he more for the people of
Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt?[404-2] or for David, whom from
a shepherd He made to be king in Judea? Turn to Him, and acknowledge
thine error--His mercy is infinite. Thine old age shall not prevent thee
from accomplishing any great undertaking. He holds under His sway many
very great possessions. Abraham had exceeded a hundred years of age when
he begat Isaac; nor was Sarah young. Thou criest out for uncertain help:
answer, who has afflicted thee so much and so often, God or the world?
The privileges promised by God, He never fails in bestowing; nor does He
ever declare, after a service has been rendered Him, that such was not
agreeable with His intention, or that He had regarded the matter in
another light; nor does he inflict suffering, in order to give effect to
the manifestation of His power. His word goes according to the letter;
and He performs all his promises with interest. This is [his] custom.
Thus I have told thee what thy Creator has done for thee, and what He
does for all men. Just now He gave me a specimen of the reward of so many
toils and dangers incurred by thee in the service of others."[404-2]

I heard all this, as it were, in a trance; but I had no answer to give in
definite words, and could but weep for my errors. He who spoke to me,
whoever it was, concluded by saying,--"Fear not, but trust; all these
tribulations are recorded on marble, and not without cause." I arose as
soon as I could; and at the end of nine days there came fine weather, but
not sufficiently so to allow of drawing the vessels out of the river. I
collected the men who were on land, and, in fact, all of them that I
could, because there were not enough to admit of one party remaining on
shore while another stayed on board to work the vessels. I myself should
have remained with my men to defend the settlement, had your Highnesses
known of it; but the fear that ships might never reach the spot where we
were, as well as the thought, that when provision is to be made for
bringing help, everything will be provided,[405-1] made me decide upon
leaving. I departed, in the name of the Holy Trinity, on Easter
night,[405-2] with the ships rotten, worm-eaten and full of holes. One of
them I left at Belen, with a supply of necessaries; I did the same at
Belpuerto. I then had only two left, and they in the same state as the
others. I was without boats or provisions, and in this condition I had to
cross seve