JE N E A S. In 1439, he was employed in the fervice of popr }'<. and being foon after fcnt tmbaffador to the emperor FrcJcric, he was crowned by him with the poetic laurel, and ranked amonglt his friends. In 1442, he was lent for from IViiil by the emperor, who appointed him fccretary to the empire, and raifed him to the fenatorial order. He could not at iirll be " ft " " " " " " " " " " '* '< " "
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" " " " " ' " " " " " " ' " < " " ' " " (l beyond the juft boundaries of mar- ria,::'. This is very true ; and yet even in the married ftate there are fre- quent crimes committed. There is a certain iu!e and mcafure for eating, and drinking, and fpe.ik.ing j but who obfervcs them ? who is fo righteous as not to fall feven times a day ? Let the hypocrite fpeak, and declare him- felf to be confeious of no fin : 1 know there is no merit in me, and only de- pend upon God's goodnefs for mercy, who knows that we are liable to fall, and to be hurried away by irregular pleafures ; he w;ll never /hut up from me the fountain rf pardon, which is open to all. But I have faid lufficicnt of this point. And fince you /k my reafon?, why I think this ch'ld my own, left you fhould maintain another man's in/lead of mine, I will give you a fliort account of the whole affair. It is not two years fince I was embaf- fador ?t SttEfburgh. Vnile I was there at lei f-. re for feveral days, a lady, who came from England, and had beauty and youth about her, lodged in the fame houfe with me; /he being very well (killed in the Italian tongue, addrefifd me in the Tulcan dialeft ; which wjs fo much the more agree- able to me, as it was very uncommon in that count-y. I was charmed with her wit and gaiety, and immediately recollected th.it Cleopatra had engag- ed Antony, as veil as Julius Cae(:r, bv the elegance of her converfation : I faid to myfelf,* who will ulame me, inconfiderate as I am, for doing vh.it the preateft men have not thought be- neath them ? I fometimes thought upon the example of Moles, fome- times that of Ariftotle, and fome- tin. is 'rut of chrifti^ns themfelves ; in (rinrt, pleafure overcame me, 1 grtw fond of thelddy, and aHdrcfied her in the Ibf.cft terms ; but fhe rcfifted all my applications as firmly as the rock repels the waves of the lea, and for three days kept me in fufpence : ihe hdd a daughter five years old] who wai IC recommended to our landlord by Me- " linthus the father, and the lady w.n " very feartul ltd our IjnJlord ftioulfl " perceivs fomething of the aftair, and " turn the child out of doors, becanfc " fhe might follow her mother's ex- " ample. The night came on, and flic " wa to go awny [he next day j fo tint J, apprehenfive lell I (hould lole my " prey, deiired her not to bolt the door " atni^ht, and told her I would come at " midnight : fhe denied me, and gave " me no manner of hopes : I urged her, " but (he full perfilied in her denial. ' " She went to bed : J refolved with rr.y- " felf to les whether <he h.ul done as I " defired her. I recollecled the ftoiy " of Zima the Florentine, and imagined
- ' /he might follow the example of his
" miftrefs. Upon this I was determin- " ed to try ; when I found evrry thing
- ' fii-'nt in the boufe, 1 went to her
" chsmber j the door was (hut, but not " bohed ; I opened it and went in, and " obtained the lady's favour, and from " hence came this fon: the mother'* " name is Elizabeth. From the ides of ' February to the ides of November there " is juft the number of months which is " the ufual term from a woman's firll " pregnancy to the birth ; ihe told me " thi<; when /he was afterwards at Bafil : " and thoneh I had procured her t
- ' not by gifts, but by the utmort ;
tation and courtlhip t I imagine.! (I : )n:d this with a delign to get money " from 'me, and I did not believe her : " but fince I fre ihe affirms this now, " when /he c.in h.ive no liopes of obtain- '* ing any thing of me, and the cireurr- " fiance of the- name and time agree. I " believe the child is mine j and 1 i!cfire " ou to take him, and bring him < p " till he is capable of coming undtr n y " care and inftruftion : for you have no " reafon to fuppoie that a rich " would tell .T tallity in the cafe of her " 1-n." Wharton ; s Append, to Cr. Cave's Hift. LitcrariJ, p. 114. 1458. prevailed
