a moment The death and the last words of Odmar produced new causes of astonishment Tamberlain had not the power to recover himself out of his to think that he had given the whole Empire of his Soul to an impostor who had committed so many injustices against him and caused the ruine of his true Son This dreadful accident which was so great a justification to the Prince of Tanaïs obliged the Emperour to make him a publick reparation for what was past and not being able to tarry any longer in a place that was floating with such odious blood he retired to his Apartment and the generous Adanaxus after he had ordered that the wretched Bodies should be buried returned to the Princess not doubting but that the â—eport of his death had sufficiently larm'd her He found her in that dismal swoon â—he fell into at the first outcry Just Heavens cryed he seeing her in hat condition shall I never enjoy a â—appiness without such afflicting alâ—ays those tears and the name of â—he Princess which he several times â—epeated began to make her come o her self Asteria at last opened â—er eyes and casting them upon Aâ—anaxus Ah! Seignior said she to him is it you I behold Yes Maâ—am replied the Prince Themir â—as met with that destiny which was â—repared for me Ortobulus is reâ—enged I am without a Rival I â—ow need not fear any other to perâ—cute me and for my greater joy â—hat Themir who was so odious to â—y Princess by too powerful reasons was not of the blood of Adanaxus The Prince of Tanaïs who perceivâ—d Asteria began to gather strength by the joy he had inspired into her at the Relation gave her a true and full account of all the circumstances and passages of it how he had escaped death in passing through the Terrace The rest of the Night passed in confusion Asteria beheld her affection innocent the murtherer of Ortobulus was not her Lover's Brother and with a greater ease and tranqulllity than ever enjoyed the pleasure of seeing her self beloved by him This accident divested Tamberlain of that cruel Meen he had before and which made him be looked upon with so much fear now all his severity with Themir had its sepulture his eyes lost their fury and put a very pleasing sweetness on his face and all those whom the address and subtlety of Odmar and his complaisances for Themir had removed from his esteem received then fresh assurances of it from him As Adanaxus only now took up all his thoughts he minded nothing but how to complete his happiness He went to visit Asteria testified to her the sincere grief he had at the afflictions he had procured her restored her all the conquests he had made in her Father's Kingdom to dispose of how she pleased and offered her the Crown of the Tartars with Adanaxus It was not possible that such a proffer as this could be displeasing to the Princess She loved the Prince of Tanaïs Bajazet had given him his esteem and she thought she could not do any wrong to his memory in marrying him but as he had left her Brothers she acquainted the Emperour that she could not dispose of her self without their allowance This reason appeared to him but just and equitable he order'd Alizanes and Calixtus two illustrious Tartars to go and find them out The impatience of Adanaxus made some little murmur at it but he was necessitated to submit to the Princess Bajazet's Sons were found on the ruines of the Ottoman Empire rallying by the help of their Neighbours such forces they thought might be sufficient to go out against Tamberlain The Letters of Asteria and the conquests which were restored put an end to that design they now were thinking only how to raise up the Throne of Bajazet which Mahomet the youngest of those Sons some few years after the death of the other brought again to its first splendour The Tartars returned having managed their negotiation with success Adanaxus's love was authorized and the marriage of Asteria recompenced his fidelity in the great City of Samarcanda where they passed away their days in a lasting happiness after so many long and tedious persecutions FINIS
injuries he became so furious that he thought he was obliged in point of honour to conquer her and told her with an absolute imperious tone that if she was resolved to persevere in her Obstinacy he knew very well how to make her repent of it in the person of her Father The Princess at those words was struck with a mortal terrour Do not invelope Bajazet in a Resistance where he is not at all concerned said she to him pouring down a torrent of tears the Just refusal I make to marry the murderer of Ortobulus my Brother was inspired into me by my own resentments which were every way legitimate and if it merits any punishment only I ought to suffer it Leave the days of Bajazet to their Natural end they cannot last very long and no ways trouble the tranquillity of your Son you ought to exercise your vengeance upon my life only and it is against me that every thing proves an earnest solliciter to you No no replied Tamberlain I know better how to chuse my victims and since for my Son's misfortunes his days are fastened unto yours you shall live but you shall live to see that Father who is so dear to you expire in sufferings and you shall never boast without a punishment theh aving scorned the Alliance of the greatest Prince in the Earth He went out as he ended those words and the overwhelmed Princess fell into a dreadful swoon in the arms of her Woman who had much ado to recover her from that weakness The cruelty of Tamberlain did not only consist in words Asteria had order the next day to go to Bajazet's prison and to dispose him for death or for a marriage of her with Themir Fatal Choice for a Daughter who did so dearly love her Father and detest that unworthy Lover the sight of Bajazet had never been permitted her since their Separation she had often demanded it and would have given the best part of her blood to obtain it but the fatal condition that was put upon it rendered it then insupportable to her she refused to go and resolved to do her self some violence but at last considering that that Obstinacy might possibly hasten her Father's death she obeyed and suffered her self to be conducted all over-whelm'd in tears to the place where they were to bring her she found there the Turkish Emperor so changed that she received his embraces without being able to speak a word Bajazet asked her what return had obliged the Tyrant to grant her to come and see him the last of all his cruelties Seignior said Asteria to him the severest effect of his Injustices in a word what ever he has in the world that can be most tormenting to us She then explained to him in a few words the sad mystery of her visit and taking away from him all hope that Tamberlain could ever be made flexible she gave him fully to know that there was nothing between a shameful and cruel death and the marriage that was so much desired Bajazet could not forbear sighing very often during her Discourse and sometimes casting upon the Princess such looks as were full of pity and then again throwing most fierce and disdainful Ones on those Tartars who by the Emperors order had waited on her Tamberlain then must judge of my Sentiments by his own said he to her if he perswades himself that I am capable of betraying the blood and the memory of my Son in joyning you to his executioner No my dear Ortobulus added he lifting up his watry eyes to Heaven your shade shall never blush at an action so little worthy him who had given you a Being you judge well Daughter pursued he to think that mine is hateful to me and that in the deplorable estate to which I am reduced I shall not make a great sacrifice to the Manes of Ortobulus and to your repose though I should abandon it to the cruelty of my Enemies but my Asteria I will tell you more and those Ministers of the horrid Acts of Tamberlain that do attend you may report it to him that though this Marriage might restore me to my highest Fortune and I might hope from it for felicities as tranquill and untroubled as my destiny has been unconstant yet faithful to the remembrance of my Son and jealous of a glory which all the prosperities of the Tartars cannot obscure I would resist what he exacts from us with the same courage you see me now refuse it Thus then Seignior interrupted the Princess you are resolved for a death that will expose me to all that can be imagined most bloody and dismal Think that for my despair I may be able to survive you that the weakness of my Sex does neither permit me to make such escapes or go about such undertakings as if I had the strength of the contrary that I shall always remain Tamberlain's Captive and the victim of Themir's violences and that through pity you owe this conversation to the perils wherewith I am threatned Think your self replied the Emperour that you will become the companion of all my miseries if you force me to prolong those dayes which the cruelty of my fate hath rendered but too long already think that after the loss of an Empire and liberty there is more weakness in supporting ones disgraces than in seeing ones self sacrificed to them and instead of exciting an unworthy pity which my glory would utterly disallow do you remember you have your extraction from the most illustrious blood in the World and so look upon my death as an action that will crown all the former ones of my life I shall leave you Brothers whom possibly the bounty of Heaven will regard and pity My death will suffice to appease its anger and from it you may receive assistances that will secure you from falling under those evils which so much disquiet you Ah! Seignior answered Asteria let us then joyntly expect these Succours for I will have none of them if you do not likewise partake with me Will you then marry Themir Interrupted the Emperour coldly will you resolve that the Ottoman shade shall reproach you for the shameful mingling the blood of Tamberlain with his I would have you live Seignior cried the Princess out very grievously or else I would die with you At these words her Spirits failed her which obliged them to carry her back to the Palace without having made any conclusion and though Bajazet was sensibly touched at her grief yet did he see her go away without changing his Resolution in the least and contenting himself in putting up vows to Heaven for her he waited his death with that undauntedness which is only the partage of great and generous Souls Those who had been witnesses of Asteria's visit made a very faithful relation of it to Tamberlain and Themir without ever forgetting the obstinacy or the fierceness of Bajazet's answers But yet they made some further efforts upon him and
in your pittiful Numbers say unfortunate Prince thou shalt never more see thy delightful Sebastia nor thy dear Ortobulus This Shepherd with the sight and words of the Emperour offered him his little cottage but that retreat was not very long serviceable to him Themir by his inquisition for him quickly resembled his fate to that of ours She ended this discourse with a thousand tears which made Adanaxus repent that he had been the unhappy cause of them and after he had imployed some time in drying them up he left her to teturn to the Emperor In the mean time Odmar was flattering the transports of Themir with the hopes of a more successful crime and promised him the ruine of Adanaxus with very powerful assuranses and counsel'd him to go once more and make his last efforts to Asteria Seignior said he to the Emperor I 've now dispensed with all that has hitherto made me support the contempts of Asteria will you give me your consent to impose upon her inclinations to make me happy for I do not think you will authorize Adanaxus to thwart my pretensions and especially upon the account of Asterïa whom I may call my conquest by the blood she cost me whilst he abandoned you Indeed I have no intention to prefer Adanaxus to you answer'd the Emperor but you have your liberty to satisfy your Love But Son are you stedfastly resolved to marry a Maid that cannot love you who will look upon you as her Tyrant in your most pleasing moments and become a torment to your Life India China Egypt Arabia have Princesses who will procure us such alliances as may be advantageous and who are blest with charms if Fame may be believed You will bring to your self a more quiet happiness and the daughter of Bajazet will see her folly punished by a contempt she will repent she had ever merited No Seignior replied Themir I will have no other happiness then that I demand of you Well then added Tamberlain give her some days respite to her mourning Seignior interrupted Themir Asteria will never soften by time and it is unprofitable to throw it away I will not prescribe you any long time pursued the Emperor and then you shall have all my Authority Themir complyed with the Emperor and by an affected kind of submission got himself commended for it He presently went to fling himself at the feet of Asteria and Adanaxus being a greater persecution to him then his love he sought out Odmar who advised him to give the Prince of Tanaïs the liberty of seeing the Princess for some few days that so he may be deprived of it for ever Adanaxus did not trouble himself about forming of bloody designs but imploying all his desires to his Love one obliging word from the Princess did move him more then the possession of an Empire could have done He spent one evening with her with as much sweetness and tranquillity as if he had neither had Rivals nor enemies and was taking his leave of her with the ravishing joy of a successful Lover when he heard a crying in the Palace that the Prince of Tanaïs was dead It is impossible to express Asteria's resentments at these pitiful cries Adanaxus was so newly gone from her that she had not had the time to undress her self since that separation and to hear his death proclaimed struck her with an astonishment that gave her almost a mortal paleness and she fell into a swoon that held her so long as made her women believe she was quite expired The cryes increased up and down the Palace Tamberlain was frightned at it and Axalla enraged at the cruel destiny of so young a Prince ran to the place where the massacred body lay which was at the foot of a pair of Stairs that led to Asteria's Apartment He embraced it all bloody as it was but it was not long e're by the light of several Flambeaus that the Servants brought he discovered that the person departed was Themir and not Adanaxus Oh how great was Axalla's joy What was the surprise of Odmar in beholding his dear hopes in the condition he thought the Prince of Tanaïs had been The Emperour was also come to this place and by his transports testified how cruelly the loss of a Son so tenderly beloved was like to be revenged Adanaxus came thither too at the same time and troubled at Themir's fate how excustable soever he would have been if he had not bewailed it Ah! Seignior said he to Tamberlain whosoever is the murtherer of my Brother he shall only dye by my hands 'T is I interrupted Odmar with an undaunted resolution 't is I who have given to the unfortunate Themir that destiny which I only designed for thee and when I thought thy death certain I my self was the publisher of it by my outcries I saw you go to Asteria's Apartment and having long since resolved thy destruction I waited here to sacrifice thee to give a pleasing surprise to Themir by the noise of thy death my first designs not having been successful I would not ow the execution of this last to any other hand than mine own but fortune has proved base to me and betrayed my intentions and Themir who in all likelihood would have prevented me with resembling ones is now unfortunately fallen under the horror of my stabs Odmar spake like a man despairing who only owed his unhappiness to his crimes and perceiving the astonishment that every body was in by his discourse gave him opportunity to pursue it Themir was wicked through my care to make him so continued he for finding dispositions in him conformable to my desires I made it my business to improve the malignity of them He was absolutely mine and I was ambitious to see him have the Empire but Tamberlain be not surprised with so blind a passion but render justice to nature for Themir was my Son and in the first days of your own your absence during the war of China and the residence of your Queen at Cambalu favouring my ambition I very happily made an exchange of them your young Prince died naturally in the exile to which I had sent him and mine enjoying his place would had it not been for this fatal accident have reigned over the Tartars He was ignorant of his birth and I had used my utmost industry and address to make him dear to you and Adanaxus to meet with your hatred or at least your indifference whom I looked upon as the only obstacle that could trouble me But yet after the precaution of so many years and the flattering Idea's I fed my self withal I have inhumanely deprived my self of him these are the effects of unconstant fortune she yet demands one more and he who has not trembled to reach the heart of his Son ought not to have any pity for his own At those words he ran a poniard up into his body and then throwing himself upon that of Themir he there expired in