een schoolmates, had
much privy discourse, and inasmuch as that Master Knorr knew of old that
Gotz was near of kin to the Schoppers, he forthwith made known to him
that he had been bidden to the house of Akusch's parents to tend and
heal Kunz, and had learnt from him many strange tidings; accusing Ursula
of the guilt of having concealed and kept back the letters written
by Herdegen and Sir Franz to their kindred at home, of having set her
husband's hired knaves on himself, to murder him, and lastly, of having
maliciously increased the sum for his brother's ransom. Hereupon the
worthy leech was minded to sail to Venice in the next homeward-bound
galleon, to do what he might for his countrymen in sore straits;
howbeit, Gotz might now perchance work out their release from grief
and slavery in some other wise. And whereas Master Knorr could give him
tidings of other criminal deeds committed by Giustiniani, my new lover
had forthwith written a petition of accusation to the Council at Venice,
and forthwith Marino Cavallo, in his rights as procurator of Saint Mark,
had commanded the Consul and his wife to depart for Venice and present
themselves before the Collegium of the Pregadi, which hath the direction
of the Consuls beyond seas.

Likewise Gotz had taken in hand the cause of Herdegen and Sir Franz and
forasmuch as he was held in great respect, Master Angelo Michieli was
not hardly won to do what he might for them, taking Gotz and Kunz for
surety. The Venice embassy went forth to Cairo, and whereas Master
Michieli, who was skilled in such matters, beat down the ransom demanded
for King Janus to the sum of two hundred thousand ducats, and paid it
down for the royal captive, he likewise moved the Sultans to be content
with fifteen thousand ducats each for Herdegen and Sir Franz, and my
brother and his fellow in misfortune were set free.

All through this tale my heart beat higher; I secretly hoped that
peradventure my brothers had come home with Gotz, and were hiding
themselves away, only for some reason privy to themselves. Howbeit, I
presently heard that they had set forth with their faces to Jerusalem;
to the end that they might, at their homecoming, tell the Emperor with
the greater assurance, that they had taken upon themselves the penance
of going at last to the Holy Places whither they had been bidden to go.

When Gotz had ended these great and comforting tidings, and I enquired
of him what then had at last brought h