face--Remember what dear charming words you spoke--and when I did recover, how I asked you with a feeble doubtful voice--’Ah, _Sylvia_, will you still continue thus, thus wondrous soft and fond? Will you be ever mine, and ever true?’--What did you then reply, when kneeling on the carpet where I lay, what _Sylvia_, did you vow? How invoke heaven? How call its vengeance down if ever you loved another man again, if ever you touched or smiled on any other, if ever you suffered words or acts of love but from _Philander_? Both heaven and hell thou didst awaken with thy oaths, one was an angry listener to what it knew thou’dst break, the other laughed to know thou would’st be perjured, while only I, poor I, was all the while a silent fond believer; your vows stopped all my language, as your kisses did my lips, you swore and kissed, and vowed and clasped my neck--Oh charming flatterer! Oh artful, dear beguiler! Thus into life, and peace, and fond security, you charmed my willing soul! It was then, my _Sylvia_, (certain of your heart, and that it never could be given away to any other) I pressed my eager joys, but with such tender caution--such fear and fondness, such an awful passion, as overcame your faint resistance; my reasons and my arguments were strong, for you were mine by love, by sacred vows, and who could lay a better claim to _Sylvia_? How oft I cried--’Why this resistance, _Sylvia_? My charming dear, whose are you? Not _Philander_’.? And shall _Philander_ not command his own----you must----ah cruel----’ then a soft struggle followed, with half-breathed words, with sighs and trembling hearts, and now and then--’Ah cruel and unreasonable’--was softly said on both sides; thus strove, thus argued--till both lay panting in each other’s arms, not with the toil, but rapture; I need not say what followed after this--what tender showers of strange endearing mixtures ‘twixt joy and shame, ‘twixt love and new surprise, and ever when I dried your eyes with kisses, unable to repeat any other language than--’Oh my _Sylvia_! Oh my charming angel!’ While sighs of joy, and close grasping thee--spoke all the rest--while every tender word, and every sigh was echoed back by thee; you pressed me--and you vowed you loved me more than ever yet you did; then swore anew, and in my bosom, hid your charming blushing face, then with excess of love would call on heaven, ‘Be witness, oh ye powers’ (a thousand times ye cried) ‘if ever maid e’er loved like _Sylvia_--punish me strangely, oh eternal powers, if ever I leave _Philander_, if ever I cease to love him; no force, no art, not interest, honour, wealth, convenience, duty, or what other necessary cause--shall ever be of force to make me leave thee----’ Thus hast thou sworn, oh charming, faithless flatterer, thus betwixt each ravishing minute thou would’st swear--and I as fast believed--and loved thee more----Hast thou forgot it all, oh fickle charmer, hast thou? Hast thou forgot between each awful ceremony of