The princess stopped here to give vent to some sighs which a cruel remembrance forced from her; and continuing in a deep muse for five or six minutes, resumed her story in this manner.
It being my custom to walk in a forest adjoining to one of my father's summer residences, attended only by my women, one day when I was taking this amusement, I perceived at some distance a man lying on the ground; and impelled by a sudden curiosity, I advanced towards this person, whom upon a nearer view I perceived to have been wounded very much, and fainted away through loss of blood. His habit being very rich, I concluded by that he was of no mean quality: but when I had looked upon his countenance, pale and languishing as it was, methought there appeared so many marks of greatness, accompanied with a sweetness so happily blended, that my attention was engaged in an extraordinary manner, and interested me so powerfully in his safety, that I commanded some of my women to run immediately for proper assistance, and convey him to the castle, while I directed others to throw some water in his face, and to apply some linen to his wounds, to stop the bleeding.
These charitable cares restored the wounded stranger to his senses. He opened his eyes, and turning them slowly to the objects around him, fixed at last their languishing looks on me: when moved, as it should seem, to some respect by what he saw in my countenance, he rose with some difficulty from the ground, and bowing almost down to it again, by that action seemed to pay me his acknowledgments for what he supposed I had done for his preservation.
His extreme weakness having obliged him to creep towards a tree, against the back of which he supported himself, I went nearer to him, and having told him the condition in which I found him, and the orders I had dispatched for assistance, requested him to acquaint me with his name and quality, and the adventure which had brought him into that condition.
My name, madam, answered he, is Ariamenes. My birth is noble enough. I have spent some years in my travels, and was returning to my native country, when passing through this forest I was seized with an inclination to sleep. I had tied my horse to a tree, and retiring some few paces off, stretched myself at the foot of a large oak whose branches promised me an agreeable shade. I had not yet closed my eyes, when the slumber I invited was dissipated by the sound of some voices near me.
A curiosity, not natural to me, made me listen to the discourse of these persons, whom by the tone of their voices, though I could not see them, I knew to be men.
In short, madam, I was a witness to a most horrible scheme which they concerted together. My weakness will not permit me to enter into an exact detail of all I heard: the result of their conference was, to seize the princess of this country, and carry her off.
Here, pursued Cynecia, I interrupted the stranger with a loud cry, which giving him to understand who I was, he apologized in the most graceful manner imaginable for the little respect he had hitherto paid me.
I then entreated him to tell me, if he had any opportunity of hearing the name of my designed ravisher; to which he replied, that he understood it to be Taxander.
This man, madam, was one of my father's favourites, and had been long secretly in love with me.