‘All this he utter’d with so many passionate Asseverations, Vows, and
seeming Pity for her being so inhumanly abandon’d, that she almost gave
Credit to all he had said, and had much ado to keep herself within the
Bounds of Moderation, and silent Grief. Her Heart was breaking, her Eyes
languish’d, and her Cheeks grew pale, and she had like to have fallen
dead into the treacherous Arms of him that had reduc’d her to this
Discovery; but she did what she could to assume her Courage, and to shew
as little Resentment as possible for a Heart, like hers, oppress’d with
Love, and now abandon’d by the dear Subject of its Joys and Pains.
‘But, Madam, not to tire you with this Adventure, the Day arriv’d
wherein our still weeping Fair Unfortunate was to be sacrific’d to the
Capriciousness of Love; and she was carry’d to Court by her Parents,
without knowing to what End, where she was even compell’d to marry the
Prince.
‘_Henrick_, who all this While knew no more of his Unhappiness, than
what his Fears suggested, returns, and passes even to the Presence of
his Father, before he knew any Thing of his Fortune; where he beheld his
Mistress and his Brother, with his Father, in such a Familiarity, as he
no longer doubted his Destiny. ’Tis hard to judge, whether the Lady, or
himself, was most surpriz’d; she was all pale and unmoveable in her
Chair, and _Henrick_ fix’d like a Statue; at last Grief and Rage took
Place of Amazement, and he could not forbear crying out, _Ah, Traytor!
Is it thus you have treated a Friend and Brother? And you, O perjur’d
Charmer! Is it thus you have rewarded all my Vows?_ He could say no
more; but reeling against the Door, had fallen in a Swoon upon the
Floor, had not his Page caught him in his Arms, who was entring with
him. The good old Prince, the Father, who knew not what all this meant,
was soon inform’d by the young weeping Princess; who, in relating the
Story of her Amour with _Henrick_, told her Tale in so moving a Manner,
as brought Tears to the Old Man’s Eyes, and Rage to those of her
Husband; he immediately grew jealous to the last Degree: He finds
himself in Possession (’tis true) of the Beauty he ador’d, but the
Beauty adoring another; a Prince young and charming as the Light, soft,
witty, and raging with an equal Passion. He finds this dreaded Rival in
the same House with him, with an Authority equal to his own; and
fancies, where two Hearts are so entirely agreed, and have so good an
Understanding, it would not be impossible to find Opportunities to
satisfy and ease that mutual Flame, that burnt so equally in both; he
therefore resolved to send him out of the World, and to establish his
own Repose by a Deed, wicked, cruel, and unnatural, to have him
assassinated the first Opportunity he could find. This Resolution set
him a little at Ease, and he strove to dissemble Kindness to _Henrick_,
with all the Art he was capable of, suffering him to come often to the
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