Page:Popular Tales of the Germans (Volume 1).djvu/213

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OF THE VEIL.
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enemies: his veins are turgid with tiger’s blood, yet the fetters of love enchain his furious paſſions. Hence he revenges the tricks of Cupid on the Paladins of the beautiful Zoe, never on herſelf. Your lot would have been the ſame with your predeceſſors in the tower of famine, had ſhe not felt more for you than for all the reſt that have ſuffered and hungered for her ſake. She offered to prove her innocence and your virtue by the fiery ordeal; and boldly demanded your deliverence from yonder charnel-houſe. But when the prince harſhly refuſed this juſt requeſt, ſhe departed from him in ſorrow, and took a ſolemn oath never more to touch food, in order that ſhe might die the ſame death with you, ſir knight. The hard-hearted huſband was ſo little affected, that he ſet out on a hunting party. She took the advantage of his abſence to bribe the guard, and ſupply you with neceſſaries, though ſhe herſelf, in

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