signified his Love to Calo-John The Father loving his Son even to Idolatry was so far from opposing his design that he sent Embassadours to the Emperour of Trebisonde to demand his Daughter for him and it was granted Emanuel was contracted to her and took her away with him to Constantinople where the Ceremony was to be consummate This Princess was beloved by the same Mammomas who made War upon her Father he had likewise demanded her in Marriage but was refused and upon that refusal he betook himself to his Arms. When he understood that to that rejection they had added the preference of another he addrest himself to Amurah II. whose Ally he was and who he knew watcht for an occasion of making War upon the Greeks he conjured him for his assistance and Amurahs Policy accommodating with the request he had a favourable Answer He dispatcht an Envoye to Calo-John to let him know that Mammomas had demanded the Infanta which was contracted to his Son that Mammomas being an Ally of the Ottoman Empire he was obliged to assist him and to look upon all such as Enemies that opposed his Designs This Declaration was as unjust as unseasonable Emanuel was to be preferred before his Rival in respect of his Dignity besides the Infanta was within two days Journey of Constantinople But the Power of the Turk being so terrible that the Emperour of Greece judged it his best way to treat him with all imaginable Civility He suspended the Marriage sent an Embassadour to Amurahs to represent the pretences of his Son and the Infanta being too far advanced to go back was conducted to Constantinople where she remained as in deposito till the Negotiation was ended Emanuel was much troubled at the protraction of his happiness nothing would satisfie him but he must have Troops assigned him to go and fight with Armurah he accused his Father of a compliance and condescension beneath his degree But his desires and his murmures were in vain there was no remedy but patience The Infanta who loved him as ardently as he loved her omitted nothing she could think of to comfort him in so tedious an attendance She discovered to him in her Eye the extreme tenderness of her Heart She studied his looks and indulged his desires as soon as she discryed them Of all the remedies Nature e're found Or Art to cure a pining Lovers pain None cures so well and closes up the wound So quick and safe as to be loved again Scorn or suspense to an inflamed desire Throw fresh supplies of fuel on it's fire He who be'ng lov'd does happ ' imself confess Ceases to love and spoils his happiness Just so it was with the young Prince Emanuel he began to be so accustomed to his felicity and so familiarly with her she became indifferent to him there must be playing at Cards a great deal of Company or some other diversion or he could not be kept a day together in his Mistresses Chamber when in the publick Walks the Princess according to her usual manner applied her self particularly to him Love had less share in his discourse than the fall of a Cascade or the form of a Statue The Infanta was not long before she discovered this Change but those who love exceedingly are apt to flatter themselves with the thought that they are beloved again though never so little The Prince having been one day two hours together with the Princess in the Gardens belonging to the Palace without speaking one word to her but of Flowers and Plants How long Sir said she smiling is it since you have been a Florist have you no other discourse to entertain me with but of them How would you have me entertain you Madam replied the Prince all my stock of Complements and Protestations are exhaust The Princess blusht at his answer but imagining the Prince said it only to sound her she replied I shall not run Sir into all the Traps that are laid for me and you may feign your self indifferent long enough before I shall believe it is possible I am not indifferent indeed replied the Prince I love you as much as I am capable of loving but all things Madam have their season the fears and the passions of other Lovers belong not to us you ought to believe I love you and I am very well satisfied you have no hatred for me you give me no occasion to be jealous and I do few things you are not witness to your self What is it then I should discourse of what have I else to say to you or what have you else to demand Why Sir said the Infanta interrupting him is it possible you should speak from your heart do not you find in your affections an inexhaustible bank of obliging things to say to me and can you who have triumpht and boasted of your great skill in loving well be ignorant that whatever is spoken by Lovers to their Mistresses is always accompanied with some new grace or other to recommend it You speak Madam like a Lady in a Romance replied the Prince and I should take great pleasure to read your Highnesses Maxims in a Book but to practise them I find very incommodious Believe me Madam we ought to love like rational Creatures take that part of it that is agreeable and leave the troublesom behind Fears and Jealousies and Emotions have had their time 't is but reasonable now that Confidence and Tranquillity should have theirs Ha! Sir said the Princess with tears in her Eyes then I see you love me no longer that confidence and that tranquillity you speak of are incompatible with true Love Alas Sir continued she if you be already come to the indifference and luke-warmness of a Husband before I am your Wife what am I to hope for when our Marriage is consummate Whether the Prince was not yet hardned enough to see the tears of the Infanta running down her Cheeks without compassion or whether the Title of unconstant gave him some kind of regret but he did what he could to pacifie his Mistress He conjured her not to frame Chymaeras to her self so repugnant to her repose he protested he loved her with as much ardour as she could desire But he being perfectly cured and Love having the only power to delineate it self there was not one action he did but gave his protestations the lye He became gallant and frolick among the Ladies he commended them for Beauties before his Mistress and as the highest instance of his tranquillity he neither observed the troubles which he caused nor apprehended what he did that could cause them The Emperours eye was not so dull it was not for nothing Nature had made him worthy of the sirname of Fair he had been always as subject to be in Love with other people as other people were to be in Love with him and though History represents him at that time sixty years old yet Age undertakes in vain to make defence Where Custom has
all her life time at least for 〈◊〉 Youth from a place where she might have reigned as Queen but for the Treachery of Ethelwold sHe gave her self over to Melancholy so that nothing could comfort her The Duke imagining this sadness had proceeded from the absence of her Husband assured her constantly of his speedy return He shewed her the Letters he had received to that purpose and used all means possible to divert her But it was not the sight of her Consort she longed for she feared it as much now as she had desired it before Whilst her thoughts were in this agitation a Painter arrived at that City who went from Court to Court to make a collection of the Pictures of all the fine Ladies in Europe to hang up in the Gallery of his Master the Duke of Modena This Picture-drawer had heard much of the Beauty of Alfreda from a French-man of his acquaintance in Rome who had been some time in England Upon the report of this French-man he concluded he could carry nothing more grateful to his Master than the Picture of this Lady He came therefore to Davon and having withal due formality begged leave of the old Duke that his Daughter might sit he obtained it without any scruple The Old man loved his Daughter very tenderly and not knowing his Son in Laws Intrigue he thought the giving her Picture but an indifferent thing But the Countess lookt upon it in another nature she contributed all her power to make it more amiable and perceiving she had hit her design and her Picture very well done she told the Painter if he would acouit himself well of his Commission he must go to the Court of Edgar where the greatest Beauties were but the Painter intended that before The English Women in all Ages have been allowed the handsomest in the World and though the Italian and got the choice of all in the Picture of the new Countess yet he must needs have Wilfredes too for the reputation she had of being the Kings Mistress As soon therefore as he had dispatcht in Devon-shire he repaired to London but Alfrede having dispatcht some of her Creatures before she caused a report to be spread abroad under-hand of an Italian Painter who was coming thither with most admirable Rarities She had been told that Edgar was very curious in Pictures She hoped by this means he might come to have a sight of hers and be taken out of the errour the Count had drawn him into without her contribution Nor was she mistaken in her fore-cast The King would needs see his Pictures as soon as he heard he was arrived And though the Duke of Modena had directed him to shew them to very few persons the liberality of the King removed that difficulty When a thing is desired in that way by a King he is seldom denied The Italian promised Edgar he should see the best he had and the King chose Wilfreds Chamber to see them in as being desirous to have her share in the divertisement The Painter beseeched that he would bring as few with him as he could and to comply with his design Ethelwold was the only Person had the Priviledge to attend him The first Picture the Painter took up was Eleonor Daughter to the Earl of Guyenne married afterwards to Lewis sirnamed le Jeune King of France History has represented this Lady so beautiful it will be needless in me to describe her She it was that charmed the brave Saladin General of an Army of Sarrasens and having let him know that she could not believe his protestations of Love unless delivered in her own language she forced the great Captain to betake himself to his Book and to study the French Tongue which he attained in some sociable proportion in a fortnight After her came the Picture of Elvira Mistress to Ramire the Conquerour who first erected the County of Arragon into a Kingdom Ethelwold who knew the story very well and had a mind to be entertaining of Wilfred giving them the relation he told the King This Elvira is a famous Example that Honour and Love are not incompatible in the heart of great Persons Never was Prince more renowned than Ramire they reckoned his Victories by the number of his days and yet he thought Love so necessary to his Courage that he used to have his Mistress in some weak place when he went to engage that his desire to preserve her out of his Enemies hands might oblige him to extraordinary Actions in the Battel This kind of History pleased Wilfred exceedingly she made her acknowledgments to the Count by her simpring and nodding her head and promising to her self that he would tell her as much of every one she should see she addrest her self to him to know who that Adelaid was which the Painter was then shewing She was formerly Madam replied the Favourite Queen of the Lombards and dyed lately Wife to Otho the Great who is at this day Emperour of the West The Amazonian Habit in which the Painter has drawn her corresponds exceedingly with the actions of her life for she defended a Town in Lombardy in the absence of her first Husband as well as the best Captain he had in the War Otho the Emperour had lately with the Sclavonians and Dalmatians she did him as much service as the best of his Generals These Actions of Valour replied Edgar interrupting him a little are rare in persons of that Sex and I cannot but commend the Judgment of the Painter in the Election of his Pictures In this manner the King of England and his Favourite were discoursing of the Italians Pictures and the Count perceiving his Majesty much delighted with his stories there was not a Character of Beauty a Punctilio of Art nor the least particular Adventure but gave him opportunity of some pleasant Narration when of a sudden the Painter changed the Scene of their mirth by producing the Picture of Alfreda and struck the poor Count as it had been a clap of Thunder The Countess had given him no notice that her Picture had been drawn and so he was utterly unprepared against so unexpected an Accident He lookt pale he trembled and the King perceiving his distraction and attributing it to his surprize in which he shared with him himself Is it possible says he to the Painter that this Picture should be after the life Yes Sir said the Count interrupting the Painter and it is the Picture of my Wife but so flatter'd and improved that if the other Ladies you have seen be used at the same rate I dare assure your Majesty there is no one Original to be known by its Copy The Painter knew well enough it was no hard matter for him in her case to justifie the fidelity of his Art Alfreda was much handsomer than her Picture and she was not above three or four days Journey from London But observing the Count her Husband decrying her Beauty with more than ordinary
his absence declaring to the Princess what he understood of the indifferencies of his Son he knew so well how to represent to her the resentment a discreet Woman ought to conceive when she finds her self despised by her Husband and described all the Discourses he had held with his Son so exactly that he found he had stir'd up her indignation before he was aware The Letters she received from Emanuel did not a little confirm the suggestions of his Father They contained nothing but indifferent relations and if indispensable Civility caused him to mention any thing of Love it was so flat and insipid it was easily to be discerned he did it by constraint One would have thought he had apprehended the vigilance of some jealous person he exprest his desires so indifferently one would have thought his prudence had retained the best half of his mind He forgot himself one day so far in his tranquillities that he gave a most excellent Character of Mammomas to the Infanta not considering he was his Rival and such a Rival as had been able to keep him from the possession of his Mistress This is too much cryed the Princess when she read the Letter the Prince at length tires out my patience and I shall be reproacht all Greece over as an insensible person if knowing how Emanuel uses me I let him not understand again that I am not ignorant of ways to revenge my self And this resolution was no sooner taken than executed The Infanta told the Emperour that she was at last grown weary of the Princes neglects that she would dye a thousand deaths before she would marry him and that she was come to acquaint him she would sacrifice her self before she would submit to the Conditions of the Treaty This was it the Emperour designed he commended her resentment protested the deportment of his Son was no less ungrateful to his Ears than to hers and wishing with all his heart he had been of an age to make her reparation himself he sollicited her to vengeance so hard that at length she listned to his Proposals She writ a Letter to the Emperor of Trebisonde by agreement with Calo-John the Pacquet was delivered into the hands of an Agent very faithful to the Emperour and of a Wit as considerable as his fidelity It would be requisite to delineate Calo-John exactly as he was at that time to make the Reader conceive all that Love is able to make a man of his age do He brake the brains of all the Officers of his Chamber to invent him new dresses he trusted none but his own Eyes in the choice of the Colors he wore and passing whole hours in conversation with his Glass What thinkest thou Calo-John said he to himself how dost thou like this Figure in the Glass this Complexion is it not fine these Eyes are they not soft and well made they are not so sparkling indeed as when I was young but in Love the softness and sweetness of the Eye doth more execution many times than the quickness and vivacity What say you to this Shape this Leg this whole Contexture said he marching two or three steps with great magnificence Ha! Calo-John 't is not for nothing the Infanta of Trebisonde prefers you to your Son thou art a thousand times handsomer and more desirable than he and this Election of the Princess is an effect of the solidity of her Judgment rather than a token of her anger Whilst the Emperour was pleasing himself in this manner in his own Efficacy and Merits his Son had reduced the Rebels to the Terms his Father desired and there being nothing left to detain him longer upon the Frontiers he returned to Constantinople with the same serenity he departed He found the Princess much colder to him than formerly and the Emperour more spruce but he did not concern himself for either he was glad to find the Princess no more troublesom and did not dive into the fineness of his Father He recounted his Exploits to his Mistress in the same style he had writ them and she told him Ironically she was much obliged to him for the description he had given her of Mammomas that she had a great honour for his qualities and that she did not believe when she vanquisht his heart she had had so illustrious a Captive Our Lover being hardned took all in the literal sense and justified every tittle he had mentioned in his Letter A good way to moderate the transport of a Mistress at the return of her Servant The Infanta's indignation increased every hour and the affairs of the Emperour went better and better He failed not to ply her with thanks both by Letters and word of Mouth and supposing his acknowlegments would be more eloquent in Verse than in Prose he rub'd up his old fancy for a Paper of good Verses Our Memoires do not represent them in a style à la mode as to their Art or Invention but his ardour and sincerity is conspicuous in them to this day One time when he had out-done himself in the expression of the felicity he promised to himself the Princess by ill Fortune dropt the Paper before the Prince who taking it up had a Curiosity to read it contrary to his Custom but the Infanta discerning what it was Do not read it Sir said she to him they are Love-Verses Emanuel smiled and not believing what she said I am sufficiently your Friend Madam replied he to be intrusted with your Secrets and having said those words opened the Paper The Princess clapt her hand upon it and told him you do not believe me and yet I 'le assure you I say true Yes said the Prince interrupting her a little angerly I do believe you it may be some body makes Love to you but I will see by your favour after what manner he doth it who-ever it be he is something audacious and has chosen an ill field to engage in and then forcing the Paper from the Infanta and knowing it to be the Emperours hand How says he smiling is it the Emperour in truth let 's see if he can make Love as well now as of old When my poor heart 's already laid In dust for Love of gentle Maid What boots it to call out for aid My blood burnt up my vigour spent Mine Enemy omnipotent What boots it boots it to lament And yet methinks my hopes contend And still inculcate mark the end Your enemy shall prove your friend Ah! gentle hopes don't flatter me I should should I that minute see Happier than in my Empire be Emanuel thought the Emperour had but jested before and looking upon it as a design of the Infanta's to make him jealous he laught in his sleeve at the innocence of the project But when he perceived the Emperour was in earnest he began as seriously to be displeased Sure said he the Affairs of the Empire are but very few when the Emperour can have leisure to imploy himself
barricadoed himself in the Inn resolved to perish before he would surrender The persons sent after him having express Orders to bring him dead or alive never stood upon Complements they prest him so close there was no possibility of escaping and those who are far gone in Stoicism being not far from Barbarity the Count took up a resolution suitable to the fierceness of his own Nature and his hatred for Amedy He killed the fair Countess and stab'd himself when he had done Let the Reader imagine if he pleases the transport the Duke was in at this horrible News He said and he did things very inconsistent with his Dignity but that which gave the highest tincture to his despair was to understand that it was his dear Favourite the Marquess of Savona had given him this bob The Count reproaching the Countess by the way had let fall some words which assured her of the truth which words she had writ down in her Table-book found in her Pocket after she was dead with design to send them by the first opportunity to the Duke The Prince finding himself betrayed to satisfie his Revenge used all the means a just indignation and an absolute power could invent He caused the Marquess to be stab'd he confiscated the Count de la Morienes Estate and annext it to his demeasness and not being able ever after to be reconciled to the World he resigned the Government into the hands of his Son Charles whom he married to the Princess of Cyprus and retiring to his solitude of Ripaille he remained there till he was made Anti-Pope During this recess he composed his Memoires out of which we have taken this Relation The general History says only this that Amady retired upon some secret discontent but gives no account of particulars Our Annals of Love supply that defect as they have done several other and could have carried their disquisition much further if they might have been permitted An Anti-pope of the Dukes humour is very proper to furnish us with Rarities but the Italian Proverb tells us Al negocio del Cielo Se bastava gli Angeli Let Angels sing the things above They are too high for Tales of Love We are in an humour of speaking of the strange Effects of Love Agnes de Castro and must satisfie the Capricio of our Genius Don Pedro Prince of Portugal Son to Don Alphonso was almost contemporary with Amedy the King his Father had a second Wife who governed him absolutely The Prince obtained no favour from the King but what he ought to his Complacence for the Queen and as the highest excess of her Tyranny she would constrain him to marry a Daughter of hers called Leonora which she had had by her first Husband James of Arragon The Lady was handsom and had not Don Pedro been under a necessity of loving her it is possible he would have loved her well enough but Love is hardly to be obtruded upon a generous Soul Don Pedro's natural inclinations were great his Courage-high he could not truckle to the Orders of the Queen and the more eager she was to force his affection for the Princess he was the more obstinate and averse He had a Nurse widow to the Marquess de Castro who had an influence upon him In all the Countries on that side the Mountains the Nurses are chosen as chosen as much by their Extraction as any other Qualification whatever They have an opinion that the inclinations of ordinary Women are transfused with their milk and I am not certain whether it be altogether irrational The Queen accumultated her Caresses and Presents upon this Lady and conjured her to imploy the utmost of her interest to dispose the young Prince to what she desired but who is it but knows how much Fortune delights to defeat the designs of humane Prudence The way the Queen proposed to make her project successful proved the greatest and most effectual obstruction This Marquesses Lady had a Daughter named Agnes a sprightly and handsom young Lady The Prince had seen her without any Concernment whilst he had viewed her en passant but the Commission her Mother had received from the Queen giving him more frequent occasions of entertaining her the Prince became enamour'd at last What he had suckt from the breast of her Mother fermented in his heart in favour to the Daughter and the Love which was produced from so natural a Sympathy was violent from its very beginning The Prince was not able to suffer without declaring it The Terms in which he did it were not displeasing to the young Castro and being a handsom man in his person it cost him no great trouble to insinuate into her affection the greatest discouragement she had was their uncertainty of her Mother She was a Woman entirely devoted to the Interest of the Royal Family she would not see her own Daughter advanced to the Throne at the expence of the least difference betwixt the King and his Son and being not of a Temper to be easily deluded Agnes was perswaded she would not endure the passion of the Prince She represented her Judgment to him and though of her self she could have heard them eternally yet she conjured him for those reasons to give over that discourse But those kind of Conjurations are always in vain a Lover is never so furious as where reasons are introduced to perswade him to the contrary The Princes passion was augmented by this difficulty but to accommodate with the prudence of Anges which he could not deny to be upon very good grounds he resolved to counterfeit an affection for the Princess of Arragon but with this contrivance that whatever he should be forced to say to Leonora should be received by Agnes as intended to her and the progresses he made upon the heart of the one should be constantly placed upon the account of the other This resolution being taken and the Conditions agreed Don Pedro pretended to comply with his Nurses advice The King and the Queen overjoy'd with this change advanced the whole Family of the Marchioness and made a thousand Presents to Agnes It was a rare thing and very much to the Reputation of Love of Lovers of that Age to delude the Dagacity of two wise and interested Women and a King accomplished in all the Mysteries of Government but that which was most pleasant of all was the blindness of the Princess of Arragon who knowing her self handsom enough to be beloved and receiving the same-expressions which the Prince if he durst would have made to the young Castro made many acknowledgments to her Rival for her assistance without suspecting the least One night when in the presence of Agnes the Prince beg'd a kiss of Leonora so earnestly he was in a fair way to have prevailed Not so fast Madam if you pleased cryed the young Castro you do not consider what you are about to do there are more persons concerned in your conduct than perhaps you
more he exasperated his Father His Friends advised him to withdraw till the storm was over and accordingly he retired into the Province of Dauphine as some say much better satisfied with Trimouille than they could have imagined Chabannes in the mean time returned peeceably to his own House the man that had run away with him was the English Womans Husband in whose Cloaths the Count was escapt This Woman had run away from her good man upon pretence of ill usage and he being not at all consenting to the Divorce and not daring to offer any violence to the Sanctuary she had chosen he watcht her perpetually in the streets resolved to secure her whenever he met her as he thought he had done in the person of Chabannes When by the reproaches he made him the Count perceived his mistake he pulled up his Hood and the man being undeceived he beg'd his pardon and reconducted him to the Citizens house whither he was going before when he stopt him Chabannes changed his Cloaths and came immediately to Court to see how things past He was exceedingly surprised to understand their proceedings and dispatcht S. Colombe to Madam Agnes in Post-haste he prevailed upon her more by that one Message than the King had done with all his importunities She took her leave of her Covent and returned to Court illustrious and more pleasant than ever But she enjoyed not long the advantages of her restauration for she dyed not many days after The causes of her death were found to be unnatural and Monsieur Tremouille's sudden Retreat to the Dauphin at the same time made it too probable he was instrumental in the business The good King Charles was so passionately afflicted therewith he would admit of no consolation Chabannes had like to have dyed with sorrow but the Kings favour supported him He had Tremouilles place vacant by his absenting himself confer'd upon him by the King during whose life he quickly enjoyed it It is not to be imagined he was in such favour when the Prince came to the Crown he was arrested before he could escape and the Dauphin being now Lewis XI would have sacrificed him to his new Dignity had not he evaded his indignation by escaping out of the Bastille I refer the Reader to the History it self to be informed of all the Occurrences The Annals of Love observe only the more remarkable Passages and represents them without any regular Order THE ANNALS OF LOVE THE SIXTH PART ABout the same time we have spoken of before Feliciane the Wife of a Spanish Merchant who traded into the Levant being taken Prisoner by the Corsaires and her Husband slain in the fight she was sold to one of the principal African Lords whose ordinary Residence was in Tunis The African Lord became enamour'd of his Slave and finding her too vertuous to make a bare advantage of his passion he was constrained to marry her He had one Daughter by her which he called Feliciane after the name of her Mother The Mother and the Daughter begat a kindness in him to the Spanish Nation He suffered his Wife to teach his Daughter that Language as her Mother-tongue and when any Spaniard of Quality came into Barbary he lodged them usually at his own House and performed all the good offices to them he was able Alphonso Ribiero Son to Don Garcias Ribiero born in Alcantara came to Tunis to treat about the Ransom of his Elder Brother who sailing into Greece was taken by the Pirats and exchanged with certain Slaves of Barbary Alphonso was too young to be intrusted alone with so great a Negotiation he was appointed only to the Ceremonial part for there was an old Servant of his Fathers sent along with him to manage the Bargain He was received by the Father of Feliciane not only as a Spaniard but as a person particularly related to his Wife She had been at his birth and passed the prime of her years in Don Garcias House The young Feliciana and he were presently surprised with a violent inclination one for the other Nature had it seems delighted her self to prepare ways for their affection Alphonso resembled the young African so exactly and the African Alphonso that they might well have been mistaken had not their Habits distinguisht both their Sexes and Persons But Love 's no need of likeness he desplays A thousand Arts contrives a thousand ways To bedge in peoples hearts by secret turns The most unlike and the most cold he burns Nought's incombustible when he conspires No humane temper can withstand his fires Feliciana seeing her own Picture in Alphonso as he did in Feliciana she fell in Love almost at first sight their looks their manners their motions every thing in them prevented the office of their Tongue so that they were immediately advanced to their reciprocal promises Simpathy is a great promoter of such Adventures and makes a great deal of ground in a little time Great was the joy for their Love he performed his Honorary part very well he was the Priest and the Deity both But the liberty of his elder Brother was an unseasonable impediment to the Mystery Alphonso used all the Arts he could invent not to return into Castille there was not a Curiosity a man of his age could be capable of pretending but he made use of to stay but his Brother was inexorable and he must go along yet this was not without solemn promises from Alphonso to come back again in a short time if he lived and as fincere assurances from Feliciana never to falsifie that faith which she had given him Their Adieu was sorrowful and kind excess of Love was at that time in season for Love has its seasons as well as other things and is as troublesom to those whose desires are satisfied as it is agreeable where they are in their spring Alphonso being departed and Feliciana very impatient of his return many months passed and no News of her Castillan There were several Spanish Ships arrived upon the Coast of Barbary and in them some Alcantara Merchants with Presents from Don Garcias for Feliciana's Mother but no Letter nor no private Message for her This negligence startled her she was afraid she was betrayed and the first effect of that opinion being a resolution to reproach the crime to the Criminal himself she insinuated with a Master of Biscay and perswading him she would go over into Spain to turn Christian she made him promise her to land her in the Port of Carthagena The bargain made and the hour of her Embarkment arrived Feliciana put on a Suit of Cloaths of Alphonso's which he had left by accident behind him and providing her self with certain Chains of Gold away she went to meet with her Biscayen The Seas and the Winds were so favourable to her designs that she landed at Carthagena without any accident she brought a Horse there immediately and taking a Guide put herself upon the Road for Alcantara She
cannot make you participate of the Crown but Madam I will expiate the infidelity wherewith you charge him by giving you the true Character of my Soul Imploy your interest to restore him retract those reproaches your unjust resentment hath diffused and I am content the Prince shall perform that promise he made to you formerly for I had rather see him in the Throne and flatter my self in private that owing me his life and his Crown he loves me at his heart better than her who would deprive him then to possess it quietly my self and apprehend whilst he is even in my arms his inclinations are somewhere else These generous resolutions being by publick Fame carried into his Camp the false Don Sebastian could not but resume in some measure that Love which his ambition had expelled He was advanced with his confederate Troops to that part of the Frontier which separates Portugal from the Territory of Oviedo he was forced to an Ingagement at that pass where fighting to make Xerina Queen as well as himself King his zeal made his Valour so inconsiderate he was taken Prisoner in the Combate and being conducted to Lisbon there was nothing discoursed of among his Competitors but chastising his temerity by some ignominious punishment The defeat of Tannista had not been so mortal but there remained some considerable persons who could give an account of the destiny of their King all of them affirmed they had followed him to the River Mucazen some that they saw him drowned and some that they ran great hazard of the same Fate in endeavouring to save him This report was nor according to what Xerina believed she had found her pretended Sebastian in the midst of the Battel and that which made most against him was that the habit by which the Princess described him did not agree with what the Portugal Officers assured he had on that day Nevertheless Nature had been pleased to put such a resemblance betwixt them and it was seconded so well by their Wit and their Courage it was not known which way to resolve the more this accident was examined the more intricate it appeared To deny the Crown to their lawful Prince was an unpardonable offence to prostitute it on the other side to an Impostor was no less unjustifiable But death fixt their resolutions for whether Policy of State lookt upon Don Sebastians Alliance with the Mores as dangerous to that Kingdom or that the Dutchess of Parma perceiving the States inclining to Don Sebastian found out some unlawful way of preventing the Triumph of her Rival so it was the counterfeit King dyed in Prison and left no small suspicion that his death was unnatural 'T is reported before he expired he desired to speak with Xerina and the last moment being an admirable Touch-stone to try the jugglings of a mans life he declared to the Princess of Morocco as is reported that he was not King of Portugal and conjured her not to enterprise any thing against him whom they should chuse after he was deceased This Declaration was no more than what was necessary for Xerina had a Son by him who would have been the occasion of very great disorders nor could he do all this without great testimony of remorse 'T is not one way alone Madam said he to the Princess in which I have deceived you for that part of my fallacy which made me your Husband I reproach my self not much I should have blamed my self much more had I neglected it being in my power as it was than I think my self culpable in accepting that honour But Madam that which sticks closest and gives me greatest regret is that for some time I have discontinued my affection and in hopes of a Crown which I never obtained and which by a thousand accidents might have been ravisht from me if I had have forsaken a heart all the Crowns in the World were not able to recompence Do not afflict your self with unnecessary compunction replied the generous Princess I loved the person of my Sebastian above the Dignities which surrounded him I thought to have found his person in you and those Charms wherewith I was surprised lost nothing of their Energy for not proceeding from a King I confess I should not have observed them in an ordinary person my Spirit and my Birth would not have permitted to have fixt my Eyes upon any less than a King But at length I became delighted with my errour for to a vertuous Woman the name of a Husband is so sacred it wipes away all spots that can possibly accompany it Let us strive to overcome your distemper my dear Prince Pardon me Fortune for giving him that Title said she with her Eyes up to Heaven thou oughtest to have given it though thou didst not and then turning again to her Beloved she cryed Force your self dear Sir out of the jaws of death if it be possible perhaps our Destiny may be kinder in Africk than in Portugal The supposed Prince was so strangely affected with this excess of Generosity his very transport was sufficient to have killed him He expired in the Arms of his over-passionate Xerina and her soul was in no small danger of bearing his company This man had abused her by a deceit insupportable to the Quality of a Princess and his subsequent inconstancy was more offensive than the other but Xerina had loved him entirely and let vindicative Ladies say what they please that person is never hated which was beloved heartily before They complain of their Stars they abominate their Influence and hate themselves many times for having so little discretion but this hatred indeed is but a Copy of their Countenance and never goes so deep as they would seem to pretend The Ideas of a man who hath been perfectly beloved ought always to be sacred No resentment can attaque them without Sacriledge and if any fury could be found so violent as to violate that Law she never was capable of true affection she loved to satisfie her own appetite and not only for Love Xerina observed the last orders of her counterfeit Sebastian with exceeding punctuality as soon as her sorrow permitted she retired into Africk and gave not the least opposition to Theodore Braganza who was elected King of Portugal I do not think the Reader requires further light in this Adventure I have inlarged it much to what it is represented in my History and I assure my self there are many who believe they have perused all the Memoires of that Age to whom this Princess of Morocco is every where a stranger except in the Annals of Love THE ANNALS OF LOVE THE EIGHTH PART MAhomet III. had three Sons by three different Sultanesses Mustapha whom he caused to be slain in his own time Jacaya whose History I am writing and Achmet who succeeded his Father in the Empire Jacaya's Mother was a Christian the Magnificences of the Seraglio were not able to eradicate the sentiments of her Religion She
to her and she running with them immediately to the King possest him highly against their innocent Love and blackned his passion with such formidable Colours that had the King followed the first motions of his anger he had sent to have had Nugnez put immediately to death But as he loved him very well and could not easily forget the Services he had done him he restrained himself in spight of his natural impetuosity The Queen was at that time in the Castle of Maqueda where Nugnez to remove her out of the sight of her Enemies had caused her to be shut up The Governour of the Castle had been put in by the Grand Master and he had reason to believe he would be faithful to him but there is no friendship nor acknowledgment proof against the Authority of ones natural Prince Don Pedro sent for the Governour to him he ordered him to receive certain Troops privately into the Castle to be sure Nugnez knew nothing of them and flattering his fidelity with as many fair promises as he threatned his indiscretion with punishments if he refused he caused the Garrison to be insensibly changed and no Souldiers left of whom he was not secure When he had used all this preliminary precaution he ordered word to be brought him when the Grand Master was with the Queen and being desirous to evict him by his own Eyes he repaired privately to Maqueda forbad the Governour upon penalty of his life to give the Grand Master any notice and being conducted by Jane de Castro into a Closet near the Princesses Chamber where that young Virgin was used to listen to their discourses the King heard Blanche tell him Were there yet in these Flowers you send me any Serpent concealed or were they impregnated with any poysonous quality that might put a speedy end to my miseries I should say your heart began to mollifie towards me But I see well enough this Present is but a politick piece of Civility wherewith you season the injuries you do me and which you would not practise without doubt were it not to rob me of the feeble consolation of complaining on you in all things Nugnez was so much affected with a reproach he merited so little that his patience was overcome Why Madam said he to the Princess with his voice quite changed would you more willingly receive poyson from my hands than these small Presents wherewith I endeavour to divert your sad thoughts Yes without doubt replied the Queen I should look upon the poyson as a token of your sincerity whereas I consider all now but as so many tokens of your dissimulation Certainly Madam replied Nugnez transported with sorrow I have then complied very ill with your desires for I have exposed my life and fortune and do expose them every day in not giving you that poyson you are so earnest to have and then his Love overflowing his fidelity and resolution he began to discover to the Queen the discourse he had had with the King the secret of his Conduct which she had not perceived and finding himself insensibly ingaged to speak of his affection be began to make a perfect declaration But Don Pedro prevented him for that giving him no leisure to go through he cryed out Arm Arm and entring into Blanches Chamber with the Officers of his Guards he caused Nugnez to be stab'd in his own presence immediately The Queen would have run the same Destiny if his opinion that he could convict her of Amours betwixt Nugnez and her had not made him reserve her for more publick Justice He caused her to be removed and kept close in the Castle of Siquenca and resolving to cut her off with more formalities than her Gallant he returned to Burgos as well satisfied with his Journey as if he had gainned some considerable Victory The mischievous Padilla heapt her Congratulations upon him for so noble an action Fernandez flattering himself with the hopes of the Grand Masters place in the favour of the King could not satisfie his expectation with less than some eminent Dignity But see the vanity of humane designs Don Pedro who had never lookt upon Jane de Castro but with eyes prepossest by Padilla being at that time disposed to a change he became enamour'd of her when he saw her in the Castle of Maqueda His heart was tender Jane was amiable and what had past lately in Castile having given Don Pedro a relish of injustice and impunity he regarded not his Marriage with Blanche as an obstruction to his new desires he gained two of the Bishops of his Kingdom to declare that his Marriage with the Queen not being consummate it was lawful for him to take another as he pleased and upon their bare Authority he married Jane de Castro publickly without any scruple It is easie to judge Padilla and Fernandez de Hyvestrosa were nettled to the quick by this sudden Wedding This ambitious Mistress who could not endure so much as the shadow of a Queen upon the Throne of Castile found it now in the full possession of an absolute Queen beloved by the King and Fernandez who flattered by the promises of his Niece had been the secret Instrument of Nugnez's death received no other fruit of his inhumanity than a Banishment from the Court and the loss of his Mistress which he loved above the World Had that Mistress of his been as sensible of Fernandez despair as he had reason to hope she would have refused the Crown which was offered her but that Age was like ours they stood not much upon Constancy the Glory of being a Queen outweighed the shame of infidelity and let Lovers say what they will a Crown is better than a Garland In the mean time the unfortunate Blanche was alone in the Castle condoling the loss of her Grand Master she understood then but it was too late the difference betwixt her past and her present Captivity and the Image of Nugnez stab'd in her presence for her sake caused such bitter remorses in her mind she had much ado to keep her self alive But we will leave her to mode her Complaints as she please and prepare her self for that Poyson which was given her some few days after to give some relaxation to our Pen. The principal parts of these Annals having been mentioned before it ought to be allowed us to repose after so rapid a Carieer The rest of the Reign of Pedro de Castile is so repleat with Murders and Cruelties of all sorts that I could not describe them without falling into a Tragical recitation which I have always carefully avoided THE ANNALS OF LOVE THE FIFTH PART JOhn Paleologus Emperour of Greece sirnamed Calos which in that Language signifies Fair lived about two hundred years since His Son Emanuel being gone with Supplies to the Emperor of Trebisonde his Ally whom Mammomas Prince of Peloponesius had invaded with a formidable Army fell in Love with the said Emperours Daughter and