ere was no one Grace wanting, that bears the Standard of
true Beauty. His Hair came down to his Shoulders, by the Aids of Art,
which was by pulling it out with a Quill, and keeping it comb'd; of
which he took particular Care. Nor did the Perfections of his Mind come
short of those of his Person; for his Discourse was admirable upon
almost any Subject: and whoever had heard him speak, would have been
convinced of their Errors, that all fine Wit is confined to the white
Men, especially to those of Christendom; and would have confess'd that
_Oroonoko_ was as capable even of reigning well, and of governing as
wisely, had as great a Soul, as politick Maxims, and was as sensible of
Power, as any Prince civiliz'd in the most refined Schools of Humanity
and Learning, or the most illustrious Courts.

This Prince, such as I have describ'd him, whose Soul and Body were so
admirably adorned, was (while yet he was in the Court of his
Grandfather, as I said) as capable of Love, as 'twas possible for a
brave and gallant Man to be; and in saying that, I have named the
highest Degree of Love: for sure great Souls are most capable of that
Passion.

I have already said, the old General was kill'd by the Shot of an Arrow,
by the Side of this Prince, in Battle; and that _Oroonoko_ was made
General. This old dead Hero had one only Daughter left of his Race,
a Beauty, that to describe her truly, one need say only, she was Female
to the noble Male; the beautiful Black _Venus_ to our young _Mars_; as
charming in her Person as he, and of delicate Virtues. I have seen a
hundred White Men sighing after her, and making a thousand Vows at her
Feet, all in vain and unsuccessful. And she was indeed too great for any
but a Prince of her own Nation to adore.

_Oroonoko_ coming from the Wars (which were now ended) after he had made
his Court to his Grandfather, he thought in Honour he ought to make a
Visit to _Imoinda_, the Daughter of his Foster-father, the dead General;
and to make some Excuses to her, because his Preservation was the
Occasion of her Father's Death; and to present her with those Slaves
that had been taken in this last Battle, as the Trophies of her Father's
Victories. When he came, attended by all the young Soldiers of any
Merit, he was infinitely surpriz'd at the Beauty of this fair Queen of
Night, whose Face and Person were so exceeding all he had ever beheld,
that lovely Modesty with which she receiv'd him, that Softness in her
L