Though Eliza Haywood exhausted nearly every possible bit of sensationalism that could be extracted from tales of passion, she almost never made use of the heroic feats of arms which constituted a no less important resource of the French romances.  Her heroes are victors in love but not in war.  The sole exception is a little romance of Moorish chivalry in the eighth century.  Though this period had already been pre-empted by Mrs. Manley’s “Memoirs of Europe,” there is little doubt that Mrs. Haywood was responsible for “The Arragonian Queen:  A Secret History” (1724), a peculiar blend of heroic adventures in battle, bullfight, and tournament, with amorous intrigues of the most involved kind.

Prince Albaraizor of Arragon goes to assist Omar, King of Valencia, against a traitorous foe, and with the help of the young general, Abdelhamar, succeeds in vanquishing the enemy, though the latter youth is seriously wounded while performing miracles of valor.  To reward the conqueror the hand of the Princess Zephalinda is bestowed upon him, but she unfortunately is already enamored of Abdelhamar, whom she had learned to love at a bullfight.  But in spite of a repining letter from her constant lover, and in spite of his appearance before her all pale and trembling from his wounds, the Princess refuses to deviate from her duty.

“The next Day the Marriage was celebrated with all the intended Magnificence, and on their return from the Mosque, the Prince and Princess repair’d to a stately Scaffold, adorn’d with inventive Luxury, whence they might behold a Tournament, the Prize of which was a Sword richly embellish’d with Diamonds, to be given by the Princess to him that should overcome; the whole Court were there, endeavouring to outshine each other in the Costliness of their Apparel—­within the Barriers were all the Flower of the adjoining Kingdoms, drawn thither with a Thirst of Fame, and a Desire to shew their Dexterity.  The Arragonian Noblemen were the Defenders against all Comers, and were like to have carried away the Prize, behaving themselves with the utmost Skill and Courage, when there appear’d in the Lists a Knight in black Armour, whose whole Air and dexterity in Horsemanship immediately attracted the Eyes of the numerous Spectators; the first Course he made, confirm’d them in the good opinion they had conceiv’d of him:  in short, no body was able to stand against him, and he remain’d Conqueror, with the universal Applause of the whole Company.  —­He waited for some time, to see if no fresh Challengers would offer themselves; but none appearing, he was led to the Princess’s Scaffold, to receive the Reward he had so well merited:  He took it with the greatest Submission, but without putting up his Beaver, or discovering who he was, and kissing it with profound Respect, retir’d, without so much as making any obeisance to the King or Prince; and mixing himself with the Crowd of Knights, got off without being discover’d.  Every body