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<DATE>2013-08-22</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Monica Tsuneishi</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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*Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Li&s;arda; OR, THE TRAVELS OF Love and Jealou&s;y. A NOVEL. In Two Parts.</P>
<P>By <HI>H. C.</HI> Gent.</P>
<P>Licen&s;ed, <HI>Sept.</HI> 30^t^h 1690.</P>
<P><HI>Rob. Midgley.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Jo&s;eph Knight,</HI> at the <HI>Popes-Head</HI> in the Lower-Walk of the <HI>New-Exchange,</HI> 1690.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE Honourable <HI>James Levin&s;ton,</HI> E&s;q</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IT is &s;o Cu&s;tomary a thing, the Dedicati|ons of Books to Per|&s;ons of Quality; E&s;peci|ally, where the Author hath receiv'd any Obliga|tions, that I might have been thought &s;ingular, had I not found &s;ome Per&s;on, to
<PB REF="3">whom Obligations had re|quir'd an Acknowledg|ment; and who&s;e Judg|ment and Approbation might have been &s;ufficient to Countenance my Book. That, Sir, I hope will ex|cu&s;e my Pre&s;umption of Introducing <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> to you; A Lady, who though Vertuous to a Superlative, yet Unfortunate, till the Con&s;ummation of her Mar|riage with Don <HI>Ricardo,</HI> and the greater Happine&s;s of attaining the Honour to be Pre&s;ented to you, fear|ful
<PB REF="3">lea&s;t her Misfortunes might follow her here into <HI>England,</HI> and that many might blame that here, for want of knowing the Cu|&s;toms of <HI>Spain,</HI> which there is not thought a fault, no not a venial one: She fears our Ladies might be offended with &s;o much for|wardne&s;s in Spani&s;h Wo|men, which for want of a Spani&s;h Confinement, they are not Guilty of them|&s;elves: The&s;e thoughts are what troubled her, till now that I a&s;&s;ur'd her, You
<PB REF="4">were too Courteous to re|fu&s;e your Patronage to a Lady. But while &s;he is thus happy in your Pro|tection, give me leave to a&s;&s;ure you, That I am, Mo&s;t Intirely,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Sir,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Devoted Friend, and humble Servant, <HI>H. COX.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>I</HI> Have offer'd you this Book without the Commands of any Per&s;on of Quality, or the ur|gent de&s;ires of any Friend, only for my own Plea&s;ure, and perhaps a little for my Profit; be&s;ides, I think it a plea&s;ant thing, though I &s;hall not im|po&s;e this Opinion on any one, nor think my &s;elf oblig'd to him who favours it; do but buy it, and let the Book&s;eller take your money; then Cur&s;e it, Damn it, and the Author, throw it away, or what you plea&s;e. Nor have I omitted
<PB REF="5">my Name for fear of the Criticks, who I de&s;ire to have no more mercy on the Book, when once bought, than they have of their own unpitied Souls, who likely they may damn, by way of af|firming the poor ignorant Author for a Blockhead, a Dunce, and Fool, with a long <HI>Et caetera</HI> of their ironical Ti|tles; a thing that he'll but &s;mile to hear, &s;o that his Expectations are but an&s;wer'd, and the Book &s;ells: And though likely you may be one of this ungrateful Gang; yet however, I will &s;peak &s;o much, and for the better un|der&s;tanding of it as I think conveni|ent; partly to &s;atisfie you in &s;ome particulars, but more for my own &s;a|tisfaction: I mu&s;t tell you, the Scene being in <HI>Spain,</HI> I have been feign to give them Foreign Characters, al|though the Haughtine&s;s of the Spani&s;h
<PB REF="5">humour, and their aptne&s;s to be Jea|lous, is a daily Di&s;cour&s;e here in <HI>England.</HI> Yet lea&s;t you &s;hould think my Don <HI>Ricardo</HI> and the re&s;t, to de|viate in good manners and &s;en&s;e, when they &s;how tho&s;e in&s;eparable qualities to the <HI>Spaniard,</HI> when they &s;peak &s;o much in their own Prai&s;e; I mu&s;t ad|verti&s;e you, that Cu&s;tom permits that there, which would be very ridiculous here; nor would I have you wonder at the forwardne&s;s of my Ladies, for they being depriv'd of that Liberty our Engli&s;h have, they make u&s;e of the Occa&s;ion, and always are very for|ward in their Court&s;hip; they without difficulty, will meet the Man they like, half-way; and 'tis not altogether un|common there, for them to tell a Man at fir&s;t &s;ight they are in love with him; and now I think I have &s;aid enough,
<PB REF="6">except I &s;hould further tell you, that as you u&s;e me now, &s;o &s;hall I treat with you hereafter; either by writing more, if you Damn this, to vex you and plea&s;e my &s;elf, or not writing: I know not why nor wherefore, but as the fancy takes me.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>God b'y' heartily.</SALUTE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<HEAD>Li&s;arda; OR, THE TRAVELS OF Love and Jealou&s;y.</HEAD>
<P><HI>CLara Li&s;arda,</HI> a Lady but of &s;ixteen years of Age, Beauti|ful, Di&s;creet, and one that had &s;ixteen thou&s;and Dollars for a Portion; was born in <HI>Andaluzia,</HI> of Illu&s;trious Parents: Now the Po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ors of Youth and Riches we know are never homely, e&s;pecially the lat|ter is &s;o attractive a Virtue, that that it &s;elf is capable to gild all Im|perfections;
<PB N="2" REF="7">&s;o that you need not que&s;tion the number of Pretenders to this Lady, being every way well qualified; but however, amid&s;t the throng of her Adorers, there was not one could rea&s;onably think him&s;elf in a higher place of her regard than another; &s;he was civil to them all, nor was there any one of them, that ever pretended to her, but hop'd with the re&s;t; however &s;he carried her &s;elf with &s;uch indifference, that none could complain, nor envy ano|ther; yet with all young Women &s;he very much de&s;ir'd the happy hour, that might perfect her frame, and &s;atisfie a certain de&s;ire of &s;ome|thing nature did dictate to her, for which end a thou&s;and hovering thoughts advertis'd her, &s;he was born, and that without this (&s;he knew not what) &s;he &s;hould never be happy: a thou&s;and wi&s;hes and de|&s;ires, Curio&s;ity it &s;elf urging her to ha&s;te the experiment of Joys, &s;poke to be &s;o great, that the mo&s;t copious
<PB N="3" REF="7">Language is too &s;canty to expre&s;s. She many times would alone, at that in&s;tant, when each little <HI>Fibre</HI> of her Soul &s;hot forth, warm'd by that ver|nal Sun that &s;till invites tho&s;e of her tender years to new-born Appetites, di&s;creetly rea&s;on in the following manner.</P>
<P><HI>Who is it can penetrate the heart and thoughts of Man, being &s;o various, that the di&s;po&s;itions of mo&s;t are changed as often as they change their Company; and yet as uncertain as their humours are, &s;o certain is it my years require me to ac|cept of one for a Husband? What &s;hall I do then? &s;hall I plunge my &s;elf into life-la&s;ting Mi&s;eries to gratifie my wi&s;hes, and plea&s;e my Parents?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Two things there are to invite Preten|ders, my Per&s;on, or my E&s;tate; My Per&s;on, No. It is not that; for I know many in this City, if not more No|ble, yet far beyond me in Perfections; and becau&s;e they are poor, Lovers are not only wanting, but even tho&s;e that in je&s;t &s;hould offer Marriage. Why then, if
<PB N="4" REF="8">'tis my Portion does the&s;e wonders, I find it hard to marry a Man who wooes not me but my E&s;tate; and yet could I bear with this, (for Ambition is &s;o grown into the World, that there mu&s;t be a new Creation to find di&s;intere&s;s'd men:) who can a&s;&s;ure their &s;elves of their manners, where there are &s;o many Cheats. In the time of wooing the mo&s;t vicious appears a Saint, and dete&s;ts all Vice: with what prote&s;tations doth the incon&s;tant at that time avouch his Constancy? and how a&s;|&s;ured of his Mi&s;tre&s;s's Vertue is the Gal|lant, when many times afterwards, he proves murderou&s;ly trouble&s;ome with his Jealou&s;y; and all, how fal&s;e &s;oever, call Heaven to witne&s;s the &s;incerity of their Love: O! how they Adore, Admire, E&s;teem, with many other &s;uch like terms, till they have got their aim. His Friend &s;tiles him vertuous, good,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>His Re|lations will &s;ay that for him, He is good natur'd, and given to no remarkable Vice; another as a gallant young Gen|tleman; Nay the Maid, the young La|dies Confident, hath had the itching of
<PB N="5" REF="8">her Palms an&s;wer'd, to give her good word, and all this to her co&s;t, who takes him for better and for wor&s;e; and gives her hand and heart to an Enemy, who either impairs the E&s;tate by Gaming, or proves very ill humour'd, or what is wor&s;e, grows weary of the Per&s;on that adores him; &s;o oppo&s;ite are the humours of many Men to rea&s;on, that they never love le&s;s than when they are most be|lov'd: thus it is with us poor Women, who fill'd with hopes of continued un|&s;peakable Joys, many times throw our &s;elves into continued and unexpre&s;&s;ible Mi&s;eries. Suffer it not, O Heavens! De&s;ire it not, O Parents! For rather will I end this Life by a draught of Poy|&s;on, or Poniard, than marry, without making, not only for Months, but for Years, a &s;ufficient Enquiry into the Man|ners of him who is to be my Husband.</HI></P>
<P>Thus rea&s;on'd our di&s;creet young Lady, and thus re&s;olv'd not to mar|ry; yet lea&s;t &s;he &s;hould erre in her Election, or rather becau&s;e Love was but ju&s;t conceiv'd in her Maiden
<PB N="6" REF="9">Brea&s;t, and had not yet &s;trength ca|pable of any more than directing that little Affection (&s;he thought Friend&s;hip) to <HI>Ricardo Antonio,</HI> a Gentleman &s;o well accompli&s;ht, and of &s;o great Parts, that in the judg|ment of the whole City, he was only worthy to be <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s Husband, and &s;he only de&s;erving to be his Bride. At this time the City was oblig'd to Fea&s;ts, in that to &s;hew their Joy for the Union between the two Crowns of <HI>France</HI> and <HI>Spain;</HI> Exchanging the two Beautiful Prince&s;&s;es <HI>I&s;abel</HI> and <HI>Juana,</HI> that with the tie of affinity their Friend&s;hip might be la&s;ting. The Fea&s;ts were &s;o much the richer, fora&s;much as all the Rival-Servants of our Lady, with Emulation, &s;et them&s;elves forth, without regard of Expences; &s;o that for many days were great Bonefires, Balls, Masks, and to end this Solemnity, there were prepar'd twelve Bulls of the large&s;t &s;ize; this is a &s;port that the <HI>Spaniard</HI> extremely delights in. <HI>Ri|cardo</HI>
<PB N="7" REF="9">on the la&s;t day of the Bulls was re&s;olv'd to &s;how his Activity, and to that intent, in the Morning, when the numerous throngs of People &s;ur|rounded the Li&s;ts, appear'd well mounted, with a Spear in his hand, applauded by all except <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> who was concern'd to &s;ee him running in|to &s;o imminent danger. 'Twas now Love was re&s;olv'd to dally no longer, and took this occa&s;ion to make <HI>Li|&s;arda</HI> know, that even &s;he with all her Charms, could not with&s;tand his Plea&s;ure; for now, though &s;he knew not why &s;he &s;hould be more con|cern'd for <HI>Ricardo</HI> than for the re&s;t of his Competitors; but willing to deceive her &s;elf (a frailty common to humane nature) &s;he fan&s;ied it only a tender Friend&s;hip. She was &s;o griev'd and unea&s;y, that &s;he became re&s;tle&s;s. A terrible Bull was let loo&s;e into the Li&s;ts, when, according to Cu&s;tom, the People gave a &s;hout, which &s;o angred the haughty Animal, that ca&s;ting his fiery Eyes on <HI>Fulgen|cio,
<PB N="8" REF="10">Ricardo</HI> he ran at him with &s;uch fury, that &s;triking his Pointed Horns in his Hor&s;e, he to&s;s'd Hor&s;e and Man in the Air. At the &s;ight of this <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> &s;ounded, and was feign to be carried home.</P>
<P>Every one was concern'd at this Tragical Mi&s;chance, but e&s;pecially <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who, enraged to &s;ee no one run to the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of this Gentle|man, who though he was his Rival, Genero&s;ity urg'd to endanger his own Life to re&s;cue his; therefore throw|ing his Spear, it went &s;o &s;trongly from the hand of the Ca&s;ter, that it travers'd the Body of the Bea&s;t; who now more furious than before, ran with a full Career at <HI>Ricardo,</HI> but he nimbly drawing his Sword, and op|portunely lifting his hand as he went to gore the Hor&s;e, gave &s;o &s;trong a blow, that he clove his Scull, and left him at the Hor&s;es Feet, confe&s;|&s;ing that the &s;tronge&s;t mu&s;t &s;urrender to the Fortunate; at this the whole Neighbouring Fields Echo'd with
<PB N="9" REF="10">the loud &s;houts of the gladded Peo|ple, while <HI>Ricardo</HI> lighting from his Hor&s;e, lookt up to the Window where <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> &s;ate; but his Servants telling him that they &s;aw her carried away in a &s;wound when the Bull &s;o fiercely attacqued <HI>Fulgencio,</HI> he con|cluded he was the Cho&s;en from a|mong the Crowd of her Adorers, and running to help him up, taking him by the Arm, &s;aid, Sir, Your fall to you is like that of <HI>Saul,</HI> for it hath made known your Election; and &s;o retir'd extreamly di&s;contented to his Lodging: where we'll leave him complaining of his hard Fate, and return to <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> who as &s;oon as &s;he had recover'd from her &s;wound, was acquainted how bravely <HI>Ricardo</HI> had re&s;cu'd <HI>Fulgencio,</HI> and kill'd the Bull; and withall, that he intended to En|counter a &s;econd in the Afternoon; this perplext her extreamly, and re|&s;olving, that rather one &s;hould gue&s;s at her Love, than thou&s;ands know it, by the evident demon&s;trations of
<PB N="8" REF="11">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="9" REF="11">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="10" REF="12">her weakne&s;s, &s;he re&s;olv'd to write to him, and retiring from Company, &s;he &s;et Pen to Paper to the following purpo&s;e.</P>
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<HEAD>To <HI>Ricardo Antonio.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A <HI>Certain Friend of yours, who hath been this two years per&s;waded you lov'd her, and one who hath a greater e&s;teem for your Life than your &s;elf, &s;ince you venture it &s;o ra&s;hly, that &s;he can't look on without pity, hath de&s;ir'd me to beg you'd do her the plea&s;ure to day, to &s;ee the Feast, and not be an Actor in them. If your Gallantry are the endea|vours to gain her, know &s;he is already yours; but if it is with de&s;ign to plea&s;e any other Lady, know that you are un|grateful: Your di&s;obedience will unde|ceive her; this I de&s;ire of you for the love &s;he bears you, which is not a little, &s;ince the danger you was in this Morning hath cost her much grief and trouble; this &s;he de&s;ires, adverti&s;ing you withal, if &s;he is now deny'd, &s;he will take her
<PB N="11" REF="12">leave of ever asking any favour of you in all her life.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Clara Li&s;arda.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<P>When this Letter came to <HI>Ricardo</HI> by a continued thought of what had pa&s;t, he had arrived almo&s;t to the height of de&s;pair, Cur&s;ing him&s;elf, and the hour he fir&s;t &s;aw <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> and as the Servant knockt at the Door, he had ju&s;t drawn a Poniard, with in|tention to have ended his Life, but hearing &s;ome body at the door, he &s;topt and li&s;ten'd, knowing the Ser|vants Voice, him&s;elf ran, and the Servant deliver'd into his own hand the Letter, which he retired to read bidding the Servant wait an An&s;wer. A thou&s;and thoughts pe&s;ter'd him, he knew not what to make of the Letter; the Directions he knew to be <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s writing, but never ha|ving receiv'd, nor heard &s;he had ever writ to any of her Lovers before, he conjectur'd it was to di&s;card him:
<PB N="12" REF="13">&s;ince &s;he had made her choice of <HI>Fulgencio,</HI> lea&s;t &s;he might give him Ombrage, or cau&s;e Jealou&s;y, by en|tertaining &s;till her old Suitors, &s;he had writ to them all to forbear their vain Endeavours. This now pa&s;t for granted, and he was re&s;olv'd not to open the Letter, lea&s;t it might draw Effeminate tears into his Eyes, there|fore retaking his Poniard, he &s;aid, Come welcome &s;teel, thy &s;harpne&s;s is much ea&s;ier to be endur'd, than to &s;ee the happine&s;s of my Rival; End my Mi&s;ery; and as he was going to &s;trike, &s;ays he, No. Though thy Charms hath made me mi&s;erable to that degree, that to avoid that &s;uc|ceeding Chain of Mi&s;eries that mu&s;t needs follow, I will end my life. Yet in my la&s;t hour &s;uch is my Con|&s;tancy, I will ki&s;s thy Name, paying my la&s;t devoir to the &s;ign of my cruel Sentence, &s;ubmitting &mdash; More he would have &s;aid, but having open'd the Letter to ki&s;s the name, he could not &s;o confine his &s;ight but he read
<PB N="13" REF="13">the&s;e la&s;t words, <HI>If &s;he is denied, &s;he will take her leave of ever asking any Favour of you in all her Life:</HI> he ponder'd on them, but not being able to under&s;tand them, Curio&s;ity lead him to read the re&s;t, the better to under&s;tand the meaning of that line, but each word and &s;yllable did not only change his Melancholy, but added to the fir&s;t &s;o many tran&s;ports of Joy, that he was not able to con|tain him&s;elf, but running to the En|try where the Servant was waiting, with a rich Diamond, and &s;ome gold, he paid the Bearer, de&s;iring her to &s;tay but a moment longer, till he could write, which by rea&s;on of his exce&s;s of Joy he was not &s;o well able to do, wanting that &s;edatene&s;s re|quir'd, but as it was, here I give you the Copy.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="14">
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<HEAD>To <HI>Li&s;arda.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>IF the endangering my Per&s;on will oc|ca&s;ion any unea&s;ine&s;s in you, for that &s;ame favour I would hazard it a thou|&s;and times: but not to anger you (your Friend I mean) from this moment I de&s;i&s;t from my intent, and thank your loving pity; this Complement, though I know not if I hit right, in calling of it pity, for excu&s;e me to go into the Li&s;ts, that there I might &s;ee tho&s;e &s;parkling Eyes, is a ble&s;&s;ing I with much difficulty receed. But I had forgot, your Woman &s;tays, and I &s;tay, &s;he for an An&s;wer, and I that this might come to your hands, and that you may not take leave of asking me, but begin to command me as your Spou&s;e (I was going to &s;ay), but as your Slave I mean.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Ricardo Antonio.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<P>This Letter was extreamly plea|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ing to <HI>Li&s;arda;</HI> but, O Heavens!
<PB N="15" REF="14">who can expre&s;s the tran&s;ports and ec&s;ta&s;ies it caus'd in <HI>Ricardo;</HI> now the Fea&s;t was really a pa&s;time to her, while to him 'twas tedious, he think|ing he &s;hould never &s;oon enough breath his thanks with gentle whi|&s;pers in her tender Ears; in &s;hort, he was ee'n mad with content, for the exce&s;s of all Pa&s;&s;ions is a real madne&s;s. The hour being come to return to the Fea&s;ts, he went, and by good luck was invited by <HI>Fulgencio</HI> to &s;it in his Window, which was next to that where <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> &s;ate; 'tis impo&s;&s;i|ble to tell you the agreeable meetings of their Eyes, who, if by chance &s;he glanc'd any other way, as if &s;o much pretious time was lo&s;t, with eager ha&s;t they return'd to their belov'd object. <HI>Fulgencio</HI> at fir&s;t minded the Game, but having turn'd three or four times to ask his Friend his Opi|nion of &s;uch and &s;uch haps, he &s;till found him looking towards <HI>Li&s;arda;</HI> this made him take notice of them, and then, to his great Confu&s;ion, he
<PB REF="15">&s;aw the reciprocal kindne&s;s between them; at this he was in &s;o great a Pa&s;&s;ion, that with much difficulty could he contain him&s;elf within the compa&s;s of Di&s;cretion, Envy, Jealou&s;y, Anger, and a thou&s;and other Pa&s;&s;ions tore his Brea&s;t; in &s;hort, he found them prevailing over his Rea&s;on, and lea&s;t by &s;eeing more it &s;hould be over|power'd, and that not being a fit place for a quarrel or di&s;turbance, he &s;lunk away without &s;aying any thing, however all the time of the Fea&s;t our Lovers were too bu&s;y to perceive it; minding nothing but what each one thought mo&s;t charming in his Object: How unwilling were they to be going when the Fea&s;t was en|ded? and though they &s;aw nothing of it, nor were at all delighted at that, yet were they extreamly &s;orry it ended &s;o &s;oon; but at la&s;t, with much regret, they parted; it not be|ing the Cu&s;tom in <HI>Spain,</HI> that of of|fering ones Service to wait on a Lady home; and it is a great favour if he
<PB N="17" REF="15">is permitted to &s;ee her, though in Company with her Father or Mo|ther.</P>
<P><HI>Ricardo</HI> being at home, and his head fill'd with nothing but thoughts of his Happine&s;s, he bethought him|&s;elf of a young Woman he had long kept, and con&s;idering if <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> &s;hould hear of it, it might be his ru|ine in her good thoughts, and a let to his Marriage with her, which now he thought &s;ure; for &s;o 'tis in that Country, the di&s;covery of the Wo|mans love &s;eldom precedes a whole Week to their Marriage; therefore the Per&s;on he had not vi&s;ited but kept &s;ince his love to <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> out of meer honour, he went to &s;ee her now with intention to rid her out of the Town, and in &s;ome di&s;tant place give her an allowance &s;ufficient to maintain her, but no &s;ooner he en|ter'd the door, but &s;he with a thou|&s;and reproaches, upbraided him with his unkindne&s;s; and 'tis common with the&s;e &s;ort of Women to think, if a
<PB REF="16">Man keeps them a while, that he is from that time tyed to them, and they may domineer; e&s;pecially <HI>Don|na Clara,</HI> for &s;o was her Name, being of a good Family, but debaucht by one that left her, who now to &s;hun the indignation of her Kindred, was feign to make a Trade and Lively|hood of that way. She fir&s;t began by the meer force of Love, through the unkindne&s;s of her Parents, who would not con&s;ent to the match. She really lov'd <HI>Ricardo,</HI> and her Love urged her to be the &s;everer, nor would &s;he hear him &s;peak, but threatned to tear <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> to pieces; this urg'd <HI>Ricardo</HI> to think of another cour&s;e, &s;o that &s;aying nothing, he went &s;treight to the Corregidors, or Gover|nour of the Town who was his Kin&s;|man, and one that really lov'd him, to him he told the whole affair, and de&s;ired his a&s;&s;i&s;tance to get rid of her, which he promis'd; then they a|greed, that the en&s;uing night, about eleven a Clock, the Corrigidor
<PB N="19" REF="16">&s;hould come with a Coach and Guards, and with a feign'd Warrant &s;eize her, and &s;end her in a Coach to <HI>Madrid,</HI> where the Guards &s;hould leave her. Ju&s;t as <HI>Ricardo</HI> came out of the Hou&s;e he met <HI>Fulgencio,</HI> who taking what he had &s;aid in the Li&s;ts, lifting him from the ground as a Jeer, having &s;een &s;o reciprocal a kindne&s;s between the Lovers, at the Fea&s;t, through Madne&s;s and Jealou&s;y, had been &s;eeking him to fight him, and therefore now took the opportunity to tell him, without why or where|fore, That he mu&s;t fight him. <HI>Ricardo</HI> told him he could not then, but on the Morrow at twelve at Night, he would be at &s;uch a Hou&s;e, and his Whi&s;tle &s;hould be a &s;ufficient token to know who &s;taid for him, and then he would &s;atisfie his de&s;ires; on the&s;e Promi&s;es they parted: No &s;ooner was he come home to his own Hou&s;e, but found a Letter to this purpo&s;e.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="17">
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<HEAD>To <HI>Ricardo.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>SInce not only by your Letter, but by your behaviour at the Fea&s;ts, I mu&s;t needs conjecture, you think that 'tis my &s;elf that loves you, I would &s;ee what 'tis you'd do to de&s;erve that love; therefore my Father and Mother being out of Town, in the Morning I'd be glad to hear your Propo&s;als.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Li&s;arda.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<P><HI>Ricardo</HI> receiv'd this with much joy, and read it &s;everal times; &s;uch delight he took in it, ki&s;&s;ing the Name, and a thou&s;and times &s;quee|zing it to his heart; he admir'd the freedom and ea&s;ine&s;s of the &s;tile: in &s;hort, &s;uch was the ec&s;ta&s;ie that re&s;t nor &s;leep he could not, but lay me|ditating all Night on the Charming Mi&s;tre&s;s of his Heart: how oft did he wi&s;h 'twas day, and when 'twas day wi&s;h it were a decent hour to wait on <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> feign would go, but &s;till
<PB N="21" REF="17">was afraid it was too early; a thou|&s;and turns he made about the room, and through the eagerne&s;s of thought walked &s;o fa&s;t, one would have thought it had been for a wager; then would he &s;top to tell the Clock, and &s;tamp and fume to hear it &s;trike too few. In &s;hort, &s;urely no Lover was ever in a greater Agony; at la&s;t he heard nine &s;trike, when with eager|ne&s;s he call'd to his Servant to follow him, and away he went. When he came there, <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> perhaps with as much impatience was expecting him, &s;o that he was Conducted to her Chamber. Their Eyes at the &s;ight of each other declar'd the joy of their hearts; what pa&s;s'd further in mat|ter of Court&s;hip, I will leave every one to gue&s;s. And only tell you this, The time was agreed on for the Mar|riage.</P>
<P>But who would think it, that a|mid&s;t of all this happine&s;s, Fortune, who&s;e delight &s;eems to be baffling our &s;ure&s;t hopes, &s;hould &s;o &s;uddenly
<PB N="22" REF="18">Eclip&s;e the Amorous Flame of our two Lovers, and that not for a while, but put them in a condition of never performing the Articles a|greed between them. Amid&s;t all the &s;weet Di&s;cour&s;es and plea&s;ing words, <HI>Ricardo</HI> bethought him&s;elf of his trouble&s;ome Mi&s;tre&s;s, and impatient lea&s;t it &s;hould be di&s;cover'd; he took his leave of the Vertuous <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> not without giving her hopes of &s;eeing him again that day; he goes directly to his Servants Hou&s;e, where he kept <HI>Clara Euphegenia,</HI> that being her Name; he came with a very plea&s;ing Countenance, telling her, that what he &s;aid or did ye&s;terday, was only to try how &s;he lov'd him; this he did that &s;he might not &s;u&s;pect him for what &s;hould follow; he din'd with her, and &s;taid with her till near four of the Clock, in which time he &s;how'd &s;o much love, and Care&s;s'd her &s;o hand&s;omely, that &s;he could not doubt but he was &s;incere; he went to the Corregidors to &s;ee if all
<PB N="23" REF="18">things were ready again&s;t the hour appointed; from thence he went to <HI>Fulgencio Ricardo</HI>'s Hou&s;e, thinking to an&s;wer his Challenge then, be|cau&s;e he thought at Night he might be too bu&s;y, but not finding him within, he went to pa&s;s a part of the Evening in the Fields; a Servant of <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s &s;aw him, and told her Mi|&s;tre&s;s, that &s;he &s;aw <HI>Ricardo Antonio</HI> going to walk in &s;uch a place; it be|ing duski&s;h, and her Father and Mo|ther not at home, &s;he took a Servant with her, thinking to meet him; as &s;he was going out, <HI>Fulgencio Ricardo</HI> was in a Hou&s;e hard by, and &s;aw her, and follows her; going into the Fields &s;he pa&s;s'd by the Hou&s;e where her Lover <HI>Ricardo Antonio</HI> entred, and heard him &s;ay to the Servant who open'd the door, Don't &s;hut, for I &s;hall be going again. She &s;taid be|fore the door a while, at la&s;t &s;he bid the Maid ask a Neighbour, who was owner of that Hou&s;e; the hone&s;t Man told the Maid, that 'twas a Servant
<PB REF="19">of Don <HI>Ricardo Antonio</HI>'s who ow'd the Hou&s;e, but he believ'd the Ma&s;ter had mo&s;t &s;port in't; this being told to <HI>Clara Li&s;arda,</HI> &s;he was curious to know what &s;port that might be, and bidding her Maid wait, &s;he went in, but being in the fir&s;t room, the door of the &s;econd &s;tood half open, from whence our Lady heard the&s;e words; <HI>Ah, my Dear</HI> Clara, <HI>Don't imagine or think, that I can be fal&s;e to thee; It is to have little Confidence in thine own Charms;</HI> Knowing this Voice to be <HI>Ricardo</HI>'s, &s;he carefully lookt through the opening of the door, and &s;aw her Lover lying on <HI>Clara</HI>'s Lap: <HI>O, Ye ju&s;t Powers!</HI> &s;aid &s;he to her &s;elf, <HI>Is this po&s;&s;ible! Could &s;illy, ea&s;y</HI> Li&s;arda <HI>have believ'd it, had not her Eyes and Ears been Witne&s;&s;es of his Ingratitude:</HI> Hear &s;he &s;topt hearing <HI>Ricardo</HI> &s;peak|ing thus: <HI>My Dear</HI> Clara, <HI>I don't de|ny, that for my Friends &s;atisfaction I gave out, and pretended to love</HI> Li&s;arda, <HI>but that was, that I might with &s;ecrecy give a full &s;oope to my wi&s;hes, and thy
<PB N="25" REF="19">Dear Embraces. What is</HI> Li&s;arda <HI>com|parable to thee, but as a fal&s;e Gla&s;s to a Diamond.</HI> Here <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> not having Patience, ru&s;ht into the Room. How much a&s;toni&s;ht our Cavallero was, I leave it to the Reader to imagine, while &s;he &s;poke thus.</P>
<P><HI>Beautiful Lady, I can't deny, the Pain, Grief and Trouble, with which I come into your Pre&s;ence, for though I would I &s;hould have a thou&s;and Accu&s;ers, my Voice, my Affections, my Colour, my Pain, my troubled Words would di&s;cover the Cheat; but be not troubled at my coming, for I a&s;&s;ure you, I have no de|&s;ign, if I could, which would be impo&s;&s;i|ble, he being withheld by your all-power|ful Charms, to rob you of the Gallant, who &s;o ju&s;tly enjoys your good will, that you ought to love him for his many good Parts, I mean as to his Body, for as to the re&s;t, Heaven never fram'd a Man &s;o fal&s;e, &s;o ungrateful a Creature, that you may pardon me this rudene&s;s, and not believe his Vows and Prote&s;tations. Hear me if it will not be trouble&s;ome to you;</HI>
<PB REF="20">Then taking a Seat, with more Tears than Words, and more Sighs than Tears, her Heart ready to bur&s;t, turning to <HI>Ricardo,</HI> &s;he &s;aid, <HI>Think not, &V;ngrateful Man, that the&s;e Com|plaints &s;hould be heard by you, were they not u&s;her'd by force: I am torn with Jealou&s;y and Rage, and my Heart would burst if I did not &s;peak.</HI> Here <HI>Ricardo</HI> heard his Signal, and finding <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> to be in too great earne&s;t for him to hope, and fearful lea&s;t <HI>Clara,</HI> in his ab&s;ence, might offend her, he &s;hut <HI>Clara</HI> in the next Room, and hoping to have comply'd with his honour and return, or rather not know what he did, nor thinking what he was to do, he went down to <HI>Fulgencio,</HI> whom he would have put off for an hour or two, but <HI>Fulgencio</HI> told him, he had had enough of <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s Company, and if he would not go to a more convenient place, he'd give him an occa&s;ion to draw there; <HI>Ricardo</HI> &s;ee|ing him&s;elf thus pre&s;s'd went with him, where we mu&s;t leave them a|fighting,
<PB N="27" REF="20">and return to our two La|dies, who while they were di&s;cour|&s;ing through the Door, hearing a noi&s;e below, <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> for fear of being known, Veil'd her &s;elf, when imme|diately the Corregidor came up, and &s;eeing her took her for <HI>Dona Clara,</HI> and deliver'd her to the Guards, who put her into the Coach, and carried her towards <HI>Madrid.</HI> In the mean while <HI>Clara,</HI> with her Maid, made their e&s;cape out of a Window; and as &s;he was going &s;he knew not where, <HI>Fulgencio</HI> meeting her &s;uppos'd her to be <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> and acco&s;ted her in this manner. <HI>Madam, Might I be never &s;o happy in any other Woman, I would not exchange the Hell wherein you have put me, not for that happine&s;s:</HI> And &s;he mi&s;taking him for <HI>Antonio,</HI> An|&s;wer'd, <HI>Then 'twas a great Hell to you to hear my Rival Rage to night. Alas</HI> Antonio, <HI>I thought you could not have been in pain while you po&s;&s;e&s;t my heart; at lea&s;t you have often told me &s;o:</HI> He perceiving &s;he mi&s;took him for t'other
<PB N="28" REF="21">was overjoy'd, not knowing he him|&s;elf was mi&s;taken, but on the con|trary, by his having &s;een her in the &s;treet go into <HI>Antonio</HI>'s; her di&s;cour&s;e of having &s;een him that night, and his &s;eeing <HI>Antonio</HI> go in ju&s;t before her, had not any &s;cruple, but really thought it was the Per&s;on he took her for; and &s;ince &s;he took him for his Rival, not being able to wor&s;t <HI>Antonio</HI> by the Sword, he thought now to revenge him&s;elf by a trick, and &s;o proceeded. <HI>Well, Madam,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>Since we love &s;incerely, let me beg of you, before you go further, to give me the a&s;&s;urance, you'll be ever mine: How &s;hall I do that,</HI> replied <HI>Clara? Why, Madam, for &s;everal urgent rea&s;ons, for your advantage as well as mine, we may be married now, and keep it private till</HI> &mdash; Here cutting off his words, not having power to contain her &s;elf for Joy, &s;aid, <HI>Ay, my</HI> Antonio, <HI>I Con|&s;ent, You know I can refu&s;e you nothing.</HI> So pre&s;ently they went to a Prie&s;t, who was at <HI>Fulgencio</HI>'s Devotion, or
<PB N="29" REF="21">rather was devoted to the gold he expected, who married them by the light of one &s;ingle Lamp that hung i' the Church, &s;o that neither per|ceiv'd their mi&s;take. Now was <HI>Ful|gencio</HI> in his highe&s;t Orb of bli&s;s, and wrapt in the delicious thoughts of having &s;ufficiently reveng'd him&s;elf of <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who though in the Duel had di&s;arm'd him, yet Honour had oblig'd him to re&s;tore his Sword, but he being po&s;&s;e&s;s'd of his Mi&s;tre&s;s, thought him&s;elf oblig'd by honour to keep her; and having gratified the Prie&s;t, he told her, &s;he &s;hould not go home that night, but lodge with him; to which &s;he as ea&s;ily con&s;en|ted, as to the Marriage: What co|ver'd extreamly the mi&s;take was, as in all Foreign Countries, having two Names, <HI>Fulgencio</HI> could an&s;wer by that of <HI>Ricardo,</HI> and de&s;ignedly did &s;o, <HI>Clara</HI> was the fir&s;t Name of <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s as well as hers, whom we call by that Name; but now to leave them go|ing, and to return to <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who
<PB N="30" REF="22">was got to his Servants Hou&s;e, not dreaming of what had happen'd, nor indeed reflecting on his own Errour by locking <HI>Clara</HI> up. So that the Corre|gidor, (had he not found <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> whom he mi&s;took for her) could not have accompli&s;ht the de&s;ign, though now 'twas unde&s;ignedly that he had not don't, but committed a gro&s;s errour. <HI>Ricardo</HI> no &s;ooner entred the Hou&s;e, but he enquir'd for his offended <HI>Li|&s;arda,</HI> to whom the Servant told the mi&s;take; but how &s;hall I de&s;cribe the Fury, the Madne&s;s rather, that &s;ei|zed him at this News; now had he need of all his Prudence to govern him&s;elf in this misfortune: He in|quir'd for <HI>Clara,</HI> they told him &s;he was al&s;o gone; he ordered his Hor&s;e pre&s;ently to be Sadled, and mounting thereon, he went to the Corregidor's Hou&s;e, told him the mi&s;take, but de&s;ir'd in all ha&s;te to have Orders to bring her back, which he had no &s;ooner receiv'd, but Po&s;ted after the Coach in all ha&s;te; he had not got|ten
<PB N="31" REF="22">above three Leagues from the Town, before he had &s;ight of a Coach, to which he rid up, Crying out, Stay, it is a mi&s;take, and I have Orders from the Corregidor; &s;till he perceiv'd the Coach to drive on fa&s;ter; he knew not what it &s;hould be that occa&s;ion'd them to drive from him; but in a little while he overtook them, Commanding the Coach to &s;top, off flew a Pi&s;tol, <HI>Ricardo</HI> lets fly again, and here begins a Fight, for both their Pi&s;tols being di&s;charg'd, <HI>Ful|gencio</HI> call'd to him, and told him, if he'd di&s;mount he'd try if Fortune would continue her favours to him, with this our noble <HI>Cavallero</HI> di&s;|mounted, and <HI>Fulgencio</HI> &s;tept out of the Coach; but <HI>Ricardo,</HI> a Man of great Dexterity, a &s;econd time di&s;|arm'd his Adver&s;ary, and being no le&s;s Generous than Valiant, return'd him his Sword, and when he came to examine the bu&s;ine&s;s, it was the di&s;covery of a double deceit: Fir&s;t in&s;tead of <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> whom both thought
<PB N="32" REF="23">was in the Coach, they found <HI>Clara Ricardo</HI>'s late Mi&s;tre&s;s, and to <HI>Ful|gencio</HI>'s great perplexity, his now Wife; he no &s;ooner knew who 'twas but he would have di&s;own'd her, but in vain, for he had told <HI>Ricardo</HI> in his Capitulation, that on condition he would Promi&s;e not to meddle with a Lady in the Coach, who he had that Night Married, he would &s;ur|render, but without that Promi&s;e, Di&s;|arm'd as he was, the Di&s;pute &s;hould continue, and a&s;&s;uring him it was no Per&s;on &s;ent by Command of the Cor|regidor, and con&s;equently not the Per|&s;on he &s;ought for; <HI>Ricardo</HI> had granted his Reque&s;t, deliver'd him his Sword, and went to wi&s;h the La|dy Joy; when, Gods! what a &s;ur|prize was it to him to &s;ee <HI>Clara;</HI> had he been capable to have receiv'd any Plea&s;ure amid&s;t that throng of Vexations, undoubtedly this would have been a great one to &s;ee him&s;elf &s;o well rid of &s;o trouble&s;ome a Mi|&s;tre&s;s; but being two contraries they
<PB N="33" REF="23">are never at once to be found in one Brea&s;t. <HI>Ricardo</HI> after he had wi&s;ht her Joy, took his leave, telling <HI>Ri|cardo,</HI> he had be&s;t make the be&s;t on't, and &s;o bid him farewel; riding away as fa&s;t as po&s;&s;ible he could to overtake <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> which after two hours ri|ding he did, but &s;uch was his Love, &s;uch was his Grief, and the &s;ence of his offence, that not able to &s;peak, Floods of Tears ran down from his Eyes; at la&s;t he made &s;hift to tell the Officers that were with her, that he had Orders from the Corregidor to bring that Lady back to Town; and delivering the Paper to them, &s;he told him, that they'd turn after they got to the next Hou&s;e, that they might have light to read by; <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> was extreamly pleas'd to &s;ee that the mi&s;take was likely to give her no fur|ther trouble; and as &s;oon as they came to a Hou&s;e they wak't the Peo|ple, and got light; finding they were to return with the Lady, they told <HI>Ricardo,</HI> that if he pleas'd he might
<PB N="34" REF="24">&s;tep in the Coach, and one of them would take care of his Hor&s;e, which he accepted of, being very well pleas'd with the offer; feign would he have &s;poke and excus'd him&s;elf with the fair <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> but Grief &s;o oppre&s;s'd his Mind, and fear, being con&s;cious of &s;ome guilt, depriv'd him of the Power. In the mean while <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> knew not what to make of the&s;e unhappy Occurrences of that Night, and was as de&s;irous to know, could her haughty Soul have permit|ted her to ask, of one &s;he thought &s;o great an Offender again&s;t her; but nor one, nor t'other, &s;aid any thing of the matter. While they both &s;ate thus &s;ilent, of a &s;udden &s;ix Men, three at each door of the Coach (having &s;ent as many before to &s;top it) Pre|&s;ent their Pi&s;tols in the Coach, &s;wearing, if they would not deliver the Lady, they'd Pi&s;tol every Man: although <HI>Ricardo</HI> could not think to be Victor, having none but him&s;elf, and one of the Guards, the t'other that
<PB N="35" REF="24">mounted <HI>Ricardo</HI>'s Hor&s;e, having at the &s;ight of &s;o numerous an Enemy rid away, yet he drew his Pi&s;tols, ta|king one in each hand, gave them no other reply, but &s;hot; their Hor&s;es unruly, and them&s;elves &s;tartled at &s;o unexpected a thing, be&s;ides the fla&s;h|es having for a while deprived them all of &s;ight, and the &s;hot three of their Lives, <HI>Ricardo</HI> made &s;hift to get out of the Coach, &s;aying to <HI>Li|&s;arda, Madam, I am far from being &s;orry for this occa&s;ion, of &s;hewing how tenderly I love you; if I live I hope to clear my &s;elf of what things have hap|pen'd to night; but if 'tis my fortune to be kill'd, let me beg you to entertain a Charitable Opinion for me:</HI> Then ta|king the advantage of the unruline&s;s of their Hor&s;es which had thrown one, whom <HI>Ricardo</HI> that moment di&s;|patcht, he fiercely ran at t'other two; in the mean while he heard the Coach go on, and looking back, he receiv'd a Pi&s;tol through his Body, which laid him on the ground, while
<PB REF="25">his Enemies rid after the Coach; he feign would have follow'd, but his &s;trength was &s;o much dimini&s;ht by the lo&s;s of blood, that he was not able to ri&s;e; and at that time of Night, being &s;ome di&s;tance from any Town, there was no hopes of getting help till the Morning; but &s;till his weak &s;ight follow'd the Coach, and his anxious Mind kept Company with the object of his Vows: <HI>O Gods,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>what is it I must endure the&s;e few moments I have to live; how do my wild thoughts torture my langui&s;hing Soul: Did but</HI> Li&s;arda <HI>know the truth, Did &s;he but conceive my intentions that have caus'd all the&s;e Misfortunes, I might perhaps die with &s;ome Plea&s;ure, to know &s;he did not think me that ungrateful fal&s;e Man. O</HI> Li&s;arda, Li&s;arda, <HI>had for|tune but favour'd me, how might we have been, nay how happy &s;hould I e&s;teem my &s;elf in the&s;e few agonizing minutes. Could I but hear from thy Dear Mouth one kind word to thy unfortunate</HI> Ri&mdash; Here his Speech failed him, and his
<PB N="37" REF="25">Breath &s;eem'd &s;pent, remaining in the Field without motion. It hap|pen'd the di&s;charging &s;o many Pi&s;tol &s;hot, had given an alarm to two or three Hou&s;es not far di&s;tant, and though the Cowardly Bores dar'd not to come till they heard no more &s;hot, yet thinking now they might &s;atisfie their Curio&s;ity, &s;ince they had heard the Coach drive, and Men gal|loping after; it began now to grow a little light&s;ome, the Day drawing near, when the&s;e Clowns came where the Corps of five Men lay be&s;mear'd with gore; they began to con&s;ider with them&s;elves what was be&s;t to be done, they had a mind to the Plun|der, but fear'd &s;ome ones coming on the rode might deprive them of &s;tay|ing to take their Booty; therefore one &s;eeing his Son <HI>Jack</HI> driving a Cart to the Field, call'd to him, and lay|ing the Bodies in the Cart, drove home, where they fell to ran&s;acking the Corps of the dead Men; but while the re&s;t were bu&s;y about the
<PB REF="26">other four, one went to handle <HI>Ri|cardo,</HI> and &s;tirring and turning him to pluck of his Cloths, he not being quite dead, but only in a &s;wound, it recover'd him, and while the Fellow was about to pluck of his Breeches, he felt &s;o &s;en&s;ible a Box on the Ear, that it &s;tunn'd him; this frightned &s;ome of the Clowns &s;o, that they ran away, while another more hardy and wicked, up with a &s;tick, and laid <HI>Ricardo</HI> &s;uch a blow on the Head, that down he fell; but now &s;ee the Guards of the Corregidor enter, and &s;eize upon all in the Hou&s;e; for &s;ome Hou&s;es nearer the Town, ha|ving acquainted the Corregidor of what they had heard, he &s;ent the&s;e Guards to inquire into the bu&s;ine&s;s, and finding the place where they lay with &s;ome fre&s;h blood, they follow'd the tracts of the Cart-Wheel, that began in that place, this lead them to the Hou&s;e; they bound the Bores, and laying the Corps in the &s;ame Cart that brought them, (which
<PB N="39" REF="26">they knew by its being bloody) ty|ing the Bores to the Carts-Tail, and &s;o began to drive on; when of a &s;ud|den, <HI>Ricardo</HI> a &s;econd time began to recover. He was &s;trangely &s;urpriz'd when his faint Eyes beheld him&s;elf with tho&s;e Corps in the Cart; with much ado he made &s;hift to &s;peak, when one of the Guards hearing knew his Voice, though almo&s;t as much altered by faintne&s;s, as his Face by du&s;t and gore. They pre&s;ently took Handkerchiefs, and ty'd up his Wounds. When they came to Town, they put him in a Coach to be carried to his Hou&s;e; and the Bores were carried before the Corregidor, who committed them to Gaol. Many peo|ple flock about the Cart, where one knew his Fathers Body, another her Husbands; in &s;hort, they all found Friends to mourn for them and bury them; but innumerable were the im|precations laid on the Bores; the whole Town was &s;o inrag'd, that as they were going to Gaol, would have tore
<PB N="40" REF="27">them to pieces, the &s;evere&s;t Death to be imagin'd threatned them; the Corregidor being inrag'd at the u&s;age of his Cou&s;en <HI>Ricardo,</HI> and the peo|ple at the u&s;age of their Friends; &s;o that the poor Bores were loaded with Irons, and laid in a Dungeon; where we'll leave them biting their Nails, and Cur&s;ing their Misfortunes like di&s;tracted Men.</P>
<TRAILER>The End of the fir&s;t Part.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="27">
<P>Li&s;arda: OR, THE TRAVELS OF Love and Jealou&s;y.</P>
<P>PART II.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="28">
<PB N="43" REF="28">
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>NOW do not I know whether with truth I &s;hould begin with Gentle, Courteous, or Kind Reader; for perhaps you de&s;erve none of the&s;e Epithets; exa|mine your Con&s;cience, and if you find your &s;elf clear from having abus'd either Book or Author, &s;end me but word of it, and I have left &s;ufficient to have any of tho&s;e to begin with: But if you had ra|ther &s;how your Wit, and exerci&s;e your Talent in Critici&s;m; perhaps I &s;hall give you &s;ubject enough to work on in this &s;e|cond Part, &s;o that you would really be at a lo&s;s, if you have &s;pent all your Satyri|cal Phra&s;es on the first, and prodigally thrown away the last Jear your Mi&s;tre&s;s &s;ent you on an odd expre&s;&s;ion &s;he found
<PB N="44" REF="29">you had preferr'd from the Academy of Complements to your Heroick Love Epi|&s;tle; and for a further advancement made it the ridicul'd Interpreter of your Incomprehen&s;ible thoughts; your Lovely <HI>Caelia, Aminta,</HI> or what other fine Ro|mantick Names you have be&s;tow'd on the &s;weet Lady. I prote&s;t, Sir, if &s;o, you mu&s;t change your Company, and there wait a fit occa&s;ion to put it off a &s;econd time: Or el&s;e continue &s;aying every now and then, with a bonne Grace, But Damn me, Madam, if it ben't very &s;illy. This will do; for without doubt, Sir, the La|dies will credit you; and the unknown Au|thor hath but lo&s;t his labour, in think|ing to fore&s;tall you, and be &s;atyrical fir&s;t; he'll bemoan the lo&s;s of &s;o much pains; and ten to one the next Novel he writes, you will read in the Preface that he hath either hang'd or drown'd him&s;elf to put the thoughts of it out of his mind.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="45" REF="29">
<HEAD>Li&s;arda: OR, THE TRAVELS OF Love and Jealou&s;y.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">PART II.</HEAD>
<P>THE Corregidor daily vi&s;ited <HI>Ricardo Antonio,</HI> who though his Wounds were by the di|ligence of Skilful Surgeons almo&s;t heal'd, yet none under&s;tanding his
<PB N="46" REF="30">continued Di&s;temper, nor the means to heal his Heart, he was of a brisk Gallant Man, become extreamly the Contrary; full of thought, and often di&s;cour&s;ing and muttering to him|&s;elf, that the Corregidor extreamly fear'd Madne&s;s might be the Con&s;e|quence of his re&s;tle&s;s Mind; and therefore by all means endeavour'd to recreate him; but this augmented his unea&s;ine&s;s, by adding to his grief &s;uch things as he &s;hunn'd; therefore being wholly Cur'd of his Wounds, he re&s;olv'd by travel, thinking <HI>Li|&s;arda</HI> lo&s;t, to get rid of his Cordial, though trouble&s;ome Friends; and to this purpo&s;e, he, with all privacy, got things in a readine&s;s, and in the dusk|i&s;h of the Evening rid out of Town, and in &s;hort time arriv'd at <HI>Barcelona,</HI> and finding an opportunity to Em|barque, aboard the Gallies of the Great Duke of <HI>Tu&s;cany,</HI> who were up|on their return; before he Embark'd, by Letters he acquainted his Friends of his health, and taking Bills of Ex|change
<PB N="47" REF="30">for <HI>Rome,</HI> he &s;et forward.</P>
<P>He acquainted the Captain of the Gally who he was, who treated him with all the Re&s;pect due to a Per&s;on of his Merit, and order'd his Lodg|ing in the great Cabbin; where he endeavour'd to divert him&s;elf with the Lecture of &s;ome Books he had bought to that purpo&s;e at <HI>Barcelona;</HI> there was al&s;o lodg'd another Gentle|man near <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who&s;e Pen&s;ivene&s;s and Melancholy, occa&s;ion'd <HI>Ricardo</HI> to take notice of him, and made him de&s;irous to know the cau&s;e of his Sad|ne&s;s; &s;ometimes he was &s;een to lift up his Eyes to Heaven, at other times was heard to &s;igh and Cur&s;e his ad|ver&s;e Fortune. One night after the many that <HI>Ricardo</HI> had heard this Gentleman &s;igh and groan, when others were ble&s;s'd with repo&s;e, and only they two lay a-wake, (for with the grieved there is no plea&s;ing &s;lum|bers, nor re&s;t, but &s;uch as Nature by force extorts from their Melancholy hours) <HI>Ricardo</HI> &s;aid to him, <HI>Truly
<PB N="48" REF="31">Sir, though you are a &s;tranger to me, the trouble I perceive you lie under has ex|treamly di&s;turb'd me; for 'tis not a &s;mall Portion of Pity that &s;hould be be&s;tow'd on &s;o worthy a Gentleman under Affliction, which truly if I could any way remedy, I would willingly adventure my Life to ob|tain your quiet; and in travelling many times are knit the &s;tricte&s;t bonds of Friend&s;hip: Pardon me, (my own Con|dition &s;omewhat re&s;embling yours, in that I al&s;o am under very unea&s;y Circum&s;tan|ces) if I de&s;ire that we may for the time to come, be pair'd in the happy number of Friends; and therefore hoping your bounty will not refu&s;e my de&s;ire, I am willing to relate to you my Misfortunes, which I believe, if they are not greater, they may equal yours; hoping al&s;o that you'll pay me in the &s;ame Coin.</HI></P>
<P>Extreamly plea&s;ed was the Melan|choly Gentleman, with the courte|ous offers of <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who de&s;ir'd not to wonder that he of him&s;elf &s;hould relate a misfortune, that ought to be for his honour kept private from all
<PB N="49" REF="31">the World, but his Civilities had &s;uch influence over him, that he had not Power to refu&s;e him any thing; be&s;ides he thought the &s;tillne&s;s of the night requir'd a Companion to Di&s;|cour&s;e with to pa&s;s away tho&s;e tedi|ous hours; &s;o that <HI>Ricardo</HI> began, and related the whole &s;tory of his Misfor|tunes; and having ended, the Gen|tleman confe&s;t his Misfortunes were great, but tho&s;e he &s;hould relate were far exceeding his, in as much as he had not only lo&s;t a Mi&s;tre&s;s that he lov'd, but a Wife, whom he admir'd above all Worldly things; and his Honour, a thing that ought to be dearer than Life: And it was thus.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="history">
<HEAD><HI>The Hi&s;tory of Don</HI> Enrique Thomas.</HEAD>
<P>MY Name is <HI>Enrique Thomas de Guanches Fernandez Y&s;ugo,</HI> my Country <HI>Barcelona,</HI> the Metropolitan of the noble Principality of <HI>Cattalonna,</HI>
<PB N="50" REF="32">my Quality of the Mo&s;t Illu&s;trious in that State; my E&s;tate, though not of the large&s;t, yet enough; and my Age thirty four Years: There dwelt in the very next Hou&s;e to my Fathers, a young Lady, whom I lov'd as I grew in &s;en&s;e and years, beginning from my Childhood: I mi&s;take, I &s;hould &s;ay ador'd; for 'tis more than love, not to be &s;aid to live out of her &s;ight. Our Parents were intimate Friends, and &s;o our Acquaintance and Intima|cy was the le&s;s noted by the Neigh|bours, or &s;candaliz'd by the Envious. I will not tire you with the account of my Endeavours to plea&s;e and gain that amiable Creature, that would be to tire you, as al&s;o refre&s;h my Mind, and make me &s;uffer a &s;econd Martyrdom; but in &s;hort, I'll &s;ay no Art, no Indu&s;try, no Zeal, can ever &s;econd mine to <HI>Donna E&s;tefania,</HI> for &s;o is &s;he nam'd, who by her In|gratitude hath caus'd my Mi&s;ery; It will be enough to &s;ay we were both Children, our Loves great, her Beauty
<PB N="51" REF="32">va&s;t, and her behaviour at that time exceeding Mode&s;t, very Witty, and con&s;equently well di&s;cours'd; our op|portunity did not a little encrea&s;e our Flames, for with the leave of our Parents, we at any time might &s;ee each other; and indeed &s;eldom was it we were a &s;under; by which our Parents perceiving our de&s;ires, con|firm'd their Friend&s;hip by affinity, Marrying us both very young; who yet for all that, in our de&s;ires had been long wedded. Whoever &s;ay that Marriage gluts, and con&s;equently impairs Love, certainly mu&s;t be &s;uch dull Souls, who more like Brutes than Men, are but &s;atisfying their &s;en&s;ual Appetite, while I'm &s;ure all refin'd Spirits, who by the continual Enjoy|ment, have daily the Experiments of the Wit, the Mode&s;ty, the Love, the plea&s;ing Behaviour, affording daily fre&s;h &s;upplies to edge his Appetite, though her Beauty &s;hould dimini&s;h, and though I cannot pretend to more than ju&s;t a rea&s;onable Man, yet like
<PB N="52" REF="33">another <HI>Columbus,</HI> after many years of Enjoyment (when I thought it was impo&s;&s;ible to love more, I found new Worlds, and daily fre&s;h Delights, unknown to me the day before; ten Years did compleat my Joys with her, for as Heaven envy'd my Happine&s;s, and malicious Hell re&s;olv'd to ob&s;truct it, after the&s;e years where Joys and Ble&s;&s;ings crowded to me, by the va&s;t|ne&s;s, (I had been happier, had my love been le&s;s.) Our E&s;tates joining together was &s;o great, that her de&s;ire could not reach my Liberality, the O&s;tentation being conformable to our Riches, that we never &s;o much ap|pear'd Lover and Mi&s;tre&s;s, as when we were Man and Wife, but who would think it, Don <HI>Ricardo,</HI> that with all the&s;e vi&s;ible &s;igns of Love, (I am a&s;ham'd to &s;ay it) that <HI>E&s;tefa|nia</HI> &s;hould offend my Honour, that &s;he &s;hould defile my Bed, rejoicing in a Strangers Arms; at lea&s;t in de|&s;ire if not in deed; and who would think, that I being whom I am, &s;hould
<PB N="53" REF="33">live to own it, and that grief for the lo&s;s of my Honour &s;hould not deprive me of Life: I will not, my Dear Friend, nor will my Honour permit me to &s;peak ill of that Sex, &s;ince we owe our Births to them, with the dangers of their own lives; but lay|ing the&s;e natural Obligations a&s;ide, and to &s;peak how firm they ought to be, and how con&s;tant: tell me what tru&s;t can a Man put in that Sex, or who can &s;leep &s;ecure of their Trea|&s;ons, &s;ince <HI>E&s;tefania</HI> could be fal&s;e? But to tell the &s;tory of my Misfor|tune, Heaven having given me a Son, no le&s;s Beautiful than Witty, and ha|ving &s;een him brought up with all the Accompli&s;hments his Age was ca|pable of; and &s;ince I could not leave him a larger E&s;tate, I was de&s;irous to better it by a Title to &s;ome Habit; and advis'd with my Wife, who &s;aid &s;o much, and &s;eem'd &s;o eagerly to regret my ab&s;ence for the time re|quir'd to procure it at Court, that I even repented my &s;elf of the thought;
<PB N="54" REF="34">but con&s;idering it did import us, and above all, that I earne&s;tly de&s;ir'd it, with much ado &s;he gave me leave for fifteen days; for as &s;he knew not the Court, &s;he thought that enough to gain my preten&s;ions: In &s;hort, I left <HI>Barcelona,</HI> and in a &s;hort &s;pace arriv'd at <HI>Madrid,</HI> and order'd my affairs &s;o happily, that Fortune &s;eem'd de&s;irous to return me into <HI>E&s;tefania</HI>'s Arms; for the King under&s;tanding the de&s;ert and &s;ervices of my Fathers to the Crown, &s;hortened the di&s;patch: Every Letter I receiv'd from <HI>E&s;tefa|nia,</HI> was fill'd with Complaints of my ab&s;ence, and Prayers for my quick return; and I with the &s;ame de&s;ires, leaving my di&s;patches to the care of a Servant, made all po&s;&s;ible ha&s;te to reach <HI>Barcelona</HI> within the limits of the time given me; and taking Po&s;t, &s;uch was my diligence, that had not a Tempe&s;t of Rain, Thunder, and Lightning hinder'd, I had enter'd <HI>Barcelona</HI> on the third day after my &s;etting out of <HI>Madrid;</HI> but this &s;ud|den
<PB N="55" REF="34">change of the Weather, from a fine clear Day to a very &s;tormy Even|ing, oblig'd me to put into an Inne but two Leagues di&s;tant from my abode; where while I was re&s;ting my &s;elf, and ordering &s;omething for Supper, there came in a Gentleman, who by his Mein and Garb, I gue&s;t to be of Quality; but he was &s;o wet, that I was oblig'd, although I did not know him, to offer him my Servants to un|dre&s;s him and help to dry his Cloaths; and told him, if he pleas'd to accom|pany me at my Table, I &s;hould e&s;teem the Favour, and that he might al&s;o lodge with me: <HI>Don Federico</HI> thankt me (for &s;o was his Name;) and af|ter Supper, we pa&s;s'd an hour or two in relating Stories and &s;everal other Matters: In which di&s;cour&s;e he &s;hew'd much Judgment, &s;peaking excellent Sen&s;e, and withal very chearful and witty. It being time now to betake our &s;elves to our Lodging, we went into our Chamber, where while my Servant was undre&s;&s;ing me, he &s;aid;
<PB N="56" REF="35">Sir, you expected a plea&s;anter Nights Lodging than what you'll find here, the Storm having depriv'd you of my Ladies Company: <HI>Federico</HI> an&s;wer'd al&s;o, vex'd at his ill luck, That Misfor|tune reaches both of us, for I al&s;o thought to have had the Embraces of an Angelical Creature; that tho' it may be vain-glorious for me to &s;ay it, loves me, and is indeed in my mind the fine&s;t Woman in <HI>Barcelona;</HI> when, in&s;tead of that, I found my &s;elf in a Storm that drove me into this Hou&s;e, where were it not for <HI>Don Enrique</HI>'s Courte&s;ie in admitting me into his Company, had far'd much wor&s;e.</P>
<P>The Night is &s;uch, &s;aid I, (not dreaming of my Misfortune) that it would have been a Misfortune to the Lady, had you got thither; for I fear you are not in the be&s;t Condi|tion to Content her. If it were not her Beauty, &s;aid the inadvertiz'd Gen|tleman, her Name is &mdash; unfortunate: The Servants took no notice of our
<PB N="57" REF="35">Di&s;cour&s;e, and &s;o unwilling to dive further into the Matter before them, I &s;taid till we were in Bed, and they had lock'd the Doors and were gone; but no &s;ooner did I &s;ee our &s;elves a|lone, but with as impertinent a Cu|rio&s;ity, as malicious, and de&s;ignedly to know the Lady's Name, I told him, I thought no Name in <HI>Spain</HI> un|fortunate, becau&s;e they are Names of Saints that are always given in <HI>Spain.</HI> To this he an&s;wer'd, That ever &s;ince in <HI>Castile</HI> there was a Lady named <HI>Estefania,</HI> who was kill'd by her Hu&s;|band, without ever offending him, only by the deceit of a Servant, That it was a vulgar Attribute of the <HI>Este|fania's</HI> to be unfortunate. According to this your Lady is called <HI>E&s;tefania</HI> &s;aid I, a little altered: And he an|&s;wer'd, Having told you the Story fir&s;t, it would be a folly to think to hide her Name now: So craving leave to &s;leep, he turn'd him&s;elf, and left me not altogether free from a vil|lainous &s;u&s;picion of being Horn'd:
<PB REF="36">But however, when I repre&s;ented to my &s;elf all the Letters of <HI>E&s;tefania</HI>'s De&s;ire of my Return, her continual Love to me, her mode&s;t Behaviour, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> I thought it a madne&s;s to think her fal&s;e, whom I &s;uppos'd as pure as Ve&s;tal Virgins, except in the Obliga|tion of Matrimony, and &s;o per&s;waded my &s;elf in the City there might be others of the Name. It was hardly Day when I gave <HI>Federico</HI> the Good|morrow, asking him if he would ri&s;e to go into the City, that we might be there before Noon; and becau&s;e he told me, that his Affairs requir'd him to &s;tay till Night, and &s;o I might go alone, and that afterwards he would enquire for me: But to tell you the Truth, my De&s;ire was to be &s;atisfied in my Mind, and to know who this <HI>E&s;tefania</HI> was that he Gal|lanted; &s;o that I told him, that I would &s;tay al&s;o and go along with him. He attributed this to Cour|te&s;ie and Affection, which indeed was Doubt and Jealou&s;ie. We re|turned
<PB N="59" REF="36">to the &s;ame Di&s;cour&s;e that we had before, and I offer'd my Service to him, if there were any Danger in the Atchievement of his Love. He thankt me, and told me there was no Danger, for though I have &s;everal Nights been within the Hou&s;e, yet I have not &s;een the Street, nor out|ward Walls, nor could I find the Hou&s;e, though I endeavour'd it, &s;uch has been the Care and Secrecy of the Owner. 'Tis very &s;trange &s;aid I, for you &s;eem to contradict your &s;elf; How could you &s;o often be in a Hou&s;e without &s;eeing the Street? Well, that I may not &s;eem a Cheat to you, I'll tell you, &s;aid he, and let you &s;ee the cunning Contrivances of the <HI>Sex</HI> when they would carry on an <HI>Intrigue.</HI> I was one Afternoon in the great Street buying a piece of Silk, and there came a Lady Veil'd to buy &s;ome Ribboning, and though now well cover'd with her Veil, yet at her fir&s;t entrance into the Shop, &s;he was not &s;o much cover'd, but I &s;aw a
<PB N="60" REF="37">a Glimp&s;e of the mo&s;t charming Creature I ever beheld: I came to her with the Courte&s;ie men of my Quality &s;hould, de&s;iring her to take what &s;he had a mind to, without any other Intere&s;t, than to accept on't; She turn'd to her Servant, as 'twas, laughing at my Proffer, or wondring at my Liberality, being unu&s;ual: I di&s;cours'd with her awhile, and at la&s;t &s;he came to tell me, that my Per&s;on pleas'd her, and that not through lightne&s;s, but a certain &s;e|cret Inclination oblig'd her to love me, from the very time &s;he fir&s;t &s;aw me; for as Fowls have no Sex, &s;o I think it not &s;trange for a Woman to love at fir&s;t any more than a Man; but &s;he oblig'd me not to follow her, telling me, &s;he was a Woman of more Obligations than I could ima|gine; but that if I de&s;ir'd to &s;ee her again, &s;he would expect me in a Walk call'd <HI>La Marina,</HI> naming me the Day and Hour I &s;hould meet her. I really thought this, added he, but
<PB N="61" REF="37">a Trick to get rid of me, till the Day and Hour that I was appointed, I &s;aw her coming thither in a Coach, and &s;tepping forth, that we might be more free and &s;olitary, we took a Boat and went up the River; She acquainting me with her Love, tel|ling me &s;he wi&s;ht &s;he were in a Con|dition to di&s;po&s;e of her &s;elf, and I thanking her for tho&s;e va&s;t Favours, promis'd to love none other but her &s;elf: Thus did we &s;everal Days con|tinue our Interviews, but one After|noon that I found her in more than her ordinary loving Humour, I laid hold on the Opportunity, de&s;irous to know her Quality. I pray'd her, &s;ince I was confident her Ingenuity could not be wanting to find a means of our &s;eeing one another without gi|ving her the trouble of coming out of her Hou&s;e; at fir&s;t &s;he made &s;ome Difficulty, but Love, according to the <HI>Latin</HI> Phra&s;e, <HI>Overcomes all things,</HI> made her at la&s;t agree to it, but on condition I &s;hould behave my &s;elf
<PB REF="38">with great Care of her Reputation, with all Secrecy, and not be Inqui|&s;itive farther than &s;he would let me know her Plea&s;ure. The&s;e Articles, with &s;everal others to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e, agreed on between us, we part|ed, but not for long, for the next Day I was to go to her Hou&s;e in the man|ner &s;he &s;hould propo&s;e. Accordingly the next Day at the <HI>Marina</HI> Walk I expected her Orders. I had not been there long, before I &s;aw two men bringing a Chair, in green Liveries, who bad me enter, and then clo&s;ing all things well about me that I could not &s;ee, they had no &s;ooner &s;eated me and open'd the Chair, but I found my &s;elf in a fine large Room very well furni&s;ht, hung with Arras, the Andirons Plate, E&s;critores and Cabi|nets of curious worked Olive, inlaid with Ivory and Ebbony, and very fine Pictures: I had but ju&s;t turn'd round to &s;ee this Room, when the beauteous Lady came to me, into who&s;e Hou&s;e I often entred thus, be|ing
<PB N="63" REF="38">&s;till carried out in the &s;ame man|ner; once my Curio&s;ity, contrary to my Promi&s;e urged me, &s;eeing one of the Chair-men in the Street that us'd to carry me, to ask who&s;e Livery that was? and they told me, that it belong'd to <HI>Donna E&s;tefania de Ar|costy fuentes,</HI> by which I have &s;up|pos'd that to be the Name of the charming Creature I love.</P>
<P>Here <HI>Federico</HI> put an end to his Story, and I remain'd confirm'd in the Opinion of my Di&s;grace, and yet I had &s;ome Place to doubt it, becau&s;e all he had &s;aid was Ambiguous, and might &s;erve for &s;ome other unfortu|nate; but &s;uch delight he took in the relation of it, that he told &s;o many Circum&s;tances and &s;igns of the Hou&s;e, as of the Beds, Cabinets, Hangings, and particularizing &s;ome Pieces of rare Paintings, of which I have ma|ny, (being a great Admirer of them) of the Hands of all the mo&s;t famous Arti&s;ts, by which I was a&s;&s;ur'd my Hou&s;e was the abus'd; and therefore
<PB N="64" REF="39">di&s;&s;embling the Matter as much as I could, becau&s;e about Four in the Af|ternoon we mounted our Hor&s;es, and began our Journey towards the Town, he &s;till telling what Plea&s;ures he hop'd, and as it were each Word &s;tabbed me to the Heart, for &s;o doth every Injury done to my Honour reach the tendere&s;t part about me; but I when I &s;aw my &s;elf on the Road, was not &s;o careful of any thing as to watch a convenient time, if not to Cure, at lea&s;t to Revenge my Ho|nour by his Death: Therefore I or|der'd my Servants to make ha&s;te be|fore us to tell my infamous Wife of my coming: At the cro&s;&s;ing of a very thick Wood, where for many Years the Branches of the Trees hid the Roots from the heat of the Sun, I drew my Sword and gave him &s;o &s;trong a thru&s;t through the Brea&s;t, that without &s;peaking he fell on the Ground, where lighting from my Hor&s;e I gave him many Blows, that in a &s;hort time I put him pa&s;t offend|ing
<PB N="65" REF="39">me, or defending him&s;elf; he begg'd me not to kill him, but to give him time to confe&s;s, not knowing me, nor for why I u&s;ed him &s;o cru|elly: I then thinking it would be too much Rigour, not to &s;pare him &s;o much time, &s;ince in it though his Bo|dy was beyond the Art of Chirurge|ry to heal, his Soul might be cured; I left him alive; for one thing it is to revenge my Honour as a Gentleman, and another thing to be a Chri&s;tian; as I was offended, and in &s;o nice a point, I thought I ought to have ended him; but as a Catholick I held back my Arm, that he might &s;ave his Soul; for to hinder a dying man of Confe&s;&s;ion, is to out-brave Impiety it &s;elf, and follow the Offender into Hell with my Revenge, and without doubt it hardens the Heart of God again&s;t &s;uch a one, when he &s;hall de|mand Mercy: therefore hearing Hor|&s;es at a di&s;tance, that I might not be di&s;cover'd, I mounted and rode away, and as I rid I con&s;ider'd what
<PB N="66" REF="40">was to be done hence-forward, and con&s;idering with my &s;elf that to kill my Wife, would be to publi&s;h the Infamy as done, which was but ju&s;t conceiv'd in Thought, and by that our Family would lo&s;e its ancient Lu&s;tre, I thought it a better Revenge to deprive her of my &s;ight for ever; and with this Re&s;olution in a &s;hort time I overtook my Servants, to whom I &s;aid, that on a Di&s;cour&s;e of nothing we had had &s;ome few words, and that his Opiniati&s;m had afronted me by his u&s;ing &s;ome uncivil Lan|guage, on which we fought, and in which Fight I had kill'd him, &s;o that I would not have it known in <HI>Barce|lona</HI> that I had left <HI>Madrid,</HI> but in di&s;gui&s;e enter the Town, and &s;o Em|bark for <HI>Italy,</HI> or &s;ome foreign Coun|try; and hearing of the&s;e Gallies, I addre&s;t my &s;elf to the Captain of this Gally, who hath been very civil to me; but amid&s;t all the Civilities he hath &s;hewn, there is none I e&s;teem more than having plac'd you &s;o near me:
<PB N="67" REF="40">But now &s;ee, continu'd he, if any Mi&s;|fortune can be greater than mine, that loving (for I mu&s;t own &s;till I adore her) my Wife, I am forc'd never to &s;ee her more; while every one thinks perhaps, there being &s;o many High-way-men here abouts, that I am faln into &s;ome &s;uch hands, and murder'd: Ah! I would to God it were &s;o, or that it had been a com|mon Soul to have born this Affront, that had not the lo&s;s of his Honour &s;o imprinted in his Soul; that yet &s;ometimes a Thought of Revenge will break through the Walls of Love, and makes me &s;ometimes wi&s;h I had &s;erv'd my Wife, as I did <HI>Fe|derico.</HI></P>
<P>With Rea&s;on did <HI>Ricardo</HI> admire the &s;trange Story <HI>Enrique</HI> told, which began their Acquaintance, and con|tinued, &s;o that being Arriv'd at <HI>Na|ples</HI> they re&s;olv'd not to part, but to Travel together: And having &s;een all the Curio&s;ities of that &s;tately Ci|ty, they pa&s;t by <HI>Civita Vecchia</HI> to
<PB REF="41"><HI>Rome,</HI> where <HI>Ricardo</HI> took Money for his Journey upon his Bills of Ex|change, and when they had ki&s;s'd the <HI>Pope</HI>'s Feet, and &s;een tho&s;e innu|merable things worthy of Remark in this famous City, they departed, with intention to go to <HI>Loretta,</HI> and vi&s;it that Hou&s;e, where &s;o many thou&s;ands daily come out of Devo|tion; but as they were going into the Church, he was &s;topt by a Man on his Knees, who cry'd out, <HI>For|give me, Sir, what-ever I have offended you in; I am heartily &s;orry, and must own 'tis only in your va&s;t Genero&s;ity and known Goodne&s;s I tru&s;t.</HI> This &s;tartled <HI>Ricardo,</HI> but Reflecting, he remem|bred <HI>Don Fulgentio Antonio</HI>'s Voice, and bidding him Ri&s;e, he told him he'd freely forgive him, and &s;o walk|ing into the Church, where after they had done their Devotions, and &s;ati&s;|fied their Curio&s;ity, they Retir'd to their Lodgings, and while Dinner was getting ready, <HI>Ricardo</HI> de&s;ir'd <HI>Fulgentio</HI> to Relate to him the Occa|&s;ion
<PB N="69" REF="41">of his Travels, and as far as might be known, the cau&s;e of his vi&s;it|ing this Place of Devotion; which he con&s;ented to do, on his Promi&s;e that all pa&s;t Actions &s;hould be forgot; and thus began:</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="history">
<HEAD><HI>The Hi&s;tory of</HI> Don Ful|gentio Antonio.</HEAD>
<P>MY Preten&s;ions to <HI>Donna Clara Li&s;arda</HI> you are &s;ufficiently ac|quainted with; how earne&s;tly I lov'd, it is hardly po&s;&s;ible in my Opinion to Comprehend; this hath been the Cau&s;e of all my Misfortunes which happen'd, as follows:</P>
<P>After my mi&s;take was di&s;cover'd when I met you on the Road, &s;uch a Raging Madne&s;s po&s;&s;e&s;t my Soul, that had it not been Envy and a de|&s;ire of Revenge, I had certainly en|ded my Life by laying violent hands on my &s;elf, where there lay no fault; for your too great Genero&s;ity as it
<PB REF="42">made me appear a Villain, &s;o my Villainy made it appear the more re|&s;plendent amid&s;t all my ra&s;h Acti|ons, by which any other man, le&s;s good than your &s;elf, &s;o often as For|tune favour'd you with the Oppor|tunity, would have made u&s;e of your Victory; (&s;o far was you from de&s;er|ving any blame) that you never &s;o much as offer'd to &s;atisfie a Revenge that might have grown in any o|ther Brea&s;t.</P>
<P>After I found that in&s;tead of <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> I had married <HI>Clara,</HI> finding by what you &s;aid, and <HI>Clara,</HI> that you went in &s;earch of <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> I pre&s;ently drove to a Village of mine, where with the Offers of a Reward I got eight of my Servants to wait your Return, giving <HI>Clara</HI> a thou&s;and &s;weet words le&s;t &s;he might ob&s;truct my De&s;ign. I left her in the Village while we, well Mounted and Arm'd, waited your Return on the Road, where you know how we rid away with the Coach: I hoping by this to confirm her in the
<PB REF="42">Belief of your Infidelity; and if not to get my own Ends at lea&s;t, to di&s;|po&s;e her never to make you happy While we were on the way I u&s;ed my Rhetorick, with all the Vows and Prote&s;tations imaginable, after my endeavours of di&s;&s;wading her from you; then I told her that now 'twas in my power whither I'd car|ry her, and how I'd di&s;po&s;e of her; and therefore &s;he had better comply than venture the Di&s;plea&s;ure of a cho|lerick Man: But all this produc'd nothing but Scorn and Slights from her, telling me no Man &s;hould ever have her, except <HI>Ricardo,</HI> who, how|ever the Misfortune happen'd that Night, &s;he was &s;en&s;ible he lov'd her, and was one de&s;erving her love. I told her you were kill'd in the Skir|mi&s;h. With that a Flood of Tears drop'd from her Eyes; O ye Powers &s;aid &s;he! Then is <HI>Ricardo</HI> dead, and dar'&s;t thou Villain, who hath been the cau&s;e, appear before me? go, know I loath Thee, and that now I'll die a
<PB N="72" REF="43">Maid, and ever bemoan the lo&s;s of that brave Man. But then is he dead, &s;aid &s;he, and the Cau&s;e &s;o near me yet lives! Snatching my Dagger from my &s;ide, gave me a Wound in my Brea&s;t, that had certainly kill'd me had her Arm had but a little more &s;trength: At la&s;t, when I &s;aw no|thing could prevail, and that in her Company I endanger'd my Life, I be|thought my &s;elf of carrying her to a Country-Hou&s;e I had, where I would keep her &s;ome time, to &s;ee if I po&s;&s;i|bly could gain her by all the Endea|vours that Love and Kindne&s;s could invent; which I did, and re&s;olving not to &s;tay with her, but to ab&s;ent my &s;elf awhile, giving &s;trict Orders to my Servants not to let her e&s;cape, but withal, to let her have all &s;he could demand. I returned to <HI>Clara,</HI> who daily &s;o endeavoured to make me love her; and con&s;idering I was married, and that I had be&s;t to make my Life as ea&s;ie as I could: In two Months time &s;eeing no hope of pre|vailing
<PB N="73" REF="43">on <HI>La&s;arda, Clara</HI> had &s;o far gain'd me, that I really felt Motions of the greate&s;t Tenderne&s;s for her; and as they &s;ay, <HI>Love begets Love,</HI> &s;o was it with me; I left plying <HI>Li&s;ar|da</HI> with Letters, and began to forget her, and to have my Thoughts wholly taken up by <HI>Clara:</HI> So that at la&s;t I took Coach and went to vi|&s;it <HI>Li&s;arda;</HI> and having heard that after you was heal'd, you went to Travel, told her what I knew, which &s;o Rejoyc'd her, that &s;he ea&s;ily par|don'd me for all things pa&s;t, and &s;o ordering a Coach, I had her convey'd to Town, where &s;he remains in her Fathers Hou&s;e. With what Plea&s;ure <HI>Ricardo</HI> heard all this, is not to be expre&s;s'd, but it was plainly &s;een by his change of Countenance, for now he had recover'd a certain Gaiety and Briskne&s;s common to him before his Misfortune: But Dinner coming up &s;top'd the Procedure of <HI>Fulgentio</HI>'s re|lation. <HI>Don Enrique</HI> all the while at Dinner perceiv'd &s;uch Alacrity in
<PB N="74" REF="44"><HI>Don Ricardo</HI>'s Looks, and ob&s;erving the many Que&s;tions he ask'd <HI>Don Fulgentio</HI> of <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s Health, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that he ea&s;ily perceiv'd the Plea&s;ure he took in hearing of her, and &s;o began her Health, for which <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> thank'd him; but no &s;ooner was Din|ner ended, but <HI>Fulgentio</HI> was de&s;ir'd to continue his Relation; which was thus:</P>
<P>After I had got <HI>Li&s;arda</HI>'s Pardon, and heard &s;he was &s;afe at her Fa|thers, my Love encreas'd &s;o much towards <HI>Clara,</HI> that I don't know whether I could have thought my &s;elf happier with any one. She &s;ent to her Relations, who were over-joy'd at her good Fortune, in getting a Husband after her mi&s;carriage, and one of my Quality; they made her an indifferent Portion: But as I lov'd her, &s;o did I grow jealous of her, re|membring &s;he had been faulty, and having one Night &s;tay'd out, the next Morning a Servant told me he had &s;een a Man enter into my Hou&s;e, that
<PB N="75" REF="44">was but ju&s;t gone before my coming, who with all their Privacy in bring|ing him in and out, could not e&s;cape his Eyes: I without any further a&s;|&s;urance, thought it mu&s;t be <HI>Clara</HI> that was faulty, and there-withal go|ing to her, though &s;he lay a&s;leep, wak'd her with a thou&s;and Reproa|ches, upbraiding her with her former Life; and maugre all the A&s;&s;urances and Prote&s;tations &s;he made, to &s;uch a height my Choler grew, that I &s;truck her, &s;he all the while with Tears and pitying avouching her In|nocency, de&s;iring me to make fur|ther enquiry ere I proceeded &s;o ra&s;h|ly to accu&s;e her; but I was deaf to all &s;he &s;aid, and in&s;en&s;ible with Rage, &s;till continuing my ill u&s;age: At la&s;t putting on her Night Gown, &s;he came near a Table where a Pen-knife lay, and taking it up, gave her &s;elf &s;everal Stabs, and then &s;aid; <HI>Sir, I own I never was worthy of you, I own my Faults with which you upbraid me, but the&s;e being the la&s;t words which I &s;hall
<PB N="76" REF="45">&s;peak, be &s;atisfied I am innocent as to what you now accu&s;e me.</HI> Ju&s;t as &s;he was repeating the&s;e words, in came the Maid that waited on her in her Chamber, and &s;eeing the Tragedy of her Mi&s;tre&s;s, and having heard at the Door part of our Di&s;cour&s;e, &s;he cry'd, <HI>O, Sir! what have you done? 'Twas I brought in the Man last Night, who is my Husband, though my Marriage was unknown till now.</HI> Hearing this, I had no Patience; I &s;ent for Surgeons, and in the mean time we endeavour'd to tye up her Wounds: A thou&s;and times I ask'd her Pardon; to which &s;he an&s;wer'd, <HI>Alas! Sir, I forgive you, but 'tis too late for Remedy, I find my fleeting Soul departing from my Body; but with much ea&s;e I die, &s;ince you are &s;a|tisfied, and love me &s;till;</HI> Then drawing me by my and, &s;he brought my lips to hers, and immediately dy'd. This is the Misfortune hath brought me hi|ther, to make Atonement for all my Sins, of which I hope God will ac|cept.</P>
<PB N="77" REF="45">
<P>No &s;ooner had he ended this Re|lation, but <HI>Ricardo</HI> begg'd of <HI>Enrique</HI> to accompany him to <HI>Andaluzia,</HI> where he might be &s;afe in his Hou&s;e from the &s;earch the Law made after him, which he con&s;ented to; &s;o lea|ving the penitent <HI>Fulgentio</HI> to fini&s;h his Romery, they in all ha&s;te Rid towards <HI>Florence,</HI> and Arriving at <HI>Leghorn,</HI> opportunely found a Ship bound for <HI>Barcelona;</HI> they went Aboard, and having a fair Wind, in little time Arriv'd at their wi&s;h'd for Haven; but <HI>Enrique</HI> not willing to land at <HI>Barcelona</HI> for fear of being known, they were &s;et a&s;hore at <HI>Mon|&s;errate,</HI> a place where crowds of all &s;orts of People flock to pay their De|votions to an Image, by whom they &s;uppo&s;e many Miracles wrought, called, <HI>Our Lady of Mon&s;errate;</HI> but no &s;ooner were they come into the Inne, and a little re&s;ted their &s;elves, but leaning out of the Window, <HI>En|rique</HI> &s;aw a Litter &s;top at the Door of the Inne where they lodg'd, &s;ix
<PB REF="46">Servants attending it, and as the Ma&s;ter, a Gentleman very fine; but no &s;ooner had he &s;een two Ladies &s;tep out of the Litter, but <HI>Ricardo</HI> ob&s;erv'd he chang'd his Colour, and remain'd Confus'd, Melancholy and Thoughtful; and Reflecting on this, ask'd him, <HI>What was the matter?</HI> When he an&s;wer'd in a great Pa&s;&s;i|on; <HI>Sir, What &s;hall I &s;ay? Or, what can &s;ufficiently expre&s;s my Misfortune; if I &s;ee come out of that Litter the infamous ba&s;e</HI> E&s;tefania, <HI>with my Enemy</HI> Don Federico. <HI>Ricardo</HI> pray'd him to con|&s;ider and be advis'd, to do nothing ra&s;hly: The&s;e things, &s;aith he, ought to be governed with Prudence, o|therwi&s;e con&s;ider what Scandal your Pa&s;&s;ion may bring upon your Fa|mily. Therefore &s;aith he, Let me ad|vertize you to be quiet, and not to di&s;turb your &s;elf; be &s;atisfied you have a Friend by your &s;ide, who to &s;ati&s;|fie the lea&s;t Scruple of your Honour, would lo&s;e many Lives. With this he came a little to him&s;elf. The place
<PB N="79" REF="46">being but &s;mall, and the People ma|ny that flock thither, they could not get Accommodations in the Hou&s;e. <HI>Ricardo</HI> locking <HI>Enrique</HI> in a Room, de&s;ir'd he might have the manage|ment of this Affair, le&s;t he in his Pa&s;|&s;ion might do what with Rea&s;on he might Repent hereafter; and then going down to the Litter, he de&s;ired they would be plea&s;ed to accept of his Quarters, till the Servants might find &s;ome more Commodious; which Offer they kindly accepted of, and <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> brought them into a Dining-Room that joyned to that <HI>Enrique</HI> was lockt in; of which <HI>En|rique</HI> was pre&s;ently advertized: &s;o that hearkning at the Key-hole, he heard the following Di&s;cour&s;e. <HI>Ri|cardo</HI> after &s;ome Complements pa&s;t, crav'd the Honour that they would let that Chance be the beginning of an Acquaintance and Friend&s;hip be|tween them, which he &s;hould highly value: They an&s;wered him, The greate&s;t Plea&s;ure and Satisfaction
<PB N="80" REF="47">would be theirs; and then enquired where he was going, and from whence he came. To the fir&s;t he an&s;wer'd, <HI>He was going to</HI> Andaluzia: And to the &s;econd, <HI>That he came from</HI> Italy, <HI>and that only for the &s;ake of two Years Travelling, and Diverting him&s;elf.</HI> Hardly had <HI>Donna E&s;tefania</HI> heard him name <HI>Italy,</HI> but turning to her Si&s;ter, and <HI>Federico,</HI> &s;aid, <HI>To the be&s;t of my remembrance, 'tis there-abouts, though each Day hath &s;eem'd an Eter|nity, that my dear</HI> Don Enrique <HI>hath been wanting, and according to what I have heard travell'd that &s;ame way. So many are the</HI> Spaniards <HI>in that Country,</HI> reply'd Ricardo, <HI>and &s;o many I have been there acquainted with, that it is &s;trange I have not met with him. His Name is</HI> Don Enrique, <HI>&s;aid</HI> Donna E&s;tefania, <HI>with Tears trickling down her Cheeks. Ricardo</HI> having this Oc|ca&s;ion, told her, <HI>He knew him very well, and that he had been his Compa|nion many Miles; and the Rea&s;on, as he told me, that he &s;tay'd at</HI> Milain, <HI>was
<PB N="81" REF="47">a Bu&s;ine&s;s of Honour that Bani&s;ht him from his Country, and without hopes of Return. Donna E&s;tefania</HI> hearing this, could not longer bear with her ex|ce&s;&s;ive Grief; &s;o that giving a great Sigh, &s;he would have &s;poke, but <HI>Fe|derico</HI> de&s;iring her to be Patient, cra|ved her leave to tell the Story, as the be&s;t Witne&s;s of the Misfortune.</P>
<P>The Haps and Rencounter of this World are &s;ometimes no le&s;s &s;trange than difficult to Penetrate: and that you may give notice to her Friend <HI>Don Enrique,</HI> how much to his own and his Ladies Di&s;quiet he is decei|ved, as al&s;o of my Innocence, Sir, I mu&s;t fir&s;t acquaint you that <HI>Valla|doled</HI> is the Place where I fir&s;t breath'd, and having been affronted there in &s;uch a manner, that I was Obliged in defence of my Honour, having an Opportunity to write my Di&s;plea|&s;ure in his Face, and marking him for one of a forwarder Tongue than Courage, my Friends fearing the Con&s;equence, his Quality and Inte|re&s;t
<PB N="82" REF="48">being Great, they &s;ent me to <HI>Barcelona,</HI> to avoid tho&s;e Troubles that might follow; where after Hun|ting, one Evening, by a Storm I was forc'd to put into a Hou&s;e upon the Road, and di&s;cour&s;ing of what is mo&s;t common to young Men; Love I mean, (to a Gentleman, who by the Tokens I gave of him, we know to be <HI>Don Enrique;</HI>) I chanc'd to tell the Story of my Amours with a La|dy, who&s;e Name I did not know, nor could I de&s;cribe any more than the in&s;ide of the Hou&s;e, her Care ha|ving been &s;uch, that I was carried in and out in a Chair clo&s;e on every &s;ide, when ever I was honoured to &s;ee her at her Dwelling. This Lady <HI>Donna Angela,</HI> the Si&s;ter of <HI>Donna E|&s;tefania</HI> is the Per&s;on whom <HI>Donna Estefania</HI> had invited to &s;tay with her, during the Ab&s;ence of her Hu&s;|band, and that directed by her Stars, and not my De&s;erts, loved me: But one Day &s;eeing one of the Chair-men, I askt a Neighbour who&s;e Livery
<PB N="83" REF="48">that was, and telling me it was <HI>Don|na E&s;tefania</HI>'s, I &s;uppo&s;ed that to be the Name of the Per&s;on that I loved, and naming her &s;o to <HI>Don Enrique;</HI> this occa&s;ion'd all our Misfortune, for he as we were the next day Riding hither, drew, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Here <HI>Don Enrique</HI> not having any longer Patience, but over-joy'd to hear his Wife was innocent; as <HI>Ri|cardo</HI> was a-going to &s;urprize them by opening the Door, and giving <HI>Donna E&s;tefania</HI> a &s;ight of what &s;he &s;o much lov'd, bur&s;t it open with his Foot, and running to his Wife, Em|brac'd her, begging Pardon for his Su&s;picion and Jealou&s;ie; then turn|ing to <HI>Federico,</HI> begg'd his al&s;o: And thus was their Melancholy turn'd in|to the greate&s;t Ec&s;ta&s;ie of Joy; then <HI>Donna E&s;tefania</HI> told him that he mu&s;t wi&s;h Joy to her Si&s;ter and <HI>Don Fe|derico,</HI> who were Man and Wife; which he did, being very well plea|&s;ed with the Match: Then Supper was brought up, and having &s;upp'd,
<PB N="84" REF="49"><HI>Enrique</HI> enquired further of the Sto|ry, and <HI>Federico</HI> told him, that he wounded him extreamly, but by the A&s;&s;i&s;tance of &s;ome Shepherds he was brought to Town, but lay under the Surgeon's hands three Months; and the thing coming to be known who was the Author of that Deed, it was talkt about the Town as if <HI>Donna E&s;tefania</HI> had di&s;honoured you, which made us make an end the &s;ooner of our Court&s;hip and marry; and then having the liberty to tell the Story, we cleared both you and your Lady, and the Town were &s;atisfied. Ha|ving ended their Di&s;cour&s;e, <HI>Ricardo</HI> told <HI>Enrique,</HI> That though he lo&s;t the Satisfaction of having his Com|pany on the Road, yet he hoped he might have the Honour of their com|ing to his Nuptials; and though he could not expect them to go imme|diately, yet, &s;aid he, It may be an agreeable Divertizement for them to go as far into the Country as his A|bode, where though he could pro|mi&s;e
<PB N="85" REF="49">them no great Entertainment, yet they &s;hould be heartily Welcome, and he thought the Company of that loving Pair would extreamly Grace his Marriage, which he hoped would be &s;hortly Celebrated: Then <HI>Donna Angela</HI> de&s;ired to know if &s;he might be acquainted with his Mi&s;tre&s;&s;es Name, which he told her was <HI>Li&s;ar|da;</HI> O then, Sir, &s;aith &s;he, you may &s;afe|ly depend on your Marriage, for by her Name I gue&s;s yours to be <HI>Don Ricardo Antonio,</HI> the only Per&s;on &s;he hath told me &s;hould be her Husband; for about three Months ago I came acquainted with her here, &s;he ha|ving vowed the Romery for your Pro&s;perity; we became &s;o intimate|ly acquainted lodging in the &s;ame Inne together, that &s;he told me the whole Story of your Loves. After this <HI>Ricardo</HI> made a Complement to <HI>Federico</HI> of his Bed for him&s;elf and his Lady, and <HI>Enrique</HI> with his La|dy betook them&s;elves to his own; and <HI>Ricardo</HI> getting not quite &s;o fit|ting
<PB REF="50">a Lodging for a Lady, retired contentedly to it, and in the Morn|ing early getting up, got his Hor&s;e in a readine&s;s; when his Friends were ju&s;t beginning to &s;tir, he took leave of them, with their Promi&s;e to fol|low him, and &s;ets forward for <HI>An|daluzia.</HI></P>
<P>Love hath Wings, and never did he accompli&s;h a Journey in &s;o &s;hort a time. It was about 11 at Night when he entred the Town, and perceiving &s;ome Gentlemen at the Door of <HI>Don|na Clara Li&s;arda</HI>'s Hou&s;e, tuning their In&s;truments, by which he knew they had a mind to Divert &s;ome Lady; he at a di&s;tance alighted off his Hor&s;e, de&s;irous, if it was po&s;&s;ible, to know who the&s;e were, &s;erenading, as he thought, his Mi&s;tre&s;s: Therefore by chance finding the next Door open, he entred as if it were his own hou&s;e, and &s;o putting him&s;elf behind the Door, unperceived by them, he heard their Song and Mu&s;ick, which was no &s;ooner ended, but he heard the
<PB N="87" REF="50">Lady &s;hut her Window; the Com|pany took leave of one another, and one who &s;eemed to be the Ma&s;ter of this Treat, mounted a Hor&s;eback: <HI>Don Ricardo,</HI> though tired with a long Journey, and very de&s;irous to &s;ee <HI>Don Pedro de Vargas</HI> the Corregidor, yet more de&s;irous to &s;ee his &s;uppo&s;ed Rival, he mounted his Hor&s;e with intention to follow him; but of a &s;udden he &s;aw him&s;elf &s;urrounded with &s;ix men, who asked him, Whe|ther he would part with his Money or his Life; <HI>Ricardo</HI> more anger'd at their hindring his De&s;ign, than their Audacity, gave no other Reply, but &s;hot and killed one of them, the re&s;t &s;et upon him, but he defended him|&s;elf &s;o well, till his &s;uppo&s;ed Rival, not yet got &s;o far off, but that he heard the Noi&s;e they made, was re|turn'd, by which the Rogues forgot the thoughts of Booty, and endea|voured to &s;ave their Lives by run|ning: And <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> thus freed, turning to thank the Gentleman,
<PB REF="51">knew him for his Cou&s;in <HI>Don Pedro</HI> the Corregidor. Great were their Joy, for &s;eeing each other, throwing them&s;elves about one anothers Neck, and embracing. They were no &s;ooner got home, but they went to Bed, for at <HI>Don Pedro</HI>'s de&s;ire, he &s;tay'd there, it being late; but <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> had his Thoughts &s;o bu&s;ily employ'd on <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> that gave him leave but ju&s;t to &s;atisfie Nature with Sleep; awa|king early in the Morning, he pre|&s;ently was for going to vi&s;it, or at lea&s;t write to <HI>Li&s;arda;</HI> &s;till enter|taining him&s;elf with the Hopes of her Con&s;tancy; although now and then the Serenade he had heard, and at her Hou&s;e, would interrupt him in the mo&s;t plea&s;ing Thoughts; and his hearing the Window &s;hut, made him conceive that the Serenaded Per|&s;on was not di&s;plea&s;ed with the Com|plement; but then again, other Rea|&s;ons and other Thoughts di&s;&s;waded him from his Jealou&s;ie. <HI>Don Pedro</HI>'s de&s;ire to enjoy his Cou&s;ins Compa|ny
<PB N="89" REF="51">awhile, made him early to give him a Vi&s;it; but coming to his Cham|ber, and finding him already dre&s;t, he &s;aid, giving him the Good-mor|row, you are as early Dre&s;t, as if you Divin'd the Happine&s;s you &s;hall have to Day, of enjoying the Com|pany of your Mi&s;tre&s;s, who without doubt, to your great Joy, I'll tell you, loves with an unparallell'd Con|&s;tancy; but withal I mu&s;t tell you, you are not the only happy Man, for I al&s;o, who by vi&s;iting <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> to excu&s;e fir&s;t the Mi&s;take, and next to Per&s;wade her to a Liking of you, her Cou&s;in <HI>Donna Maria</HI> &s;everal times hapning to be there, Glanced &s;uch Flames from her Eyes, that &s;he fir'd my Soul, and I am become her Adorer; who I had ju&s;t &s;erenaded as I met with you. <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> askt then where &s;he dwelt; who told him, That &s;ince their Hou&s;e was burnt, they laid in the &s;ame Hou&s;e with <HI>Donna Li&s;arda;</HI> but be|cau&s;e it is &s;omething early, I will
<PB N="90" REF="52">tell you an Adventure which will entertain us till it may be time for us to Vi&s;it the Ladies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="history">
<HEAD><HI>The Hi&s;tory of the Loves of</HI> Don Roderigo <HI>and</HI> Don Pedro, <HI>to</HI> Donna Ma|ria.</HEAD>
<P>AFter your Departure, dear Cou|&s;in, which being &s;o privately, we were extreamly troubled, le&s;t your melancholy Thoughts might have made you Injure your &s;elf, and not knowing what was become of you, the whole Town was &s;o Con|cern'd, they cry'd out for Revenge on the Villains who we &s;uppo&s;ed had mi&s;us'd you, and killed tho&s;e that were brought home with you; but finding no Evidence again&s;t them, but their own Confe&s;&s;ions, was, That they at the Noi&s;e coming
<PB N="91" REF="52">out of their Hou&s;es found the Mur|derers gone, and you all on the Ground, who they &s;uppos'd Dead; that they would have taken your Cloaths and Money, and to that end carried you to their Hou&s;e; be|&s;ides receiving a Letter from <HI>Don Fulgentio,</HI> brought by the fair <HI>Li&s;ar|da,</HI> that di&s;charged them of the Mur|der. I was going to pa&s;s Sentence on them for a years Impri&s;onment, when <HI>Donna Maria,</HI> who&s;e Va&s;&s;als they were, begged, or rather com|manded their Freedom. 'Twas fir&s;t here I began to Admire; but after|wards, as I have told you, Vi&s;iting <HI>Donna Li&s;arda,</HI> and &s;eeing her there, I began to Adore tho&s;e extraordinary Perfections and Accompli&s;hments I found in her: Here began I to know the Happine&s;s of Loving, and being Belov'd; for both her Parents and &s;he liked me, my Quality and E&s;tate being both very great: But, Sir, Cro&s;&s;es are things in&s;eparable from Love, and I mu&s;t al&s;o have my
<PB N="92" REF="53">&s;hare; I had <HI>Don Roderigo Va&s;ques</HI> for my Rival, a Man who&s;e Tongue &s;tands him in much &s;tead, &s;ince without ever drawing his Sword, no Duel, no gallant Actions are per|formed, but he makes him&s;elf the Owner, and draws all the Reputa|tion of them to him&s;elf, and that with &s;uch Cunning and Subtilty, that long time he had unde&s;ervingly the Name of a Heroe. My Courage &s;ufficiently known in many famous Exploits for the Service of the King,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>All Governours of Towns in</HI> Spain <HI>carry a Wand in token of their Office.</HI></NOTE> and that hath gained me this Honoura|ble Verge, was Eclips'd by this fal&s;e Light; and <HI>Donna Maria,</HI> a Woman of an He|roick Spirit, &s;eemed at the &s;ame time the Match was making between us, to lend him her Ear readier than to any other; &s;uch was his Cun|ning and his Art in deceiving and in|venting new Deceits, that I was al|mo&s;t afraid he would Cheat me of my Mi&s;tre&s;s: But one Day, it hap|pen'd
<PB N="93" REF="53">well for me, (&s;ince no further harm was done.) We were &s;tanding and di&s;cour&s;ing &s;ome other Gentle|man, when news was brought us <HI>Don|na Maria</HI>'s hou&s;e was in a Flame; we all ran to the A&s;&s;i&s;tance of that Fa|mily: But Gods! What Terrour was it for me to &s;ee <HI>Donna Maria</HI> in the Balcony, (the Hou&s;e being &s;urround|ed by the Fire,) begging Aid to help her from peri&s;hing; eagerly I ran through the Flame, and getting up Stairs, luckily found a Bar of Iron, with which I broke a Hole through the Wall; then &s;natching her up in my Arms, I carried her through that Hole, which the Fire had not yet reach'd, and gave her into her Fa|ther's Arms. The Fright, the Noi&s;e, and Fear they were in, would not permit them to take notice of me; and I remembring her Woman was left behind, went to venture a &s;e|cond time, but met <HI>Roderigo</HI> bring|ing her through the &s;ame Hole, who fearful of the Flames, had got a Lad|der,
<PB N="94" REF="54">by which he got into the Balco|ny to help off <HI>Donna Maria</HI>'s Wo|man; and &s;eeing that my help was no further needed, went away about my Occa&s;ions, not to be trouble&s;ome at &s;uch a bu&s;ie time. But <HI>Don Roderi|go</HI> carried the Woman where her La|dy was, and ju&s;t come to her &s;elf, for the Smoak and Fright put her into a Swoon, in which Condition I took her, carried her to her Father, and left her: She &s;eeing him doing that good Office to her Woman, &s;uppo|&s;ed it was him that had done the &s;ame for her; and truly with the Noi&s;e and Fright, her Friends took not &s;o much Notice as to be able to do me Ju&s;tice; &s;o that in Recom|pence of his &s;aving her Life, (as &s;he &s;uppos'd) She with her Friends Vow'd to be his; He with a feigned Mode&s;ty, &s;aid, That he truly had done nothing for their Service, at lea&s;t, it was &s;o little, as did not de|&s;erve Thanks from her Mouth, much le&s;s &s;o great a Ble&s;&s;ing as Her &s;elf;
<PB N="95" REF="54">but it was too great a Good to be refu&s;ed, and that he now tru&s;ted to her Word.</P>
<P>The next Day it was all about the Town that <HI>Don Roderigo</HI> had ventur'd through the Fire, and re&s;cued <HI>Donna Maria:</HI> This was every bodies &s;tory which did not a little vex me. I af|firm'd the Action to be mine, and that he ly'd who &s;aid the contrary. <HI>Don Roderigo</HI> &s;aid, Yes it was I did it; but that with &s;uch a fal&s;e Smile, &s;uch a feigned Di&s;&s;imulation, and with &s;uch Equivocating words, that he own'd the Action more in his Denial than I in all my Affirmatives; but what did comfort me, was, I had a Witne&s;s in my Pocket, that though it was Inanimate, with <HI>Donna Maria</HI> I was &s;ure would confute my Rival. Sir, it was a Ring I took off her Fin|ger as I carried her out of the Fire; and therefore to do my &s;elf Ju&s;tice, I went to give her Father a Vi&s;it, who now were all in <HI>Donna Li&s;ar|da</HI>'s Hou&s;e; and de&s;iring to &s;ee
<PB N="96" REF="55"><HI>Donna Maria,</HI> and telling her the Truth, the Ring gave it Credit, with the Promi&s;e to me &s;he had gi|ven to <HI>Roderigo;</HI> the &s;tory now was turn'd, and it was made known throughout the Town, how fal&s;ly <HI>Don Roderigo</HI> claimed the Honour of that Action; &s;o that through &s;hame he was fain to leave the Town, and retire to a Seat he has in the Coun|try where he &s;till continues.</P>
<P>Having thus ended his Story, <HI>Don Ricardo</HI> being de&s;irous to &s;ee his <HI>Li&s;arda,</HI> they went together, but the Joy <HI>Li&s;arda</HI> had at the &s;ight of <HI>Ri|cardo,</HI> cannot be expre&s;t, no more than his at the &s;ight of her. But to be &s;hort with you, and to make an end; both his Marriage with <HI>Li&s;ar|da,</HI> and his Cou&s;ins with <HI>Donna Ma|ria</HI> were concluded, and to be Cele|brated both the Sunday following; On the Day before the Marriage, <HI>Don Enrique</HI> and <HI>Don Federico,</HI> with their Ladies Arrived, &s;o that they
<PB N="97" REF="55">had a full Hou&s;e, great Entertain|ment, and a long continued Fea&s;t for Joy, and living very lovingly and happily all the Days of their Lives.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>ERRATA</HEAD>
<P>PAge 5. l. 24. leave out <HI>yet,</HI> p. 10. l. 17. leave out <HI>know,</HI> l. 14. for <HI>I,</HI> read <HI>&s;he,</HI> l. 24. leave out <HI>this &s;he de&s;ires,</HI> p. 26. l. 16. r. <HI>knowing,</HI> p. 28. l. 22. r. <HI>&s;he &s;aid,</HI> p. 29. l. 25, 26. leave out <HI>going,</HI> p. 33. l. 3, 4. r. <HI>Fulgentio,</HI> ibid. r. <HI>he'd do well, &amp;c.</HI> p. 34. l. 20. r. <HI>pre&s;ented,</HI> p. 36. l. 5, 6. r. <HI>how happy, &amp;c.</HI> p. 43. l. 7, r. <HI>I have left &s;ufficient &s;pace, &amp;c.</HI> p. 48. l. 23. r. <HI>who de&s;ir'd him, &amp;c.</HI> p. 56. l. 16. r. <HI>I had far'd,</HI> p. 58. l. 16. r. <HI>and &s;o I might go, &amp;c.</HI> p. 60. l. 16. r. <HI>Souls,</HI> p. 63. l. 8, 9. r. <HI>Arcos,</HI> p. 67. l. 17. r. <HI>in it,</HI> p. 81. l. 13. r. <HI>to his friend.</HI></P>
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