a maze of Thought, when she started to find
her self so lost to her Reason, and would have trod back again that path
of deluding Fancy; accusing her self of Fondness, and inconsiderate
Easiness, in giving Credit to the Letter of a Person whose Face she never
saw, and whose first Acquaintance with her was a Treachery, and he who
could so readily deliver his Tongue of a Lye upon a Surprize, was scarce
to be trusted when he had sufficient Time allow'd him to beget a Fiction,
and Means to perfect the Birth.

How did she know this to be Aurelian, if he were? Nay farther, put it to
the Extremity, What if she should upon farther Conversation with him
proceed to Love him? What Hopes were there for her? Or how could she
consent to Marry a Man already Destined for another Woman? nay, a Woman
that was her Friend, whose Marrying with him was to compleat the happy
Reconciliation of Two Noble Families, and which might prevent the
Effusion of much Blood likely to be shed in that Quarrel: Besides, she
should incurr share of the Guilt, which he would draw upon him by
Disobedience to his Father, whom she was sure would not be consenting to
it.

'Tis strange now, but all Accounts agree, that just here Leonora, who had
run like a violent Stream against Aurelian hitherto, now retorted with as
much precipitation in his Favour. I could never get any Body to give me
a satisfactory reason, for her suddain and dextrous Change of Opinion
just at that stop, which made me conclude she could not help it; and that
Nature boil'd over in her at that time when it had so fair an Opportunity
to show it self: For Leonora it seems was a Woman Beautiful, and
otherwise of an excellent Disposition; but in the Bottom a very Woman.
This last Objection, this Opportunity of perswading Man to Disobedience,
determined the Matter in Favour of Aurelian, more than all his
Excellencies and Qualifications, take him as Aurelian, or Hippolito, or
both together.

Well, the Spirit of Contradiction and of Eve was strong in her; and she
was in a fair Way to Love Aurelian, for she lik'd him already; that it
was Aurelian she no longer doubted, for had it been a Villain, who had
only taken his Name upon him for any ill Designs, he would never have
slip'd so favourable an Opportunity as when they were alone and in the
Night coming through the Garden and broad Space before the Piazza. In
short, thus much she resolv'd, at least to conceal the Knowledge she had
of him, as he