aspired to; so that _Sylvia_, being oppressed with obligation, finding yet in her soul a violent passion for _Philander_, she knew not how to take, or how to refuse the blessing offered, since _Octavio_ was a man whom, in her height of innocence and youth, she might have been vain and proud of engaging to this degree. He saw her pain and irresolution, and being absolutely undone with love, delivers her _Philander_’. last letter to him, with what he had sent her enclosed; the sight of the very outside of it made her grow pale as death, and a feebleness seized her all over, that made her unable for a moment to open it; all which confusion _Octavio_ saw with pain, which she perceiving recollected her thoughts as well as she could, and opened it, and read it; that to _Octavio_ first, as being fondest of the continuation of the history of his falsehood, she read, and often paused to recover her spirits that were fainting at every period; and having finished it, she fell down on the bed where they sat. _Octavio_ caught her in her fall in his arms, where she remained dead some moments; whilst he, just on the point of being so himself, ravingly called for help; and _Antonet_ being in the dressing-room ran to them, and by degrees _Sylvia_ recovered, and asked _Octavio_ a thousand pardons for exposing a weakness to him, which was but the effects of the last blaze of love: and taking a cordial which _Antonet_ brought her, she roused, resolved, and took _Octavio_ by the hand: ‘Now,’ said she, ‘shew yourself that generous lover you have professed, and give me your vows of revenge on _Philander_; and after that, by all that is holy,’ kneeling as she spoke, and holding him fast, ‘by all my injured innocence, by all my noble father’s wrongs, and my dear mother’s grief; by all my sister’s sufferings, I swear, I will marry you, love you, and give you all!’ This she spoke without considering _Antonet_ was by, and spoke it with all the rage, and blushes in her face, that injured love and revenge could inspire: and on the other side, the sense of his sister’s honour lost, and that of the tender passion he had for _Sylvia_, made him swear by all that was sacred, and by all the vows of eternal love and honour he had made to _Sylvia_, to go and revenge himself and her on the false friend and lover, and confessed the second motive, which was his sister’s fame, ‘For,’ cried he,’.hat foul adulteress, that false _Calista_, is so allied to me.’ But still he urged that would add to the justness of his cause, if he might depart her husband as well as lover, and revenge an injured wife as well as sister; and now he could ask nothing she did not easily grant; and because it was late in the day, they concluded that the morning shall consummate all his desires: and now she gives him her letter to read; ‘For,’ said she, ‘I shall esteem myself henceforth so absolutely _Octavio_’., that I will not so much as read a line from that perjured