How the Lady and Nurreddin discoursed on their Voyage.
The shouts of admiration and parting greetings, which rent the air
when the emir left Carthagena, had long since died away; now even the
Spanish shore had vanished from their sight, and they were driven
rapidly onward by gentle and steady west winds along the wide blue
waters, under a serene cloudless sky.
On the deck of the flag-ship were seated Nurreddin and Bertha, under a
canopy of olive-green silk, and zealously conversing with each other,
sometimes in the Arabic, and sometimes in one or other of the European
languages. Meanwhile the timidity inspired by Nurreddin’s solemn
grandeur of demeanour kept all the listeners at a respectful distance;
even Master Aleard, the noble troubadour, was not invited to a share in
this high conference. Truly their dialogue might have begun playfully,
with music and song, for Bertha’s lute still rested on her left arm;
but the discourse of noble and elevated souls, who are ever striving
after the highest knowledge and virtue, may well be compared to the
eagle’s flight, which, though he may now and then descend as if in
sport to attack the wild deer or other game of the forest, still, as by
nature directed, renews his upright course, soaring always nearer and
nearer to the sun.
So these twain, the Moorish knight and the damsel, sat there, and
conversed in their pomp and dignity; but as to what they said, it may
not here be repeated word for word. Though Bertha’s thoughts were
indeed solemn and anxious, yet she did not venture to speak on the
truths of our holy faith too plainly, but discoursed rather in shadowy
images and mystic allegories. These lofty and sublime truths were the
subject of their dialogue, Nurreddin enforcing his arguments by all the
flowery eloquence of the East, while Bertha spoke with careless and
almost child-like simplicity; and meanwhile, from a vessel that sailed
near them, the tones of the troubadour’s harp sounded at intervals in
mournful melody. At length the shades of evening fell upon the waters;
and thereafter night came with her countless gleaming stars, when
Nurreddin gave the damsel in charge to his female slaves, while he
retired to his cabin. Bertha meanwhile continued to speak as cheerfully
as ever with her attendants; and when at last she fell asleep, a
pleasant smile settled on her beautiful features, betokening the quiet
and innocence that reigned in her heart.
Next day the combat between these two noble spirits was renewed, and
carried on with equal ardour. As for the emir, he had recourse to
several rolls of manuscript palm-leaves, which he brought from his
cabin, and out of them read aloud now and then well-sounding verses
and deeply-pondered sentences. Bertha meanwhile had no book to assist
her; though it is true she should have had in her possession one
volume, more estimable than all others, bound in black velvet, adorned
with silver-clasps and beautiful pictures; but this was left at the
fortress of Trautwangen, while the history of saints, that she had
been wont to read with so much pleasure, still remained at Gabrielle’s
castle in Gascony. Yet these books, more especially the lives of
saints, had been studied by the good pious Bertha with such care, that
she now never failed by memory to command their assistance. Many times
indeed she reflected long and silently; so that one might have thought
she was embarrassed and overpowered by the splendid and poetic language
of Nurreddin; yet, in answer to what he read from the Koran and other
Moorish records, she failed not at last to answer in the spirit of
faith, hope, and charity, moreover with a dove-like simplicity, whereby
the serpent’s cunning shewn in Mahomet’s doctrine was wholly overcome.
So their meetings continued for several weeks, and the sea-voyage
passed over after a fashion which the mariners and soldiers little
expected. Instead of banquets, music, and mirth, there prevailed over
them all a solemn meditative silence, whose influence seemed indeed
extended to the ocean and the sky. Only so much wind breathed on the
sails as was required to bring the voyagers onward in their course
towards Ostia; the wide sea lay around them almost like a mirror,
only varied by light rippling waves as the vessels ploughed their
adventurous way, furrowing the deep fathomless waters.