being difpofed to go to Bed, nor in the least fleepy, I thought it was Cruelty to keep her up; but I'll call her to bring Lights to let you in, and wait upon you to my Lady's Chamber. Hold, hold, Mademoiselle, he eagerly cry'd; and with that he gave but one Jump into the Room, and then another to catch her in his Arms. She fell a trembling, and ready to fink as he held her, being taken with a Paffion of Fear and Surprize; fhe fear'd, but fhe knew not what. Hernando, with all the Submiffion of a Lover, taught by Nature more than Education, fell upon his Knees close to the Chair where he had plac'd her: Dear Mademoiselle, I muft beg you to recover your Disorder, what are you apprehenfive of? Are you afraid of fo fubmiffive a Lover? He ftop'd here to fee how fhe would receive. the Declaration; but her Trembling and Fright continuing, he faw fhe was just going to have a Fit of Swooning. He had heard in thofe Cafes, that the beft Remedy was to lay her at length; fo that taking her, without Refiftance, in his Arms, he carry'd her to the Bed, and flipping off her NightGown, with as much Modefty as the Circumftance would permit, he threw the Bed open, laid her in, and cover'd her up very handfomely; then caft himself down upon the Bed-clothes, his Face to hers, where he could not refift the Pleasure of paying himfelf in Kiffes for his Pains. This, and what what was done before, recall'd the young Beauty. She remov'd him gently with her. Hand, and turning that way, Oh! Sir, fays fhe, what are you about? Do you mean to ruine me? I mean to love you, Madam, to adore you, to die for you; I mean to marry you, if you will make me fo happy. Dreams, anfwer'd the Lady, are not you marry'd already? Oh, Madam, if you did but love me but with a Grain of that Paffion I have for you, it would be more than a Dream, it would be Reality; but that is my Misfortune, all I ask of you at prefent is, that you will difmifs your Fears, for upon my Faith and Honour, I engage you fhall have no Occafion for them: A wild as I am, with Extremity of Love and eager Defire, you fhall command me as you please. I will not fo much as pretend to the Liberty of a Kifs without your Leave'; let me have but one of your fair Hands, that I may proteft upon it my never dying Paffion. I have long and defperately lov'd you; fmother'd by Pain, I fhould have dy'd rather than have reveal'd my Love to you, if that Country-Booby's Pretenfion had not alarm'd me, and given me Courage to speak. For your Sake I am come hither alone for you only I fhall return folitary and dying with Grief, at leaving my better Part behind; 'tis too dangerous a Secret to be fhar'd with any but our felves: Upon the Road I would have given my Life for this.. fair, this filent, happy Opportunity; don't make it of no Effect, by groundless Fears; reaffure your felf, Mademoiselle; banish, Madam, that treacherous Enemy to Love. Oh that you would permit me to give you only a Taste of what I feel! that you would once but admit of fo much Curiofity in my Favour, fo as to prove but a glimmering of that Delight, which mutual Lovers beftow upon and receive from one another. Here he fought her Lips, and preft them fo tenderly, and fo refpectfully, that he could not fail of infinuating, by that dangerous Contact, fomething new and tender into the Breaft of the unexperienc'd Virgin; he purfu'd her fo artfully, that the confented he fhould ftay there till Morning; and be-: fore they parted, promised to hear him again upon the Article of Marriage. She confefs'd, the preferr'd him to all Mankind; the wifh'd he were fingle, fhe fhould never like another fo well, but her Honour and Chastity were above her Life. The Battery was renew'd againft that Piece of Fortification; he told her, 'Twas only a Dream, a Notion that scarce any Lady who had been fo happy to love, had any more of it than the Pretence; good Management and Conduct were Honour and Vertue too; he was pleading for nothing criminal; fhe was uningag'd, unmarry'd, and had a defpotick Power in favour of any one fhe had a mind to make happy. Then he urg'd Argu Arguments innumerable, all to the fame. Purpose as the Night before, to perfuade her to the Lawfulness of Poligamy; he found that must be the Mine which could only blow up her Chaftity: She lift'ned, the enquir'd, and where the doubted, made Objections, which, with his Sophiftry, he immediately anfwer'd; 'till at length he almoft convinc'd her, that the Law of Nature was prior, and ought to take place; one was ordained by the Gods, the other inftituted by Man, and therefore the firft was undoubtedly to be preferr'd. He begg'd fhe would permit him to fee her in the fame Manner every Night; there was no Danger of a Difcovery; He would pretend the great Heats made him defire to lie alone, and have his Bed made in a low Room in the other Wing of the Houfe, anfwering to the Garden, as that did, by which Means he might get out of his own Window, and come into hers. When once a young Maid pretends to put her felf upon the fame Foot with a Lover at Argument, fhe is fure to be caft; Louifa had no very ftrong Head; his fuperficial Reafons might quickly take place, efpecially when they were feconded by Inclination. Unknown to her felf fhe lov'd him, elfe all his Attempts would have been infignificant; he fhew'd her fhe was a Woman at Liberty, had her own Fortune at command, and his with Advantage: What could ; could fhe expect in another Husband, that was not to be found in him? Why truly, the Opinion of the World; but that not being a Part of her Duty, might very well be exchanged for those incomparable Delights which are feldom or never found in mercenary Marriage; and fince the already lov'd him, fhe could contract none with any other Man, that would not be criminal therefore all they were to fence againft, was, left their Nuptials fhould be difcover'd. It was not neceffary fhe fhould lofe Efteem, as long as fhe could preferve it; but in these repeated dangerous nightly Converfations, Love had arm'd her with Fortitude; fhe was become bold; as to Opinion, contented within her felf, that the did nothing against the Laws of God and Nature, which he had taught her it was her Duty to fulfil. 1 Having, with a World of Pains, fix'd this immoveable Principle in her Breaft, fhe confented to marry him; fhe could admit of Polygamy, but would not hear a Word of Concubinage; whether the Difference be fo. material I leave to the Cafuifts; but the Difficulty was, how they fhould be married unknown. Mofco (Hernando's Brother, much about the fame Pitch in Devotion, and very well match'd for their Morals) was engag'd in a fort of an Amour very like this, only his Miftrefs feem'd rather to be the Aggreffor: He was called to Council. Hernande told him, he could not caress his Wife, the |