Lord bless me! said Miss Glanville, I should be afraid to look at such a terrible woman: I am sure she must be a very masculine sort of creature.
You are much mistaken, miss, said Arabella: for Thalestris, though the most stout and courageous of her sex, was, nevertheless, a perfect beauty; and had as much harmony and softness in her looks and person, as she had courage in her heart, and strength in her blows.
Indeed, madam, returned Miss Glanville, you can never persuade me, that a woman who can fight, and cut people to pieces with her blows, can have any softness in her person: she must needs have very masculine hands, that could give such terrible blows: and I can have no notion of the harmony of a person's looks, who, by what you say, must have the heart of a tiger. But, indeed, I don't think there ever could be such a woman.
What, miss! interrupted Arabella: do you pretend to doubt that there ever was such a person as Thalestris, queen of the Amazons? Does not all the world know the adventures of that illustrious princess; her affection for the unjust Orontes, who accused her of having a scandalous intrigue with Alexander, whom she went to meet with a very different design, upon the borders of her kingdom? The injurious letter he wrote her, upon this suspicion, made her resolve to seek for him all over the world, to give him that death he had merited, by her own hand: and it was in those rencounters that he had with her, while she was thus incensed, that he forbore to defend himself against her, though her sword was often pointed to his breast.
But, madam, interrupted Mr. Glanville, pray what became of this queen of the Amazons? Was she not killed at the siege of Troy?—She never was at the siege of Troy, returned Arabella: but she assisted the princes who besieged Babylon, to recover the liberty of Statira and Parisatis: and it was in the opposite party that she met with her faithless lover.
If he was faithless, madam, said Mr. Glanville, he deserved to die: and I wish, with all my soul, she had cut him in pieces with that famous sword of hers that had done such wonders.
Yet this faithless man, resumed Arabella, whom you seem to have such an aversion to, gave so glorious a proof of his repentance and sorrow, that the fair queen restored him to her favour, and held him in much dearer affection than ever: for, after he was convinced of her innocence, he was resolved to punish himself with a rigour equal to the fault he had been guilty of; and, retiring to the woods, abandoned for ever the society of men; dwelling in a cave, and living upon bitter herbs, passing the days and nights in continual tears and sorrow for his crime. And here he proposed to end his life, had not the fair Thalestris found him out in this solitude; and, struck with the sincerity of his repentance, pardoned him; and, as I have said before, restored him to her favour.
And to show you, said Glanville, that I am capable of doing as much for you, I will, if you insist upon it, seek out for some cave, and do penance in it, like that Orontes, provided you will come and fetch me out of it, as that same fair queen did him.
I do not require so much of you, said Arabella; for I told you before, that, haply, you are justified already in my opinion; but yet it is necessary you should find out some method of convincing the world of your innocence; otherwise it is not fit I should live with you upon terms of friendship and civility.
Well, well, madam, said Glanville, I'll convince you of my innocence, by bringing that rascal's head to you, whom you suspect I was inclined to assist in stealing you away.