t so many foils to the bright eyes
that flash'd upon 'em at every turn.

A more glorious Troop no occasion ever assembled; all the fair of
Florence, with the most accomplished Cavaliers, were present; and however
Nature had been partial in bestowing on some better Faces than others,
Art was alike indulgent to all, and industriously supplyed those Defects
she had left, giving some Addition also to her greatest Excellencies.
Every body appear'd well shap'd, as it is to be suppos'd, none who were
conscious to themselves of any visible Deformity would presume to come
thither. Their Apparel was equally glorious, though each differing in
fancy. In short, our Strangers were so well bred, as to conclude from
these apparent Perfections, that there was not a Masque which did not at
least hide the Face of a Cherubim. Perhaps the Ladies were not behind
hand in return of a favourable Opinion of them: for they were both well
dress'd, and had something inexpressibly pleasing in their Air and Mien,
different from other People, and indeed differing from one another. They
fansy'd that while they stood together they were more particularly taken
notice of than any in the Room, and being unwilling to be taken for
Strangers, which they thought they were, by reason of some whispering
they observed near them, they agreed upon an hour of meeting after the
company should be broke up, and so separately mingled with the thickest
of the Assembly. Aurelian had fixed his eye upon a Lady whom he had
observ'd to have been a considerable time in close whisper with another
Woman; he expected with great impatience the result of that private
Conference, that he might have an opportunity of engaging the Lady whose
Person was so agreeable to him. At last he perceived they were broke
off, and the 'tother Lady seem'd to have taken her leave. He had taken
no small pains in the mean time to put himself in a posture to accost the
Lady, which, no doubt, he had happily performed had he not been
interrupted; but scarce had he acquitted himself of a preliminary bow
(and which, I have heard him say, was the lowest that ever he made) and
had just opened his Lips to deliver himself of a small Complement, which,
nevertheless he was very big with, when he unluckily miscarried, by the
interposal of the same Lady, whose departure, not long before, he had so
zealously pray'd for: but, as Providence would have it, there was only
some very small matter forgot, which was