Having got rid of an affair of so great importance, he thought of nothing but Seville, whither he hastened immediately. The news of my father’s having embraced Mahometanism had got to Seville long before him, and his correspondent felt so well assured of it, that he was enjoying his money without entertaining the slightest apprehension of ever being compelled to make any account of it: judge, therefore, of his surprise upon seeing the Genoese strut into his house one fine morning, with an imperious air, and dressed in a manner bearing but little resemblance to a slave; he could not but believe him for some moments to be some _spirit_ in the form of his principal creditor; but recollecting, in spite of himself, that it was my father, in his own flesh and blood, he was obliged at length to come to some explanation. With the utmost effrontery, therefore, he agreed that _it was but right to settle accounts_; but that they had so many and long dealings together, that their business required a long discussion. It may be boldly asserted, that during their commerce there had been a thousand rogueries on both sides, known to themselves only; and as these slights of hand, or mutual juggles, are never entered on tradesmen’s books, this roguish correspondent had the audacity to deny three-fourths of them, unmindful of the good faith and honor which thieves are said so religiously to observe towards each other. What more have I to tell you? After the perusal and reperusal of many papers pro and con; after an infinity of demands and replies, accompanied by reproaches and reciprocal hard words; an accommodation was made, by which my father was content to lose the greater part of his demand. Of water spilt we must recover what we can, and certainly my father acted wisely in ridding himself at Malaga of _the itch of Algiers_[A]. If he had not taken this precaution, he would have obtained no redress, nor would he have touched a farthing of his debt. A man of his correspondent’s character might easily have taken advantage of the circumstance at Seville; perhaps by giving the half of his debt to the Brothers of the Holy Inquisition to undertake the cause for him. You may judge of the feeling he entertained towards him, by the reports that he spread to his disadvantage throughout Seville. What absurdities did he not relate to all the merchants upon ’Change, of two former petty bankruptcies of the Genoese, which, in fact, were not without fraud; but do other merchants act differently? Is it not hard then, thus to cry down one unfortunate speculator who, to repair and patch up his deranged affairs, has recourse to a little bankruptcy? This is nothing among merchants; they easily make amends to each other by a compliment of the like nature. If it were so very great a crime, would not justice take care to remedy it? Undoubtedly; for so severe is she, that we see many a poor devil well whipped, and sent to the galleys, for less than five or six reals.