were made on his beautiful Confort; and tho' he faid the leaft, teftified by his Eyes that he felt a Delight fuperior to what any of the reft, dear as the amiable Julia was to them, could be fenfible of. Ir must be confefs'd, faid Alphonfo, that this House infpires one with Wit: I never had the leaft Notion of writing Verfe, nor can flatter myself with the Hope of ever becoming a Proficient in the Art, yet I could not forbear compofing fome Lines laft Night; and finding they will go to a very agreeable Tune now in Vogue at Paris, I will venture to communicate. He nò fooner concluded thefe Words, than he began to fing, with a Voice perfectly harmonious, the following Stanza's: Ab, how pleafing 'tis to love! Endless is the Lover's Joy, Give Delights that ne'er can cloy! THERE was fomething fo graceful in his Manner while he fung, that it added to the Sweetness of the Compofure, and both together were too inchanting not to exact the utmoft Praises of those who heard him. Thelamont, Urania, Orfames, Julia, Orophanes, Felicia, Florinda, and even Camilla herself ftrain'd her Modesty to entreat he would repeat the fame delightful Sounds. He was not backward in complying with fo obliging a Request, but all the time had his Eyes intently fix'd on Camilla, fparkling at once with Pleasure and Defire in fo intelligible a Manner, that it drew unceasing Blushes into the Cheeks of that amiable Woman. You are, indeed, infpir'd, faid Orophanes laughing, but 'tis eafy to know your Master; and that as delightful as this Place is, without the Prefence of a certain Perfon in it, the Groves, the Shades, or the refreshing Streams, Streams, would fail to make your Muse exert itself in Numbers fo tranfporting. We are all, anfwer'd Thelamont, Pupils of the fame Science, and have fufficiently experienc'd what Love can do ; nor is it to be doubted that the charming Camilla wants the Power of enforcing the extremeft Proofs of it. THESE Words were follow'd by new Praises of the Genius of Alphonfo; and 'tis poffible they would have continued in that Theme much longer, but that the Night being pretty far spent, and Orphife obliged to depart next Morning, they thought it convenient to leave her to her Repofe. Every one retir'd to their respective Apartments, fatisfied with the Enjoyments of this Day, as they were with all the others they pafs'd together: Neither did the Night want its Charms both to the married and the unmarried; the former in Poffeffion of their Felicity, thought themselves highly indebted to their good Fortune, and the latter feeding Expectation with the Hope of Happiness to come. THE TENTH DAY. N OTWITHSTANDING the Pleasure Orphise took in the Society of Urania, and her amiable Companions, the Impatience fhe had to compleat the Happiness of Alphonfo, made her not hesitate to deny herfelf the Satisfaction of continuing in it. The Sun no fooner appear'd than the arofe, and when drefs'd, took leave of those who on any other Motive would not have fuffer'd her to quit them. After her Departure, they all retired into the Apartment of Julia, where the Converfation ran for some time on the Adventures of Cleodon. FOR my part, faid Orophanes, I can't help thinking there is fomething fupernatural in the Story he related to us; nor can I any way conceive it poffible that a Maid wholly favage, fhould in fo little a Time, and by fuch Means, be render'd so perfect and accomplish'd as he has defcrib'd Felidia. I do not fee, interrupted Felicia, any thing fo extraordinary in that; Felidia was not conceived by a Savage, and tho' born among them, had nothing of their Blood. The Daughter of a French Man, and English Woman; how is it furprizing that Nature fhould conferve its Faculties amidst the Prejudice of fo different an Education? Indeed, added Urania, I find nothing in it but what I can easily re concile concile to Reafon; to me it is more aftonishing, by what means a human Creature finds the Way to tame the Wildness of Lions and Tygers, and make them grow familiar to him. Ir they are not abfolutely familiar, faid Thelamont, 'tis impoffible to render them obedient. Pliny reports, that Mark Anthony was the firft that ever was feen in Rome with his Chariot drawn by Lions, which he had in the Time of the Civil Wars, after the Battle of Pharfalia. The People look'd on this as a kind of Prodigy, which feemed to prefage, that those most fond of Liberty, fhould one Day be obliged to fubmit to the Power of one fole Mafter. And I cannot but believe Mark Anthony would have been that one, had not he by a fatal Paffion fubjected himself to the Yoke of a Woman, who made him lofe all the Glory of his great Actions, the Honour of his Triumphs, his Empire, and at laft his Life. THE Romans, added Alphonfo, were not the only People who took it as an ill Omen, to fee Men fubject to their Command the King of Animals: The Carthaginians had the fame Idea, when Hanno their General first found the Method of training Lions in fuch a Manner, as he could lead them by a fingle Ribbon thro' the Streets, with the fame Facility as Dogs. They inferr'd from this View, that they had every thing to fear from a Man who had the Art to tame thofe furious Beafts : They thought it a much easier Tafk to enflave the Liberty of a People, than to tame Savages; to prevent therefore that Evil, they accufed him on Sufpicion, and order'd him to be banish'd the Republic. CERTAINLY, faid Julia, the People of thofe Times must have little Understanding, to fall into fuch Errors. Do we not fee, every Day, the fierceft Animals brought here, and tamed by Men, the most rude and ignorant that can be? And would it not be a Shame for us to fear any thing from Creatures, that think no farther than the little Profit they make by fhewing thofe Beafts? This Reflection of Julia's, replied Camilla, is pleafant, but I believe it was from the Novelty, that made the Ro G 3 mans mans and Carthaginians draw these Prefages; Hanno and Mark Anthony being the firft they had ever seen, who could ufe Lions in that Manner. But I am perfuaded, that if neither of them had ever practifed this terrible Art, the former had not escaped Banishment, nor the other been lefs charmed with Cleopatra. THE Romans, interrupted Thelamont, were full of Superftition, it must be confefs'd; yet in fpite of that one Error, never People had fo many illuftrious Qualities. I know not one of their good ones, refumed the, that is wanting in you, therefore may venture to reproach you with one of their Faults, which is the Severity with which both they and you feem to treat the Conftancy of Mark Anthony in his Paffion for Cleopatra. I think it not impoffible to prove that fhe is very much wrong'd, when made the Reafon of her Lover's Ruin. Ah, charming Camilla ! refumed Thelamont, that Story is too generally known for you to take her Part. AN the World allows, that but for the Beauties of that ambitious Queen, Mark Anthony had been among the Number of the greateft Men. But is it not poffible, faid she, that without her the fame Misfortunes might have happen'd to him? There is very little Probability that they would, answer'd Florinda; and thô' I know you are of a different Opinion from what you feem, having told me a hundred times, that you cannot conceive how a Man, who knew the World fo well as Mark Anthony, could fuffer himfelf to be impos'd on by a Woman fo practic'd in Deceit; I will relate to you one Paffage between them, which fhall oblige you to Silence in her Defence for the future. AFTER the Battle of Actium, in one of thofe fumptuous Feafts which Cleopatra fo well knew how to make, having taken notice that Mark Anthony had every thing tated before he eat or drank of it; and taking this Caution as a Proof of his Miftruft of her, fhe refolv'd to cure him of it by a Way which I think very extraordinary. It was the Cuftom of thofe Times to wear Chaplets of Flowers on their Heads, whenever they celebrated any Fettival: The Queen of Egypt, who always |