ip.
'You were,' said he, 'my generous benefactor; you had a claim upon my
life by the benefit you had already conferred; that life would have been
well bestowed had it been lost in your service; but since Providence
hath otherwise decreed, it is a sufficient recompense to me to have
proved that Hamet is not ungrateful, and to have been instrumental to
the preservation of your happiness.'

"But though the disinterestedness of Hamet made him underrate his own
exertions, the merchant could not remain contented without showing his
gratitude by all the means within his power. He therefore once more
purchased the freedom of Hamet, and freighted a ship on purpose to send
him back to his own country; he and his son then embraced him with all
the affection that gratitude could inspire, and bade him, as they
thought, an eternal adieu.

"Many years had now elapsed since the departure of Hamet into his own
country, without their seeing him, or receiving any intelligence from
him. In the mean time the young Francisco, the son of the merchant, grew
up to manhood; and as he had acquired every accomplishment which tends
to improve the mind or form the manners, added to an excellent
disposition, he was generally beloved and esteemed.

"It happened that some business about this time made it necessary for
him and his father to go to a neighbouring maritime city; and as they
thought a passage by sea would be more expeditious, they both embarked
in a Venetian vessel, which was on the point of sailing to that place.
They set sail, therefore, with favourable winds, and every appearance of
a happy passage; but they had not proceeded more than half their
intended voyage, before a Turkish corsair (a ship purposely fitted out
for war) was seen bearing down upon them, and as the enemy exceeded them
much in swiftness they soon found that it was impossible to escape. The
greater part of the crew belonging to the Venetian vessel were struck
with consternation, and seemed already overcome with fear; but the young
Francisco, drawing his sword, reproached his comrades with their
cowardice, and so effectually encouraged them that they determined to
defend their liberty by a desperate resistance. The Turkish vessel now
approached them in awful silence, but in an instant the dreadful noise
of the artillery was heard, and the heavens were obscured with smoke
intermixed with transitory flashes of fire. Three times did the Turks
leap with horrid shouts upo