Condition our young Friar was at this last devilish Stratagem of his wicked Mistress He strove to break from those Arms that held him so fast and his bustling to get away and hers to retain him disorder'd her Hair and Habit to such a degree as gave the more Credit to her false Accusation The Fathers had a Door on the other side by which they usually enter'd to dress in this little Room and at the Report that was in an instant made 'em they hasted thither and found Miranda and the good Father very indecently strugling which they mis-interpreted as Miranda desir'd who all in Tears immediately threw herself at the Feet of the Provincial who was one of those that enter'd and cry'd O holy Father revenge an innocent Maid undone and lost to Fame and Honour by that vile Monster born of Goats nurs'd by Tygers and bred up on savage Mountains where Humanity and Religion are Strangers For O holy Father cou'd it have enter'd into the Heart of Man to have done so barbarous and horrid a Deed as to attempt the Virgin-Honour of an unspotted Maid and one of my Degree even in the Moment of my Confession in that holy time when I was prostrate before him and Heaven confessing thos Sins that press'd my tender Conscience even then to load my Soul with the blackest of Infamies to add to my Number a Weight that must sink me to Hell Alas under the Security of his innocent Looks his holy Habit and his awful Function I was lead into this Room to make my Confession where he locking the Door I had no sooner began but he gazing on me took Fire at my fatal Beauty and starting up put out the Candles and caught me in his Arms and raising me from the Pavement set me in the Confession-Chair and then Oh spare me the rest With that a Shower of Tears burst from her fair dissembling Eyes and Sobs so naturally acted and so well manag'd as left no Doubt upon the good Men but all she had spoken was Truth At first proceeded she I was unwilling to bring so great a Scandal on his Order as to cry out but struggl'd as long as I had Breath pleaded the Heinousness of the Crime urging my Quality and the Danger of the Attempt But he deaf as the Winds and ruffling as a Storm pursu'd his wild Design with so much Force and Insolence as I at last unable to resist was wholly vanquish'd robb'd of my native Purity With what Life and Breath I had I call'd for Assistance both from Men and Heaven but oh alas your Succours come too late You find me here a wretched undone and ravish'd Maid Revenge me Fathers revenge me on the perfidious Hypocrite or else give me a Deaâ—h that may secure your Cruelty and Injustice from ever being proclaim'd o'er the World or my Tongue will be eternally reproaching you and cursing the wicked Author of my Infamy She ended as she began with a thousand Sighs and Tears and receiv'd from the Provinciall all Assurances of Revenge The innocent betray'd Victim all this while she was speaking heard her with an Astonishment that may easily be imagin'd yet shew'd no extravagant Signs of it as those wou'd do who feign it to be thought innocent but being really so he bore with an humble modest and blushing Countenance all her Accusations Which silent Shame they mistook for evident Signs of his Guilt When the Provincial demanded with an unwonted Severity in his Eyes and Voice what he cou'd answer for himself calling him Prophaner of his sacred Vows and Infamy to the holy Order the Injur'd but the innocently Accus'd only reply'd May Heaven forgive that bad Woman and bring her to Repentance For his part he was not so much in love with Life as to use many Arguments to justifie his Innocence unless it were to free that Order from a Scandal of which he had the Honour to be profess'd But as for himself Life or Death were things indifferent to him who heartily despis'd the World He said no more and suffer'd himself to be led before the Magistrate who committed him to Prison upon the Accusation of this implacable Beauty who with so much feign'd Sorrow prosecuted the Matter even to his Tryal and Condemnation where he refus'd to make any great Defence for himself But being daily visited by all the Religious both of his own and other Orders they oblig'd him some of 'em knowing the Austerity of his Life others his Cause of Griefs that first brought him into Orders and others pretending a nearer Knowledge even of his Soul it self to stand upon his Justification and discover what he knew of that wicked Woman whose Life had not been so exemplary for Vertue not to have given the World a thousand Suspicions of her Lewdness and Prostitutions The daily Importunities of these Fathers made him produce her Letters But as he had all the Gown-Men on his side she had all the Hats and Feathers on hers all the Men of Quality taking her part and all the Church-men his They heard his daily Protestations and Vows but not a Word of what passed at Confession was yet discover'd He held that as a Secret sacred on his part and what was said in nature of a Confession was not to be reveal'd though his Life depended on the Discovery But as to the Letters they were forc'd from him and exposs'd however Matters were carry'd with so high a Hand against him that they serv'd for no Proof at all of his Innocence and he was at last condemn'd to be burn'd at the Market-place After his Sentence was pass'd the whole Body of Priests made their Addresses to Marquess Casteil Roderigo the then Governour of Flanders for a Reprieve which after much a-do was granted him for some Weeks but with an absolute Denial of Pardon so prevailing were the young Cavaliers of his Court who were all Adorers of this Fair Jilt About this time while the poor innocent young Henrick was thus languishing in Prison in a dark and dismal Dungeon and Miranda cured of her Love was triumphing in her Revenge expecting and daily giving new Conquests and who by this time had re-assum'd all her wonted Gaiety there was great Noise about the Town that a Prince of mighty Name and fam'd for all the Excellencies of his Sex was arrived a Prince young and gloriously attended call'd Prince Tarquin We had often heard of this Great Man and that he was making his Travels in France and Germany And we had also heard that some Years before he being about Eighteen Years of Age in the time when our King Charles of Blessed Memory was in Bruxels in the last Year of his Banishment that all on a sudden this young Man rose up upon 'em like the Sun all glorious and dazling demanding Place of all the Princes in that Court. And when his Pretence was demanded he own'd himself Prince Tarquin of the Race of the last Kings of Rome made good his
her from me I wou'd venture through any Hazard to free her But here in the Arms of a feeble Old Man my Youth my violent Love my Trade in Arms and all my vast Desire of Glory avail me nothing Imoinda is as irrecoverably lost to me as if she were snatcht by the cold Arms of Death Oh! she is never to be retriev'd If I wou'd wait tedious Years till Fate shou'd bow the old King to his Grave even that wou'd not leave me Imoinda free but still that Custom that makes it so vile a Crime for a Son to marry his Father's Wives or Mistresses wou'd hinder my Happiness unless I wou'd either ignobly set an ill President to my Successors or abandon my Countrey and fly with her to some unknown World who never heard our Story But it was objected to him That his case was not the same for Imoinda being his lawful Wife by solemn Contract 't was he was the injur'd Man and might if he so pleas'd take Imoinda back the breach of the Law being on his Grand-Father's side and that if he cou'd circumvent him and redeem her from the Otan which is the Palace of the King's Women a sort of Seraglio it was both just and lawful for him so to do This Reasoning had some force upon him and he shou'd have been entirely comforted but for the thought that she was possess'd by his Grand-father However he lov'd so well that he was resolv'd to believe what most favour'd his Hope and to endeavour to learn from Imoinda's own Mouth what only she cou'd satisfie him in whether she was robb'd of that Blessing which was only due to his Faith and Love But as it was very hard to get a sight of the Women for no Men ever enter'd into the Otan but when the King went to entertain himself with some one of his Wives or Mistresses and 't was Death at any other time for any other to go in so he knew not how to contrive to get a sight of her While Oroonoko felt all the Agonies of Love and suffer'd under a Torment the most painful in the world the old King was not exempted from his share of Affliction He was troubled for having been forc'd by an irresistible Passion to rob his Son of a Treasure he knew cou'd not but be extremely dear to him since she was the most beautiful that ever had been seen and had besides all the Sweetness and Innocence of Youth and Modesty with a Charm of Wit surpassing all He found that however she was forc'd to expose her lovely Person to his wither'd Arms she cou'd only sigh and weep there and think of Oroonoko and oftentimes cou'd not for bear speaking of him though her Life were by Custom forfeited by owning her Passion But she spoke not of a Lover only but of a Prince dear to him to whom she spoke and of the Praises of a Man who till now fill'd the old Man's Soul with Joy at every recital of his Bravery or even his Name And 't was this Dotage on our young Hero that gave Imoinda a thousand Privileges to speak of him without offending and this Condescention in the old King that made her take the Satisfaction of speaking of him so very often Besides he many times enquir'd how the Prince bore himself And those of whom he ask'd being entirely Slaves to the Merits and Vertues of the Prince still answer'd what they thought conduc'd best to his Service which was to make the old King fansie that the Prince had no more Interest in Imoinda and had resign'd her willingly to the Pleasure of the King that he diverted himself with his Mathematicians his Fortifications his Officers and his Hunting This pleas'd the old Lover who fail'd not to report these things again to Imoinda that she might by the Example of her young Lover withdraw her Heart and rest better contented in his Arms. But however she was forc'd to receive this unwelcome News in all appearance with Unconcern and Content her Heart was bursting within and she was only happy when she cou'd get alone to vent her Griefs and Moans with Sighs and Tears What Reports of the Prince's Conduct were made to the King he thought good to justifie as far as possibly he cou'd by his Actions and when he appear'd in the Presence of the King he shew'd a Face not at all betraying his Heart so that in a little time the old Man being entirely convinc'd that he was no longer a Lover of Imoindae he carry'd him with him in his Train to the Otan often to banquet with his Mistress But as soon as he enter'd one day into the Apartment of Imoinda with the King at the first Glance from her Eyes notwithstanding all his determined Resolution he was ready to sink in the place where he stood and had certainly done so but for the support of Aboan a young Man who was next to him which with his Change of Countenance had betray'd him had the King chanc'd to look that way And I have observ'd 't is a very great error in those who laugh when one says A Negro can change Colour for I have seen 'em as frequently blush and look pale and that as visibly as ever I saw in the most beautiful White And 't is certain that both these Changes were evident this day in both these Lovers And Imoinda who saw with some Joy the Change in the Prince's Face and found it in her own strove to divert the King from beholding either by a forc'd Caress with which she met him which was a new Wound in the Heart of the poor dying Prince But as soon as the King was busy'd in looking on some fine thing of Imoinda's making she had time to tell the Prince with her angry but Love-darting Eyes that she resented his Coldness and bemoan'd her own miserable Captivity Nor were his Eyes silent but answer'd hers again as much as Eyes cou'd do instructed by the most tender and most passionate Heart that ever lov'd And they spoke so well and so effectually as Imoinda no longer doubted but she was the only Delight and Darling of that Soul she found pleading in 'em its Right of Love which none was more willing to resign than she And 't was this powerful Language alone that in an instant convey'd all the Thoughts of their Souls to each other that they both found there wanted but Opportunity to make them both entirely happy But when he saw another Door open'd by Onahâ—l a former old Wife of the Kings who now had Charge of Imoinda and saw the Prospect of a Bed of State made ready with Sweets and Flowers for the Dalliance of the King who immediately led the trembling Victim from his sight into that prepar'd Repose what Rage what wild Frenzies seiz'd his Heart which forcing to keep within bounds and to suffer without noise it became the more insupportable and rent his Soul with ten thousand pains He was forc'd to retire to
Death of the King The End of AGNES de CASTRO THE LOVER's WATCH OR THE ART OF Making LOVE BEING Rules for Courtship For Every HOUR in the DAY and NIGHT. By Mrs. BEHN LONDON Printed by W. Onley for S. Briscoe 1697. THE Lover's Watch OR THE ART OF Making LOVE The ARGUMENT 'T IS in the most Happy and August Court of the Best and Greatest Monarch of the World that Damon a young Nobleman whom we will render under that Name languishes for a Maid of Quality who will give us leave to call her Iris Their Births are equally Illustrious they are both Rich and both Young their Beauty such as I dae not too nicely particularize lest I should discover which I am not permitted to do who these charming Lovers are Let it suffice that Iris is the most fair and accomplisht Person that ever adorn'd a Court and that Damon is only worthy of the Glory of her Favour for he has all that can render him lovely in the fair Eyes of the Amiable Iris. Nor is he Master of those Superficial Beauties alone that please at first Sight he can charm the Soul with a thousand Arts of Wit and Gallantry And in a word I may say without flattering either that there is no one Beauty no one Grace no perfection of Mind and Body that wants to compleat a Victory on both sides The Agreement of Age Fortunes Quality and Humours in these two fair Lovers made the impatient Damon hope that nothing would oppose his Passion and if he saw himself every Hour languishing for the Adorable Maid he did not however despair And if Iris sigh'd it was not for fear of being one day more happy In the midst of the Tranquility of these two Lovers Iris was obliged to go into the Country for some Months whither 't was impossible for Damon to wait on her he being oblig'd to attend the King his Master and being the most Amorous of his Sex suffer'd with extream Impatience thâ— Absence of his Mistress Nevertheless he fail'd not to send to her every day and gave up all his melancholly Hours to Thinking Sighing and Writing to her the softest Letters that Love could inspire So that Iris even blessed that Absence that gave her so tender and convincing Proofs of his Passion and found this dear way of Conversing even recompensed all her Sighs for his Absence After a little Intercourse of this kind Damon be thought himself to ask Iris a Discretion which he had won of her before she left the Town and in a Billet-doux to that purpose prest her very earnestly for it Iris being infinitely pleas'd with his Importunity suffer'd him to ask it often and he never fail'd of doing so But as I do not here design to relate the Adventures of these two Amiable Persons nor give you all the Billet-douxes that past between them You shall here find nothing but the Watch this charming Maid sent her impatient Lover IRIS to DAMON IT must be confest Damon that you are the most importuning Man in the World Your Billets have an hundred times demanded a Discretion which you won of me and tell me you will not wait my Return to be paid You are either a very faithless Creditor or believe me very unjust that you dun with such Impatience But to let you see I am a Maid of Honour and value my Word I will acquit myself of this Obligation I have to you and send you a Watch of my fashion perhaps you never saw any so good It is not one of those that have always something to be mended in it but one that is without Fault very just and good and will remain so as long as you continue to love me But Damon know that the very Minute you cease to do so the String will break and it will go no more 'T is only useful in my Absence and when I return 't will change its Motion And though I have set it but for the Spring-time 't will serve you the whole Year round and 't will be necessary only that you alter the business of the Hours which my Cupid in the middle of my Watch points you out according to the length of the Days and Nights Nor is the Dart of that little God directed to those Hours so much to inform you how they pass as how you ought to pass them how you ought to employ those of your Absence from Iris. 'T is there you shall find the whole Business of a Lover from his Mistress for I have design'd it a Rule to all your Actions The Consideration of the Workman ought to make you set a Value upon the Work And though it be not an accomplisht and perfect Piece yet Damon you ought to be grateful and esteem it since I have made it for you alone But however I may boast of the Design I know as well as I believe you love me that you will not suffer me to have the Glory of it wholly but will say in your heart That Love the great Instructor of the Mind That forms a new and fashions every Soul Refines the gross Defects of Humane kind Humbles the Proud and Vain inspires the Dull Gives Cowards noble Heat in Fight And teaches feeble Woman how to write That doth the Vniverse command Does from my Iris Heart direct her Hand I give you the liberty to say this to your Heart if you please And that you may know with what Justice you do so I will confess in my turn The Confession That Love 's my Conduct where I go And Love instructs me all I do Prudence no longer is my Guide Nor take I Counsel of my Pride In vain does Honour now invade In vain does Reason take my part If against Love it do perswade If it rebel against my Heart If the soft Ev'ning do invite And I incline to take the Air The Birds the Spring the Flowers no more delight 'T is Love makes all the Pleasure there Love which about me still I bear I 'm charm'd with what I thither bring And add a Softness to the Spring If for Devotion I design Love meets me even at the shrine In all my Worships claims a part And robs even Heaven of my Heart All Day does Counsel and controul And all the Night employs my Soul No wonder then if all you think be true That Love 's concern'd in all I do for you And Damon you know that Love is no ill Master and I must say with a Blush that he has found me no unapt Scholar and he instructs too agreeably not to succeed in all he undertakes Who can resist his soft Commands When he resolves what God withstands But I ought to explain to you my Watch The naked Love which you will find in the middle of it with his Wings clip'd to shew you he is fix'd and constant and will not fly away points you out with his Arrow the four and twenty Hours that compose the Day and the Night Over
was then if I may say so in real Agonies for your Departure 'T is a wonder a Woman so violent in all her Passions as I did not forgetting all Prudence all Considerations fly out into absolute Commands or at least Entreaties that you would give me a Moment's time longer I burst to speak with you to know a thousand things but particularly how you came to be so barbarous as to carry away all that cou'd make my Satisfaction You carry'd away my Letter and you carry'd away Lycidas I will not call him mine because he has so unkindly taken himself back 'T was with that Design you came for I saw all night with what reluctancy you spoke how coldly you entertain'd me and with what pain and uneasiness you gave me the only Conversation I value in the World I am asham'd to tell you this I know your peevish Vertue will mis-interpret me But take it how you will think of it as you please I am undone and will be free I will tell you you did not use me well I am ruin'd and will rail at you Come then I conjure you this Evening that after it I may shut those Eyes that have been too long waking I have committed a thousand Madnesses in this but you must pardon the Faults you have created Come and do so for I must see you to Night and that in a better Humour than you were last Night No more obey me as you have that Friendship for me you profess and assure your self to find a very welcome Reception from Lycidas Your Astrea LETTER III. WHEN shall we understand one another For I thought dear Lycidas you had been a Man of your Parole I will as soon believe you will forget me as that you have not remember'd the Promise you made me Confess you are the teazingest Creature in the World rather than suffer me to think you neglect me or wou'd put a slight upon me that have chosen you from all the whole Creation to give my entire Esteem to This I had assur'd you Yesterday but that I dreaded the Effects of your Censure to Day and though I scorn to guard my Tongue as hoping 't will never offend willingly yet I can with much adoe hold it when I have a great mind to say a thousand things I know will be taken in an ill sence Possibly you will wonder what compells me to write what moves me to send where I find so little Welcome nay where I meet with such Returns it may be I wonder too You say I am chang'd I had rather almost justifie an Ill than Repent maintain false Arguments than yield I am i' th' Wrong In fine Charming Friend Lycidas whatever I was since you knew me believe I am still the same in Soul and Thought but that is what shall never hurt you what shall never be but to serve you Why then did you say you wou'd not sit near me Was that my Friend was that the Esteem you profess Who grows cold first Who is chang'd and Who the Aggressor 'T is I was first in Friendship and shall be last in Constancy You by Inclination and not for want of Friends have I plac'd highest in my Esteem and for that Reason your Conversation is the most acceptable and agreeable of any in the World and for this Reason you shun mine Take your course be a Friend like a Foe and continue to impose upon me that you esteem me when you flie me Renounce your false Friendship or let me see you give it entire to Astrea LETTER IV. I Had rather dear Lycidas set my self to write to any Man on Earth than you for I fear your severe Prudence and Discretion so nice may make an ill Judgment of what I say Yet you bid me not dissemble and you need not have caution'd me who so naturally hate those little Arts of my Sex that I often run on freedoms that may well enough bear a Censure from People so scrupulous as Lycidas Nor dare I follow all my Inclinations neither nor tell all the little Secrets of my Soul Why I write them I can give no account 't is but fooling my self perhaps into an Undoing I do but by this soft Entertainment rook in my Heart like a young Gamester to make it venture its last Stake This I say may be the Danger I may come off unhurt but cannot be a Winner Why then shou'd I throw an uncertain Cast where I hazard all and you nothing Your stanch Prudence is Proof against Love and all the Bank's on my side You are so unreasonable you wou'd have me pay where I have contracted no Debt you wou'd have me give and you like a Miser wou'd distribute nothing Greedy Lycidas Unconscionable and Ungenerous You wou'd not be in Love for all the World yet wish I were so Uncharitable Wou'd my Fever Cure you or a Curse on me make you Bless'd Say Lycidas Will it I have heard when two Souls kindly meet 't is a vast Pleasure as vast as the Curse must be when Kindness is not equal and why shou'd you believe that necessary for me that will be so very incommode for you Will you Dear Lycidas allow then that you have less Good-nature than I Pray be Just till you can give such Proofs of the contrary as I shall be Judge of or give me a Reason for your Ill-nature So much for Loving Now as you are my Friend I conjure you to consider what Resolution I took up when I saw you last which methinks is a long time of seeing no Man till I saw your Face again and when you remember that you will possibly be so kind as to make what haste you can to see me again Till then have Thoughts as much in favour of me as you can for when you know me better you will believe I merit all May you be impatient and uneasie till you see me again and bating that may all the Blessings of Heaven and Earth light on you is the continued Prayers of Dear Lycidas Your True Astrea LETTER V. THough it be very late I cannot go to bed but I must tell thee I have been very Good ever since I saw thee and have been a writing and have seen no Face of Man or other Body save my own People I am mightily pleas'd with your Kindness to me to Night and 't was I hope and believe very innocent and undisturbing on both sides My Lycidas says He can be soft and dear when he please to put off his haughty Pride which is only assum'd to see how far I dare love him ununited Since then my Soul's Delight you are and may ever be assur'd I am and ever will be yours befall me what will and that all the Devils of Hell shall not prevail against thee Shew then I say my dearest Love thy native sweet Temper Shew me all the Love thou hast undissembl'd then and never till then shall I believe you love and deserve my Heart for
for the future he would be less able to injure him so that abating the Scandal of the Veil which was no otherwise so than that she was Wife to another He believ'd her safe even in the Arms of the King and innocent yet wou'd he have ventur'd at the Conquest of the World and have given it all to have had her avoided that Honour of receiving the Royal Veil 'T was thus between a thousand Caresses that both bemoan'd the hard fate of Youth and Beauty so liable to that cruel Promotion 'T was a Glory that cou'd well have been spar'd here though desir'd and aim'd at by all the young Females of that Kingdom But while they were thus fondly employ'd forgetting how Time ran on and that the Dawn must conduct him far away from his only Happiness they heard a great Noise in the Otan and unusual Voices of Men at which the Prince starting from the Arms of the frighted Imoinda ran to a little Battle-Axe he us'd to wear by his Side and having not so much leisure as to put on his Habit he oppos'd himself against some who were already opening the Door which they did with so much Violence that Oroonoko was not able to defend it but was forc'd to cry out with a commanding Voice Whoever ye are that have the Boldness to attempt to approach this Apartment thus rudely know that I the Prince Oroonoko will revenge it with the certain Death of him that first enters Therefore stand back and know this Place is sacred to Love and Me this Night to Morrow 't is the King's This he spoke with a Voice so resolv'd and assur'd that they soon retir'â— from the Door but cry'd 'T is by the King's Command we are come and being satisfy'd by thy Voice O Prince as much as if we had enter'd we can report to the King the Truth of all his Fears and leave thee to provide for thy own Safety as thou art advis'd by thy Friends At these words they departed and left the Prince to take a short and sad leave of his Imoinda who trusting in the strength of her Charms believ'd she shou'd appease the Fury of a jealous King by saying She was surpriz'd and that it was by force of Arms he got into her Apartment All her Concern now was for his Life and therefore she hasten'd him to the Camp and with much a-doe prevail'd on him to go Nor was it she alone that prevail'd Aboan and Onahal both pleaded and both assur'd him of a Lye that shou'd be well enough contriv'd to secure Imoinda So that at last with a Heart sad as Death dying Eyes and sighing Soul Oroonoko departed and took his way to the Camp It was not long after the King in Person came to the Otan where beholding Imoinda with Rage in his Eyes he upbraided her Wickedness and Perfidy and threatning her Royal Lover she fell on her Face at his Feet bedewing the Floor with her Tears and imploring his Pardon for a Fault which she had not with her Will committed as Onahal who was also prostrate with her cou'd testifie That unknown to her he had broke into her Apartment and ravish'd her She spoke this much against her Conscience but to save her own Life 't was absolutely necessary she shou'd feign this Falsity She knew it cou'd not injure the Prince he being fled to an Army that wou'd stand by him against any Injuries that shou'd assault him However this last Thought of Imoinda's being Ravish'd chang'd the measures of his Revenge and whereas before he design'd to be himself her Executioner he now resolv'd she shou'd not die But as it is the greatest Crime in nature amongst 'em to touch a Woman after having been possess'd by a Son a Father or a Brother so now he look'd on Imoinda as a polluted thing wholly unfit for his Embrace nor wou'd he resign her to his Grand-son because she had receiv'd the Royal Veil He therefore removes her from the Otan with Onahal whom he put into safe Hands with order they shou'd be both sold off as Slaves to another Country either Christian or Heathen 't was no matter where This cruel Sentence worse than Death they implor'd might be revers'd but their Prayers were vain and it was put in execution accordingly and that with so much Secrecy that none either without or within the Otan knew any thing of their Absence or their Destiny The old King nevertheless executed this with a great deal of Reluctancy but he believ'd he had made a very great Conquest over himself when he had once resolv'd and had perform'd what he resolv'd He believ'd now that his Love had been unjust and that he cou'd not expect the Gods or Captain of the Clouds as â—hey call the unknown Power wou'd suffer a better Consequence from so ill a Cause He now begins to hold Oroonoko excus'd and to say he had Reason for what he did And now every Body cou'd assure the King how passionately Imoinda was belov'd by the Prince even those confess'd it now who said the contrary before his Flame was abated So that the King being old and not able to defend himself in War and having no Sons of all his Race remaining alive but only this to maintain him on his Throne and looking on this as a Man disoblig'd first by the Rape of his Mistress or rather Wife and now by depriving of him wholly of her he fear'd might make him desperate and do some cruel thing either to himself or his old Grand-father the Offender he began to repent him extremely of the Contempt he had in his Rage put on Imoinda Besides he consider'd he ought in Honour to have kill'd her for this Offence if it had been one He ought to have had so much Value and Consideration for a Maid of her Quality as to have nobly put her to Death and not to have sold her like a common Slave the greatest Revenge and the most disgraceful of any and to which they a thousand times preferr Death and implore it as Imoinda did but cou'd not obtain that Honour Seeing therefore it was certain that Oroonoko wou'd highly resent this Affront he thought good to make some Excuse for his Rashness to him and to that end he sent a Messenger to the Camp with Orders to treat with him about the Matter to gain his Pardon and to endeavour to mitigate his Grief but that by no means he shou'd tell him she was sold but secretly put to death for he knew he shou'd never obtain his Pardon for the other When the Messenger came he found the Prince upon the point of Engaging with the Enemy but as soon as he heard of the arrival of the Messenger he commanded him to his Tent where he embrac'd him and receiv'd him with Joy which was soon abated by the Down-cast Looks of the Messenger who was instantly demanded the cause by Oroonoko who impatient of Delay ask'd a thousand Questions in a breath and
had the Happiness or rather the Misfortune so Love ordain'd to see this Ravisher of her Heart and Soul and every Day she took new Fire from his lovely Eyes Unawares unknown and unwillingly he gave her Wounds and the Difficulty of her Cure made her Rage the more She burnt she languish'd and dy'd for the young Innocent who knew not he was the Author of so much Mischief Now she resolves a thousand Ways in her tortur'd Mind to let him know her Anguish and at last pitch'd upon that of writing to him soft Billets which she had learnt the Art of doing or if she had not she had now Fire enough to inspire her with all that cou'd charm and move These she deliver'd to a young Wench who waited on her and whom she had entirely subdu'd to her Interest to give to a certain Lay-Brother of the Order who was a very simple harmless Wretch and who serv'd in the Kitchen in the nature of a Cook in the Monastery of Cordeliers She gave him Gold to secure his Faith and Service and not knowing from whence they came with so good Credentials he undertook to deliver the Letters to Father Francisco which Letters were all afterwards as you shall hear produc'd in open Court These Letters fail'd not to come every Day and the Sence of the first was to tell him that a very beautiful young Lady of a great Fortune was in love with him without naming her but it came as from a third Person to let him know the Secret that she desir'd he wou'd let her know whether she might hope any Return from him assuring him he needed but only see the fair Languisher to confess himself her Slave This Letter being deliver'd him he read by himself and was surpriz'd to receive Words of this nature being so great a Stranger in that place and cou'd not imagine or wou'd not give himself the trouble of guessing who this should be because he never design'd to make Returns The next Day Miranda finding no Advantage from her Messenger of Love in the Evening sends another impatient of Delay confessing that she who suffer'd the Shame of Writing and Imploring was the Person herself who ador'd him 'T was there her raging Love made her say all things that discover'd the nature of its Flame and propose to flee with him to any part of the World if he wou'd quit the Convent that she had a Fortune considerable enough to make him happy and that his Youth and Quality were not given him to so unprofitable an End as to lose themselves in a Convent where Poverty and Ease was all their Business In fine she leaves nothing unurg'd that might debauch and invite him not forgetting to send him her own Character of Beauty and left him to judge of her Wit and Spirit by her Writing and her Love by the Extremity of Passion she profess'd To all which the lovely Friar made no Return as believing a gentle Capitulation or Exhortation to her wou'd but inflame her the more and give new Occasions for her continuing to write All her Reasonings false and vicious he despis'd pities the Error of her Love and was Proof against all she could plead Yet notwithstanding his Silence which left her in doubt and more tormented her she ceas'd not to pursue him with her Letters varying her Style sometimes all wanton loose and raving sometimes feigning a Virgin-modesty all over accusing herself blaming her Conduct and siging her Destiny as one compell'd to the shameful Discovery by the Austerity of his Vow and Habit asking his Pity and Forgiveness urging him in Charity to use his Fatherly Care to perswade and reason with her wild Desires and by his Councel drive the God from her Heart whose Tyranny was worse than that of a Fiend and he did not know what his pious Advice might do But still she writes in vain in vain she varies her Style by a Cunning peculiar to a Maid possess'd with such a sort of Passion This cold Neglect was still Oil to the burning Lamp and she tries yet more Arts which for want of right Thinking were as fruitless She has recourse to Presents her Letters came loaded with Rings of great price and Jewels which Fops of Quality had given her Many of this sort he receiv'd before he knew where to return 'em or how and on this Occasion alone he sent her a Letter and restor'd her Trifles as he call'd 'em But his Habit having not made him forget his Quality and Education he writ to her with all the profound Respect imaginable believing by her Presents and the Liberality with which we parted with 'em that she was of Quality But the whole Letter as he told me afterwards was to perswade her from the Honour she did him by loving him urging a thousand Reasons solid and pious and assuring her he had wholly devoted the rest of his Days to Heaven and had no need of those gay Trifles she had sent him which were only fit to adorn Ladies so fair as herself and who had business with this glittering World which he disdain'd and had for ever abandon'd He sent her a thousand Blessings and told her she shou'd be ever in his Prayers though not in his Heart as she desired And abundance of Goodness more he express'd and Councel he gave her which had the same Effect with his Silence it made her Love but the more and the more impatient she grew She now had a new Occasion to write she now is charm'd with his Wit this was the new Subject She rallies his Resolution and endeavours to re-call him to the World by all the Arguments that Humane Invention is capable of But when she had above four Months languish'd thus in vain not missing one Day wherein she went not to see him without discovering herself to him she resolv'd as her last Effort to shew her Person and see what that assisted by her Tears and soft Words from her Mouth cou'd do to prevail upon him It happen'd to be on the Eve of that Day when she was to receive the Sacrament that she covering herself with her Veil came to Vespers purposing to make choice of the conquering Friar for her Confessor She approach'd him and as she did so she trembl'd with Love At last she cry'd Father my Confessor is gone for some time from the Town and I am oblig'd to morrow to receive and beg you will be pleas'd to take my Confession He cou'd not refuse her and let her into the Sacriste where there is a Confession-Chair in which he seated himself and on one side of him she kneel'd down over against a little Altar where the Priests Robes lie on which was plac'd some lighted Wax-Candles that made the little place very light and splendid which shone full upon Miranda After the little Preparation usual in Confession she turn'd up her Veil and discover'd to his View the most wond'rous Object of Beauty he had ever seen dress'd
all means to do it The Gallantry which Coimbra seem'd to have forgotten began now to be awaken'd The King to please Don Alvaro under pretence of diverting Constantia order'd some Publick Sports and commanded that every thing should be magnificent Since the Adventure of the Verses Don Pedro endeavour'd to lay a Constraint on himself and to appear less troubled But in his Heart he suffer'd always alike and it was not but with great Uneasiness he prepar'd himself for the Turnament And since he could not appear with the Colours of Agnes he took those of his Wife without Device or any great Magnificence Don Alvaro adorn'd himself with the Liv'ries of Agnes de Castro and this fair Maid who had yet found no Consolation from what the Princess had told her had this new Cause of being displeas'd Don Pedro appear'd in the List with an admirable Grace and Don Alvaro who look'd on this Day as his own appear'd there all shining with Gold mix'd with Stones of Blew which were the Colours of Agnes and there was embroider'd all over his Equipage flaming Hearts of Gold on blew Velvet and Nets for the Snares of Love with abundance of double A's his Device was a Love coming out of a Cloud with these Verses written underneath Love from a Cloud breaks like the God of Day And to the World his Glories does display To gaze on charming Eyes and make 'em know What to soft Hearts and to his Power they owe. The Pride of Don Alvaro was soon humbled at the Feet of the Prince of Portugal who threw him against the Ground with twenty others and carry'd alone the Glory of the Day There was in the Evening a Noble Assembly at Constantia's where Agnes would not have been unless expresly commanded by the Princess She appear'd there all negligent and careless in her Dress but yet she appear'd all beautiful and charming She saw with disdain her Name and her Colours worn by Don Alvaro at a Publick Triumph and if her Heart were capable of any tender Motions it was not for such a Man as he for whom her Delicacy destin'd them She lookd on him with a Contempt which did not hinder him from pressing so near that there was a necessity for her to hear and what he had to declare to her She treated him not uncivily but her Coldness would have rebated the Courage of any but Alvaro Madam said he when he could be heard of none but herself I have hitherto concealed the Passion you have inspir'd me with fearing it should displease you but it has committed a Violence on my Respect and I could no longer conceal it from you I never reflected on your Actions answer'd Agnes with all the Indifference of which she was capable and if you think you offend me you are in the wrong to make me perceive it This Coldness is but an ill Omen for me reply'd Don Alvaro and if you have not found me out to be your Lover to Day I fear you will never approve my Passion Oh! what a time you have chosen to make it appear to me pursu'd Agnes is it so great an Honour for me that you must take such Care to shew it to the World And do you think that I am so desirous of Glory that I must aspire to it by your Actions If I must you have very ill maintain'd it in the Turnament and if it be that Vanity that you depend upon you 'll make no great Progress on a Soul that is not fond of Shame If you were possest of all the Advantages which the Prince has this Day carried away you yet ought to consider what you are going about and it is not a Maid like me who is touch'd with Enterprizes without respect or permission The Favourite of the King was too proud to hear Agnes without Indignation But as he was willing to conceal it and not offend her he made not his Resentment appear and considering the Observation she made on the Triumphs of Don Pedro which encreased his Jealousies If I have not overcome at the Turnament reply'd he I am not the less in Love for being vanquish'd nor less capable of success on occasions They were interrupted here but from that Day Don Alvaro who had open'd the first Difficulties kept no more his wonted Distance but perpetually persecuted Agnes yet tho' he were protected by the King that inspir'd in her never the more Consideration for him Don Pedro was always ignorant by what Means the Verses he had lost in the Garden fell into the Hands of Constantia As the Princess appeared to him Indulgent he was only concerned for Agnes and the Love of Don Alvaro which was then so well known increas'd the Pain and had he been possest of the Authority he would not have suffer'd her to have been expos'd to the Persecutions of so unworthy a Rival He was also afraid of the King 's being advertised of his Passion but he thought not at all of Elvira's nor apprehended any Malice from her Resentment While she burnt with a Desire of destroying Agnes against whom she vented all her Venom and she was never weary of making new Reports to her Brother assuring him that tho' they could not prove that Agnes made any returns to the Tenderness of the Prince yet that was the Cause of Constantia's Grief And that if this Princess should die of it Don Pedro might marry Agnes In fine she so incens'd the jealous Alvaro's Jealousie that he could not hinder himself from running immediately to the King with the Discovery of all he knew and all he guest and whom he had the Pleasure to find was infinitely inrag'd at the News My dear Alvaro said the King you shall instantly marry this dangerous Beauty And let Possession assure your Repose and mine If I have protected you in other Occasions judge what a Service of so great an Importance for me would make me undertake and without any reserve the Forces of this State are in your Power and almost any thing that I can give shall be assured you so you render your self Master of the Destiny of Agnes Don Alvaro pleas'd and vain with his Master's Bounty made use of all the Authority he gave him He passionately lov'd Agnes and would not on the sudden make use of Violence but resolv'd with himself to employ all possible Means to win her fairly but if that fail'd to have recourse to force if she continued always insensible While Agnes de Castro importun'd by his Assiduities despairing at the Grief of Constantia and perhaps made tender by those she had caus'd in the Prince of Portugal took a Resolution worthy of her Vertue yet amiable as Don Pedro was she found nothing in him but his being Husband to Constantia that was dear to her And far from encouraging the Power she had got over his Heart she thought of nothing but removing from Coimbra the Passion of Don Alvaro which she had no inclination to favour serv'd her
as a Pretext and press'd with the fear of causing in the End a cruel Divorce between the Prince and his Princess she went to find Constantia with a Trouble which all her Care was not able to hide from her The Princess easily found it out and their common Misfortune having not chang'd their Friendship What ails you Agnes said the Princess to her in a soft Tone and her ordinary Sweetness And what new Misfortune causes that Sadness in thy Looks Madam reply'd Agnes shedding a Rivulet of Tears the Obligations and Tyes I have to you put me upon a cruel Tryal I had bounded the Felicity of my Life in hope of passing it near your Highness yet I must carry to some other part of the World this unlucky Face of mine which renders me nothing but ill Offices And itis to obtain that Liberty that I am come to throw myself at your Feet looking upon you as my Sovereign Constantia was so surpriz'd and touch'd with the Proposition of Agnes that she lost her Speech for some Moments Tears which were sincere express'd her first Sentiments And after having shed abundance to give a new Mark of her Tenderness to the Fair afflicted Agnes she with a sad and melancholy Look fix'd her Eyes upon her and holding out her Hand to her in a most obliging manner sighing cry'd You will then my dear Agnes leave me and expose me to the Griefs of seeing you no more Alas Madam interrupted this lovely Maid hide from the unhappy Agnes a Bounty which does but increase her Misfortunes It is not I Madam that would leave you it is my Duty and my Reason that orders my Fate And those Days which I shall pass far from you promise me nothing to oblige me to this Design if I did not see myself absolutely forc'd to it I am not ignorant of what passes at Coimbra and I shall be an Accomplice of the Injustice there committed if I should stay there any longer Ah I I know your Vertue cry'd Constantia and you may remain here in all safety while I am your Protectress and let what will happen I will accuse you of nothing There 's no answering for what 's to come reply'd Agnes sadly and I shall be sufficiently Guilty if my Presence cause Sentiments which cannot be innocent Beside Madam the Importunities of Don Alvaro are insupportable to me and though I find nothing but Aversion for him since the King protects his Insolence and he 's in a Condition of undertaking any thing my Flight is absolutely necessary But Madam though he has nothing but what seems odious to me I caâ— Heaven to witness that if I could cure the Prince by marrying Don Alvaro I would not consider of it a Moment and finding in my Punishment the Consolation of sacrificing my self to my Princess I would support it without murmuring But if I were the Wife of Don Alvaro Don Pedro would always look upon me with the same Eyes So that I find nothing more reasonable for me than to hide myself in some Corner of the World where though I shall most certainly live without Pleasure yet I shall preserve the Repose of my dearest Mistress All the Reason you find in this Design answered the Princess cannot oblige me to approve of your Absence Will it restore me the Heart of Don Pedro And will he not fly away with you his Grief is mine and my Life is ty'd to his do not make him despair then if you love me I know ye I tell you so once more and let your Power be never so great over the Heart of the Prince I will not suffer you to abandon us Though Agnes thought she had perfectly known Constantia yet she did not expect to find so intire a Vertue in her which made her think herself more happy and the Prince more criminal Oh Wisdom Oh Bounty without Example cry'd she Why is it that the cruel Destinies do not give you all you deserve You are the Disposer of my Actions continu'd she in kissing the Hand of Constantia I 'll do nothing but what you 'll have me But consider weigh well the Reasons that ought to counsel you in the Measures you oblige me to take Don Pedro who had not seen the Princess all that Day came in then and finding 'em both extreamly troubled with a fierce Impatience demanded the Cause Sir answered Constantia Agnes too wise and too scrupulous fears the Effects of her Beauty and will live no longer at Coimbra and it was on this Subject which cannot be agreeable to me that she ask'd my Advice The Prince grew pale at this Discourse and snatching the Words from her Mouth with more concern than possest either of them cry'd with a Voice very feeble Agnes cannot fail if she follow your Councel Madam and I leave you full liberty to give it her He then immediately went out and the Princess whose Heart he perfectly possest not being able to hide her Displeasure said My dear Agnes if my Satisfaction did not only depend on your Conversation I should desire it of you for Pedro's sake it is the only Advantage that his unfortunate Love can hope And would not the World have reason to call me Barbarous if I contributed to deprive him of that But the sight of me will prove a Poyson to him reply'd Agnes And what should I do my Princess if after the Reserve he has hitherto kept his Mouth should add any thing to the Torments I have already felt by speaking to me of his Flame You would hear him sure without causing him to despair reply'd Constantia and I should put this Obligation to the Account of the rest you have done Would you then have me expect those Events which I fear Madam reply'd Agnes Well I will obey but just Heavens pursued she if they prove fatal do not punish an innocent Heart for it Thus this Conversation ended Agnes withdrew into her Chamber but it was not to be more at ease What Don Pedro had learn'd of the Design of Agnes caus'd a cruel Agitation in his Soul he wish'd he had never lov'd her and desir'd a thousand times to die But it was not for him to make Vows against a thing which Fate had design'd him and whatever Resolutions he made to bear the Absence of Agnes his Tenderness had not force enough to consent to it After having for a long time combated with himself he determin'd to do what was impossible for him to let Agnes do His Courage reproach'd him with the Idleness in which he past the most Youthful and Vigorous of his Days and making it appear to the King that his Allies and even the Prince Don John Emanuel his Father-in-Law had Concerns in the World which demanded his Presence on the Frontiers he easily obtain'd Liberty to make this Journey to which the Princess would put no Obstacle Agnes saw him part without any Concern but it was not upon the Account of any Aversion she had for
Youth continu'd she with a tender Tone to the Cruelty of Don Alvaro Live Sir live and let the unhappy Agnes be the only Sacrifice Alas cruel Maid interrupted Don Pedro why do you command me to live if I cannot live with you Is it an effect of your Hatred No Sir replyed Agnes I do not hate you and I wish to God that I cou'd be indifferent that I might be able to defend myself against the Weakness with which I find myself possess'd Oblige me to say no more Sir You see my Blushes interpret them as you please but consider yet that the less Aversion I find I have for you the more culpable I am and that I ought no more to see or speak to you In fine Sir if you oppose my Retreat I declare to you that Don Alvaro as odious as he is to me shall serve for a Defence against you and that I will sooner consent to marry a Man I abhor than to favour a Passion that cost Constantia her Life Well then Agnes reply'd the Prince with looks all languishing and dying follow the Motions which barbarous Vertue inspires you with take those Measures you judge necessary against an unfortunate Lover and enjoy the Glory of having cruelly refus'd me At these Words he went away and as troubled as Agnes was she would not stay him Her Courage combated with her Grief and she thought now more than ever of departing 'T was difficult for her to go out of Coimbra and not to defer what appear'd to her so necessary she went immediately to the Apartment of the King notwithstanding the interest of Don Alvaro the King receiv'd her with a Countenance severe not being able to consent to what she demanded You shall not go hence said he and if you are wise you shall enjoy here with Don Alvaro both my Friendship and my Favour I have taken another Resolution answer'd Agnes and the World has no part in it You will accept Don Pedro reply'd the King his Fortune is sufficient to satisfie an Ambitious Maid But you will not succeed Constantia who lov'd you so tenderly and Spain has Princesses enough to fill up part of the Throne which I shall leave him Sir reply'd Agnes piqu'd at this Discourse If I had a disposition to Love and a design to Marry perhaps the Prince might be the only Person on whom I would fix 'em And you know if my Ancestors did not possess Crowns yet they were worthy to wear ' em But let it be how it will I am resolv'd to depart and to remain no longer a Slave in a place to which I came Free This bold Answer which shew'd the Character of Agnes anger'd and astonish'd the King You shall go when we think fit reply'd he and without being a Slave at Coimbra you shall attend our Orders Agnes saw she must stay and was so griev'd at it that she kept her Chamber several days without daring to inform herself of the Prince and this Retirement spar'd her the Affliction of being visited by Don Alvaro During this Don Pedro fell sick and was in so great Danger that there was a general Apprehension of his Death Agnes did not in the least doubt but it was an Effect of his Discontent she thought at first she had strength and resolution enough to see him die rather than to favour him but had she reflected a little she had soon been convinc'd to the contrary She found not in her Heart that cruel Constancy she thought there so well establish'd she felt Pains and Inquietude shed Tears made Wishes and in fine discover'd that she Lov'd 'T was impossible to see the Heir of the Crown a Prince that deserv'd so well even at the point of Death without a general Affliction The People who lov'd him pass'd whole days at the Palace-gate to hear News of him The Court was all overwhelm'd with Grief Don Alvaro knew very well how to conceal a malicious Joy under an Appearance of Sadness Elvira full of Tenderness and perhaps of Remorse suffer'd also on her side The King altho' he condemn'd the Love of his Son yet still had a Tenderness for him and cou'd not resolve to lose him Agnes de Castro who knew the Cause of his Distemper expected the end of it with strange Anxieties In fine after a Month had pass'd away in Fears they began to have a little Hopes of his Recovery The Prince and Don Alvaro were the only Persons that were not glad of it But Agnes rejoyc'd enough for all the rest Don Pedro seeing that he must live whether he wou'd or no thought of nothing but passing his days in Melancholly and Discontent As soon as he was in a condition to walk he sought out the most solitary Places and gain'd so much upon his own Weakness to go every-where where Agnes was not but her Idea follow'd him always and his Memory faithful to represent her to him with all her Charms render'd her always dangerous One day when they had carry'd him into the Garden he sought out a Labyrinth which was at the farthest part of it to hide his Melancholly during some hours there he found the sad Agnes whom Grief little different from his had brought thither the sight of her whom he expected not made him tremble She saw by his pale and meagre Face the remains of his Distemper his Eyes full of Languishment troubled her and tho' her desire was so great to have fled from him an unknown Power stopt her and 't was impossible for her to go After some Moments of Silence which many Sighs interrupted Don Pedro rais'd himself from the place where his Weakness had forc'd him to sit he made Agnes see as he approached her the sad Marks of his Sufferings and not content with the Pity he saw in her Eyes 〈◊〉 have resolv'd my Death then Cruel Agnes said he my desire was the same with yours but Heaven has thought fit to reserve me for other Misfortunes and I see you again as unhappy but more in love than ever There was no need of these Words to move Agnes to Compassion the Languishment of the Prince spoke enough And the Heart of this fair Maid was but too much dispos'd to yield itself She thought then that Constantia ought to be satisfied Love which combated for Don Pedro triumphed over Friendship and found that happy Moment for which the Prince of Portugal had so long sighed Do not reproach me for that which has cost me more than you Sir reply'd she and do not accuse a 〈◊〉 which is neither Ingrateful nor Barbarous and I must tell you that I love you But now I have made you that Confession what is it farther that you require of me Don Pedro who expected not a Change so favourable felt a double Satisfaction and falling at the Feet of Agnes he express'd more by the Silence his Passion created than he could have done by the most eloquent Words After having known all his good Fortune
he then consulted with the Amiable Agnes what was to be fear'd from the King they concluded that the cruel Billet which so troubled the last days of Constantia could come from none but Elvira and Don Alvaro The Prince who knew that his Father had search'd already an Alliance for him and was resolv'd on his Favourite's marrying Agnes 〈◊〉 her so tenderly to prevent these Persecuâ—â— by consenting to a secret Marriage that 〈◊〉 having a long time considered she at 〈◊〉 consented I will do what you will have me saiâ— she though I presage nothing but fatal Events 〈◊〉 it all my Blood turns to Ice when I think of this Marriage and the Image of Constantia 〈◊〉 hinder me from doing it The Amorous Prince surmounted all 〈◊〉 Scruples and separated himself from 〈◊〉 with a Satisfaction which soon redoubled his Forces he saw her afterward with the pleasure of a Mystery and the Day of their Union arriv'd Dom Gill Bishop of Guarda performed the Ceremony of the Marriage in the presence of several Witnesses faithful to Don Pedro who saw him Possessor of all the Chaâ—ms of the Fair Agnes She liv'd not the more peaceable for belonging to the Prince of Portugal her Enemies who continually persecuted her left her not without troubles and the King whom her Refusal inrag'd laid his absolute Commands on her to Marry Don Alvaro with Threats to force her to it if she continued Rebellious The Prince took loudly her part and this joyn'd to the Refusal he made of marrying the Princess of Arragon caus'd Suspicions of the Truth in the King his Father He was seconded by those that were too much interested not to unriddle this Secret Don Alvaro and his Sister acted with so much Care gave so many Gifts and made so many Promises that they discovered the secret Engagements of Don Pedro and Agnes The King wanted but little of breaking out into all the Rage and Fury so great a Disappointment could inspire him with against the Princess Don Alvaro whose Love was chang'd into the most violent Hatred appeas'd the first Transports of the King by making him comprehend that if they could break the Marriage of 'em that would not be a sufficient Revenge and so poysoned the Soul of the King to consent to the Death of Agnes The Barbarous Don Alvaro offered his Arm for this terrible Execution and his Rage was Security for the Sacrifice The King who thought the Glory of his Family disgraced by this Alliance and his own 〈◊〉 particular in the Procedure of his Son gave full Power to this Murder to make the innocent Agnes a Victim to his Rage It was not easie to execute this horrid Design Though the Prince saw Agnes but in secret yet all his Cares were still awake for her and he was married to her above a Year before Don Alvaro could find out an Opportunity so long sought for The Prince delivered himself but little and very rarely went far from Coimbra but on a Day an Unfortunate Day and mark'd out by Heaven for an unheard of and horrid Assassin he made a Party to hunt at a fine House which the King of Portugal had near the City Agnes lov'd every thing that gave the Prince satisfaction but a secret Trouble made her apprehend some Misfortune in this unhappy Journey Sir said she to him alarm'd without knowing the Reason why I tremble seeing you to day as it were design'd the last of my Life Preserve yourself my Dear Prince and though the Exercise you take be not very dangerous beware of the least Hazards and bring me back all that I trust with you Don Pedro who had never found her so Handsome and so Charming before embraced her several times and went out of the Palace with his Followers with a design not to return till the next Day He was no sooner gone but the Cruel Don Alvaro prepared himself for the Execution he had resolv'd on he thought it of that importance that it required more Hands than his Own and so chose for his Companions Diego Lopes Pacheo and Pedro Cuello two Monsters like himself whose Cruelty he was assur'd of by the Presents he had made ' em They waited the coming of the Night and the lovely Agnes was in her first sleep which the last of her Life when these Assassins approach'd her Bed Nothing made resistance to Don Alvaro who could do every thing and whom the blackest Furies introduced to Agnes she wakened and opening her Curtains saw by the Candle burning in her Chamber the Poinard with which Don Alvaro was arm'd he having not his Face covered she easily knew him and forgetting herself to think of nothing but the Prince Just Heaven said she lifting up her fine Eyes if you will revenge Constantia satisfie yourself with my Blood only and spare that of Don Pedro. The Barbarous Man that heard her gave her not time to say more and finding he could never by all he could do by Love touch the Heart of the Fair Agnes he pierc'd it with his Poinard his Accomplices gave her several Wounds tho' there were no Necessity of so many to put an End to an Innocent Life What a sad Spectacle was this for those who approach'd her Bed the next Day And what dismal News was this to the Unfortunate Prince of Portugal He return'd to Coimbra to the first Report of this Adventure and saw what had certainly cost him his Life if Men could die of Grief after having a thousand times embraced the bloody Body of Agnes and said all that a just Despair could inspire him with he ran like a Mad-man into the Palace demanding the Murderers of his Wife of things that could not hear him In fine he saw the King and without observing any Respect he gave a Loose to his Resentment after having rail'd a long time overwhelm'd with Grief he fell into a Swoon which continued all that Day They carried him into his Apartment and the King believing that this Misfortune would prove his Cure repented not of what he had permitted Don Alvaro and the two other Assassins quitted Coimbra This Absence of theirs made 'em appear guilty of the Crime for which the Afflicted Prince vowed a speedy Vengeance to the Ghost of his Lovely Agnes resolving to pursue them to the uttermost part of the Universe He got a considerable number of Men together sufficient to have made Resistance even on the King of Portugal himself if he should yet take the Part of the Murderers with these he ravag'd the whole Country as far as the Duero Waters and carried on a War even till the Death of the King continually mixing Tears with Blood which he gave to the Revenge of his Dearest Agnes Such was the deplorable End of the Unfortunate Love of Don Pedro of Portugal and of the Fair Agnes de Castro whose Remembrance he faithfully preserved in his Heart even upon the Throne to which he mounted by the Right of his Birth after the
Lover if not his Heart and thinks it easie to vanquish the Whole if she pleases and triumphs over me in her secret Imaginations Remember Damon that while you act thus in the Company and Conversation of other Beauties that every Look or Word you give in favour of 'em is an Indignity to my Reputation and which you cannot suffer if you love me truly and with Honour And assure yourself so much Vanity as you inspire in her so much Fame you rob me of for whatever Praises you give another Beauty so much you take away from mine Therefore if you Dine in Company do as others do Be generally Civil not applying yourself by Words or Looks to any particular Person Be as gay as you please Talk and laugh with all for this is not the Hour for Chagrin The Permission My Damon tho' I stint your Love I will not stint your Appetite That I would have you still improve By every new and fresh Delight Feast till Apollo hides his Head Or drink the am'rous God to Thetis Bed Be like yourself All witty gay And o're the Bottle bless the Board The listening round will all the Day Be charm'd and pleas'd with every Word Tho' Venus Son inspire your Wit 'T is the Selenian God best utters it Here talk of ev'ry thing but me Since ev'ry Thing you say with Grace If not dispos'd your Humour be And you 'd this Hour in silence pass Since something must the Subject prove Of Damon's Thoughts let it be me and Love But Damon this enfranchis'd Hour No Bounds or Laws will I impose But leave it wholly in your Pow'r What Humour to refuse or chuse I Rules prescribe but to your Flame For I your Mistress not Physician am Three a Clock Visits to Friends DAmon my Watch is juster than you imagine it would not have you live retired and solitary but permits you to go and make Visits I am not one of those that believe Love and Friendship cannot find a Place in one and the same Heart And that Man would be very unhappy who as soon as he had a Mistress should be obliged to renounce the Society of his Friends I must confess I would not that you should have so much Concern for them as you have for me for I have heard a sort of a Proverb that says He cannot be very fervent in Love who is not a little cold in Friendship You are not ignorant that when Love establishes himself in a Heart he reigns a Tyrant there and will not suffer even Friendship if it pretend to share his Empire there Cupid Love is a God whose charming Sway Both Heaven and Earth and Seas obey A Power that will not mingled be With any dull Equality Since first from Heaven which gave him Birth He rul'd the Empire of the Earth Jealous of Sov'raign Power he rules And will be Absolute in Souls I should be very angry if you had any of those Friendships which one ought to desire in a Mistress only for many times it happens that you have Sentiments a little too tender for those Amiable Persons and many times Love and Friendship are so confounded together that one cannot easily discern one from t'other I have seen a Man flatter himself with an Opinion that he had but an Esteem for a Woman when by some Turn of Fortune in her Life as Marrying or Receiving the Addresses of Men he has found by Spight and Jealousies within that that was Love which he before took for Complaisance or Friendship Therefore have a Care for such Amities are dangerous Not but that a Lover may have Fair and Generous Female-Friends whom he ought to visit and perhaps I shou'd esteem you less if I did not believe you were valued by such if I were perfectly assured they were Friends and not Lovers But have a Care you hide not a Mistress under this Veil or that you gain not a Lover by this Pretence For you may begin with Friendship and end with Love and I shou'd be equally afflicted shou'd you give it or receive it And though you charge our Sex with all the Vanity yet I often find Nature to have given you as large a Portion of that Common Crime which you wou'd shuffle off as asham'd to own and are as fond and vain of the Imagination of a Conquest as any Coquet of us all though at the same time you despise the Victim you think it adds a Trophy to your Fame And I have seen a Man dress and trick and adjust his Looks and Mien to make a Visit to a Woman he lov'd nor ever cou'd love not as for those he made to his Mistress and only for the Vanity of making a Conquest upon a Heart even unworthy of the little Pains he has taken about it And what is this but buying Vanity at the Expence of Sence and Ease and with Fatigue purchase the Name of a Conceited Fop besides that of a Dishonest Man For he who takes Pains to make himself Belov'd only to please his curious Humour tho' he should say nothing that tends to it more than by his Looks his Sighs and now and then breaking into Praises and Commendations of the Object by the Care he takes to appear well drest before her and in good order he lyes in his Looks he deceives with his Mien and Fashion and cheats with every Motion and every Grace he puts on He cozens when he Sings or Dances he dissembles when he Sighs and every thing he does that wilfully gains upon her is Malice propense Baseness and Art below a Man of Sence or Vertue And yet these Arts these Coz'nages are the common Practices of the Town What 's this but that damnable Vice of which they so reproach our Sex that of Jilting for Hearts And 't is in vain that my Lover after such foul Play shall think to appease me with saying He did it to try how easie he cou'd Conquer and of how great Force his Charms were And why shou'd I be angry if all the Town lov'd him since he lov'd none but Iris Oh foolish Pleasure How little Sence goes to the making of such a Happiness And how little Love must he have for one particular Person who wou'd wish to inspire it into all the World and yet himself pretend to be insensible But this Damon is rather what is but too much practised by your Sex than any Guilt I charge on you tho' Vanity be an Ingredient that Nature very seldom omits in the Composition of either Sex and you may be allow'd a Tincture of it at least And perhaps I am not wholly exempt from this Leaven in my Nature but accuse myself sometimes of finding a secret Joy of being ador'd tho' I even hate my Worshipper But if any such Pleasure touch my Heart I find it at the same time blushing in my Cheeks with a guilty Shame which soon checks the petty Triumph and I have a Vertue at soberer Thoughts that I find surmounts
my Weakness and Indiscretion and I hope Damon finds the same For should he have any of those Attachments I should have no Pity for him The Example Damon if you wou'd have me true Be you my President and Guide Example sooner we pursue Than the dull Dictates of our Pride Precepts of Vertue are too weak an Aim 'T is Demonstration that can best reclaim Shew me the Path you 'd have me go With such a Guide I cannot stray What you approve whate'er you do It is but just I bend the Way If true my Honour favours your Design If false Revenge is the Result of mine A Lover true a Maid sincere Are to be priz'd as Things Divine 'T is Justice makes the Blessing dear Justice of Love without Design And she that Reigns not in a Heart alone Is never safe or easie on her Throne Four a Clock General Conversation IN this Visiting-Hour many People will happen to meet at one and the same time together in a Place And as you make not Visits to Friends to be silent you ought to enter into Conversation with 'em but those Conversations ought to be General and of General Things for there is no necessity of making your Friend the Confident of your Amours 'T would infinitely displease me to hear you have reveal'd to them all that I have repos'd in you tho' Secrets never so trivial yet since utter'd between Lovers they deserve to be priz'd at a higher rate For what can shew a Heart more indifferent and indiscreet than to declare in any Fashion or with Mirth or Joy the tender Things a Mistress says to a Lover and which possibly related at Second Hand bear not the same Sence because they have not the same Sound and Air they had originally when they came from the soft Heart of her who sigh'd 'em first to her lavish Lover Perhaps they are told again with Mirth or Joy unbecoming their Character and Business and then they lose their Graces for Love is the most Solemn Thing in Nature and the most unsuiting with Gaiety Perhaps the soft Expressions suit not so well the harsher Voice of the Masculine Lover whose Accents were not form'd for so much Tenderness at least not of that sort for Words that have the same Meaning are alter'd from their Sence by the least Tone or Accent of the Voice and those proper and fitted to my Soul are not possibly so to yours tho' both have the same Efficacy upon us yours upon my Heart as mine upon yours and both will be misunderstood by the unjudging World Besides this there is a Holiness in Love that 's true that ought not to be prophan'd And as the Poet truly says at the latter end of an Ode of which I will recite the whole The Invitation Aminta fear not to confess The charming Secret of thy Tenderness That which a Lover can't conceal That which to me thou should'st reveal And is but what thy lovely Eyes express Come whisper to my panting Heart That heaves and meets thy Voice half way That guesses what thou wou'dst impart And languishes for what thou hast to say Confirm my trembling Doubt and make me know Whence all these Blushings and these Sighings flow Why dost thou scruple to unfold A Mystery that does my Life concern If thou ne'er speak'st it will be told For Lovers all things can discern From every Look from every bashful Grace That still succeed each other in thy Face I shall the dear transporting Secret learn But 't is a Pleasure not to be exprest To hear it by the Voice confest When soft Sighs breathe it on my panting Breast All calm and silent is the Grove Whose shading Boughs resist the Day Here thou may'st blush and talk of Love While only Winds unheeding stay That will not bear the Sound away While I with solemn awful Joy All my attentive Faculties employ List'ning to every valu'd Word And in my Soul the Sacred Treasure hoard There like some Mystery Divine The wondrous Knowledge I 'll enshrine Love can his Joys no longer call his own Than the dear Secret's kept unknown There is nothing more true than those two last Lines and that Love ceases to be a Pleasure when it ceases to be a Secret and one you ought to keep sacred For the World who never makes a right Judgment of Things will misinterpret Love as they do Religion every one judging it according to the Notion he had of it or the Talent of his Sence Love as a great Duke said is like Apparitions every one talks of 'em but few have seen 'em Every Body thinks himself capable of understanding Love and that he is a Master in the Art of it when there is nothing so nice or difficult to be rightly comprehended and indeed cannot be but to a Soul very delicate Nor will he make himself known to the Vulgar There must be an uncommon Fineness in the Mind that contains him the rest he only visits in as many Disguises as there are Dispositions and Natures where he makes but a short stay and is gone He can fit himself to all Hearts being the greatest Flatterer in the World And he possesses every one with a Confidence that they are in the Number of his Elect and they think they know him perfectly when nothing but the Spirits refin'd possess him in his Excellency From this difference of Love in different Souls proceeds those odd fantastick Maxims which so many hold of so different Kinds And this makes the most innocent Pleasures pass oftentimes for Crimes with the unjudging Crowd who call themselves Lovers And you will have your Passion censur'd by as many as you shall discover it to and as many several Ways I advise you therefore Damon to make no Confidents of your Amours and believe that Silence has with me the most powerful Charm 'T is also in these Conversations that those indiscreetly civil Persons often are who think to oblige a good Man by letting him know he is belov'd by some one or other and making him understand how many good Qualities he is Master of to render him agreeable to the Fair Sex if he wou'd but advance where Love and good Fortune calls and that a too constant Lover loses a great part of his time which might be manag'd to more Advantage since Youth hath so short a Race to run By this and a thousand the like indecent Complaisances give him a Vanity that suits not with that Discretion which has hitherto acquir'd him so good a Reputation I wou'd not have you Damon act on these Occasions as many of the easie Sparks have done before you who receive such Weakness and Flattery for Truth and passing it off with a Smile suffer 'em to advance in Folâ—◠〈…〉 gain'd a Credit with 'em and 〈…〉 all they hear telling 'em they do 〈…〉 senting Gestures Silence or open 〈…〉 For my part I shou'd not conâ—◠〈…〉 that shou'd answer a sort of ciâ—◠〈…〉 for Love somewhat briskly
more modest in that Point than naturally we are being too apt to have a favourable Opinion of ourselves And 't is rather the Effects of a Fear that we are flatter'd than our own ill Opinion of the Beauty flatter'd and that the Praiser does not think so well of it as we do our selves or as at least he wish she shou'd Not but there are Grains of Allowance for the Temper of him that speaks One Man's Humour is to talk much and he may be permitted to enlarge upon the Praise he gives the Person he pretends to without being accus'd of much Guilt Another hates to be Wordy from such an one I have known one soft Expression one tender Thing go as far as whole Days everlasting Protestations urg'd with Vows and mighty Eloquence And both the one and the other indeed must be allow'd in good Manners to stretch the Complement beyond the Bounds of nice Truth and we must not wonder to hear a Man call a Woman a Beauty when she is not Ugly or another a Great Wit if she have but common Sence above the Vulgar well Bred when well Drest and good Natur'd when Civil And as I shou'd be very ridiculous if I took all you said for absolute Truth so I should be very unjust not to allow you very sincere in almost all you said besides and those Things the most material to Love Honour and Friendship And for the rest Damon be it true or false this believe You speak with such a Grace that I cannot chuse but Credit you and find an infinite Pleasure in that Faith because I lovu you And if I cannot find the Cheat I am contented you shou'd deceive me on because yoe do it so agreeably Six a Clock Walk without Design YOU yet have Time to Walk and my Watch foresaw you cou'd not refuse your Friends You must to the Park or to the Mall for the Season is fair and inviting and all the young Beauties love those Places too well not to be there 'T is there that a Thousand Intrigues are carried on and as many more design'd 'T is there that every one is set out for Conquest and who aim at nothing less than Hearts Guard yours well my Damon and be not always admiring what you see Do not in passing by sigh 'em silent Praises Suffer not so much as a guilty Wish to approach your Thoughts nor a heedful Glance to steal from your fine Eyes Those are Regards you ought only to have for her you Love But oh above all have a Care of what you say You are not reproachable if you should remain silent all the Time of your Walk nor wou'd those that know you believe it the Effects of Dulness but Melancholy And if any of your Friends ask you Why you are so I will give you leave to sigh and say The Mall-Content Ah? Wonder not if I appear Regardless of the Pleasures here Or that my Thoughts are thus confin'd To the just Limits of my Mind My Eyes take no Delight to rove O've all the smiling Charmers of the Grove Since she is absent whom they love Ask me not Why the flow'ry Spring Or the gay little Birds that sing Or the young Streams no more delight Or Shades and Arbours can't invite Why the soft Murmurs of the Wind Within the thick grown Groves confin'd No more my Soul transport or cheer Since all that 's charming Iris is not here Nothing seems glorious nothing fair Then suffer me to wander thus With down-cast Eyes and Arms a-cross Let Beauty unregarded go The Trees and Flowers unheeded strow Let purling Streams neglected glide With all the Spring 's adorning Pride 'T is Iris only Soul can give To the dull Shades and Plains and make 'em thrive Nature and my lost Joys retrieve I do not for all this wholly confine your Eyes You may look indifferently on all but with a particular Regard on none You may praise all the Beauties in general but no single one too much I will not exact from you neither an entire Silence There are a thousand Civilities you ought to pay to all your Friends and Acquaintance and while I caution you of Actions that may get you the Reputation of a Lover of some of the Fair that haunt those Places I wou'd not have you by an unnecessary and uncomplaisant Sullenness gain that of a Person too negligent or morose I wou'd have you remiss in no one Punctilio of Good Manners I wou'd have you very just and pay all you owe but in these Affairs be not over generous and give away too much In fine You may Look Speak and Walk but Damon do it all without Design And while you do so remember that Iris sent you this Advice The Warning Take heed my Damon in the Grove Where Beauties with Design do walk Take heed my Damon how you look and talk For there are Ambuscades of Love The very Winds that softly blow Will help betray your easie Heart And all the Flowers that blushing grow The Shades above and Rivulets below Will take the Victor's part Remember Damon all my Safety lies In the just Conduct of your Eyes The Heart by Nature good and brave Is to those treacherous Guards a Slave If they let in the fair destructive Foe Scarce Honour can defend her Noble Seat Ev'n she will be corrupted too Or driv'n to a Retreat The Soul is but the Cully to the Sight And must be pleas'd in what that takes delight Therefore examine your self well and conduct your Eyes during this Walk like a Lover that seeks nothing And do not stay too long in these places Seven a Clock Voluntary Retreat T IS time to be weary 't is Night Take Leave of your Friends and retire Home 'T is in this Retreat that you ought to recollect in your Thoughts all the Actions of the Day and all those Things that you ought to give me an Account of in your Letter You cannot hide the least Secret from me without Treason against Sacred Love For all the World agrees that Confidence is one of the greatest Proofs of the Passion of Love and that Lover who refuses this Confidence to the Person he loves is to be suspected to love but very indifferently and to think very poorly of the Sence and Generosity of his Mistress But that you may acquit your self like a Man and a Lover of Honour and leave me no doubt upon my Soul think of all you have done this Day that I may have all the Story of it in your next Letter to me But deal faithfully and neither add nor diminish in your Relation the Truth and Sincerity of your Confession will attone even for little Faults that you shall commit against me in some of those Things you shall tell me For if you have fail'd in any Point or Circumstance of Love I had much rather hear it from you than another For 't is a sort of Repentance to accuse yourself and wou'd be a Crime
unpardonable if you suffer me to hear it from any other And be assur'd while you confess it I shall be indulgent enough to forgive you The noblest Quality of Man is Sincerity and Damon one ought to have as much of it in Love as in any other Business of one's Life notwithstanding the most part of Men make no Account of it there but will believe there ought to be double Dealing and an Art practis'd in Love as well as in War â—ut Oh! beware of that Notion Sincerity Sincerity Thou greatest Good Thou Vertue which so many boast And art so nicely understood And often in the Searching lost For when we do approach thee near The fine Idea fram'd of thee Appears not now so charming fair As the most useful Flattery Thou hast no Glitt'ring to invite Nor tak'st the Lover at first Sight The modest Vertue shuns the Croud And lives like Vestals in a Cell In Cities 't will not be allow'd Nor takes Delight in Courts to dwell 'T is Nonsence with the Man of Wit And ev'n a Scandal to the Great For all the Young and Fair unfit And scorn'd by wiser Fops of State 〈…〉 as never known To the false 〈◊〉 or the falsâ—r Gown And Damon tho' thy Noble Blood Be most Illustr'ous and Refin'd Tho' ev'ry Grace and ev'ry Good Adorn thy Person and thy Mind 〈◊〉 if this Vertue shine not there This God-like Vertue which alone Wer't thou less Witty Brave or Fair Wou'd for all these less priz'd attone My tender Folly I 'd controul 〈◊〉 scorn the Conquest of thy Soul Eight a Clock Impatient Demands AFter you have sufficiently recollected your self of all the past Actions of the Day call your Page into your Cabinet or him whom you trusted with your last Letter to me where you ought to enquire of him a thousand things and all of me Ask impatiently and be angry if he answers not your Curiosity soon enough Think that he has a Dreaming in his Voice in these Moments more than at other times and reproach him with Dulness For 't is most certain that when one loves tenderly we wou'd know in a Minute what cannot be related in an Hour Ask him How I did How I receiv'd his Letter And if he examin'd the Air of my Face when I took it If I blush'd or look'd pale If my Hand trembled or I spoke to him with short interrupting Sighs If I ask'd him any Questions about you while I was opening the Seal Or if I cou'd not well speak and was silent If I read it attentively and with Joy And all this before you open the Answer I have sent you by him Which because you are impatient to read you with the more Haste 〈◊〉 Earnestness demand all you expect from him and that you may the better know what Humour I was in when I writ that to you For Oh! A Lover has a thousand little Fears and Dreads he knows not why In fine make him recount to you all that past while he was with me And then you ought to read that which I have sent that you may inform your self of all that passes in my Heart for you may assure your self all that I say to you that way proceeds from thence The Assurance How shall a Lover come to know Whether he 's belov'd or no What dear Things must she impart To assure him of her Heart Is it when her Blushes rise And she languish in her Eyes Tremble when he does approach Look pale and faint at every touch Is it when a thousand ways She does his Wit and Beauty praise 〈◊〉 venture to explain 〈◊〉 moving Words a Pain 〈◊〉 so indiscreet she grows To confirm it with her Vows These some short-liv'd Passion moves 〈…〉 Object 's by she loves 〈…〉 and sudden Fire 〈…〉 by some fond Desire 〈◊〉 Goldness will ensue When the Lover's out of View Then she reflects with Scandal o'er 〈◊〉 Scene that past before 〈◊〉 with Blushes wou'd recal 〈◊〉 unconsid'ring Criminal 〈…〉 thousand Faults she 'll find 〈◊〉 bide the Errors of her Mind 〈…〉 weight is found in words As no substantial Faith affords Deceiv'd and briff'd all may be 〈◊〉 that frail Security But a well-digested Flame That will always be the same And that does from Merit grow Establish'd by our Reason too By a better way will prove 'T is th' unerring Fire of Love Lasting Records it will give And that all she says may live Sacred and Authentick stand Her Heart confirms it by her Hand If this a Maid well born allow Damon believe her just and true Nine a Clock Melancholy Reflections YOU will not have much trouble 〈…〉 what my Watch designs here 〈…〉 be no Thought more afflicting than that 〈…〉 Absence of a Mistress and which the 〈…〉 of the Heart will soon make you finde◠〈◊〉 Thousand Fears oppress him he is jealous of every Body and envies those Eyes and 〈◊〉 that are charm'd by being near the 〈…〉 dor'd He grows impatient and makes a 〈◊〉 sand Resolutions and as soon abandâ—â—◠〈◊〉 He gives himself wholly up to the 〈…〉 Incertainty and by degrees from 〈…〉 Thought to another winds himself 〈…〉 supportable Chagrin Take this 〈…〉 think on your Misfortunes which 〈…〉 small to a Soul that is wholly sensible of Love And every one knows that a Love◠〈◊〉 of the Object of his Heart is depriv'd of 〈…〉 World and Inconsolable For though 〈…〉 wishes without ceasing for the dear 〈…〉 one loves and though you speak of her every Minute though you are writing to her every Day and though you are infinitely pleas'd with the dear and tender Answers yet to speak sincerely it must be confess'd that the Felicity of a true Lover is to be always near his Mistress And you may tell me O Damon what you please and say that Absence inspires the Flame which perpetual Presence would fatiate I love too well to be of that Mind and when I am I shall believe my Passion is declining I know not whether it advances your Love but surely it must ruine your Repose And is it impossible to be at once an absent Lover and happy too For my part I can meet with nothing that can please in the absence of Damon but on the contrary I see all things with Disgust I will flatter my self that 't is so with you and that the least Evils appear great Misfortunes and that all those who speak to you of any thing but of what you love increase your Pain by a new remembrance of her Absence I will believe that these are your Sentiments you are assur'd not to see me in some Weeks and if your Heart do not betray your Words all those Days will be tedious to you I would not however have your Melancholy too extream and to lessen it you may perswade yourself that I partake it with you for I remember in your last you told me you would wish we should be both griev'd at the same time and both at the same
to make the World find all the noble Force of delicate Passion For O my Iris what wou'd Love signifie if we did not love fervently Sisters and Brothers Love Friends and Relations have Affections but where the Souls are joyn'd which are fill'd with eternal soft Wishes Oh! there is some Excess of Pleasure which cannot be exprest Your Looks your dear obliging Words and your charming Letters have sufficiently perswaded me of your Tenderness and you might surely see the Excess of my Passion by my Cares my Sighs and entire Resignation 〈◊〉 your Will I never think of Iris but 〈◊〉 Heart feels double Flames and pants and heaves with double Sighs and whose 〈◊〉 makes its Ardors known by a thousand 〈◊〉 sports And they are very much to blame 〈◊〉 give the Name of Love to feeble easie Passions Such transitory tranquil Inclinations are at best but Well-wishers to Love and a Heart that has such Heats as those ought not put it 〈◊〉 into the Rank of those nobler Victims that are offer'd at the Shrine of Love But our Souls Iris burn with a more glorious Flame 〈◊〉 lights and conducts us beyond a Possibility of losing one another 'T is this that 〈…〉 my Hopes 'T is this alone makes me believe myself worthy of Iris And let her judge of its Violence by the Greatness of its Spleâ—dour Does not a Passion of this Nature so true 〈◊〉 ardent deserve to be crown'd And will 〈◊〉 wonder to see over this Cypher a 〈…〉 Myrtles those Boughs so sacred to th◠〈◊〉 of Love and so worshipt by Lovers 'T is with these soft Wreaths that those are crown'd who understand how to love well and faithfully The Smiles the Graces and the Sports That in the sacred Groves maintain their Courts Are with these Myrtles crown'd Thither the Nymphs their Garlands bring Their Beauties and their Praises sing While Ecchoe's do the Songs resound 〈◊〉 tho' a God with Myrtle Wreaths 〈◊〉 his soft Temples bind More valu'd are those consecrated Leaves Thâ—n the bright Wealth in Eastern Rocks confin'd And Crowns of Glory less Ambition move 〈◊〉 those more sacred Diadems of Love The Second CYPHER IS crown'd with Olives and I add to the two Letters of our Names an R and an L for Reciprocal Love Every time that I have given you O lovely Iris Testimonies of my Passion I have been so blest as to receive some from your Bounty and you have been pleas'd to flatter me with a Belief that I was not indifferent to you I dare therefore say that being honour'd with the Glory of your Tenderness and Care I ought as a Trophy of my illustrious Conquest to adorn the Watch with a Cypher that is so advantageous to me Ought I not to esteem myself the most fortunate and happy of Mankind to have exchang'd my Heart with so charming and admirable a Person as Iris Ah! how sweet how precious is the Change and how vast a Glory arrives to me from it Oh! you must not wonder if my Soul abandon itself to a thousand Extasies In the Merchandize of Hearts Oh! how dear it is to receive as much as one gives and better Heart for Heart Oh! I wou'd not receive mine again for all the Crowns the Universe contains Nor ought you my Adorable make any Vows or Wishes ever to retrieve yours or shew the least Repentance for the Blessing you have given me The Exchange we made was confirm'd by a noble Faith and you ought to believe you have bestow'd it well 〈◊〉 you are paid for it a Heart that is so conforâ—able to yours so true so just and so full of Adoration And nothing can be the just Recompence of Love but Love and to enjoy the true Felicity of it our Hearts ought to keep an equal Motion and like the Scales â—f Justice always hang even 'T is the Property of Reciprocal Love to make the Heart feel the Delicacy of Love and to give the Lover all the Ease and Softness he can reasonably hope Such a Love renders all things advantageous and prosperous Such a Love triumphs over all other Pleasures And I put a Crown of Olives over the Cypher of Reciprocal Love to make known that two Hearts where Love is justly equal enjoy a Peace that nothing can disturb Olives are never fading seen But always flourishing and green The Emblem 't is of Love and Peace For love that 's true will never cease And Peace does Pleasure still increase Joy to the World the Peace of Kings imparts And Peace in Love distributes it to Hearts The Third CYPHER THE C and the L which are joyn'd to the Letters of our Names in this Cypher crown'd with Laurel explains a constant Love It will not my fair Iris suffice that my Love is extream my Passion violent and my Wishes fervent or that our Loves are reciprocal But it ought also to be constant for in Love the Imagination is oftner carried to those things that may arrive and which we wish for than to things that Time has robb'd us of And in those agreeable Thoughts of Joys to come the Heart takes more delight to wander than in all those that are past though the Remembrance of 'em are very dear and very charming We shou'd be both unjust if we were not perswaded we are possest with a Vertue the Use of which is so admirable as that of Constancy Our Loves are not of that sort that can finish or have end but such a Passion so perfect and so constant that it will be a President for future Ages to love perfectly and when they wou'd express an extream Passion they will say They lov'd as Damon did the charming Iris. And he that knows the Glory of constant Love will despise those fading Passions those little Amusements that serve for a Day What Pleasure or Dependance can one have in a Love of that sort What Concern What Raptures can such an Amour produce in a Soul And what Satisâ—â—ction can one promise one's self in playing with a false Gamester who though you are aware of him in spight of all your Precaution puts the false Dice upon you and wins all Those Eyes that can no better Conquest make Let 'em ne'r look abroad Such but the empty Name of Lovers take And so prophane the God Better they never shou'd pretend Than e'er begun to make an End Of that fond Flame what shall we say That 's born and languish'd in a Day Such short-liv'd Blessings cannot bring The Pleasure of an Envying Who is 't will celebrate that Flame That 's damn'd to such a scanty Fame While constant Love the Nymphs and Swains Still sacred make in lasting Strains And chearful Lays throughout the Plains A constant Love knows no Decay But still advancing e'ery Dâ—â— Will last as long as Life can stay With e'ery Look and Smile improves With the same Ardour always moves With such as Damon charming Iris loves Constant Love finds it self impossible to be sâ—ken it resists the Attacks
of Envy and a thousand Accidents that endeavour to change it Nothing can disoblige it but a known Falseness or Contempt Nothing can remove it 〈◊〉 for a short Moment it may lie sullen and 〈◊〉 it recovers and returns with greater Force and Joy I therefore with very good Reason Crown this Cypher of Constant Love with a Wreath of Laurel since such Love always triumphs over Time and Fortune though it be not her Property to besiege for she cannot overcome but in defending herself but the Victories she gains are never the less glorious For far less Conquest we have known The Victor wear the Laurel Crown The Triumph with more Pride let him receive While those of Love at least more Pleasures give The Fourth CYPHER PErhaps my lovely Maid you will not find out what I mean by the S and the L in this last Cypher that is crown'd with Roses I will therefore tell you I mean Secret Love There are very few People who know the Nature of that Pleasure which so Divine a Love creates And let me say what I will of it they must feel it themselves who wou'd rightly understand it and all its ravishing Sweets But this there is a great deal of Reason to believe the Secrecy in Love doubles the Pleasures of it And I am so absolutely perswaded of this that I believe all those Favours that are not kept â—â—cret are dull and paul'd very insipid and 〈◊〉 Pleasures And let the Favours be never â—â— innocent that a Lover receives from a Mistreâ—â— she ought to value 'em set a Price upon ' â—â— and make the Lover pay dear while he receiâ—â— 'em with Difficulty and sometimes with Hazard A Lover that is not secret but suffers every one to count his Sighs has at most but a feeble Passion such as produces sudden and transitory Desires which die as soon as born A true Love has not this Character for whensoever 't is made Publick it ceases to be a Pleasure and is only the Result of Vanity Not that I expect our Loves shou'd always remain a Secret No I shou'd never at that Rate arrive to a Blessing which above all the Glories of the Earth I aspire to but even then there are a thousand Joys a thousand Pleasures that I shall be as careful to conceal from the foolish World as if the whole Preservation of that Pleasure depended on my Silence as indeed â—â— does in a great Measure To this Cypher I put a Crown of Roses which are not Flowers of a very lasting Date And 't is to let you see that 't is impossible Love â—â— be long hid We see every Day with what fine Dissimulation and Pains People conceal a thousand Hates and Malices Disgusts Disobligations and Resentments without being able to conceal the least part of their Love but Reputation has an Ardour as well as Roses and a Lover ought to esteem that as the dearest and tenderest Thing not only that of his own which is indeed the least part but that of his Mistress more valuable to him than Life He ought to endeavour to give People no occasion to make false Judgments of his Actions or to give their Censures which most certainly are never in the Favour of the fair Person for likely those false Censures are of the busie Female Sex the Coquets of that number whose little Spights and Railleries joyn'd to that fancy'd Wit they boast of sets 'em at Odds with all the Beautiful and Innocent And how very little of that kind serves to give the World a Faith when a thousand Vertues told of the same Persons by more credible Witnesses and Judges shall pass unregarded so willing and inclin'd is all the World to credit the Ill and condemn the Good And yet Oh! what pity 't is we are compell'd to live in Pain to oblige this foolish scandalous World And tho' we know each others Vertue and Honour we are oblig'd to observe that Caution to humour the Talking Town which takes away so great a part of the Pleasure of Life 'T is therefore that among these Roses you will find some Thorns by which you may imagine that in Love Precaution is necessary to its Secrecy And we must restrain our selves upon a thousand Occasions with so much Care that O Iris 't is impossible to be Discreet without Pain but 't is a Pain that creates a thousand Pleasures Where shou'd a Lover hide his Joys Free from Malice free from Noise Where no Envy can intrude Where no busie Rival's Spy Made by Disappointment made May inform his Jealousie The Heart will their best Refuge prove Which Nature meant the Cabinet of Love What wou'd a Lover not endure His Mistress Fame and Honour to secure Iris the Care we take to be discreet Is the dear Toyl that makes the Pleasure sweet The Thorn that does the We althinc lose That with less sawcy Freedom we may touch the Rose The CLASP of the WATCH AH charming Iris Ah my lovely Maid 'T is now in a more peculiar Manner that I require your Aid in the finishing of my Design and compleating the whole Peice to the utmost Perfection and without your Aid it cannot be perform'd It is about the Clasp of the Watch a Material in all appearance the most trivial of any part of it But that it may be safe for ever I design it the Image or Figure of Two Hands that fair One of the adorable Iris joyn'd to mine with this Motto Inviolable Faith For this Case this Heart ought to be shut up by this eternal Clasp Oh there is nothing so necessary as this Nothing can secure Love but Faith That Vertue ought to be a Guard to all the Heart thinks and all the Mouth utters Nor can Love say he triumphs without it And when that remains not in the Heart all the rest deserves no Regard Oh! I have not lov'd so ill to leave one Doubt upon your Soul Why then will you want that Faith O unkind Charmer that my Passion and my Services so justly merit When two Hearts entirely love And in one Sphere of Honour move Each maintains the other's Fire With a Faith that is entire For what heedless Youth bestows On a faithless Maid his Vows Faith without Love bears Vertue 's Price But Love without her Mixture is a Vice Love like Religion still shou'd be In the Foundation firm and true In Points of Faith shou'd still agree Tho' Innovations vain and new Love's little Quarrels may arise In Fundamentals still they 're just and wise Then charming Maid be sure of this Allow me Faith as well as Love Since that alone affords no Bliss Vnless your Faith your Love improve Either resolve to let me die By fairer Play your Cruelty Than not your Love with Faith impart And with your Vows to give your Heart In mad Despair I 'd rather fall Than lose my glorious Hopes of conqu'ring all So certain it is that Love without Faith is of no value In
any Body Iris I have seen a Woman of your Acquaintance who having a greater Opinion of her own Person than any Body else has screw'd her Body into so fine a Form as she calls it that she dares no more stir a Hand lift up an Arm or turn her Head aside than if for the Sin of such a Disorder she were to be turn'd into a Pillar of Salt the less stiff and fix'd Statue of the two Nay she dares not speak or smile lest she shou'd put her Face out of that order she had set it in her Glass when she last look'd on herself And is all over such a Lady Nice excepting in her Conversation that ever made a ridiculous Figure And there are many Ladies more but too much tainted with that nauseous Formality that old-fashion'd Vice But Iris the charming the all-perfect Iris has nothing in her whole Form that is not free natural and easie and whose every Motion cannot please extreamly and which has not given Damon a thousand Rivals Damon the Young the Am'rous and the True Who sighs incessantly for you Whose whole Delight now you are gone Is to retire to Shades alone And to the Eccho's make his Moan By purling Streams the wishing Youth is laid Still sighing Iris lovely charming Maid See in thy Absence how thy Lover dies While to his Sighs the Eccho still replies Then with the Stream he holds Discourse O thou that bend'st thy liquid force To lovely Tames upon whose Shore The Maid resides whom I adore My Tears of Love upon thy Surface bear And if upon thy Banks thou seest my Fair In all thy softest Murmurs sing From Damon I this Present bring My e'ery Curl contains a Tear Then at her Feet thy Tribute pay But haste O happy Stream away Lest charm'd too much thou shoud'st for ever stay And thou O gentle murm'ring Breeze That plays in Air and wantons with the Trees On thy young Wings where gilded Sun-beams play To Iris my soft Sighs convey Still as they rise each Minute of the Day But whisper gently in her Ear Let not the ruder Winds thy Message hear Nor ruffle one dear Curl of her bright Hair Oh! touch her Cheeks with sacred Reverence And stay not gazing on her lovely Eye But if thou bear'st her Rosie Breath from thence 'T is Incense of that Excellence That as thou mount'st 't will perfume all the Skies IRIS'S Complexion SAY what you will I am confident if you will confess your Heart you are every time you view yourself in me surpriz'd at the Beauty of your Complexion and will secretly own you never saw any thing so fair I am not the first Glass by a thousand that has assur'd you of this If you will not believe me ask Damon he tells it you every Day but that Truth from him offends you and because he loves too much you think his Judgment too little and since this is so perfect that must be defective But 't is most certain your Complexion is infinitely fine your Skin soft and smooth as polisht Wax or Ivory extreamly white and clear though if any Body speaks but of your Beauty an agreeable Blush casts itself all over your Face and gives you a thousand new Graces And then two Flowers newly born Shine in your Heav'nly Face The Rose that blushes in the Morn Vsurps the Lilly's place Sometimes the Lilly does prevail And makes the gen'rous Crimson pale IRIS'S Hair OH the beautiful Hair of Iris It seems as if Nature had crown'd you with a great Quantity of lovely fair brown Hair to make us know that you were born to Rule and to repair the Faults of Fortune that has not given you a Diadem And do not bewail the Want of that so much your Merit 's due since Heaven has so gloriously recompens'd you with what gains more admiring Slaves Heav'n for Sovereignty has made your form And you were more than for dull Empire born O'er Hearts your Kingdom shall extend Your vast Dominion know no end Thither the Loves and Graces shall resort To Iris make their Homage and their Court No envious Star no common Fate Did on my Iris Birth-day wait But all was happy all was delicate Here Fortune wou'd inconstant be in vain Iris and Love eternally shall reign Love does not make less use of your Hair for new Conquests than of all the rest of your Beauties that adorn you If he takes our Hearts with your fine Eyes it ties 'em fast with your Hair and if it weaves a Chain not easily broken It is not of those sorts of Hair whose harshness discovers ill Nature nor of those whose Softness shews us the Weakness of the Mind Not that either of these are Arguments without Exception but 't is such as bears the Character of a perfect Mind and a delicate Wit and for its Colour the most faithful discreet and beautiful in the World such as shews a Complexion and Constitution neither so cold to be insensible nor so hot to have too much Fire that is neither too white nor too black but such a mixture of the two Colours as makes it the most agreeable in the World 'T is that which leads those captivated Hearts That bleeding at your Feet do lie 'T is that the Obstinate converts That dare the Power of Love deny 'T is that which Damon so admires Damon who often tells you so If from your Eyes Love takes his Fires 'T is with your Hair he strings his Bow Which touching but the feather'd Dart It never mist the destin'd Heart IRIS'S Eyes I Believe my fair Mistress I shall dazle you with the Lustre of your own Eyes They are the finest Blue in the World They have all the Sweetness that ever charm'd the Heart with a certain Languishment that 's irresistable and never any look'd on 'em that did not sigh after ' em Believe me Iris they carry unavoidable Darts and Fires and whoever expose themselves to their Dangers pay for their Imprudence Cold as my solid Chrystal is Hard and impenetrable too Yet I am sensible of Bliss When your charming Eyes I view Even by me their Flames are felt And at each Glance I fear to melt Ah how pleasant are my Days How my glorious Fate I bless Mortals never knew my Joys Nor Monarchs guest my Happiness Every Look that 's soft and gay Iris gives me every Day Spight of her Vertue and her Pride Every Morning I am blest With what to Damon is deny'd To view her when she is undrest All her Heaven of Beauty 's shown To triumphing Me alone Scarce the prying Beams of Light Or th' impatient God of Day Are allow'd so dear a Sight Or dare prophane her with a Ray When she has appear'd to me Like Venus rising from the Sea But Oh! I must those Charms conceal All too Divine for vulgar Eyes Shou'd I my secret Joys reveal Of sacred Trust I break the Tyes And Damon wou'd with Envy die Who hopes one Day to be
your Hair That plays about with wanton Grace With every Motion of your Face Disdaining all that dull Formality That dares not move the Lip or Eye But at some fancy'd Grace's cost And think with it at least a Lover lost But the unlucky Minute to reclaim And ease the Coquet of her Pain The Pocket-Glass adjusts the Face again Re-sets the Mouth and languishes the Eyes And thinks the Spark that ogles that way dies Of Iris learn O ye mistaken Fair To dress your Face your Smiles your Air. Let easie Nature all the Bus'ness do She can the softer Graces shew Which Art but turns to Ridicule And where there 's none serves but to shew the Fool. In Iris you all Graces find Charms without Art a Motion unconfin'd Without Constraint she smiles she looks she talks And without Affectation moves and walks Beauties so perfect ne'er were seen O ye mistaken Fair Dress ye by Iris Mien The Discretion of IRIS BUT O Iris The Beauties of the Body are imperfect if the Beauties of the Soul do not advance themselves to an equal height But O Iris What Mortal is there so damned to Malice that does not with Adoration confess that you O charming Maid have an equal Portion of all the Braveries and Vertues of the Mind And who is it that confesses your Beauty that does not at the same time acknowledge and bow to your Wisdom The whole World admires both in you and all with impatience ask Which of the two is most surprising your Beauty or your Discretion But we dispute in vain on that excellent Subject for after all 't is determin'd that the two Charms are equal 'T is none of those idle Discretions that consists in Words alone and ever takes the Shadow of Reason for the Substance and that makes use of all the little Artifices of Subtilty and florid Talking to make the outside of the Argument appear fine and leave the inside wholly mis-understood Who runs away with Words and never thinks of Sence But you O lovely Maid never make use of these affected Arts but without being too brisk or too severe too silent or too talkative you aspire in all your Hearers a Joy and a Respect Your Soul is an Enemy to that usual Vice of your Sex of using little Arguments against the Fair or by a Word or Jest make your self and Hearers pleasant at the Expence of the Fame of others Your Heart is an Enemy to all Passions but that of Love And this is one of your noble Maxims That every one ought to love in some part of his Life And that in a Heart truly brave Love is without Folly That Wisdom is a Friend to Love and Love to perfect Wisdom Since these Maxims are your own do not O charming Iris resist that noble Passion And since Damon is the most tender of all your Lovers answer his Passion with a noble Ardour Your Prudence never fails in the Choice of your Friends and in chusing so well your Lover you will stand an eternal President to all unreasonable fair Ones O thou that dost excel in Wit and Youth Be still a President for Love and Truth Let the dull World say what it will A noble Flame 's unblameable Where a fine Sent'ment and soft Passion rules They scorn the Censure of the Fools Yield Iris then Oh yield to Love Redeem your dying Slave from pain The World your Conduct must approve Your Prudence never acts in vain The Goodness and Complaisance of Iris. WHO but your Lovers fair Iris doubts but you are the most complaisant Person in the World And that with so much Sweetness you oblige all that you command in yielding and as you gain the Heart of both Sexes with the Affability of your noble Temper so all are proud and vain of obliging you And Iris you may live assur'd that your Empire is eternally establish'd by your Beauty and your Goodness Your Power is confirm'd and you grow in Strength every Minute Your Goodness gets you Friends and your Beauty Lovers This Goodness is not one of those whose Folly renders it easie to every Desirer but a pure Effect of the Generosity of your Soul such as Prudence alone manages according to the Merit of the Person to whom it is extended and those whom you esteem receive the sweet Marks of it and only your Lovers complain Yet even then you charm And though sometimes you can be a little disturb'd yet through your Anger your Goodness shines and you are but too much afraid that that may bear a false Interpretation For oftentimes Scandal makes that pass for an Effect of Love which is purely that of Complaisance Never had any Body more Tenderness for their Friends than Iris Their Presence gives her Joy their Absence Trouble and when she cannot see them she finds no Pleasure like speaking of them obligingly Friendship reigns in your Heart and Sincerity on your Tongue Your Friendship is so strong so constant and so tender that it charms pleases and satisfies all that are not your Adorers 'T is therefore Damon is excusable if he be not contented with your noble Friendship alone for he is the most tender of that Number No! Give me all th' impatient Lover cries Without your Soul I cannot live Dull Friendship cannot mine suffice That dies for all you have to give The Smiles the Vows the Heart must all be mine I cannot spare one Thought or Wish of thine I sigh I languish all the Day Each Minute ushers in my Groans To e'ry God in vain I pray In e'ry Grove repeat my Moans Still Iris Charms are all my Sorrows Themes They pain me Waking and they wreck in Dreams Return fair Iris Oh return Lest sighing long your Slave destroys I wish I rave I faint I burn Restore me quickly all my Joys Your Mercy else will come too late Distance in Love more cruel is than Hate The Wit of Iris. YOU are deceiv'd in me fair Iris if you take me for one of those ordinary Glasses that represent the Beauty only of the Body I remark to you also the Beauties of the Soul And all about you declares yours the finest that ever was formed that you have a Wit that surprizes and is always new 'T is none of those that loses its Lustre when one considers it the more we examine yours the more adorable we find it You say nothing that is not at once agreeable and solid 't is always quick and ready without Impertinence that little Vanity of the Fair who when they know they have Wit rarely manage it so as not to abound in Talking and think that all they say must please because luckily they sometimes chance to do so But Iris never speaks but 't is of use and gives a Pleasure to all that hears her She has the perfect Art of penetrating even the most secret Thoughts How often have you known without being told all that has past in Damon's Heart For all great Wits are Prophets too
Misfortunes also This Thought gives him a double Torment and yet finds no way to evade it The Night that finished this fatal Day he goes again to his wonted Station the Window where he had not sig'hd very long but he saw Atlante enter the Balcony He was not able a great while to speak to her or to utter one Word The Night was light enough to see him at the wonted place and she admires at his Silence and demands the Reason in such obliging Terms as adds to his Grief and he with a deep Sigh replied Vrge me not my fair Atlante to speak lest by obeying you I give you more cause of Grief than my Silence is capable of doing And then sighing again he held his Peace and gave her leave to ask the Cause of these last Words But when he made no Reply but by sighing she imagin'd it much worse than indeed it was and with a trembling and fainting Voice she cried Oh! Rinaldo give me leave to divine that cruel News you are so unwilling to tell me It is so added she you are destined to some more fortunate Maid than Atlante At this Tears stopp'd her Speech and she could utter no more No my dearest Charmer replyed Rinaldo elevating his Voice if that were all you should see with what Fortitude I would die rather than obey any such Commands I am vowed yours to the last Moment of my Life and will be yours in spight of all the Opposition in the World that Cruelty I could evade but cannot this that threatens me Ah! cried Atlante let Fate do her worst so she still continue Rinaldo mine and keep that Faith he hath sworn to me entire What can she do beside that can afflict me She can separate me cried he for some time from Atlante Oh! replied she all Misfortunes fall so below that which I first imagined that methinks I do not resent this as I should otherwise have done but I know when I have a little more considered it I shall even die with the Grief of it Absence being so great an Enemy to Love and makes us soon forget the Object beloved This though I never experienced I have heard and fear it may be my Fate He then convinced her Fear with a thousand new Vows and a thousand Imprecations of Constancy She then asked him If their Loves were discovered that he was with such haste to depart He told her Nothing of that was the Cause and he could almost wish it were discovered since he could resolutely then refuse to go But it was only to cultivate his Mind more effectually than he could do here 't was the Care of his Father to accomplish him the more and therefore he could not contradict it But said he I am not sent where Seas shall part us nor vast distances of Earth but to Paris from whence he might come in two Days to see her again and that he would expect from that Balcony that had gave him so many happy Moments many more when he should come to see her He besought her to send him away with all the Satisfaction she could which she could no otherwise do than by giving him new Assurances that she would never give away that Right he had in her to any other Lover She vows this with innumerable Tears and is almost angry with him for questioning her Faith He tells her then he has but one Night more to stay and his Grief would be unspeakable if he should not be able to take a better Leave of her than at a Window and that if she would give him leave he would by a Rope or two tied together so as it may serve for Steps ascend her Balcony he not having time to provide a Ladder of Ropes She tells him she has so great a Confidence in his Vertue and Love that she will refuse him nothing though it would be a very bold venture for a Maid to trust herself with a passionate young Man in silence of Night and though she did not exert a Vow from him to secure her she expected he would have a Care of her Honour He swore to her his Love was too Religious for so base an Attempt There needed not many Vows to confirm her Faith and it was agreed on between them that he should come the next Night into her Chamber It happened that Night as it often did that Count Vernole lay with Monsieur De Pays which was in a Ground-Room just under that of Atlante's And as soon as she knew all were in Bed she gave the Word to Rinaldo who was attending with the Impatience of a passionate Lover below under the Window and who sooner heard the Balcony open but he ascended with some difficulty and entered the Châ—mber where he found Atlante tremble with Joy and Fear He throws himself at her Feet as unable to speak as she who nothing but blushed and bent down her Eyes hardly daring to glance them towards the dear Object of her Desires the Lord of all her Vows She was was ashamed to see a Man in her Chamber where yet none had ever been alone and by Night too He saw her Fear and felt her Trembling and after a thousand Sighs of Love had made way for Speech he besought her to fear nothing from him for his Flame was too sacred and his Passion too holy to offer any thing but what Honour with Love might afford him At last he brought her to some Courage and the Roses of her fair Cheeks assumed their wonted Colour not blushing too Red nor languishing too Pale But when the Conversation began between them it was the softest in the World They said all that parting Lovers could say all that Wit and Tenderness could express They exchanged their Vows a-new and to confirm his he tied a Bracelet of Diamonds about her Arm and she returned him one of her Hair which he had long begged and she had on purpose made which clasped together with Diamonds this she put about his Arm and he swore to carry it to his Grave The Night was very far spent in tender Vows soft Sighs and Tears on both sides and it was high time to part But as if Death had been to have arrived to them in that Minute they both linger'd away the time like Lovers who had forgot themselves and Day was near approaching when he bid farewel which he repeated very often for still he was interrupted by some commanding Softness from Atlante and then lost all his Power of going till she more couragious and careful of his Interest and her own Fame forc'd him from her and it was happy she did so for he was no sooner got over the Balcony and she had flung him down his Rope and shut the Door but Vernole whom Love and Contrivance kept waking fancied several times he heard a Noise in Atlante's Chamber And whether in passing over the Balcony Rinaldo made any noise or not or whether it were still his jealous Fancy
and hurry'd to Lucy to lament the ill treatment he had met with from Friendly They Coo'd and Bill'd as long as He was able she Sweet Hypocrite seeming to ' moan his Misfortunes which he took so kindly that when he left her which was about Three in the Afternoon he caus'd a Scrivener to draw up an Instrument wherein he settl'd a Hundred Pounds a Year on Lucy for her Life and gave her an Hundred Guinea's more against her Lying-in For she told him and indeed 't was true that she was with Child and knew her self to be so from a very good Reason And indeed she was so by the Friendly Knight When he return'd to her he threw the Obliging Instrument into her Lap it seems he had a particular Kindness for that Place then call'd for Wine and something to eat for he had not drank a Pint to his share all the day tho' he had ply'd it at the Chocolate-house The Landlady who was invited to Sup with 'em bid 'em Good-night about Eleven when they went to bed and partly slept till about Six when they were entertain'd by some Gentlemen of their Acquaintance who Play'd and Sung very finely by way of Epithalamium these words and more Joy to Great Bantam Live long Love and Wanton And thy Royal Consort For Both are of one sort c. The rest I have forgot He took some offence at the Words but more at the Visit that Sir Philip and Goodland made him about an hour after who found him in Bed with his Royal Consort and after having wish'd 'em Joy and thrown their Majesties own Shooes and Stockings at their Heads retreated This gave Monarch in Fansie so great a Caution that he took his Royal Consort into the Countrey but above Forty Miles off the Place where his own Lady was where in less than Eight Months she was Deliver'd of a Princely Babe who was Christen'd by the Heathenish Name of Hayoumorecake Bantam while her Majesty Lay-in like a petty Queen FINIS THE NUN OR THE Perjur'd Beauty A True HISTORY BY Mrs. A. BEHN LONDON Printed for Samuel Briscoe near Covent-Garden 1697. THE NUN OR THE Perjur'd Beauty DOn Henrique was a Person of Great Birth of a Great Estate of Bravery equal to either of a most Generous Education but of more Passion than Reason He was besides of an Opener and Freer Temper than generally his Countrey-men are I mean the Spaniards always engag'd in some Love-Intrigue or other One Night as he was retreating from one of those Engagements Don Sebastian whose Sister he had abus'd with a Promise of Marriage set upon him at the Corner of a Street in Madrid and by the help of three of his Friends design'd to have dispatcht him on a doubtful Embassy to the Almighty Monarch But he receiv'd their first Instructions with better Address than they expected and dismiss'd his Envoy first killing one of Don Sebastian's Friends Which so enrag'd the Injur'd Brother that his Strength and Resolution seem'd to be redoubl'd and so animated his two surviving Companions that doubtless they had gain'd a dishonourable Victory had not Don Antonio accidentally come in to his Rescue who after a very short Dispute kill'd one of the two who attack'd him only whilst Don Henrique with the greatest difficulty defended his Life for some moments against Sebastian whose Rage depriv'd him of Strength and gave his Adversary the unwish'd Advantage of his seeming Death though not without bequeathing some Bloody Legacies to Don Henrique Antonio had receiv'd but one slight Wound in the Left Arm and his surviving Antagonist none who however thought it not adviseable to begin a freâ—â—h Dispute against two of whose Courage he â—â—d but too fatal a Proof though one of 'em 〈◊〉 sufficiently disabl'd The Conquerors on â—â—e other side politickly Retreated and quitting the Field to the Conquer'd left the Living to bury the Dead if he cou'd or thought convenient As they were marching off Don Antonio who all this while knew not whose Life he had so happily preserv'd told his Companion in Arms that he thought it indispensably necessary that he should quarter with him that Night for his further Preservation To which he prudently consented and went with no little uneasiness to his Lodgings where he surpriz'd Antonio with the sight of his Dearest Friend For they had certainly the nearest Sympathy in all their Thoughts that ever made two Brave Men unhappy And undoubtedly nothing but Death or more Fatal Love cou'd have divided ' em However at present they were united and secure In the mean time Don Sebastian's Friend was just going to call help to carry off the Bodies as the came by who seeing three Men lie dead seiz'd the fourth who as he was about to justifie himself by discovering one of the Authors of so much Bloodshed was interrupted by a Groan from his suppos'd dead Friend Don Sebastian whom after a brief account of some part of the matter and the knowledge of his Quality they took up and carry'd to his House where within a few days he was recover'd past the fear of Death All this while Henrique and Antonio durst not appear so much as by Night nor cou'd be found though diligent and daily search was made after the first but upon Don Sebastian's Recovery the Search ceasing they took the advantage of the Night and in Disguize retreated to Sevil. 'T was there they thought themselves most secure where indeed they were in the greatest danger for tho' hap'ly they might there have escap'd the murtherous Attempt of Don Sebastian and his Friends yet they cou'd not there avoid the malicious Influence of their Stars This City gave Birth to Antonio and to the cause of his greatest Misfortunes as well as of his Death Donna Ardelia was born there a Miracle of Beauty and Falshood 'T was more than a Year since Don Antonio had first seen and lov'd her For 't was impossible any Man shou'd do one without t'other He had had the unkind opportunity of speaking and conveying a Billette to her at Church and to his greater misfortune the next time he found her there he met with too kind a return both from her Eyes and from her Hand which privately slipt a Paper into his in which he found abundantly more than he expected directing him in that how he shou'd proceed in order to carry her off from her Father with the least danger he cou'd look for in such an Attempt since it wou'd have been vain and fruitless to have ask'd her of her Father because their Families had been at enmity for several Years though Antonio was as well descended as she and had as ample a Fortune nor was his Person according to his Sex any way inferior to her's and certainly the Beauties of his Mind were more excellent especially if it be an Excellence to be Constant He had made several Attempts to take possession of her but all prov'd ineffectual however he had the good fortune
of his Eyes which were sometimes stedfastly fix'd on the Ground then lifted up to her or Heaven for he cou'd see nothing more Beautiful on Earth she made use of the Privilege of her Sex and began the Discourse first to this effect Has any thing happen'd Sir since our retreat hither to occasion that Disorder which is but too visible in your Face and too dreadful in your hitherto continu'd silence Speak I beseech you Sir and let me know if I have any way unhappily contributed to it No Madam reply'd he my Friendship is now likely to be the only cause of my greatest Misery for to morrow I must be guilty of an unpardonable Crime in betraying the generous Confidence which your noble Father has plac'd in me To morrow added he with a pitious Sigh I must deliver you into the Hands of one whom your Father hates even to death instead of doing my self the Honour of becoming his Son-in-Law within a few Days more But I will consider and remind my self that I give you into the hands of my Friend of my Friend that Loves you better than his Life which he has often expos'd for your sake and what is more than All to my Friend whom you Love more than any Consideration on Earth And must this be done she ask'd Is it inevitable as Fate Fix'd as the Laws of Nature Madam reply'd he Don't you find the Necessity of it Ardelia continu'd he by way of Question Does not your Love require it Think you are going to your Dear Antonio who alone can merit you and whom only you can love Were your last words true return'd she I shou'd yet be unhappy in the Displeasure of a Dear and Tender Father and infinitely more in being the cause of your Infidelity to him No Don Henrique continu'd she I cou'd with greater Satisfaction return to my miserable Confinement than by any means disturb the Peace of your Mind or occasion one moment's interruption of your Quiet Wou'd to Heaven you did not sigh'd he to himself Then addressing his words more distinctly to her cry'd he Ah Cruel Ah Unjust Ardelia These Words belong to none but Antonio why then wou'd you endeavour to persuade me that I do or ever can merit the Tenderness of such an Expression Have a care pursu'd he Have a care Ardelia your outward Beauties are too powerful to be resisted even your Frowns have such a sweetness that it attracts the very Soul that is not strongly prepossess'd with the noblest Friendship and the highest Principles of Honour Why then alas did you add such Sweet and Charming Accents Why Ah Don Henrique she interrupted why did you appear to me so Charming in your Person so great in your Friendship and so Illustrious in your Reputation Why did my Father e'er since your first Visit continually fill my Ears and Thoughts with Noble Characters and Glorious Idea's which yet but imperfectly and faintly represent the Inimitable Original But what is most severe and cruel why Don Henrique why will you defeat my Father in his Ambition of your Alliance and me of those glorious Hopes with which you had bless'd my Soul by casting me away from you to Antonio Ha! cry'd he starting What said you Madam What did Ardelia say That I had bless'd your Soul with Hopes That I wou'd cast you away to Antonio Can they who safely arrive in their wish'd for Port be said to be Shipwrack'd Or Can an Abject Indigent Wretch make a King These are more than Riddles Madam and I must not think to Expound ' em No said she Let it alone Don Henrique I 'll ease you of that trouble and tell you plainly that I Love you Ah! cry'd he now all my Fears are come upon me How ask'd she Were you afraid I shou'd Love you Is my Love so dreadful then Yes when misplac'd reply'd he but 't was your Falshood that I fear'd Your Love were what I wou'd have sought with utmost hazard of my Life nay even of my Future Happiness I fear had you not been Engag'd strongly oblig'd to Love else where both by your own Choice and Vows as well as by his dangerous Services and matchless Constancy For which said she I do not Hate him though his Father kill'd my Uncle Nay perhaps continu'd she I have a Friendship for him but no more No more said you Madam cry'd he But tell me Did you never Love him Indeed I did reply'd she but the Sight of You has better instructed me both in my Duty to my Father and in causing my Passion for you without whom I shall be eternally miserable Ah then pursue your honourable Proposal and make my Father happy in my Marriage It must not be return'd Don Henrique my Honour my Friendship forbids it No she return'd your Honour requires it and if your Friendship opposes your Honour it can have no sure nor solid Foundation Female Sophistry cry'd Henrique But you need no Art nor Artifice Ardelia to make me Love you Love you pursu'd he By that bright Sun the Light and Heat of all the World You are my only Light and Heat Oh Friendship Sacred Friendship now assist me Here for a time he paus'd and then afresh proceeded thus You told me or my Ears deceiv'd me that you Lov'd me Ardelia I did she reply'd and that I do Love you is as true as that I told you so 'T is well But wou'd it were not so Did ever Man receive a Blessing thus Why I cou'd wish I did not Love you Ardelia But that were impossible At least unjust interrupted she Well then he went on to shew you that I do sincerely consult your particular Happiness without any regard to my own to morrow I will give you to Don Antonio and as a Proof of your Love to me I expect your ready Consent to it To let you see Don Henrique how perfectly and tenderly I Love you I will be sacrific'd to morrow to Don Antonio and to your Quiet Oh Strangest Dearest Obligation cry'd Henrique To morrow then as I have told your Father I am to bring you to see the Dearest Friend I have on Earth who dare not appear within this City for some unhappy Reasons and therefore cannot be present at our Nuptials for which cause I cou'd not but think it my Duty to one so nearly related to my Soul to make him happy in the Sight of my Beautiful Choice e're yet she be my Bride I hope said she my Loving Obedience may merit your Compassion and that at last e're the Fire is lighted that must consume the Offering I mean the Marriage-Tapers alluding to the old Roman Ceremony that you or some other pitying Angel will snatch me from the Altar Ah No more Ardelia Say no more cry'd he we must be Cruel to be Just to our selves Here their Discourse ended and they walk'd into the House where they sound the Good Old Gentleman and his Lady with whom he stay'd till about an Hour after Supper
but for his Folly with this infamous Creature that at last by assuring him of all their Assistance if he abandon'd her and to renounce him and deliver him up if he did not they wrought so far upon him as to promise he would suffer her to go alone into Banishment and would not follow her or live with her any more But alas this was but his Gratitude that compell'd this Complaisance for in his Heart he resolv'd never to abandon her nor was he able to live and think of doing it However his Reason assured him he could not do a Deed more justifiable and one that would regain his Fame sooner His Friends ask'd him some Questions concerning his Escape and that since he was not beheaded but only wounded why he did not immediately rise up But he replied He was so absolutely prepossessed that at the third lifting up his Hands he should receive the Stroak of Death that at the same instant the Sword touch'd him he had no Sense nay not even of Pain so absolutely dead he was with Imagination and knew not that he stirr'd as the Heads-man found he did nor did he remember any thing from the lifting up of his Hands to his Fall and then awakened as out of a Dream or rather a Moment's Sleep without Dream he found he liv'd and wonder'd what was arriv'd to him or how he came to live having not as yet any Sense of his Wound tho' so terrible an one After this Alcidiana who was extreamly afflicted for having been the Prosecutor of this Great Man who bating this last Design against her which we knew was the Instigation of her Sister had oblig'd her with all the Civility imaginable now sought all Means possible of getting his Pardon and that of her Sister tho' of an Hundred thousand Crowns which she should have paid her she could get but Ten thousand which was from the Sale of her rich Beds and some other Furniture So that the young Count who before should have marry'd her now went off for want of Fortune and a young Merchant perhaps the best of the two was the Man to whom she was destin'd At last by great Intercession both their Pardons were obtain'd and the Prince who would be no more seen in a place that had prov'd every way so fatal to him left Flanders promising never to live with the fair Hypocrite more but e'er he departed he writ her a Letter wherein he order'd her in a little time to follow him into Holland and left a Bill of Exchange with one of his trusty Servants whom he had left to wait upon her for Money for her Accommodations So that she was now reduced to one Woman one Page and this Gentleman The Prince in this time of his Imprisonment had several Bills of great Sums from his Father who was exceeding rich and this all the Children he had in the World and whom he tenderly loved As soon as Miranda was come into Holland she was welcom'd with all imaginable Respect and Endearment by the old Father who impos'd upon so as that he knew not she was the fatal Occasion of all these Disasters to his Son but rather look'd on her as a Woman who had brought him an Hundred and fifty thousand Crowns which his Misfortunes had consum'd But above all she was receiv'd by Tarquin with a Joy unspeakable who after some time to redeem his Credit and gain himself a new Fame put himself into the French Army where he did Wonders and after three Campaigns his Father dying he return'd home and retir'd to a Country-House where with his Princess he lives as a private Gentleman in all the Tranquility of a Man of a good Fortune They say Miranda has been very penitent for her Life past and gives Heaven the Glory for having given her these Afflictions that have reclaim'd her and brought her to as perfect a State of Happiness as this troublesome World can afford Since I began this Relation I heard that Prince Tarquin dy'd about Three Quarters of a Year ago The End of the Fair JILT AGNES de CASTRO OR THE FORCE OF Generous LOVE Written in French by a Lady of Quality Made English by Mrs BEHN LONDON Printed by W. Onley for S. Briscoe 1697. THE HISTORY OF AGNES de CASTRO THough LOVE all soft and flattering promises nothing but Pleasures yet its Consequences are often sad and fatal It is not enough to be in Love to be happy since Fortune who is Capricious and takes delight to trouble the Repose of the most Elevated and Virtuous has very little respect for passionate and tender Hearts when she designs to produce strange Adventures Many Examples of past Ages render this Maxim certain but the Reign of Dom Alphonso the Fourth King of Portugal furnishes us with one the most extraordinary that History can produce He was the Son of that Dom Denice who was so successful in all his Undertakings that it was said of him that he was capable of performing whatever he design'd And of Isabella a Princess of eminent Vertue who when he came to inherit a flourishing and tranquil State he endeavour'd to establish Peace and Plenty in abundance in his Kingdom And to advance this his Design he agreed on a Marriage between his Son Don Pedro then about eight Years of Age and Bianca Daughter of Don Pedro King of Castile and whom the young Prince married when he arrived to his sixteenth Year Bianca brought nothing to Coimbra but Infirmities and very few Charms Don Pedro who was full of Sweetness and Generosity liv'd nevertheless very well with her but those Distempers of the Princess degenerating into the Palsie she made it her Request to retire and at her Intercession the Pope broke the Marriage and the melancholy Princess concealed her Languishment in a solitary Retreat And Don Pedro for whom they had provided another Match married Constantia Manuel Daughter of Dom John Manuel a Prince of the Blood of Castile and famous for the Enmity he had to his King Constantia was promised to the King of Castile but that King not keeping his Word they made no difficulty of bestowing her on a young Prince who was one day to Reign over a Number of fine Provinces He was but five and twenty Years of Age and the Man of all Spain that had the best Fashion and Grace And with the most advantagious Qualities of the Body he possest those of the Soul and shew'd himself worthy in all things of the Crown that was destin'd for him The Princess Constantia had Beauty Wit and Generosity in as a great Measure as 't was possible for a Woman to be possest with her Merit alone ought to have attach'd Don Pedro eternally to her and certainly he had for her an Esteem mixt with so great a Respect as might very well pass for Love with those that were not of a nice and curious Observation but alas his real Care was reserv'd for another Beauty Constantia brought
into the World the first Year after her Marriage a Son who was call'd Don Louis but it scarce saw the Light and dy'd almost as soon as born The Loss of this little Prince sensibly touch'd her but the Coldness she observ'd in the Prince her Husband went yet more near her Heart for she had given herself absolutely up to her Duty and had made her Tenderness for him her only Concern But puissant Glory which ty'd her so entirely to the Interest of the Prince of Portugal open'd her Eyes upon his Actions where she observ'd nothing in his Caresses and Civilities that was natural or could satisfie her delicate Heart At first she fancy'd herself deceiv'd but time having confirm'd her in what she feared she sighed in secret yet had that Consideration for the Prince as not to let him see her Disorder and which nevertheless she could not conceal from Agnes de Castro who liv'd with her rather as a Companion than a Maid of Honour and whom her Friendship made her infinitely distinguish from the rest This maid so dear to the Princess very well merited the Preference her Mistress gave her she was beautiful to excess wise discreet witty and had more Tenderness for Constantia than she had for herself having quitted her Family which was illustrious to give herself wholly to the Service of the Princess and to follow her into Portugal It was into the Bosom of this Maid that the Princess unladed her first Moans and the charming Agnes forgot nothing that might give ease to her afflicted Heart Nor was Constantia the only Person who complain'd on Don Pedro before his Divorce from Bianca he had expressed some Care and Tenderness for Elvira Gonzales Sister to Don Alvaro Gonzales Favourite to the King of Portugal and this Amusement in the young Years of the Prince had made a deep Impression on Elvira who flatter'd her Ambition with the Infirmities of Bianca She saw with a secret Rage Constantia take her place who was possest with such Charms that quite divested her of all Hopes Her Jealousie left her not idle she examin'd all the Actions of the Prince and easily discover'd the little Regard he had for the Princess but this brought him not back to her And it was upon very good Grounds that she suspected him to be in Love with some other Person and possessed with a new Passion and which she promis'd herself she would destroy as soon as she could find it out She had a Spirit altogether proper for bold and hazardous Enterprizes and the Credit of her Brother gave her so much Vanity as all the Indifference of the Prince was not capable of humbling The Prince languish'd and conceal'd the Cause with so much Care that 't was impossible for any to find it out No publick Pleasures were agreeable to him and all Conversations were tedious and it was Solitude alone that was able to give him any ease This Change surprized all the World The King who lov'd his Son very tenderly earnestly press'd him to know the Reason of his Melancholy but the Prince made no answer but only this That it was the Effects of his Temper But Time ran on and the Princess was brought to Bed of a second Son who liv'd and was call'd Fernando Don Pedro forc'd himself a little to take part in the publick Joy so that they believ'd his Humour was changing but this appearance of a Calm endured not long and he fell back again into his black Melancholy The Artful Elvira was incessantly agitated in searching out the Knowledge of this Secret Chance wrought for her And as she was walking full of Indignation and Anger in the Garden of the Palace of Coimbra she found the Prince of Portugal sleeping in an obscure Grotto Her Fury could not contain itself at the Sight of this lov'd Object she roul'd her Eyes upon him and perceiv'd in spight of Sleep that some Tears escap'd his Eyes the Flame which burnt yet in her Heart soon grew soft and tender there But oh she heard him sigh and after that utter these Words Yes Divine Agnes I will sooner die than let you know it Constantia shall have nothing to reproach me with Elvira was enrag'd at this Discourse which represented to her immediately the same Moment Agnes de Castro with all her Charms and not at all doubting but it was she who possest the Heart of Don Pedro she found in her Soul more Hatred for this fair Rival than Tenderness for him The Grotto was not a Place sit to make Reflections in or to form Designs Perhaps her first Transports would have made her waken'd him if she had not perceiv'd a Paper lying under his Hand which she softly seiz'd on and that she might not be surpriz'd in the reading it she went out of the Garden with as much Haste as Confusion When she was retir'd to her Apartment she open'd the Paper trembling and found in it these Verses writ by the Hand of Don Pedro and which in appearance he had newly then composed In vain oh Sacred Honour you debate The mighty Business in my Heart Love Charming Love rules all my Fate Interest and Glory claim no part The God sure of his Victory Triumphs there And will have nothing in his Empire share In vain oh Sacred Duty you oppose In vain your Nuptial Tye you plead Those forc'd Devoirs LOVE overthrows And breaks the Vows he never made Fixing his fatal Arrows every where I burn and languish in a soft Despair Fair Princess you to whom my Faith is due Pardon the Destiny that drags me on 'T is not my Fault my Heart 's untrue I am compell'd to be undone My Life is yours I gave it with my Hand But my Fidelity I can't command Elvira did not only know the Writing of Don Pedro but she knew also that he could write Verses And seeing the sad Part which Constantia had in these which were now fallen into her Hands she made no scruple of resolving to let the Princess see 'em But that she might not be suspected she took care not to appear in the Business herself and since it was not enough for Constantia to know that the Prince did not love her but that she must know also he was a Slave to Agnes de Castro Elvira caused these few Verses to be written in an unknown Hand under those writ by the Prince Sleep betray'd the unhappy Lover While Tears were streaming from his Eyes His heedless Tongue without disguise The Secret did discover The Language of his Heart declare That Agnes Image Triumphs there Elvira regarded neither Exactness nor Grace in these Lines and if they had but the Effect she design'd she wish'd no more Her Impatience could not wait till the next Day to expose 'em she therefore went immediately to the Lodgings of the Princess who was then walking in the Garden of the Palace and passing without resistance even to her Cabinet she put the Paper into a Book in
I am generous enough to make it good And since I am so willing to be just you ought to esteem me and to make it your chiefest Care to preserve me yours for I believe I shall deserve it and wish you shou'd believe so too Remember me write to me and observe punctually all the Motions of my Watch The more you regard it the better you will like it and whatever you think of it at first sight 't is no ill Present The Invention is soft and gallant and Germany so celebrated for rare Watches can produce nothing to equal this Damon my Watch is just and new And all a Lover ought to do My Cupid faithfully will shew And every Hour he renders there Except L'heure du Bergere The End of the WATCH THE CASE FOR THE WATCH DAMON to IRIS EXpect not O charming Iris that I shou'd chuse Words to thank you in Words that least part of Love and least the Business of the Lover but will say all and every thing that a tender Heart can dictate to make an Acknowledgment for so dear and precious a Present as this of your charming Watch while all I can say will but too dully express my Sense of Gratitude my Joy and the Pleasure I receive in the mighty Favour I confess the Present too rich too gay and too magnificent for my Expectation and though my Love and Faith deserve it yet my humbler Hope never durst carry me to a Wish of so great a Bliss so great an Acknowledgment from the Maid I adore The Materials are glorious the Work delicate and the Movement just and even gives Rules to my Heart who shall observe very exactly all that the Cupid remarks to me even to the Minutes which I will point with Sighs though I am oblig'd to 'em there but every Half-hour You tell me fair Iris that I ought to preserve it tenderly and yet you have sent it me without a Case But that I may obey you justly and keep it dear to me as long as I live I will give it a Case of my Fashion It shall be delicate and suitable to the fine Present of such Materials too But because I would have it perfect I will consult your admirable Wit and Invention in an Affair of so curious a consequence The FIGURE of the CASE I Design to give it the Figure of a Heart Does not your Watch Iris rule the Heart It was your Heart that contriv'd it and 't was your Heart you consulted in all the management of it and 't was your Heart that brought it to so fine a Conclusion The Heart never acts without Reason and all the Heart projects it performs with Pleasure Your Watch my lovely Maid has explain'd to me a World of rich Secrets of Love And where shou'd Thoughts so sacred be stor'd but in the Heart where all the Secrets of the Soul are treasur'd up and of which only Love alone can take a View 'T is thence he takes his Sighs and Tears and all his little Flatteries and Arts to please All his fine Thoughts and all his mighty Raptures nothing is so proper as the Heart to preserve it nothing so worthy as the Heart to contain it and it concerns my Interest too much not to be infinitely careful of so dear a Treasure And believe me charming Iris I will never part with it The Votary Fair Goddess of my just Desire Inspirer of my softest Fire Since you from out the num'rous Throng That to your Altars do belong To me the Sacred Myst'ry have reveal'd From all my Rival-Worshippers conceal'd And touch'd my Soul with heav'nly Fire Refin'd it from its grosser Sense And wrought it to a higher Excellence It can no more return to Earth Lake things that thence receive their Birth But still aspiring upward move And teach the World new Flights of Love New Arts of Secresie shall learn And render Youth discreet in Love's Concern In his soft Heart to hide the charming things A Mistress whispers to his Ear And e'ery tender Sigh she brings Mix with his Soul and hide it there To bear himself so well in Company That if his Mistress present be It may be thought by all the Fair Each in his Heart does claim a share And all are more belov'd than she But when with the dear Maid apart Then at her Feet the Lover lies Opens his Soul shews all his Heart While Joy is dancing in his Eyes Then all that Honour may or take or give They both distribute both receive A Looker on wou'd spoil a Lover's Joy For Love 's a Game where only Two can play And 't is the hardest of Love's Mysteries To feign Love where it is not hide it where it is After having told you my lovely Iris that I design to put your Watch into a Heart I ought to shew you the Ornaments of the Case I do intend to have 'em Crown'd Cyphers I do not mean those Crowns of Vanity which are put indifferently on all sorts of Cyphers No I must have such as may distinguish 〈◊〉 from the rest and may be true Emblems of what I wou'd represent My four Cyphers therefore shall be Crown'd with these four Wreaths of Olive Laurel Myrtle and Roles And the Letters that begin the Names of 〈◊〉 and Damon shall compose the Cyphers though I must intermix some other 〈◊〉 that bear another Sence and have another Signification The First CYPHER THE first Cypher is compos'd of an I 〈◊〉 a D which are joyn'd by an L and an E Which signifies Love extream And 't is but just O adorable Iris that Love shou'd be mixt with our Cyphers and that Love alone shou'd be the Union of ' em Love ought alone the Mystick Knot to die Love that great Master of all Arts And this dear Cypher is to let you see Love unites Names as well as Hearts Without this charming Union our Souls could not communicate those invisible Sweetnesses which compleat the Felicity of Lovers and which the most tender and passionate Expressions are too feeble to make us comprehend But my adorable Iris I am contented 〈◊〉 he vast Pleasure I feel in loving well without the Care of expressing it well if you will imagine my Pleasure without expressing it For I confess 't wou'd be no Joy to me to adore you if you did not perfectly believe I did adore you Nay though you lov'd me if you had no Faith in me I shou'd languish and love in as much Pain as if you scorn'd and at the same time believ'd I dy'd for you For surely Iris 't is a greater Pleasure to please than to be pleas'd and the glorious Power of giving is infinitely a greater Satisfaction than that of receiving there is so great and God-like a Quality in it I wou'd have your Belief therefore equal to my Passion extream as indeed all Love shou'd be or it cannot bear that Divine Name It can pass but for an indifferent Affection And these Cyphers ought