THE AMOURS OF THE Sultana of Barbary. A NOVEL. IN TWO PARTS. The Story finished.  
Licenced, Octob. 8. 1689.  
ROB. MIDGLEY.  
LONDON, Printed; and are to be sold by R. Baldwin in the Old Bailie, 1689.   

THE AMOURS OF THE Sultana of Barbary.  
The First Part.  
ACMAT (the Grand Signior) who succeeded Mahomet III was the best-made Man in his whole Empire. He was tall, had a goodly Mien, full of Majesty and Grandeur; his Eyes were black, large, and rolled with a sparkling Fire: The Air of his Face was noble and commanding. and whenever he spoke, it softened into a thousand Sweetnesses; His Soul was much more agreeable than his Person, though it was a received opinion, it was not to his Quality he owed the number of those that called him the goodliest Man that had been form. He was exactly made for a great Lover and a fine Gentleman; his Success amongst the Ladies made it evident, and the care he took to make his Court to the fair Sex had been seldom in vain.  
Indamora, by him created Sultana of Barbary, had found how to fix his Heart; for though he had continued some years amorous of the fair Homira, to whom he gave the Title of Sultana, yet had a thousand Passions intervened, and she was constrained to suffer Rivals; yet she retained the Sovereignity, and the great Acmat held himself obliged to be constant to none but her; till Time, which perfects all things, let him see that Homira did not deserve so much from him, and that Amurath, a private Gentleman, but beautiful as an Angel; possessed the favourable Inclinations of that Sultana, whilst the Sultan had nothing but her Person, and that too but in part.  
She was tall, and had an unexpressible Grandeur accompanied all she did; her Eyes were beyond the power of being defined, her whole Features admirable, and one of the finest made Faces that had perhaps ever been seen. She deserved the Epithet of a great Beauty, and exceeded what is properly called so.  
'Tis a truth, she had loved the Sultan before he was so; but Ambition, which was her predominant Passion, (whilst she yet set some bounds to her Luxury) did not permit her to tell it him; but as soon as Destiny had determined the Fate of Mahomet III. and that Acmat was actual Possessor of the Ottoman Empire, she made appear that the first day he could call the Sceptre his, she became his also.  
Acmat very well saw he owed the Possession of the Person of Homira (though not to her Inclinations) to his Crowns; and though he was accustomed never to let those niceties disturb him, yet he could have wished she had not let the World see she gave the Monarch what she denied the Lover, since it carried this disadvantage with it, an encouragement to all that adored her. It was very well seen her transporting desires to please herself; she was extreme sensual, and sacrificed all things to Pleasure; her Ambition was crowned, and all she endeavours is to persuade the Grand Signior of her tenderness, and to gratify her Inclinations.  
But that Restraint which she for some years had put upon them, on purpose to secure the Esteem of the Sultan, she began to grow weary of; and she abandoned herself to almost all the vast number that adored her.  
The Sultan, who passionately loved her, passed over Faults too gross for any to continue in his favour that had been guilty of them, and was, beyond her expectation, (infinitely beyond her deserts) indulgent, would believe nothing to her disadvantage, and if he at all minded her of her ill conduct, it was after a manner so obliging as if he believed she could do nothing that deserved reproving.  
It was much about this time when the young Amurath came to Court. He had received from the Sultan that extreme Grace, to kiss the Hand of the Sultana Queen; he came to her Apartments in the Seraglio in order to it. The Queen was not yet come into the Chamber of Presence. Homira attended her there; and when the young Amurath appeared, she presently had designs upon his Heart. As for what concerned him, he was wholly amazed to see a Woman so perfectly beautiful as Homira: She was dressed gloriously, and in so attractive a manner, that Amurath, hastily advancing, fell before her on his Knees, and treated her as if he had believed her the Sultana Queen, (by the Majesty of her Mien.) This so very well satisfied Homira's humour, that she was going to say something very obliging to him, when that the Sultana Queen entering prevented her: She withdrew from the presence; and Amurath (when he came to Court, came with a design to establish an interest there,) followed her as soon as he had ended his Court to the Sultana Queen.  
This mistake made a great noise, and was much for Amurath's Advantage, Homira not much valuing a discreet Lover, but a passionate and a brave: 'tis true, he ran the risk of the Sultan's displeasure, but he was of opinion he ought to do no less, before he could be called to the possession of so beautiful a Princess as Homira. He believed Writing to her was what he ought to do, and in that Consideration he sent her this Letter.  
IF the Mistake I made was for my disadvantage, consider, if you please, fair Homira, if you are not a Queen, 'tis an Injustice done to your Merit; accuse cruel Fortune, and not Amurath, who, were it in his power, would not delay making what he then believed you. Let me conjure you, fair Sultana, to permit me speak with you this Evening at your own Apartments; for never was there one more adored you, (or more passionately desired you to live with me as if you were assured of it) than  
Amurath.  
Considering the Fame Homira had in the world, this Letter was not writ with too much precaution; but she was of a great Quality (having married a very noble Turk) before she had the Title of Sultana, which her being Mistress to the Grand Signior acquired her, had she been less kind she had certainly been just to her Monarch; but her inclinations were favourable, and her Ruin inevitable. She received the Letter with an unexpressible Joy, and with her accustomed manner of Writing when she designs to oblige, she made this return.  
YOur mistake was for me too glorious, and too advantageous to you to expect any thing besides Acknowledgement; you were not form ever to be disappointed in any thing you desire: The Sultan leaves me at 10 a Clock; I will then expect you, to assure you, nor your Conduct nor your Person has displeased  
Homira.  
Amurath failed not to be at the Assignation at the pointed hour; he found the Sultana as meltingly kind as she had been to a great many others, but Amurath is more happy than all; she will abandon those she before treated favourably, and will give herself up entirely to her Sultan and her dear Amurath.  
Whilst Homira had thus disposed of herself, Mustapha, Brother to the Sultan, (matchless for Valour and Conduct) returned from gaining a glorious Victory. His Success was alone derived from his Governing; and never was a great Prince a better Soldier: He had early all the experience of a brave General, and never could the great Acmat commit the Sasety and the Glory of his Empires to a better Manager. Success constantly followed all his Designs, and it was said of him He was the best of Soldiers and the best of Subjects; nor did his warlike humour render him unfit for other things, he was a great Courtier and a great Statesman. Homira believed it her Interest to make him hers; she employed all her Cunning to effect it, and though at first she only designed him her Friend, she at length (maugre her Passion for Amurath, and common Policy) resolved him her Lover. It was impossible for her to fail, when she endeavoured any thing of that nature; yet the Prince was easily o'ercome with an opinion of her Love to him, and her dazzling Charms: He took her to his Arms, and suffered himself to bury there the reflection of the Crime he committed in injuring a Brother such as Acmat (and in such a sensible manner.) In all probability Mustapha had ever loved her, had he not learned by some what a Reputation she had. His Inclinations are virtuous, and he could not endure to see himself fond of a Woman that deserved rather Contempt. He lost his steem for her, and was seeking for some Pretext to break with her without her seeing he desired it: He believed it was best the Quarrel should begin on her part, but whilst he is at a loss how to give her an occasion of it, as if undesignedly, there was an accident fell out that ever after made her his Enemy.  
He was once in her Cabinet, and caressing her with all the sweetness imaginable, and on the point of receiving some testimonies of her Passion, when the Sultan entered. Mustapha was surprised, and in a confused manner retired. Aomat was extremely disordered: He did not expect to find a Rival in the Prince his Brother; he said little to the Sultana, but retired ill-humoured and irresolved.  
Mustapha saw his Ruin inevitable, but endeavours must be used to prevent it, if possible: Either the Prince or the Sultana must be disgraced. It was easy to be resolved who ought to suffer. Mustapha hated an ill Action, and yet unwilling as he was to sacrifice Homira, he acknowledged her unworthy a place in the Sultan's esteem, (how then one so large as she possessed in his heart?) He calls to his aid Mahomet Bassa, Grand Visier, who had raised Homira to what she was; the Title of Sultana was given at his Desire; she had promised him her Favours if he could procure it for her. He was passionately in Love, and did what she commanded; she is the Sultana Homira, but very treacherous; she denies to reward his Love and his Care, contemns him, and in a word uses him so, that from her passionate Lover he became her most mortal Enemy. Amurath had been brought to Court by him, with a design to ruin this ungrateful: He had placed Spies on all her Actions, and was extremely pleased, he could save Mustapha from ruin by exposing her. He bids the Prince endeavour his own safety; that if he were so fatally generous as to offer his own Life for ransoming a faithless Woman's, after such a Sacrifice she would but triumph over his Weakness. In short, he disposes the Prince to a Preservation of himself. He was once informed by the Grand visier, that Amurath was then with Homira, Mahomet Bassa tells him, that he ought not to neglect so favourable an opportunity of reconciling himself to the Sultan: Mustapha goes then to the great Acmat, let's him see how ill he did to disgrace him for an infamous Woman, and pursuing that Point, brought the Grand Signior to listen to him at length, and following that Advantage, with another, made him pass to the Sultana's Lodgings, where Amurath was found with Homira, in a place the Sultan allowed none besides himself to be in.  
She being thus discovered, cast herself at the feet of her injured Monarch, but he was too sensibly touched at her perfidiousness, to be moved at any thing she could say or do: He left her drowned in despair, in anger and Grief, he carried Mustapha with him from her Apartments, and began there to acquiesce with the Prince, and blame himself for loving an infamous Woman, and one that abandoned herself to all sorts of Criminal and Scandalous Passions; his Resentments terminated in having no more esteem for Homira, and in disgrace Amurath.  
The Grand Visier was revenged on the Sultana Homira, the Sultan has left loving her, and, to all appearance, has entirely abandoned her, but he was not assured he should do so for ever; Mahomet Bassa was acquainted perfectly with his Humour, he forgets Injuries the soon of any Man alive, and might, perhaps, in favour of Homira, lose the Remembrance of her Infamy. But Mahomet Bassa will prevent that by all the ways can be thought on, there is a very fair Christian Slave taken, he ransoms her, and places her with the Sultana Queen, in a Station so advantageous for his Designs, that as often as the Sultan came out of that side, he must of necessity see her; she was of a good Stature, finely shaped, prettily turned and Gentile, her Face little, but all over Charms, fine sweet Eyes, a pretty Mouth, good Teeth, and an Air so peculiar to herself, that tho' Detraction had very little to say of the rest, yet that engaged beyond all things, so innocently sweet, so guiltless of Cunning and design, and yet none has more than she, that the Sultan would often say, she was a Miracle in nature; he loses his Liberty as soon as he sees her; he employs Mahomet Bassa to tell her of the Conquest, and that she might be assured the Ottoman Emperor was ready to lay his Crowns at her Feet, (as great a Monarch as he was,) if she commanded it.  
The Grand Visier was full of Joy at the Success that attended his Designs; he will know the History, and the Quality, the Merit, as well as the Beauty, of his Captive, before he puts his Interest with hers; not but the Sultan's Approbation and Passion for her was enough to secure him; but he will know if he finds her ready to follow all he shall advise, if she will, than he is the absolute Monarch of the Sultan, since it was the Humour of that Monarch to let himself be governed by the Woman he loves, the Grand Visier believes it necessary for his Designs, that he should be acquainted with the Life of Indamora, (for so was the fair Christian called,) she had confusedly related to him some of the particulars when he first ransomed her, but that does not satisfy, he goes to her then, conjures her to give him that Satisfaction, since he assured her it was for both their Interests, he should be ignorant of nothing that concerned her; after some Excuses and Denials, she assents, and gives him this following Relation.  

The History of Indamora.  
YOu persuade me, my Lord, by so powerful a way, that I must resolve to make you acquainted with all my Weaknesses: To begin then, I am the Daughter of a Germane, my Father was more obliged to the Gifts of Nature, than those of Fortune; however, he was a good Gentleman, and lived esteemed by all, his Humour retired, and we, in complaisance to it, shared his Solitude with him: I will not tell you I was naturally pleased with it, but since I saw no way to get myself out of it, I acquiesced.  
I had not long lived in an Age capable of distinguishing things of such a nature, when I became in Love with Alcander, one of the most Illustrious of the Kingdom, and Son to the Emperor's Sister, who had married herself to one of her Brother's Subjects; her unfortunate Marriage was never forgiven her, but oppressed with the fatal Anger of his Imperial Majesty: She died full of Royal Grief and Sorrow, in Travail with Alcander; him she had espoused loved her too tenderly to survive her long, but, after having mourned her loss, he followed her in a very little time. Alcander being thus left to the Mercy of an incensed King, was, in all appearance, to run a most deplorable Fortune; but the Emperor's Anger being dead with his Sister, the Princess, ordered a great Care should be taken of the Royal Orphan, and gave command to have him brought up and educated as his own Son, loaded him with Titles, and, as soon as he was capable of them, he gave him great Employs. I am going to tell you how it was I first saw him, which was almost admirable in a Life so retired, so free from Court as mine: He was a fine Man, well shaped, of a good height, when I first knew him, which was when he was very young, his Soul was extreme Amorous, had a great share of Inconstancy; but where he loved, it was with the greatest fervency imaginable; the Emperor was Hunting one day in a Wood joining our House, which was seated very commodious for that sort of Diversion, Alcander was then with him, and having seen me at a great Window I had thrown open for the better seeing the Court pass; he seemed not displeased with me, but alighting from his Horse hastily, he caused himself to be conducted by my Servants to the place where I was; 'tis not easy to define the Surprise this Action gave me; however, I was infinitely charmed with his good Mien, his Wit, and his Address; he found my Inclinations did not agree with that sort of Life, he talked tenderly, I was in an Age wherein I believed all that fell from his enchanting Tongue was true; I began to feel a Passion for him, and, after he had a thousand times sighed for my sake in one hour, I was sensible of a pleasing Fire he had inspired me with; I gave way for him to endeavour the bringing me to Court, which he conjured me to agree to; and, when he retired, after a many Protestations of Admiration, he bade me be assured, I had in him not only a great Friend, but a great Lover: This Confession drew some Blushes from me. But the following day he came again to visit me, than it was I lost my Liberty, for in that fatal hour I made no difficulty to own I loved him; I valued not to be discreet, there is no such thing in Love, but I made it all the Business of my Life to be ever telling him my Passion. I saw all his Actions with Pleasure, there was an agreeable Enchantment in them, I repined not at the freedom I had lost, nor to have been as great as Heaven is high, would have been unacquainted with him again. It was thus agreeably I passed some of my Life; nor envied I Monarches in my retirement, when e'er Alcander shared it with me; but as the place I lived in was so distant from the Court, that Alcander's Attendance on the Emperor prevented him from seeing me as often as he desired, he placed me with the Archdutchess his Imperial Majesty's Daughter; I was with her in a very glorious Station, and though in a place where all sorts of Diversion were in use, I esteemed it but as it gave me the greater Liberty to see Alcander; and, to often assure him of my Passion, I writ it to him, I told it to him in a Language tender and moving; I easily believed all this would satisfy him, but when he had seen to what a height my Passion soared, and that he was dearer a thousand times to me than I had ever been to him, he triumphed over my Weakness, and, losing all manner of Respect, by the opinion he had I could deny him nothing, he courted me for my undoing; I received the first cruel Proposals of my ruin with a terrible Emotion, and with such Disdain, that Alcander durst not urge me further; but the following day sent me this Letter.  
YOU are certainly the falsest of all Women; How is it you tell me you Love me, and yet use me as if I was the remotest Man in all your Kindness? Is it your part to pretend to Virtue, and I know not what fantastical Chimeras, and at the same moment tell me you know how to Love well? Ah! Indamora, change these barbarous Sentiments, and assure yourself I will never see you again, whilst you continue in them: I had much rather live for ever from you, without hope, than live for ever with you, and not dare to tell you, you must consider nor endeavour nothing, but how to please the Man you say has all your Tenderness.  
I swooned at the reading of this Letter, and was just recovered as Alcander entered; he flew to me, and, receiving me in his Arms, he whispered so many fatal, poisoning, charming Things, that I had no longer the power to be angry with him; he protested he could not see me, and not desire to be the happiest Man Breathing, when it was in the Power of a Woman, that loved him, to make him so: I know not, Love is an unaccountable Madness, I dreaded, of all things, the never seeing him more, it was that Consideration vanquished me, (and, oh Gods!) in that fatal moment I promised and appointed him the following day, he seemed transported at the Grant, he blessed the Heavens, the Gods and me, and retired with so much Joy, that the Pleasure I took in pleasing him, surmounted all my other Fears; and I, in short, resolved to make him that happy Man he said, though at the expense of my own Ease, and the Joy of my coming Life; I very well saw I gave him what I should eternally repent of, but those in Love have no Consideration, but what is agreeable to that Passion; but though I had abandoned all the Care of myself, the Gods retained theirs for me, and saved my Honour then, from dying in the Arms of Alcander. I was to attend that night the Archdutchess to a great Ball the Empress made, after it was ended, and that the Company began to be more chosen, the Prince told her Imperial Majesty a Story to divert her, so like that I had with Alcander, that I knew not what to do to hid my Confusion; it was of one of the Women of Quality, and the Emperor's youngest Son; the Prince had ruined and exposed her, and very barbarously suffered the Prince of Germany his Brother, to divert the Empress with the recital of the Amour; the Lady was so extremely condemned by all that were present, that I then took Resolutions quite contrary to those before; I saw, (by a kind of Miracle,) how much a Woman's Honour and Virtue ought to be esteemed above all things, and in the Assurance I could ever continue in the same Opinion, I writ this Note to Alcander.  
The Archdutchess has commanded me to attend her to morrow at the same time I appointed you; there is no Denials to be made her, it is not after that manner she must be treated. Adieu, and believe I Love you above every thing, but the desire I have to make you happy.  
I was constrained to use Dissimulation; I was really meritorious of pity; I loved Alcander, and could not live without telling it him; I believed I could ever pretend Business, and by that continue myself dear to him, since it should appear wholly out of my Power to gratify him: Had I been less in Love, I should have taken Resolutions very different from these; I would have learned him a design I had then entertained, of never seeing him again, if I could not do it without prejudicing my Honour and Virtue; but I, all Passion, could not bear a Separation so cruel, but lulled him on with false hopes, and promised him all, without a design to perform any thing.  
Alcander believed nothing of my Excuse, and thought I had only broke my Promise, because I had no mind to keep it; he would, however, come to the Lodgings of the Archdutchess, where he was satisfied I was gone; we met in the great Antichamber, How do you use me! said he softly to me; you Love me little, or Duty had not thus prevailed; you see me here by the Orders of my Princess. Replied I unconcernedly, But are you not satisfied I attend her when she commands it; you take little Care, pursued I, of any but yourself; Do not you see, if I had disobeyed, the reason I should have had for it would have been inquired into; and in a Court, like this, a great deal of Precaution sometimes avails but little; those in my Circumstances cannot be careful enough. Ah! interrupted Alcander, with a profound Sigh, You talk as if you did not Love me; I very well see with how much Faithlesness you have used me; it is not my Fault, if I am revenged, nor can you be angry at it. He retired here, with a gloomy Melancholy; and I, quitting the Apartments of the Archdutchess, came to my own, sunk in Grief and in despair; I put myself to Bed, had it given out I was ill, and accordingly I was visited on the morrow; amongst those that came to see me, the Chief of the Religious made one, by that place he had the Title of a Prince; he was not at all made for Ecclesiastical Affairs, but it being one of the greatest Place in the Kingdom, the Emperor bestowed it on Tiridate Agustus, extremely in his Favour; this Prince having Authority from the Place, he possessed, to do almost any thing, stayed till the rest of the Company was all retired, and throwing himself on his Knees by my Bed, he proceeded thus, You ought not to wonder, fair Indamora, at the Confession of my Passion; I am on the point of making you; I have very long loved you, but I very well knew, the ungrateful Alcander had alone all your Tenderness, and, in a word, the Possession of your Heart. Yes, Madam, I am now encouraged, since he no longer merits any thing, but scorn and contempt from you: He has, like a Villain, given me all your Letters, with a Command to tell you, he is no longer yours; and that all the Favour ever he desires of you, is to burn those you have of his, that the World might not be a Witness of his Passion, for an ungrateful and a faithless Woman. But, continued the Prince, seeing me all in Tears, 'tis he alone is the ingrateful and perfidious; I esteem you too much, to let you persevere in an Engagement with one so undeserving and barbarous; and, continuing with a great Sigh, and an extraordinary emotion of Passion, had it been to Agustus the Divine Indamora had given those Favours, there should nothing have exacted a Confession from him, I know better what is due to my God and my Fair, etc. He accompanied these last words with so many Marks of a great Passion, that I, enraged with Alcander, and pleased with the Person and the Tenderness of the Prince, suffered him to continue; he believed my silence was advance enough, and took so much Encouragement from it, as to ask for himself what I had denied Alcander; I was so enraged at that Faithless Man, that I believed I could revenge myself no way so perfectly, as by favouring Agustus beyond him; it was this consideration made me give the Prince whatever he could desire; 'tis very true, I had in my Arms a Man infinitely agreeable, so made to charm a Woman's Heart, that none, but I, could have denied him mine, but the hour was not yet come that he should possess that. I still loved Alcander, and must look on him as the cause of all my Ruin; it was, to be revenged on him, that I abandoned my Honour, and suffered myself to be undone by a Man I then only esteemed; 'tis true, had I never seen Alcander, I should have loved Agustus, but the Prince had nothing of my Tenderness, though he possessed, and, in a word, enjoyed me.  
It was thus we lived for some time, I continued my feigned Indisposition, and the Prince augmented his Passion, and his Care, for me; he very well saw he had not yet my Love, he used all his Address to gain it; I made all he did agreeable to me, and began to see, I should be ungrateful, if I continued to deny him my Heart; what I had done in an opinion it would enrage Alcander, I, too late, found proved quite contrary; and if I will believe a Letter with his Name, which I received, you shall see by it he was pleased with my favouring the Prince.  
Can you imagine, inconstant, faithless, Indamora, that I ever took your Denials for a Virtue? No, the event has let me see, nothing is impossible; the Prince, after I had acquainted him with my just Quarrel against you, confessed himself in Love; I have a great deal of Friendship, and very easily promised him my Assistance, I gave him all your Letters, bid him employ them to his best Advantage, and, in short, endeavour to be more happy than I could be. You know the rest, Madam, I have only to assure you, I am extremely satisfied at the good Fortune of my Friend, and conjure you to believe, that I am so.  
I gave this Letter to the Prince to read, and, extremely enraged at the discovering to his Friend my favouring of him, commanded him to retire, and see me no more, till I could be reconciled to him; I removed from the Court, for some short time, under pretext of change of Air; I took up a Resolution of never believing, what a Man could say again, but resolved, with myself, to use them all as ill as they had done me, and returned full of the designs; but I cannot tell, how I altered; the Prince had often writ to assure me of his Passion, and implore my Pardon; I was really displeased with him, but the extreme Graces of his Soul, and his Person, inclined me to some pity for him, and, at length, to a sense of Tenderness; I pardoned him, and transported him with it, he certainly loved me, for never was one more fuller of Joy, to be reconciled to me, and I steadfastly believed, had not the Law forbidden him to the contrary, I should have become his Wife. Mean time I saw Alcander in public Places, and it grew very difficult for me judge, which I loved best, the Prince or him; I found I could live without his Conversation, which before I could never have believed; his sullen Humour was one of his greatest Graces, and gloomy and Melancholy as he was, when I appeared, served as no disadvantage to him.  
Tiridate Agustus was, by the Emperor, commanded from Court about some private Business, that employed him two months; he deplored his Absence from me very often in his Letters, which were always writ in a Style so tender and moving, that I was almost as much charmed with them, as with his Person.  
Alcander could yet see by my Actions, which I did not at all manage, that the Love I had for him was only abated, not extinct, he began to find, how much he was to blame in being so capricious, he would endeavour to again obtain my Pardon, he believed it no longer so difficult to possess, what I had before denied him, the Prince had conquered me, and Alcander did not doubt Success; he knows the greatest Art consisted in a Reconciliation, he considers my Passion for him, as a powerful step, he will make use of it, and follows me one Evening into a close green Arbour in the Gardens, joining the Archdutchess' Apartment; as soon as he was entered, he threw himself at my Feet, and, hiding his Face out of Shame and Respect, he protested he should never dare to look on me again, till I gave him some assurance by my Pardon; I saw at my Feet a Man, I loved, melting into Tenderness and Sorrow, for having offended me; had I followed the Laws of Passion, I had forgiven him, but when I had more cruel Reflections, and that I thought I was obliged to consider him as no other but as one that had inhumanly betrayed me, and been accessary to my ruin, I risen up, with some Emotions of Anger, in a Resolution of quitting the Arbour; but oh, Heavens! how weak are those in Love, I sunk into his Arms, and could not have strength enough to retire, I gave him my Pardon  he could again ask it of me; he seemed transported at the Favour, he denied that cruel. Letter I received from him, and, as a Testimony to the contrary, assured me, he had ever loved me; he maliciously told me, it could proceed from none but the Prince, who had certainly the design in it, to prevent my Reconciliation with Alcander again; this was to me so probable, that it incensed me against Agustus, I accused him of the Crime, and, in one of my Letters, commanded him not to endeavour the justifying himself, that I was well assured all he could do would be impossible; and, in short, bid him to see me no more; he obeyed my Orders, too fatally in this Letter, but he has acquitted himself of that unjust Suspicion, too cruelly; he loved me more than Life, or Glory; what I had writ had reduced him to despair; he was acquainted with the Reconciliation of Alcander with me, and, not doubting whence my Anger proceeded, was resolved, maugre the strictness of the Laws then in force, to fight this treacherous; in short, he returned privately to Court, and challenged Alcander, and killed him fairly in a Duel; this Action made a great noise, the Prince merited death by the Laws, and, had not the Emperor been indulgent, he had certainly suffered it, but he is pardoned by a Reprieve, and the Sentence of death repealed for an eternal Banishment: Agustus was permitted to see the Emperor before he went, to render him his Acknowledgement for sparing his Life, when he had so much deserved death: He had no mind to see me, on the contrary, he shunned coming to the Archdutchesses, to take his leave before he went into Banishment, which he did as soon as the appointed time was come for his leaving Germany.  
So fantastical was my destiny, I became passionately in Love with this Prince, after I had lost all hopes of ever seeing him again; though Alcander had reconciled himself again to me, and that he died in a time he was extremely favoured, yet the Bravery and the great Passion of his Murderer, had made me not grieve at his death, since he fell by so gallant a hand, and though it was for my sake, I considered he was Criminal, and that the Prince was innocent; the Letter was Alcander's, he is base, he charges Agustus with it; Agustus' Resentments of the Perjury has charmed me, I infinitely esteemed him before, but now he has a greater share in my Heart than ever Alcander retained, he merits it more, and though I know it is an impossible thing for me ever to hope the seeing of him again, to assure him of it; I cannot deny the Sentiments of my Heart from doing Justice to his great Merit.  
This fatal Accident rendered Germany, and more particularly the Court, disagreeable to me, since it was so to my Fortune: And whilst I am thus drowned in a melancholy sorrow, and having lost all hope, of ever seeing the Prince more, I am hurried, with all the Sentiments of Joy, to a probability great as my Love, of being, in some time, with him; he had retired himself to Russia, and the great Duchess Dowager of Muscovy, who was nearly related to the Emperor, and had made some continuance in his Court, was upon the point of returning, she had taken a fancy to me, and begged of the Archdutchess, that she would allow me to pass, into the Quality of one of of the Maids of Honour, that attended her, and to return with her to Muscovy; I was unexpressibly pleased at this Turn, and I did not at all doubt, but that my better Fortune would, in some short time, conduct me to the Prince Tiridate Agustus.  
It was with a magnificent Splendour, that we left Vienna, the Emperor, the Empress, the Princes, and the Princesses, together with the whole Court, accompanied the great Duchess Dowager three Leagues from the City, and did not then leave her without all the regret imaginable, and as so fine a Princess, as she was, did deserve.  
The Archdutchess recommended me tenderly to the Care of the great Duchess, and was pleased to express an agreeable sorrow for parting with me.  
We accomplished our Journey to Poland very happily, where the great Duchess was resolved to make some short stay, being obliged to it by the Queen of Poland, nothing could be more Glorious than the Reception we had there; the King is a gallant Prince, and had ordered every thing so splendidly, that the great Duchess Dowager was extremely satisfied with his manner of treating her; nothing was seen here but the most Gallant Diversions, and the Business of the King, the Queen, and the whole Court, was, how to render every thing agreeable.  
But in the midst of all these Diversions, I found they were none to me, what the Prince Agustus had done just before, had rendered me averse to every thing of such a nature; his Resentments of my Proceed mortally afflicted me, and altogether rendered my Thoughts nothing but perpetual Inquietudes, so that, in short, not able to support such a world of Grief, I fell into a violent Fever, which, however, was not lasting, yet the whole Court despaired, at first, of my Life, and I saw the great Duchess Dowager of Muscovy enter into my Chamber all in Tears; I must leave you, Indamora, said she to me, which is a powerful Contribution to my sorrow, for, assure yourself, there are very few things in this world more dear to me than you; but I have just received an Express from Muscovy, That the Great Duke is fallen extremely ill, and we have reason to fear the consequence; all things are making ready for my departure, and I have borrowed this moment from my sorrow, to tell you myself of this misfortune, 'tis with all the Grief in the World, that I see you not able to continue our Journey together; I am constrained to leave you, and, it is true, I leave you very ill, dear Indamora, but the Great Duke is so too, I have seen you, and it's absolutely necessary that I hasten to see him; I leave with you my Physicians, part of my Retinue, and some of my Guards, to conduct you to Muscovy, as soon as you shall be in a condition to reassume your Journey; they have Orders to obey you, as they would do me, and to take the same Care of you. Adieu, says she, once more, dear Indamora, and, in kissing me, I do not despair of seeing you within these few days, as well as I desire you should be, which, assure yourself, is as well as possible, in that I love you beyond expression.  
She departed that moment, and I from that moment began to recover, I used now, which I neglected before, my own Endeavours to get well again, the thoughts, that I should suddenly see the Prince Tiridate, was a powerful Inducement, and when I considered, that the sooner my Health returned, the sooner I should see him again, I did every thing that could be done effectual; and, in short, I saw myself, in ten days, perfectly recovered, and free from all manner of pain, but that of Love; and nothing retarded my Journey, but a languishing weakness, which would not permit me yet to endure so great a Fatigue.  
But as every thing is cured by time, so, within a few days, I saw myself in a condition to travel, I began then my Journey to Muscovy, but what avails it to have surmounted one misfortune, since it was but to fall into a greater; or who can avoid the capriciousness of Fortune, when she designs we shall be eternally unhappy, all our endeavours to the contrary are ineffectual, for, being upon the Borders of Poland, I suddenly saw myself a Prisoner, my Guards, and all that made any Resistance, were immediately cut in pices, they being more than ten times surpassed in number, the rest with me, and six other Germane Ladies (that came with the Great Duchess Dowager of Muscovy, and stayed with me, by her desire, till my recovery,) were made Captives, the Turks, that continually make Incursions into Poland, were, unhappily for us, come down then, and we, being met by a Party of them, taken Prisoner's.  
It is impossible to express my Grief, to see myself a Prisoner, to a Nation I then believed the most barbarous in the world, their Customs were so different from ours, that I fancied I could never pass one hour of my Slavery agreeably; and to add to that Anguish, the thoughts of losing the sight of Tiridate Agustus, for perhaps my whole Life, rendered me melancholy as the Grave, and I, a thousand times, wished to have died in Poland, rather than to have fallen into the Slavery of those Barbarians.  
They presently resolved us for the Seraglio of the Grand Signior, in assurance of a great Ransom for us, and of me in particular, whom they treated very unlike an ordinary Captive, for the chief of the Turks, who had the Title of a Bassa, became passionately in love with me; and, as there was a Guard for his Person, he became so careless of it, as to charge them with my Safety, and abandoned his own Preservation for the Care of mine; he sighed a thousand times to me, I could understand no other Language, which mortally afflicted him, he took Care though to remedy that, and had me, with much difficulty, instructed in the Arabic; very perfectly.  
He was well-made, passionate, and brave; he one day acquainted me with his Resolutions of making me his Wise, and, I think, his Love, together with my despair, would have at length made me agree to it, had not his Murder put a fatal period to all designs of that nature, for when we were first made Prisoners, he had promised to the rest of his Party, that the Prize should be equally divided amongst them, his Passion to me constrained him to be false to his Promise, and all the rest of us, but the Germane Ladies, being sold, he absolutely refused to his People, that we should share the same destiny, which inspired them with Resolutions so barbarous as to murder him, one day, as he was at Dinner, which they did with very little Resistance, his Guards, as I said before, being with me, so that the brave Man fell, after having received 13 Wounds; and killed 5 with his own Hands, of those barbarous Villains, that assassinated him so cruelly.  
After that Murder, they came to me, and the next day, together with the six Germane Ladies, they sold us to those that engaged to bring us to the Seraglio, where after a world of fatigue, grief and despair, we arrived. Death had not one happy Dart to throw at me, but abandoned me to a more cruel Fortune, and suffered me to come safe to the Seraglio under the conduct of those Barbarians, with more security than I could pass into Moscovy under the Guard of my own People. You ransomed me, and placed me with the Sultana Queen. It is impossible to express to you the torture I suffer at the unhappiness of my Love, and the miserable Fate of the unfortunate Bassa, but I am diverted from this by the Passion of the great Acmat, your Sultan; for I had not continued long in the Seraglio, ere I could see I did not displease him: He would sometimes give me languishing and burning looks. Two nights since, when he was in the Sultana Queen's Apartment, and that he had charmed us all by his fine Wit, he gave Orders that the Court should end, and all retire; he was obeyed, though not without Reluctancy, because he had such a winning Conversation; he will however conduct the Sultana Queen to her Chamber of Repose, (to which she always retired after she was left alone;) I followed, bearing her Train, and as the Sultan quitted her hand, he seized mine with some emotion, and pressing it with ardour, he assured me, that none alive had more love and more tenderness for me than he, and that the Grand Visier, whom he was infinitely obliged to for Ransoming me, and placing me in the Seraglio, should attend when I should please to order, and in some sort assure me, what a capable Monarch he was to satisfy Love and Glory when he had Inclination enough to endeavour it. It is a Truth, replied the Grand Vizier, That I have those Orders from the Sultan; I do not at all doubt but that you have Wit enough to make your advantage of the favourable Sentiments he has for you; Is it not better to live gloriously, full of splendour and magnificence, (as you will then do, if you are wise) than continue a miserable Sla. very? You must flatter the Sultan in an Opinion you love him, it will not fail of pleasing him, which if once you can be so happy as to do, there is nothing in the whole Ottoman Empire but will be disposed of as you shall advise. The Sultan lets himself be governed by the Woman he loves, accounting it his greatest Glory to be capable of so violent Passions of Tenderness. I am your Friend, and you may be satisfied I will continue so, if (as I do not at all question it) you will permit me to advise you in what I believe requisite. Indamora assured him she would, nay conjured him to command her in any thing, and he should be obeyed. Mahomet Bassa was so satisfied with her, that he was resolved not to defer the Happiness of the Sultan any longer than that day. Acmat, proceeded the Visier, is impatient of Delays, he loves very ardently, but his Passions are of no continuance if he find no Returns; he cannot take pains to gain a heart, if his Person, his Crowns, and his Merit, cannot be of force enough to do it, he lets himself lose from the desire of possessing what he then sighs for, and searches for those that will be more easily conquered, and in that passion buries the Remembrance of his other. He is the most constant man alive after he is assured he is beloved; and when he comes to that height, where there is nothing more to desire, he loves the most, and if any thing has power to make him inconstant, it must be the fault of her he loves, and not his natural Temper. The Sultana Homira possessed him a considerable time, and lost him not but by her own ill conduct and Luxury. It is your fault if you are not happy; all delay is of dangerous Consequence; he is a great Monarch, amorous, and not pleased when without a Mistress. Let us then hasten his Happiness and your Grandeur: You shall come to the Grand Visier's Palace to night, my Wife shall fetch you; the Sultan shall be there also, and if you have Address enough to improve the advantage, you will be more great than all your Ambition could ever pretend to, or aspire at.  
Acmat in the mean time waited with impatience for the Return of the Visier; he hopes all, and will fain persuade himself he has nothing to fear; Homira is forgotten, and nothing thought on but the beautiful Indamora. He no sooner saw Mahomet Bassa return, but coming up to him with a thousand different Sentiments, Is the fair Christian, says he, as flexible as she is charming, or is she as inexorable as I am amorous; give life to thy Monarch, and assure him the later is impossible.  
The Grand Visier believing the Blessing would be more valued with good management, would not tell him how it was resolved he should be happy that night, but bowing low (as the custom is) Indamora cannot, maugre all her modesty, but acknowledge how deserving, how obliging a Monarch is the great Acmat; she must be more than mortal if she does not at length do Justice to your Merit and your Passion. I have assured her of the favourable Inclinations you have for her, and on my Soul, my Lord, she has sense, and is a Woman; she will not let me resolve you if she designs to do as you command: She has expressed a Desire to see you herself, which I have engaged shall be to night, at an Entertainment I have made on purpose, where, if I can Prophesy, your happiness is to begin.  
Acmat was so sensibly pleased at what the Grand Visier said, that he expressed it in a number of obliging words, and as a mark of his gratitude, will force him to receive a Present of an immense Value; he longs for Night, and has not Patience to stay till then; he goes two hours before to the Palace of the Grand Visier, where Indamora was already come. 'Tis impossible to express his agreeable Surprise when he saw her, yes, he forgot he was the Ottoman Emperor, but hastening to her with all the Passion of Desire, he threw himself at her Feet, and embracing her Knees, It is the greatest glory to Acmat ever the Gods could give him, syas he, that they allow me such a charming Destiny as to lay Crowns at the Feet of the fairest of Women: More than half the World is but as you shall order it, and the most potent Empire under the Heavens was never worth esteeming till Indamora, the kill charming Indamora, governed it; you are absolute here, act in it as you please, for my part, I have but too glorious a destiny in obeying. What a Satisfaction will it be to me, to make you as well the Envy as the Admiration of all. I am perfectly happy, pursued he with greater emotion of Passion; I flatter myself you are here to reward the Love of the greatest of Monarches and the greatest of Slaves, in one Adorer. If I was obliged to Mahomet for making me the first, what ought I to render to Indamora for making me the later of these? But you are all Felicity, and everlasting laughing Love lives for ever with you. See at your feet a Lover full of Languishments, of Expectation and Desire; come learn from him what none but Love and he can teach; come to my Arms, and die and languish there. He paused here, and seeing Indamora silent, he risen up all in despair, and anxious as he was, cried, Ah! Gods, how have I flattered myself? I am scorned, despised, and all my Life made for ever unhappy. Indamora was vanquished by this Action, she falls into the Sultan's Arms, and declining her head on his breast, Heaven is my Witness, Sir, replied she, how much you are mistaken, and Heaven does know besides I love you more than Honour, Duty, and (Oh! (ye immortal Powers, let me add without a fear of being blasted by your angry Vengeance) than all Religion too. I hasten on my own undoing, I court my Ruin, and persuade my Virtue to abscond; I banish Honour, that Idol of the World, that bane of Love, and teach my Duty to be satisfied with the specious Arguments of Power and you; and to assure you more, I give my Vows of being only yours, and let this Protestation, whenever I revoke, be then my greatest Curse, as now it perfects all my Happiness. Be calm, my Conscience at this Promise which I make, and let me be persuaded, while I languish in my Monarch's Arms, I am happy still, without Remorse or Fears that that Eternity of Bliss is unallowed. She accompanied these words with moving accents of Passion, with some despondency, and a constrained Resolution, which the Sultan easily saw, and to assure her, lavished away such Protestations as would have fired the World, so full of Passion that Indamora could not be any longer unmoved. 'Tis said, the Grand Visier prophesied right; certain it is he is loaded with Obligements in return of that one of his, in bringing her to the Seraglio, and more in favour, if possible, than ever.  
Acmat, who was the most amorous of all Princes, and who had Grandeur enough to maintain those Inclinations, now indulged himself. Indamora had for him a thousand Charms; and contrary to that wretched custom which makes the Grand Signior's Passion the sole Reward of her he savoured, and that they were confined to a Seraglio, without the Liberty to see any but the Sultan and the Eunuches that attended him; I say, contrary to this observed Custom, Acmat gave the Title of Sultana of Barbary to Indamora, and restrained her in nothing but in the Point of Amour and Gallantry. None of his Predecessors had ever indulged the fair Sex so much as he. The Sultana Queen had a great Liberty allowed her: He was much condemned for his tendency to the Women, and his very Enemies acknowledged he had no other weakness: He derived, they said, his desires of Peace from the desire he had to possess them, and that Women rendered him the merciful Prince he was; it was Women they said made him desire to live in ease; and in order to it he had made Peace with the Germane Emperor, and neglected to make use of those Advantages the ill posture of Affairs in Hungary presented him with since the Conquest of Mahomet III. Acmat was very brave, and had given Proof of his Valour when but a Prince; there was none questioned his Courage, and he believed it was enough to have once acted like a great, a valiant and experienced Soldier, that the World was satisfied he durst, which was enough to justify a Prince desirous of Peace, which he always preferred before War when he could with Honour.  
The Sultana Homira had studied all his Weaknesses, and was perfectly acquainted with his Inclinations. Jealousy was never apt to disturb him, which she easily saw, and procured first for herself, and then for the Sultana Queen, that Liberty they possessed. Gallantry reigned here incessantly, and all manner of Pleasures, with a great deal of Luxury, which notwithstanding was believed to please the Sultan, since he never reproved it. It was this Licentiousness ruined Homira; she fell at last into a habitual Debauchery, and was a principal Advancer, being the great Example of all the Liberties taken by Women of Quality. Love and Intrigue was no more so secretly confined to the Walls of the Seraglio, and if People were discreet, it was what they were not at all obliged to be.  
Never was an Ottoman Emperor before of such Inclinations; he had a great Soul charmed with Pleasures, and ever went in search of them; he believed the greatest terminated in the Arms of the fair Sex. It was, he would say, a great Injustice that the most perfect Blessings of human Life should be denied a Liberty which served but to make the contrary Sex more happy. These Sentiments were prejudicial to our Monarch; for all he had loved were debauched by them to be false to him, but they served as great advantages towards the Conquering the Hearts of those that loved to please themselves in Variety, and hated Restraint.  
The new Sultana of Barbary, who remembered what had been advised her by the Grand Visier, failed not to assure the Sultan of his great Merit, and as for her, she had loved him had he not been so great a Monarch. This Caress had the desired success; the Sultan was charmed with her appearance of Sensibility, and continues to give her Protestations of his tenderness, assigned her the fairest Apartments in the Seraglio, ordered the Furniture to be much more glorious than the Sultany Queens, which in effect it infinitely was; gave her a Retinue suitable to so much Grandeur, and an immense Revenue to support all.  
The Sultana of Barbary, who was extreme pretty, easily became so much Glory; she was to act a part whereto the greatest Cunning in the World was required, and which with good management would be the most advantageous to her. The Sultana Homira had possessed the Sultan beyond Example, yet this was no encouragement to Indamora; she might believe the more of Constancy he had expressed, the less he had reserved. The Sultana Homira had advantages which Indamora could not pretend to, a lofty and an excellent Beauty, a Soul, which had it not been prostitute to her Licentious Inclinations, could not have been conversed with without infusing Respect, Grandeur was inseparable from all her Actions, and one needed but to see her to be inspired with an awe. She was by much the finest Woman that had been ever seen in Turkey, and perhaps in the whole World, and once adored by the Sultan, who had been brought by her to do a thing beyond Precedent in the Ottoman Empire.  
The good Conduct, and the Cunning of Indamora, her Air of Innocence, her extreme Prettiness, her affable Humour, her diverting Wit, and, in a word, a thousand other Charms, fixed the Sultan's Affections even to a miracle; he would spend whole days with her, called her his Friend, and, in short, let himself be absolutely governed by her, the whole Ottoman Empire was as she pleased to have it, all the great Offices are disposed as she desires; Germany is much advantaged by the ascendant she has in Turkey, and she employs all her Arts to continue the Peace, which the natural Inclination of Acmat was inclined enough to observe.  
But while she lives some considerable time in all these Glories, and that Ambition is satisfied, how will she acquit what she owes to Love? 'Tis true, she loved the Prince Agustus above all things, but she endeavours to lose the thoughts of him, in considering the little probability there was for her ever to see him again.  
But she is infinitely alarmed by his coming to Constantinople, and all her Tenderness presents itself to her memory, she sees him so amiable, so passionate, and, in a word, so deserving of her Heart.  
After Indamora had assured herself of the Affections of the Grand Signior, and that she was almost absolute in Turkey, she commands the Liberty of those Ladies that were taken with her, orders two Galleys for their Convoy, and, in a word, gives them power to return, which they did accordingly. The Great Duchess Dowager, who loved Indamora tenderly, was well pleased to hear she had escaped with Life, though it was for a wretched Slavery, she would ransom her, but when she hears again in how glorious a Station she was, she believes it vain for her to endeavour it.  
The Prince Agustus, who, as we have observed, retired to Russia, learned the Captivity of Indamora, and, after a thousand. Resolutions, very different from one another, he resolves for a Journey to Turkey, the distance does not at all startle him, it is nothing to a Man so passionately in Love as he; but first he will see, if Acmat will give him Protection, the Grand Signior, who was the most merciful Monarch under the Heavens, takes a pity on the distressed, and, commiserating the exiled Prince, he returns him assured Promises of Protection, and that he shall not be obliged to tear for his Religion.  
This satisfies the Amorous Prince, he is again going to see that dear Inchantress, that has already ruined his Fortune and his Repose, he comes to Constantinople, and once adventures to the Apartments of this Princess, he surprises her, she expects not to see him, Acmat had told her nothing of his designs in resolving to come there, she will not believe it can be he; Has my Sorrow so wholly altered me, says he, kneeling to her, that the treacherous Indamora does not know the unfortunate Agustus: All that I wonder at is, that I am yet living, for, 'tis a Truth, I have enough to kill me, if a violent Grief and Despair can do it; for, how can you believe the Amorous Tiridate can see, without suffering the extremity of Horror, the Divine Indamora in the Arms of another, of a Rival, happy beyond all, and of such a Rival, of whom we can make no Advantage by knowing it is he? That is the blessed Man! Yes, continued he, seeing her surprised, it is the unfortunate Agustus, is now dying at your Feet; and who, for a violent Passion for the most ungrateful of all Women, was reduced to the Extremity of Vengeance; you made me this miserable, offend my God and my Emperor, by murdering a happy, and a base ingrateful Rival, who, did he live again, should hear it echoed by the wronged Agustus: He did not at all merit the least of your engaging Favours. Yes, pursued he, it is for you I am banished from my Country, doomed to an inglorious exile; and, oh horror! meet in it that killing fatal sight, of seeing you in another's Arms; but how, said he, more calmly, and raising himself up, could I expect other from the faithless, treacherous, Indamora.  
At this Discourse Indamora appeared surprised, and, swooning in his Arms, could utter but confusedly, My God, and my Agustus; 'tis true, the manner of her wonder was kind, but the Prince was not satisfied with that, he durst not believe her Amazement had in it any thing of tender, but it was not a time to make such Reflections as these, he employed his whole Endeavours for her Recovery, and had just effected it, when Notice was given of the Sultan's approach, she had not leisure to clear herself from the Imputation the Prince had charged her with, all she could say was, to bid him meet her on the morrow, in the Evening, in one of the covered Walks in the Garden of the Seraglio, for Acmat immediately entered the Chamber she was in, as Agustus had quitted it by another door.  
The Sultan appeared disordered, and ill-humoured, very contrary to his usual Temper, Indamora trembled for her Lover, and for herself, she began to fear he had seen that Prince, and though he was not accustomed to be jealous of so much, yet she knew not what could discompose him, besides, she approached him tremblingly, and with such innocent Instruction, that it was not in the Power of Acmat to conceal from her the occasion of his Disorder, he complained to her of Mustapha, (Yes, says he,) that ingrateful Prince, not contented with that unparalleled Example I have given him of my Mercy, in saving his Life, endeavours, how he may render mine as uneasy as possible: Was it not enough to allow him once the Liberty of pleasing his Inclinations, by a Marriage contrary to mine, but he must again repeat the very same Crime? We must not suffer this from one we have set down our Successor, but endeavour, by our Authority, to crush this Design: Yes, it is resolved, and if he disobey, we will not any longer consider him as our Brother. He then ordered the Captain of his Guard to bring Mustapha to him, as soon as he should be found, which, in effect, they did; the Sultan, who very seldom in his whole life-time had been transported with a violent Anger, no sooner saw the Prince, than that he softened all into Reproaches of Tenderness; Ought you, said he, to have used yours, and the Worlds, Emperor, nay, more, your Brother, after this manner; and by a Marriage with Zayda, the Daughter of Mahomet Bassa, our Grand Visier, whom our mere Grace has raised to what he is: Ah! Mustapha, you make an end of ruining the Repose of Acmat by these cruel Resolves; you force him to do a thing very contrary to his Inclinations, he desires to comply with all yours, but this is what we can never allow. How, said the Prince, after the Sultan had done speaking, Is it possible I should abuse so much Tenderness? He then prostrated himself at the Feet of the Grand Acmat, begged a Remission of his Sin, and renounced all his Passion, and all the Designs and Desires he had of possessing Zayda, since he saw it could not be without ruining himself; the Sultan was appeased, and the Conversasion ended, in an express Command for Mastapha to marry the Daughter of the King of Tunis, who would, in a very little time, be at Constantinople, in order for the Accomplishment of the Marriage, which was already concluded on.  
We are now to return to the Sultana Homira, who retired herself after her Disgrace, but hearing the Grand Visier has placed a fair Christian in the Seraglio, with a design of rendering Acmat in Love with her, and that he has found the desired success, that she is created Sultana of Barbary, and that the Grand Visier is more than ever favoured by this turn of Fortune; she will come again to the Seraglio, to see what ought to be done, she puts in practice all her acquired Languishments, again to render the Sultan sensible, and to divert his Passion for Indamora; she attempts it by a thousand Artifices, contrary to the extreme Haughtiness of her Spirit; but nothing she can do avails any thing, she sees 'tis requisite for her to dissemble, nothing can be effected without it; she will be revenged on the Prince, and on the Visier, by other means, since she has failed on the tender part; Mustapha had been the occasion of her Disgrace, but it was by the Assistance of Mahomet Bassa, since he was not powerful enough to do it alone; and it was this later had made an end of ruining (by the fair Eyes of the charming Captive Indamora,) the repose of Homira.  
This Homira resents more than her Disgrace, she must be revenged on the Grand Visier, whatever it costs her; she enquired, and finds Mustapha contracted to Zayda, Relic of a Noble Turk, and Son to Mahomet Bassa; she believes this discovery of force enough to ruin all, and, animated by a desire of revenge, on her most inveterate Enemies, she goes to the Grand Signior, casts herself at his Feet, makes him apprehend, how zealous she is for his Interests, and his Glory, and relates to him all she had learned of Mustapha, with Aggravations on Mahomet Bassa's Ambitious Crimes.  
Homira did not consider she had to deal with the mildest Prince under the Heavens, and one that delighted in any thing rather than Cruelty; but she flatters herself, by some Promises, that the great Acmat had made her, of sensibly revenging the Injury that was done him; but as he was the mercifullest, so was he the forgetfullest, of all Men, and did not remember what he had said to her, but alone reflected on what had been told him by Homira.  
As soon as he had quitted her, he came to the Sultana of Barbery's Apartments, where he put an end (as we have observed,) to this important Affair, by the natural Sweetness of his Temper, and the Compliance of Mustapha.  
This did not at all please Homira, she was almost wild with despair; she had proposed to herself no less than the deaths of Mustapha and the Grand Visier, nay, she let her hopes have a lose, and believed she should certainly regain the Affections of the Sultan, when Mahomet Bassa was once removed, since it was he instructed Indamora in all things necessary for the preservation of the Grand Signior's Passion; but when she saw in what the Anger of the Sultan terminated, and that all his Promises to her were forgot, she believes that she knew not enough of the Intrigue; Zayda, she was assured, could satisfy her in every thing, if she had a mind to it; it was not yet known, that it had been Homira had made the discovery to the Sultan, so she believes she may flatter Zayda into Compliance, she was the more induced to it because she knew Zayda was of an extreme haughty Spirit, insupportable when she was displeased, and, in a word, full of Resentments when she was so sensibly injured; Homira was of opinion, the Humour of this Lady was the most like her own, as the posture of Affairs stood then; she made her a Visit, and found her in a very good Humour for her designs, reproaching the Prince, who had just left her, of Inconstancy, of Perjury, and, in a word, of all manner of ill; the Sultana Homira indulged her in an opinion of her Wrongs, wept with her, pretended Commiseration for her Misfortunes, and, in effect, obtained her desire, which was an account of the Engagement, which Zayda thus related to her.   

The Amours of Mustapha and Zayda.  
IT was at a House of the Grand Viziers, two days Journey from Constantinople, that this ungrateful Prince, the perjured Mustapha, first addressed to me; he had been Hunting in the adjoining Woods, and was come to sup with my Father, who was ever a real Admirer of this Prince, who did then appear to me infinitely agreeable, his Flattery, if any thing that could be said, could give me a good opinion of myself, did effect it; and though I never loved him, I had Ambition enough to persuade him to an Assurance I did, and all his address to me that night I made agreeable; however, early the following day, he set forward to Constantinople, and would carry my Father with him; who, after he had furnished all things for my Reception, where, as Glorious as if I had already been Sultana, he sent for me to come to him; you may easily believe I obeyed without Reluctancy, I had the hopes of a Crown Glittering in my Eyes, and though I was extreme young, I had a haughty Ambition with me, that surmounted all things, and I resolved to sacrifice all to satisfy this imperious charming Passion.  
I arrived at Constantinople with all the Joy imaginable; I carress'd my Father, to make him continue a Diversion so favourable to my best Inclinations; he was full of the Design of making me Great, endeavoured it with as much Affection, as if I had been nearer to him than the Wife of his deceased Son. I found in his Palace Glory enough, to have satisfied the most immense Ambition; and, perhaps, had not I entertained hopes of being one day Sultana Queen, so much Glory as I saw there, would have satiated my Desires of it, not that I loved the Man that was to make me Great, but I loved the Greatness, and was resolved to be grateful to the Author of it.  
I was one day in a fine Chamber of State in the Grand Visier's Palace, dressed in all the richest Glory of the East, and in a humour of being flattered, when I saw the Prince introduced by my Father enter it: I would have gone away out of a Modesty and Respect, had not the Grand Visier commanded my Stay, who being immediately called to the Grand Signior, left the Prince alone with me. Then it was indeed I would have retired, had not the Prince absolutely resolved to hinder me. Ah, too charming Zayda, said he languishingly, why are you thus inexorable? Do not you yet know how fervently I adore you? This Discourse was more than I thought I ought to have heard without being displeased. Ah! my Lord, replied I, you take little Care of the Honour of an unfortunate Woman, neither do you consider what you oblige me to suffer. This Discourse, accompanied with some necessary Tears, drew from the passionate Mustapha some Religious Protestations; He assured me that none knew where he was, That he had left the Seraglio privately, and conducted by the Grand Visier, had come to his Palace wholly unattended. This satisfied, since nothing is indiscreet but what is known. I than permitted him to adore, flatter and protest, without interrupting him. I believe I did never more deserve to be admired, and that if Zayda could look well, it was that day: I did think he rendered me but that was my due, and that my Heart deserved more Homage than my Eyes. I assured him, That my Ascendant was Glory, and that I had as much Passion for him as I was capable of entertaining for any one; that it was as fervent as Ambition would permit it to be, and that he that could ever move my tenderness must flatter my hopes, and approve of the most ambitious Desires under the Heavens, and seek also to gratify them.  
The Prince seemed transported at this Confession, he rendered Thanks to our great Prophet, for showing a a way to please the charming Zayda; and assured me, it was my fault if I was not one day Sultana Queen.  
He then retired, and my Father entered some moments after, to whom I gave an exact Account of all that had been said; the Grand Visier was well pleased at my Conduct, and, after having given me some necessary Instructions, he ordered me to prepare myself for going to the Seraglio that night, to pay my Homage to the Sultana Queen; which, in effect, I did; there was then in the Presence the young Amurath, who had been disgraced for some considerable time, and was but that hour reconciled to the merciful Sultan; the Sultana Homira blushed at this Discourse, but Zayda continuing, left her no room to reflect.  
The Gallant Amurath was, in my opinion, the most lovely of all Men; I gazed intemperately on him, and, in a word, gazed away my Liberty; I often met his charming Eyes, mine ever went in search of them, and I left the Seraglio passionately in Love; I was generally observed I did every thing that night with a Distraction, so uncommon to me, and took so little care to manage myself, that it was apparent enough I was become really in Love with Amurath; he was told it, and, half of that opinion, resolved to appear sensible, and to write me a Declaration of Love, which he conveyed unperceived into my Glove. The following night, when I returned to the Seraglio, he was then more than before (by my manner of Carriage,) confirmed in an opinion he was not indifferent to me, he resolved not to lose my favourable Inclinations, for want of Addresses; and when I called for my Gloves, and my Barnus, he who waited behind presented me with them, but with so much amaze and trembling, that I was going to give a public Demonstration of my Passion (by a loud Cry,) to call some Assistance to him, but his recovering himself from that surprise diverted me, but though I did not give that Authentic Testimony, my Lips were Harbingers of my Passion; and I did not quit Amurath without telling him, in dumb show, he could not be unhappy; when I went to draw on my Glove, and found the Letter there, I, unperceived, put it up, till I came to the Grand Visier's Palace, and to my own Apartments, where I opened it, and read thus;  
Amurath to the Charming Zayda.  
I Am favoured, Madam, more than ever any was; I am to die, but it is with adoring you so much as I do. Ah! Have I not too glorious a Destiny, and ought I not to boast of it? See how dangerously fair you are; ah! too charming Zayda, the irresistible Power of your Eyes have made me guilty of Temerity: It cannot but be confessed, Amurath does of all Men most adore you; he is presumptuous, but he is extreme Amorous; I know my ambitious Passion merits all Punishment, for sinning so high, as to raise all my Love, and all my Adorations, to the finest Woman under the Heavens; but there is no mean when one loves you, it must be with as much ardency as is felt in the Heart of  
Amurath.  
I was infinitely pleased with this Letter, I loved as much as he, and never had so much Joy as in the reading of it; but I must not let that Joy appear, 'tis not after that manner we must carry ourselves, we must seem angry when we are not, so, in short, displeased at the only thing that pleases us best, so fantastical is the Custom of our Sex.  
Mustapha was just entered the Chamber as I had put up the Letter, he found me in a Humour so good, and so pleased, that he knew not what to believe, but, fired with the common Report of my being in Love with Amurath, he reproached me, but so respectfully, and with such a melancholy Sorrow, that I could not then but condemn the wildness of my Inclinations, and my Passions; I endeavoured to calm him, by demanding of him, If it were possible to entertain two Passions, for two several Persons, at the same individual time. This satisfied his Jealousy, he would be appeased, because he saw I desired it; but yet, he exacts this kill Resolution of me, To go no more to the Seraglio, till he permitted me; this was a thing so averse to my Inclinations, that I knew not, surprised as I was, how to answer him. If you love me, as you persuade me, said he, this will be an easy Demonstration of your Sincerity; but if, on the contrary, you have your Liberty— And ah! What is it I do here, with one that makes not Returns to my Passion? I had much rather never see you, as I must do, if I am indifferent to you, than adore and expose myself here, only to flatter and satisfy the Vanity of an Ambitious Woman.  
By what the Prince had then said, I very easily guessed, what measures I was to take; I dissembled my Inclinations, and would sacrifice my Love to my Ambition, I did, without much difficulty, persuade him, he was dear to me; he demanded again, as a Testimony of my Passion, the same thing my surprise made me silent to before; I gave him my word, of my not going to the Seraglio till he assented to it; he is satisfied, and retires so, but leaves me tossed by a tumultuous sort of Disquiets, Glory and Love are the Disputes, but the God must yield, and Ambition was the most Powerful; I was governed by that ascendant, not without terrible Disquiets, it cost me Tears and Inquietudes, I called the Prince tyrannical and unjust, and had I not been obliged to keep those measures with him I did, on the hopes of a Crown, I should have taken pleasure in opposing the Man, that was so absolutely indifferent to me; before I had seen and loved Amurath, Mustapha was agreeable to me, but he had lost himself by his Jealousy, and it was for the Crown on the Head of the Sultana Queen, I dissembled my Inclinations, the constraint I suffered, had I had no other merit, deserved it, and he was unjust, to the highest degree, in denying it me.  
The Grand Visier, (who, you know, Madam, is the wittiest Man in the whole Ottoman Empire,) no sooner learned from me, that the Prince loved well enough to be jealous, than that he went to him, and, falling insensibly to talk of me, Mustapha declared his opinion, That he believed he should love me for ever; Mahomet Bassa pursuing the Discourse, represented to him, how disadvantageous such a Passion must be for any Woman, that was but the Daughter of a Subject; I am infinitely sorry, my Lord, (says the Grand Visier,) that I am forced to desire you to forbear your Visits to Zayda, though they have hitherto, in our opinion, been private, I am to assure you, we were mistaken, judge then, my Lord, how disadvantageous this must be for her, she is young, and a very little thing ruins her Honour, the way you take is not at all consistent to her Reputation, which runs a great risque in the World, unless, my Lord, you design what is death in us, almost but to wish. It is in your own Power, if you will choose to see Zayda yours, or never see her more— Ah! said the Prince hastily, interrupting him, Name not such a Hell of Horror to me, I will marry her,— I will run the risk of the Sultan's Displeasure, any thing rather than lose her. But were I capable, my Lord, (replied the Grand Visier, bowing low,) to advise you in it, it should be to resolve against it; the Great Acmat, though he is the most merciful of all Princes, yet, finding himself so sensibly injured, may pass to a Resolution of revenging the little Respect that will be showed him by such an Action; he hardly forgave you your first Marriage, and will undoubtedly punish your second, if it be of the same nature. He then again pressed him to quit me, but not with a design, I believe, that the Prince should follow his advice; he would not hear of that, he appeared extreme Amorous, and when the Grand Visier proposed it a third time, he commanded him, on pain of his Displeasure, to say no more of it.  
I saw the Prince every day for some time longer; I kept my word, and did not go to the Seraglio; Amurath believed I had been displeased at his Declaration of Love, and that I had taken that way to punish him: He came once to see the Grand Visier, and I, who was walking in the Palace Gardens, had not the Power to say any thing to him: in short, I was so agitated by Passion, by Desire, and by Fear of Mustapha, that I swooned in the Arms of my Women, and was carried to my Apartment ere Amurath could possibly speak to me. He believed, whatever had been told him to the contrary, that my Fainting was a testimony of my Aversion, since such extraordinary Disorders are essential to it; he believed me angry with him, and altogether he was as discomposed as I; he sought to obtain my Pardon for his crime, and employed the Daughter of the Aga of the Janissaries to effect it. In short, said I to that Lady, I give to you what none besides could have exacted from me. Amurath shall have his Pardon, conditionally he never return again with the same Presumption, as to dare to love me. Amurath refused these Offers, and assured me by the Aga of the Janisaries' Daughter, he had rather submit to all the cruel effects of my Anger. In a word, I was constrained by my own Inclinations, and the Lady's Importunities, to pardon him on his own Conditions, and give Leave for him to love me.  
Mustapha was ignorant of all this, and after he had continued his Visits to me four or five days longer, the Grand-Visier, maugre the Prince's Commands, would oblige him to quit me incessantly, or resolve on something. The Prince harkened to the Reasons he alleged, and was really so far transported with a desire, I believe, of ridiculing me, as that very day to be contracted to me. I was pleased with so much Glory; I thought I had but one step more to make to satisfy my Ambition, which would then be bounded. Mustapha came the following day again, to assure me of his Resolutions of making me his Wife. I carest him more than usual, and while I was thus flattering myself, the Grand Signior's Captain of his Guard came with express Orders to bring Mustapha to the Sultan, at the Apartments of the Sultana of Barbary, where he than was, The Prince durst not disobey, but assured me, in quitting the Chamber, Nor Acmat nor Heaven could ever make him false to me, or relinquish the holy Vows and Protestations he had so lately made me.  
But, Oh Heavens! cried out the wronged Zayda, how unjust, and how treacherous he was; As soon as he had quitted the Sultan, he caused himself to be again conducted where I was; I wonder how the Traitor, the perfidious Ingrate, durst ever look on me again: He fell on his Knees before me, and with a feigned Sorrow, and a Passion pauled with Duty, learned me the Commands of Acmat, and how that he must resolve to obey them. He was beginning to deplore his Misfortunes, when I, all enraged with a violent despair, was searching for a Dagger I usually carried with me, to have stabbed to the heart the most Criminal of men; and it would certainly have been a Pleasure unexpressible, for me to have glutted my Eyes and my Rage in the Blood of a Villain, for nothing else can atone for all his Perjuries.  
My Poniard, by a deplorable ill fate, was not then with me, which the more enraged me, and altogether so oppressed me with a fatal Weight, that quite blinded with the violence of an angry Passion, I sunk down on the floor. Mustapha would have raised me, but I abhorred him too much to see him near me, unless it had been in my power to have then given him Death. Ah, Villain, said I, if thou wilt continue to torment me, thou needest but to tarry here; I was cursed the first moment that I saw thee, and have ever since remained so.  
He endeavoured then to clear himself as much as possibly he could, protested he still loved me, and that nothing but a prevention of an inevitable Ruin of me, the Grand Visier, and himself, could have forced him to do so ill an Act. Thou oughtest, said I, to have let us perished all together, rather than to have been perjured, to have made the unjust Sultan perish, to let the whole World be ruined, rather than have treated me thus, but since thou wert of so base a Temper as to prefer an inglorious Life before a glorious Ruin, thou oughtest to expiate thy Crime by thy Death, and though thou didst not love well enough, to have died to have been just to that Passion. Be just at least to thy Honour, and die for thy Perjuries; go, and never let me see thee more. I turned from him then, and he left me, after having said, You are mad, I am unhappy, and I must be gone. I was reflecting (pursued Zayda) on all I had done for a Crown, how I had sacrificed my Love to the Hopes of it, and how I was disappointed, when you entered. And thus I have given you an account of this Engagement, and of the Perjuries of the most undeserving of Men.  
Thus did Zayda finish her Relation. The Sultana Homira, in another time, would have died with Rage at the Confession she made her of her being in Love with Amurath; but he had used the Sultana too barbarously to merit any thing of Tender from her: He had exposed her Letters, and basely rendered her as ill Offices as possibly, though it was by her he made himself first considerable.  
Homira had learned the whole Despair of Zayda; she valued nothing now she saw her hopes baffled, her Ambition ruined, and all her great expectations vanished. The Sultana, though she had heard particulars, could draw nothing advantageous to her designs of ruining Mustapha and the Grand Visier; she saw she had all the Revenge this Rancountre could give her, and since she failed of murdering aught but their Repose, she triumphed in doing that; though it is a truth, she had done Mahomet Bassa and the fair Zayda the most sensible Injury; and perhaps this later would have rather she had robbed her of her Life, than a Crown, which in all appearance had been hers, had not the Sultana Homira discovered to the Grand Signior their Engagements. Zayda did not know how much she was obliged to her, but when she helped her to rail at the Prince, believed her the greatest of her friends, and used her accordingly. The treacherous Sultana, after her Caress, believed she would receive any Advice she gave her, and first conjured her to be her friend, as she was sincerely hers, feigned her Anger to Mustapha to all the height imaginable, and would fain persuade her to the Resolutions of some way or other to give him the Death he deserved. Her Dissimulation terminated in this; but Zayda, who had no manner of Inclination for the Prince, and who, since she had failed of murdering him the first time, altered her Resolutions; She considered his Death could not place the Crown she had lost upon her head, and was resolved to lose the thoughts of him, and to retire from Constantinople, assisted by the advice of the Grand Visier, who was sensibly displeased, but durst not appear so. She will dissemble, and try, if, in the Arms of Amurath, she could find some Tranquillity after this unexpected Misfortune.  
The end of the First Part.    

THE AMOURS OF THE Sultana of Barbary.  
The Second Part.  
THE Sultana of Barbary, during all these Transactions, was reflecting of the Assignation she had given the Prince Tiridate; the Sultan left her late that night, so that it was already morning, when Indamora came into the Gardens, agitated by a number of Disquiets and Fears, she would hear, what he would say to her, she would clear herself to him, and yet she does not know for what reason; she gins to fancy she loves him more than she does any, she desires he should believe, not Love but Interest made her what she then was; she apprehended a Passion for the amiable Agustus would ruin her, and yet she has not Power to suppress it; it was Tiridate had first taught her, how to love well, and it was he, that had, ever since (maugre her Passion for Alcander,) been very dear to her, and, further, it was he, that had been content, for her, to suffer an inglorious Exile, and though it was a hard Banishment, kindly meant, since it reprieved him from an ignominions Death, yet it was what lost him all his Fame, and all his Friends; the fair Sultana was sensible of this, and though she had had no concern for him, Gratitude would make her acknowledge herself obliged, for perhaps there was not a Man in the World, would do so much for the Love of her; she was not at all displeased with the Murderer of Alcander, because in the Person of Tiridate.  
The Prince had all these Advantages on his side, the fair Sultana had an amorous Soul, a Receptacle of Tenderness, and, in a word, she knew not how to be cruel to a Man she had been so intimately acquainted with, yet the Fate of Homira was a restraint to her for some moments, and but for some moments; she considered her Indiscretion lost the Sultan more than her Licentiousness, she was not discreet, without which, a Woman is in a deplorable Condition.  
The Sultana of Barbary was assured she wanted no cunning, nor an ascendant over the Great Acmat, to hinder him from seeing and believing what she did not give leave to, and perhaps she had some Apprehensions of Tiridate, should she be more cruel now, than in the Emperor's Court, he had Letters of hers, and, in short, it was in his Power to make a misunderstanding between the Sultan and her, notwithstanding her boasted power over him; agitated, I say, by all these different Reflections, she entered the Gardens of the Seraglio, and immediately passed to the covered Walks, where she expects to find the Religious Prince, not considering the Custom of the place, which permitted none (but those of the Seraglio, the Sultan and the chief Gardener) upon pain of death, to tarry there after night. However she goes, she comes, she looks about, she enters all the Grottoes, and at length, in one of the most retired ones, she sees a Woman alone, wrapped up in her Barnus, supinely laid on one of the Banks, and reading a Letter by the help of the Moon, which lent her light enough.  
The fair Sultana, disappointed as she was of seeing Tiridate resolved to amuse herself with the discovery of that person that was so closely concealed under a Barnus. She entered the Grotto with Caution, and obliged the other to look round her, by taking that Letter from her. Indamora had long since been above what ever any but the queen Sultaness could say to her, and if she dreaded any thing besides, it was the Malice of Homira; she prepared to read the Letter; but how was she surprised to see there the name of Tiridate Agustus? she testified her Amazement by a loud Cry, and addressed herself (after having thrown the Letter from her) to embrace the other she had taken it from: She believed it could be no other but the Religious Prince under that Disguise; how ingenious is Love, my Agustus! says she, and how am I ●o ask thy Pardon for making thee wait thus long. The Sultan had but just left me as I entered these Gardens, where I had almost lost all hope of seeing thee; he exacts all one's time, and one can find almost none to give to love. She ended here, and wondered the supposed Tiridate made her no Returns, but stooped to take up the Letter, which when he had done, he infinitely surprised her, by owning himself to be the Grand Signior under the Disguise of a Woman Slave. Indamora, at this Confession, knew not what excuse to make; she believed her silence would plead best, and to prevent her from saying any thing, she swooned, but immediately recovered at the Assurance given her by him that held her, he was not the Sultan, but Mahomet Bassa; she is raised by this Assurance, and laughed with him at that fear she expressed by his Fallacy. Had it been any other but the Grand Visier, she had been undoubtedly ruined by what she had said; but he it was to whom she was obliged for all her Grandeur, and one whom she had made acquainted with all her weaknesses. She amazedly required of him the reason of his Disguise, and by what means that Letter had come into his hands, which she saw was addressed to herself, and which the Grand Visier read thus to her,  
You are certainly too full of Gild, and too conscious of it, to dare endeavour the clearing yourself; How is it, that you have ordered me to attend you to night in the covered Walks of the Garden of the Seraglio, and then not to come! Consider with yourself, what a faithless inconstant Woman you are, though I possess neither the Rank, nor the Merit, of the Sultan, a great deal more is due to my Love; what he has done for the Sultana of Barbary, has not at all injured his Glory or his Power; but what Tiridate has done for the fair inconstant Indamora, has ruined all he had dear in this World: Consider this, (unjust Princess!) and know, that, maugre all what you have done, I still adore you, and am come to Constantinople to receive your Orders, how I shall dispose of myself, since my Life and Death are but what you please to command 'em; yet, assure yourself, I can never suffer to live, and not possess (as formerly I did,) all that the Heavenly Indamora can call hers.  
After the reading of this Letter, which cost the fair Sultana some Blushes, she again conjured the Grand Visier to satisfy her when he received it, and from whom; Why he was disguised so? And, Why he was so careless of his Safety, as to pass a night in the Garden of the Seraglio? To all which Mahomet Bassa answered by this following Relation.  
I had no sooner heard, says the Visier, that it was a Revenge of Homira, that Mustapha's Engagement, with Zayda, was made known to the Sultan, than I resolved to let her understand, by some Act, how I resented the ill effects of her inverate malice; the Love I had had formerly for her, no longer disquieted me, and if she was dear to me one hour, I hated her the next as much, for her unjust Usage of me, and all her Perjuries; she denied, after her Promise, to give to me what a thousand others possessed; this, at first, was an unconsolable Affliction, but time, which conquers all Resentments, of what nature soever, taught me not to value, and at length, to despise, the Weaknesses of this unjust Sultaness; Morat, the chief Gardener, who is one of the greatest of my Friends, received my Orders, to make his Addresses to her, and, when enjoyed, to expose her; this was, I thought, the greatest Revenge I could have, in that low Condition she was in; 'tis true, it was by my designs she became so, but she had sensibly injured me since her disgrace, and I must again revenge it: Morat made an effectual Address, enjoyed her, and, in a word, received another Assignation (in the remotest Grotto in the covered Walks of the Garden of the Seraglio,) for this Night; he was to be, as you see me now, in the Dress of a Slave, for the more Security; the Grand Gardener (who held not himself so obliged, by the Sultana's Favours, as to neglect what he owed to me,) failed not to learn me all that he knew. It was then that I found my Passion for her not extinct, and yet I hated her to the death, I thought it would be an infinite of Pleasure to me, to take Morat's place, and, by consequence, possess what she treacherously refused me; it was to me the highest Satisfaction in the World, to think, how she would resent this Affront, after I should disabuse her, when, in the room of the Grand Gardener, she should find the Grand Visier, her most mortal Enemy; this (I say,) flattered my Love, and my Revenge, so much, that I put on the Slaves Dress, and, conducted by Morat, (who no longer valued the Sultana, since he had received from her all he could expect,) I entered the Gardens, and passed with silence to the covered Walks, I presently discovered the beautiful Homira advancing towards an Eunuch, that, as I have since apprehended, waited there, by the Order of the Christian Prince, for your arrival; however it were, the Sultana, who was also disguised, approached the Eunuch, that attended there, made him believe she came from the Sultana of Barbary, with Orders to receive the Letter, which the Slave, without any farther Examination, put into her hands; I presently apprehended some ill designs, from that enraged Spirit, and, quitting Morat, who retired at the first sight of her, doubled my pace, and was got up to her, before she had opened the Letter; We are likely, my dear, said she to me, in believing me to be the chief Gardener, to make some Discoveries, here was, not long since, one of your Sex, though not so very much disguised as you, that put this Letter into the hands of an Eunuch, to deliver to the Sultana of Barbary; thou knowest, my dear, what Reasons I have to hate her, I easily got it from the Slave: She than gave it to me to read; you may imagine the Joy I had to see it in my hands; we entered the Grotto, she would oblige me to let her hear what was in the Letter, I easily diverted her from it, I pretended the Passion I had for her, was too ardent to amuse the Heavenly Moment's (which I bought with the hazard of my Life,) in Trifles, like those; (I told her,) that there was enough of other time, to give to things of that nature, and that Love would have reason to be angry, at me his glorious Favourite, if I lavished away the hasty happy hour, in such an unpardonable idle manner.  
'Tis easy for you to divine, continued the Visier, with a Smile, (and looking fixedly on Indamora,) how we entertained one another, she believed me Morat, and I fancied her the Homira I had once loved, above the hopes of a blessed Eternity: In short, I possessed what I had so long sighed for, and what she had so unjustly denied me, maugre my transporting desires of Revenge, I was forced to recollect all that could animate it, to be proof against this seducing Charmer; and I put a perfect violence on my Inclinations, by constraining myself to do a cruel Action, after so pleasing and so extastick a one, yet such was my Fate, I must triumph, or must be triumphed over, 'tis easy to resolve, which was the Choice I made, for when I had been this happy Man, for two hours, and had very often given, and received, Testimonies of a great and reciprocal Passion, I barbarously confessed myself to be Mahomet Bassa; certainly, all I could have contrived, in my whole Life, of Cruel, had not been so ill received by her, as this last Action of mine, yet she continued some time very calm, and confessed, that not my Embraces had disgusted her, but my former conduct to her, which was so base, that she should eternally remember, and eternally endeavour to revenge; she caressed me for the Letter, which, when she saw I was resolved not to give her, she flew out into an extreme violent Passion, she threatened me with death, which she assured me she was resolved should be my Fate, for she would instantly inform the Grand Signior of my coming to that sacred place, in such an hour, and an hundred other ridiculous Clamours, which I put an end to, by answering her, Morat should suffer whatever the Sultan ordained me of Punishment; Nay, pursued I, either change your Resolution of discovering to Acmat my Crime, and your own Debauchery, or this adored Grand Gardener shall this hour be expiring by Poisons, or my Scimitan, or shall be strangled by Mutes: Consider, how you can bear this, and take your measures accordingly. These Threats had their desired Success, the Sultana retired, very much enraged at my manner of Revenge, and the more so, in that she durst not complain of me, without hazarding the Life of her dear Morat. You entered some moments after, the Letter you have, by a kind of Miracle; had Homira seen it, nothing could have prevented your ruin, have a care how you carry yourself, she will certainly have an account of all your Conduct, which will be rendered as criminal as her Wit and Malice can make it; perhaps she will too inform the Sultan of a Letter I had for you, and render us both suspected; he joys you well enough to be jealous, (though none before could ever make him so;) the Sultaness Homira was an infamous Woman, and disgraced, because the Honour of Acmat required she should be so; he forgave her other Faults as Criminal, though not as public as her favouring Amurath, and would not himself see, what the rest of the World easily discerned; Tiridate and Homira may ruin Indamora with the same ●ase, that Amurath and Mahomet Bassa ruined her; act then with Caution, and remember, when you have once lost the Sultan, all Endeavours will be in vain, to make him again love you; an Example of this we have in Homira, she is, beyond comparison, beautiful, so made to Charm, that it was almost a Miracle (great as her own Composer,) to think, how Acmat, of the Temper he is, could ever cease from loving her, yet, nothing is more certain, than that he has: He cannot love Indamora more than he did Homira; you may, perhaps, have her Destiny, but all Endeavours must be used to hinder that fatal Curse, banish Agustus from your Heart, for as long as he reigns there, you will not fail of being unhappy; Monarches, like Acmat, when they give a whole Heart, expect a suitable return, and, as in Empire, so in Love, we can admit of no Competitors.  
This I very well know (my Lord) replied the Sultana; but my auspicious Stars have inspired me with an unfortunate Passion for Tiridate, before I ever knew the Sultan; I have, before now, assured you of my Passion for h●m; but when you placed me with the Sultana Queen, that did not disturb me so very much, I did not believe I should ever see him again, and am yet to learn how it comes that he is protected here, in this Court. possibly I had not consented to please my Ambition, had I ever had any hope of being happy again in my Love; but the Object of it had, for me, suffered a Banishment, and retired to a place, where I could never have come, after my being taken and made a Slave in Turkey. But, my Lord, pursued the fair Sultana, with some great Sighs, and a Torrent of Tears, I love the Prince, and cannot cease from doing it, maugre all what you, my own Reason, or the whole World, can say to the contrary; and perhaps I had rather share his Banishment with him, than never see him again. I first gave him my Honour, when I had no Love for him, and sure, my Lord, now I have, 'tis not to be expected I should treat him worse than than: Ah! it is too cruel a Destiny, my capricious Fates will hurry me to a thousand things, but all my Resolves terminate in loving him eternally; and in this you must acquiesce, all our Sex has some weakness, this is mine, pity it then, (my Lord) and assist an unfortunate Woman, whose Good wholly depends on your Management. I would not ask this from you, were I not assured it is your Interest I should live in the Favour of the Grand Signior; and further, (my Lord) you have hitherto protected and assisted me, leave me not now, in the greatest moment of my life. I would, without your aid, leave the Seraglio, confess my Passion to the Sultan for Tiridate Agustus, and declare to him the desire I should have of passing my whole life with him, remote from every thing but Love; but I flatter myself, that with your assistance, and by the Ascendent I have over Acmat, I may continue as I am. I have some Ambition with me, the Sultan gratifies it, and I must acknowledge it, though he is a Monarch very indifferent to me; and I know not what I could be capable of doing against him, should he make my life uneasy by disturbing my love. To prevent it, I must endeavour to preserve myself, in his Opinion, as guiltless of persidiousness as I am now in it.  
She stopped here, to make room for the Returns of the Grand Visier, who represented to her all she had to fear from that manner of Conduct, the Life of the Christian Religious, and her own; (but those are things which Love renders but little persuasive, and we very often hazard them to satisfy the humours of the God.) Mahomet Bassa at least persuaded the Sultana to carry herself with more Caution than usual, and to pretend more Passion and Tenderness for Acmat than ever. After this the Grand Visier retired, the day began to break, and to tarry longer would be hazardous, if he were known.  
The fair Sultana was agitated by unexpressible Disquiets; she returned to the Seraglio, and with a Resolution to write to the Religious Prince, which she did, but then she knows not how to have it safely delivered to him. What the Grand Visier had said to her, alarmed her; she had reason to apprehend all things from Homira, who, upon very good Considerations, she could not believe any thing but ill Offices could proceed from.  
She must then use as much precaution as could be consistent with her Love for the Prince, that being dearer to her than her Ambition; she believed Acmat was secure in the Opinion of her sincerity, her truth, and the Protestations she had made him, and that more than suspicions would be necessary to ruin her, it was her fault if Indiscretion did it; she has a thousand Designs forming for the Conveyance of this Letter she had writ; she knows not whom to trust, she fears all things from every one in the Seraglio. Acmat was the most beloved by his Subjects of any Prince under the Heavens; all that had the Grace to approach him were charmed with his easy Conversation, in which he always expressed abundance of Wit; and for those that were not permitted to be so nearly serviceable, they were retained by a thousand Liberalities He was the most Generous of all men, and never in his life denied any thing that was asked him, though it was the same thing by several persons; he gave it to all, and let them agree whose it were. All those in the Seraglio seemed so devoted to his particular Interest, that it was an emulation amongst them who should serve him most, even in indifferent things; and whatever was newly acted or said, was instantly recounted to him. The Sultana of Barbary was not to learn this; she once resolved to take herself Eunuches Habit, and pass to the Apartment of Tiridate under that Disguise; but all her people being affected, as I have observed, she found none in whom she might place a Confidence; her Disguise was not possible to be assumed so privately as none was to know of it, and she does not see where to find that one, so that by consequence she could not tell how to escape Censure and Ruin. She must then quit that Resolution, and resolve on something more possible; she has greater designs than the Delivery of a Letter; that is but an imperfect Happiness: She than tears that she writ, resolves on another Stratagem. She feigns herself all on a sudden desperately ill, commands the Sultan to be told of it in such a manner as should express the greatest danger. Acmat loved her beyond his Empires, and flies with all the haste and terror of a passionate Lover, who would see his Mistress before she left the World. Indamora was assured of his Approach, and prepared to receive him in a condition the most moving of all, by terrible Swoonings and Convulsions, that Acmat, all desperate at her appearance of so eminent danger, gave a very loud Cry; this she pretends to hear, and, as if raised by it from a deep Lethargy which her faintings had left her in, she called those about her, Barbarous, in disturbing that Repose she was going to find in Death. Acmat, at her pronouncing that name, fell on his Knees by her Bed, and conjured her not to think yet of any thing but Life: She turned to the Sultan, and with that little Force that was left her, endeavoured to raise him from the Ground, and made him sit by her on the Bed: Then she ordered all in the Room to retire, and addressed herself thus to him, in a very low Voice,  
You and Heaven, Sir, are sensible with how much Faithfulness I have loved you, and how much I was beloved again; I see myself possess a Rank which would satisfy the most immense Ambition: But, Ah! my dear Sultan, added she with tenderness, it was not to gratify that Desire I became what I am; it was to satisfy a more refined Passion; you inspired me with too tender Sentiments to deny yours and my own happiness; but, Oh! how have I served my God by this gratifying my Criminal Passions? I must dy●, Sir, and be accountable for all my weaknesses; nay, my Sin is more, I am so obstinate that I cannot repent of what gave us so much Pleasure as our Engagements; I call Heaven to Witness, they bounded all my Felicities and all my Ambition, my Wishes and Desires of satisfying Love and Glory were there terminated: But in the Condition I am in now, 'tis requisite, I banish the memory of that Happiness, and apply myself after the Pursuit of a more durable, though not a more transporting one, of another nature. In all appearance, I have not many hours to survive this, in which I speak to you. Here she lost her Voice again, and swooned in the Arms of the Sultan: He called the Attendants to her Aid, and yet suffered none to touch her; he fancied that Service, which was requisite to be rendered her, aught to be accomplished by none but himself; he then chaffed her, pressed her in his Arms, sighed, wept, and in short, committed a thousand Extravagancies, which were notwithstanding pardonable in a Lover. In such extremity of Anguish, Ah! too lovely, and too dear Indamora, (would he cry, all transported with despair) you must not leave your Monarch thus, but I shall shortly follow; my Life is inseparable with hers; Hear me, Mahomet, and if thou hast a design to continue me thy Friend, restore me to Life and Health my dear Sultana. Indamora would now rise from her Swoon, she believed she had remained long enough in it, so that fetching two great Sighs, she opened her Eyes with a dead Languor, and, in a Moment after, closed 'em again. Acmat was not able to suffer this cruelty; he repeated his Outcry, and snatched her with great violence nearer him, as if by that Action he designed to hinder her from expiring. This gave her a good Pretence; she seemed startled at this emotion, and opening her Eyes, she closed 'em no more again for that time. The Sultan, transported at so pleasing an Object, ordered the Attendants Absence, till he should call them again; and turning to her with symptoms of joy for her Recovery, which did not however last long; for ask of her, How she was now, and receiving no Answer, absolutely believed she was Speechless; he was now despairing, and in a very little of being in earnest, what she feigned.  
But all this had not effected what she aimed at; she thinks it's now time to begin, so that raising her head with an apparent Constraint, and in fainter Accents than before, with Interruptions and Tears, she proceeds thus to the Grand Signior. I must now (Sir,) take my farewell of this World, or to speak more properly of you, you being alone in the Room of all things to me; but as my time, (which I very well perceive is short) so must my Discourse be; I must employ some of my hasty moments to the reconciling myself to my God, whom I have every way offended. I know you love me, above your Crowns, above your own Life; and I flatter myself, were it possible to save mine, by the loss of yours, you would not fail to give me that Sacrifice. Acmat having assured her with passionate Asseverations, of the certainty of what she said, she proceeded thus: But as that could not fail of killing me with Grief and Sorrow, so I should not suffer it, this I say to assure you I know how dear I am to you; all I have now to recommend to your care, is the preservation of your own Person; next, Sir, I bear my loss with patience, the good. God's will send another in my room, to possess the Affection, I could never merit, and she shall be as dear to you, as I am now. Ah! That is impossible, replied he, with a transporting sorrow. Well, my (dear Prince) continued she, since you say so, I will believe; but remember what I shall tell you, Deny not yourself all the Diversions possible, I flatter myself, my Death may some sort make 'em necessary, since the only way, to expel a great Melancholy (such as yours) is by Pleasures. And next, Oh Heavens! cried she, as if torn with extremity of anguish, retire, and let me not die more full of torture by seeing, what a world of pain, my death will cost you; Ah, my dear Prince, farewell. Here she gave way, for the Sultan to lament her in the tenderest manner of regret. You love me, says she, (just as if expiring) convince me of it, in Death; and as the last, and greatest service, you can render to a Woman so dear to you, take some care of my everlasting Welfare, send to me the Prince Tiridate Agustus, he is of my Religion, we were acquainted in the Emperor's Court, I hear he is now in yours, I cannot die, but despairing, if I do not see him, 'tis necessary for my Eternal Happiness, I receive from him Absolution; 'tis long since, you allowed my Religion, you have now no room for wonder, at a desire, so consistent with it.  
Acmat believing Obedience was tho greatest Testimony of his Affection, went to the Antichamber, where the Attendants were in waiting, and ordered one of the Eunuches to fly to the Holy Christian Prince, and to command him instantly to come to the dying Sultana of Barbary, (to whom, after these words given,) he returned, she said no more, pretended to be fallen into a deep Lethargy, he kneeled by her, kissed her a thousand times, and uttered all, that a violent Sorrow, and a great Passion, could inspire, shed a torrent of Tears upon her Face, and flattered himself, (by the heat he found there,) she was not yet expiring: It is almost a Miracle, how the Sultana could deceive him, as she did; but the Bedchamber was wholly darkened, and he the most Amorous, and blindest, of all Princes.  
The Prince Agustus having received those Orders from the Ottoman Emperor, was divided, if he should obey, (since the cruel Disappointment the night before,) but his Charity, and his Religion, (as it ought,) surmounted all particular Considerations, and he followed the Eunuch to her Apartments; the Sultan retired at the sight of him, and caused himself to be conducted to his own, where he passed his time the most deplorably imaginable; it is easy to imagine, the Sultana continued not long in that appearance of danger, when she saw none present but her dear Prince, (for whom she had feigned as she did,) he approached the Bed with some amaze, The Great God is Just (said he,) to punish so immediately thy Perjuries to me! but this is not a time to upbraid you, 'tis convenient, for your eternal repose, you repent of them. But is it possible, cried he, some moments after, that Indamora, that Charming Creature, should be so near leaving this World; 'tis absurd to believe, so great a Miracle in Nature should cease to be, so early.  
You prophesy right, returned she, in raising her Head, and Indamora is not yet to leave this World, and her unjust Tiridate, for whom I have feigned this Indisposition. Do not you see I love you, I abandon my Sultan to assure you of it, and it is with some Difficulty, I have obtained your Presence here. Ah! interrupted he her, I am convinced, maugre all the former Appearances to the contrary: But, pursued he a moment after, Why did you disappoint me in the Garden? And, Why did not you answer my Letter, I sent you? Indamora satisfied him of the Letter, recounted to him all that had happened in the Garden of the Seraglio, the preceding night, and further assured him, that she recalled and repent of all her Cruelty to him, in the Court of the Germane Emperor; that she forgave him the Death of Alcander, since it was for the Love of her; and, in short, all his unjust Suspicions of her too.  
The Prince had nothing now to doubt, but, made the most blessed of all Men, had leisure to give, and receive, Protestations of an inviolable Fidelity, and to compose their Quarrel, in a Charming manner.  
He assured her, that it was for the Love of her, that he came to Constantinople; learned her the Sorrow of the Great Duchess Dowager of Muscovy, when she had heard of her being made a Slave, and pressed her to take some measures for the seeing one another for the future; it was impossible for him to visit her again, unsuspected. Indamora's Malady was represented as a violent Poison, and of consequence, since it was not to kill, she must recover as soon as her pretended Distemper required.  
The fair Sultaness demanded some time to consider of what was to be done for their mutual repose, and assured him, she would find out some way, to give him Notice, when she had resolved what ought to be done; the Prince kissed her Hand, as a Pledge of his eternal Passion, and left her to go tell the Sultan something to satisfy him; he found him thrown on his Bed, drowned in Tears and in despair; none, not the Grand Visier, so extremely in his Favour, was permitted to speak to him, a gloomy silence filled the whole Apartment; all the Eunuches, Slaves, and Guards, had Orders not to let any enter, the Prince though found it not difficult, for one of the Attendants telling the Great Acmat, that the Prince Agustus was returned from the Sultana of Barbary, and implored Permission to speak to him; he was presently introduced, Acmat advanced to him very hastily, and, in expressive Language, enquired News of her, and Tiridate, with abundance of Gravity, gave him this Return.  
It was some time, Sir, after I entered, ere I could possibly bring her to say any thing to me; till, at length, recovering from that Lethargy, wherein you left her, she discoursed me much to her Satisfaction, but in such intolerable Pains, and so weak a Voice, that I could not believe her destined to live an hour: Amidst all her terrible Agonies, she often named you very tenderly, she sighed, when she repeated the Name of the Sultan, and appeared to have no other regret, in her quitting this World, but as she left you behind her. Twice whilst I was by her Bed, I believed her expiring, but the Physicians say now, there is no manner of danger, they knew not at the first what ailed her, but the horrid pains she suffered, her Agonies, her Swoonings and her Convulsions, has assured them she has been poisoned; but her Youth and Vigour has mastered the height of it: She is put to rest, and with great hopes of Recovery, the extremity being already past, and we hope, most of the greatest danger:  
The Sultan was so sensibly pleased with this Relation, that from that Moment he began to treat the Prince in an extraordinary manner; he enquired of him a thousand little things, would force him to stay with him, That we may (says the great Acmat) both together visit the dear Indamora, when she shall awake.  
'Tis apparent, he had no Inclinations to Jealousy, not but that the most barbarous man would have ceased to have been so in that point, having seen the fair Sultana in that deplorable Condition the Grand Signior left her in. He attended with impatience till she should rise from her Sleep, which she really did not in two hours after the Physicians had been with her, and delivered their Opinions, (as the Prince Agustus had recourted them to the Sultan) who all impatient to be personally assured of her Recovery, passed to her Apartments. The Moment he was told, she awoke, it is beyond being defined the extreme Passion he expressed, the joy and pleasure he took in seeing her freed from her pretended Malady. The Prince, (Jealous to Madness of so much Ardour,) could not but silently upbraid the unjust Sultaness for being false to a Monarch so accomplished and so well made, as Acmat; but as it was in his advantage, he did not suffer that Reflection to disturb him long. He wished himself out of the Seraglio; he continued there in intolerable Disquiets; 'tis true, the Grand Signior brought him again to the Chamber of Indamora, but he had not the liberty to speak to that dear Princess, the Sultan so wholly applied himself to her, none could be heard besides; he pleased himself with recounting to her all that her appearance of danger had made him suffer, learned her the Cares, the Sighs, the Tears he shed for her, and in short, was two hours by her Bed on his Knees, and would not be persuaded to rise, but amused the time with, I love; I feared for you; I could not survive you; and a hundred other things of the same nature.  
The Prince, during all these fooleries, was impatient enough; he considered he was there but as a Witness to a thousand Transports of his Rival; but he had no reason to complain; he had been more happy not long before, and if any had reason to be dissatisfied, it was the Sultan, Indamora was only grateful to this later, and she passionately loved the former.  
After two hours, the Prince Tiridate was called to share the Conversation with the Sultan and Sultana; he charmed all with his pleasing Wit; and Acmat would often say, He regretted nothing so much, as his having not been intimately acquainted before then with a Prince of his merit. This was a Grace to the amorous Tiridate, and he saw every moment how much the Grand Signior favoured him, who, when he quitted the Apartment of Indamora, which could not be done without Reluctancy, being obliged to visit the Sultana Queen, he carried him with him, to present him to her, to do his Homage there.  
The Sultana Homira was then in the Presence. Agustus had never before seen her, (nor none so beautiful as she) he was dazzled with a thousand Graces, peculiar to her Divine Composure, her goodly Mien, and though she had lost much of what she was, when the Mrs. of the Sultan, yet she failed not of drawing from the Prince Agustus some fighs: He was wholly confounded when she first appeared, and it was of excellent use to him, the recollecting all his Love, and all the Beauties of Indamora, to resist the Power of Homira's. However it was, he was not Conquered, but retired with the Sultan only in Admiration of her.  
The Grand Signior had very well observed the Change of Tiridate when the Sultana Homira appeared; he heard some tender sighs, which he believed could proceed from nothing but Adoration: Nothing could give this Monarch more Joy than Agustus' Passion for Homira; he had no longer any Interest in her. though he still admired her; he asked Tiridate's opinion of her, who answered so confusedly, that the great Acmat fell a laughing: this raised the Prince from his Contemplations, and gave him a sense of his Remissness; he would excuse himself to the Sultan: No, no, (said that Monarch) it needs not that; I have myself more than Adored Homira; all that see her, see her with concern, and I should wonder if you, whose Soul is amorous and great, desponded.  
The Prince, who found it not against his Inclinations, and who believed that this pretended Passion would wholly engage the Sultan from any Jealousy of him and Indamora, answered so as made the Ottoman Emperor believe he had divined rightly, and that the Prince was sensibly affected with the Sultana Homira.  
They were passing through a great Gallery, that divides the women's Apartments from the Sultan's, when a Slave veiled came up to the Prince, delivered him a Letter, and retired with Precipitation.  
The Grand Signior, who was the best bred man, and the most complisant, in the World, gave leave for the Prince to read it there: Who knows, says the Sultan, agreeably smiling, it may be of moment, and the Lady that sends it to you may be impatient of a Return.  
Tiridate trembled for Indamora, and for himself, he believed it was from her, and should he open it before the Sultan, he must observe a Civility that could not be dispensed with; Acmat must see it: The Prince then chose rather to suspend his Curiosity, and to tell the Sultan, He knew better what Respects were to be paid him, than to treat him after that manner, though he was so indulgent to permit him more than he durst make advantage of.  
The Sultan wanted not Comprehension to divine the cause that the Prince would not open the Letter, after what he had said to him; and though he might have commanded it, he chose rather to oblige Tiridate, and remain himself unsatisfied: He rallied him for the Gallantry as must of necessity be in the Billet, since it came from the Seraglio; You are a happy man, Prince, says the Sultan, you are no sooner seen than Engagements of heart follow; some of the Women you saw on the Queen's side are certainly charmed, and from thence we are not at all to doubt but this Letter proceeds.  
Agustus was confounded what Answer to make, when the Sultan, who saw the Pain he was in, very obligingly ordered some of the Eunuches to conduct him out of the Seraglio; Go, go, says Acmat, and see what Love has done for you; I expect you will be so just as to allow me some share in your Confidence; I think I ought to be told something of this Amour, since it was I that conducted you to the Queen Sultaness' Apartment, from whence, as I said to you before, this Billet is certainly come. Nor was he deceived; for the impatient Prince was yet advanced no farther than the Limits of the women's Apartments, when he tore open the Letter, and found this Language;  
WHen you shall know, as I do not at all doubt to assure you, convincingly of it, what Love has done for you, you will perhaps have reason not to think yourself altogether unhappy; see what it is to have a strong Passion, one needs to see you but once, (as I have done) to be inspired with one; Care is taken to put the way of returning these Obliging Sentiments wholly in your Power, take an implicit Faith, you need but Love well enough, to come to morrow in the Evening, (disguised like a Woman Slave) to the Grotto in the Labyrinth, in the Gardens of the Seraglio, and you will be happy enough, if Love and the Sultana Homira can make you so.  
Agustus knew not whether he ought to be satisfied at his good fortune, he strongly admired Homira, but then his Charming Intelligence, with Indamora, represented itself to him, whereas the other was a Lover in common, unconstant, a lightness of Humour unexpressible, however extreme Beautiful, and the Prince was not insensible, he believed it no injustice at all, to his passion for Indamora, (since she was a precedent to him, in living with the Sultan in the Quality she did) if he amused himself some times with Homira, conditionally he reserved his Heart for the Sultana of Barbary, but his last Resolution is to be guided by the command of the Sultan, since it was in a thing so absolutely indifferent to his Passions, though not to his Pleasures, he returned then, under the conduct of the Eunuch, to the Grand Signior. As soon as the Sultan saw him, Are you come Prince (said he) to give me some manner of light into a Mystery, which I would fain fancy myself concerned in, since you are interested in it. The Prince did in return to these Obligements, give him the Letter, bowing low, and an assurance the whole was to be carried on as he pleased to order it. The Sultan had but just read the Letter, when (he cried out) Ah, Prince, you are a happy Man, I prophesied right, you must follow your Inclinations, and your better Fortune, you have confessed to me Homira does not displease you, and that Sultaness has given a Testimony of her Tenderness for you, we will this moment go to Indamora, you shall along with me, and relate to her this Adventure, possibly it may divert her, one tastes no true pleasure in any thing till one imparts it, and receives the approbation of our Friends, and in a more extraordinary manner, those we love so well, as I do the Sultana of Barbary.  
Tiridate would have been very well pleased, to have been excused, from doing what the Sultan had then proposed, but in consideration that Indamora could not love him less, for Homira's weakness, he resolved to follow the great Acmat to her Apartments, which in effect he did, some moments after.  
The Sultana of Barbary not at all believing the Sultan would have returned so soon, quitted her Chamber, and descended the Gardens to walk: Acmat could not possibly believe it, till he was confirmed by her return; she used some slight pretence, which however satisfied the Sultan, desiring nothing beyond her health, he did perfectly drown all manner of reflection in a great joy, for the return of it, express his satisfaction in the tenderest of Languages; from that he passed to a Relation of the Amour of Homira, and all along represented Tiridate Agustus in Love with that Sultana. Indamora changed colour very often at what had been told her, but the pretence of indisposition took off all manner of suspicion, and gave her a plausible excuse; she endeavoured to appear pleased at the good fortune of the Prince, and pressed him to declare what he had resolved on, the cruel, or the tender, part; But pursued she a moment after, I forget you are in Love, Prince, and I do ill to suspect you of Barbarity. I am in Love indeed, Madam, (replied he) my Chains are glorious, she whose Captive I am, and for whom I wear 'em, is so fair, that she is secure of the Conquest; I am flattered by her, she is not insensible, and I see nothing that can hinder me from loving her eternally; I have a passionate inclination for constancy, and think that virtue, above all others. She you love then, Prince, will be of necessity happy, (returned the fair Sultana) very well knowing Agustus spoke of herself, but take heed lest I may one day accuse you, remember before whom you give yourself such a marvellous Commendation, I assure you, if ever we are satisfied of your inconstancy, I will be with the first that shall upbraid you of it, I must defend our Sex (Sir) continued she, addressing to the Sultan. The Prince will by his Actions, (replied Acmat) (not at all suspecting they talked of themselves) and by his perseverance I do not question, take the part of ours better then all that can be said; to begin, he shall be at the Assignation, and my dear Sultana, since I see you dare this very day, wherein we all feared for you, venture to the Graden, you shall be there with me to morrow night, to see how the Prince will manage his disguise, he has my leave to go, and perhaps we shall find a great deal of diversion in the Adventure.  
The Sultana at first resolved not to go there, but considering the thoughts of her being in the Garden, would possibly be an awe to inconstancy in Tiridate, she gave the Sultan an Assurance of her Obedience to all his Commands, who retired some moments after with the Prince.  
Indamora had now leisure to reflect on all she had learned, she is sensibly afflicted at it, she loved the Prince Agustus more than ever she had done, and abhorred the Sultan for promoting a Amour which could not be for her advantage, and she was within little of taking resolutions to revenge it on him; she fears Tiridate could not be insensible to the most beautiful of all Women, melting into tenderness for him, but if her Charms could not move him to a return, she dreads the assistance of Gratitude, (which is inseparable from a Gallant-Man) add to all this a more prevailing Circumstance, he is obliged to feign a Passion, or else the Grand Signior will be disabused in an opinion of his concern for the Sultana Homira; but to prevent, if possible, all these cruel Apprehensions, she resolves to write to the Prince; The way of conveying it was no longer so difficult, he had been thrice in her Apartments that day, and once without the Sultan, she believed none of her Slaves, her Eunuches, Women of Guards, would make any reflection, should she write to him; which she did in this manner.  
JUdge (my Lord) if I have not all things to fear; You need not to be told I love you above all things, you saw what was done for you to day, Favours so extraordinary as those could not proceed from any motive but that of a great Passion; ah, be not ingrateful, nor unfaithful, you promised me before the Sultan an Eternal Constancy, assure me (by this Slave) you continue still in the Blessed Resolution, I have need of Consolation, without it I am jealous to extremity, that is, I love you beyond all that were ever sensible of that Passion, avert my Fears, pity and receive them, as Testimonies of a great Tenderness.  
The Letter was given in charge to a faithful Eunuch, (with express Orders to deliver it into the Hands of the Prince and none other) mean time she busied herself in a thousand reflections, she loved the Prince even to the committing Crimes for his sake, and she then took Resolutions, to make any serve her that could conduce to the better fortune of this Passion, but the return of the Eunuch roused her from those thoughts, he had sound Agustus with ease, who was impatient enough to satisfy the Sultana of Barbary; which he did by this Letter.  
ONce for all, dearest Indamora, learn to be assured, my Passion is greater than yours, I have the most to fear; if you command it, I will not take with Homira the Liberty you give to the Sultan, the Sacrifice is considerable, and to add to the Merit, know, I think her (next you) the finest Woman in the Earth, and one that I should most love, but this ought not to alarm you, I have satisfied you what I have resolved on, to morrow night shall put an end to an Amour that gives you such cruel Apprehensions; I love more than you, you will not forgo the Sultan, and yet I remove all what you except against.  
The Sultana Homira after the Adventure of Mahomet Bassa in the Gardens, was transported with Rage, with design of Revenge, and yet she is not displeased to find him still a Lover, yet that shall not save him from Ruin, she wants only power, and not inclinations, or he had not lived till then, to triumph over her in such a sensible manner: Nothing more offends a haughty Beauty, than to find the Man that one hates, be in a possibility of boasting of the same Favours, we give to those that are beloved: This she regretted, and whilst bufie in contriving a Revenge, she let self reflect on that Billet the Eunuch had orders to deliver to the Sultana of Barbary; she fancies something advantageous for her designs could be gathered from it, she saw Indamora was no longer what she had made the whole Seraglio believe her, that she received Letters, and in short, that it was easy to ruin her.  
She had all these Reflections in the Garden of the Seraglio, ere she returned to her Apartments, which she did, as incensed as she could possibly be, against a Man she so much esteemed, under the Disguise of Morat the Grand Gardener; and will see, if she can ruin the Sultana of Barbary, and by that blow, put the Grand Visier from some of the Favour he retained: She gins with a Resolution of sounding the Inclinations of Indamera, she believes them of the nature of her own, since they were of the same Sex; there wants nothing then, but to know whom she Graces, that must be satisfied by Zelida, (her chief Slave,) she sends for her, makes her believe, her ruin was inevitable, that Indamora would fall, and involve her in her Misfortunes, that it was her best course to take care of herself, since the Sultana of Barbary would not do it for her; that the only means was, to acquaint the Sultan with her Mistress' jutrigues, which he would certainly know, by those that were wiser than she should be, if she neglected that opportunity of making her Fortune for ever: But, how was Homira disappointed, when the Slave assured her, she never saw Indamera commit the least Weakness, in Advantage of any Man; but retired, with a Promise to the Sultana, of observing her more narrowly, for the time to come, than she had yet done; which, too satally, she did, and the same day returned to Homira, with an account of all that had passed in Indamora's Chamber; during her Indisposition, Zelida had concealed herself behind a Canopy, over a State in the great Cabinet joining the Chamber the Sultana lay in, from whence, unperceived, and with abundance of ease, she saw all that was done, she recounted the Sultan's despair, her Swoonings, her Passion for the Religious Prince, and all she said and did of tender to him. Homira was pleased at this good Fortune, but there is something that stays her, from yielding to her passionate Desires of Revenge; her own Inclination, which was become tender, surmounted it; she had heard Tiridate Agustus was a since Prince, his Character was very Glorious, she would yet see him before she ruined him, which she must of necessity do, if the Engagement between him and the fair Sultana of Barbary was related to the Grand Signior; she bids Zelida look for some Letters, telling the Slave, that whatever they could say, without Authentic Testimonies to authorize it, would be of no use, and that they should themselves be the Persons exposed; this she does to divert Zelida, whom she had no mind should yet learn the Sultan any thing of the Prince Agustus, Homira knew not, if she should like him yet, or no, if her Inclinations are favourable, after seeing of him, he shall be saved; or, on the contrary, ruined with the Sultana of Barbary.  
See then, on what a slender thing the Life of Agustus depended; but it was his own Fault, he was not happy, the Sultana Homira was charmed with him at the Queen Sultana's Apartments, where, as has been related, the Sultan carried him: She writ that Letter (which he received in the Presence of the Great Acmat,) with a design of gaining an opportunity of entertaining him singly; she was not accustomed to be cruel, and without the Inclination she had for Tiridate, the desire she had of Revenge, would have made her endeavour to oblige the Prince, as powerfully as she could, she will use all her Arts, to make him quit Indamora for her, without which they shall both fall; she will now become more nice than ever, she thinks of engaging the Heart, and will not be satisfied without the entire Possession of it, she cannot support the thought of sharing with Indamora, whom she mortally hated, and whom she does not question but to ruin, if once deserted by the Prince: She is impatient to know the success of her Billet, Zelida had delivered it, and returned to give her an account, that she had obeyed her Orders, (though not without terrible Apprehensions of the Sultan;) from thence the Slave passed to the Lodgings of the Sultana of Barbary, where the Sultan and the Prince Tiridate were already come, Zelida absconds herself, as before, and with the same ease heard all that was said; the Letter of the Sultana Homira was read aloud by Indamora, and those Resolutions taken as has been before related; all which Zelida very perfectly remembered, the Slave had store of Sense, she had been placed by Acmat in the Service of the Sultana of Barbary, and was very true to his Interest; it was from Homira's Discourse she took a resolution to observe the Conduct of Indamora, which, if criminal, she believed it her Duty, to (at once,) let the Sultan see, how faithful she was, and, how undeserving of his Heart and Favours the Sultana rendered herself; she saw her write a Letter, and heard the Orders she gave the Eunuch, she contrives, how she might read it, but the diligence of the Slave, that had it in charge, prevented her, so that all she could possibly effect, was to secure the Answer, which she did thus.  
Zelida had the charge of the Wardrobe, and, as Indamora had left the Letter, it was easy to get it, she had loosed herself to be put to Bed, some short time after receiving it, Zelida being very diligent, waited so effectually, that the Robes the Sultana wore that day, (and which the Letter was in,) were immediately put into her hands, she retired with it to the Sultana Homira; 'tis beyond expression the Passion of this Princess, at the reading it; Ah, Traitor! (says she,) Perjured Villain! Unhappy Homira— but I will be revenged— And yet, (pursued she, a moment after,) Who knows, and, who dare trust, Appearances; notwithstanding this Letter, this Prince, perhaps, loves me, and it is writ but to satisfy the Sultana of Barbary, he can do no less, we must appease her— To morrow will put a Period to all these Disputes, and then I shall see, which it is he loves. With these Reflections and Irresolutions, she passed the night, and the following day, till the hour came of the Assignation; she failed not to render herself at the Grotto of the Labyrinth, much sooner than Agustus did, and had thrown herself on one of the Seats of Turf, and, leaning her Head upon her Arm, scarce raised it up when the Prince entered, disguised, like a Woman Slave, the Sultana resolved yet to dissemble, (till it should be of use to her,) she having seen the Letter he had writ to Indamora.  
Homira believed, she had already made Advances enough, she would now dissemble a Modesty, very unnecessary, after what Encouragement she had given, and took a Pleasure in perplexing him, which she did, by not speaking, or, pretending to know him, at first; he was surprised at this Usage, and let fall some words, as expressed his mistake, and his Fear of displeasing her, by his Intrusion, and was going to use that pretext for retiring; this put an end to all the Comedy in Play, she hastily risen, and reiterating, Stay, Stay; and after his return, Ah, Prince, (cries she,) Mu one do all one's self? And, Are you stupid? What has Respect to do with Love?— Agustus knew not what to answer her, he repent him of the Promise he had made to Indamora, and wished he had not obeyed the Sultana's Orders, by coming to the Gardens, where he had nothing to do, but to hear himself reproved, upbraided, and railed at.  
Homira seeing him muse so much, divined the Cause, and no longer slattering herself, that he loved her, in a languishing despair, she let herself sink into his Arms, Ah, ingrateful (says she, with some great sighs,) Must Homira be then treated after this manner? Why do you torture me thus, by a scornful Silence?  
Tiridate, at that Action of hers, felt a remorse for his Cruelty, and having in his Arms a Woman of the most Beauty, that had been ever possessed by any, found it not in his Power, to continue that restraint to his Desires; he spoke tenderly to her, excused his Silence, and bid her attribute it to his great Passion for her; pressed her in his Arms, (where she lay,) sighed a thousand times to her, the most passionate of Transports, and was at the point of being very faithless to the Promise he had made Indamora.  
The Sultana Homira seeing Tiridate no longer insensible, was first resolved to see, if he would sacrifice Indamora to her, before she favoured him, and using some very obliging Reproaches to him, at length exposed the Letter he had writ to the Sultana of Barbary, and, in a more serious Air, read it to him; after she had done, she risen from him, and taking still more Coldness, mingled with some Rage, See there, says she, has not Homira all the reason in the World, to revenge the Injury thou dost her? Oughtest thou, Barbarian, to have exposed me, and the truest of Passions, to the scorn of that Sultaness? Nothing thou canst do can merit a Pardon. Ingrateful Prince, (pursued she, drying some Tears that fell from her fine Eyes,) What will't thou say to excuse this, so cruel a Crime? But (interrupted the Prince,) and kneeling before her, Do not you see you have such an Ascendant over me, as to make me break through all the Oppositions, the Vows, and the Resolutions, made in this fatal Letter, to your Arms? Yes, says Homira, more calmly, (and with some Tenderness,) I do see it, and am pleased enough at it; there is one thing you must do, to atone for your Sin to me, 'tis wholly in your Power to deface as much as the remembrance of it, yield to me the Interest the Sultana of Barbary has in thee, assist me to ruin her, and then you may be happy, in the Possession of a Princess, who tenderly loves you.  
The Prince risen from before her, (where he was kneeling,) very coldly, 'tis true, she had pleased him, as a Mistress, that one is not obliged to be constant to, and for whom we will do very little, beyond loving them when we are with them; yet, after what she had said of Indamora, he looked on her with Contempt and Indignation, and though he knew very well, that (for his Preservation,) he ought to dissemble with her, yet she had startled him, by so cruel a Proposition, that it was not in his Power to answer her any thing; she knew what to attribute his silence to, and, becoming extremely incensed against him, she lost, in a moment, all the Tenderness she had for him, to give place to the Emotions of Anger and revenge, she passed from a warm Passion to a violent hatred, and (as a Testimony of it,) she stamped furiously; You shall both die, (says she,) Homira will have it so; you shall know what it is to scorn a Woman, haughty, like me, and one that can revenge herself; I will instantly inform the abused Sultan of your guilty commerce with Indamcra, he is this moment in the Gardens, as I am assured, and if he does not order thy Death, he will be more merciful than thou deservest. At the end of this she hastily ran out of the Labyrinth, Agustus pursued her, to throw himself at her Feet, and to endeavour to mitigate her Anger; she had reason for it, and he could not much condemn her; he resolved to dissemble with her, and to make her a Sacrifice, to appease her, of his Passion to Indamcra; this he would do to Appearance, any thing rather than see his dear Sultana expire, (by the Orders of the Sultan,) for his sake, he will then feign, and flatter the Pride, the Revenge, and Passion of Homira, but it is to prevent the ruin and death of himself, and his Charming Indamora.  
He looked, he ran, he searched, he goes, he comes, but all in vain, she was lost in the Labyrinth, and the Prince, being utterly unacquainted with it, despaired of finding her, and growing extremely weary with seeking, he threw himself down, (on the border of a little Rivulet, at the Entrance of a retired Grotto, he had not been there long, agitated with all the Horrors of despair, than that he is seized behind, he startled at the Action, and was more surprised, when he saw it was the Sultan, that held him, he did not doubt, but that he was their to die, and that Homira had conducted Acmat there, to give him the death which she threatened him with; he was at a loss, how to speak to the Grand Signior, in such a Conjuncture, when that Monarch banished all his Fears, (by a Charming Smile peculiar to him,) Where have you left the Sultana Homira? (says he,) If I mistake not, this manner of Carriage is not at all obliging to a Princess of her Sentiments. Agustus was reassured, by what the Sultan had said, and taking an Air that expressed his Resentments; Ah, (Sir,) returned he, You have exposed me; I know not the manner, how Love was made in Turkey, I believed it the same as in Germany, where, after receiving such a Letter, (as I did from Homira,) we expected all should be given, and, if we stayed to ask it, it is only to save the Blushes of the fair one, not that those Formalities are necessary.  
But I am yet to learn, what is to be done with the Ladies in Turkey, what Court, what Address, to charm: The Sultana Homira laughed at me, ridiculed me, and, in a word, is fled from me, I pursued her, till I had no longer any hopes of finding her; and see too plainly, I serve only to divert you, and that fantastical Sultaness; but 'tis very well I am capable of doing that. Acmat smiled all the while as Agustus was talking to him, and seeing him appear so concerned, made him laugh more than ever; but that passed, He examined the Prince seriously, the occacasion of Homira's Flight, after the tender Letter she had writ; Tiridate would be more and more in a pet, at what the Sultan said; You laugh, (Sir,) replied he, and you inquire into a thing, which you already understand much better than I, and you must give me leave to think, you press me, only, that you believe it more diverting recounted by him, that ought not to be without Resentment, but I am ready to give you that Satisfaction. Homira, amidst all my Protestations of Love, would show, how well she could act a part enjoined her; she pretends then to be jealous of me and the Sultana of Barbary (whom I have not seen but once since my arrival to Turkey,) protests it is true, and that I am beloved again; and she left me, as she said, in order to find you, that my death should immediately follow the Discovery. This ramble, as the Sultan believed it, delivered in the Dress and Anger the Prince was in, made Acmat laugh more than ever he had done. To satisfy you, (said that Monarch,) I will myself go search the Gardens, and bring the Sultana Homira to you, and we will endeavour to make you Friends; you shall go into this Grotto, where Indamora is alone, and entertain her with the Relation of this night's Adventure, while I shall do as I promised. Homira may then indeed, (Sir,) returned Agustus, pretend some colour for her Jealousy. Oh, ridiculous! (replied the Sultan,) Do as I command, I am assured of Indamora; and, as for Homira, I will go this moment, and bring that Sultaness to you, as I said.  
Whilst the Grand Signior was in pursuit of Homira, the Prince entered the Grotto, where Indamora was, he had just leisure to assure her he had been constant, learned her what they had to fear from Homira, the Letter she had, and the design, and the desire, she expressed to ruin them; at the end of this hasty Relation, Aomat entered the Grotto alone; I have found Homira, says he, but it is impossible for me to persuade her to come hither, she still persists in the same Story, and has given me the greatest Satisfaction of Laughing extremely at her ridiculous ramble; she is Obstinacy itself; tells me, that your dangerous Malady yesterday was all feigned, that it was only to favour Tiridate Agustus, and more, as impertinent as this.  
'Tis very necessary, Sir, replied the Sultana of Barbary, I clear myself from that Aspersion; the Sultaness thinks all her Sex of her own Inclinations, because the Religious cannot escape her Conquest; she believes, (and she has perhaps some reason,) that I would no more scruple to have a Gallant Intrigue with the Prince Tiridate, than she with the Mufty; but ah! all Religons will not allow it, Turkey and Germany differ in nothing more, than in that point; when we engage ourselves once, it is for ever, and though nothing can be more ardent and constant, than our Loves, yet do we not proceed to Poisonings, and Death; the Sultan apprehends the occasion the Sultana of Barbary said this from, she had insinuated to him her Fears, that was grounded on Circumstances convincing, of Hemira's inveterate malice; she believed (she said,) and not without reason, that the Poison, she had taken, proceeded from her, and I am not to wonder at this last effect of her Malice, (pursued Indamora;) and, ah! Sir, should you suffer these Outrages so near the Throne, it is time for the unhappy Sultana of Barbary to retire herself, when she is no longer loved; for what can be more cruel, than your unjust Suspicions; and if Homira, by rendering me culpable, can advance her own Interest, how cruel Apprehensions ought I to have, she will pause at nothing to ruin me, and to regain your Heart, give it her then, Sir, if I no longer merit it, I had much rather be unhappy, than render you so; Is your Passion for me dead? Or, Is it become so languid, that you can possibly calmly hear my Innocence, and my best Actions, aspersed with the blackest of Calumnies, and not show your Resentments? Good Heavens! How unhappy is Indamora, in losing her dear Sultan, so tenderly, a shower of Tears succeeded; it was a long time before she could be appeased, the Great Acmat endeavoured it very unsuccessfully, till he protested to her, he would never believe to her disadvantage, whatever Homira could say; I have more than once feared for you, says he, and that haughty Spirit cannot bear Injuries without revenging them; it is possible the Poison that you took, and which had almost cost me my Life, was the effect of her malicious Humour, but we know what Reasons she has to hate you, and her Resentments must be pardoned, since they have such a motive.  
After this, they retired out of the Gardens, the Sultana Homira had actually related to the Sultan all she knew of the Intrigue of Indamora and Agustus, but the Relation that that Prince had before made to Acmat, hindered her designs from taking effect, he believed her fantastically mad, and used her accordingly, by ridiculing all she said; No, (Sir,) says she, you will never believe, though you should find her in the Arms of the Religious, which is easy enough to be seen. Good Heavens! (pursued she,) How could I love that ingrateful Prince, that sacrifices me to Indamora. This last Expression made an end of ruining her designs, the Sultan believed, he had then found the rise of all her Extravagancies, and that it was Jealousy disordered her, and that Agustus having given the Letter she had written to Indamora, had created all these Chimeras. Thus he returns, (as has been observed, after pitying the distracted Sultana, (as he called her,) and all the Absurdities she had been guilty of: This made an end of enraging Homira, she saw the Sultan was so prepossessed to the contrary, that she deferred giving him the Letter Agustus had sent to the Sultana of Barbary, she assured herself, if she should show it him, he would scarcely read it, and, at best, believe it a thing feigned on purpose, to give credit to all what she had said, which Tiridate had address enough to improve, by disowning he had ever writ it, and the Sultan who so passionately desired to find the fair Indamora innocent, would not endeavour to disapprove him, this Homira sees, her rage had left her sense enough to give the success the Letter should find to Zelida, to order most advantageous, and she is going to instruct her, in the part she is to Act, for the ruin of the Sultana of Barbary, and the Prince Tiridate.  
Zelida, fully persuaded of the faithlessness of Indamora, prepared to discharge her Conscience, by telling the Grand Signior all she knew, Homira animated her the most she could, returned her the Letter, jearnt her the unsuccessfulness of the discovery she had made, and, in short, concluded, that a great deal of Cunning would be necessary to convince the Sultan of a truth obvious to all the Seraglio, and that it would be more discreet for Zelida to defer yet some five days longer the Relation of that they had resolved on; that mean time, they should perhaps make some other discoveries, but if they failed of that, Zelida said she did not at all question but that the Sultan would believe one that had been ever so just to him, as she had been.  
The Sultana of Barbary was become deplorably Melancholy, and after what the Prince had related to her in the Garden of the Seraglio, she began to consider to what unhappiness her transporting Passion for him did expose her, yet she cannot repent of what she had done, she loves too ardently for such a weakness; on the contrary she will add to her Favours, her Tenderness conquers her Ambition, and she resolves with herself, that it is better to live retired and happy, than the most gloricus Princess in the World, to suffer such inquietude and constraints as she did, she casts herself then at the Sultan's Feet, begs his leave for her to retire from the Seraglio, and from Turkey, pretends Religion and Remorse of Conscience, her late dreadful Malady, which had given her a prospect of Death, and of an Everlasting Estate, and said she should employ the remainder of her Life, to attain a Blessed Eternity, and that the Engagements she was in with him were not at all consistent with it; that it was very true, it was the greatest Temporal Felicity she could have, but then her Eternal Happiness was sacrificed to him; And, added she, I will never believe you love me, if you can so easily for some short moments of Satisfactions, and those of so Criminal a Nature, doom your Indamora to an Everlasting rest of Torments; Remember I have hitherto neglected all reflections of this nature, and suffered all my remorse of Conscience to be calmed by your Love, but my late miraculous preservation has awakened me, and let me see, I cannot continue in the same station, without appearing highly Criminal to my God; My Religion has suffered all manner of persecution for my Love, and I may say, it has even died in your Arms, it is time then for me to alter so deadly and so charming a manner of living; And, Oh Gods! (added she, as if transported) Why were we born with Inclinations proper to distinguish and affect the Pleasures of this Life, and not have the liberty of Soul (given us) to enjoy 'em, without such endless Rewards of Torment? I would fain persuade myself, there are none of these things to fear, but my babbling Conscience cries aloud against all these Endeavours, and in a moment crushes my Objections into nothing, and assures me too fatally of the certainty of it; You yourself, nor all your Love (called to your aid) could not boast of more Eloquence, (towards the confuting of these Truths) than I have suggested (by favour of those Intervals, I would forcibly allow myself to snatch from Religion) to the advantage of you, (Sir) and to the advantage of our Passion; but alas, must I pronounce the Sentence of my own Death, death of Love and Joy? Ah! 'tis too cruel a destiny, unhappy Indamora, in that she must obey; Oh, never, never, cried the Sultan, taking her in his Arms, Would you destroy (not only the Repose) but Life of Acmat? You take the way that will certainly do it, and if the sacrifice of it can be pleasing, bring me Poisons, offer me Poniards, or whatever way you command for dying, and you shall be satisfied, that it is necessary for me to expire by one of them, 'ere quit the possession of you; It is a truth, that perhaps this Action will be accounted Barbarous, but who is it that the Ottoman Emperor can fear, but Indamora, that Charming Cruelty; Ah, what is it you cause me of torture, I am greatly miserable, it is not out of sentiments of Religion, but your aversion to me, that you would leave me, how vastly unfortunate I am, but though I were assured you no longer loved me, yet should not that be of any advantage to you, you should see what a wretched Monarch, and in love like me, were capable of, I would not be unhappy alone, I would detain you in the Seraglio, and constrain you to Embrace a Monarch indifferent to you, while I shall share your Afflictions, by considering that I am so; Let me then once forget the tenderness of a Lover, and assume to me the Majesty of a King, by assuring you, I will hear no more of any thing of such a cruel nature, 'tis altogether in vain ever to reassume your Desires, and be satisfied Love has rendered it impossible for me to live without you. This restraint serves to make the Sultana of Barbary hate the Love, and the Person, of the Grand Signior, and after that what Crimes is not she capable of committing, she endeavours secretly to escape, and with her dear Agustus to retire into some part of the World, where they might uncontrouledly be happy in their Love, but she finds it impossible for her to fly, and then began to take more fatal Resolutions.  
Acmat fearing she should endeavour her escape (for Conscience sake) after he had denied her her liberty, he put the ways of it so wholly out of her power, and yet not as immediately proceeding from him, but as a thing barely customary, that she must suspend that design, he had sent her some moments after the refusal of her liberty, immense Presents, and a Letter all tenderness, which you may see here.  
'TIs impossible for me, my dear Sultana, to know, how it is that I came to love you so tenderly as I do, ah you are more charming than ever yet I saw any, and I know no torment either in this Life, or that to come, which I would not joyfully submit to, for the possessing you an hour; Your Conversation, your Person, your Humour, and in fine a thousand other Charms, are anvaluable, and when the moment comes, that I am at any time hurried from you, I would give all that I had dear besides, to continue with you, though perhaps I have passed a great many hours there, but ever my heart remains behind, and when distant from you, I appear but as the shadow of Acmat, let this and Mahomet be my witness, how tender you are to me; satisfy yourself, my dearest Sultana, my Cares and my Empires shall be sacrificed to you, ah, why have you demanded the only thing I could refuse you? Why do not you ask the Crown on the Head of the Sultana Queen, rather than what you did? it would not have been so difficult for me to have seen you obeyed, I would be content to hazard my Glory, the Love of my Subjects, and, in short, my Crowns, to please you, but this is too cruel a fate, see how vastly great my Passion is, regulate yours by it, and do not repine, at the happiness of your Sultan.  
After this, he visited her again; she had learned, That it was best to dissemble her Rage and her Aversion, and that without it she could I not be able to effect any thing considerable, so that it was not difficult for the great Acmat to reconcile her in appearance to his Love; he is so well satisfied with it, that nothing could make him more, and he leaves her with greater Testimonies of his Passion, than ever he had yet done.  
But the fatal time was now come, that Zelida was to make those Discoveries to Acmat. Agustus (that amorous Prelate) had not seen Indamora since the night in the Garden of the Seraglio, which was an Age in Love, and which rendered her impatient, and confirmed her in the Resolves of Sacrificing all things to her love for him. Zelida had no more testimony of their Commercce than before; but with that she adventures to the Sultan, prostrates herself at his feet, (as the custom of those Slaves is,) gave him a full account of what Homira had before confusedly related to him, put the Letter of the Christian Prince into his hands, and retired.  
The Sultan read it with an infinite surprise, he weighed all Circumstances, and could conclude nothing; he endeavoured to clear the Sultana of Barbary, and his Passion inspired him with Eloquence in her Defence; but then he would say her desire of quitting the Seraglio was a Proof of her Indifferency to him, and Zelida's Words, when she recounted Indamora's Indisposition, disturbed him more than all. Says that Slave, I will not tell your Highness she feigned, I am not sure of that, but this I am very certain of, she treated the Prelate very different from what you expected; and had I not known to the contrary, I should have believed it Acmat, and no other, especially a Religious Prince. This, and the Letter he had, and which was found by Zelida in the Sultana of Barbery's Robes, confused him; he did not at all suspect the Fidelity of that Slave, however he will have the Opinion of Mahomet Bassa; some of the Eunuches are sent in search of him, whom they return with. Acmat bids him be just and free with him, (as he was his Monarch and his Friend) and advise him in what he should believe, and what he ought to do. He then read the Letter, and recounted all to him, and in short received his Opinion, That there was nothing in it, and that the Sultana Homira had bribed the Slave to act as she did.  
The Grand Signior was inclined enough to believe this; but considering the Grand Visier was the greatest Friend the Sultana of Barbary had in Turkey, he sent him away without resolving on any thing.  
The Grand Visier was no sooner out of the Seraglio, than that he sends for his Daughter to him, (who was returned to Constantinople, and had espoused Amurath.) Mahomet Bassa commands her to go to the Sultana of Barbary, and give her an account of all, and to advise her to throw herself at the Sultan's Feet, tell of Agustus' Love to her, and make a false Confession of her Cruelty, her Resolutions of not returning his Passion, and an Order she must desire from the great Acmat for his Banishment, as a Reward for his Presumption. She must not consider her Love for the Prince (says the Grand Visier) any farther than it shall be necessary to save his Life: They must both die, if she does not take that Course I advise her to.  
Zayda failed not of obeying the Orders of Mahomet Bassa, and in short disposed the Sultaness Indamora to make that Relation to the Emperor. She hastens then to the Sultan's Apartment, agitated by a thousand Fears; and had not a thousand things diverted her from so horrid a Resolution, she would have Poniarded him, rather than make a Confession of that nature. However she comes, casts herself at his Feet, covers her Face with a Veil, sheds a torrent of tears, confesses the Presumption of the Prince Agustus, his Writing to her in a manner so arrogant, her Grief for losing the Letter before the Sultan had seen it, and in a word, her desires of having him Banished; nothing else, she said, could satisfy her, or atone for his Crimes.  
Notwithstanding the improbability of this Relation of her Cruelty, (since the Letter Acmat had of Tiridate's was writ in a different style) yet the Sultan, who loved her tenderly, and all easy as he was to those Impressions, he took her up from the ground, spoke such tender things to her, as none but one so much in Love as he could, after a suspicion of that nature; however he lost for some Moment's all manner of Reflection, and abandoned himself entirely to a great Joy, which was the more sensible since it succeeded such cruel Apprehensions; and whether he wholly believed her or no, yet certain it is he assured her he did: He returned her the Letter of Prince Tiridate, recounted to her all that had been told him, caresses her more than ever, conducted her back to her Apartment, and assured her, He had not quitted her so soon, but that he was going to put her Orders in execution for the banishing that ingrateful Prince; which he immediately did, and caused the occasion of it to be made public.  
The Prince was transported with Despair and Rage at this accident; he came to Zayda, threw all the Letters he had received from Indamora to her, and desired she would do him that Justice to expose them to the abused Sultan, especially the last he had received from her, since their Interview in the Grotto, which he obliged Zayda to read; it was thus.  
WHat a cruel Storm have we escaped? I cannot counsel you to love me less, but advise you, for both our Safeties, to be more discreet. What a Joy is it to me, to think my dear Prince, who has a Soul the most amorous of all, could be insensible near so charming a Woman as the Sultana Homira; she alarmed my hopes, and gave me nothing but Fears. I laugh now at my Credulity; I did ill to distrust you, (my dearest Tiridate) forgive my weakness, I will not ask you to pity it: I have too glorious a Destiny to merit so much from you: You know what I require, preserve your Heart and your Love entire for me; I do it for you, and when I see the Sultan near me, I always wish it the Prince Agustus, and cease not from incessantly making Vows in your Favour.  
See there, says the Prince, detesting Indamora's Crimes, (and after Zayda had read it) see how she deserves to be treated. Zayda used her Endeavours to calm him, and it was with much difficulty she persuaded him to continue at the Grand Visier's Palace, till she should return from the Seraglio, where she was going.  
The Interests of Indamora were too near hers, to neglect serving her in this point; she came then to the Sultana of Barbary, who was drowned in rage; nothing (she said) but the life of the Sultan, should satisfy her: Her Designs of Revenge (she added) were noble, and she would, for once, be greatly cruel. Zayda did not much reflect on what she heard, she only minded the Sultana of Barbary, how much her Friend she was, restored her the Letters, and in this served the Prince Agustus better than by obeying his Orders; Indamora immediately threw 'em to the flames, tenderly Embraced Zayda, and yielded to go to the Grand Viziers Palace with her, there to see the unfortunate Agustus; she hated herself for what she had done, and the Sultan much more for it; she wept to Tiridate, calmed his rage, by assuring him, that nothing but to save him from expiring, by the Orders of the unjust Sultan, could have made her guilty of such a sin; she assures him she will atone for it by an action worthy her Love, and that she was going to endeavour, by one blow, to attain to her own Liberty, and share his Banishment with him. Mean time, till she should be able to effect what she had promised, he must submit to the Orders that had been given for his Exile; that he should retire himself to Italy, till she should order his Return. As for her, she said, after her departure from Turkey, she would go to Germany, and to the Emperor's Court, and use all her endeavours for his Return from that Exile, or if she should not be able to effect it, she would however end her Life with him, since nothing but Death was of force enough to extinguish the Passion she had for him. Agustus returned this tenderness; and after having given reciprocally their Vows of Loving for ever, they prepared to leave one another, but with so many transports of Sorrow, Grief and Passion, that they were not capable of speaking; and the Prince, who was hurried away by his cruel Destiny, left the Sultana swooning in the Arms of Zayda, to whom he rendered a thousand Expressions of Gratitude, and left Constantinople and Turkey, with an inconceivable Regret.  
The Sultana of Barbary (after her Recovery from her Swoon) learned the Departure of the Prince with a vexatious Sorrow; but she must dry her Tears, and prepare for her Return to the Seraglio: She will be fatally revenged, but not yet, she has not an opportunity of doing it without Noise; she is constrained (to take off all suspicion) to render her Acknowledgements to the Sultan, for banishing Agustus; she is also forced to dissemble more than ever; she appears gay when she is mortally afflicted, and tender to the Sultan, while she is searching for a way to be revenged on him. She becomes cruel, and, Oh, Horror! at last resolves on the most barbarous of Murders; her Resentments have a fatal termination, and her Rage suggested to her, that nothing but his Death could repair the Injuries he had done her, and render her again happy in her Love; she did not reflect on the Greatness of her Crime, (her dear Prelate had Power to absolve her of it,) and those in Love never believe that thing a Sin, which is so highly serviceable to their Passion.  
The Sultana Homira (mean time,) was full enough of Rage, to see how Indamora had prevented her designs, but she has address to pass over her regret, she resolves now no more to endeavour the revenging herself, since she has so continually failed in it, but she will invert all to a design of gratifying her tender Inclinations, and that she will care for nothing beyond making new Conquests; and she does not now seem to be sorry, the Grand Visier had the last Revenge, since she saw by it his Love for her was not extinguished, and those of a passionate Character, had very seldom an ill Reception from her in the end.  
But whilst she has thus disposed of herself, and that the whole Ottoman Empire enjoyed a Tranquillity beyond all Example, the Sultana of Barbary will disturb it; and having got a slow Poison, she conveys it into a Glass where the Sultan was to drink, he supped with her that fatal Night, and whilst he is more admired than ever by all the World, he falls by the extreme malice of a Woman, and a Woman so dear to him; he drank the Poison, and returned very well to his own Apartment, and does not feel the effects of it till the following day, than it was that he was torn with extremity of Torture, and that all the Court despaired of his Life, but he linguered yet some few days longer; there was none, that durst say, he was poisoned, and if any suspected it, they did not make their opinion public, it passed for a dreadful Malady, which he had before been afflicted with, and he died (in the opinion of all,) of that Distemper.  
During his Sickness, he expressed a tender regret for parting with his dear Sultana, (as he would call her,) but his great Weakness, and the public Affairs, together with that of his Soul, so employed his hasty time, that he saw the Sultana of Barbary but very seldom.  
By his Death Mustapha was Grand Signior, (a thing never before known in Turkey,) the Brothers being always Slain, but Acmat having no Children, and being one of the best of Princes, preserved him to succeed him; and at his quitting the World, he tenderly required from his Kindness, a Protection for the Sultana of Barbary.  
Mustapha (now the Sultan,) had not long possessed the Crowns and Title, then that his Nephew Osmen rebels against him; but that being not my Business, I must pass it over to come to the Sultana of Barbary, she mourned strictly for Acmat, and was very well pleased, that she was no manner of way suspected (nor, in a word, any else,) for the murdering of him.  
After her first mourning, she implored, and received, Permission of Mustapha to retire from Turkey; which, in effect, she did, not long after, with those designs which we have already related, in her Orders to the Prince Tiridate Agustus at his departure from Constantinople.  
FINIS.