This Letter being written, I enclosed it in the other, and gave it my
Boy, who ran immediately to the house, where he left his drunken
Companion, and opening the door, he made so much noise as awaked him,
wherefore my Boy seeing him ready to rise, ran to him, and insensibly
convey’d the Letter into his pocket.
The Boy being now pretty sober, remembred the Errant he was sent about,
and doubting he should be chid would needs depart about it; my Boy
permitted him so to do, and so came home to me.
And thus Mistress _Dorothy_ (said he to me) did I discover the whole
intreague of this business to my Mistress, and she soon after sent a
Letter to me, and another to my Friend, wherein she manag’d the Concern
so tenderly and so handsomely, that she satisfied him and me both, and I
having a Summons from her, waited on her three miles out of the Town,
where I acquainted her with all that she was ignorant of, and I pressed
her so with my affection, that she accepted me, and I think in time I
had the first place in her affection: and thus said he, did I live the
pleasantest life in the world, all the time that I staid in _Paris_; and
now I hope, said he, I have satisfied you with my amours, which hitherto
had been very fortunate, and I thank my Stars, _Venus_ hath been ever my
Friend, or else I had not had the happiness of your acquaintance, and
thus did he fully finish his discourse.
And now, said Mistress _Dorothy_, I have related all that I think is
convenient and necessary about my Gentleman Soldier, and therefore I
shall conclude that Story; No, said I, I have some questions to ask you,
which I desire to be satisfied in, and which I believe will engage you
in a little further discourse: That which I am first to desire of you
is, that since you have entertained us so largely, and indeed
pleasantly, with the adventures of the Gentleman Soldier, that you would
tell us what became of him, and what more you know of him? for,
continued I, I am perswaded that all you can say of him is so
considerable, that it is worth our hearing, and your recital. Truly,
replyed Mistress _Dorothy_, I have indeed somewhat more to say of him,
which may be as pleasant as the rest, but his Stories being only things
by the by, and which do not at all concern you, and me very little, I
thought what hath been said already is enough, but if you will needs
hear me proceed further, I will not refuse you the satisfaction you
desire.
I have already, told you of his two _French_ Adventures, neither did he
tell me of any thing more that befel him in _France_ which was
considerable; but he having quitted that Countrey, and being come to
_England_, it was not long e’re I came acquainted with him, and our
acquaintance proceeding to a familiarity, he not only related to me all
those adventures I have already recited, but he also told me the
condition and state of his affairs at present: He told me that he left
_England_ upon a discontent, for he having been in love with a young
Gentlewoman, one of his own age and Quality, and that so long and
effectually, that he had won her to consent to marriage, provided her
Parents did so: but when they came acquainted with his pretentions, they
absolutely refus’d it, for no other reason, but that his estate did not
equal hers, for she was the only Child of her Parents, who were very
rich, and he although he was equal to her in birth, yet in Estate he
came far short, as being a younger Brother, and having but a small
allowance or patrimony, nor indeed was there much probability of any
increase or addition to his Estate: This was the Consideration why he
was refused, and therefore having again tryed his Ladies mind, who
although she loved him well, yet was resolved in her marriage to be
wholly guided by her Friends, and finding himself frustrated in his
hopes, and expectations, he therefore became melancholly and discontent,
so that to throw off that indisposition which this had caused, he
resolved for Travel, and thereupon to _France_ he went, where as I have
told you, _Venus_ made him some amends for the dissatisfaction he had
had in _England_, but in time he being weary of that place, and
returning home, he found his Mistress married to another, who had been
more fit for a winding-sheet than so young and fair a Bride, for
although he who had married her was not very old, yet he was in a deep
Consumption, and thereby wholly incapacitated to please a Lady. That
which made her Friends impose this Choice upon her, was his great
wealth: In this condition he found her at his return, and considering
the Condition she was in, he had some hopes one day of enjoying her,
either as a Wife or Mistress; to this end he made some Addresses to her,
but they being taken notice of by her Parents, but more especially by
her Husband, she was forced to command him to forbear any more visits;
with much unwillingness he did obey her, but it was but for a while, for
he getting acquainted with her Chamber-maid, who was flexible enough, or
easie to be made so by Gifts or Presents he bestowed on her at present,
and large promises of what he would do for the future, so that in short
time he won her to be at his dispose, and to betray her Masters secrets.
Whereupon, when her Master was absent, she presently gave him notice of
it, and perswaded her Mistress to walk abroad to such places where he
was sure to meet her. She like a Woman of much vertue and constancy, for
a large time held out, and would not so much as entertain any
conversation with him, but in the end by his humble and amorous Letters
and fervent Protestations of a vertuous love, promising her that he
designed nothing against her virtue, and since he could not enjoy her
Love, that he might have the first place in her esteem; she at length
consented to treat with him, and now he being admitted to treat, by
degrees insinuated his old love and great misfortune, he let her know
his great constancy, which as it had, so it should continue with him
till death, these discourses and other arguments which he us’d, were as
the Bellows to blow up a flame out of the very ashes where it had long
lain, so that as she could not deny but that she had formerly loved him,
and that most tenderly, so she could have done so still, had she not
been married, but being married, she told him she must banish all
thoughts of former love: but as he had now brought her to confess a
former love, so he left not off there, but by degrees perswaded her to a
new friendship, not a new one, but a renewing of the old; and as
friendship had been the first step to their former love, so it was now,
and she in a short time confessed that as she had, so she still did love
him: in fine he brought her to this pass, that she confessed she lov’d
him as well as ever, and were she free to choose a Husband, she would
chuse him before all the World; he having gain’d thus much upon her, by
degrees proceeded further, and he promising to remain always unmarry’d,
in expectation of that time, that she might be free to marry; she
promised him that if ever that time came, that she would certainly marry
him before all the persons in the world. At this point they continued
for some moneths, and her Husbands Consumptive-distemper encreasing,
there was great hopes that in short time it would send him to the other
world, where he was wished to be with all earnestness. As their converse
continued, so their love encreased, and he became impatient of delays,
and was so bold as to desire of her the only thing she had refus’d him,
but very angry she was when he first made the proposition; wherefore he
was forced to forbear any further discourse of that nature, but her
Husbands lingring Distemper continuing, our Lover was out of all
patience, and therefore he was once again resolved to propound that to
her, without the enjoyment of which, he could not be happy nor quiet,
wherefore being resolv’d what to do, he was now to think how to do it,
and believing that if he should begin any discourse upon a subject which
she hitherto had wholly dislik’d, he should be interrupted and not heard
out, and it may be she would proceed into some violent language against
him, wherefore he was resolv’d to communicate his thoughts to her in
writing, and there he intended to be very plain with her, whereupon he
writ, and sent her this Letter.
Madam,
I_t is now some years since I first began to affect you, and that
affection in time became so violent, that I was forc’d to discover it to
you, you did not at all dislike it at first, for in little time found a
tender esteem from you, which by my constancy, and perseverance was so
encreas’d, that I perceiv’d you did also love me, neither were you
asham’d to own the affection you had for me, but made me protestations
of a love that should be lasting, and there was nothing wanting, as we
thought to make us both happy, but the consent of your Parents: but that
not being gained, I preferr’d your interest and quiet before my own, and
not being able to live near you, and not see and love you, which by the
inhumanity of your friends I was forbidden to do, I entred into a
voluntary banishment, and leaving all the enjoyments and pleasures of my
own Countrey, went into another, hoping in time that fortune who had
been so cross to me might be more favourable, but although I staid some
time in Forreign parts, and at my return heard of my misfortune, and
indeed your as unfortunate marriage, yet time had not banished you out
of my thoughts, I still had you perfectly in remembrance, and found that
my love to you was so far from being extinguished, that it was then
ready to burst out into a new flame. The obstacle of your being married
and thereby of the impossibility of my attaining my ends, did not hinder
me from endeavouring it, and I did so constantly persevere in my
endeavours, that I brought you not only to a mute compliance, but by
degrees I brought you to acknowlege that you still loved me, and that if
you were ever free to chuse, I should be the happy man whom you would
have for a Husband, the constancy of my affection hath wrought this
miracle, but I cannot perswade you to proceed further, and this at
present is the state of the matter between us. Now Madam, having done
all this, I am perswaded you may yield to what I further desire of you:
I know the strictness of your Virtue absolutely forbids you any
thoughts, but I pray let me be plain with you, and pardon these
expressions which I shall use to you, although you may judge them
immodest: Madam, you have promised to make me your Husband when it is in
your power, and I believe it is in your thoughts that one day you may do
it, for he who is your present Husband, appears to me and all the world
to be half dead already; He being in this condition, why will you not
permit me to reap the fruits of a long affection? but anticipating that
happy time that I hope must and will come: and Madam, besides these
Reasons, I believe and hope it will be for your profit, for I understand
the Condition of your marriage runs thus, that if he dies without Issue
by you, then his Estate returns to his next Heir, and thereby you will
be never the better for your marriage, and all this time you have spent
with him, is time ill spent and lost; but if you will permit me, I hope
to prevent the losing of the Estate, for I question not but there is so
great a harmony in our affections, that a Child will proceed from us,
and when you lose your Husband, you will not lose your Estate. This
Madam, is good policy, and although in the strictness of your virtue you
may not entertain any such thoughts, yet I am confident you may live to
repent the not doing it, Therefore hoping that these reasons will be
sufficient to over-rule you and that I offer this as much for your
content as my own, I ever rest_,