sate him still looking upon mee as one agast not once offering to stirre But the voice wherewith I uttered these words which you have heard occasioned the people which were walking in the garden to draw nearer stood a little while listening hearing many other disgracefull speeches which I gave him and thereupon made in who taking courage by their comming for all or most of them were his kinsfolke servants or friends hee made show of rising but before he was fully upon his feete I layd hand on my sword drew it and did set not onely upon him but on as many as were there Leonisa no sooner saw my glittering sword but shee fell into a deadly swound which did put greater courage into mee and stirre up greater despighte and I cannot say whether those so many which did set upon mee sought onely to defend themselves as we see men usually doe against a furious mad man or whether it were my good fortune and diligence or Heavens disposing to expose me to greater evills and to reserve mee to farther miseries In conclusion I wounded seven or eight of them which came next to my hand Cornelio betooke himselfe to his heeles and by his swift flight escaped my hands Being in this so manifest a danger hemmed in by my enemies who now seeing their bloud runne from them and inrage◅ with the wrong which they had received sought to revenge themselves upon mee Loe Fortune provided aremedie for this mischiefe but such a one as was worse than the disease for better had it beene for mee there to have left my life then in restoring it mee by so strange and unexpected a meanes to come to lose it every houre a thousand and a thousand times over and over And this it was That on the sodaine there rushed into the garden a great number of Turkes Pirates of Viserta who with two Gallies had put into a little Creeke of the Sea betweene two rockes hard by the shoare where they disimbarked themselves without being heard or seene by the Centinells of the Watch-Towers nor discovered by those scouts whose dayly office it was to scoure the Coasts and see that all was cleare When my adversaries had espied them leaving me alone they with the rest in the garden ranne their way as fast as their legs would carry them and shifted so well for themselves that they had got themselves out of their danger and put themselves in safetie So that of all the whole companies the Turkes tooke no more Captives but three persons besides Leonisa who lay there still in a swound They tooke me after they had shrewdly wounded me in foure severall places revenged before by me on foure Turkes whom I left dead in the place This assault ended the Turks with their accustomed diligence and not being very well pleased with the successe made haste to embarke themselves and presently put farther to sea so that what with their sailes and help of their Oares in a short space they recovered Fabiana where they mustered their men and finding that the slaine were foure souldiers Levant-men as they call them being of the best and choisest and of most esteem amongst them they were the more willing and desirous to take their revenge of me And therefore the Admirall of the Captaine-galley commanded them to hang me up on the mayn yard All this while Leonisa stood looking on this speedy preparatiō for my death who was now come again to her selfe and seeing me in the power of these Pirats the teares trickled down in great abundance from her beauteous eyes and wringing her soft and delicate hands not speaking so much as one word gave diligent eare and was very attentive to hear if she could understand what the Turkes said But one of the Christian-slaves that was chained to the Oare spake to her in Italian giving her to understand how that the Captaine had given order to have that Christian hanged up pointing unto me because I had slaine in her defence foure of the best souldiers belonging to his Galleys Which being heard and understood by Leonisa being the first time that ever shee shew'd her selfe pittifull towards me she will'd the sayd slave that he should speake unto the Turkes to spare his life and not to hang him for in so doing they would lose a great ransome and that he should advise them to tack about and make againe for Trapana where his ransome would presently be brought aboord unto them This I say was the first and the last kindnesse which Leonisa used towards mee and all this for my greater ill The Turks hearing what their Captive told them did easily beleeve him and this their hope of profit turned the course of their choller The very next morning hanging out a flag of peace they anchored before Trapana That night thou maist better conceive then I utter with what a deale of griefe I past it over not so much for my wounds sake though they were very sore and painfull as to thinke on the perill wherein my cruell enemie was amongst these Barbarous people Being come now as I told thee to the Citie one of the Galleys entred the Haven the other stood off All the Citizens flocked to the sea-side the Christians standing as thicke one by another as the shoare would give them leave And that Carpet-knight Cornelio stood afar off observing what passed in the Galley whil'st my Steward was treating of my ransome to whom I had given order that he should in no wise treate of my liberty but of that of Leonisa and that he should give for the freeing of her all whatsoever I was worth either in lands or goods And I willed him moreover that hee should goe a shoare and tell Leonisa's Parents that they should leave it to him to treate of their Daughters liberty This being done the chiefe Captain who was a Grecian but a Renegado his name Ysuph demanded for Leonisa 6000 Crownes and for my selfe foure thousand and that hee would not sell the one without the other setting this so great a prise as I was given afterwards to understand because he was enamoured of Leonisa and was therefore unwilling she should be redeemed purposing to give to the Captaine of the other Galley with whom he was to share the one halfe of the prize my selfe at the rate of 4000 Crownes in ready money and 1000 more in other cōmodities which made up 5000 prizing Leonisa at other 5000. And this was the reason why he rated us two in ten thousand Crownes Leonisa's Parents offered him nothing on their part relying on the promise which on my part my Steward had made them neither did Cornelio so much as once open his lips to offer any thing towards her ransome And so after many demaunds and answers my Steward concluded the businesse with giving for Leonisa 5000 and for mee 3000 Crownes Ysuph accepted this offer forced thereunto by the perswasions of his companion and all the rest of their Souldiers But
because my Steward had not so much money in cash hee entreated onely three daies time to make up the full summe with intention to sell my goods under hand and at a cheape rate till he had got so much together as would pay the ransome Ysuph was glad of this thinking with himselfe in the mean while to finde some occasion that the bargaine might not goe forward and so returning backe againe to the Island of Fabiana he sayd that by that time the three dayes were expired he would not faile to be there with them to receive the money according to the agreement But spitefull and ungratefull Fortime not yet wearied out with ill entreating mee had so ordained it that a Gallies boy who sate on the top of the mast as the Turkes Centinell discovered afarre off at Sea sixe Italian Gallies and did guesse which was true that they were either of Malta or Sicily Hee came running downe with all the haste hee could to give them newes thereof and in a trice the Turkes embarked themselves who were a shoare some dressing their dinner some washing their linnen and weighing anchor in an instant hoysing saile and working hard with their Oares turning their Prows towards Barbary in lesse then two houres they lost the sight of those Gallies and so being shadowed with the Island and covered from kenne by the approaching night they were secured from that feare which afrighted them Now I leave it to thy good consideration my friend Mahamut how much my minde was troubled in this voyage finding it to fall out so crosse and contrary to that which I expected and much more when the next day the two Gallies reaching the Island of Pantanalea on the South part the Turks went a shoare to get them wood and fresh victuals but most of all when I saw both the Captaines land and fell to sharing between them in equall proportion all those prizes they had taken each action of these was to mee a delayed death Comming then at last to the dividing of my selfe and Leonisa Ysupb gave to Fetala for so was that Captaine of the other Galley called sixe Christians foure for the Oare and two very beautifull boyes both naturalls of Corso and my selfe likewise with them that hee might have Leonisa for himselfe Wherewith Fetala rested very well contented And albeit I were present at all this I could not understand what they sayd though I knew what they did neither had I known then the manner of their sharings if Fetala had not come unto mee and told mee in Italian Christian thou art now mine and put into my hands as my Captive thou being rated at two thousand Crownes if thou wilt have thy libertie thou must give mee 4000 or resolve here to end thy daies I then demanded of him whether the Christian Damosell were his too he told mee no but that Ysuph kept her for himselfe with intention to make her turne Moore and then marrie her And therein he sayd true for one of the Galley-slaves told mee that sate chained on his bancke at his Oare and understood very well the Turkish language that hee over-heard Ysuph and Fetala treating therof Whereupon I came to my master and told him Sir if you will bring the businesse so about that the Christian Damosell may become your Captive I will give you tenth ousand Crownes in good gold for her ransome He replied it was not possible but I will acquaint Ysuph with this great summe which thou offerest for her freedome and perhaps weighing the profit he shall reape thereby hee will alter his purpose and accept of the ransome Hee did so and then presently commanded all those of his own Galley to embarke themselves as soone as possibly they could because he would goe for Tripoli in Barbarie whence he was And Ysuph likewise determined to goe for Viserta and so embarked with the selfe same haste as they use to doe when they kenne either Galleys which they feare or Vessells which they minde to robbe And that which moved them to make the more haste was that they saw the weather began to change with manifest signes of a storme Leonisa was on land but not there where I might see her save onely at the time of her embarking where wee both met at the sea-side This her new lover led her by the hand and setting her foot upon the planke which reached from the land to the Galley she turned backe her eyes to looke upon mee and mine which never were off from her sooked wishly on her but with such tendernesse that without knowing how such a cloud was cast before them that it took away my eye-sight and being robb'd of it and of my senses I fell in a swound to the ground The like they afterwards told mee befell Leonisa for they saw her fall from the planke into the Sea and that Ysuph seapt in after her and brought her out thence in his armes This was told mee by those of my masters Galley whereinto they had put me I not knowing how I came there But when I came againe to my selfe and saw my selfe alone in that Galley and the other steering a contrary course and gone cleane out of sight from us carrying away with them the one halfe of my soule or to say better all of it my heart was clouded anew and I began anew to ourse my misfortune and called out aloud for death And such and so great was the moane and lamentation I made that my masters eares being offended therewith threatned with a great cudgell that if I did not hold my peace he would severely punish me Whereupon I repressed my teares and smothered my fighes thinking that the violent restraining of them would breake out the more forceably in some one part or other and open a doore to let my soule out which I so earnestly desired might relinquish this my miserable body But froward Fortune not contenting her selfe to have put mee into this so narrow a streight tooke a course to overthrow all by taking from me all hope of remedie for in an instant the storme wee so much feared overtooke us and the Wind which blew strongly from the South blew full in the teeth of us and began with such furie to re-inforce it selfe that wee were forced to tacke about putting the Prow in the Poopes place suffering our Galley to goe which way the winde would carry her Our Captaines designe was by fetching of boords to have put into some part of the Island for shelter and more particularly on the North part thereof but it fell not out answerably to his expectation but rather quite contrary to what hee had designed for the winde charged us with such impetuousnesse that all that which we had sayled in two dayes within little more then foureteene houres we saw our selves within two Leagues or thereabout of the same Island from whence hee had put forth And now there was no remedy for hindring our being driven upon it and
adverse part thou lyest in thy throate for here is no traytour but for the recovering of a mans lost honour it is lawfull to take this or any other advantage whatsoever There passed no more words betweene them because the haste which they made to offend and wound their enemies would not give them leave to talke who were to Don Iuans seeming some six of them They did presse so hard upon his companion that at two home thrusts which they made at him at once full in his brest they layd him flat on the ground Don Iuan thought that they had kild him and with strange nimblenesse and valour hee bestird him and set upon them all whom hee made to give ground by the force of a shower which hee rayned downe upon them of blowes and thrusts But all his diligence had not beene able for to offend them and defend himselfe if good fortune had not offered him her ayde by causing the neighbours thereabouts in that streete to open their windowes and come forth with lights and to call out aloud to the Iustice Which they of the contrary part perceiving forsooke the street and turning their backs went their way Now by this time hee that was fallen had got up againe for those Stocados and thrusts that were made at him lighted on a privy coate which he had that was as hard and impenetrable as if it had beene a rock of Diamonds Don Iuan in this fray had let fall his hat and seeking for it in stead of his owne lighted by chance on another which he clapt on his head without looking whether it were his owne or no. His fellowe that was fallen came unto him and sayd Sir whosoever you be I confesse that I am indebted to you for my life the which with all that my estate besides can reach unto I will spend in your service Let me intreate you to doe me the favour to tell mee who you are and what is your name to the end that I may know to whom I owe so much that I may manifest my thankefulnesse Whereunto replyed Don Iuan I will not Sir seeing my selfe now disinteressed be discourteous with you To cumply therefore with your desire and to fulfill your pleasure I shall onely tell you that I am a gentleman a Spaniard and a student in this Vniversitie if the knowing of my name may any whit import you I shall tell it you But if happily you shall bee pleased in any other thing to make use of my service I would then Sir have you to know that my name is Don Iuan de Gamboa You have done mee a great favour herein replyed hee that was fallen But I Senior Don Iuan de Gamboa will not tell you who I am nor my name because I am willing you should rather know it from another then my selfe and I will take care that both shall bee made knowne unto you Don Iuan had but a little before asked of him whether or no he had not received some hurt because hee saw that they had given him two great stocadas whereunto he answered that the goodnesse of his privy coate next under God had defended him But that yet notwithstanding his enemies had made an end of him if hee had not stuck so close unto him By this time there came towards them a company of people more in number then those they had before to doe withall whereupon Don Iuan sayd if these bee those our enemies stand Sir upon your guard and behave your selfe like your selfe I beleeve replyed the other that they are not enemies but friends which make towards us And it was so indeed For they that came were in all eight persons who compassed him round that was fallen and whispered some few words in his eare but they were so soft and so secret that Don Iuan could not heare them The partie defended turned presently aside from them to Don Iuan and sayd unto him had not these my friends come in unto me I would by no meanes Senior Don Iuan have left you till you had finished this your well begun worke by setting mee in some place of safetie But now with all the indearingnesse that I can I shall intreate you that you will leave me for it much importeth mee that you yeeld to my requeste Having sayd this hee put his hand to his head and found that he was without a hat and turning himselfe to those that came to him he spake unto them to give him a hat for his owne was in fighting falne from him He had scarce spoke the word but that Don Iuan put that which he had found upon his head He that fell felt it with his hand and returning it to Don Iuan sayd unto him this hat is none of mine As you love me Don Iuan take it and carry it away with you as a Trophee of this skirmish and keepe it well for I beleeve it is knowne They gave him another hat and Don Iuan for to comply with that which he had intreated of him interchanging some other but shorte compliments he left him not knowing who he was and came home to his owne house without offering to goe to that doore where they had given him the babe because he perceived that all the whole street was up being awakened out of their sleepe and in a kinde of tumult and uproare by reason of this quarrell It so then happened that in his returning to his lodging he met in the mid way with Don Antonio de Ysunca his Comrade and knowing him Don Antonio sayd returne with me Don Iuan a little up this way and as we walke along I shall recount unto you a strange story which hath befallen mee and I beleeve in all your life you never heard such passages as I shall now acquaint you with Whereunto Don Iuan replyed come let us goe whither you will and tell me this your strange story Don Antonio led the way and sayd You shall understand that little more then an houre after that you were gone out of the house I went forth to seeke you and not 30. paces from this place I saw comming as it were to meete me the black bulke of some person which came in great haste and the party approaching nearer unto me I knew it was a woman clad in a long habit who with a voyce interrupted with sighes and sobs sayd unto me are you Sir a stranger or one of the Cities I replyd a stranger and a Spaniard Are you wounded Lady or doe you beare about you some evill presages of death It may be quoth shee that the evill I bring with me will be my death if I have not speedy remedy By that courtesie which is alwayes wont to raigne in those of your Nation I beseech you noble Spaniard that you will take mee our of these streets and bring mee to your lodging with the greatest speed you can and there if it please you you shall know the evill I beare about me and who
not to runne our selves upon some sandy-shoare but amongst very high Rocks which presented themselves to our view threatning inevitable death to our lives Wee saw on the t 'one side of us that other our fellow Galley wherein was Leonisa and all their Turkes and Captive-rowers labouring hard with their oares to keep themselves off as well as they could from running upon the Rockes The like did wee in ours but with better successe it should seeme and greater force and strength then the other who being tyred out with their travaile and overcome by the stiffenesse of the winde and blustering storme forsaking their Oares and with them abandoning themselves they suffered themselves wee looking upon them to fall amongst the Rockes against which the Galley dashing it selfe was split in a thousand peeces Night was then drawing on and so great was the cry of those that gave themselves for lost and the fright of those who in our Vessell feared to bee lost that not any one of those many things which our Captaine commanded was either understood or done by them onely they did attend the not forgoing of their Oares plying them still holding it for their best remedie to turne the Prow to the Winde and to cast two Anchors into the Sea to keep off death for a while which they held to bee certaine And although the feare of dying was generall in all of them yet in mee was it quite contrary for fed with the deceitfull hope of seeing her in that other World who was so lately departed out of this every minute that the Galley deferred its drowning or splitting against the Rockes was to mee an age of a more painefull death The high swollen waves which past over the toppe of our weather beaten Vessell and my head made mee very watchfull to see whether or no I could espie floating upon those crump shouldered billowes the bodie of unfortunate Leonisa But I will not detaine my selfe now O Mahamut in recounting unto thee peece by peece the passions the feares the anguishes the thoughts which in that tedious and terrible night I had and passed that I may not goe against that which before I propounded and promised in relating briefly unto thee my misfortune Suffice it that they were such and so great that if death had come to me at that time hee needed not to have taken any great paines in taking away my life Day appeared but with appearance of a farre greater storme then the former and wee found that our Vessell lay riding out at Sea and a good waies off from the Rocks And having descried a point of the Island and perceiving that wee might easily double it both Turkes and Christians began to bee of good cheare taking new hopes and new hearts unto them fell anew to their worke in sixe houres we doubled the point and found the Sea more calme and quiet insomuch that with a great deale more ease they could handle and use their Oares and comming under Lee of the Island the Turkes leapt out to land and went to see if there were any reliques remaining of the Galley which the night before fell on the Rockes But even then too would not Fortune bee so favourable unto mee as to give me that poore comfort which I hoped to have had of seeing Leonisa's bodie in these my armes which though dead and broken I would have beene glad to have seene it for to breake that impossibilitie which my starre had put upon mee of linking my selfe therewith as my desires well deserved And therefore entreated one of the Renegadoes to dis-embarke himselfe to goe in search thereof and to see if the rolling of the Sea had cast her on the shoare But as I told thee all this did Heaven deny me and just in that very instant the Winde began to rise and the Sea grow rough so that the shelter of that Island was not of any benefit at all unto us Fetala seeing this would not strive against Fortune who had so violently persecuted him and therefore commanded them to right and fit the Galley to beare a little sayle to turn the Prow to the Sea-ward and the Poope to the Wind-ward and he himselfe taking charge of the Rudder sate at the helme suffering her to runne through the wide Sea being well assured that no impediment would crosse its course The Oares bare themselves very eeven being seated very orderly on their bankes and all the rest of the company got them into the Hold underneath the Hatches so that there was not a man to bee seene on the Deck save the Master who for his more safety caused himselfe to be bound fast to his seate giving thence direction to the Rowers for the better governing and guiding of the Vessell which made its way with that swiftnesse that in three dayes and three nights passing in sight of Trapana of Melazo and Palermo she imboked by the Pharos of Mecina to the wonderfull feare of those that were in her and of those likewise which behold them on the land In fine not to bee tedious in recounting unto thee the terriblenesse of this tempest which is beyond all expression I say that being weary hungry and tyred out with such a large compasse about as was the rounding of almost all the whole Island of Sicily wee arrived at Tripoli in Barbarie where my master before that he had reckoned with his Levant-men shared out the spoiles and given that unto them which was their due and a fifth to the King as the custome is fell sicke of a Plursiee accompanied with a burning Fever in that violent manner that within three dayes it sent him packing to hell The King of Tripoli seazed presently upon all his goods and the Alacade de los muertos which is an Office of Inquirie concerning the dead substituted by the great Turke who as you know is heire to those that are his naturall Subjects after their deaths These two possessed themselves of all my Master Fetala's wealth and I fell into the hands of him who was the Viceroy of Tripoli and within fifteen daies after he received his Patent for Cyprus with whom you see I am come hither but without any intention at all to ransome my selfe though he hath often told me that I should if I would and wondred why I did not do it all this while being as Fetala's Souldiers told him a principall person and a man of good meanes in his owne Countrey But I was so far from entertaining that motion that I told him that they had mis-informed him of my fortunes And if thou wilt Mahamut that I acquaint thee truely with what I thinke Know thou then that I will never returne backe againe to that place where I can no waies receive any comfort and where Leonisa's death will in part if not wholy bee imputed unto mee What pleasure then can I take either there or here in this my thraldome though I must confesse that the remembrance of her losse
Christian and how and in what manner shee came into his hand The Iew made him answer that hee lighted on her in the Island of Pantanalea and that he bought her of certaine Turkes whose Galky had suffered wrack being split there against the Rocks And being willing to have gone on in the prosecution of what hee had begun it received interruption and was wholy broken off by one that came from the Bashaw's telling the Iew that he must come away presently unto them who had purposely sent for him that they might demand that of him which Ricardo was so desirous to know and thereupon he abruptly tooke his leave In the way which was betweene the Tents and the Towne Mahamut tooke occasion to aske Leonisa speaking unto her in Italian whence shee was and of what place Who made him answer that shee was of the Citie of Trapana Then Mahamut demanded againe of her whether she did know in that Citie a rich and noble Gentleman called Ricardo As her hearing him named Leonisa fetcht a deepe sighe saying Too too well to my hurt How to your hurt replied Mahamut Because hee knew me sayd Leonisa to his owne and my unhappinesse But I pray tell mee quoth Mahamut Did you know likewise in the fayd Citie another Gentleman of a gentile disposition the Sonne of very rich Parents and himselfe in his owne person very valiant very liberall and very discreet called Cornelio I likewise know him sayd Leonisa and I may say much more to my hurt than Ricardo But I pray Sir who are you who know these two and aske mee of them I am sayd Mahamut of Palermo and by various accidents in this disguise and different habite from that which I was wont to weare I know them passing well for it is not many dayes since that they were both in my power For certaine Moores of Tripoli in Barbarie had taken Cornelio Captive and sold him to a Turke who brought him to this Island whether he came with Merchandize for hee is a Merchant of Rhodes who had trusted Cornelio with all his goods And hee will keepe them well sayd Leonisa because he knows so well to keepe his own But tell mee Sir how or with whom Ricardo came to this Island Marry hee came answered Mahamus with a Pyrate who tooke him prisoner in a Garden neare the sea-shoare of Trapana and that together with him hee had Captivated a Damosell but I could never get him to tell me her name He abode here some few daies with his Master who was to goe to visit Mahomets Sepulchre which is in the Citie of Almedina But just at the time of his departure Ricardo fell so extreame sicke that his Master left him with me for that I was his Countrey-man to the end that I might use all the best meanes for his recoverie and take care and charge of him till his returne and in case that hee did not returne hither that I should send him unto him to Constantinople whereof he would advertise me when he came thither But Heaven had otherwise ordered it since that unfortunate Ricardo without having any accident or simptome of a dangerous sicknesse within a few dayes ended those of his life making often mention of one Leonisa whom as himselfe told me hee loved more then his owne life and was as deare unto him if not dearer then his owne soule Which Leonisa as he at large related unto mee suffered shipwrack at the Island of Pantanlea the Galley wherein shee was being split upon the Rockes and her selfe drowned Whose death â—ee continually lamented and with much weeping bewayled till that his mourning had brought him to breath his last for I perceived no sicknesse at all in him in his bodie but great shewes of griefe and sorrow in his soule Tell mee Sir replie Leonisa this other young man whom you speake off in those his discourses which hee had with you which for that you were of his owne Countrey could not but be very many did he not at any time speake of Leonisa And did he tell you how shee and Ricardo were made Captives and the whole manner of it Speake of her sayd Mahamut yes a thousand and a thousand times and asked mee many a time and oft whether any Christian of this name had of late beene brought to this Island and with such and such markes and tokens and how glad hee would bee to heare any tydings of her that he might ransome her And withall I must tell you that hee had told his Master and in telling made him beleeve that shee was not so rich as he tooke her to bee and for that he had enjoyed her he might now make the lesse reckoning of her and that if three or foure hundred Crowns would purchase her freedome he would willingly give so much for her because heretofore he had borne some good will and affection towards her Very little sayd Leonisa must that his affection be which would not goe beyond foure hundred Crownes But Ricardo is more liberall more valiant more generous and ingenious then to make so poore an offer for that which hee prized at so high a valew God pardon the party that was the cause of his death for it was I that am that unhappy woman whom hee bewayled for dead and God knowes if I should not bee glad with all my heart that hee were alive that I might requite his kindnesse and that hee might see how sensible I should be of his misfortune who hath sorrowed so much for mine I Sir as I have already told you am shee who is as little beloved of Cornelio as I was greatly bewayled of Ricardo She who by very many and various chances am come to this miserable estate wherin I now find my self and though it bee so dangerous as you see yet have I alwaies by Heavens gracious assistance kept mine honour entire and untoucht wherewith in this my misery I live contented But now woe is mee neither doe I know where I am nor who is my Master nor whether my contrarious fates will hurrie mee Wherefore I beseech you Sir by that bloud which you have in you of a Christian that you will give mee your best counsaile and advise in these my troubles which for that they have beene many though they have made mee looke about and bee somewhat the more warie and circumspect yet notwithstanding such and so many every moment came upon mee that I knew not well how to prevent and withstand them Whereunto Mahamut answered that he would doe all whatsoever he was able to doe in serving advising and assisting her with his best wit and strength And then did hee advertise her of the difference betweene the two Bashaw's for her sake and how that she now remained in the power of the Cadi his Master for the conveying and presenting her to the great Turke Selim at Constantinople But rather then this should take effect he hoped in the true God in whom hee beleeved
because being Captives they doe not reckon them for men but slight them as contemptible creatures Yet one day it so happened that the Lady Halima saw her slave Mario and in seeing him tooke such a good liking of him that hee remained deepely engraven in her heart and strongly fixed in her memory And peradventure taking little contentment in the cold and weake embracements of her aged husband she the more easily gave way to this her evill desire And with the like easinesse shee acquainted Leonisa therewith whom she now dearely loved and made exceeding much of for her sweete behaviour and discreet carriage and likewise shewed her great respect for that shee was to be sent for a raritie to the Grand-Signior She acquainted her how that the Cads had brought and received into his house a Christian Captive of so gentle an aspect and comely presence that in her eye he was the handsomest man that ever shee saw in her life and that they sayd he was a Chilibi that is to say a Gentleman and Countrey-man to Mahamut their Renegado and that shee knew not how to give him clearely to understand the good will and affection which she bare unto him fearing least that the Christian should slight and neglect her for declaring and manifesting her love unto him at the first fight before she had further and better knowledge of him Leonisa askt her what was the Captives name Hamila told her Mario to whom Leonisa replied if he be a Gentleman and of that place they say he is certainely I should know him but of this name Mario I doe not remember that there is any such in Trapana But if it shall stand with your Ladiships pleasure that I may but see him and talke a while with him I shall be able to informe you both who he is and what may behoped from him It shall be so sayd Halima and on Friday next when as the Cadi shall bee at the Mezquita performing those Rites and Ceremonies which are then and there required in their devotions and adorations I will take occasion to call him in hither where leaving you two together you may talke alone by your selves and if you thinke fit you may give him some inckling of my desires and well wishings towards him and that you will doe me this friendly office in the best manner your wit and discretion can devise of both which I have had already sufficient tryall and therefore need not to expresse my selfe or presse you any farther in this particular This Halima sayd to Leonisa and within lesse then two houres afres the Cadi called Mahamut and Mario unto him and with no lesse effecacie then Halima had discovered her heart to Leonisa did this enamoured old young man discover his to his two slaves craving their councell and advise what course he should take for to keepe the Christian to himselfe and enjoy her and yet oumply with the Grand Signior whose she was telling them withall that hee would rather dye a thousand deaths then deliver her up once to the great Turke With such affection did this Moore expresse his passions that they left a deepe impression and beliefe in the hearts of his two slaves whose thoughts were fully bent to runne a contrary course to that which he imagined He thought one thing and they another in the end it was concluded betweene them that Mario as being a man of her owne Nation and Countrey howbeit he had told him that hee know her not should take in hand the soliciting her and in declaring his servent affection And in case that by his faire meanes hee could not prevaile and procure her good will he should then use force she being now in his power and this being done to give out that she was dead and so hee should excuse his sending of her to Constantinople The Cadi rested wonderfull well contented with this devise of his slaves and out of the great joy which he had imagined to himselfe he instantly gave Mahamut his libertie bequeathing besides unto him after his death the one halfe of his goods Hee likewise promised Mario if he procured that which hee so earnestly desired not onely his libertie but good store of Crownes wherewith he should returne home to his owne Countrey rich honoured and contented If he were liberall in promising his Captives were prodigall offering to hale downe the Moone from Heaven to doe him service how much more easily to draw Leonisa to the bent of his Bow and to condiscend to his desire so as Mario by his leave might have the conveniencie offered him of speaking with her I will give him free leave of accesse unto her answered the Cadi even as often as nee will himselfe if that will advance the businesse For I will so order it that Halima shall goe hence to the house of her Parents who are Greeke-Christians where shee shall stay some few daies or longer time if need be and she being abroad I will command my Porter that he suffer Maris to enter into the house and to have free ingresse and egresse as oft as he pleaseth And I will tell Leonisa that she may if it please her talke and converse with her Countrey-man Thus did the winde begin to chop about of Ricardo's misfortunes blowing with a gentle gale in his favour his Master not witting which way hee meant to shape his course This appointment being made and concluded on between these three the first that laid this plots was Halima shewing her self a right woman whose nature is facile and whose wit quicke and sodaine for the effecting of that which she hath a minde unto especially if her heart bee eagerly set upon it That very selfe same day the Cadi came to Halima â—…ld told her that shee might when she would goe out of the Towne to visit her Father and Mother and make merry with them and the rest of her good 〈◊〉 and to stay there as long as she listed or till hee send for hâ—… But because her heart was over-joyed with those good hopes which Leonisa had given her shee not onely would not go to her Parents house nor yet to that feigned Paradise of Mabomet and therefore told him that aâ—â—bis time she had no great minde to goe thither When she had she would acquaint him therewith but whensoever she went she would carry the Captive Christian along with her O by no meane replyed the Cadi for it is not fit that this Pledge of the Grand-Signior should bee seene of any besides it would do her more hurt than good to converse with Christians since that you know that when she comes into the power of the Grand-Signior she must be shut up in the Seraglio and turne Turke whether she will or no. But if she go along with me replyed Halima it mattereth not much thâ—t she be in my Parents house nor that she converse with them with whom my selfe couverse much more and yet I cease not for all that to bee a
finde him still snoring And when they saw him lying on the bed and not a word come from him they did verily beleeve that the oyntment continued its working fince that he slept and with great rejoycing Leonora and Marialonso embraced each other Anon after Leonora drew nigher and nigher to her husband and taking hold of one of his armes she turn'd him from the one side to the other to try whether hee would awake without putting her to the paines to wash him with vinegar as she had beene told was needfull to bring him againe to himselfe But with that tumbling and tossing of him too and fro Carrizales returned from out his swounding and fetching a deepe sigh sayd with a lamentable weake voyce Oh miserable and unfortunate man that I am to what bad tearmes hath my fortune brought me Leonora did not well understand what her husband said but as soon as she perceived that he was awake and that he spake wondring to set that the vertue of the oyntment did not last so long as was signified unto them she came unto him and laying her face to his muching him with strickt embracements shee sayd unto him What ayl'st thou sweet-heart me thinkes I heare you complaine as if you were not well The good old man heard the voice of his sweet enemie and opening his eies in a wilde kinde of fashion like one amazed and startled out of some fearefull dreame he fixed them on her with great earnestnesse and without moving the least haire of his eye-lids he looked wissely and steadily on her a great while and then at last he sayd unto her Let me entreat thee my deare that you presently out of hand send for your father and mother to come hither to mee for I feele I know not what in my heart which does paine me exceedingly and I feare it will speedily shorten my life and I would feigne see them before I die Doubtlesse Leonora did certainely beleeve that what her husband sayd was true thinking that rather the strength of the oyntment then that which hee had seene had put him into this trance And telling him what he commanded should be done She sent away Luys the Negro willing him that he should forthwith goto her Parents and hasten their speedy comming hither for that the businesse required much haste and their personall presence Having dispatch◠the messenger she came to her Husband embraced him kissed him and used towards him greater expressions of kindnesse then ever she had made show of heretofore asking him how he did where his griefe lay and that with such tender and loving words as if he had beene the onely thing in the world which she most loved and esteemed He looked on her in the same kinde of wilde manner before mentioned every word that she uttered and every muching which she made of him being a lance that 〈…〉 the heart and a sword that wounded his 〈◊〉 soule In this meane while the governesse had acquainted the servants of the house and Loaysa with her Masters sicknes indearing unto them that it would quickly make an end of him since that he had forgotten to command the doors towards the street to be shut when the Negro went forth to call her Mistris Parents wondring withall why they should be sent for in such post-haste since that neither of them had put their foot within that house since they first married their Daughter In a word they were all of them very silent and knew not well what to make of it none of them lighting on the true cause of their Masters sicknesse who ever and anone did fetch such deepe and dolefull sighes as if every sigh would have broken his heart-strings and rent up his soule by the roots from his bodie Leonora wept to see him sigh in such sort and he smiled to himselfe like one that was not well pleased considering the falshood of her teares Now by this time Leonora's Parents were come and for that they found the doore to the street and that to the inward Court open and the house buried in silence and no bodie to be seene they wondred at it and could not tell what to thinke of it no small feares possessing their mindes severall passions housing themselves in their distracted imaginations Thus troubled they went to their Sonne in Law 's lodging and found him as already hath beene delivered with his eies nailed to his wife whom he held fast by the hand both of them shedding many teares She on no other occasion save seeing her husband shed them and he to see how feignedly his wife did let them fall As soone as her Parents were entred within the chamber Carrizales saluted them and sayd I pray sit you down and let all the rest voyd the roome onely I will that the governesse Marialonso stay here they did so And onely these five remaining there without expecting that any body else should speake in a low and soft vocye wiping first his eyes Carrizales spake unto them after this manner I am well assured dearest father and mother that it shall not be needfull to bring any withesses for to make you beleeve a truth which I shall deliver unto you You may very well remember for it is not possible it should slippe out of your memory with how much love and with how great tendernesse a yeare now since one moneth five dayes and nine houres you delivered up unto me your beloved Daughter to bee my lawfull wife Yee likewise know what a great dowrie I made her which was such and in so liberall a manner that three or foure of the same qualitie as her selfe might therewith have beene married with the opinion of rich Yee may also call to minde the care and diligence I tooke in apparelling her and adorning her with all that shee can desire or imagine or that I could come to know was most fitting and convenient for her In like manner my very good friends yee have seene how carried away by mine owne naturall condition and fearefull of that ill which doubtlesse will bee my death and experienced by reason of my great age in the strange and various accidents of the world I was desirous to keepe this Iewell which I had made choice of and yee gave mee with the greatest charinesse and warinesse as was possible for mee to doe I raised up the walls of this house to a great heigth I tooke away the sight and light from the windowes towards the streete I made double lockes to the doores I made such a Tornell as they have at your Monasteries I banished perpetually therefro all that which had but the shadow or name of man or male-kinde I gave her servants and slaves to attend her person nor did I denie them or her ought that they did aske of mee I made her my equall I communicated with her my most secret thoughts and made her Mistris of all my wealth and meanes All these were such workes being rightly and duely