But While This Compassionate Lady Was Pleasing Herself, By Giving All
The Ease In Her Power To The Distressed, The Cruel Mattakesa Was
Plotting Her Destruction.
- She had several of her kindred, and a great
many acquaintance in the army, who were in considerable posts, to all of
whom she exclaimed against the loose behaviour, as she termed it, of
Edelia, and represented her charities to the prisoners as the effects of
a wanton inclination:
- This she doubted not but would come to prince
Menzikoff's ears, and perhaps incense him enough to cause her to be
privately made away with; for as she imagined nothing less than the most
amorous intercourse between her and Horatio, she thought it unadvisable
to declare the passion she had for him, till a rival so formidable, by
the advantages she had over her in youth and beauty, should be removed.
This base woman therefore impatiently waited the arrival of the next
courier, to find how far her stratagem had succeeded; and the moment she
heard he had delivered his dispatches, flew to the apartment of Edella,
in hopes of being informed of what she so much desired to know.
She was not altogether deceived in her expectations: she found that lady
drowned in tears, with a letter lying open before her; and on her
enquiring, with a shew of the utmost concern, the motives of her grief,
the other, who looked on her as her real friend, replied, alas!
Mattakesa, I have cruel enemies; I cannot guess for what cause, for
willingly I never gave offence to any one; - but see, continued she, how
barbarously they have abused my innocence, and represented actions
which, heaven knows, were influenced only by charity and compassion as
the worst of crimes!
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