life prejudiciable to his Person or Fortune and so while all this past she shut her eyes and took no notice at all and though one day she hid her self to watch their actions yet she could discover nothing between them but testimonies of a Friendship which reason allows of But since the Love of these two persons was become the general discourse the Duchess consulted many times very seriously with the Marquis Arigone who very farre from approving this too violent inclination as many others did who were well enough pleas'd to let the Duke freely pursue his inclinations He on the contrary forgot nothing to let them see they ought to have prevented him the Marquess was press'd on by these reasons In Mantua there dwelt a widow that was one of the most considerable women of that place who was mother to one of the most fair and agreeable young Ladys of all that State This woman who was not very rich in worldly goods suiting her self to her fortune liv'd onely in the quality of a Gentlewoman and not like a great Lady The Marquis who had a passionate kindness for her let no occasion pass of diverting his melancholly hours at her house and as she was not very cruel to him she granted him willingly those Favours that Love demands without expecting interest imagining that the Marquess who was naturally very grateful would not fail for the Mothers sake who granted him all things to serve the Daughter to his Highness the Duke and this opportunity pleas'd the Marquess very well of shewing himself grateful to the kind Widow in procuring the Love of the Duke for her Daughter and also of testifying his Affection to his Prince in bringing to him one of the most Accomplish'd young Women amongst his Subjects but since he fear'd it a thing impossible to do so long as this passion of the Dukes to the Lady Margaret continued he tryed all wayes to stifle it but unprofitably because the Duke was so insensible for all other Women as well Maids as Wives that neither the handsome nor ugly work'd any effect upon him for he us'd them both so indifferently they had no reason to be jealous of one another The Lady Margaret was the only Favourite and the most lov'd and what beauty soever hapned to be in the Dukes presence he had eyes for none but she One day the Marquess imagining that it was impossible for the Duke to see that fine young Lady of his Acquaintance and not fall in love with her carryed him to her Mothers house who had invited him to that purpose and had spar'd for no Cost nor Ornament to set off the Beauty of her Daughter but all was to no purpose and though the Marquess and the Mother left this young Lady and the Duke alone two houres together in a Chamber the Duke sate by her as if she had not been there without speaking one obliging word to her The insensibility of this Duke was as a Dagger to the heart of this young Lady and in truth What is more vexatious to a Woman then to see that all the arts she has us'd to gain a heart signifie so little in the end The Marquiss quickly perceiv'd that the Duke was not very well pleas'd in the place where he had brought him therefore in returning home to the Palace he begun to praise her extreamly the Duke although he seemed to take no notice and yet nevertheless forc't by the Marquess to speak of that Ladies Beauty he came from said to the Marquess My Lord This Lady is faire enough for you who sees her every day but not for me who never saw her before and looks not upon her so often as you do The Marquess reply'd Your Highness must then see her often that you may think her fairer than now you do The Duke answer'd smiling If I should see her once more certainly I should think her more ugly then I do now The poor Marquess was mad at this and especially when the Duke whil'st they were talking turn'd about and shew'd him the Lady Margaret who they met in the Street See there my Lord Marquess said he there is the fairest amongst all that are faire Whil'st these things past the Dutchess growing angry to see her Son so far gone in Love with the Lady Margaret carryed by some unknown Politick reasons and perhaps at the earnest Solicitations of the Marquess sent the Mother and the Daughter away to Casal yet with all the Civility imaginable and with a particular Promise to Marry her very suddenly as indeed it happen'd soon after The Duke express'd no great signs publickly of resentment for her going away hiding his trouble without all doubt very prudently to take all suspition from the Court Till then it was believ'd by most that nothing but vertue had pass'd between this Lady and the Duke but others that lookt nearer into the business and could see farther into matters of Love believ'd the contrary not being able to imagine how Vertue could subsist with so great a Liberty and that a young Girle who desir'd nothing more then the heart of a Prince could refuse him any thing The Duke certainly was not without desires nor the young Lady without a good will the youth of them both and the great liberty allowed them gave strange causes of suspition In fine believe who will that all their time was spent in saying their Chapelets and their Pater-nosters for my part I never will Some time before the parture 〈◊〉 the Lady Margaret the Duke had â—…y long and private Conferences with 〈◊〉 where there wanted no Tears on bâ—â—h sides at that cruel separation as a Wâ—â—ting-Woman observ'd he could â—â—t forbear promising to Write to her till he had the opportunity of going to visit her at Casal which he gave her his Word should be very suddenly These Protestations of the Dukes rais'd her Heart a little which was so sunk with the Fears and Troubles of a cruel Absence she was to suffer and gave her courage to ask his Highness a word or two under his Hand every moneth at least which Favour she demanded of him in these Words If your Highness will please to Write to me once every moneth it will give me every day a Paradice The Duke embracing her said with all the tenderness of a passionate heart go and believe that nothing in the World shall ever be capable to carry me from loving you She was scarce arriv'd at Casal but the Duke writ a Letter to her as well for his own satisfaction as for the contentment of her he Lov'd it was thâ—… MARGARET My Heart THis is the first Letter which I write to you with one of those Pens that are guided by Love I address to you whom I alone adore as the onely and first object of my Love To tell you how sensible I am of your absence you must aske this Heart which thinks more of you then of it self I do not sware it to
did had no other end but to seek out wayes to injoy one another more often which happen'd as they wish'd The one studied to deceive her Husband and the other his Wife But to speak truth the Countess found it a harder task to cheat her Husband than the Duke found in deceiving the Duchess his Wife for this poor unfortunate Lady perceiving that this was an incurable evil and desperate by a great Prudence shut her eyes almost that she might not see the disorders of her Husband whil'st on the other side the Earl watch'd his wife the more that he saw her give her self up to the love of the Duke to her great dishonour and loss of her own reputation and he had just reason for doing so for since they were not asham'd to act their worthy affairs almost before all the world notwithstanding all the diligence of the Earl to watch them what would they not have done if he had winkt at their excellent Carriage If these two Lovers had been contented to do all in secret the Earl had not been much disquieted nor had he taken what they did into his consideration but had rather would have seem'd to have receiv'd some satisfaction in the hopes of being well us'd by the Duke and to have receiv'd honours from him in the fight of the world For all his great trouble arose from the publick scandal and the opinion he had conceiv'd that every body fancied he complyed with these amours and thus it made him sick at heart to be counted not onely a base man but an infamous voluntary Cuckold and publickly to be despis'd as such a person He never reflected upon the Nobility of his House descended originally from great Princes who had alwayes liv'd honourably and had mantain'd themselves for many years by a very advantageous reputation without ever receiving any stain but those reflections made him repent he had married a wife whose carriage so much dishonour'd that illustrious Family of his and the good fame his Predecessours had acquired by their honest Lives his anger kindled a thousand times in his heart the desire of revenge but the fear of some thing worse happening to him and to loose not onely his fortune but also his life stifled all those thoughts in him Shall I say furthermore the apprehension of a sad end and an untimely death hinder'd him often from complaining to his wife of her wicked Carriage of her self He durst not I say correct her in secret or to threaten her fearing that she being warn'd by that might procure to him a violent death in revenge to his upbraids of her so that he was often forc'd to pretend as if he had not seen those passages he saw too plainly and to be ignorant of what he knew too well But in fine not being able to indure any longer a vexation that grew every moment press'd with grief and shame he resolv'd to go to Savona to ask Counsel of his Parents what course to take to deliver himself from a misfortune which was so cruel to him and so great and he had scarce acosted them when one amongst them reproach'd him of marrying a wife whether they would or no who was the daughter of an unchast mother the sister of a whore and whose own honour was suspected then when he would so obstinately resolve to marry her and her life since has prov'd what she was then The poor Earl extreamly mortified with these reproaches could make no other answer but that he never thought things would come to this pass his Parents nevertheless not to leave him in this Sea of Confusion counsell'd him after they had comforted him a little that he should try to remove his wife from Casal calmly and with Gentleness to bring her to Savona and there resolve to settle and live out the remainder of his days in his own Country This Earl tryed the way of following this good Counsel believing for certain that absence would cool this love and that time would make him forget what at the present was such a heart-breaking to him and caus'd him so much shame being then return'd to Casal he begun to try if he could work this miracle upon his wife but all his indeavours were in vain he told her his Parents desir'd her company very passionately amongst them that the Ladies of that Town desir'd impatiently to injoy her company to render her all the service and respect they thought due to her he also prayed her to consider how advantageous the Promises of that Republick were to him of making him a great man by the considerable imployments they would give him and that she should assure her self he would spare no cost to give her all sort of contentments and to that end he was resolv'd to purchase a little but fair Lordship hard by the Sea-side where in the Summer-time they would divert themselves together by all the agreeable divertisements sutable to persons of their condition In fine to conclude in a word he gave her many other politick and moral reasons so strong and plausible that they would have been powerful enough to have convinc'd any body but her self but the good Countess did nothing but laugh at this discourse and without flattering him any further told him plainly That she was not of an humour to quit her own for a strange purchase the certain for the uncertain and that which she was really possest of for a picture and shadow that she had not married her self at Casal with intention to dwell at Savona that the contract of her marriage had made no mention of this change and that he could by nothing in the world find a lawful excuse to make her change her own Country and if he pleas'd he might desire to see his own Relations at Savona but as for her she would rather stay in the Company of her brothers at Casal and after all she assur'd him it was loss of time to dream of that because she was confident his Highness would never consent to their parture and yet to depart without his consent it was blindly to precipitate her ruine and thus the Earl was constrain'd to desist from his enterprize and saw himself oblig'd to arm himself with a new patience The Countess the whilest judging by these words that he had a design to retire her from her Lover imagining besides that her Husband had prepar'd for her at Savona some of those Morsels which the Italians ordinarily give to their wives in the like Cases as it often happens in Italy which made her seek an opportunity to speak to the Duke and having easily found him as she wish'd she having the Liberty to go and come to him at all hours after she had acosted him and made her curtsie she told him at length the whole story of her Husbands designes not forgetting his very words in a manner that shew'd how angry she was at her Husband This resolution of his extreamly displeas'd the Duke who
to abandon my wife I should be the basest of men to go about to serve a Prince who flatters me with imaginary honours whilst in effect he dishonours me Yes I hope to find a happier Fortune in Barbary than in my native Countrey and I believe that the Inhabitants of that Countrey will not have so much cruelty for me as my Wife and my own Prince have shewed me in Italy Yes yes I renounce thee for my wife since thou wilt be a whore and I am resolv'd to fly thy presence eternally that the world may not believe I consent to thy disorders I confess I need not complain of thee because it is my self I ought to blame for all my misfortunes having been sufficiently warned by my friends and kindred of all that I have suffer'd by thee and the dishonour thou wouldst bring me But in fine since my destiny has sent this for my ruine I run very willingly to it and do not thou think to escape punishment which will come upon thee one day when thou dream'st not of it and although the chastisements of Adulterers is like thine deferr'd yet it is sure to tome go God will revenge me and punish thee He finish'd his Letter to the Countess in these words without Subscription and sent it with another to his Brother-in-law writ in these terms THere is nothing I should less have credited than that Brothers born of an illustrious Bloud would have served as Rascals in the prostitution of their own Sister There is no body either in Mantua or Casal that is ignorant of this It is now become the Fame of your Family and the onely thing by which it is taken notice of but I am very much displeased to have my reputation ingaged in it For as for yours I deride it since you have been so base to offer up to the Duke what no longer belong'd to you That opinion of yours That Princes can make no Cuckolds resembles that Gold which covers Pills to cheat sick people I have alwayes lookt upon it as such and I have indur'd as much as I can but this minute that I have not gold enough left me to cover such great Pills as are prescrib'd to me I have no more Patience and must complain since the Duke is pleased I shall this day begin to run over the World like a poor Pilgrim and miserable banish'd man to the end that he may enjoy your Sister in quiet I resign my wife willingly to his Highness and the shame to you till now you have acted the part of Rascals and serv'd the shameful desires of my wife Now take to your selves the employment of serving your Sister This is all shall be said to you from him that gives you absolutely his share in the shame that you may possess it all he flyes from the company of a prostituted adulterous woman and from the Pimps her Brothers understand me as well as I understand both of you These were the last Letters which the Earl writ to Casal with which the Duke lookt upon himself so sensibly offended having got them both into his hands that he swore in the Countesses presence to be revenged Many were of opinion that he was quickly after that satisfied in his vengeance he intended on the Earl because that minute he made his Oath he dispatch'd many Letters giving order to follow him and to learn what was become of him of whom since that time there was no news heard which was the cause so many believ'd he was kill'd by the Dukes Orders but â— cannot believe this last common opinion because that Prince had not so black a soul and I rather think he was satisfied enough with ordering him to be punish'd only by sending him far enough off his State some were of opinion that he went into Swede and under a disguize chang'd his Religion and became a Lutheran and some believe he lives at this day in some little place he purchas'd with those thousand Pistols which the Duke sent him by Bills of Exchange for his Voyage into Persia Others pretend he has been seen in Portugall not five years since which is not certified credibly But whatever is become of him there has not any thing been heard of him since that time and at Casal there is nothing spoken of him good or bad and therefore we will talk no more of him but here conclude the life of that unfortunate Husband Let us now return to that poor Princess almost forsaken by her husband in all things but outward shew who seeing her self thus treated by the Duke her Husband for the love of an infamous woman and one so much below her in Birth that there is no other comparison between them to be made but what is given between that of a Prince and a slave so that it was very difficult for her to hinder her self from loudly complaining of the Countess and the more by seeing every day her husbands affection grow colder for her and increase to that wicked woman who alone possess'd his heart This afflicted Duchess was desperate at all the abominable tricks which from day to day were plaid the Earl beyond the Seas onely to leave his wife at more Liberty with the Duke and her affliction was very much increased when she was inform'd of his despair which had caused him to renounce absolutely the serving that Court any more and never to return to Casal nor yet into any part of Italy and since she heard by the whispering murmurs of the Courtiers that the Duke angry at this procedure of the Earl had resolv'd to pursue him in revenge where-ever he went in pity to this poor Lord she went to ask his pardon of the Duke and to that effect she set before his eyes the example of David driven from his Kingdom not so much by the persecution of Absalom his son as the decree of Heaven to punish him for Adultery which he had committed with Bathsheba and that horrid execrable and barbarous murther of Uriah her husband adding That that Prophet had not so violently persecuted Uriah as his Highness had pursued the Earl nor had liv'd so long a time in Adultery with Bathsheba as he had liv'd with the Countess The Duke angry at these solicitations rose up from the bed where he was sitting whil'st the Duchess was talking to him and walking to the Chamber-door gave her no other answer than this Madam that which men believ'd in the Old Testament to be a sin all Princes account this day a gallantry and saying this he went away The Duchess seeing all her words unprofitable and work'd nothing upon the heart of the Duke which was harder than any rock to all Counsels that were given him to take him off his scandalous living she resolv'd at last to try another way and employ greater strengths than her own though she went far to fetch them She knew very well the veneration of the Duke for the Senate of Venice and she had
saw her self necessitated to remain at Casal having obtain'd a promise from her Lover That every day she should receive from him an Account of his health and the progress of his Highness with that of his Army This Prince parted from Casal then the fourth of August accompanied with his Countess who went with him in his Coach above three Miles and also by an excess of Gallantry heâ— Brother drove the Coach till they came to a certain Village where they stopt to take leave of his Highness who drawing apart his Well-beloved was sometime in conversation with her but not satisfied with that and what he had injoy'd of her company all the way they enter'd into a Peasants house hard by that place were they were together a full hour to the great heart-breaking of all the World who waited for them in the Street although in the mean while the Countesses Brother invented all he could imagine to divert the Company After these two Lovers had given their adiews to each other having finished all their Ceremonies in the Chamber of that good poor Country-mans house they went out and being yet not able to separate for good and all they staid at the door talking together toying and fooling with one another and also to make Love half an hour longer whil'st in the mean time there arrived a Post from the Marquiss of Faensaldagnia Goverâ—our of Milan who earnestly desir'd his Highness That he would hasten his depart to the Army where they impatiently waited for him having absolute need of his presence who ever had seen the Duke and his Countess so strictly imbrac'd would have thought they were never to meet again and if a Gentleman a great friend of the Dukes had not confidently told his Highness that the night came on apace and that it was not safe for him to enter in the dark into a Countrey that was the rendezvous of the enemy I believe the Duke and his Countess would have staid a good while longer in that place which yet was not a very convenient one to make love in In fine after that these two Lovers had given some tears to their future absence they took leave of one another She returning to Casal and the Duke marching towards Alexandria where the Army staid for him and where the Spaniards Council of War was held to consult upon the way to secure that place so considerable to their State and which they already believed out of their power The Marquess of Faensaldagnia had commanded an apartement for the Duke to be made ready in a Palace a mile from Alexandria about which was encamped the Imperial and Spanish Army as being a very advantagious Post to trouble the enemy who had no defence from their shot and were blockt up between the Town and the River The Duke was scarce arrived but finding that Air unwholsome for him and being very much heated by the journey he was presently seiz'd by a Feaver which obliged him to go to bed but that which added to his trouble was to see himself in a Countrey so prejudicial to his health and where he could not have those things fit for his cure with that diligence which his disease required Tortona being distant from him two miles and that was the neerest Town wherein there were Apothecaries Two things begun to trouble his mind and raise his spleen and melancholly The one was that such a misfortune happened to him in the First time of his life that he had appear'd in the field fearing it would oblige him to return to Casal without the glory of having done any thing to shew his courage but that which was his greatest heart-breaking was That he fancied the Spaniards would believe him a Coward under which notion he should pass for such through all those Countries not being able to imagine they would be so civil to lay all the fault upon his Feaver which really was the cause but would rather believe it a fair pretence of the Dukes to hide his cowardly heart The second thing which so tormented him was To see himself alone and deprived of the service of his Countess as he had been formerly he resolved to keep his bed notwithstanding and stay in that Palace which they had provided for him because he would not loose the sight of the Spaniards who came to visit him whilst his Feaver thus perplext him and advised with him of the means the most fit to enterprize something upon the enemy This sickness of the Dukes was not carried so close but that it came to the ears of the Countess who was not a little troubled at it and as I believe it was his Highness that advertised her of it being confident that she would not fail to come to him as soon as she receiv'd that news It was that which the Duke desired with greatest passion for being without his Mistress he was without his heart as he himself assur'd her brother who writ word of it to the Countess by the express command of the Duke As soon as the news of the Dukes sickness arrived at Casal the Countess was so afflicted that one would have thought she had no life left and although they did what they could to perswade her his disease was not great nor dangerous she nevertheless grieved very much but she grew desperate when she was inform'd that the French Army were so much up and down the Countrey that it was dangerous travelling between Casal and Alexandria whither she would go notwithstanding accompanied with onely very few on Foot through by-waâ—es with intention to serve as Physitian to this Amorous sick man she sent out a Scout before her journey to be perfectly inform'd of the march of the enemies that so she might the better chuse what way to take She was uncertain in her resolutions in what habit to travel in whether that of her own sex or of a man fearful of being known if she should make that journey in her ordinary dress but having ask'd Counsel of her Governour in that affair he advised her to go with very few in her company and to disguise her self like a man The resolution for parting then being taken after the Scout she sent was return'd which was the same day that the Duke himself had inform'd her of his being ill she discover'd her design to the Countess Lovize her sister a little before she went this Countess Lovize having formerly travell'd as a man with a Frenchman whom I spoke of before who was her Gallant offer'd her self now to accompany her sister in the same posture The Countess Magaret received this offer of her sisters very willingly and was the more inclined to it by perceiving they two were so much of a humour as to matter of journeys as well as other things so away they went very late in the evening accompanied onely with their younger brother and one man to avoid the encounter of the French who costed up and down the Countrey every