was Catalina, should meet him in
her stead. The plot succeeded and Catalina infinitely pleased with the
adventure, appointed the next night, and the following, till at last
he discovered the cheat, and resolved to gratify both his love and
resentment, by enjoying Astaea even against her will. To this purpose he
bribed an elderly gentlewoman, whom Mrs. Behn kept out of charity, to
put him to bed drest in her night-cloaths in her place, when Astraea was
passing the evening in a merchant's house in the town. The merchant's
son and his two daughters waited on Astraea home; and to conclude the
evening's mirth with a frolick, the young gentleman proposed going to
bed to the old woman, and that they should all come in with candles and
surprize them together. As it was agreed so they did, but no sooner was
the young spark put to bed, but he found himself accosted with ardour,
and a man's voice, saying, 'have I now caught thee, thou malicious
charmer! now I'll not let thee go till thou hast done me justice for all
the wrongs thou hast offered my dealing love.' The rest of the company
were extremely surprized to find Albert in Astraea's bed instead of the
old woman, and Albert no less surprized to find the young spark instead
of Astraea. In the conclusion, the old woman was discarded, and Albert's
fury at his disappointment appeased by a promise from Mrs. Behn, of
marrying him at his arrival in England; but Albert returning to Holland
to make preparations for his voyage to England, died of a Fever
at Amsterdam[3]. From this adventure it plainly appears, that the
observation of a Dutchman's not being capable to love is false; for both
Albert, and the Nestorian wooer, seem to have been warm enough in their
addresses.

After passing some time in this manner at Antwerp, she embarked at
Dunkirk for England; and in her passage, was near being lost, for the
ship being driven on the coast, foundered within sight of land, but by
the assistance of boats from the shore, they were all saved; and Mrs.
Behn arriving in London, dedicated the rest of her life to pleasure and
poetry. Besides publishing three volumes of miscellany poems, she
wrote seventeen plays, and some histories and novels. She translated
Fontenelle's History of Oracles, and plurality of worlds, to which
last she annexed an Essay on Translation, and translated Prose. The
Paraphrase of Oenone's, Epistle to Paris, in the English Translation
of Ovid's Epistles is Mrs. Behn's; as