O mighty3 power of jealousy! O infirmity, that art so planted in the heart, that thou canst only be uprooted4 thence with life itself! Ah! beauteous Auristella, stay and reflect ere you allow yourself to become a prey to this cruel suffering! But who can restrain thought within bounds, which is so light and subtle, that bodyless it passes through stone walls, enters human bosoms5, and penetrates6 the deepest recesses7 of the soul?
I have said this, because, when Auristella heard the name of Periander pronounced, and having before heard the praises of Sinforosa, and now hearing of the favour she had shown to him by placing her garland on his head, suspicion entered her heart, her patience failed, and uttering a deep sigh, she embraced Transila, and said, "O dear friend, I pray to Heaven that thou hast not lost thy beloved Ladislaus, as I lose my brother Periander. Dost thou not hear from the lips of this worthy8 gentleman, that he is honoured as conqueror9, crowned as the victor, and more attentive10 to win the favour of a fair lady, than to take the trouble of seeking after the wandering steps of his poor sister? He goes about seeking laurels11 and trophies12 in foreign lands, and leaves her among the wild rocks and mountains, and perils13 of the angry ocean, who by his advice and for his pleasure, am placed amid all these dangers."
The captain of the ship listened to these words with great attention, and knew not what conclusion to draw from them. He was about to speak, but the words that were going to be uttered were arrested suddenly, for the wind rose all at once with such fury, that he was forced to leave Auristella without an answer, and call to his sailors to mind the sails, reef and secure them. All hands hastened to the work. The ship began to fly before the wind, over a tremendous sea; Maurice, with his companions, retired14 to their cabin, to leave the deck free for the mariners15. There, Transila asked Auristella what meant the sudden alarm that had seized her, caused, as it seemed, by only hearing the name of her brother, Periander; and she could not conceive why the praises and successes of a brother should give her so much disquiet16.
"Alas17! my friend," replied Auristella, "so it is, that I am forced to keep perpetual silence over this pilgrimage I am upon; which seems doomed18 to be endless, unless life should end first; I am obliged to keep it. If you knew who I am (would to heaven that you might know!) you would see the exculpation19 of my fears, for you would know then what has given them birth; you would see misfortunes unlooked-for, and labyrinths20, from whose mazes21 you would not conceive it possible to escape—you would see how strong can be the bond of fraternal love.
"You would see how natural it is for lovers to be jealous, if I, with great propriety22, am jealous of a brother. This captain, my friend, does he not exaggerate the beauty of Sinforosa? and do not you see her crowning the head of Periander? Yes, doubtless; and this brother of mine, have not you seen how beautiful and brave he is? Then, how likely it is that he has awakened23 feelings in the heart of Sinforosa, that have made him forget his sister?"
"Remember, lady," answered Transila, "that all this which the captain has been relating, happened before the time of the captivity24 in the barbarous island, and that since then you have both seen and discoursed25 with your brother, and have you not found that he loves nobody as he loves you, and cares for nothing but to please you. And I do not believe that jealousy can ever be so strong as to divide a sister from a brother."
"Daughter," said old Maurice, "the effects of human love are often as different as they are unreasonable26. Do you endeavour to be prudent27 and discreet28 enough, not to try and fathom29 the thoughts of others, nor desire to know more than they choose to tell you of themselves. Curiosity about one's neighbour's affairs is to be censured30 and avoided."
Auristella heard Maurice say this, and it made her determine to keep her own secret, and hold her tongue; for Transila, who was a little indiscreet, might soon have contrived31, to draw from her, and make public, all her history.
The wind abated32, without having caused the danger which the sailors feared, or disturbing the passengers. The captain came to visit them, and to finish his story, for he was very anxious to learn what could be the cause of Auristella's disturbance33 on hearing the name of Periander. Auristella, on her part, wished much to hear more of the history, and to learn from the captain whether Sinforosa had bestowed35 any other favours upon Periander, besides that of crowning him with her garland; and, accordingly, she asked him the question very modestly, and with caution, lest he should suspect her motive36.
The captain replied, that Sinforosa had no opportunity to bestow34 more favours (since that was the word for the civilities of ladies) on Periander, but that in spite of the excellence37 of Sinforosa, he thought that she kept him much in her imagination; for after he was gone, when any one spoke38 of his graces and charms, she praised them up to the skies; and she had persuaded her father to send out a vessel39 in search of him, and make him return to his court, which more confirmed his suspicions.
"What! is it possible," said Auristella, "that high-born maidens40, daughters of kings, whom fortune has set in high places, should humble41 themselves so much as to suffer their secret thoughts to be discovered by their subjects? And seeing that it is a truth, that greatness and majesty42 do not agree well with love, it follows of course that Sinforosa, a princess, beautiful and free, ought not to have been captivated at first sight, by an unknown boy, whose rank could not be very exalted43, when he came, the steersman of a boat, with twelve half-naked companions, as all rowers are."
"Auristella, my daughter," said Maurice, "be silent, there are more miracles displayed by love than by any other human passion; so many and so wonderful are they, that they pass in silence unnoticed, however remarkable44 they may be. Love joins the sceptre with the shepherd's crook45; greatness with low estate. It makes possible the impossible, renders different ranks equal, and is powerful as death. You, lady, well know, and so do I also, the fine qualities and rare beauty of your brother Periander; and it is the privilege of beauty to attract and subdue46 all hearts. Such characters as his, the more they are known, the more are they loved and esteemed47; so it would be no miracle if Sinforosa, all princess though she is, should love your brother; because it is not as the simple Periander alone, that she loves, but as one in whom beauty, valour, dexterity48, activity, in short every merit and accomplishment49 is centred."
"What, then," cried the captain, "Periander is this lady's brother?"
"Yes!" answered Transila, "for whose sake she lives in perpetual sadness, and all of us, her friends who love her and wish her well, and who know him also, in grief and bitterness." Then they related to him the whole story of the wreck50 and loss of Arnoldo's ship; the separation of the barge51 and skiff, with all else that was necessary to make him understand what had happened up to the present moment. And at this part of their history the author of the first volume leaves them and passes to the second, wherein things will be related which although they do not surpass truth, yet go beyond what one could conceive, since they could scarcely enter into the most lively and expansive imagination.
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1
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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3
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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uprooted
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| v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园 | |
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5
bosoms
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| 胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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6
penetrates
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| v.穿过( penetrate的第三人称单数 )；刺入；了解；渗透 | |
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7
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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8
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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9
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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10
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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12
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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13
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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14
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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16
disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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18
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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exculpation
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| n.使无罪，辩解 | |
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labyrinths
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| 迷宫( labyrinth的名词复数 )； （文字，建筑）错综复杂的 | |
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21
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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22
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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23
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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24
captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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25
discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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26
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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29
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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30
censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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32
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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33
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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34
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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35
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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37
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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38
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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39
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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40
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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41
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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42
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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43
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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44
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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45
crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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46
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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47
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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48
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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49
accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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50
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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51
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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