Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26425
|
The Adventures of the Helvetian Hero, with the young Countess of Albania, or, The amours of Armadorus and Vicentina a novel.
|
|
1694
(1694)
|
Wing A605; ESTC R30669
|
69,707
|
219
|
and Authority of Another And our Helvetian had only the Diversion to see the Malice of his enraged Mother frustrated and by giving some slight security to the Publick had his Liberty of going abroad without fear of the Sbirri or Constables But indeed nothing Afflicted him more than this last procedure of Vicentina's and his Passion would oft transport him into these Complaints Cruel Creature whom till now I could ne're believe so to make me such an Inhuman Monster as to have offered thee Violence much more to have designs upon thy Life Cruel Vicentina To-turn that tenderness I did always shew to thy Person into the Savageness of a Beast a Beast of prey as if I had no more Humanity than an He-Tygre no more mercy than that has Milk to destroy the Wife of my Bosom the joy of my Heart the delight of my Soul You your self my Dear Vicentina tho instigated by the malice of a Mother do not believe what you have so rashly Sworn and how could you believe your Life in danger from him that to preserve yours was alway ready to Sacrifice his own All my Comfort is the World will never believe this tho you have Sworn it were it true I should be ashamed to look ever Human Creature in the Face much less my Father or any of my Country-men it must have been with kindness if ever I attempted to kill you and where you never met with the least Violence how could you fear so much hurt Remember how concerned I was always for your being but the least indisposed how you could perceive me to languish with you and pine away by Sympathy Remember how when you would needs imitate the part of a Romantick Lover after the Reading of the Tragick Scenes of Cleopatra of Lucretia and such Heroick Ladies as had kill'd themselves for Love and the like when you had a little overacted your part and let the pointed Sword to pierce that tender Skin How the very sight of but one drop of Blood that it drew was enough to touch my Heart and draw more from thence and your acting Death as it were to the Life was enough to have made me dye with the sight or even the Apprehension of it And is this the Man that you fear will bereave you of your Life Is this the Man by whose hands you are so afraid to fall Is Armadorus then to kill Vicentina how would you once have startled at the very Imagination or abhorr'd your self had it but entred your thoughts in a Dream but now you have verifi'd the Catastrophe of your foreboding Vision by making all the Serene and pleasant Scenes of it terminate even in the blackest Cloud in Blood and in the misery and wild distraction of us both These were his ruthful Complaints that all that heard them regarded lamented condoled but the hardned Mother and unrelenting Wife and therefore finding he could make no Impression upon them nor that Time that softens Iron and Stone had turn'd their Natures nor all the Importunities of Friends and Relations the powers of Flesh and Blood could mollify their petrified Hearts he betook himself to the Courts of Equity and Justice to make his Complaints and receive Redress who soon Authorized him by a Legal Process to demand his Spouse wheresoever he might suspect her to be which accordingly he did in a solemn manner of the Lord of Ogliano at the Gates of the said Lord's Castle and afterward in the Mansion-House it self but she being deni'd there to be or that they detained any such Lady he was left to make out his proof by Law and a solemn Tryal for which both sides prepared amain The Gentlemen of the Long-Robe were engaged with Gold and to fight it out like Switzers that were well paid one against another The Wittnesses were to be Mustred up by Multitudes and to Swear lustily and perhaps for Gold too And being thus ranged in Battalia were all ready against the time appointed to give Battel The adverse party had so packt their Cards and shuffl'd the Young Lady from place to place that it was a difficult matter to fix that of her abode and prove where she was detain'd for Vicentina that was now brought to stoop to all their Lures began to disguise her self whereever she went and she that was once like Juno's Bird or Venus Dove the beauty and splendor of the Day like a Bat began only to buz about by Candle-Light or hover like a night Bird in the dark nor would she stir by twilight unless incognito and once like the Italian in Masquerade that would mimick at a Carnaval a Spaniard and French-man parte per pale at the same time both in dress and gesture she was observed to ride forth in a Cavalcade somewhat extraordinary pleasant viz. a good rich Velvet Saddle and fashionable upon a sorry Horse with a switch-Tail that that us'd to carry Lime and not Ladies A gentile Surtout or riding-Suit with her Shoulders warmly wrapt up in a good White Serge whittle A pretty handsome Commode of the newest fashion upon which was gracefully plac'd a good homely Straw-Hat with a long Pole like a Sugar Loaf so that Cit and Bumpkin seem'd never better met or set off since the Creation Poor Vicentina to what hard shifts to what Obloquies and Reproaches has thy blind submission thy Passive Obedience to an Imperious Mother reduc'd thee But 't was too late for her to retract she had her Irons in the Fire she was to strike while they were hot tho' they burnt her Fingers and the Lord of Ogliano he was drawn in to Espouse the Cause upon the account of the old Countess his Spouse and perhaps out of hopes if all things went well the Signiory of Albania the young Countess's Patrimony might come into his Family otherwise he had the Repute of a well-meaning person that did not love any litigiousness but what his Old Lady led him to who having the ascendant made her good Lord submit to such conditions sometimes that went down with reluctancy and Armadorus himself would alway do him that Justice as not only to think but to represent him as unconcern'd in those perplexities they had brought upon him The time approacht in which this great Cause was to be decided not by Combat as of old when Appellant and Defendant met to decide it by a Duel The Principals as we have heard before had been thus engag'd on the Nuptial Night where it prov'd but a drawn Battel here it was come to the Dernier Resort and almost the last Appeal except the highest and to be decided by a Judicial Sentence and Decretum Finale and for that both sides seem provided when the Learned Podesta or Judg took his place upon the Bench. After the preliminaries of the Trial were come to be adjusted and the Jurors and the People full of expectation to hear the Evidences Proofs and Disproofs whether by error in process of the one
or distrust of their cause in the other at the instance of the adverse party this so Remarkable Cause of Matrimony and Love was put off to another sitting of the Itinerary Judges to the great disappointment of all the gay Youth and gallant Young Ladies who seem'd all mightily concern'd for the lovely Armadorus But this was only a Remora that for a little while retarded the Affair a Rub in the Way or a Plank that their sinking Cause caught hold of for before the succeeding Podesta or the next sitting of the Judges it came again to be Canvass'd and to have a full and fair hearing The Gallant Armadorus appear'd in all his bravery and splendor and the Court of Justice was throng'd with all the gay Ladies and Gallant Gentlemen the rich Province could afford full of eager expectation and itching Ears for the pleasantries and diversions that the Dialogues and Discoveries of this Love-Intrigue and famous Amour might afford them The matter was modestly discust and so might not answer expectation tho' it did all their hopes in the Cause being carried for the Noble Armadorus Cannon play'd on both sides on both sides did the evidence swear and thunder that the Earth shook withal But it being clearly made appear 1. That the Gallant Armadorus had actually married the Gay Vicentina 2. That she had been detained from him in the Castle of Ogliano contrary to the Laws of Marriage 3. That he had us'd to be very fond of her and never fail'd to exercise all his Faculties and utmost efforts for the giving her all imaginable satisfaction in her conjugal affection 4. That this Elopement or Kid-napping or Spiriting away of his dear Spouse was to his great prejudice and to the hazard and temptation of a wicked violation of an Holy Conjugation 5. That he had sustain'd great Damages and that it had cost him very dear to pursue his Daphne that fled and had absconded her self from him only with a design to deceive him and by withdrawing her fair Face to beguile him of her fairer Fortune 6. To consummate all the illustrious Cavaliero Signior Armadillo Commandant de Bernino and Father of the gallant Armadorus viva voce testify'd that his Son our Heroick Helvetian had Overtures made him by richer and higher persons and that no less then 6. or 7000. Pistols had been offer'd him for Dower in his own Country an huge summ and sufficient to defray a Tax of an whole Canton in their Helvetique Body amounting nearly to 77000. Livers That the adverse party had brought an Ignominious scandal upon their Noble Family by endeavouring secretly to deceive and openly to traduce his Son Armadorus the flourishing Branch and greatest Hopes of it That in his Old Age he had undertaken a long Pilgrimage by Land and Sea to vindicate his Son by his own presence from the scandal of being of an obscure Birth That himself was Generalissimo to the vast Republick of the Canton of Bernino and his Son was to succeed him in that high Command and that he hoped tho Strangers they should receive Justice for their Injuries sustain'd The Adverse party on the other hand undertook strongly to prove that the passionate Switzer was able to swear Thundring and Lightning Oaths that the Young Helvetian had been so robust that he had broke all the Bonds of Matrimony That he had taken his Ladies best Bits and the Food she most delighred in and barbarously given it to the Dogs Item that longing once but for a Woodcocks Leg he had before her face inhumanely thrown it into the Fire and made a Grillion of what she design'd for a Fricazee Icem That being wont to humble himself on his Knees whilst she did use to attire him in her best Commode and most becoming dress he was of late grown so stiff and stubborn as to force her to kneel while he attir'd her in his long Peruke and cocking Beaver Item That he had put his Lady often into many fainting Fits that she could hardly fetch her Breath and was ready to dye away c. All which formidable Averments being made out upon Oath made the whole Court of Ladies mightily concern'd for their admir'd Armadorus as doubting what might be the issue of so dubious a point and sorry that his kindness to the Female Sex should have all this sad occasion to be call'd in question but to be short after the Eloquent and the Learned Lawyers and the Councel on both sides had sufficiently Harangu'd and Satyriz'd after the Tres Sage and Tres Reverend the Jage had impartially and ingenuously with much Judgment and Learning summ'd up all that had been materially said in a little and taken the merits of along cause in short-hand It was left to the Jurors or 12. Persons according to the custom of the Country to decide it by their final verdict or Decretum finale which soon follow'd to this effect That considering the damages and disappoinments he had sustain'd during the detention of his Wife and dearest Spouse to the peril of his Continency and the impairing of his health by abstinency and also considering of what evil consequences it would be to the whole Country and what might be every Man of them their own Case should their Wives be suffer'd to make such extravagant Elopements and unnaturally withdraw themselves from their Husbands to lye single when the Law obliges them to be under Coverture They therefore in terrorum to all such Female Offenders did award declare assign decree or give unto the Illustrious Armadorus Son and Heir Apparent of the Noble Signior Armadillo Commandant de Bernino in the Country of Helvetia the summ of 1200 Doppio's or Pistols D' Espaign amounting to 13200. Livers French sufficient to purchase a great Signiory or Lordship in the Canton de Bernino and at any time to be setled when she should return and they two should better agree on the Dame Vicentina for her Jointure in lieu and recompence of her vast Fortune she brought him and what was justly due to the merits of her deserving Person and extraordinary Dower This Verdict for Armadorus as it transported him not a little so it affected no less almost the whole Court The Adverse Party being but a few could not obscure with their cloudy Countenances the Serenity that seem'd to appear in every Face The Gallant Helvetian with a great deal of Modesty and a graceful Air received the Caresses of the gay Gentlemen his Acquaintance and the Compliments of the Young languishing Ladies that did both admire and commiserate him and so far was his triumph from Exalting him to insult over his vanquish'd Adversaries or exasperating him against those that had given him all this trouble that he offered himself soon after to be ready to receive any Proposals of Reconciliation with his Dear Spouse and her Relations not so much as leaving out of the Treaty nor excluding from the Alliance the Countess-Dowager that by most was supposed to have