DOUBTLESS the Law, whereby Love eternally governs his Empire, is neither hard nor unjust; and Men wrongfully con∣demn those Works of his, which are full of Providence, and Mystery. O! with what Art, and by what unknown Paths, he con∣ducts a Man to Happiness, and places him amidst the Joys of his amorous Paradise, when he thinks himself at the lowest Pitch of Misery. Behold, Aminta by his fall ascends to the Top, and Summit of all De∣light. O Fortunate Aminta! by so much the more Happy now, as you was Miserable before. Now your Example gives me also Hopes, that some time or other, the Cruel Fair one, who, under a friendly Smile, Page  127 conceals the fatal Dagger of her Cruelty, will with real Pity heal the Wounds, which she has made in my Heart, by a pretended one.

He, who comes yonder, is the wise Elpin, and he speaks of Aminta, as if he was Alive, calling him Happy and Fortu∣nate. O hard Condition of Lovers! Per∣haps he thinks him a fortunate Lover, who Dies, and at length finds Pity in the Heart of his Nymph after he is dead; and this he calls the Paradise of Love, and hopes the same to himself. With what slender Re∣ward does the Winged-God content his Ser∣vants? Are you then, Elpin, in such mise∣rable State your self, as to call the un∣happy Death of wretched Aminta, fortunate? Would you be content with the same Fate?

Cheer up, my Friends, the Report, which came to you of his Death, is false.

How comfortable to us is that News which you relate, is it not true then that he leapt from the Precipice?

That's very true indeed, but the Precipice was Propitious to him, and under the sad Image of Death reach'd out to him Life and Joy. He is at this Time lying close on the Bo∣som of his beloved Nymph, who is by so much the more Compassionate now, as she was Cruel before; and she's wiping the Tears off his Eyes with her Mouth: and I am going to find out Montanus her Father, to conduct him where they are; for 'tis on∣ly Page  129 his Consent, which is wanting, and which prolongs the Accomplishment of their mu∣tual Wishes.

Their Age, their Birth, and their Desire agree; and good Montanus is desirous of having Posterity, and arming his old Age with so sweet a Guard; so that he'll make their Consent his own. But pray tell us, Elpin, what God, what For∣tune preserv'd Aminta in his dangerous Fall from the Precipice?

I am content, hear me, hear what I saw with my own Eyes; I stood before my Cave which lies near the Valley, and at the Foot of the Hill, where the lowest Declivity makes a shelving Lap. There I was discoursing with Thyrsis, about her, who in the same Snare, first took and Captivated him, and afterwards me: and preferring my sweet Servitude to his Escape, and State of Free∣dom, when a Shreek drew our Eyes up∣wards, and all in an instant we saw a Man fall from the Summit, and light upon a Thicket: There grows on the side of the Hill, a little above us, a large Tuft of Plants and Thorns, and other Boughs, closely Join'd together, and Interwoven with each other; thereon he fell, before he struck on any other Place, and though he made Way through them with his Weight, and fell down to the Ground before our Feet, yet that Stop so abated the Force of the Fall, that it prov'd not Mortal; how∣ever Page  131 it was so dangerous, that he lay an Hour or more quite Stunn'd and out of his Senses. We knowing him, were struck Dumb with Pity at the unexpected sight; but perceiving that he was not Dead, and perhaps not like to Die, we moderated our Grief. Then Thyrsis gave me a full Ac∣count of his Secret and Tormenting Love: But while we endeavour'd to revive him by different Means, having at the same Time sent for Alfesibeus, whom Phoebus taught the Art of Physick, when he gave me the Lute and the Lyre, Daphne and Sylvia came up together to us; who (as I heard since) were coming to search for the Body, which they suppos'd Dead. But when Sylvia knew and saw the beautiful tender Cheeks of Aminta discolour'd, like the Violet, which looks so sweetly Pale, and saw him languishing in such a Manner, that his Soul seem'd to be breathing out in his last Sighs; She, like a Bacchanal, crying and beating her Breast, let herself fall upon his Body, and Join'd Face to Face, and Mouth to Mouth.

Did not Modesty then retain her, who is so Severe and Coy?

Modesty may re∣strain a feeble Passion, but 'tis too weak a Curb for Powerful Love: She, as if she had a Fountain in her Eyes, began to bath his Page  133 cold Face with her Tears, and that Water was of so great Vertue that he reviv'd, and opening his Eyes, sigh'd forth a dolo∣rous Alas! from the Bottom of his Breast. But that Alas! which parted bitter from the Heart, met the Breath of his Dear Sylvia; and being caught by her sweet Mouth, was all of sudden Sweeten'd there. Who can express the Condition of both the Lovers at that Time? When one was as∣sur'd of the others Life, and Aminta assur'd of the Love of his Nymph, and found him∣self close within her Arms. He that is a Servant of Love may from himself imagin it, but none else can conceive it, much less ex∣press it.

Is Aminta so well then, that he is in no Danger of his Life?

Amin∣ta is safe and sound, he has only Scratch'd his Face a little, and somewhat Bruis'd himself, but it will be nothing; and he does not value it: Happy is he who has given so great Proof of his Love, and now tastes its Sweets; to which extreme Grief and Danger give a sweet and delightful Relish. But, Adieu, I'll go on my way, to find out Montanus.