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This was no sooner said but that one of those there present spake aloud, saying, “Gentlemen, this young man is a great English pirate, for I know him well enough; and this is he who, some two years since and somewhat more, took from the pirates of Algiers that ship of Portugal which came from the Indies. Ye need not doubt that this is the man, for I confidently tell you that I know him; for he gave me my liberty and money to bring me home to Spain, and did not only free me, but three hundred captives more, furnishing them with victuals and moneys.” With these words the vulgar were in an uproar, and the desire afresh revived which all of them had to know and see such intricate things as these to be fully cleared.

In fine, the gentlemen of more especial rank and quality, with the Asistente and those two principal Churchmen, returned back to accompany Isabella to her house, leaving the nuns sorrowful and weeping that they had lost so fair a sister and companion as Isabella; who being come home, and having brought the gentlemen into a spacious large hall, entreated them to sit down. And albeit Ricaredo was willing enough to take upon him the relating of this desired history, yet notwithstanding it seemed good unto him rather to trust Isabella’s tongue and discretion with it than his own, who did not very perfectly speak the language of Spain. All that were present were in a still silence, and having their ears and souls ready prepared to hear what Isabella would say, she began to recount the story, which I reduce briefly to this: that she delivered all that unto them which happened from the day that Clotaldo by stealth carried her away from Cadiz till her return thither again; not omitting the battle which Ricaredo fought with the Turks, and the liberality and bounty which he had used towards the Christians, and the faith which both of them had plighted each to other to be man and wife; the promise of two years, the news which she had received of his death, and that so certain to her seeming that it put her into that course which they had so lately seen of professing herself a nun. She did endear the Queen of England’s bounty towards her, and the Christianity of Ricaredo and his parents; and ended her speech with desiring Ricaredo that he would relate what had befallen him from the time that he left London until this very present, wherein they saw him clad in the habit of a captive and with a badge in his breast, betokening that he was redemed by way of alms.

“It is true as you say,” replied Ricaredo, “and in a few short words I will sum up unto you my many and great troubles. After that I went out of London for to excuse the marriage which I could not make with Clisterna (that Scottish Catholic damsel with whom Isabella told you my parents would have me to marry,) taking Guillarte along with me (that page who, as my mother’s letters made mention, brought the news to London of my death,) crossing France, I came to Rome, where my soul was cheered and my faith fortified. I kissed the feet of the chief Pontiff, I confessed my sins to the Grand Penitentiary; he absolved me of them, and handed me the necessary credentials which should give testimony of my confession and penitence, and of the submission I had made to our universal mother, the Church. This done, I visited the places, as holy as they are numerous, that there are in that holy city; and of those two thousand crowns which I had in gold, I delivered a thousand and six hundred to a banker, who gave me a bill to receive so much in this city, upon one Roqui, a Florentine; and with those four hundred which remained with me, with intention to come for Spain, I made for Genoa; whence I had notice given me that there were two galleys of that signory to go for Spain.