4 6
The ADVENTURES of
direful nuptials lighted, you will fee all Sicily in flames, and its allies quenched in blood.”
“ What do I hear! (cried Leontio) Ah ! Sir, •what a ptofpeft have you (hewn me ? What terrible threats!—But I am unfealonably alarmed, (added he, in another tone) you love your fubjefls too well, to entail upon them fuch mifery. You will not allow yeurfelf to be overcome by love. You will not tar- nifh your virtues with the wcaknelTes of ordinary men. II 1 have bellowed my daughter on the conlla- ble, it was done, Sir, with a view of acquiring for your majclly a valiant fubjeft, who can fupport with his arm, and the troops which are at his difpoial, your imere 11 againft that of the price Don Pedro. I thought that in attaching him to my family, by fuch intimate tits—“ Ha ! thefc are the ties, (cried the prince Henriquez) thefe are the fatal ties that have undone me! Cruel friend ! why did you infli£l fuch a heavy llroke upon me ? Did I order you to manage my concerns at the expence of my heart ? Why did you not leave me to fupport my rights by myfelf ? Did 1 want courage to reduce thofe who lhould rcbef againll me ? I fhould have known how to punifh the conltable, had he difobeyed me. I know that kings ought not to be tyrants, and that the happinefs of their people lhould be their chief aim ; but mull they therefore be the Haves of their fubjefts, and from the moment that heaven chufes them to govern, lofe the right that nature grams to all men, of dilpofing their aflettions as they pleafe ? Ah ! if they mull not enjoy the privilege of the loweft clafs of mortals, take back, Siffredi, that fovereign power which you would confirm at the expence of my repofe.”
“ You know very well, Sir, (replied the minifler) that your marriage with the princefs was, by the late king, made the condition of you fuccefiion to the
crown.”-“ And what right (anfwcred Henriquez)
hud he to ellablilh that difpofition ? Had he received fuch an unworthy law, when he fucce.eded .to his brother king Charles ? And how came you to be fo w