takes those out of his pocket and in a glass of Sack drinks 'em down after this he bathes and dresses and believes himself a very 〈◊〉 that cou'd have got at least twelve Sonâ— that happy Night â— But he was no sooner laid in Bed with the Charming Silvia as he thought â—ut he was taken with intollerable gripes and pains such as he hâ—d never felt before insomuch as he was not able to lie in the bed this enrages him he grows mad and asham'd sometimes he had little intermissions for a moment of case and then he wou'd plead softly by her Bed side and ask ten thousand pardons which being easily granted â—e wou'd come into bed again but then the pain wou'd seizâ— him anew so that after two or three hours of distraction he was forc'd to dress and retire but instead of going down he went softly up to his own Chamber where he sate him down and 〈◊〉 the World himself and his hard â—ate and in this extremity oâ— pain shame and grief he reremain'd till break of day By which time Antonett who was most violently afflicted got her Coats on and went to her own Chamber where she found her Lady more dead than alive She immediately shiâ—ted her bed Linnen and made her Bâ—d and conducted her to it without indeavouring to divert her with the History of her own misfortune and only ask'd her many questions concerning her being thus ill to which the wretched Silvia only answer'd with sighs so that Antonett perceiv'd 't was the Letter that had disorder'd her and begg'd she might be permitted to see it she gave her leave and Antonett read it but no sooner was she come to that part of it which nam'd the Countess of Clarinau but she ask'd her Lady if she understood who that person was with great amazement At this Silvia was content to speak pleas'd a little that she shou'd have an account of her Rival No said she Dost thou know her Yes Madam replyed Antonett particularly well for I have serv'd her ever since I was a Girle of five years old she being of the same Age with me and sent at six years old both to a Monastery for she being fond of my play her Father sent me at that Age with her both to serve and to divert her with Babies and Baubles there we liv'd seven yearsâ— together when an old rich Spaniard the Count of Clarinau fell in love with my Lady and married her from the Monastery before she had seen any part of the World beyond those sanctified Walls She cry'd bitterly to have had me to Collen with her but he said I was too â—ouug now for her service and so sent me away back to my own Town which is this and here my Lady was born too and is Sister to Here she stopt fearing to tell which Silvia perceiving with a briskness which her indisposition one wou'd have thought cou'd not have allow'd sate up in her Bâ—d and cry'd Haâ— Sister to whom Oh how thou wou'dst please me to say to Octavio why Madam wou'd it please you said the blushing Maid Because said Silvia 't wou'd in part revenge me on his bold Addresses to me and he wou'd also be oblig'd in honour to his Family to revenge himself on Philander Aâ— Madam said she as to his presumption towards you fortune has sufficiently reveng'd it at this she hung down her head and look'd very foolishly How said Silvia smiling and rearing her self yet more in her Bed is any misfortuue arriv'd to Octavio Oh how I will triumph and upbraid the daring man tell me quickly what it is for nothing wou'd rejoyce me more thaâ— to hear he were punisht a little Upon this Antonett told her what an unlucky Night she had how Octavio was seiz'd and how he departed by which Silvia believ'd he had made some discovery of the cheat that was 〈◊〉 upon him and that he only feign'd illness to get himself loose from her imbraces and now she falls to considering how she shall be reveng'd on both her Lovers And the best 〈◊〉 can pitch upon is that of sâ—tting them both at odds and making â—em fight and revenge themselves on one another but she like a right Woman cou'd not dissemble her resentment of jealousie what ever art she had to do so in any other point but mad to ease her Soul that was full and to upbraid Philander she writes him a Letter but not till she had once more to make her stark mad read his over again which he sent Octavio Silvia to Philander YEs pâ—rjur'd Villain at last all thy perfidy is arriv'd to my knowledge and thou hadst better have been damn'd of have fallâ—n like an ungrateful Traytor as thou art under the publique shame of dying by the common Executioner than have 〈◊〉 under the grasp of my revenge insatiate as thy Lust false as thy Treasons to thy Prince fatal as thy destiny lowd as thy infamy and bloody as thy party Villain Villain where got you the courage to use me thus knowing my injuries and my Spirit thou seest base Traytor I do not fall on thee with treachery as thou hast on thy King and Mistress to which thou has broke thy Holy vows of allegiance and Eternal Love but thou that hast broke the Laws of God and Nature What cou'd I expect when neither Religion Honour common Justice nor Law cou'd bind thee to humanity thou that bâ—tray'd thy Prince abandon'd thy Wife renounc'd thy Child kill'd thy Mother ravisht thy Sister and art in open Rebellion against thy Native Country and very Kindred and Brothers Oh after this what must the Wretch expect who has believ'd thee and follow'd thy abject fortunes the miserable outcast Slave and contempt of the World what cou'd she expect but that the Villain is still potent in thee unrepented and all the Lover dead and gone the Vice remains and all the Virtue vanisht Oh what cou'd I expect from such a Divel so lost in sin and wickedness that even those for whom he ventur'd all his Fame and lost his Fortune lent like a State Cully upon the publique Faith on the security of Rogues Knaves and Traytors even those I say turn'd him out of their Councels for a reprobate too lewd for the villainous society Oh curst that I was by Heaven and Fate to be blind and deaf to all thy infamy and suffer thy adorable bewitching Face and Tongue to charm me to madness and undoing when that was all thou hadst left thee thy false person to cheat the silly easie fond believing World into any sort of opinion of thee for not one good principle was left not one poor vertue to guard thee from Damnation thou hadst but one friend left thee one true one real Friend and that was wretched Silvia she when all abandon'd thee but the Executioner fled with thee suffer'd with thee starv'd with thee lost her Fame and Honour with thee lost her friend her Parents and all her Beauties
or fall in its Defence and that he was resolved to be a King or Nothing and that he would put in Practice all the Arts and Stratagems of Cunning as well as Force to attain to this Glorious End however crooked and indirect they might appear to Fools However he conceived the first necessary Step to this was the getting his Pardon to gain a little time to manage things anew to the best Advantage That at present all things were at a stand without Life or Motion wanting the sight of himself who was the very Life and Soul of Motion the Axel-tree that could turn the Wheel of Fortune round again And now he had talk'd himself into Sense again he cry'd Oh my Tomaso I long to be in Action my Soul is on the Wing and ready to take its Flight through any Hazzard But sighing on a suddain again he cry'd But oh my Friend my Wings are impt by Love I cannot mount the Regions of the Air and thence survey the World but still as I would rise to mightier Glory they â—â—ag to humble Love and fix me there Here I am charm'd to lazy soft Repose here 't is I smile and play and love away my Hours But I will rouse I will my dear Tomaso nor shall the winged Boy hold me inslav'd Belive me Friend he shall not He sent me away pleased with this and I left him to his Repose Supper being ready to come upon the Table tho' Philander were impatient to hear the Story out yet he would not press Tomaso till after Supper in which time they discoursed of nothing but the Miracle of Cesario's Love to Hermionâ— He could not but wonder a Prince so young so amorous and so gay should return again after almost fifteen Years to an old Mistress and who had never been in her Youth a celebrated Beauty One whom it was imagined the King and several after him at Court had made a Gallantry with On this he paused for some time and reflected on his Passion for Silvia and this fantastick Intrigue of the Prince's inspired him with a kind of Curiosity to try whether fleeting Love would carry him back again to this abandoned Maid In these Thoughts and such Discourse they passed away the time during Supper which ended and a fresh Bottle brought to the Table with a new Command that none should interrupt 'em The impatient Philander obliged Tomaso to give him a farther Account of the Princes Proceedings which he did in this manner My Lord having left my Prince as I imagined very well resolved I spoke of it to as many of our Party as I could conveniently meet with to prepare 'em for the Discovery I believed the Prince would pretend to make that they should not by being alarm'd at the first News of it put themselves into Fears that might indeed discover 'em Nor would I suffer Cesario to rest but daily saw him or rather nightly stole to him to keep up his Resolution And indeed in spight of Love to which he had made himself so intire a Slave I brought him to his own House to visit Madam his Wife who was very well at Court maugre her Husbands ill Conduct as they call'd it The King being as you know my Lord extreamly kind to that deserving Lady often made her Visits and would without very great Impatiency hear her plead for her Husband the Prince and possibly it was not ungrateful to him All this we daily learn'd from a Page who secretly brought Intelligence from Madam the Princess So that we conceived it wholly necessary for the Interest of the Prince that he should live in a good Understanding with this prudent Lady To this end he feigned more Respect than usual to her and as soon as it was dark every Evening made her his Visits One Evening among the rest he happened to be there just as the Proclamation came forth of four thousand Crowns to any that could discover him and within half an Hour after came the King to visit the Princess as every Night he did her Lodging being in the Court The King came without giving any Notice and with a very slender Train that Night so that he was almost in the Princess's Bed-chamber before any body inform'd â—her he was there so that the Prince had no time to retire but into Madam the Princess's Cabaret the Door of which she immediately locking made such a Noise and Bustle that it was heard by his Majesty who nevertheless had passed it by if her Confusion and Blushes had not farther betray'd her with the unusual Address she made to the King Who therefore asked her who she had conceal'd in her Closet She endeavoured to put him off with some feign'd Replies but 't would not do the more her Confusion the more the King was inquisitive and urged her to give him the Key of her Cabaret But she who knew the Life of the Prince would be in very great Danger should he be taken so and knew on the other side â—hat to deny it would betray the Truth as much as his Discovery would and cause him either to force the Key or the Door fell down at his Feet and wetting his Shooes with her Tears and grasping his Knees in her trembling Arms implor'd that Mercy and Pity for the Prince her Husband whom her Vertue had rendered dear to her however Criminal he appear'd to his Majesty She told him his Majesty had more peculiarly the Attributes of a God than any other Monarch upon Earth and never heard the Wretched or the Innocent plead in vain She told him that herself and her Children who were dearer to her than Life should all be as Hostages for the good Conduct and Duty of the Prince's future Life and Actions And they would all be obliged to suffer any Death tho' never so ignominious upon the least breaking out of her Lord That he should utterly abandon those of the reformed Religion and yield to what Articles his Majesty would graciously be pleased to impose quitting all his false and unreasonable Pretensions to the Crown which was only the Effects of the Flattery of the Hugonot Party and the Male-Contents Thus with the Vertue and Goodness of an Angel she pleaded with such moving Eloquence mix'd with Tears from beautiful Eyes that she fail'd not to soften the royal Heart who knew not how to be deaf when Beauty pleaded Yet he would not seem to yield so suddenly least it should be imagined he had too light a Sense of his Treasons which in any other great Man would have been punished with no less than Death Yet as she pleaded he grew calmer and suffered it without Interruption till she waited for his Reply and obliged him by her Silence to speak He numbers up the Obligations he had heaped on her Husband how he had by putting all Places of great Command and Interest into his Hands made him the greatest Prince and Favourite of a Subject in the World and infinitely happier
Quality could purchace one so rich for I lov'd the Young Woman who had Beauty and Discretion enough to charm tho' the Parisians of the Royal Party call'd her Nicky Nacky which was given her in derision to me not to her for whom every body for her own sake had a considerable Esteem Besides my Lord I had taken up Money out of the Orphans and Widows Bank from the Chamber of Paris and could very well afford to be Lavish when I spent upon the publick Stock While I was thus ordering all things my Vallet came running out of Breath to tell me that being at the Loovre he saw several persons carried to the Secretaries Office with Messengers and that inquiring who they might be he found they were two Parisians who had offered themselves to the Messengers to be carryed to be Examined about a Plot the Prince Cesario and those of the Reformed Religion had to surprize his Majesty kill Monsieur his Brother and set all Paris in a Flame And as to what particularly related to my self he said That I was named as the person design'd to seize upon the King's Guards and dispatch Monsieur This my own Conscience told me was too true for me to make any doubt but I was discovered I therefore left a Servant in the House and in an Hackney-Coach took my Flight I drove a little out of Paris till Night and then returned again as the surest part of the World where I could conceal my self I was not long in studying who I should trust with my Life and safety but went directly to the Palace of Madam the Countess of who you know my Lord was a Widow and a Woman who had for a year past a most violent Passion for me but she being a Lady who had made many such Gallantries and past her Youth I had had only a very great Respect and Acknowledgment for her and her Quality and being obliged to her for the Effects of her Tenderness shown upon several Occasions I could not but acquit my self like a Cavalier to her whenever I could possible and which tho' I have a thousand times feigned great Business to prevent yet I could not always be ungrateful and when I paid her my Services 't was ever extreamly well received and because of her Quality and seting up for a second Marriage she always took care to make my Approaches to her in as conceal'd a manner as possible and only her Porter one Page and one Woman knew this secret Amour and for the better carrying it on I ever went in a Hackney-Coach least my Livery should be seen at her Gate And as it was my Custom at other times so I now sent the Porter whom by my Bounty and his Ladies was intirely my own Creature for the Page to come to me who immediately did and I desired him to let his Lady know I waited her Commands That was the Word He immediately brought me Answer that by good Fortune his Lady was all alone and infinitely wishing she knew where to send him for me and I immediately at that good News ran up to her Chamber where I was no sooner come but desiring me to sit she ordered her Porter to be call'd and gave him Orders upon pain of Life not to tell of my being in the House whatever Enquiry should be made after me and having given the same Command to her Page she dismiss'd 'em and came to me with all the Fear and Trembling imaginable Ah Monsieur cry'd she falling on my Neck we are undone I not imagining she had heard the News already cry'd Why is my Passion discovered Ah reply'd she in Tears I would to Heaven it were no worse would all the Earth had discovered that which I should esteem my Glory But 't is my charming Monsieur continued she Your Treasons and not Amour whose discovery will be so fatal to me At this I seemed amaz'd and beg'd her to let me understand her She told me what I have said before and moreover That the Council had that very Evening issued out Warrants for me and she admired how I escaped After a little Discourse of this kind I asked her what she would advise me to do for I was very well assured the violent hate the King had particularly for me would make him never consent I should live on any terms And therefore 't was determined I should not surrender my self and she resolved to run the risk of concealing me which in fine she did Three Days furnishing me with Money and Necessaries for my Flight In this time a Proclamation came forth and offered five hundred Crowns for my Head or to Seize me alive or dead This Sum so wrought with the slavish Minds of Men that no Art was left unessay'd to take me They searcht all Houses all Hackney-Coaches that pass'd by Night and did all that Avarice could inspire to take me but all in vain At last this glorious Sum so dazled the Mind of Madam the Countess's Porter that he went to a Captain of the Musquetiers and assured him if the King would give him the aforesaid Sum he would betray me and bring him the following Night to surprize me without any Resistance The Captain who thought if the Porter should have all the Sum he should get none and every one hoping to be the happy Man that should take me and win the Prize could not indure another should have the Glory of both and so never told the King of the Offer the Porter had made But however Secret one may imagine an Amour to be kept yet in so busie a place as Paris and the Apartments of the Court Coquets this of ours had been discoursed and the Intrigue more than suspected Whether this or the Captain before nam'd imagined to find me at the House of the Countess because her Porter had made such an Offer I say however it was the next Morning upon a Sunday the Guards broke into several Chambers and missing me had the Insolence to come to the Door of that of the Countess and she had only time to slip on her Night-Gown and running to the Door besought them to have Respect to her Sex and Quality while I started from my Bed which was the same from whence the Countess rose and not knowing where to hide or what to do concealing my Clothes between the Sheets I mounted from the Table to a great silver Sconce that was faâ—tened to the Wall by the Bed-side and form thence made but one Spring up to the Tester of the Bed which being one of those raised with strong wood-work and Japan I could easily do or rather it was by Miracle I did it and laid myself along on the top while my Back touched the Cieling of the Chamber by this time when no Intreaties could prevail they had burst open the Chamber Door and running directly to the Bed they could not believe their Eyes They saw no Person there but the plain print of two with the