will not speak of them even to Gonsalvo himself I do promise it you said she and you shall find me as secret as you can desire I know that as it is dangerous to conceal some things from our Friends so it is as dangerous never to conceal any thing from them You shall see Madam said he of what Importance it is to conceal what I am going about to tell you Don Garcias has lately given Don Gonsalvo new Assurances of his Friendship and has assured him that he has no more Thoughts of his Sister But I am very much mistaken if he does not love her most passionately Of the Humour this Prince is of he cannot long conceal his Passion and of the Humour Don Gonsalvo is of he will never suffer it should continue He will infallibly anger the Prince and quite lose his Favour I must confess said Nugna that I had the same Suspitions And by what I have seen and by certain things that Hermenesilde has told me which I would not let her acquaint her Brother with I could not induce my Thoughts to believe that what Don Garcias has was but an Affectation and a designe only to fright Don Gonsalvo You did very discreetly said Don Ramires and I believe Madam you will do well for the suture to keep Hermenesilde from telling her Brother any thing of what passes betwixt her and the Prince for it is both dangerous and to no purpose to speak to him of it If the Prince has but a moderate passion for her he will easily hide it and by your conduct Hermenesilde will easily cure him of it Gonsalvo will know nothing and so you will keep out of mortal apprehensions and preserve him in the favour of the Prince But if Don Garcias his passion be violent and strong do you think it impossible for him to Marry Hermenesilde and would you believe that we should do Gonsalvo ill Service if what we keep from his knowledge should be a means to make his Prince his Brother-in-Law Assuredly Madam you must well consider whether Don Garcias his Love to Hermenesilde must be broke off and it concerns you more than any by the interest you may have to see one day a person your Queen which in all appearance will be your Sister-in-Law These last words made Nugna see what she had not till then thought of the hopes of being Sister-in Law to the Queen made her believe there was more weight in Don Ramires his reasons than in truth there was At last be managed her so well that it was agreed betwixt them that I should know nothing of their intreigne that they would make an exact scrutiny into the Prince's Thoughts and that from what they should be able to discover of them they would take their Measures accordingly Don Ramires Transported with Joy to have so well begun his Negotiation gives the Prince an Account of what he had done The Prince was over-joyed at it and gave Don Ramires full power to say what he pleased of his Inclinations Don Ramires now plenipotentiary of the Princes Affections returns immediately to Nugna Bella He makes to her a long Narrative of his manner of bringing the Prince to acknowledge his Passion for my Sister He adds That he never saw Man so transported with Love That he admired the Violence the Prince used to himself for fear of displeasing me That all things might be hoped from a Man so passionately in Love But that it was necessary to give him some Hope that his Love would succeed Nugna gave full Credit to all Don Ramires had said and promised him to serve Don Garcias and employ all her Interest with my Sister for him Don Ramires runs to the Prince with this Newes which he receives with incredible Joy and Embraced him a thousand times over He could not forbear speaking to him and wished he might not be obliged to speak to any Body else But that he saw he could not in Prudence change his Conduct nor his manner of Living with me Don Ramires himself took great care to conceal his new acquired Favour and the Remorse of his Treachery made him still believe that I suspected it Don Garcias soon found Opportunity to speak to Hermenesilde He declared to her his Passion for her with all the Zeal he could And as he was really in Love he found no great difficulty to perswade her that he was so She was disposed to Entertain him kindly But after what I had said to her she was afraid to follow the Dictates of her own Heart She acquaints Nugna with all that passed betwixt the Prince and her Nugna for those very Reasons Don Ramires had alleadged to her advised her to let me know nothing and so to manage the Prince as to inflame him more and preserve his Esteem for her She told her further That what-ever Repugnance I might shew against the Princes Love to her yet she might well believe that I should be very glad of what was like to be so advantagious to me but that for certain reasons I was unwilling to take any Cognisance of things until they were more advanced Hermenesilde who had an entire deferrence to all that Nugna Bella desired was easily drawn to follow her conduct and her inclination for Don Garcias was strongly supported with the hopes of a Crown This intrigue betwixt my Sister and the Prince was carried on with so much art and dexterity that except the first day or two that notice was taken of his commending her Beauty none ever suspected that he had any inclination for her He never entertained her publickly for Nugna gave him opportunities of conversing with her in private I perceived a decay in the Princes Friendship to me but I did attribute it to the inequality and levity which is usual in young people Things were in this posture when Abdala King of Cordona betwixt whom and the King of Leon there had been a long Truce begun the War again The command of the Army belonged to Nugnes Fernando by the right of his place and though the King were unwilling to place him at the head of his Troops yet could he not take the command of them from him without charging him with some great Crime or causing him to be clapt up It 's true he might have given Don Garcias the command over him but the King apprehended him more than he did the Count of Castile and was affraid to see them both together with a great power in their hands On the other side Biscay began to revolt wherefore he resolves to send the Prince against the Rebels and Nugnes Fernando against the Moores I should have been glad to serve under my Father but the Prince would have me along with him into Biscay and the King was more inclined to have me with his Son than with the Count of Castile so that I was fain to submit to what was desired and to see my Father part before us He was
in the right We have no power Madam over our passions for I feel one that draws me so forceably that it is not in my power to resist it but remember it is your opinion that it does not depend on us to oppose it Nugna Bella easily comprehended his meaning at which she seemed a little concern'd as well as he As he had said it with premeditation he was surprised at the effect it had the remembrance of the Obligations he owed me fill'd all his thoughts and put him into some disorder he cast down his eyes and remained a while in a profound silence and Nugna Bella for reasons of the like nature was silent likewise they parted without any further discourse Don Ramires repented him of what he had said and Nugna Bella that she did not answer him Don Ramires went away so much troubled and so out of order that he was not himself after recollecting himself a little he began to reflect upon his own thoughts but the more he examined them the farther he found his heart ingaged he then begun to consider the danger he exposed himself to by so often seeing Nugna Bella he knew the delight he had taken in her Conversation was of another nature than he had imagined Lastly he found he was in Love and that it was too late to endeavour to suppress it The assurance he had that Nugna Bella loved me less left him no force to resist his passion he thought he had excuse enough to engage himself to her when he knew her disingaged from me he found some pleasure in undertaking to conquer a heart of which I was no longer so absolutely possessor but that he might conceive some hopes to gain it but withall that I had power enough over it to acquire him the glory of dispossessing me However when he came to consider that it was Gonsalvo that must be removed from this heart that Gonsalvo to whom he owed so true a Friendship his thoughts made him blush and opposed them so that he believed he had conquered them he resolved to say no more of his Love to Nugna Bella and to avoid the occasions of speaking to her Nugna Bella who had no other trouble but for not answering Don Ramires as she ought to have done made not so many reflections she thought she had no reason to seem to understand what he said to her she believed she ought to have some kindness for a man with whom she had such tyes She said to her self that he had not spoken to her with any design though she had for a long time perceived the Inclination he had for her but least she should repent her or be obliged to use Don Ramires ill she undertook not to believe what she could no way doubt of Don Ramires followed the design he had taken for a while but in vain for he faw every day Nugna Bella She was handsome she no longer loved me she used him kindly It was impossible to resist so many allurements he resolves therefore to follow the inclinations of his heart He had no sooner taken this resolution but all his former remorse vanished the first Treachery he committed against me made the second more easie he had used himself to deceive me and to conceal from me what he said to Nugna Bella He tells her at last that he loved her and he told it her with all the marks of an unfeigned passion exagerating to her his grief for transgressing against out Friendship he inforces that he is hurried on by the most violent passion that ever man had he assures her he does not pretend to be loved again that he well knew the advantages I had over him and the impossibility of removing me out of her heart but that he only begg'd the favour of her to hear him and to help him to recover himself and to conceal his weakness from me Nugna promises the last as a thing she thought her self obliged to fearing least some mischief might happen betwixt us and told him with a great deal of sweetness that she could not grant him the rest Believing she should be a complice to his crime if she should suffer the continuance of it yet for all that she did suffer it the Love he bore her and the Friendship she had for him drew her wholly to his side I appeared less agreeable in her eye she could see no great advantage in my Fortune being threatned daily with an assured Banishment into Castile She knew the King had always a mind to send me thither and that the Prince opposed it only out of a point of Honour she saw no likelihood of his Marrying Hermenesild she was still his Confident in the Love he had for her and by this and Don Ramire's Love towards her she still kept her Credit with Don Garcias she believed the King was less disposed than ever to consent to our Marriage he had no reason to oppose her Marriage with Don Ramires she found in him the same advantages that recommended my Love to her and lastly she concluded that reason as well as prudence did Authorise her change and that she ought to abandon a man that was never like to be her Husband for one that in all probability might Marry her there needs not always so many reasons to warrant a Womans Levity Nugna Bella therefore determins to engage in Affection with Don Ramires though when she made that resolution she was already engaged to him both in her inclination and her words yet whatever her resolutions were she had not force enough to let me see that she deserted me in the time of my disgrace Neither could Don Ramires resolve to declare his Treachery it was agreed betwixt them that Nugna Bella should continue to live with me after the same rate she had been used to do and they believed that I could not easily discover her change because as I told Don Ramires still the least of my thoughts she being always told of them by Don Ramires might easily prevent any cause of suspicion They resolved also to tell Don Garcias how things stood betwixt them thereby to engage him to their interest Don Ramires took upon him to do it though he could not resolve it without trouble for the shame and the fear of being discountenanced embarashed him But the Confidence Don Garcias put in him and the power he gave him to mannage his Love gave him some assurance The truth is that he managed the Prince as he pleased he engages him even to speak a good word for him to Nugna Bella so that this new Favourite had his Master for his Confident as he was his Masters Nugna Bella who apprehended that the Prince would condemn her Inconstancy was ravished to find him rather a promoter of it they redoubled their Bonds of mutual fidelity to one another they then take their measures how to conceal this intelligence she resolved that seeing the
averse to my design would not consent to have my Marriage proposed fearing lest that would increase the Kings suspition so that I was forced to wait a more favourable conjuncture but in the mean while I did not conceal the Inclination I had for Nugna Bella I spoke to her as often as I had opportunity the Prince also spoke to her very often The King took Cognisance of our intelligence and took that for a State-affair that was but a Love intreigue he believed his Son did favour my design upon Nugna Bella thereby to joyn the two Counts of Castile to his interest he thought his Son meant thereby to form a Party considerable enough to beget him an Authority that might ballance his He doubted not but that the two Counts of Castile would take his Sons part in hopes to get themselves acknowledged Soveraign Princes Lastly the Union of the two Houses of Castile was so terrible to him that he declared he would not have me by any means think of Nugna Bella and forbid the Prince in any wise to favour our Marriage The Counts of Castile who perhaps were not innocent of all that they were suspected of by the King but wanted power to shew their intentions commanded us to think no more of one another this command was most grievous to us But the Prince promised us to make the King change his resolusion in some short time he ingaged us mutually to promise each other an eternal Friendship and took upon him to find means to continue our commerce and conceal our intreigue The Queen who well knew that far from carrying the Prince to a revolt we endeavoured with all our might to keep him within the bounds of his Allegiance approved her Sons design for us and favoured it as much as might be As it was no longer permitted us to speak to one another in publick we sought after means to entertain our selves in private I thought it to our purpose that Nugna Bella should be removed from her Appartment to another whereof all the Windows looked into a Bye-lane and were so low that a Man on Horse-back might look in and conveniently discourse without trouble of speaking very loud I proposed this project to the Prince he commended it to the Queen she upon some specious pretence causes it to be done as we desired I came every day to this Window to wait the moment in which Nugna Bella could come to speak to me sometimes I went away extreamly charmed with the good esteem she had for me and sometimes I parted in despair to see her so much taken up with the Queen Hitherto Fortune was constant to favour my designes but she soon changed her course to let me see that she could not continue a constant Friend to any Man My Father who was fully informed of the Kings suspicion of him resolved by a new Testimony of his Sincerity to shew his Majesty how unjust his suspicions were He designes to place my Sister in the Pallace notwithstanding the resolution he had before taken of leaving her in Castilia a vain thought pushed him on to this resolve he took a pride to shew to the Court a Beauty which he believed to be one of the most accomplished of all Spain never was any Father more fondly conceited of his Childrens Beauty and drew from it a Vanity which might be call'd a great weakness in a Person of his quality he brought her therefore to Court and she was received into the Pallace Don Garcias happened to be a Hunting that day she came he came at night to visit the Queen without having seen any body that might give him an account of her I was also there but retired into a corner where he could not see me The Queen presents Hermenesilde to him so was my Sister called he was surprized with her Beauty even to admiration he said he never before saw in one person so much Beauty so much Majesty and so much agreeableness and that so white a skin so black hair and eyes of so delicate a blew was never seen before that her bloming youth was accompanyed with a becoming Gravity the more he looked upon her the more he commended her Don Ramires observed his earnestness in praising Hermenesilde it was not hard for him to judge that I had the same thoughts of Don Garcias his actions and seeing me at the other end of the Room he came to me to speak of my Sisters Beauty I wish there were none else taken with her but you said I as I was speaking these words Don Garcias by chance came near me he seemed to be surprised seeing me but he recollected himself and talked to me of Hermenesilde telling me that I had not described her so Beautiful as he found her At his going to Bed that Night all the discourse was of her I observed him with much care and his not commending her with the same assurance the rest did confirmed my suspicions of him the following days he could not refrain entertaining of her and the inclination he had for her seemed to me to hurry him like a torrent to what he could not resist I endeavoured to discover his thoughts without any serious application one night as we came out from the Queen where he had entertained Hermenesilde for a considerable time Sir may I be so bold as to ask you said I whether I have not been too backward to shew you my Sister and whether she has not Beauty enough to cause in you those surprises which I was apprehensive of I have been surprised with her Beauty answered the Prince but though I believe one cannot be concerned for her without being surprised so I do not believe that any can be surprised without being concerned Don Gracias was resolved not to make me a more serious answer than my Question was but as he was perplext with my demand and that he catched himself in it there was a tone of disgust in his answer by which he gave me to understand that I was not deceived in my judgment And he likewise found that I had perceived his passion for my Sister yet he loved me well enough to conceive some grief to have embarqued himself in an affair that he knew must be displeasing to me but he was too far ingaged in Love to Hermenesilde to give over his design of creating as much Love in her neither did I pretend that he should leave loving of her for the Love of me my thoughts were only to prepossess my Sister with what she was to do if the Prince should make her a declaration of his Love I therefore gave her a caution in all things to follow the advice of Nugna Bella which she promised to do I therefore declared to Nugna Bella my disquiet about the Princes Love to my Sister I told her all the unhappy consequences which I apprehended from it she had the same thoughts and promised me that she would keep so close
to Hermenesilde that the Prince should find difficulty enough to speak to her whereupon they were so inseparably without the least shew of doing of it purposely that Don Garcias could never find Hermenesilde without Nugna Bella this difficulty was so troublesome to him that he was hardly like the same man As he formerly used to acquaint me with all his thoughts and that he told me never a word of what most possessed then his mind I quickly found a great alteration in his proceedings towards me Do not you admire said I to Don Ramires the injustice of Man-kind The Prince hates me because he feels in his heart a passion that ought to displease me and if he were Loved by my Sister he would hate me more than he does I well foresaw the Mischief that would befall me if her Beauty should make any impression upon him and if he does not change the inclination he has for her I shall not be long his Favourite in the eyes of the publick since I am no more so in his heart Don Ramires was convinced of the Princes Love as well as I but to blot out of my mind a thing that gave me pain I know not said he what grounds you have to believe that Don Garcias is in Love with Hermenesilde it is true he commended her at first but I saw nothing ever since in him that can make out his being in Love And admit he should be in Love what great mischief would there be in that Why may not he Marry her he is not the first Prince that has Married one of his Subjects neither can he find any more worthy of him then she and if he should Marry her what an honour would it be for your House It is for that very reason said I that the King will never consent he should Marry her neither would I have it done without his Consent and may be the Prince himself does not aim at it or if he did that he would not pursue it neither resolutely enough nor long enough to bring it to pass In fine It is a thing that is not feasible nor will I suffer the World to believe That I would hazard my Sister's Reputation upon the ungrounded Hope of a Greatness to which we shall never attain If Don Garcias continues his pursuit of my Sister I will carry her from Court Don Ramires was astonished at my Resolution He was afraid I should fall out with Don Garcias He resolved to Discover to him my Sentiments and fancyed he might do it without my Consent since his intention was to serve me But without doubt the Desire he had to ingratiate himself with the Prince and to creep that way into his Confidence was no small Promoter of this Resolution He took his time to spake to him alone He told him He forced to commit an Infidelity against me by revealing my Thoughts contrary to my Intentions But that the Zeal he had for his Service obliged him to inform him That I believed he was in Love with my Sister and that I was so much grieved at it that I resolved to carry her away from Court Don Garcias was so struck with Don Ramire's Discourse and the thought of seeing Hermenesilde leave the Court that it was impossible for him to conceal his first Transports And therefore believing that Don Ramires could no longer doubt of the Concern he had for my Sister he thought best to acknowledge it thereby to ingage him to continue his Discoveries of my Designes from time to time but he was a while before he could resolve to do this At last being confirm'd in his Intention he Embraces him and confesses That he was in Love with Hermenesilde He told him That he had done what he could to defend himself from being in Love with her upon my Consideration But it was impossible for him to live without being beloved by her That he begged his Assistance to help him to conceal his Passion and hinder that Hermenesilde should be removed from Court Don Ramires his Heart was not of a Temper to resist the Caresses of a Prince whose Favourite he was in Election to be Friendship and Gratitude are too weak to resist Ambition He promises the Prince to keep his Counsel and to serve him with Hermenesild The Prince Embraces him the second time and they concert together how they were to demean themselves in the pursuit of this Enterprize The first Obstacle that occurs is Nugna Bella who never abandoned Hermenesild They resolved to win her to their side and notwithstanding all the strict Tyes that were betwixt her and me Don Ramires takes upon him to find the Means to bring it about But tells him That it was necessary that he should himself endeavour to blot out of my Mind the Knowledge I had of his Passion He advised him to tell me by way of Joke that he was glad he had found means to make me afraid for some time past to Revenge himself of me for the Suspitions I at first conceived of him But seeing this my Apprehension went too far he would no longer let me believe that he had any Sentiments that I might disapprove Don Garcias approving of this Expedient easily executed it And as he understood by Don Ramires the things which gave me the most cause of Suspition it was not hard for him to say he did them of purpose And it was almost impossible for me not to believe him Thus was I throughly perswaded and fancyed my self better with him than ever I was yet I could not but think that he had some Thoughts in Heart which he kept from me Yet I fancied this was but a slight Inclination which he had over-come for which I believed my self obliged to him for having done it for my sake In fine I was very well satisfied with Don Garcia's and Don Ramires was not a little pleased to see me calmed as he desired Then he began to cast about how he might bring Nugna Bella into the Confidence he wished of her Having considered a little with himself about the Means he sought an occasion to speak to her which she often gave him because she knew I concealed nothing from him and that she might Discourse with him about our Concerns He began to entertain her with his Joy that the Prince and I were made Friends She told him She was as glad of it as he For that I found said she Gonsalvo so nice upon the Concern of his Sister that I apprehended he might embroile himself with Don Garcia If I thought Madam said he that you were of those that were capable of concealing any thing from their Lovers when it is necessary for their Interest it would be a great Comfort to me to speak to a Person as concerned as your self in what regards Gonsalvo I fore-see things that gives great Disquiet and you are the only Person to whom I may impart them But Madam it is upon Condition that you
much troubled that I was not permitted to attend him and besides many other considerable reasons that made him desire my being in his Army his paternal Love was none of the least The affection he bore to my Sister and me was infinitely tender he carryed along with him our Pictures that he might have the satisfaction of seeing us always and of shewing the beauty of his Children of which I believe I told you that he was very much enamoured He marched against Abdala with a very considerable Army but much inferiour to that of the Moores and instead of endeavouring only to hinder their passage in a place whereof the very Scituation made his Army inaccessible the desire of doing something extraordinary made him hazard a Battle in open Campagne where he could have no manner of advantage his men was so totally routed that he had much difficulty to save himself all his Army was cut in pieces all his Baggage lost and the Moors perhaps never gained before so signal a Victory against the Christians They received the news of this overthrow with much regret laying all the blame upon my Father and not without reason but as he was glad to humble him he laid hold of this occasion and when my Father desired to come to justifie himself he sent him word he would never see him more and that he deprived him of all his Offices that he might thank God that his head was not taken off he had orders to retire to his own Estate My Father obeyed him and with-drawes into Castilia as full of rage and despair as an ambitious man whose fortune and reputation had received so great a breach could be capable of The Prince by reason of a dangerous fit of Sickness was not yet departed for Biscay the King Marches in person against the Moores with all the force he could bring together I beg'd leave to wait upon him which he granted but unwillingly he would have heaped upon me all my Fathers disgraces but as I had no share in his fault and that the Prince still shewed much kindness for me the King durst not Banish me into Castile therefore I followed him and Don Ramires staid with the Prince Nugna Bella seemed to be neerly concerned for my Misfortune and our separation I parted with the Consolation at least of believing my self beloved of the person of the World I most esteemed and loved The Prince being not in a condition to command his Brother Don Ordogno marched unto Biscay he was as unfortunate in his enterprise as the King was successful Don Ordogno was defeated and escaped narrowly with his Life They overthrew the Moores and forced them to beg Peace It was my good fortune to do some considerable Services but I was never the better used by the King the reputation I had acquired did not free me from the Contagious Ayre with which Disgrace had blasted me When I came to Leon I easily perceived that Glory does not confer the same lustre as Favour does Don Garcias during my absence had the advantage of seeing Hermenesilde very often but with that caution that none perceived or took notice of his addresses he sought all means imaginable to please her he gave her hopes that he would one day place her upon the Throne of Leon he had In fine shewed so much affection towards her that she wholly abandoned her heart to him As Don Ramires and Nugna Bella were obliged to see one another often the better to mannage this intelligence and the Beauty of Nugna was of those kinds that are not often seen without danger so the admiration which Don Ramires had for her augmented every day and she likewise was not a little taken with his Wit which to say the truth was very agreeable The particular commerce that passed betwixt them and the continual occupation which the affairs of the Prince and Hermenesilde gave her made her less sensible of my absence than she could have promis'd her self at our separation As soon as the King was returned he bestowed all the places which Nugna Fernando had upon Don Ramires his Father I did upon that occasion beyond what could be expected from a sincere Friend for although after the Services I had rendered the King in these two last Wars I might have pretended to those employments which were taken from my Father yet I did no way oppose my pretensions to the Kings disposing of them I went to Don Ramires and told him that the only consolation I had after the loss of so many advantagious establishments taken from my Family was the joy I had to see them confer'd upon his House though Don Ramires wanted no wit yet he could make me no answer he was confounded to receive such marks of a Friendship which he knew he did not deserve but I gave so favourable a construction to his Confusion that his words could not be more perswasive to me My Fathers employments being transfer'd to another Family made the Court believe that his disgrace was for ever without remedy and Don Ramires was now almost in my stead by the new Dignities his Father had received and by the Princes favour towards himself This favour appeared very plainly notwithstanding all the care they both took to conceal it and every body insensibly began to follow this new Favourite and by degrees to leave me Nugna Bella's affection was not so firmly setled but that these alterations caused some change in it my Fortune as much as my Person had laid the foundation of her Love for me I was in disgrace and she held for me by the bare tyes of a Love that was too weak long to hold a heart like hers I found soon after a sensible decay in her affection towards me I complained of it to Don Ramires I spoke of it likewise to Nugna Bella she assured me that she was still the same for me as she had been and as I had no precise cause of complaint and that my suspicions took their rise from a certain ayre of neglect which I imagined in all her actions It was not hard for her to justifie her self which she did with so much cunning and address that she re-assured me for some time Don Ramires entertained her upon the subject of my suspicions of her change and spoke to her with design to find out whether she were so or not without doubt with a desire to know that I was not deceived in my opinion I am not changed said she I Love as well as I ever did but if I loved him less it were injustice in him to complain are we Masters of the beginnings or end of our passions She spoke these words with an ayre that assured him that she no longer loved me This assurance which gave Don Ramires some hope made him open his eyes to contemplate the Beauty of this unfaithful Woman of which he was so enamoured that being no longer Master of himself told her she was
her Window where you used to see her You urge the small Acquaintance we have with our Mistresses said the Prince but we acknowledge their Beauty which in Love is the Principal Verb We judge of their Wit first by their Physiognomy and then by their Letters And when we come to see them nearer hand we are charmed with the Delight of discovering what we had not yet found out Every Word that falls from them has the Charm of a Novelty Their manner of Delivery is surprizing unto us and our Surprize awakens and increases Love When those that are acquainted with their Mistresses before they become enamoured of them are so accustomed to their Beauty and their Witt that they are no more sensible when they are beloved again You will never fall into this Misfortune quoth I But Sir you shall have my consent to love all you do not know provided you give me liberty to love a Person that I know so well as to believe she deserves my Esteem and may give me assurance to find in her what may make me Happy when I am beloved again I say more-over that I could wish she were not prepossessed in Favour of any other And I interrupted Don Ramires should take more Delight to conquer a Heart that were defended by a Passion for another than to vanquish one that never before had been ingaged I should count this a double Victory and I should be much more convincingly perswaded of the true Inclination she should have for me if I saw it begin in the greatest Heat and Passion she might have for another In sine It would be an equal satisfaction to my Glory and my Love to Ravish a Mistress from a Rival Gonsalvo is so opposite to your Opinion said the Prince and judges it so bad that he thinks it not fit to Answer you And truly I am of his side against you But I am against his so particular Acquaintance with his Mistress I should never fall in Love with a Person that I had been used to see And if I am not surprized at first sight I can never be sensible I am of Opinion That natural Inclinations do make their Impressions at the very first Moment and that those Passions that grow with time cannot be truly called Passions Why then said I it may be presumed that you will never Love that Object which you have not loved at first sight And Sir added I Laughing I must bring you my Sister before she is come to that Perfection of Beauty to which in all probability she is like to arrive to accustom your self to see her that so you may never be concerned for her You sear then I should have a Kindness for her said Don Garcias Never doubt it Sir said I Nay I should think it the greatest Misfortune that could happen to me if you should What Misfortune can you find in that Replyed Don Ramires That said I of not being able to joyne with the Sentiments of the Prince For if he should desire to Marry my Sister I should never consent to it by reason of the Interest of his Greatness And if he did not intend to Marry her and she should nevertheless Love him as without doubt she would I should have the Displeasure to see my Sister the Mistress of a Master whom I could not hate though I ought to do it Let me see her I pray you interrupted the Prince before she can make me in Love with her For I should be so troubled to have Sentiments that might displease you that I am impatient to see her that I may assure my self that I shall never fall in Love with her I can no longer wonder Replyed Don Ramires addressing himself to Don Garcias that you have not been in Love with all those fair Ladies that are Bred in the Pallace and to whom you have been accustomed from your Infancy But I must confess I have been surprized that none of those Beauties have had any Influence upon you hitherto And above all Nugna Bella the Daughter of Don Diego Porcellos that seems to me to be so likely to do it It is true said Don Garcias that Nugna Bella is very Lovely Her Eyes are infinitly taking She has a pretty Mouth and the Aire of her Face is Noble and Delicate In fine I should have been enamoured of her had I not been used to see her even from the first Moment I begun to see But why added the Prince were not you in Love with her Don Ramires since you beleive her so amiable Because Replyed he she never loved any Body else I should find no Rival to dispossess her Heart of And I have told you that is the only thing that is able to Charm me You must ask Gonsalvo Sir why he was not taken with her For I am sure he thinks her Fair She has no Tye upon her and he has known her now a great while Who told you said I Smiling and Blushing withall that I do not love her I know not Replyed Don Ramires but by your Blushes I perceive those that told me were deceived Can it possible be cryed the Prince to me that you are in Love If you are tell it me quickly I pray for I am extream glad to see you seized with a Passion of which you make so little shew Seriously said I I am not in Love but to satisfie you Sir I own that I might be in Love with Nugna Bella if I were a little better acquainted with her If there be nothing else to obstruct your Love but to be better acquainted with her assure your self that you are already smitten I will never go without you to the Queen my Mother and I will Embroile my self more often with the King that the care which she alwayes takes to make my Peace may oblige her to send for me at particular Hours In fine I will furnish you with Opportunities enough to speak to Nugna Bella that you may be throughly in Love with her You will find her very Lovely and if her Heart be as well accomplished as her Understanding you will have little else to wish for in this World I beseech you Sir said I do not take so much Pains to make me unhappy And above all let your Pretexts to visit the Queen be any other than your embroiling your self with the King You well know how often he accuses me for your Transgressions and believes that my Father and I to make our selves more considerable do inspire that desire of Authority into you which you take upon you sometimes to his Displeasure In the Humour I am in to make Nugna Bella in love with you I shall not be so circumspect as you would have me I will take all opportunities to carry you with me to the Queens Appartment And though I have no particular Business I will go thither immediately and will sacrifice to the pleasure of making you in Love a Night which I intended to