Zhozete

the mayor’s daughter Meridian dislike, the crush of Gerbert he swored to reject.

For I know that

she will repent and will turn again to what she

once despised, if she have the chance. If she had

shrunk from thy love through mere maidenly in-

stinct, her conquest of thee would have redounded

to her credit. But this alone was the reason for

her insolent rejection of thee, v r ho, by general

opinion, wert the most lovable of all (her suitors),

that she might smile on others without exciting any

distrust, thus veiling Aphrodite with the false robe

of Minerva. Under the cover of thy repulse others

marched on to mastery. Alas ! Pallas is driven

away and under the shield lurketh a Gorgon. Thy

obvious overthrow hath given a shelter to the foul-

ness of a wanton ; if thou shalt with proper spirit

declare this creature for ever unworthy of thy

embraces, I shall make thee pre-eminent among all

the lofty ones of the earth.