As soon as she was laid, without discoursing (as she us’d to do) to
_Katteriena_, after they were in Bed, she pretended to be sleepy, and
turning from her, setled her self to profound Thinking, and was resolv’d
to conclude the Matter, between her Heart, and her Vow of Devotion, that
Night, and she, having no more to determine, might end the Affair
accordingly, the first opportunity she should have to speak to
_Henault_, which was, to fly, and marry him; or, to remain for ever
fix’d to her Vow of Chastity. This was the Debate; she brings Reason on
both sides: Against the first, she sets the Shame of a Violated Vow, and
considers, where she shall shew her Face after such an Action; to the
Vow, she argues, that she was born in Sin, and could not live without
it; that she was Human, and no Angel, and that, possibly, that Sin might
be as soon forgiven, as another; that since all her devout Endeavours
could not defend her from the Cause, Heaven ought to execute the Effect;
that as to shewing her Face, so she saw that of _Henault_ always turned
(Charming as it was) towards her with love; what had she to do with the
World, or car’d to behold any other?
Some times, she thought, it would be more Brave and Pious to dye, than
to break her Vow; but she soon answer’d that, as false Arguing, for
Self-Murder was the worst of Sins, and in the Deadly Number. She could,
after such an Action, live to repent, and, of two Evils, she ought to
chuse the least; she dreads to think, since she had so great a
Reputation for Virtue and Piety, both in the _Monastery_, and in the
World, what they both would say, when she should commit an Action so
contrary to both these, she posest; but, after a whole Night’s Debate,
Love was strongest, and gain’d the Victory. She never went about to
think, how she should escape, because she knew it would be easy, the
keeping of the Key of the _Monastery_, [was] often intrusted in her
keeping, and was, by turns, in the hands of many more, whose Virtue and
Discretion was Infallible, and out of Doubt; besides, her Aunt being the
Lady _Abbess_, she had greater privilege than the rest; so that she had
no more to do, she thought, than to acquaint _Henault_ with her Design,
as soon as she should get an opportunity. Which was not quickly; but, in
the mean time, _Isabella’s_ Father dy’d, which put some little stop to
our Lover’s Happiness, and gave her a short time of Grief; but Love,
who, while he is new and young, can do us Miracles, soon wip’d her Eyes,
and chas’d away all Sorrows from her Heart, and grew every day more and
more impatient, to put her new Design in Execution, being every day more
resolv’d. Her Father’s Death had remov’d one Obstacle, and secur’d her
from his Reproaches; and now she only wants Opportunity, first, to
acquaint _Henault_, and then to fly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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