
whatever; but that even his Love to her made some Regard to worldly Matters
necessary; for it would be a most distracting Sight for him to see her, when he
had the Honour to be her Husband, in less than a Coach and Six.« The old
Gentleman answer'd, »Four will do, Four will do«; and then took a turn from
Horses to Extravagance, and from Extravagance to Horses, till he came round to
the Equipage again, whither he was no sooner arrived, than Bellarmine brought
him back to the Point; but all to no purpose, he made his Escape from that
Subject in a Minute, till at last the Lover declared, »that in the present
Situation of his Affairs it was impossible for him, though he loved Leonora more
than tout le monde, to marry her without any Fortune.« To which the Father
answered, »he was sorry then his Daughter must lose so valuable a Match; that if
he had an Inclination at present, it was not in his power to advance a Shilling:
that he had had great Losses and been at great Expences on Projects, which,
though he had great Expectation from them, had yet produced him nothing; that he
did not know what might happen hereafter, as on the Birth of a Son, or such
Accident, but he would make no promise, or enter into any Article: for he would
not break his Vow for all the Daughters in the World.«
    In short, Ladies, to keep you no longer in suspense, Bellarmine having tried
every Argument and Persuasion which he could invent, and finding them all
ineffectual, at length took his leave, but not in order to return to Leonora; he
proceeded directly to his own Seat, whence after a few Days stay, he returned to
Paris, to the great delight of the French, and the honour of the English Nation.
    But as soon as he arrived at his home, he presently dispatched a Messenger,
with the following Epistle to Leonora.
 
        »Adorable and Charmante,
            I am sorry to have the Honour to tell you I am not the heureux
        Person destined for your divine Arms. Your Papa hath told me so with a
        Politesse not often seen on this side Paris. You may perhaps guess his
        manner of refusing me - Ah mon Dieu! You will certainly believe me,
        Madam, incapable of my self delivering this triste Message: Which I
        intend to try the French Air to cure the Consequences of - Ah jamais!
        Coeur! Ange! - Ah Diable! - If your Papa obliges you to a Marriage
