you any the least griefe or sorrow At these words Marco Antonio opened his eyes and steadily fixed them on Leocadias face and having recollected himselfe and taken her in a manner into his knowledge more by the Organe of her voyce then by her countenance with a weake and feeble voyce as one that was full of paine hee sayd unto her say on Sir what you please for I am not yet so neare my end that I cannot listen unto you neither is this voyce of yours so harsh and unpleasing unto me that it should cause any fastidiousnesse or loathing in me to heare it To all this Dialogue Theodosia was most attentive and every word that Leocadia uttered was a sharpe Arrow that went athwart her heart and wounded likewise the very soule of Don Rafael who also heard her And Leocadia prosecuting what shee had begunne went on thus if some blow on your head or to speake more properly if one greater hath not lighted on my soule it could not Semor Marco Antonio beate out of your memory the image of her who not long since you were wont to say was your glory and your Heaven you may very well call to your remembrance who Leocadia was and what was the word that you gave her signed in a Schedule with your owne hand nor can you bee forgetfull of the worth of her parents the integritie of her retyrednesse and honestie and of the obligation wherein you stand bound unto her for having applyed her selfe to your gust and liking in all whatsoever you desired If you have not forgotten this howbeit you see me in this so different a habit you may easily know that I am Leocadia who being fearefull least new accidents and new occasions should quit me of that which is so justly mine as soone as I knew that you were gone out of the countrey treading under foote and sleighting all whatsoever though never so infinite inconveniences I resolved with my selfe to follow after you in this habit with intention to seeke you out in all parts of the earth till I had found you out whereat you ought not to marvaile if your selfe hath at any time felt the force of true Love and the rage of a deceived woman Some troubles I have passed in this my demande all which I account well bestowed with that discount which they have brought with them in making me so happy as to see you And considering the case wherein you are if that it shall please God to take you from this to a better life by your doing that which you ought as worthie your selfe before your departure out of this life I shall thinke my selfe the happiest woman in the world promising you to betake my selfe to such a course of life after your death that but little time shall be spent therein before I follow you in this your last and inforced journey And therefore first of all I beseech you for the love you beare unto God to whom my desires and intentions goe directed next for your owne sake who oweth much to your qualitie and therefore ought to bee the same you are And lastly for my sake to whom you owe more then to any other person in the world that now presently you will receive me for your lawfull spouse not permitting that justice should inforce you to that which with such and so many reall obligations reason ought to perswade you unto And here Leocadia stopt the current of her speach and sayd not a word more and all they that were in the roome were in a wonderfell still silence all the while that shee talked with him and with the same stilnesse and silenee they expected what answer Marco Antonio would make her which was this I cannot Leocadia deny my knowing of you for your voyce and countenance will not give me leave so to doe Neither can I deny how much I am bound unto you nor the great worth of your noble parents togeather with your owne incomparable honestie and retirednesse neither doe I nor will I esteeme you in lesse for that which you have done in comming to seeke me out in a habit so different from your owne but for this I do shall ever esteeme of you in the highest degree that may be imagined But since that my time you say is now come and that I likewise beleeve that this may be the last day of my life and since that such kinde of trances as these are the Chrysolls of truth purifying the Gold from the drosse truth from falsehood I will tell you a truth which if it shall not bee now pleasing unto you it may bee that hereafter it may turne to your good I confesse faire Leocadia that I lov'd you well and so did you mee and likewise I confesse that the schedule which I made you was more to comply with your desire then mine owne For many dayes before that I had signed it and set my hand thereunto I had delivered up my will and my soule to a Damsell of the same place where I live whom you very well know Her name is Theodosia the daughter bee it spoken without disparagement of as noble parents as yours are And if I gave you a schedule firmed with my hand I gave her my firmed hand and accredited with such workes and witnesses that I remaine impossibilited to give my libertie to any other person in the world That which passed betwixt my selfe and Theodosia was the obtaining of that fruit which shee could give mee and which I was willing shee should give me plighting my faith unto her that I would be as truly I am her husband And if at one and the same time I left both her and you you suspensefull and deceived and shee fearefull and as shee thought robbed of her honour I did therein unadvisedly and undescreetly and as a young man as I am without any discourse or judgement Thinking with my selfe that all those things of this nature were but tricks of youth and of little or no importance and that I might doe them without any scruple at all Accompanied with other the like thoughts which came then in my head which did solicite me to doe that which I did which was to goe for Italy and to imploy therein some few of my youthfull yeares and afterwards to returne home to see what was become of you and of my true Spouse But heaven as it should seeme being offended and having complayned of mee to the highest power there I verily beleeve that God hath permitted given way to put me into that condition wherein you see me to the end that by confessing these truths arising from my many sins I may pay in this life that which I owe and you remaine dis-deceived and free being at your owne liberty to doe that which shall seeme best in your eyes And if at any time Theodosia shall come to have notice of my death shee shall know both by your â—elfe and by these that are here present how
wish that shee would speake whom she imagined might be her Mother for peradventure her cares would put her out of that doubt whereinto her cies had put her The Queene willed Isabella that she should speake Spainish to that woman and that man and they should tell her what was the cause that moved them not to accept and enioy that their libertie which Ricaredo had given them being that libertie is a thing above all other the dearest and best beloved not onely of reasonable creatures but of those that want it All this Isabella demanded of her Mother who without returning her any one word suddenly and halfe stumbling for haste came unto Isabella and without regarding respect feare or the Courtiers looking on her with her hand she lifted up Isabella's right eare and having there discovered a black mole which marke confirmed her suspition and plainely perceiving that it was her Daughter Isabella she could no longer containe her selfe but embracing her cried out aloud saying Oh Daughter of my heartâ— Oh deare pledge of my soule and not being able to utter a word more her speech fayling she fainted and fell into a swound in Isabella's 〈◊〉 Her Father no lesse tender then prudent gave manifest signes how sensible he was of all this but with no other words then a silent shedding of teares which softly trickling downe bedewed both his checkes and beard Isabella layd her face to that of her Mother and turning her eyes towards 〈◊〉 Father in such a hinde of manner looked 〈…〉 that theâ—…hy shee gave him to understand the pleasure and contentment her soule tooke in seeing them 〈◊〉 The Queene wondering at this so â—are and strange an 〈◊〉 sayd to Ricaredo I 〈◊〉 Ricaredo that this 〈…〉 discretion but I must tell you I know not whether you did well in so doing For we see by experience that a sudden joy as soon kills as a sudden sorrow And having said this she turned her selfe to Isabella and tooke her apart from her Mother who having a little water sprinkled in her face came again to her selfe and calling her wits a little better about her humbling her selfe on her knees before the Queene shee sayd unto her I beseech your Majestie to pardon my boldnes for it is no mervaile that I should forget my selfe and lose my sences with the over much joy I have received in the finding out this my beloved pledge The Queene made answer that she had a great deale of reason on her side making use of an Interpreter that she might the better understand her Isabella came in this manner as I told you before to the knowledge of her Parents and her Parents of her whom the Queene commanded to reside in the Court to the end that 〈◊〉 might with the better leisure both see and talke with their Daughter and rejoyce and make merry with her Wherewith Ricaredo was wonderfull well pleased and craved anew of the Queene that she would be pleased to make good her promise by bestowing Isabella upon him in case hee did deserve her and if not hee humbly besought her Majestie that shee would bee pleased presently to put him upon some other employment that might make himselfe worthie of obtaining that which he so earnestly desired The Queene understood very well that Ricaredo rested well satisfied of himselfe and of his great valour insomuch that there needed not onely new prooses for to qualifie him And therefore told him that foure dayes from that present being fully ended she would deliver Isabella unto him doing both of them all the grace and honour she possible could Vpon this answer Ricaredo tooke his leave being the most joyfull and most contented man in the world transported with that nâ—…re hope which hee now had of having Isabella in his power without any feare of losing 〈◊〉 which is the last and 〈◊〉 most desire of Lovers Time range but 〈…〉 light and â—…able foot as hee wiâ—…ed For 〈…〉 by the hope of promise to come doe ever 〈…〉 that time doth not flye with wings swart enough but that he hath lead tyed to his heeles and treads the 〈◊〉 of slothfulnesse it selfe Well at last came that desired day 〈…〉 Ricaredo thought to put an end to 〈…〉 finde in Isabella new graces which might 〈…〉 her the more if more he could then he did 〈…〉 that short time when as he thought the 〈…〉 good fortune sayled with a prosper 〈…〉 desired Port a contrary chance and 〈…〉 up in this calme sea such a tempestuous 〈…〉 feared a thousand times to see it 〈…〉 The case then is this 〈…〉 chamber Ladie to the Queene to whose 〈…〉 committed had a Sonne of the age of 〈…〉 called the Farle of Arnesto The greatnesse of his 〈…〉 of his bloud and the great favour which his 〈…〉 held with the Queene made him 〈…〉 things which did not become him and to breake 〈◊〉 into excesses but also made him arrogant proud haughtie and confident of himselfe This Arnesto then was onâ—moured of Isabella and so enflamedly that his very soule did burne in the sparkeling light of Isabella's eyes And albeit in that time that Ricaredo was absent he had by some signes discovered his desires 〈◊〉 was he never admitted by Isabella or received any the 〈…〉 And how 〈◊〉 that repugnancie and 〈…〉 loves infancie are wont to make lovers to desist 〈◊〉 their enter prize yet in Arnesto the many and 〈…〉 which Isabella shewed him wrought the cleane contrary for hee was set on fire with his owne jealousies and burned with desire to attempt her honestie And for that he saw that Ricaredo in the Queens opinion had deserved Isabella and that within so little a while she was to be given unto him for Wife he was ready to runne into despaire and to offer violence to himselfe But before that he would goe about to use so infamous and cowardly a remedie hee brake with his Mother entreating her that she would speake unto the Queens to give him Isabella to bee his Wife which if shee did not bring to passe that he would then have her to know and assuredly beleeve that death stood knocking at the doores of his life The Mother wondred to heare such words fall from her Sonne and for that she knew the roughnesse of his harsh nature and head-strong condition and the fastnesse wherewith these desires did cleave unto his soule she was afrayd that this his love would end in some sinister successe and unhappie issue yet not withstanding as a Mother to whom it is naturall to desite and procure the good of her Children shee promised to preferre his pretension to the Queene though not with any hope to obtaine such an impossibilitie of her as the breaking of her Princely word but that shee might not omit to try in so desperate a case the utmost remedie And hIsabella being that morning apparrelled by order from the Queene so richly that my Penne dares not presume to deliver the manner thereof unto you and the Queene
good Turke Besides the longest time that I meane to spend with them in their house shall be at the farthest but foure or five dayes for the great love which I beare unto you will not give me leave to be any longer absent and not see you The Cali made no reply that hee might not give her occasion to breed some suspition or other in her of his intention Whilest this biâ—sinesse was a brewing Friday came and helwent to the Mezquita from whence he could not come forth in almost foure houres and Halima had scarce seene him put his foot over the threshold of his house but shee commandeil Mario to be call'd for to come unto her but a Christian of Corsica would not suffer him to enter who was then Porter and wayted at the gate of the outward Court if Halima her selfe had not called out aloud unto him that hee should let him come in And so hee entred but much troubled and trembling as if hee had beene to fight with a whole armie of enemies Leonisa was in the same dresse and attyre as when shee entred the Bashaw's Tent sitting at the foot of a curious stayr-case of polished Marble which led the way up to a large and spacious gallerie rounding the whole house her head hung downeward towards her bosome resting it selfe on the palme of her right hand and leaning her elbow on her knee her eyes were turned another way quite contrarie to the doore by which Mario entred so that though hee went towards the place where shee sate yet did she not see him No sooner was Ricardo let in but hee walked through the whole house with his eyes yet could he not perceive any thing save a dumbe and still filence till that hee cast his eye aside where Leonisa fate Instantly whereupon so many thoughts tooke hold on enamoured Ricardo as did worke in him both amazement and gladnesse conceiting himselfe to bee a thousand paces and more distanced from his happinesse and contentment Hee considered likewise with himselfe that hee was a Captive and his glorie in anothers power revolving these things with himselfe he made towards her by a little and a little and with a fearefull love a joyfull sadnesse and timerous courage for such passions accompanie true lovers hee came by degrees to the Center where his hearts joy was when by chance Leonisa turned her head aside and fixed her eyes on those of Mario who looked very stedfastly on her But when both their lookes had thus encountred each other by different effects gave evident signes of that which their severall soules felt within Ricardo stood stock still and could not stirre one foot further and Leonisa who upon Mahamuts relation gave Ricardo for dead and to see him now and that so unexpectedly alive full of feare and amazement without unfixing her eyes or turning her backe shee stept up backeward foure or five stayres she blest her selfe as if shee had seene some phantasma or a thing of another World Ricardo returned from out his astonishment and knew by that which Leonisa did the ture cause of her feare and therefore sayd unto her it grieves mee to the very soule oh of all fayre the fayrest Leonisa that the newes did not fall out true which Mahamut gave thee of my death for by it I might have excused those feares which now I have in thinking with my selfe whether that rigour which heretofore thou hast used towards me continue still in the same force and being Quiet your selfe dearest in my love and come downe againe and if you dare do that which hitherto you never did which is to draw neare unto me come and touch me and thou shalt see that I am no phantasticall bodie no wandring ghost I am Ricardo Leonisa that unfortunate Ricardo whom thou hast made so Whilest he was speaking this Leonisa puts her finger upon her mouth whereby Ricardo understood that it was a signe that hee should be silent or speake more softly and taking a little better heart unto him he drew a little nearer unto her in such a distance that he might heare these words come from her Speake lower Mario for so me thinketh thou now callest thy selfe and treate not of any other thing now save what I shall treate with thee and consider withall that it may so happen that if we be over heard we shall never see one another any more I verily beleeve that Halima our Mistresse listeneth to heare if not heareth us who to deale plainely and briefly with thee hath told me that she adores thee and hath entreated me to be the intercessoresse of this her desire if thou wilt answer her wishes it will bee better for thy bodie then thy soule But if thou wilt not yet must thou feigne that thou dost embrace her love as well because entâ—eate thee so to do as also for that the declared desires of a Woman ought not uncivily to be despised and utterly rejected Hereunto Ricardo answered I did never thinke nor ever could imagine fayrest Leonisa that there was that thing whatsoever which you should entreate me to doe that should bring with it an impossibilitie of cumplying therewith but that which you now require of mee hath dis-deceived me Is peradventure mans will so light that it may be moved too and fro and carried hither and thither whether the pleasure of others shall guide and direct it or doth it stand with the honour and faith of a Gentleman or with the repute of an honest man to feigne and dissemble in things of such weight and high a nature as this is If it seeme good unto you that any of these things in this kinde ought to bee or may be done doe that which shall be most pleasing in your owne eyes because you are the sole Mistresse of my will But I now know that you likewise deceive me in this since that you never rightly knew my will and therefore know not how to dispose thereof but because you may not say that in the first thing you commanded me you should not bee obeyed I will lose somewhat of my selfe and of being what I ought to be I will satisfie your desire and that of Halima as you say feignedly so that I may thereby gaine the happines to see you And therefore doe you feigne my answers to your owne good liking for from hence forth my feigned will doth firme and confirme them Now in requitall of this office which I do for you which is in my opinion the greatest that ever I can or shall be able to doe though I should give my soule anew unto you which I have so often given you I beseech you that you will briefly tell me how you escaped from the hands of the Pirats and how you came to those of the 〈◊〉 who so lately sold you The storie of my misfortunes answered Leonisa require more leisure then time will now permit to relate yet notwithstanding I will not leave you wholy unsatisfied Know then
that the same very evening we parted Yzupb's Galley was with a stiffe and strong winde driven to the same Isles of Pantanalea where wee likewise saw your Vessell but ours wee being not able to hinder it ranâ—e remedilesly upon the Rockes My Master then having his destruction before his eyes and that there was little or no hope of safety left with all possible haste emptied two Hogsheads which were full of water then stopped up the bung-holes very close and having bound the one to the other with good strong cords he seated me betweene them that done hee presently stript himselfe and taking another Hogshead spreading his armes over it and binding a rope about his middle causing the same to bee fastned to the Caskes whereon I sate bound with great courage hee rushed into the Sea towing mee after him I had not the heart to rush in after him which one of the Turkes seeing pushed mee forward with all his force and sent mee packing after Yzuph where I lay without any sense nor came againe to my selfe tall I found my selfe on Land in the armes of two Turkes who bowing my head and bodie towards the ground held me so a pretry space all that while great store of salt-water which I had swallowed downe comming forth at my mouth At last I opened mine eyes but as one amazed and looking about who should I see but Yzuph lying by me with his braines beaten out against the Rockes when hee had almost recovered the shoare where hee ended his life This I afterwards understood by the Turkes and they likewise told mee that taking hold of the Cord they drew mee on Land without receiving any further harme then what I mentioned before unto you of all the whole companie onely eight persons ascaped drowning Fight daies wee abode in the Island the Turkes using mee with as much respect as if I had beene their Sister if not more Wee kept our selves close in a Cave the Turkes fearing that if they should bee espied the Christians which had the command of the Fort which is in the Island would salley forth upon them and take them Captive They sustained themselves with wet bisket which the Sea had cast upon the shoare from out the broken bins of the Galley which they went forth to gather up by night that they might not be discovered Fortune had so ordered it for my great ill that the Fort was without a Captaine who died but a few daies before and in all the Fort there were not above twenty souldiers This we came to know by a youth which was captivated by the Turkes who came downe from thence to gather Cockles by the Sea-side At the eight daies end there arrived on that Coast a Vessell of the Moores which they call Caramucales the Turkes saw it's comming in and that they lay at Anchor a little off the Land and so made towards them making such signes to the Vessell which was not far off that they who were in her knew they were Turkes that called unto them Thereupon they sent out their Cock-boat and they recounted unto them their distresse and they received them into their Barque wherein came an exceeding rich Iew a Merchant and all the lading of the Vessell or the most part of it was his being fraughted with Carpets and Hides and other commodities which they bring from Barbary to the Levant In the said Vessell the Turkes went for Tripoli and in that Voyage they sold me to the Iew for two thousand Duckats an excessive prise if his love towards me had not made him so liberall which the Iew afterwards discovered unto me Leaving the Turkes after all this in Tripoli the Vessell tackt about to performe her Voyage and the Iew in most impudent manner fell to soliciting of mee but I shewed him such a countenance as his filthy desires deserved Seing himselfe then in despaire of obtaining his lustfull ends he resolved to rid himselfe of me upon the first occasion that should offer it selfe unto him And it comming to his knowledge that the two Bashaw's Ali and Hazan were in this Island where he might sell and vent his Merchaudize as well as in Xio whither he was bound he came hither with intention to sell me to one of the two Bashaw's and for this cause put mee into this dresse and weare wherein you now see me for to affectionate them the more unto me who should buy me I am given to understand that this Cadi hath bought me with purpose to carry me for a Present to the Great-Turke whereof I am not a little afraid Here I came to know thy feigned death and I must now tell thee if thou wilt believe me and believe me thou maist that it grieved me to the very soule and that I did more envie then pittie thee yet not out of any ill will that I bare unto thee though I did not answer thy love according to thy expectation for I shall never be ingratefull and dis-respective where I have found so much love and respect but because thou hadst then made an end of thy lives Tragedie Deare Leonisa answered Ricardo you say not amisse herein if death had not hindered the happines of my comming againe to see you esteeming more this instant of glorie which I enjoy in seeing you then any other happinesse saving that which is eternall which either in life or in death might assure unto me my desire The Cadi now my Master into whose power I am come by no lesse various accidents then yours beares the like fervent affection unto you as Halima doth to me hee hath made choice of mee to bee the interpreter of his thoughts I entertained the motion not for to doe him any pleasure thereby but that I might gaine the commoditie and conveniencie of speaking with you to the end that you may see Leonisa to what hard termes our misfortunes have brought us you to be the meanes of working an impossibilitie for you know my minde touching the motion you made unto mee and me to be likewise set a worke about such a businesse as I least dream't of and for which I would give rather then obtaine it my life which now I esteeme according to it's high worth and valew since that it hath had the happinesse to see you I know not what to say unto thee Ricardo replied Leonisa nor how we shall be able to get out of this intricate laborinth whereinto as thou sayest our hard fortune hath brought us onely I know to say thus much that we must be driven in this businesse to use that which is contrary to our condition and hatefull to honest mindes to wit dissembling and deceit And therefore say unto thee that I will acquaint Halima with some such words delivered by thee that shall rather entertaine her with hopes then drive her to dispaire Thou likewise shalt say of me to the Cadi that which thou shalt thinke most convenient for the securing of mine honour and the deceiving