THE TOURNAMENT
Day after day the English knights were languishing. Abandoning
themselves to idleness, they spent many days in peace,
tranquility, rest and enjoyment. So they would not be completely
idle and fall into languor, the King of England decided that as
the wedding had been arranged he would invite everyone to his
court and have a display of arms. The news of the great
celebration that the king was preparing was spread throughout all
the Christian kingdoms.
It happened that a gentleman of ancient lineage, a native of
Brittany, was traveling in the company of many other gentlemen
who were going to the celebration. He fell behind the others,
and went to sleep on his horse, because he was so weary from the
long journey he had made. His horse left the road and took a
path that led him to the delightful spring of the hermit, who at
this moment was finding pleasure in a book entitled Tree of
Battles. As he read this book he constantly gave thanks to God,
our Heavenly Father, for the singular favors he had won in this
world by serving the order of chivalry.
While he was at this task he saw a man coming along the plain on
horseback, asleep. He stopped reading, and decided not to wake
him. When the horse was in front of the spring and saw the
water, it drew closer, wanting to drink, but because the reins
were tied to the saddle bow, it could not. And it struggled so
much that it was inevitable that the gentleman should awaken. As
he opened his eyes, he found himself confronted by a hermit with
a very long and completely white beard, his clothing torn,
revealing a thin body.
The gentleman was astonished at such a sight, but with his good
sense he realized that it must be some man who led a saintly
life, and who had withdrawn to that place to do penance and save
his soul. He quickly dismounted and bowed deeply to him. The
hermit received him cordially, and they sat down in the
delightful, green meadow. The hermit began to speak:
"Gentle sir, I beg you upon your courtesy and gentility to tell
me your name and upon what business you have come to this lonely
spot."
The gentleman quickly answered:
"Reverend Father, since your holiness wants to know my name, I
will be very happy to tell it to you: I am called Tirant lo
Blanc. My father was lord of the March of Tirania, which faces
England along the sea, and my mother was daughter of the Duke of
Brittany, and her name is Blanca, and so they decided to name me
Tirant lo Blanc. The news has spread among all the Christian
kingdoms that the King of England has called for a court to be
held in the city of London, and that he has arranged a marriage
with the daughter of the King of France, who is the most
beautiful maiden in all Christendom and has qualities that no one
else possesses. I can give you an example: While I was in the
court of the King of France, in the city of Paris, last
Michaelmas, the king was holding a great celebration because that
day the wedding had been agreed to. The king, the queen and the
infanta were all eating at the same table, and I can tell you
truly, sir, that as the infanta drank red wine, it could be seen
as it passed down her throat because her skin is so very fair,
and everyone there was astonished. Afterward it was said that
the King of England wishes to become a knight, and that he will
then make knights of everyone who wishes to enter the order of
chivalry. I asked kings-of-arms and heralds why the king had not
been made a knight during his wars with the Moors. And I was
told that it was because he had been defeated in all the battles
he undertook against the Moors until the appearance of that
famous knight and conqueror, Count William of Warwick, who
quickly defeated the Moors and put all his kingdom at peace.
They say, moreover, that on Saint John's day the queen will be in
the city of London and great celebrations will be held that will
last a year and a day, and so we thirty gentlemen in name and in
arms have left Brittany, prepared to enter the order of chivalry.
And as I came along the road, fortune decided that I would fall
somewhat behind because of my horse's weariness and because of
the great hardships I have endured on the long journeys I have
made--for I left after the others. As I was thinking to myself I
fell asleep, and my horse left the main road and brought me
before your reverence."
When the hermit heard the gentleman say that he was going in
order to receive the order of chivalry, he heaved a deep sigh and
began to think, remembering the great honor chivalry had bestowed
upon him for so long.
"I tell your lordship," continued Tirant, "even if there were
many more dangers in it than there are, that would not stop me
from receiving the order of chivalry. No matter what happens to
me, I will consider my death worthwhile if I die loving and
defending the order of chivalry and serving it with all my
strength so that I won't be reprimanded by good knights."
"My son," said the hermit, "because you so desire to receive the
order, do it with renown and fame. On the day you receive it
perform a show of arms so that all your relatives and friends
will know that you are ready to maintain and serve the order of
chivalry. Now because the hour is late and your company is going
far ahead, I think you should leave: you are in a foreign land
and do not know the roads, and you run the danger of becoming
lost in the great forests hereabouts. I beg you to take this
book and show it to my lord, the king, and to all the good
knights so that they may know about the order of chivalry. And
when you return, I pray you, my son, come by here and tell me who
have been made new knights, and about all the celebrations and
festivities that take place, so that I will know about them, and
I will be very grateful to you."
And he gave him the book, taking his leave at the same time.
Tirant took the book with great joy, giving him many thanks and
promising to return, and Tirant said, as he left:
"Tell me, my lord: if the king or the other knights ask me who is
sending the book, what shall I say?"
The hermit answered:
"If you are asked such a question, say that it was someone who
has always loved and honored the order of chivalry."
Tirant bowed deeply to him, mounted his horse, and went on his
way.
Meanwhile his companions were wondering what could have become of
him and why he was delayed. They were afraid that he might have
become lost in the forest, and many of them turned back to look
for him. They found him on the road, reading about the
chivalresque acts written down in the book, and of all the order
of chivalry.
When Tirant reached the town where his companions were staying,
he told them about the beautiful adventure Our Lord had taken him
on, and how the saintly hermit had given him that book. And they
read all that night until morning when it was time to leave.
They traveled a day at a time until they reached the city of
London,where the king was with many knights. Many had come, both
from his own kingdom and from foreign lands, and no more than
thirteen days remained before the celebration of Saint John's
day.
When Tirant and his friends had gathered together they went to
pay homage to the king, who received them very cordially. The
infanta was two days journey from there in a city named
Canterbury where the body of Saint Thomas of Canterbury lies. On
Saint John's day the celebrations began, and that day the king
was seen with the infanta, his bride. These celebrations lasted
a year and a day.
When the celebrations were over the king was married to the
infanta of France, and all the foreigners took their leave of the
king and queen and returned to their own lands.
After Tirant left the city of London with his companions, he
remembered the promise he had made to the hermit, and when they
were near the place where he lived, he said to them:
"Gentlemen, my brothers, I must go to where the hermit is."
And everyone in his company begged him to let them go too, for
they had a great desire to see the saintly hermit. Tirant was
most content that they should, and they all set out on the road
toward the hermit. At the time they arrived, the hermit was
under the tree, in prayer.
When he saw so many people arriving he wondered who they could
be. Tirant drew closer than the others, and when he was near he
dismounted, and all the rest with him, and they approached the
hermit with deep humility, kneeling and paying him the honor he
deserved. Tirant wished to kiss his hand, as did all the others,
but he would not permit it.
The hermit, very attentive and courteous, paid them great honor,
embracing them all and begging them to sit on the grass near him.
And they answered that he should sit down and they would all
remain standing, but the valorous gentleman would not allow it
and made them all sit next to him. When they were all seated,
they waited for the hermit to speak. The hermit, understanding
the honor they were paying him, said:
"I could not possibly tell you, magnificent gentlemen, how
content I am at seeing so many good people. Please tell me if
you are now coming from the court of my lord, the king. I would
like to know who became new knights, and about the celebrations
that have taken place. And I beg you, Tirant lo Blanc, tell me
the names of all these gentlemen here."
And he paused. Tirant turned to his companions, for there were
many of higher lineage and wealth, and he said to them:
"Oh, valiant knights! I pray you to answer the questions that
the reverent hermit has asked us. I have told you many times of
his wisdom and holiness; and he is a father of chivalry and
deserves great honor, so I beg you to speak to him."
They all answered:
"You speak, Tirant. Speak for us all, for the holy father met
you first."
"Then, since that is your pleasure," said Tirant, "and the father
commands it, if I am wrong about anything, please correct me."
They all said they would.
Then the hermit said:
"I beg you, please tell me who was judged the best of the knights
and who was given the honor of this festive occasion?"
"My lord," said Tirant, "many gentlemen of great authority and
power came to these celebrations. There were kings, dukes,
counts and marquis, nobles and knights and many gentlemen of
ancient lineage; and almost all those who were not knights were
given the order of chivalry. The Duke of Acquaviva put on a
display of arms with great knightly spirit and many men were with
him, and from among them more than sixty gentlemen were knighted.
This duke jousted on foot and on horseback, and he was always
victorious. The brother of the Duke of Burgundy went into battle
with great courage like the virtuous knight that he is. Next the
Duke of Cleve jousted, and he was highly praised. Many other
gentlemen who came jousted like noble knights, and I can tell
you, sir, in all truth, that more than one hundred fifty knights
were killed.
"And I will tell your grace something astonishing: One day a boy
(It looked to me like he was no more than fourteen or fifteen
years old, and everyone honored him, including the king, and they
called him the high constable of England) came to the lodging of
these gentlemen here and asked for me. He did not know my name,
but he recognized me, and he begged me very graciously to lend
him my horse and arms because the king and the countess, his
mother, did not want him to joust on foot or on horseback on
account of the danger. He begged me so much and with such good
grace, that I could not refuse him, and I told him that I would
be very pleased to give them to him.
"I tell you, sir, of all the knights who took up arms, there was
no one who performed as beautifully or as well as he did. The
first time he went out he caught his adversary in the middle of
the headpiece so that most of the lance went through him. When
the knight was dead and the king heard that it was his constable
who had jousted so well, he sent for him. And the constable was
so frightened that he made excuses not to go, but finally he went
to the king, and the king reprimanded him severely. His
Excellency showed that he loved him very much, indeed, telling
him that he had fought without his permission against a man of
enormous strength, the Lord of Escala Rompuda. And furthermore,
he told him not to dare to joust anymore without his permission."
When the constable saw how severely the king was reprimanding
him, he angrily said: 'Well, my lord, is it true then that even
though I've received the order of chivalry, I must be held as the
least of all knights because Your Majesty will not let me joust
for fear that I might die? Since I am a knight I must do the
works of a knight, the same as all good knights. If Your Majesty
doesn't want me to face the danger of weapons, order me to go
around dressed like a woman with the queen's maidens. Doesn't
Your Majesty know that when my father and lord, William, Count of
Warwick, held the royal scepter he conquered the Moors? And he
took me by the hair and made me kill a Moor even when I was
young, because he wanted to make me a conqueror, soaked with
blood, and leave me that for a legacy? My lord, if I want to
imitate my father in chivalry, Your Highness should not stop me.
I beg Your most serene Majesty to give me leave to combat a
knight tomorrow, hand to hand, to the death.'
"Then the king said:
"'I truly believe that this will be the best knight in the world,
or he will be the worst, because his life will not last long.
And by the faith I owe to chivalry, I will not allow that to
happen. Since fortune has allowed you to be victorious, you
should content yourself with the battle prize.' And he would not
hear another word."
Then the hermit said:
"Tell me, since you have spoken so much about this constable, who
was honored above all the knights?"
Tirant was quiet,and would not reply.
"Tirant, my son," said the hermit, "why don't you answer my
question?"
A knight named Diafebus stood up and said:
"Sir, I will tell you the truth: the one judged best of all the
battles was Tirant lo Blanc. He was also the first to receive
the order of chivalry from the king, and he was the first to
joust. On that day he was taken to a hall and given a chair made
entirely of silver. Then the Archbishop of England came before
him, and with the king and all the others there, he said:
"'You, sir, who are receiving the order of chivalry, do you swear
that you will defend ladies and maidens, widows, orphans, and
even married women with all your power if they should ask your
aid?'
"When he had sworn the oath, two great lords, the mightiest
there, took hold of his arms and led him before the king. The
king laid the sword on his head and said: 'May God and my lord,
Saint George, make you a good knight' And he kissed him on the
mouth.
"Then seven maidens came in, dressed in white, representing the
seven joys of Virgin Mary, and they strapped his sword on him.
Then came four knights, the most dignified to be found,
representing the four evangelists, and they put spurs on him.
Afterward the queen came, and she took him by one arm, and a
duchess took the other, and they led him to a beautiful platform
and seated him in the royal chair. Then the king sat on one
side, and the queen on the other, and all the maidens and knights
sat around them, below. Next a very abundant collation was
brought. And this, sir, is the procedure that was held for all
those who were made knights."
"Tell me, if you will, about the jousts Tirant participated in."
"My lord, on the eve of the appointed day, Tirant went to where
the twenty-six knights were. When he was at their door he
delivered a document stating that any knight who wanted to joust
against him would have to battle until one of them had drawn
blood twenty times, or until either of them gave up. His
conditions were immediately accepted, and we returned to our
lodging. The next day all the maidens came for him and took him
to the list, fully dressed in his armor. The king and queen were
already on the cenotaphs when Tirant came in completely covered
with armor, except for his head. In his hand he held a fan that
had the crucifixion of Jesus Christ painted on one side, and the
figure of Our Lady painted on the other.
"When Tirant was in the middle of the field he made a deep bow to
the king and the queen, and then he went to each of the four
corners of the list, and made the sign of the cross at each
corner with the fan. He found the defender at the far end of the
list, and Tirant went to the other end of the field. When
everyone was quiet the king ordered them to begin. Quickly they
dug in their spurs, lances in the sockets, and they clashed so
fiercely that their lances flew to pieces. Afterward they turned
and charged many times with many singular encounters. On their
twentieth turn the defender struck the beaver of Tirant's helmet
and bent it, wounding him in the neck, and if the lance had not
broken our knight would be dead. He and the horse fell to the
ground. Tirant quickly got up and another horse was brought to
him that was better than the first, and he begged the judges to
give him permission to get another lance. Tirant had a very
thick lance brought to him, and the other man did the same, and
they clashed with a mighty blow, and Tirant's lance passed
completely through the other man so that he fell to the ground,
dead. The maidens took Tirant's horse by the reins, and led him
with honor back to his lodging. They removed his armor and
looked at the wound on his neck, and they made the doctors come
to care for him. The maidens tended to Tirant very well because
they were very happy that the first knight to joust for a maiden
had been the victor.
"The king and all the great lords went into the palisade where
the dead knight lay, and with a great procession they carried him
to the Church of Saint George where they had made a chapel for
those who died jousting. And in this chapel only knights could
be buried.
"My lord, when Tirant was well again, he gathered all his company
once more, and we went to the twenty-five knights. He gave them
a written document stating that he wished to fight a knight on
foot and to the death, and they accepted. Tirant went into the
list armed in the normal fashion, with an ax, a sword, and a
dagger. When they were inside the pavilion everything necessary
was prepared. The sunlight was divided so that it would not
shine into one man's eyes any more than into the other's.
The king came with the other assistants and they went up to the
cenotaphs, while each of the knights stood armed at the gate of
his pavilion, their axes in their hands. When they saw the king,
they knelt to the ground on one knee, paying deep reverence to
the king and queen, which showed plainly that they were very
worthy knights, and all the maidens knelt on the ground and
begged our Lord to give victory to their knight.
"When the people were quiet, the trumpets sounded and the heralds
cried out that no man or woman should dare speak, cough, or make
any noise at all under penalty of losing their life.
"When the announcement had been made, the two men came at each
other, using their weapons so valiantly that it was impossible to
know who was winning. The battle lasted a long time, and
because the defender was so hard pressed he grew short of breath.
Finally he reached a point where he could no longer hold up his
ax, and his face showed that he would prefer to make peace rather
than do battle. When Tirant saw the condition his adversary was
in, he took his ax with both hands, and gave him such a blow on
the helmet that he stunned him and the man could not keep his
footing. Then Tirant went up to him and gave him a mighty push
that knocked him to the ground. When he saw him in such a
pitiful state, he removed the helmet from his head, using his
dagger to cut the cords it was tied with, and he said:
"'You can see, virtuous knight, that your life is in my hands, so
you command me. Tell me if you want to live or die. I will have
more consolation from good than from evil, so command my right
hand to have mercy on you and forgive you, and not to harm you as
much as it could."
"'I am more hurt,' said the knight, 'by your cruel words, full of
vainglory, than I would be of losing my life. I would rather die
than ask forgiveness from your haughty hand.'
"'My hand is accustomed to forgiving conquered men,' said Tirant,
'and not to harming them. If you wish, I will very willingly
free you from all the harm I could cause you.'
"'Oh, what a wonder it is,' said the knight who was lying on the
ground, 'when men are victorious because of luck, or someone
else's misfortune. Then they're loose with all kinds of words.
I am the knight of Muntalt, reproachless, loved and feared by
many, and I have always had mercy on men.'
"'I want to use these things you've mentioned in your favor,'
said Tirant, 'because of your great virtue and goodness. Let us
go before the king, and on your knees, at my feet, you will have
to ask me for mercy, and I will forgive you.'
"In a great rage the knight began to speak:
"'God forbid that I should commit an act that's so shameful to me
or mine, or to that eminent lord of mine, Count William of
Warwick, who gave me this bitter order of chivalry. Do whatever
you please with me, because I would rather die well than live
badly.'
"When Tirant saw his ill will, he said:
"'All knights who want to use arms to acquire renown and fame are
cruel, and have their seat in the middle of hell.'
"He pulled out a dagger and stuck the point of it in his eye, and
with his other hand he gave a mighty blow to the hilt of the
dagger that made it come out the other side of his head. What a
valorous knight this one was, preferring death to shame and the
vituperation of the other knights!
"After some days it happened that their Majesties, the king and
queen, were resting in a meadow near the river, dancing and
enjoying themselves. A relative of the queen, named Fair Agnes,
was there. She was the daughter of the Duke of Berri, and the
most graceful maiden I have ever seen. My lord, on that day this
Fair Agnes wore a very pretty bauble between her breasts. When
the dances were over, in the presence of the king and queen and
all the knights, Tirant went up to the genteel lady and kneeling,
he said:
"'My lady, knowing of your great worth in lineage as well as
beauty, grace and wisdom, and all the other virtues that can be
found in a body more angelical than human, I would like to serve
you. I would consider it a great favor if you gave me the bauble
you're wearing between your breasts. If you give it to me, I
will accept it and wear it in your honor and service. And I
swear before the altar and on the order of chivalry, to combat a
knight on foot or on horseback, to the death, armed or unarmed.'
"'Oh Holy Mary be with me!' said Fair Agnes. 'You want to joust
to the death for such a small thing of so little value? So that
you will not lose the prize of your good works and the order of
chivalry, I shall willingly consent in the presence of the king
and the queen. Take the bauble with your own hands.'
"Tirant was very happy with the reply of Fair Agnes. Since the
bauble was tied on with her dress straps, it could not be removed
without untying them, and when he did, his hands could not help
touching her breasts. Tirant took the bauble in his hand and
kissed it. Then he fell to his knees, and said:
"'I give you many thanks, my lady, for this great gift. I am
happier with it than if you had given me the entire kingdom of
France. And I swear to God that whoever takes the bauble from me
will leave his life in my hands.'
"And he put it on the crest of the cap he wore.
"The next day, while the king was at mass, a French knight named
Lord Vilesermes came. He was a very brave man and very
experienced in weapons, and he said to Tirant:
"'Knight, wherever you are from, you have been far too daring in
touching the glorified body of Fair Agnes, and no knight in the
world ever made such a wicked request. You must return the
bauble to me willingly or by force. It is my right to possess it
because since infancy I've loved, served and venerated this lady.
And if you will not give it to me, your life will not last long.'
"'To my way of thinking,' said Tirant, 'it would be a great
offense if I gave away what was given to me freely, and what my
own hands untied. In truth, I would be considered the most vile
knight ever born if I did such a thing. And yet, knight, your
evil tongue shows that you are far too haughty, and I will have
to pull you down.'
"The knight attempted to take the bauble away from him, but
Tirant was ready. He pulled out a dagger he carried, and all the
others lay hold of their weapons. A fight broke out, and before
they could be separated twelve of the knights and gentlemen were
dead. The queen, who was nearest to them and heard the noise and
the loud cries the people were making, placed herself between the
men to separate them. And I can give you a good account because
I was wounded four times and many others were wounded too. When
the king found out about it, everything had quieted down. But
before three days had gone by, the French knight sent a page with
a letter for Tirant, and it said the following:
"'To you, Tirant lo Blanc.
"'If you dare to confront the danger of weapons that are
customary among knights, let us make an agreement: armed or
unarmed, on foot or on horseback, dressed or naked, in whatever
way you feel most comfortable, your sword and mine will fight to
the death. -- Written by my hand and sealed with the secret seal
of my arms.
"'Lord Vilesermes.'
"After Tirant had read the letter, he took the page into a room,
and giving him one thousand gold coins he made him promise not to
tell anyone about this. When the page had gone, Tirant went
alone to see a king-of-arms, and he took him three miles away and
said to him:
"'King-of-arms, by the trust that has been given to you and by
the oath you swore on the day you were given this office, you are
bound to hold secret what I am going to tell you, and to advise
me well and faithfully about the use of weapons.'
"The king-of-arms, whose name was Jerusalem, answered:
"'My lord, Tirant, I promise you by the office I hold and by the
oath I have sworn, to keep everything you tell me secret.'
"Then Tirant showed him the letter, and made him read it. When
he had finished, Tirant said to him:
"My good friend, Jerusalem, I will be very honored to satisfy the
desire of that virtuous knight, Lord Vilesermes. But since I am
young and I know nothing about the practice and custom of
chivalry (for I've just turned twenty years old), and I trust
your great discretion, I want your advice. And don't think that
I've told you this out of cowardice or fear. I wouldn't want to
be condemned by the king who has instituted certain laws about
the jousts in his kingdom, or by good knights for being weak in
this matter.'
"The king-of-arms answered:
"Oh, knight, virtuous young man, beloved by everyone! I will
give you the advice you are asking me for. You, Tirant lo Blanc,
can fight this knight without any reproach from the king, judges
or knights, since you are the defender and he is the one who
began this wickedness. Do you know when you would be at fault?
If you had been the challenger. So perform like a good knight,
and always show the bold spirit of a knight to the people. Go
into battle quickly, and have no fear of death.'
"'I feel very comforted by your advice,' said Tirant. 'Now I
want to beg you earnestly, Jerusalem, by the office you hold, to
be judge of the battle between Lord Vilesermes and me, and to
have jurisdiction over it all so that you will bear true witness
about everything that happens between him and me.'
"Jerusalem said:
"'I will be very happy to arrange it. But according to the
requirements of our office I could not be your judge, and I will
tell you why: No knight, king-of-arms or herald who gives advice
can be a judge. Not even my lord, the King of England, if he is
the judge of a battle, should say favorable words about anyone.
And if he did he could be called an unjust judge, and that battle
should not take place. But so that neither you nor he will lose
the battle prize, I will find you a competent judge who will be
suspect in nothing. He is a member of our office, and his name
is Claros of Clarence--a man who is very knowledgeable about
arms.'
"'I know him well,' said Tirant, 'and I am satisfied with him if
Lord Vilesermes agrees, because he is a good king-of-arms and he
will give the honor to the one who earns it. I want him to be
informed about everything because Lord Vilesermes sent a page to
me with this letter, and if I sent him an answer in the same way
it could be found out easily and the battle would not come to the
conclusion that he and I want. So let us do this: let us go back
to my lodgings, and I will give you a 'carte blanche' signed by
my hand, and sealed with my coat of arms. And you will arrange
the battle so that it's all to his advantage. Since he is the
challenger and I am the defender, and he is giving me the choice
of weapons, as he says in the letter, I willingly renounce the
choice, and I will let him choose whatever pleases him most. I
will do only what you say and order. And no matter how cruel the
weapons he chooses, you will tell him that I agree: that way my
glory will be even greater.'
"Tirant went back to his lodging with the king-of-arms, and he
immediately drew up the 'carte blanche.' That is, it was signed
by his hand and sealed with his arms; and he gave it to
Jerusalem, the king-of-arms.
"The king-of-arms departed to arrange the battle, and he searched
throughout all the king's and queen's estates. When he saw that
he could not find Lord Vilesermes he went into the city and found
him in a monastery of friars, where he was making confession.
After he had confessed, Jerusalem called him aside and asked him
to come outside the church so that they could talk, for in such a
place it is not fitting to speak of criminal things. They left
the church and the consecrated ground at once, and Jerusalem
began to speak:
"'Lord Vilesermes, I would feel very honored if I could arrange
peace and harmony between you and Tirant lo Blanc. But if you do
not wish to come to an agreement, here is your letter and his
answer, a 'carte blanche,' sealed and signed by his hand. He
commanded me, as part of my office, to come to you to arrange the
battle in this way: concerning the weapons, he says that you are
to be given the power to choose whatever pleases you, provided
they are equal and without trickery. And the battle should take
place this evening, if possible.'
"'I am very satisfied,' said Lord Vilesermes, 'with Tirant.
Nothing but complete virtue could be expected of him. I accept
the power that you give me on his behalf to choose the weapons
and the battle. It will be this way:
"'It is my decision that the battle will be on foot, in shirts
made with cloth from France, both of us having paper shields, and
on our heads a garland of flowers, with no other clothing at all
on our bodies. The offensive weapons for both of us will be
Genoese knives with a cutting edge on both sides, and very sharp
points. In this way I will combat him to the death. And I am
astonished at you, king-of-arms, when you try to make peace out
of discord. Our minds are made up to go into battle, and you
talk to me of peace.'
"'What I said,' said the king-of-arms, 'is part of my office: not
to want the death of any honorable knight.'
"'Since we agree, I accept the battle with Tirant.'
"'I am happy that you are in agreement,' said the king-of-arms.
'Let us go get the weapons and everything you need before
nightfall.'
"They both went immediately to buy the knives, and they had them
well keened, with very sharp points. Then they found cloth from
France, and they quickly had the shirts cut and sewn. They made
them a little long, and the sleeves cut short--up to the
elbow--so that their movements in battle would not be hindered.
Then they took a sheet of paper, and cut it down the middle and
with each half they made a shield. Imagine what sort of defense
a half sheet of paper could make!
"When they had finished it all, the knight said to the
king-of-arms:
"'You have arranged the battle, and you are here on Tirant's
behalf. But I want no one to take my side except God alone, and
my own hands which are used to bathing themselves in the noble
blood of war. So you take some of the weapons, and I will take
the ones you've left.'
"'Lord Vilesermes, I'm not here to take anyone's side. Even if
you were to give me all that you have, I wouldn't defraud my
honor or my office. Let's do what we have to do; otherwise, give
me my leave and find someone else you trust.'
"'Upon my Lord and Creator, king-of-arms, my words didn't have
the meaning you're giving them. I only wanted us to go to
battle, because I see nighttime coming on. Since you're our
judge, arrange things quickly.'
"'My lord, I'll tell you how it's going to be,' said the
king-of-arms, 'I can't be a judge between you since I've advised
you and Tirant, and I could be reprimanded as an unjust judge if
I did. But I'll get another competent judge that both you and he
can trust, whose name is Claros of Clarence. He's a
king-of-arms, and he knows a great deal about war and arms. He
came a short while ago with the Duke of Clarence, and he is a man
who would rather die than do anything against his honor.'
"'I'm satisfied with everything,' said the knight, 'as long as
the matter is equal and it is secret.'
"'I give you my word,' said the king-of-arms, 'not to tell this
to anyone at all except to Claros of Clarence.'
"'Now,' said the knight, 'take the weapons and give them to
Tirant, and let him choose the ones he likes best. I will wait
for you in the hermitage of Saint Mary Magdalene. So that if
anyone in my company should see me, I can pretend that I'm there
to pray.'
"Jerusalem left and went looking everywhere for Claros of
Clarence, king- of-arms. When he found him he told him
everything, and the man said he was very willing to do it. But
the sun had already gone down, and it was growing late now, and
he did not want to endanger two knights in the dark night.
Instead he would be willing to be judge the morning of the next
day, when the king was at mass and everyone was resting.
"Jerusalem went back to Tirant and told him how the battle was to
take place and about the weapons he had chosen, and he said that
he was to take whichever of the two he liked better. And in the
morning while the king was at mass, the battle would take place.
"'Since the battle will not take place this evening,' said
Tirant, 'I don't want to have the weapons in my possession. If I
should defeat or kill him I would not want people to say that I
had performed some trickery on the weapons while I had them
during the night, and that that was the reason I defeated him.
Give them back to Lord Vilesermes, and tomorrow when the battle
takes place, have him bring them.'
"When Jerusalem heard Tirant speak that way, he looked into his
face and said:
"'Oh, virtuous knight, versed in arms! You are worthy of wearing
a royal crown: I cannot believe that you will not be victorious
in this battle.'
"The king-of-arms left Tirant and went to the hermitage where the
other knight was, and he told him that the hour was growing late,
and the judge could not decide the battle well if it was not
daytime, but that they had arranged it for the following day when
the king would be at mass. Lord Vilesermes said that he was
satisfied with that.
"Early in the morning the kings-of-arms got the two knights and
took them to the middle of a forest where no one would be able to
see them. When they saw that they were ready, Jerusalem said:
"'Knights of great virtue, this is your death, and your
sepulcher. These are the weapons chosen by this knight and
accepted by Tirant. Let each take whichever ones he pleases.'
"And he placed them on the lovely meadow grass.
"'Now,' said Claros of Clarence, 'gentlemen of great nobility and
chivalry, you are in this isolated place. Expect no help from
relatives or friends. You are at the point of death, so place
your hope only in God and in your virtue. I want to know who you
wish to serve as judge of this battle.'
"'What?' said Lord Vilesermes. 'Didn't we agree that it would be
you?'
"'And you, Tirant, who do you want to be judge?'
"'I want it to be the one Lord Vilesermes wants.'
"'Since you want to have me as your judge, you must swear by the
order of chivalry to obey all my commands.'
"They swore that they would. After the oath, the knight said to
Tirant:
"'Take the weapons you like and I will go into battle with the
ones you leave behind.'
"'No,' said Tirant. 'You have been holding them, and they were
brought here in your name. You are the challenger, so you choose
first, and then I will take mine.'
"And the knights stood there, arguing about ceremony; the judge
picked up the weapons to put an end to the dispute. He put some
of them on the right side and the others on the left. Then he
picked up two straws, one of them long, and the other short. The
judge said:
"'Whoever gets the longest one, take the weapons on the right;
and whoever gets the short one, the weapons on the left.'
"When they had each picked up the weapons, they quickly took off
all their clothes and put on the painful shirts that could well
be called hair-cloths of sorrow. The judge made two lines on the
field and he placed one of the men on one line and the other man
on the other, and he ordered them not to move until he said to.
They cut a tree's branches so that the judge could be on a sort
of cenotaph. When everything was ready the judge went to Lord
Vilesermes and said:
"'I am judge by the authority you have given to me, and it is my
duty to warn you and beseech you not to come to such a narrow
strait as this. Remember God and don't die so desperately. As
you know, the justice of our Lord does not pardon a man who
brings on his own death, and he is condemned for all eternity.'
"'Let's stop all the talk now,' said the knight. 'Each of us
knows his worth and what he can do, both in the temporal life and
in the spiritual one. Have Tirant come here to me, and it might
be possible for us to come to an understanding.'
"'I don't think that what you're asking is reasonable,' said the
judge. 'You are equals: why should he come to you? But in any
case, Jerusalem, go and ask Tirant if he wants to come and talk
to this knight.'
"Jerusalem went to Tirant, and asked him if he wanted to go
there. Tirant answered:
'"'If the judge is commanding me to go, I will, but for that
knight over there I wouldn't take a step backward or forward for
everything he's worth.'
"Jerusalem told him how the judge was obligated to do everything
possible to make peace between the knights. Then Tirant said:
"'Jerusalem, tell the knight that I see no reason why I should
have to go to him. If he wants something from me, let him come
here.'
"He took the answer to him, and then the judge said:
"'All right. It seems to me that Tirant is doing what he should
do. But, knight, you can go to the middle of the field, and
Tirant will come there.'
"So it was done that way. When they were facing each other, Lord
Vilesermes said:
"'Tirant, if you want to have peace with me, and if you want me
to forgive you because of your youth, I'll do it--on condition
that you hand over the bauble of that illustrious lady, Dona
Agnes of Berri, to me, along with the knife and the paper shield
so that I can show it to the ladies. Because you know very well
that you're not worthy of having anything at all from such a
lofty and virtuous lady as she is. Your station, lineage and
condition aren't good enough even to allow you to take off her
left slipper. They're not even enough to raise you to my rank;
in fact, it was out of kindness that I decided to do combat with
you.'
"'Knight,' said Tirant, 'I'm not unaware of who you are, or what
you can do. But this is not the time or place for us to discuss
the merits of our lineages. I am Tirant lo Blanc: when a sword
is in my hand, no king, duke, count, or marquis can deny me.
That is known throughout the world. But anyone can easily find
the seven capital sins in you. Let's go to battle and do what we
came here for, and let's not go on with unnecessary and worthless
words: if even one of my hairs fell to the ground, I wouldn't
surrender it to you, much less allow you to pick it up.'
"'Since you don't want to reach an agreement,' said the judge,
'do you want life or death?'"
Lord Vilesermes said:
"'I am very sorry about the death of this haughty young man.
Let's go to battle, and let each one go back to his place.'
"The judge got up on the cenotaph that had been made with
branches, and he shouted:
"'Go now, knights, and let each of you act like a valiant and
good knight!'
"They went at each other in a fury. The French knight carried
his knife high, in front of his head, and Tirant held his just
above his chest. When they were close to each other, the French
knight struck hard at the middle of Tirant's head. Tirant
parried and struck back, and he dealt him a blow on top of his
ear that almost dug into his brain. The other man struck Tirant
in the middle of his thigh, and the wound gaped about a
handsbreadth. He quickly stabbed him again in his left arm, and
the knife sunk in as far as the bone. They both fought so hard
that it was dreadful. And they were so close to each other that
with every swing they took they drew blood. It was a pitiful
sight for anyone who saw the wounds of the two men: their shirts
had become completely red from all the blood they lost.
Jerusalem repeatedly asked the judge if he wanted him to make
them stop fighting, and the cruel judge answered:
"'Let them come to the end of their cruel days, since that's what
they want.'
"'I am convinced that at that very moment both of them would
rather have had peace than war. But since they were very brave
and very courageous knights they fought ceaselessly, without
mercy. Finally Tirant saw that he was near death because of all
the blood he was losing, so he drew as close to the other man as
he could, and stabbed him in the left breast, straight into his
heart. The other man dealt him a mighty slash to his head,
causing him to lose the sight of his eyes, and he fell to the
ground before the other one. And if the Frenchman had been able
to hold himself up when Tirant fell, he could easily have killed
him if he had wanted. But he did not have enough strength, and
he immediately fell dead on the ground.
"When the judge saw that the knights were lying there so still,
he got down from the cenotaph, and going up to them, he said:
"'Upon my word, you two have behaved like good and very honorable
knights: no one could find fault with you.'
"And he made the sign of the cross twice over each of them, and
taking two sticks he made a cross and laid it over the two
bodies. Then he said:
"'I see that Tirant's eyes are still open a little, and if he
isn't dead he's very near to it. Jerusalem, I charge you to stay
here and guard these bodies, and I'll go to the court to give the
news to the king.'
"He found the king leaving mass, and in everyone's presence, he
said:
"'My lord, in truth, there were two most valiant knights in Your
Majesty's court in the morning, and now they are so near death
that there is no hope for them.'
"'Who are these knights?'
"'My lord,' said Claros of Clarence, 'one is Lord Vilesermes and
the other is Tirant lo Blanc.'
"'I am very displeased,' said the king, 'by this news. Let us go
out there before we eat to see if we can help them.'
"'In faith,' said Claros, 'one has already departed from this
world, and I believe the other will soon join him--that is how
badly they were wounded.'
"When the relatives and friends of the knights heard the news
they gathered up their arms and rushed as quickly as they could,
on foot and on horseback, and our Lord God gave us the grace to
get there before the others. We found Tirant so covered with
blood that he was unrecognizable, and he had his eyes slightly
open.
"When the others saw their lord lying dead, they quickly ran
toward our knight, wanting to take his life, and we defended him
very well. We split our group into two parts, and, with our
backs to each other, we kept his body between our lines. There
were many more of them than of us, but every place they advanced
they found their way blocked. At the same time they shot arrows
and one of them struck poor Tirant, who was lying on the ground.
"The high constable arrived immediately, with many men, and he
separated us. Soon afterward the king came with the tournament
judges. When they saw the knights, one dead and the other
seemingly in the throes of death, they ordered no one to move
them until they had held counsel.
"While the king was in council, listening to the tale of Claros
of Clarence and Jerusalem, the kings-of-arms, the queen arrived
with all the ladies and maidens. When they saw them they wept
for the deaths of two such singular knights. Fair Agnes turned
to Tirant's relatives, and said:
"'Knights who love Tirant, are you doing so little for your good
friend and relative that you let him leave life like this?
That's the way he'll die, lying on the cold ground, his blood
pouring out. A half hour more, and he won't have a drop of blood
left in his body.'
"'My lady, what would you have us do?' said a knight. 'The king
has commanded, under penalty of death, that no one should dare to
touch them or move them from here.'
"'Oh, poor me!' said Fair Agnes. 'Our Lord does not want a
sinner to die, and the king does? Have a bed brought, and put
him on it until the king finishes his counsel: the wind is
getting into his wounds and will make him worse.'
"The relatives immediately sent for a bed and a tent. While they
were getting it, Tirant was continually nauseous because of the
wounds and because of all the blood he was losing. When Agnes
saw how much pain Tirant was in, she said:
"'In all conscience, I should not be blamed by father or mother,
by brothers and sisters, or other relatives, or by our lords the
king and queen, because I am doing this with pure intentions.'
"She removed the clothes she was wearing, which were of white
velvet, and she put them on the ground, and had Tirant placed on
top of the clothing. Then she begged many of her maidens to take
off their clothes and lay them over Tirant. When Tirant felt the
warmth of the clothes he opened his eyes wider than before. Fair
Agnes sat down and took his head and put it in her lap, saying:
"'Oh, poor me, Tirant! What an unlucky bauble it was that I gave
you. If I had known that something like this would happen, I
wouldn't have given it to you for anything in the world. I beg
you, knights, bring the body of Lord Vilesermes here, next to me.
Even though I did not love him while he was alive, I do want to
honor him in his death.'
"They quickly brought him to her, and putting his head on the
left side of her lap, she said:
"'Lord Vilesermes spent seven years of his life trying to win me,
and this is his reward. He performed extraordinary acts of
chivalry out of love for me, and he wanted to marry me. But I am
of greater lineage and wealth, and I refused to consent to
something that was for his pleasure and satisfaction. And now
the poor knight is dead because of jealousy.'
"The king came out of his council, having heard the complete
story from the kings-of-arms, and he had the three archbishops,
the bishops and all the clergy come in a solemn procession from
the city, to honor the dead knight. Tirant's relatives had
doctors and a bed and tent brought, and everything else that was
needed. They found that he had eleven wounds in his body, and
four of them were critical.
"After Tirant had been treated and all the clergy had arrived,
the king and the judges ordered the dead knight placed in the box
that the dead are carried in, covered with a beautiful gold cloth
that was used for knights who die in battle. Tirant went behind
him, carried on a large shield. Even though his hand was useless
and he could not use it or hold it up, it was decided to tie it
to a stick, with the bare sword that he had killed him with in
his hand.
"In this fashion the clergy went first, and afterward came the
dead knight with all the knights on foot. Then came the king
with all the great titled lords. Then came Tirant the way I have
described, with the queen following, and all the ladies and
maidens. Then came the High Constable with three thousand armed
men. They went to the Church of Saint George, and here they very
solemnly held a requiem mass.
"When the king and queen left the church with all the others,
they accompanied Tirant to his lodging, and every day the king
went to see Tirant until he had completely recovered. That is
what was done to all the wounded. And thirty maidens were given
to Tirant to serve him continually.
"At the hour of vespers the king and the queen went to the Church
of Saint George, and had Tirant brought there, and after vespers
the king had the following proclamation read:
'As we, judges of the tournament, have been given license by the
king to judge all the battles that will be held within the time
established by His Majesty we state and declare:
'Lord Vilesermes died like a good knight and we declare that he
is to be buried and admitted to the holy mother Church, and that
the glory of the battle will be given to Tirant lo Blanc.'
"When the judgement was published, the clergy sang a very
beautiful litany over the knight's sepulcher, and the honors
given him lasted till nearly midnight.
"Afterward they took Tirant to his lodging, with the king and
queen and all the others paying him great honor. And they also
honored all the other victorious knights."
"May you have joy and consolation from what you most love," said
the hermit. "For you have told me how Tirant has been the victor
over three knights he defeated."
"My lord," said Diafebus, "he has done even more singular deeds
that I have not yet told your grace."
"I would be very pleased," said the hermit, "if you would tell me
about them."
"My lord, your holiness should know that two months after Tirant
had gotten out of his bed and could bear arms again, something
very strange happened to him.
"The Prince of Wales came to the celebration with a large retinue
of noblemen. His lodgings were near the city wall, and as he is
a great hunter he had many greyhounds. One day the king went to
his lodging with three or four knights to greet him, because when
they were children they had been great friends and they were very
close relatives. The prince wanted to joust, and when he saw the
king he begged him to have the tournament judges come to counsel
him. Tirant was returning from the city, and when he was in
front of the prince's lodgings a greyhound broke its chain and
got out of its cage, and it was so fierce that no one dared to go
near it.
"As Tirant was passing through the middle of the square he saw
the greyhound running swiftly toward him to attack him. He
quickly dismounted and pulled out his sword. When the greyhound
saw the sword, it turned back and Tirant said:
"'I don't want to lose my life or my honor for an animal.'
"And he mounted his horse again. The king and the judges were
standing where they could see him. The Prince of Wales said:
"'In faith, my lord, I recognize that evil tempered greyhound,
and since he's loose, if the knight that just went by is brave,
we'll see a pretty battle between them.'
"'I believe,' said the king, 'that that is Tirant lo Blanc, and
since he's made it run away one time I don't think it will dare
to go near him again.'
"When Tirant had gone twenty steps further, the greyhound again
ran at him in a rage, so Tirant had to dismount again, and he
said:
"'I don't know whether you're a devil or under a spell.'
"He took out his sword, and ran toward it, and the greyhound ran
in circles around him, but it didn't dare go near him for fear of
the sword.
"Now, said Tirant, 'since I see that my weapons make you afraid,
I don't want anyone to say that I fought you with superior arms.'
"He threw his sword behind him. The greyhound made two or three
leaps, and ran as swiftly as it could. It picked up the sword
with its teeth and carried it off a distance. Then it came
running back at Tirant.
"'Now,' said Tirant, 'I'll attack you with the same weapons you
want to use against me.'
"They struggled together in a fury, and bit each other mortally.
"The greyhound was huge and sublime, and it made Tirant fall to
the ground three times, and three times it nearly knocked him
down. This struggle of theirs lasted half an hour, and the
Prince of Wales commanded his men not to go near to separate them
until one of them was defeated.
"Poor Tirant had many bites on his legs and on his arms. Finally
Tirant grabbed it around the neck with his hands and squeezed as
tightly as he could, sinking his teeth into its throat with such
ferocity that it fell to the ground, dead.
"The king quickly came out with his judges and picked Tirant up
and carried him to the prince's house, and there they had the
doctors come to minister to him.
"When the queen and the maidens heard about Tirant, they quickly
came to see him. When the queen saw how badly he was hurt, she
told him:
"'Tirant, honors are won by danger and work. You get out of one
bad situation, and you fall into another.'
"'Most serene lady, full of all human and angelic perfection, let
Your Majesty be the judge of my sin,' said Tirant.' I was not
intending to bring harm to anyone when a devil in the form of a
dog appeared before me with his master's consent, and decided to
satisfy my desire.'
"'You shouldn't be sad at all, no matter how many misfortunes
befall you,' said the queen, 'for here you show your virtue all
the more.'
"At this moment the king and the judges came out, and they told
Tirant that as they had seen the battle between him and the
greyhound, and since he had thrown away his sword and the two
were equal in arms, the judges were giving him the honor and the
prize in battle, as if he had defeated a knight. And they
commanded the kings-of-arms, heralds, and messengers to announce
throughout the city the honor that was bestowed on Tirant that
day. And when they took him to his lodging they gave him those
honors that are given in other battles."
"I am very content with everything you have told me," said the
hermit. "As long as I have lived in this miserable world I have
never heard of such great celebrations."
When they thought it was time to go, they all took their leave of
the father-hermit, each thanking the other.
And from this time forward the hermit is never mentioned again.