nearer we found that these were boats covered with branches of trees which had deceived us, and that the music proceeded from the persons who were in the boats. The moment they perceived us, they came up and surrounded our boat; my sister rose up, with her beautiful hair falling down her shoulders, confined only on the forehead by a sort of lion-coloured ribbon or band. This sudden apparition was so divinely beautiful, that, as we afterwards learnt, the people in the boats took her for a divinity, for the sailor heard them saying to one another, 'Who can this be? what goddess can it be who deigns to visit us, and bring a blessing upon the nuptials of the fisherman Carino and the peerless Silviana?' They then entreated that we would leave our boat and come ashore, not far from the place where we at first met them. "Hardly had we set foot on dry land, when a troop of fishermen, as their dress showed them to be, crowded around us, and one by one full of respect and admiration, came to kiss the hem of Auristella's garment; who, in spite of her terror, looked so divinely lovely, that I could scarcely wonder at the mistake of those who took her for a goddess. Not far from the river's bank there was a bower formed of thick juniper boughs; and sweet smelling flowers served as a carpet. At the same instant, two men and two women rose up from their seats in the bower--the latter were young girls, the former youths; one of the girls extremely beautiful, and the other extremely ugly. One of the young men, handsome and gay, the other of plain appearance. All four came and knelt down before Auristella; and the handsome youth said, 'O thou, whoever thou art, that canst only be of heavenly birth, my brother and I, with all our hearts, thank thee for the favour thou hast shown to us, in honouring our poor (but henceforth rich) marriages. Come, lady, and if, instead of the crystal palaces which thou hast left in the depths of the sea, thou findest only roofs of shells, and walls of osiers, or rather, I should say, walls of shells and roofs of osiers, in our huts; yet wilt thou meet with golden wishes and pearl-like dispositions to serve thee; and I make this comparison, which perhaps sounds strange, because, what is there richer and better than gold--what more beautiful than pearls?' Auristella bent down graciously to salute him; and by her gravity, courtesy, and beauty, she confirmed his notion of her being a deity. "The other fisherman, and the least good-looking of the two, then left them to give directions that all the instruments of music should sound, and all voices be raised in praise of the newly-arrived stranger. The two damsels came and humbly kissed Auristella's hand, and she embraced them with great kindness.