indeed asadmirable a suitor as any one could desire. But the mother, who was far more bent on gratifying vindictiveness and cruel vanity than on her daughter's happiness, was infuriated at this, and when the gentleman cameto her, she bade him begone, for her daughter was vowed to become a nun,and a nun she should be or die. Then the young lady was shut up in a cell in a tower, without even thecompany of her governess, and put to strong and hard pain, being made to sleep on the stone floor, and would have died of hunger had her mother hadher way. Then in this dire need she prayed to Diana to set her free; when Lo!she found the prison door unfastened, and easily escaped. Then having obtained a pilgrim's dress, she traveled far and wide, teaching and preaching the religion of old times, the religion of Diana, the Queen of the Fairies and of the Moon, the goddess of the poor and oppressed. And the fame of her wisdom and beauty went forth over all the land,and the people worshipped her, calling her La Bella Pellegrina. At last her mother, hearing of her, was in a greater rage than ever, and, in fine, after much trouble, succeeded in having her arrested and castinto prison. And then in evil temper indeed she asked her whether she would become a nun; to which she replied that it was not possible, becauseshe had left the Catholic Church and become a worshipper of Diana and ofthe Moon. And the end of it was that the mother, regarding her daughter as lost,gave her up to the priests to be put to torture and death, as they did allwho would not agree with them or who left their religion. But the people were not well pleased with this, because they adored her beauty and goodness, and there were few who had not enjoyed her charity. But by the aid of her lover she obtained, as a last grace, that on thenight before she was to be tortured and executed she might, with a guard, go forth into the garden of the palace and pray. ...
