or car'd to behold any other Some times she thought it would be more Brave and Pious to dye than to break her Vow but she soon answer'd that as false Arguing for Self-Murder was the worst of Sins and in the Deadly Number She could after such an Action live to repent and of two Evils she ought to chuse the least she dreads to think since she had so great a Reputation for Virtue and Piety both in the Monastery and in the World what they both would say when she should commit an Action so contrary to both these she profest but after a whole Night's Debate Love was strongest and gain'd the Victory She never went about to think how she should escape because she knew it would be easy the keeping of the Key of the Monastery often intrusted in her keeping and was by turns in the hands of many more whose Virtue and Discretion was Infallible and out of Doubt besides her Aunt being the Lady Abbess she had greater Privilege than the rest so that she had no more to do she thought than to acquaint Henault with her Design as soon as she should get an opportunity Which was not quickly but in the mean time Isabela's Father dy'd which put some little stop to our Lover's Happiness and gave her a short time of Grief but Love who while he is new and young can do us Miracles soon wip'd her Eyes and chas'd away all Sorrow from her Heart and grew every day more and more impatient to put her new Design in Execution being every day more resolv'd Her Father's Death had remov'd one Obstacle and secur'd her from his Reproaches and now she only wants Opportunity first to acquaint Henault and then to fly She waited not long all things concurring to her desire for Katteriena falling sick she had the good luck as she call'd it then to entertain Henault at the Grate oftentimes alone the first moment she did so she entertain'd him with the good News and told him She had at last vanquish'd her Heart in favour of him and loving him above all things Honour her Vow or Reputation had resolv'd to abandon her self wholly to him to give her self up to love and serve him and that she had no other Consideration in the World but Henault instead of returning her an Answer all Joy and Satisfaction held down his Eyes and Sighing with a dejected Look he cry'd Ah Madam Pity a Man so wretched and undone as not to be sensible of this Blesseng as I ought She grew pale at this Reply and trembling expected he would proceed 'T is not continued he that I want Love tendenest passron and all the desire Youth and Love can inspire But Oh Madam when I consider forraving mad in Love as I am for your sake I do consider that if I should take you fâ—om this Repose Nobly Born and Educated as you are and for that Act should find a rigid Father deprive me of all that ought support support you and afford your Birth Beauty and Merits their due what would you say How would you Reproach we He fighing expected her Answer when Blushes overspreading her Face she reply'd in a Tone all haughty and angry Ah He nault Am I then refus'd after having abandon'd all things for you Is it this you reward my Sacrific'd Honour Vows and Virtue Cannot you â—â—â—â—rd the loss of Fortune to possess Isabella who loses all for you Then bursting into Tears at her misfortune of Loving she suffer'd him to say Oh Charming fair one how industrious iâ— your Cruelty to find out new Torments for an Heart already press'd down with the severities of Love Is it possible you can make so unhappy a Construction of the tenderest part of my Passion And can you imagin it want of Love in me to consider how I shall preserve and merit the vast Blessing Heaven has given me Is my Care a Crime And would not the most deserving Beauty of the World hate me if I should to preserve my Life and satisfy the Passion of my fond Heart reduce her to the Extremities of Want and Misery And is there any thing in what I have said but what you ought to take for the greatest Respect and tenderness Alas reply'd Isabella sighing young as I am all unskilful in Love I find but what â—â— el that Diserâ—tion is no part of it and Consideration inconsistent with the Nobler Passion who will subsist of own Nature and lâ—ve unmix'd with any other Sentiment And'tis not pure if it be otherwise I know had I mix'd Discretion with mine my Love must have been â—â—ss I never thought of living but by Love and if I consider'd at all it was that Grandure and Magnificence were useless Trifles to Lovers wholly needless and troublesom I thought of living in some loanly Cottage far from the noise of crowded busie Cities to walk with thee in Groves and silent Shades where I might hear no Voice but thinâ— and when we had been tir'd to sit us down by some cool murmuring Rivulet and be to each a World my Monarch thou and I thy sovereign Queen while Wreaths of Flowers shall crown our happy Heads some fragrant Bank our Throne and Heaven our Canop Thus we might laugh at Fortune and the Proud despise the duller World who place their Joys in mighty Shem and Equipage Alas my Nature could not beur it I am unus'd to Worldly Vanities and would boast of nothing but my Henault no Riches but his Love no Grandure but his Presence She ended speaking with Tears and he reply'd Now now I find my Isabella loves indeed whâ—n she 's content to abandon the. World for my sake Oh! thou hast named the only happy Life that suits my quiet Nature to be retir'd has always been my Joy But to be so with thee Oh! thou bast charm'd me with a Thought so dear as has for ever banish'd all my Care but how to receive thy Goodness I 'le think no more what my angry Parent may do when he shall hâ—ar how I have dispos'd of my self against his Will and Pleasure but trust to Love and Providence no more be gone all Thoughts but those of Isabella As soon as he had made an end of expressing his Joy he fell to consulting how and when she should escape and since it was uncertain when she should be offer'd the Key for she would not ask for it she resolved give him notice either by word of Mouth or a bit of Paper she would write in and give him through the Grate the first opportunitys and parting for that time they both resolv'd to get up what was possible for their Support till Time shauld reconcile Affairs and Friends and to wait the happy hour Isabella's dead Mother had left jewells of the value of 2000 l. to her Daughter at her Decease which Jewels were in the possession now of the Lady Abbess and were upon Sale to be added to the Revenue of the Monasstery and as Isabella
THE HISTORY OF THE NUN OR THE Fair Vow-Breaker Written by Mrs. A. BEHN LICENSED Octob. 2â— 1688. Ric. Pocock LONDON Printed for A. Baskervile at the Bible the Corner of Essex-Street against St. Clement's Church 1689. To the Most Illustrious Princess The Dutchess of MAZARINE Madam THere are none of an Illustrious Quality who have not been made by some Poet or other the Patronesses of his Distress'd Hero or Unfortunate Damsel and such Addresses are Tributes due only to the most Elevated where they have always been very well receiv'd since they are the greatest Testimonies we can give of our Esteem and Veneration Madam when I survey'd the whole Toor of Ladies at Court which was Adorn'd by you who appear'd there with a Grace and Majesty pecutiar to Your Great Self only mix'd with an irrefistible Air of Sweetness Generosity and Wit I was impatient for an Opportunity to tell Your Grace how infinitely one of Your own Sex ador'd You and that among all the numerous Conquest Your Grace has made over the Hearts of Men Your Grace had not subdu'd a more intire Slave I assure you Madam there is neither Compliment nor Poetry in this humble Declaration but a Truth which has cost me a great deal of Inquietude for that Fortune has not set me in such a Station as might justifie my Pretence to the honour and satisfaction of being ever near Your Grace to view eternally that lovely Person and here that surprizing Wit what can be more grateful to a Heart than so great and so agreeable an Entertainment And how few Objects are there that can render it so entire a Pleasure as at once to hear you speak and to look upon your Beauty A Beauty that is heighten'd if possible with an air of Negligence in Dress wholly Charming as if your Beauty disdain'd those little Arts of your Sex which Nicety alone is their greatest Charm while yours Madam even without the Assistance of your exalted Birth begets an Awe and Reverence in all that do approach you and every one is proud and pleas'd in paying you Homage their several ways according to their Capacities and Talents mine Madam can only be exprest by my Pen which would be infinitely honour'd in being permitted to celebrate your great Name for ever and perpetually to serve where it has so great an inclination In the me an time Ma'dam I presume to lay this little Trifle at your Feet the Story is true as it is on the Records of the Town where it was transacted and if my fair unfortunate Vow-Breaker do not deserve the honour of your Graces Protection at least she will be found worthy of your Pity which will be a sufficient Glory both for her and MADAM Your Graces most buinble and most obedient Servant A. Behn THE HISTORY OF THE NUN OR THE Fair Vow-Breaker OF all the Sins incident to Human Nature there is none of which Heaven has took so particular visible and frequent Notice and Revenge as on that of Violated Voms which never go unpunished and the Cupids may boast what they will for the encouragement of their Trade of Love that Heaven never takes cognisance of Lovers broken Vows and Oaths and that 't is the only Perjury that escapes the Anger of the Gods But I verily believe if it were search'd into we should find these frequent Perjuries that pass in the World for so many Gallantties only to be the occasion of so many unhappy Marriages and the cause of all those Misfortunes which are so frequent to the Nuptiall'd Pair For not one of a Thousand but either on his side or on hers has been perjur'd and broke Vows made to some fond believing Wretch whom they have abandon'd and undone What Man that does not boast of the Numbers he has thus ruin'd and who does not glory in the shameful Triumph Nay what Woman almost has not a pleasure in Deceiving taught perhaps at first by some dear false one who had fatally instructed her Youth in an Art she ever after practis'd in Revenge on all those she could be too hard for and conquer at their own Weapons For without all dispute Women are by Nature more Constant and Just than Men and did not their first Lovers teach them the trick of Change they would be Doves that would never quit their Mate and like Indian Wives would leap alive into the Graves of their deceased Lovers and be buried quick with ' em But Customs of Countries change even Nature her self and long Habit takes her place The Women are taught by the Lives of the Men to live up to all their Vices and are become almost as inconstant and â—â— is but Modesty that makes the difference and hardly inclination so deprav'd the nicest Appetites grow in time by bad Examples But as there are degrees of Vows so there are degrees of Punishments for Vows there are solemn Matrimonial Vows such as contract and are the most effectual Marriage and have the most reason to be so there are a thousand Vows and Friendships that pass between Man and Man on a thousand Occasions but there is another Vow call'd a Sacred Vow made to God only and by which we oblige our selves eternally to serve him with all Chastity and Devotion This Vow is only taken and made by those that enter into Holy Orders and of all broken Vows these are those that receive the most severe and notorious Revenges of God and I am almost certain there is not one Example to be produc'd in the World where Perjuries of this nature have past unpunish'd nay that have not been peisu'd with the greatest and most rigorous of Punishments I could my self of my own knowledge give an hundred Examples of the fatal Consequences of the Violation of Sacred Vows and who ever make it their business and are curious in the search of such Misfortunes shall find as I say that they never go unregarded The young Beauty therefore who dedicates her self to Heaven and weds her self for ever to the service of God ought first very well to consider the Self-denial she is going to put upon her Youth her fickle faithless deceiving Youth of one Opinion to day and of another to morrow like Flowers which never remain in one state or fashion but bud to day and blow by insensible degrees and decay as imperceptibly The Resolution we promise and believe we shall maintain is not in our power and nothing is so deceitful as human Hearts I once was design'd an humble Votary in the House of Devotion but fancying my self not endu'd with an obstinacy of Mind great enough to secure me from the Efforts and Vanities of the World I rather chose to deny my self that Content I could not certainly promise my self than to languish as I have seen some do in a certain Affliction tho' possibly since I have sufficiently bewailed that mistaken and inconsiderate Approbation and Preference of the false ungrateful World full of nothing but Nonsense Noise
false Notions and Contradiction before the Innocence and Quiet of a Cloyster nevertheless I could wish for the prevention of abundance of Mischiefs and Miseries that Nunneries and Marriages were not to be enter'd into 'till the Maid so destin'd were of a mature Age to make her own Choice and that Parents would not make use of their justly assum'd Authority to compel their Children neither to the one or the other but since I cannot alter Custom nor shall ever be allow'd to make new Laws or rectify the old ones I must leave the Young Nuns inclos'd to their best Endeavours of making a Virtue of Necessity and the young Wives to make the best of a bad Market In Iper a Town not long since in the Dominions of the King of Spain and now in possession of the King of France there liv'd a Man of Quality of a considerable Fortune call'd Count Henrick de Valtary who had a very beautiful Lady by whom he had one Daughter call'd Isabella whose Mother dying when she was about two years old to the unspeakable Grief of the Count her Husband he resolv'd never to partake of any Pleasure more that this transitory World could court him with but determin'd with himself to dedicate his Youth and future Days to Heaven and to take upon him Holy Orders and without considering that possibly the young Isabella when she grew to Woman might have Sentiments contrary to those that now possest him he design'd she should also become a Nun However he was not so positive in that Resolution as to put the matter wholly out of her Choice but divided his Estate one half he carried with him to the Monastery of Fesuits of which number he became one and the other half he gave with Isabella to the Monastery of which his only Sister was Lady Abbess of the Order of St. Augustine but so he ordered the matter that if at the Age of Thirteen Isabella had not a mind to take Orders or that the Lady Abbess found her Inclination averse to a Monastick Life she should have such a proportion of the Revenue as should be fit to marry her to a Noble Man and left it to the discretion of the Lady Abbess who was a Lady of known Piety and admirable strictness of Life and sonearly related to Isabella that there was no doubt made of her Integrity and Justice The little Isabella was carried immediately in her Mourning for her dead Mother into the Nunnery and was receiv'd as a very diverting Gompanion by all the young Ladies and above all by her Reverend Aunt for she was come just to the Age of delighting her Parents she was the prettiest forward Pratler in the World and had a thousand little Charms to please besides the young Beauties that were just budding in her little Angel Face So that she soon became the dear lov'd Favourite of the whole House and as she was an Entertainment to them all so they made it their study to find all the Diversions they could for the pretty Isabella and as she grew in Wit and Beauty every day so they fail'd not to cultivate her Mind and delicate Apprehension in all that was advantageous to her Sex and whatever Excellency any one abounded in she was sure to communicate it to the young Isabella if one could Dance another Sing another play on this Instrument and another on that if this spoke one Language and that another if she had Wit and she Discretion and a third the finest Fashion and Manners all joyn'd to compleat the Mind and Body of this beautiful young Girl Who being undiverted with the less noble and less solid Vanitles of the World took to thefe Virtues and excell'd in all and her Youth and Wit being apt for all Impressions she soon became a greater Mistress of their Arts than those who taught her so that at the Age of eight or nine Years she was thought fit to receive and entertain all the great Men and Ladies and the Strangers of any Nation at the Grate and that with so admirable a Grace so quick and piercing a Wit and so delightful and sweet a Conversation that she became the whole Discourse of the Town and Strangers spread her Fame as prodigious throughout the Christian World for Strangers came daily to hear her talk and fing and play and to admire her Beauty and Ladies brought their Children to shame 'em into good Fashion and Manners with looking on the lovely young Isabella The Lady Abbess her Aunt you may believe was not a little proud of the Excellencies and Virtues of her fair Nieee and omitted nothing that might adorn her Mind because not only of the vastness of her Parts and Fame and the Credit she would do her House by residing there for ever but also being very loth to part with her considerable Fortune which she must resign if she returned into the World she us'd all her Arts and Stratagems to make her become a Nun to which all the fair Sisterhood contributed their Cunning but it was altogether needless her Inclination the strictness of her Devotion her early Prayers and those continual and innate Stedfastness and Calm she was Mistress of her Ignorance of the World's Vanities and those that uninclos'd young Ladies count Pleasures and Diversions being all unknown to her she thought there was no Joy out of a Nun̄nery and no Satisfactions on the other side of a Grate The Lady Abbess seeing that of her self she yielded faster than she could expect to discharge her Conscience to her Brother who came frequently to visit his Darling Isabella would very often discourse to her of the Pleasures of the World telling her how much happier she would think her self to be the Wife of some gallant young Cavalier and to have Coaches and Equipage to see the World to behold a thousand Rarities she had never seen to live in Splendor to eat high and wear magnificent Clothes to be bow'd to as she pass'd and have a thousand Adorers to see in time a pretty Off-spring the products of Love that should talk and look and delight as she did the Heart of their Parents but to all her Father and the Lady Abbess could say of the World and its Pleasures Fsabella brought a thousand Reasons and Arguments so Pious so Devout that the Abbess was very well pleased to find her purposely weak Propositions so well overthrown and gives an account of her daily Discourses to her Brother which were no less pleasing to him and tho' Isabella went already dress'd as richly as her Quality deserv'd yet her Father to try the utmost that the World's Vanity could do upon her young Heart orders the most Glorious Clothes should be bought her and that the Lady Abbess should suffer her to go abroad with those Ladies of Quality that were her Relations and her Mother's Acquaintance that she should visit and go on the Toore that is the Hide Park there that she should see all that was diverting
to try whether it were not for want of Temptation to Vanity that made her leave the World and love an inclos'd Life As the Count had commanded all things were performed and Isabella arriving at her Thirteenth Year of Age and being pretty tall of Stature with the finest Shape that Fancy can create with all the Adornment of a perfect brown-hair'd Beauty Eyes black and lovely Complexion fair to a Miracle all her Features of the rarest proportion the Mouth red the Teeth white and a thousand Graces in her Meen and Air she came no sooner abroad but she had a thousand Persons sighing for love of her the Reputation her Wit had acquir'd got her Adorers without seeing her but when they saw her they found themselves conquer'd and undone all were glad she was come into the World of whom they had heard so much and all the Youth of the Town dress'd only for Isabella de Valerie she rose like a new Star that Eclips'd all the rest and which set the World a gazing Some hop'd and some despair'd but all lov'd while Isabella regarded not their Eyes their distant darling Looks of Love and their signs of Adoration she was civil and affable to all but so reserv'd that none durst tell her his Passion or name that strange and abhorr'd thing Love to her the Relations with whom she went abroad every day were fein to force her out and when she went 't was the motive of Civility and not Satisfaction that made her go whatever she saw she beheld with no admiration and nothing created wonder in her tho'never so strange and Novel She survey'd all things with an indifference that tho'it was not sullen was far from Transport so that her evenness of Mind was infinitely admir'd and prais'd And now it was that young as she was her Conduct and Discretion appear'd equal to her Wit and Beauty and she encreas'd daily in Reputation insomuch that the Parents of abundance of young Noble Men made it their business to endeavour to marry their Sons to so admirable and noble a Maid and one whose Virtues were the Discourse of all the World the Father the Lady Abbess and those who had her abroad were solicited to make an Alliance for the Father he would give no answer but left it to the discretion of Isabella who could not be persuaded to hear any thing of that nature so that for a long time she refus'd her company to all those who propos'd any thing of Marriage to her she said she had seen nothing in the World that was worth her Care or the venturing the losing of Heaven for and therefore was resolv'd to dedicare her self to that that the more she saw of the World the worse she lik'd it and pity'd the Wretches that were condemn'd to it that ssie had consider'd it and found no one Inclination that forbad her immediate Entrance into a Religious Life to which her Father after using all the Arguments he could to make her take good heed of what she went about to consider it well and had urg'd all the Inconveniencies of Severe Life Watchings Midnight Risings in all Weathers and Seasons to Prayers hard Lodging course Diet and homely Habit with a thousand other things of Labour and Work us'd among the Nuns and finding her still resolv'd and inflexible to all contrary persuasions he consented kiss'd her and told her She had argu'd according to the wish of his Soul and that be never believ'd himself truly happy till this moment that he was assur'd she would become a Religious This News to the Heart-breaking of a thousand Lovers was spread all over the Town and there was nothing but Songs of Complaint and of her retiring after she had shewn her self to the World and vanquish'd so many Hearts all Wits were at work on this Cruel Subject and one begat another as is usual in such Affairs Amongst the number of these Lovers there was a young Gentleman Nobly born his Name was Villenoys who was admirably made and very handsom had travell'd and accomptish'd himself as much as was possible for one so young to do he was about Eighteen and was going to the Siege of Candia in a very good Equipage but overtaken by his Fate surpris'd in his way to Glory he stopt at Ipers so sell most passionately in love with this Maid of Immortal Fame but being defeated in his hopes by this News was the Man that made the softest Complaints to this fair Beauty and whose violence of Passion oppress'd him to that degree that he was the only Lover who durst himself tell her he was in love with her he writ Billets so soft and tender that she had of all her Lovers most compassion for Villenoys and dain'd several times in pity of him to send him answers to his Letters but they were such as absolutely forbad him to love her such as incited him to follow Glory the Mistress that could noblest reward him and that for her part her Prayers should always be that he might be victorious and the Darling of that Fortune he was going to court and that she for her part had fix'd her Mind on Heaven and no Earthly Thought should bring it down but she should ever retain for him all Sisterly Respect and begg'd in her Solitudes to hear whether her Prayers had prov'd effectual or not and if Fortune were so kind to him as she should perpetually wish When Villenoys found she was resolv'd he design'd to persue his Journy but could not leave the Town till he had seen the fatal Ceremony of Isabella's being made a Nun which was every day expected and while he stay'd he could not forbear writing daily to her but receiv'd no more Answers from her she already accusing her self of having done too much for a Maid in her Circumstances but she consess'd of all she had seen she lik'd Villenoys the best and if she ever could have lov'd she believ'd it would have been Villenoys for he had all the good Qualities and grace that could render him agreeable to the Fair besides that he was only Son to a very rich and noble Parent and one that might very well presume to lay claim to a Maid of Isabella's Beauty and Fortune As the time approach'd when he must eternally lose all hope by Isabella's taking Orders he found himself less able to bear the Efforts of that Despair it possess'd him with he languish'd with the thought so that it was visible to all his Friends the decays it wrought on his Beauty and Gaity So that he fell at last into a Feaver and 't was the whole Discourse of the Town That Villenoys was dying for the Fair Isabella his Relations being all of Quality were extreamly afflicted at his Misfortune and joyn'd their Interests yet to dissuade this fair young Victoress from an act so cruel as to inclose her self in a Nunnery while the finest of all the Youths of Quality was dying for her and ask'd her If it
Mortifications on the cold Marble in long Winter Season and all her Acts of Devotion abate one spark of this shameful Feaver of Love that was destroying her within When she had rag'd and struggled with this unruly Passion 'till she was quite tir'd and breathless finding all her forcein vain she fill'd her fancy with a thousand charming Idea's of the lovely Henanlt and in that soft fit had a mind to satisfy her panting Heart and give it one Joy more by beholding the Lord of its Desires and the Author of its Pains Pleas'd yet trembling at this resolve she rose from the Bed where she was laid and softly advanc'd to the Stair-Case from whence there open'd that Room where Dame Katteriena was and where there was a private Grate at which she was entertaining her Brother they were earnest in Discourse and so loud that Isabella could easrly hear all they said and the first words were from Katteriena who in a sort of Anger cry'd Vrge me no more My Virtue is too nite to become an Advocate for a Passion that can tend to nothing but your Ruin for suppose I should tell the fair Ifabella you dye for her what can it wait you What hope can any Man heue to move the Heart of a Virgin so averse to Love A Virgin whose Modesty and Virtue is so very curious it would fly the very word Love as some monstrous Witchcraft or the foolest of Sins who would loath me for bringing so lewd a Message and banish for her Sight as the Object of her Hose and Scorn is it unknown to â—ou how many of the noblest Youths of Flanders have address'd themselves to her in vain when yet she was in the World Have you been ignorant how the young Count De Villenoys languish'd in vain almost to Death for her And that no Persuasions no Attractions in him no worldly Advantages or all his Pleadings who had a Wit and Spirit capable of prevailing on any Heart less severe and barsh than hers Do you not know that all was lost on this insensible fair one even when she was a proper Object for the Adoration of the Young and Amorous And can you hope now she has so 〈◊〉 wedded her future days to Devotion and given all to Heaven nay lives a Life here more like a Saint than a Woman rather an Angel than a mortal Creature Do you imagin with any Rhetorick you can deliver now to turn the Heart and whole Nature of this Divine Maid to consider your Earthly Passion No ' its fondness and an injury to her Virtue to harbour such a Thought quit it quit it my dear Brother before it ruin your Repose Ah Sister reply'd the dejected Henault your Counsel comes too late and your Reasons are of too feeble force to rebate those Arrows the Charming Isabella's Eyes have fix'd in my Heart and Soul and I am undone unless she know my Pain which I shall dye before I shall ever dare mention to her but you young Maids have a thousand Familiarities together can jest and play and say a thousand things between Railery and Earnest that may first hint what you would deliver and insinuate into each others Hearts a kind of Curiosity to know more for naturally my dear Sister Maids are curious and vain and however Divine the Mind of the fair Isabella may be it bears the Tincture still of Mortal Woman Suppose this true how could this Mortal part about her Advantage you said Katteriena all that you can expect from this Disoovery if she should be content to hear it and to return you pity would be to make her mratched like your self What farther can you hope Oh! talk not reply'd Henault of so much Happiness I do not expect to be so blest that she should pity me or love to a degree of Inquietude 't is sufficient for the ease of my Heart that she know its Pains and what if suffers for her that she would give my Eyes leave to gaze upon her and my Heart to vent a Sigh now and then and when I dare to give me leave to speak and tell her of my Passion This this is all my Sister And at that word the Tears glided down his Cheeks and he declin'd his Eyes and set a Look so charming and so sad that Isabella whose Eyes were fix'd upon him was a thousand times ready to throw her self into the Room and to have made a Confession how sensible she was of all she had heard and seen But with much ado she contain'd and satisfy'd her self with knowing that she was ador'd by him whom she ador'd and with a Prudence that is natural to her she withdrew and waited with patience the event of their Discourse She impatiently long'd to know how Katteriena would manage this Secret her Brother had given her and was pleas'd that the Friendship and Prudence of that Maid had conceal'd her Passion from her Brother and now contented and joyful beyond imagination to find her self belov'd she knew she could dissemble her own Passion and make him the first Aggressor the first that lov'd or at least that should seem to do so This Thought restores her so great a part of her Peace of Mind that she resolv'd to see him and to dissemble with Katteriena so far as to make her believe she had subdu'd that Passion she was really asham'd to own she now with her Woman's Skill begins to practise an Art she never before understood and has recourse to Cunning and resolves to seem to reassume her former Repose But hearing Katteriena approach she laid her self again on her Bed where she had left her but compos'd her Face to more chearfulness and put on a Resolution that indeed deceiv'd the Sister who was extreamly pleased she said to see her look so well When Isabella reply'd Yes I am another Woman now I hope Heaven has heard and granted my long and humble Supplications and driven from my Heart this tormenting God that has so long disturb'd my purer Thoughts And are you sure said Dame Katteriena that this wanton Deity is repell'd by the noble force of your Resolution Is he never to return No reply'd Isabella never to my Heart Yes said Katteriena if you should see the lovely Murderer of your Repose your Wound would bleed a new At this Isabella smiling with a little Disdain reply'd Because you once to love and Henault 's Charms defenceless found me ah do you think I have no Fortitude But so in Fondness lost remiss in Virtue that when I have resolv'd and see it necessary for my after-Quiet to want the power of keeping that Resolution No fiorn me and despise me then as lost to all the Glories of my Sex and all that Nicety I 've hitherto preserv'd There needed no more from a Maid of Isabella's Integrity and Reputation to convince any one of the Sincerity of what she said since in the whole course of her Life she never could be charg'd with an Untruth or an
as to have confess'd my Shame but our opportunities of Speaking are so few and Letters so impossible to be sent without discovery that perhaps this is the only time I shall ever have to speak with you alone And at that word the Tears flow'd abundantly from her Eyes and gave Henault leave to speak Ah Madam said he do not as soon as you have rais'd me to the greatest Happiness in the World throw me with one word beneath your Scorn much easier 't is to dye and know I am tov'd than never never hope to hear that blessed sound again from that beautiful Mouth Ah Madam rather let me make use of this one opportunity our happy Luck has given us and contrive how we may for ever see and speak to each other let us assure one another there are a thousand ways to escape a place so rigid as denies us that Happiness and denies the fairest Maid in the World the privilege of her Creation and the end to which she was form'd so Angelical And seeing Isabella was going to speak lest she should say something that might dissuade from an Attempt so dangerous and wicked he persu'd to tell her it might be indeed the last moment Heaven would give 'em and besought her to answer him what he implor'd whether she would fly with him from the Monastery At this Word she grew pale and started as at some dreadful Sound and cry'd Hah what is 't you say Is it possible you should propose a thing so wicked And can it enter into your Imagination because I have so far forgot my Virtue and my Vow to becomes a Lover I should therefore fall to so wretched a degree of Infamy and Reprobation No name it to me no more if you would see me and if it be as you say a Pleasure to be belov'd by me for I will sooner dye than yield to what Alas I but too well approve These last words she spoke with a fainting Tone and the Tears fell anew from her fair soft Eyes If it be so said he with a Voice so languishing it could scarce be heard If it be so and that you are resolv'd to try if my Love be eternal without Hope without expectation of any other Joy than seeing and adoring you through the Grate Fam and must and will be contented and you shall fee I can prefer the Sighing to these cold Irons that separate us before all the possessins of the rest of the World that I chuse rather to lead my Life here at this cruel Distance from you for ever than before the Embrace of all the Fair and you shall see how pleas'd I will be to languish here but as you see me decay for surely so I shall do not triumph o're my languid Looks and laugh at my Pale and meager Face but Pitying fay How easily I might have preserv'd that Face those Eyes and all that Youth and Vigour now no more from this total Ruine I now behold it in and love your Slave that dyes and will be daily and visibly dying as long as my Eyes can gaze on that fair Object and my Soul be fed and kept alive with her Charming Wit and Conversation if Love can live on such Airy Food tho' rich in it self yet unfit alone to sustain Life it shall be for ever dedicated to the lovely Isabella But oh that time cannot be long Fate will not lend her Slave many days who loves too violently to be satisfy'd to enjoy the fair Object of his Desires no otherwise than at a Grate He ceas'd speaking for Sighs and Tears stopt his Voice and he begg'd the liberty to sit down and his Looks being quite alter'd Isabella found her self touch'd to the very Soul with a concern the most tender that ever yielding Maid was oppress'd with She had no power to suffer him to Languish while she by one soft word could restore him and being about to say a thousand things that would have been agreable to him she saw her self approach'd by some of the Nuns and only had time to say If you Love me live and hope The rest of the Nuns began to ask Henault of News for he always brought them all that was Novel in the Town and they were glad still of his Visits above all other for they heard how all Amours and Intrigues pass'd in the World by this young Cavalier These last words of Isabella's were a Cordial to his Soul and he from that and to conceal the present Affair endeavour'd to assume all the Gaity he could and told 'em all he could either remember or invent to please 'em tho'he wish'd them a great way off at that time Thus they passd the day till it was a decent hour for him to quit the Grate and for them to draw the Curtain all that Night did Isabella dedicate to Love she went to Bed with a Resolution to think over all she had to do and to consider how she should manage this great Affair of her Life I have already said she had try'd all that was possible in Human Strength to perform in the design of quitting a Passion so injurious to her Honour and Virtue and found no means possible to accomplish it She had try'd Fasting long Praying ferventlv rigid Penances and Pains severe Disciplines all the Mortification almost to the destruction of Life it self to conquer the unruly Flame but still it burnt and rag'd but the more so at last she was forc'd to permit that to eonquer her she could not conquer and submitted to her Fate as a thing destin'd her by Heaven it self and after all this opposition she fancy'd it was resisting even Divine Providence to struggle any longer with her Heart and this being her real Belief she the more patiently gave way to all the Thoughts that pleas'd her As soon as she was laid without discoursing as she us'd to do to Kalteriena after they were in Bed she pretended to be sleepy and turning from her setled her self to profound Thinking and was resolv'd to conclude the Matter between her Heart and her Vow of Devotion that Night that she having no more to determine might end the Affair accordingly the first opportunity she should have to speak to Henault which was to fly and marry him or to remain for ever fix'd to her Vow of Chastity This was the Debate she brings Reason on both sides Against the first she sets the Shame of a Violated Vow and considers where she shall shew her Face after such an Action to the Vow she argues that she was born in Sin and could not live without it that she was Human and no Angel and that possibly that Sin might be as soon forgiven as another that since all her Devout Endeavours could not defend her from the Cause Heaven ought to excuse the Effect that as to shewing her Face so she saw that of Henault always turn'd Charming as it was towards her with love what had she to do with the World