next day she seemed to him more serious than she used to be but the following dayes he found her as she was accustomed to be In the mean time the Painter went on to finish Gonsalvo's design which he with impatience expected As soon as it was made an end on he led Zayde into the Gallery as it were to divert her by shewing her the Painter at work he at first shewed her all the places which were already finished after he made her consider with more attention that Sea-piece upon which the Painter was yet at work he made her look upon that young Lady that lamented the dead Man and when he saw that her eyes were fixed upon it and that she seemed to know that Rock whereon she used to sit so often he took the Pensil out of the Painter's hand and writ the name of Zayde over the young Lady and that of Theodoric over the young Man that was upon his knees Zayd at the reading of what he writ Blushed and having looked upon him with eyes full of anger she took a Pensil and quite blotted out that dead Man's Figure of whom she thought Gonsalvo believed to be the subject of her Tears Though he were sensible of the offence he had given Zayde yet he was overjoyed to see her blot out the Man he thought so much beloved Although this action of Zayde's might be judged rather an effect of her disdain than a proof that she lamented no body yet he found that after the Love he had professed for her she did him the favour not to let him believe that she Loved any other but the small hope this belief gave him could not destroy so many causes of fear which he believed he had reason to have Alphonso that was no way prepossessed with any Passion made very different reflections upon the actions of this fair Stranger from what Gonsalvo's were I find said he that you have no reason to believe your self unhappy you are without doubt Wretched to have placed your affection upon a Person which in all likelihood you cannot Marry but not in the manner you fancy your self to be and all appearances are deceitful if you be not truly beloved of Zayde It is true replyed Gonsalvo that if I should judge of her thoughts by her looks I might flatter my self with some hope But as I have told you she never looks upon me but for that resemblance which creates me so much Jealousie I know not Answered Alphonso whether all that you think be true or no but if I were in the place of him you think she laments I should not be very well satisfied that my resemblance should make her look so kindly upon any man else and it is impossible that the Idea of another man should produce those sentiments which Zayde has for you It is very natural for Lovers to hope if any of Zayde's actions did already make him conceive any Alphonso's discourse confirm'd him in it he begun to think that Zayde did not hate him for which he was extream glad but this gladness was of no long continuance for he imagin'd if she were a little inclined towards him he ow'd it all to his Rivals he fancied that having already lost the Man she Loved most she had a favourable disposition towards another that might be like him His Love his Jealousie and his Glory could not be satisfied with an Inclination which he did not first create but it proceeded only from that she formerly had for another He believed that although Zayde should Love him she would only Love his Rival in him In fine he saw he should be wretched though he should be sure to be beloved Notwithstanding he could not avoid being well pleased to see in this fair Strangers manner of proceedings an ayre very different from that she had at first and his Passion for her was so strong that let the marks of her Inclination proceed from what causes soever he could not chuse but receive them with great transports One day it being very fair weather seeing she came not out of her Chamber he went in to know if she would walk She was writing and though he made a noise as he entred the Chamber yet he came near her without being perceived by her and stood looking upon her as she writ she turned her head by chance and seeing Gonsalvo she Blushed and hid what she had writ with so much hast that it caused no small trouble in Gonsalvo for he believed she could not have so much application and be so much surprised for a Letter which had not something of mistery in it This thought put him upon the wrack he retires and goes to find out Alphonso to reason with him an adventure which gave him imaginations very different from those he hitherto had Having sought him a great while in vain of a suddain an impulse of Jealousie made him return to Zadye's Chamber he enters but found her not there she was gone into a Closet where Felime used to sit Gonsalvo saw a piece of written paper half folded upon the Table he could not refrain taking it up and opening it he made no question but that it was the same paper he had seen Zayde write a little before he found in it the Bracelet of hair which she had formerly taken from him she enters as he held the Paper and Bracelet she advances towards him as if she meant to take them from him Gonsalvo retires a step or two back as it were to view them but with a submissive action that seemed to beg her permission Zayde made signes that she would have them but with an ayre so full of authority that it was impossible for a Man as much in Love as he not to obey he returned them into the hands of Zayde but with the greatest regret imaginable because he believed them designed for another He was not able to command his Passion he goes abruptly out of her Room to his own where he found Alphonso who came to him having been told that he had been looking for him So soon as they were seated I am far more unhappy my dear Alphonso sayes he than I thought that Rival of whom I was so Jealous as dead as I believed him certainly is not dead just now I found Zayde writing to him and sending him that Bracelet which she took from me she must needs have heard from him There is certainly somebody hid here that must carry her Letters to him In fine all those hopes of felicity which I had are but imaginary and proceeded only from explicating Zayde's actions wrong She had reason to blot out that dead Man for whom I made her conceive that she grieved She knew too well that he for whom she wept was not dead she was in the right to be angry to see that Bracelet in my hands and to be over-joy'd when she got it again since she had made it for another Ah Zayde it is cruelty to let me
but I am not so assiduous about her I am not so observant of her I am not so much concerned that I do not understand her I have not so much mind to speak to her I have been no more afflicted yesterday than I used to be because she was not to be seen and I am not to day less negligent in my dress then I have accustomed to be In fine since I am as susceptible of compassion as you are and yet that there is so much difference betwixt us it followes that you must aile something more than I do Gonsalvo did not interrupt Alphonso but seemed to examine himself upon these particulars to find whether they were true or no. As he was upon the point of returning his Answer one came to tell him according to the directions he gave that Zayde was gone out of her Chamber and she was walking towards the Sea-side then without considering that he was going to confirm Alphonso's suspicion of him he leaves him to go after Zayde He saw her at a distance sitting by Felime in the same place where he found her two days before he had a particular curiosity to observe their actions hoping thereby to dive into the knowledge of their Fortunes He observed that Zayde wept and Felime seemed to endeavour to comfort her that Zayde did not hearken to her but looked still towards the Sea with such jestures as made Gonsalvo imagine that she lamented for some body that might have been cast away with her he had formerly found her weeping in that place but as she had done nothing that might instruct him in the cause of her tears he believed she had only wept for being so far distant from her Country he then began to fancy that those tears she shed were for the loss of a Lover that might be drowned and that it was to follow him perhaps that she had exposed her self to the dangers of the Sea Lastly He fancied to know as sure as if she had told him that Love was the cause of her tears It is not to be exprest what Gonsalvo's thoughts produced in his mind and the trouble which Jealousie caused in a Heart where Love had not yet declared it self He had been in Love formerly but had never been Jealous this passion that till then had been unknown to him made him feel its first effects with so much violence that he believed himself struck with a grief that no other man ever had felt or known but himself He passed as he thought through all the misfortunes that attended Man's life and yet now he feels something more intolerable than any thing he had ever indured before He has no freedom of reason left he leaves the place where he stood to come nearer to Zayde with resolution to ask her the cause of her affection and though he was assured she could not Answer him yet he forbears not to ask her She was far from comprehending what he would say she wipes away her tears and walks along with him The pleasure of seeing her and being seen by her fair eyes did calme the agitation wherein he was he perceived the disorder he was in and settled his countenance the best he could She named Tunis again very often to him and shew'd a great desire to be transported thither he understood but too well what she demanded of him the thought of seeing her depart began already to give him most sensible strokes of grief and it was only by the pains which Love creates that he perceives he is in Love and his jealousie and fear of her absence torments him before he knows that he is fallen in Love He would believe that she should have just cause to complain of his ill Fate if he did but find in himself an inclination to Love but to find himself at one and the same time not only in Love but Jealous neither to understand nor be understood by her he Loved to know nothing of her but her Beauty to have a prospect of nothing else but of an eternal absence were so many evils together that it was impossible to resist them While he made these sad reflexions Zayde continued walking with Felime and after having walked a pretty while she went again to sit down upon the Beach and begun to weep a fresh looking upon the Sea and shewing it to Felime as if she accused it of the misfortune which made her shed so many tears Gonsalvo to divert her shewed her some Fisher-men which were not far off In spight of the affliction and trouble of this new Lover the sight of her he loved gave him a satisfaction and joy which restored him to his former Beauty and as he was less careless of himself than he used to be he might deservedly draw upon him the looks and eyes of all the World Zayde began to look upon him first with attention then with astonishment and after having a good while considered him she turns to her Companion and made her observe Gonsalvo saying something to her Felime looked upon him and answered her with an action that shew'd she approved of what Zayde said to her Zayde eyed him again and spoke something to Felime Felime did the like in fine by this manner of theirs Gonsalvo judged that he might resemble some body they knew this though at first made no impression upon him but found Zayde so taken up with this resemblance that it was apparent to him that amidst all her sadness she took some content to look upon him that he was convinced that he was like that Lover whom she lamented All the remainder of that Day Zayde shewed divers signes that confirmed this his Suspicion Towards Night Felime and she went to search amongst the Remaines of their Loss and they looked so diligently that Gonsalvo observed such Marks of Dis-satisfaction in them when they could not find what they sought after that he had new Causes of Disquiet Alphonso took notice of the Dis-order he was in and after he had Conducted Zayde to her Appartment he staid in Gonsalvo's Chamber You have not yet told me said he all your past Misfortunes but you must acknowledge those that Zayde begins to bring upon you A Man so deep in Love as you seem to me alwayes takes Delight to speak of his Love and though your Evil be great yet perhaps my Help and my Counsel may not be unserviceable to you Ah my dear Alphonso cryed Gonsalvo How unhappy am I How great is my Frailty and How unsupportable is my Despair How wise were you that could see Zayde and not be in Love with her I well perceived Replyed Alphonso that you were in Love with her though you would not own it I knew it not my self answered Gonsalvo It is Jealousie alone that made me sensible I was engaged in Affection Zayde laments some lost Lover which makes her every Day return to the Beach to bemoan her Love in the same Place she believes he was cast away It is
of Handsomness though he might easily perceive that he was passed the Prime of his Youth Though Gonsaluo's Mind was filled more with his own Thoughts than any thing else yet the sight of this Stranger in such a forlorne Place gave him some Attention He thanked him for giving him Information of what he desired to know and then asked the Fisher-men If there were no Conveniency in the Neighbourhood where he might Lodge that Night There is no other but these Hutts you see Replyed the Stranger where you cannot have any convenient Entertainment Nevertheless sayes Gonsaluo I must go thither to seek some Rest for I have travelled some Dayes without any and I find my Body has need of more than my troubled Thoughts will allow it The Stranger was touched with the sad manner of his pronouncing these Words and was now convinced that it was some unfortunate Man The Conformity that seemed to be in their Fortunes gave him that kind of Inclination for Gonsaluo which we use to have for Persons whose Dispositions we believe to be like ours You will not find here sayes the Stranger any Place worthy of your Retreat but if you please to accept of one that I offer you hard by here you will be Lodged there more commodiously than in these Cabanes Gonsaluo had such an Aversion for the Society of Men that he presently refused the offer which the Stranger made him but at last being over-come with his Importunities and his great need of taking some Rest he was forced to accept of it He therefore followes him and after walking a little while he discovers a House some-what low built with no great Cost yet Neat and Regular The Court was shut in only with a Row of Pomgranat Trees and the Garden was fenced with the like which was separated from a high Wood by a small Brook If Gonsaluo had been capable of taking any Delight the agreeable Scituation of this Dwelling might have given him some Pleasure He asked the Stranger If this Place were his constant Abode and whether Chance or his own Choyce had led him thither I have lived here this four or five Years Replyed the Stranger I never stir out but only to walk upon the Sea-Shore and I can assure you that since I have taken up my Habitation here I never saw any Rational Man in this Place but your self Foul Weather often casts away Vessels upon this Coast which is dangerous enough I have saved the Lives of some poor Wretches whom I have entertained here But all those whose ill Fortune brought hither were Strangers with whom I could have no Conversation though I had sought for it You may judge by the Place of my Abode that I look for none yet I must confess I am much pleased to see a Man like your self For my part sayes Gonsaluo I shunn all Men and I have such just Reasons to shun them that if you knew them you would not think it strange that I accepted with so much Reluctancy the offer which you made me To the contrary you would judge after the Misfortunes which they have created me that I ought for ever to renounce all Humane Society If the cause of your Complaint proceeds only from other Men sayes the Stranger and that you have nothing where-with to reproach your self there are others more unhappy than you and you are less unfortunate than you imagine your self to be The Complement of Misfortunes cryes he is to have reason to complain of ones self This is to dig a Pit for ones self to be drowned in This is to be unjust unreasonable This is to have been the Source of ones own Miseries I perceive answered Gonsaluo that you have a sensible Feeling of what you speak But How different are they from those we feel when without deserving it we are deceived betrayed and abandoned by all that was most dear to us Forasmuch as I can perceive sayes the Stranger you forsake your Country to flye some Persons that have betrayed you and are the cause of your Discontent But judgewhat torment it would be to you to be obliged alwayes to keep Company with those that create the Misfortunes of your Life Believe it this is my Condition I have made my own Life unhappy and yet I cannot separate from my self for whom I have so much Horror and so just a cause of Hatred not only for my own particular Sufferings but also for the Misfortunes of those I loved above all things in this World I should never complain sayes Gonsaluo if I had none to complain of but my self You think your self unhappy because you have reason to hate your self but if you had been answered with an equal Flame by the Person you adored Would not you believe your self happy You have perhaps lost her by your own Fault but still you have the satisfaction to think that she loved you and would do so still if you had not done something that might have displeased her You are not acquainted with Love if this Thought alone be not capable of keeping you from believing your self unhappy and you love your self better than your Mistress if you had rather have cause to complain of her than of your self Doubtless the little share you have in your own Misfortunes sayes the Stranger hinders you from comprehending how great an Addition of Grief it would have been to you to have contributed to them But believe it by the Experience I have of it that to lose what we love by our own Fault is a kind of Affliction which makes more sensible Impressions upon us than any other what-ever As they made an end of these Words they came into the House which Gonsaluo found as pritty within as it appeared without He passed the Night with much disquiet in the Morning a Feavour seized him and in the following Dayes it grew so violent that his Life was thought in danger The Stranger was sensibly afflicted and his Affliction encreased by the pitty and admiration all Gonsaluo's Actions and his Words caused in him He conceived an earnest desire to know who this Man should be that appeared so extraordinary to him He asked several Questions of him that served him But the Servants Ignorance of his Master's Name and Quality could not satisfie his Curiosity He only told him That he caused himself to be called Theodoric and that he believed that was not his right Name At last after his Feaver had continued several Dayes the Remedies and his Youth drew Gonsaluo out of danger The Stranger strove to divert him from those sad Thoughts with which he saw him perplexed He staid alwayes by him and though they spoke but of indifferent Things because they were not yet acquainted yet they surprized one another by the greatness of their Witt. This Stranger had concealed his Name and Quality during his Residence in this solitary Retreat but he was very willing Gonsaluo should know it He told him He was of the Kingdom of
spoke to him as she had promised Don Ramires they resolved that upon the first occasion the Prince should send his Father word that he would no longer oppose my Banishment from Court provided it should be given out that it was done against his will An occasion soon offer'd it self the King was in passion against the Prince for doing something against his order and accused me for advising him to it The Prince not daring to come into the Kings presence pretended to be Sick and kept his Bed for some dayes the Queen according to her custom endeavoured a reconciliation she came to her Sons Appartment to acquaint him with the King's complaints against him Madam these are not the true causes of the King's Anger I know the reason he has a strange aversion against Gonsabvo he accuses him of all that displeases him he desires to send him away He will never be well satisfied with me as long as I oppose his absence I love Gonsalvo dearly but I see I must be forced even against my will to consent to his Banishment and to deprive my self of him since I can purchase the Kings good will at no other rate Tell him then Madam if you please that I consent he should be Banished but upon condition that none know I have consented to it The Queen was surprised at her Sons discourse It becomes not me said she to think it strange that you should have a deferrence to the King's will but I must confess I wonder how you can consent to Gonsalvo's Banishment the Prince alleadged some bad reasons in his own defence and turned his discourse to another subject Whilst they were speaking one of the Queens Maids that was my Friend and Nugna Bella's Woman was by chance so near the Bed that she over-heard all that the Queen and Prince said about me She was so surprised and so pensive to find out what might be the cause of so great a change in the Prince that I came into the Room and began to speak to her before she perceived me I Laughed at her for her thoughtfulness You ought to thank me for it said she I heard just now a thing that amazes me so much that I cannot well comprehend it Elvire for that was her name then told me what she had heard and amazed me much more than she had been I made her tell it me over once more As she made an end the Queen went out and interrupted our discourse I went out with her and being not in a condition to remain with the Prince I walked by my self in the Garden of the Pallace to make reflections upon so strange an adventure It could not enter into my imagination that a Prince that always used me so well would cause me to be Banished without some cause I could not comprehend what should induce him to wish my absence I could not guess what should make him profess a kindness for me when he had none nor could I believe that what I was told could be true nor that Don Garcias could be so weak as to consent to my Banishment As I loved him passionately his change pierced me unto the very soul and being not able to endure what I suffered I went to look out Don Ramires to have the satisfaction to make my complaint to him As I was going towards the Pallace I met one of the Officers of Don Garcias's Chamber whom I had placed with the Prince and who was nearer to his person than any other I bid him to go see if Don Ramires was not with the Prince and to pray him to come to me presently this Officer made answer that he was not there and that without doubt he would not come thither until his accustomed hour when every body else was retired I was extreamly astonished at these words I thought at first I had not well understood them yet I was sensible enough of them Many things came into my mind that made me suspect that Don Ramires had some intelligence with the Prince more than he ever told me at another season I should not have such a thought but what I had heard of Don Garcias's disloyalty obliged me to believe that all the world might be false I asked this Officer if Don Ramires came often to Don Garcias when none else was there He told me he wondered I should ask him such a question and that he believed I knew well enough both their meetings and the subject of their private discourse I replyed I knew neither and that I found it strange he would not before then give me notice of it He thought I did but counterfeit my ignorance of all things to discover whether he told me truth or no and to let me see that he could conceal nothing from me he told me the Princes Love for my Sister and what share Don Ramires had in the carrying it on he told me he had often heard them speak of it when they thought none was in hearing and they learnt all the rest from him that was intrusted to carry the Princess Letters to Hermenesilde thus I understood all that passed except what concerned Nugna Bella. I need seek no more cryed I transported with rage whence proceeds Don Garcias's change the Treachery he commits against me makes my presence insupportable to him How Don Garcias Love my Sister my Sister suffers it and Don Ramires is their Confident At these words I stop'd being unwilling this Officer should take notice of my resentment and forbid him to tell any body what he had informed me I went home so full of trouble that I was beside my self When I found my self alone I abandoned my self to my rage and despair I was fifty times in the mind to Stab the Prince and Don Ramires I had all the transports of Fury and Vengeance that the excess of rage can suggest At last after recollecting my thoughts to give my self the time to choose the fittest course for my revenge I resolved to fight Don Ramires and to perswade Nugna Bella to go with me into Castile to obtain leave of her Father to Marry her and as he had the same design of revolting as I had to joyn with them and incourage them to declare War against the King of Leon and to overthrow that throne which Don Garcias was to ascend I fixed my resolve upon this determination though it was contrary to all my thoughts untill that hour but my despair hurried me to it I was to have waited upon Nugna Bella that very Night I expected the hour of going with great impatience and the hope of finding her sensible of my Misfortune was the only thing that could give me all the solace I was capable of As I was preparing to go out a Man that she used to keep and often brought me her Letters came to me with one from her and told me that she was very sorry she could not see me that Night for reasons I should read in her