the Post-House after this: They made no scruple to give it her; because
they knew 'twas one of their Servants had brought it; and when she had
read it, she went home in all haste, and had her Husband dog'd to my
Lodgings. When he came there he told me, that the first time he saw me,
he lik'd my Shape and Mien, and was extreamly taken with my Face, that
he durst not so much as ask me Pardon whilst he saw me so angry; and
that since he was acquainted with me, my Humour had charm'd him so, that
he could be content to leave all the World for me: And then, Laughing,
ask'd me, If I could live with him, and he would keep me a Coach, and
let me want nothing I could desire. I rally'd with him till he begun to
talk more seriously, and then I check'd him for his Insolence; but it
had no effect upon him; And when he saw that neither Promises nor
Intreaties could move me, and that Opportunity favour'd him, he resolved
to try what Violence would do; he had sent our Servant a Mile off for to
fetch some Fruit, which, he said, was the best about the Country; and we
were in a back Room near no Body in the House, so that I was in great
Fear; however I made all the noise and Resistance I could, and was
happily delivered by his old Lady's coming in: She might easily perceive
we were both in Confusion, tho' she hardly guess'd the true Cause; and I
was so good natur'd as not to tell it her. When she rail'd, we bore it
with a great deal of Patience, and indeed I wonder'd at his Moderation:
I really thought he would have let her beat me to revenge his Cause; but
he was not so much a Brute, he hinder'd her, and very civilly led her
away. The next day I saw him at the Wells, and whilst my Company was
Raffling, he took the opportunity to talk with me, though I avoided him
with all the Diligence I could. _Don't frown upon me, Olinda_, says he,
_you ought to forgive me; Repentance is all that Heaven requires, and I
never in my Life did an Action that troubled me so much; but if you have
not good Nature enough to pardon me upon that, I must say something to
excuse my self: If I believ'd you Virtuous before, it must be by an
implicit Faith; but the way to be sure was to try it; and now I shall
always admire that Virtue I could not subdue: Why then should you be
angry with me any longer than my Fault remains?_ Though I had a little
Prejudice against him, I thought he spoke with more Eloquence, and a
better Grace, than ever I heard him before; it may be his Concern
inspir'd him; but 'twas to little purpose, for I was inexorable. I told
him, _I did not think him worth my Anger, and should easily forgive him,
upon Condition he would never see me any more: No_, Madam, said he, _I'd
rather see you angry, than not see you at all_: But in spight of me, he
visited us often; but I always entertain'd him with a coldness that did
not much please him, though no Body else perceiv'd it. We came to Town
in the beginning of _September_, and he was once at our House, and found
me alone: He began to talk of a violent Passion he had for me; but I
stop'd him, and said, _That was not a Discourse fit for me to hear from
him_. I commanded him to leave me; and told him if he ever came there
again, I wou'd be deny'd to him. He obey'd me, and I did not see him
again till _November_. He came in Mourning, and told us he had had the
misfortune to bury his Wife. He Writ to my Mother to desire her leave
to make his Addresses to me; which she gave him, and then he appear'd a
declar'd Lover. I was so us'd to receive him with Anger and Disdain,
that though I had not the same Reason now, I did not change my Behaviour
to him; and for four Months my Mother let me take my own way, without
speaking one word of _Orontes_ to me: Either she design'd to observe
what I wou'd do of my self, or she did not think it fit to talk of my
Marrying him so soon after his Wife's Death; but when she saw I slighted
him so long, she said to me one day, What do you mean Child, to receive
with equal indifference all the Proposals that are made to you? Do you
resolve to lead a single Life? I should approve of the choice in one of
a better Fortune; but you must conform your self to yours, and consider
that I am not able to maintain you. If you don't hate _Orontes_, I will
have you Marry him, he has given so great proof of his being a good
Husband, that you can't fear he will be otherwise to you; he is Handsome
enough, and very Rich; I believe he loves you, and in fine, I think you
may be as happy with him as with any Man; therefore, don't be
obstinately bent against your own good. He came in at the same time, and
seconded this command of my Mothers with Intreaties and Complaints. I
had no Aversion for him, and since my Circumstances wou'd oblige me to
Marry, and that I knew I could never love any Man; I thought it might as
well be he as any other; so in sometime after I yielded, and the
Wedding-day was appointed to be the Sixteenth of _May_ last. How do you
think 'tis possible to avoid it now; but many things happen betwixt the
Cup and the Lip. You are to know that _Orontes_'s Estate lay near a fine
Seat of _Cloridon_'s, which he often retir'd to; so that they were
acquainted, and much together; and that _Orontes_ went to his Country
House to make some Preparations a Week before the designed Marriage.
_Cloridon_ told him he was extreamly pleas'd to see him there; for they
had made a match for Hunting five or six days after with some Friends of
his, that were wishing for him. I must beg your Pardon my Lord, _says
he_, that I cannot stay so long; for I have business that will call me
to _London_ sooner. If it be not of great importance, _return'd he_,
pray let me prevail with you to stay. 'Tis not to be deferr'd my Lord, I
am to be Marry'd. Marry'd, cry'd my Lord, prithee what Madness possesses
thee, so lately freed, to bind thy self again without any necessity for
it? What Bait next, not another old Rich crabbed Widow, I hope? I have
made a better Choice now, _answer'd Orontes_: She has Youth and Goodness
I'm sure; and I have Money enough for us both. You are in the Right,
_Reply'd Cloridon_; but may I know her Name. You knew her Father my
Lord, _says he_, and then Sir _Martin Marrall_ told him whose Daughter I
was. And are you engag'd to her, _Cloridon_ ask'd? She has promis'd to
marry me the 16th of this Month, _said Orontes_, and therefore my Lord,
I hope you wont take it ill if I leave you upon so weighty an Affair.
_Cloridon_ was not in humour of making many Compliments; but he ask'd
abundance of Questions, of the beginning and progress of his Love, and
how I had us'd him all the time; but he could not much boast of my
Favour, which pleas'd _Cloridon_, and encourag'd him to endeavour to
break off the Match. He told _Orontes_ he should be oblig'd to go to
_London_ that day, but he would come back again before he went away; so
he left him, and immediately took his Journey; and as soon as he
arriv'd, came to our Lodgings, where he found my Mother and I together.
Judge of my surprize at this Sight, my first Thoughts were of _Orontes_;
I sigh'd when I compar'd 'em with one another, and had a thousand
different thoughts which I know not what to make of. _Cloridon_
Addressing himself to my Mother, _said_, Madam, I am come to beg a
Favour of you, which I should hardly have the Confidence to ask, if the
whole satisfaction of my life did not depend upon it. My Mother told
him, that she could not refuse any thing to one whom she ow'd so much
to; and that she should think her self happy if she could serve him in a
thing which he said concern'd him so nearly. He return'd some
Compliments, and then desir'd her to hear him out with Patience, which
she promis'd, and he begun, I have a long time had a great Love and
Respect for your Daughter, and would have given all the World to have
seen her sometimes; but she refus'd it me; and I bore her Rigour without
Murmuring, in hopes the time would come when I could tell her I lov'd
her without offending her Virtue: But I can't live when I have lost that
hope, and therefore am come to beg you not to marry _Olinda_, as I am
told you design; and I will make her Fortune greater than what she can
expect from _Orontes_. How, my Lord, _interrupted my Mother_, what
strange Proposition is this you make me? Be not angry with me, or fear
me, _continu'd he_, for the moment you grant what I intreat of you, I
will leave you, and never desire to see _Olinda_ again, as long as I
continue in the Condition I am in; But 'twill be a great Happiness for
me to think, that she may one Day be mine; and to be assur'd she will
never be any others; and if she be not chang'd, or that I am not much
mistaken in her, she will not be averse to it. He was in the right, for
though I was never an Enemy to Marriage, yet I always preferr'd a single
Life to it; and I found enough of my stifled Flame revive to make my
Wishes comply with his. When my Mother saw me much inclin'd to it, and
knowing I had only consented to marry _Orontes_ in compliance of her;
she began to think of it as a thing might be done, but that she had
given her Word to _Orontes_, and could not go back from it. But
_Cloridon_ told her, she need not be in any Fault in that, if she wou'd
but make use of the occasion would be given her to break off with
_Orontes_ without Examining further. She made some other Objections, but
he Answer'd them all, and upon his Knees Swore, that if I Married
_Orontes_, neither he nor my Husband would survive it: So partly out of
fear of what might happen, and partly out of inclination to oblige him,
and willingness to please me, my Mother consented. _Cloridon_ begg'd
leave to talk with me, before he took his last leave, which he did, and
made me some little tender Reproaches, for having resolv'd to Marry;
which I answer'd with a more reserv'd Kindness than I had sometimes
done; and that was the Subject of many Letters he sent me since; for he
often writes to me. Two Days before we were to be Marry'd, _Orontes_ was
to come to Town, which _Cloridon_ knew, and had provided half a dozen
Soldiers to seize upon him in the King's Name, (for he was suspected for
an Enemy to the Government.) They did so, and told him they were
commanded to keep him a close Prisoner in a House hard by, till further
Order. He would fain have Writ, but they would not let him, for they
said they had Orders to the contrary. There they kept him a Week, and we
wonder'd we heard nothing of him, not knowing what methods were us'd to
hinder us; and to avoid seeing our Friends, who would enquire the
Reason, we thought it best to retire hither, this being a private Place.
When _Cloridon_ knew I was out of Town, he went himself to free him, and
told him things had been misrepresented, and he had been wrong'd; but in
requital he would procure him any Employment he would name; but he did
not accept it. When he came to enquire for me, no Body could tell him
where I was: But a Friend with whom I had left such Orders, told him,
that I had taken it so ill, that he should slight me so far, as neither
to come, nor to send to me, in so long time, that whatever he could say
for himself, I wou'd never forgive him, nor so much as hear him. He was
no doubt troubled at it, but he was not a Man to take any thing much to
Heart; and _Cloridon_ knowing he had not dealt very fairly by him, was
very desirous to oblige him some other way: And indeed he did him a very
considerable Service not long after, for he was really accus'd privately
to the King of a Plot, which wou'd have cost him his Life, if _Cloridon_
had not taken a great deal of pains to free him, more than he could have
expected in such a ticklish Affair as that; and had like to become
himself suspected by it: So that I think he has been more his Friend in
saving his Life, than he was his Enemy in taking his Mistress from him.
This is, _Cleander_, the true Cause of my Retirement, which is very
agreeable to me, whilst I hear often from you, and whilst _Cloridon_
continues to think of me. I have sent you a Copy of Verses which he writ
to me just after I came hither.
_Nor cou'd my Rival, when those Charms
By thee were destin'd to his Arms,
Be half so bless'd as I, to find
The lovely Nun for me Confin'd:
Nor when of all that Bliss bereav'd,
He saw his full-blown hopes deceiv'd,
Cou'd be so curst as I to see
My self Exil'd from Heav'n in thee.
Strange Contradiction in my Fate,
At once a blest and wretched State:
But who--what Lover wou'd not choose
Thus to gain all, tho' all he lose?
So Merchants strive their Lives to save,
Threaten'd by ev'ry Wind and Wave,
And see with joy the long'd for Coast,
Tho' all they ventur'd for is lost._
_Cloridon_ has just sent me word that _Orontes_ is dead of the
Small-Pox; so that I shall come to Town sooner than I design'd. The
expectation of seeing you pleases me extreamly; for tho' I find a great
satisfaction in conversing with you by Letters; yet 'tis not so full and
perfect at this distance, as when I am with you. I can't tell you my
Thoughts so well, nor know yours; a Question suddenly started, or
sometimes a Look, will discover more to me than you know of your self;
and I would know you not as you seem to the World, or what you think of
your self, but what you are; for though you are more sincere than other
Men, yet there is no Man but deceives the World in some things, and
himself in more; and therefore to be a good Man, 'tis absolutely
necessary to have a true Friend; and since you have made choice of me, I
can only attone for my want of other Qualifications, by my Fidelity,
which you may always rely upon. Will not the World, when they see so
tender, so constant an Affection betwixt us, be convinced of that
receiv'd Error, that there can be no such intimacy betwixt two of
different Sexes without the Passion of Love; In us I'm sure they can't
suspect it; when they see you have so much Love for _Ambrisia_, and me
so forward to promote its being reciprocal. I wish it may have that
Effect, that the Women may no longer scruple to bestow their Friendship
upon a Worthy Man, for fear of misconstructions; both Sexes will find
their Advantages by it. Yours is more capable to instruct and form our
Minds; than the wisest of our own; and ours will be more apt to curb
that Licentiousness, which Men usually encourage one another in: And
what happiness will it be for us to see our selves the Instruments of
all the Men's becoming Good, and all the Women Wise? (A more
extraordinary Reformation than _Luther_'s.) Let our Friendships then be
so Exemplary, that all may emulate, and wish to live like us; and by
endeavouring, find that there's a purer and more solid Satisfaction one
moment with a Friend, than Ages thrown away upon the Gallantries, which
so take up the Hearts, and steal the Hours of our Youth. Adieu
_Cleander_, correct the Errors of my Life with a gentle Hand of
Friendship, and always be as much my Friend as I am yours,
_OLINDA_.
[Decoration]
[Decoration]
LETTER VIII.
Olinda _to_ Cloridon.
_In Answer to a Letter which he sent her with the Copy of Verses in
the sixth of the foregoing ones._
'TIS not an Hour ago since I believ'd I hated you: I thought I could
have rail'd at you, have call'd you base, seducer of my Honour, Traytor,
that under a pretence of Love, design'd my Ruin; but Ah! those tender
Excuses which you sent me, soon discover'd the mistake, and show'd me it
was only Angry Love, that so Transported me: And now 'tis turn'd to as
violent a Grief, which wou'd fain ease it self in Complaints: But I am
so wretched, that even that poor Comfort is deny'd me; for who can I
complain to, when in lamenting my Misfortune I must expose our Crime:
For yours my Lord, has involv'd me in the guilt; and all those thoughts
and Actions, which were innocent before, must be condemn'd as the Causes
of such ill Effects: For if I had never lov'd you, or if I had never
own'd it, nor consented to see you, you had not desir'd any thing of me
that could shock my Virtue: Now, I can't think of 'em without Shame and
Anger. That Love which shin'd before so Pure and Bright, appears now the
Blackest thing in Nature; and I hate my self for not hating you; for I
own (tho' I blush in owning) that I love you still; Nay, I believe that
I forgive you too; but I must never, never see you more: No, though you
swear you Repent, and that you would not repeat your Crime, if you were
certain of success. Would not you believe I should as easily Pardon your
breach of this Vow, as I did the last, which you made me as solemnly?
Yes, you would, my Lord, and I should be betray'd to things I never
thought of yet: For all is solid, convincing Reason that you speak; and
I should soon believe any thing you would have me. Curse on that fond
Credulity that first deceiv'd me into a belief, that 'twas no Sin to
love you. Yet sure it could not be an unpardonable Fault, to value one
that so infinitely deserves it: To Love, to See, and Talk with one whose
Conversation is so Charming as yours; and that was all I wish'd. All
that know you do the same; Why then am I more guilty? Ah! If your Fame
had been as pure as mine, we had both been Happy and Innocent; so
innocent, that she, that happy she, who claims all your love as her due,
(even she, I think, if she had known our Hearts) could not have been
offended at it: But who is there, the most uninterested, that would not
now condemn us; Nay, the most Partial could not excuse us; even we
should blame our selves. Why will you then importune me still to see
you; ask me no more, what I dare never grant; and believe----but you
know, 'tis not unkindness makes me Refuse you: You know I must be
Wretched in your Absence; yet think me easie and satisfied, if it will
contribute any thing to your quiet; or rather don't think of me at all.
Let us make our selves as happy as we can; I will endeavour to forget
you; don't Write to me, if you love me well enough to forbear it: And if
you can cease to love me, without hating me; for I don't find I have
force enough to bear so great a misfortune, which is the only one can
add to the weight of those which have already almost sunk
_The Poor_
OLINDA.
[Decoration]
THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY
WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT
[Decoration]
1948-1949
16. Henry Nevil Payne, _The Fatal Jealousie_ (1673).
18. Anonymous, "Of Genius," in _The Occasional Paper_, Vol. III, No. 10
(1719), and Aaron Hill, Preface to _The Creation_ (1720).
1949-1950
19. Susanna Centlivre, _The Busie Body_ (1709).
20. Lewis Theobald, _Preface to the Works of Shakespeare_ (1734).
22. Samuel Johnson, _The Vanity of Human Wishes_ (1749), and two
_Rambler_ papers (1750).
23. John Dryden, _His Majesties Declaration Defended_ (1681).
1951-1952
31. Thomas Gray, _An Elegy Wrote in a Country Churchyard_ (1751), and
_The Eton College Manuscript_.
1952-1953
41. Bernard Mandeville, _A Letter to Dion_ (1732).
1963-1964
104. Thomas D'Urfey, _Wonders in the Sun; or, The Kingdom of the Birds_
(1706).
1964-1965
110. John Tutchin, _Selected Poems_ (1685-1700).
111. Anonymous, _Political Justice_ (1736).
112. Robert Dodsley, _An Essay on Fable_ (1764).
113. T. R., _An Essay Concerning Critical and Curious Learning_ (1698).
114. _Two Poems Against Pope_: Leonard Welsted, _One Epistle to Mr. A.
Pope_ (1730), and Anonymous, _The Blatant Beast_ (1742).
1965-1966
115. Daniel Defoe and others, _Accounts of the Apparition of Mrs.
Veal_.
116. Charles Macklin, _The Covent Garden Theatre_ (1752).
117. Sir George L'Estrange, _Citt and Bumpkin_ (1680).
118. Henry More, _Enthusiasmus Triumphatus_ (1662).
119. Thomas Traherne, _Meditations on the Six Days of the Creation_
(1717).
120. Bernard Mandeville, _Aesop Dress'd or a Collection of Fables_
(1704).
1966-1967
123. Edmond Malone, _Cursory Observations on the Poems Attributed to
Mr. Thomas Rowley_ (1782).
124. Anonymous, _The Female Wits_ (1704).
125. Anonymous, _The Scribleriad_ (1742). Lord Hervey, _The Difference
Between Verbal and Practical Virtue_ (1742).
126. _Le Lutrin: an Heroick Poem, Written Originally in French by
Monsieur Boileau: Made English by N. O._ (1682).
1967-1968
127-
128. Charles Macklin, _A Will and No Will, or a Bone for the Lawyers_
(1746). _The New Play Criticiz'd, or The Plague of Envy_ (1747).
129. Lawrence Echard, Prefaces to _Terence's Comedies_ (1694) and
_Plautus's Comedies_ (1694).
130. Henry More, _Democritus Platonissans_ (1646).
131. John Evelyn, _The History of Sabatai Sevi, The Suppos'd Messiah of
the Jews_ (1669).
132. Walter Harte, _An Essay on Satire, Particularly on the Dunciad_
(1730).
Publications of the first fifteen years of the Society (numbers
1-90) are available in paperbound units of six issues at $16.00 per
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Publications in print are available at the regular membership rate
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prospectus.
REGULAR PUBLICATIONS FOR 1968-1969
133. John Courtenay, _A Poetical Review of the Literary and Moral
Character of the Late Samuel Johnson_ (1786). Introduction by
Robert E. Kelley.
134. John Downes, _Roscius Anglicanus_ (1708). Introduction by John
Loftis.
135. Sir John Hill, _Hypochondriasis, a Practical Treatise on the Nature
and Cure of that Disorder Call'd the Hyp or Hypo_ (1766).
Introduction by G. S. Rousseau.
136. Thomas Sheridan, _Discourse ... Being Introductory to His Course of
Lectures on Elocution and the English Language_ (1759).
Introduction by G. P. Mohrman.
137. Arthur Murphy, _The Englishman From Paris_ (1756). Introduction by
Simon Trefman. Previously unpublished manuscript.
138. [Catherine Trotter], _Olinda's Adventures_ (1718). Introduction by
Robert Adams Day.
SPECIAL PUBLICATION FOR 1968-1969
_After THE TEMPEST_. Introduction by George Robert Guffey.
Next in the continuing series of special publications by the Society
will be _After THE TEMPEST_, a volume including the Dryden-Davenant
version of _The Tempest_ (1670); the "operatic" _Tempest_ (1674); Thomas
Duffet's _Mock-Tempest_ (1675); and the "Garrick" _Tempest_ (1756), with
an Introduction by George Robert Guffey.
Already published in this series are:
1. John Ogilby, _The Fables of Aesop Paraphras'd in Verse_ (1668), with
an Introduction by Earl Miner.
2. John Gay, _Fables_ (1727, 1738), with an Introduction by Vinton A.
Dearing.
3. Elkanah Settle, _The Empress of Morocco_ (1673) with five plates;
_Notes and Observations on the Empress of Morocco_ (1674) by John
Dryden, John Crowne and Thomas Shadwell; _Notes and Observations on the
Empress of Morocco Revised_ (1674) by Elkanah Settle; and _The Empress
of Morocco. A Farce_ (1674) by Thomas Duffet; with an Introduction by
Maximillian E. Novak.
Price to members of the Society, $2.50 for the first copy of each title,
and $3.25 for additional copies. Price to non-members, $4.00. Standing
orders for this continuing series of Special Publications will be
accepted. British and European orders should be addressed to B. H.
Blackwell, Broad Street, Oxford, England.
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Errata List:
p. viii: "Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal" should be
"Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal"
p. 136: "seem'd not to blelieve" should be
"seem'd not to believe"
p. 143: "LETTER V." should be
"LETTER II."
p. 150: "one wou'd thing" should be
"one wou'd think"
p. 150: "_Ambrisia_ cant hear" should be
"_Ambrisia_ can't hear"
p. 152: "Whilst he he held" should be
"Whilst he held"
p. 152: "I had no apprehensons" should be
"I had no apprehensions"
p. 153: "You Honour me to much my Lord" should be
"You Honour me too much my Lord"
p. 157: "I refus'd, tho' unwillinglly" should be
"I refus'd, tho' unwillingly"
p. 158: "to the tothers Care" should be
"to the others' Care"
p. 160: "for he new my Name." should be
"for he knew my Name."
p. 164: "that that and my Obedience" should be
"that and my Obedience"
p. 176: "in spight of the greatest Rigour" should be
"in spite of the greatest Rigour"