In such discourse the night passed away. The day dawned brightly, the sea continued calm, the wind fair. Constance, the fair barbarian, observed that all was fair and prosperous; but that the dreams of the worthy Maurice had so disturbed her, she really thought the vessel was about to go down with them all at once. "Truly, lady," answered he, "if I was not a good Catholic, and did not remember that which is said in Leviticus, 'Be ye not diviners, nor give belief to dreams, because it is not given to all to understand them,' I should venture to try and explain the dream which put me in so great a fright: according to my way of thinking, it did not come from any of the causes that dreams are usually occasioned by. For when they are not divine revelations, or illusions of the evil one, they proceed either from over eating, which ofttimes disturbs the brain, or owing to what has chiefly occupied one in the day-time. The dream which disturbed me, did not belong to astrological observation; because, without observing the stars, taking observations, marking the points of the compass, or seeing figures, it appeared to me that I could visibly see that we all were in a large wooden palace, that rays came down from heaven, which opened, and through the openings, the clouds discharged not one, but a thousand oceans of water; so that, believing I was going to be overwhelmed, I cried out, making such gestures as persons naturally make when about to sink among the waters. And I confess, I cannot yet shake off the terror I felt then; and as I know there is no astrology so certain as prudence, from which the clearest deductions spring, it may be, that sailing in a ship built of wood, I fear rays from heaven, clouds of the sky, and waves of the sea. But that which most confounds and perplexes me, is the knowledge that if a danger threatens us it will not proceed from the elements, but from the forge of treachery lurking in some wicked breast." "I cannot believe it," said Arnoldo, "of any that are now sailing in this ship; the blandishments of Venus, or the lures of her false son, cannot enter here. To the honourable and chaste, the greater the peril and fear of death, the stronger is the incentive to keep to a virtuous life, and shun all dishonest deeds." This Arnoldo said, that Periander and Auristella might understand, and all the rest who were aware of his love for her, that he meant fully to let all his actions be directed by virtue and honour; and he went on to say, "A good prince lives securely amongst his vassals; treasons spring from the fear of injustice." "That is true," said Maurice, "and it is right it should be so; but let this day pass, and if the night arrives without any alarms, I will give a reward for the good tidings."