no body that fought with the aire of Alcidor but the redoubtable Lisantus Polianis every where traverst the phalanxes and battalions with a force which quickly compelled those against whom he imployed it to put their nose in the earth with a rout and loss the most notorious that they ever before receaved While Alcidor kept his bed of his wounds some of his neighbours who were his enemies having knowledge that he was unable to stir and that his brothers were slain brought to one of his houses lying a dayes journey from Paquin Indians that set fire to it and burnt it This malicious act not having the power to trouble his great minde so much but that within a few weekes he was got perfectly well as soon as he was so he watch fully observed the marches of those that had done it and within a few dayes met with them as he desired Having a troop of select men with him he fell upon them with a violence by which they who were acquainted with the blowes of Lisantus and Alcidor might easily have guest him to be one of them against which notwithstanding thinking of nothing less than those two renowned warriors and only imagining that they had to doe with a troop who had met them by chance they at first made a resistance stout enough but he lifting up his visour and naming himselfe to them they immediately betook themselves to flight as their best defence They fled some one wayes some another with all the speed that a guilty conscience and a feare of punishment could give them but he from whom they fled and his company pursued them every way with such a swift and well managed fury that they had in a moment or two got them into their power Which done could you think you barbarous people cried he to them that heaven would leave unpunished the outrage that you have done me or could you beileve that I was so void of a soul as not to be sensible of it or such a coward as not to seek you out saying so he ordered a dozen of them to be bound to trees and causing fire and straw to be brought represented to them the just reason that he had to burn them in requitall of their burning of his house There being not one of them that did not sentence himselfe as sufficiently deserving this punishment they perpared themselves to die but when they were surrendring themselves to the â—lames I content myselfe said he to them causing them to be released and cutting some of their bands himselfe to have made you affraid and given you to see that it is in my hands to deprive you of life live and learne henceforward to doe well I give you your liberty to goe whither you have a mind Treated thus by him whom they had used most unworthily they exprest to him a repentance of their offence which banisht all ill remembrance of it out of his mind they adored him as one of more than humane goodness and superstitiously enough to have raised temples and altars to him if they had judged he would have liked it they went home with resolutions never to give blow against the party of which he was and after they had been a little time there came and presented to him in reparation of the dammage that he had sustained by their meanes a considerable sum of money but he would by no meanes be brought to receive it telling them that that which he valued was their freindship and not their coine It is true though he refused their silver he could not but accept of other presents which they urged upon him of horses and armes After this rendring himselfe with Lisantus who from the scatterings of the last feild had gathered together a considerable body both of horse and foot and seeking occasions of keeping his sword in exercise he one day going abroad with only fifty Gentlemen met two companies of Carabins of fourscore men apeice At sight of whom examining the courage of those that were with and finding it such as he desired he ranged them in two squadrons and having orderd them to follow him slowly and when he gave the signall to come up and charge one the one company and the other the other rode a little on before them The enemy seeing him very advantageously horst as he was come straight up to them upon a small gallop all at once made their salute to him and in return to it he and his followers were in an instant upon them gave them a volley of shot with which many of them tumbled and falling in amidst the confusion with an impetuosity which is not to be exprest quickly laid a great number of them more upon the ground and forced the rest to yeild themselves prisoners part of them part of them to fly Polianis in the interim not blinding himselfe with his prosperities but precisely observing the motions of his enemies and managing his affaires according to the best maximes and rules of prudence when having endeavoured to concile his people to his governement by sweetness he saw himselfe forced by their obstinacy to use steele and blood he laid seige anew to Paquin not without the inhabitants rising in his cause nor without their being stilled and drawne back from him by the Governor and Magistrates For the better defence of it Lucimon would have had Alcidor put himself again into it but Florisa was not there to oblige him to doe so and he had been too ill used by that prince to observe his desire He kept in the feild where making continuall courses to and fro he molested the Kings forces more than any of his party In particular having gotten certain intelligence that at such a time there would be a broad an important convoy of the enemy consisting of three hundred horse and as many Fantassâ—ns and which way they would pass he put himselfe with two hundred horse in ambuscade in a wood and there attending till they came when he saw his time charged the Cavalry with a fury which they were not able to resist but were routed cut in peices and taken the Fantassins in the mean time saving themselves by help of the wood but leaving what they were conveighing to the disposall of the conqueror Among those that were taken were Melampus and â—oâ—ilus Lords whom Alcidor knew and who were retiring from the Kings army upon the account of ill health To them he restored their liberty and caused all their equipage also to be returned for which they have ever since been of the number of the best friends that he hath had in the world A great man who observed him after the fight leaning against a tree with his armes shining with silver with his sword in his hand bloody up to the hilt and with the visour of his cask put up and discovering his face hath severall times since said that he could not imagine a more gracefull sight than he then appeared to him
War and the things that affright and molest were scarce so much as mentioned all the discourse was of love of the chase of dances of feasts of all the more elegant recreations of humane life There indeed spread a felicity over all the Kingdome Heaven blessing it with a serene tranquillity and an exuberancy of good things But the tranquillity was at length disturbed the workers of the past tempests raising new ones Liampo forgetful of the mercy which the King had shewed it when at the next door to ruine renewed its old factions and the Isle of Varella was powerfully and sharply assaulted by the Japonoises Aftertaind of this the King who armed with speed to prevent the mischeif with which he beleived the Isle of Chapasi threatened commanded Alcidor to put himself into it and it was in an instant that he had set foot on ground there with a great number of Gentlemen who reckoned it a fair glory to fight under his colours To help him make good his charge there was quickly sent to him by the diligence of the admirable Orestes eight thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse and with these aids he so well disposed the Iland to a defence that the Japonoises coming three dayes after to view it found it too well fortified and managed to be assaulted After this the King seeing that the designe of Callimorus was wholly set to force the I le of Varella caused a good part of Alcidors forces to be joyned with others and make a descent thither and the success was that they compelled the Japonoises with great loss to retire to their ships Callimorus being gone Ariances who came with him fled also back with him to take refuge at Meaco Alcidor who had not as yet stirred from Chapasi was orderd by the King to go Feild-marshall to the seige of Liampo He was again upon intelligence that Roâ—ilus had forces in the Feild which he intended to put into Liampo or else to divert the siege with them ordered by him with eight hundred Horse to go seek him out and sight him and taking with him Silvanus and Dolompus the latter of which the newes of the arming had brought from Mongul where he had been dangerously wounded at the siege of Teudac he made his course but could no where meet with them that he looked for Returned to the Kings quarters he had past but few dayes there before he received the newes of the sickness and within a few houres after of the death of Florinda newes which filled his great heart as full of greif as it could possible hold and not break and which put his two Sonnes all in sadness He had Condolers of his unhappiness the King and all of his acquaintance and when seeing the change of his habit they had learnt the cause of it the whole army the King withal together with others his freinds reading lectures to him of patience and comfort He had indeed for arguments of quieting himself that she was fallen into a sleep for which it was below a soul of true courage to torment it self and from which all his Stock of Tears and sighes could not awaken her that the Queen and Court had taken all the care and pains about her not only which humanity but which also a zealous tenderness could suggest and that he had neither himself nor any other to complain of for his not seeing her in her sickness the first moment that she fell ill a Curâ—ier being dispatched to him with notice of it and she dying within six hours after of which also he had as quick a messenger But after all he had an earnest mind to throw aside his charge and arms and go weep over her that which stop him from doing it was a just consideration that his sovereign had present need of his service and demanded it and that therefore to leave him would be to incurre an opprobry from which he should never be able to clear himself Let us wait therefore said he to himself to go pay our last duties to that part of our dear Florinda that remaines till this rebellious City which is at the even of its being subdued be fully so It is not now the first time that we have received an infelicity of this kind we have too well learnt the sad usage of resenting a wife's death to forget it and shall we make less resistance against the oppressions of affliction now than heretofore when our spirit had more of impurity than now by the advantage of age it hath The exercise of Tears is to be left to women we have reason to shew ourselves more constant And besides into what region is Florinda gone that we should do nothing but lament for her Is she in an abode that is inaccessible to us Is she not there where all faithfull souls have a place reserved for them and where it is not long before we shall see her again Let us forbear then to sigh over her state of bliss and resume the temper which we had before the loss of her that so we may the better imploy ourselves as our duty and necessity require in things importing to the speedy reduction of the enemy This resolution tooke and followed Alcidor and by his advice and example his Sonnes also very much to the satisfaction of the King in regard both of the benefit which thereby they would receive themselves and of that also which would accrew from it to his own affairs The Japonoises having a good mind to succour Liampo but in regard of the invincible obstacles that stood in their way contenting themselves to appear upon the sea and retire the beseiged though they had thereby their hopes frustrated continued obstinately enough to defend themselves but at length great numbers of them being destroyed by the arms of the besiegers and greater by sickness and famine so that the Town made hast to be desert of inhabitants they were necessitated to beg the Kings mercy and what they necessarily begged he freely indulged Having mastered this City which three Kings his predecessours could not do and re-establisht there the old Religion of China he returned in triumph to Paquin and thither Alcidor waited upon him and then applied himself to perform the supreme honours to Florinda When he came to see her body in the Coffin he was wholly possest with greif and his sentiments were more equitable than to be blamed but his reason after a while making good its empire and tempering his passion his Cheif care was taken up about her funerals and he laid her in the grave with a State in which Mourning was renderd full of Majesty While the King continued at Paquin Alcidor was always about him and new occasions calling him abroad he and his Sons attended him They were of his Cheife assistants when he forced his way through the barricades and other obstacles that shut it up and dissipated those that opposed it releived Baiador that was straightly beseiged upon the Prince
Meonimus from which that of Almidon was not far distant Where having staid some hours to repose my selfe and write that letter to you which you was pleased most obligingly to answer I got again on horsebacke and leaving behinde me my freind's house was quickly at that of my enemie I found him at home was receaved by him better than I desired and soon understood from him that he knew nothing of the death of Cartagenes for I reckoned him to be by that time no more among the living and that he beleived I knew nothing of the reports which he had made to him concerning me Hiding therefore my resentments from him after I had staid with him neer an houre and refused the invitations of eating which he very civilly prest me with I acted so that I engaged him to ride out with me When we were come far enough from his house in the midst of a wood whither I served myself of the occasion of a great roade to bring us taking him by the hand and obliging him to make a halt as I did Almidon said I to him I know not where to find a place more proper to require an account of the injury that you have done me than this Amaz'd at which words without giving me leasure to proceed what is it Alcidor said he which moves you thus to surprize me I never had a minde said I to him again to surprize any man unhandsomely but knowing that you have not freeness enough to satisfie willingly those whom you have wronged I have chose to draw you clanâ—ularly hither that so you might not be able to find any way of escaping or giving yourself a dispensation from fighting But tell me then returned he to me what the injury is which you accuse me of having done you and for which you thus set upon me Do you not remember replied I to him or can you deny that you not long since spoke of me to Cartagenes otherwise than was true and honest who answered he hath told you that I did Cartagenes himself reparted I. He hath indeed allwayes told me returned he that he would ingage me in a quarrell with somebody and I have now too much experience of it to question that he was in earnest But I will maintain to him that he lyes and that I never spoke of you but as I ought At those words provokt with his baseness in denying what I was sure he was guilty of and laying the blame upon one of whose innocence I had sufficient proofe I took my sword in my hand against him but he made no offer of putting himself in a posture of defence Seeing which are you so great a coward cried I to him as not only to unsay what you have broached but also to refuse fighting with one who defies you to it and will kill you if you do not resist him But these reproaches stirred him not and I was unwilling to strike a man who would not defend himself To try therefore if I could begeâ— a courage in him and withall the better to convict him I repeated to him the words which he had said to Cartagenes Struck with which and his owne conscience together he sat on his horse like a statue as if he had had nothing of sense or motion left him At length recovering spirit Cartagenes said he hath been most disingenuously unjust to fixe upon me what I never thought of and I shall act powerfully enough against him to let you quickly see his artifice and baseness and that I am no such base or cowardly person as you accuse me to bee Cartagenes no longer lives cried I to him this sword which I hold in my hand to punish you hath forced him to make a voyage into another world for having too lightly given credit to your discourses That unhappy Cavaleir was as valiant to attacque me as you are heartless to defend yourself but the equity of my cause surmounted the injustice of his and you Impostor shall if I can make you run the same adventure expiating your crime with your blood Take your sword therefore in your hand or I will run you through But these words warned him no more than the former and could he have fled I dare confidently say he would not have staied long in the place In sine when after I had with a great deal of patience waited upon him he saw I would wait no longer but was resolved to use him enough to his ignominy unless he would stand upon his guard he told me that his sword was not equall to mine as indeed it was not being as bad a one as I have commonly seen and that if I would stay till the next morning he would render himself where I should appoint to give me the satisfaction that I desired As commonly they who have an ill paymaster their debtor are content to be paid with such money as they can receive I consented to his procrastination and we concluded upon a place and hour where and when to meet the following day Which being come about halfe an houre before Limonides came to me I saw enter the house of Meonimus one whom though disguised I knew to be Almidons lacquey The fashion in which I saw him and the manner in which he inquired for Meonimus whom I had sent from home in the morning upon other business that so I might have leasure to perform that which I had in hand with Almidon made me suspect that his Master was brewing something of treachery To ascertain myself of the truth of it and know what this disguise meant I took the lacquey by the collar and shewing my self most violently angry threatned him to make him hang if he would not quickly tell me why he was metamorphost and for what reason he came into the house covertly and like a theife Presently the poor boy who had his senses frozen with feare confest to me that his Master had given him a summe of money to advertise Meonimus secretly of the Duel which he was to perform with me and to feigne that it was his owne proper motion to give him the advertisement Inquiring then of the lacquey where his Master was and hearing that he was gone to the place assigned for our meeting I thought of nothing any more but to make haste to him But Limonides arrived at the instant with your most wellcome letter and I staid to read it twice over and to speak a few words to him that brought it Which done to come upon Almidoâ—â— unawares I galloped to him by a private way Perceiving him wholly astonisht to see me instead of Meonimus whom he expected I gave him leasure to recollect himself and then I with much difficulty made him draw his sword But he used it so ill that I with little difficulty gave him a wound which let out the best part of his blood upon the place The rest Limonides I suppose hath acquainted you with I shall therefore only add that
I were set on work by the King to help to destroy that monster for so we now reckoned the Union which we had so long assisted and that we very prosperously atcheived our task that Dorilas seeing no body obstinate for the league but his Uncle Lucimon and having no mind to ruine himself with him askt the King's pardon and received it that Polianis justly incenst against Atalantus for having incited and maintained his subjects against him with designe of seizing the monarchy of China declared War against him and obtained against him three signal victories that the enemies forces being vanquisht by Adrastus in the province of Peuquiam others of the same party entered into that of Xiancy and took â—hianchieu killing the illustrious Lisantus that defended it that the famous Astragant yeelded himself together with severall Townes to his Majesty that Lucimon seeing all his retreates lost all his hopes blasted and Polianis crowned King with a penitent humility saught his grace and submitted to his Scepter that by this meanes a generall peace was restored to China and in fine that the amorous intercourse between me and Florisa which had been all this while dying but had made severall efforts to recover it self they proving no more than blazes before the going out of the Candle was by the end of the War wholly extinct Alcidor having brought his narration to a period and the Company having paid him their thanks I have been informed said Dorame to him that your love did not die when it left Florisa but only like a Pythagorick soul past from one to another from Florisa to Astasia I shall therefore account myself very much in your debt if you will relate to us what were the transactions of it with that beautifull wife of Certafilan There are many reasons Madam returned Alcidor which forbid me doing what you desire But the most remarkable of the truths which you would know one of my freinds designing so to oblige me hath faithfully enough penned down This manuscript if you think it worth your time to examine I shall willingly put into your hands Therewith he pulled out of his pocket and presented to her a little book of which the cover was Crimson velvet embroidered with Gold and adorned with Pearls and Cyphers Having took it vewed its outside opened it found the pourtraitures of Alcidor and Astasia on the first and second pages and lookt awhile upon them she gave it to Melian intreating him to read it to them and he read it in these words The History of the Loves of Alcidor and Astasia ALcidor being returned to Paquin from Canton where he had subdued the remaines of the confederacy now that the fires of the civill War were wellnigh all quenched had a fire kindled in his breast by the beauties of Astasia which was of too much force easily to be put out And yet he had at first considering her known integrity to her husband no in couragement to hope that it would succeed to his satisfaction But on a sudden as if some fatality had laboured to cleere his way Certafilan with his nice and distemperd palate began to distast the visits which the more gallant Courtiers made to his Lady This folly prevailing with more and more unruliness in his spirit he at length never saw any body near her but he beleeved it was to corrupt her castity Nor though to obey and please him seeing what disease he laboured under she shunned all the Company which she thought he might suspect grew he ever the more sober but so interpreted all her actions to his fansie that there was not the least and most spotless of them with which he found not fault Wholly governed with which frenzy he retrenched the usage of those respects which he had been wont to pay her and most unworthily loaded her with abuses which it was impossible for her long to bear She notwithstanding practised all the sweet meanes that her discretion was able to suggest to her to put him in a better mind but instead of being thereby brought back to reason he was exasperated higher and grew more and more insupportable Her teares which one would have thought able to melt cruelty it self rather increast than allaied his rage and her just complaints served to no better effect than to make him vomit a thousand contumelies against her honor Nor were her own indeavors to appease him fruitless only but the Kings also who having knowledge of his madness used what remedies he judged requisite for his cure but without effecting it During this ferall persecution of Astasia Alcidor went every day to see her without her persecutor being able to hinder it it being in the lodgings of Feonice and in the presence of Polianis that he visited her and as often as he saw her he made her see that he was as deeply concerned in her sufferings as she was herself She again every day drunke in such a sense both of his sympathy and accomplishments as with the assistance of Certafilan's outrages rendred this latter less and less and that former more and more agreeable to her He proceded to manage time and his actions so advantageously to his purpose that she no longer regarded him but as one regards those whom one sincerely likes She was not contented but when he was with her nor discontented but when he was from her She felt emotions and attempts which she had never felt before by which discerning that Love was surprizing her heart she imploied all her strength to defend it but he notwithstanding all made himself Master of it Perceiving herself conquered since thou findest it in vaine said she to her selfe to oppose the will of Love of whom all the world holds in fee rebell no more Astasia Who can with common charity blame thee because thou submittest to a puissance which disposes of all as it lists and because thy affections lacquey no longer after a Master who hath most barbarously handled them but run to one whose qualities are all irresistably magneticke and who if any body is most likely to protect and releeve thee who indeed if not Alcidor is able to bring Certafilan into order But alas by what meanes should he do it for him to speak to him in my defence what is it but to augment his jealousy And though it may be he dares not assault him may he not still revenge himself upon me a woman who have nothing but sighs and teares for my armes against him But imagine Astasia that Alcidor is able to supercede his oppression of me who hath told thee that he will be at the paines to go about it The respects indeed which he renders thee seem to be such as would assure thee of it but consider he renders the like to all Ladies and had he a particular kindness for thee he would not surely have been untill this houre to let thee know it every thing having favoured such a design No no it is impossible that