How his hard fate oppos'd his sweet intent For a warm Mistress a cold Monument Hot Devils must caress our Paramour Hot as his lust nor then his flames more pure His lust could ne're with the Chast Saint agree As Heaven and Hell have their Antipathy How safely may the Saint her foes despise The Devil himself destroys her Enemies Lust and Devil do the Saint surround Enclos'd her goodness does the more abound Incompas'd with a Stew she Chaster is Christians have their Antiperistasis THe Lady continued in her Devotion and the People out of respect to the Young Symphronius ceased their Incivilities and seeing him stay somthing long within imagined he was about his pleasures and therefore entered not in for a considerable time But at last seeing he came not out suspecting by the success of the former Intruders that the fair Witch for they could not allow any better Title might have kil'd him they rush'd in and found the poor Lover cold and pale upon the Ground and immediately cried out the Sorceress hath kil'd the Son of the Governour they all pursued to the Stake with her to revenge the Gods and the Governour This lamentable news presently arrived at the Governours ears who half Distracted at it run furiously to the Stew and approaching the Holy Agnes Dam'd Sorceress cried he out why shouldst thou destroy a Person whose only fault was his too well loving thee Is this your Christian Conscience And could his Affection render him so great a Criminel Ah! cruel ungrateful Woman He was going on when the good Lady extreamly afflicted too hear her Innocence abus'd so No Sir she cried out and interrupted him I did not kill your Son but that Master he serv'd the Devil Blast not my Innocence but impute the Death of your Symphronius to him that was the cause of it No cruel one said he impatiently thy Sorceries have produc'd it and rob'd me of the greatest comfort I had in the world But why for Heavens sake did'st thou spare the rest that came into the Chamber to thee and only destine my poor Boy to so severe a Punishment The rest said the Lady came not upon so bad a Design as thy Son did and the just God would seperate the guitly from the Innocent Thou lyest said the enrag'd Father He was not guilty he was Good and Innocent and thou art the only Criminel or if thou wilt clear thy Innnocence and shew what thy God can do of whose power you talke of so much give me my Son alive again and I will pronounce thee guiltless Christians talk much of Mercy and Compassion shew us now a Proof of it and succour the most miserable Father that ever breath'd Though your Infidelity deserve it not answer'd the Holy Saint yet to shew the power and mercy of my dear Saviour I will beg his Life and doubt not but my Praiers shall restore him But think not Governour of Rome that I do this to oblige thee to rescue me No my Piety shall not be so mercinary It troubles me that that fatal Love which your Son conceived for me should render him guilty of such a Vilanie and then deliver him up to be strangled by the hands of the Devil and though I did not willingy produce that guilty Flame and though I caused it was the Innocent cause of it yet I would have procured him his Libertie by any other means then leaving my blessed Saviour and violating my most sacred Vow of a perpetual Virginitie I will therefore humblie intreat my bountiful and Almightie Lord to restore him to his Life again and that antient tranquilitie he enjoyed before my unhappie eies had destroyed it The Governour hereupon immediately retir'd and left the Saint to her Praiers It would be impossible for me to express her Pious Oraisons her Almightie Tears and Sighs that could extort what she desir'd from her blessed Jesus The Primitive method of Christian Devotion was then Vigorous and Regular and not capable to be desir'd by us that live in so prophane a Generation Her Praiers were not long they were contracted and therefore the more strong and valid A Period was included in a Word and a whole Discourse inclos'd in a Period Such powerful Petitions could not be long in producing their effects as really they were not for the Young Gentleman presently arose and to prove that the Heathen only had died and the Old Man been Buried in him he Rose up to a Christian and running out into the Street where his Father expected what the Ladies Praiers could effect he cried out with a loud voice there is only one God and that God is the God of the Christians SO rais'd And by his Mistriss too alone This is a double Resurrection She from whose hand he could receive his death Without a Sigh and Smile away bis breath Does bountifully life and health conferre Now doubly wellcome ' cause they came from her From her sweet lips life doth new charms derive And makes our happy Lover more then live He lives and does a Christian become Born in the Grave regenerate in the Tomb. Say Christians what a sweet divorce was this How Lovly such a Separation is He dy'd but only dy'd to live again As he 's regenerate that 's a Christian So after a debauch I 've often seen When sence and reason both were put out clean A gentle slumber lock the heavy eies And steal upon the Soul by soft surprise But when these pleasing slumbers go again Then from the Beast there rises up a man Ah! happy Soul 't was worth the dying so By Death to banish Death and wo by wo. While from Eternal pains short pains retrive And dying once thou dost for ever live Baptis'd in Death turn'd Christian in the Grave What need he fear that Death it self can save PIous Martyr thou for all his outrages and violence which his extravagant Love made him commit dost graciously pardon him and by thy holy Praiers freest him from that Death he had endured and deserved to give him the hopes of Eternal Life and Glory in making him commence a Christian How Divine is this Act of thine gracious Lady how well dost thou Imitate thy God in this That oftentimes denies us what we desire when we beg those things that may hurt us and gives us what his infinite Wisedom knows most convenient Thou would'st not grant him what his immoderate affection made him desire thou woul'st not cease to be what thou wast but mad'st thy Lover like thy self a Christian and mad'st him approve of thy blessed choice and Love thy dearest Lord almost as ardently as thy self The People were distracted at so strange an incounter The Priests being the most concern'd Persons were the first that demanded St. Agnes and cried out that her Sorceries and Blasphemies could no other way be expiated but by Flames and then threatned them with the fury of the Gods if such offences were left unpunish'd The giddy Rabble
Closet when our most disconsolate Lover cried out with some vehemence I cannot cease to Love thee for all thy crueltie but my addresses shall no more trouble thee I can Die to please my self as well as thee and my Death perhaps may give me as great a contentment as it will thee Cruel Creature since it will free me from a Passion that nothing else can Rob me of He departed immediately huri'd in a most fatal grief You may justly wonder he should so soon run desperate and at his second visit abandon himself to so absolute a despair but be pleas'd to know he had before made her several Presents and spoke to her very often too all which I omitted as having nothing in them extraordinary The Gifts he made her with which Ladies of her years are easily deceiv'd with all his fair and foul Words Promises and Threats could not perswade her to his desires She despis'd them all and continually told him what Noble Presents her Spouse would make her which I shall not here reckon up both because you may have them infinitely better exprest'd in the Divine St. Ambrose as because I will by no means debauch those Christian expressions with that which we of this Age call Eloquence since they shine far brighter in their native Purity As Adam and the first Woman were fairest before they came to their Figg-leaves If the Gentleman was afflicted he left the Holy Maid no less She pour'd out all her sorrows into the Bosome of her Blessed Saviour for whose sake she was thus Cruel in appearances She prai'd for her Loving Enemy She pitied him but all was to little to break her Resolution of a perpetual Chastity No Blessed Lord would she Cry out oftentime neither Loves nor Pitty with all their soft Insinuations shall storm my consent to an Act that would rob Thee of thy Right My Vow and my Virginitie must be kept inviolate and with thy Grace they shall Holy Jesu my poor and unworthy Sacrifice Thus wast thou Pious Votary peircing Heaven with thy Pious ejaculations while thy disconsolate Lover was engag'd in a very different ployment His Soul possess'd with the greatest Grief Anger Love and Fury that ever the world saw was travers'd with all most contrary commotions and those too almost incompatible at the same Instant He curs'd his Stars and yet in Spite of all his Rage and Fury he could not so much as have an ill thought of her that in his Opinion was the Cruelest thing that ever breath'd How often was he deploring his own Calamitie and then on the suddain enjoying his Rival's happiness and perhaps scarce two Minutes after all this complaining of his Mistresse's unkindness In so miserable a distraction as his Soul then was his Body could not chuse but partake of the common miserie Their was as great Revolutions in his humours as in his thoughts and that profound Melancholie that had seis'd his Soul gave but too dismal Effects not to be discovered I shall wave those discourses he then made use of both because they concern not so imediatelie our Holie Agnes as because other persons in the same conditions might probablie speak some thing like them He was got into his Chamber there to entertain his thoughts with the greater Libertie where alas what felt he not what said he not and what extravagancies was not he then guiltie of But he was not long there before his Father was acquainted with his disturbance When hurri'd on by that indulgence he alwaies had had for him pursu'd him into his Chamber and taking him by the hand with the greatest tenderness that ever Father yet discover'd He asks him of the cause of his Melancholie he intreated him to cashier it as he faithfullie promises he will endeavour to do the cause of it And then seeing him in a deep Réverie he claspes his hand somthing faster and with tears in his eies which expness'd his sentiments in their mute dialect better then all the Elegance in the World What means this silence my Dear Boy said he why dost conceal thy misfortunes from a Father that would sacrifice his Life and Interests to pull thee thence for Heav'ns sake tell me what powerful cause hath oppress'd thee with so killing a Melancholie Let me partake of thy misfortunes as thou alwaies most dutifullie hast of mine Make thy Father thy Confident and assure thy self that I will omit nothing that may re-instate thee in thy former tranquillitie Thus did the tender Father caress his Son but could not yet extort a word from him But continuing still importunate when the Young Man perceiv'd his Father would have an answer with a Voice that easilie shew'd what the thoughts were he was to express with it For the Gods sake let me alone Sir cried he out and he pleased to pardon a disobedience that only my respect to my Father could have produc'd He said no more nor could the poor Symphronius make any probable Conjecture yet whence his Sons misfortunes and his own proceeded And after having made a Hundred Questions to no purpose he was forc'd to leave him to his Solitude where not long after he found him in a very vehement Indisposition which gave him the most fatal Apprehensions that he was ever capable of conceiving Ah! Unjust Gods would he often Cry out and did that Pietie I have alwaies had for you deserve such a recompence Could not all my Incence and Sacrifices divert your Furie Was there not Jews enough and Christians that scorn you and all your Deities to Plague with your Calamities that you dispence them so prodigallie on your most Religious Observers Had you but that compassion you have planted in Human Breasts and were you not either above or below it for I cannot tell which to term it you never would have injur'd so much Goodness and Innocence at least if you would but look upon him with the eies of a Father of so indulgent a Father as Symphronious And thus did the unhappie Father make the Gods acquainted with his sorrows which had it been directed to a Dietie that could have heard and had any power to succour him might have prov'd efficatious for all his Blasphemies But in vain he Cri'd he Pray'd he Curs'd his Cries his Praiers and his Curses were like those of Romantick Amourists that compliment the Woods the Seas and Rocks that they fancie are less cruel then their cruel Fair Ones sance they give them the hearing which their Ladies will not do and the complaisant Eccho gives them a favourable answer to all their Petitions But had not the careful Symphronious taken a greater care of his Son than his Gods did a Feaver might have dispatch'd him out of the World that was to fall by the immediate hand of the Almightie Our old Governour staies not long this condition but procuring the best Physitians that were in Rome at that time he endeavours by them to learn the cause of his Sons distemper They felt
his Pulse they consulted his Urine but all their endeavours according to the precepts of their Art proved ineffectual which renderd the Old Gentleman a meer Desperado and I perswade my self that that grief which was derived to him from his Son was of the nature of some plants a slip whereof will make a more goodlie Bodie than the Mother-stock from whence it was taken Since his Sons extravagant sorrows were moderate in comparison of his The Young Symphronius still pind away and the Physitians being ignorant of the cause of it durst not make use of any Remedies The Loving Father was yet the more unfortunate in that he was enforcd by another's Pulse to feel for his own indisposition The Physitians acquainted the Governer with all they had done and avow'd that the Soul was more disturb'd then the Bodie that it exceeded their power to applie Remedies to that they expressed their sorrow that they could not serve him and protested that except his Son were better satisfied it was impossible he should stay long in the World You may give a guess at what Symphronius suffer'd at so unwelcome news as this if you consider a loving and indulgent Mother that was a little before made a Widdow by the Death of her beloved Husband attending the Bed of her only Son that she now tenderlie dotes on who just now in the Flower of his Age and when she had provided some Lovlie Ladie to make happie with her chast Embraces lies engag'd in a cruel Feavor which either over vehement Exercises or some Surfeit may it 's possible have produc'd and just now expiring his latest Breath which his good Mother stands readie to receive and catches at his Soul in it's excursion into Eternitie Thus stood the poor Old Gentleman and 't is possible somthing more afflicted in that he had somthing yet left to fear whereas the unhappie Mother was freed from so troublesome a Passion and she had lost so much she need not any longer fear the furie of her enrag'd Fortune But Symphronious rather then perish was resolv'd to do his utmost to extort this secret from his Son and thence learn the cause of their common unhappiness and he usd such address that the effect could not well be otherwise then what it was He sat him down on the Lover's Bed-side and takeing him by the hand with the tears trickling down his reverend Cheeks Must we Dye then my Boy said he with a sigh have Heaven and you decreed it so He was going on but a World of sighs broke off his discourse and looking on his Son with all the markes of sorrow and compassion he heard him with a low voice thus Answer him we must dye Sir when Heaven is pleas'd to call us hence No cruel Child reply'd the sad Symphronius hastilie we must not dye yet the Gods will not have it so I conjure thee by all that Religion Esteems obliging by that Dutie thou ow'st me by the consideration of thy own Interests as well as mine discover this secret that will undo us all if it any longer be conceal'd 'T is base and cowardly 't is impious and irreligious to dye when we can help our selves and to creep into the Grave for fear of our Misfortunes He made a pause here and looking attentive upon our poor Lover seeing him in suspence what he ought to do Out with it for the sake of the Gods pursu'd he Publish that Enemy to thy Repose Banish it thence and lodg it no longer in thy breast to thy utter ruin and my own He spake this with all the earnestness imaginable and allmost frighted the young man to a confession that it 's possible had never else been made Ah! Sir answered he and sigh'd why should you be thus urgent to know that which when known you cannot remedie Thou knowest not what an afflicted Father in his extreamitie replyed Symphronius with a great deal of precipitation can do for a Son that he loves better than all the world I can do any thing for my dear Child my Love and Pitty shal render me allmost Omnipotent and where my power shall prove deficient the Gods shall second me those Gods I have hitherto served with such Devotion and that could never exert their power in a more glorious occasion than this Good Sir omit your importunitie answered then young Symphronius almost astonished No Child replied the Father I must never omit it till I know what it is afflicts you so Will you know then said the Lover very passionately Know it at once 't is this I Love Is this that secret cried the Father with a smile that must be extorted from you with so much violence Hath this cost me so many tears Hath this so much impaird your health and disturb'd my contentment Yes Sir replyed the Lover with a languishing tone for now he dare himself avow it that love which I have preserved in my breast in the midst of all my sorrows hath been the cause of all But this is such a Love as when you shall have learned it's Nature and all it's circumstances you will undoubtedlie pronounce it the most fatal me the most unfortunate Lover in the world What some Coy Maid hath refused your addresses said the kind Father and you like a poor whining Lover must go and die for t Is that all Nay answer me And is not that sufficient Sir replied the Lover But that 's not all She hath scorn'd me indeed and forbid my addresses but my ill Fortune hath led me further She Loves but not me She saies she 's disposed of and that to a person that she prefers to all the world and Vows this Love shall as she pretends it ought to be be Eternal And what now could render me more unhappy than I am I Love and must do so while I breath She Scorns me and will do do so Eternally Now having learnt this Sir trouble not your self with him that is not only himself so unhappy but will infect all about him with his unhappiness No Son answerd Symphronius I must not yet leave you my pietie shall yet find some meanes to make you fortunate Only tell me who this fair Tyrant is and then if there 's no other way 't is but dying afterwards 'T is Sir you may easily guess her the Handsomest Lady in Rome said the Inamarato should I name the most glorious Light in the Heavens you 'd immediately say it was the Sun I meant and when I shall tell you she is the most beautiful Lady in Rome you may easily imagine 't is Agnes The good Father was extreamly satisfi'd when he knew she was a Roman and no ignoble one so that smilling If Agnes said he be the Person that enslav'd you you shall see e're long what I can do for you and assure your self I am not so much displeas'd at your Love as the concealing of it Hereupon he went out immediately towards the advancing his Design and left our
amorous Desperado in as great a contentment as his condition was then capable to admit He flatter'd himself with somthing like what we call hope and though he knew no reason for it and was confident that Agnes's resolution was unalterable Yet however he comforted himself since his Father was stirring in the business and that in a place where his Interests might make him hope for all things from his help where I shall leave him deluding himself with his pretty fancies and see what Symphronius is now adoing You may very probablie conjecture what address and industrie the Governour made use of in a Design that so nearlie concern'd him He search'd out for the Ladie 's Father and communicated his intentions to him to make a perpetual amitie between their two Families He made clear to him the advantages of such a necessitude and in a word did all he possibly could to perswade him to what he said did very much conduce to their common happiness The discreet Father of our blessed Votary entertain'd his proposal with all the civility imaginable and avowing to him that it would be the most welcome thing in the world to him to see his Daughter so well disposd of assurd him he would use all his endeavours to perswade her to it and though she seem'd to have a resolution never to Marry he doubted not but he might induce her to it But if I cannot prevail by this Fatherly method of perswasion continu'd he you must excuse me if I want the power to serve you and content your self with that hearty desire I shall ever preserve to favour both you and yours And this Sir is my final resolution and from which all the Arguments in Nature shall never be able to dissawde me never to descend to any violent means and force my dear Agnes to any Act wherein her happiness is so highly concern'd The Governour was not extreamly satisfi'd with these last words of the discreet Father and the joy that he resented at the first part of his discourse was very much abated by what follow'd considering what his Son had told of the obstinacy for so he term'd it of his beloved Agnes Nevertheless not to betray the cause he was engag'd in I cannot chuse said he after a small silence but condemn that over scrupulous discretion of yours Have you liv'd so long in the World and are yet ignorant that Maids must be forced to what they most desire and that their formal modesty oftentimes makes them refuse that which they pine and whine for ever after No Symphronius I 've often heard that piece of Raillery reply'd the other but can easily distinguish between that force you speak of and which you say will be so agreeable from that which hath produc'd so dismal effects in the World Our Marriages still represent the rape of the Sabines but they do but represent them and there would not be so much jollity at our Nuptial Solemnities were the violence as real as then it was you may assure your self I shall oblige you with that personated cruelty and will do all that a Father lawfully can to favour the Roman Governour Symphronius receivd his Civilities very Courteously and after having once more conjur'd him to forward his Design and protested it was the infallible means to make him his eternally and it is more then probable acquainted him with the danger his Son was in at that very Moment and the cause of it which really seems to me the most perswasive Argument that could be us'd in that conjunction he departed home-ward as fast as his Love could carry him and coming to our languishing Lover he cry'd out very chearfully Courage my Symphronius hope still Thy Agnes must be thine only live and recover that thou mayst be in a condition to receive her favours He spake this with so much satisfaction that the Young Gentleman raising himself from his Pillow as much as his weakness would permit him and Reading his Destiny in the Air of his Father Do not abuse me Sir said he out of an Oppinion that I fear I have too much reason to retain Is it possible I should obtain my wishes Can Agnes then be flexible and pitty one that her Divine Beauty has almost drag'd to his Grave Oh! answer me Sir but with Sincerity and use not any Artifice to appease my Passion that must have real blisses or it will never cease its cruelty No Child answer'd the Loving Father there is no need of Artifice only confide in me and minde thy recovery thy Agnes shall be sooner ready to receive thy Caresses then thou to Embrace and thank her for her Kindness Thus did the obliging Symphronius comfort the drooping Lover who though he intreated him to tell him his success could by no means perswade him to it Only his Father acquainted him with the greatest part of the discourse that he had with the Ladies Father so much I mean as made for his purpose but he did it as it were unwillingly or before he was aware which made the abusd Lover believe his affairs were in a better condition then at first he could hope they would ever come to So that relying on his Father and recommending his Love to him and desiring him never to use any violence against the Fair Agnes he desisted any longer to importune him And the old Symphronius not long after left him to ruminate on his imaginarie pleasures and expected with all the impatience in the world what answer he should receive from St. Agnes's Father who was really no ill agent in the buisness but press'd his Fair Daughter to a Marriage that he told her was very advantagious to her But meeting so uncommon a repugnance in her and being at last acquainted with that sacred vow she had made of perpetual Virginity he not only left off his perswasions which he knew would prove useless but also encourag'd her to keep her Vow notwithstanding all the violence of Symphronius He promis'd her all the help he could render her and flatterd himself into a fond Opinion that he being of a Noble Family and of no small Interest in the City the Governour durst not assault either him or his But the Sequel baffled his presumption and hath left us a dreadful Example of what a man is capable of performing when hurri'd on by the sudden Violence of some domineering Passion But I must not prevent my Story The two Fathers not long after had a meeting which doubtless was infinitely pleasing At the first indeed their discourse was very obliging but their common civilities once past over where Symphronius urg'd the other to some Positive answer the brave Roman after some such short preamble as we commonly usher in ill news withal told him plainly his Daughter's repugnance to the Proposition not out of any disrespect to the Young Symphronius whom all the City for his many excellent accomplishments both Lov'd and admir'd but out of a most fix'd determination