Juan, without having given or receiv'd a Wound; and that haughty Prince faw himself at the Victor's Mercy: but he, far from making an ill Ufe of his Conqueft, found his Hate fubdued, and his Rage turn'd into Pity, for the Misfortunes of an unhappy Rival; and indeed Don Juan deferv'd his Compaffion. 'Tis true, he acted an ungenerous Part, in ftriving, as it were, to force Leonora, whofe Inclinations were far from authorising his Flame: But this was the first time that he had acted an ungenerous Part; and bating his Pride, which he ow'd not to Nature, but Education, he was an accomplish'd Prince; and the young Murcian, till he knew him for his Rival, had always thought him most worthy of his Friendship. And therefore instead of taking the Advan tage he had gain'd, by freeing himself from a formidable Rival, he look'd earnestly on him: You fee, Don Juan, faid he, Fortune has decided it in my Favour; renounce your Pretenfions to Leonora, and live'. No, reply'd Don Juan, 'tis a Baseness I fcorn: Take my Life therefore; for whilft that remains, I never will 6 renounce the sweet Hopes of poffeffing Leonora. You will dye then, reply'd the Prince?'"Tis all I wifh, anfwer'd Don fuan; for, Leonora once loft, Life would become a Burthen. Happy in this laft Proof of my Conftancy, if Leonora will at 6 length believe I fincerely loved her'! "Twere base, said the 'Prince, to make use of the Advantage Fortune has given me; but fince we cannot both be happy, here Don Juan take your "Sword; once more let us engage for the glorious Prize, and let the Combat be terminated by one of our Deaths only'. Don Juan took the Weapon, but instead of making that use of it the Prince expected, he dropp'd the Point downwards, and leaning on it, appeared in great Agony of Mind. His Pride and Love, his Honour and Generofity were at war within his Breaft, and dreadful was the Conflict. At length the latter overcame: He found himself more difarm'd by this laft Action of the Prince's, than he had been before by his Sword; and therefore gently raifing his Eyes up towards him, whom juft before he beheld with Impatience and Indignation, Shall I, faid he, attempt the Life of one, who juft now gave me mine; far be fuch a villainous 'Defign from me: 'Till this Moment you gave me my Life, I never knew how much I deferv'd Death from your Hands. "You love Leonora ; I am fully convinc'd you are belov'd again: Long may you live each other's Joy and Happiness. As for my

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part, I never will disturb the Felicity of two fuch illuftrious Lovers; but fince to behold Leonora is to admire, I'll fly far 'from this Court, and ftrive to quench my fatal Flame. All that I beg is, you wou'd not quite forget your once belov'd Don Juan; let me ftill be honour'd with your Friendship, and fpite of all my other Misfortunes, I fhall efteem myself happy'.

Who can exprefs the Prince's Joy, when he found he had no thing more to fear from his only formidable Rival; the Admiration rais'd in him by that Greatness of Soul which Don Juan fhew'd, and the Compaffion which he conceiv'd for him? He caught him in his Arms, and bedew'd his Cheeks with Tears. It was a moving Sight to fee the two Princes, the one bewailing the Cruelty of Fate, which forced Don Juan to do himself fo great a Violence; whilft the other thought that all he did was much lefs. than his illuftrious Friend deferv'd.

After having fwore eternal Friendship to each other, they parted. Don Juan determin'd not to return to Granada, knowing the Duke his Father would enquire into the Caufe of fo unexpected a Refolution; and therefore he determin'd to travel throughout Spain, hoping that the Multiplicity of Objects, and Variety of Accidents Travellers meet with, might, if not root out, at leaft divert his Paffion.

Mean while the Prince of Murcia, instead of being overjoy'd at his Succefs, was bury'd in Grief; he was now grown cool, and had Leifure to reflect on what had happen'd. When Don Juan came in to the Princefs's Apartment, he was follow'd by fome, who too plainly faw their different Confufions, and guefs'd at what would be the Confequence, which Don Juan's Retirement from Court did but too evidently confirm. He knew what Noife an Adventure of this kind would make in the World; he fear'd fome bufy Tongues might even dare to cenfure Leonora on this Occafion; he thought in driving the Prince of Granada from Court, he had confulted his own Intereft more than that of his Princefs. After a thoufand Doubts and Fears, he determin'd to retire from Court; but thought it cruel to leave his Princefs in a State of Uncertainty, and ignorant both of Don Juan's and of his Fate. He therefore wrote her a Letter, in which he gave her a faithful Account of all that had happen'd, and fent it by a Servant in whom he could confide. Leonora was overjoy'd to find berfelf freed from Don Juan, and tranfported to fee the tender

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Regard the Prince of Murcia fhew'd for her. 'Generous Prince, cry'd fhe, thou haft triumph'd over a Rival, and by that Triumph fecur'd thy Happiness; and yet thou art afraid that the Excefs of thy Love has render'd thee unworthy of mine! How couldft thou be guilty of fuch a Fear? What Reason hadft thou to apprehend Leonora's Refentment? Nothing in your late Combat could offend me, but the Danger to which you expos'd your felf for my fake'. These were Leonora's Sentiments on this Occafion; and unwilling the Prince fhould be ignorant of 'em, the anfwer'd his Letter with that Frankness and Sincerity with which fhe had firft own'd her Paffion.

The fearful Lover was overjoy'd at the kind Affurances he receiv'd from his Princefs; and determin'd, tho' he left the Court, to be at no great Distance from it. He therefore got himself a private Lodging in the Neighbourhood of Saratra, a Royal Palace, two Leagues diftant from Seville; where his whole time was spent in the adjoining Woods, thinking of his dear Leonora, and the Happiness of being belov'd by her. On the other hand, the Princefs fpent her time in a very retired manner, having no Relish for any Pleasures, but that of perpetually reflecting on the many and heroick Qualities of the Murcian Prince.

The Lover spent a confiderable time in this Place without daring to write to his Mistress; and had he done it, he would inevitably have betray'd himself; for the Duke was grown very jealous of his Daughter; he thought her Behaviour towards Don Juan had forced him to leave the Court, and feared to guefs at the Occafion of the other Prince's retiring. His Sufpicions very much difquieted Leonora ; and this join'd to the cruel Abfence of her Lover, from whom the never heard, impair'd her Health to fuch a degree, that the Duke thought fit to fend her to Saratra for the Recovery of her Health. Her greatest Pleasure there was walking every Evening in the Grove, where fhe enjoy'd Silence and Liberty. One Evening having walk'd farther than ufual, accompany'd only by her Favourite Maid Ifabella, (the rest of her Attendants waiting out of fight, tho' within Call) fhe fat her down, and made Ifabella do the like; who having often wonder'd at her Melancholy, took the Liberty to enquire into the Caufe of it. The Princess had try'd, and knew her to be faithful; and reflecting that if she had the Liberty of venting her Paffion fometimes, it would fit lighter on her Heart, fhe frankly told Isabella all that has been before related.

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The tender Maid was mov'd with Compaffion at the Sufferings of her Mistress; but as fhe thought it her Duty, fhe exhorted Leonora wholly to banish the Prince from her Thoughts; fhe reprefented to her, that a Princefs was to facrifice her own private Intereft to that of the Publick, to whom he was accountable for all her Actions. Oh, my dear Ifabella, reply'd the Princefs; the first moment I faw the Prince, I loft the Power of making any fuch Reflections; my Reafon fuggefted a thousand things in his Behalf, but not one against him. Nor do I condemn my Love; far from it, I condemn thofe, who in like Cafe have not Virtue enough to own it: For 'tis not because the Prince has more Beauty, or more Wit, than other Men, that I love him; 'tis his Heart I admire; his nice, generous, difinterested and refpectful Love; and I thought my Generofity oblig'd to repay it to the utmost of my Power. Always attentive to my Glory, and indifferent to his own Happiness; nothing but what relates to my Felicity, or the Eclat of my Virtue, can touch him. Could I poffibly fee fo much Merit, and not esteem it? Could I be fenfible of fuch perfect Love, and not return it? And therefore, my dear Ifabella, my Paffion is none of those which Time or Abfence can leffen. Ah, why must I be con' demn'd never to fee him more! Perhaps he doubts my Conftancy; perhaps he fears the Decrease of my Love'

Leonora had not yet done fpeaking, when the Prince coming from behind the Trees, where he had stood conceal'd, threw himfelf at her Feet. Oh my Princefs, cry'd he, is there a Man upon Earth fo happy as myfelf! I only pay you a Homage, ⚫ which the whole World would be forced to pay; and you make me happier than the whole World put together'.

Who can defcribe the Surprize, the Joy, the Tranfport of the Princess at fo unexpected a Meeting. At first fhe continued in Silence, eloquent Silence, far more expreffive than Words could be. At length fhe recovered the Ufe of her Speech. How great is the Joy, my dear Prince, faid fhe, of finding you again! but alas, how fhort-liv'd may that Joy be! If this Meeting be known, we shall be parted, never to fee each other more'. Never to fee each other more! reply'd the Prince: Let but my Princess give me Leave to fee her, and nothing on Earth fhall hinder me from it. Yes, I will fee you, my divine Princefs, as often as your Glory and Felicity fhall require it. I defpife all DanC gers,

gers, all Misfortunes that may threaten; I fhall ftill conquer em, whilft Leonora wishes I may '.

I will not pretend to defcribe their Conversation, or the Pleafure it afforded them: Let every one who has experienc'd the Paffion, judge in Proportion to the Sentiments he is capable of. It will be fufficient to fay, that Pleasures are boundless in the Hearts of thofe, who fet no Bounds to their Love.

Leonora faw her Lover every Day, and every Day afforded fresh Joys; but their Happiness was too great to continue. Leonora receiv'd fudden and pofitive Orders from her Father immediately to quit Saratra, and to return to Seville. She gave the Prince notice of it; adding, fhe feared they were betray'd, and begg'd him to leave a Place where doubtlefs he had been difcover'd.

Leonora's Suggestions were well grounded: A Servant of hers, whom Don Juan had formerly bribed into his Intereft, fufpected and watched the Princefs, difcover'd the whole Truth, and gave notice of it to the Duke. This occafion'd him to recal the Princefs, whom he accus'd of loving the Prince of Murcia. She gloried too much in her Paffion to disguise it; and therefore ingenuously related to her Father all that paffed, not forgetting the Combat of the two Princes. But her Sincerity was far from having the Effect it deferv'd; the Duke was inflam'd with Anger, bid her prepare herself for a long Journey, being determin'd to part the two Lovers, without giving Leonora an Opportunity of any ways informing the Prince where fhe was. As foon as every thing was ready, he carried her directly to the Ifle of Gades in his Territories, being willing to have the Sea between her and the Murcian Prince; who foon after her Departure came privately to Seville, if poffible to fee her; but, to his Surprize, he found the had quitted the Place, and tho' he used his utmost Endeavours to get the best Informations he could, yet was he not able to learn. into what Part of the World his dear Princefs was convey'd.

This Novel being too long to be inferted in this Mercury, we must refer our Readers for the Sequel of it to our next.

* Now call'd Cadiz, and by the Vulgar Cales.

POETI