having pressed him to acquaint him with the Business the Prince was obliged to tell him That one of the Maids of Honour would have complained to the Queen for that her Lover had entertained her with some Amorous Discourses and that Yolanda had had the Goodness to hinder her from so doing I am overjoyed said Don Augustin immediately that she is so indulgent and I mean to morrow to speak to her of my Passion Have a care of what you do replied the Prince People do not always practise the Counsels they give and tho' Yolanda has blamed the Injustice of her Companion I know not what she would do if she were in her Place Don Augustin was a long while before he came to any Determination but his Love having got the mastery over all his Reasonings he resolved to speak He was younger than his Friend His Birth was not indeed so considerable but his Beauty was extraordinary and the great Opinion he had of his good Meen made him believe he should be heard Having declared his Resolution to the Prince who could never divert him from it he went all alone to see Yolanda After some moments of Conversation he owned to her very ingenuously That he found himself very much puzled to begin to her a Discourse which he had resolved to entertain her with Yolanda thinking of nothing less than of what Don Augustin meant to tell her pressed him to speak Don Augustin having exacted that she should not be angry declared to her at length his being in love with her Yolanda not having so seriously conversed with Don Augustin as with the Prince yet could not forbear blushing a little however being quickly recollected she turned the thing into Raillery and laugh'd at him for having used so much Ceremony to tell her so trivial a Matter They parted in a short while after The Prince of Escaletta being under the greatest impatience imaginable to know the Success of that Visit began to grow uneasie when Don Augustin told him all that had passed On the morrow they went both together to see her and the Prince desiring to pry into the Sentiment of Yolanda for Don Augustin told her after a rallying manner That Don Augustin was very much concerned to tell her that he loved her and that he took it very ill she did not take it seriously You are too obliging to your Friends answered Yolanda think onely of giving good Counsels to him whom we spoke of last of all You will have business enough without concerning your self in the Affairs of Don Augustin Yolanda spent some Months longer in this manner not troubling her self about the Passion of Don Augustin and taking a secret delight in that of the Prince Don Augustin being discouraged by finding her always insensible thought of her no more The Prince of Escaletta applied himself still more and more to please her she listned to him in the beginning thinking she might do it without hazarding any thing of her own and without any Sentiments escaping from her against her will Her Confidence was not over-well founded As all yields to any real Love and that it is a hard matter to think ones self tenderly belov'd without taking a particular Interest in People Yolanda was prevail'd upon by the Addresses of the Prince and soon perceived thereby how dangerous it is to allow of the Passion of a well-bred Man when a Woman means not to engage her Heart The Prince having taken notice of this happy Change by the Discourses and good Treatments of his Mistress abandoned himself before her to such Transports as made her acquainted with the excess of his Love The Satisfaction of the two Lovers was too visible and the pleasure they took in being together made them seek with too much care the Occasions of discoursing one another in a Court where People live with so much circumspection In fine the Prince was forbid seeing her This Prohibition which sensibly afflicted him did more promote his Affairs than long Services could have done For Yolanda being irritated by this Order which they found so much the more Tyrannical in that it came from People whom she respected against her will and whom she ever look'd upon as the Persecutors and Disturbers of her Family and of many others of that ancient and most renowned Kingdom of Sicily this made her resolve to love him all her Life with an inseparable Love in spite of all the Obstacles and Impediments that might be brought to hinder her so doing In the mean while all the Court talk'd and discours'd daily of this Beauty extolled even to the first Rank above all others Her Birth was also very well known by all the Nobility and tho' she had a vast Estate in the Kingdom of Sicily the common Rumour made it much more than it really was Several Grandees of Spain thought of her as of one of the most considerable Matches of that Illustrious and Numerous Court And one of the Principal Ministers had several times employed his Credit with the Queen to have her married to the Marquis of Castel-Rodrigo who was a Person of much Merit and high Quality and a great Favourite of the Kings but who on the other side had but a very small share in the Blessings of Fortune The Marchioness of Villa Franca Lady of Honour to the Queen who was very much beloved in the Court for her fine Qualities had had the same thoughts for the Duke of Fernandina her Son and had also spoken thereof to the Queen But her Majesty not being able to part with a Person she loved from her very Heart still deferred coming to a Determination The Marchioness's Place obliging her to be at at Palace she took advantage of the Conveniency of seeing Yolanda every Hour did her a thousand Kindnesses And that young Person not knowing whither all these Caresses tended made such Returns as spoke a great deal of Acknowledgement This made the Marchioness conceive such good hopes for the Success of her Sons Marriage that she spoke thereof one day as of an Affair without difficulty to a Lady of Sicily who had been recommended to her and who at that time solicited some Pretensions at the Court This Sicilian extolled extremely the Quality and Riches of the House of Cigala and the Marchioness desir'd her earnestly to keep the Business secret Nevertheless as most of the Sicilians do naturally hate the Spaniards as soon as the Countess of Castelmara so is the Ladies Name found the Prince of Escaletta she acquainted him with all the Discourse she had had with the Marchioness of Villa-Franca shewing too a great deal of Grief in that a Spaniard carried away the richest Heiress of her Country The Prince who had already heard talk confusedly of Castel-Rodrigo's Pretension was cruelly alarm'd to hear moreover of the Practices of the Marchioness of Villa-Franca Two days after the Countess of Castelmara told him That the Marchioness had presented her to Yolanda and that she
the Prince of Escaletta and D. Augustin she abandoned her self to all her Griefs and spoke no less than of revenging the Death of her Father and of giving her self afterwards for a Reward to him who should free her Country from the Government of the Spaniards They both partook with her in her Resentment but the Prince of Escaletta who was the oldest of the two assured her That he should esteem himself very happy if he could contribute to her Revenge and that he would perish with delight in so glorious a Design Yolanda took this very kindly at his Hands and desired him to be mindful of his Engagement This Gonversation ended by Assurances of a great deal of Acknowledgement in Yolanda and of an eternal Devotion on the part of the Prince of Escaletta Such like Entertainments created in 'em a great Esteem for one another and as there is no great distance from this Sentiment to Love the Prince of Escaletta found himself in a short while passionately enamour'd of Yolanda She was at fourteen years of age the most perfect Beauty of all Spain She had a delicate and advantageous Shape her Complexion was of a surprising White and Incarnation never was there finer Eyes than hers they were full black and passionate to such a point as it was impossible to look upon 'em without being filled with Wonder and Adoration her Nose was well proportioned her Mouth somewhat large but set off with Lips of a wonderful Colour her Teeth perfectly fine the turn of her Face accomplished her Neck well formed for her Age and besides all this the Qualities of her Mind much surpassing those of her beautiful Body The Queen was so satisfied with her Person and had so much Kindness for her that she had several times refused to her Relations the Permission for her returning to Messina and had declared to them That she did not in the least design to deprive her self so soon of so lovely a Person And that she Might suffer this kind of Imprisonment with the less impatience she was allowed little Liberties which are not used to be granted to the Maids of Honour The young Prince of Escaletta and Don Augustin Gregorio were sometimes allowed to vist her because they were of the same Country The first found his Passion to augment every day Yet as it is a Crime in Spain to speak of Love to one of the Queens Maids of Honour and that to be banish'd away from thence is inevitable if that one be discovered every time that the Prince called to mind that he could not give any Tokens of his Passion to Yolanda without exposing himself to the being separated from her he had no longer the power to speak This Consideration would perhaps for a long while have detained him in silence if Don Augustin had not one day made known to him by his Discourses that Yolanda seem'd to him so charming that he began to entertain for her something more strong than Friendship The Prince very much surpris'd at this Account contented himself at that time with telling his Friend That it was very dangerous for him to confide in any other less discreet Friend the Sentiments he had for Yolanda desiring him very earnestly to be reserved upon that Point for fear they should be both forbid to see her Don Augustin yielded to these Reasons and promised to follow his Counsels The Prince being afraid that his Rival speaking first might establish himself in the Heart of Yolanda resolved to declare to her his Passion whenever he met with her alone The Design which set him on to seek for that Occasion made his Looks seem to be in some perplexity which Yolanda perceiving she asked him the Cause thereof The Prince who would never have dared to have told her his Sentiments for her became more bold thro' the Curiosity she had shewed and made her Answer That one of his Friends who was passionately in love with one of the Queens Maids of Honour had hapned to speak of his Passion to her who had produced it that she had threatned to give the Queen notice thereof and that his Friend was in the greatest Consternation imaginable fearing to be separated from her he loved That he desired her to tell him if she approved of such violent Sentiments in a Beautiful Person for whom his Friend had a Passion full of Respect which he explain'd it being no longer in his power to conceal it Yolanda without making him any Answer to his Question desired him to tell her that Ladies Name The Prince pretending not to name it out of discretion for his Friend drew the Pourtraict of Yolanda and thereby made known to her his Passion As she had a great deal of Wit she easily knew what he had a mind to give her to understand I am very glad said she to him something disorder'd that you your self have taught me before-hand what my Duty is I should be afraid you might have an ill Opinion of me if I did not follow your Counsels by complaining to the Queen of your Boldness A troublesom Under-Governess coming in at that time deprived them of the means of continuing that Conversation The Prince before he parted told her in the Sicilian Tongue That having devoted himself entirely to her Service he desired her to be mindful that she could not sacrifice him without losing the Man who endeavoured to revenge her But the Air wherewith she left him having given him to understand that she was not displeased at his Boldness he withdrew very much satisfied with having discovered to her a Secret which he had found so painful to conceal from her Yolanda who had never felt any other Desire than that of being revenged and who was not yet acquainted with Love was very much surprised at what she had just learnt from the Prince of Escaletta and making Reflection upon all the Care and Pains he had taken to please her she judged that his Passion must of necessity be very violent At first the austerity of her Virtue made her repent the having shewed so little Anger at their parting but what she owed her Father coming to present it self to her Imagination she resolved not to discourage that Prince Perhaps she did to satisfie her Inclination what she thought she afforded to the Hopes of being revenged The Prince on his side courted the Occasions of discoursing her that he might the more clearly make her explain her Mind However fearing he could not be alone with her he asked her in the presence of Don Augustin if the Anger of her Companion did still continue Yolanda who understood his Thoughts made him answer That the Person had upon her desire pardoned the Offence that had been done her nay that she allowed his Friend to love her upon condition he would never tell it her again Don Augustin who understood nothing of this Language was very impatient to be alone with his Friend to inform himself of the Matter and
the Experience of his Friend and having found that no Woman is Proof against a very real Passion and a long Perseverance he repented a thousand times his disengaging himself so easily and took a strong Resolution of putting all in practice to gain a Heart which he fancied he had lost thro' his impatience As he was perfectly handsom and well made and that it is rare to see in Spain young men of so great a Beauty he attracted upon him the Eyes of all the Ladies Nay and he had observed too that one of those of the Palace a little superannuated whose Name I will conceal under that of Donna Ignes affected to do him Favours which are not commonly done to indifferent Persons Love which is ingenious inspired him with the Design to make use of the Ministry of this Woman for the giving Yolanda to understand the Sentiments he had for her and the Facilities he had already met with in another made him hope he should easily bring Donna Ignes into his Interest since she shewed him so much Good-will What self-love soever there might be in this thought the Consequences let him see that he was not mistaken and Donna Ignes did not suffer him long to make her Advances with Impunity She endeavoured on her side to embarque Don Augustin and they were quickly in a perfect good Intelligence She was so satisfied with having at her Age a Lover with so good a Meen and loved him with so much trasport that it was no longer in the power of Don Augustin to speak to any Woman without giving Jealousie to Donna Ignes and far from daring to make her the Confident of his Passion for Yolanda he was obliged to conceal it from her with more care than from his Rival This gave him extreme disquiets and no longer being able to continue feigning a Passion which he did not feel he sought out for a Pretext to break off so wearisom a Commerce when that Donna Ignes who on her side onely thought to make sure of a Lover so worthy of being beloved and who was afraid a young Person might rob her of her Conquest proposed to him the putting himself into Womans Clothes and to go with her into the Palace where she would make him pass for her Niece promising to disguise him so well that he should never be known again and assuring him for to engage him to it that he should partake in all the Pleasures of the Maids of Honour and in all the secret Divertisements of the Palace Don Augustin overjoy'd at a Proposition which so strongly flatter'd his Passion for Yolanda redoubled his feigned Addresses to Ignes and making a shew of not being able to refuse any thing to his Love he consented to all she desired Having afterwards given out that he was going to see one of his Friends he entred by Night so well travestied into the Palace that no body doubted but that it was the Niece of Donna Ignes newly arrived from Sevil as that pretended Vertuous Lady told all he was Don Augustin so well maintained his Personage by his Beauty and counterfeited with so good a grace the Innocence and Modesty of a Lady who begins to appear at Court that he deceived all the World As Beautiful Persons have a secret Jealousie against all those who may dispute with 'em that Advantage and that a fair young Lady is rarely seen to come to Court without incurring the Envy of all the Ladies who pretend to the being handsom Yolanda who had heard talk with admiration of the Beauty of this young Lady went to Donna Ignes Apartment to know if the Renown which augments every thing did Justice to the Niece of that Lady and finding her more beautiful than she had been described to her perhaps at the Emotion which appeared in the Face of Don Augustin at the sight of Yolanda she let her know how overjoy'd she should be to contract a Friendship with so lovely a Person Donna Ignes could not bear without a great deal of pain all these little Engagements covering her Jealousie with the fear she had of her Lover's being discovered However not to make him too uneasie she could not deny him the taking him along with her to Yolanda's Lodgings under the pretext of paying her a Visit but she never left him and gave not time to the amorous Don Augustin to discover himself to Yolanda This Constraint augmenting his Impatience he could no longer support the violence of a Passion which became every day more strong than other by the Presence of Yolanda One day that Donna Ignes was employed about the Queen he took that time to enter into Yolanda's Lodgings and having found her alone he spoke to her in the Sicilian Tongue and made himself known to her exaggerating to her his Love with Words the most soft and tender imaginable Yolanda was in so great a surprise to see Don Augustin in such a posture that she remained for some time without making him any Answer nut finding her self offended at his Liberty her Indignation prevailed over all her Motions and she was going to complain to the Queen and inform her of his Disguise for fear People should believe she had any share therein when that Don Augustin who had Wit and knew that Curiosity is the weak side of all Women told her to stay her that Donna Ignes had a much greater part in what he did than he himself This Artifice of his had the Success suitable to his Expectations for Yolanda was so desirous to know the Intrigues of a Woman she had ever looked upon as hypocritically Vertuous tho' always set as an Example to the Maids of Honour that she almost forgot her Anger Don Augustin acquainted her with all she desired to know and she pardoned him upon condition he would see her no more In this Conversation Yolanda spoke to him after such a manner as deprived him of all Hopes from thence forward and setting before his Eyes his Treachery in this Action to his Friend she saw in him so much remorse that she did not think she ran any risque by ordering him to tell the Prince of Escaletta That she would ever be faithful to him This Conversation having lasted something too long Donna Ignes was returned to her Apartment and not finding Don Augustin she sought him out on all sides and surprised him at length in Yolanda's Lodgings The disorder her presence put those two young persons in making her judge that they were of intelligence she could hardly forbear bursting out immediately into a fury She dissembled her Jealousie took back with her her pretended Niece and as soon as they were alone charged him to some purpose with injurious Language Don Augustin wearied out with the Tyranny of this Woman and having no more hopes as to Yolanda he began to grow weary of his Disguise and to shew a great deal of uneasiness Donna Ignes who observed him with care and no
to come thither he caused the Gates to be shut up with design to have 'em all put to death Don Antonio Caraffo having notice of the Peril which menaced his Father went to the Palace with a Resolution either to free him or to perish He was followed with so numerous a Populace that the Captain of the Governour 's Guards was afraid that all was upon the point of being lost and that they were going to set fire to the Palace if the Senators were not quickly set at liberty He gave notice thereof to the Governour who caused the Gates to be opened and sent 'em all back The Prince of Escaletta impatient to know what would be the Issue of all these Disorders knowing that the term of his Mistresses departure did approach and not being able to imagine a greater Misfortune than to see her in the Arms of his Rival was incessantly contriving the means of securing her from this Violence His Friends and her Relations were so taken up to defend themselves against the Insults of the Spaniards and to detain the Populace provoked by the Chears of the Governour that they had not time to think of giving succour to Yolanda nor assist with their Counsels the Prince of Escaletta Thus this unhappy Lover having no more prospect of any resource abandoned himself to all the Expedients which his Despair inspired him with and having made Provision of Money and Jewels he went away for Algiers and put himself into the Hands of the famous Corsair Trik whom he endeavoured to engage in his Interests by the Presents which he heaped upon him and by the Discourses filled with Flattery wherewith he accompanied his Liberalities owning to him sincerely that the Reputation of his Valour had obliged him to court his Protection for the delivering his Mistress from the Oppression of the Spaniards This Corsair immediately promised to serve him with assurances that he should quickly know that he was not deceived in the good Opinion which he had conceived of him Whereupon he armed two good Ships and put to Sea with a resolution of waiting for Yolanda and of taking her when she should pass into Italy That Lovely Person was in the mean while under inconceivable Disquiets The hideous Idea she had formed to her self of the Prince of Escaletta's Infidelity had determined her to put her self to death when she could no longer defer being the Wife of the Duke of Fernandina Being upon the point of departing from Madrid she went to take leave of her Companions Donna Theresa de Gomez who had long been in love with the Duke of Fernandina had always flattered her self with marrying him and seeing Yolanda was ready to depart vex'd that a Stranger was going to frustrate her of her Hopes by robbing her of the Man she loved and imagining that the Marchioness of Villa-Franca had joyned with Yolanda to deceive her when that they had engaged her to feign her being beloved by the Prince of Escaletta the remembrance of this Injury and the regret of losing her Lover touched her so to the quick that she could not forbear declaiming and tearing the Letter of the Prince of Escaletta reproaching Yolanda with her Perfidiousness and complaining of her having been betray'd Yolanda surprised at this action perceived by this Sally and by the other Discourses with which Donna Theresa held her that they had been both deceived She endeavoured to appease her by a sincere confession of the Truth But Donna Theresa who had her Mind prepossess'd and who regulated the Sentiments of Yolanda for the Duke of Fernandina by her own not being able to understand how that any other could hate a Man whom she found so amiable refused to hear her and without entring into any further clearing of the Point she retired in disorder having not the power to support the presence of a Rival whom she thought happy After this Sally of Donna Theresa Yolanda did no longer doubt but that her Lover had ever been faithful to her and this thought gave her the more horrour for the Marriage she was threatned with In the mean while she was nevertheless forced to resolve on her departure The Countess of Castelmara was encharged with her Conduct They embarqued at Barcelona in a Gally of Spain which had order to carry 'em into Sicily The Disquiets of Yolanda augmented by the same degrees that she approached her Country and and tho' she was in great hopes of the Love of the Prince of Escaletta and of the Kindness of her Relations the Authority of the Duke of Fernandina made her fear the worst She was in these agitations when that the Ships of Trik gave the Alarm to the Spanish Gally The Efforts the Captain made to gain the Shore were all to no purpose but the Corsair had taken such exact measures that it was impossible for the Spaniard to avoid the Combate The Match at first seemed very unequal and there seemed to be temerity in resisting two Ships so well armed Nevertheless the Captain without being daunted by the Menaces of Trik who had declared he would sink him if he delayed yielding up the Gally defended himself with great Valour and gave to understand by his vigorous Resistance that he would not suffer himself to be so easily taken as the Corsair had imagined The enamour'd Prince of Escaletta fearing that the obstinacy of this Captain would prove the destruction of his Mistress saw not one Broad side given which gave not cruel Alarms to his Love He represented to himself every moment the Despair he should be reduced to if by misfortune he was going to be the Cause of Yolanda's Death and not being willing to expose any longer a Person whom he loved more than his own Life he resolved at length to perish himself or to secure her without hazarding the losing her This obliged him to desire Trik to give him a Pinnace with some Soldiers to board the Gally with Sabre in hand The Corsair who was irritated by the rash Resistance of the Spaniards made some difficulty pretending he would not expose him to so evident a danger tho' in his Soul he was not sorry for it in hopes of gaining his Jewels and perhaps that he might dispose of Yolanda according to his own will and pleasure of whom he had framed to himself an agreeable Idea by the Discourses of her Lover The Prince having insisted in his demand of a Pinnace the Corsair seemed to be overcome with repugnance and to yield to his Importunities and gave it him with thirty resolute Soldiers who boarded the Gally in spite of all the firing of the Spaniards The Prince having fix'd upon the Captain whom he easily distinguished by his Valour was so happy as to disable him immediately and imagining the Turks would without pain subdue the others the impatience he was in to see his Mistress mingled with the apprehension she might be dead made him abandon the care of pursuing his Victory to learn news
desirous to inform her self whether she had seen the Prince of Escaletta or a Phantasm thanked Trik for his Civility and told him That the loss of her Liberty was not what afflicted her most having been long accustomed to Servitude but that she fancied she had seen before she was brought on board that Ship a Cavalier of her own Nation in whom she took a great deal of Interest and whom she was afraid did perish in the Gally If it be the Prince of Escaletta you mean said the Corsair to her I partake with you in the affliction for his death He was my Friend and I could not save him from the Shipwrack what Endeavours soever I used and what Care and Pains soever I took to free him out of that Peril He is then dead and I was not mistaken cried the sad Yolanda After which Tears and Sobs stifled her Voice This News did so sensibly afflict her that she would have drawn Compassion from a Heart less hardned than that of a Corsair This wicked Wretch after having given his Orders to the Officers returned to the Ship wherein the Prince was on board in a condition much like to that of Yolanda and as cruelly tormented for the loss of his Mistress as she had been afflicted at the Tidings of her Lover's being cast away Trik being already impatient to see him gone represented to him That it was unbecoming so great a Courage to abandon himself to Grief That he ought to resolve upon something without any farther delay and that he would shew his Love much better by revenging his Mistress and by entertaining an irreconcileable Hatred against the Spaniards than by suffering himself to be led away by an useless Despair The Prince had a kind of scorn at the Turk's Remonstrances and his Wounds not being so considerable as to hinder him from acting he came of a sudden to a Determination and resolved to return to Messina with a design of making there a cruel War upon the Spaniards whom he looked upon as the Authors of Yolanda's Death He desired Trik to carry him into some Port where he might embarque for Messina but being told how difficult it was to get thither by reason of the opposition of some Spanish Ships which guarded the Coasts to hinder any Victuals or Provisions being carried into Messina which they pretended to reduce by Hunger the Prince was obliged to embarque in a Ship which he met with by chance bound for Venice where he arrived two days after At Venice he was informed how that the Disorders of Messina augmented every day and that the Senate and Nobility being reduced to extremity had sent Deputies to Rome for the beseeching the Ambassador of Spain to implore in favour of 'em the Clemency of the Queen Regent The Prince extremely surprised at this News went Post-haste to Rome to hinder this Accommodation which deprived him of the Means and Occasions of being revenged on the Spaniards He discovered at his arrival at Rome that Don Antonio Caraffo was there with two Senators and that the Rumour which was spread abroad of their being upon the point of an Accommodation with the Ambassador of Spain was an Invention of Caraffo who had found out that Expedient to make his Voyage with the more security and to amuse those who were still in the Spanish Party tho' their Design was to take Measures with the Cardinal and Duke d' Estrees to sound if the Most Christian King was willing to take the City of Messina into his Protection The Prince of Escaletta overjoyed at hearing a Resolution so conformable to his Sentiments went to the House of the Ambassador of France and having made himself known he was admitted to the secret Conferences which the Deputies of Messina had with the Cardinal d' Estrees but to no purpose because that the Messineses who thought less to give ' emselves to the French than to satisfie their great and continual Hatred against the Spaniards were still uncertain the Division being so great among 'em that some revoked what the others had concluded Nevertheless despairing of being reconciled with the Spaniards Don Antonin Caraffo had order from the Senate to go into France to beseech his Most Christian Majesty to succour the People of Messina He found many Difficulties in making his Voyage because that the Spaniards who are better served by their Spies than by their Captains having notice thereof sent Scouts abroad and way laid him for the having him seised But he travestied himself so well that he deceived their Vigilance and got into France where he laid open the Occasion of his Journey and the Extremities the People of Messina were reduced to who were brought to eat Insects after having consumed their Horses and their Dogs and could not avoid perishing either by Famine or by Rage in the Resolution they had taken of preferring Death before the Spanish Tyranny Lewis the Great who has no less Compassion for the Miserable than he has Rigour for those who dare oppose him was so moved at the Oppression of these poor People that he gave 'em great Succours in a time when the numerous Armies of the Allies in Flanders that of the Germans upon the Rhine the Forces of the Spaniards in Catalonia and the great Fleet of the Hollanders upon the Coast of Britany would have made a less courageous King think of the Defence of his Territories without sending his Troops and his Ships to the further Ends of Europe for the relieving an oppressed City especially not being able to foresee at that time that the Conjuncture of Affairs would oblige him to withdraw ' em In the mean while News came to Messina of the pretended Shipwrack of Yolanda All the Nobility were equally concerned at it some out of Interest of Blood and others out of the Compassion they had of the Destiny of a Person of her Birth and if they could have added any thing to the implacable Hatred they had already against the Spaniards her Death would have very much contributed to augment it All the Prince of Escaletta's Friends wrote to him to Rome Letters of Consolation which had the common Success of that sort of Epistles and his Relations who had thought him dead desired him to return to Messina to comfort 'em for the Affliction the News of his Death had created in ' em He began his Journey accordingly but had the misfortune to be taken at Sea by a Majorea Privatier who having known him for a Messinese delivered him immediately to the Duke of Fernandina who was at that time Viceroy of Sicily This generous Duke who had formerly known the Prince of Escaletta and had no share in all the Artifices which his Mother made use of for the constraining Yolanda to accept him for her Husband was so touch'd at his Rival's Misfortune that very far from executing upon him the Order he had received from Spain to put to death all the Messineses who should fall into his