- Never was felicity more perfect,
which yet received addition on Horatio's part, when Louisa told him,
that it was as much as Charlotta could do to restrain herself from
coming with her to hear what account the supposed messenger had brought.
Dorilaus on this immediately sent to let her know his son was well, and
expected in Paris the next day, for he would not suffer him to appear
before her, or the baron, till a habit was made for him more agreeable
to his condition than that he arrived in. It is certain that the
impatience of a lover would have made Horatio gladly wave this ceremony,
but he would not a second time dispute the commands of such a father.
But wherefore should I delay the attention of my reader, who, I doubt
not, but easily perceives by this time how things will end: so I shall
only say that the meeting of Horatio and Charlotta was such, as might be
expected from so arduous and constant an affection: that every thing
having been settled between the two fathers at the time they sent their
joint mandates to call him home, there now remained nothing but to
celebrate the long desired nuptials, which was deferred no longer than
was requisite for preparations to render the ceremony magnificent.
The generous du Plessis and his beloved Louisa were also united the same
day; and it would be hard to say which of these weddings afforded most
satisfaction to the friends on both sides, or were attended with the
most happy consequences to the persons concerned in them.
By these examples we may learn, that to sustain with fortitude and
patience whatever ills we are preordained to suffer, entitles us to
relief, while by impatient struggling we should but augment the score,
and provoke fate to shew us the vanity of all attempts to frustrate
its decrees.
FINIS.
End of The Fortunate Foundlings, by Eliza Fowler Haywood
