CONQUEST
When the celebrations were over Tirant had a large ship armed,
and he had it loaded with wheat to send to Constantinople to help
the emperor.
He had Melquisedic, Lord of Montagata, brought to him, and he
told him to go on that ship as a messenger to the emperor. He
told him to become well informed about the emperor's condition,
and how the empire was, and about the princess. He gave him
instructions and letters of credence, and he had him embark, well
outfitted and better escorted.
Then Tirant ordered his men to break camp, and to get all the
cavalry and foot soldiers ready. They filled the carts with food
and all the supplies and weaponry necessary to fight the cities,
villas, and castles.
They went toward the city of Caramen, at the edge of Barbary and
bordering on the black Kingdom of Borno. Because three kings who
fled from the battle scene had taken refuge in that city, while
the others had gone back to their own lands. So the great
numbers of cavalry and foot soldiers went through the land,
conquering castles, villas and cities. Some were taken by force,
and others surrendered willingly. Many became Christian, while
others remained in their sect, and they were not harmed or
wronged in any way. Finally they reached the city where the
kings had taken shelter. There, Tirant's forces set up their
tents and encircled the city at a distance of about two crossbow
shots.
Tirant held council with King Escariano, Lord Agramunt, the
Marquis of Luzana, the Viscount of Branches, and many other
barons and knights in the camp. They chose a Spaniard from the
town of Oriola to be their envoy. His name was Lord Rocafort,
and he had been a captive on a Moorish galley until Tirant had
freed him. They told him to observe how many men might be in the
city, and what condition they were in, and they give him detailed
instructions about everything he should do and say.
After receiving assurances of safe-conduct, the envoy went to the
castle where the kings were. These were the King of Fez, King
Menador of Persia, and the King of Tremicen. This last king was
nephew to the other King of Tremicen, and had been chosen king
when his uncle had been killed by King Escariano. The other
kings had died in the battles they had been waging.
The envoy stood before the kings who had gathered to listen to
his embassy, and without greeting them or showing them any
reverence, he said:
"I have come to you who were powerful kings on behalf of the most
Christian King Escariano and the magnanimous captain, Tirant lo
Blanc, to notify you of the will of their lordships. They say
that you and your forces must leave the city of Caramen and all
of Barbary within three days."
King Menador of Persia gave the reply for the other kings:
"You can tell that traitor and renegade, King Escariano,
Mohammed's enemy and ours, and his friend Tirant lo Blanc, that
we won't leave the city, much less Barbary, for them. And so
that they'll know how great our power is, let them be ready for
battle tomorrow because we'll come out of the city and give them
terrible destruction."
As soon as King Menador had finished, Tirant's ambassador turned
his back and left without another word, and he went back to his
camp. When he was with King Escariano and Tirant, he told them
all about King Menador of Persia's reply. Tirant immediately
called together all the barons, knights and captains of both
cavalry and foot soldiers. When they were together, he told them
to get ready because the Moors were going to do battle with them.
The following morning the Moors put their forces together in a
beautiful plain outside the city, and they began to move toward
Tirant's camp. The Christians' spy saw the Moors coming, and ran
to warn Tirant. Tirant had all his cavalry ready and his foot
soldiers in order, and they went toward the Moors.
When the battalions drew near each other, the trumpets and pipes
began to sound, and the screams and shouts of both armies were so
great that it seemed like heaven and earth would come together.
Tirant ordered his first battalion to attack, and the good
captain Lord Rocafort went into battle so fiercely that it was a
wonder to behold.
The King of Tremicen, who was captain of the first battalion of
Moors also attacked so powerfully that the best knight in the
world could have done no better, and they fought so fiercely
against the Christians that the Christians were beaten back.
Then the second squadron of Moors attacked very savagely, and one
could see lances breaking, and knights and horses falling, and
many men lying dead on the ground, both Christians and Moors.
Tirant saw that the battle was going badly, and that his men were
being beaten. So he had four squadrons attack together, his
being the only one that held back. They attacked so powerfully
that in a few hours, before the enemy realized what had happened,
they had killed a great number of Moors.
King Escariano came face to face with the King of Fez, and their
horses clashed so mightily that they broke their lances. They
both fell to the ground, and got up, fighting with their swords,
like lions. When the two sides saw their king on the ground,
they rushed in to help them, and in the harsh battle that
followed, many men died.
Then Tirant attacked too, with his men, and you would have had to
see the great tumult and the terrible cries of the Moors who were
not able to resist the Christians. King Menador of Persia, who
had gone into battle like a raging dog, came against Tirant, and
hit his head with his sword so hard that he nearly knocked Tirant
from his horse.
Tirant then raised his sword and brought it down so hard that he
cut the king's arm completely off at the shoulder, and the king
soon fell to the ground, dead.
During the battle it happened that Tirant came upon the King of
Tremicen, and gave him such a blow to the head with his sword,
that he knocked the king to the ground. And if it had not been
for the king's good helmet, he would have been dead. Tirant went
on ahead, and the Moors picked up their king and lay him over a
horse, taking him quickly back to the city.
When the battle had gone on for a long while, the Moors could not
stand up against the Christians, and they had to turn and flee.
When Tirant saw the Moors running away, he cried:
"The time has come, good knights, the day is ours! Kill them
all!"
They rushed after the Moors who were trying to take refuge inside
the city. But with all their efforts, the Moors could not avoid
the deaths of more than forty thousand of their men that day.
With the battle won, Tirant immediately had a galley armed in the
port of One, and he entrusted a knight named Espercius as its
captain. This man was a native of Tremicen, and a good
Christian. Tirant charged him to go to Genoa, Venice, Pisa and
Majorca (which at this time was a great trading center), and to
enlist as many ships, galleys, caravels, and all kinds of
vessels, as could carry many men. He was to promise them a
year's wages, and take them to the port of Constantine in the
kingdom of Tunis. When Espercius was informed about everything
he was to do, he embarked on his journey.
When Ambassador Melquisedic left Barbary he had such favorable
weather that he reached Constantinople in a few days. When the
emperor was informed that a ship was in port, he immediately
sent a knight to find out what ship it was, and what its purpose
was in coming. The knight went to the port, boarded the ship and
spoke with the ambassador. Then he returned to the palace and
told the emperor that the ship had come from Barbary, that Tirant
had sent it, stocked with wheat, to His Majesty, and that a
knight was on it whom Tirant had sent as his ambassador.
When the emperor heard this news he felt very relieved because of
the straits they were in, and he gave thanks and praise to God,
Our Lord, that he had not been forgotten. The emperor
immediately commanded all the knights of the city to go and
escort the ambassador that Tirant had sent, and they all went to
the port, and had them disembark.
The ambassador, accompanied by the people with him, came out,
very finely dressed. When they were on land, they were received
by the emperor's knights, who paid the ambassador high honors
because of their great desire for Tirant to come. They took him
to the emperor and the empress who were in the emperor's chamber.
The ambassador bowed to the emperor, and kissed his foot and
hand, and also the empress's hand.
They received them, smiling, and showing great pleasure at their
arrival.
The ambassador explained his mission to the emperor and his
council, and they were all astonished and comforted by Tirant's
great prosperity in conquering Barbary. Then the ambassador
asked permission to go see the princess. Hippolytus escorted him
to the convent where she was staying, and he presented her with a
letter from Tirant. She felt very comforted by his words,
convinced that he would be coming to her soon. Then she asked
the ambassador what news he had of Plaerdemavida: if she was dead
or alive. He told about her adventure in detail, and how she had
married Lord Agramunt, and how Tirant had promised to make her a
queen. Then he took his leave of the princess and went to the
lodging.
A few days later the emperor had a letter composed to Tirant,
explaining in detail the situation his empire was in: that the
empire had been overrun by the Turks, and now all that remained
was the city of Constantinople, the city of Pera, and a few
castles. He had the ambassador come before him, and gave him the
letter. Then he begged him earnestly to press Tirant to remember
him and to have compassion on his old age, and on all the people
who were in danger of renouncing the faith of Jesus Christ, and
on the women and maidens who lived in fear of being dishonored
unless they had divine aid and his aid as well. The ambassador
took his leave, kissing his feet and hand, and likewise the
empress's.
Afterward the ambassador went to the convent where the princess
was, and he told her that he had come to see Her Highness in case
she wished to command anything of him. The princess told him she
was very pleased that he would be returning so soon, for she
trusted his goodness and gentility that he would do everything
possible to make Tirant come quickly to free them from the great
danger they were in. And she earnestly begged him to do this.
Then she gave him a letter she was sending to Tirant.
When their talk was over, the ambassador kissed the princess's
hand, and took his leave of her. As the ambassador had carried
out all the things Tirant had entrusted to him, he boarded the
ship, and had the sails raised so they could be on their way. In
a few days he reached the city where Tirant was, who received him
very happily. Bowing, he gave him the emperor's letter.
When Tirant had read the emperor's letter, he felt great
compassion for him. His eyes filled with tears when he thought
of his anguish, and he remembered the Duke of Macedonia and his
other relatives and friends who were being held captive in the
hands of the infidels because of him, and that they had no hope
of escaping without him. He also thought about all he had
conquered in the Empire of Greece while he had been there, and
that it and much more had been lost in such a brief span of time.
He asked the ambassador about all that he had seen, and he told
him everything. He also asked him about the princess and how she
was. He answered that he had found her in the convent of Santa
Clara (for with his absence she had given herself over to the
service of God) and about how she also wore a veil over her face
and led a very holy life, and how she had received him very
happily.
"She asked me how you were and what had happened to you, and she
begged me at length to plead with you not to forget her,
especially now that they were in danger of becoming prisoners of
the Moors. And that if she had ever angered your lordship, she
begged you not to make her grieve for it. That, as you were
merciful toward your enemies, you would treat her, who was your
own, as well. That you should think of her as your own flesh,
and not forget her."
And he told him many other things that the book does not relate.
The ambassador gave him the princess's letter, and it said the
following:
"After I read your letter, I was filled with infinite joy, and
great happiness softened my sad heart. The greatest peace, calm
and joy I have felt after I lost your presence is this outpouring
of my words, as I feel myself coming back to you. For I have
been, I am and will be your secret captive. I thank you with all
my heart, for I know all that you have suffered because of me.
And I forgive you for the false opinions you held about me, on
the sole condition that the African soil find itself abandoned by
you so that you will return to me and my deserted people. Let me
bring to your memory the crown of the Empire of Greece that
awaits you; and my virginity which you so desired, and that is
now in danger of being stolen by some infidel; and I, your wife,
who am in danger of being taken captive. I don't know what to
say, I don't know what to show you! Until now my thoughts have
been able to hold these deceptions: gazing at, kissing, adoring
some jewels and things that were yours, and finding my
consolation in them. Then, going to the doors of my room,
saying: 'Here is where my Tirant sat, here he caught me, here he
kissed me, here in this bed he held me naked.' And so, rambling
most of the night and day, I ease my troubled mind. Let these
thoughts cease, then, for they avail me very little, and let
Tirant come, for he will be my true consolation, my end, the
remedy and peace for my ills, and the redemption of the Christian
people."
When Tirant had finished reading the princess's letter, he felt
great agony from the pain and compassion he had for the emperor
and for the princess, and in thinking of the Duke of Macedonia,
his cousin, being held prisoner, and of all his other relatives
and friends.
Tirant then told King Escariano that they would leave and go to
Tunis. Before they left, he gave the kingdoms of Fez and Bogia
to Lord Agramunt. Then all the men set out for Tunis.
When the kingdom of Tunis learned that King Escariano and Captain
Tirant were coming with such a mighty force, they sent word to
them, begging them not to harm them. Since their lord had died,
they would be happy to obey them and to do whatever they
commanded. They willingly accepted, and entered the city of
Tunis very peacefully. Tirant had them swear to accept King
Escariano as their lord, and all the cities, villas and castles
surrendered to him.
While Tirant was feeling very content, the news reached him that
six large ships had docked at the port of Constantine. He
immediately sent Melquisedic, giving him many doubloons, and
ordered him to load the six ships with wheat, and send them to
Constantinople.
Melquisedic departed and quickly carried out Tirant's orders, and
in a few days they were stocked, and they set sail. Then Tirant
had King Escariano take possession of the kingdom of Tunis, and
they swore their allegiance to him as their king and lord.
When all these things had been done, he felt like the happiest
man in the world. He begged King Escariano to go with him to
Constantinople, with all his forces, to recover the Empire of
Greece that the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk had seized.
And King Escariano told him that he would be very happy to carry
out everything that he commanded.
He also told Lord Agramunt, King of Fez and Bogia, to go to his
kingdoms and to enlist as many men as could go with him. Lord
Agramunt was very happy, and he left immediately. Then King
Escariano wrote letters to the entire kingdom of Tunis, to all
the captains and knights, telling them to be in the city of
Constantine on a certain day with all their arms and everything
they needed for battle. And in three months they were in the
city of Constantine. There were forty-four thousand men on
horseback and one hundred thousand on foot from the kingdom of
Tremicen and from Tunis. Then came the King of Fez and Bogia,
Lord Agramunt, with twenty thousand men on horseback and fifty
thousand foot soldiers.
While these men were coming, the galley of Knight Espercius
arrived with many ships, galleys and other vessels, from Genoa,
Spain, Venice and Pisa, and there were even more. When Espercius
disembarked from the galley, he told Tirant that he had carried
out everything he had been charged with. Tirant was very
satisfied at all this. He quickly had the galley loaded, and he
told Espercius that he wanted him to go as his ambassador to the
King of Sicily, and he replied that he would do it gladly.
Tirant gave him instructions about what to say to the King of
Sicily, and Knight Espercius went aboard his galley and set out
for Sicily.
A few days after the ambassador had left, all the ships were
together in the port of Constantine, and when Tirant saw that he
had enough vessels, and that he would need no more, he paid for
the fleet for one year. Then he immediately had thirty ships
stocked with wheat and supplies from the Barbary Coast. When the
ships were loaded, a day was set for all the armed men to meet.
Those on horseback and those on foot, and all the people in the
city and many others came to a beautiful spot in front of the
city of Constantine. Tirant had a very tall cenotaph made there
so that all the people could be around it. Then Tirant, King
Escariano, the King of Fez and many other barons and knights went
onto the cenotaph until it was completely filled. The others
stayed down below, and when the people were silent, Tirant spoke
briefly, and a friar gave a sermon.
When the sermon was over, all the Moors who were not baptized
cried out, asking for baptism. Tirant immediately had large
basins filled with water, as well as conches, casks and tubs, and
all the friars and clerics came, for Tirant had had many
monasteries and even more churches built in the cities he had
taken, and many clerics and friars had come from the Christian
realms. Everyone was baptized--those who were leaving as well as
those who were staying behind--and in three days three hundred
thirty-four thousand Moors--men, women and children--were
baptized.
Afterward, Tirant went to talk to King Escariano, and he said to
him:
"I have been thinking, my lord and brother, that if it is to your
liking, instead of going with us by sea you could return to your
kingdom of Ethiopia, and enlist as many men as possible, foot
soldiers and cavalry, and I will go by sea with these men. And
with you on one side and me on the other, we will catch the
sultan and the Turk in the middle, and we will destroy them."
King Escariano said he would prefer to go with him, but that he
understood how much aid he could give him with all his men, and
he was content to do so. The book explains that this King
Escariano was a very strong and valiant knight, and that he was
totally black. For he was lord of the Negritos of Ethiopia, and
was called King Jamjam. He was very powerful, owning many horses
as well as great treasures, and he was well loved by his vassals.
His kingdom was so large that it extended to Barbary, and the
kingdom of Tremicen, and on the other side to the Indies and
Abyssinia through which the River Tigris passes.
Then King Escariano prepared to depart with five hundred knights,
and he and the queen took their leave of Tirant, and the King and
Queen of Fez, and all the other barons. Tirant accompanied him
more than a league, and then he returned to the city of
Constantine to give the order for the men to ready themselves
with their horses and their entire army. Here the history ceases
to speak of Tirant, and it returns to Ambassador Espercius who
was going to the island of Sicily.
After Ambassador Espercius left the port of Constantine, he had
such favorable weather that in a few days he reached the island
of Sicily. He learned that the king was in the city of Messina,
and he went there. When he was near the port he dressed very
well and had all his men put on their finery. Then he
disembarked and went to the king's palace.
When he was before the king, he bowed, and the king honored him
and asked the reason for his coming. The ambassador answered:
"Most excellent sir, Tirant lo Blanc sends me to Your Majesty as
his ambassador."
He immediately gave the ambassador a very fine room, and he had
everything he needed brought to him. He also sent beef of an ox
and pork and fresh bread to the galley for the men.
On the morning of the following day, after the king had heard
mass, he summoned his council, and when they were seated in a
great hall he told the ambassador to explain his mission. The
ambassador said:
"Most excellent sir, Your Excellency is aware that Tirant lo
Blanc was carrying on a war for the Emperor of Constantinople
against the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk. It happened that
they took from the emperor all the lands Tirant had conquered,
and so he has decided to take the mightiest force he can to
Constantinople. He begs Your Highness to go with him personally
with all your forces, to help carry out the conquest of the
Empire of Greece. And since he has so much confidence in your
lordship he will be here very soon."
The ambassador said no more. The king quickly replied:
"Knight, it makes me very happy to know of the good fortune of my
brother Tirant, and I am very pleased to be able to help him."
The ambassador stood and thanked the king. When they left the
parley, the king had letters drawn up to all the barons and
knights of Sicily, and to all the cities and royal villas, that
on a certain day they should send all their magistrates to the
city of Palermo, because he had decided to hold a general
parliament there.
On the appointed day the king and all those who were invited were
in Palermo, and when the parliament opened the king asked the
entire kingdom for aid. They were all happy to give their
assistance, and those who could decided to go with him. When the
parliament was over, all who had decided to go quickly made
ready, and in a short time the king gathered four thousand
horses, and he had at his disposal a large fleet of ships and
many provisions.
Here the book ceases to speak of the King of Sicily, who is
putting all his ships in order, and gathering all the provisions
and the horses and arms, and it returns to the six ships Tirant
had sent to Constantinople, loaded with wheat.
After the six ships had left the port of Constantine they had
such a favorable wind that in a few days they reached the Port of
Valona, which is in Greece. There they received news that the
sultan and the Turk had passed the Bosphorus with many ships and
galleys that they had sent for from Alexandria and Turkey, and
that they had laid siege to the city of Constantinople. The
emperor was extremely concerned, and all those in the city prayed
continually to Jesus Christ to send Tirant so that they could be
freed from their captivity. At the same time they felt very
confident because they were sure that Tirant was coming with all
his forces. The princess returned to the emperor's palace to
console her father, and she told him to gather courage, for Our
Lord would help them. The emperor had made Hippolytus his
captain-major, and every day he performed great acts of chivalry.
If it had not been for him, the sultan would have taken the city
before Tirant arrived.
When the captains of the six ships learned that the sultan's
forces were about to fall on Constantinople they sent a courier
by land to the emperor, informing him that they were there, in
the port of Valona, but that they did not dare go on to aid His
Majesty out of fear of the Moorish army that was facing the city.
However, they notified His Majesty that Tirant had already left
the city of Constantine and that he was coming with great haste
to assist him. In addition, they armed a brigantine and sent it
to Tirant to warn him that the Turk and the sultan had laid siege
to the city of Constantinople. The brigantine left very secretly
and steered for Sicily, and it had such favorable weather that in
a few days it reached the port of Palermo.
As soon as King Escariano had left Constantine, Tirant ordered
all the horses, the food supplies and the people brought
together. The thirty ships stocked with wheat arrived, and he
had them filled with men. When they were all on board, Tirant,
the King of Fez and Plaerdemavida went on the ship, along with
all the knights who had been on land with Tirant. When
everything was ready, they sailed toward Sicily.
When the brigantine that had come from the port of Valona saw
Tirant's fleet, it sailed out of the port and steered toward
them, asking for the captain's ship, and it was pointed out to
them. When the brigantine was next to Tirant's ship they told
him that the six ships were in the port of Valona and that they
had not been able to pass by the sultan's fleet, and of the siege
that had been laid against the city. This made Tirant very
angry, and he sailed to the port of Palermo where he saw the
ships of the King of Sicily that began to celebrate with trumpets
and bombards. Those of Tirant answered them, and they raised
such a din that it seemed as though the world was going to cave
in.
As soon as Tirant's armada was in port and had laid anchor, the
King of Sicily came on board Tirant's ship and there they
embraced and kissed. The King of Sicily honored all the barons
and knights who were on Tirant's ship, and he kissed and embraced
the King of Fez, and they all went on land together. Tirant
ordered that no one on the ships was to go on land, since he
wanted to leave the following day. The King of Sicily had his
queen come to the sea, and she honored Tirant and the King of Fez
and the queen, especially when she heard that she had been the
servant of so virtuous a lady as the princess. They all went to
the palace together, with a great multitude of ladies and
maidens, and other people who followed them. When they were in
the palace a splendid meal was prepared for them, and they ate
their fill with great pleasure from all sorts of victuals.
When they left their tables, Tirant and the King of Sicily went
into a chamber. The Queen of Sicily and the King of Fez, along
with his wife, remained in the hall with many ladies and
gentlemen, and they began to dance and entertain themselves.
Tirant told the King of Sicily about all the misfortunes he had
suffered, and how afterward Our Lord had protected him and had
given him a great victory, and how he had conquered all of
Barbary. Then he told him of the condition the emperor was in,
and that he needed their aid immediately. The King of Sicily
answered him:
"My brother and my lord, the horses and arms have been prepared,
along with most of the men."
Tirant answered:
"My brother and lord, I beg you to have a proclamation sent out
through the city that everyone shall gather, as you wish to
depart this evening."
The King of Sicily immediately sent one of his chamberlains, and
the trumpeters went through the city commanding all those who
were to leave to gather together, and it was quickly done.
Tirant and the king went back to the hall with the queen, and
there they found a little diversion. The Queen of Sicily drew
apart with the Queen of Fez, and embraced her, asking her many
questions about the princess, about her beauty and about the love
between Tirant and the princess. The Queen of Fez praised the
princess, saying she would never be able to tell of all her
wonderful qualities. She passed lightly over the love affair
with great discretion. Then she began to flatter the queen--an
art at which she was a master--telling her that after Her
Highness, the princess, she was without equal in the world; that
she had never seen or heard of a lady with such a genteel mind or
so much beauty as Her Majesty, and that she was very much in love
with her and her singular qualities; and she told her many other
things, all of which gave the Queen of Sicily great pleasure.
After the party and celebrations had ended it was time to dine,
and they ate with great satisfaction. When they had left the
table, Tirant begged the King of Sicily to make ready quickly,
and the king told him he would. They took their leave of the
Queen of Sicily and of all those who were staying with her. The
King of Sicily entrusted the regency of the kingdom to a
cousin-german of the queen, who was Duke of Messina, a good and
virtuous knight. He made him viceroy, and put the queen and his
entire household in his charge.
When everything was done that was necessary, the king and Tirant
and all their company gathered together, and the entire fleet,
Tirant's as well as that of the King of Sicily, set sail. At the
port of Valona the six ships loaded with wheat were waiting, and
they were very pleased when they saw Tirant's fleet.
Here the book ceases talking about Tirant and continues with the
story of King Escariano. As soon as King Escariano left Tirant,
he and his wife, the queen, rode until they came to his land--the
Kingdom of Ethiopia. After he had rested a few days, he called
all the barons and knights of his kingdom to the city of
Trogodita, and he told them:
"It must have come to your knowledge that I was the prisoner of
the captain of the Christians: Tirant lo Blanc. He is the best
knight in the world, for he gave us our liberty and made us his
companion in arms. Furthermore, he has given me as my wife the
daughter of the King of Tremicen, along with that kingdom, and he
has also given to me the Kingdom of Tunis. Now he must carry out
the conquest of the Greek Empire for the Emperor of
Constantinople--because the sultan and the Grand Turk have taken
away his entire empire. So he has called on me, as his brother
and servant, to help him with all my power. Thus, I beg all of
you who are willing, to come with me to Constantinople."
One by one, they each responded that they loved him with a great
love, and that they would follow him and die for him, not only in
Constantinople but to the ends of the world.
King Escariano thanked them all. Then he sent messages to all
the cities and towns of his kingdom that all who wished to put
themselves at his service--both cavalry and foot soldiers,
citizens and foreigners--should come to the city of Trogodita.
When they had all gathered there, King Escariano found that as
part of his army he had at his command twenty thousand horsemen,
strong and able with weapons. The queen also made ready, and
they left the city of Trogodita with their entire army.
Here the book returns to Tirant lo Blanc's armada as they are
going to Constantinople.
When Tirant was at the port of Valona he sent a galley into the
port and commanded the captains of the six ships to come out of
the port and follow the armada. So they set sail and came out of
the port and followed the fleet. When the armada was in the
canal of Romania it set its course for the port of Gigeo, which
is the port of Troy, and there they waited for the rest of the
armada to join them.
Tirant held counsel with the King of Sicily and the King of Fez
and all the other barons and knights, for he knew that the
sultan's entire armada was in the port of Constantinople, and
that they had more than three hundred vessels. It was decided to
send a man overland who knew the Moorish language, and who would
go into Constantinople at night to inform the emperor that Tirant
and his entire armada were in the port of Troy, a little more
than one hundred miles from Constantinople. They did not want to
give him any sort of letter, so that if he were taken prisoner
by the Moors they would not have any warning. So they would tell
him everything he should say to the emperor.
When the council was over Tirant called a knight from Tunis who
had been a Moor of the royal house. His name was Sinegerus, and
he was a very ingenious and eloquent man, and a valiant knight.
He had been a captive in Constantinople, and knew the area well.
Tirant told him everything he was to say to the emperor and the
princess, and he gave him his seal so the emperor would have
faith in him.
This knight dressed himself in Moorish fashion as a lackey. A
brigantine picked him up, and at night they put him ashore a
league from the Moorish camp that was laying siege to the city of
Constantinople. The knight carefully turned away from the
encampment and set out for the city, but before he could escape
he fell into the hands of spies from the Moorish camp. He spoke
to them very discreetly in their language, and told them he was
one of them, and they let him pass. When he reached the city,
the men who were guarding the gate seized him, thinking he was
from the Moorish encampment. He told them not to harm him
because he was Tirant's ambassador, and that he was coming to
talk to the emperor. The guards immediately took him to the
emperor who, at that moment, was getting up from the dinner
table.
When Sinegerus was before the emperor, he knelt and kissed his
hand and foot, and gave him Tirant's seal. The emperor looked at
it and recognized Tirant's coat of arms. Then the emperor
embraced him, telling him he was very welcome. Sinegerus said:
"Most excellent Sire, I was sent here by that great captain
Tirant lo Blanc who commends himself in grace and mercy to Your
Majesty, for soon, with the help of God our Lord, he will free
you from all your enemies. In addition, he begs you to put all
your cavalry in order, and have the city well guarded, for
tomorrow morning he will attack the Moorish armada, and he fears
that when the Moors see their squadron lost they will mount a
powerful attack against the city. Tirant is coming with enough
might to take them and kill them all, and of this Your Majesty
should not have the slightest doubt."
"Friend," said the emperor, "we feel very relieved by what you
have told us. May our Lord grant us the grace that it will be as
you have said, for we have so much trust in the great virtue and
chivalry of Tirant, that with the help of God he will fulfill our
good desire and his own."
The emperor immediately summoned Hippolytus, his high captain,
and when he was before him he said:
"Our captain, you know that Tirant is in the port of Troy with a
great squadron. He has decided to attack the Moorish army
tomorrow morning, and so it is very important that you quickly
call all the cavalry in the city and all the constables and
captains of the foot soldiers, and that you have your men ready
in case the Moors decide to attack the city."
After the ambassador, Sinegerus, had explained his mission, he
asked the emperor's permission to go pay reverence to the empress
and the princess, and the emperor gave his consent. When he had
received permission he went to the empress' chambers where he
found her daughter with all the ladies. The knight bowed to the
empress and kissed her hand, and then the princess's hand. Then,
kneeling, he said:
"Ladies, my captain and lord Tirant lo Blanc sends me to kiss
your hands. And he offers to come here very soon to pay his
respects to you."
When the princess heard that Tirant was coming and that he was so
close, she became so happy that she nearly fainted. For some
time she seemed delirious with happiness. When she had
recovered, the empress and the princess rejoiced with the
ambassador. They asked him about many things, especially what
men were coming in Tirant's company.
The ambassador answered that the King of Sicily was coming with
him with all his forces, and the King of Fez with all his forces
and with his wife, the queen, whose name was Plaerdemavida. And
all the barons of the kingdoms of Tunis and Tremicen were coming.
Many other knights who had accepted payment for their services
were coming from Spain, France and Italy because of the great
fame and renown of Tirant. And also that magnanimous King
Escariano, the lord of Ethiopia, was coming overland.
"He is coming with a mighty army of men on foot and on horseback,
and he is bringing his wife, the queen, with him. She is very
desirous of seeing Your Excellency, Princess, because of the
great beauty she has heard attributed to you. For this queen is
one of the most beautiful women in the world, and possesses all
virtues."
He also told them how Plaerdemavida had married Lord Agramunt,
and that she was coming so His Majesty the emperor and the ladies
would honor her for the wedding. He explained to them at length
how Tirant had carried out the conquest of Barbary, and how he
had given away all that he had conquered and won, and had kept
nothing. And that everyone who saw him or heard of him adored
him. He told them many other virtuous and praiseworthy things
about Tirant, which neither ink nor words would suffice to
describe.
When the empress and the princess heard about all Tirant's
virtues and singular acts, they were astonished at the great
grace that God, our Lord, had given him so that he was loved by
everyone. And they wept with happiness when they thought that he
would be the restorer and defender of the crown of the Empire of
Greece. For they were already beyond hope, and each of the women
thought they would be made captives and dishonored by the enemies
of the faith. And they were very pleased when he told them about
the coming of the Queen of Ethiopia, especially the princess,
because they had told her she was very beautiful and virtuous,
and she wanted very much to have her friendship. And they talked
late into the night.
The empress remained in her chamber and the princess went to her
own. The ambassador took her by the arm and accompanied her, and
she asked him why he had kissed her hand three times. He
answered that it was by his lord Tirant's command, who begged her
to please pardon him, for he would never dare come to her because
of the great error he had committed.
The princess answered:
"Knight, tell my lord Tirant that where there is no error, there
is no need for forgiveness. But if he feels he has wronged me, I
beg him to correct it by coming here quickly, for it is the thing
I desire most in this world."
The ambassador took his leave of the princess and went to the
lodging that the emperor had prepared for him. That night
Captain Hippolytus had a careful watch set up throughout the
city, and no one slept at all with their great fear of the Moors,
and because they were looking forward to the battle Tirant would
give the Moorish army.
Here the book stops talking of the emperor who is having the city
well guarded, and goes back to tell about Widow Repose, alias the
Devil.
When Widow Repose heard that Tirant was coming and that he was
already so nearby, she was stricken with such fear that she
thought she was going to die, and she said that her heart felt
terribly ill. She went into her chamber, and there she lamented
loudly, crying and striking her head and face, for at that moment
she felt she was dead, and she truly believed that Tirant would
deal a cruel sentence against her. Since she knew that he had
been informed by Plaerdemavida, she thought that if the princess
knew of the heinous crime she had accused her of, how could she
possibly face her? On the other hand, she was still terribly in
love with Tirant, and thus she was driven mad.
She spent the entire night this way, fantasizing and struggling
within herself, for she did not know what to do. And it was not
something she dared tell to anyone, nor could she ask for advice,
because if she did they would all be her enemies.
Finally she decided to poison herself in such a way that her
wickedness would not be known, so that her body would not be
burned or given to the dogs to eat.
She immediately took some arsenic that she had for making a
depilatory, and she put it in a glass of water and drank it. She
left the door to her chamber open, undressed and lay down on the
bed. Then she began to cry loudly, saying that she was dying.
The maidens who were sleeping nearby heard the loud cries and
quickly got up and went to the Widow's chamber, and there they
found her screaming continuously.
The empress and the princess got out of bed, and there was a
great uproar in the palace. The emperor got up quickly, thinking
the Moors had broken into the city with their weapons, or that
his daughter might have unexpectedly become ill. He fainted, and
the doctors were summoned. When the empress and the princess
heard that the emperor had fainted, they left Widow Repose and
went running to the emperor's chamber where they found him more
dead than alive. Then the princess began to wail loudly, and it
was terrible to see her anguish. The doctors came quickly and
immediately tended to him. As soon as he regained consciousness
he asked what had caused all the disturbance, and if the Moors
had entered the city. They told him no, but that Widow Repose
was having great dizzy spells, and that she was crying terribly
and was very close to death. The emperor ordered the doctors to
go, and to do whatever they could to save her. The doctors went
immediately, and at the very minute they reached her chambers,
she surrendered her soul to Pluto's realm.
When the princess learned that Widow Repose had died, she wailed
loudly, because of her great love for her, for she had been
nursed by her. She had them place her in a beautiful coffin,
because she wanted her to be given a very honorable burial. In
the morning the emperor and all his court, the empress and the
princess and all the magistrates and honorable men of the city,
escorted the body of the Widow to the great church of Santa
Sofia, and there they held a very solemn funeral. Then the
emperor and all the people went back to the palace.
Here the book leaves off speaking of Widow Repose and returns to
Tirant. After Tirant had put the knight Sinegerus ashore so that
he could warn the emperor, he had his entire fleet make ready.
He commanded his vessels to attack the ships, and the galleys to
attack the galleys. At the same time he ordered all the
captains, when they attacked the Moors, to create a tremendous
noise with trumpets, pipes and horns, and the others with
bombards and terrible cries to frighten them to death.
When everything was ready he gave the order to set sail. All the
ships very quietly left the port of Troy at daybreak and sailed
all day and the following night. Our Lord favored them so much
that the entire day was foggy and misty and neither the Moors nor
the people in the city could see them. They came upon the
Moorish fleet two hours before daybreak while the Moorish armada
was completely unsuspecting. Then they attacked the Moorish
fleet mightily, with a great explosion of trumpets, pipes and
horns and loud cries, and many bombards that they shot
simultaneously. And the noise they made was so loud that it
seemed as though the earth and the sky would cave in. They built
great bonfires on each ship that lit up the heavens. When the
Moors heard such a loud noise and saw the light and the ships
bearing down on them, they were so frightened that they did not
know what they were doing, for they had been caught sleeping and
unarmed. All the ships were taken with little difficulty since
they were so alarmed that they gave no resistance. And there was
such a slaughter that it was a sight to see, for they beheaded
every man they found on the ships and spared no one.
Those who threw themselves into the sea and swam ashore carried
the bad news to the sultan and the Turk. When the Moors in the
camp learned that all the ships had been seized and all the men
were dead, and they had heard the noise and seen the fires, they
did not know who had done it and they were frightened. They all
armed and mounted their horses and prepared for battle, because
they were afraid they would be tricked as the ships were. They
went down to the water's edge so that no one would come ashore.
When Tirant saw that all the Moorish ships had been taken, he was
the happiest man in the world, and he knelt down, and with great
devotion he said:
"Great Lord, full of infinite mercy and grace, I give thanks to
Your immense goodness for all the help You have given me.
Without losing one of my soldiers You have let me take three
hundred ships."
This victory was won so quickly that when they had finished
taking the ships it had barely turned daylight. When those on
the city wall heard the loud noise of the bombards and the
trumpets and shouting near the port, and saw so many lights, they
were astonished, for it seemed that all the might in the world
was there. They realized that it was Tirant's armada that had
attacked the Moorish fleet, and they were surprised that at that
moment the Moorish camp had not attacked the city. And everyone
in the city became excited when they realized that Tirant was
attacking the Moorish ships.
The emperor heard the noise, got up quickly and mounted his
horse, along with the few who were in the palace at that time.
He went through the streets asking all the people to be ready to
defend the city if necessary. The Moors were so upset by the
lost ships and afraid of a landing that they paid little
attention to the city. They were trapped and could not turn
back, and they thought they would all be dead or taken captive.
They carefully watched the shoreline so that no one from
Tirant's armada could come ashore.
When the day was bright and clear, Tirant had his men board all
the ships that he had taken from the Moors, then they raised
their sails and the entire armada left the port of Constantinople
and made for the Black Sea along the Bosphorus. Tirant thought
that if he cut off their way by land he could do whatever he
wanted with them. So he pretended to be leaving with the booty,
taking all the Moorish ships.
That day Tirant sailed toward the Black Sea until, in the
evening, the Moors lost sight of the ships. Tirant did this so
that the Moors would think he was leaving and would not try to
stop them when they went ashore. When the night was dark, Tirant
had his entire squadron turn back toward land. He touched land
four leagues from the Moorish camp, and the men disembarked with
all the horses and artillery they needed, and enough food for
their encampment. The Moors were completely unaware that they
were there and they left their ships well supplied.
When all the men were ready and on horseback, they took several
mules and went at least half a league from their ships along the
basin of a river, until they reached a large stone bridge. Here
Tirant had all the men set up camp at the head of the bridge next
to the river. They had the river between them and the enemy so
that the Moors would not fall upon them during the night. Tirant
had his tent set up on the bridge so that no one could go past,
and he had many bombards installed on the bridge so that if the
enemy came they would be well met. He also sent his spies toward
the Moors' camp so that he would be forewarned if anyone came.
As soon as they were settled, Tirant took a foot soldier and
dressed him like a Moor to deliver a letter to the emperor in
Constantinople. The letter told about his victories over the
ships of the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk. It said they had
captured three hundred ships filled with food, and that he wanted
to send the food to the emperor. And finally it asked the
emperor how much food the city had.
When Tirant had finished the letter he gave it to the man he had
chosen to go to Constantinople. His name was Carillo, and he was
Greek, a native of Constantinople, so he knew very well how to
get there. By night he took back roads to the city so that the
Moors in the camp did not see him. When he was at the gate the
guards seized him and took him to the emperor. He bowed, and
kissed his hand and foot, and gave him Tirant's letter. The
emperor was very happy to get it, and he read it immediately, and
then praised God for His mercy. He called the empress and his
daughter, the princess, and showed them Tirant's letter, and they
were very pleased that Tirant had captured the Moors' ships.
The emperor summoned his captain, Hippolytus, and showed him
Tirant's letter. Hippolytus immediately left the emperor and
with other men a search was made, and they found that they still
had provisions for three months. Hippolytus returned to the
emperor and told him:
"Sire, we have enough supplies in the city to last three months,
or even four, if necessary. So, my lord, before we use up these
supplies, Tirant will have lifted the siege of the city."
The emperor called his secretary, and had him write a letter to
Tirant, explaining in detail what he had decided. Then he called
Sinegerus, and said:
"Knight, I want you to take this letter to Tirant, and also to
tell him everything you have seen."
He replied that he would. When the ambassador Sinegerus had
taken the emperor's letter, he kissed his hand and foot and took
his leave. Then he went to say goodbye to the empress and the
princess, and he found her in her chamber. She begged him to
tell Tirant about her, and she hoped he would think of her. She
wanted him to think of how many hardships they had suffered since
she had seen him. In any case, she wanted to see him as soon as
possible, and if she couldn't, she was sure she would die. The
knight answered that he would do everything she commanded, and he
kissed her hand. The princess embraced him, and he bowed and
left the palace. He dressed as a Moor and took Carillo, who had
brought the letter to the emperor, as his companion. They left
the city at twelve o'clock midnight, and took the same roads by
which Carillo had come secretly, and no one in the Moorish camp
saw them. At dawn they reached the bridge where Tirant had his
camp. When the guards recognized them they let them pass, and
they went directly to Tirant's tent and found him already up.
Tirant was very happy to see them, and he asked Sinegerus for
news about the emperor and the empress, and his heart, the
princess. He told him about everything he had seen, and what the
emperor told him. He also told him what the princess had said.
When the sultan and the Turk discovered that Tirant had
disembarked and that he had set up camp on the stone bridge, they
were sure they were lost, for they saw that they could not escape
by sea or by land without falling into Tirant's hands. At the
same time, if they stayed there long they would die of hunger,
because they did not even have enough food to last two months
since their ships had not been able to unload their cargo. When
they saw the fate that was to befall them, like bold knights and
without showing the least faintness of heart they held council to
see what could be done.
In this council there were terrible arguments. Some advised them
to attack the city: if they could take it they could hold fast
there until they received aid, for they could not imagine that
the city would not be well supplied. Others said they should set
up battle stations in front of Tirant's camp, because he was such
a valiant knight that he would be certain to do battle. And they
had so many excellent cavalry that they could not help but defeat
them. And even if they did not, it was better to die as knights
than to let themselves be trapped like sheep. And if fortune
smiled on them and allowed them to be the victors in battle they
could go past safely and stay there until they had taken the
city.
Others were of the opinion that it would be better to send an
embassy to Tirant so he would grant them a truce and let them go
past. They would all go to their land and leave the Empire of
Greece behind, and they would also give back all the fortresses
they had taken, and all the prisoners and captives. At the end
of the council they decided to send an embassy to Tirant, and if
he would not let them go by, then they could take other measures:
First they could attack the city, and if they could not take it
then their last recourse would be to die like knights with their
swords in their hands.
So the council ended, and they chose as their ambassadors the son
of the Grand Caramany and the Prince of Scythia, who were very
knowledgeable about war. They told them to estimate how many men
Tirant had and how many were ready and armed, and they gave them
instructions about everything they were to say and do.
With the ambassadors went two hundred unarmed men on horses.
Before they left they sent a messenger to Tirant's camp to ask
for safe passage, and it was granted to them. The ambassadors
then set out on the road to the camp.
Meanwhile, Tirant called the Marquis of Lizana, his admiral, and
told him to pay what was due to the hired ships. And he was to
divide their provisions into three parts, taking some to the
castle of Sinopoli, and others to the castle of Pera, and the
last to the city of Pera, along with five hundred soldiers. Then
the ships could return to their home ports. He also commanded
him to arm the ships that had been taken from the Moors and his
remaining ships, and to supply them well, and that were to go to
the city of Constantinople.
"And after they have unloaded their cargo, let them appear
constantly in view of the Moors' encampment and bombarded them
and cause them as much harm as they can."
The admiral did this, and also ordered two well armed galleys to
remain in the river, near Tirant's camp, in case he needed to
send them somewhere. Then Tirant went to the tent of the Queen
of Fez, and told her:
"My sister, I beg you to go with these ships to Constantinople,
so that you can console the lady who holds my soul captive. I am
afraid that during this time, while I'm not able to go to her,
some harm may befall her, and that would be worse than death for
me."
The gracious queen would not allow Tirant to speak. Instead,
with a kindly face and soft voice, she said:
"My brother, to me your requests are commands. I am deeply in
your debt because of the great benefits and honors I've received
from you."
Then Tirant embraced her and kissed her on the cheek, and said to
her:
"My sister, I cannot thank you enough for the great love I see in
you."
The queen tried to kiss his hands, and Tirant would not allow it.
Later, the morning of the following day, the queen went to depart
with all her maidens; and the King of Sicily, along with Tirant
and five hundred armed men, accompanied her to the sea. When the
queen had boarded a ship they took their leave of her and
returned to camp. The admiral had all the ships set sail, and
they started on their way to Constantinople.
Then the Moorish ambassadors reached Tirant's camp, and were
astonished at all the horses and men there. In Tirant's tent the
son of the Grand Caramany explained his mission:
"You know, great captain, how many people are lost in battles of
this sort. And many more would be lost in this one where graves
are prepared for so many soldiers. So, to avoid all that
inhumanity we, ambassadors of our lord the sultan, and the Grand
Turk, have come to learn what your lordship's intention is in
this matter. If it please you, we would ask for a truce of three
or more months, and if your generous person should wish it, a
lasting peace for one hundred and one years. They will be very
happy to be friends of your friends and enemies of your enemies,
in brotherhood. If this is done they will leave the empire of
Greece, restoring to your dominion all cities, castles, towns and
lands within the boundaries of Greece. In addition, they will
free all Christian prisoners held in our power, and they will
comply with any other reasonable demand. But if you do not wish
to come to an agreement with them, you may be certain that they
will very quickly give you a terrible lesson with cruel weapons."
And that was the end of his speech.
Tirant saw immediately that he had finally achieved the glory he
desired so much. But with great discretion he did not agree at
once; he told them to rest, and that he would soon give them a
reply. So they took their leave, and Tirant's knights took them
back to their tents with honor.
Like a virtuous captain, Tirant sent word for his illustrious
kings and dukes and noble chivalry to come to his tent the next
day, for after mass he wanted to hold counsel concerning the
embassy. And as they all loved Tirant deeply, they quickly went
to his tent. After they had heard mass they each sat down
according to their rank, and when there was silence in the
council, Tirant said:
"Most illustrious and magnificent lords, your lordships are aware
of the embassy sent by the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk,
asking us for a truce. In the first place we must consider that
they are in bad straits. We know that we have them in a position
where they need food and other things necessary to survive. My
opinion is that we could not give greater service to His Majesty
the emperor than if we did not grant them a truce or any
agreement at all. Instead we should have them place themselves
in our power with no assurances concerning their property or
their lives. And if they do not agree to this, let them do all
the harm they can, for we are certain we can make them perish
from hunger. Furthermore, if we want to do battle with them it
is in our power, because we are much more powerful than they.
However, I believe it would be great madness for us to battle
them, for they are desperate, and we could lose many of our own
men and put the entire country in danger. My lords and brothers,
my opinion is this: we should give them no reply at all without
consulting His Majesty, the emperor, so that if anything of the
sort should happen, we would not be blamed. So I beg all your
lordships, my brothers, to advise me about the reply that should
be given."
And he finished his speech.
***
In the meantime the fleet left Tirant's camp to go to the
illustrious city of Constantinople, and the wind and weather were
so favorable that on that same day, two hours before Phoebus
ended his journey, they reached the city. The noble citizens and
the townspeople, hearing the cries of happiness, ran to the wall
to see the help they wanted so much. The fleet came in, flying
the flags of His imperial Majesty and the valiant captain,
Tirant. There was no less happiness inside the city, as they
rang the bells and praised divine Providence.
When the princess saw Plaerdemavida, her servant, coming so
triumphantly as a queen, she dismounted in order to pay her
honor. The queen threw herself at her feet to honor her, but the
lady would not allow that, and instead kissed her many times on
the mouth as a sign of her great love. The night the virtuous
Queen of Fez arrived at Constantinople the princess wanted her to
sleep with her so they could talk at their leisure. When they
were in bed the princess said:
"My virtuous sister and lady, my heart has been very anxious all
the time you were gone. I couldn't write down all the reasons
for this, for I loved you more than all the ladies and maidens in
the world. I found it impossible to live without you, especially
when I thought that because of me you had died a frightening
death at the terrible hands of the sea. I beg you, my sister and
lady, please tell me how I offended virtuous Tirant who so
cruelly left the one who loved him more than her own life. And
don't think that I am the way I was when you left me, because
love has won over me so that I am beside myself. And I'm afraid
that if I don't see my Tirant soon my life will not last long."
The lady ended her pitiful words, weeping uncontrollably. The
virtuous queen comforted her with tender words, and when the
princess had recovered, the queen said:
"My lady, Your Highness should rejoice at one thing: you are not
at all to blame. I told Tirant everything. When he knew the
truth he was very confused and ashamed, and through me he asks
Your Majesty to pardon him. My lady, Your Highness should
forgive him because he was deceived by someone who was deeply
trusted, and Your Majesty is unaware of her cruelty. Trust me,
my lady, I have never failed you when you needed me. I will soon
have him come here to pay you homage, for I know that he truly
has no other desire than to honor you and offer his services to
Your Majesty."
"My sister," said the princess, "I can see now that in the past
when you were in my service, you gave me good advice and I didn't
realize it. From now on I will do what you advise me."
When the princess had finished, the queen said:
"My lady, if Your Highness will do this I promise to fulfill your
desire very quickly--even more than you wish."
And with these words and others like them, they spent most of the
night. The princess took great pleasure in the queen's words,
for it had been a long time since they had seen each other and
they had a great deal to talk about. The queen said:
"My lady, let us give ourselves up to the night so that Your
Highness will not grow tired."
And they did.
***
When virtuous Tirant held council with the great kings, dukes,
counts and barons about the reply they would give to the
ambassadors of the sultan and the Turk, the council decided
unanimously that His Majesty the emperor should be consulted.
Tirant thought he had reached the end he so much desired to have
a justifiable reason for going and paying homage to the lady who
held his heart captive.
Thinking that this business was of great importance, and that it
affected his honor more than it did the others', he decided to go
alone, secretly, to the noble, beloved city to talk with His
Majesty, the emperor, and to know his decision. In that way
peace could be brought to the Empire of Greece, and he could
enjoy restful tranquility in the arms of his lady.
When darkness of night fell, he spoke to the King of Sicily and
the King of Fez, and left the camp in their hands. Then he went
on board a galley and sailed to Constantinople, which was some
twenty miles from Tirant's camp. When Tirant reached the port
and the galley was anchored, it was ten o'clock at night. He
ordered the ship's commander not to leave. Then he disguised
himself, and disembarked, and when he was at the city gates, he
told the guards to open them, that he was a servant of Tirant who
had come to speak to His Majesty, the emperor. The guards let
him pass, and he went to the emperor's palace. When he was
inside they told him that the emperor had gone to bed. Tirant
went to the Queen of Fez's chamber and found her praying. When
the queen saw him she quickly recognized him and ran to embrace
him and kiss him, and she said:
"Lord Tirant, I can't tell you how happy I am that you are here,
and now I have even more reason to thank God for hearing my
prayers. Come, my lord, so worthy of glory. It is time now for
you to receive the payment for your honorable deeds in the arms
of the lady who is your real happiness. And if you don't do what
I tell you to this time, I swear that you'll never have my help
again. Instead I'll go back to my land as quickly as I can."
Tirant did not let the queen go on. He said:
"My lady and sister, if I have disobeyed you in the past, I beg
you to forgive me. I promise and swear to you, on the order of
chivalry that I hold, that there will be nothing in the world
that you will command of me that I will not obey, even if I am
certain it will bring me death. For I am very sure that you
always gave me good advice, if only I had taken advantage of it."
"Now then," said the queen, "we shall see what you are able to
do. You will have to go into a list in a closed field of battle,
because I won't consider you a knight if I don't see you as the
victor in a delicious battle. Wait here, and I will go talk to
the princess. I'll ask her to come here tonight to sleep with
me."
The queen quickly left Tirant and went to the princess's chamber,
and found her ready to go to bed. When the princess saw the
queen, she said:
"What has happened, sister, to bring you here in such a hurry?"
The queen pretended to be very happy, and she put her head close
to the princess's and said:
"My lady, please come sleep with me in my bed tonight. I have
many things to tell Your Majesty. A galley has come from
Tirant's camp, and a man came ashore and talked to me."
The princess very happily told her she would do it, because she
had slept with her other times, and the queen had also slept in
her bed. They did this when they wanted to talk freely without
awakening the suspicion of the empress and the maidens. The
princess took the queen's hand, and they went to her chamber.
They found it in good order and well perfumed, as the queen had
prepared it. The princess quickly got into bed because of her
great desire to have news about Tirant, and her maidens helped
her undress. When the princess was in bed, they bade her a good
night--which they did not know was already prepared for her.
When the maidens had left the bedroom the queen bolted the door
herself and told her maidens to go to sleep because she was going
to pray a little while, and she would go to bed later and did not
want anyone there.
All the maidens went into another chamber where they slept. When
the queen had dismissed them all she went into the sitting room
and said to Tirant:
"Glorious knight, strip yourself to your nightshirt, and go lie
beside the lady who loves you more than her own life. Apply the
spurs strongly and without mercy, as befits a knight. And don't
come to me with any squeamishness, because I swear to you on my
word as a queen that if you don't do it now you'll never get
another chance to have this much glory for the rest of your
life."
When Tirant heard such beautiful words from the queen he knelt
down on the floor and kissed her hands and feet. Then he said:
"My lady and my sister, you've bound my liberty with strong
chains.
What you are doing for me is so great that, even if I were your
captive for the rest of my life, I don't believe I could repay
what I owe you."
"My lord, Tirant," said the queen, "don't waste time. Take your
clothes off right now."
The virtuous Tirant flung his clothes into the air, and in a
trice he was naked and barefoot. The queen took him by the hand
and led him to the bed where the princess was. The queen said to
the princess:
"My lady, here is your adventurous knight whom Your Majesty loves
so much. Be a good companion to him, your grace, as one would
expect from Your Excellency. You're not unaware of how many
trials and hardships he has gone through to win your love. Make
wise use of him, for you are the discretion of the world, and he
is your husband. And Your Majesty should think of nothing but
the present, because one never knows what the future will bring."
The princess answered:
"False sister, I never thought you would betray me like this.
But I have confidence in the virtue of my lord, Tirant, who will
make up for your great lack."
And don't imagine that during this conversation Tirant was idle;
instead he applied himself to his labor. The queen left them and
went to a bed in the chamber, to sleep. When the queen had gone,
the princess turned to Tirant who was pushing forward in his
battle, and she said:
"Calm yourself, my lord, and don't try to use your bellicose
strength, because the strength of a delicate maiden is not so
great that she can resist such a knight. Upon your mercy, don't
treat me like this. The struggle of love doesn't require great
force; it is not won by strength, but by ingenious flattery and
sweet deception. Stop your insistence, my lord; don't be cruel:
don't think that this is a camp or list of infidels; don't try to
conquer someone who is already conquered by your goodness. Let
me have part of your manliness so that I may resist you. Oh, my
lord!
How can something which is forced give you pleasure? Oh! Can
love allow you to harm the thing that is loved? Restrain
yourself, my lord, upon your virtue and nobility. Wait, poor
thing! The arms of love should not cut, nor should the enamored
lance break or wound! Have pity, have compassion on this
solitary maiden. Oh, false and cruel knight! I will cry out!
Wait, for I want to scream. Lord Tirant, will you have no
compassion on me? You are not Tirant. Wretched me! Is this
what I desired so? Oh, hope of my life, here is your dead
princess!"
And do not think that Tirant refrained from doing his work
because of the pitiful words of the princess, for in a short time
Tirant was the conqueror in the delicious battle, and the
princess gave up her arms and swooned. Tirant jumped out of bed,
thinking he had killed her, and he went to call the queen so that
she would come and help him. The queen got up quickly and took a
jar of water and sprinkled it on the princess's face, and rubbed
her temples. She recovered her senses, and giving a deep sigh,
she said:
"Even if these are the signs of love, they should not be used
with so much force and cruelty. Now, lord Tirant, I must believe
that you did not love me with a virtuous love. If only you had
waited for the day of solemnity and the ceremonial festivities to
lawfully enter the doors of my chastity."
The queen did not wait for the princess to say any more, and with
a smiling face she said:
"Oh, my blessed lady! How well you know how to act like you're
hurt! A knight's arms do no harm to a maiden. May God give me a
death like the one you pretend he's giving you! May I be
attacked by the illness you're talking about if by morning you
don't feel completely cured."
The princess was not entirely consoled at the loss of her
virginity, and since she did not want to answer the queen's
insane words, she kept quiet. The two lovers spent the entire
night playing that happy sport that lovers play.