SICILY
Tirant and his companions journeyed until they reached the city
of Nantes. When the Duke of Brittany heard that Tirant was
coming with his relatives, he went out to welcome him with all
the city magistrates and many knights, and they paid him the
highest honor they could, for he had been the best knight of all
those who had been at the festivities in England. The duke feted
him, and Tirant was held in high esteem by all the people in the
land.
One day while Tirant was with the duke and many other knights,
relaxing and talking, two knights came from the King of France.
The duke asked if there was any news from the court, and they
told him that the Genoese had invaded the island of Rhodes, and
that the Christians there were in need of help.
The news had reached the King of France, and he had lamented
loudly, but did very little. Then the knights left the court of
the King of France, and came to the Duke of Brittany. The duke
showed compassion for the Grand Master and the religious at
Rhodes, and he told everyone there that he would send ambassadors
to the King of France. Then, if the king wanted to send
assistance to the Grand Master of Rhodes, and if he wanted him to
go as captain, he would do it very willingly and he would spend
two hundred thousand crowns of his own money on it.
The morning of the following day they chose four to be
ambassadors: an archbishop, a bishop, a viscount, and Tirant lo
Blanc. When the ambassadors were before the King of France, they
explained their mission, and he told them that in four days he
would give them an answer. A month went by and they still did
not know what he intended to do. Finally he told them that at
the moment he could not intervene in these things because he was
occupied with other matters that were more important to him. The
ambassadors returned with the reply.
When Tirant saw that so many Moors were on Rhodes and that no one
was sending help, he talked to many sailors, asking if he could
do something. They told him that if he would go, he could help
them very much, and that he would not have to enter the castle of
Rhodes from the dock, but would be able to go in another way.
Tirant bought a large ship, and had it well stocked and armed.
It happened that Tirant had become a good friend of the five sons
of the King of France. The youngest of them all, whose name was
Philippe, was somewhat unlearned, and was considered gauche, so
the king thought very little of him, and no one ever spoke about
him. A gentleman who served him, knowing that Tirant had a ship
and was going to Rhodes and then to Jerusalem, wanted to go there
very much. So he told Philippe:
"My lord, knights who want honor should not stay in their
parents' home while they're young and able, especially if they
are younger than their brothers, and their father ignores them.
Think of that famous knight, Tirant lo Blanc: After the great
honor he received in the battles he won in England, he is now
preparing a large ship to go to Rhodes and to the holy land of
Jerusalem. Oh, what glory it would be for you if you and I would
leave here secretly, without saying a word to anyone until we
were on the ship, one hundred miles out to sea! And Tirant is
such a virtuous knight that he will obey you and honor you as
someone from your house deserves."
"My good friend, Tenebroso, I know that the advice you are giving
me is good," said Philippe, "and I will be very happy if we can
do it."
"It seems to me," said the gentleman, "that I should go to
Brittany first, to where Tirant is preparing the ship. We are
such good friends that I will ask him to let me go along to the
holy land of Jerusalem, and I'll ask him what things will be
needed for me and two squires. After we have his decision we'll
put everything we need on the ship,"
Philippe was very satisfied with this, and he said:
"Tenebroso, while you go talk to Tirant I'll get all the money I
can, and clothing and jewels,"
The following day the gentleman left with two squires, and
Tenebroso journeyed until he came to where Tirant was. They were
very happy to see each other, and Tenebroso told him the reason
for his visit. Tirant was highly pleased, for he knew that
Tenebroso was a very valiant gentleman and very discreet, and he
valued his company. He answered him:
"My lord and brother, Tenebroso, my worldly goods, myself, the
ship, and everything I have are at your service."
When Tenebroso heard Tirant say this, he was the happiest man in
the world, and he gave many thanks to Tirant for his great
gentility.
He left one of his servants there to prepare a room inside the
ship where they could eat and sleep, and where Philippe could
stay secretly. Tenebroso set out again, riding until he was back
with Philippe who was waiting for him in great anticipation.
Philippe was very pleased at Tirant's answer. Tenebroso told him
to get ready to leave, and Philippe said that he already had
everything he needed to take.
The following day Philippe went to his father, the king, and in
the queen's presence he begged him to allow him to go to Paris to
see the fair, which was two days' journey from there. The king
told him coolly:
"Do whatever you like."
He kissed his hand, and then the queen's hand. They set out on
their journey very early in the morning, and finally they reached
the sea port. Philippe slipped into a room on the ship without
letting anyone see him. When the ship had weighed anchor and
they were two hundred miles out to sea, Philippe revealed his
presence to Tirant. Tirant was very surprised at this, but
because they were so far out to sea, they had to continue on
their course toward Portugal, and they arrived at the city of
Lisbon. When the King of Portugal learned that Philippe, son of
the King of France, was on the ship, he sent a knight who
graciously begged him to come ashore to rest from the long sea
voyage. Tirant and Philippe dressed in their finery, and
accompanied by many knights and gentlemen who had come with
Tirant, they left the ship and went to the palace. When the king
saw Philippe he embraced him and paid him great honor, and did
the same to the others. They remained in the king's court ten
days.
When they decided to leave, the king had them fill the ship with
everything they needed. From there Tirant sent a gentleman to
the King of France with letters explaining what had happened to
his son. When the King of France learned that his son was in
such good company he was very pleased, and the queen was
especially happy, because so much time had passed with them
knowing nothing that they thought he was either dead or had
entered some monastery.
Philippe took his leave of the King of Portugal, and the ship set
sail, reaching the Cape of Saint Vincent to pass through the
Straits of Gibraltar. There they encountered many Moorish
vessels, and when they saw the ship, all the vessels went into
formation. They attacked it fiercely, and the combat lasted half
a day, with many men from both sides dying. After Tirant's men
had rested, they renewed the battle, and it was very fierce. Now
Tirant's ship was much larger and lighter than any of those of
the Moors, but it was alone, while there were fifteen of the
others, large and small, and all of them carried weapons.
One very able sailor on the ship, named Cataquefaras, had sailed
a great deal, and he was very clever and valiant. When he saw
that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, he took many
ropes from the ship and made a net. He placed those ropes from
stern to prow and around the mast, and he put them up so high
that the men did not find their weapons hindered in any way;
instead it kept them from being taken prisoner. For the missiles
that the Moors launched were so many and so thick that it was a
great marvel to see, and if the ship had not been covered by that
net of ropes, it would have been completely filled with stones
and iron bars. In that way it was protected so that no stone
could pass through it; instead, when a stone hit against the
ropes, it bounced into the sea. What else did this sailor do?
He took up all the mattresses that he found on the ship, and he
covered the forecastles and the sides of the ship, and as the
missiles fell on top of the mats they could not damage the ship.
And he did still more. He took boiling oil and tar, and when
the ships drew alongside, they threw the oil and boiling tar with
ladles, causing grave injuries to the Moors, who had to draw
apart from the ship. But still they passed through the entire
Straits of Gibraltar, fighting night and day. There were so many
missiles, darts and spikes that the sails were pinned to the
ship's mast when the Moors left them. They were very near land,
and certain that the ship would run aground, stern first, near
the city of Gibraltar. But the sailors were so capable that they
quickly put the ship around and raised the sails. Then they
passed out of the Straits and entered the great sea.
Philippe, Tirant and many others were wounded in these battles.
They went to a deserted island near the land of the Moors, and
there they tended to their wounds and repaired the ship as well
as they could. Then they sailed along the Barbary Coast where
they fought many battles with Genoese and Moorish vessels until
they were close to Tunis. There they decided to go to the island
of Sicily to take on wheat. They went to the port of Palermo
where the king and queen were, with their two sons and a very
beautiful daughter named Ricomana, a very intelligent maiden of
many virtues. When the ship was in port, they made a scribe
disembark along with five or six men, with orders to tell no one
about Philippe or Tirant, but rather to say that their ship had
come from the west and was on its way to Alexandria with some
pilgrims who were going to the Holy Sepulcher.
When the king learned that they had come from the west he had the
scribe from the ship and all the others called before His Majesty
so he could have news of those lands. Before the king, they told
about the great battles they had had with the Moors and Genoese
in the Straits of Gibraltar, and forgetting at that moment
Tirant's words, they mentioned that Philippe, son of the King of
France, was there, in the company of Tirant lo Blanc. When the
king heard that Philippe was on that ship, he had a great wooden
bridge, covered with cloth and satin, constructed from land to
the ship. And to pay him honor, the king went on board the ship
with his two sons, and implored Philippe and Tirant to come on
land and rest a few days from the great hardships they had
endured at sea, and from their battles with the Moors. Philippe
and Tirant thanked him and told him that, to please him, they
would go with His Majesty.
The king brought them to the city, furnished them with very nice
quarters, and had them served excellent dishes and other things
men need who have been at sea.
Philippe, following Tirant's counsel, told the king that they
would not stay in their room until they had seen the queen. And
the king was very pleased. When they were upstairs in the
palace, the queen, along with her daughter, the princess,
received them very graciously. And when they returned to their
lodgings they decided that she was everything a king's daughter
should be.
Afterward, everyday at mass or after eating, they were with the
king and especially with the infanta, who was so pleasant to the
foreigners who came and went, that everyone spoke of her great
virtue. And by speaking with the infanta everyday at the king's
court, Philippe grew very enamored of her, as she did of him.
But Philippe was so shy when he was in her presence that he
scarcely dared speak, and when she asked him questions, he did
not know how to respond to some of them. Tirant quickly answered
for him and said to the infanta:
"Oh, my lady, what a thing love is! That Philippe! When we are
in our lodgings or away from here his lips never tire of praising
Your Majesty, and when you are present he is overcome with love,
and finds it difficult to speak. In truth, I tell you, if I were
a woman and I found someone with his genteel quality, and I knew
he was of a long and good lineage, I would forget everyone else
and would love only him."
"Oh, Tirant," said the infanta. "Your words sound nice, but if
it turns out that he is vulgar by nature, what pleasure would it
be for a maiden to have everyone laugh at him. For love's sake,
don't tell me such things; I would prefer a man who was prudent
and discreet, rather than for him to be vulgar and avaricious."
"My lady," said Tirant, "you are right, but he doesn't fit that
description. He's young and of tender years, but he's old in the
best sense, generous, more valiant than anyone, and very amiable
and gracious. During the night he gets up and doesn't let me
rest the way I would like. If I want to give him pleasure I have
only to speak of Your Majesty. If this isn't love, tell me, what
could it be? My lady, love someone who loves you. He is the son
of a king, like you, and he loves you more than his life. If he
does not talk as much as Your Grace would like, that is a virtue.
Guard yourself, my lady, from those men who boldly dare to court
a maiden. That kind of love is not good love: it comes and goes.
And men like those are called corsairs, because they make booty
of everything. My lady, give me a man who appears before his
lady with great fear and shame, with his hands trembling, and who
can scarcely utter a word."
"Tirant," said the infanta, "because of your great friendship
with Philippe, you are right to honor him so much. With your
noble order of chivalry, you can do nothing but what is expected
of you, and that's why I think highly of you. But don't imagine
that I'm a woman who is easily convinced. I have to put my hands
in up to the elbows in the sense of knowing his manners, his
station and condition, and if he could bring me happiness.
Although I'm happy when I see him, experience tells me that he
seems vulgar and avaricious, and both of those vices are
incurable."
"I beg Your Highness to give me an audience, and not to be angry
at what I say to you. I see ambassadors from the Pope coming to
the court to arrange a marriage between Your Highness and his
nephew (and some wonder if he isn't his son). And I also see
ambassadors from the King of Naples, the King of Hungary, and the
King of Cyprus. Although I may not have the power of the most
Christian King of France, I would like to talk to your father and
Your Highness about the wedding. I see that you are wise and
discreet, my lady. But because of your perfection you deserve to
be on the imperial throne and subject to the crown of France: it
is of greater height than the Roman Empire."
At this time the queen arrived and interrupted their delightful
conversation. After a few moments the queen said to Tirant:
"Virtuous knight, scarcely an hour ago the king and I were
speaking of you and your chivalrous deeds, and the king wishes to
place an undertaking in your charge that is very important to him
and to me.
And I regard you so highly that if you attempt it you will surely
come out of it with honor. But to avoid all doubts I will put
forth all the obstacles there that I can."
"My lady," said Tirant, "Your Excellency speaks in such a covert
manner that I don't know what to reply, unless Your Highness can
give me a clearer explanation. But whatever I can do for Your
Excellency, with the consent of the king, I'll do it most
willingly, even if it should be to carry the cross on my back."
The queen gave him many thanks. Tirant took leave of the queen
and the infanta, and when he was at his lodgings he was sorry
that the ship was not repaired so that he could depart
immediately.
Tirant saw a ship on the high seas. He wanted to have news
before going to dine, and he sent an armed brigantine that left
very swiftly and then returned. They told him that this ship
came from Alexandria and Beirut, and that it had touched on the
island of Cyprus, but that it had not been able to land at
Rhodes, because there were so many Moors that held it besieged on
land and sea. Many Genoese vessels were guarding the port, and
the city of Rhodes was in such straits that they had no bread to
eat. It had been three months now since the Grand Master or
anyone in the castle or the city had eaten. They ate nothing but
horse meat, and the day they could find even that was a
fortunate one. They truly believed that in a few short days they
would have to surrender to the Moors.
When Tirant heard this news, he reflected at length. And he
decided to load the ship entirely with wheat and other victuals,
and embark to give aid to Rhodes. He quickly sent for merchants,
and he gave them so much money that they loaded the ship with
wheat, wine and salted meat.
When the king learned of this he sent for Tirant, and said:
"The glory of your undertaking puts all the princes of
Christianity to shame who have refused to aid the master of
Rhodes. I would like to go with you to Jerusalem (in disguise so
that no one would recognize me). That would please me more than
if you gave me a kingdom, and I would be in your debt for the
rest of my life. So I beg you with great love, don't refuse this
to me."
When the king had finished, Tirant said:
"If it should become necessary, I will treat Your Highness as my
own lord, as though I had served you all my life. As for going
on my ship, my lord, the ship, my possessions, and myself all
belong to Your Excellency, and you may command and order
everything as if it were your own."
And so they agreed. When the king had seen the ship, he asked
for his room to be prepared near the mast, because a ship is
safer there when disaster strikes.
Every day the king and Tirant discussed many things, and finally
they spoke about Philippe. Tirant wanted to arrange a marriage
between him and the infanta, and for him to have the dowry the
king had mentioned. The king favored a union with the house of
France, but he said:
"Tirant, I won't make a decision about any of these things until
I know what my daughter thinks. If she agrees, then I will
consent to the marriage. I will be very happy to talk to the
queen and to my daughter, and if they agree, the wedding will be
held before we leave."
The king had the queen and his daughter brought to his chambers,
and he said to them:
"The reason that I had you come here, my queen and my daughter,
was to tell you about a journey I will be making soon. I have
decided to go with Tirant to Jerusalem, and so that no one will
know me I am taking along only one gentleman to serve me. And
because my life and death are in the hands of God, our Heavenly
Father, I would like to see you well married, my daughter. If
you like the king's son who is here, and who would unite us with
the greatest king in Christianity, I am certain that with
Tirant's aid and counsel and Philippe's willingness, everything
can be arranged satisfactorily."
"It seems to me," said the infanta, "that Your Majesty knows it
will be two weeks before the ship's cargo is loaded and it's
ready to weigh anchor. In that time, Your Highness, with the
counsel of my uncle and your brother, the Duke of Messina, you
can take care of the matter, because the duke is expected here
tonight or tomorrow."
"You speak well, my daughter," said the king, "and what you say
is reasonable."
"Pardon me, Your Highness," said the infanta, "but since Your
Excellency has decided to go on this saintly journey, you should
hold a great celebration so that Tirant and all the men with him
will be more willing to serve you when you are at sea, and
besides if it reaches the ears of the King of France, he will
know that Your Highness is showing consideration to his son,
Philippe. Next Sunday a celebration could be held that would
last three days; the tables could he set night and day, and
there would always be enough food on them for everyone who wanted
to attend.'
"In faith, my child," said the king, "you've thought it out
better than I could have, and I am very happy to do it, But I'm
very busy planning my journey, and I want to leave the kingdom in
such a good state that no one will note my departure, and besides
there could be many problems when we are in the land of the
Moors. So I would like you, my child, to plan this and be in
complete charge of it ."
The king immediately had the steward and the purchasers brought
in, and he told them to do everything his daughter, Ricomana,
commanded, and they said they would be happy to.
The infanta planned everything very well, and many different
dishes were chosen. Now the infanta held this celebration solely
to see how Philippe would conduct himself at the table.
The infanta gave instructions that on the day of the great feast
the king, the queen, Philippe and she would eat together at a
table above the others, and that the Duke of Messina, Tirant, and
all the counts and barons and others would eat at a table below
the king's. The evening before the celebration the king sent two
knights to Philippe and Tirant, asking them to go with him to
mass and to dinner the following day. And they humbly accepted
the invitation.
In the morning they dressed in their finest clothing, and all
their men did the same, and then they went to the palace and paid
homage to the king. The king received them very kindly, and he
took Philippe's hand, as did the Duke of Messina to Tirant, and
they went to the church. When the king was at his chapel, they
asked his permission to accompany the queen and his daughter, and
the king gave his consent. As they walked with the ladies,
Philippe took the infanta's arm so that he could be closer to
her, and Tirant never left Philippe's side for fear that he would
do or say something foolish that would annoy the infanta.
When the mass was finished and the king and all the others had
gone back to the palace, the dinner was ready. The king sat in
the center of the table with the queen at his side. To honor
Philippe, the king had him sit at the head of the table, with the
infanta facing him. Tirant wanted to remain standing in order to
be near Philippe, but the king said to him:
"Tirant, my brother, the Duke of Messina is waiting for you, and
he doesn't want to sit down without you."
"My lord," said Tirant, "if you please, tell him to take a seat,
because at a feast like this it's fitting that I should serve the
king's son."
The infanta was impatient, and with a rather cross look on her
face she said to him:
"Don't bother yourself about being at Philippe's skirts all the
time, Tirant. In my father, the king's house, there are enough
knights to serve him so that you don't have to do it."
When Tirant heard the infanta speaking so heatedly and saw that
he had to leave, he put his mouth to Philippe's ear and said to
him:
"When water is brought to the king, and you see the infanta
getting up and then kneeling and holding the vessel for him, you
do what she does, and be careful not to do anything gauche."
He said that he would, and Tirant left him. When they were all
seated, the king's water bowel was brought, and the infanta knelt
and held the laver. Philippe tried to do the same, but the king
would not allow it. And the same happened with the queen. When
it was the infanta's time to wash, she took Philippe's hand so
that they could wash together, and Philippe courteously and with
gentility, said that it was not seemly. Then he knelt and
attempted to hold the dish for her, but she refused to wash until
they both washed together. Then the bread was brought and placed
before the king and the others, and no one touched it as they
waited for the dinner to be brought. When Philippe saw the bread
before him he quickly took a knife, and picking up a loaf of
bread he cut through it and made twelve large pieces. When the
infanta saw such a sight she could not contain her laughter. The
king and everyone there, including the serving boys, made great
sport of Philippe, and since the infanta was laughing too, it was
inevitable that it should come to Tirant's attention, because he
did not take his eyes from Philippe for a moment. Standing up,
he ran from the table and said:
"By heaven, Philippe must have stained his honor with some great
foolishness."
He went to his side at the king's table, and saw the slices of
bread that Philippe had cut. When he saw that neither the king
nor anyone else had touched their bread, he immediately
understood the reason for the outbursts of laughter. Tirant
quickly picked up the slices of bread; then he reached into his
pocket, took out twelve gold ducats and put one ducat on each
slice, and he had them given to the poor. When the king and the
infanta saw what Tirant had done, they all stopped laughing.
The king asked Tirant the meaning of what he had done.
"My lord," said Tirant, "when I have finished what I must do I
will tell Your Highness."
Tirant gave out all the bread slices, each one with its ducat,
and he put the last one to his mouth, said an Ave Maria over it,
and gave it away. The queen said:
"I would like very much to know about this ceremony."
Tirant answered:
"My lord, Your Excellency and all the others are astonished at
what Philippe began and I have finished, and you've all mocked
him. The reason for it, since Your Highness wants to know, is
that the most Christian kings of France, because of all the
blessings they've received from the immense goodness of Christ
our Lord, began this tradition: Before any of their children
entered the order of chivalry, they were not allowed to eat the
first loaf of bread that was put in front of them at dinner until
they had cut it into twelve slices, and placed a silver "real" on
each one, and had given it to the poor in memory of the twelve
apostles. Then, after the order of chivalry had been bestowed on
them they would put a piece of gold on each slice. And even down
to today everyone in the house of France continues the custom.
And, my lord, that's why Philippe cut the bread and made twelve
slices, one for each apostle."
"Praise God," said the king, "that sort of charity is the most
beautiful I've ever heard of. I'm a crowned king and I don't
give as much in alms in a month."
Dinner came, and the infanta told Tirant to go back and eat.
Philippe saw what he had done wrong and how discreetly Tirant had
remedied it, and he was very careful with the meal, and ate only
as the infanta did.
When they left the table, the infanta began to talk to one of her
ladies whom she deeply trusted, and with a little anger mixed
with love, she began to lament:
"Look at what a sad state I'm in, to have this Tirant as the
enemy of my desires: I can't talk alone to Philippe for even an
hour. Tell me, Tirant, why do you make me so mad? You must know
how nice it is to be alone with the person you love. Now, poor
me, when I want to sleep I cannot, night is longer than I would
like it to be, nothing that I eat tastes sweet to me--instead
it's as bitter as gall. If this is life, what can death be?"
And the love-struck maiden lamented, tears flowing from those
eyes that had sparked many flames in Philippe's heart. While the
infanta had this sad face, the king and his brother, the Duke of
Messina, came into her chambers.
When they were in the room the king, seeing such grief in her
face, said to her:
"What's wrong, my daughter? Why are you crying?"
"And don't I have reason to, Sire? Your Grace is about to leave.
What am I to do all alone? Who will be here to console me? How
will my soul find peace?
The king tenderly consoled his daughter as best he could. Then
they went to the queen. The four held counsel, and the king
said:
"I beg you, Duke, tell me what you think of this marriage with
Philippe."
"Sire," said the duke, "since Your Highness and Philippe are
going on this holy pilgrimage, I feel that this marriage should
take place only with the consent of his father and mother."
Tirant was then put in charge of writing letters to the King of
France, and he explained all the details of the marriage pact, if
the king would agree. The King of Sicily then prepared a
brigantine to go to the mainland with the letters.
At the same time, Tirant's ship was loaded with wheat and other
provisions. When the brigantine was ready to depart, the king
pretended he was going on it, and he had the news spread that he
was going to Rome to talk to the Pope. That night Tirant had the
king and Philippe brought on his ship, and when all the men were
on board, Tirant went to take his leave of the princess and
everyone in the court. Tirant then set sail at night, and in
four days he was within sight of Rhodes.
When the Genoese saw the ship coming, they thought it was one of
the two they had sent to bring provisions to their camp. They
could not imagine that any other ship would dare to come into the
midst of as many ships as were in the port. The ship approached,
and as it drew near it unfurled all its sails. This, and the
shape of the ship, made the Genoese realize that it was not one
of theirs, and they hurried to prepare to attack. But the ship
was so close that none of their ships had time to raise their
sails, and this ship swiftly sailed through all of them at full
mast. However, they used lances, spikes and bombards, and all
the weapons used at sea. Then Tirant ordered the helmsman and
the pilot not to turn the ship, but to head the prow straight
into land. And they did, at full speed.
When the people in the city saw the ship beach itself, they
thought it was the Genoese coming to take the city. All the men
ran there and bravely attacked it. They were also being attacked
by the ships at sea, and they were in dire straits until a sailor
quickly took one of Tirant's flags and raised it. When the
people from the city saw the flag they stopped fighting. Then
one of the men told them that the ship had come to help them.
Hearing that the captain of the ship was French, and that the
ship was loaded with wheat for them, the people on land went to
tell the Grand Master.
When the Grand Master discovered that it was Tirant, he was very
anxious to see him, because he had heard of his fame. He sent
two knights of the Order to the ship, to ask Tirant to come on
land. Tirant told them to tell the Grand Master confidentially
that the King of Sicily and Philippe, son of the King of France,
were on his ship and that they were going on a holy pilgrimage to
Jerusalem, and to ask if they would be safe on his land. The
Grand Master promised to keep their presence secret. Then the
king and Philippe disembarked, in disguise, and went to the rooms
that were prepared for them. Tirant then went on land,
well-outfitted. When Tirant was with the Grand Master they
talked at length. The Grand Master told him how the sultan was
besieging them on land, day and night, and that the Genoese were
doing the same by sea; that they were at the point of
surrendering because of their great hunger, and they could not
last much longer. They had eaten all the horses and other
animals, including the cats, and it would be a wonder to find one
still alive.
Tirant then had many barrels of wheat brought from the ship, and
he asked the Grand Master to have it distributed among all the
people, and he said there was still more for the castle. They
also gave them the oils and the vegetables and meat, and all the
other supplies.
That night Tirant and his men stood watch over the port. The
Genoese ships--especially the captain's ship--were very close to
land. It was nearly midnight when a sailor approached Tirant and
said:
"Sir, what would your grace give to someone who, tomorrow night,
set fire to the ship that's so close to shore, and that they say
belongs to the Genoese captain?"
"If anyone could do that," said Tirant, "I would gladly give him
three thousand gold crowns."
"Sir," said the sailor, "if you promise me, on your word as a
knight, to give them to me, I will do everything I can. And if
I'm not able to do it I will become your slave."
"My friend," said Tirant, "I don't want you to put any
obligations on yourself: the shame you will bring if you don't do
it, will be punishment enough for you. As for me, I promise you
on my order of chivalry, that if you set it on fire tomorrow, I
will give you everything I said I would, and more."
The sailor was very satisfied because he knew he could do it,
with all the skill he had both on sea and land. In the morning
he prepared everything he needed.
When the Grand Master had heard mass, he went to see the king,
Philippe and Tirant, and they spoke at length about the war and
about many things regarding the city which I will not go into so
as not to be tiresome. A very old knight of the Order, who had
come with the Grand Master, said:
"It seems to me, gentlemen, since you have brought enough
supplies to last the city several days, that my lord, the Grand
Master, should make a gift for the sultan of many different kinds
of foods, in order to make him lose any hope he has of taking us
by hunger."
All the great lords praised the old knight's advice, and the
order was immediately given to send him four hundred hot loaves
of bread straight from the oven, wine, honey and sugar
sweetmeats, three turkeys, chickens and capons, honey, oil, and
all the other things they had brought.
When the sultan saw the present, he said to his men:
"Damn this present and the traitor who sent it! This will bring
the perdition of my honor, and will be my ruin."
When it was nearly midnight, and very dark, the sailor had
everything ready to set the captain's ship on fire, and he did it
this way:
The sailor had fixed a very strong capstan into the ground near
the sea. Then he put a thick rope in a boat along with a hemp
cord as thick as a man's finger. He got into the boat, and two
men rowed for him. When they were so near the ship that they
could hear the men on the poop deck talking, they stopped rowing.
He took off all his clothes and tied a cord around his waist.
Then he took a very sharp knife so that he could cut any cords he
needed to, and he put it in back of him so it wouldn't bother him
when he swam. He attached one end of the cord to the knife
sheath, and he told the men in the boat to keep feeding him line.
When everything was ready he slipped into the water, and swam
until he was so close to the ship that he could hear the men on
watch talking. Then he swam underwater so that no one would see
him, and he reached the rudder. He looped the cord through an
iron ring under the rudder, and swam underwater back to his boat.
He took the end of the cord and tied it to one end of the thick
rope and he held it up and greased it thoroughly. Then he took a
chunk of grease for the bar, to let it slide through easily and
noiselessly.
Finally he gave orders to the men, and swam back to the ship and
greased the bar. The men on the boat stuck an iron pin through
the cord and pulled until the pin caught on the ring. And the
sailor knew that the other end of the rope was in the boat. When
he thought it was time, they rowed back to land. He tied one end
of the rope to the capstan, and the other end was tied to a large
boat, a type of whaling boat, that had been filled with firewood
and candlewood, all soaked with oil so it would burn well.
They set it afire, and let it catch well. Then one hundred men
were set at the capstan, and they began to turn it with all their
strength. And with the power from the capstan it all happened so
quickly that the large boat had barely started to move when
suddenly it was flush against the side of the ship. With the
huge fire on it sending out enormous tongues of flame, it quickly
set fire to the ship with such a fury that nothing in the world
could have put it out. The men on the ship thought only of
getting away in small boats. Others threw themselves into the
sea to swim to the other ships, while many were burned to death
because they did not have time enough to get off, and the fire
caught many others sleeping.
When it was daylight Tirant took three thousand crowns and gave
them to the sailor, along with a silk garment lined with martens
and a brocade doublet. The sailor thanked him very much and was
very pleased.
Then the sultan summoned his captains, both on sea and land. He
told them what had happened, and also about the present the Grand
Master had sent him to show how well supplied the city was with
everything it needed and more. And as winter was setting in, the
cold weather and rain were beginning to bother them. So they
decided to raise camp and go back, but with the intention of
returning another year.
He quickly ordered the camp trumpets and pipes to play, and the
ships to raise their sails and come near the island, because he
would be there to get all the men.
When Tirant saw the Moors raising camp, he armed himself, and
with all his men he left the city and went to the camp. He set
fire to the palisades and huts so that if they came back they
would have to build them again.
Then the sultan set sail and returned to his land. The lords
there were well informed about the reason he was returning, and
they went together to see him. They took him prisoner, and put
him in a lion's den where he died horribly. Then they chose
another sultan. The new sultan ordered all the Genoese ships to
form a large armada with all the men who had come from Rhodes,
along with many more, and he had them advance on Greece. And so
it was done. And the Grand Turk was also invited, and he came
with many soldiers on horseback and on foot. In the two armies
were seventeen thousand Moors.
And as soon as they set foot in Greece, they took over many
villas and castles, and seized sixteen thousand small children,
and sent them all to Turkey, to the land of the sultan, to be
raised in the Mohammedan sect. And they sent many ladies and
maidens into perpetual captivity.
And the Island of Rhodes was freed from the power of the infidel.
When the people at Cyprus knew that the sultan's armada had left
the city of Famagusta, they quickly loaded many ships with wheat,
oxen, sheep and other victuals, and they took it all to Rhodes
because of the great hunger there. Many other places also sent
supplies. And in a short time the city and the island had so
much that all the elders said they had never seen or heard their
ancestors tell of so great an abundance on the Island of Rhodes.
A few days after the sultan had gone, two galleys arrived from
Venice, loaded with wheat, and carrying pilgrims to the holy land
of Jerusalem. When Tirant learned about it he went to tell the
king and Philippe, and they were very happy to hear it.
That night the king and Philippe and Tirant said farewell to the
Grand Master and boarded the Venetian galleys with the few people
who came with them, for all the others stayed at Rhodes.
Diafebus, Tirant's relative, did not want to stay behind; nor did
Tenebroso, so he could serve Philippe.
They made such good time that in a few days they reached the port
of Jaffa, and leaving there, as the weather was fair and the sea
was calm, they reached Beirut with no trouble. All the pilgrims
disembarked there and found good guides: there was a guide for
every ten people. When they were in Jerusalem together, they
stayed two weeks to visit all the holy places. Then they boarded
the galleys again and raised the sails, and they had such good
weather that they reached the island of Sicily in only a few
days.
There was great rejoicing among the Sicilians at the return of
their lord, and a courier was sent to the queen to tell her of
the king's arrival. The king asked about the queen's health, and
about his daughter and two sons, and his brother, the duke. They
answered that they were all very well, and they told him how the
King of France had sent forty knights as ambassadors, with a
company of gentlemen.
They rested there a few days because they were very tired from
the sea voyage. After they had rested, the king and all the
company set off for Palermo where the queen was staying.
On the day that he was to arrive, his brother, the duke, came out
first, accompanied by very fine people. Then came the
archbishop, with all the clergy. Then came the queen,
accompanied by all the ladies of honor in the city; then, after a
moment, the infanta Ricomana came with all her maidens and those
of the city, very well dressed, and they were a wonderful sight
to behold; then came the forty ambassadors of the King of France,
wearing gold chains and dressed in garments of crimson velvet
which reached to their feet.
When the king had greeted the queen, and his daughter had paid
him reverence, Philippe and Tirant bowed to the queen. Philippe
took the infanta's arm, and they went to the palace. On the way
the forty ambassadors came to pay their respects to Philippe
before they did to the king, and Tirant said to Philippe:
"My Lord, tell the ambassadors to go and pay reverence to the
king before they speak with you."
Philippe told them, and the ambassadors replied that they had
been instructed by their lord, the King of France, his father, to
go to the king and give him the letters they were bringing after
they had paid obeisance to him. And Philippe again told them
that above all they should go to the king before speaking with
him.
"Since Philippe wishes it," said the ambassadors, "we will do as
he commands."
When the king reached the palace with all the people, the
ambassadors from the King of France went to pay him reverence,
and they gave him the letters. The king received them very
warmly, and paid them great honor. Then they went to Philippe
and honored him, as was their duty, because he was the son of
their own ruler. Philippe regaled them, and there was great
rejoicing.
After the celebration for the king's arrival was over, the
ambassadors explained their mission, which had three parts.
First, that the King of France was very pleased to have his son
Philippe marry the infanta Ricomana, as Tirant had arranged.
Second, that if the King of Sicily had a son, he would give a
daughter of his to him as his wife, together with one hundred
thousand crowns as a dowry. Third, that he had asked the pope,
the emperor, and all the princes of Christianity to send him aid,
because he had decided to march against the infidel, and all
those to whom he had sent word had offered to help him. And on
behalf of their lord, the King of France, they were asking him
to give assistance, and if his lordship decided to send an armada
he should make Philippe captain and send him too.
The king's reply was that as far as the marriage was concerned he
was very pleased, but as to the rest he would hold counsel.
When the infanta learned that her father had consented to her
marriage with Philippe, she said to herself:
"If I can find some defect in Philippe that shows that he's
gauche or avaricious, he will never be my husband. From now on I
intend to devote every moment to discovering the truth."
And while the infanta was deep in thought, a maiden in whom she
had complete confidence came into her chambers, and said to her:
"Tell me, my lady, what is Your Highness thinking about that
makes you look so disturbed?"
The infanta answered her:
"I'll tell you. My father, the king, has given his consent to
the ambassadors from France for the wedding, and I have a deep
suspicion that Philippe is gauche, and that he may even be
avaricious. And if he is, in the slightest, I wouldn't be able
to stay in the same bed with him for an hour; instead I would
become a nun or go into a convent. I've done everything I could
to get to know him, but because of that traitor, Tirant, fortune
hasn't been with me. Yes; I Pray God that I'll see him boiled
and fried because that day when the bread was cut I would really
have known Philippe if it hadn't been for him."
When Philippe received the money his father had sent, he dressed
up in elegant clothing, and he wore many jewels and gold chains
and other valuable jewelry.
On the day of Our Lady, in August, the king invited Philippe and
all the ambassadors, and everyone who held a title in his land to
dine. When the king was sitting at the table it began to rain
very hard. The infanta was very pleased, and she said:
"Now I can find out what I want to know."
When the tables were cleared the minstrels came, and they danced
a while before the king and queen. Then came the collation. The
king went into his chambers to rest, but the infanta would not
stop dancing for fear that Philippe would leave.
When it was nearly time for vespers the skies cleared and the sun
came out, and then the infanta said:
"It's such a nice day, wouldn't it be a fine idea for us to go
riding through the city?"
Philippe quickly answered:
"My lady, why would you want to ride through the city in this
terrible weather? If it starts to rain again you'll get
drenched."
Tirant saw through the infanta's wiles, and he tugged at
Philippe's coattails to make him be quiet. The infanta caught a
glimpse of the signal Tirant was making, and she became very
angry. She ordered the horses brought out, and they all sent for
the animals. When the infanta was mounted she almost turned her
back on Philippe, but kept sight of him out of the corner of her
eye. And Philippe said to Tirant:
"Send for another suit of clothes so that this one won't be
ruined!"
"Oh," said Tirant, "the clothes be damned! Don't worry about
your clothing. If this suit gets dirty, there will be another
one."
"At least," said Philippe, "see if there aren't two pages who
will carry my coattails so they won't drag along the ground."
"For the son of a king," said Tirant, "you're very stingy! Hurry
along now, the infanta is waiting."
Then Philippe, very troubled, started out. While the infanta,
who had been watching them talk, wasn't able to make out their
words.
So they rode through the city, and the infanta enjoyed herself
immensely, seeing how the clothes of that miserly Philippe were
getting wet, and how he was always looking at them. The infanta,
to have more pleasure, told them to bring the falcons and they
would go a little way out to the outskirts and hunt some quail.
"Don't you see, my lady?" said Philippe. "This is no time for
hunting. There's nothing but mud and water everywhere."
"Oh, you niggardly fellow!" said the infanta. "This oaf still
won't do anything that I want.'
But she paid no attention to him, and went out of the city and
found a peasant. She took him aside and asked him if some river
or canal was not close by. The peasant answered:
"My lady, straight ahead, not far from here, you'll find a large
canal that will come up to a mule's groin."
"That's just what I'm looking for."
The infanta went ahead, and they all followed her. When they
came to the water, the infanta rode through it, and Philippe
stayed behind and asked Tirant if there were any servants who
would hold up the tails of his clothing.
"I'm tired of your prattle. Don't worry: I'll give you mine.
The infanta has gone through and she's riding ahead. Hurry, and
go to her side."
And Tirant laughed out loud so that it would look as though
Philippe had been telling him a joke. When they had gone through
the water, the infanta asked Tirant what he was laughing at.
"In faith, my lady," said Tirant, "I was laughing at a question
Philippe has been asking me all day long, before we left Your
Highness's chambers, then when we were riding, and now as we went
through the water. He asked me what love is and where it comes
from. The second thing he said to me is: Where does love abide?
I tell you, on my word, that I don't know what love is or where
it comes from, but, my lady, the true and loyal love that
Philippe feels for you does not retreat from anything."
"Let's go back to the city," said the infanta.
As they went through the water, she watched to see if the two men
were talking together again. Philippe, seeing that his clothes
were already soaked, was unconcerned as they rode through the
water. And the infanta was very much relieved, and believed
everything Tirant had said to her. But her soul was still not
entirely at ease, and she went to Tirant and said to him:
"I'm in a situation where fortune holds me in its hands. I would
rather renounce my life and possessions than take a husband who
is gauche, vile and avaricious. And I want to tell you in all
truth, Tirant, that my fortune has always been adverse. Now if I
take this man for a husband, and he turns out not to please me, I
would find myself having to do very desperate things, because it
is my opinion that it's better to live alone than to live with a
bad companion."
Tirant quickly replied:
"Philippe is one of the best knights in the world today. He is
young, more genteel than any other man, courageous, generous and
more wise than gauche. That's been his reputation wherever we've
gone, among knights, duennas and maidens. Even the Moorish women
who saw him, loved him and wanted to serve him. If you doubt it,
look at his face, his hands, his feet, and his entire body. And
if you would like to see him completely naked, I can arrange that
too, my lady. I know that Your Highness loves him deeply, for he
is loved by all people. You are to blame, my lady, if you don't
have him by your side in a bed perfumed with benjamin, civet, and
pure musk, and on the following day if you complain to me about
him I will suffer whatever torment Your Highness decides."
"Oh, Tirant," said the princess. "I would be very happy if I
could have someone who would please me. But what use would it be
if I had a statue at my side who could only give me pain and
desperation?"
At this moment they reached the palace and found the king in the
hall, speaking with the ambassadors from France. When he saw his
daughter he took her by the hand and asked where she had been.
Dinner was ready, and Philippe and the ambassadors took their
leave of the king and the infanta, and went to their chambers.
After dinner they began to dance, and the infanta purposefully
caused the dancing to continue until late at night. The king saw
that it was past midnight, and he left without a word so that he
would not disturb his daughter's pleasure. And as it began to
rain the infanta sent word to the king, asking him to permit
Philippe to remain that night, and to sleep in the palace with
her brother, the infante. The king answered that that was
agreeable to him.
After the king had left, the dancing ended and the infante begged
Philippe to stay there that night to sleep because most of the
night was already past. Philippe answered that he was deeply
grateful, but that he would go to his lodgings.
The infanta took hold of his clothes and said:
"Since it is my brother, the infante's, wish for you to stay
here, this will be your lodging tonight."
Tirant said:
"Since they are so fond of you, stay here to give them pleasure,
and I'll stay with you so that I can serve you."
"That won't be necessary, Tirant," said the infanta, "because in
the house of my father, my brother, the infante, and myself,
there will be no lack of people to serve him."
Seeing how angrily she spoke, Tirant realized that they did not
want him, and he left with the others for his lodging. When they
had gone, two pages came with torches and asked Philippe if it
was his desire to go to sleep. And he answered that he would do
whatever his lady, the infanta, and her brother commanded. They
said that it was time now. Philippe bowed to the infanta and
followed the pages, who led him to a room where there were two
beds.
The king had ordered a very special canopy made entirely of
brocade, to be given to his daughter on her wedding day, and he
had another placed in a room to serve as its model. When the
brocade canopy was finished, the two beds were placed next to
each other, and the coverlet was of the same brocade. And on it
they put the sheets for the wedding, with embroidered pillows, so
that it was an exceptional bed. The other bed in the same room
was entirely white, and there was a great difference between the
two.
When Philippe saw such a luxurious bed he was astonished, and he
thought it better to lie down on the other one. That evening,
while dancing, he had slightly torn his stocking, and he thought
that his servants would not come as soon as he would get up in
the morning. The pages had been well instructed by the infanta,
who was in a place where she could see very well what Philippe
would do. Philippe said to one of the pages:
"Please go bring me a needle and a little bit of white thread."
The infanta had seen him give orders to the page but she did not
know what he was asking for. Then the page went to the infanta,
and she had them give him a needle with a little thread. The
page took it to him, and found him pacing from one end of the
room to the other, and he did not say one word to the second page
who was there.
When Philippe had the needle he went to a torch and opened a
blister that was on his hand. The infanta immediately thought he
had asked for the needle because of the blister. He put it on
the bed where he had decided to sleep. Philippe then took off
his clothing and sat on the bed. After the pages had removed his
stockings, Philippe told them to go to sleep and to leave a torch
lit for him.
They did so, closing the door. Philippe got up from where he was
sitting in order to get the needle and sew his stocking, and he
began to look for it from one end of the bed to another. He
gloomily lifted the coverlet, and he twisted and turned it so
much that it fell on the floor. Then he lifted up the sheets and
tore the entire bed apart without finding the needle. He thought
about making up the bed again and sleeping in it; but when he saw
it all undone, he said to himself:
"Oh well. Won't it be better for me to sleep in the other one
instead of making this one up again?"
A very singular needle was that for Philippe. He lay down in the
bed of rich covers. The infanta, who had seen the entire
display, said to her maidens:
"Upon your life, look how great the knowledge of foreigners is,
especially Philippe. It was my intention to test him, as I have
done other times, with these two beds. I thought that if
Philippe were gauche and avaricious he would not dare sleep in a
bed like this one, but instead would lie down in the other which
is more plain. He has done something quite different: he has
torn apart the plainest one and has thrown its covers on the
floor, and he has gone to bed in the best one to show that he is
the son of a king. Now I can see that Tirant is a loyal knight
who has always told me the truth."
And with this thought, she left to go to bed.
Very early in the morning Tenebroso came to Philippe's chambers
with his pages, and brought him more clothing so that he could
change. When the infanta was dressed and still fastening her
skirt, she sent for Tirant and with a show of great happiness she
told him:
"I have come to realize how special Philippe is. I have seen
with my own eyes his speech and royal manners, and that he is
very generous. Until now I felt very hesitant about giving my
consent to this marriage, but from now on I will do everything
His royal Majesty, my father, commands me."
Tirant heard the infanta's words, and he was the happiest man in
the world. He quickly answered:
"I am very happy that Your Excellency has come to know the truth.
I am going to speak with my lord, the king, immediately in order
to bring the matter to a swift conclusion."
Tirant took his leave of the infanta and went to the king and
told him:
"I see the ambassadors from France in great anguish about this
wedding so I have come to Your Majesty to beg you to either have
it take place, or give the ambassadors your leave so that they
can return to their king. And if it will not make Your Majesty
angry to have me speak with my lady, the infanta, on Your
Highness' behalf, I believe that she will be inclined to do
whatever Your Majesty commands."
"If God gives health to my soul and my body," said the king,
"that will please me. I beg you to go to her and make the
request on my behalf and your own."
Tirant left the king and went back to the infanta. He found her
combing her hair, and he told her about the conversation he had
had with the king. Then the infanta said:
"My lord Tirant, I have complete confidence in your nobility and
virtue, so I am putting this entire matter in your hands, and I
will agree to everything. If you want it done now, I will do
it."
Tirant saw how willing she was, and he saw Philippe at the door,
waiting to accompany the infanta to mass. He asked the infanta
to have the maidens leave because he wanted to tell her other
things in Philippe's presence. The infanta ordered the maidens
to go, and they were very surprised to see the infanta speaking
so docilely to Tirant.
When all the maidens were gone, Tirant opened the door to the
chamber and had Philippe enter.
"My lady," said Tirant, "here is Philippe who has a greater
desire to serve your ladyship than all the princesses in the
world, and so I beg your grace, here on my knees, to kiss him as
a sign of good faith."
"Oh, Tirant!" said the infanta. "These are the words you wanted
to tell me? Your face reveals what you bear in your heart. When
my king and my father commands it of me, then I will do it."
Tirant motioned to Philippe, who quickly took her up in his arms,
and carried her to a lounge that was there, and kissed her five
or six times. The infanta said:
"Tirant, I placed no little trust in you. What have you made me
do? I thought of you as a brother and you have put me in the
hands of someone I am still unsure of--I do not know whether he
will turn out to be my friend or my enemy."
"Your words are cruel, my lady. How can Philippe be an enemy to
Your Excellency if he loves you more than his own life, and
desires to hold you in that bed where he slept this evening,
completely nude, or in your chemise? You can be certain that
this would be the greatest blessing in the world. So, my lady,"
continued Tirant, "allow Philippe, who is dying of love for you,
to enjoy part of the glory that he has desired so much."
"May God not permit it," said the infanta, "and may He keep me
from an error like that. I would think of myself as vile if I
gave my consent to such a thing."
"My lady," said Tirant, "Philippe and I are here only to serve
you.
Let your benign grace have a little patience."
And Tirant caught her hands while Philippe attempted to make use
of his own resources. The infanta cried out, and the maidens
came and calmed them down.
When the infanta had laced up her garments, she dressed very
elegantly, and Philippe and Tirant accompanied her and the queen
to mass. And there, before mass, they were engaged. The
following Sunday the wedding was held with great ceremony, and
celebrations took place which lasted a week, with jousts,
tournaments, dances, and buffoonery, night and day.
In this way the infanta was entertained, and she was very pleased
with Tirant, and much more with Philippe whose work was so
wonderful that she never forgot it.
When the wedding celebrations were over, the King of Sicily
decided to lend his assistance to the King of France, and he had
ten galleys and four large ships armed, and gave the men six
months' wages. Tirant bought a galley, but he refused to accept
wages or to associate with anyone, because he intended to act on
his own. When the galleys were armed and well stocked with food,
they received word that the King of France was in Aigues-Mortes
with all the vessels of the King of Castile, of Aragon, Navarre
and Portugal.
Philippe was chosen captain, and the infante of Sicily went with
him, and they found themselves in the port of Savona with ships
from the pope, the emperor, and everyone who had offered their
aid. They all left together and sailed until they came to the
island of Corsica where they found the King of France. There
they took on water, and they approached the great city of Tripoli
in Libya before dawn, and no one in the entire armada knew where
they were going with the exception of the king. But when they
saw the king's ship turning and everyone taking up arms, they
realized that that was their destination. Then Tirant, who was
on his galley, went to the king's ship on a skiff. He climbed
aboard with many others, and they found the king arming himself
and preparing for mass.
During the reading of the Gospel, Tirant knelt before the king
and begged him to let him make a vow, and the king gave his
consent. Tirant placed himself at the feet of the priest who was
saying mass, and knelt down, and the priest took up the missal
and turned it toward the king. Tirant, while kneeling, put his
hands on the book and said:
"By the grace of Almighty God, I belong to the order of chivalry.
As a knight who wants to attain honor, I make my vow to God and
all the saints in paradise, and to my lord, the Duke of Brittany,
captain-general of this armada, that I will be the first to touch
land and the last to return."
Afterward Diafebus vowed to write his name on the gates to the
city of Tripoli.
Then another knight made a vow that he would go so near the wall
that he would put an arrow inside the city.
Another knight stood up and vowed that he would enter the city
and take a Moorish maiden from her mother's side, that he would
put her on the ship and give her to Philippa, the daughter of the
King of France.
Another knight vowed that he would place a flag on the highest
tower in the city.
On the king's ship there were many knights--more than four
hundred fifty. And where there are many, envy and ill will are
engendered, for the sin of envy has many branches. Many were
moved by the desire to make Tirant break his vow, and they made
preparations with boats and vessels and small galleys to be the
first to reach land.
There were so many Moors that when they saw such a great armada
they positioned themselves near the sea to stop the Christians
from reaching land. All the galleys pressed forward toward land,
and they were so close that their sides nearly touched.
When they were so near to land that they could throw down the
ladders, all the ships turned about so the men could disembark.
But Tirant ordered his galley to head in to land, prow first.
When he felt the ship touch land, Tirant, who was standing,
armed, on the prow, jumped into the water. The Moors saw him and
ran toward him to kill him; but Diafebus and others defended him.
Many armed men and many sailors leapt after him in order to go to
his aid.
As soon as the king's galley and the others had turned about,
they lowered their ladders. But who dared disembark when they
saw so many Moors? The greatest fight was where Tirant stood.
Virtue, goodness, strength and wisdom were in the king and his
men who, as valiant knights, climbed down the ladders, and their
haste to attack the Moors was so great that many fell into the
sea. When all the men were on land, they gave the Moors great
battle, and many men from both sides died.
As soon as the Moors attempted to take refuge in the city, many
good knights went in and took five streets of the city, but they
were unable to take more. All the knights fulfilled their vows
on those five streets that they took, and they loaded the ships
and the galleys with the great booty that they had taken. But so
great was the aid that the Moors received that they could not
push on.
When they had to withdraw, therein lay the great danger, and many
of them died.
When they were all on board, Tirant remained behind, because he
had not yet fulfilled his vow. His galley had now debeached, and
its ladder was on land, waiting for Tirant to board. A knight
who was searching for honor, and who well deserved it for his
virtues, was named Ricart lo Venturos, and he remained behind
with Tirant. Ricart said to Tirant:
"All the men are on board or are dead. Only you and I are still
here. You had the glory of being the first of the conquerors,
because your feet were the first to touch this cursed land. But
don't forget how I defended you many times from danger. Let me
go on board the galley first, so that we can be equals in honor
and fame and brotherhood, for at times a person who wants all
worldly glory loses everything."
"There is no time to waste on words," said Tirant. "Life or
death is in your hands. I will be considered victorious if both
of us die at the hand of these infidels, and I'm sure that our
souls will be saved if we die with our faith firm, like good
Christians, defending ourselves. So give me your hand, Ricart,
and let us die like knights."
The two knights were in the sea up to their chests because of the
lances, darts, spears and stones that were being hurled at them.
When Ricart saw that Tirant was going up to the shore to attack
the Moors, he caught him by the coat and brought him back into
the water, and said:
"I know of no knight in the world as fearless as you are. And
since I see how great your courage is, do this: Put your foot on
the ladder first, and then I will be first to climb up."
The king was in great anguish, afraid that those two knights
would be lost. Tirant wanted to give him part of the honor, so
he put his right foot on the ladder. Then Ricart went up first,
and Tirant was the last of all, and so he fulfilled his vow.
There was much discussion about these two knights: some said that
Tirant had fulfilled his vow, and the king and many others paid
him high honor. When Ricart saw that they all were honoring
Tirant, he said:
"If the matter is duly judged by the code of chivalry, who should
the honor and glory be given to, if not to me? Tirant was a
coward in battle even when fortune aided him, so the prize for
this act should be given to no one but me. I am barefoot, and I
will never again put shoes on my feet until His Majesty, the
king, and the noble knights make a decision about this. It is
well known that after all the men had retreated, Tirant and I
stayed behind alone on the shore. He and I argued at length
about who would be the first to go on board. When he saw that I
did not want to, he put his foot on the ladder before I did. And
so, my lord, may it please Your Highness to summon your sacred
council, and let Your Majesty give the honor to the one it
belongs to, as it rightfully and justly belongs to me. And if
Your Highness does not want to judge this case, I say in the
presence of everyone that I am a better knight than Tirant, and I
will fight him, man to man, to the death.'"
The king answered:
"Ricart, no good judge can decide anything if he does not listen
to all sides first, and this cannot be done without Tirant here."
This conversation came to Tirant's attention, and he brought his
galley alongside the king's ship. When he came aboard, the king
was in his chambers, sleeping. When Ricart heard that Tirant had
come, he went up to him and said:
"Tirant, if you dare to say that I'm not a better knight than you
are, I offer to do battle with you to the death." And he threw
his gloves at him as a challenge.
When Tirant saw that he wanted to fight him with so little
provocation, he raised his hand and dealt him a hard blow. The
noise they raised was so loud that the king had to come up with
his sword in hand. When Tirant saw the king, he went up to the
forecastle, and from there he defended himself, and he said to
the king:
"Sire, Your Majesty should punish this shameless knight who is
the instigator of all evil. He has never found himself in a
joust, much less seen the flash of an angry sword before his
eyes, and now he wants to fight me to the death over nothing. If
he defeats me he will have defeated all the chivalresque acts I
have accomplished to my glory and honor. And if I am the victor
I will have conquered a man who has never borne arms."
After he had said these words he swung safely down to his galley
on a rope. If the king had been able to put his hands on him at
that moment, because he committed such an outrageous act on his
ship, it would not have been surprising if he'd had his head
removed from his shoulders.
The king departed with the entire armada from Tripoli in Libya,
and went toward Cyprus, sacking the Turkish coast and setting it
red with blood and flames, and they loaded all the ships with the
many riches they had taken. When they reached Cyprus they went
to the city of Famagusta, took provisions of food and turned
toward Tunis. There the king disembarked and they pressed the
city hard in combat. Tirant and his men attacked a tower which
had a deep moat at its foot, and Tirant fell into it. Ricart was
heavily armed to see if he could take revenge on Tirant. When he
reached the tower he saw Tirant lying in the moat. Ricart leapt
into the moat, wearing all his armor, and helped Tirant get up.
Then he said:
"Tirant, here stands your mortal enemy who can give you death or
life. God forbid that I should let you die at the hands of the
Moors, when I can give you aid."
And he pulled him out, for they would surely have killed him if
they had found him there. When he was out, Ricart said to him:
"Now you are free, Tirant. Protect yourself from death as well
as you can, because you can be sure that I will do everything in
my power to kill you."
"Virtuous knight," said Tirant, "I have seen your great goodness
and courtesy, and I know that you saved me from a cruel death. I
kneel to the ground and beg your forgiveness for the way I
offended you. I give you my sword so that you can take whatever
vengeance you like on me."
When the knight heard such humble words, he forgave him and was
happy to be his friend, and from that time on they were good
friends, and were inseparable in life, until death.
After the king had taken and sacked the city of Tunis, Ricart
would not go onto the king's ship, but went on Tirant's galley
instead. When the king and the knights heard what had happened,
they praised both of them because each had shown great gentility.
After the King of France left the city of Tunis, they turned
toward Sicily to see his daughter-in-law and to disembark in
Palermo. When the King of Sicily learned of his arrival, he had
a great celebration prepared for the King of France. The King of
Sicily went on board his ship, and when they met they were both
delighted. They went on land where the daughter-in-law was
waiting, and the father-in-law and daughter-in-law met joyfully.
The king gave her many presents and held her hand all day long
and would not let her leave his side. And as long as the King of
France remained there, each day, before the infanta arose, he
would send her some expensive gift: one day brocades, another
silks, gold chains, trinkets, and other jewels of great value.
The King of Sicily presented the King of France with one hundred
very beautiful and unique horses, which the King of France made a
great show of appreciation over. And the King of Sicily had his
daughter go on board the ships personally and inspect them to see
how well they were stocked with food, and to supply them with
everything they needed. The King of France thought highly of
what his daughter-in-law was doing, and he was very pleased to
see that she was a very discreet and diligent woman who was on
board the ships from morning to night, and that she did not eat
until they had been supplied.
When the ships were filled and the horses were put on board, the
King of France took his leave of the King of Sicily, the queen
and the infanta, and departed, taking the Prince of Sicily with
him, and when they were in France he gave him one of his
daughters for a wife.
The armada left the port of Palermo and turned toward Barbary,
and moving along the shore line they came to Malaga, Oran and
Tlemcen. They passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, then went
to Ceuta, Alcazar Segur, and Tangier. As they turned along the
other coast of Cadiz, Tarifa and Gibraltar, they went by
Cartagena, for in those days the entire coast was in the hands of
the Moors. From there they went by the islands of Ibiza and
Majorca, and then they went to the port of Marseille to
disembark. The king gave liberty to all the ships except the
ones belonging to his son, Philippe; he wanted him to go along
and see his mother, the queen. Tirant went with them, and from
there he went to Brittany to see his father and mother and his
relatives.
After a few days, while the King of France held the wedding for
his daughter and the prince of Sicily, he wanted Philippe to
return to his wife. Philippe received word that the King of
Sicily's other son had renounced the world, and become a friar.
Philippe begged his father, the King of France, to send for
Tirant to accompany him to Sicily. The king wrote letters to the
Duke of Brittany and to Tirant, asking him to go with Philippe to
Sicily, and asking the duke to plead with him earnestly. When
Tirant saw the petitions of two such great lords, he was obliged
to obey their commands, so he left Brittany and went to the court
of the king. The king and queen begged him earnestly to go with
Philippe; and he very graciously gave his consent.
Philippe and Tirant left the court and went to Marseille where
they found the galleys well stocked. They boarded them, and had
such a good voyage that in a few days they reached Sicily. The
king, the queen and the infanta were very happy to see them.