Page:French convert.pdf/42

42 bore her, would not be effaced by the change of her religion, eſpecially when he ſhould come to underſtand their criminal paſſion for her, and practices againſt her, they reſolved to make her parents bear the blame of that ſtupenduous wickedneſs, which they themſelves deſigned to be the actors of: for they knew that her parents were extraordinary begotted to the Romiſh church; and ſo were the likelieſt to deal with in this matter. Whereupon Antonio immediately poſted to them, and deſiring a private conference with the father and mother, after many hypocritical ſhews of ſorrow for the diſgrace that would befal the family, he declared, how his lady (ſince his lord had been abſent) had been perverted from the Catholic Religion by a Hugonot, a heritic Gardener, a fugitive wretch, that had been taken in, ſome years ago, upon charity. He urged, what diſhonour it would be to their family, the danger incurred by the king's edicts, and, laſtly, the loſe of her ſoul, if ſhe was not timely recovered and brought to the right fold, from whence ſhe had perverſely ſtrayed. Then he began to magnify the pious care and pains he had taken to keep her in the right way, and to prevent her falling into ſuch an unpardonable ſin; but that the devil had been too hard for his induſtry and labours, thro' God's high ſufferance, to bring ſome great judgement on her, for her haughtineſs and contempt, &c.

This being delivered in a tone very moving and paſſionate, ſeemed altogether in pity to Deidamia, made her father ſigh, and the old lady burſt out in tears, wringing their hands, and bewailing the miſeries of their aged years, in this (as they then termed it) worſt of misfortunes that could befal them; that the ouly branch of their