‘Well! (said he) what must we do, Aurelian? We must suffer, replied
Aurelian faintly. When immediately raising his Voice, he cry’d out, ‘Oh
ye unequal Powers, why do ye urge us to desire what ye doom us to
forbear; give us a Will to chuse, then curb us with a Duty to restrain
that Choice! Cruel Father, Will nothing else suffice! Am I to be the
Sacrifice to expiate your Offences past; past ere I was born? Were I to
lose my Life, I’d gladly Seal your Reconcilement with my Blood. ‘But Oh
my Soul is free, you have no Title to my Immortal Being, that has
Existence independent of your Power; and must I lose my Love, the
Extract of that Being, the Joy, Light, Life, and Darling of my Soul?
No, I’ll own my Flame, and plead my Title too.—But hold, wretched
Aurelian, hold, whither does thy Passion hurry thee? Alas! the cruel
fair Incognita Loves thee not! She knows not of thy Love! If she did,
what Merit hast thou to pretend?—Only Love.—Excess of Love. And all the
World has that. All that have seen her. Yet I had only seen her once,
and in that once I lov’d above the World; nay, lov’d beyond my self,
such vigorous Flame, so strong, so quick she darted at my Breast; it
must rebound, and by Reflection, warm her self. Ah! welcome Thought,
lovely deluding Fancy, hang still upon my Soul, let me but think, that
once she Loves and perish my Despair.
Here a suddain stop gave a Period also to Hippolito’s Expectation, and
he hoped now that his Friend had given his Passion so free a vent, he
might recollect and bethink himself of what was convenient to be done;
but Aurelia, as if he had mustered up all his Spirits purely to acquit
himself of that passionate Harangue, stood mute and insensible like an
Alarum Clock, that had spent all its force in one violent Emotion.
Hippolito shook him by the Arm to rouze him from his Lethargy, when his
Lacquey coming into the Room, out of Breath, told him there was a Coach
just stopp’d at the Door, but he did not take time to who came in it.
Aurelian concluded immediately it was his Father in quest of him; and
without saying any more to Hippolito, than that he was Ruined if
discovered, took his Sword and slipp’d down a back pair of Stairs into
the Garden, from whence he conveyed himself into the Street. Hippolito
had not bethought himself what to do, before he perceiv’d a Lady come
into the Chamber close veil’d, and make toward him. At the first
Appearance of a Woman, his Imagination flattered him with a Thought of
Leonora; but that was quickly over upon nearer Approach to the Lady,
who had much the Advantage in Stature of his Mistress. He very civilly
accosted her, and asked if he were the Person to whom the Honour of
that Visit was intended. She said, her Business was with Don Hippolito
di Saviolina, to whom she had Matter of Concern to import, and which
required haste. He had like to have told her, That he was the Man, but
by good Chance reflecting upon his Friend’s Adventure, who had taken
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