Curiosities & wonders > History of the heathen gods and heroes of antiquity, very necessary for understanding the writings of the ancients, and the modern English poets

54 THE HISTORY OF
fpeak together. What couhl Pyramus do, or
whither could Thifbe turn herfeif? There was a
partition wall between both houfes, in which was
a fraall crack, hitherto unknown to the fervants;
but the lovers dilcovered :t. Their words and lighs
went through, though their kiflcs could not, which
they lived to the wail, when they took leave.
But their love was greater, than that it could
pat's through by to narrow a crevice; and therefore
they refolved the next night, to feek that liberty
abroad, which they could not enjoy at home, and
fly into a neighbouring wood.
The place is appointed under the lhade of a Mul¬
berry-tree, which covered a fountain. Thilbe,
having deceived her keepers, efcapes firit, and flies
into the wood ; for love gave her wings : when be¬
hold a lionefs came frefn from the flaughter of fome
cattle, to the fountain to drink. Thifbe, being af¬
frighted, ran into a cave, and in her flight, her
veil fell from her head, which the lionefs, return¬
ing from the fountain, tore with her bloody mouth.
Afterwards comes Pyramus, fees the prints of
the wild bead in the gravel, and by and by finds
the veil bloody and coin, immediately concluding1,
that Tiiifbe was killed and devoured by the wild
beaft, his love turned into diftradlion, he haftens to
the appointed tree, and not finding Thilbe, fell upon
his fword, and poured forth his life with his blood.
Mean while Thifbe recovered her fpirit from the
fright, and came to the tree, where being ftruck
with the horror of her expiring lover, and half
dead with grief, flie began to tear her cheeks, to
beat her breaft, to rend her hair, and water his
cold fate with a flood of tears: at laft, that file
might Unit up the feene, (he plunged the fame
fword