t dismal News was this to the unfortunate Prince of
_Portugal_! He returned to _Coimbra_ at the first report of this
Adventure, and saw what had certainly cost him his Life, if Men could
die of Grief. After having a thousand times embraced the bloody Body of
_Agnes_, and said all that a just Despair could inspire him with, he ran
like a Mad-man into the Palace, demanding the Murderers of his Wife, of
things that could not hear him. In fine, he saw the King, and without
observing any respect, he gave a loose to his Resentment: after having
rail'd a long time, overwhelm'd with Grief, he fell into a Swoon, which
continu'd all that day. They carry'd him into his Apartment: and the
King, believing that his Misfortune would prove his Cure, repented not
of what he had permitted.

_Don Alvaro_, and the two other Assassins, quitted _Coimbra_. This
Absence of theirs made 'em appear guilty of the Crime; for which the
afflicted Prince vow'd a speedy Vengeance to the Ghost of his lovely
_Agnes_, resolving to pursue them to the uttermost part of the Universe;
He got a considerable number of Men together, sufficient to have made
resistance, even to the King of _Portugal_ himself, if he should yet
take the part of the Murderers: with these he ravaged the whole Country,
as far as the _Duero_ Waters, and carry'd on a War, even till the Death
of the King, continually mixing Tears with Blood, which he gave to the
revenge of his dearest _Agnes_.

Such was the deplorable End of the unfortunate Love of _Don Pedro_ of
_Portugal_, and of the fair _Agnes de Castro_, whose Remembrance he
faithfully preserv'd in his Heart, even upon the Throne, to which he
mounted by the Right of his Birth, after the Death of the King.

* * * * *
* * * *

THE HISTORY OF THE NUN; OR, THE FAIR VOW-BREAKER.

INTRODUCTION.

In the Epistle Dedicatory to Antony Hammond, Esq., of Somersham-Place,
prefacing that pathetic tragedy, _The Fatal Marriage; or, The Innocent
Adultery_[1] (4to, 1694), Southerne writes: 'I took the Hint of the
Tragical part of this Play from a Novel of Mrs. _Behn's_, call'd _The
Fair Vow-Breaker_; you will forgive me for calling it a Hint, when you
find I have little more than borrow'd the Question, how far such a
Distress was to be carry'd, upon the Misfortune of a Woman's having
innocently two Husbands, at the same time'.

In the many collected editions of Mrs. Behn