ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

now confider as Misfortunes and Difappointments, will very often appear to have been Escapes and Bleffings. THE Mind that hath any Caft towards Devotion, naturally flies to it in its Afflictions.

WHEN I was in France I heard a very remarkable Story of two Lovers, which I fhall relate at length in my To-morrow's Paper, not only because the Circumftances of it are extraordinary, but because it may serve as an Illuftration to all that can be said on this last Head, and shew the Power of Religion in abating that particular Anguish which feems to lye fo heavy on Leonora. The Story was told me by a Prieft, as I travelled with him in a StageCoach. I fhall give it my Reader, as well as I can remember, in his own Words, after having premifed, that if Confolations may be drawn from a wrong Religion and a mifguided Devotion, they cannot but flow much more naturally from those which are founded upon Reason, and established in good Senfe.

N 164.

Friday, September 7.

L

Illa; Quis & me, inquit, miferam, & te perdidit, Orpheu? Jamque vale: feror ingenti circumdata notte,

Invalidafque tibi tendens, heu! non tua, palmas. Virg.

C

ONSTANTIA was a Woman of extraordinary Wit and Beauty, but very unhappy in a Father, who having arrived at great Riches by his own Industry, took Delight in nothing but his Money. Theodofius was the younger Son of a decayed Family, of great Parts and Learning, improved by a genteel and virtuous Education. When he was in the twentieth Year of his Age he became acquainted with Conftantia, who had not then paffed her fifteenth. As he lived but a few Miles distance from her Father's Houfe, he had frequent Opportunities of feeing her; and by the Advantages of a good Perfon and a pleafing Converfation, made fuch an Impreffion in her Heart as it was impoffible for time to efface: He was himself no less fmitten with Conftantia. A long Acquaintance made them still discover new Beauties in each other, and by Degrees raifed in them that mutual Paffion which had an Influence on their

their following Lives. It unfortunately happened, that in the midft of this Intercourfe of Love and Friendship between Theodofius and Conftantia, there broke out an irreparable Quarrel between their Parents, the one valuing himfelf too much upon his Birth, and the other upon his Poffeffions. The Father of Conftantia was fo incenfed at the Father of Theodofius, that he contracted an unreasonable Averfion towards his Son, infomuch that he forbad him his House, and charged his Daughter upon her Duty never to fee him more. In the mean time to break off all Commu nication between the two Lovers, who he knew entertained fecret Hopes of fome favourable Opportunity that should bring them together, he found out a young Gentleman of a good Fortune and an agreeable Perfon, whom he pitched upon as a Husband for his Daughter. He foon concerted. this Affair fo well, that he told Conftantia it was his Defign to marry her to fuch a Gentleman, and that her Wedding fhould be celebrated on fuch a Day. Conftantia, who was over-awed with the Authority of her Father, and unable to object any thing against fo advantagious a Match, received the Propofal with a profound Silence, which her Father commended in her, as the most decent manner of a Virgin's giving her Confent to an Overture of that kind, The Noife of this intended Marriage foon reached Theodofius, who after a long Tumult of Paffions which naturally rife in a Lover's Heart on fuch an Occafion, writ the fol lowing Letter to Conftantia.

[ocr errors]

T

HE Thought of my Conftantia, which for some Years has been my only Happiness, is now become a greater Torment to me than I am able to bear. Muft I then live to fée you another's? The Streams, the • Fields and Meadows, where we have fo often talked together, grow painful to me; Life it felf is become a Burden. May you long be happy in the World, but forget that there was ever fuch a Man in it as

THEODOSIUS.. THIS Letter was conveyed to Conftantia that very Evening, who fainted at the reading of it; and the next Morning fhe was much more alarmed by two or three Meffengers, that came to her Father's Houfe one after another to enquire if they had heard any thing of Theodofius, who it feems had left his Chamber about Midnight, and could no

where

where be found. The deep Melancholy which had hung upon his Mind fome time before, made them apprehend the worst that could befall him. Conftantia, who knew that nothing but the Report of her Marriage could have driven him to fuch Extremities, was not to be comforted: She now accufed her felf for having fo tamely given an Ear to the Propofal of a Husband, and looked upon the new Lover as the Murderer of Theodofius: In fhort, fhe refolved to fuffer the utmost Effects of her Father's Displeasure, rather than comply with a Marriage which appeared to her fo full of Guilt and Horror. The Father feeing himself entirely rid of Theodofius, and likely to keep a confiderable Portion in his Family, was not very much concerned at the obftinate Refufal of his Daughter; and did not find it very difficult to excufe himself upon that Account to his intended Son-in-Law, who had all along regarded this Alliance rather as a Marriage of Convenience than of Love, Conftantia had now no Relief but in her Devotions and Exercifes of Religion, to which her Afflictions had so entirely fubjected her Mind, that after some Years had abated the Violence of her Sorrows, and fettled her Thoughts in a kind of Tranquility, fhe refolved to pass the Remainder of her Days in a Convent, Her Father was not displeased with a Refolution, which would fave Money in his Family, and readily complied with his Daughter's Intentions. Accordingly in the Twenty fifth Year of her Age,while her Beauty was yet in all its Height and Bloom, he carried her to a neighbouring City, in order to look out a Sifterhood of Nunns among whom to place his Daughter. There was in this Place a Father of a Convent who was very much renowned for his Piety and exemplary Life; and as it is ufual in the Romish Church for thofe who are under any great Affliction, or Trouble of Mind, to apply themselves to the most eminent Confeffors for Pardon and Confola-tion, our beautiful Votary took the Opportunity of confeffing her felf to this celebrated Father.

WE muft now return to Theodofius, who the very Morning that the above-mentioned Enquiries had been made after him, arrived at a religious Houfe in the City, where now Conftantia refided; and defiring that Secrecy and Concealment of the Fathers of the Convent, which is very ufual upon any extraordinary Occasion, he made himself one of

the:

the Order, with a private Vow never to enquire after Conftantia; whom he looked upon as given away to his Rival upon the Day on which, according to common Fame, their Marriage was to have been folemnized. Having in his Youth made a good Progress in Learning, that he might dedicate himself more entirely to Religion he entered into holy Orders, and in a few Years became Renowned for his Sanctity of Life, and thofe pious Sentiments which he infpired into all who converfed with him. It was this holy Man to whom Conftantia had determined to apply her felf in Confeffion, tho' neither fhe nor any other befides the Prior of the Convent, knew any thing of his Name or Family. The gay, the amiable Theodofius had now taken upon him the Name of Father Francis, and was fo far concealed in a long Beard, a fhaven Head, and a religious Habit, that it was impoffible to discover the Man of the World in the venerable Conventual.

AS he was one Morning fhut up in his Confeffional, Conftantia kneeling by him, opened the State of her Soul to him; and after having given him the Hiftory of a Life full of Innocence, fhe burst out in Tears, and entered upon that Part of her Story, in which he himself had fo great a Share. My Behaviour, fays fhe, has I fear been the Death of a Man who had no other Fault but that of loving me too much.. Heaven only knows how dear he was to me whilst he lived, and how bitter the Remembrance of him has been to me fince his Death. She here paufed, and lifted up her Eyes that ftreamed with Tears towards the Father, who was fo moved with the Senfe of her Sorrows, that he could only command his Voice, which was broke with Sighs and Sobbings, fo far as to bid her proceed. She followed his Directions, and in a Flood of Tears poured out her Heart before him. The Father could not forbear weeping aloud, infomuch that in the Agonies of his Grief the Seat fhook under him. Conftantia, who thought the good Man was thus moved by his Compaffion towards her, and by the Horror of her Guilt, proceeded with the utmost Contrition to acquaint him with that Vow of Virginity in which fhe was going to engage her felf, as the proper Atonement for her Sins, and the only Sacrifice he could make to the Memory of Theodofius. The Father, who by this time had pretty well compofed himself, burst out again in

Tears.

Tears upon hearing that Name to which he had been fo long difufed, and upon receiving this Inftance of an unparallel'd Fidelity from one who he thought had feveral Years fince given her felf up to the Poffeffion of another. Amidst the Interruptions of his Sorrow, feeing his Penitent overwhelmed with Grief, he was only able to bid her from Time to Time be comforted- To tell her that her Sins were forgiven her-That her Guilt was not fo great as fhe apprehended-That she should not suffer her self to be afflicted above measure. After which he recovered himself enough to give her the Abfolution in Form; directing her at the fame time to repair to him again the next Day, that he might encourage her in the pious Refolutions fhe had taken, and give her fuitable Exhortations for her Behaviour in it. Conftantia retired, and the next Morning renewed her Applications. Theodofius having manned his Soul with proper Thoughts and Reflections, exerted himself on this Occafion in the beft Manner he could to animate his Penitent in the Course of Life she was entering upon, and wear out of her Mind thofe groundless Fears and Apprehenfions which had taken Poffeffion of it; concluding, with a Promife to her, that he would from Time to Time continue his Admonitions when fhe fhould have taken upon her the holy Veil. The Rules of our refpective Orders, fays he, will not permit that I should fee you, but you may affure your felf not only of having a Place in my Prayers, but of receiving fuch frequent Inftrutions as I can convey to you by Letters. Go on chearfully in the glorious Courfe you have undertaken, and you will quickly find fuch a Peace and Satisfaction in your Mind, which it is not in the Power of the World to give.

CONSTANTIA's Heart was fo elevated with the Difcourfe of Father Francis, that the very next Day fhe entered upon her Vow. As foon as the Solemnities of her Reception were over, fhe retired, as it is ufual, with the Abbefs into her own Apartment.

THE Abbefs had been informed the Night before of all that had paffed between her Noviciate and Father Francis. From whom the now delivered to her the following Letter.

S the first Fruits of thofe Joys and Confolations

As which you may expect from the Life you are now

engaged in, I must acquaint you that Theodofius, whofe

• Death

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »