prosperity to your Highness which you deservâ— I am Your most humble Vassal The Earl of Rovera The other Letter which at the same time he sent to his wife was in these words My dear Spouse I Am so angry and so unsatisfied in being in a strange Countrey from my own House absent from my wife and without money that if I had two souls I would willingly give one to the Devil His Highness sent me hither with assurance that the Instructions necessary for me and the Bills of Exchange should certainly follow me but seeing the contrary I know not who to complain to and cannot but think that I was sent hither on no design but of being rid of me I would nevertheless flatter my self if it were possible with the belief that the length of the way might perhaps be the cause of the slowness of my Letters and hinder'd them from coming so soon as I expected but for all that I cannot but afflict my self not being ignorant that those people who make use of my house in my absence divert themselves whil'st in the mean time I am suffering in the houses of others it troubles me not to be here but I am vext that I have not that which was promised I pray thee solicite his Highness and speak to him by word of mouth if he is at Casal or by Letter if he be at Mantua that I may receive satisfaction and the Duke may be served till now I have not had opportunity of seeing any Lady therefore I can say nothing to thee of their humours nor inclinations at present This is all I can write to thee this day deferring the rest to another opportunity Adieu I embrace thee But let the Earl write as many Letters as he pleas'd he staid fifteen Moneths in Poland always waiting to receive his Orders scarce once seeing in all that time the Marquess of â—â—â—zague or at least once saluting frim from the Duke he bit his fingers every day in despight of his being so cheated he writ and writ again but to no purpose in the world and receiv'd no answer to all his Epistles but fair words and to no end which the Duke caus'd his Secretary to write which circumstance aggravated the Earls vexation and put him out of himself In fine seeing he could do-nothing in that Court for the service of his Highness and that the Duke his Master had very little business to treâ—… of in that place he made new requests to him which he often repeated for his consent to his return to Casal with protestations of his being more serviceable to his Highness at Casal than at Poland where he did nothing either for the Duke or himself as he thought whil'st in the mean time that poor man render'd all the service required from him since there was nothing desired from him but his absence The great Liberty with which these two Lovers diverted themselves together in the absence of the Earl made them invent all the means possible to prolong it and since he renewed his desires and prest so much his return through weariness of his staying idle in the Court of Poland The Duke being resolute for his absence a longer time devised another plot worse than the former He ordain'd then the Earl by express Letters That he should go to the Capitol City of Persia where he pretended he should stay there some Moneths in the quality of an Embassadour because the interest of his State required some Correspondence with that King and to engage the Earl to this he promised him mountains and wonders assuring him that if his designes succeeded by his Negotiation he should want no Honours and Recompences there being none after that such service which he might not pretend to for himself or his heirs The Duke sent him these Orders with a Letter of Exhortation and commanded also his Secretary and his wives brothers to write to him They obeyed the Duke and sent to this poor banish'd man Letters full of Flatteries to animate him to the Dukes 〈◊〉 vice with all the affection imaginable and fail'd not to aggravate to the 〈◊〉 the honours which they presume would accrew to him by this voyage When the Earl receiv'd this Order one would have thought the Devâ—… had taken him by the Coller â—…eat his fingers with rage and who ever had seen him would have thought he would also have devour'd his Letters he begun to beat his valet â—… Chamber to discharge some of hâ—… Choller upon him and that which was most vexations in this business â—… was the more inflam'd by the believing his resentments so just and his extreâ—… passion lawful he saw plainly that the Dukes onely end was to make hâ—… die of want in that long and painâ—… voyage that afterwards he might â—…joy his wife with greater Liberty â—… could not imagine any way what at fairs the Dukes of Mantua could have with the Kings of Persia so that press with grief he took a resolution of sending his footman into Italy with the same Letters which he had received from the Duke reserving to himself onely the Bills of Exchange without giving himself the trouble to write to the Duke so much as one word of excuse nevertheless he gave this servant of his two Letters of transport one for his Wife the other for his Brother in Law The first was this Wicked Wife the dishonour of my House and the ruine of my Person I Refrained hitherto those lawful reproaches I could have made to thy dissolute life for fear of publishing those crimes which at least ought to be conceal'd but since thy impudencies go so far as to destroy I do not say the quiet of my mind for it never tasted any since my cruel destiny joyn'd me to thee but that of my soul which thou persecutest even unto the farthest places of the world I think my self oblig'd now to let thee know that I was never blind as thou believedst me but if I pretended to be so t was an effect of my Prudence I complain not of the Duke who persecutes me for thy sake I complain of thy disloyalty to thy Husband Why didst thâ—… marry wicked woman as thou art if thy intentions were to be always dishonest Thou deceivedst thy self if thou didst believe that at the beginnings of our Marriage I did not perceive thy abominable amour I knew I saw with great regret although I counterfeited ignorance and pretended neither to see nor hear nor understand It might have sufficed thee to have dishonour'd me at Casal without being so cruel as to drive me out of Italy Dost thou think I believe that all these pretended honours art conferr'd upon me for any other end but in consideration of thy impudent dishonest life to mock and abuse my simplicity I understand it well enough and would to God I did not at all I forsake the name and quality of Husband being forc'd to abandon my wife I should be the basest of men
wayes to injoy one another more often which happen'd as they wish'd The one studied to deceive her Husband and the other his Wife But to speak truth the Countess found it a harder task to cheat her Husband than the Duke found in deceiving the Duchess his Wife for this poor unfortunate Lady perceiving that this was an incurable evil and desperate by a great Prudence shut her eyes almost that she might not see the disorders of her Husband whil'st on the other side the Earl watch'd his wife the more that he saw her give her self up to the love of the Duke to her great dishonour and loss of her own reputation and he had just reason for doing so for since they were not asham'd to act their worthy affairs almost before all the world notwithstanding all the diligence of the Earl to watch them what would they not have done if he had winkt at their excellent Carriage If these two Lovers had been contented to do all in secret the Earl had not been much disquieted nor had he taken what they did into his consideration but had rather would have seem'd to have receiv'd some satisfaction in the hopes of being well us'd by the Duke and to have receiv'd honours from him in the sight of the world For all his great trouble arose from the publick scandal and the opinion he had conceiv'd that every body fancied he complyed with these amours and thus it made him sick at heart to be counted not onely a base man but an infamous voluntary Cuckold and publickly to be despis'd as such a person He never reflected upon the Nobility of his House descended originally from great Princes who had alwayes liv'd honourably and had mantain'd themselves for many years by a very advantageous reputation without ever receiving any stain but those reflections made him repent he had married a wife whose carriage so much dishonour'd that illustrious Family of his and the good fame this Predecessours had acquired by them honest Lives his anger kindled a thousand times in his heart the desire of revenge but the fear of some thing worse happening to him and to loose not onely his fortune but also his life stifled all those thoughts in him Shall I say furthermore the apprehension of a sad end and an untimely death hinder'd him often from complaining to his wife of her wicked Carriage of her self He durst not I say correct her in secret or to threaten her fearing that she being warn'd by that might procure to him a violent death in revenge to his upbraids of her so that he was often forc'd to pretend as if he had not seen those passages he saw too plainly and to be ignorant of what he knew too well But in fine not being able to induce any longer a vexation that grew every moment press'd with grief and shame he resolv'd to go to Savona to ask Counsel of his Parents what course to take to deliver himself from a misfortune which was so cruel to him and so great â—…and he had scarce acosted them when one amongst them reproach'd him of marrying a wife whether they would or no who was the daughter of an unchast mother the sister of a whore and whose own honour was suspected them when he would so obstinately resolve to marry her and her life since has prov'd what she was then The poor Earl extreamly mortified with these reproaches could make no other answer but that he never thought things would come to this pass his Parents nevertheless not to leave him in this Sea of Confusion counsell'd him after they had comforted him a little that he should try to remove his wife from Casal calmly and with Gentleness to bring her to Savona and there resolve to settle and live out the remainder of his days in his own Country This Earl tryed the way of following this good Counsel believing for certain that absence would cool this love and that time would make him forget what at the present was such a heart-breaking to him and caus'd him so much shame being then return'd to Casal he begun to try if he could work this miracle upon his wife but all his indeavours were in vain he told her his Parents desir'd her company very passionately amongst them that the Ladies of that Town desir'd impatiently to injoy her company to render her all the service and respect they thought due to her he also prayed her to consider how advantageous the Promises of that Republick were to him of making him a great man by the considerable imployments they would give him and that she should assure her self he would spare no cost to give her all sort of contentments and to that end he was resolv'd to purchase a little but fair Lordship hard by the Sea-side where in the Summer-time they would divert themselves together by all the agreeable divertsements sutable to persons of their condition In fine to conclude in a word he gave her many other politick and moral reasons so strong and plausible that they would have been powerful enough to have convinc'd any body but her self but the good Countess did nothing but laugh at this discourse and without flattering him any further told him plainly That she was not of an humour to quit her own for a strange purchase the certain for the uncertain and that which she was really possest of for a picture and shadow that she had not married her self at Casal with intention to dwell at Savona that the contract of her marriage had made no mention of this change and that he could by nothing in the world find a lawful excuse to make her change her own Country and if he pleas'd he might desire to see his own Relations at Savona but as for her she would rather stay in the Company of her brothers at Casal and after all she assur'd him it was loss of time to dream of that because she was confident his Highness would never consent to their parture and yet to depart without his consent it was blindly to precipitate her ruine and thus the Earl was constrain'd to desist from his enterprize and saw himself oblig'd to arm himself with a new patience The Countess the whilest judging by these words that he had a design to retire he from her Lover imagining besides that her Husband had prepar'd for her at Savona some of those Morsels which the Italians ordinarily give to their wives in the like Cases as it often happens in Italy which made her seek an opportunity to speak to the Duke and having easily found him as she wish'd she having the Liberty to go and come to him at all hours after she had acosted him and made her curtsie she told him at length the whole story of her Husbands designes not forgetting his very words in a manner that shew'd how angry she was at her Husband This resolution of his extreamly displeas'd the Duke who lookt upon the Earl as very little politick and
not at all prudent and thought it very strange that for a foolish trifle for he lookt upon the making a man a Cuckold nothing else he would hazard the loss of his favour in retiring from his service he was of opinion that the honours he conferr'd on the Earl was satisfaction enough for the honour he took from him and that he had done him Favour great enough in making him one of the most considerable of his Court which he had not done upon any consideration in the world but for the Love he had for the Countess But if the Earl consulted his Parents at Savona to carry the Countess thither out of Casal the Duke and she consulted at Casal against him and sought out Pretences to absent in good earnest that obstacle of their delights from them for it was every day a new work and every time that this Lover came to Casal he was in trouble to invent some new pretext to be rid of him to the end that he might supply his place with the Countess and divert themselves with more Liberty But the Duke came so often to Casal and was so often put to his shifts to find out new pretexts of dismissing the Earl out of the way that he was now at the bottom of his scrowl and his invention being tyred he knew not what to do next these Lovers propounded many wayes to one another whereof one was to shoot him privately with a Musquet and pretend afterwards that the blow came from sone of his enemies but the Prince could not hearken to this resolution not being willing after the example of David to add murther to his adultery not being assured that he should repent as he did besides the Countess her self was not of a nature ever to give her consent to any actions of cruelty the least in the world or any that thus was an offence to the Hollness of Matrimony notwithstanding the heat that appear'd in her first motions and passion against her husband They had already sent him to Romes twice to Florence as many times to Venice and I know not how many times to Turin and Genes The Duke at last would send him into France in the quality of an Ordinary Embassadour but there were two obstacles that hindred that The hate and aversion the Earl ever bore to the French Nation was one and indeed his declared aversion to them was so unreasonable that he was us'd to say in all Companies where he came that if he had the Keyes of Hell but one day he would with his whole heart send all the Frenchmen thither even to the Devils Palace because they had corrupted the City of Casal and by the introduction of their Liberty had so chang'd that Town en bordeau Thus it appear'd not reasonable to the Duke to send such a man to treat with them In the second place that which hindred the Earl from being sent Embassadour into the Court of France was The Fear the Duke had he would cary his wife along with him as assuredly he had done and the Duke refusing to let her go would have disoblig'd him too much and given cause to an apparent scandal and therefore this Proposition took no effect and ended just where it begun as unprofitable to their design but the resolution was certainly taken to dismiss the Earl one way or other if not for ever yet for a great while but they endeavour'd to find out ways for their satisfaction that would suit with the glory of the Husband and honour of the Wife which they lookt upon chiefly in this design As for the absenting of her brothers there was no thought of that for they were very merry and well contented to see their Sister in the Dukes good graces and envied one another who should most contribute to the pleasures of the Duke and their Sister The profit they receiv'd was so great by it besides the considerable charges conferr'd upon them for their service in that trade in truth those Gentlemen might well enough dissemble their trouble to see their Sister live so disorder'd a life and content themselves more easily to be the procurers of horns since that office was not so great a dis-reputation to them as it was to the Earl that was the Husband who was to endure not onely the publike knowledge of his dishonour the injuries and reproaches of all the world but also the pride and ill humour of his wife in his house without daring to take notice of his being sent away from her so often whole weeks and moneths which was insupportable to him therefore it must not be wonder'd if the Earl was weary of that life as well as the Duke was of seeking out excuses to send him abroad to injoy his wife with more Liberty who at last thought of a way very fit for his design There is in the Kingdom of Poland a Marquess of Gonzague very much esteem'd by all the people in that Countrey who although they are not of the same line of the Dukes of Mantua yet carry the same name and arms and are own'd by the Duke of Mantua as kinsmen in all their Letters which they send It is true that this kindred gives them no manner of pretence to the hereditary Succession of the Duchy of Mantua and Marquisate of Montferat for the Duke of Mantua who by the Emperours consent at first acknowledged them of kin to him only upon this condition That they should be excluded from all pretences of Succession to that State The Duke then was of opinion that he might send the Earl into Poland not so much to make a visit to that Marquisesas to be inform'd of the imployments estate and riches and the interest they had in that Courts and to make his design hit the better by the Earls making a longer stay in that journey than he expected he order'd him to go not in the quality of an Ordinary Embassadour but as a Gentleman traveller who had no other end but to see the Countrey This resolution taken between the Duke and the Countess the Earl was sent for to receive his Commission and what else was necessary for that voyage and to prepare himself The Duke gave him many wicked and false reasons the interest he had in being inform'd fully of the estate and ranck which those Lords held in the Court of Poland and told him that he had already writ Letters of Recommendation of the Earl to them in which he had pretended that he was onely to pass thorow that Kingdom and had his Highness Commands to wait upon them from him adding further that he had willingly sent him in the quality of Embassadour to their King who was his Highness's kinsman but for his own convenience and to save the great Charge which such an Embassie would have cost him and also for better profiting in his design which carried him thither he thought it more necessary for him to go as a private Gentleman who
vanity pride or scorn and contempt to those that had not the like It is true she frequented the Churches more through Custome then any other reason and if she went to the Masse it was only to be seen and to see Yet I must tell you that she went thither sometimes being Invited to it on purpose by the Ecclesiastical Men to the end of giving more Lustre to the Solemnities which were at that time Celebrated in the Church and also to shew her the great esteem they had of her Person with which nevertheless she was not satisfied And although she had a Face Faire and agreeable enough yet there is nothing very lascivious but whil'st the Duke was living when she was near him she lookt upon him as if she would have devour'd him with her Eyes her looks at that time being the Effects of which her Impudent Love was the Cause But above all this there was some light of Prudence shin'd in her carriage which appear'd in effect a Miracle because this Faire one was not like those Women that affect the Trade of St. Placidia to please their Friends that is to say For all her great power over the Duke and that was so absolute she could dispose of his Authority as she pleas'd without the feat of displeasing him she yet kept her self for all that within the bounds of an humble modesty giving his Highness thanks for all the Favours he did her assuring him That she was more then satisfied to injoy alone the Loves of so great a Prince And the more the Duke offer'd his Service to her and desir'd her to make use of his Authority as she pleas'd the less did she importune him with Requests so that when the Duke press'd her to ask some Favour at his hands she usually made answer His Highness granted her Favour great enough to let her injoy his Person After all this she Favour'd whom she pleas'd and who were recommended to her which were without number there being none ignorant how great her power was with the Prince whose heart she possess'd and govern'd his whole will and for that reason every one made Addresses to her to help them in their Affaires according as they needed her Favour but on her side she knew very well what kind of Favours she was to demand of his Highness not to displease him and she very rarely press'd him to grant any extraordinary matter if she had been of an humour to inrich her self she wanted no opportunities of doing it and the Duke would never have hinder'd her on the contrary he advis'd her to do it and gave her all the meanes possible for it so far that when any one addrest to himself to obtain a Request he us'd to say For that you must Petition none but the Countess and that was the onely way to obtain their end That Charitable Countess had never yet the Repute of doing any thing out of Interest but it has alwayes been thought that all she did was to purchase to her self Friends rather then through hopes of any gain expressing alwayes her aversion to that Lucre It is true notwithstanding that when any one offer'd her some Fine thing or considerable Summ of Money she would do as those who laying their hands upon the Present offer'd them usually say There is no need of this and yet take it willingly enough The greatest care of this Lady and what she sought after with all the Passion imaginable was the Advancement of her Brother which put the Duke to a stand what more to give him having already Honour'd him with Imployments and Office very considerable and much above his deserts or at least if he did any way Merit them it was very little nevertheless the Countess never ceas'd begging for him and could have wish'd her Brother rais'd above all the Princes of that Court. The Arch-Duchess heard this news with a great heart-breaking and notwithstanding all the efforts of which her vertue was capable she could not hinder her self from being extreamly displeas'd at the Advancing of that young Lord who never had a pretending Merit but that which occasiond her greatest Affliction was to see her chiefest Servants rather cast down then rais'd in the least and us'd with scorn that deserv'd to be treated with Honour which caus'd these poor unfortunate Persons to say That the Duke shew'd more favour to the Brother of an Adulterous Countess then to the Servants of a Princess his lawful and true Wife and amongst other things witness many Libels and Satyrs which I omit Although this innocent Princess receiv'd some kind of Mortification from all this however she never had a resentment against the Duke because in the first place she plainly saw that he did nothing out of malice but only to satisfie that blind passion which had inslav'd him in the Chaines of that Concubine And Secondly she esteem'd it not just nor reasonable to compare these Gentlemen persons of great Merit with that Earle that was a Man of no Honour In the mean time this Countess possest all the Favour of this Prince and kept alone the two Keys of his Treasures That of his Heart by Love injoying him without interruption and the other his Favours since the Duke was so well pleas'd when his Mistriss made any Request to him that she knowing him of that humour made pretensions to him only for his satisfaction as it is easily to be known by this Letter following My little Heart CAEsar comes to tell me that thou hast an intention to ask some Favour of me in behalf of a Person that address'd to thy Courtesie and because thou wert apprehensive of displeasing me thou didst not mention it yesterday in the afternoon that we were together This way of thine in being bashful makes me believe that thou dost not love me for certainly if thou didst love me thou wouldest act as freely with me as I do with thee also if I had ever yet refused thee any thing I confess thou mightest with reason ask me nothing but since I am so glad to grant thee all things why art thou unwilling to ask me any thing To what end is Love painted blind and naked if it is not to teach Lovers Familiarity one with the other The Principality is mine and I am thine but the authority is common to us both that is to say thou maist make use of me and I of the State if thou lovest me then ask command and love thy Charles But notwithstanding all these Protestations and Testimonies of love from the Duke this Fair One would never importune him by asking any favour that would bring the least disquiet to his Highness having wit enough to discern between those favours she was to ask for his consideration and those she was to demand for her self That for which she importun'd him the most and rung in his ears from Morning until night was That he would carry her every where with him and not being pleas'd