safety
unless he had performed the penance laid upon him by the Emperor; and
albeit felt it a hard matter to refrain the craving of his heart,
nevertheless he gave way to our pressing admonitions.

Now, while Gotz fared back to Venice, the galleon which carried Don
Jaime, Prince of Catalonia, as far Joppa, brought us likewise to the
Promised Land to the holy city of Jerusalem. From thence we made our
pilgrimage to many other Holy Places, under the protection of the great
fellowship of that royal Prince who ever showed us much favor.

At last we journeyed homewards, passing by Naples and Genoa; at Damietta,
in the land of Egypt, Sir Franz departed from our company to make his way
to Venice. It was with care and grief that I saw him set forth on his way
alone, and Herdegen was like-minded; in their misfortune he had learned
to mark much that was good in him, and during our long journeying had
seen that not only was he sick in body, but likewise that a shroud hung
over his soul and brain. Also, if Ursula were yet free to work her will,
the very worst might haply befall him in Venice, by reason that the
Giustinianis were of a certainty evil-disposed towards him, and the power
and dignity of that family were by no means lessened, although, as at
that time Antonio Giustiniani had dishonored his name in Albania, and had
been punished by the Forty with imprisonment and sundry penalties. Yet
his cousin Orsato was one of the greatest and richest of the signori at
Venice, and Ursula's husband would have found in him a strong upholder,
as in truth we heard at Naples, where tidings reached us that the
Pregadi, who had passed judgment upon him, had amerced him in a penalty
of no more than two thousand ducats, which Orsato paid for him by reason
that he would not suffer that his kinsman should he in prison.

At Genoa we found many letters full of good tidings of our kindred at
home, all overflowing with love and the hope of speedily seeing us there.
Hereupon Herdegen could not refrain himself for impatience and, if I had
suffered it, he would have ridden onward by day and by night with no
pause nor rest, taking fresh horses as he might need them; for my part
what I chiefly cared for was to bring him home as fresh and sound as I
might, and so preserve Ann from grief of heart. Herdegen had given me her
letters to read, and how true and deep a love, how lofty and pure a soul
spoke in those lines! Howbeit, when I heard her, as it were,