ten at
night
t is a mistake , where ever it lies , ' cried _ Octavio _ , sighing , ' . hether in thee , or thy lady -- ' So turning from the wondering boy he left him to return with his letter to his lady , who grew mad at the relation of what she heard from the page , and notwithstanding the torment she had upon her soul , occasioned by _ Philander _ , she now found she had more to endure , and that in spite of all her love-vows and resentments , she had something for _ Octavio _ to which she could not give a name ; she fancies it all pride , and concern for the indignity put on her beauty : but whatever it was , this slight of his so wholly took up her soul , that she had for some time quite forgot _ Philander _ , or when she did think on him it was with less resentment than of this affront ; she considers _ Philander _ with some excuse now ; as having long been possessed of a happiness he might grow weary of ; but a new lover , who had for six months incessantly lain at her feet , imploring , dying , vowing , weeping , sighing , giving and acting all things the most passionate of men was capable of , or that love could inspire , for him to be at last admitted to the possession of the ravishing object of his vows and soul , to be laid in her bed , nay in her very arms -LRB- as she imagined he thought -RRB- and then , even before gathering the roses he came to pluck , before he had begun to compose or finished his nosegay , to depart the happy paradise with a disgust , and such a disgust , as first to oblige him to dissemble sickness , and next fall even from all his civilities , was a contempt she was not able to bear ; especially from him , of whom all men living , she designed to make the greatest property of , as most fit for her revenge of all degrees and sorts : but when she reflected with reason , -LRB- which she seldom did , for either love or rage blinded that -RRB- she could not conceive it possible that _ Octavio _ could be fallen so suddenly from all his vows and professions , but on some very great provocation : sometimes she thinks he tempted her to try her virtue to _ Philander _ , and being a perfect honourable friend , hates her for her levity ; but she considers his presents , and his unwearied industry , and believes he would not at that expense have bought a knowledge which could profit neither himself nor _ Philander _ ; then she believes some disgusted scent , or something about _ Antonet _ , might disoblige him ; but having called the maid , conjuring her to tell her whether any thing passed between her and _ Octavio _ ; she again told her lady the whole truth , in which there could be no discovery of infirmity there ; she embraced her , she kissed her bosom , and found her touches soft , her breath and bosom sweet as any thing in nature could be ; and now lost almost in a confusion of thought , she could not tell what to imagine ; at last she being wholly possessed that all the fault was not in _ Octavio _ , -LRB- for too often we believe as we hope -RRB- she concludes that _ Antonet _ has told him all the cheat she put upon him : this last thought pleased her , because it seemed the most probable , and was the most favourable to herself ; and a thought that , if true , could not do her any injury with him . This set her heart a little to rights , and she grew calm with a belief , that if so it was , as now she doubted not , a sight of her , or a future hope from her , would calm all his discontent , and beget a right understanding ; she therefore resolves to write to him , and own her little fallacy : but before she did so , _ Octavio _ , whose passion was violent as ever in his soul , though it was oppressed with a thousand torments , and languished under as many feeble resolutions , burst at last into all its former softness , and he resolves to write to the false fair one , and upbraid her with her last night 's infidelity ; nor could he sleep till he had that way charmed his senses , and eased his sick afflicted soul . It being now ten at night , and he retired to his chamber , he set himself down and writ this . OCTAVIO _ to _ SYLVIA . _ Madam _ , You have at last taught me a perfect knowledge of myself ; and in one unhappy night made me see all the follies and vanities of my soul , which self-love and fond imagination had too long rendered that way guilty ; long long ! I have played the fop as others do , and shewed the gaudy monsieur , and set a value on my worthless person for being well dressed , as I believed , and furnished out for conquest , by being the gayest coxcomb in the town , where , even as I passed , perhaps , I fancied I made advances on some wishing hearts , and vain , with but imaginary victory , I still fooled on -- and was at last undone ; for I saw _ Sylvia _ , the charming faithless _ Sylvia _ , a beauty that one would have thought had had the power to have cured the fond disease of self-conceit and foppery , since love , they say , is a remedy against those faults of youth ; but still my vanity was powerful in me , and even this beauty too I thought it not impossible to vanquish , and still dressed on , and took a mighty care to shew myself -- a blockhead , curse upon me , while you were laughing at my industry , and turned the fancying fool to ridicule , oh , he deserved it well , most wondrous well , for but believing any thing about him could merit but a serious thought from _ Sylvia _ .