“In the meantime there happening a trial of criminals, the condemn’d were order’d to be crucify’d near the vault in which the lady was weeping o’re the corps of her late husband.  The soldier that guarded the bodies lest any might be taken from the cross and bury’d, the night after observ’d a light in the vault, and hearing the groans of some afflicted person, prest with a curiosity common to mankind, he desired to know, who, or what it was?  Upon which he enter’d the vault, and seeing a very beautiful woman, amaz’d at first, he fancy’d ’twas a spirit, but viewing the dead body, and considering her tears and torn face, he soon guest, as it was, that the lady cou’d not bear the loss of her husband:  he brings his supper with him into the vault, and began to perswade the mournful lady not to continue her unnecessary grief, nor with vain complaints consume her health:  That death was common to all men; and many other things he told her, that use to restore afflicted persons to that calmness they before enjoy’d:  But she mov’d anew at the comfort a stranger offer’d, redoubl’d her grief, and tearing her hair, cast it on the body that lay before her.

“The souldier however did not withdraw, but with the like invitations offer’d her somewhat to eat, till her maid o’recome, I presume, by the pleasing scent of the wine, no longer cou’d resist the soldier’s courtesie.  When refresht with the entertainment she began to join her perswasions to win her lady; ‘and what advantage,’ began she, ’wou’d you reap in starving your self? in burying your self alive?  What wou’d it signifie to anticipate your fate?’

“‘D’ye think departed souls will value it?’

“’Will you, madam, in spite of Fate, revive your husband?  Or will you shake off these vain complaints, the marks of our sex’s weakness, and enjoy the world while you may?  The very body that lyes there might make you envy life.  We don’t unwillingly obey when we’re commanded to eat or live.’  The lady now dry with so long fasting, suffer’d her self to be o’recome; nor was she less pleas’d with her entertainment, than her maid, that first surrendered.  You know with what thoughts encouraging meats inspire young persons.  With the same charms our souldier had won her to be in love with life, he addrest himself as a lover; nor did his person appear less agreeable to the chaste lady, than his conversation; and the maid, to raise her opinion of him, thus apply’d her self: 

   “And arm’d with pleasing love dare you ingage,
    E’re you consider in whose tents you are?”

“To make short; nor even in this cou’d the lady deny him any thing:  Thus our victorious souldier succeeded in both; she receiv’d his imbraces; not only that night they struck up the bargain, but the next and third day:  Having shut the door of the vault, that if any of her acquaintances or strangers had come out of curiosity to see her, they might have believ’d the most chaste of all women, had expir’d on the body of her husband.  Our souldier was so taken with his beautiful mistress, and the privacy of injoying her, that the little money he was master of, he laid out for her entertainment, and, as soon as ’twas night, convey’d it into the vault.