r with
Age or Anger, I know not, but she fancy'd the last) almost repented she
had said so much, for now she fear'd the Storm would fall on the Prince;
she therefore said a thousand Things to appease the raging of his Flame,
and to prepare him to hear who it was with Calmness: but before she
spoke, he imagin'd who she meant, but would not seem to do so, but
commanded her to lay aside her Mantle, and suffer herself to receive his
Caresses, or, by his Gods he swore, that happy Man whom she was going to
name should die, tho' it was even _Oroonoko_ himself. _Therefore_
(said he) _deny this Marriage, and swear thyself a Maid. That_ (reply'd
_Imoinda_) _by all our Powers I do; for I am not yet known to my
Husband. 'Tis enough_ (said the King) _'tis enough both to satisfy my
Conscience and my Heart._ And rising from his Seat, he went and led her
into the Bath; it being in vain for her to resist.

In this Time, the Prince, who was return'd from Hunting, went to visit
his _Imoinda_, but found her gone; and not only so, but heard she had
receiv'd the Royal Veil. This rais'd him to a Storm; and in his Madness,
they had much ado to save him from laying violent Hands on himself.
Force first prevail'd, and then Reason: They urg'd all to him, that
might oppose his Rage; but nothing weigh'd so greatly with him as the
King's old Age, uncapable of injuring him with _Imoinda_. He would give
Way to that Hope, because it pleas'd him most, and flatter'd best his
Heart. Yet this serv'd not altogether to make him cease his different
Passions, which sometimes rag'd within him, and soften'd into Showers.
'Twas not enough to appease him, to tell him, his Grandfather was old,
and could not that Way injure him, while he retain'd that awful Duty
which the young Men are us'd there to pay to their grave Relations. He
could not be convinc'd he had no Cause to sigh and mourn for the Loss of
a Mistress, he could not with all his Strength and Courage retrieve, and
he would often cry, 'Oh, my Friends! were she in wall'd Cities, or
confin'd from me in Fortifications of the greatest Strength; did
Inchantments or Monsters detain her from me; I would venture thro' any
Hazard to free her; But here, in the Arms of a feeble old Man, my Youth,
my violent Love, my Trade in Arms, and all my vast Desire of Glory,
avail me nothing. _Imoinda_ is as irrecoverably lost to me, as if she
were snatch'd by the cold Arms of Death: Oh! she is never to be
retrieved. If I would