A CANDID ⁷ CULPRIT ⁸

   The Duke of Ossuna, Viceroy ¹ of Naples, travelling once through Barcelona,  paid a visit to the galley ²-slaves.  He questioned many of them, and inquired what crimes they severally ³ had committed.  All  endeavoured to appear innocent.  One said he was put there by mistake;  another that his judge had been bribed to convict him;  a third was there by treachery ⁴:  in short,  all were perfectly guiltless, and, according to their own statements, injured men.  At last the Duke came to a poor fellow of more humble appearance than the rest, whom he also asked what he was there for.  “My Lord,” replied he, “I cannot deny that I deserve to be here; for, being in great want of money to keep from starvation, I stole a purse from a monk on his way to Tarragona.”  The Duke, sternly addressing him, said:  “Rascal ⁶ that you are, what business have you here among such honest men?  Leave their company instantly, so as not to spoil ⁵ them all.”  He was thus set at liberty, while the others remained in the galleys.

1.      O preposto de um rei em um outro país.  2  navio a remo ou misto.  3. Individualmente.

5. Contaminar,  deteriorar.  6.   Patife. {esta palavra é antiquada, embora atualmente possa ser usada na linguagem infantil para ralhar, mas sem raiva verdadeira}. 7. Franco. 8. Culpado (de crime)