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40 the fear ſhe would conceive, leſt he ſhould diſcover what ſhe had uttered, againſt the Romiſh Religion; or that, as he concluded ſhe was an Hugonot, as they call Proteſtants might induce her to comply with his luſt, he preſented himſelf before her, rudely opening the cloſet door, ere ſhe had time to riſe from her knees. This continued impudence of his, much troubled her ſpirits; whereupon, riſing haſtily ſhe forcibly pulled the door, after ſhe had given him a thruſt back, and locked herſelf in. However, it unhappily fell out, that, in this diſorder not taking that care, which at another time ſhe would have done, the paper which the Gardener had newly brougbt her, with her haſty ſhutting the door, dropped out of her coat, and unperceived by her, was ſhut out of the cloſet which Antonio took carefully up, and put in his pocket, telling her, though the door was ſhut againſt him, he had heard how ſhe had a poſtatized from her religion, and how wickedly ſhe had ſpoken of the holy Roman Catholic Church, and, what miſchief he could do her, he ſhould diſcover it; yet, for the love he bore her, if ſhe would yield to eaſe his paſſion, I ſhould be buried in eternal oblivion; but if ſhe refuſed, he had now got an opportunity to ruin her.

The pious lady (whoſe ſervant devotions this wretch had interrupted) bridled, as much as human frailty could do, her paſſion, commanded him, in mild terms, to be gone, and not wound her chaſte ears with his hated diſcourſe. Against the injury he threatened, ſhe truſted in God for protection, who is a ſtrong tower for the ſafety of all thoſe that fly to him; and in doubted not, when ſhe had an opportunity to make