Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A27290
|
The fair jilt, or, The history of Prince Tarquin and Miranda written by Mrs. A. Behn.
|
Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689.
|
1688
(1688)
|
Wing B1729; ESTC R3666
|
39,089
|
136
|
Invention is capable of But when she had above four Months languish'd thus in vain not missing one Day wherein she went not to see him without discovering her self to him she resolv'd as her last Effort to shew her Person and see what that assisted by her Tears and soft Words from her Mouth cou'd do to prevail upon him It happen'd to be on the Eve of that Day when she was to receive the Sacrament that she covering her self with her Veil came to Vespers purposing to make choice of the conquering Friar for her Confessor She approach'd him and as she did so she trembl'd with Love At last she cry'd Father my Confessor is gone for some time from the Town and I am oblig'd to morrow to receive and beg you will be pleas'd to take my Confession He cou'd not refuse her and led her into the Sacriste where there is a Confession-Chair in which he seated himself and on one side of him she kneel'd down over against a little Altar where the Priests Robes lie on which was plac'd some lighted Wax-Candles that made the little place very light and splendid which shone full upon Miranda After the little Preparation usual in Confession she turn'd up her Veil and discover'd to his View the most wond'rous Object of Beauty he had ever seen dress'd in all the Glory of a young Bride her Hair and Stomacher full of Diamonds that gave a Lustre all dazling to her brighter Face and Eyes He was surpriz'd at her amazing Beauty and question'd whether he saw a Woman or an Angel at his Feet Her Hands which were elevated as if in Prayer seem'd to be form'd of polish'd Alabaster and he confess'd he had never seen any thing in Nature so perfect and so admirable He had some pain to compose himself to hear her Confession and was oblig'd to turn away his Eyes that his Mind might not be perplex'd with an Object fo diverting when Miranda opening the finest Mouth in the World and discovering new Charms began her Confession Holy Father said she amongst the number of my vile Offences that which afflicts me to the greatest Degree is that I am in Love Not continu'd she that I believe simple and vertuous Love a Sin when 't is plac'd on an Object proper and suitable but my dear Father said she and wept I love with a Violence which cannot be contain'd within the Bounds of Reason Moderation or Vertue I love a Man whom I cannot possess without a Crime and a Man who cannot make me happy without becoming perjur'd Is he marry'd reply'd the Father No answer'd Miranda Are you so contiu'd he Neither said she Is he too near ally'd to you said Francisco a Brother or Relation Neither of these said she He is unenjoy'd unpromis'd and so am I Nothing opposes our Happiness or makes my Love a Vice but you 'T is you deny me Life 'T is you that forbids my Flame 'T is you will have me die and seek my Remedy in my Grave when I complain of Tortures Wounds and Flames O cruel Charmer 't is for you I languish and here at your Feet implore that Pity which all my Addresses have fail'd of procuring me With that perceiving he was about to rise from his Seat she held him by his Habit and vow'd she wou'd in that posture follow him where-ever he flew from her She elevated her Voice so loud he was afraid she might be heard and therefore suffer'd her to force him into his Chair again where being seated he began in the most passionate Terms imaginable to disswade her but finding she but the more persisted in Eagerness of Passion he us'd all the tender Assurance that he cou'd force from himself that he wou'd have for her all the Respect Esteem and Friendship that he was capable of paying that he had a real Compassion for her and at last she prevail'd so far with him by her Sighs and Tears as to own he had a Tenderness for her and that he cou'd not behold so many Charms without being sensibly touch'd by 'em and finding all those Effects that a Maid so young and fair causes in the Souls of Men of Youth and Sense But that as he was assur'd he cou'd never be so happy to marry her and as certain he cou'd not grant any thing but honourable Passion he humbly besought her not to expect more from him than such and then began to tell her how short Life was and transitory its Joys how soon she wou'd grow weary of Vice and how often change to find real Repose in it but never arrive to it He made an End by new Assurance of his eternal Friendship but utterly forbad her to hope Behold her now deny'd refus'd and defeated with all her pleading Youth Beauty Tears and Knees imploring as she lay holding fast his Scapular and embracing his Feet What shall she do She swells with Pride Love Indignation and Desire her burning Heart is bursting with Despair her Eyes grow fierce and from Grief she rises to a Storm and in her Agony of Passion which looks all disdainful haughty and full of Rage she began to revile him as the poorest of Animals Tells him his Soul was dwindl'd to the Meanness of his Habit and his Vows of Poverty were suited to his degenerate Mind And said she since all my nobler Ways have fail'd me and that for a little hypocritical Devotion you resolve to lose the greatest Blessings of Life and to sacrifice me to your religious Pride and Vanity I will either force you to abandon that dull Dissimulation or you shall die to prove your Sanctity real Therefore answer me immediately answer my Flame my raging Fire which your Eyes have kindl'd or here in this very Moment I will ruin thee and make no Scruple of revenging the Pains I suffer by that which shall take away your Lise and Honour The trembling young Man who all this while with extream Anguish of Mind and Fear of the dire Result had listen'd to her Ravings full of Dread demanded what she wou'd have him do When she reply'd Do that which thy Youth and Beauty were ordain'd to do This place is private a sacred Silence reigns here and no one dares to pry into the Secrets of this holy place We are as secure from Fears of Interruption as in Desarts uninhabited or Caves forsaken by wild Beasts The Tapers too shall veil their Lights and only that glimmering Lamp shall be Witness of our dear Stealths of Love. Come to my Arms my trembling longing Arms and curse the Folly of thy Bigottry that has made thee so long lose a Blessing for which so many Princes sigh in vain At these Words she rose from his Fcet and snatching him in her Arms he cou'd not defend himself from receiving a thousand Kisses from the lovely Mouth of the charming Wanton after which she ran her self and in an instant put out the Candles But he cry'd to her In vain O too indiscreet fair One in
THE Fair Jilt OR THE HISTORY OF Prince Tarquin AND MIRANDA WRITTEN BY Mrs. A. BEHN LONDON Printed by R. Holt for Will. Canning at his Shop in the Temple-Cloysters 1688. TO HENRY PAIN Esq SIR DEdications are like Love and no Man of Wit or Eminence escapes them early or late the Affliction of the Poet's Complement falls upon him and Men are oblig'd to receive 'em as they do their Wives For better for worse at lest with a feign'd Civility It was not Want of Respect but Fear that has hitherto made us keep clear of your Judgment too piercing to be favourable to what is not nicely valuable We durst not awaken your Criticism and by begging your Protection in the Front of a Book give you an Occasion to find nothing to deserve it Nor can this little History lay a better Claim to that Honour than those that have not pretended to it which has but this Merit to recommend it That it is Truth Truth which you so much admire But 't is a Truth that entertains you with so many Accidents diverting and moving that they will need both a Patron and an Assertor in this incredulous World. For however it may be imagin'd that Poetry my Talent has so greatly the Ascendant over me that all I write must pass for Fiction I now desire to have it understood that this is Reality and Matter of Fact and acted in this our latter Age And that in the Person of Tarquin I bring a Prince to kiss your Hands who own'd himself and was receiv'd as the last of the Race of the Roman Kings whom I have often seen and you have heard of and whose Story is so well known to your self and many Hundreds more Part of which I had from the Mouth of this unhappy great Man and was an Eye-Witness to the rest 'T is true Sir I present you with a Prince unfortunate but still the more noble Object for your Goodness and Pity who never valu'd a brave Man the less for being unhappy And whither shou'd the Afflicted flee for Refuge but to the Generous Amongst all the Race he cannot find a better Man or more certain Friend Nor amongst all his Ancestors match your greater Soul and Magnificence of Mind He will behold in one English Subject a Spirit as illustrious a Heart as fearless a Wit and Eloquence as excellent as Rome it self cou'd produce It s Senate scarce boasted of a better States-man nor Augustus of a more faithful Subject as your Imprisonment and Sufferings through all the Course of our late National Distractions have sufficiently manifested But nothing cou'd press or deject your great Heart you were the same Man still unmov'd in all Turns easie and innocent no Persecution being able to abate your constant good Humour or wonted Gallantry If Sir you find here a Prince of less Fortitude and Vertue than your self charge his Miscarriages on Love a Weakness of that Nature you will easily excuse being so great a Friend to the Fair though possibly he gave a Proof of it too fatal to his Honour Had I been to have form'd his Character perhaps I had made him something more worthy of the Honour of your Protection But I was oblig'd to pursue the Matter of Fact and give a just Relation of that part of his Life which possibly was the only reproachful part of it If he be so happy as to entertain a Man of Wit and Business I shall not fear his Welcome to the rest of the World And 't is only with your Passport he can hope to be so The particular Obligations I have to your Bounty and Goodness O noble Friend and Patron of the Muses I do not so much as pretend to acknowledge in this little Present those being above the Poets Pay which is a sort of Coin not currant in this Age though perhaps may be esteem'd as Medals in the Cabinets of Men of Wit. If this be so happy to be of that Number I desire no more lasting a Fame than that it may bear this Inscription that I am SIR Your most Obliged and Most Humble Servant A. Behn ADVERTISEMENTS THat famous Powder called Arnum Magnum formerly prepared by the learned Reverius Physiâ—ian Regent to the French King and approved by most Persons of Quality in Christendom for preserving and beautifying the Face even to old Age It cures red Faces it takes away all Heat Pimples Sun-burn and Morphew it prevents and takes away superfluous Hair growing on the Face in short it adds more Lustre and Beauty than any Powder or Wash known as many Persons of Quality can testifie who daily use it with the greatest Approbation It is prepared only by I. H. Doctor in Physick in Great Knight-Riders-Street nigh Doctors-Commons-Gate a blew Ball being over the Door Where it may be had for 2 s. 6 d. the Paper with Directions for the Use. THere is now in the Press Oroonoko or The History of the Royal Slave Written by Madam Behn THE Fair Hypocrite OR THE AMOURS OF Prince Tarquin AND MIRANDA AS Love is the most noble and divine Passion of the Soul so is it 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-bread Squires accomplish'd How many Cowards 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 Mein and Dress that Mathematical Movement that Formality in every Action that Face managed with Care and softned into Ridicule the languishing Turn the Toss and the Back shake of the Periwigg 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 Vallet consulted and plagu'd for new Invention of Dress the Foot-man