Rites of Love were naufeous to him; and fince it was a Folly to pafs away that idle time of Life without Pleafure, he had fought it with Eafe and Safety in Louifa's foft Bofom: But becaufe fhe would not condefcend to make him happy without a Prieft, he did not know how to procure one that would be fecret. Mofco anfwered, That he fuppofed, all he pretended to by marrying the Girl, was to please her; and fince that might as well be done by a falfe, as a true Prieft, their best Way was, to let him procure the Habit, and officiate to their Content: By that means Hernando should screen himself from her Perfecutions, when he was grown weary of her; as that would be no wonder, for he himself was grown fick at Heart of young Zara, and did not know how in the World to get rid of her. This was applauded as a notable Expedient; Hernando gain'd the Lady by it; and should. fhe ever take a fancy to put in her Claim,. 'twas impoffible for her to find the Prieft and therefore t'would be in vain to pretend to it. They only demurr'd, left fhe fhould know him, maugre his Difguife, or fufpect the Tone of his Voice: As to that, they did not doubt but the Drefs, together with a contrary colour'd Wig, would make him quite another Thing. His Voice fhould be altered with a Bullet, or Plumb-ftones in his Mouth, aud fpeaking a la Francoife, he might very well pafs for a Refugee; a People

ple that are to be found in Swarms thro' all Parts of Europe, efpecially the lands.

Hernando would not have it deferr'd, he caufed her to come to Angela upon a flight Pretence; his Lady remained in the Country; they durft not fhare their Secret with any other; few of the Servants being in Town, and thofe that were, fent out of the way. After Supper, this pretended Prieft comes upon a Vifit to Hernando; he took care there fhould be but little Light in the Room; the Ceremony being only to quiet the Lady's Confcience (who thought she did' no ill, fo thoroughly had he wrought her) there was no Witnefs requir'd; fo married they were; the falfe Prieft received his Fee, made his Leg, and brushed into al Coach that waited for him.

The new married (I mean the Bridegroom) was very impatient to go to Bed, the Lady, as dutiful as obliging, did not let him wait long; when the Servants were difpofed to their Reft, he was introduced into her Chamber, where he paffed the guilty Night, I fuppofe, to both their Satisfaction.

The next Day they returned into the Country, but Hernando was too much in Love to pafs a Night without the Joys of his young Wife; the Invention of the Window still held good: But what fhould they do when the Seafon call'd them to Angela? When they fhould be forced to abandon that dear Villa? A thousand bleft Opportunities

portunities prefented themselves, which they could not find elsewhere; they loft nonet of them; the confcious Walks and Gardens witness'd to their Paffion. Louifa could not enough love a Husband fo very amiable; the devoted all her Thoughts and Wishes, her whole Days and Nights, to him; the fame unaccountable Thing which cools the Swain, more warms the Nymyh: Enjoyment (the Death of Love in all Mankind) gives Birth to new Fondriefs, and doating Extafies in the Woman; they begin later, with-held by Modefty, and by a very illtim'd Oeconomy, take up their Fondness exactly where their Lover leaves his.

This was fufficiently prov'd by the young

Zara,

lived very pretty Girl, whofe Mother

lived in the fame Villa with Hernando, but fo great a Bigot, that Zara had all her Life feen nothing but their own forbidden Crew of Sectaries. Her felf was born with genteel Inclinations, and had fomething jantie in her Mien and Converfation; they did nothing but teize her for not conforming her felf enough to their Manners. Her Fortune was confiderable for one of her Rank; fhe had fixteen thousand Crowns in her own Hands, which was more than three times as much to Ladies that drefs, and live in the World. Her Father was dead, and fhe went often to Hernando's and his Brother's to converfe, which were the principal People of the Villa. Mofco, who never faw a Wo

man

man he could not have beftowed fome of his Favours upon, let her be handsome or indifferent, was mightily taken with pretty Zara; he had not the Command of Money as his elder Brother had; all Things moved in a much narrower Sphere than at Hernando's; his Lady had been his Father's Miftrefs, and his Mother never forgave him his Marriage with her; it could be no Dif-advantage to him to have the Command of Zara's Fortune: The young Creature took a fatal Paffion for him, which was not in her Power to conceal, no not even from his Wife. If he were at the Table at Dinner with her, and he return'd unexpectedly, her Surprize and Joy were ufually fo great, that all the World might read in her Face the Disorder of her Soul. The Lady did not love her the lefs for it; fhe believed her fick of a Diftemper fhe could not help; and did not imagine it would arife to any guilty Commerce between her and her Husband. Mean time Zara put all her little Matters into Mofco's Hand; he it was, that dif pofed of her Fortune, and made what Waftes or Improvements he faw good. When the had Affairs at Angela, if he were there, fhe took up her conftant Refidence at his Houfe; and perpetually put her felf in the Road where the might meet him. He faw this Empreffment, and was not at all difpleafed with it; his Soul was as amorous, and his Perfon almoft as handfome, as his

Brother's.

Brother's. I've already told you their Principles were the fame, tho' perhaps quite fo much may not be faid of his Addrefs and natural Parts; however he had a great deal of Wit and Attempt; understood very well his Business, but had not the good Fortune to be born an elder Brother.

By the Pretence of Business, he could often fee Zara at her Mother's House: Thofe Opportunities were not loft; fhe was of an Opinion that Cohabitation makes a Marriage; fhe would have given ten times her Fortune, if the had had it, that Mofco, as he fometimes gave her hopes, would leave his Wife and cohabit with her; not that he ever intended it, but Men do not use to say difagreeable Things to thofe that they come to be happy with. He could have been very well contented if she had loved him fomething more discreetly, her Fondness began to be very tiresome to him. She was one Day at Dinner at Hernando's, Mofco arrived unexpectedly; fhe was forced to withdraw to the Air of the Window in the next Room, or fhe had fwooned away; tender Louifa follows to affift her; fhe even leaves her Dinner to adminifter what was in her Power towards her Recovery; they got together into the Garden, where, having no Witneffes but themfelves, Zara no longer reftrained her felf, but gave way to a great Paffion of Tears: When that was over, and Louifa had intreated her to let her know

the