuring you how unfeignedly I am and how Proud of being Sir Your most obliged and most humble Servant A. Behn THE FIRST NOVEL The Luckey Mistake THE River Logre has on its delightful Banks abundance of handsome Beautiful and Rich Towns and Villages to which the Noble Stream adds no small Graces and Advantages blessing their Fields with plenty and their Eyes with a thousand Diversions In one of these happily cituated Towns called Orleâ—nce where abundance of People of the best Quality and Condition reside There was a Rich Nobleman now retir'd from the busie Court where in his Youth he had been bred wearyed with the Toyls of Ceremony and Noise to injoy that perfect Tranquillity of Life which is no where to be found but in retreat a faithful Friend and a good Library and as the admirable Horace says in a little House and large Gardens Count Bellyanrd for so was this Noble Man call'd was of this Opinion and the rather because he had one only Son call'd Rinaldo now grown to the Age of Fifteen who having all the Excellent Qualities and Grace of Youth by Nature he would bring him up in all Vertues and Noble Sciences which he believed the Gayety and Lustre of the Court might divert he therefore in this retirement spar'd no Cost to those that could instruct and accomplish him and he had the best Tutors and Masters that could be purchased at Court Bellyaurd making far less account of Riches than of fine Parts He found his Son was capable of all Impressions having a Wit suitable to his delicate Person so that he was the sole Joy of his Life and the Darling of his Eyes In the very next House which joyned close to that of Bellyuard ' there lived another Count who had in his Youth been banisbt the Court of France for some misunderstandings in some high Affairs wherein he was concern'd his Name was De Pais a Man of great Birth but no Fortune or at least one not suitable to the Grandeur of his Original And as it is most Natural for great Souls to be most proud if I may call a handsome Disdain by that Vulgar Name when they are most deprest so De Pais was more retir'd more estrang'd from his Neighbours and kept a greater distance than if he had Enjoy'd all he had lost at Court and took more Solemnity and State upon him because he would not be subject to the reproaches of the World by making himself familiar with it So that he rarely visited and was as rarely visited and contrary to the Custom of those in France who are easie of excess and free of conversation he kept his Family retir'd so close that 't was rare to see any of 'em but when they went abroad which was but seldom they wanted nothing as to outward appearance that was fit for his Quality and was much above his Condition This old Count had two only Daughters of exceeding Beauty who gave the Generous Father ten thousand Torments as often as he beheld them when he consider'd their Extream Beauty their fine Wit their Innocence Modesty and above all their Birth and that he had not the Fortune to marry them according to their Quality and below it he had rather see 'em laid in their silent Graves then consent to for he scorn'd the World should see him forced by his Poverty to commit an Action below his Dignity There lived in a Neighbouring Town a certain Nobleman Friend to De Pais call'd Count Vernole A man of about forty Years of Age of low Stature Complexion very black and swarthy lean lame extream proud and haughty extracting of a Descent from the Blood Royal not extreamly brave but very glorious he had no very great Estate but was in Election of a greater and of an Addition of Honour from
and bow'd but Charlot said Nay Sir if you are our Neighbour we will give you leave to Conduct us home but pray Sir how came you to know we are your Neighbours for we never saw you before to our knowledge My pretty Mis reply'd Rinaldo Iknew it from the tranfcendent Beauty that appear'd in your Faces and fine Shapes for I have heard there was no Beauty in the World like that of Atlante's and I no sooner saw her but my Heart told me it was she Heart said Charlot Laughing why does Heart use to speak the most intelligibly of any thing reply'd Rinaldo when 't is tenderly toucht when 't is charm'd and transported at these words he fight and Atlante to his extream satisfaction blusht toucht charm'd and transported said Charlot what 's that and how do you do to have it be all these things for I would give any thing in the World to have my Heart speak Oh! said Rinaldo your Heart is too young it is not yet arriv'd to the Years of speaking about thirteen or fourteen it may possibly be saying a thousand soft things to you but it must first be inspir'd by some Noble Object whose Idea it must retain what reply'd this pretty Pratler I 'le warrant I must be in Love Yes said Rinaldo most passionately or you will have but little Conversation with your Heart Oh! reply'd she I am afraid the pleasure of such a Conversation will not make me amends for the Pain that Love will give me that said Rinaldo is according as the Object is kind and as you hope if he Love and you hope you will have a double Pleasure and in this how great an advantage have you fair Ladies above us Men 't is almost impossible for you to Love in vain you have your choice of a thousand Hearts which you have subdu'd and may not only chuse your Slaves but be assur'd of 'em without speaking you are belov'd it needs not cost you a sigh or tear but unhappy Man is often destin'd to give his Heart where it is not regarded to sigh to weep and languish without any hope of Pitty You speak so feelingly Sir said Charlot that I am afraid this is your Case Yes Madam reply'd Rinaldo sighing I am that unhappy Man indeed 't is pitty said she pray how long have you been so ever since I heard of the charming Atlante reply'd he sighing again I ador'd her Character but now I have seen her I dye for her for me Sir said Atlante who had not yet spoke this is the common compliment of all the young Men who pretend to be Lovers and if one should pitty all those sighers we shou'd have but very littel left for our selves I believe said Rinaldo there are none that tell you so who do not mean as they say yet among all those adorers and those that say they will dye for you you will find none will be so good as their words as Rinaldo perhaps said Atlante of all those who tell me of dying there are none that tell it with so little reason as Rinaldo if that be your Name Sir Madam it is said he and who am Transported with an unspeakable joy to hear those last words from your fair mouth and let me Oh! Lovely Atlante assure you that what I have said are not words of Course but proceed from a heart that has vow'd it self eternally yours even before I had the happiness to behold this Divine Person but now that my Eyes have made good all my heart before imagin'd and did but hope I swear I will dye a Thousand deaths rather then violate what I have said to you that I adore you that my Soul and all my faculties are charm'd with your Beauty and Innocence and that my Life and Fortune not inconsiderable shall be laid at your Feet this he spoke with a fervency of passion that left her no doubt of what he had said yet she blusht for shame and a little angry at her self for suffering him to say so much to her the very first time she saw him and accused herself for giving him any incouragement and in this confusion she reply'd Sir you have said too much to be believ'd and I cannot imagin so short an acquaintance can make so considerable an Impression of which confession I accuse my self much more than you in that I did not only harken to what you said without forbiding you to entertain me at that rate but for unheedily speaking something that has incourag'd this boldness for so must I call it in a Man so great a stranger to me Madam said he if I have offended by the suddainess of my presumptious discovery I beseech you to consider my reasons for it the few opportunities I am like to have and the impossibility of waiting on you both from the severity of your Father and mine who ' ere I saw you warn'd me of my Fate as if he foresaw I should fall in Love as soon as I should chance to see you and for that reason has kept me closer to my Studies than hitherto I have been and from that time I began to feel a Flame which was kindled by report alone and the Description my Father gave of your wonderous and dangerous Beauty therefore Madam I have not suddainly told you of my passion I have been long your Lover and have long Languisht without telling of my Pain and you ought to Pardon it now since it is done with all the respect and Religious Awe that 't is possible for a heart to deliver and unload it self in therefore Madam if you have by chance uttered any thing that I have taken advantage or hope from I assure you 't is so small that you have no reason to repent it but rather if you wou'd have me live send me not from you without a confirmation of that little hope see Madam said he more earnestly and trembling see we are almost arriv'd at our homes send me not to mine in a despair that I cannot support with Life but tell me I shall be blest with your Sight sometimes in your Balcony which is very near to a jetting Window in our House from whence I have sent many a longing look towards yours in hope to have seen my Souls Tormenter I shall be very unwilling said she to enter into an intreague of Love or Friendship with a Man whose Parents will be averse to my happiness and possibly mine as refractory though he cannot but know such an Alliance wou'd be very considerable my Fortune being not suitable to yours I tell you this that you may withdraw in time from a Engagement in which I find there will be a great many Obstacles Oh! Madam reply'd Rinaldo sighing if my Person be not disagreeable to you you will have no cause to fear the rest 't is that I dread and that which is all my fear he sighing beheld her with a Languishing look that told her he expected her answer when she reply'd