I found this accommodement extreamly agreeable, and it was in these
transports the Lovely _Bellimante_ detain’d me for some days without
quitting her, but I found too much Joy in a new reconciliation not
to endeavour to make one also with _Bellinda_; as soon then as
_Bellimante_ grew a little off my heart by so long a conversation
with one and the same Woman, I, on pretence of some affairs, left
her extreamly charm’d and satisfi’d, and hasted to _Bellinda_, who,
methought, was now a new Beauty; at least I found her too considerable
to lose the Glory of ingaging her intirely; ‘tis possible that both
these Ladies, being agitated with as little faith as myself, deceiv’d
me with the same design as I did them, to make their pleasure only,
and thô this very often came into my thoughts, yet it gave me no great
inquietude, they dissembl’d well, and I cou’d not see it; I had the
satisfaction and the vanity of ‘em, that was as much as I desir’d from
any of the fair since _Silvia_ toucht my heart, they both swore they
lov’d and both fear’d to displease, if they were unfaithful they had a
thousand stratagems to hide their infidelity, and took a great deal of
care to keep me, which shew’d a value in me above all the rest of my
Rivals, and I beheld myself with some Pride and esteem for having so
much power; when ever they offended me they had all the Arts to mollify
me, and who wou’d be so critically in love as not to be willing to be
so well abus’d? For my part I will not be so nice, as to penetrate
into their thoughts, to find what wou’d but displease me if found; but
content myself with all I see and find that looks like Love at least
and good humour. Nay even in their worst I found a thousand pleasures,
those of their quarrels which sometimes happen twenty times a day, when
every reconciliation is like a new Mistress, so well they strive to
please and be reconcil’d.
But all these pleasures did not satisfy me, there were greater yet
behind which I had not arriv’d to with these fair charmers, and however
I liv’d at _Amusement_, making a thousand Amours with a hundred of the
most Beautiful, still I had a desire to subdue intirely to my pleasure
these two the most hard to gain, but now I was pretty well secur’d of
both their hearts and yet neither knew they were each others Rivals in
mine. They knew one another, converst, and play’d and walkt together,
yet so discreet I was in this Amour that neither was jealous of the
other, nor suspected I lov’d both with an equal Ardour; when I hap’ned
to be with ‘em both I carried myself so equally Gallant that both
commended my conduct and imagin’d I did it to hide the secret passion
I had for herself, and so many little Arts my _Coquet Love_ had taught
me I cou’d with ease manage abundance of intrigues at one and the same
time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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