profess but I am sure 't is not good to tempt it I think I am sure and I think my Lycidas just But oh to what purpose is all this fooling You have often wisely considered it but I never stay'd to think till 't was too late and whatever Resolutions I make in the absence of my lovely Friend one single sight turns me all Woman and all his Take notice then my Lycidas I will henceforth never be wise more never make any Vows against my Inclinations or the little wing'd Deity I do not only see 't is all in vain but I really believe they serve only to augment my Passion I own I have neither the Coldness of Lycidas nor the Prudence I cannot either not Love or have a Thousand Arts of hiding it I have no Body to fear and therefore may have some Body to Love But if you are destin'd to be he the Lord have mercy on me for I am sure you 'll have none I expect a Reprimand for this plain Confession but I must justifie it and I will because I cannot help it I was born to Ill Luck and this Loss of my Heart is possibly not the least part on 't Do not let me see you disapprove it I may one Day grow asham'd on 't and reclaim but never whilst you blow the Flame tho' perhaps against your Will I expect now a very wise Answer and I believe with abundance of Discretion you will caution me to avoid this Danger that threatens Do so if you have a mind to make me launch farther into the main Sea of Love Rather deal with me as with a right Woman make me believe my self infinitely belov'd I may chance from the natural Inconstancy of my Sex to be as false as you wou'd wish and leave you in quiet For as I am satisfi'd I love in vain and without return I 'm satisfi'd that nothing but the thing that hates me cou'd treat me as Lycidas do's and 't is only the vanity of being belov'd by me can make you countenance a softness so displeasing to you How cou'd any thing but the Man that hates me entertain me so unkindly witness your excellent Opinion of me of loving others witness your passing by the end of the Street where I live and squandring away your time at any Coffee-House rather than allow me what you know in your Soul is the greatest Blessing of my Life your dear dull melancholy Company I call it dull because you can never be gay or merry where Astrea is How cou'd this Indifference possess you when your malicious Soul knew I was languishing for you I dy'd I fainted and pin'd for an Hour of what you lavish'd out regardless of me and without so much as thinking on me What can you say that Judgment may not pass that you may not be condemn'd for the worst-natur'd incorrigible Thing in the World Yield and at least say My honest Friend Astrea I neither do love thee nor can nor ever will at least let me say you were generous and told me plain blunt Truth I know it nay worse you impudently but truly told me your Business wou'd permit you to come every Night but your Inclinations wou'd not At least this was honest but very unkind and not over civil Do not you my Amiable Lycidas know I wou'd purchase your sight at any Rate Why this Neglect then Why keeping distance But as much as to say Astrea truly you will make me love you you will make me fond of you you will please and delight me with your Conversation and I am a Fellow that do not desire to be pleas'd therefore be not so civil to me for I do not desire civil Company nor Company that diverts me A pretty Speech this and yet if I do obey desist being civil and behave my self very rudely as I have done you say these two or three Days then Oh Astrea where is your Profession where your Love so boasted your Good-nature c. Why truly my dear Lycidas where it was and ever will be so long as you have invincible Charms and shew your Eyes and look so dearly tho' you may by your prudent Counsel and your wise Conduct of Absence and marching by my Door without calling in oblige me to stay my Hand and hold my Tongue I can conceal my Kindness tho' not dissemble one I can make you think I am wise if I list but when I tell you I have Friendship Love and Esteem for you you may pawn your Soul upon 't Believe 't is true and satisfie your self you have my dear Lycidas in your Astrea all she professes I shou'd be glad to see you as soon as possible you say Thursday you can I beg you will and shall with Impatience expect you betimes Fail me not as you wou'd have me think you have any Value for Astrea I beg you will not fail to let me hear from you to Day being Wednesday and see you at Night if you can Here I must draw to an End for tho' considerable Trusts were repos'd in her yet they were of that Import that I must not presume here to insert 'em But shall conclude with her Death occasion'd by an unskilful Physician about March or April 1686. and was buried in the Cloysters of Westminster-Abby cover'd only with a plain Marble-stone with two wretched Verses on it made as I 'm inform'd by a very ingenious Gentleman tho' no Poet the very Person whom the Envious of our Sex and the Malicious of the other wou'd needs have the Author of most of hers which to my Knowledge were her own Product without the Assistance of any thing but Nature which shews it self indeed without the Embarrassments of Art in e'ry thing she has writ She was of a generous and open Temper something passionate very serviceable to her Friends in all that was in her Power and cou'd sooner forgive an Injury than do one She had Wit Honour Good-humour and Judgment She was Mistress of all the pleasing Arts of Conversation but us'd 'em not to any but those who lov'd Plain-dealing She was a Woman of Sense and by Consequence a Lover of Pleasure as indeed all both Men and Women are but only some wou'd be thought to be above the Conditions of Humanity and place their chief Pleasure in a proud vain Hypocrisie For my part I knew her intimately and never saw ought unbecoming the just Modesty of our Sex tho' more gay and free than the Folly of the precise will allow She was I 'm satisfy'd a greater Honour to our Sex than all the canting Tribe of Dissemblers that die with the false Reputation of Saints This I may venture to say because I 'm unknown and the revengeful Censures of my Sex will not reach me since they will never be able to draw the Veil and discover the Speaker of these bold Truths If I have done my dead Friend any manner of Justice I am satisfy'd having obtain'd my End If not
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
and who have so good an Opinion of their Talent that way they will let no body edge in a Word or a Reply but will make all the Conversation themselves that they may pass for very Entertaining Persons and pure Company But the Verses The Reformation Philander since you 'll have it so I grant I was impertinent And till this Moment did not know Through all my Life what 't was I meant Your kind Opinion was the flattering Glass In which my Mind found how deform'd it was In your clear Sense which knows no Art I saw the Errors of my Soul And all the Foibless of my Heart With one Reflection you controul Kind as a God and gently you chastise By what you hate you teach me to be wise Impertinence my Sex's Shame That has so long my Life pursu'd You with such Modesty reclaim As all the Women has subdu'd To so Divine a Power what must I owe That renders me so like the perfect You That Conversable thing I hate Already with a just Disdain That prides himself upon his Prate And is of Words that Nonsence vain When in you few appears such Excellence As have reproach'd and charm'd me into Sense For ever may I list'ning sit Tho' but each Hour a Word be born I would attend the coming Wit And bless what can so well inform Let the dull World henceforth to Words be dam'd I 'm into nobler Sense than Talking sham'd I believe you are so good a Lover as to be of my Opinion and that you will neither force yourself against Nature nor find much occasion to lavish out those excellent things that must proceed from you whenever you speak If all Women were like me I should have more reason to fear your Silence than your Talk for you have a thousand waies to charm without speaking and those which to me shew a great deal more Concern But Damon you know the greatest part of my Sex judge the fine Gentleman by the Volubility of his Tongue by his Dexterity in Repartee and cry Oh! he never wants fine things to say He 's eternally talking the most surprizing things But Damon you are well assur'd I hope that Iris is none of these Coquets at least if she had any spark of it once in her Nature she is by the Excellency of your contrary Temper taught to know and scorn the Folly And take heed your Conduct never give me cause to suspect you have deceiv'd me in your Temper Twelve a Clock Complaisance NEvertheless Damon Civility requires a little Complaisance after Supper and I am assur'd you can never want that though I confess you are not accus'd of too general a Complaisance and do not often make use of it to those Persons you have an Indifference for though one is not the less esteemable for having more of this than one ought and though an excess of it be a Fault 't is a very excusable one Have therefore some for those with whom you are You may laugh with 'em drink with 'em dance or sing with 'em yet think of me You may discourse of a thousand indifferent things with 'em and at the same time still think of me If the Subject be any beautiful Lady whom they praise either for her Person Wit or Virtue you may apply it to me And if you dare not say it aloud at least let your Heart answer in this Language Yes the fair Object whom you praise Can give us Love a thousand ways Her Wit and Beauty charming are But still my Iris is more fair No Body ever spoke before me of a faithful Lover but I still sigh'd and thought of Damon And ever when they tell me Tales of Love any soft pleasing Intercourses of an Amour Oh! with what Pleasure do I listen and with Pleasure answer 'em either with my Eyes or Tongue That Lover may his Silvia warm But cannot like my Damon charm If I have not all those excellent Qualities you meet with in those beautiful People I am however very glad that Love prepossesses your Heart to my Advantage And I need not tell you Damon that a true Lover ought to perswade himself that all other Objects ought to give place to her for whom his Heart sighs But see my Cupid tells you 't is One a Clock and that you ought not to be longer from your Apartment where while you are undressing I will give you leave to say to yourself The Regret Alas and must the Sun decline Before it have inform'd my Eyes Of all that 's glorious all that 's fine Of all I sigh for all I prize How joyful were those happy Days When Iris spread her charming Rays Did my unwearied Heart inspire With never-ceasing awful Fire And e'ery Minute gave me new Desire But now alas all dead and pale Like Flow'rs that wither in the Shade Where no kind Sun-beams can prevail To raise its cold and fading Head I sink into my useless Bed I grasp the senceless Pillow as I lie A thousand times in vain I sighing cry Ah! wou'd to Heaven my Iris were as nigh One a Clock Impossibility to Sleep YOU have been up long enough and Cupid who takes care of your Health tells you 't is time for you to go to Bed Perhaps you may not sleep as soon as you are laid and possibly you may pass an Hour in Bed before you shut your Eyes In this impossibility of sleeping I think it very proper for you to imagine what I am doing where I am Let your Fancy take a little Journey then invisible to observe my Actions and my Conduct You will find me sitting alone in my Cabinet for I am one that do not love to go to Bed early and will find me very uneasie and pensive pleas'd with none of those things that so well entertain others I shun all Conversation as far as Civility will allow and find no Satisfaction like being alone where my Soul may without interruption converse with Damon I sigh and sometimes you will see my Cheeks wet with Tears that insensibly glide down at a thousand Thoughts that present themselves soft and afflicting I partake of all your Inquietude On other things I think with Indifference if ever my Thoughts do stray from the more agreeable Object I find however a little Sweetness in his Thought that during my Absence your Heart thinks of me when mine sighs for you Perhaps I am mistaken and that at the same time that you are the Entertainment of all my Thoughts I am no more in yours and perhaps you are thinking of those things that immortalize the Young and Brave either by those Glories the Muses flatter you with or that of Bellona and the God of War and serving now a Monarch whose glorious Acts in Arms has out-gone all the feign'd and real Heroes of any Age who has himself out-done whatever History can produce of Great and Brave and set so illustrious an Example to the Under-World that it is not impossible as much
the Ruine of the Colony Oroonoko was first seiz'd on and sold to our Over-seer who had the first Lot with seventeen more of all sorts and sizes but not one of Quality with him When he saw this he found what they meant for as I said he understood English pretty well and being wholly unarm'd and defenceless so as it was in vain to make any Resistance he only beheld the Captain with a Look all fierce and disdainful upbraiding him with Eyes that forc'd Blushes on his guilty Cheeks he only cry'd in passing over the side of the Ship Farewell Sir 'T is worth my Suffering to gain so true a Knowledge both of you and of your Gods by whom you swear And desiring those that held him to forbear their pains and telling 'em he wou'd make no Resistance he cry'd Come my Fellow-Slaves let us descend and see if we can meet with more Honour and Honesty in the next World we shall touch upon So he nimbly leapt into the Boat and shewing no more Concern suffer'd himself to be row'd up the River with his Seventeen Companions The Gentleman that bought him was a young Conish Gentleman whose Name was Trefry a Man of great Wit and fine Learning and was carry'd into those Parts by the Lord Governor to manage all his Affairs He reflecting on the last World of Oroonoko to the Captain and beholding the Richness of his Vest no sooner came into the Boat but he fix'd his Eyes on him and finding something so extraordinary in his Face his Shape and Mien a Greatness of Look and Haughtiness in his Air and finding he spoke English had a great Mind to be enquiring into his Quality and Fortune which though Oroonoko endeavour'd to hide by only confessing he was above the Rank of common Slaves Trefry soon found he was yet something greater than he confess'd and from that Moment began to conceive so vast an Esteem for him that he ever after lov'd him as his dearest Brother and shew'd him all the Civilities due to so great a Man Trefry was a very good Mathematician and a Linguist couâ—d speak French and Spanish and in the three Days they remain'd in the Boat for so long were they going from the Ship to the Plantation he entertain'd Oroonoko so agreeably with his Art and Discourse that he was no less pleas'd with Trefry than he was with the Prince and he thought himself at least fortunate in this that since he was a Slave as long as he won'd suffer himself to remain so he had a Man of so excellent Wit and Parts for a Master So that before they had finish'd their Voyage up the River he made no scruple of declaring to Trefry all his Fortunes and most part of what I have here related and put himself wholly into the Hands of his new Friend whom he found resenting all the Injuries were done him and was charm'd with all the Greatnesses of his Actions which were recited with that Modesty and delicate Sence as wholly vanquish'd him and subdu'd him to his Interest And he promis'd him on his Word and Honour he wou'd find the Means to re-conduct him to his own Country again assuring him he had a perfect Abhorrence of so dishonourable an Action and that he wou'd sooner have dy'd than have been the Author of such a Perfidy He found the Prince was very much concern'd to know what became of his Friends and how they took their Slavery and Trefry promis'd to take care about the enquiring after their Condition and that he shou'd have an Account of ' em Though as Oroonoko afterwards said he had little Reason to credit the Words of a Backearary yet he knew not why but he saw a king of Sincerity and awful Truth in the Face of Trefry he saw an Honesty in his Eyes and he found him wise and witty enough to understand Honour for it was one of his Maxims A Man of Wit cou'd not be a Knave or Villain In their passage up the River they put in at several Houses for Refreshment and ever when they landed numbers of People wou'd flock to behold this Man not but their Eyes were daily entertain'd with the sight of Slaves but the Fame of Oroonoko was gone before him and all People were in admiration of his Beauty Besides he had a rich Habit on in which he was taken so different from the rest and which the Captain cou'd not strip him of because he was forc'd to surprize his Person in the minute he sold him When he found his Habit made him liable as he thought to be gaz'd at the more he begg'd Trefry to give him something more befitting a Slave which he did and took off his Robes Nevertheless he shone through all and his Osenbrigs a sort of brown Holland Suit he had on cou'd not conceal the Graces of his Looks and Mien and he had no less Admirers than when he had his dazling Habit on the Royal Youth appear'd in spite of the Slave and People cou'd not help treating him after a different manner without designing it As soon as they approach'd him they venerated and esteem'd him his Eyes insensibly commanded Respect and his Behaviour insinuated it into every Soul So that there was nothing talk'd of but this young and gallant Slave even by those who yet knew not that he was a Prince I ought to tell you that the Christians never but any Slaves but they give 'em some Name of their own their native ones being likely very barbarous and hard to pronounce so that Mr. Trefry gave Oroonoko that of Caesar which Name will live in that Countrey as long as that scarce more glorious one of the great Roman for 't is most evident he wanted no part of the Personal Courage of that Caesar and acted things as memorable had they been done in some part of the World replenish'd with People and Historians that might have given him his due But his Misfortune was to fall in an obscure World that afforded only a Female Pen to celebrate his Fame though I doubt not but it had liv'd from others Endeavours if the Dutch who immediately after his time took that Countrey had not kill'd banish'd and dispers'd all those that were capable of giving the World this great Man's Life much better than I have done And Mr. Trefry who design'd it dy'd before he began it and bemoan'd himself for not having undertook it in time For the future therefore I must call Oroonoko Caesar Since by that Name only he was known in our Western World and by that Name he was receiv'd on Shore at Parham-House where he was destin'd a Slave But if the King himself God bless him had come a-shore there cou'd not have been greater Expectations by all the whole Plantation and those neighbouring ones than was on ours at that time and he was receiv'd more like a Governor than a Slave Notwithstanding as the Custom was they assign'd him his portion of Land his House
or of his Love to Imoinda to imagine we cou'd flatter him to Life again but the Chirurgeon assur'd him he cou'd not live and therefore he need not fear We were all but Caesar afflicted at this News and the Sight was gastly His Discourse was sad and the earthly Smell about him so strong that I was persuaded to leave the place for some time being my self but sickly and very apt to fall into Fits of dangerous Illness upon any extraordinary Melancholy The Servants and Trefry and the Chirurgeons promis'd all to take what possible care they cou'd of the Life of Caesar and I taking Boat went with other Company to Colonel Martin's about three Days Journey down the River but I was no sooner gone but the Governor taking Trefry about some pretended earnest Business a Day 's Journey up the River having communicated his Design to one Banister a Wild Irish Man and one of the Council a Fellow of absolute Barbarity and fit to execute any Villany but was Rich He came up to Parham and forcibly took Caesar and had him carried to the same Post where he was whip'd and causing him to be ty'd to it and a great Fire made before him he told him he shou'd die like a Dog as he was Caesar replied this was the first piece of Bravery that ever Banister did and he never spoke Sence till he pronounc'd that Word and if he wou'd keep it he wou'd declare in the other World that he was the only Man of all the Whites that ever he heard speak Truth And turning to the Men that bound him he said My Friends am I to Die or to be Whipt And they cry'd Whipt No you shall not escape so well And then he reply'd smiling A Blessing on thee and assur'd them they need not tie him for he wou'd stand fix'd like a Rock and endure Death so as shou'd encourage them to Die But if you Whip me said he be sure you tie me fast He had learn'd to take Tobacco and when he was assur'd he shou'd Die he desir'd they wou'd give him a Pipe in his Mouth ready lighted which they did and the Executioner came and first out off his Members and threw them into the Fire after that with an ill-favour'd Knife they cut off his Ears and his Nose and burn'd them he still Smoak'd on as if nothing had touch'd him then they hack'd off one of his Arms and still he bore up and held his Pipe but at the cutting off the other Arm his Head sunk and his Pipe dropt and he gave up the Ghost without a Groan or a Reproach My Mother and Sister were by him all the while but not suffer'd to save him so rude and wild were the Rabble and so inhumane were the Justices who stood by to see the Execution who after paid dearly enough for their Insolence They cut Caesar in Quarters and sent them to several of the chief Plantations One Quarter was sent to Colonel Martin who refus'd it and swore he had rather see the Quarters of Banister and the Governor himself than those of Caesar on his Plantations and that he cou'd govern his Negroes without Terrifying and Grieving them with frightful Spectacles of a mangl'd King Thus Died this Great Man worthy of a better Fate and a more sublime Wit than mine to write his Praise yet I hope the Reputation of my Pen is considerable enough to make his Glorious Name to survive to all Ages with that of the Brave the Beautiful and the Constant Imoinda FINIS THE Fair Jilt OR THE AMOURS OF Prince TARQUIN AND MIRANDA Written by Mrs A. BEHN LONDON Printed by W. Onley for S. Briscoe 1697. The Fair JILT OR THE AMOURS OF Prince Tarquin and Miranda AS Love is the most Noble and Divine Passion of the Soul so it is that to which we may justly attribute all the real Satisfactions of Life and without it Man is unfinish'd and unhappy There are a thousand things to be said of the Advantages this generous Passion brings to those whose Hearts are capable of receiving its soft Impressions for 't is not every one that can be sensible of its tender Touches How many Examples from History and Observation cou'd I give of its wondrous Power nay even to a degree of Transmigration How many Ideots has it made wise How many Fools eloquent How many Home-bred ' Squires accomplish'd How many Câ—wards brave And there is no sort or species of Mankind on whom it cannot work some Change and Miracle if it be a noble well-grounded Passion except on the Fop in Fashion the harden'd incorrigible Fop so often wounded but never reclaim'd For still by a dire Mistake conducted by vast Opinionatreism and a greater Portion of Self-love than the rest of the Race of Man he believes that Affectation in his Mien and Dress that Mathematical-movement that Formality in every Action that Face manag'd with Care and soften'd into Ridicule the languishing Turn the Toss and the Back-shake of the Perriwig is the direct Way to the Heart of the fine Person he Adores and instead of curing Love in his Soul serves only to advance his Folly and the more he is enamour'd the more industriously he assumes every Hour the Coxcomb These are Love's Play-things a sort of Animals with whom he sports and whom he never wounds but when he is in good humour and always shoots laughing 'T is the Diversion of the Little God to see what a fluttering and bustle one of these Sparks new-wounded makes to what fantastick Fooleries he has recourse The Glass is every moment call'd to counsel the Valet consulted and plagu'd for new Invention of Dress the Foot-man and Scrutore perpetually employ'd Billet-doux and Madrigals take up all his Mornings till Play-time in Dressing till Night in Gazing still like a Sun-flower turn'd towards the Beams of the fair Eyes of his Caelia adjusting himself in the most Amarous Posture he can assume his Hat under his Arm while the other Hand is put carelesly into his Bosom as if laid upon his panting Heart his Head a little bent to one side supported with a world of Crevat-string which he takes mighty care not to put into disorder as one may guess by a never-failing and horrid Stiffness in his Neck and if he have an occasion to look aside his whole Body turns at the same time for fear the Motion of the Head alone should incommode the Crevat or Perriwig And sometimes the Glove is well manag'd and the white Hand display'd Thus with a thousand other little Motions and Formalities all in the common Place or Road of Foppery he takes infinite pains to shew himself to the Pit and Boxes a most accomplish'd Ass This is he of all Humane Kind on whom Love can do no Miracle and who can no where and upon no occasion quit one Grain of his refin'd Foppery unless in a Duel or a Battle if ever his Stars shou'd be so severe and ill-manner'd to reduce
when a Lover ceases to be blest With the dear Object he desires Ah! How indifferent are the rest How soon their Conversation tires Though they a thousand Arts to please invent Their Charms are dull their Wit impertinent Ten a Clock Reading of Letters MY Cupid points you now to the Hour in which you ought to retire into your Cabinet having already past an Hour in Dressing and for a Lover who is sure not to appear before his Mistress even that Hour is too much to be so employ'd But I will think you thought of nothing less than Dressing while you were about it Lose then no more Minutes but open your Scrutore and read over some of those Billets you have receiv'd from me Oh! what Pleasures a Lover feels about his Heart in reading those from a Mistress he entirely loves The Joy Who but a Lover can express The Joys the Pants the Tenderness That the soft Amorous Soul invades While the dear Billet-doux he reads Raptures Divine the Heart o're-flow Which he that Loves not cannot know A thousand Tremblings thousand Fears The short-breath'd Sighs the joyful Tears The Transport where the Love 's confest The Change where Coldness is exprest The diff'ring Flames the Lover burns As those are shy or kind by Turns However you find 'em Damon construe 'em all to my Advantage Possibly some of 'em have an Air of Coldness something different from that Softness they are usually too amply fill'd with but where you find they have believe there that Sence of Honour and my Sexes Modesty guided my Hand a little against the Inclinations of my Heart and that it was a kind of an Atonement I believed I ought to make for something I feared I had said too kind and too obliging before But where-ever you find that stop that Check in my Career of Love you will be sure to find something that follows it to favour you and deny that unwilling Imposition upon my Heart which lest you should mistake Love shews himself in Smiles again and flatters more agreeably disdaining the Tyranny of Honour and Rigid Custom that Imposition on our Sex and will in spight of me let you see he Reigns absolutely in my Soul The reading my Billet-doux may detain you an Hour I have had Goodness enough to write you enough to entertain you so long at least and sometimes reproach my self for it but contrary to all my Scruples I find my self dispos'd to give you those frequent Marks of my Tenderness If yours be so great as you express it you ought to kiss my Letters a Thousand times you ought to read them with Attention and weigh every Word and value every Line A Lover may receive a Thousand indearing Words from a Mistress more easily than a Billet One says a great many kind Things of course to a Lover which one is not willing to write or to give testify'd under one's Hand Sign'd and Seal'd But when once a Lover has brought his Mistress to that degree of Love he ought to assure himself she loves not at the common Rate Love's Witness Slight unpremediated Words are born By every common Wind into the Air Carelesly utter'd die as soon as born And in one instant give both Hope and Fear Breathing all Contraries with the same Wind According to the Caprice of the Mind But Billets-doux are constant Witnesses Substantial Records to Eternity Just Evidence who the Truth confess On which the Lover safely may rely They 're serious Thoughts digested and resolv'd And last when Words are into Clouds devolv'd I will not doubt but you give Credit to all that is Kind in my Letters and I will believe you find a Satisfaction in the Entertainment they give you and that the Hour of Reading 'em is not disagreeable to you I cou'd wish your Pleasure might be extream even to the Degree of suffering the Thought of my Absence not to diminish any part of it And I cou'd wish too at the End of your Reading you wou'd sigh with Pleasure and say to your self The Transport O Iris While you thus can charm While at this Distance you can wound and warm My absent Torments I will bless and bare That give me such dear Proofs how kind you are Present the valu'd Store was only seen Now I am rifling the bright Mass within Every dear past and happy Day When Languishing at Iris Feet I lay When all my Prayers and all my Tears cou'd move No more then her Permission I should love Vain with my Glorious Destiny I thought beyond scarce any Heaven cou'd be But Charming Maid now I am taught That Absence has a thousand Joys to give On which the Lovers present never thought That recompence the Hours we grieve Rather by Absence let me be undone Than forfeit all the Pleasures that has won With this little Rapture I wish you wou'd finish the Reading my Letters shut your Scrutore and quit your Cabinet for my Love leads to Eleven a Clock Eleven a Clock The Hour to Write in IF my Watch did not inform you 't is now time to Write I believe Damon your Heart wou'd and tell you also that I should take it kindly if you would employ a whole Hour that way and that you should never lose an Occasion of writing to me since you are assured of the Welcome I give your Letters Perhaps you will say an Hour is too much and that 't is not the Mode to write long Letters I grant you Damon when we write those indifferent ones of Gallantry in course or necessary Compliment the handsom comprizing of which in the fewest words renders 'em the most agreeable But in Love we have a Thousand foolish things to say that of themselves bear no great Sound but have a mighty Sence in Love for there is a peculiar Eloquence natural alone to a Lover and to be understood by no other Creature To those Words have a thousand Graces and Sweetnesses which to the Unconcerned appears Meanness and Easie Sense at the best But Damon you and I are none of those ill Judges of the Beauties of Love we can penetrate beyond the Vulgar and perceive the fine Soul in every Line through all the humble Dress of Phrase when possibly they who think they discern it best in florid Language do not see it at all Love was not born or bred in Courts but Cottages and nurs'd in Groves and Shades smiles on the Plains and wantons in the Streams all unador'd and harmlâ—â—â— Therefore Damon do not consult your Wit in this Affair but Love alone and speak all that he and Nature taught you and let the fine Things you learn in Schools alone Make use of those Flowers you have gather'd there when you converse with States-men and the Gown Let Iris possess your Heart in all its simple Innocence that 's the best Eloquence to her that loves and this is my Instruction to a Lover that would succeed in his Amours for I have a Heart very difficult
to please and this is the nearest Way to it Advice to Lovers Lovers if you would gain a Heart Of Damon learn to win the Prize He 'll shew you all its tend'rest Part And where its greatest Danger lies The Magazine of its Disdain Where Honour feebly guarded does remain If present do but little say Enough the silent Lover speaks But wait and sigh and gaze all Day Such Rhet'rick more than Languages takes For Words the dullest way do move And utter'd more to shew your Wit than Love Let your Eyes tell her of your Heart Its Story is for Words too delicate Souls thus exchange and thus impart And all their Secrets can relate A Tear a broken Sigh she 'll understand Or the soft trembling Pressings of the Hand Or if your Pain must be in Words exprest Let 'em fall gently unassur'd and slow And where they fail your Looks may tell the rest Thus Damon spoke and I was conquer'd so The witty Talker has mistook his Art The modest Lover only charms the Heart Thus while all Day you gazing sit And fear to speak and fear your Fate You more Advantages by Silence get Than the gay forward Youth with all his Prate Let him be silent here but when away Whatever Love can dictate let him say There let the bashful Soul unvail And give a Loose to Love and Truth Let him improve the amorous Tale With all the Force of Words and Fire of Youth There all and any thing let him express Too long he cannot write too much confess O Damon How well have you made me understand this soft Pleasure You know my Tenderness too well not to be sensible how I am charmed with your agreeable long Letters The Invention Ah! he who first found out the Way Souls to each other to convey Without dull Speaking sure must be Something above Humanity Let the fond World in vain dispute And the first Sacred Mystery impute Of Letters to the Learned Brood And of the Glory cheat a God 'T was Love alone that first the Art essay'd And Psyche was the first fair yielding Maid That was by the dear Billet-doux betray'd It is an Art too ingenious to have been found out by Man and too necessary to Lovers not to have been invented by the God of Love himself But Damon I do not pretend to exact from you those Letters of Gallantry which I have told you are filled with nothing but fine Thoughts and writ with all the Arts of Wit and Subtilty I would have yours still all tender unaffected Love Words unchosen Thoughts unstudied and Love unfeigned I had rather find more Softness than Wit in your Passion more of Nature than of Art more of the Lover than the Poet. Nor would I have you write any of those little short Letters that are read over in a minute in Love long Letters bring a long Pleasure Do not trouble yourself to make 'em fine or write a great deal of Wit and Sence in a few Lines that is the Notion of a witty Billet in any Affair but that of Love And have a Care rather to avoid these Graces to a Mistress and assure yourself dear Damon that what pleases the Soul pleases the Eye and the Largeness or Bulk of your Letter shall never offend me and that I only am displeased when I find them small A Letter is ever the best and most powerful Agent to a Mistress it almost always perswades 't is always renewing little Impressions that possibly otherwise Absence would deface Make use then Damon of your Time while it is given you and thank me that I permit you to write to me Perhaps I shall not always continue in the Humor of suffering you to do so and it may so happen by some Turn of Chance and Fortune that you may be deprived at the same time both of my Presence and of the Means of sending to me I will believe that such an Accident would be a great Misfortune to you for I have often hearâ— you say that To make the most happy 〈◊〉 ver suffer Martyrdom one need only for 〈◊〉 him Seeing Speaking and Writing to 〈◊〉 Object he loves Take all the Advantaâ—â— then you can you cannot give me too often Marks too powerful of your Passion Writâ— therefore during this Hour every Day 〈◊〉 give you leave to believe that while you do so you are Serving me the most Obligingly and Agreeably you can while absent and that you are giving me a Remedy against all Grief Uneasiness Melancholy and Despair Nay if you exceed your Hour you need not be asham'd The Time you employ in this kind Devoir id the Time that I shall be grateful for and no doubt will recompense it You ought not however to neglect Heaven for me I will give you time for your Devotion for my Watch tells you 't is time to go to the Temple Twelve a Clock Indispensible Duty THere are certain Duties which one ought never to neglect That of Adoring the Gods is of this nature and which we ought to pay from the bottom of our Hearts And that Damon is the only time I will dispense with your not thinking on me But I would not have you go to one of those Temples where the celebrated Beauties and those that make a Profession of Gallantry go and which come thither only to see and be seen and whither they repair more to shew their Beauty and Dress than to honour the Gods If you will take my Advice and oblige my Wish you shall go to those that are least frequented and you shall appear there like a Man that has a perfect Veneration for all things Sacred The Instruction Damon if your Heart and Flame You wish should always be the same Do not give it leave to rove Nor expose it to new Harms E're you think on 't you may love If you gaze on Beauty's Charms If with me you wou'd not part Turn your Eyes into your Heart If you find a new Desire In your easie Soul take Fire From the tempting Ruine fly Think it faithless think it base Fancy soon will fade and die If you wisely cease to gaze Lovers should have Honour too Or they pay but half Love's due Do not to the Temple go With design to gaze or show What e're Thoughts you have abroad Though you can deceive elsewhere There 's no feigning with your God Souls should be all perfect there The Heart that 's to the Altar brought Only Heaven should fill its Thought Do not your sober Thoughts perplex By gazing on the Ogling Sex Or if Beauty call your Eyes Do not on the Object dwell Guard your Heart from the Surprize By thinking Iris doth excel Above all earthly Things I 'd be Damon most belov'd by thee And only Heaven must Rival me One a Clock Forc'd Entertainment I Perceive it will be very difficult for you to quit the Temple without being surrounded with Complements from People of Ceremony Friends and News-mongers and several
he came up in his Night-Gown with a Pistol in his Hand Atlante was not so much lost in Grief though she were all in Tears but she heard a Man come up and imagined it had been her Father she not knowing of Count Vernole's lying in the House that Night if she had she possibly had taken more care to have been silent But whoever it was she could not get to Bed soon enough and therefore turn'd herself to her Dressing-table where Candle stood and where lay a Book open of the Story of Ariadne and Thesias The Count turning the Latch entred halting into her Chamber in his Night-Gown clapped close about him which betrayed an ill-favoured Shape his Night-Cap on without a Perriwig which discovered all his lean withered Jaws his pale Face and his Eyes staring and making altogether so dreadful a Figure that Atlante who no more dreamt of him than of a Devil had possibly have rather seen the last She gave a great Shriek which frighted Vernole so both stood for a while staring on each other till both were recollected He told her the Care of her Honour had brought him thither and then rolling his small Eyes round the Chamber to see if he could discover any Body he proceed and cried Madam if I had no other Motive than your being up at this time of Night or rather of Day I could easily guess how you have been entertained What Insolence is this said she all in a Rage when to cover your Boldness of approaching my Chamber at this Hour you would question how I have been entertained either explain yourself or quit my Chamber for I do not use to see such terrible Objects here Possibly those you do see said the Count are indeed more agreeable but I am afraid have not that regard to your Honour as I have And at that Word he stepped to the Balcony opened it and looked out but seeing no Body he shut it too again This enraged Atlante beyond all Patience and snatching the Pistol out of his Hand she told him He deserved to have it aimed at his Head for having the Impudence to question her Honour or her Conduct and commâ—nded him to avoid her Chamber as he loved his Life which she believed he was fonder of than of her Honour She speaking this in a Tone wholly transported with Rage and at the same time holding the Pistol towards him made him tremble with Fear and he now found whether she were guilty or not it was his turn to beg pardon For you must know however it came to pass that his Jealousie made him come up in that force Posture at other times Vernole was the most tame and passive Man in the World and one who was afraid of his own Shadow in the Night He had a natural Aversion for Danger and thought it below a Man of Wit or common Sense to be guilty of that brutal Thing called Courage or Fighting His Philosophy told him It was safe sleeping in a whole Skin and possibly he apprehended as much Danger from this Virago as ever he did from his own Sex he therefore fell on his Knees and besought her to hold her fair Hand and not to suffer that which was the greatest Mark of his Respect to be the Cause of her Hate or Indignation The pitiful Faces he made and the Signs of mortal Fear in him had almost made her laugh at least it allayed her Anger and she bid him rise and play the Fool hereafter some-where-else and not in her Presence Yet for once she would deign to give him this Satisfaction that she was got into a Book which had many moving Stories very well writ and that she found herself so well entertained she had forgot how the Night passed He most humbly thanked her for this Satisfaction and retired perhaps not so well satisfied as he pretended After this he appeared more submissive and respectful towards Atlante and she carried herself more reserved and haughty towards him which was one Reason he would not yet discover his Passion Thus the Tâ—me ran on at Orleance while Rinaldâ— found himself daily languishing at Paris He was indeed in the best Academy in the City amongst a 〈◊〉 of brave and noble Youths where all things 〈◊〉 could accomplish them was to be learn'd by the 〈◊〉 had any Genius but Rinaldo had other Thoughts 〈◊〉 other Business his time was wholly past in the 〈◊〉 solitary Parts of the Garden by the melancholy 〈◊〉 and in the most gloomy Shades wherâ— he 〈◊〉 with most Liberty breath out his Passion and his 〈◊〉 He was past the Tutorage of a Boy and his 〈◊〉 could not upbraid him but found he had 〈…〉 Cause of Grief which made him not mind these 〈◊〉 which were the Delight of the rest so 〈◊〉 thing being able to divert his Melancholy which 〈◊〉 increased upon him He fear'd it would bring him into a Fever if he did not give himself the 〈◊〉 of seeing Atlante He had no sooner thoughâ— of this but he was impatient to put it into 〈◊〉 he resolves to go having very good Horses without acquainting any of his Servants with it He got a very handsome and light I adder of Ropes made which he carried under his Coat and away he rid for 〈◊〉 stay'd at a little Village till the Darkness of the 〈◊〉 might favour his Design And then walking about Atlante's Lodgings till he saw a Light in her Chamber and then making that Noise on his Sword as 〈◊〉 greed between them He was heard by his 〈◊〉 Atlante and suffered to mount her Chamber 〈◊〉 he would stay till almost break of Day and then â—â—turn to the Village and take Horse and away for Paris again This once in a Month was his Exercise without which he could not live so that his whole Year was past in riding between Orleance and Paris between excess of Grief and excess of Joy by turns It was now that Atlante arrived to her fifteenth Year shone out with a Lustre of Beauty greater than ever and in this Year of the Absence of Rinaldo had carried herself with that Severity of Life without the youthful Desire of going abroad or desiring any Diversion but what she found in her own retired Thoughts That Vernole wholly unable longer to conceal his Passion resolved to make a Publication of it first to the Father and then to the lovely Daughter of whom he had some hope because she had carried herself very well towards him for this Year past which she would never have done if she had imagined he would ever have been her Lover She had seen no Signs of any such Misfortune towards her in these many Years he had conversed with her and she had to cause to fear him When one Day her Father taking her into the Garden told her what Honour and Happiness was in store for her and that now the Glory of his fallen Family would rise again since she had a Lover of an illustrious Blood