's leave both to marry his son to Clesterna, and to send
Isabella and her parents to Spain. The queen granted both requests, and
without having recourse to lawyers or judges, she forthwith passed
sentence on the lady keeper, condemning her to lose her office, and to
pay down ten thousand crowns for Isabella. As for Count Ernest, she
banished him from England for six years.

Four days afterwards Richard set out on his exile, and the money had
been already paid. The queen, sending for a rich merchant, resident in
London, who was a Frenchman, and had correspondents in France, Italy,
and Spain, put the ten thousand crowns into his hands, and desired him
to let Isabella's father have bills for the amount on Seville or some
other place in Spain. The merchant having deducted his profit, told the
queen he would give good and safe bills on another French merchant, his
correspondent in Seville, in the following manner:--He would write to
Paris that the bills might be drawn there by another correspondent of
his, in order that they should be dated from France and not from
England, because of the interdicted communication between that country
and Spain. It would only be necessary to have a letter of advice from
him, with his signature and without date, in sight of which the merchant
of Seville would immediately pay the money, according to previous advice
from the merchant of Paris.

In fine, the queen took such securities from the merchant as made the
payment certain; and not content with this, she sent for the master of a
Flemish vessel who was about to sail for France, only to obtain a
manifest from some French port, in order to be allowed to land in Spain;
and she begged him to take Isabella and her parents, treat them well,
and land them safely at the first Spanish port he reached. The master,
who desired to please the queen, said he would do so, and would land
them at Lisbon, Cadiz, or Seville. After this the queen sent word to
Clotald not to take from Isabella any of the presents she had given her,
whether jewels or clothes.

The next day Isabella and her parents came to take leave of the queen,
who received them with great affection. The queen gave them the
merchant's bills, besides many other presents, both in money and in
things suitable for their voyage. Isabella expressed her gratitude in
such terms as to increase the queen's gracious disposition towards her.
She took leave of the ladies of the court, who, now that she