The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza HaywoodWhicher, George Frisbie
General
The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza Haywood
Whicher, George Frisbie
Haywood, Eliza Fowler, 1693?-1756
"The next Day the Marriage was celebrated with all the intended
Magnificence, and on their return from the Mosque, the Prince and
Princess repair'd to a stately Scaffold, adorn'd with inventive
Luxury, whence they might behold a Tournament, the Prize of which was
a Sword richly embellish'd with Diamonds, to be given by the Princess
to him that should overcome; the whole Court were there, endeavouring
to outshine each other in the Costliness of their Apparel--within the
Barriers were all the Flower of the adjoining Kingdoms, drawn thither
with a Thirst of Fame, and a Desire to shew their Dexterity. The
Arragonian Noblemen were the Defenders against all Comers, and were
like to have carried away the Prize, behaving themselves with the
utmost Skill and Courage, when there appear'd in the Lists a Knight in
black Armour, whose whole Air and dexterity in Horsemanship
immediately attracted the Eyes of the numerous Spectators; the first
Course he made, confirm'd them in the good opinion they had conceiv'd
of him: in short, no body was able to stand against him, and he
remain'd Conqueror, with the universal Applause of the whole Company.
--He waited for some time, to see if no fresh Challengers would offer
themselves; but none appearing, he was led to the Princess's Scaffold,
to receive the Reward he had so well merited: He took it with the
greatest Submission, but without putting up his Beaver, or discovering
who he was, and kissing it with profound Respect, retir'd, without so
much as making any obeisance to the King or Prince; and mixing himself
with the Crowd of Knights, got off without being discover'd. Every
body was surpriz'd at the uncourteous Behaviour of so otherwise
accomplish'd a Cavalier, but none could possibly give the least guess
at who it should be--the succeeding Diversions soon put him out of
every body's Thoughts but Zephalinda's; she well knew it could be none
but Abdelhamar, and trembled lest he should have been discovered,
fearing his concealing his Recovery, and his disrespectful Carriage
towards her Father and her Husband, might have given room to Surmises
prejudicial to her Honour: but when watching him with her Eyes, and
seeing him get off unfollow'd, or observ'd, she then began afresh to
pine at Fate, who could render Abdelhamar Conqueror in every Action
that he undertook, and only vanquish'd when he fought in hopes of
gaining her."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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