THE BARBARY COAST
Poor Plaerdemavida, raw naked, continually called on Our Lady,
the Mother of God, imploring her to bring her some good person
who would help her. She continued to walk nearly half a league
until she came upon some fishing boats. She went into a hut and
found two sheepskins, and she tied them together with a thin
string and put them on, one in front and one in back, and in this
way she found some protection from the cold. Then she lay down
to sleep a little while, for she was completely fatigued by her
travails in the ocean.
When she awoke, finding herself alone, she began to weep and
lament, tears streaming from her eyes, which did harm to her eyes
and her voice, making her so hoarse that she could barely speak.
Then, with timorous steps, she began to search out the roads of
cruel fortune. Dawn began to break and she heard a Moor coming
along, singing. She hid near the road so that he would not see
her, and when he had passed she saw his pure white beard and
thought that perhaps this old Moor would give her counsel. So
she approached the old Moor and told him all about her
misfortune. The Moor was moved to compassion when he saw the
maiden who was young and nice looking, and he said to her:
"Maiden, I want you to know that long ago I was a captive of
Christians in Spain, in a place called Cadiz. The lady who held
me captive was pleased with the services I performed for her. It
happened that she had a son whose enemies came to kill him. And
if it had not been for me, they would have done it, because I
lifted my lady's son from the ground, and with a sword in my hand
I wounded two of them and made the others flee. Because of this,
my lady gave me liberty. She provided me with new clothing, and
gave me money for my journey, and as I wished, she had me taken
to Granada. And because of the kindness that lady showed me, you
will have a place at my side. I have a daughter who is widowed,
and she will take you in with all the tenderness of a sister."
Plaerdemavida immediately knelt on the ground and gave him many
thanks. The Moor removed his cloak and gave it to Plaerdemavida,
and the two of them went to a place near Tunis, called Rafal.
When the Moor's daughter saw the maiden, so young and helpless,
she felt great compassion. Her father begged her to be the best
companion to her that she could, and he told her:
"I want you to know, my daughter, that this girl is the daughter
of that lady who gave me my freedom, and I want to repay my debt
with this maiden."
Because of the great love she had for him, his daughter took in
the poor maiden with deep affection. She gave her a blouse and a
Moorish garment with a head-dress. And anyone seeing her would
think she was Moorish.
Let us return now to Tirant who, shortly after Plaerdemavida was
swept overboard with the two sailors in whose care Tirant had
placed her, stayed with a sailor until the galley was completely
filled with water and was going down. Then Tirant decided to
jump into the sea with the sailor, and with the sailor's help he
would be able to reach shore. Nevertheless, Tirant never thought
he would be able to avoid death, because when the Moors learned
that he was Tirant, the captain of the Greeks, who had done so
much damage to the Turks, they would not leave him alive for all
the treasure in the world. But with the aid of Divine Providence
and the sailor, they made it to shore, for it was now night, and
completely dark. Crawling quietly on their hands and knees, they
drew away from the sounds of the Moors. When they had gone some
distance, they no longer heard any people, and they went inland,
away from the sea, and they came upon a vineyard that at that
time was full of grapes. The sailor said:
"My lord, for God's sake, let's stop here in this delicious
vineyard, and we can take a look at the land, and tomorrow we can
stay here all day long. Then tomorrow night, we can go wherever
your lordship commands, for I will not leave you in death or in
life."
Tirant gave in to his entreaties. When their stomachs were full
of grapes they saw a cave and went inside to sleep, naked as they
were. When they awoke they felt very cold. They got up, and to
get warm they carried rocks from one place to another. When the
sun came out, Tirant's legs ached terribly.
It happened then that the King of Tremicen was sending as his
ambassador to the King of Tunis his best and most trusted knight.
He was the captain-general of all his land, and everyone called
him the commander of commanders. This ambassador had been there
more than three months, and he and his men had been given lodging
in a place that was lovely and abundant with animals to hunt. It
so happened that that morning he went out for sport with falcons
and greyhounds. While hunting, they pursued a hare which was
very tired of running after being chased by dogs and falcons, and
since it could find no other place to run, it went inside the
cave where Tirant was. One of the hunters saw it go in, and he
dismounted at the entrance to the cave and saw Tirant stretched
out on the ground inside, with no desire to budge. The sailor
helped him catch the hare. Then the hunter went directly out to
the captain, and told him:
"Sir, come with me. Inside a small cave there is a man whose
body must be the most perfect nature has every formed. But,
unless my eyes deceive me, he has been hurt badly, and he seems
more dead than alive."
The ambassador went toward the cave, When the sailor saw so many
men coming, he left Tirant without saying a word, and fled very
quietly, and the Moors did not see him.
When the ambassador reached the cave, he stood looking at Tirant
for a long while, and feeling pity for him, he said:
"By our holy prophet, Mohammed, who has plucked you from such
grave danger and has brought you into my hands: since nature has
formed your body with such singularity, I am sure that He has
given you many virtues. I have three sons, and you will be the
fourth." He called his second son and told him: "Look on this
man as your brother." Then he said to Tirant: "If you want to
please me, tell me what brought you here. At the moment I am
engaged in an undertaking for my eldest son. They are trying to
take his betrothed from him, and I will not allow it, for she is
a very virtuous maiden, and the daughter of King Tremicen. If
Mohammed gives me success in this dangerous undertaking, do not
worry about your loss, no matter how great it may be, for I will
make you wealthy as soon as I return to my home."
Tirant stood and replied:
"Your Lordship, I am a gentleman, although I am not a prince or
lord. As a young man I went to seek my fortune in the Levant.
There I heard and believed the false and diabolical words of a
widow. She had me enter an orchard at mid-day, and there she
made me witness the most evil sight I would ever behold. I felt
such unbearable suffering that with my own hands I took vengeance
on the greatest enemy of my life. Then I boarded a ship and went
to the Holy Land of Jerusalem to make amends for my sins.
Sailing on a galley from there, you can see my misfortune. Saved
by Divine Mercy from the stormy sea, I now beg your lordship's
help."
The ambassador said:
"Take comfort. I have a great deal of land and am very wealthy.
As soon as we get to my home, you will have everything you wish."
His son then took off his jubbah and gave it to him. And they
had him sit behind the son on the horse, and took him to their
village, where he was dressed in fine clothing of the Moorish
style. When Tirant found himself dressed so finely, and he had
heard the kind words of the commander, he felt very comforted.
They wanted to travel by night, and the sky was blue and the moon
full and it lit up everything very clearly; so when the wind died
down they started off. But the first step Tirant took as he left
the house, he fell flat on the ground, his arms outstretched.
Then all the Moors said:
"This is a very bad sign. Since this Christian has fallen with
his arms out to the sides, his life will not last long."
Tirant got up quickly, and hearing what the Moors were saying, he
said:
"Your interpretation of this is wrong. I am called Blanc or
White.
And the moon is clear, white and beautiful at this moment when I
fell. And the moon was straight over my head and arms, and it
was pointing to the road that I have to take, while my hands were
open and stretching out to the moon. And this shows that I, with
Divine Power, must conquer all of Barbary."
Then all the Moors burst out laughing, and they took it as a joke
and proceeded on their way, and finally they came to a castle.
Now the ambassador's son (the one betrothed to the King of
Tremicen's daughter) was away; hearing that his father had sent
him a very good Christian prisoner, he ordered them to put Tirant
in chains.
After two months the ambassador received the reply from the King
of Tunis and returned to the King of Tremicen whom he found
disconsolate. It happened that King Escariano's land was on the
border of the kingdom of Tremicen, and he wanted the King of
Tremicen to give him his daughter as a wife along with all his
wealth, and after his death he wanted his kingdom. King
Escariano was a very strong figure: He was completely black, and
a giant compared to other men. A very powerful king, he had
many men and a great deal of wealth. King Tremicen was weak in
spirit, and he had sent word to King Escariano that his daughter
was already betrothed to the son of his head commander.
Furthermore, she was with child, and he felt that he would not
want to raise another man's child in his house. However, if he
was doing this only for his treasure, he was prepared to divide
that with him if he would leave him and his sons in peace.
Finally, they could not come to an agreement, and King Escariano
had marched against him with all his forces: fifty-five thousand
strong, on horseback and on foot.
Now this King of Tremicen had only about twenty thousand
warriors. Knowing that the other king was near and was coming
still closer, he took up position in the mountains and waited for
him. King Escariano came to a river, and as they forded it he
lost many men. But once across, they went up the mountains and
found the King of Tremicen at the highest part, and they besieged
him in a beautiful valley. In this valley were three castles
with large villas and very strong fortresses. This was where the
King of Tremicen lived with his wife and sons.
Two castles were on one side of the river, and one was on the
other side, linked together by a huge stone bridge. King
Escariano attacked one castle repeatedly, and finally took it.
The King of Tremicen was in another castle that was much
stronger, but he felt that all was lost. The commander had fled
from the battle and came to his own castle where Tirant was.
There he told his son:
"You would be better off dying than to see your beloved who is of
royal blood taken from you. Go to your lord and serve him as a
good knight."
The son agreed, and rode off to the castle where he heard and saw
the battle. Then, very happily, he and fifteen of his horsemen,
went into the castle where the king was.
The commander of commanders had fled out of fear, and he went
into the castle where Tirant was being held. After he had
dismounted, he asked his son about the Christian prisoner. When
he was told that Tirant was in a prison cell and being carefully
guarded, the commander became very angry. He remembered what
Tirant had said as he left and fell on the ground: that he would
conquer all of Barbary. He had thought about those words many
times, and he also considered that since Tirant was a Christian
he must be skillful at arms. He went in to see him. Realizing
that Tirant had more than enough reason to be angry with him, he
smiled and said:
"I beg you, valiant Christian, not to be angry if my son has
treated you badly. I swear to you by the prophet Mohammed that
it was not done by my command or consent. Instead, it was my
intention to look on you as a son. I am hopeful that you will be
able to help me. And don't be surprised if I make a request of
you on behalf of my lord, even though you are a fugitive from
battle. From your scars, I am sure that you, Christian, must
know a great deal about weapons, and you must have been in many
wars."
Tirant replied:
"I won't hide my past from you. In Spain I practiced the noble
tradition of arms, and I can advise you and help you as much as
anyone, and I will be one of the first to go into combat.
Forgive me for praising myself, but my works will be their own
best witness. If this king has your king under siege you should
not be surprised, for that is the way with kings. If you are
afraid that the bombards will demolish the castle, I will destroy
every one they have."
The commander was very pleased with what Tirant told him, and
helped him get ready to leave. He insisted that Tirant take
whatever materials he needed to destroy the bombards, and he also
gave Tirant the best horse he had, and weapons, and plenty of
money.
Tirant bought some very old whale bile, and then he took
quicksilver, saltpeter, Roman sulfate and other materials, and
mixed them together to make an unguent, and he put it in a box.
Then they left the castle as secretly as they could, crossed the
river, and at night took refuge in the other castle. Now this
castle was about one fourth a league from the one where the king
was. When Tirant reconnoitered the land, he saw a stone bridge
going across the river, and the enemy was positioned in the
middle of the large orchard, so that no one dared cross over the
bridge for fear of falling into the hands of the enemy. Then
Tirant told the commander to give him a Moor who would not be
recognized and who could be trusted, and to deliver two hundred
sheep to the Moor, and they were brought immediately. Tirant
then dressed in a shepherd's cloak, as though he were the Moor's
servant.
King Escariano knew that none of his adversaries could hurt him,
and he had thirty-seven bombards, large and small, firing
continually, three times a day; and they had already knocked down
half the castle.
The Moor and Tirant went up a good league toward the bridge with
their sheep, and they came right into the encampment. They asked
a great deal more for each sheep than it was worth so that they
would not sell them quickly. They stayed there three days,
leading the sheep close to the bombards. Tirant, under the
pretext that he was simply looking, went near them, and spreading
some of the unguent he had prepared over his hand, he put it on
every one of the bombards. The unguent was made up of such
ingredients that whatever metal it came into contact with would,
in the space of three hours, turn to rust. So as soon as it was
fired, any bombard or crossbow would break apart.
The following day, when they fired on the castle, all the
bombards broke apart, and not one of them was left intact. King
Escariano was very surprised at this, and he took it as a bad
sign. Tirant and the Moor went back to the castle where the
commander was.
Then Tirant ordered them to destroy one of the arches on the
bridge, and there they put up a wooden drawbridge, with iron
chains to raise and lower it. When that was done huge beams were
placed on that part of the bridge and there they put up a
palisade. When that was ready, Tirant armed himself well and
mounted a good steed, and with a good lance in his hand he rode
right into the enemy's camp, and he found five Moors enjoying the
sun. Tirant rode toward them. The Moors were unconcerned,
seeing that he was coming alone, and they thought it was someone
from their own camp. And Tirant killed all five of them with his
lance. There was a great outcry, and the entire camp rushed into
action: they armed themselves and mounted their horses. Tirant
concerned himself only with killing anyone in his path. When he
saw that the men were armed and on horseback, and that they were
coming against him, he retreated to the palisade while using his
weapons continuously. Once he was in the palisade, he quickly
dismounted, and the Moors came up to him. The men in the castle
came down to help Tirant, and there was a great skirmish where
many men died. The men from the enemy camp pressed on so
forcefully that Tirant had to retreat, and they lifted the
drawbridge for fear of the Moors. Then the Moors broke apart the
palisade, and Tirant had it built again during the night. And
so, every day, at all hours, they fought and many men from both
sides were dying continually.
One day Tirant said to the commander:
"My lord, would you like me to rescue your king from the castle
and bring him here to you, or to some other place where he will
be safe?"
The commander answered:
"If you could do that for me, and bring my Moorish maiden and her
betrothed to me, I would make you the lord of everything I own.
And even if you forgot about the king, that would not matter a
great deal to me."
"Then, my lord," said Tirant, "have two horses prepared, and
bring a page whose face is well known. Have them go under that
pine tree a half league from here with someone who can guide
them."
It was quickly done. When day broke bright and clear, Tirant
mounted his horse and with one hundred armed men he rode out of
their stockade.
The other camp saw them and rode toward them. The battle between
the two forces was fierce, and that day almost no one was left
behind in the enemy camp. Then Tirant said to the commander:
"My lord, you stay here and show your face while I go where I
have to."
He dug in his spurs and galloped to where the page was waiting
for him. When he got there his horse was spent. He dismounted,
gave it to the Moor, and took the fresh one that he had. Then he
and the page left, going through the orchard as cautiously as
they could so that no one would see them. And he made the page
go first because the people in the castle did not know Tirant.
Finally they came so close that the betrothed recognized the
page, his younger brother, and told the men not to fire. When
they were inside the castle the king came out to the hall to see
him and to pay him honor.
"My lord," said Tirant, "you and your daughter mount our horses
immediately. I'll take you to safety."
The king took the page's horse, and had the betrothed climb on
its back; Tirant had the maiden climb on the back of his own
horse. Then they raced out of the castle, galloping all the way,
until they were a league from camp. When night fell on them,
they rode more quickly. The king knew the terrain very well, and
he went directly toward his strongest city: Tremicen.
When they reached the city of Tremicen there was great rejoicing
because the people had recovered their king. The king had a fine
room arranged for Tirant where he was well served. While he
stayed there the king presented him with many gifts, and all the
Moorish knights and others came to see him, and everyone was
impressed with his agreeable manner.
One day Tirant came to the palace to ask the king's permission to
go back to his lord, the commander, because he had given his word
that he would return. The king answered:
"Virtuous Christian, do not leave me, I beg you. I've sent for
your lord, the commander, and he will be here in ten days. Help
me prepare the city, and I promise to ransom you and give you
your freedom."
Tirant kissed the king's hands and feet, and said:
"My lord, I give you my word as a Christian that I will not leave
you until I have killed King Escariano, or taken him prisoner, or
until I've made him flee from your kingdom."
The king's daughter, seeing the beautiful disposition of Tirant
and the virtuous acts he had done for the king, her father, and
for her, and the praises that were bestowed upon him in
everyone's presence, wished that God would do her the favor of
having her betrothed die so that she could take Tirant for her
husband.
After a few days had gone by, the commander of commanders came,
and he was very happy when he learned that his son, and the king
and his daughter, were out of that very grave danger. After
bowing to the king, he praised Tirant highly. The king spoke to
the commander, asking him to give Tirant his freedom. When it
was done, Tirant kissed the king's hands and feet, and said:
"Sir, I swear to you as a Christian that I will not leave Your
Grace until I have killed King Escariano or taken him prisoner,
or made him leave all your lands."
The king and the others were very content.
When King Escariano learned that the King of Tremicen had
escaped, his surprise turned to anger, and he set out to conquer
the entire kingdom. And with his great power there were no
cities, villas or castles that did not fall to him.
Hearing of this, the King of Tremicen often called his council
together, and they reenforced the city, and gathered enough food
to last them five years. One day, during the council, Tirant
said to the king:
"Sir, do this for me: let me go as an ambassador to see King
Escariano, and I'll find out what sort of situation his men are
in, and if we can somehow rout them."
They all praised his advice, but most of the council were afraid
he would cross over to the enemy camp, as many others had done.
Tirant got things ready, and with many men he went directly to
King Escariano. When he was in the king's presence, he explained
his mission:
"The King of Tremicen has sent me here because on several
occasions he has heard people speak very highly of you, and he is
certain that you are one of the wisest kings in the world. For
that reason he is very astonished, and he wonders what has moved
you to take up arms against him."
The king immediately replied:
"I want your lord to know that I have attacked him for a just
reason. For no one, not your lord or anyone else, is unaware
that long ago a marriage pact was drawn up between his daughter
and me, signed and with the marriage date agreed upon. And now
your king has treated the matter lightly, and tried to shame me.
I have told you this so you will know that this maiden, whom I
love and adore, is the cause for this war. And it will end with
her and for no other reason. This is my reply to you."
And he turned his back, wanting to hear no more from Tirant. So
Tirant left and went back to his lord, the King of Tremicen, and
told him of their entire conversation. Then the king asked
Tirant if the enemy had many men.
"In faith," said Tirant, "there are many, and more come to their
aid every day. I wasn't able to see them all, but I would say
more than eighty thousand."
They held council, and decided that Tirant and the commander
would take ten thousand soldiers to another city called Asinac.
Because if that city fell, the entire kingdom would be lost. So
Tirant went there and fortified that city well.
The king stayed on in the city of Tremicen which was well
supplied with everything he needed. And in this way they waited
for the enemy to come.
It happened one day that a Jew who lived in the city of Tremicen,
and was the wealthiest man in the city, left secretly and went to
King Escariano. Very cunningly he told him:
"My lord, why are you plowing the sand? Everything you are doing
is useless unless you capture King Tremicen first. Once he has
fallen you will have power over the entire kingdom in two days.
You would not have to travel the dangerous roads in fear; instead
you and your men would be completely safe. If your lordship will
reach an agreement with me I will give you a victory over your
enemies, and I will also put the king and his daughter in your
hands."
When King Escariano heard him say that, he took it as a joke, and
he answered:
"How could you possibly do all that? But I'll tell you this: If
you do arrange it, I give you my word as king to make you the
most powerful man in my kingdom. But I can't believe that you
could do what you said. It would be better for you to go back:
instead of hurting them, you might bring me harm."
The Jew quickly replied:
"If Your Majesty will closely examine what I say, you'll
understand that it's not a dream, but an infallible plan. If it
will make you feel more secure, I will put my three sons in your
power, and if I fail you are free to put them to a horrible
death. I will do this for Your Majesty under the following
conditions: I have a daughter, and I want her to have an
honorable marriage (and I will give twelve thousand ducats as her
dowry) with a Jew who sells oil in your camp. If you will
arrange this for me, I promise to have you gain entry into the
city of Tremicen. In my house there's a door that's next to the
wall of the city, and it's under my care. I can put one hundred
thousand soldiers into the city through there."
So they agreed, and the king arranged with the Jew that they
would be in front of the city of Tremicen on the seventeenth of
the month, and at midnight they would go inside under the cover
of darkness.
At the proper time the king and all his captains were in front of
the city of Tremicen, and the Jew did not forget the promise that
was made concerning his daughter's marriage. He carefully opened
the door of the Jewry, and the king rushed in with all his men.
They went to the palace and fought, and finally they were able to
get inside. They killed the King of Tremicen, his sons, and all
the others. They took no prisoners except for the genteel lady.
Then they attacked the castle, but they were not able to take it.
King Escariano did not feel very safe there, so he left most of
his men inside the city to guard it, while he left with the King
of Tremicen's daughter who was crying over the deaths of her
father, her brothers, and her betrothed. Then he put her in an
impregnable castle.
The cruel news reached the commander and Tirant, and the Moors
cried bitterly. They felt that they were lost, and they began to
say that they should surrender to King Escariano.
Tirant told the commander:
"Sir, that is not the thing to do. You have ten thousand
soldiers here, and you still have some castles and towns under
your command. We can defend ourselves well here."
The commander agreed with Tirant's advice, but he still mourned
the death of his king, and that of his sons even more. They
wondered how the great destruction had happened, with the city
being so well guarded. And they learned the truth from a man who
had had his house looted, seven of his sons killed, while his
wife and other children were being held under guard. He told
them how the Jew had betrayed the city, and how King Escariano
had then ordered all the Jew's possessions taken. Then this
Jewish traitor was placed in prison and tied up. They removed
all his clothing, cudgeled him, poured honey over him, and the
next day had him quartered and left for the dogs to eat. For the
king had said: Who can protect himself from a traitor? The
treachery he had committed to his own lord, he could just as well
do to him and to the entire city if need be.
Tirant then learned that King Escariano had taken the King of
Tremicen's daughter to the very strong castle of Mont Tuber. The
new queen was now being held in this castle with seventy men to
guard her.
On a day following these cruel events, Tirant went to the city
gate, worn with care. He was thinking about what had happened to
his princess, and wondering what danger had befallen
Plaerdemavida, and about how all his relatives were captives of
the Moors. He did not know whether to leave, or even if the
Moors would allow him to go. While he was thinking of all this,
a Christian captive from Albania came out the gate, crying and
lamenting because his master had cruelly whipped him, and was
making him dig in an orchard of his near the city. Tirant knew
the captive because he had talked to him several times, and
considered him a discreet man. He felt pity for him, and
thinking that there was no one else he could trust, he called the
slave over, and said to him:
"If you will do something for me, you will be given your freedom
to leave, or to stay here if you wish. However, you will have to
let yourself be whipped in our camp with a strap that will not
hurt you very much, and you will have to have your ears cut a
little. With your help, we'll be able to take the castle of Mont
Tuber where the king is. If it turns out as I think it will,
you'll be able to become a great lord. And if it does not turn
out well, I will still make sure you are given your liberty, and
that you have a good life."
The Christian captive answered:
"I want very much to have my freedom again, so I'll do what
you're asking."
Tirant thanked him, and said:
"I give you my word as a knight that I will not eat until you
have your freedom."
Tirant immediately left the captive and went to talk to the
commander. With the money he had, he ransomed the captive for
one hundred ducats.
One day it happened that the king sent two men who told Tirant's
forces that if they would come to terms with him he would be very
generous to them. The commander and Tirant told them that they
were not interested in any proposition; instead they wanted to
avenge the deaths of the King of Tremicen and his sons. After
they had this discussion, Tirant had a meal brought out for them
while the Albanian prepared to carry out the plan they had made.
When the meal was over the Albanian went over to where the silver
was, and stole a large, gilded urn made of silver. The guard
began to shout so that Tirant, as he was talking with the men
from the town, asked what all the uproar was about. Then
everyone saw the Albanian running with many men behind him, and
they saw them catch him and take him to the captain. The guard
had hold of him by the hair, and he said:
"My lord, I would like you to pass judgment on this thief. He
stole this silver urn."
Tirant wanted the commander to speak first, and he said:
"My sentence is for him to be hanged."
Tirant then said:
"Commander, this is no time for us to be killing people unless
it's in battle. I beg you to change the sentence, and have him
whipped and his ears cut."
So they did what he said in the presence of the men from the
town. After they cut his ears they tied the urn to his neck and
whipped him around the camp. The third time around, when he was
in front of the town, he pulled away violently, untied his hands
and began running toward the town.
The guard who was running after him fell down purposefully so
that the Albanian had time to go inside the town. The men on the
walls defended him with their crossbows so that no one could
catch him. The townspeople took him up to the castle where the
king was, and when they saw him naked and whipped, with his ears
cut and bleeding, they felt sorry for him. They gave him a shirt
and other clothes, and the king had so much pity on him that he
let him keep the urn, and received him into his household.
Tirant pretended to be very angry at the Albanian's escape. He
told the men there to ask the king to give the man back, and he
said that if he would not do it, that he would cut off the hands
and feet, nose and ears of every man they caught, and then he
would kill them. The king answered that in no way would he give
him back, and that if he could catch Tirant he would do worse to
him than they had done to the captive. Tirant would listen to no
more, and he left with all his men for the city they had come
from. The Albanian then told King Escariano:
"When I think of the cruel things they've done to me, and the
infamy that could come to me if it becomes known, my heart cries
out for revenge on that treacherous, mad captain who was starving
us to death. If I committed a crime it was because I needed the
money. But, my lord, if Your Excellency will give me permission
to come and go, I will bring you news every day about what your
enemies are doing, what they are planning and where they go.
That way Your Highness can do the same thing to them that you did
to that famous and illustrious King of Tremicen."
The king said:
"I will agree to that: You can come and go whenever you like."
He ordered all the guards to let him pass by at will. The king
asked some of his knights for advice concerning this matter, and
they all told him:
"My lord, this man has been hurt very badly by his own people,
and he'll do anything to bring about their total destruction.
But still, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him."
The Albanian left the castle by a back door so that no one would
see him, and went directly to Tirant and told him everything that
was said. Tirant gave him seven doubloons, three and one half
reals, and some loose change, a sword and a basket of peaches,
because there were none in that town since Tirant had had all the
trees cut down to level the orchard around the villa. And Tirant
told him:
"Tell the king, in secret so that he'll be more inclined to
believe you, that I am having a great deal of bread kneaded
because I plan to be there in three or four days."
The Albanian left Tirant, and when he was in the castle, King
Escariano welcomed him. The Albanian gave the peaches to the
queen, and the king was more pleased with them than if he had
given her a villa, because he knew that the queen liked them, and
he had not seen her laugh or smile since she had been with him.
After the Albanian had given her the gift he showed the king the
money he had, and said to him:
"My lord, look at this money that I took from one of the men in
the enemy camp. If I go there often I can bring many things,
because a relative of mine is in the service of this wicked
captain, and he secretly tells me everything he does. My lord,
he told me that he is having a great deal of bread made and a
large supply of food stored up in order to come here. You have
time to get ready to attack and defeat him."
The Albanian's words pleased the king a great deal, and he said:
"Now I will see if your relative told you the truth."
On the third day Tirant came and stayed in the same place that he
had the other times. The king placed great faith in the
Albanian's words and he decided to appoint him as one of the main
guards of the castle. As companions, he gave him six very loyal
men who had been in his service a long time. When it was this
Albanian's turn to stand guard, he bought some sweetmeats and
invited all the men who were with him to eat and drink. And he
stood guard-duty every five days.
Tirant returned after having been away for three days, and they
continually discussed peace with the king, but Tirant drew out
finalizing a treaty as long as he could. This lasted two months,
and Tirant was always coming and going, and he seldom attacked
anyone. The king often made the Albanian go to Tirant's camp so
that he would bring back fruits and sweet-meats for the queen.
One day he brought a mule loaded with wine, and a bloody sword.
When he was before the king he said to him:
"My lord, I learned that the captain was having a great deal of
wine brought to the city, and when I heard of it I went out to
the road.
There, one muleteer fell behind the others. I hit him in the
side with a stone, and he fell to the ground. Then I struck him
so many times that I left him for dead. I took the sword and the
mule from him, and it was loaded with the finest wine I have seen
in many days. So I beg you, my lord, please give me permission
to set up a tavern here, and when this supply has run out, I will
steal or buy more, and I'll do all the harm, evil and dishonor to
them that I can."
The king was well pleased, and many Moors came to drink every
day. And every night that the Moor stood guard he took a large
cask of wine up to the tower, and gave his companions a good deal
to drink, and all the Moors were very happy to have him there.
Tirant talked with King Escariano and his men many times, going
back and forth often with an escort of soldiers. When he saw
with his own eyes how much King Escariano trusted the Albanian,
Tirant had a round container made of iron and put some holes in
it. When the night for the treachery arrived, and it was the
Albanian's turn to stand watch, the Albanian put hot coals inside
the container. The wind came in through the holes which were so
small that the fire did not go out. Then he wrapped the
container in a piece of leather and held it to his chest. When
they were in the tower, standing guard, and his companions began
drinking, the Albanian hid the container in a hole so that the
fire would not go out. They had some large drums, and they
stayed there drinking and beating them until it was nearly
midnight. There were special liqueurs in the wine to bring on
sleep. And with the pleasure of drink the guards slept so
soundly that they never awoke. When the Albanian saw that the
counter-round had gone by and the guards were sleeping, he took
out the fire-box, and hid its light with his cape. Then he lit a
straw, and put it in a niche in the wall that faced the camp. He
did this three times. Tirant soon saw this signal which they had
planned in advance, and he quickly left the camp with only a few
men. All the other men stayed behind, ready and armed, waiting
to be called, and the commander stayed with them as their
captain. Because of all the water there, Tirant and his men had
to pass near a tall tower, but the Albanian was making a great
deal of noise with the drums, and when Tirant passed close to the
tower they were not heard. When they were near and the guards
called out, "All clear, all clear," they quickly ran ten or
twelve steps, and when the guards were silent, they stopped.
They kept this up until they had passed by the first tower and
reached the other tower. Tirant made his men stop, and he went
to the foot of the tower alone and found a cord that the Albanian
had thrown down. He had tied the other end to his leg in case he
fell asleep, so that when the cord was pulled he would wake up.
But he never stopped beating on the drums, and when he felt the
cord moving he quickly went near the tower and pulled up a rope
ladder that he tied very tightly to the wall, and then he tied
another. Tirant climbed the first one, and when he saw the
guards sleeping he said to the Albanians:
"What shall we do with these men?"
"My lord," he answered, "leave them there. They're in no
condition to do any harm."
However, Tirant wanted to see for himself, and he found the six
of them with their heads cut off, covered with blood. When he
saw this he had his men come up, and he put one of them in charge
of the drums. There were one hundred sixty men, and they spread
out over the tower. Then, with the Albanian going first, they
went down to the warden's chamber. When the warden saw all these
men coming he got up, completely naked, took a sword in his hand
and tried to defend himself. Tirant swung an axe down on his
head and split it in half, and his brains fell out onto the
ground. His wife began to scream, and the Albanian, who was
nearest did the same thing to her that Tirant had done to her
husband. Afterward they went through the castle, and shot the
bolts on the doors to the chambers, and the noise of the drums
was so loud that no one heard a sound.
They went up to the towers and the guards there thought they were
the watch, and said nothing to them. And when they came near
they threw them off the castle through the merlons. One of them
fell onto the barbican and into the moat, and was saved. Soon he
got up and went shouting through the villa and everyone woke up.
The news spread through the villa, but in the castle they still
did not know, except for one man who was fishing. He heard the
noise and opened the windows of his chamber, and he heard many
people inside the castle. Then he began to cry out, and his
shouts were heard by those in the castle, but when they tried to
leave their chambers they found the doors bolted. The king, who
had been sleeping in the main tower, barricaded himself there
with the queen and a chamber-maid.
When day broke they put many flags on the castle towers, and held
great celebrations. All the outsiders in the villa fled. When
the commander saw that the castle had been taken and saw the
others fleeing, he attacked them and took many prisoners. When
he returned, they stationed many men in the villa and others on
the barbicans and in the orchards near the villa. When the
commander went up to the castle he saw that none of his men had
been killed or wounded, and he was the most astonished man in the
world: he thought Tirant must be more angel than human, because
nothing that he tried turned out to be impossible.
They searched the entire castle and found it full of many kinds
of food: millet and wheat, sorghum and panic-grass--enough to
last seven years, with a sparkling spring of water that came out
of a rock. That night the king took pity on the queen, and
calling down from a window in the tower, he said:
"Which of you is the knight I can surrender to?"
"Sir," said Tirant, "here is the commander, and a very virtuous
knight."
The king realized that this was the ambassador he had talked with
so many times, and he said to him:
"Since you have been sent to me as an ambassador, give me your
pledge of safety so that I can do my duty as a knight and a
crowned king."
Tirant answered:
"I will guarantee your safety for a month after you surrender to
me. I give you my word."
The king felt as good about that as if he had been given absolute
freedom. He came down from the tower, opened the door, and stood
in the entryway, his sword in his hand. And he said:
"Have them bring me that little child." (This was a boy of no
more than five years of age, the son of a woman who baked bread.)
When the boy was near him, he knighted the boy and kissed him on
the mouth. Then, handing his sword to the boy, he placed himself
in his power.
The commander then seized the king and took him to a room where
he had him put in chains. This made Tirant very angry, but he
said nothing so that he would not offend the commander. When the
king was in chains, they went into the main tower where they
found the queen in tears.
Tirant had one hundred thousand doubloons sent to Tunis to the
commander's cousin who was magistrate of the king of that region.
He begged him to release Lord Agramunt and all the others who
were on his galley. The governor took them all out of captivity
and sent them to Tirant. When they were taken on land they lost
all hope of ever being freed--until they saw their captain. And
don't think they felt only a small mount of relief when they saw
him. Tirant immediately asked his cousin, Lord Agramunt, if he
had seen Plaerdemavida. He answered:
"Since that day we lost sight of the galley, I never heard
anything about her again. I'm afraid she died in the stormy
sea."
It happened one day that the queen called Tirant to her chamber.
Not knowing what she might want, Tirant went quickly. When he
was there, the queen smiled and had him sit at her side. Then
she said softly:
"My eyes have found their lost light, and when I raise my head I
see you as lord of the world, for heaven and earth and all things
that God has created obey you. That night when you brought us
out of the terrible prison, I found such pleasure in your
virtuous appearance, so handsomely formed, that I detested my
betrothed and could not continue to look at him.
I beg you, sir, do me the honor of ruling this land at my side."
Tirant was astonished, and he immediately replied:
"It fills me with great love to serve you, but I must confess my
sin: I have been in love with a maiden of high esteem for a long
while, as she has been with me. If I should betray her love, it
would be worse than death to me. And there is one more reason
that I must not forget: you are a Moor and I am a Christian, and
our marriage would not be lawful."
With tears in her eyes, the queen replied:
"You say that I am a Moor and you are a Christian, and that such
a marriage is impossible. Let me tell you how it can be done:
you can easily become a Moor, and then the marriage can take
place. As for the maiden you say you are in love with, I believe
that is simply an excuse, and the real reason is that I do not
please you."
Tirant reflected for a moment, and he saw a way by which
Christianity would be exalted. He decided to show the queen
great love so that she would decide to become a Christian. And
smiling, he said:
"My reason obliges me to keep the faith I have sworn. But I beg
of you, my lady, to receive baptism in the holy and true
Christian faith, and with my help you will regain your kingdom.
And for a husband I will give you a young and virtuous crowned
king. Although I cannot take you as a wife, since I already have
one, you would always be my friend."
The queen dried her tears and sighed:
"Your wise words have led me to this decision: give me baptism
quickly, for you are the flower of all those who are baptized."
When Tirant saw that the queen wanted to become a Christian, he
quickly had a gold basin and a pitcher brought from the booty
they had taken from King Escariano. Tirant had the queen's head
uncovered, letting her hair fall loose, and it was so beautiful
that her face seemed more angelic than human. Tirant had her
kneel down, and he poured water over her head from the pitcher,
and said:
"Maragdina, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit."
Then she declared herself to be a good Christian, and there, in
the presence of everyone, four ladies who served the queen
received holy baptism. And they led very saintly lives.
When King Escariano heard that the queen had become a Christian,
he sent for Tirant and told him:
"I tell you, Captain, since I see that my lady, the queen, has
become a Christian, I want to follow her virtuous works. So I
beg you to give me holy baptism, and to be my brother in arms for
as long as we live, being friends of our friends and enemies of
our enemies."
After the queen had been baptized, and the king had been
instructed about Christianity, Tirant took the king out of prison
and had him go down to the city. There was a lovely square in
that villa, and Tirant had ordered them to make a pretty cenotaph
there, nicely decorated with brocade and satin cloths. The king
sat on a beautiful chair covered with brocade on the cenotaph,
and a large silver bowl filled with water was placed at one end
of the cenotaph. Tirant had a very wide ladder constructed so
that everyone who wanted to be baptized could go up and down.
King Escariano's captains and all his men, peacefully and
unarmed, left the camp on foot because they were very near the
villa. When they came to the entrance, the captains and knights
went in first, then the others followed them. When they were in
the square before the king's cenotaph, they all bowed deeply to
him, and asked what his lordship wanted of them. With a strong
voice he said:
"My faithful vassals, relatives and brothers: Divine Mercy has
had pity on me and on all of you--if you wish it--for He has
enlightened my soul and my understanding. I have received many
favors from this captain: First, he has taken me out of prison
and given me freedom. Second, he has instructed me about the
holy Catholic faith so that I know for a certainty that the sect
of Mohammed is false and wicked, and all those who believe in it
are going to total destruction and condemnation. So I beg you
and command you, as good vassals and brothers, to join me and
receive baptism. Trust me: you will be receiving baptism for the
salvation of your souls. Those who want baptism should not
move; those who do not want baptism, empty the square and leave
room for the others."
After he had said this the king took off his outer garments in
everyone's presence, remaining in his shirt. Tirant led him to
the bowl, and pouring water from the pitcher over his head, he
baptized him, saying:
"King Escariano, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Then Tirant baptized almost all the prisoners, for most of them
were close relatives of the king. Afterward two captains and all
their lineage were baptized: one of their people was called
Bencarag and the other Capcani. On that day more than six
thousand Moors were baptized by Tirant. The others stayed there
the next day and the following days until they were all made
Christians. Few of them left, and the most vile were those who
did not receive baptism.
The news of all this was soon spread throughout Barbary, so that
it reached the ears of the kings who were coming to King
Escariano's aid. Very angry, they advanced as quickly as they
could and took away his entire kingdom. They gave it to the King
of Persia, and immediately crowned him king.
While these kings were conquering King Escariano's lands,
messengers came to him daily with the bad news that they were
taking his entire kingdom from him, and that he had only three
castles that were defending themselves and refusing to surrender.
After King Escariano became a Christian, Tirant begged him to
give all the villas and cities he had taken from the King of
Tremicen back to the queen, to whom they belonged. The king very
generously did this, but then he begged Tirant, as a brother in
arms, to give the queen to him for his wife. So one day Tirant
approached the queen, and said:
"I beg you to take this king for your husband. He loves you very
much. You already know him, and you would be much better off
with him than with someone who may not love you."
The queen listened to Tirant, and replied:
"I have complete trust in you, so I am putting myself and my
possessions in your power. I will do whatever you command me."
Tirant knelt on the ground and gave her many thanks. He
immediately sent for the king and the friar, and in everyone's
presence they were betrothed. The following day they heard mass,
because they were Catholic Christians. After the wedding, which
took place with great solemnity--as corresponds to royalty--King
Escariano took possession of the entire kingdom of Tremicen, as
husband of the queen, and she was happy because it was at
Tirant's command. The king loved Tirant above all others, and
there was nothing that he would not do for him. And Tirant
likewise loved the king and queen.
While the king and Tirant were celebrating this new marriage,
news reached the king daily that the Moorish kings would soon
take the three castles, and that they would fall on him and on
all the Christians, and would give them all cruel deaths.
When Tirant heard of this, he said:
"Sir, we need to think of how we can save our lives. Let's
gather all our men and see how many are prepared to go into
battle."
"What?" said the commander. "Do you think you're the lord of the
whole world? You ought to be satisfied with imprisoning this
magnanimous king, and go on back to the land you came from. Let
us live according to our own law, and let the new Christians
forget about this so-called holy baptism. If these kings are
coming with so many troops, and they find us adhering to their
law, they'll have mercy on us."
King Escariano turned to the commander in a rage, and he brought
his bare sword down on the commander's head so hard that his
brains spilled out onto the chamber floor, and he said:
"Oh, you dog, you son of a dog, born into a wicked sect! This is
the payment such a vile person deserves!"
Tirant was very displeased at the commander's death, and he felt
very angry. But he held himself back and did not reprimand the
king because he was afraid of causing more trouble. Some people
were glad the commander was dead, and others were not. But his
death served to restrain many.
Tirant mustered all the men to see how many there were, and they
counted 18,230 horsemen and forty-five thousand foot soldiers.
Tirant paid them all. Then they enlisted twenty-five thousand
more. At the same time, four hundred forty horses and many arms
arrived from Tunis where they had disembarked after arriving from
Sicily. And now Tirant was unafraid of attacking three thousand
enemy horsemen.
The king and Tirant left the city with all their men to meet the
enemy and see if they could resist them. When they were three
leagues away from them, at the top of a mountain, the Christians
could see all the Moorish forces that were coming. They set up
their tents in view of each other, and many embassies were sent
back and forth. The Moors sent word to King Escariano, telling
him and Tirant and all the other Christians to convert to
Mohammedanism, because if they did not, they would all die a
cruel death. When Tirant heard this, he mocked them and would
not give them a reply. Then the ambassadors became very angry
with Tirant.
They had conquered all of King Escariano's realm, and now they
were going to attack him. Tirant said:
"Sir, they've raised camp, so they'll be here tomorrow. Your
lordship can stay here in the city with half the men while I take
the other half, and we'll see how well organized they are."
"Oh, Tirant! I would much rather go with you, and we can leave
Lord Agramunt here as the captain."
Tirant agreed, and made Lord Agramunt captain, telling him:
"Keep your horses saddled, and your men armed. When you see a
red flag with my arms painted on it, have all your men attack on
the right, and we'll destroy our enemy."
To reach the Christians, the Moors had to cross over a tall
mountain that had many springs. During that night and the
following day, Tirant went around the mountain and he could see
all the Moors coming from a great distance. Tirant rode into a
dense thicket, and he had all the men dismount and take their
ease while he climbed a tall pine tree and watched the enemy come
up the mountain. They set up their tents near the springs, and
they were still a league away from the city. The ones who
followed behind set up camp at the foot of the mountain where
there were beautiful meadows and a canal. The men here had about
four thousand horses.
When Tirant saw that nearly half the enemy had dismounted, he and
the king attacked their camp and killed so many Moors that the
number of corpses stretched out on the ground were a wonder to
behold. And there would have been even more if night had not
fallen. The Moors up on the mountain heard the cries, but they
did not think the Christians would dare come so close to their
camp.
The morning of the following day, as soon as the sun came out,
King Meneador came down from the mountain, not suspecting that
King Escariano and Tirant would be there. He thought, instead,
that these must be thieving marauders. So he sent a messenger to
them, telling them to convert back to the Mohammedan faith or he
would hang as many of them as he found.
Tirant told the messenger:
"You tell your lord that I don't intend to answer his madness.
But if he's a crowned king, and brave enough to come down the
mountain with his men, I'll let him feel the strength of the one
he wants to hang."
The messenger went back to his lord with the reply, and the king
was so enraged that he dug his spurs into his horse, and all his
men followed. The battle was harsh and cruel. After they had
fought for a time, and there were many deaths on both sides, King
Meneador retreated toward the mountain, and he sent for his
brother, the King of Lower India, to come to his aid. When he
was there, King Meneador told him:
"Brother, these baptized Christians are fighting so hard that
I've lost most of my men, and I'm slightly wounded too. I won't
hold myself as a knight unless I kill with my own hands a great
traitor who is their captain. His armor and the vest he wears
are damask green with three stars on each side. On one side
they're gold and on the other side silver. Around his neck he
wears a gold Mohammed with a long beard. And this Mohammed
carries a small child holding onto his neck as he crosses a
river. And that must be the one who helps him in his battles."
The King of Lower India haughtily replied:
"Show him to me. I will avenge you even if he has ten Mohammeds
in his belly."
His men quickly mounted their horses and bore down upon the
Christians. Shouting wildly, like madmen, they went into battle,
and soon you could see horses running around without riders.
When Tirant broke his lance, he made use of his ax, and he
wounded or gave death with every blow. The two kings drew up to
Tirant and wounded him with the point of a sword. Finding
himself wounded, Tirant cried out:
"Oh, king, you who have dealt me a deadly wound according to the
great pain I feel, before I enter hell, you will go before me as
a messenger to open the gates, for I will send you there
quickly!"
He brought his ax down on the king's head, splitting it into two
parts, and the king fell at the feet of his horses. When the
Moors saw his body on the ground, they struggled to pick it up.
This was the King of Lower India who had spoken so boastfully.
When the other king saw his brother dead, he fought desperately.
The other kings were told of his death, the King of Bogia in
particular, for he had brought them together. Then they raised
camp and set up their tents at the foot of the mountain.
The Christians, seeing how many men they had and that Tirant was
wounded and in great pain, decided to leave during the night.
The following morning the Moors prepared to give battle, but they
found no one. They followed the Christians' tracks and came to
the city where they had taken refuge.
Tirant had Lord Agramunt take his men out and do battle with
them, and many men died on both sides. Then the Christians
retreated back into the city while the Moors pounded on the gates
with their lances.
The following day Lord Agramunt led his men into battle, and many
died on both sides, and again they retreated into the city.
Tirant was troubled that he could not take part, and that they
were losing men, and he told the king:
"Sir, I don't think we should go out and do battle so often.
We're only losing men."
And so they waited until Tirant was healthy again. Then, when he
was nearly cured, he put on his armor and mounted his horse, and
with most of the men he attacked one side of the camp. The
Moors, in a tumult, came out to fight the Christians. And that
day, and many others that followed, Tirant came out the worst.
When Tirant saw his men fleeing that day, and that he could not
keep them in order, he went to the river. He saw the King of
Africa riding toward him wearing a helmet with a crown of gold
and many precious stones. His saddle was silver, and his
stirrups gold, while his jubbah was crimson and embroidered with
large oriental pearls.
When the king saw Tirant's troubled face, he approached him and
said:
"Are you the captain of the Christians?"
Tirant did not reply, but instead looked at his men who had left
him, and all the dead bodies and banners scattered over the
ground. That day, they had scarcely defended themselves against
the Moors.
In a loud voice that the Moors and the wounded could hear, he
cried out:
"Oh, poor men! Why do you bear arms? Oh, sad, vile men: you
will be rightly condemned for this day on which you die so
miserably, and your reputation will suffer greatly!"
When the King of Africa heard him crying this way, he called out
to his men:
"I'm going to cross the river, and I'll put this Christian dog in
chains or I'll kill him. If I need any assistance, come and help
me."
When the king had crossed over, he rode swiftly at Tirant, and
struck him so hard with his lance that Tirant's horse sank to its
knees. The lance passed through his brassard and his
breast-plate, and slightly pierced his chest. Tirant was feeling
such great pain for the dead men, and was thinking of the
princess, and he didn't notice the king until he had been
wounded. He drew his sword, since his lance had been broken at
the outset. And they fought for a long space of time. The king
fought valiantly, and when it had lasted a long while, Tirant
thrust hard at the king, but he could not reach him because the
king's horse suddenly turned. However, he caught the horse's
head and cut it off, so that the horse and the king tumbled to
the ground. The king's men came to his aid, and mounted him on
another horse, even though Tirant tried to stop them.
When Tirant realized that he could not hold out any longer, he
seized a Moor and took away his lance. Then he wounded the
first, the second and the third men he encountered, and knocked
them to the ground; then he wounded the fourth, fifth and sixth
and also knocked them down.
The Moors were astonished at the way one lone man bore arms.
Lord Agramunt was at a window in the castle, and he recognized
Tirant by his coat of arms and saw that he was fighting alone.
And he cried out:
"Men, go quickly and help our captain. He's about to lose his
life."
Then the king went out with the few men he had. Tirant was
wounded in three places, and his horse had been struck many
times. For this reason Tirant was forced to retreat, but he did
so against his will, and they pursued him right up to the gates.
The doctors arrived and had Tirant's armor removed, and they
found many wounds including three that were very dangerous.
When the Moors saw that the Christians had withdrawn inside the
city, they tightened the siege and crossed over the river. They
brought so many oxen and camels that they could not be counted.
They used these as an obstacle to the Christians in battle, for
their horses could not run, and no one could enter or leave the
city.
Tirant was afraid they might mine under the castle. He ordered
the men to make a countermine, and in all the lower rooms they
were to place brass basins. This was done so that if a pickaxe
was about to come through a wall in that room, all the brass
basins would clang together and make a great noise. After the
brass basins were set up, they began to work on the countermine.
After a few days, when Tirant was well and ready to bear arms, a
serving girl inside the castle was kneading flour, and she heard
the basins moving around, making noise. She ran quickly to tell
her mistress:
"I don't know what it is, but I've heard folks say that when
basins make a noise it's the sign of a storm or of bloodshed."
The lady was the wife of the captain of the castle, and she
quickly went to tell her husband, and he told the king and
Tirant.
Secretly, without making a sound, they went to the room, and saw
that what the girl had said was true. They quickly armed
themselves and went into a chamber, and not even an hour went by
before they saw light in the room. The Moors who were digging
thought no one in the castle had heard them, and they made the
hole much bigger. Then they began to come out of the mine. When
there were more than seventy Moors in the room, the men from the
castle went in and slew and quartered everyone they found. The
ones who could escape back through the mine certainly didn't
stand around waiting for each other, but Tirant had many bombards
fired into the mine, and everyone inside died.
Tirant saw that his men were nearly faint from hunger, and he
decided to do battle. He told the king:
"Sir, I'll take half the men we have left, and you can take the
other half. I'll go into the little forest there, and as soon as
the sun comes up, you go out through the gate of Tremicen and go
all around the city, and you attack the center of their camp
while I attack from the other side, and we'll see if we can't
confuse them. If we do, we can take over their camp. But what
disturbs me most are the cattle: we'll have to go right through
them, and every time we do, they'll kill many of our horses."
A Genoese who had been a slave on Tirant's galley when the ship
went down spoke up. His name was Almedixer, and he was a very
discreet man and was knowledgeable about many things. He said:
"Captain, do you want me to make all the cattle run off so that
there won't even be a sign of one around? The Moors will go
running after them to get them back, and that will be the time to
attack their camp and fall upon them."
"If you can do that," said Tirant, "upon Carmesina's name I
promise to make you a great lord and give you villas and castles
and a great inheritance."
The king said to Tirant:
"Brother, if that's what you're going to do, I beg you to let me
go into the forest. And when I see the banner flying from the
highest tower I'll attack the center of the camp."
Tirant agreed, and ordered everyone to shoe their horses and
repair their saddles.
The Genoese took the hair of many goats, and mutton fat, and he
crushed it all together and put it in shallow pans, and he filled
more than seventy of them.
Right at the hour of midnight the king went into the forest
without any of the Moors seeing him. Almedixer took the pans of
grease he had made and went out of the castle at dawn, and put
them one next to the other.
Then he set them on fire. When the flames were going well, the
wind blew the smoke toward the cattle. And when they smelled the
odor they stampeded through the middle of the camp, bringing down
tents and injuring men and horses so that it seemed like all the
devils in hell were after them. They even ran into each other so
that hardly an ox or camel was left uninjured. Many Moors on
foot and on horseback pursued them to make them turn back, and
all the Moors were astonished, not understanding what had caused
the stampede.
When the oxen were gone, Tirant had the white and green flag
raised. The king saw the flag and rode out of the forest,
crying:
"Long live the Christians!"
As they had planned, Tirant also attacked from the other side.
Then the terrible, cruel battle unrolled. Whoever saw it could
tell the goings on of it all, for you could see thrusts of lance
and sword being given and taken that brought awful grief, and in
a few hours excellent knights were lying dead on the ground. All
the battles came together and made such a noise that it sounded
like the earth would fall in. You could see Tirant here and
there, tearing helmets from men's heads and shields from their
bodies, killing and wounding and doing the most astonishing
things in the world in his ever-burning fury. King Escariano was
doing very well, for he was a very good knight, young and
courageous. As for the Moors, there were some very good and
valiant knights, the King of Africa in particular who, because of
the death of his brother, threw himself against the Christians
most cruelly. The King of Bogia was also a very courageous
knight.
The battle was long and hard fought, and mercy was shown by none.
Everyone was using their weapons, and it was a wonder to behold.
We mustn't forget about Lord Agramunt, for he fought so well that
the enemy feared him.
It happened that the King of Africa recognized Tirant by his
armor and rode toward him, and they ran at each other, and both
the king and Tirant were knocked to the ground. But Tirant
feared death and was the more spirited, and he got up first,
while the king was still lying on the ground. He reached down to
cut the straps of his helmet, but before he could do so the Moors
saw their king on the ground, and it was a wonder that they did
not kill Tirant. They pulled him off the king's body two times
and threw him on the ground. When Lord Agramunt saw Tirant in
such great danger, he rode over to him and saw that the camp
commander was doing everything he could to kill Tirant. Lord
Agramunt turned to the commander, and they engaged in such a hard
fought battle that every blow intended to bring death--one of
them to defend Tirant and the other to try to attack him--and
both of them were badly wounded.
Almedixer was near and cried out in alarm. King Escariano raced
into the tumult and saw the King of Bogia standing over Tirant,
about to cut off his head. These two kings were brothers, and
King Escariano recognized his brother, but still, when he saw
Tirant in that situation, he immediately thrust his lance into
his brother's back so powerfully that it went right through his
armor and came out the other side, piercing his heart, and the
King of Bogia fell to the ground, dead. Then the battle grew
more cruel than it had ever been, and on that day many men from
both sides died.
The battle went on very cruelly, throughout the day, but when
night fell, they broke apart. The Christians went back into the
city very happily, because they had been victorious on the field.
They knew for a certainty that three kings had died in the
battle: the King of Bogia, King Geber, and the King of Granada.
Among the wounded, mention is made only of the King of Damascus
and the King of Tana.
That night the men and horses rested, and before dawn the
Christians were armed and ready, and the Moors were surprised
that they were eager to fight, because the Moors had not been
able to bury their dead. The battle took place on the second
day, and it was very cruel and bloody. Large numbers of Moors
died, but not very many Christians: for every Christian, one
hundred Moors died. The reason so many Moors were killed was
because they weren't as well armed as the Christians, and their
horses and trappings weren't as good. The battle lasted five
days, and the Moors couldn't endure it any longer because of the
stench from the corpses, so they sent messengers to the
Christians, asking for a truce. King Escariano and Tirant felt
very pleased, and they agreed willingly.
The Moors then took their dead and threw them into the river,
each with a note of identification attached so that downriver
their relatives could bury them. But there were so many dead
bodies that the river was stopped up, and the water had to change
course.
Then the Moors went up the mountain while the Christians went
back to the city. During this truce the Marquis of Luzana
arrived; he was a servant to the King of France. In Tunis he
heard of Tirant's great victories, and he decided to go to him.
The Moors decided to leave one night before the truce was over,
and go to the mountains of Fez where they could defend themselves
against the Christians. So, very unexpectedly, nearly at the
hour of midnight, they broke camp and went on their way. Early
the next morning the guards came running to the city gates to
warn the captain that the Moors were leaving. When Tirant saw
that they had gone beyond the pass, he set himself to conquering
all the kingdoms and lands this side of the pass. After many
days had gone by, Lord Agramunt said to the captain:
"My lord, it seems to me that if we want to end this conquest
quickly, I should go beyond the pass to conquer the villas,
castles and cities there. After your lordship has taken over
these kingdoms, you can go over to that land, and you will easily
be the master of all Barbary."
Tirant was pleased with what Lord Agramunt told him. He
consulted King Escariano, and they agreed that he should leave
soon. Lord Agramunt departed with ten thousand men on horseback,
and eighteen thousand foot soldiers. When he had gone beyond the
pass he learned that the kings had left, and each had gone back
to his own land. Seeing that there were so few armed men in that
land, Lord Agramunt began to conquer it, and he took over many
cities, villas and castles, some willingly and others by force.
They came near a city called Montagata which belonged to the
daughter of the King of Belamerin (This king had died at the
beginning of the war) and to her betrothed. When the people in
the city learned that the Christians were so nearby, they held a
council and decided to send the keys of the city to Lord
Agramunt, and, very kindly, he took them and granted them
everything they requested. But when they were near the city, the
rulers changed their minds and decided that they would die
before they would surrender.
When Lord Agramunt saw that he had been mocked, he decided to go
into battle, for he was as bold and hard as he could be. As he
came close to a wall, they shot at him with a crossbow. The
arrow hit him in the mouth and came out the other side. When his
men saw him stretched out on the ground, badly wounded, they
thought he was dead. They put him on a shield and carried him to
his tent, and they fought no more that day. Then Lord Agramunt
made a vow to God and to the holy apostles that because of the
way they had deceived him and because of the great pain his wound
was causing him, he would not leave until the city was taken and
his sword had slain everyone: men and women, large and small, old
and young. And he quickly sent word to Tirant.
When Tirant received the news that his cousin had been so badly
wounded, he and all his men went to the city. Before they could
dismount he ordered them to attack the city, and the battle was
so fierce and so harsh that they took a large tower--a
mosque--attached to the city walls. When night fell Tirant
ordered a halt to the fighting. In the morning the Moors sent
word to the captain that they would surrender on condition that
they be allowed to live by their own laws, and they would give
them thirty thousand gold crowns every year, and free all the
prisoners they held. Tirant answered that because of the act
they had committed against his cousin they would have to go to
Lord Agramunt, and whatever he decided would be done.
When the Moors stood before Lord Agramunt, he would consent to
nothing, no matter how much they pleaded with him. Then the town
decided to send their lady and several maidens to see if they
could reach an agreement with him, since many times a maiden's
pleas are successful. At this point the book presents an
incident to relate the deeds of Plaerdemavida.