An extraordinary Event.
The ship was, as I have said, buried in the waters, and within her were the dead bodies sepulchred, as it seemed without a hope, and destitute of aid. But pitying Heaven, which sometimes helps the unfortunate, when at the last extremity, so ordered it, that the vessel was cast ashore by the waves in an open bay, which seemed as if it served as a safe harbour, from its tranquillity. Not far off was a port capable of containing many vessels, and in these waters, as in a clear mirror, might be seen reflected the buildings of a large and populous city, which reared its head on the summit of a lofty hill.
The people in the city saw the wreck, and thought that it was a whale or some other large fish that had been encountered by the tempest. A good number sallied forth to see, and ascertaining it to be a ship, the news reached the ears of the King Polycarp, for he was the lord of this city; and accompanied by many persons, amongst whom were his two beautiful daughters, Polycarpa and Sinforosa, he went out to give orders that with capstanes, windlass, and with boats to row round the ship, she should be brought into port. Several men jumped upon the wreck, and told the king that they could plainly hear a sound of knocking within, and they almost fancied of human voices. An old knight, who was standing near the king, said, "I remember, Sire, having once seen in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Gulf of Genoa, a Spanish galley, that in shortening sail had upset like this vessel before us, and remained bottom upwards. Before they turned her over, having first heard a noise, as they say they hear in this, they sawed an opening in the hull, so that they might look into the inside; and upon the light being admitted, they discovered the captain of the vessel and four of his crew all alive therein. I saw this, myself, and the details of the story are given in many Spanish histories. The persons who were thus brought into the world a second time, from the womb of the vessel, are yet living, and if here the same thing should happen, it need not be esteemed a miracle, but a mystery, for miracles are events that occur out of the order of nature, and mysteries are things that seem to be miracles, but yet are not so, only of very rare occurrence."
"What then do we wait for?" said the king. "Let us open this vessel instantly, and see the mystery, but if this should disgorge anything living, a miracle I shall consider it to be." Great was the haste they made to open the hull, and great the anxiety of all present to see the bringing forth. At last a pretty wide opening was made,—many bodies, seemingly dead, lay within; but one man laid his hands on the body of a woman whose heart still beat, and showed symptoms of life; others did the same, and each man brought out a body, some dead, some living. All the fishermen were not equally lucky. Those who yet breathed when brought into the air and light, and their faces washed and restoratives given, began to move their limbs and gaze around them, as if awakened from a deep sleep. Auristella found herself in the arms of Arnoldo, Transila in those of Clodio; Ricla and Constance were carried out by Rutilio and the elder Antonio. As for Antonio, the son, nobody carried him, for he walked out by himself, and Maurice did the like. Arnoldo was more full of surprise and wonder than even the newly-restored ones, and almost as senseless as the dead corpses. Auristella looked at him, but without recognition. The first words she uttered were, (and she it was who first broke the universal silence,) "Is the beautiful Sinforosa here by chance among these persons, O my brother?"
"Great Heavens! what is this I hear?" said Arnoldo to himself; "what means this strange inquiry after Sinforosa, at a moment when she ought only to be thinking of returning thanks to Heaven for her wonderful preservation?" Nevertheless he answered that she was there present, and asked how she knew anything about her, for of course he was ignorant of all that Auristella had learned from the captain of the vessel touching Periander and his success at the games; and he could not divine the reason of Auristella inquiring for Sinforosa. Had he divined it, such is the force of jealousy, that it would have pierced into the inmost recesses of his enamoured heart like a knife, and would almost have separated soul and body.
As soon as the resuscitated ones had a little recovered from their terror, and those around from their astonishment, they began confusedly asking questions one of another; how those they found on land had come there; and they in their turn, how these had been in the wrecked vessel. Polycarp, seeing that she had filled with water through the aperture which had been made, now commanded that she should be towed into the harbour, and drawn ashore by means of machinery, which was speedily done. All the people who had been in the hull now came ashore, and were received by the king and his daughters, and all the principal citizens, with as much joy as admiration; but what chiefly excited this, especially in Sinforosa, was the incomparable loveliness of Auristella. Transila, too, was very much admired; and the odd, but becoming dress, the youth and grace of the fair barbarian, Constance, (not to mention the comeliness of her mother, Ricla,) did not pass unnoticed.
The city being near, without more ado they all went thither on foot.
Periander had, during this time, found an opportunity of speaking to Auristella, Ladislaus to Transila, and Antonio to his wife and children; all were relating their adventures to one another; only Auristella was silent, occupied entirely in looking at Sinforosa. But at length she said to Periander, "Is that very beautiful lady, who is walking yonder, by chance the king's daughter; and is her name Sinforosa?"
"She is," answered Periander, "one in whom beauty and courtesy unite."
"Very courteous she ought to be," replied Auristella, "for she is............