The Correspondence of Theodosius and Constantia (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ADVERTISEMENT. HE story of Theodosius and Constantia, is thus related bv "ie Spectator, No. 164. " Constantia was a woman of extraordinary wit and beauty, but very unhappy inaiather, who having arrived at great riches by his own industry, took delight in nothing but his money. . Theodosius was the younger son of a decayed family; of great parts and learning, improved by a genteel and virtuous education. When he was in the twentieth year of his age he became acquainted with Constantia, who had not then passed her fifteenth. As he lived but a few miles distant from her lather's house, he had frequent opportunities of seeing her; and by the ad antages of a good person, and a pleasing conversation, made such an impression on. her heart as it was impossible for time to efface: He was himself no. less smitten with Constantia. A long acquaintance made them still discover new beauties in each other, and by degrees raised in them that mutual passion which had an. influence on their following lives., It unfortunately happened that, in the midst of this intercourse of love and friendship between Theodof sius and Constantia, there broke out an irreparable quarrel between their parents, the one valuing himself - too much upon his birth, and the other upon his possessions. The father of Constantia was so incensed at the father of Theodosius, that he contracted an unreasonable aversion towards his son, insomuch that he forbad him his house and charged his daughter, upon her duty, never to see him mjre. In the mean time, to break off all communication between the two lovers, who he knew entertained secret hopes of some favourable opportunity that should bring them together, he found out a young gentleman, of a good fortune and an agreeable person, whom he pitched upon as a husban...