DEATH
Tirant decided to leave as soon as he could in order to recover
all of the Greek Empire, and put it in the emperor's power. At
the same time it hurt him to think of being away from the
princess, for life without her was impossible. He was tired of
war now, and he wanted peace and tranquility. When he received
news that the magnanimous King Escariano was coming with many
men, and that he was in Pinxenais which borders on Greece, and is
ten days journey from Constantinople, he decided to go out to
meet him.
After he had taken his leave of the emperor, the empress, and of
his princess and wife, he left the city of Constantinople, and
went to his camp with grandees and other nobles. When the Caesar
reached his camp he had the trumpets blow for the camp to be
raised. Everyone got ready, and the following morning they left
the bridge and went toward the place where King Escariano was.
As the powerful army was going along, many castles and villas
delivered themselves over to the Caesar (We omit their names to
avoid being prolix.). Finally they reached the city of Strenes
where King Escariano's army was resting.
When King Escariano knew that his dear friend and brother at arms
was coming, he rode out with his grandees and met him on the
road. They dismounted quickly, embraced and kissed very warmly.
Tirant told King Escariano that the King of Sicily and the King
of Fez were with him. King Escariano went to the other kings,
and embraced and kissed them very courteously. Then they mounted
their horses again and went toward the city. When they reached
King Escariano's tents, Prince Tirant and the kings dismounted in
front of the tent of the illustrious Queen of Ethiopia who
welcomed them, and embraced and kissed them all.
They decided to send the beautiful queen to the city of
Constantinople, and five hundred soldiers made ready to go,
accompanied by many nobles and knights. The illustrious queen
took leave of her lord, King Escariano, Tirant, and the other
kings and lords who escorted her for a league. Then Tirant and
the others bade the queen farewell, and she continued on to
Constantinople while Tirant and the others returned to the city.
Tirant and King Escariano immediately commanded their camps to be
raised and each of them put their men in order. They left the
city and went toward the province of Thrace. They reached a city
called Stagira, which is surrounded by walls adorned with
beautiful towers. The city immediately opened all the gates to
them. After all the renegade Greeks had been made good
Christians again, they swore fidelity to the emperor. And all
the Moors who did not want to be baptized were thrown out of the
city. It was in this same city that the great philosopher
Aristotle had been born, and he was considered a saint.
While Prince Tirant had his tents set up in this city and was
resting, he sent two Moorish ambassadors through the outlying
territories, and to all the cities, castles and villas of the
neighboring provinces. They delivered up their keys and rendered
homage to Prince Tirant, and he replaced the captain of every
city, villa and castle.
They then left the city of Stagira and headed for Macedonia,
stopping at a city called Olympus. This city takes its name from
a nearby mountain, one of the highest in the world. Here they
were better received than in any of the places they had been,
because they knew that the Caesar was the cousin of Diafebus,
their duke and lord.
The prince left the duchy of Macedonia, and they went to the city
of Trebizond which delivered itself over immediately. They
brought all the knights who were held prisoner here, and with
them was Captain Diafebus, Duke of Macedonia. Prince Tirant
asked for the Duke of Macedonia, and he was brought to him. But
he was so changed that Tirant would never have recognized him:
His beard had grown down to his waist, and the hair on his head
reached past his shoulders; he was thin and discolored, and his
appearance was very different; he wore a yellow cloak, with a
blue turban around his head. All the other knights were dressed
the same way. When the Duke of Macedonia was before the Caesar,
he threw himself at his feet, wanting to kiss them. The Caesar
lifted him up, and with tears running from his eyes, he kissed
him on the mouth.
Soon the Marquis of Saint George presented himself before Tirant,
and kneeling, he thanked him for freeing them. Prince Tirant,
with great affection, lifted him from the ground and kissed him
on the mouth. After the marquis, came the Duke of Pera, his
brother, and the prior of Saint John, and all the other knights.
The Caesar received them with great love, and honored them as
they deserved.
After the illustrious Queen of Ethiopia left the city of Strenes,
she journeyed quickly to the renowned city of Constantinople.
When the queen stood before the princess, she began to kneel, but
the princess caught her by the arm, raised her up, and kissed her
warmly three times. Then she took her hand and made her sit at
her side.
The princess was astonished at the queen's great beauty. At the
same time the Queen of Ethiopia was startled by the beauty of the
princess. Everyone in the court was impressed by the queen's
beauty, and they whispered about Tirant's great virtue in turning
down such a beautiful lady, for they were sure that she had asked
him to be her husband and lord of the kingdom of Tunis and of all
Barbary, and he had left it all for love of the princess.
After the Caesar had held celebrations for the Duke of Macedonia
and his companions, he gave them their leave. They left the city
of Trebizond and went to the illustrious city of Constantinople.
There they were welcomed with honor by His Majesty the emperor,
by the empress and all the ladies. And the Duke of Macedonia was
especially welcomed by the duchess, his wife, who loved him more
than her life. With the arrival of the prisoners, great
celebrations were held in the court.
After the Duke of Macedonia had left the city of Trebizond with
all his companions, Tirant quickly had all the others break camp,
and he had King Escariano and all his men, and each captain with
his squadron, depart. So one squadron left after another, in an
orderly fashion, and they went to the land of Bendin, six days
journey away, and when the Caesar arrived there with his entire
army, they surrendered to him by order of the sultan and the
Turk.
When the captains had been placed in the city and in the
fortress, they advanced and recovered the entire province of
Blagay and all the land of Brina and all the land of Foxa and all
the land of Bocina, for each of these is a large province with
many cities, castles and villas, and they all surrendered
willingly to the Caesar. They were accustomed to being subject
to the Greek Empire, and they wanted to be so again because of
the bad treatment they had received from the Moors.
The Caesar left these provinces and recovered many other cities.
From here he went to the Kingdom of Persia, and he took it by
force of arms, for it did not belong to the sultan or the Turk
and it had its own king. The virtuous Prince Tirant conquered
many other provinces and lands, and joined them under the
dominion and power of the empire with such great triumph and
victory that it would be tiring to tell it all. He recovered all
of Greece, Asia Minor, all of Persia, all Selonich (which is
Galipoli), Morea, Arca, the Cape of Arca, Valona. And by sea he
sent the fleet he had in Constantinople to take the islands, with
his admiral, the Marquis of Lizana, as its captain. And he took
all the islands which had belonged to the empire: Calistres,
Colcos, Oritige, Tesbrie, Nimocha, Flaxen, Meclotapace, and many
other islands the book does not mention to avoid prolixity.
After the admiral had conquered all the islands that once formed
part of the empire, he had his entire fleet return to
Constantinople, and they entered the city firing their bombards
and shouting their greetings to the illustrious city. The
townspeople ran to the sea wall to greet the fleet with joy. The
admiral disembarked, accompanied by many well dressed knights and
noblemen, and they went to bow to His Majesty the emperor who
received them very cordially, and they all kissed his foot and
his hand.
Wanting to reward many nobles and knights who had been released
from their imprisonment, he gave them over in matrimony to
maidens of high station, all of them servants of the empress and
the princess, and he also gave them large estates so they could
live out their lives honorably. When the engagements had been
made, their weddings were postponed until the day Prince Tirant
would be wed to the princess.
But Fortune would not permit a mortal body to have so much
delight and glory in this world. For God did not create human
nature to reach bliss and glory in this world, but instead to
enjoy the glory of paradise. No one ponders this: everyday
virtuous men perform illustrious acts worthy of immortal memory,
as did this magnanimous and virtuous prince and valiant knight,
Tirant lo Blanc. For with his great skill at arms and high
degree of intelligence, he conquered so many kingdoms and brought
uncountable numbers of people in Barbary and in Greece into the
Holy Catholic faith. And yet, he was unable to see the finality
of all that he had so desired and labored for.
Among so many other sorrows, I find it impossible to free my
weary hands from setting down on white paper how fortune lets man
go unrewarded. This, despite the fact the glorious actions of
Tirant bring me renewed anguish, for they did not bring him the
prize he so richly deserved.
So then, after the Caesar had defeated and recovered the entire
empire, and subjugated many other nearby provinces, he started
back in great triumph to the city of Constantinople. In his
company went the magnanimous King of Fez and many other kings,
dukes, counts, and marquis, and innumerable knights (who came
with him to share in the enormous celebration that would take
place upon his return, and out of love for King Escariano, and to
celebrate Tirant's wedding), and no one would leave his side.
When the emperor received word that he was coming, he prepared an
enormous celebration.
When Tirant was one day's journey from Constantinople, in a city
called Andrinopol, he stopped because the emperor had sent word
to him not to come to the city until he should tell him. While
the virtuous Caesar was enjoying himself in that city, finding
sport and pleasure, and strolling with King Escariano and the
King of Sicily at a river's edge which ran alongside the walls of
the city, he felt such a great and powerful pain in his side that
they had to take him in their arms and carry him back into the
city.
When Tirant was in his bed the six doctors who accompanied him
came to him--the best in the world--and four of King Escariano's.
They gave him many kinds of medicine, but these brought no
relief to his pain. Then Tirant realized he was dying, and he
asked for confession. They had the confessor who accompanied him
come quickly. He was a good priest of the Order of Saint
Francis, a teacher of holy theology, and a man of great
knowledge. While the Caesar was making confession the King of
Fez sent an urgent message to the emperor, giving His Majesty to
know that the Caesar was very ill, and that his doctors could not
help him. He begged his grace to send his own doctors very
quickly, as he had great doubts that they would arrive in time.
After the Caesar had confessed, he had the precious body of Jesus
Christ brought to him. He looked at it with great devotion, and
with tears in his eyes he prayed:
"Almighty Lord, humble, sweet and benign! How can I thank You
for all the love You have shown to me, a weak creature? I give
You infinite thanks, Lord, for all Your gifts. And I humbly
beseech You, Lord, since You have saved me so many times from
danger (and You are now giving me death, which I accept most
obediently, since it is Your holy will, in remission and penance
for my weaknesses), that You will grant me, Lord, forgiveness of
my sins in order to have Your absolution and mercy."
After he had said these words, he received the holy body of Jesus
Christ. And the people in the room with him whispered that he
did not seem to be a knight, but rather a holy man. When he had
given restitution to his soul, he had his secretary come, and he
gave his last will and testament in the presence of all those who
were with him.
"I, Tirant lo Blanc, of the lineage of Rocasalada and the House
of Brittany, knight of the Garter, and Prince and Caesar of the
Greek Empire, with an illness from which I fear I will die, but
with full knowledge, and firm and manifest word: with my lords
and brothers at arms present, King Escariano, the King of Sicily,
and my cousin-german, the King of Fez, and many other kings,
dukes, counts and marquis, in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I
do make and leave the following final will and testament.
"I name as executors of this testament the virtuous and most
excellent Carmesina, Princess of the Greek Empire and my wife,
and my dear cousin-german Diafebus, the Duke of Macedonia.
"I wish that one hundred thousand ducats be taken from my estate,
and be distributed according to the wishes of my executors.
Moreover, I encharge the said executors to take my body to
Brittany, to the Church of Our Lady, where lie all those of my
lineage of Rocasalada.
"I also desire and command that from my estate one hundred
thousand ducats be given to each of the men of my lineage who are
here. And of all my other property and rights which I have
gained with Divine help, and which have been given to me by His
Majesty, the emperor, I make as my beneficiary my servant and
nephew Hippolytus of Rocasalada. It is my wish that he take my
place, and be my successor."
After Tirant had made his testament, he told the secretary to
write a note to the princess with these words:
"Since death is so near to me, I want to write to you, dear lady,
my last, sad farewell.
"Fortune has not allowed me to have you--the prize for my deeds.
And death would not be so painful to me if I could have ended my
life in your arms.
"But I beg Your Highness to go on living, so that you will keep
the great love that I have had for you.
"And since fortune has not allowed me to speak to you or to see
you--for I believe you would have cured me and saved my life--I
have decided to write you this letter, because death will not
grant me more time, so that at least you will be certain of my
great love. I cannot tell you more, for the great pain I am
suffering will not allow it. I only beg of you to take in your
charge my relatives and servants.
"Your Tirant, who kisses your feet and hands, commends to you his
soul."
After Prince Tirant had made his testament, he begged King
Escariano, the King of Sicily and the King of Fez to carry him to
Constantinople before his life ended. For the greatest pain he
felt was that he might die without seeing the princess. And he
was of the belief that if he saw her she would give him health
and life.
The doctors gave their approval because, since they considered
him as good as dead, they thought that with the great consolation
he would feel if he saw the princess, whom he loved deeply,
nature could have a more beneficial effect than all the medicines
in the world. They quickly put him on a litter, and he was
carried on men's shoulders very comfortably. He was accompanied
by all the kings and grandees, with only five hundred soldiers.
All the others remained in the city.
When the emperor received the King of Fez's letter, he fell into
deep anguish and concern. As secretly as he could he sent for
his doctors and the Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus. He showed
them the King of Fez's letter, and begged them to ride there
quickly. The Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus left the imperial
palace without a word to anyone, and went off with the doctors,
for the emperor feared that if the princess heard of it she would
faint and it could be very dangerous for her.
When the Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus, along with the
doctors, were half a day's journey from Constantinople, they met
Tirant on the road. They dismounted, and the litter was laid on
the ground. The Duke of Macedonia went up to Tirant and said:
"Cousin, my lord, how is your lordship?"
Tirant answered:
"Cousin, I am most pleased that I have seen you before I died,
for my life is ending. I beg you to kiss me, you and Hippolytus,
for this will be the last farewell I shall have from you."
The duke and Hippolytus kissed him, crying openly. Then Tirant
told them that he commended his soul to them, and that he wished
them to hold more love for the princess, his wife, than they did
for himself. The duke answered:
"My lord and cousin, is a knight as valiant as your lordship
growing weak hearted? Have faith in Our Lord, that He, in His
mercy, will help you and bring you back to health."
As he was saying these words, Tirant cried out, loudly:
"Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me! Virgin Mary, guardian
angel, angel Michael, defend me! Jesus, into Your hands, Lord, I
commend my spirit."
And with these words, he delivered up his noble soul, while his
beautiful body lay in the arms of the Duke of Macedonia. The
tears and wailing were so great from all who were there, that it
was a pity to hear them. For Prince Tirant was loved by all.
After they had cried for some time, King Escariano called the
King of Sicily, the King of Fez, the Duke of Macedonia,
Hippolytus, and some of the others, and they held counsel about
what they had to do. They all agreed that King Escariano, along
with the others in his company, should accompany Tirant's body to
the city, but that they should not go in, for as King Escariano
had not yet seen the emperor, it was not the time or place for
them to meet. In addition, they decided to embalm Tirant's body,
for they had to take it to Brittany.
They departed with Tirant's body from the place where he had
died, and made their way toward the city of Constantinople. By
the time they arrived it was well into the night. They gathered
at the city gate, and King Escariano took his leave of the King
of Sicily, the King of Fez, the Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus,
and he returned with his men to the city he had come from,
lamenting loudly, for King Escariano loved Tirant deeply. The
others placed Tirant's body in a house within the city, where it
was embalmed by the doctors.
After they had embalmed it, they dressed it and took it to the
main church of the city: Saint Sofia. There a very large and
tall cenotaph was prepared for him, covered entirely with
brocade, and on the cenotaph was a large bed. There they placed
Tirant's body, stretched out on the bed, with his sword at his
side.
When the emperor learned that Tirant was dead, he rent his royal
garments. Coming down from his imperial seat and lamenting over
Tirant's death, he said:
"Today is the day when our scepter is lost, and I see the crown
taken from my head and dashed to the ground. Let everyone dress
in deep black mourning, let all the bells ring at once, and let
everyone wail over this loss, which is so terrible that my voice
is scarcely able to speak of it."
The emperor spent the greater part of the night lamenting, and
when day came he went to the church to pay him honor, and to make
a large tomb for him with the funeral rites that are normally
given to great lords. When the princess saw everyone crying she
was very surprised. She wondered what the people in the palace
and her maidens were crying about. She thought her father, the
emperor, might have died, and she got up quickly, dressed in her
chemise, and looked out the window. She saw the Duke of
Macedonia, crying and tearing at his hair, and Hippolytus and
many others clawing at their faces, and hitting their heads
against the walls.
"By the one God," said the princess, "I beg you to tell me the
truth. What is the cause of all this uproar and sadness?"
The Widow of Montsant said:
"My lady, it is inevitable that you will hear of it at any
moment. Tirant has passed from this life to the other. At
midnight they took him to the church to give him a holy funeral
as he deserves. The emperor is there, crying and bemoaning his
death, and is inconsolable."
The princess was left numb: She did not cry, she could not speak.
She could only moan softly and sigh, and after a moment she said:
"Give me the clothes my father had made for my wedding."
They were quickly brought. When she had them on, the Widow of
Montsant said:
"But my lady! At the death of such an admirable knight who died
in the service of His Majesty, the emperor, and of yours, are you
going to dress that way, as if you were going to your wedding?
Everyone else is dressed in mourning and sadness, because they
cannot stop crying, and Your Highness, who should be the saddest
and for whom it should mean the most, has dressed yourself in an
unheard-of way."
"Don't worry yourself, Widow," said the princess. "You will know
the meaning of this when it is time."
When she had dressed, the sad lady of the imperial palace came
down with all the ladies and maidens, and with steps hastened by
the anguish she felt, she went to the church where Tirant's body
lay. She stepped to the top of the great cenotaph, and when she
saw Tirant's body she felt her heart would break, and yet passion
lifted her spirit and she went over to his bed with warm tears
flowing from her eyes, and threw herself upon Tirant's body. The
suffering woman kissed his cold body. Everyone who heard her
weep shed great tears of grief. Then she said:
"I want to go looking for the soul of the one who was my Tirant
in the blessed places where it rests. And I do so want to keep
you company in death since in life, where I loved you so much, I
have not been able to serve you. Oh, you ladies and maidens, do
not cry! Save your tears for a more opportune time. It's enough
for me to cry and lament, since these are my sorrows."
When she had said these words, she fell upon the body in a faint.
She was quickly lifted away from the body, and the doctors helped
her regain consciousness. When she had recovered her senses, the
lady again threw herself upon the body, kissing Tirant's cold
mouth. She tore at her hair and clothing, along with the skin of
her breasts and her face, this sad lady, more grievous than any
other. Stretched out on his body, she kissed his cold mouth,
mixing her warm tears with Tirant's cold ones. She wanted to
talk, but could not, and she knew no words sad enough to express
her grief. With trembling hands she opened Tirant's eyes which
she kissed first with her mouth, and then filled with all the
tears flowing from her own eyes. And it seemed as though Tirant,
while dead, was crying for the grief of the living Carmesina.
And she was crying blood, for she had exhausted all her tears.
So she cried over his body-- she who had lost everything to him
who lost his life for her-- and with words that would be enough
to break precious stones, diamonds and steel itself, she cried
grievously:
"Don't think, my soul, that I will keep you from Tirant for long.
I will give burial to your body and to mine. The dead bodies
will be embraced in one grave, and together we will share the
same glory in heaven."
The emperor, distressed by his daughter's words, said:
"My daughter's sorrow and tears will never end. My good knights,
pick her up, and take her to my palace, and leave her in her
chambers, either with her consent or by force."
And so it was done. Her father, desperate, went with her,
saying:
"My daughter, you are the lady of all I possess. Do not go to
such an extreme, for your grief is death to me. Stop your crying
and put on a happy face for the people to see."
The princess answered:
"Oh emperor, my lord, life-giver of this miserable daughter!
Your Majesty truly wants to console my grief! Oh, poor me, I
cannot hold back my tears!"
When the poor father saw his daughter and the other women crying,
he could not bear to remain in her chambers, and with his
terrible anguish he left. Then the princess sat on the bed and
said:
"Come, my faithful maidens, and help me undress, for there will
be time enough to cry."
And she prepared her body in the most comely way she could, and
said:
"I am the infanta who hoped to rule over the entire empire of
Greece. It is my duty to move everyone here to grief and
compassion for the death of the virtuous and blessed knight,
Tirant lo Blanc. Oh, my Tirant, out of grief for your death let
our right hands wound our breasts and tear at our faces so that
our misery will be so much greater, for you were our shield and
the shield of the whole empire. Oh sword of virtue, great was
the sorrow that was prepared for us! And don't think, Tirant,
that I have wiped you from my memory: As long as I am alive I
will weep for your death. Now, my dear maidens, help me to cry
this short time that is left of my life, for I cannot remain
with you long."
The crying and wailing was so great that it made the entire city
resound. When they saw the princess nearly more dead than alive,
they cursed fortune which had brought them such anguish. The
doctors came and said she had all the signs of a dying woman: She
felt such grief for Tirant's death that blood was coming from her
mouth.
The grieving empress came into the chamber, knowing that her
daughter was not well. When she saw her in that state she
suffered such a shock that she could not speak. When she had
recovered, she said:
"Oh, my daughter! Is this the joy and happiness I hoped to have
from you? Is this the wedding your father and I and all the
people hoped to be consoled by? Everywhere I turn I see nothing
but grief and sorrow!
I see the poor emperor, lying on the floor; I see the ladies and
maidens, their hair unkempt, their skin covered with blood, their
breasts uncovered and scratched, crying throughout the palace,
revealing their grief to everyone. I see the knights and
grandees, all in mourning, all lamenting, twisting their hands,
tearing the hair from their head. What a bitter day, so filled
with sadness! I see all the orders of friars coming with pain in
their voices, and not one of them can sing. Tell me, what kind
of celebration is this for everyone to run from it? Scarcely
anyone can talk without a grieving face. Oh, sad is the mother
who bears such a daughter! I beg you, my daughter, be happy and
put an end to all this sadness. This way you will give
consolation to your old and grieving father, and your sad,
unfortunate mother who has raised you so delicately."
And she could say no more, such was the grief that held her.
"How can Your Excellency tell me, my lady, to find consolation
and rejoice if I have lost such a knight who was my husband and
lord, and had no equal in the world? Have my protector, my
father and lord, come so that he can see my death and my end, and
so that part of his daughter will be left for him."
When the sad father was there, she begged him kindly to sit at
one side and the empress at the other. With her between them,
she said these words:
"I beg you all to have my father confessor come quickly."
When he was there the princess told him:
"Father, I wish to make a general confession in the presence of
all who are here."
Then the confessor had her make a general confession, and
afterward he absolved her of all punishment and guilt. When
absolution had been granted the princess asked that the precious
body of Jesus Christ be brought to her, and with great devotion
and contrition she received it. And all those in the chamber
were astonished at the great constancy and firmness of spirit the
princess had, and at the many prayers she said before the Corpus.
There was no heart of steel in the world who, hearing her words,
would not burst into tears.
When the princess had given restitution to her soul she had the
emperor's secretary come, and turning to her father, she said:
"Father and lord, if it please Your Majesty, I would like to
dispose of my possessions and my soul."
The emperor answered:
"My daughter, I give you my leave to do whatever pleases you.
For if I lose you I lose my life and all good things on this
earth."
The princess thanked him, and turning to the secretary, she
dictated her will:
"I make, as executors of my will, Diafebus, Duke of Macedonia and
Stephanie, his wife. And I beg and command them to place my body
together with Tirant's in the place he will be buried. For, as
we were not able to remain together in life, at least in death
our bodies will be united until the end of the world.
"In addition, all my clothing and jewelry shall be sold, and the
proceeds will be given to my maidens for their weddings. As for
all the other rights I have in the Greek Empire, I make the
empress, my mother, the successor in my place."
When the princess had put her possessions and her soul in order,
she said farewell to her father, the emperor, kissing his hands
and his mouth again and again, and she did the same to her
mother, the empress, asking their forgiveness and their blessing
with great humility.
"Oh unfortunate and miserable me!" said the princess. "I see the
emperor more dead than alive because of me. On the one hand the
death of Tirant pulls me, and on the other my father's death
pulls me: Each of them is winning me over."
Her miserable father, his face wet with tears, saw that his
daughter was ready to die and could barely speak. He heard her
say such painful words, and saw all the wailing that was going on
in the chamber and throughout the palace. He felt greatly
disturbed and was beside himself. He tried to get up from the
bed to go out, but he fell to the ground, senseless. They picked
him up, unconscious, and put him on a bed in another chamber, and
there he ended his days before his daughter, the princess.
Because of the emperor's death there was loud wailing, and the
news reached the empress and the princess. The empress ran as
quickly as she could, but the emperor had already passed from
this life. Imagine how the poor lady must have felt: to see her
husband, her daughter, and her son-in-law all dead! And don't
ask me what grief there was in the palace. So much
tribulation--all in one day!
The princess said:
"Help me sit down on my bed, and you will hear my words. You all
know that with the death of the emperor, my father, I am the
successor to the Greek Empire. And so my knights, I command you,
by the allegiance you owe to His Majesty, the emperor, and now to
me, to bring my father's and Tirant's body here to me."
And they had to do it. The emperor was put on the right, and
Tirant on the left, while she was in between them. She kissed
her father many times, and Tirant many times more, and she cried
in a miserable voice:
"Look, knights, you who suffer from love. Take note of me and
see if I am not fortunate! On one side I have an emperor, and on
the other the best knight in the world. Look and see if I should
not go into the next world happy, for I will have such good
company. Come to me, my loyal sisters and companions, and kiss
me, one by one. Then you will feel a part of my misery."
And they did. First came the Queen of Ethiopia, then the Queen
of Fez, then the Duchess of Macedonia, and then all her other
maidens and her mother's maidens. They kissed her hand and her
mouth, and they sadly bade the princess farewell, shedding many
tears. She had them bring her the cross, and looking at it
steadfastly, she said these words with great devotion:
"Receive the soul of Your servant, oh Lord, and free me from
infernal bonds and pains. May I feel, oh Lord, the blessed rest
of heaven and of eternal light, and may I deserve to have, among
Your chosen saints, everlasting life and glory. Oh God, full of
pure love and goodness. You Who know only how to forgive. Grant
me, oh Lord, that my soul, drawn apart and stripped of earthly
vices, may be placed in the company of those redeemed by You. I
give myself to God Who created me."
Saying these words, the princess gave up her spirit to her
creator.