This action, pursued Sir George, and the words I uttered, a little surprised that fair maid, and brought a blush into her lovely cheeks; but recovering herself, she replied with an admirable grace—
I am no divinity, said she; and therefore your adorations are misplaced: but if, as you say, my countenance moves you to any respect for me, give me a proof of it, by not endeavouring to hold any further discourse with me, which is not permitted me from one of your sex and appearance.
A very wise answer, indeed! interrupted Sir Charles again. Very few town-ladies would have disclaimed the title of goddess, if their lovers had thought proper to bestow it upon them. I am mightily pleased with the girl for her ingenuity.
The discretion of so young a damsel, resumed Sir George, charmed me no less than her beauty; and I besought her, with the utmost earnestness, to permit me a longer conversation with her.
Fear not, lovely virgin, said I, to listen to the vows of a man, who, till he saw you, never learnt to sigh. My heart, which defended its liberty against the charms of many admirable ladies, yields, without reluctance, to the pleasing violence your beauties lay upon me. Yes, too charming and dangerous stranger, I am no longer my own master; it is in your power to dispose of my destiny: consider therefore, I beseech you, whether you can consent to see me die? For I swear to you, by the most sacred oaths, unless you promise to have some compassion on me, I will no longer behold the light of day.
You may easily conceive, madam, that, considering this lovely maid in the character of a shepherdess, in which she appeared, I made her a declaration of my passion, without thinking myself obliged to observe those respects, which to a person of equal rank with myself, decorum would not have permitted me to forget.
However, she repelled my boldness with so charming a modesty, that I began to believe she might be a person of illustrious birth, disguised under the mean habit she wore: but, having requested her to inform me who she was, she told me her name was Dorothea; and that she was daughter to a farmer that lived in the neighbouring valley. This knowledge increasing my confidence, I talked to her of my passion, without being the least afraid of offending her.
And therein you was greatly to blame, said Arabella: for, truly, though the fair Dorothea told you she was daughter to a farmer, yet, in all probability, she was of a much higher extraction, if the picture you have drawn of her be true.
The fair Arsinoe, princess of Armenia, was constrained for a while to conceal her true name and quality, and pass for a simple country-woman, under the name of Delia: yet the generous Philadelph, prince of Cilicia, who saw and loved her under that disguise, treated her with all the respect he would have done, had he known she was the daughter of a king. In like manner, Prince Philoxipes, who fell in love with the beautiful Policrete, before he knew she was the daughter of the great Solon; and while he looked upon her as a poor stranger, born of mean parents; nevertheless, his love supplying the want of those advantages of birth and fortune, he wooed her with a passion as full of awe and delicacy as if her extraction had been equal to his own. And therefore those admirable qualities the fair Dorothea possessed might also have convinced you she was not what she seemed, but haply, some great princess in disguise.
To tell you the truth, madam, replied Sir George, notwithstanding the fair Dorothea informed me she was of a mean descent, I could not easily forego the opinion that she was of an illustrious birth; and the histories of those fair princesses you have mentioned coming into my mind, I also thought it very possible, that this divine person might either be the daughter of a great king, or law-giver, like them. But, being wholly engrossed by the violence of my new-born affection, I listened to nothing but what most flattered my hopes; and, addressing my lovely shepherdess with all the freedom of a person who thinks his birth much superior to hers, she listened to my protestations without any seeming reluctance, and condescended to assure me before we parted, that she did not hate me. So fair a beginning, seemed to promise me the most favourable fortune I could with reason expect. I parted from my fair shepherdess with a thousand vows of fidelity; exacting a promise from her, that she would meet me as often as she conveniently could, and have the goodness to listen to those assurances of inviolable tenderness my passion prompted me to offer her. When she left me, it seemed as if my soul had forsaken my body to go after her: my eyes pursued her steps as long as she was in sight; I envied the ground she pressed as she went along, and the breezes that kissed that celestial countenance in their flight.