第21章 The Letter.(9)

In the mean time,it may be convenient to enquire what became of Hippolito.He had wandered much in pursuit of Aurelian,though Leonora equally took up his Thoughts;He was reflecting upon the oddness and extravagance of his Circumstances,the Continuation of which had doubtless created in him a great uneasiness,when it was interrupted with the noise of opening the Gates of the Convent of St.

Lawrence,whither he was arrived sooner than he thought for,being the place Aurelian had appointed by the Lacquey to meet him in.He wondered to see the Gates opened at so unseasonable an hour,and went to enquire the reason of it from them who were employ'd;but they proved to be Novices,and made him signs to go in,where he might meet with some body allow'd to answer him.He found the Religious Men all up,and Tapers lighting every where:at last he follow'd a Friar who was going into the Garden,and asking him the cause of these Preparations,he was answered,That they were entreated to pray for the Soul of a Cavalier,who was just departing or departed this Life,and whom upon farther talk with him,he found to be the same Lorenzo so often mentioned.Don Mario,it seems Uncle to Lorenzo and Father to Leonora,had a private Door out of the Garden belonging to his House into that of the Convent,which Door this Father was now a going to open,that he and his Family might come and offer up their Oraisons for the Soul of their Kinsman.Hippolito having informed himself of as much as he could ask without suspicion,took his leave of the Friar,not a little joyful at the Hopes he had by such unexpected Means,of seeing his Beautiful Leonora:As soon as he was got at convenient Distance from the Friar,(who 'tis like thought he had return'd into the Convent to his Devotion)he turned back through a close Walk which led him with a little Compass,to the same private Door,where just before he had left the Friar,who now he saw was gone,and the Door open.

He went into Don Mario's Garden,and walk'd round with much Caution and Circumspection;for the Moon was then about to rise,and had already diffused a glimmering Light,sufficient to distinguish a Man from a Tree.By Computation now (which is a very remarkable Circumstance)Hippolito entred this Garden near upon the same Instant,when Aurelian wandred into the Old Monastery and found his Incognita in Distress.He was pretty well acquainted with the Platform,and Sight of the Garden;for he had formerly surveyed the Outside,and knew what part to make to if he should be surpriz'd and driven to a precipitate Escape.He took his Stand behind a well grown Bush of Myrtle,which,should the Moon shine brighter than was required,had the Advantage to be shaded by the Indulgent Boughs of an ancient Bay-Tree.He was delighted with the Choice he had made,for he found a Hollow in the Myrtle,as if purposely contriv'd for the Reception of one Person,who might undiscovered perceive all about him.He looked upon it as a good Omen,that the Tree Consecrated to Venus was so propitious to him in his Amorous Distress.The Consideration of that,together with the Obligation he lay under to the Muses,for sheltering him also with so large a Crown of Bays,had like to have set him a Rhyming.

He was,to tell the Truth,naturally addicted to Madrigal,and we should undoubtedly have had a small desert of Numbers to have pick'd and Criticiz'd upon,had he not been interrupted just upon his Delivery;nay,after the Preliminary Sigh had made Way for his Utterance.But so was his Fortune,Don Mario was coming towards the Door at that very nick of Time,where he met with a Priest just out of Breath,who told him that Lorenzo was just breathing his last,and desired to know if he would come and take his final Leave before they were to administer the Extream Unction.Don Mario,who had been at some Difference with his Nephew,now thought it his Duty to be reconciled to him;so calling to Leonora,who was coming after him,he bid her go to her Devotions in the Chappel,and told her where he was going.

He went on with the Priest,while Hippolito saw Leonora come forward,only accompanied by her Woman.She was in an undress,and by reason of a Melancholy visible in her Face,more Careless than usual in her Attire,which he thought added as much as was possible to the abundance of her Charms.He had not much Time to Contemplate this Beauteous Vision,for she soon passed into the Garden of the Convent,leaving him Confounded with Love,Admiration,Joy,Hope,Fear,and all the Train of Passions,which seize upon Men in his Condition,all at once.He was so teazed with this Variety of Torment,that he never missed the Two Hours that had slipped away during his Automachy and Intestine Conflict.Leonora's Return settled his Spirits,at least united them,and he had now no other Thought but how he should present himself before her.When she calling her Woman,bid her bolt the Garden Door on the Inside,that she might not be Surpriz'd by her Father,if he returned through the Convent,which done,she ordered her to bring down her Lute,and leave her to her self in the Garden.

All this Hippolito saw and heard to his inexpressible Content,yet had he much to do to smother his Joy,and hinder it from taking a Vent,which would have ruined the only Opportunity of his Life.

Leonora withdrew into an Arbour so near him,that he could distinctly hear her if she Played or Sung:Having tuned her Lute,with a Voice soft as the Breath of Angels,she flung to it this following Air:

I.

Ah!Whither,whither shall I fly,A poor unhappy Maid;To hopeless Love and Misery By my own Heart betray'd?

Not by Alexis Eyes undone,Nor by his Charming Faithless Tongue,Or any Practis'd Art;Such real Ills may hope a Cure,But the sad Pains which I endure Proceed from fansied Smart.

II.

'Twas Fancy gave Alexis Charms,Ere I beheld his Face:

Kind Fancy (then)could fold our Arms,And form a soft Embrace.