nd it befell on this wise.

He settled down quietly enough at Bideford on his parole, in better
quarters than he had occupied for many a day, and took things as they
came, like a true soldier of fortune; till, after he had been with
Grenville hardly a month, old Salterne the Mayor came to supper.

Now Don Guzman, however much he might be puzzled at first at our strange
English ways of asking burghers and such low-bred folk to eat and drink
above the salt, in the company of noble persons, was quite gentleman
enough to know that Richard Grenville was gentleman enough to do only
what was correct, and according to the customs and proprieties. So after
shrugging the shoulders of his spirit, he submitted to eat and drink at
the same board with a tradesman who sat at a desk, and made up ledgers,
and took apprentices; and hearing him talk with Grenville neither
unwisely nor in a vulgar fashion, actually before the evening was out
condescended to exchange words with him himself. Whereon he found him
a very prudent and courteous person, quite aware of the Spaniard's
superior rank, and making him feel in every sentence that he was aware
thereof; and yet holding his own opinion, and asserting his own rights
as a wise elder in a fashion which the Spaniard had only seen before
among the merchant princes of Genoa and Venice.

At the end of supper, Salterne asked Grenville to do his humble roof the
honor, etc. etc., of supping with him the next evening, and then turning
to the Don, said quite frankly, that he knew how great a condescension
it would be on the part of a nobleman of Spain to sit at the board of
a simple merchant: but that if the Spaniard deigned to do him such
a favor, he would find that the cheer was fit enough for any rank,
whatsoever the company might be; which invitation Don Guzman, being on
the whole glad enough of anything to amuse him, graciously condescended
to accept, and gained thereby an excellent supper, and, if he had chosen
to drink it, much good wine.

Now Mr. Salterne was, of course, as a wise merchant, as ready as any man
for an adventure to foreign parts, as was afterwards proved by his great
exertions in the settlement of Virginia; and he was, therefore, equally
ready to rack the brains of any guest whom he suspected of knowing
anything concerning strange lands; and so he thought no shame, first to
try to loose his guest's tongue by much good sack, and next, to ask him
prudent and well-concocted ques