Don Sebastian : $b or, The house of the Braganza: An historical romance. vol. 1Porter, Anna Maria
General
Don Sebastian : $b or, The house of the Braganza: An historical romance. vol. 1
Porter, Anna Maria
Sebastião, King of Portugal, 1554-1578 -- Fiction
As the light spread over the distant plain of Alcazar, and the grey
mists rose, from the stream of the Lucos, he could not refrain from
shedding some tears, they were sacred to the sorrows of all who had
lost friends on that luckless field: his softened heart then turned
fondly to the image of Gonsalva, a treasure which yet remained to
comfort him under affliction. Its heavenly beauty, the dewy smile
which sat upon the lips, the tearful tenderness of the eyes to which
a skilful painter had given all the effect of sadness, renovated his
fainting spirit; he kissed it repeatedly, exclaiming, “At sight of
thee, will not all this be forgotten?”
The appearance of the dervise, checked this lover-like weakness, he
concealed his picture, and advanced to meet him.
They proceeded together along a narrow valley, formed by the rocks
near the cavern, where frequently resting awhile, they breathed the
refreshing air of the trees, and gently returned homeward.
Whenever Abensallah and his servant went to their devotions in the
mosque of a neighbouring village, he fastened the entrance of his
dwelling, to prevent the intrusion of ill-intentioned persons: he now
left his Christian guest, with many intreaties that he would recruit
his strength with frequent nourishment, and continue to inhale the
fumes of Tauz Argent, a fragrant weed which in those days was esteemed,
when burned, sovereign for inward weakness.
Left a whole day alone, the King had leisure to revolve over the
extraordinary revolution of his fate: the uprightness of his intentions
(for it must be remembered that he measured his conduct by the rules of
the church of Rome) seemed to warrant him in believing, that had not
the treachery of Hamet interposed, his arms must have been successful,
and half Africa rescued from its tyrants: he did not therefore account
himself suffering under the wrath of Heaven, confident of whose favor
he was again ready to risk his crown and his life if required. The
kindness of the dervise appeared little less than a miracle worked for
his preservation, and he fondly trusted therefore, that his present
misfortunes were but passing trials.
Of the possibility of being betrayed by Abensallah he never once
thought, convinced that the man who has performed one act of solid
benevolence is incapable of being tempted by any reward to an act of
baseness.
As returning strength and calmer reflection continued to banish the
gloomy impressions under which he had first entered Abensallah’s
cave, his spirit rose with his hopes; he felt as if he could hazard
unheard-of perils for the sake of regaining Portugal, and ransoming
his captive soldiers. Fain would the sanguine monarch have persuaded
himself that most of his troops had escaped to the sea-coast; but
amongst these he could not hope to find Stukeley.--Stukeley, who had
sworn to follow him either into slavery or death!--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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