Chapter IV.

_In which Mr. Glanville makes an unsuccessful attempt upon Arabella._

Arabella, when she had finished these words, which banished in part Mr. Glanville's confusion, went to her own apartment, followed by Miss Glanville, to whom she had made a sign for that purpose; and throwing herself into a chair, burst into tears, which greatly surprising Miss Glanville, she pressed her to tell her the cause.

Alas! replied Arabella, have I not cause to think myself extremely unhappy? The deplorable death of Mr. Selvin, the despair to which I see your brother reduced, with the fatal consequences which may attend it, fill me with a mortal uneasiness.

Well, said Miss Glanville, your ladyship may make yourself quite easy as to both these matters; for Mr. Selvin is not dead, nor is my brother in despair that I know of.

What do you say, miss? interrupted Arabella: is not Mr. Selvin dead? Was the wound he gave himself not mortal then?

I know of no wound that he gave himself, not I, said Miss Glanville. What makes your ladyship suppose he gave himself a wound? Lord bless me, what strange thoughts come into your head!

Truly I am rejoiced to hear it, replied Arabella; and in order to prevent the effects of his despair, I'll instantly dispatch my commands to him to live.

I dare answer for his obedience, madam, said Miss Glanville, smiling.

Arabella then gave orders for paper and pens to be brought her; and seeing Mr. Glanville enter the room, very formally acquainted him with her intention, telling him, that he ought to be satisfied with the banishment to which she had doomed his unhappy rival, and not require his death, since he had nothing to fear from his pretensions.

I assure you, madam, said Mr. Glanville, I am perfectly easy upon that account: and in order to spare you the trouble of sending to Mr. Selvin, I may venture to assure you that he is in no danger of dying.

It is impossible, sir, replied Arabella: according to the nature of things, it is impossible but he must already be very near death--You know the rigour of my sentence, you know----

I know, madam, said Mr. Glanville, that Mr. Selvin does not think himself under a necessity of obeying your sentence; and has the impudence to question your authority for banishing him from his native country.

My authority, sir, said Arabella, strangely surprised, is founded upon the absolute power he has given me over him.

He denies that, madam, said Glanville, and says that he neither can give, nor you exercise, an absolute power over him; since you are both accountable to the king, whose subjects you are, and both restrained by the laws under whose sanction you live.

Arabella's apparent confusion at these words giving Mr. Glanville hopes that he had fallen upon a proper method to cure her of some of her strange notions, he was going to pursue his arguments, when Arabella looking a little sternly upon him--

The empire of love, said she, like the empire of honour, is governed by laws of its own, which have no dependence upon, or relation to, any other.

Pardon me, madam, said Glanville, if I presume to differ from you. Our laws have fixed the boundaries of honour as well as those of love.

How is that possible, replied Arabella, when they differ so widely, that a man may be justified by the one, and yet condemned by the other? For instance, pursued she, you are not permitted by the laws of the land to take away the life of any person whatever; yet the laws of honour oblige you to hunt your enemy through the world, in order to sacrifice him to your vengeance. Since it is impossible then for the same actions to be at once just and unjust, it must necessarily follow, that the law which condemns it, and that which justifies it, is not the same, but directly opposite. And now, added she, after a little pause, I hope I have entirely cleared up that point to you.

You have, indeed, madam, replied Mr. Glanville, proved to a demonstration, that what is called honour is something distinct from justice, since they command things absolutely opposite to each other.

Arabella, without reflecting on this inference, went on to prove the independent sovereignty of love: which, said she, may be collected from all the words and actions of those heroes who were inspired by this passion. We see it in them, pursued she, triumphing not only over all natural and avowed allegiance, but superior even to friendship, duty, and honour itself. This the actions of Oroondates, Artaxerxes, Spitridates, and many other illustrious princes sufficiently testify.

Love requires a more unlimited obedience from its slaves, than any other monarch can expect from his subjects; an obedience which is circumscribed by no laws whatever, and dependent upon nothing but itself.

I shall live, madam, says the renowned prince of Scythia to the divine Statira; I shall live, since it is your command I should do so; and death can have no power over a life which you are pleased to take care of----

Say only that you wish I should conquer, said the great Juba to the incomparable Cleopatra, and my enemies will be already vanquished--victory will come over to the side your favour--and an army of a hundred thousand men will not be able to overcome the man who has your commands to conquer--

How mean and insignificant, pursued she, are the titles bestowed on other monarchs compared with those which dignify the sovereigns of hearts, such as Divine Arbitress of my Fate, Visible Divinity, Earthly Goddess, and many others equally sublime--

Mr. Glanville losing all patience at her obstinate folly, interrupted her here with a question quite foreign to the subject she was discussing, and soon after quitting her chamber, retired to his own, more than ever despairing of her recovery.