y.

The bishop, who was present, led them with his blessing to the church,
and dispensing with the usual forms, married them at once. The whole
city overflowed with gladness, which it testified that night by a
splendid illumination, and for many days following in jousts and
rejoicings given by the relations of Ricardo and Leonisa. Halima, who
had lost all hope of having Ricardo for her husband, was content to
become the wife of Mahmoud, having returned with him to the bosom of the
church. Her parents and her two nephews were, by Ricardo's bounty,
presented with so much out of his share of the spoil as sufficed to
maintain them for the rest of their lives. In a word, all were happy to
their heart's content; and the fame of Ricardo, spreading beyond the
limits of Sicily, extended throughout all Italy and beyond it. He was
universally known as the Generous Lover, and his renown is still
prolonged in the persons of the many sons borne to him by Leonisa, who
was a rare example of discretion, virtue, modesty, and beauty.

THE SPANISH-ENGLISH LADY.

Among the spoils which the English carried off from the city of
Cadiz,[78] was a little girl of about seven years old. An English
gentleman, named Clotald, commander of a squadron of vessels, took her
to London without the knowledge of the Earl of Essex, and in defiance of
his general orders. The parents complained to the earl of the loss of
their child, and implored him, since he had declared that property alone
should be seized, and the persons of the inhabitants should be left
free, they should not, besides being reduced to poverty, suffer the
additional misery of being deprived of their daughter, who was the very
light of their eyes. The earl caused it to be proclaimed throughout his
whole army, that whoever had possession of the child, should restore her
on pain of death; but no threatened penalties could constrain Clotald to
obey; in spite of them, he kept the child concealed in his ship, being
fascinated, though in a Christian manner, with the incomparable beauty
of Isabella, as she was called. In fine, her inconsolable parents were
left to mourn her loss, and Clotald, rejoicing beyond measure, returned
to London, and presented the pretty child to his wife, as the richest
prize he had brought home from the war.

[78] In the year 1596, when the city was taken by Elizabeth's
commanders, Admiral Howard and the Earl of Essex.

It happened fortunately that all the me