CAMILLA and Florinda had an extreme Pleasure in following them; Celimena, Hortenfia, and Melintas, gave them their Promise of being with them in a little time; and the charming Julia found it no Difficulty to prevail on Orfames, to augment the Number of this amiable Society.

THE Houfe of Urania being the continued Theatre of their Amusements, that beautiful Lady, whofe admirable Discretion had made extremely referv'd before Marriage, making now no Scruple of declaring the Tendernefs the had for Thelamont, gave herfelf an Air of Liberty which added new Graces to thofe with which fhe had been accuftom'd to receive her Friends.

THELAMONT, always amorous, and full of Fire and Spirit, having now obtain'd the Ultimate of his Defires, appear'd more bright and gay than ever; Orophanes and Felicia, in an entire Union, ftill maintain'd a certain Difference of Character, which, without any thing fhocking or offenfive, gave both of them the Opportunity of fhewing their Wit and Vivacity in a thoufand little agreeable and entertaining Difputes, and at the fame tune render'd more vifible the Efteem they had for each other. Camilla and Florinda placing their Happiness in that of their Friends, feem'd to have affum'd new charms, to add to the Felicity of these two amiable Pairs. With these Difpofitions there was no Neceffity for impofing any other Laws than those which were at firft ordain'd among them, and which every one of this agreeable Company agreed to follow.

WHAT was moft particular, was to fee Camilla the first that enter'd the Library: They had no fooner dined, than the repair'd to it with an Eagernefs, which testified that was the Place in which the expected most Satisfaction. The Company, who took notice, with fome Surprize, of this Difpofition in her to Amusements fo different from thofe fhe had been accustomed to make choice of, followed her Steps, regarding her all the time with a profound Silence, refolving to fee how far this unufual Reverie would carry her; nor were they long informing themselves.

CAMILIA

CAMILLA went directly to the Closet where the Books were, without knowing whether she was followed or not, and till rous'd from her deep Mufing, by the fudden Laughter of her Friends, would not have been fenfible that she was not alone in that Place. I must confefs, faid fhe with an obliging Air, that you make Impreffions on the Mind which are not eafily effaced: There was a Time when I should not have preferr'd the Entertainment which this Closet affords, to fome others; and you may judge by this Alteration in my Humour, of how great an Advantage to me have been the Notions you infpired me with, when laft I tafted the Pleasures of this agreeable Solitude. This is an Amusement wholly fpiritual, indeed, reply'd Urania, but I cannot help believing there is fome other Reafon for this Change, befide that to which your Complaifance ascribes it. Camilla is in more Confufion than you imagine, cry'd Florinda laughing; but I conjure you, dear Urania, fpare her for the present. That is as much as to fay, added Julia, that her Thoughtfulness is as much interefted to herself, as her Gaiety is agreeable to us. It has that Appearance, faid Felicia; but as we propofed to give an entire Liberty, let us fet Bounds to our Curiofity, and purfue the Law which Camilla feems defirous fhould be put in Execution, by her conducting us hither.

THE Discretion of Felicia then, faid Orophanes, fhall not prevent us from believing that we shall not be any long time ignorant of what concerns Camilla. No matter, interrupted Thelamont, let us however conform to her Defires, fince her Silence eafily perfuades me, she will not always refufe us her Confidence.

I PROTEST to you, anfwer'd fhe, it is notmy Defign, but you must allow me Time.-Let us read, difcourfe, amufe ourfclves fome other way for the prefent ; and for my Secret, think of it hereafter. We must agree then, faid Orfames, that the Sincerity of the amiable Camilla makes amends for the Mystery fhe involves us in. Yes, added Orophanes, if to be fincere be fufficient for our Satisfaction, it must be confefs'd the charming Camilla has afforded it, fince fhe diely acknowledges A 2

that

that there is a Secret, and that she will not as yet communicate it to us; yet do her Words give Hopes the fome time or other will reveal it. But unless we are aflured, faid Felicia, that she would always retain the fame Intention, I do not fee that we can promise ourfelves any great Certainty of knowing any more than we do already; Sincerity being no other Thing than the Speaking freely what one thinks at prefent; and 'tis a great deal more than barely poffible, Camilla may hereafter not believe it neceffary to fatisfy our Curiofity.

I AM of your Opinion, added Urania, and I know not if it be not better to be guilty of too much Caution than the contrary Extream. It is not to be doubted, faid Thelamont, but that an Excefs of Freedom in Speech is as great a Fault as Diflimulation: Those who fpeak all they think, without Management or Regard of what they fay, may fometimes mingle Detraction with their Sincerity, becaufe no one is certain of always thinking juftly. One ought to use Freedom fo long as it confifts with Good-nature and Probity, but never to fuffer it to pass the Bounds of Civility. But, faid Orfames, if I defire the Advice of a Friend in any Affair of which I am in doubt, and he anfwers me not with Sincerity, and by the Fear of expreffing his Sentiment, mine alfo is puzzled, or led aftray, is it not, in fuch an Occafion, criminal to with-hold his Freedom?

THE Cafe is different, faid Julia, when one confults a Friend in a Matter of Importance, that Teftimony of Confidence ought certainly to engage the fame from him: But that fort of Freedom which Thelamont condemns, is that which, under the Pretence of Sincerity, take upon it to cenfure the Actions of others, and to approve, or to blame whatever is done in the World. People of this fort of Character are dangerous, and when known, ought to be banish'd all Commerce and Society.

THERE is another fort of Society, rejoin'd Orophanes, which in my Judgment is not lefs to be fear'd than the other; which is that which affects to be understood by hard Words, and under the Appearance of Raillery, and as it were, between Jeft and Earneft, tell

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you Truths which are very difobliging, and perhaps of the worft Confequence to be known by thofe before whom they may be spoke.

Ir is true, anfwer'd Thelamont, and this is a Liberty which is fometimes dangerous to thofe that practife it. An Inftance that it is fo, happen'd at Rome in the Time of the Pontificate of Alexander the Seventh, to the famous Caramuel, Bishop of Neal. He had compofed a very learned Treatife, under the Title of Theologia dubia, wherein he propofed fome Questions the moft difficult, and most important in Divinity: He fet down all the Arguments which Atheism and Libertinifm could. object in their greatest Force, and then defired the Men of Learning to communicate to him fome of their Infight, to enable him to answer. This Book made a vast Noife in the Republic of Letters, and those of half Judgment, but perfect Envy, complain'd of him to the Fope, that with a Defign to fubvert Religion, he had put Arms in the Hands of the Enemies to it.

ALEXANDER, prejudiced by thefe Difcourfes, cited the Bishop to Rome, to anfwer for his Conduct: He immediately obey'd the Summons, and on his Arrival went to wait on the Pope, who defign'd no other than to reprimand him in his Chamber; but this Prelate, who had his own Reasons for defiring the Affair might be more public, told him, That as he was a Bishop, that Dignity fet him above fubmitting to juftify himfelf in that Manner, and much more as he was Caramuel, he difdain'd it. He therefore demanded a public Confiftory before whom alone he would yield to anfwer. Alexander confented; and this great Man defended what he had written with fo much Refolution and Learning, that he attracted the Efteem and Admiration of the whole Affembly; and at the breaking up of the Confiftory, the Pope himself cry'd out Nunquam fic locutus eft homo; Words which were heretofore fpoke of the Saviour of the World, on a like Occafion. All Rome was now full of the Learning and Eloquence of Caramuel, and happy did they think themselves, who had heard the Wonders of his Wifdom. The Admiration went fo far, as to adA 3 vife

vife the Pope to give him the Honour of the Sacred College, if he were difpofed to receive it; and finding he was fo, he was immediately fet down in the Lift of the next Promotion: But Caramuel, who before that had never been at Rome, being informed by fome at Court, of the Proceedings of the Cardinals, and the clandeftine Means by which they endeavour'd for the Papal Dignity, aftonish'd at what he heard, cried out, Ifti funt Cardinales Ecclefia? Are fuch as thefe the Pillars of the Church? Alexander being prefently informed of this, and extremely offended, that he fhould utter fuch an Exclamation, tore the Lift, and fuffer'd him to return to his Diocefs with no other Honours than he brought from it.

By this Example one may fee of what Prejudice are thefe Sallies of Sincerity. Had it not been better for Caramuel to have joined to his Eloquence and Wit, a little Diffimulation, than an unfeasonable Profeffion of Freedom, which, while it loft him the Hope of being. one Day a Cardinal, was of no Service to reform the Manners of thofe he thought had need of Correction ?

Ir is a plain Proof, faid Orfames, that Wit and Spirit are not always fufficient Dependencies, and that Prudence is often a Quality to be preferr'd before them.

THE Example of the famous Monfieur de Pibrac, added Urania, confirms what you have faid, Orfames, The Court of France having employ'd him in an Embaffy to the Council of Trent, were highly fatisfied with his Proceedings. He had maintain'd the Intereft of the Crown, and the Glory of the Kingdom, in fuch a Manner, as made him be efteemed a Part of it. Catherine de Medicis, Regent of the Realm, thought fhe could never too greatly reward his Merit; fhe knew no Bounds to the Favour fhe had for him: The Chancellor of France dying, whilft Monfieur de Pibrac was in Languedoc,where the had permitted him to go to fettle fome Affairs, she prefently thought of him as the most proper Man to fill up this great Poft, and commanded her Secretary to fend for him with all Speed. He received the News of his Advancement at Tholoufe, and began to order every thing immediately for his Return to Court; but in the

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