Page:History of Montellion.pdf/3

 Piera a letter full of love to the fair Constantia.

While Constantia was hoping for the return of her lover, Pericles; Helion, son of the King of Arabia, demanded her in marriage, to which her father consented; and going to the princess she rejected his love, telling him plainly, her heart was fixed upon another, and though her father threatened her, it should avail nothing. So she sent and told Pericles of it, who returned to the court in the disguise of a hermit; where he found means to make himself known to Constantia, who conveyed him to her chamber, where they confirmed their love.—The time drawing near wherein her father resolved to marry her to Helion, she agreed to make her escape with him into Assyria; and changing clothes with a country girl, they met in a grove, and got off undiscovered.——Constantia’s maid kept the country wench all night, and laid her in the princess’s bed: but Helion thinking to ravish the princess, got into her chamber and went to bed the home-spun Sylvias, who thinking  the fashion, willingly yielded to his