roneously identifies this amusing little
piece with Mrs. Behn's _The Lover's Watch_. It is, however, quite
another thing, dealing with a pseudo-Turkish language of love.]

[Footnote 2: i.e., Peter Bellon, Gent. Bellon was an assiduous
hackney writer and translator of the day. He has also left one
comedy, _The Mock Duellist; or, The French Valet_ (4to, 1675).]

THE HISTORY OF _AGNES de CASTRO_.

Tho' Love, all soft and flattering, promises nothing but Pleasures; yet
its Consequences are often sad and fatal. It is not enough to be in
love, to be happy; since Fortune, who is capricious, and takes delight
to trouble the Repose of the most elevated and virtuous, has very little
respect for passionate and tender Hearts, when she designs to produce
strange Adventures.

Many Examples of past Ages render this Maxim certain; but the Reign of
_Don Alphonso_ the IVth, King of _Portugal_, furnishes us with one, the
most extraordinary that History can produce.

He was the Son of that _Don Denis_, who was so successful in all his
Undertakings, that it was said of him, that he was capable of performing
whatever he design'd, (and of _Isabella_, a Princess of eminent Virtue)
who when he came to inherit a flourishing and tranquil State,
endeavour'd to establish Peace and Plenty in abundance in his Kingdom.

And to advance this his Design, he agreed on a Marriage between his Son
_Don Pedro_ (then about eight Years of Age) and _Bianca_, Daughter of
_Don Pedro_, King of _Castile_; and whom the young Prince married when
he arriv'd to his sixteenth Year.

_Bianca_ brought nothing to _Coimbra_ but Infirmities and very few
Charms. _Don Pedro_, who was full of Sweetness and Generosity, lived
nevertheless very well with her; but those Distempers of the Princess
degenerating into the Palsy, she made it her request to retire, and at
her Intercession the Pope broke the Marriage, and the melancholy
Princess conceal'd her Languishment in a solitary Retreat: And _Don
Pedro_, for whom they had provided another Match, married _Constantia
Manuel_, Daughter of _Don John Manuel_, a Prince of the Blood of
_Castile_, and famous for the Enmity he had to his King.

_Constantia_ was promised to the King of _Castile_; but the King not
keeping his word, they made no Difficulty of bestowing her on a young
Prince, who was one Day to reign over a number of fine Provinces. He was
but five and twenty years of Age, and the Man of all _