O who can read the stars like the
Egyptians? and who can read the lines of the palm like the
Egyptians? The poor woman read in the stars that there was a rich
ventura for all of this goodly house, so she followed the bidding
of the stars and came to declare it. O blessed lady, (I defile thy
dead corse,) your husband is at Granada, fighting with king
Ferdinand against the wild Corahai! (May an evil ball smite him
and split his head!) Within three months he shall return with
twenty captive Moors, round the neck of each a chain of gold. (God
grant that when he enter the house a beam may fall upon him and
crush him!) And within nine months after his return God shall
bless you with a fair chabo, the pledge for which you have sighed
so long. (Accursed be the salt placed in its mouth in the church
when it is baptized!) Your palm, blessed lady, your palm, and the
palms of all I see here, that I may tell you all the rich ventura
which is hanging over this good house; (May evil lightning fall
upon it and consume it!) but first let me sing you a song of Egypt,
that the spirit of the Chowahanee may descend more plenteously upon
the poor woman.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147