They brought her thus to Court; and the King, who had caus’d a very rich
Bath to be prepar’d, was led into it, where he sat under a Canopy, in
State, to receive this long’d-for Virgin; whom he having commanded to be
brought to him, they (after disrobing her) led her to the Bath, and
making fast the Doors, left her to descend. The King, without more
Courtship, bad her throw off her Mantle, and come to his Arms. But
_Imoinda_, all in Tears, threw herself on the Marble, on the Brink of
the Bath, and besought him to hear her. She told him, as she was a Maid,
how proud of the Divine Glory she should have been, of having it in her
Power to oblige her King: but as by the Laws he could not, and from his
Royal Goodness would not take from any Man his wedded Wife; so she
believ’d she should be the occasion of making him commit a great Sin, if
she did not reveal her State and Condition; and tell him she was
another’s, and could not be so happy to be his.
The King, enrag’d at this Delay, hastily demanded the Name of the bold
Man, that had married a Woman of her Degree, without his Consent.
_Imoinda_ seeing his Eyes fierce, and his Hands tremble, (whether with
Age or Anger, I know not, but she fancy’d the last) almost repented she
had said so much, for now she fear’d the Storm would fall on the Prince;
she therefore said a thousand Things to appease the raging of his Flame,
and to prepare him to hear who it was with Calmness: but before she
spoke, he imagin’d who she meant, but would not seem to do so, but
commanded her to lay aside her Mantle, and suffer herself to receive his
Caresses, or, by his Gods he swore, that happy Man whom she was going to
name should die, tho’ it was even _Oroonoko_ himself. _Therefore_
(said he) _deny this Marriage, and swear thyself a Maid. That_ (reply’d
_Imoinda_) _by all our Powers I do; for I am not yet known to my
Husband. ’Tis enough_ (said the King) _’tis enough both to satisfy my
Conscience and my Heart._ And rising from his Seat, he went and led her
into the Bath; it being in vain for her to resist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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