Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A88603
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Love in distress, or, The lucky discovery a novel / written by the honourable Lady ***
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Lady.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing L3210A; ESTC R43698
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57,727
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136
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usage to Octavio There was not one Argument Laura omitted to restore her Peace but to no purpose her Reason was lost she beheld her self fallen from the height of Bliss to the most abject Misfortune and in her wild thoughts she saw the Man she loved and hourly languished for in another Country pleasant and diverting himself in Company with all the Ladies of Beauty Wit and Fortune whilst she was flighted and abandoned by him deserted and foraken How this rack'd the utmost faculty of her Soul Oh! Melantius Oh! Cruel Melantius did she cry How miserable How wretched miserable have you made me If I have been unjust Heaven knows it is not to thee then blame thy self thy dear engaging Self that has betray'd Aspatia to those base Characters of False Vnjust and Vngenerous This Passion continued so violent that she found it impossible to appear before the Duke that Day without exposing her Sentiments having lost her Master-piece of Dissimulation and Cunning which by some is attributed as incident to the Sex too sensible was her Affliction to bear disguise and therefore to conceal it from the Duke whom she knew would search too nicely into the dreadful Cause she sent Laura to acquaint him she was indisposed immediately retiring to her Bed in expectation of a Visit knowing him to be the most indulgent of Fathers Not long after he came reading of a Letter he had just receiv'd and having enquired and advised about her Health This Letter comes said he from the Marquess de Leganes wherein he acquaints me of a short Voyage his Son has taken to the Chappel of Loretto but I believe continued he with a Smile your Intelligence has been more speedy At this second Confirmation and killing ungrateful News she could hardly support her self and as he prest on to know if she had been before informed she felt the greatest difficulty and pain to force but those words I was The Duke having some guess at the nature of her Malady left her to gain some Repose or rather to the freedom of her own Thoughts No sooner had he quitted the Room but she called Laura to her and with an easie Look as if she had master'd some difficulty spoke to her in this manner Since I have confided in thee as to all the Circumstances of my Life so must you now assist me in this last and most Desperate I Love and you are no Stranger to the Extremity of my Passion my Life my Honour my Fame are but false Idols to that Potent God Tell me then Can I live and not possess Melantius That dear Melantius whose Soul once mov'd with the same tender melting touch as mine Oh! 't is impossible he thinks me False Perfidious or he had never left me Shall I then live with this black Infamy and not right my self No I will seek him to the utmost Verge of Earth and there proclaim my Innocency then if his Heart should prove impâ—netrable and obdurate my Death shall convince him of the direful Truth and my wrong'd Ghost shall be ever before his Eyes raving for Justice and Revenge perplex his future Peace Laura gave her self no trouble to diswade her from this Exploit believing it no other then a Chimera she would never put in execution But she found her self mistaken it was what had taken deep root and fixt in her Resolution she persisted in it daily and then she failed not to lay before her the danger and hazard but chiefly the false Constructions would be made of such an extravagant Action Aspatia was deaf to all Advice and only made answer She would not be diverted from her Design tho' she was forced to adventure alone When Laura found her so fully determined she assured her nothing could have that face of difficulty or terrour to make her decline her in the most desperate Attempt but hoping her care in reminding her of what might prove to her Disadvantage should not offend she positively consents to obey her Commands Thus satisfy'd with Laura's Compliance the next Consultation was to get Mens Cloaths the easier to disguise their Flight and most commodious for their adventurous Travels This Task was left to Laura as likewise to hire a Vessel to Transport 'em to any Port in Italy who performed very punctually all her Commands and pretending a Visit to some Relations for two or three Days by Aspatia's Connivance she went directly to Setuval a famous Haven about 20 Miles from Lisbon where she secured a small Feleuqua for their purpose and also placed Horses in the Rode for their more speedy conveyance thither The Wind sat fair every Hour she was there which obliged her to make a quick return to Lisbone to inform Aspatia and assist her Flight Night being the time for performing of such Projects they waited wish great impatience and panick fears till it came in the mean time providing good store of Gold and Jewels the most portable and necessary Luggage and being thus Knight-Errantly Equip'd they sally'd out and at two Miles Stage took Horse and rid full speed to Setuval they arrived there about four a Clock was Embark'd with the Courage of Heroins and a fair way under Sail e're they were missed at home But yet too soon was the fatal News spread throughout all Portugal for the Duke not seeing nor hearing from his Daughter the next Day concluding her not well went as was his usual Custom to her Apartment to visit her but not finding her there he was much surprized and seeing a Note lie on the Table he took it up which to his greater Wonder he found subscribed to himself wherein she acquainted him she had left the Kingdom but had no way left to excuse her Flight but that Almighty Love was the powerful Cause whose Passions and Effects were ever unaccountable and begg'd him if he could retain a thought of his own former Joys he would be so Charitable to recollect them in her defence and believe she left so good a Father with the greatest violence imaginable concluding with her Petition to indulge himself and bear her Absence with moderation and a charitable Opinion of her giving him some hopes of a speedy return which should compensate for all her imprudence But alas This was of little force or efficacy for the immoderate Grief Anguish and Shame which possess'd the Duke not only for the loss of a Child he had built his chief felicity on but at the Dishonour of his Family which could never be retriev'd was not with ease to be allay'd He consider'd her the Bloom of all Portugal celebrated for her Beauty and universally admired but when he came to reflect what a Blot she had given all these Advantages he could hardly support the Trouble There was no Port throughout the Kingdom he failed to send to with Orders to search all Transport-Ships all diligence imaginable was used but to no purpose our Amazons were fled beyond recal their Habits taking off all Suspition Being thus
she doth not yet retain some Inclination for the once lov'd Octavio Who by one melting glance may perhaps kindle afresh her expiring Flame How may I believe that a Heart which could once play false should constant prove to me What Charms has poor Melantius to secure it Only Excess of Love Notwithstanding these uneasie Thoughts he resolves to see her suddenly and if her Plea convinc'd him of her Innocence she should from him receive an everlasting faithful Love Yet this ungenerous Proceeding with Octavio shock'd his tenderest Sentiments and were he not already the most amorous of Men he had declined a Beauty that could be guilty of such pitiful Conduct He was throughly convinc'd how much the Cavalier might have hoped for yet considering himself the happy Man he reflects on it with Partiality After much intreaty they prevailed with him to be dressed and finding him inclinable to repose which was but a feigned show that he might have the melancholy liberty of his own Thoughts they left him Melantius returning to Porto in his way met the Boy with a Letter directed to Don Pedro and knowing the Hand to be Aspatia's who could blame his Curiosity in this juncture of Affairs for opening it She had been in a Sea of Troubles and Fears in his Absence considering what would be the event of Octavio's Passion should she not answer his Letter She knew he could not long be a Stranger to her Amours with Melantius and therefore she thought cunningly to palliate the Story to him her self with this design she had framed with all the Subtilty and Craft that could be invented a way to break to him the dreadful Secret and in order to that had thus writ ASPATIA to OCTAVIO THink me not Vngrateful when I send the Generous Octavio the best of Wishes Oh! how unaccountable are the Circumstances of our Lives and Passions Let it suffice 't is you and only you can make my future Days happy or miserable I have Wonders to tell you and beg that speedily you come to Lisbon Laura shall meet you at the usual Rendezvous and conduct you to the lost and confused Aspatia This indeed new model'd his Resolutions and instead of seeing her his design is now wholly to abandon her having discovered as he thinks a sufficient Demonstration of her Falseness Rage and Resentment fill'd his Soul Am I at last said he abused and forlorn No false One you may triumph but never shall insult over the wronged Melantius for from this Minute I will shun thy false deluding Chaâ—ms Thus fully determined he goes home no rest could he take various were his thoughts and as various his Resolutions yet all determined in that point of never seeing more the Fair Deceiver How to dispose of himself he was not long at a stand when he reflected that all Italy was in Arms and that the Dispute betwixt the Pittis and that Compleat Heroe and Champion for his Country Lorenzo de Medici the Tuscan-War that was then afoot the Republick of Venice that was likewise engaged would give him a glorious Diversion from his perplexing Crosses especially too since the Turks gave them new Fears by menacing the remainder of those Islands which they held in the Archipelago Thus positively resolv'd he writes a Letter to the Marquis de Leganes in which he desired him not to be concern'd at his sudden Departure since he had made a Vow to perform some Religious Duties not only relating to himself but for the good of his dead Mother's Soul withal telling him the reason why he did not take his leave as his Duty requir'd was fear of being opposed in that which nothing ought to avert and in his absence which he hoped would not be long his Prayers should constantly be offered up for his Prosperity Likewise that he should go nigh to steer his first Course to our Lady of Loretto This being prepared he call'd a Servant whom he could trust and having related to him his design ordered him with speed and privacy to hire a Feleuqua at the nighest Port. Whilst his Man whose Name was Montal was thus employ'd Melantius writes to Aspatia this Letter and in it incloses hers which he had intercepted going to Octavio MELANTIUS to ASPATIA YOU must pardon me Madam if I dare not encounter those dangerous Eyes once more to take my last Farewel believe me 't is with great Regret I quit this Kingdom and had Aspatia been true not Empires heaped on Empires could have tempted me to leave her At the same time I must applaud your Generosity to the unhappy happy Octavio who by a dire Mistake of Fortune has suffered under my Hand yet not so cruelly as by your Eyes 'T is time to abate the Tyranny you have used and restore a Heart he once has been possess'd of If I have wrong'd him in intercepting this Billet y ur Mercy which I am sure will not be wanting can calm the raging Feavor in his Blood Yet to make a Reparation for my Fault but more to gratifie your dearest Wish by my Absence you shall fear no Obstacle to molest your Tranquility and where-ever I am spight of myself I am the lost confused Aspatia's Melantius Soon after Montal returned with the News of a Merchant-Vessel that only waited the next fair Wind to hoist Sail for the Streights which they hourly expected Melantius got all things in readiness having contrived just as he Embark'd to send his two Letters forward About the hour of Twelve a Mariner came to give Montal warning that the more speed they made the better The Night shrouded with her gloomy Vall and a fresh Breeze of Wind represented to Melantius as he made to the Port not the calmest Reflections yet with a Noble Bravery that always attended him he Embark'd where we will leave him on his Voyage and relate what was done in the mean time at Home Early the next Morning the Marquess de Leganes had his Letter which extreamly startled him but being a Pious Man and considering the consequence of the Business he the easier dispenc'd with his Absence and what made him the more credulous was his Engagement with Aspatia which he judged to be too dear a Tye to quit upon a Whimsy Thus with moderation did the Marquess bear the Absence of his Son but for what poor unfortunate Aspatia suffered who knew too well the crâ—â—â— cause I dare not undertake here to display Only the weight of her Misfortunes was of power to sink a World A Death-like Cold seiz'd her Heart her every Faculty lost their use at the News of his Flight In this manner she continued for a long time till her swelling Passion forc'd a vent then how often did she blame her unhappy Conduct raging and almost frantick she deliver'd herself up to the extremity of an immoderate Sorrow No Name was too hideous for such black Ingratitude as she term'd it nor no Wish too hard or severe at the same time forgetting her unkind