After the service was over and everyone had eaten, there was
dancing in the square. While they were dancing the princess went
to the palace, to her chamber, to change clothes, and she had
them close the door. When she was in her tunic she went up to
the treasure tower with two maidens. There the three of them
weighed out a load of ducats. The princess gave them to
Plaerdemavida to carry to Tirant's rooms. When she had dressed
again she went back to where the emperor was. She went up to him
and to Tirant who was nearby. She whispered in Tirant's ear so
that the emperor would not hear:
"Your hands have caressed me so much that there is no part of my
body that does not remember your touch."
Tirant answered:
"It is very fortunate for me that my hands have learned something
new."
The emperor said:
"What are you two talking about so secretly."
"My lord," said the princess, "I was asking Tirant if there would
be jousts at this celebration. He told me there would not, and
that they were waiting to hold them against the Turks."
"That is the best news I could possibly hear," said the emperor.
"Do you feel well enough to be able to leave?"
"Yes, by the Holy Virgin!" said Tirant. "When the celebration is
over, I will take the doctors with me, and I'll be able to go."
They spoke of other things until Plaerdemavida came and signaled
from a distance. When the emperor began to talk to other people
Tirant quietly went to Plaerdemavida to ask her what she wanted.
She answered:
"It is only logical that you've lost the prize of all your
efforts so many times, my lord, with your neglect and lack of
persistence. You don't deserve to be rewarded any further since
you're satisfied with what you have, and you've lost it through
your own fault. As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to be
involved in your love affairs any longer. You don't need me--you
need Widow Repose: she'll give you what you deserve. I'm not
bound to do anything more for you: you are the most disloyal,
unworthy knight who was ever born. And that you can't deny. If
I were a knight, I would fight you. You were in bed with a
maiden in your arms--the most beautiful, most pleasing, the
worthiest lady who ever lived--and you shouldn't have left her
just because she begged you to or because she shed tears. And if
she went there a virgin, I saw her leave a virgin--to your shame
and confusion. The great error you committed will hurt me all my
life. There is no lady or maiden in the world who wouldn't
consider you the lowest of men if she knew what you have done. I
don't want to talk about this anymore: I've already said enough.
I only want to tell you that when the emperor sits down to
dinner, you'll have to be there. I've just now come from your
chambers, and here's the key to your room. I beg you to go there
quickly. I brought the keys so that no one could read what
you'll find written there."
Tirant took the keys, and wanted to reply to what Plaerdemavida
had told him, but it was impossible because the emperor was
telling him to come right away. When he was there the emperor
told him that he was to sit alone at the table. The emperor, the
empress, the princess, and all the maidens waited on him. And
there was no knight or lady who dared approach to serve him,
because they were all in their seats waiting to hear what an old
knight who was very experienced in arms would say. He was a very
eloquent and great reader who began to recite all the
chivalresque deeds that Tirant had performed. The men and women
forgot to eat as they listened to the great honors that Tirant
had achieved up to that day. When Tirant had finished eating,
the knight stopped reading-- and his recitation had lasted more
than three hours.
When evening arrived, the dinner was as abundant as the afternoon
meal had been. After the dancing there were farces and short
plays, as were required at such festivities. These festivities
lasted almost the whole night through, and the emperor did not
want to leave until dawn. The princess was never bored at the
celebration because she could see and talk to Tirant. And Tirant
barely dared to talk to the princess for fear of the emperor who
was very near, but he told her quietly:
"My lady, last night was certainly more enjoyable to me than
tonight is."
Plaerdemavida quickly interjected:
"My lord, your words are fine, but not your actions."
Then, when the emperor saw that dawn was breaking he got up and
wanted everyone to go with him to escort Tirant to his chambers.
Tirant thanked him for the great honor he was paying him, and he
wanted to escort the emperor to his chambers, but the worthy lord
would not permit it.
When Tirant was in his chambers he thought that because
Plaerdemavida was so unhappy with him she had probably written
him some letter, but when he went into his room he saw a heap of
gold on the floor. He was astonished at the princess's great
virtue, and he thought more highly of her good will than he did
of the gift. He had Hippolytus come, and ordered him to
safeguard it.
When it was time for mass all the lords went, and Tirant found no
way to talk to the princess, to thank her for what she had sent
him, until after dinner. After eating they told the emperor that
since he had slept so little the night before he should go and
rest, and that when it was time for the festivities they would
all return. As the ladies went back to the palace Tirant drew
near to the princess and told her:
"I haven't the spirit to talk, nor can my tongue express all the
words of love that befit the works of honor that Your Majesty
bestows on me every day."
She quickly replied, although she did not dare to speak much
because the emperor was passing by. She only said to him:
"You are my lord; I am in your power. Decide what you will do
with me: make war or peace. If I don't help you, who are my
lord, whom would I help? What I do now is little, if you
consider what I plan to do. But if you want more, the doors to
the treasure are open for you, and closed for anyone else."
With Tirant again thanking her, they reached the emperor's
chambers, and the emperor went inside with the ladies. Only
Widow Repose remained outside. She stood at the head of the
stairs, waiting for Tirant. With her feminine malice she was
prepared to commit an unspeakable crime. When she saw Tirant she
put on a sympathetic face, and with graceful gestures designed to
make him love her, she said:
"I'm not surprised that you want to conquer the world: you've
already captivated me. With the pity I have for your grace, I
want to help you. So, my lord Tirant, if you'd like to be in a
certain secret place after two o'clock, you'll be able to see
everything I've told you about."
Tirant said that was agreeable to him, and that he would be
ready. The Widow left Tirant at once. Behind the garden she and
a very old woman had a house already prepared, and she had her
furnish it nicely with a bed, as would befit Tirant. When the
raging Widow saw that the time had come, she went looking for
Tirant secretly, and she made him swear at length, and then
disguise himself. Then they went to the old lady's chambers. In
the chamber was a small window overlooking the garden, and
through it a person could see everything that went on in the
garden; but the window was very high, and only by climbing a
ladder could you see out. The Widow brought two large mirrors,
and put one at the window and the other one lower, in front of
Tirant, facing the first mirror. And everything that appeared in
the top one was reflected in the lower one.
When the Widow had done this and had left Tirant in the room, she
went quickly to the palace, and found the princess sleeping in
her bed. The Widow said to her:
"Get up, my lady. My lord, the emperor, sent me to tell you that
the doctors want you to get out of your bed and not to sleep so
long. After you stayed up so late last night, and having eaten
lunch, if you sleep now with this warm weather it could endanger
your health."
She opened the windows of the chamber so that she would not
sleep, and the princess permitted her to because of her father's
tender words.
When she was up she put on a brocade tunic with the top
completely unbuttoned, no kerchief over her breast, and her hair
hanging loose over her shoulders. Then the Widow said to her:
"The doctors think it would be good for you to go down to the
garden and see all the greenery, and we'll entertain ourselves
there with some games so that your drowsiness will pass. I have
a costume for the festival of Corpus Christi that looks like your
gardener. Plaerdemavida likes these things very much and she
will put it on, and will tell you her usual witty things."
The princess went down to the garden with the Widow and two
maidens while Tirant was watching the mirror carefully. He saw
the princess coming with the maidens, and watched as they sat
down near a small stream. The Widow had foreseen everything, and
she had sent the black gardener to the city of Pera so that he
would not be in the garden.
The Widow helped dress Plaerdemavida, and put the mask on her
that had been made to look exactly like the black gardener; and
she went into the garden wearing his clothing. When Tirant saw
her coming he thought that it was in fact the Moorish gardener,
carrying a spade over his shoulder. He began to dig, and soon
approached the princess. He sat at her side, and took her hands
and kissed them. Then he put his hands on her breasts and
touched her nipples, and made overtures of love. The princess
broke into great peals of laughter, and all her weariness left
her. Then he drew her even closer and put his hands under her
skirts, while all the maidens laughed, as they listened to
Plaerdemavida's amusing words. The Widow turned toward Tirant
and twisted her hands as she spat on the ground, indicating the
loathing and pain she felt for what the princess was doing.
Imagine poor, miserable Tirant, who the day before had been so
pleased at having won a lady of such high rank as his betrothed,
the thing he desired most in the world, and then to see his
misery, his affliction and his pain with his own eyes. And when
he began to think, he wondered if the mirrors were reflecting a
false image, and he broke them and looked inside to see if they
contained something evil made by the art of necromancy, but he
found nothing of the sort. He wanted to get up to the window to
find out if he could see more, and to discover how those games
would end, and he saw that there was no ladder, because the Widow
had been afraid that he might do this and she had hidden it.
Tirant, finding no other recourse, took the bench from in front
of the bed and stood it up. Then, taking a cord that he cut from
the curtains, he passed it over a beam and pulled himself up by
it. He saw how the black gardener had taken the princess by the
hand, and was leading her to a hut in the garden where he kept
his gardening tools and a bed to sleep on. Plaerdemavida led her
into that room, where they looked through everything, including
the clothing which the black man kept in a chest. After a time
the princess came out, as the Widow and a maiden were walking
near the hut. When they saw her, the Widow went over to the
maiden and gave her a scarf. To go ahead with the game and make
everyone laugh, she said to her:
"Put it under the princess's skirts."
When she was in front of Her Highness, the maiden knelt on the
ground as the Widow had instructed her, and put the rag under her
skirts. And the princess' naivete played into the hands of the
Widow's malice. When Tirant saw such a heinous thing, he was
completely aghast, and with a voice full of anguish, he began to
lament:
"Oh, fortune, enemy of all who want to live upright in this
world: Now, when I had achieved such a marriage, you have let me
be dishonored by a man of the most vile condition and nature that
could be found. Oh, princess, my lady! I would never have
believed that in a maiden of such tender years there could be so
little shame and boldness that you would commit such an
abominable sin."
At this moment Widow Repose came in. She had waited a short time
at the door, and when she heard Tirant's lament, she said:
"Now all the things I have begun are coming to pass."
When she entered the room she saw that Tirant was in great
anguish, his pillow full of tears, continuing his lamentations.
She sat down near him to see if Tirant wanted to say anything to
her, and ready to do whatever he said. When the Widow saw that
Tirant was not changing his tone, she said to him:
"That lover of all dishonesty won't leave her abominable life, no
matter how much you beg or threaten her. Her only desire is to
satisfy her lust. What can I do, poor me? With these breasts,"
and she pulled them out so that Tirant would see them, "I nursed
that lady."
She let them hang out like this for a good while, pretending that
with her lamentations she had forgotten to cover them. Then she
added:
"Lord Tirant, take comfort from me. Oh, Almighty God, Holy
Trinity! With great anguish in my soul, with great anger and
many tears, I revealed those thoughts that ran through my mind
almost every day. But at night, alone in my room, I would find
myself drying my tearful eyes--with sackcloth so that I would
feel the pain even more."
Tirant quickly replied:
"Your love, Widow Repose, can't be compared to mine, because
yours is diminishing: It grows smaller and smaller, while mine is
increasing. But I have more reason to grieve than any lover
because in one day's time I have reached the highest peak of love
that fortune could grant me, and the next day I have been the
most confused and downtrodden lover in the entire world. My eyes
have seen a black Moor easily possess what I have not been able
to have by supplications or by all the dangers and hardships I
have endured. A man as unlucky as I should not go on living, so
that he will not have to trust any maid or maiden."
He got up from the bed as though to leave, and the Widow said to
him:
"My lord, rest a while. There are many people outside, and I
value my life so much that I would not want anyone to see you
leaving. I'll go to the window and tell your grace when it is
safe to go."
Tirant went slowly back to the bed, never ceasing to ponder his
grief. The Widow went into the room of the old mistress of the
house and quickly took off her clothing and dressed in a perfumed
blouse, and a skirt of black velvet. With her blouse completely
unfastened she went into the bedchamber and lay down beside
Tirant very boldly and shamelessly, and said:
"If you knew the hardships my soul endures for love, you could
not help but have pity on me. Where will you find greater
affection than mine in any woman? It would be more to your glory
to have me always in your chambers or in your tents, serving you
in every way that I can, than to love a false maiden who is given
over to a black captive Moor. Take me as a servant and as one
who loves you more than her own life."
"My lady," said Tirant, "please don't torment my sad soul. I
can't give an answer to anything you've said. I can only tell
you that I could not forget Her Majesty any more than I could
renounce my faith."
The Widow said:
"Since you don't want to love me, at least let me lie next to you
a while, completely naked."
She quickly removed her tunic, which was already unfastened.
When Tirant saw her in her chemise, he leapt out of bed, flung
open the door, and went back to his quarters with great pain.
And the Widow was left with no less.
When Tirant was in his room his emotion was so great that he did
not know what to do, and as he walked back and forth tears flowed
from his eyes. And so he did nothing for three hours but pace,
lie down and get up again. Then he left the room full of anger.
As secretly as he could he went in disguise to the garden gate,
and in the orchard he found the black gardener who had arrived
only shortly before. He saw him in the doorway of his room,
putting on a pair of red pants. When Tirant saw him, he looked
around, and no one else was in sight. Then he seized him by the
hair, pushed him into the room and cut off his head. He returned
to his room without anyone seeing him, because everyone was in
the square where the celebration was taking place. Tirant then
said:
"Oh, just and true God! You who correct our faults, I ask of you
vengeance and not justice for this lady. Tell me, pitiless
maiden, was my disposition less agreeable to your desires than
this black gardener? If you had loved as I thought you did, you
would still be mine. But you never did love me."
Let us leave Tirant in his lament now, and return to the emperor
who, with all the ladies, was getting ready for the celebration.
At this moment a message arrived, telling him about an
unfortunate event that had happened in the camp three days
previously.
The Duke of Macedonia and the Duke of Pera were captains of the
camp, and they often went out to do battle against the Turks.
But the Turks were afraid of all the water that the Christians
released. They often fought, and many men from both sides died.
But for every ten Christians who died, three hundred Turks died.
The reason for this was that when the Turks came into the city of
Saint George, the Christians released all the river waters, and
from the canals the ground was like clay so that the horses could
not get out of it, and the men on foot could not escape.
But one day the Turks decided to come four thousand strong, armed
with spades and baskets, and picks, vinegar and fire to cut
through the mountain so that the water would spread down the dry
river bed, and would leave them free. Further on, a league from
where the Turks were, was a large section of a toppled wall where
there was no one. All the Moorish soldiers went there at night.
The foot soldiers stayed in that deserted place while those on
horseback went into a forest half a league away so they would not
be seen. In the morning the spies came and told the captains
that the Turks had arrived. They held council, and they all
agreed to mount and ride against the Turks.
First they sent out scouts, who came back with the news that the
enemy was going to try to cut through the mountain to control the
water. The Christians went there. As soon as they arrived the
foot soldiers began skirmishes that lasted a long time, so that
many men from both sides died. Finally, when it was nearly noon,
the Turks found themselves too tightly pressed, and they
abandoned their tools and took flight. The Christians quickly
went to the pass half a league away, and there was so much water
there that they could not cross it except at great effort and
danger. Then, when they did make their way across, the others
were at a great advantage. At a gallop the Moors left all the
foot soldiers behind, with about five thousand men following them
until they took refuge in the unpopulated village. But it was
too heavily populated for the Christians! When the Turks
regrouped at the broken wall, the Duke of Macedonia said:
"Gentlemen, I don't think we should go any further. We don't
know what kind of an ambush may be in store for us: the enemy is
always thinking of how they can do us the most harm."
The Duke of Pera, who was the other captain, was very envious,
and he said maliciously:
"Duke of Macedonia, you have very little experience in arms, and
here you are telling us about the danger we could run into. Turn
back and flee: you would be better off with women in the city
than here!"
The Duke of Macedonia did not want to create discord among the
men, and have them start fighting among themselves. So he tried
to hold his tongue, but he could not restrain himself, and he
answered:
"Duke of Pera, you would be better off if you kept quiet. Who
has been honored in battle? I, the Duke of Macedonia, am known
as a conqueror, while the Duke of Pera is held in low esteem
because of the battles he has engaged in."
The other knights and grandees interrupted the argument, and made
them stop. Some wanted to advance and others to retreat. But in
the end they had to go on, because the Duke of Pera said:
"Whoever wants to come with me or go back is free to do so."
And he started out, so all the others felt they had to follow
him. When they reached the deserted village, the Turks on top of
the wall defended it bravely. There was a ditch there, and they
had to dismount and fight with lances, because they had no other
arms. While they were doing this, the forces of the sultan and
the Turk came out, some through one gate and some through
another, and they caught them in the middle. There was a great
slaughter, and they captured many of them. I can say about this
sad adventure that everyone who dismounted was killed or taken
prisoner, and only one knight was able to escape. With this
victory the Turks returned to the city of Bellpuig and put their
captives in strong prisons.
This news reached the emperor while he was in the hall waiting
for the ladies to come so they could go to the square for the
celebrations.
The emperor, in the presence of all who were there, cried:
"Oh, disconsolate widows, lament, tear out your hair, scratch
your faces, dress in mourning! For the flower of chivalry has
died, and it will never be recovered."
The crying, the wailing, was so great in the palace that it soon
spread throughout the city. And the festivities turned into
mourning and lamentations.
Then the emperor sent for Tirant to give him the sad news and
show him the letters he had received. When the chamberlain came
to Tirant's door, he heard him crying out:
"Oh, poor me! Oh, cruel fortune! Why have you done these things
to me? To think that that excellent lady would give herself to a
black Moor, the enemy of our faith. Would that I had never seen
such a thing--the woman I loved most in the world and hoped to
serve. Oh, you wicked Widow! I wish I had never known you, for
you will be the cause of my death and destruction!"
The emperor's chamberlain heard him talking and crying, but he
could not make out the words because the door was closed. But to
do the emperor's bidding, he called out:
"Oh, captain! The emperor is calling you and wishes to see you."
When the chamberlain returned to the emperor, he said:
"Sire, your captain already knows about the terrible things that
have happened. I heard him grieving piteously!"
The captain came to the chamber and saw the princess lying on the
ground with the doctors gathered around her. When he saw her
like this, he could not help but exclaim, "Why are you allowing
this lady to die without helping her? Even though her guilt
cannot be excused, I still pray God that she will live longer
than I."
The doctors didn't understand him, and thought he was bewailing
the bad news. And Tirant thought everyone was crying because of
the princess. Then he turned and saw the empress who had torn
all the veils from her head. At another side he saw the emperor
sitting on the floor, still as a statue. He had the letters in
his hand, and motioned Tirant over and gave them to him. When
Tirant read them, he said:
"It's worse than I thought."
Then he began to console the emperor. At this moment the
princess regained consciousness. She opened her eyes, and begged
Tirant to come to her. The princess made him sit next to her and
said:
"Oh, my last hope! If you truly love me, don't let your life and
mine be taken from this world until the day that all the dukes,
counts and marquis are recovered who have been killed or placed
in cruel prisons."
While she was speaking, two men who had fled the camp came in,
and she could say no more, nor could Tirant answer. They told
them in detail about the destruction, and about the terrible
argument between the Duke of Macedonia and the Duke of Pera, and
how five thousand knights had been killed or taken prisoner. The
emperor, his eyes brimming with tears and barely able to speak,
began to lament:
"Oh, unlucky captains! You, more willful than wise, have ignored
my counsel. Find comfort in a cruel prison, thinking that you
will never again see your emperor, for your actions have not been
well thought out."
The emperor got up from his seat, and went into a chamber, tears
springing from his eyes, his head in his hands. When the
princess saw how he was grieving, she lost consciousness. The
wisest doctor of them all said:
"I have little hope for this lady's life. She has fainted three
times and now I cannot feel her pulse."
When Tirant heard the doctor say these words, he quickly said:
"Oh, cruel death! Wouldn't it be better and more just for you to
come to me first, instead of letting me see her die? Even though
she has deeply hurt me, I want to keep her company."
And with extreme grief he fell to the ground and all the weight
of his body fell on the leg which had been broken, and it broke
again, and was even worse than before. Blood came out of his
nose and his ears, and especially from his leg, and it was a
wonder that he did not lose his life. They quickly went to tell
the emperor, and he said:
"It is not at all surprising, for of all his relatives there is
not one left who is not dead or being held prisoner. But this is
my consolation, because to get his relatives and friends out of
prison he will perform admirable feats."
The emperor began to go to Tirant when he saw his daughter lying
half dead. And he said:
"God help me, I don't know which of them to help first."
But he had his daughter lifted up and placed in her bed, and then
Tirant was put in a beautiful room. They quickly removed his
clothing and treated his leg, straightening it a little. And he
was completely unaware of everything they did for him, because he
was unconscious for thirty-six hours. When he regained
consciousness, he asked who had brought him there, and Hippolytus
told him:
"What, my lord! Don't you know what a great fright you brought
us?
You've been unconscious for two days, and haven't had anything to
eat. Your body can't hold up that way, so please take what the
doctors order you to have."
"I don't want anything that will bring my health back," said
Tirant. "I want only death."
They quickly went to tell the emperor, and the princess
overheard, for she had now regained consciousness. Then Tirant
said:
"Tell me how the princess is."
Hippolytus answered:
"Very well, my lord. She's recovered now."
"I'm sure she is," said Tirant. "Her illness could not be great.
A few days ago she had things she wanted a great deal, but now I
don't think she will brag much about them. She's not the first
to do this, nor will she be the last. I know very well that
she's not made of iron. Oh, how painful it is for a man not to be
able to share his grief."
At this moment the emperor came in, followed by all the ladies
with the empress, and they all asked him how he was. But he did
not want to answer anyone. They were all astonished that he had
not answered the greetings of the emperor or the ladies, and
continuing to show his grief he began to lament:
"Oh, Son of God, all powerful Jesus. I am dying of love, and You
wished to die for love, to free mankind. You suffered so much
pain, lashings, wounds and torments, and my pain was the sight of
a black Moor. Outside of You, Lord, who can compare with my
love? Lord, Your Holy Mother, and Our Lady, suffered great pain
at the foot of the cross, and I stood with a cord in my hand,
with two mirrors that represented, Lord, the greatest pain that
any Christian has ever endured."
The emperor and all the ladies were in the room, along with the
cardinal and many other clergymen, and they were all astonished
at the pious words they heard Tirant saying.
Then Tirant lowered his head, and began to lament again, because
death was calling him. The doctors ordered many things for him,
but they did not help. Hearing of his illness, an old Jewess
came to the emperor, and very boldly said:
"Your Majesty sees that Tirant's life is near its end, all the
doctors have given up hope, and I am the only one who can help
him. Call the soldiers together, and have them start shouting
and go into his chambers and beat their swords against their
shields. When he wakes up and sees so many armed men and hears
them shouting, and he asks what is happening, you can tell him
the Turks are at the gates of the city. Then all those thoughts
of his will disappear, and with that virtue he has and out of
fear of being shamed, he will get up."
The emperor sent for his doctors and his wise men and explained
what the Jewess had advised. They all agreed that it would be
worth trying.
The shouting and the uproar were so loud in the city that Tirant
heard it even before they came into his chamber. The Jewess, who
stood at the head of the bed, told him:
"Get up, my captain. Don't be afraid of death. Here are your
enemies, the Turks, at the gates to the city, and they're coming
to take revenge on you."
When Tirant heard the old lady saying this, he said:
"Is it true that the Turks are so close?"
"They're even closer than you think," said the Jewess. "Get up.
Go to the window, and you'll see what they plan to do to you."
Tirant immediately called for his clothes, and he had his leg
bound with towels. Then he put his armor on as best he could and
mounted his horse, along with many other men. He was so ready
and willing to fight that his illness went almost entirely away.
The emperor and the doctor who were there told him to take some
restoratives, and that would make him better able to do battle.
He did everything they advised him, and then he realized that it
had all been contrived to help him get over his illness. Tirant
said:
"Praise be to God: a woman has delivered me from the arms of
death, for another woman had killed me."
With all the noise the soldiers raised, the princess ran to her
mother's chamber. They saw the emperor coming back with Tirant,
and all the ladies looked out the windows to see what had
happened. When Tirant was in front of the princess's window he
lifted his head and put both hands over his face. The empress
asked her daughter why Tirant had covered his face, because the
only reason that was ever done was when a love affair had gone
wrong. The princess answered that she didn't have any idea.
After they had gone by and were at the palace door, the emperor
dismounted, and Tirant begged his leave to go to his lodging.
The emperor did everything he could to make Tirant dismount,
telling him he would be given everything he needed in the palace,
but Tirant insisted on leaving. The princess wondered why Tirant
did not want to stay in the palace despite all the emperor's
pleas, for he had wanted to many times before. She also wondered
why he had covered his face.
When Tirant reached his lodging, he immediately went to his room
and called Lord Agramunt and Hippolytus. He begged them to arm
and provision ten galley ships. They said they would, and
leaving Tirant, they stocked the galleys.
After Tirant had eaten, he arranged everything for his departure.
He ordered all his men to go by land to the castle of Malvei, and
said he would go by sea and they would meet there. When it was
evening and the doctors had left, they told the emperor that
Tirant was all right. When it was nearly the hour for prayer,
the princess, upset that she did not see Tirant, asked
Plaerdemavida and Lady Montblanc to go to Tirant's lodging to
find out what was wrong. As the maidens were coming, one of
Tirant's pages saw them and quickly went into Tirant's chambers
and said:
"Cheer up, my lord, two gallant ladies are coming with a message
from the princess."
"Go right away," said Tirant, "and tell them I am all right but
that I'm sleeping."
The page did what he was told, for Tirant did not want to see
them.
When the maidens returned to the palace with the reply, the
princess insisted so much that her mother and the emperor went to
Tirant's lodging, and when Tirant heard that the emperor was
coming he gave two pages instructions about what to do. When the
emperor was at the door to his chamber, the more clever of the
pages said:
"Your Majesty should not come into the chamber because of the
captain's sickness. He has not rested for so many days that he
is catching up on all the rest he needs now. He is nearly
drenched with sweat, and it would be good for a doctor to come in
without awakening him."
Tirant quickly got into bed, and he moistened his face with a wet
cloth and pretended to be asleep. The doctor came in, and when
he left again he told the emperor:
"My lord, it would be very harmful for us to awaken him now. Why
doesn't Your Highness go now. Tomorrow morning you can come back
and visit him."
The princess could not take it calmly when she was not able to
see Tirant, but she had to return with the emperor. When Tirant
knew that they had all gone, he quickly got up and had all his
clothing gathered and taken to the galley. At midnight he
secretly went on board, and he would have liked to cast anchor
then, but the ship was not ready.
In the morning, when the sun came up, the emperor heard the
galley trumpets giving the signal for the men to go on board.
Tirant sent Lord Agramunt to the emperor as his courier, and when
he was before him he gave him the following message:
"Your captain has gone on board one of the galleys, and has
ordered the ships to go to the port of Transimeno. He will go by
ship to the castle of Malvei while the soldiers go there by land.
I have been sent here to tell Your Highness about his decision to
leave."
The emperor answered:
"Knight, I am very happy to have this good news, and I give many
thanks to Divine Goodness for bringing health to our captain so
that he can leave. This is what I wanted most in the world after
the salvation of my soul."
Lord Agramunt kissed his hand and begged his leave. Then he went
to the empress's chamber and bade her farewell, and did the same
to the princess. When the empress saw that Hippolytus would have
to go, and the princess saw that Tirant was leaving, they shed
bitter tears, especially the princess because Tirant was going
without a word to her. They quickly went to the emperor's
chamber to see if it was true that they were leaving, and the
emperor told them everything. The princess urged the emperor to
go to the water's edge so that she could go along, and the
empress did not dally. The emperor reached the sea before they
did, and he went on board the ship, begging Tirant to do
everything he could for the empire. Tirant spoke to him very
kindly, and said he would do everything he could, and the emperor
felt very relieved.
All the soldiers advised the emperor to go back on land quickly
because a black cloud with thunder and lightning was coming their
way. So the emperor went on land. The princess was sorry that
she had not been there when her father went on the galley so that
she could have gone too and talked with Tirant. By now the sea
was so choppy that the women were not allowed on board, nor would
her father have given his permission. The princess, sighing
deeply, and with tears streaming from her eyes, had no recourse
other than to beg Plaerdemavida to go on board the galley and
find out why Tirant had left so secretly, without saying anything
to her, and why he had placed his hands over his face as he
passed by, and also why he had not wanted to stay in the
palace--which he had wanted to do so many times before.
Plaerdemavida understood exactly what her lady wanted, and she
got on a boat with Hippolytus and some others who were with him.
The pain that the empress felt as she saw Hippolytus going on
board the galley cannot be described. When Plaerdemavida was on
board, Tirant paid no attention to her. But she insisted, and
said to him:
"Oh, cruel knight! Who has turned your thoughts? To leave such
a virtuous lady, who has more dignity and virtue than anyone in
the world, without so much as telling her goodbye! If you want
her life to be sad and to hasten her death, don't go back on
land, and don't look at her. But if you want to restore her
bitter life, let her see your lordship for a short time."
When she had said this she could no longer hold back her tears,
and she wrapped her cloak around herself, and moaned softly but
would say no more. Tirant wanted to reply to what Plaerdemavida
had told him, and very softly so that no one could hear him he
said:
"Her beauty and discretion so far surpasses all the others that
only a madman could compare anyone else with her. But I saw this
lady with the black gardener, Lauseta, and she was not thinking
of me at all. First I saw them kissing, and I was offended by
the sight. Then I was even more shocked when I saw them
embracing like lovers and going into a chamber. When they came
back out Widow Repose knelt down at her feet and put a silk scarf
high under her skirt. Painful thoughts attacked my mind when I
saw how he treated her. I don't know why I didn't kill someone
right then, but the wall was in my way. But I could not take the
terrible jealousy of the black gardener out of my mind, and I cut
through his neck with my sword. Still the pain kept increasing
so much that I was beside myself, and I went into my chamber,
pretending to be terribly tired so I would be left alone. And
now I want to be in the sea; I want my body to float, unburied,
on the waves until it reaches the princess, so that she can dress
me in my shroud with her delicate hands."
Then he would say no more. When Plaerdemavida heard what was
bothering Tirant and that the black gardener had been killed, and
no one would know who did it unless she told them, she was very
agitated. Still she forced herself to smile, and with Hippolytus
there, she said:
"Even if you did see it, it was all a game to cheer up the
princess. Widow Repose got some costumes from the plays for the
Corpus Christi festivals, and I dressed up like our gardener."
And she told him everything that had happened.
Tirant was astonished by it all, and said he could not believe
it. The maiden laughed, and said:
"My lord, the best thing would be for me to stay here while
Hippolytus goes to my room. Under my bed he will find all the
clothing of the black gardener. And if I'm not telling the
truth, you can throw me into the ocean."
Tirant told Hippolytus to take the keys and go, and to come back
quickly because the sea was very choppy. Hippolytus did what
Tirant commanded. When he came back with the clothing, the ocean
swells were so high that Hippolytus could not board the galley,
and Plaerdemavida could not go back on land. They threw a rope
to the ship and tied the clothing of the black gardener to it so
that it could be pulled up to the galley. When Tirant saw the
mask and the clothing, he saw all the wickedness of Widow Repose.
He then swore in everyone's presence that if he could go on land
just then, he would have her burned before the emperor, or he
would do to her what he had done with the black man. Then Tirant
begged Plaerdemavida to forgive the bad thoughts he had had about
the princess, and about her, and when she was with Her Highness
to beg her forgiveness. Plaerdemavida agreed, very graciously.
Suddenly the sea became so stormy that the people who saw the
boat Hippolytus was on, began to pray that it would not sink. It
headed back to land, and the men on it were drenched while the
boat was half-filled with water. The wind and rain were so
strong and the waves were so high that the galley's ropes broke,
and they were swept out to sea. Two of the galleys remained
there; the people on them were saved, but the ships were lost.
The three galleys that found themselves in the middle of the
tempestuous sea had their masts broken and their sails torn
apart. A gust of wind threw one of the galleys into a small
island, and its men took refuge there. Tirant's galley and the
other one were leeward. They could not make it to the island,
and Tirant's galley found itself with its rudder smashed. The
other galley was nearby, and it split apart. The men on board
fell into the bitter sea, and all of them drown.
Tirant's galley continued toward Barbary, and the sailors lost
their bearings and did not know what seas they were in, and they
lamented loudly. Tirant heard the great cries the sailors were
making, and he saw the galley's boatswain, who was the best of
all the sailors, commending his soul to God because a
tackle-block had fallen on his head. A galley slave got up and
went to Tirant, and with a great effort he said:
"My lord, order the men to bale out the water in the galley.
Here is your staff of authority. Hold it in your hand and run
through the galley: the boatswain is dead, and all the men see
that they are very near death, and are fainting. Do everything
you can to make them bale, because if we can get beyond the cape,
we can save our lives. It is better for us to be captives of the
Moors than to die."
Tirant lifted his head, and said:
"What seas are we in?"
"My lord," said the galley-slave, as he pointed, "those are the
seas of Sicily, and these are the seas of Tunis. And because you
are a virtuous man I'm sorrier for you than I am for myself. It
is Fortune's will that we shall perish on this Barbary Coast, and
in a case like this every man should beg forgiveness of the
others."
Tirant quickly got up, although the dreadful sea was crashing
about him so that he was barely able to stand. Then he brought
out the best clothing he had, and he dressed in it. He took a
sack containing a thousand ducats, and put a note inside that
said: "I beg whomsoever should find my body to give it an
honorable burial. I am Tirant lo Blanc from Brittany, and of
that singular lineage of Roca Salada, High Captain of the Greek
Empire."
By now it was already past noon, and the further the galley went
the more water it took on. The cries increased and death drew
near. As they were near land the Moors saw the galley
approaching, and they realized that it would run aground just
where they wanted it, while the Christians knew that they could
not escape death or being captured.
The galley came close to land, and all the men threw themselves
into the sea to save their lives. By this time it was nearly
dark of night. When Tirant saw the sailors jumping overboard he
decided not to leave the ship, no matter what might happen. And
by then there was no boat, rope or oar that had not been lost.
Tirant begged two sailors, faithful friends of his who had come
on the ship with him when it was stocked in Brittany, to take
care of the maiden. They took off all her clothes, and by this
time nearly all the galley was underwater. Taking up a corkwood
plank, the sailor tied it across her breasts while the other man
helped her stand up. The sea sent a wave crashing into
Plaerdemavida and the sailors, and hurled them about. The man
carrying the plank drowned in order to save her. The other
sailor helped the maiden as long as he could, and finally was
forced to abandon her. It was her good fortune to find herself
near land at night, and she could hear the loud noise the Moors
were making as they captured the Christians. The maiden's feet
touched bottom, and since she was all alone she stopped and
decided not to go ashore. Instead she went closer to land so
that she would not be in such deep water, but waves sometimes
came crashing over her head. As she walked through the water
close to shore, she moved away from the shouts, afraid that she
would be killed. For she saw that the Moors were killing each
other as each one tried to capture the most prisoners. And when
lightning flashed, she could see the reflection of swords near
the sea. She continued to walk in the water, completely naked,
following the shoreline, and whenever she heard anyone she would
duck underwater, and stay there until they were gone.