Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A62415
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Tachmas, prince of Persia an historical novel which happen'd under the Sophy Seliman who reigns at this day / render'd into English by P. Porter.
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Segrais, Jean Regnauld de, 1624-1701.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing T100; ESTC R24077
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23,123
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120
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in the Arms of another Prince Tachmas There was a thousand things that might make Negara doubt of the truth of this Writing and she might easily judg that the Prince had too much prudence to commit such an important and dangerous Design to a frail paper and the faith of an Eunuch though his Virtue had not retained him from it But she was too much blinded with her Jealousie to open her Eyes to such Considerations She followed all the Transports of this Venomous passion Therefore to break the Prince's Design and hinder her Rival from the enjoyment of a good she thought due to her self She sent to advertise Seliman That she had something of high Importance to communicate to him As soon as he came she shewed him this Note Seliman at the sight of it was transported with Rage He commands Sunamire whom the Princess would charge with part of this Accusation to be called before him He reads this Note to her But this cunning Slave confessed it was true That Tachmas had acquainted her with his bad intentions against the Sophy but loudly protested That she always had resisted them as might appear by the Note it self which if the Eunuch had brought to her she would immediately have given the King notice of it So that Seliman that still hated his Brother and would be sorry to be undeceived turned all his Fury against him He leaves the Note with Negara that it might help totally to subdue her passion if there yet remained any parts of it unsmothered and goes away with Terror and Fury in his Countenance He sent for Allagolikan and tells him what he had learnt the Favourite seeming to be much surprized said He must blame his own lenity in pardoning his Brother Upon which Seliman swears the second Crime should not go unpunished as the other had done In the mean space Tachmas being ignorant of the Conspiracy that was formed against him but very well knowing Allagolikan's nature and not doubting but that Sunamire provoked by his last words would plot some ill Design against Negara and himself thought fit to give her a precaution against Sunamire's plots He sent to her the same Eunuch that discover'd to him the Favourites hatred The Eunuch comes into Negara's Chamber a moment after Seliman left it He drew her aside and cunningly slipped a paper into her hand which he told her Tachmas had commanded him to bring her Negara presently steps into her Closet all her thoughts were discompos'd and going to read the Note she felt her Curiosity powerfully opposed by a secret Remorse and Cruel apprehensions of finding in it the Sentence of his Death She had scarce opened it when she prensently found it writ by the Prince's own hand and in his own usual Character She draws out of her pocket that Note she had shewed to Seliman and having compared them together she found so much difference betwixt the writing of the one and the other that she could no longer doubt of the Cheat but she was further convinced when she read these words I Have found out that Allagolikan whom I believed a fast Friend to all my Interests to be my mortal Enemy Wherefore if you retain yet any Remembrance of unhappy Tachmas beware of letting any sign of it appear before his Creatures and always suspect whatever comes from him as well as from Sunamire who wishes us ill for Reasons that are not fit to be told but which you may easily guess Prince Tachmas The Princess had scarce ended reading this Note but she swooned away all her senses having left her a mortal Horror had frozen up her Heart Her Face was Vailed with the pale shades of Death and her Eyes wanted even Tears to shew they yet had any life left She lay a long while in this insensible condition and it was the happiest state that she ever after saw during the rest of her life When she had recovered sense enough to feel her sorrow she made several vain efforts to call out but her voice remained still intercluded and stifled by the violence of her grief Her imagination was clouded with sad and terrifying Objects She fancied Tachmas's Ghost all bathed in blood comes to Reproach her with his Death and the dismal effects of her blind and ill-grounded Jealousie She returns into her Chamber and with a Voice interrupted with Sighs she prays the Eunuch that brought her the Note to run to the Sophy and to tell him that she had something to acquaint him with of no less Consequence than what she had already told him Seliman returns to Negara but as soon as he perceived she intended to justifie the Prince he attributes this precipitated change to her Love and would not hear her but said abruptly as he was going out That though Tachmas had not been guilty these apparent Signs of a passionate affection towards him were cause enough to ruine him He commands the Eunuchs not to let her come out of her Chamber nor the Princess Begona who was then just enter'd He caused Tachmas to be clapped in a dark Dungeon and left Allagolikan to see it done The Prince not knowing what his Accusation was perceived all was the Favourites contrivance and therefore gave him some reproachful hints of it But this Traytor insolently answers him That he only executed the Sophie's Orders to whom he returns Seliman calls for some of his Council to advise with them what was to be done with Tachmas Allagolikan who spoke first opined his Death Some were of the same opinion but others with so much force and Eloquence represented to the Sophy the danger of putting the Prince to Death That it was sufficient to keep him in safe Custody It was carried in spight of all the Favourite's Animosity that Tachmas should live But Seliman would have a Corporal punishment inflicted upon him And as he was considering of the kind Allagolikan proposes to have his Eyes pluck'd out Alledging That as by the sight of Negara he became the King's Rival so this was the best Expedient to Revenge both his Love and his Throne and to take away from Tachmas all means of attempting for ever any thing against the one or the other Cruel Seliman approves of this Advice And this barbarous Sentence was pronounced against the unhappy Prince And the Favourite had Order to see it put in Execution the King himself refusing to be present fearing lest in seeing him he should be moved to pity as before Allagolikan being impatient until he made Tachmas feel the effects of his Rage commanded a Stage to be erected in the Hall wherein this Illustrious Blood was to be spilt before Then it was that this Prince who under Sophy Chabas his Father had carried the Terrors of his Arms through all Asia and made the Ottomans tremble for fear of his Valour even at the Gates of their Seraglio This Prince that had a million of Souls at his Devotion and whose Virtue as well as Power was cherished by all the Army This Prince in fine for whom all his Souldiers would have taken pride to shed the last drop of their bloods saw himself abandoned to the Fury of a Traytor without finding one man that durst attempt any thing in his Defence So true it is that Fortune rules the friendship of the major part of Mankind Yet no degenerate Voice no weak or base Complaint falls from him only when he desired to know his Accusation and that it was answered It was for conspiring gainst the King He beseeched Heaven quickly to make his Innocence appear and not to leave so foul and so black a Treason unpunished In the mean time the Princess Negara delivered up her Soul to all the Cruel stroaks of an unconsolable grief and the most pleasing of Objects that can offer themselves now to her Imagination were those of Despair She heard from all hands that Tachmas was in the hands of the Executioner and there were some of the Eunuchs who by mis-information assured her that he lost his life Then she thought it time to have recourse to the last Remedy and put an end to her miseries by Poison by the Example of Princess Begona who was there with her The Sophy being distracted with several Remorses thought to retire into the inner part of the Palace that by the conversation of the Ladies he might dissipate that black Humour with which his Soul was agitated He was scarce got within Negara's Chamber when he saw his Mother pale and ghostly her Face all cover'd with the cold sweats of Death As he went to help her turning his Face towards some noise he had heard he saw the unhappy Princess grovelling in the same state with Begona and making her last Efforts to dispose of the remaining moment of her life she expired uttering with her dying breath the Name of Tachmas At the same instant Sunamire presented her self to Seliman and assured him that Tachmas was Innocent and that the Note which was given him was contrived by Allagolikan with whom she had been of Intelligence and that she well knew what she deserved for such a Treason and with that drew out a Poiniard she had under her Garments and therewith stobbing her self in the breast fell down bathed in her own blood by Negara's side The Sophy sent presently to stop the Execution but it was too late for this Traytor was too eager to quench the thirst of his insatiate Revenge The unfortunate Tachmas having understood what befel in the inner part of the Palace wept with Tears of blood the loss of his Mother and his Mistress and never did Love and Nature draw so many moving Complaints from any man before as Tachmas uttered upon this fatal Occasion Seliman whose Jealousie was now extinguished by so many Tragical Events fell into a furious Rage against Allagolikan He caused him to be strangled before his Face thereby making this Traytor at his turn to suffer the just punishment of all his Crimes FINIS Errata Page 25. l. 17. r. into p. 33. l. 4. r. his p. 37. l. 15. dele in p. 40. l. 7. r. faithful p. 52. l. 5. r. starr'd p. 66. l. 3. r. expedients