as they travelled, they amused themselves by talking over the past dangers, the good feeling of the jadraque, the gallant conduct of the priest, the zeal of rafaella, whom they had forgotten to question as to how she had escaped from the power of the turks when the assault was made. however they guessed that she must have concealed herself somewhere in order to gain her desire of living and dying a christian.
they reached valencia, but would not enter the town for fear they should be detained there; but they could not fail of admiring its noble situation, the excellence of its inhabitants, of which they had heard so much, the pleasantness of its environs, and, finally, all that makes it beautiful and rich beyond all other cities, not only in spain, but in all europe; and chiefly they admired the beauty of the women, and the pure and graceful language so sweet and pleasant, that none but the portuguese can compete with it in sweetness and pleasantness.
they determined to go on and to lengthen their days' journeys, even at the risk of being fatigued, to reach barcelona, where they heard they might find vessels in which to embark for genoa without going through france.
nothing of any importance happened on the way to barcelona, unless that they saw afar off the holy mountains of montserrat, which they worshipped with christian devotion without designing to go there, as it must have detained them.
they arrived at barcelona at the moment when four spanish galleys were just entering the port, which fired a salute of heavy artillery. four boats were let down, one of which was adorned with rich carpets from the levant, and crimson cushions, and in it was seated a young lady, richly dressed, with another older lady, and two young girls, neatly attired. a crowd of people came out of the city, as is usually the custom, both to look at the galleys and the persons who had come in them; and curiosity led our pilgrims so near the boats when they landed, that they nearly touched the lady as she stepped out of the boat. she, casting her eyes around when she had got ashore, they lighted upon constance, and she said, "come hither, lovely pilgrim, and accompany me to the town, i have a debt to pay to you of which you little think. let your companions come likewise, for there is no reason why you should leave such good company."
"yours, as far as i can see, is so good," replied constance, "that it would indeed be senseless to refuse it; let us go where you please, my friends will follow, for they never leave me."
the lady took constance by the hand, and escorted by many gentlemen, who had come out of the city to receive her, and by some of the people who had landed from the galleys, they proceeded together to the town. during their walk, constance never took her eyes off her, trying, but in vain, to remember where she had ever seen her before.
they took up their lodging in one of the best houses, and would not suffer the pilgrims to go elsewhere. as soon as an opportunity occurred, this discourse took place between them:—
"i would fain relieve you, my friends, from the wonder you must be feeling, as to the cause i have for wishing to be of service to you, and so i will inform you that my name is ambrosia agustina, and my birth-place a city of aragón. don bernardo agustina is my brother, and he commands those galleys that lie in the bay. contarino de arbolanchez, a knight of the order of aleantara, during my brother's absence, secretly and unknown to my relations, fell in love with me, and i, led by my destiny, or, perhaps, by my too great weakness, with the title of wife, made him master of myself and my whole heart. the same day on which i gave my hand to him, he received an order from the king instantly to set off and conduct a regiment of spanish infantry (just come from lombardy to genoa) to malta, where it was expected that the turks would make a descent. contarino obeyed without delay the orders he received; without being moved by my tears, he departed. i felt as if the sky had fallen upon my head, and that my heart was pressed down between it and the earth. a few days passed, when as one scheme after another entered my brain, i resolved to put one into execution, the accomplishment of which had well nigh cost me both life and honour. i left my home in the disguise of a man, the dress of a young page which i took, and engaged myself as servant to a drummer in a regiment about eight leagues off; i soon learned to beat the drum as well as my master, and to play the part of a buffoon like those of my profession. another regiment joined ours, and both together marched to carthagena, in order to embark in the galleys commanded by my brother. it was my intention to go over to italy, and seek my husband, from whose affection i hoped that my rash conduct would escape censure, and that he would not find fault with my wish to see him, which made me so blind that i never considered the risk i ran of being discovered, if i embarked in my brother's galley; but as no difficulties deter an enamoured heart, and it sees none which it cannot conquer, no fears it cannot oppose, no roughnesses it cannot make smooth, i resisted all these, and hoped even in a kind of desperation. but, as the event of things often turns out different to what we expect, so mine, as ill considered as it was imprudent, placed me in the situation you soon shall hear. the soldiers of the regiments i mentioned, engaged in a cruel affray with the people of a town in la mancha, about lodgings, the result of which was, that a certain count of some place, the name of which i do not know, received his death-wound. there was an enquiry made by the court, the captains were taken into custody, the soldiers separated, and some, among whom i, for my misfortune, was one, though quite guiltless of any fault, condemned to the galleys to work two years at the oar. in vain i lamented my fate, seeing how all my plans were frustrated; i would gladly have died, but the fear of a yet worse fate in another world made the knife drop from my hand, and the rope from my throat; all i did was to endeavour to deform my face, and make myself as ugly as i could, and then shut myself up in a cart we were put into, with the intention of weeping so much and eating so little, that grief and hunger might do what the cord and the knife had left undone. we reached carthagena, where the galleys were not yet arrived; we were put into a house and well guarded, and there in fear and trembling i awaited my fate. i know not, sirs, if you recollect a cart which came up with you near a small inn, when this lovely pilgrim (pointing to constance) helped to restore a fainting prisoner with some cordials."
"yes," said constance, "i remember it well."
"then know that it was i whom you assisted," said the lady ambrosia. "from the place where i lay in the cart i could see you all, and admired you, for your appearance was such that it was impossible to look and not admire.
"the galleys came in at last with a moorish brigantine that they had taken; the same day the soldiers were put on board in irons, the clothes they wore were taken off, and they were dressed in those worn by the rowers. a sad and miserable change, yet light, for the hardship that does not destroy life, custom will at last alleviate. they came to undress me, the boatswain ordered them to wash my face, for i had not strength to lift an arm; the barber who attended the crew looked at me and said, 'i shall spoil but few razors with this beard. i wonder what they have sent us this boy for, who looks as if he was made of china ware, as if our galleys were made of gingerbread, and our oars of sweetmeat. eh, boy, what crime hast thou committed to deserve this punishment? i doubt not but that thou art brought to this by the sins of others;' and then continuing his discourse to the boatswain, he said, 'truly, master, it would be much better to send this boy to the general with a chain to his leg, for at the oar he won't be worth a farthing.'
"this talk, and the thoughts of my misfortune, which now seemed to have reached its climax, so overcame me that i fell down in a swoon, and lay as if dead. i have been told that it was four hours before i came to myself, during which time they had done everything in their power to restore me to my senses, and what i should most have felt, if i had been conscious, was, that they must have discovered i was no man, but a woman. i recovered at last, and the first thing i saw was the face of my brother and of my husband, the latter held me in his arms. i do not know how it was that i did not die that moment; i do not know how it was that my tongue did not cleave to the roof of my mouth; all i know is, that i knew not what they said to me; but, i heard my brother say, 'what means this dress, my sister?' and my husband said, 'what is this disguise, my soul? if i did not know so well your virtue and honour, my sweet wife, this dress should be exchanged only for a shroud.' 'your wife?' said my brother, 'this seems as strange a story to me as it is to find her thus disguised; but if it be true, it would be a sufficient recompense for the trouble it causes me to see her thus.'
"at this instant i had begun to recover my scattered senses, and i remember that i said, 'dear brother, i am ambrosia agustina, thy sister, i am also the wife of señor contarino de arbolanchez; love, and thy absence, o my brother, gave him to me as a husband; but, on the wedding day he left me, and i, rash, desperate, and inconsiderate, set off to seek him in this disguise.' then i told them all the story i have already narrated, and i had the good fortune (for now my fortune was beginning to amend) to find that they believed me, and pitied me. i then heard that my husband had been taken prisoner with one of the two vessels in which he had sailed for genoa, and that it was only two days ago that he had recovered his liberty, and had had no time or opportunity to see my brother till the moment of my fainting. events so strange are hardly credible, yet it is all as i have said. in these galleys the lady whom you saw with me was going to italy with her two nieces; her son has the charge of the royal patrimony in sicily; they supplied me with the dress i now wear, and my husband and brother sent us on shore to refresh and amuse ourselves, and see the friends that they have in this city. if you are going to rome, i will make my brother convey you to the nearest seaport. the case of cordials i would fain repay with the best i possess; and if i should not myself go to italy, i would ask my brother to take my debt upon him. this, my friends, is my history; if you should find it hard to believe i cannot wonder; but there is a common saying that it is courtesy to believe, and, in yours, which must be great, i place my credit."
thus the fair ambrosia ended her story; and now her hearers began to express their interest and admiration, and to discuss the different circumstances of the case; and then constance and auristella began embracing ambrosia, who was to return to her home by her husband's desire, because, however charming and lovely she may be, the company of a wife is embarrassing in times of war to a husband.
that night the sea ran very high, so much so that it was necessary to loosen the galleys that were anchored in the bay, which in this part was not safe for them. the courteous catalans, a people terrible when angry, and most supremely courteous when at peace, to maintain both which qualities they almost outdo themselves, which is therefore outdoing all other nations, visited and feasted the lady ambrosia as much as was possible.
auristella, who had learned by experience what it was to encounter a storm at sea, would not embark in the galleys, but determined to go by way of france, which was then quiet. ambrosia returned to aragón. the galleys continued their voyage, and the pilgrims their journey, entering france by way of perpignan.
