The delicate Agnes little expected to hear what the Princess told her: Thunder would have less surpriz’d, and less oppres’d her. She remain’d a long time without speaking; but at last, fixing her Looks all frightful on Constantia, ‘What say you, Madam? (cry’d she) And what Thoughts have you of me? What, that I should betray you? And coming hither only full of Ardor to be the Repose of your Life, do I bring a fatal Poison to afflict it? What Detestation must I have for the Beauty they find in me, without aspiring to make it appear? And how ought I to curse the unfortunate Day, on which I first saw the Prince?—But, Madam, it cannot be me whom Heaven has chosen to torment you, and to destroy all your Tranquillity: No, it cannot be so much my Enemy, to put me to so great a Tryal. And if I were that odious Person, there is no Punishment, to which I would not condemn my self. It is Elvira, Madam, the Prince loves, and loved before his Marriage with you, and also before his Divorce from Bianca; and somebody has made an indiscreet Report to you of this Intrigue of his Youth: But, Madam, what was in the time of Bianca, is nothing to you. It is certain that Don Pedro loves you, (answer’d the Princess) and I have Vanity enough to believe, that, none besides your self could have disputed his Heart with me: But the Secret is discover’d, and Don Pedro has not disown’d it. What, (interrupted Agnes, more surpriz’d than ever) is it then from himself you have learned his Weakness?’ The Princess then shew’d her the Verses, and there was never any Despair like to hers.
While they were both thus sadly employ’d, both sighing, and both weeping, the impatient Elvira, who was willing to learn the Effect of her Malice, returned to the Apartment of the Princess, where she freely enter’d; even to the Cabinet where these unhappy Persons were: who all afflicted and troubled as they were, blushed at her approach, whose Company they did not desire: She had the Pleasure to see Constantia hide from her the Paper which had been the Cause of all their Trouble, and which the Princess had never seen, but for her Spite and Revenge; and to observe also in the Eyes of the Princess, and those of Agnes, an immoderate Grief: She staid in the Cabinet as long as it was necessary to be assur’d, that she had succeeded in her Design; but the Princess, who did not desire such a Witness of the Disorder in which she then was, pray’d to be left alone. Elvira then went out of the Cabinet, and Agnes de Castro withdrew at the same time.
It was in her own Chamber, that Agnes examining more freely this Adventure, found it as cruel as Death. She loved Constantia sincerely, and had not till then any thing more than an Esteem, mixt with Admiration, for the Prince of Portugal; which indeed, none could refuse to so many fine Qualities. And looking on her self as the most unfortunate of her Sex, as being the Cause of all the Sufferings of the Princess, to whom she was obliged for the greatest Bounties, she spent the whole Night in Tears and Complaints, sufficient to have reveng’d Constantia for all the Griefs she made her suffer.
The Prince, on his side, was in no great Tranquillity; the Generosity of his Princess increas’d his Remorse, without diminishing his Love: he fear’d, and with reason, that those who were the occasion of Constantia’s seeing those Verses, should discover his Passion to the King, from whom he hoped for no Indulgence: and he would most willingly have given his Life, to have been free from this Extremity.
In the mean time the afflicted Princess languished in a most deplorable Sadness; she found nothing in those who were the Cause of her Misfortunes, but things fitter to move her Tenderness than her Anger: It was in vain that Jealousy strove to combat the Inclination she had to love her fair Rival; nor was there any occasion of making the Prince less dear to her: and she felt neither Hatred, nor so much as Indifference for innocent Agnes.
While these three disconsolate Persons abandon’d themselves to their Melancholy, Elvira, not to leave her Vengeance imperfect, study’d in what manner she might bring it to the height of its Effects. Her Brother, on whom she depended, shew’d her a great deal of Friendship, and judging rightly that the Love of Don Pedro to Agnes de Castro would not be approved by the King, she acquainted Don Alvaro her Brother with it, who was not ignorant of the Passion the Prince had once protested to have for his Sister. He found himself very much interested in this News, from a second Passion he had for Agnes; which the Business of his Fortune had hitherto hindred him from discovering: and he expected a great many Favours from the King, that might render the Effort of his Heart the more considerable.
He hid not from his Sister this one thing, which he found difficult to conceal; so that she was now possest with a double Grief, to find Agnes Sovereign of all the Hearts to which she had a pretension.
Don Alvaro was one of those ambitious Men, that are fierce without Moderation, and proud without Generosity; of a melancholy, cloudy Humour, of a cruel Inclination, and to effect his Ends, found nothing difficult or unlawful. Naturally he lov’d not the Prince, who, on all accounts, ought to have held the first Rank in the Heart of the King, which should have set bounds to the Favour of Don Alvaro; who when he knew the Prince was his Rival, his Jealousy increas’d his Hate of him: and he conjured Elvira to employ all her Care, to oppose an Engagement that could not but be destructive to them both; she promised him, and he not very well satisfy’d, rely’d on her Address.
Don Alvaro, who had too lively a Representation within himself, of the Beauties and Grace of the Prince of Portugal, thought of nothing, but how to combat his Merits, he himself not being handsome, or well made: His Fashion was as disagreeable as his Humour, and Don Pedro had all the Advantages that one Man may possibly have over another. In fine, all that Don Alvaro wanted, adorn’d the Prince: but as he was the Husband of Constantia, and depended upon an absolute Father, and that Don Alvaro was free, and Master of a good Fortune, he thought himself more assur’d of Agnes, and fixed his Hopes on that Thought.
He knew very well, that the Passion of Don Pedro could not but inspire a violent Anger in the Soul of the King. Industrious in doing ill, his first Business was to carry this unwelcome News to him. After he had given time to his Grief, and had compos’d himself to his Desire, he then besought the King to interest himself in his amorous Affair, and to be the Protector of his Person.