FullReads

“Arise, Ricaredo,” replied the Queen, “and believe me, that if I should upon a price give you Isabella according to that value I esteem her at, you would never be able to pay it, neither with that which you have brought home in this ship nor with all that treasure which remaineth in the Indies. Well, I will give her you, because I made you a promise of her, and because she is worthy of you, and you of her; your valour only doth deserve her. And if you have kept those jewels of the ship for me, I have likewise kept this your jewel for you; and albeit it may seem unto you that I have not done any great matter for you in returning you that which is your own, yet I know that I do you an especial favour therein, for those pledges that are bought by our desires, and have their estimation and value in the soul of the buyer, they are worth a world, there being no price that can countervail it. Isabella is yours, there she is; and when you will yourself, you may take possession of her, and I believe with her good liking and content, for she is discreet, and knows well how to weigh the friendship which you do her, for I will not style it by the name of favour but friendship; for I will take that name only upon me of doing favours. Go, and take your ease, and come and wait upon Us to-morrow, and then will I more particularly hear you relate unto Us what you did in this voyage, and how valiantly you behaved yourself; and bring those two with you who you say were so willing to come and see Us, that We may thank them for their love.”

Ricaredo thanked her Majesty for the many favours she had done him, and then the Queen presently left the gallery and retired herself. And the ladies came round about Ricaredo, and one of them, which held great love and friendship with Isabella, called the lady Tansi, accounted the discreetest, the wittiest, and pleasantest amongst them, said unto Ricaredo:

“What means this, Ricaredo? what arms are these? Did you happily imagine that you came to fight with your enemies? Believe me, we all here are your friends, unless it be Isabella, who for that she is a Spaniard is bound not to bear you any goodwill.”

“Sure, my lady Tansi, she bears me some; for since that she hath me in her remembrance,” said Ricaredo, “I know that her goodwill is towards me; for the foulness of being unthankful cannot have the least footing in her so great worth, understanding, and incomparable beauty.”

Whereunto Isabella replied:

“Señor Ricaredo, since that I am to be yours, it is in your power to take all satisfaction whatsoever you will of me, that I may make you some small requital of those undeserved praises which you have given me, and of those further favours which you intend to do me.”

These and other the like honest discoursings Ricaredo passed with Isabella and with the rest of the ladies, amongst which there was a pretty little damsel, young both in growth and years, who did nothing but gaze upon Ricaredo all the while he was there. She lifted up his bases to see if he had anything under them; she tampered with his sword, and in a childish simplicity would make his glittering armour her looking-glass, coming very near, thinking to see her face in them. And when she went away from him, turning herself to the ladies, she said, “Now, ladies, I assure you I imagine that war is a most beautiful thing, since that even amongst women armed men look lovely.”