46 Tk ADVENTURED of

the great have often dangerous rivals in their mefTcri* ^ gcrs of pleaJWe.” “ That may be (replied Lucrecia) w but as for my part, I am fo high Ipirited, that no- fh body under the degree of a prince, lhall ever make to an imprefllon upon my heart. Conduct yourfelf vi accordingly, (added fhe, growing ferious) and let us m change the difeourfe. 1 am willing to forget what cd you have faid, on condition that you fhall never talk W to me again in the fame manner4 otherwife you may ci< chance to repent it.** . to

. Although this was an advice to the reader, of di which I ought to have taken the advantage, I did not leave off entertaining Maicarini’s wife with my paf- w fton : I even preficd her with more ardour than ever, $p to make fuitablc returns to my tendernefs, and was <0 rafh enough to take liberties. Upon winch the lady, fai being affronted at my difeourfe and mufTulman bcha- to viour, checked me abruptly, threatened to make the of grand duke acquainted with my infolcnce, and afTur- « in ed me that fhe would defire him to pKnifh me tfs I tai -deferved. I was piqued, in my turn, at thefe me- w. naces; -my love changed into hate; and determined to T 1 be revenged upon Lucrecia, for her contempt, I went tci in queft of her hufband, w hom, after he had fwora “ that he would not expofe me, I informed of the cor- th refpondence between his wife and the prince, not for- w] getting to paint her very amorous, in order to make gr; the feene more intcrefting. The minifter, to prevent ve all accidents, fhut up his fpoufe, without any other form of procefs, in a fecretapai tmeut, where fhe was M guarded by people on whom he could rely. While foi ihe was thus furrounded by lpies, who hindered her be from informing the grand duke of her fituation, I told pi; that prince, with a melancholy air, that he muft no cc wore think of Lucrecia ; that Mafcarini had, doubt- “ lei's,- difeovered the whole affair, lince he had taken pa it into his head to watch his wife : that I could not th -imagine what had alarmed his fufpicion of me, for jia 1 thought 1 had always behaved with a good deal of L

addrefs,