"The season of the year, which was summer, the beauty of the place, the brilliant moonlight, the murmuring of the stream, the fruit covered trees, the fragrance of the flowers, each of these separately, and altogether, invited us to resolve that we would remain here whilst the festivities lasted; but scarcely had we reached the isle, when from a little grove, which was in it, rushed forth a band of fifty men, lightly armed, like those who rob and run away; and as the unwary when attacked, are overcome through their surprise, almost without attempting to defend ourselves,--bewildered by the suddenness of the assault, we gazed upon the robbers instead of attacking them, who, like hungry wolves that have beset a flock of innocent sheep, carried off, if not in their mouths, yet in their arms, my sister Auristella, her nurse Clelia, and Silviana, and Leoncia, as if it was only for them that they came, for they left many other women who were extremely beautiful. "I, whom the strangeness of the event had rendered furious rather than stupified, rushed after the robbers, following them with loud cries, insulting them as if they were men capable of feeling insults, in the hope that by irritating them I might move them to return and take vengeance for it; but intent only on their prey, they neither seemed to hear or to wish for revenge, but disappeared with their prizes. Then the bridegrooms and myself, with some of the principal fishermen, took counsel together what we had better do to recover our lost ones; one said, 'it is not possible but that there must be in these seas some vessel belonging to these robbers, and in some place from whence they have easily landed, perhaps being aware of our meeting and festivities; if it be thus, as I imagine, the best remedy will be for some of our boats to go out and offer any ransom for the captives that they may require without any reserve.' "'This business shall be mine,' I then exclaimed, 'for to me my sister is worth more than anything else in the whole world,' and Carino and Solercio said the same. _They_ wept openly--I was raging inwardly. When we had come to this resolution, it was beginning to grow dark; nevertheless the two bridegrooms and I, got into a boat with six oars, but when we reached the open sea, night had closed in, and we could distinguish no ship at all in the darkness. We resolved to wait for daylight, in the hope of then discovering some vessel. It so happened that we did see two, one that was just leaving the shore, and another that was approaching it; I knew that the one which was departing, was the very same ship in which we had come to the island, for her flags as well as her sails were all marked with a red cross, the other had hers, green, and both were pirates.