what place he designed to go The Envoys who were with Souza asked those Religious who had entertained the King if they had heard no talk of Don Henry They assured them that he was killed in Battel The Envoys returned to Lisbon after having to no purpose made exact enquiry after the King They assured Eugenia and all her Relations of Don Henry's death That Widow was out of Mourning Her Relations and her Friends knowing the Merit and Birth of Souza pressed her with so much earnestness to conclude that Match that she suffered her self to be vanquished by the Counts Constancy and the desires of all his acquaintance This Marriage was accomplished with great satisfaction on both parts And nothing had been comparable to the Count of Souza's happiness if its continuance had been equal to its Charms Anthony made still new efforts to mount the Throne and to Marry the Dutchess and his love enflamed his Ambition He was Elected for the Defendour of the Publick Liberty in some Cities he caused himself to be Proclaimed King in others and having drawn together some few Troops he Marched towards Lisbon where they would have refused to let him in But the Dutchess of Braganza and her Friends augmenting the disorder that the approach of those Forces caused in the City Anthony entred it without much resistance and caused himself to be Proclaimed King by main Force The Duke of Alva who Commanded the King of Spains Forces being entred Portugal seized all the Cities he met with in his passage The Pope hearing of the Consternation the Portuguezes were reduced to set Cardinal Alexander Riano as his Legate to Philip. This King having notice thereof concluded that besides the great authority which the Title of Peace maker of Christendom would bring to the Apostolick See the Pope would make a Vassal of him who should be Crowned by his Arbitrage He resolved to take Possession of the Kingdom of Portugal before the Popes Legate could arrive in Spain He sent to the Duke of Alva to advance his Conquests with all possible Expedition Gave Order that in all places in his Dominions through which the Legate was to pass they should detain him there as long as they could he pretended to be Sick and sent word to the Legate when near Badage … that his indisposition had delayed the Entry he ought to make him and he desired him to wait some time longer The Legate desired his leave to come to him incognito which he could not deny but he handsomely declined the Popes Mediation and told his Legate that Affairs were too far advanced by Arms that very few Cities remained for him to Conquer in Portugal and all Kings would repute as weakness the regard he should have for his Holiness After this Civil refusal the Legate would have had his Audience of leave to have gone into Portugal in pursuance of his Orders from the Holy See But Philip fearing that Anthony and the Dutchess of Braganza whom the Pope seemed to favour might draw some advantage from the Legates presence would not consent to his departure before he had made his Entry in Form In these Publick Calamities no body was happy but the Count de Souza and yet it may be said that the Zeal he had for the State hindred him from relishing perfectly the delights of his Marriage He was not born for the Pleasures of Love and as he was one day talking amorously with Eugenia he was told that a Merchant who came from Africa asked to speak with him Souza troubled at this News without knowing any reason all Eugenia's Blood was frozen without being able to tell why and the Merchant being brought in told Eugenia that he had lately seen Don Henry She fainted away at that Name Souza in an extream Surprize answered the Merchant that what he said was false that Don Henry was killed in the Battel of Don Sebastian and that all the News they had received from Africa had but too well confirmed his death All the World believed it my Lord answered the Merchant because Don Henry was not seen amongst the other Captives and Hamet for important and secret Designs caused Persons of the greatest Confideration who had been taken in that War to be drawn out from amongst the Common Prisoners and concealed apart in unknown Places The Africans set on foot the rumours of their Deaths among the Portugal Prisoners Don Henry was of this number and as these secret Prisoners have at present something more Liberty he found the means of seeing me the day before my departure and desired me to go find out Eugenia at Lisbon and desire her from him to use her endeavours to free him out of so long a Captivity Souza asked the Merchant why Don Henry did not write The Merchant answered because he wanted the means of doing it and was only able to say to him four Words The Count not knowing what Credit to give to the Words of this Merchant seeing on the one side great appearance of Truth and wishing on the other that it were all False found an expedient to get out of that uncertainty and after having taken care to recover Eugenia out of her Swoon and given Order to her Maids to get her to Bed he led that Merchant into a Gallery of his House where Don Henry's Picture hung amongst several other Pieces which that Gallery was Adorned with I shall not believe you said Souza to him except you discover amongst these Pieces the Pourtraict of Don Henry whom you say you lately spoke to The Merchant would have at first exempted himself from that Tryal and told Souza that the Troubles Don Henry had suffered in his Captivity might have so changed him that he did not resemble what he was formerly However having cast his Eyes upon his Picture he knew him again immediately and cryed Ah! my Lord there 's Don Henry 's Portraict and his misfortunes have not changed his Features These words quite ruined Souza he had till that moment questioned his unhappiness but when he saw this Merchant knew that Portraict to be Don Henry's Picture he had no hopes left him He was penetrated with all the grief that a Lover can be sensible of when his beloved Object is forced from him and he deprived of the delights of a perfect Love Eugenia's Beauties and the Pleasures he had enjoy'd with her came crowding into his Mind The Idea of so many Charms raising the value of the happiness he had possessed made him know the greatness of the loss he was going to have and made his grief excessively stinging This Blow and those first Reflexions rendred him at first motionless then walking apace some moments in that Gallery he told the Merchant after being something recovered from his disorder That he saw a great many Difficulties in what he now informed him of that he would send into Africa to know the Truth of that Affair and desired him on his side to make use of the Correspondence
had explained his budding Passion Wherefore she passed over Formalities and went the next day with her Son to see Elvira You will find perhaps said she to her entring my Visit rash and too hasty Madam this is not the only fatigue your Beauty will cause you and the Duke to whom I made Yester day the recital of it has forced me to come and importune you with so much precipitation But he is still Young Madam continued she smiling and knows not what he demands Elvira answered with a thousand Civilities At this meeting the Conversation was less serious and more warm than usually those are of the first Visits and the Duke de Barcellos shewed so much admiration for Elvira that the Count de Tavora who was then there fancied he had conceived a great Passion for her and said the day following in Entertaining some Persons that came to see him with the News of the Court that Elvira's Beauty made a great noise there that the Duke de Barcellos was extreamly in love with her had been to see her and declared to her a great deal of kindness Leonora was present at this Discourse and could not hear it without shivering For above two Years that the Duke de Barcellos saw her with assiduity he had not dared to declare what her Charms had made him suffer and their hearts having been used to love one another from their tenderest Infancy upon the credit of their sighs without having otherwise explained themselves they had spared themselves the vexation that Reflexions give at the birth of a Passion and the confusion which these forts of Declarations cause in those that hear them She returned into her Chamber to conceal her trouble and as soon as she was at liberty she let some tears fall without knowing the reason that made her weep She saw her self opprest with a grief that she had never felt sometimes she abandoned her self to all imaginable hatred against Elvira sometimes she complained confusedly of the Duke of Barcellos and not knowing what Motions to keep to Why should I complain of him said she did he promise me never to love any one has he told me he had a kindness for me does he know that I have an inclination for him or rather have ever loved him Alas I know nothing of it my self continued she but I know very well I have been deceived in the opinion I had of the care he took to purchase and preserve my favour She had not yet so strictly Examined the Sentiments she had of the Duke de Barcellos she durst not even in that moment tell her self that she loved him and attributed to the hatred she had for Elvira all that the strongest Jealousie made her suffer I should not care said she sometimes though he loved another but I have so great an Antipathy for Elvira that I cannot suffer the Passion he has for her he must renounce it or never see me more I 'le rather from this present deprive my self of the pleasure of seeing him without asking him any thing continued she and likewise the sacrifice that I pretend from him would oblige me to too much acknowledgment Ah! what would my Father say if I should engage my self without his Consent Alas perhaps he has already discovered my trouble and perhaps he attributes to Jealousie the disorder I have made appear This fear for some time suspended the violence of her Motions and made her at length take the resolution of concealing her grief from the Eyes even of those who caused it The Duke d' Avero rely'd much upon the merit of his Daughter and hoped to see her one day Queen of Portugal She likewise conceived great hopes of her Charms and both in concert without imparting to one another their Designs laid Ambushes for the liberty of a Prince who came and cast himself into Chains Don Sebastian distinguished Elvira from all those that endeavoured to please him He paid her a thousand little passionate addresses that are never offer'd but to one Person and are the forerunners of the tenderest Passion Elvira's heart was too sensible and her Soul too ambitious not to be touched at the distinctions and the eagernesses of a Prince so gallant so well made and so lovely as Don Sebastian but how prone soever he was for Love his domineering Passion was Glory He impatiently suffered the prudent Zeal of Cardinal Henry who opposed the boyling ardour with which he sought out dangers he often stole from the vigilance of his Guards and quitted the company of Ladies and tender Conversations to go encounter the most Savage Beasts in the midst of the Forest He passionately loved Hunting the more dangerous it was the more Charming it seemed to him And as Queen Katherine and Cardinal Henry did with all their power mollifie the violence of that Exercise and the ardour which he gave himself up to it they got the Ladies of the Court to be often of the Parties and endeavoured to make a Diversion of so rude and so dangerous an amusement He was one day at Queen Katherine's and proposed a Match to go hunt Lions the next day The Queen whom this Proposition had caused to tremble and who knew very well that directly to oppose this Princes Designs would but so much the more irritate his desires cunningly made use of the Power she saw Elvira had over the King and told him gently The only name of Lions has made Elvira tremble my Son and I believe if you hunt them to morrow you will have but few Ladies in your train I love hunting passionately answered Elvira having penetrated into the Queens Design but the truth is this Chace seems to me too terrible and there are much gentler wherein I made the greatest delights of my solitude consist Well then we will run a Stag to morrow answered the King hastily the Ladies shall be of the party and you will be there Madam pursued he looking tenderly on Elvira The Queen had a great deal of joy she had made her Son change his design Elvira was much pleased she had served the Queens intentions and she had received this mark of Complaisance from Don Sebastian The Dutchess of Braganza who was present at this Conversation could not see without blushing for spight this slight proof of the Kings tenderness for another than her self and every one retired some moments after to give Orders for all that was necessary for that Match The King sent one to tell the Duke d'Avero the next day that as Elvira had not perhaps had time to prepare her Hunting Clotths he prayed him to give her those he sent her which was a Justicore covered with Spanish Point of Gold and Silver the Flowers of which were raised to the life with Jewels of several Colours a Riding Petticoate of the same Fashion and a Cap loaded with a number of long and very beautiful Blew Feathers The Duke accepted this Present for his Daughter with a great deal of
from Elvira any favourable Answer made him pass very troublesome Moments He sometimes Figured to himself that he could never be beloved by her The Languishing and the Tenderness which Elvira made appear to him in her Eyes when she left him could not reassure him against this fear but he was not long in his Suspicions and he had all manner of reason to believe in the Conversations he had afterwards with Elvira that she had no aversion for him She even assured him in several Rencounters that she could suffer that Passion with joy provided it might sute with her Duty and told him all these things with all the sweetness and complaisance that though she cunningly referred her self to her Father as to all the sentiments of her heart the King conceived hopes that he should be beloved and even sometimes flattered himself with having some part in her tenderness their Commerce became at length so great and so manifest that the Dutchess of Braganza seeing she could not break it feigned to second it and fancied that introducing her self to those two Lovers by the Title of a Confident she might on some occasions of falling out or inconstancy recover her favour with the King rather than by the Jealousie she might make appear She quitted the Design she had taken of Engaging her Son in an Intreague with Elvira rightly judging that in the posture things were this enterprise would be more disadvantageous than profitable to her Projects And the young Duke having never had any inclination but for Leonora and seeing himself treated with more rigour than usnally without having yet penetrated into the Cause of it endeavoured to clear this point with her He saw her all alone Vexation did in her what all his Tenderness had not been able yet to do and Jealousie made known to the Duke the love she had for him He first complained of her and then comforted her with a great deal of affection for all that unlucky juncture had made her suffer and gave her a thousand assurances of fidelity against her suspicions All these Lovers enjoy'd with Tranquility enough during some time the pleasures of their inclinations But how accomplished soever Don Sebastian was he was not born to be happy and the most civil Man of the Court was the innocent cause of these first misfortunes The Count de Souza having worthily acquitted himself of his Embassy abandoned the Court of Spain loaded with Glory and Presents The News of his speedy return was immediately spread about Lisbon As he had a great deal of Merit and a great many Friends he was only heard spoken of in all Companies and the Conversations were almost all composed of his Praises Elvira heard his fine Qualities cry'd up in several Places She had never seen him and conceived a great desire to know him Don Lewis had a very fine Country House two Leagues from Lisbon and near unto a Lordship that belonged to Souza whither he often carried Violanta and her Friends Elvira was one of her most intimate acquaintance and Don Lewis Treating them there one day after the Ball was begun four Persons were seen to enter disguised like Slaves who drew the Eyes of all the Assembly by the Magnificence of their habit But one among 'em charmed all People by his Air and his manners they took him at first for Don Henry because Eugenia having never had any great kindness for Violanta they were not of that Assembly and could only come in Masquerade but they afterwards observ'd that Don Henry was much fatter and of a less advantageous shape than this Slave He at first placed himself at Elvira's Feet and told her with the best Grace imaginable that he came from the farthest part of Africa to have the honour of wearing her Chains She answered him very Obligingly And by the discourse she had with him she easily observed that this Slave had as much Wit as he had a good Meen Violanta took him out to dance and he acquitted himself in the most seemly and pleasing way that can be fancied He took out Elvira who danced better with him than she had done before None knew him and they all impatiently longed to see his Masque off At length Elvira so earnestly begged it of him that he was constrained to retire apart and shew her his Face She was much surpriz'd she did not know him but much more at his Lustre Ah! since I do not know you said she to him being somewhat recovered out of her astonishment and you are so well formed you must be the Count de Souza I beg you would not name me Madam said he to her I am unwilling to be known I had a desire to pass this night at my Country-House and have not been yet at Court Elvira promised she would not discover him and kept her Word As no body knew that the Count de Souza was Arrived at his House none of them suspected any thing of the truth He made his Court to her during the Ball as to the Mistress of his King whose favour he ought to manage She hearkned to him with a delight that caused an emotion in her and found a secret Charm in his Words and Actions The Ball being ended Elvira returned to Lisbon with a numerous Train of Coaches and Souza came several times into her mind in the Night under the most agreeable Idea that can ever be formed of an accomplish'd Man He appeared the next day at Court and went to give an account of his Commission to the King who was with Elvira She could not forbear blushing at the sight of him she found him yet more charming than he had appeared to her but she so well knew how to conceal her Blushes and Emotions that no body perceived ' em They discoursed of the Court of Spain the Count de Souza of whom they asked the News of it said that Don John Natural Son to Charles the V. was lately Arrived there and appeared in great Splendour that he was a Prince equally understanding in War and in Policy that he had shewn him a great deal of kindness and had a particular Esteem of his Merit That King Philip who had been three times a Widdower was going to Marry Ann of Austria his Niece and Sister of Maximilian II. and that Katherine Michela Daughter to Philip and the late Deceased Queen was one of the most Beautiful Persons of Europe He was going to tell several other particulars more of that Court but Don Henry entring in that moment caused him so much trouble that he could not continue his Discourse He received his kindnesses with the greatest Civility having resolved to avoid as much as he could the meeting with his Mistress and his Rival and being afraid that Eugenia would suddenly come to see Elvira he took leave of the King and retired to his House where he employ'd all the Efforts of his Reason to stifle a Passion that he perceived was ready to revive notwithstanding