Risings in all Weathers and Seasons to Prayers, hard Lodging, course
Diet, and homely Habit, with a thousand other things of Labour and Work
us’d among the _Nuns_; and finding her still resolv’d and inflexible to
all contrary persuasions, he consented, kiss’d her, and told her, She
had argu’d according to the wish of his Soul, and that he never believ’d
himself truly happy, till this moment that he was assur’d, she would
become a Religious.
This News, to the Heart-breaking of a thousand Lovers, was spread all
over the Town, and there was nothing but Songs of Complaint, and of her
retiring, after she had shewn her self to the World, and vanquish’d so
many Hearts; all Wits were at work on this Cruel Subject, and one begat
another, as is usual in such Affairs. Amongst the number of these
Lovers, there was a young Gentleman, Nobly born, his name was
_Villenoys_, who was admirably made, and very handsom, had travell’d and
accomplish’d himself, as much as was possible for one so young to do; he
was about Eighteen, and was going to the Siege of _Candia_, in a very
good Equipage, but, overtaken by his Fate, surpris’d in his way to
Glory, he stopt at _Ipers_, so fell most passionately in love with this
Maid of Immortal Fame; but being defeated in his hopes by this News, was
the Man that made the softest Complaints to this fair Beauty, and whose
violence of Passion oppress’d him to that degree, that he was the only
Lover, who durst himself tell her, he was in love with her; he writ
Billets so soft and tender, that she had, of all her Lovers, most
compassion for _Villenoys_, and dain’d several times, in pity of him, to
send him answers to his Letters, but they were such, as absolutely
forbad him to love her; such as incited him to follow Glory, the
Mistress that could noblest reward him; and that, for her part, her
Prayers should always be, that he might be victorious, and the Darling
of that Fortune he was going to court; and that she, for her part, had
fix’d her Mind on Heaven, and no Earthly Thought should bring it down;
but she should ever retain for him all Sisterly Respect, and begg’d, in
her Solitudes, to hear, whether her Prayers had prov’d effectual or not,
and if Fortune were so kind to him, as she should perpetually wish.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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