and bow'd but Charlot said Nay Sir if you are our Neighbour we will give you leave to Conduct us home but pray Sir how came you to know we are your Neighbours for we never saw you before to our knowledge My pretty Mis reply'd Rinaldo Iknew it from the tranfcendent Beauty that appear'd in your Faces and fine Shapes for I have heard there was no Beauty in the World like that of Atlante's and I no sooner saw her but my Heart told me it was she Heart said Charlot Laughing why does Heart use to speak the most intelligibly of any thing reply'd Rinaldo when 't is tenderly toucht when 't is charm'd and transported at these words he fight and Atlante to his extream satisfaction blusht toucht charm'd and transported said Charlot what 's that and how do you do to have it be all these things for I would give any thing in the World to have my Heart speak Oh! said Rinaldo your Heart is too young it is not yet arriv'd to the Years of speaking about thirteen or fourteen it may possibly be saying a thousand soft things to you but it must first be inspir'd by some Noble Object whose Idea it must retain what reply'd this pretty Pratler I 'le warrant I must be in Love Yes said Rinaldo most passionately or you will have but little Conversation with your Heart Oh! reply'd she I am afraid the pleasure of such a Conversation will not make me amends for the Pain that Love will give me that said Rinaldo is according as the Object is kind and as you hope if he Love and you hope you will have a double Pleasure and in this how great an advantage have you fair Ladies above us Men 't is almost impossible for you to Love in vain you have your choice of a thousand Hearts which you have subdu'd and may not only chuse your Slaves but be assur'd of 'em without speaking you are belov'd it needs not cost you a sigh or tear but unhappy Man is often destin'd to give his Heart where it is not regarded to sigh to weep and languish without any hope of Pitty You speak so feelingly Sir said Charlot that I am afraid this is your Case Yes Madam reply'd Rinaldo sighing I am that unhappy Man indeed 't is pitty said she pray how long have you been so ever since I heard of the charming Atlante reply'd he sighing again I ador'd her Character but now I have seen her I dye for her for me Sir said Atlante who had not yet spoke this is the common compliment of all the young Men who pretend to be Lovers and if one should pitty all those sighers we shou'd have but very littel left for our selves I believe said Rinaldo there are none that tell you so who do not mean as they say yet among all those adorers and those that say they will dye for you you will find none will be so good as their words as Rinaldo perhaps said Atlante of all those who tell me of dying there are none that tell it with so little reason as Rinaldo if that be your Name Sir Madam it is said he and who am Transported with an unspeakable joy to hear those last words from your fair mouth and let me Oh! Lovely Atlante assure you that what I have said are not words of Course but proceed from a heart that has vow'd it self eternally yours even before I had the happiness to behold this Divine Person but now that my Eyes have made good all my heart before imagin'd and did but hope I swear I will dye a Thousand deaths rather then violate what I have said to you that I adore you that my Soul and all my faculties are charm'd with your Beauty and Innocence and that my Life and Fortune not inconsiderable shall be laid at your Feet this he spoke with a fervency of passion that left her no doubt of what he had said yet she blusht for shame and a little angry at her self for suffering him to say so much to her the very first time she saw him and accused herself for giving him any incouragement and in this confusion she reply'd Sir you have said too much to be believ'd and I cannot imagin so short an acquaintance can make so considerable an Impression of which confession I accuse my self much more than you in that I did not only harken to what you said without forbiding you to entertain me at that rate but for unheedily speaking something that has incourag'd this boldness for so must I call it in a Man so great a stranger to me Madam said he if I have offended by the suddainess of my presumptious discovery I beseech you to consider my reasons for it the few opportunities I am like to have and the impossibility of waiting on you both from the severity of your Father and mine who ' ere I saw you warn'd me of my Fate as if he foresaw I should fall in Love as soon as I should chance to see you and for that reason has kept me closer to my Studies than hitherto I have been and from that time I began to feel a Flame which was kindled by report alone and the Description my Father gave of your wonderous and dangerous Beauty therefore Madam I have not suddainly told you of my passion I have been long your Lover and have long Languisht without telling of my Pain and you ought to Pardon it now since it is done with all the respect and Religious Awe that 't is possible for a heart to deliver and unload it self in therefore Madam if you have by chance uttered any thing that I have taken advantage or hope from I assure you 't is so small that you have no reason to repent it but rather if you wou'd have me live send me not from you without a confirmation of that little hope see Madam said he more earnestly and trembling see we are almost arriv'd at our homes send me not to mine in a despair that I cannot support with Life but tell me I shall be blest with your Sight sometimes in your Balcony which is very near to a jetting Window in our House from whence I have sent many a longing look towards yours in hope to have seen my Souls Tormenter I shall be very unwilling said she to enter into an intreague of Love or Friendship with a Man whose Parents will be averse to my happiness and possibly mine as refractory though he cannot but know such an Alliance wou'd be very considerable my Fortune being not suitable to yours I tell you this that you may withdraw in time from a Engagement in which I find there will be a great many Obstacles Oh! Madam reply'd Rinaldo sighing if my Person be not disagreeable to you you will have no cause to fear the rest 't is that I dread and that which is all my fear he sighing beheld her with a Languishing look that told her he expected her answer when she reply'd
was to Hope De Pays after some consideration resolv'd to tell him she receiv'd the offer very well but that he must expect a little Maiden Nicety in the case and accordingly did tell him so and he was not at all doubtful of his good Fortune But Atlante who resolv'd to dye a thousand Deaths rather then break her solemn Vows to Rinaldo or to Marry the Count cast about how she should avoid it with the least hazard of her Fathers Rage she found Rinaldo the better and more advantagious Match of the two could they but get his Fathers Consent he was Beautiful and Young his Title was equal to that of Vernole when his Father should dye and his Estate exceeded his yet she dares not make a discovery for fear she should injure her Lover who at this time tho she knew it not lay sick of a Fever while she was wondering that he came not as he us'd to do however she resolves to send him a Letter and acquaint him with the misfortune which she did in these Terms Atlante to Rinaldo My Fathers Authority would force me to violate my sacred Vows to you and give them to the Count Vernole whom I mortally hate yet could wish him the greatest Monarch in the World that I might shom you I could even then despise him for your sake my Father is already too much inrag'd by my denial to hear Reason from me if I should confess to him my Vows to you so that I see nothing but a prospect of Death before me for assure your self my Rinaldo I will dye rather then consent to Marry any other therefore come my Rinaldo and come quickly to see my Funerals instead of those Nuptials they vainly expect from Your Faithful Atlante This Letter Rinaldo receiv'd and there needed no more to make him fly to Orleance this rais'd him soon from his Bed of Sickness and getting immediately to hers he arriv'd at his Father's House who did not so much admire to see him because he heard he was sick of a Fever and gave him leave to return it he pleas'd he went directly to his Fathers House because he knew somewhat of the business he was resolv'd to make his passion known as soon as he had seen Atlante from whom he was to take all his measures he therefore fail'd not when all were in Bed to rise and go from his Chamber into the Street where finding a light in Atlante's Chamber for she every Night expected him he made the usual sign and she went into the Balcony and he having no conveniency of mounting up into it they discourst and said all they had to say from thence she tells him of the Counts passions of her Fathers Resolution and her own which was rather to dye his than live any bodies else and at last as their last refuge they resolve to discover the whole Matter she to her Father and he to his to see what Accommodation they could make if not to dye together They parted at this resolve for she would not permit him longer to stay in the Street after such a sickness so he went home to Bed but not to sleep The next day at Dinner Mons signiore Bellyuard believing his Son absolutely cur'd by absence of his passion and speaking of all the News of the Town among the rest told him he was come in good time to Dance at the Wedding of Count Vernole with Atlante the Match being agreed on No Sir reply'd Rinaldo I shall never Dance at the Marriage of Count Vernole with Atlante and you will see in Monsieur De Pays House a Funeral sooner than a Wedding and thereupon he told his Father all his passion for that lovely Maid and assur'd him if he would not see him laid in his Grave he must consent to this Match Bellyuard rose in a fury and told him he had rather see him in the Grave then in the Arms of Atlante not continued he so much for any dislike I have to the Young Lady or the smallness of her Fortune but because I have so long warn'd you from such a passion and have with such care endeavour'd by your absence to prevent it he traverst the Room very fast still protesting against this Aliance and was deaf to all Rinaldo could say on the other side the day being come wherein Atlante was to give her final Answer to her Father concerning her Marriage with Count Vernole she assum'd all the Courage and Resolution she could to withstand the Storm that threaten'd a Denial and her Father came to her and demanding her Answer she told him she could not be the Wife of Vernole since she was Wife to Rinaldo only Son to Bellyuard if her Father storm'd before he grew like a Man distracted at this Confession and Vernole hearing them lowd ran to the Chamber to learn the Cause where just as he entered he found De Pays Sword drawn and ready to kill his Daughter who lay all in Tears at his Feet he withheld his hand and asking the cause of this Rage he was told all that Atlante had consest which put Vernole quite beside all his Gravity and made him discover the infirmity of Anger which he us'd to say ought to be dissembl'd by all Wise Men so that De Pays forgot his own to appease his but 't was in vain for he went out of the House vowing Revenge on Rinaldo and to that end being not very well assur'd of his own Courage as I said before and being of the Opinion that no Man ought to expose his Life to him who has injur'd him he hir'd Swis and Spanish Souldiers to attend him in the nature of Foot-men and watcht several Nights about Bellyuards Door and that of De Pays believing he should sometime or other see him under the Window of Atlante or perhaps mounting into it for now he no longer doubted but this happy Lover was he whom he fancy'd he heard go from the Balcony that Night he came up with his Pistol and being more a Spaniard than a French Man in his Nature he resolv'd to take him any way Ungarded or Unarmed if he came in his way Atlante who heard his threatnings when he went from her in a rage fear'd his Cowardise might put him on some base Action to deprive Rinaldo of his Life and therefore thought it not safe to suffer him to come to her by Night as he had before done but sent him word in a Note that he should forbear her Window for Vernole had sworn his Death this Note came unseen by his Father to his Hands but this could not hinder him from coming to her Window which he did as soon as it was dark he came thither only attended with his Vallet and two Foot-men for now he cared not who knew the Secret he had no sooner made the sign but he found himself incompast with Vernoles Bravoes and himself standing at a distance cry'd out that is he with that they all drew on both
was running away vvith Rinaldo but that his good Fortune brought him just in the Lucky Minute her Father turning to Reproach her found by the Light of a Candle that this was Charlot and not Atlante whom Vernole had brought Home at which Vernole was Extreamly astonisht Her Father demanded of her why she was running away with a Man who was designed her by consent yes said Charlot you had his Consent Sir and that of his Father but I was far from getting it I found he resolv'd to die rather then quit Atlante and promising him my Assistance in his Amour since he could never be mine he got me to carry a Letter to Atlante which was to desire her to fly away with him instead of carrying her this Letter I told her he was design'd for me and had cancell'd all his Vows to her she swoonded at this News and being recover'd a little I left her in the Hands of the Nuns to perswade her to live which she resolves not to do without Rinaldo tho' they press'd me yet I resolv'd to persue my Design which was to tell Rinaldo she would obey his kind Summons he waited for her but I put my self into his Hands in lieu of Atlante and had not the Count received me we had been marry'd by this time by some false Light that could not have discover'd me But I am satisfied if I had he would never have liv'd with me longer than the Cheat had been undiscovered for I find them both resolv'd to die rather then change and for my Part Sir I was not so much in Love with Rinaldo as I was out of Love with a Nunnery and took any Opportunity to quit a Life Absolutely contrary to my Humours She spoke this with a Gayety so brisk and an Air so agreeable that Vernole found it toucht his Heart and the rather because he found Atlante would never be his or if she were he should be still in Danger from the Resentment of Rinaldo he therefore bowing to Charlot and taking her by the Hand cry'd Madam since Fortune has dispos'd you thus Luckily for me in my Possession I humbly implore you would Consent she should make me intirely Happy and give me the Price for which I fought and have conquered by my Sword my Lord reply'd Charlot with a Modest Air I am Superstitious enough to believe that since Fortune so contray to all our Designs has given mo into your Hands that she from the Beginning Destined me to the Honour which with my Fathers Consent I shall receive as becomes me De Pais Transported with Joy to find all things would be so well brought about it being all one to him whether Charlot or Atlante gave him Count Vernole for his Son-in-Law readily consented and immediatly a Priest was sent for and they were that Night Marry'd and it being now not above Seven a Clock many of their Friends were invited the Music sent for and as good a Supper as so short a time wou'd provide was made ready All this was perform'd in as short a time as Rinaldo was fighting and having kill'd one and wounded the rest they all fled before his Conquering Sword which was never drawn with so good a will when he came where his Coach stood just against the Back-Garden Door he lookt for his Mistriss but the Coach-man told him he was no sooner ingag'd but a Man came and with a thousand reproaches on her Levity bore her off this made our young Lover rave and he is satisfy'd she is in the hands of his Rival and that he had been fighting and Shedding his Blood only to secure her flight with him he lost all patience and 't was with much ado his Servants perswaded him to return telling him in their Opinion she was more likely to get out of the hands of his Rival and come to him than when she was in the Monastery He suffers himself to go into his Coach and be carry'd home but he was no sooner alighted but he heard Music and a noise of Feastivals at De Pay's House he saw Coaches surround his door and Pages and Foot-men with Flamboys this sight and noise of joy made him ready to sink down at the Door and sending his Foot-man to learn the cause of this Triumph the Pages that waited there told him that Count Vernole was this Night Marry'd to Monsieur De Pay's Daughter He needed no more to deprive him of all sense and stagering against his Coach he was caught by his Foot-men and carry'd into his House and to his Chamber where they put him to Bed all scnseless as he was and had much ado to recover him to Life he asked for his Father with a saint voice for he desired to see him before he dy'd it was told him he was gone to Count Vernoles Wedding where there was a perfect peace agreed on between them and all animosities laid aside at this news Rinaldo fainted again and his Servants called his Father home and told him in what condition they had brought home their Master recounting to him all that was past he hasted to Rinaldo whom he found just recover'd of his Swoonding who putting his hand out to his Father all cold and trembling cry'd well Sir now you are satisfy'd since you have seen Atlante Marry'd to Count Vernole I hope now you will give your unfortunate Son leave to dye as you wisht he should rather then give him to the Arms of Atlante here his Speech fail'd and he fell again in a fit of swonding his Father ready to dye with fear of his Sons death kneel'd down by his Bed side and after having recover'd him a little he said to him my dear Son I have indeed been at the Wedding of Count Vernole but'tis not Atlante to whom he is Marry'd but Charlot who was the Person you were bearing from the Monastery instead of Atlante who is still reserv'd for you and who is dying till she hear you are reserv'd for her therefore as you regard her Life make much of your own and make your self fit to receive her for her Father and I have agreed the Marriage already and without giving him leave to thank him he call'd to one of his Gentlemen and sent him to the Monastery with this news to Atlante Rinaldo bow'd himself as low as he could in his Bed and kist the hand of his Father with tears of joy but his weakness continu'd all next day and they were fain to bring Atlante to him to confirm his happiness It must only be guest by Lovers the perfect joy these two received in the sight of each other Bellyuard received her as his Daughter and the next day made her so with very great solemnity at which were Vernole and Charlot between Rinaldo and him was concluded a perfect Peace and all thought themselves happy in this double Union FINIS