CHAPTER VIII

THE BETROTHAL

When the viscount was at the gates of the city, the guards would

not let him in until he said that the captain had fallen from his

horse and he was in a hurry to summon the doctors. He couldn't

find them as quickly as he wanted because they were all with the

emperor and his daughter. When they had taken care of the

emperor they took everything they needed for Tirant, and they did

not dare tell the emperor that his captain was injured. But the

viscount did everything he could to see the princess, so that he

could tell Tirant how she was.

When she had regained consciousness, she opened her eyes and

said:

"Is the one who holds my soul captive dead? Tell me quickly, I

beg you. Because if he's dead, I want to die with him "

The empress, who was upset by all the anguish she felt for her

daughter, could not understand her, and she asked what she had

said. The duchess was holding her on her knees, and she answered

the empress:

"My lady, the princess is asking if the rat is dead."

The princess, her eyes closed, again said:

"I didn't say that. I asked if the one who is my hope is dead."

The duchess answered in a loud voice:

"He's not dead: they never caught him." And turning to the

empress, she said: "She's delirious. This illness has the effect

of turning the wisest people into madmen who don't know what

they're saying."

Her delirium subsided, and two doctors went with the viscount and

the duke. When the princess found out, she cried:

"Oh, my lord Tirant! Father of chivalry! Now the lineage of

Rocasalada has fallen, and the house of Brittany has lost so

much. You are dead! Dead! For anyone who has fallen from as

great a height as you cannot hope to live long. Why couldn't I

have suffered the harm, since I was the cause, and you would find

yourself free from these dangers?"

The duchess was very agitated, both because of the princess's

illness and Tirant's injury. She did not want to say anything

more for fear of the maidens who were nearby. The doctors left

quickly without saying anything to the emperor so that he would

not have a relapse, because his constitution was very delicate.

When the doctors reached Tirant they found him lying on a bed in

great pain. They looked at his leg and found it completely

broken, the bones protruding from the flesh. With their

ministrations Tirant fainted three times, and each time they had

to revive him. The doctors treated him as best they could the

first time and said that under no circumstances should he be

moved from his bed, because his life was in danger. Then they

went back to the palace. The emperor asked them where they had

been, since he had not seen them at mealtime. One of them

answered:

"My lord, your captain has been injured, and we went to Bellestar

to minister to him."

The emperor said;

"And how was he hurt?"

"My lord," said the doctor, "they say that early this morning he

left the city to go to where his horses are so that Monday

morning everyone would be ready to leave. He was riding a

Sicilian horse and, galloping along the road, he fell in a trench

and hurt his leg."

"Holy Virgin Mary," said the emperor. "Tirant has no lack of

troubles. I want to go see him immediately."

When the doctors heard the emperor's decision--that he wanted to

leave--they detained him for a day so that he would have time to

recover. The emperor saw that the doctors advised against it, so

he decided to stay. He went to the princess's chambers to ask

about her illness and to explain what had happened to Tirant.

What grief the princess felt in her heart! But she did not dare

show it for fear of her father, and her own pain seemed as

nothing when she thought of Tirant's suffering.

The emperor stayed with his daughter until dinnertime. The

following day, seeing the doctors pass by from a window and

knowing that they were going to see Tirant, he called to them to

wait. Then he mounted and went with them and saw their second

treatment. From what he saw he understood at once that Tirant

would not be able to go to the encampment for a long time. When

they had finished their treatment, the emperor said:

"I can't begin to tell you how much grief I feel. As soon as I

heard about your injury I knew how great my misfortune was,

because I had placed all my hope in your leadership. I had

envisioned the blood of those cruel enemies of mine and of the

holy Catholic faith being shed by the strength of your arm, and

the blow of your sword. But now, when they hear that you are not

there, they will be afraid of no one and will overrun my entire

empire."

Tirant weakly said:

"My lord, you don't need my sword and my leadership. In your

empire you have courageous knights who can take on the enemy

right now. But it only seems right to me, since you are pressing

me so much, that I should go to the camp. My lord, I will be

ready to go on the day we had set."

When the emperor heard him say that, he was very happy, and he

took his leave and returned to the city. When the empress saw

him she said:

"My lord, tell us the truth about our captain. How is he? Is he

near death, or is there hope for him?"

In the presence of the princess and the maidens the emperor said

to the empress:

"My lady, I don't think he's in danger of dying, but there is no

doubt that he's in a bad way. The bones in his leg are sticking

out through the skin, and it's a terrible sight to see. But he

says he will be ready to leave Monday."

"Holy Mother of Jesus!" said the princess. "What is Your Majesty

trying to do? You want a man who is so badly hurt that he's at

death's door to go to the encampment and end his days while he's

on the road? How could he help the soldiers? Do you want to put

his life and the entire empire in danger too? No, my lord;

that's no way to fight these battles. It's better to have him

alive than dead, because with him living all your enemies will be

afraid, and once he's dead they won't be afraid of anything."

The emperor went into the council chamber where they were waiting

for him, and they all agreed from what he had seen of Tirant that

he should not be moved.

After the emperor had left Bellestar, where Tirant was, Tirant

immediately ordered a box made so that he could be carried in it.

When it was Sunday evening and the duke and all the others had

gone back to the city, and without anyone knowing of it except

Hippolytus, Tirant ordered the viscount and Lord Agramunt not to

disturb him until they were ready to depart. They had not an

inkling that Tirant would commit such an act of folly as to

leave.

Tirant gave one doctor a large amount of money to go with him,

but the other doctor ordered him not to move and would not go

along. Tirant had them put him in the box, and using shafts to

carry it on their shoulders, they left for the encampment.

Before he left he ordered them to tell everyone who came from the

city that since he had not been able to sleep at night he was

resting. Some who came to see him went back, and others stayed,

waiting for him to awaken. When it was noon the Duke of

Macedonia who was a close relative, as was the viscount, wanted

to go inside.

Saying that anyone who was wounded should not sleep so much, they

forced their way in and discovered that he was gone. They

quickly mounted their horses and rode after him, and they sent

word to the emperor, telling how his captain had obeyed his

command, and cursing the emperor and all of his kind. When the

emperor heard the news, he said:

"By the living God, he carries out his promises!"

When the duke and the viscount overtook him and learned that he

had passed out on the road five times, they reprimanded the

doctor and Hippolytus, and said they cared nothing for him.

"And you, Hippolytus," said the duke, "of our lineage of

Rocasalada and of the kindred of Brittany, to allow our master

and lord to leave! The day his life ends we will all be lost and

no one will ever hear of us again. You deserve the worst sort of

reprimand. If I had no fear of God or felt no sense of worldly

shame, I'd do worse to you with this sword than Cain did to Abel:

You miserable knight! Get away from me, or upon my word of honor

you'll get the punishment you deserve."

And turning to the doctor he gave vent to his anger.

"I lose all patience when I think of the outrageous act of this

doctor who put the light of Rocasalada in mortal danger."

And the duke rode furiously at the doctor, his sword raised,

while the doctor attempted to flee to save his miserable skin,

but it gained him nothing because when he reached him he brought

the sword down on his head so hard that it split in half, down to

his shoulders, and his brains flew out.

When the emperor received news of the death of such a singular

doctor he quickly rode to Tirant, and found him in a hermitage

where the duke had put him: there he was being given everything

he needed. When the emperor saw Tirant's condition he took great

pity and had all his doctors come there to see how his leg was.

The doctors found it much worse and they told him that if he had

gone one league further, either he would have died or had to have

his leg cut off.

All the barons in the empire came to see him. The emperor held

council there and they decided that since Tirant could not go,

all the men should leave the next day. Tirant said:

"My lord, I think Your Majesty should give two months' wages to

all the men, and since they will only serve one and a half

months, everyone will be happy, and they'll put up a better

fight."

The emperor answered that he would do it immediately, and he

said:

"This evening I've received letters from the Marquis of Saint

George in our camp, telling me that great numbers of Moors have

come. It says here that the King of Jerusalem, who is a cousin

of the Grand Caramany has come, and with him are his wife and

children and some sixty thousand soldiers from the land of

Enedast, a very fertile and abundant province. As soon as a male

child is born there, he is raised with great care. When he is

ten years old they teach him to ride and to fence. Then they

teach him to fight, and throw a lance. And last, they teach him

how to butcher, so that he will get used to cutting up meat and

will not be afraid of spilling blood. This makes them cruel, and

when they are in battle and capture Christians, they quarter them

and haven't the slightest feeling of pity about flesh or blood.

The King of Lower India has come here, and they say he is the

brother of the prisoner from Upper India; he is a very rich man

and he's bringing forty-five thousand soldiers with him. Another

king, called Menador, has come with thirty-seven thousand

soldiers. The King of Damascus has come with fifty-five

thousand. King Veruntament has come with forty-two thousand.

And many others have come with them."

Tirant replied:

"Let them come, my lord. I have so much faith in the divine

mercy of Our Lord and in His most Holy Mother, Our lady, that,

even if there were twice as many as there are, with the help of

the singular knights Your Majesty has, we would be victorious

over them."

When they had finished their conversation, the emperor commended

Tirant to God, and ordered the doctors to leave him alone and to

allow him to depart.

The princess was very upset by Tirant's injury. When it was

Monday, all the soldiers were ready to leave. The Duke of Pera

and the Duke of Macedonia were in charge of leading all the men.

When they reached the camp of the Marquis of Saint George, the

others were very happy to see them. Tirant stayed in the

hermitage, waiting for the doctors to give him permission to go

into the city. Lord Agramunt who never wanted to leave him

alone, remained with him, for he said that he had left his

country only for love of him, and that he would not leave him

while he was injured. Hippolytus stayed in his company, and went

to the city every day for whatever he needed, but especially to

bring news about the princess to Tirant. And when they wanted to

make him eat or do other things the doctors prescribed, they

would say it was for the princess, and he would do it

immediately.

After this had happened to Tirant, the princess often reprimanded

Plaerdemavida for what she had done, and wanted to shut her up in

a dark room to have her do penance there; but she defended

herself with choice words, or with jokes, saying:

"What will your father say if he finds out? Do you know what

I'll tell him? That it was you who told me what to do, and that

Tirant has stolen your virginity. Your father wants me to be

your stepmother, and I can assure you that when I am I'll punish

you. When that valiant knight, Tirant, comes again, you won't

cry out the way you did the last time. Instead you'll be quiet,

and you won't move."

The princess became very angry, and told her to shut her mouth.

"Since you're speaking to me so harshly, my lady, I want to leave

Your Highness' service, and I'm going to go back to my father,

the count."

She immediately left the chambers and gathered up all her

clothing and jewels. Leaving the Widow of Montsant, who was in

the court, in charge, and without saying a word to anyone, she

mounted a horse and with five squires she rode to where Tirant

was.

When the princess discovered that Plaerdemavida had gone, she was

very upset and wanted her to return. She sent men in all

directions to make her come back.

Plaerdemavida rode by back roads to the hermitage where Tirant

was, and when he saw her he forgot his pain. When Plaerdemavida

went up to him and saw how much his appearance had changed, she

would not hold back her tears. And with a weak voice she said:

"Oh, I am the most miserable person in the world! I am so sorry

when I think of your injury, because I am to blame for all the

harm that has come to the best knight in the world. I can only

ask you for mercy."

With a sigh Tirant said:

"Virtuous maiden, there is no reason at all for you to ask my

forgiveness: you're not to blame for anything, and even if you

were, I would pardon you not just once but a thousand times,

because I know how much affection you've always had for me. I

won't say another word about this because I want to know what the

princess has been doing while I've been gone.

I'm sure Her Highness's love has grown weak, and she probably

doesn't want to see me again."

Plaerdemavida, with a smile, told him she was very happy to do

him such a service, and in a soft voice she said:

"After you left there was so much shouting and such a tumult in

the palace that the emperor got out of bed. He went looking

through all the rooms furiously, with a sword in his hand, saying

whether it was a mouse or a man he would kill it without mercy.

The empress went back to her chambers to sleep. The love-sick

Widow went to the princess with her own wickedness, because she

is related to the old witch who brings only harm to those who

love her. With a false expression of compassion on her face she

told her: 'My lady, I saw Tirant lower himself by a rope, and

half-way down it broke; and he fell from such a height that he

was smashed to pieces.' And she began to wail very loudly.

When the princess heard the news she could say only, 'Jesus,

Jesus, Jesus,' three times, and immediately her spirit left her.

I don't know where it went or on what business, because she was

senseless for three hours. All the doctors came, but they

couldn't revive her, and at that moment the emperor thought he

was losing everything that nature and fortune had given him. And

the tumult and cries in the palace were even greater than they

had been the first time."

Then she told him everything she and the princess had said to

each other.

"All her anger is feigned. She can't make up her mind about how

to behave the first time she sees you: Whether or not to show

that she is bothered by your injury. Because she says that if

she smiles at you, you'll want to come back every day, and if she

doesn't, you will be angry with her."

Tirant replied:

"What crime does Her Highness say that I've committed besides

loving her? Her Majesty would do me a great favor if she would

just grant me a visit. I believe that then most of her anger

would disappear."

Plaerdemavida answered:

"My lord, do me a favor. Write her a letter, and I'll work with

her so that she'll give you an answer. That way you'll be able

to know what she is thinking."

As they were talking, the men that the princess had sent in

search of Plaerdemavida entered the chamber. When they saw her

they told her what the princess had ordered them to do.

Plaerdemavida answered:

"Tell my lady that she can't force me to serve her. I want to go

to my parents' home."

"If I had found you someplace else," said the knight, "I would

have forced you to go back. But I don't imagine the captain will

be happy if the princess's will isn't carried out, and as a

virtuous knight he will take care of the situation."

"Don't doubt for a minute," said Tirant, "that my lady will be

served in every way. This maiden will quickly go with you."

Tirant had ink and paper brought, and with the great pain he felt

in his leg he could not write as well as he wanted to, but in

spite of his injury he wrote the following words of love:

"Who knows the great perfection that I see in Your Majesty, and

in no one else? The fear I have of not having Your Highness'

love makes me feel twice as much pain, because if I lost Your

Majesty I would lose everything. You must know that in you all

perfection is contained. My petition is based on that moment

when you heard about my injury and said, 'Jesus, Jesus,

Jesus!'--which has moved me deeply."

When Plaerdemavida had left Tirant, and the princess knew that

she was coming, she ran to the landing of the stairs and said to

her:

"Oh, my beloved sister! What made you so angry that you wanted

to leave me?"

"Why, my lady!" said Plaerdemavida: "Your Excellency swept me

from your mind and didn't want to see me again."

The princess took her by the hand, and led her to her

bedchambers. She turned to the men who had brought her, and

thanked them. When they were inside the chambers the princess

said:

"Don't you know, Plaerdemavida, that disagreements between

parents and their children often reach heights of anger, and that

the same thing happens between brothers or sisters? Even if you

and I had words, that's no reason for you to be angry with me.

You know very well that I love you more than all the maidens in

the world, and you know all my secrets as you do my heart."

"Your Majesty spins very fine words," said Plaerdemavida, "but

your actions are bad. You want to believe Widow Repose and all

her wickedness, and you won't listen to me or anyone else. She

was the cause of all this trouble. I remember that night when my

lord Tirant broke his leg and Your Highness fainted: there was

nothing but tears and anguish. But the Widow was the only one

who was glad. Your Excellency has many virtues, but you lack

patience."

"Let's stop talking about these things now," said the princess.

"Tell me about Tirant: How is he? When can I see him? The

happiness he brings me makes me think about him more than I would

like to."

"Since the time he left you, all the memories of Your Excellency

make him sigh and grieve. You can be sure that no one deserves

you as much as Tirant does. And he sends you this letter."

The princess took it very happily, and when she had read it she

decided to write an answer:

"I tried to beg you several times not to steal my chastity; and

if my words did not move you to pity, my tears should have. But

you brought so much pain to your princess. The sound of my last

words was carried to the ears of Widow Repose, and the empress

came. I don't know how it was that I said, 'Jesus, Jesus,

Jesus,' and I threw myself in the duchess' lap because I hated

life..."

When she had finished her answer she gave it to Hippolytus. When

Hippolytus returned to Tirant, he gave him the letter. Tirant

was very pleased to get it. He had paper and ink brought to him,

and despite his injury he wrote the following letter:

"Now is the time when all things are at rest, except I who am

awake, thinking of Your Highness and how you have forgotten about

all the years I have been in love with you. But I give thanks to

God for allowing me to know a maiden who is so full of

perfection. And I see full well that no one but myself deserves

Your Majesty's beauty. If you feel that I am worthy of reply, I

am prepared to obey everything Your Excellency commands me."

When Tirant had finished writing the letter he gave it to

Hippolytus and begged him to give it to the princess in

Plaerdemavida's presence, and to get a reply if possible.

Hippolytus gave the letter to the princess as he had been

commanded, and the princess took it, very pleased. As the

empress came to see her daughter at that moment, she could not

read it immediately. But when she saw that the empress was

engaged in conversation with Hippolytus, asking him about

Tirant's injury, and him answering her, the princess got up from

where she had been sitting and went into her chamber with

Plaerdemavida to read the letter.

After they had spoken at length about Tirant's illness, the

empress said to Hippolytus:

"Your face looks quite altered, Hippolytus, thin and discolored.

The illness of such a valiant knight as Tirant must bring grief

to all his relatives. I have been suffering greatly too. At

night I wake up, filled with anxiety. Then, after I remember his

injury, I go back to sleep."

Hippolytus quickly answered:

"If I were near a lady, and found myself in her bed, I wouldn't

let her have as much rest as Your Majesty gets, no matter how

deeply she slept. But it doesn't surprise me in Your Majesty:

you sleep alone, and no one says a word to you. That's what is

making my face so thin, not Tirant's illness. Everyday I ask Our

Lord with all my heart to take away these painful thoughts that I

keep having. Only those who know what love is have a real

knowledge of what suffering means."

The empress presumed that Hippolytus must be in love and that all

the sadness in his face was nothing but the passion of love. She

thought also that since Plaerdemavida had said many times that

she loved Hippolytus, she must be the one he was troubled about.

And the empress unhesitatingly asked Hippolytus who the lady was

that was causing him so much grief.

"Tell me, who is bringing you so much sadness?"

"My bitter misfortune," said Hippolytus. "And here, where I am,

don't let Your Majesty think that my life is in less danger than

Tirant's."

"In case you should tell me," said the empress, "I would keep it

to myself always."

"Who would dare reveal his grief," said Hippolytus, "to a lady of

such excellence?"

"There is no one," said the empress, "who should not listen to

what another wants to say. And the loftier one's position, the

more humbly he should listen."

"My lady," said Hippolytus, "since you want to know: love, it's

love that I have, and it's not clothing that I can remove." "I'm

not lacking in knowledge," said the empress, "about what you're

saying. You say you're in love, and I ask you: With whom?"

"I don't have my five senses," said Hippolytus, "to tell you."

"Oh, man of little understanding" said the empress. "Why don't

you say what it is that's making you suffer?"

"There are four things," said Hippolytus, "that surpass all

others in excellence, and the fifth is the knowledge of truth.

It is Your Majesty whom the heavens have foretold that I should

love all the days of my life..."

Having said this he did not dare raise his face again, and he

said nothing more. As he was leaving, the empress called him,

but because of his shame he did not dare turn around. Hippolytus

thought to himself that if she asked him why he didn't stop he

would say he did not hear her. He went to his room thinking that

he had spoken wrongly and acted even worse, and he was deeply

repentant of what he had said.

The empress stood there, thinking about what Hippolytus had told

her.

When Hippolytus knew that the empress had gone back to her

chambers, he felt both ashamed and frightened at how daring he

had been. He wished he were already gone so that he would not

have to face the empress again. But he had to return to the

palace for the princess's reply. He went into her chambers and

found her on Plaerdemavida's knees, with other maidens who felt

affection for Tirant. Hippolytus begged her for a reply to the

letter he had brought. The princess said to Hippolytus:

"Since the messenger is faithful, I beg you to excuse me from

writing my reply. You may tell him that I will make arrangements

with the emperor for us to go and see him one day this week, and

if it pleases the Divine Being he will soon he well again, and we

will be excused from this task."

Hippolytus answered:

"My lady, your heart shows that you have no compassion. From all

the harm you have caused him you could tell him just this little

bit of good news that he hopes to hear from you."

The princess replied:

"Since I don't want to show my lack of knowledge, I will keep

quiet, but your over-loose tongue ought to be answered.

Plaerdemavida, pull out three hairs from my head, and give them

to Hippolytus so that he will give them to my master, Tirant.

And tell him, since I cannot write to him, to take the hairs as

his answer."

"God help me if I'll take them," said Hippolytus, "unless you

tell me what they mean and why there are three of them and not

four, or ten instead of twenty. For God's sake, my lady! Does

Your Highness think we are following the old customs when these

niceties were the rule? Back then a maiden who had a love-sick

swain, and who was in love with him, would give him a bouquet of

perfumed flowers or a hair or two from her head, and the poor

fellow considered himself very fortunate. I know very well that

my lord Tirant would like to take hold of you in bed, naked or in

your nightgown, and he wouldn't care a jot if your bed wasn't

perfumed. But if Your Majesty is going to give me three hairs to

take to Tirant, well, I'm not used to carrying things like that:

send them with someone else, and let Your Excellency tell me with

what hope they've come out of your head.''

"I'll be glad to tell you," said the princess. "One hair stands

for the great love I've always had for him above all people in

the world, and it was so much that I forgot my father and my

mother, and if you press me, I nearly forgot God; and I wanted to

offer him my body along with everything I own. The second one

stands for all the grief he is causing me. The third one means

that I know well how little he loves me. Now you know completely

what the hairs mean, and with your wickedness you won't take them

with you."

She took them out of his hands, and very angrily tore them apart

and threw them on the ground, and tears burst from her eyes and

ran down her breasts. When Hippolytus saw that the princess had

become angry over such a slight matter, he said with a humble

expression:

"It's true that you were held in your mother's chamber, but you

were not violated. Tell me, my lady, how can you blame Tirant

for having attempted such a singular act? Who could condemn him

to any punishment? If he is lost, more than ten thousand

soldiers will be lost, and they will be sorely needed to bring

the war to a successful conclusion. Look how many men the King

of Sicily has at the service of Your Highness; and the

Grand-Master of Rhodes, the Viscount of Branches--how many men

he's brought. Well, if Tirant weren't here, none of those men

would stay. Then you'll see if Widow Repose will fight the

battles for you and your father."

To help Hippolytus in Tirant's favor, Plaerdemavida said:

"It would have been better for me if I had never known of Your

Majesty's existence. You don't love the person who deserves it

as you should. How can I serve you with a willing spirit if I

see such ingratitude in you? If Your Excellency could feel that

glory that many maidens have experienced, if God would grant that

I might show you the glory that lovers feel in this life, and the

pleasure it brings with it, then you would be worthy of being

among the privileged ones who have loved well, and you would be

deserving of eternal praises in this life. But Your Excellency

is like a person who smells the odor of meat but does not taste

it. If Your Highness would taste its sweetness and the pleasure

it brings in this instance, when you died you would rise again in

glorious renown. But my lady, since I see that you don't love my

lord Tirant, there's no reason for you to love any of his men.

There will come a time when you will cry over him and his

friends, and you'll tear your eyes from your face, and curse the

day and night for the rest of your life. I know that the day

Tirant can ride again, seeing Your Highness' great unhappiness he

will go back to his country, and all the others will follow him

because of the affection they have for him. You will be left all

alone as you deserve, and the entire empire will be lost. And

when you're dead and you appear before the judgment seat of your

Lord, He will ask for an account of your life with words like

these:

"'It was by My command that man was made in My image, and from

man's rib a female companion was made. And, moreover, I said:

Increase and multiply and fill the earth. Carmesina, I have

taken your brother from you so that you would be at the head of

the empire. Now tell me, what account do you give to me

concerning that which I encharged to you? Have you left behind

sons to defend the Catholic faith and increase the numbers of

Christians?' What are you going to answer?" said Plaerdemavida.

"Oh, my lady, you will not be able to give a good reply! I'll

tell you what your reply will be: 'Oh Lord, full of mercy and

pity! You Who are so merciful, forgive me!' And the guardian

angel will make you say these words: 'It is true, Lord, that I

loved a knight who was very virtuous in arms, whom Your Holy

Majesty sent to us to rescue Your Christian people from the hands

of the infidel. I loved him and I held him in great devotion,

and I wanted him for a husband, as my beloved. And I had a

maiden in my service whose name was Plaerdemavida, who always

gave me good advice and I did not want to accept it. She put him

in my bed one night and, like a fool, I cried out. And when I

realized what was happening I stopped shouting, and was quiet. A

widow who heard me scream began to cry out and woke up the entire

palace, so a great deal of anguish and pain followed because of

my fear. Later they begged me to give in to the knight, but I

never would.' And they'll have to leave you in hell along with

Widow Repose. And when I leave this life there will be a great

celebration in paradise, and they will give me a seat in the

eternal glory of the Highest, and as an obedient daughter I will

be crowned with the other saints."

The emperor entered the room without anyone seeing him. He

stayed near his daughter for a little while, and then he took

Hippolytus by the hand, and they spoke of the war and of the

captain's illness. As they were talking they passed through a

room where the empress was, and at that moment Hippolytus would

have liked to have been a day's journey away. When she saw him

she smiled and looked at him fondly. Then she got up from where

she was sitting and approached the emperor, and the three of them

stood, talking of many things. They dwelt especially on the

cruel misfortune in which their son departed from this miserable

world in the flower of his youth, and the empress began to cry.

Many old knights who formed part of the council entered the

chamber, and they consoled the empress. Then they told

Hippolytus of the great valor the emperor had shown when they

brought him the news that his son had died. The good man, on

hearing of the death of his son, had answered the cardinal and

the others who brought him the news:

"Be assured that what you are telling me is nothing new, because

I bore him to die. It is the law of nature to receive life, and

to relinquish it when it is asked of us."

The emperor withdrew to one side of the chamber to speak with

some of his council, and Hippolytus remained with the empress.

When she saw that he was silent she thought it must be because he

felt embarrassed. And she said:

"Although I can't speak to you in as fine a manner as I would

like, you will understand it much better than my lips could

express it. I beg you to tell me who made you say what you did.

Tell me if it came from your master Tirant, so that if I decided

to love you he could make better use of the power that he wants.

I'm dying to know."

Hippolytus quickly replied, lowering his voice:

"I'll tell you everything. I was with the emperor, and we came

into these chambers, and when I saw Your Majesty I nearly fell to

the ground. I was afraid the emperor would notice, because at

that moment fear and shame were battling within me. Afterward I

sighed, and I saw that Your Highness was laughing pleasantly at

my sigh. My lady, I beg you not to make me say anything further,

but command me to do anything dangerous, and Your Majesty will

see how steadfast Hippolytus is. As for what Your Majesty said

about Tirant, I swear to you that neither Tirant nor my confessor

(which is even worse) knew any such thing about me."

"Hippolytus, you must tell me your thoughts openly. Love doesn't

recognize nobility, lineage or equality; it doesn't differentiate

between people in high and low positions. You can be sure that

no matter how criminal your words were, I wouldn't tell them to

the emperor or to anyone else on earth."

Hippolytus plucked up his courage, and in a whisper, he said:

"Because of my great attraction for you, my lady, I often wanted

to reveal my deep love for Your Majesty. But fear stopped me

from telling you my feelings until now, since you are the most

excellent of all things excellent. But if love makes me speak

indiscreetly, you must suffer it patiently, and must punish me

with tender words. Tell me, I beg you, how I must behave in your

honor."

The empress replied:

"You've given my heart many worries and cares. I'm wondering

what has given you hope of having me since the distance between

our ages is so great. If it became known, what would they say

about me? That I've fallen in love with my grandson. Any maiden

would be overjoyed to be loved by you. But I would rather

someone else had your love, without any crime or infamy, than for

me to perish because of love."

The empress could say no more since the emperor had gotten up

from where he was sitting. He went over to the empress and took

her by the hand, and they went in to dine.

That night Hippolytus could not talk to the princess, but he

spoke with Plaerdemavida, and she said to him:

"What were you talking to the empress about for so long? You two

are always together."

"It's nothing," said Hippolytus. "She was just asking about our

captain."

Early the next day, Hippolytus left without a reply from the

princess. When Tirant saw him, he said:

"It's been five days since I've seen you."

"My lord," said Hippolytus, "the emperor made me stay there, and

so did the princess, and while we were out walking we talked

about you. Everyone intends to come see you. That's why the

princess decided not to give you any answer, because her visit

will be so soon."

Tirant said:

"That is very good news."

He had the doctors come, and begged them to take him to the city

since he was feeling so well.

"I can tell you, truly, that I'll get better in one day in the

city than I could here in ten. Do you know why? I was born and

raised near the sea, and sea air is very healthy for me."

All the doctors agreed, and two of them went to tell the emperor.

The emperor then rode to where the captain was, and Tirant was

taken to the city in four days in a bier carried on the shoulders

of four men.

When he was in his chambers, the empress and all her ladies went

to see him. They were very happy that he was feeling better, and

all the ladies from the palace as well as the city often visited

him. But the empress, who was warned by one of her maidens she

trusted much more than the others, seldom left her daughter alone

when she was in Tirant's room, and so they had little time to

talk about their love. In the meantime Plaerdemavida came every

day, trying to find a way for the battle to come to a conclusion.

Let us stop talking about Tirant now, and return to the

encampment.

When the truce ended, the war began, cruel and savage, for the

Turks knew about Tirant's injury. Every day they came near the

city of Saint George where the camp was, and every day there

were fierce battles, and many men from both sides were killed.

Each day the emperor wrote to them to tell them how Tirant was,

and to encourage them. He told them that Tirant was getting out

of bed now to strengthen his leg and to help him recover. They

all felt comforted, especially the Duke of Macedonia, who loved

him dearly.

Tirant was getting better daily, and he could walk through his

chambers with the aid of a staff. Almost every day the ladies

came to see him and keep him company, and the princess

entertained him. And do not think that Tirant wanted to be

healed very soon; this was because of the lovely sight that he

had daily of the princess. He had few thoughts about going to

war; instead it was his wish to fulfill his desire with his lady,

and as for the war--let someone go there who wanted to.

As the emperor and the empress were in Tirant's room, he could

not talk to the princess without being overheard by the empress.

So he called Hippolytus and quietly said to him:

"Go outside and then come back in shortly and go to the empress's

side. Start talking to her about whatever you think will please

her most, and I will see if I can talk to the princess about my

love for her."

Hippolytus returned as he had agreed, and went to the empress,

and quietly said to her:

"I always want to be near Your Excellency. This is because I

love you so much, and I beg you to grant me a boon that will

increase my honor and my fame. If I am loved by Your Majesty,

then there will be no one more fortunate than I."

And he said no more.

The empress replied:

"Your great virtue is making me go beyond the bounds of chastity.

If you swear to me by all that is holy that you will say nothing

of this to the emperor or to anyone, you will have everything you

like. In the still of night wait for me quietly on the roof near

my chamber. And if you come, have no doubts, for I love you

dearly, and I will not be late unless death itself stands in my

way."

Hippolytus tried to tell her about one thing he was afraid of,

and the empress told him that to think of every possible danger

was a sign of weakness in spirit.

"Do what I tell you, and don't worry about another thing now."

Hippolytus answered:

"My lady, I will be happy to do everything Your Majesty commands

me."

When they had finished their conversation the empress left

Tirant's lodgings with all the other ladies. And when they were

in the palace, the empress said:

"Let us go visit the emperor."

When they were together with him they conversed pleasantly.

Afterward the empress stood up, feeling the anguish of her new

love, and she said to Carmesina:

"Stay here with these maidens and keep your father company."

The empress then went to her chambers and told her maidens to

have the stewards come, as she wanted to change the satin

curtains and put up others fringed in silk, saying:

"The emperor told me that he would like to come here, and I want

to entertain him a little since he has not come for a long time."

She quickly had the entire chamber furnished with linens of silk

brocade. Then she had the chamber and the bed sprinkled with

perfume.

After they had eaten, the empress retired, saying she had a

headache, and in everyone's presence a maiden named Eliseu said

to her:

"My lady, does Your Highness want me to call the doctors to help

minister to you?"

"Do as you like," said the empress, "but summon them in such a

way that the emperor does not find out, so that he will have no

excuse for not coming tonight,"

The doctors came quickly and took her pulse, and they found it

very rapid, because she hoped to do battle with a young knight,

and she was fearful. The doctors said:

"My lady, Your Majesty should take a few sweetened

hemp-seeds with a glass of malmsey: that will help your headache

and make you sleep."

"As far as sleeping is concerned, I don't think I'll do much of

that with my illness. The way I'm feeling I'll probably be

tossing and turning all over the bed."

"My lady," said the doctors, "if that happens to Your Majesty,

send for us right away. Or if you wish we'll stand watch at the

door to your chamber or there inside so that we can look at your

face from time to time.

And we'll do this all night long."

"I won't accept that offer right now," said the empress. "I want

the whole bed to myself, and I don't want any of you looking at

my face. The illness I have won't stand for anybody to be

watching."

The doctors left. When they were at the door they told her not

to forget the comfits and to moisten them well with malmsey. The

empress was so obedient that she ate a large box of them. Then

she had her bed sprinkled with perfume, and she had civet put on

the sheets and pillows. When this was done and she was perfumed,

she told her maidens to go to sleep and to close the door to

their chamber.

In the empress's chamber there was a sitting room where she

always went to dress, and in the sitting room was a door that

opened out to the roof where Hippolytus was. When she got out of

bed Eliseu heard her and quickly got up, thinking something was

wrong, and when she was in the chamber she said:

"Why did Your Highness get out of bed? Are you feeling worse?"

"No," said the empress. "I'm fine, but I forgot to say the

devout prayer that I always pray every night."

Eliseu said:

"My lady, would you be so kind as to tell it to me?"

"I'll be happy to," said the empress. "This is it: At night, at

the first star you see, you must kneel down on the ground and say

three 'Our Fathers' and three 'Hail Marys' in reverence to the

three Kings of the Orient, that just as they were guided and

guarded while they were watching and sleeping, and when they were

in the hands of King Herod, that they will give you grace to be

free from infancy and so that all your affairs will be prosperous

and increase in all that is good. Now don't disturb me in my

devotions."

The maiden went to her bed and the empress went into the sitting

room. When she saw that the maiden was in bed she put a dress of

green velvet lined with sable on over her chemise. Then she

opened the door to the roof and saw Hippolytus crouched down so

that no one would see him. That made her very pleased as she

thought that her honor would be safe. When Hippolytus saw her,

he got up quickly and went to her. He knelt on the ground and

kissed her hands and tried to kiss her feet. But the worthy lady

would not permit it, and instead kissed him again and again on

the mouth. She then took his hand and showed him great love and

told him to come to her chamber. Hippolytus said:

"My lady, Your Majesty must excuse me, but I will not go to your

chamber until my desire has a taste of its future glory."

And he took her in his arms, and laid her on the floor, and there

they enjoyed the climax of their love.

Afterward they went into the sitting room very happily.

Hippolytus, with great joy, gave her true peace, and with a happy

spirit and loving expression, he said:

"If I dared to say what glory I feel at this moment with the

great perfection I've found in Your Majesty, I don't believe my

tongue would have enough power to express it."

The empress, smiling, replied:

"Although my mind finds itself tormented, I will not complain

about you, or even less about God or myself, because I have been

able to win you."

"My lady," said Hippolytus, "now is not the time for words. Let

us go to bed, and there we will speak of other matters that will

increase your delight, and will be of great consolation to me."

After he had said this, Hippolytus quickly stood naked. Then he

went to the genteel lady and removed the clothing she had on so

that she was left in her chemise. And whoever saw her in this

way would recognize that she was like a maiden, and that she

possessed as much beauty as can be found in this world. Her

daughter, Carmesina, resembled her in many ways, but not in all,

for this lady's beauty, in her time, surpassed that of her

daughter. The young gallant took her by the arm and placed her

on the bed, and there they remained, talking and sporting as

lovers do. When half the night had passed, the lady heaved a

deep sigh.

"Why is Your Majesty sighing" said Hippolytus. "Is it because I

did not satisfy you?"

"It is quite the opposite," said the empress. "The feelings I

have toward you have increased even more. At first I thought of

you as a good man, and now I find you much better and more

valiant. The reason for my sighing has been only that I am

grieved because they will hold you as a heretic."

"What, my lady!" said Hippolytus. "Why should I be considered a

heretic?"

"Because," said the empress, "you have fallen in love with your

mother."

"'My lady,"' said Hippolytus, "no one knows how worthy you are

but me."

The two lovers spoke of these things and of many others, with all

the delights and sweet words that two people in love enjoy. They

did not sleep the whole night through, and morning was nearly

upon them. The empress had spoken the truth when she told the

doctors that she would sleep very little that night. Now, tired

from staying awake, they slept, for the new day had arrived.

When the day was fully upon them the maiden Eliseu, who was

completely dressed by now, entered the empress's chambers to ask

her how she was, and if she wanted anything. When she approached

the bed she saw a man lying at the side of the empress, her arm

under the gallant's head, and his mouth to her breast.

"Oh, Holy Mary help me!" said Eliseo. "Who is this traitor who

has deceived my lady?" She was tempted to cry out, loudly: "Kill

the traitor who, by cunning and deception, has entered this

chamber to possess the delights of this bed!" Then she thought

that no one would be so bold as to enter there against the

empress's will. She tried as hard as she could to see who it

was, but it was impossible because he had his head hidden. She

was afraid that the other maidens might enter the chamber to wait

on the empress as they usually did, so Eliseu went in to where

they were sleeping, and said to them:

"My lady bids you not to leave the room so that you will not make

any noise, because sleep has not yet satisfied her eyes."

After half an hour had passed the doctors came to see how the

empress was. The maiden went to the door and said the lady was

resting because during the night she had been a little ill.

"We will stay here," said the doctors, "until Her Majesty

awakens. That is the emperor's command."

The maiden did not know how to remedy the situation, nor whether

she should awaken her or not. She was filled with indecision

until the emperor knocked on the chamber door. The maiden,

upset, and without sufficient patience or discretion, went

anxiously to the bed and cried out, softly:

"Wake up, my lady, wake up! Death is approaching! Your poor

husband is knocking at the door and he knows that you have

offended him. Who is this cruel man who lies at your side and

brings so much grief? Is he an unknown king? I pray to God

Almighty that I will see him with a crown of fire on his head.

If he is a duke I hope to see him end his days in prison. If he

is a marquis, I hope to see his hands and feet eaten. If he is a

count, he should die by evil weapons. If he is a viscount, may a

Turk's sword slice him through from his head down to his navel.

And if he is a knight, sailing at the sea's will, may he end his

days in the deep."

When the empress found herself awakened by such an evil noise,

which was worse than a trumpet, she lay motionless, unable to

utter a word. Hippolytus did not understand the maiden's words,

but he did understand her tone of voice. And so that no one

would recognize him, he put his head under the blanket. When he

saw what great anguish his lady was in he put his arm around her

and made her duck under the blanket, asking her why she was so

frightened.

"Oh, my son!" said the empress. "Get up: the emperor is at the

door, and your life and mine are in God's hands at this very

moment. And if I cannot speak to you, or you to me, forgive me

with all your heart, as I do you, because now I see that this day

has been the beginning and the end of all happiness and delight,

and the final hour of your life and mine."

When Hippolytus heard the empress saying these words, he began to

feel very sorry for himself, because he had never been in a

situation like this before. Young as he was, he joined the

empress, serving her up tears instead of advice and aid. But he

begged the maiden to bring him the sword that was in the sitting

room, and plucking up his courage, he said:

"Here I shall become a martyr before Your Majesty, and deliver up

my spirit."

At that instant the empress heard no noise whatsoever, and she

said to Hippolytus:

"Go hide in that sitting room, my son. I will delay them, and

you can escape with your life."

"I wouldn't abandon Your Majesty even if they gave me the whole

Greek Empire four times over. I will give my life and everything

I have before I leave Your Highness, and I beg you to kiss me as

a token of faith," said Hippolytus.

When the empress heard these words her pain increased, and with

the increase of pain she felt her love increasing. As she heard

no noise at all she went to the chamber door to see if she could

hear soldiers or some other bad sign. Through a small crack in

the door she saw the emperor and the doctors discussing her

illness, and she realized that there was no danger. She ran back

to Hippolytus and pulling his ears, she kissed him hard. Then

she said:

"My son, by the great love I have for you I beg you to go into

that sitting room until I can make up an excuse for the emperor

and the doctors."

"My lady," said Hippolytus, "in all things I will be more

obedient to you than if you had bought me as a captive, but don't

ask me to leave here, because I don't know if they will harm

you."

"Don't worry," said the empress. "It's not what Eliseu told me,

at all. There would be a great uproar in the palace if it were."

Hippolytus quickly went into the sitting room, and the empress

got back into her bed and had the doors to the chamber opened.

The emperor and the doctors went to her bed and asked about her

illness and how she had spent the night. The empress answered

that her headache and the pain in her stomach had not let her

sleep all night long, and she had not been able to rest until the

stars in the sky had disappeared.

"Then, since I could no longer stay awake, I slept, and now I

feel much happier than before. And I believe that if that

pleasant dream had lasted longer, I would feel even better. But

in this world a person cannot be completely happy: with the

painful awakening this maiden has given me, my spirit is in more

anguish than I can say. If I could go back to the way I was, it

would be a great consolation to me. I could touch and hold in my

arms the things I love and have loved most in this world."

The emperor said:

"Tell me, my lady, what was it that you held in your arms?"

The empress answered:

"My lord, the greatest blessing that I have ever had in the

world. I fell asleep, and soon it seemed to me that I was up on

the roof in my chemise, saying the prayer that I always pray to

the three Kings of the Orient. And when I had finished the

blessed prayer, I heard a voice telling me: 'Do not go, for in

this place you will possess the grace you are asking for.' And

soon I saw my beloved son coming toward me, accompanied by many

gentlemen, all dressed in white, and they held Hippolytus by the

hand. Surrounding me, the two of them caught up my hands and

kissed them, and they wanted to kiss my feet, but I would not let

them. And as we sat on the roof we exchanged many words which

gave me great delight, and they were so many and so delicious

that they will always remain in my heart. Afterward we entered

the chamber, and I held him by the hand. My son and I got into

bed, and I put my right arm around his shoulders, and his mouth

kissed my breasts. I have never had such a pleasant sleep. And

my son said to me, 'My lady, since you cannot have me in this

miserable world, take my brother Hippolytus as your son, for I

love him as much as I love Carmesina.' And when he said these

words he was lying beside me, and Hippolytus was obediently

kneeling in the middle of the chamber. I asked him where his

room was, and he told me that he was among the martyred knights

in paradise, because he had died in battle against the infidel.

And I could not ask him more because Eliseu woke me up with a

sound more strident than a trumpet."

"Didn't I say," said the emperor, "that all her talk was only

about her son?"

"Oh, my lord," said the empress, "it has hurt no one more than

me. I held him in this arm; his pleasant mouth was touching my

breasts; and the dreams you have in the morning often come true.

I think he still may not have left. I would like to try to go

back to sleep to see if he will talk to me again."

"I beg you," said the emperor, "put this madness out of your

head, and get up out of bed."

"I beg you, my lord," said the empress, "for my health and

pleasure, let me rest a little. My eyes are clouded from lack of

sleep."

"My lord," said the doctors, "it would be better if Your Majesty

would leave and we let her sleep, because if we take this

pleasure from her it would not be surprising if her illness got

much worse."

The emperor left, and so did all the maidens in the chamber

except Eliseu. When the doors were closed the empress had

Hippolytus come back in, and she said to the maiden:

"Since fortune has permitted you to know about this matter, I

command you to serve Hippolytus, even more than myself, with all

your heart. Stay in that sitting room until we have slept a

little. I shall favor you more highly than all the others, and I

will marry you to a man of higher station than the others.

Afterward Hippolytus will give you so many of his possessions

that you will be very satisfied."

"Heaven help me," said Eliseu, "but I have no desire to serve

Hippolytus, and even less to love and honor him, but since Your

Majesty commands me, I'll do it. Otherwise I wouldn't stoop to

the floor to pick up a needle for him. I tell you, since the

time I saw him lying next to Your Majesty, I have never felt more

ill will for any man in the world than I feel for him. I would

like to see a lion eat up his eyes, his face, and all the rest of

him!"

Hippolytus answered:

"Maiden, I never meant to make you angry. I want to love you and

do more for you than for all the other maidens in the world."

"Do it for the others," said Eliseu, "but don't bother with me.

I don't want anything that belongs to you."

And she quickly went into the sitting room, and began to cry.

The two lovers stayed in bed so long that it was nearly time for

Vespers when they got up, and they found the maiden still crying.

When she saw them coming into the sitting room she stopped her

wailing, and the empress consoled her and begged her not to say

anything about what Hippolytus had done.

"My lady," said the maiden, "Your Majesty needn't worry about me.

I would die before I'd tell anybody anything without your

command. As for the second thing, have no fear: I will serve

Hippolytus in every way I can, out of consideration for Your

Majesty."

The empress was satisfied, and she left Hippolytus in the sitting

room and went back to her bed. Then she commanded the chamber

doors to be opened. Soon her daughter was there, along with all

the maidens, the emperor and the doctors. And again she told

them about her pleasant dream.

The meal was served, and the empress ate like someone who was

tired from walking a long distance. The maiden was diligent in

serving Hippolytus, and she gave him some pheasants to eat. And

when he did not want to eat, she begged him on behalf of her

lady. Hippolytus spoke to her and joked, but she would not

answer him unless it was something to do with her service.

Here was the empress, not moving from her bed until the following

day when the emperor had already eaten lunch. After she had

dressed she went to chapel to hear mass, and there was a great

dispute among the priests as to whether they should read the

scriptures, because it was already past noon.

Hippolytus remained in the sitting room with this pleasure for a

week. When the lady saw that he was quite exhausted, she asked

him to leave, telling him to return to her chamber another day

after he had rested, and he could take her as he pleased. And

from a box where she kept her jewelry the empress took out a gold

chain, and put it around his neck, saying:

"Pray God that I may live, Hippolytus, because I will be

surprised if I don't put a crown on your head before many years

have passed. Now, for love of me, wear this. Since it will be

in view you will remember someone who loves you as much as she

does her own life."

Hippolytus knelt to the ground, thanked her, and kissed her hand

and her mouth and said:

"My lady, how could Your Majesty deprive yourself of such an

exquisite jewel to give it to me? If it were mine I would give

it to Your Highness where it would be put to better use. I beg

you to keep it."

The empress answered:

"Hippolytus, never refuse what your lover gives you."

"Then, my lady, how will you command my life? What do you want

me to do?"

"I beg you to leave. I am terribly afraid that tomorrow the

emperor may enter this sitting room and find you here. Go now,

and let this fear of mine pass. There will be other days when

you can return."

Let us leave these endearments of hers for Hippolytus now, and

return to Tirant to see how his love is doing. When his leg was

mended he often went to the palace without anyone's help. His

only obstacle was that the doctors would not let him go as often

as he would have liked. The emperor often asked them how many

days it would be before he would be entirely well so that he

could leave for battle. They told him that he would soon be well

enough to ride. When Tirant knew how much the emperor wanted him

to go, he felt great anguish because he could not have his desire

or at least some contact with the princess.

The passion that the Widow carried inside had not been revealed

until that time. But when she learned from the emperor that

Tirant would be leaving soon, she thought that she might be able

to persuade him to take her along to the camp with the excuse

that she would serve him there. And if this was impossible, her

diabolical plans were to spread a seed throughout the court

called discord. She went to the princess and said:

"Did you know, my lady, that Tirant told me as we were leaving

mass that he wanted to talk to me. I told him that I would be

glad to talk to him if I could have Your Majesty's permission. I

think he realizes that he will be leaving soon, and he wants to

see if he can commit some treachery against Your Highness. He is

thinking to himself: If he can do it, well and good, and if he

can't, then when he's gone he'll forget all about you. He told

me the other day that that's the way he is, and he laughed as

though he had said something wonderful."

"Then let's do this," said the princess. "You go talk to him,

and we'll see if there is some treachery in his heart. Your

advice is good: I should be careful with him."

"But, my lady," said the Widow, "if I'm to find out what's really

in his heart, you must not leave this room until I come back."

The Widow went out, called a page and told him:

"Tell Tirant that the princess is here, in this chamber, and is

very anxious to talk to him."

The page quickly went to tell him. When Tirant heard that his

lady had asked him to come, he did not wait for anyone to go with

him. The Widow was watching carefully to see when he would come,

and as soon as she saw him she pretended to be coming out of the

princess's chamber at that very moment, and she went up to him

and said:

"Unfortunately, the empress just took the princess to her

chambers, and they are talking right now. I asked her to send

for you because just as Jesus Christ enlightened his disciples,

so you spread light to everyone whenever you are in the palace,

and as soon as you leave we feel sad. The princess told me to

come and keep you company until the empress is gone. So let's

sit down until Her Highness comes: I don't want you to hurt your

leg on my account."

They sat in the drawing room, and Tirant said:

"Calling to mind, my lady, what you just said to me, the

consolation you feel when you see me, I thank you very much for

saying that. Take this chain as proof of my affection, I beg

you, so that when you look at it you'll think of me, because I

want to do a great deal for you."

The Widow answered:

"There's no one who doesn't know how you hurt your leg, but

because of their situation they don't want to offend you or make

you angry, and because of the war they hide their feelings and

pretend not to know anything. If they were certain there would

be peace, Carmesina would be the first to throw you into

everlasting and bitter grief. Are you so blind that you can't

see the dishonest things that are plotted and carried out in this

palace? It all seems so vile and abominable to me that I won't

agree to any of it. That's why they don't like me. I know for a

fact that you're not highly regarded the way you should be. Tell

me, wouldn't it be better for you to love a woman who was expert

in the art of loving, and very honest, even if she weren't a

virgin? She would follow you across the sea and over land, in

war and in peace. She would serve you in your tents both night

and day, and would never think of anything but how to please

you."

"Tell me, my lady," said Tirant, "who is the woman who would

perform such remarkable services for me?"

"Oh, wretched me!" said the Widow. "Why are you trying to make

me suffer more than I already do? Haven't I said enough? Don't

pretend that you don't understand what's so clear. I've tried to

find a time when we wouldn't be interrupted by anyone to reveal

my pain to you. It seems to me that I've made my intention known

to you very clearly, and the knight who is so graciously offered

such a gift can feel very fortunate."

Tirant did not hesitate to reply:

"To satisfy you, I'll answer your kind words. It makes me angry

that I can't do what you are asking because your words are filled

with so much love. But my free will is captive, and even if I

wanted to, my five senses would not allow it."

"Everything I've told you was only to test your patience, and to

show you, Lord Tirant, how much I want to serve you. I think you

should be aware of all the things you don't know. I don't want

you to be deceived by the princess's actions: she no longer has

any honor, and she has none of her father's or her mother's honor

either. She could have satisfied her appetites honestly with a

valiant and virtuous knight like you, or with many others who are

in love with her, but the sky, the earth, the sea and the sands

abominate the sin she has committed (and still commits daily).

Only Our Lord would permit such an abominable crime of adultery

without punishing her! If you knew what I know you would spit in

her face.

But why should I try to exaggerate such an ugly crime with

unnecessary words? She has become involved with Lauseta--that's

his name. He's a black slave, a Moorish gardener who takes care

of the orchard. And don't think, your grace, that all these

things I've told you are simply fables, because I'll let you see

it with your own eyes. She has made me live with this enormous

pain for a long time. How many kinds of herbs have I gone to

pick, and then placed them inside her to destroy the fetus in her

infamous stomach! Oh wretch, the poor thing was punished because

of my sin! And its body wasn't buried, but instead made its trip

down the river. What else could I do so that the grandchild

would not be seen by the emperor, its grandfather? She has the

pleasure, if it can be called that, and I have the blame."

Tirant, with all the melancholy he felt, said:

"Widow, your words have gone straight to my miserable heart.

They hurt me more deeply than I have ever been hurt before. I

beg you, virtuous lady, show me the cause of my pain, because

otherwise I couldn't believe words that sound so unreasonable.

It seems impossible that such a celestial person would freely

place her beauty in the hands of a black savage."

Then he was silent. Widow Repose was very worried because Tirant

did not fully believe her false words. During this conversation

the emperor came into the chamber, and when he saw Tirant, he

took him by the hand, and they both went into a room to talk

about the war. The Widow was left alone, and she began to say to

herself:

"Since Tirant did not believe me, this deception I have planned

won't succeed. But I'll make him give in to me, even if I have

to sell my soul to the devil to do it."

Furious, she swept into the princess's chamber. Then, feigning

laughter, she showed her the gold chain Tirant had given her, and

she said:

"You'd be astonished, my lady, if you knew his latest whim. He

wants to bring a galley here, and carry you off to his land by

force."

And she continued to invent stories almost in mockery. When the

princess saw that she was mocking Tirant, she became inwardly

very angry, and she left and went to her sitting room. She began

to think a great deal about Tirant and how deeply she loved him,

and of the gifts that he gave to her ladies because of her. The

thought of how much she loved him made her reflect deeply, and

brought her bitter pain. After thinking for a long time, she

dressed and went out to the hall to talk to Tirant, because she

knew that he would soon have to leave for the field of battle.

Widow Repose waited for Tirant, and said to him:

"My captain, I would like to have your word that you will not

tell the princess, even in jest, what I said to you. Before

twenty-four hours have gone by I will let you see it with your

own eyes."

"Widow," said Tirant, "I will be very happy if you show me. And

so that you will have complete confidence in me, I promise by the

blessed Saint George, in whose name I hold the honor of

chivalry, not to tell a soul."

As the emperor turned he saw the Widow, and said to her:

"Go quickly and tell the empress and my daughter to go to the

orchard right away. I'll be waiting for them there."

Soon all the ladies were with the emperor, and they talked about

many things, including how the emperor had sent the order to the

camp for two thousand lancers to come and accompany the captain.

When the princess heard the news she became very agitated, and

pretending that she had a headache, she said:

"I will not deprive myself just because the captain is here; I'll

let my hair down even though he's present."

Then she let down all her hair, allowing it to hang loose--and it

was the most beautiful hair any maiden ever had. When Tirant saw

it in all its splendor he was astonished, and his love doubled in

strength. The princess was dressed that day in a skirt of white

damask. At that moment her hands were struggling with the cord

of her skirt, and she seemed to be in great anguish as she walked

alone through the orchard. The emperor tried to question her

about her illness, and asked if she wanted the doctors to come.

She answered no, that:

"My illness requires neither doctors nor medicine."

At this moment Widow Repose got up from where she was sitting,

and taking a companion and two squires along as her escorts, she

went to a painter's house and told him:

"Since the festival of Corpus Christi is near, I would like to

put on a play. You're the best painter in the world: Could you

make a mask of flesh color according to my instructions? It

should be over a fine, black skin that would look like Lauseta,

the gardener of our orchard. It should have hair on its face,

some white and some black, and I'll put gloves on my hands so

that I will appear entirely black."

"Madam," answered the painter, "that can be done, but I have a

great deal of work right now. However, if you pay me well, I'll

put aside all my other work so that I can serve you."

The Widow reached into her purse and gave him thirty ducats in

gold so that he would do a good job. And he made it with the

exact shape and features of Lauseta.

When the princess had strolled through the garden at length, she

saw Lauseta pruning an orange tree, because it was his job to

work in the garden, and she went up to him to talk to him. The

Widow, who had returned by now, was watching Tirant, and she made

a sign to him so that he would notice that his lady was talking

to the Negro, Lauseta. Tirant turned around (for he was at the

emperor's side), and saw the princess speaking animatedly with

the black gardener, and he said to himself:

"Oh, that wicked Widow! She's still trying to make me believe

that what she told me is the truth! No matter what she says or

does, no one can tell me that the princess would do such a

terrible thing, and nothing in the world will make me believe it

unless I see it with my own eyes."

At that moment the emperor called a maiden and said to her:

"Come here, Praxidis,"--for that was her name. "Go over to my

daughter and ask her to call the captain and tell him that she

wants him to leave for the camp soon. Often young knights will

do more for ladies than they will for themselves."

The princess replied that she would, since His Majesty had asked

her to. After she had spent a while talking with Lauseta about

the orange trees and the myrtles, she went back to strolling

through the garden. When she was near the emperor she called to

Tirant and told him that she was tired, and she asked him to take

her arm so they could walk through the garden together. God

knows how happy Tirant felt when the princess said this to him.

And when they were some distance from the others, Tirant said:

"I have only you in my thoughts now, and I spend day and night

thinking of you. If fortune would like to have a little pity on

me, let it allow me to have only a part of my desire, because

then I will become the most glorious knight who ever lived. All

I need is a little hope from Your Excellency."

The virtuous lady kept her pain secret, and replied:

"Tirant, my lord, harbor no doubt whatsoever about what I tell

you, because even if I have occasionally been cruel with you, I

don't want you to think I have not always been with you in

spirit. I have always loved you and looked on you as a god, and

I can tell you that as my age increases so does my love. And now

the time has come when you can know fully whether I love you,

for I want to give you the prize of your love. And I beg you,

please, to guard my honor as you do your own life."

Tirant's heart was filled with happiness when he saw that this

lofty lady had shown her great love for him, and that he was on

the path of possessing the crown of the Empire of Greece. He

felt that he could conquer the entire world, and he wanted to

tell his cousin Diafebus, the Duke of Macedonia, about it,

because he thought everyone would feel just as delighted as he

did. And as a greater pledge, he took out a reliquary he

carried, and he made the princess place her hands there, asking

her to declare that she would marry him, and she very happily

swore it. Then Tirant said:

"My lady, I make the same oath to be faithful and true to you and

never to forget you for anyone else in the world."

When all this had been done, Tirant knelt down on the ground to

kiss her hands because he was more afraid of offending her than

of a saint. The princess said:

"To keep my honor and my reputation I am holding back what you

most desire. After your great victory, we will take that sweet,

delicious fruit of love which is plucked in matrimony, and you

will wear the crown of the Empire of Greece."

In a trembling voice, Tirant said:

"I am so anxious to have what I desire most in the world that

every hour I wait seems like a thousand years. I would like to

change that future time to the present."

The princess, with a kind face, quickly answered:

"I cannot completely resist your entreaties without offending

you. But shame and fear hold me back, telling me to keep myself

from losing what I will never be able to recover. I beg you, let

us leave this conversation so the emperor will not begin to

wonder about me. You talk to Plaerdemavida, and whatever you

decide I will agree to."

They kissed many times without anyone seeing them, because the

orange trees were between them and the emperor, and protected

them from everyone's view. When they returned to the emperor,

the princess saw him deep in thought and said to him:

"My lord, what are you thinking about?"

The emperor answered:

"My daughter, I want to hold a celebration tomorrow in Tirant's

honor. For every battle he has won on land and on sea, I want

that many flags placed in our Church of Santa Sofia, and for

every castle, villa and city he has conquered, I want that many

standards placed around the high altar with Tirant's coat of

arms. For he has brought this empire so many benefits, showing

himself to be truly a lover of the public good and a conqueror of

the world."

The emperor sent for all those in his council and told them what

he wanted, and they all praised him, saying it would be a very

good thing to do. When they had made their calculations they

found that in four and one half years he had conquered three

hundred seventy-two villas, cities and castles.

When the emperor held his council and Tirant found out that he

was discussing these things, he did not want to be present, and

he went to his chambers. On leaving the orchard, Tirant said to

Hippolytus:

"Tell Plaerdemavida to go out to the great hall. I have to talk

to her."

Hippolytus took the message, and she quickly went there. Tirant

embraced her, and smiling, he took her hand. When they had sat

down by a window he said:

"I have been with Her Highness and we have exchanged many words

of love, and she promised to do whatever you and I decided. I

was to tell you all my concerns, and tonight I would speak with

Her Majesty. We held hands and solemnly swore that as long as

she and I should live I would be her servant, husband and lord,

and I would have a resting place of perpetual glory and delight

in her chambers, in her bed."

Plaerdemavida listened to Tirant. She thought for a moment, and

then said:

"I was not born among the lower classes in Rome. My mother was

born in that city, and my ancestors were noble citizens of Rome.

Tirant, lord of the world, why did you speak to me so timidly?

Is your grace unaware of what you have in me? My heart, my body,

my will and all my thoughts have no other purpose in this world

than to serve your grace. I won't say anything more to you

because a knight who is waiting to go into battle shouldn't be

worn out by words. But when the emperor is dining I'll go to

your rooms and give you news that will please you very much."

Then Tirant kissed her eyes and her face with great joy. He left

her, and Plaerdemavida went back to the garden where she found

the princess with the emperor. The emperor went into the upper

chambers, and Plaerdemavida and the princess entertained

themselves and decided what time Tirant should come. The

princess told her everything that she had said and done with

Tirant, and Plaerdemavida was very glad to see how happy her lady

was.

The hour arrived when the emperor was to dine, and Tirant did not

forget to go to the palace quickly. He met Plaerdemavida coming

down the stairs to his quarters. She told him how it was to be

done, and what time he should come. Then they went back the way

they had come.

After everyone in the palace had retired and was asleep, the

princess got up from her bed, and the only ones with her were

Plaerdemavida and another named Lady Montblanc who knew all about

the affair. The princess put on a dress that the emperor had

ordered made for her wedding. Neither he nor anyone else had

ever seen it, and it was the most beautiful dress anyone had ever

seen at that time. Her gown was of crimson satin embroidered

with pearls. Her mantle was lined with ermine, and on her head

she wore a stunning imperial crown. Plaerdemavida and Lady

Montblanc took lighted torches in their hands, and waited for

Tirant to come. When the clock struck eleven (which was the

hour that he was awaiting so anxiously), he quickly went to the

garden gate. Climbing the stairs to the sitting room, he found

Lady Montblanc with the lighted torch, and as soon as she saw him

she knelt before him and said:

"Of knights, the best, and the most beloved in the world by a

beautiful lady."

And Tirant replied:

"Maiden, may your wishes be fulfilled."

They both went up to the sitting room and waited there until

Plaerdemavida came in, happier and more content than Paris was

when he carried off Helen. They went into one chamber while the

princess was coming in from another door, and they met very

happily, and Tirant knelt on the ground, and she did likewise.

They remained like this for some time. Then they kissed, and

their kiss was so delicious that one could have walked a mile

while they had their lips pressed together. Plaerdemavida saw

the danger in their dilatoriness, and went up to them and said:

"I declare you good and loyal lovers, but I will not leave this

battlefield until you are lying in bed together. And I won't

deem you a knight if you make peace before spilling blood."

They stood up, and the princess took the crown from her head and

placed it on Tirant's head. Then she fell to her knees and said:

"Oh Lord God, Jesus Christ, all powerful and merciful, Who,

having pity on mankind, came down from heaven to earth and took

on human form in the virgin womb of the most Holy Virgin Mary,

Your Mother and Our Lady, and Who died on the tree of the true

cross to redeem the sins of mankind, and came back to life on the

third day by Your own power, in a glorified body, true God and

true man! May it please Your most Holy Majesty to allow my lord

Tirant to possess this crown, with the title and reign over all

the Empire of Greece, after the death of my father, inasmuch as

Your divine goodness has granted him the grace to have retaken it

and freed it from the infidel. And may this be done in honor,

praise and glory of Your most Holy Majesty and of Your most Holy

Mother, and for the benefit of the holy Catholic faith."

When she had finished her prayer, the princess got up and took

some scales that the emperor used for weighing gold coins, and

she said:

"My lord Tirant, good fortune has decided that on this day I will

submit to your power of my own free will, and without my mother's

and father's consent, or that of the people of Greece. Here I

hold some scales of perfection: on the right side is love, honor

and chastity; on the other side is shame, infamy and grief.

Choose which of these pleases you most, Tirant."

As one who always wished to serve honor, Tirant took the scale on

the right hand side, and said:

"Before I was given news of Your Majesty I had heard of your

virtues, which as I now know would be too many to mention. For

Your Highness practices virtue continually and has such great

beauty that it is far greater than that of all other ladies in

the world."

Then, holding up the scale on the right, he said:

"I place love and honor above the crown and the scale with all

the firmness that it has. And I beg you dearly to speak no more

of this. Rather, with true will, let our marriage take place."

The princess answered:

"You have embraced the scale of love and honor. Now I beg you to

preserve my chastity, and for the present do not violate it.

Otherwise, what will the emperor say, and my mother, and the

entire country who think of me as a saint? What will they say of

me? There will be no one who can trust Carmesina. And when you

are gone away, if I am offended by anyone, who will I go to for

help? A brother or a husband? And if I become with child, what

counsel could I take?"

Tirant could no longer withstand the tears of the princess, and,

smiling, he replied:

"My lady, I have been waiting so long to see you in your

nightgown or completely naked on a bed. I don't want your crown

or your kingdom. But give me all my rights which belong to me,

as our Holy Mother Church commands with the following words: 'If

a maiden gives herself in true matrimony, he who is able but does

not have copulation after marriage is in mortal sin.' As for me,

my lady, if you love my body you should love my soul too, and

Your Majesty should not willfully cause me to sin. You know very

well that if a man goes into battle while he's in mortal sin, God

will not come to his aid."

And as he was saying these words Tirant was not slow about

removing her clothing: he unfastened her skirt while he kissed

her again and again, saying:

"Every hour that we're not in bed is like a year to me. Since

God has given me such a treasure, I don't want to lose it."

Plaerdemavida exclaimed:

"Oh, my lord! Why wait until you are in bed? Do it on top of

her clothes so that they can be a more certain witness. We'll

close our eyes and say that we saw nothing. If you wait for Her

Highness to take off her clothes you'll have to wait until

morning. Afterward Our Heavenly Father could punish you as a

knight unworthy of love. Heaven help you if you should fail at a

time like this. Seeing that you were such a polite lover, Our

Heavenly Father wouldn't want to give you a morsel like this

again, nor would He have anything to give you. There's no man in

the world who wouldn't swallow it, even if he knew for a

certainty that he would choke to death."

The princess answered:

"Be quiet, you enemy of all goodness! I would never have

thought, Plaerdemavida, that you could be so cruel. Up to today

I've always thought of you as a mother or a sister, but now you

are like a stepmother because of the reprehensible advice you're

giving about me."

At this point Tirant had finished removing her clothing, and he

took her in his arms and placed her on the bed. When the

princess saw herself in such a situation, and that Tirant, who

had taken off his clothes, was at her side working with the

artillery to penetrate the castle, she saw that she could not

defend it by the strength of her arms. She thought that perhaps

with feminine arms she could resist him, and with her eyes

pouring forth tears she began to lament:

"You are trying to keep me from loving you. You want to use your

absolute power over me and make me very angry. Tirant, open the

eyes of your understanding, and look at the misfortune that

awaits you, and when you recognize it, give way to reason, and

restrain your lustful appetite."

The princess made all these and other laments with her eyes

pouring forth tears. Tirant saw all the tears and the discreet

words of his lady, and he decided to make her content that night

and to follow her will. Although all night long the two lovers

slept very little, but rather played and found amusement now near

the head of the bed and now near its foot, caressing each other

continually, both of them very content. When it was nearly

daybreak and the people in the palace were beginning to stir, the

princess said:

"For my own satisfaction I would that the day had not come so

quickly, and it would be my pleasure if this delight could last a

year, or never end. Arise, Tirant, lord of the Empire of Greece,

for tomorrow, or whenever it pleases you, you may return to the

same place."

Tirant got up very reluctantly, and said:

"I shall do what you command, but I fear that my desire will

never be satisfied, and my thoughts are very restless."

So that no one should see or hear him, he left full of passion

and anguish, kissing her wildly at the moment of their parting.

When he was gone Plaerdemavida was so distraught that she could

bear no more. The princess sent for her and had Lady Montblanc

summoned, and both knew what had taken place between her and

Tirant.

"God help me!" said Plaerdemavida. "Your Highness had the

pleasure and Tirant the delight, and I the sin. But it grieves

me so much that there was no consummation that I feel I shall die

from anger. Bring that skinny, spineless knight to me, and

you'll see what I say to him! I shall never again do anything

for him; instead I will try to stand in his way whenever I can."

"In faith," said Lady Montblanc, "he has shown great virtue as

the most valiant and courteous knight he is, for he has wished to

forego his pleasure rather than anger my mistress."

They spoke of this at length until it was bright daylight and the

emperor sent word to the empress and to his daughter that all the

ladies should dress in their finery, and then they should all

come to the festivities being held for Tirant. He also sent word

to all the knights and ladies of the city so that they would go

to the palace. God knows well that in that instance the princess

would have liked more to sleep than to leave her chambers. But

for love of Tirant and so that the celebration could take place,

she left her bed and dressed very beautifully, and they went out

from the great hall where they found the emperor with all his

retinue of nobles and knights and ladies of the city.

When the procession was ready, they went through the city with

the two hundred seventy-two flags in front, until they came to

the church. Tirant went up to the princess, and she received him

warmly, but she could only say:

"Tirant, my lord, all that I have is yours."

Tirant did not dare answer her because the empress and the others

were near. The mass was begun with great solemnity. On

administering the holy water they set up one flag; after

confession another was put in place; then, at psalm or scripture

reading they put up another one. Finally, when the mass was

over, all the flags were in place. Tirant did not want to sit in

his usual place, or even next to the emperor. Instead he went

into a chapel with his Hours in his hand, and from there he could

see the princess very well. In truth, Tirant said very few Hours

at that mass. I could not tell you about the princess, but as

long as the holy service lasted she did not take her eyes from

Tirant.