His Friend thought him to be little better than a Madman,when he perceiv'd him of a suddain snatch out of his Bosom a Handkerchief,which having kiss'd with a great deal of Ardour,he took Aurelian by the Hand,and smiling at the Surprize he saw him in;'Your Florentine Cupid is certainly (said he)'the most Expert in the World.I have since I saw you beheld the most Beautiful of Women.Iam faln desperately in Love with her,and those Papers which you see so blotted and scattered,are but so many Essays which I have made to the Declaration of my Passion.And this Handkerchief which I so zealously Caress,is the Inestimable Token which I have to make my self known to her.'O Leonora!(continued he)'how hast thou stamp'd thine Image on my Soul!How much dearer am I to my self,since Ihave had thy Heavenly Form in keeping!Now,my Aurelian,I am worthy thee;my exalted Love has Dignified me,and rais'd me far above thy poor former Despicable Hippolito.
Aurelian seeing the Rapture he was in,thought it in vain to expect a settled Relation of the Adventure,so was reaching to the Table for some of the Papers,but Hippolito told him,If he would have a little patience he would acquaint him with the whole Matter;and thereupon told him Word for Word how he was mistaken for Lorenzo,and his Management of himself.Aurelian commended his Prudence,in not discovering himself;and told him,If he could spare so much time from the Contemplation of his Mistress,he would inform him of an Adventure,though not so Accidental,yet of as great Concern to his own future Happiness.So related all that had happened to him with his Beautiful Incognita.
Having ended the Story,they began to consider of the Means they were to use toward a Review of their Mistresses.Aurelian was Confounded at the Difficulty he conceived on his Part.He understood from Hippolito's Adventure,that his Father knew of his being in Town,whom he must unavoidably Disoblige if he yet concealed himself,and Disobey if he came into his Sight;for he had already entertain'd an Aversion for Juliana,in apprehension of her being Imposed on him.
His Incognita was rooted in his Heart,yet could he not Comfort himself with any Hopes when he should see her:He knew not where she lived,and she had made him no Promise of a second Conference.Then did he repent his inconsiderate Choice,in preferring the momentary Vision of her Face,to a certain Intelligence of her Person.Every thought that succeeded distracted him,and all the Hopes he could presume upon,were within compass of the Two Days Merriment yet to come;for which Space he hop'd he might excuse his remaining conceal'd to his Father.
Hippolito on the other side (though Aurelian thought him in a much better Way)was no less afflicted for himself.The Difficulties which he saw in his Friend's Circumstances,put him upon finding out a great many more in his own,than really there were.But what terrified him most of all,was his being an utter Stranger to Leonora;she had not the least knowledge of him but through mistake,and consequently could form no Idea of him to his Advantage.He look'd upon it as an unlucky thought in Aurelian to take upon him his Name,since possibly the Two Ladies were acquainted,and should they communicate to each other their Adventures;they might both reasonably suffer in their Opinions,and be thought guilty of Falshood,since it would appear to them as One Person pretending to Two.Aurelian told him,there was but one Remedy for that,which was for Hippolito,in the same Manner that he had done,to make use of his Name,when he writ to Leonora,and use what arguments he could to perswade her to Secrecy,least his Father should know of the Reason which kept him concealed in Town.And it was likely,though perhaps she might not immediately entertain his Passion;yet she would out of Generosity conceal,what was hidden only for her sake.
Well this was concluded on,after a great many other Reasons used on either Side,in favour of the Contrivance;they at last argued themselves into a Belief,that Fortune had befriended them with a better Plot,than their regular Thinking could have contriv'd.So soon had they convinc'd themselves,in what they were willing to believe.
Aurelian laid himself down to rest,that is,upon the Bed;for he was a better Lover than to pretend to sleep that Night,while Hippolito set himself again to frame his Letter design'd for Leonora.He writ several,at last pitched upon one,and very probably the worst,as you may guess when you read it in its proper Place.
It was break of Day when the Servant,who had been employed all the foregoing Day in procuring Accoutrements for the Two Cavaliers,to appear in at the Tilting,came into the Room,and told them all the Young Gentlemen in the Town were trying their Equipage,and preparing to be early in the Lists.They made themselves ready with all Expedition at the Alarm:and Hippolito having made a Visit to his Governour,dispatch'd a Messenger with the Letter and Directions to Leonora.At the Signal agreed upon the Casement was opened and a String let down,to which the Bearer having fastned the Letter,saw it drawn up,and returned.It were a vain attempt to describe Leonora's Surprize,when she read the Superscription.--The Unfortunate Aurelian,to the Beautiful Leonora--After she was a little recovered from her Amaze,she recollected to her self all the Passages between her and her supposed Cousin,and immediately concluded him to be Aurelian.Then several little Circumstances which she thought might have been sufficient to have convinced her,represented themselves to her;and she was in a strange Uneasiness to think of her free Carriage to a Stranger.
She was once in a Mind to have burn'd the Letter,or to have stay'd for an Opportunity to send it again.But she was a Woman,and her Curiosity opposed it self to all thoughts of that Nature:at length with a firm Resolution,she opened it,and found Word for Word,what is underwritten.
