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THE FRENCH CONVERT.

commands on her, till her Lord's return; 'As ſhe tendered the favour of Almighty God, their bleſſing, and her own honour and ſafety, to be ruled and guided in all things by her ſpiritual paſtor:' (So, being ignorant of his villainy, they termed this wicked prieſt.) 'And, whatever he perſuaded her to, for the good of her ſoul and bodily preſervation, readily to comply with; to whoſe care and integrity, next to the heavenly protection, they heartily recommended her, till her Lord and husband came home:' This was ſigned by both of them. And, Antonio having conſulted Fronovius about it, they both came boldly to her apartment, when they kuew ſhe was in private, and preſented it to her; 'Charging her to obey it, as ſhe tendered her ſafety.' She no ſooner looked on it, but, aſking them ſo many queſtions, that, by Antonio's replies, ſhe was not inſenſible they had traduced her to her parents; and, after ſome juſt reproaches, told them, 'It ſhould not be long, before ſhe would go and plead her own cauſe; and, doubted not ſo to juſtify her proceeding to her parents, that the black villainy of her baſe and treacherons accufers, ſhould be unable to ſully the brightneſs of her innocence.' This, at firſt, ſtartled them; but, being fully reſolved to proceed in their wicked deſigns, they plainly told her, 'She was at their diſpoſal, and that they had orders to carry her to a nunnery, where ſhe ſhould be honourably uſed; but debarred from the deſtructive principles ſhe had lately imbibed, till her and their Lord returned, to take the matter into his own hands, and determine how he pleaſed to diſpoſe of her.'

This inſufferable impudence of theſe luſtful wretches, ſtirred up her zeal to ſo much holy

anger