"that gifts can soften rocks, since they have
mollified the hard heart of our queen." "He sits at his ease," said a
third, "but there are those who will make bold to push him from his
seat." In fact, that new mark of honour which the queen bestowed on
Richard gave occasion to many to regard him with envy and malice; for
there is no favour which the sovereign bestows on a subject but pierces
the heart of the envious like a lance. In obedience to the queen's
command, Richard narrated more minutely the details of his conflict with
the corsairs, attributing the victory to God, and to the arms of her
valiant soldiers. He extolled them all collectively, and made special
mention of some who had particularly distinguished themselves, in order
that the queen might reward them all and singly. When he came to speak
of his having, in her majesty's name, set the Turks and Christians at
liberty, he said, pointing to Isabella's parents, "These are the persons
of whom I spoke yesterday to your majesty, who, desiring to behold your
greatness, earnestly besought me to bring them away with me. They are
from Cadiz, and from what they have told me, and from what I have myself
observed, I am assured that they are persons of worth and quality."

The queen commanded them to approach her. Isabella raised her eyes to
look at persons who she heard were Spaniards, and, above all, from
Cadiz, longing to know if perchance they were acquainted with her
parents. Her mother first encountered her gaze, and as she looked
attentively at her, there rose on her mind some shadowy confused
reminiscences that seemed to intimate she had seen that face before. Her
father was in the same wavering state of mind, not daring to believe the
evidence of his eyes, whilst Richard watched intently the workings of
their perplexed and dubious souls. The queen too noticed the emotion of
the two strangers, and also Isabella's uneasiness, for she saw her often
raise her hand to her forehead, which was bedewed with perspiration.
Whilst Isabella was longing that the person she imagined to be her
mother would speak, thinking that the sound of her voice would resolve
her doubts, the queen commanded her to ask the strangers in Spanish what
had induced them voluntarily to forego the freedom which Richard had
offered them, since freedom was the thing most prized, not only by
reasonable creatures, but even by irrational animals. Isabella put this
question to her mother, who, without