Olinda's Adventures: or the Amours of a Young LadyTrotter, Catharine
General
Olinda's Adventures: or the Amours of a Young Lady
Trotter, Catharine
Epistolary fiction; Love stories; Young women -- Fiction
'TIS not an Hour ago since I believ'd I hated you: I thought I could
have rail'd at you, have call'd you base, seducer of my Honour, Traytor,
that under a pretence of Love, design'd my Ruin; but Ah! those tender
Excuses which you sent me, soon discover'd the mistake, and show'd me it
was only Angry Love, that so Transported me: And now 'tis turn'd to as
violent a Grief, which wou'd fain ease it self in Complaints: But I am
so wretched, that even that poor Comfort is deny'd me; for who can I
complain to, when in lamenting my Misfortune I must expose our Crime:
For yours my Lord, has involv'd me in the guilt; and all those thoughts
and Actions, which were innocent before, must be condemn'd as the Causes
of such ill Effects: For if I had never lov'd you, or if I had never
own'd it, nor consented to see you, you had not desir'd any thing of me
that could shock my Virtue: Now, I can't think of 'em without Shame and
Anger. That Love which shin'd before so Pure and Bright, appears now the
Blackest thing in Nature; and I hate my self for not hating you; for I
own (tho' I blush in owning) that I love you still; Nay, I believe that
I forgive you too; but I must never, never see you more: No, though you
swear you Repent, and that you would not repeat your Crime, if you were
certain of success. Would not you believe I should as easily Pardon your
breach of this Vow, as I did the last, which you made me as solemnly?
Yes, you would, my Lord, and I should be betray'd to things I never
thought of yet: For all is solid, convincing Reason that you speak; and
I should soon believe any thing you would have me. Curse on that fond
Credulity that first deceiv'd me into a belief, that 'twas no Sin to
love you. Yet sure it could not be an unpardonable Fault, to value one
that so infinitely deserves it: To Love, to See, and Talk with one whose
Conversation is so Charming as yours; and that was all I wish'd. All
that know you do the same; Why then am I more guilty? Ah! If your Fame
had been as pure as mine, we had both been Happy and Innocent; so
innocent, that she, that happy she, who claims all your love as her due,
(even she, I think, if she had known our Hearts) could not have been
offended at it: But who is there, the most uninterested, that would not
now condemn us; Nay, the most Partial could not excuse us; even we
should blame our selves. Why will you then importune me still to see
you; ask me no more, what I dare never grant; and believe----but you
know, 'tis not unkindness makes me Refuse you: You know I must be
Wretched in your Absence; yet think me easie and satisfied, if it will
contribute any thing to your quiet; or rather don't think of me at all.
Let us make our selves as happy as we can; I will endeavour to forget
you; don't Write to me, if you love me well enough to forbear it: And if
you can cease to love me, without hating me; for I don't find I have
force enough to bear so great a misfortune, which is the only one can
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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