Refusing golden-crownets dignity,
Some blundering in world-witted heraldry,
Not knowing how t’ distinguish vertues trye,
Do question make this Christian king to set
In catalogue of gold-diademed kings;
Regarding glitter of the external jet,
And not true garnish of th’ internal things;
Th’ internal virtues, soul’s sweet ornaments,
So pleasing to th’ Eternal’s sacred eyes,
In angels chore consorting sweet concents
Of heavenly harmony ’bove christal skies.
But we, _è contra_, him not only deem
A Christian king, but perfect Christian king,
A christal fanal, lamping light divine
To after-comer kings, world emp’rizing.
For he, religious prince, did not despise
The Heaven-sent gift to be anointed king,
But disesteem’d the mundane pompous guise
Tickling the hearts of princes monarching.
[Sidenote: Annotacion.]
Potentates regard this heaven-aspiring Prince,
Not priding, as up proves his dignity;
High throned kings aspect the starred fence
Of this true map of true kings royalty;
Not Nembrothizing in cloud-kissing towers,
Not Semiramizing in prides palaces,
Not Neronizing in all sanguine hours,
Not Heliogabalizing in lusts lees;
But Joshuadizing in his Christian camp,
And Judithizing in his Salem’s seat,
And Davidizing in his Sion’s stamp,
And Solomonizing in all sacred heat.
* * * * *
_Outwatching for her sake
The starry host, and ready for the work
Of day before the sun begins his course._—VIII. p. 78.
Garci Fernandez Manrique surprised the Moors so often during the night,
that he was called Garci Madrugi,—an appellation of the same import as
Peep-of-day-boy. He founded the convent of St. Salvador de Palacios de
Benagel for Benedictine nuns, and when he called up his merry men, used
to say, Up, sirs, and fight, for my nuns are up and praying; _Levantaos
Señores à pelear, que mis monjas son levantadas a rezar_.—_Pruebas de la
Hist. de la Casa de Lara_, p. 42.
* * * * *
_Hermesind._—X. p. 88.
Mariana derives the name of Hermesinda from the reverence in which
Hermenegild was held in Spain,—a prince who has been sainted for having
renounced the Homooisian creed, and raised a civil war against his father
in favour of the Homoousian one. It is not a little curious when the fate
of D. Carlos is remembered, that his name should have been inserted in
the Kalendar, at the solicitation of Philip II.! From the same source
Mariana derives the names Hermenisinda, Armengol, Ermengaud, Hermegildez,
and Hermildez. But here, as Brito has done with Pelayo, he seems to
forget that the name was current before it was borne by the Saint, and
the derivations from it as numerous. Its root may be found in Herman,
whose German name will prevail over the latinized Arminius.
* * * * *
_The glen where Tagus rolls between his rocks._—X. p. 95.
The story of the Enchanted Tower at Toledo is well known to every English
reader. It neither accorded with the character of my poem to introduce
the fiction, nor would it have been prudent to have touched upon it after
Walter Scott. The account of the Archbishop Rodrego, and of Abulcacim,
may be found in his notes. What follows here is translated from the
fabulous chronicle of King Don Rodrigo.
“And there came to him the keepers of the house which was in Toledo,
which they called Pleasure with Pain, the Perfect Guard, the secret
of that which is to come; and it was called also by another name, the
Honour of God. And these keepers came before the king, and said unto
him, Sire, since God hath done thee such good, and such favour as that
thou shouldest be king of all Spain, we come to require of thee that
thou wouldst go to Toledo, and put thy lock upon the house which we are
appointed to keep. And the king demanded of them what house was that, and
wherefore he should put upon it his lock. And they said unto him, Sire,
we will willingly tell thee that thou mayest know. Sire, true it is, that
when Hercules the Strong came into Spain, he made in it many marvellous
things in those places where he understood that they might best remain;
and thus when he was in Toledo he understood well that that city would
be one of the best in Spain; and saw that the kings who should be Lords
of Spain, would have more pleasure to continue dwelling therein than in
any other part; and seeing that things would come after many ways, some
contrariwise to others, it pleased him to leave many enchantments made,
to the end that after his death his power and wisdom might by them be
known. And he made in Toledo a house, after the manner which we shall
now describe, with great mastership, so that we have not heard tell of
any other such: The which is made after this guise. There are four lions
of metal under the foundation of this house: and so large are they that
a man sitting upon a great horse on the one side, and another in like
manner upon the other, cannot see each other, so large are the lions.
And the house is upon them, and it is entirely round, and so lofty that
there is not a man in the world who can throw a stone to the top: And
many have attempted this, but they never could. And there is not a man
of this age who can tell you by what manner this house was made, neither
whose understanding can reach to say in what manner it is worked within.
But of that which we have seen without, we have to tell thee. Certes in
the whole house there is no stone bigger than the hand of a man, and the
most of them are of jasper and marble, so clear and shining that they
seem to be crystal. They are of so many colours that we do not think
there are two stones in it of the same colour; and so cunningly are they
joined one with another, that if it were not for the many colours, you
would not believe but that the whole house was made of one entire stone.
And the stones are placed in such manner one by another, that seeing
them you may know all the things of the battles aforepast, and of great
feats. And this is not by pictures, but the colour of the stones, and the
great art of joining one with the other, make it appear thus. And sans
doubt he who should wish to know the truth of the great deeds of arms
which have been wrought in the world, might by means of that house know
it. See now in what manner Hercules was wise and fortunate, and right
valiant, and acquainted with the things which were to come. And when he
was Lord of Spain, he made it after this guise, which we have related
unto you. And he commanded that neither King nor Lord of Spain who might
come after him, should seek to know that which was within; but that every
one instead should put a lock upon the doors thereof, even as he himself
did, for he first put on a lock, and fastened it with his key. And after
him there has been no King nor Lord in Spain, who has thought it good
to go from his bidding; but every one as he came put on each his lock,
according to that which Hercules appointed. And now that we have told
thee the manner of the house, and that which we know concerning it, we
require of thee that thou shouldest go thither, and put on thy lock on
the gates thereof, even as all the kings have done who have reigned in
Spain until this time. And the King Don Rodrigo hearing the marvellous
things of this house, and desiring to know what there was within, and
moreover being a man of a great heart, wished to know of all things how
they were and for what guise. He made answer, that no such lock would
he put upon that house, and that by all means he would know what there
was within. And they said unto him, Sire, you will not do that which has
never been done in Spain; be pleased therefore to observe that which
the other kings have observed. And the king said unto them, Leave off
now, and I will appoint the soonest that may be how I may go to see this
house, and then I will do that which shall seem good. And he would give
them no other reply. And when they saw that he would give them no other
reply, they dared not persist farther, and they dispeeded themselves of
him, and went their way.
“Now it came to pass that the King Don Rodrigo called to mind how he had
been required to put a lock upon the doors of the house which was in
Toledo, and he resolved to carry into effect that unto which his heart
inclined him. And one day he gathered together all the greatest knights
of Spain, who were there with him, and went to see this house, and he
saw that it was more marvellous than those who were its keepers had told
him, and as he was thus beholding it, he said, Friends, I will by all
means see what there is in this house which Hercules made. And when the
great Lords who were with him heard this, they began to say unto him that
he ought not to do this; for there was no reason why he should do that
which never king nor Cæsar, that had been Lord of Spain since Hercules,
had done until that time. And the king said unto them, Friends, in this
house there is nothing but what may be seen. I am well sure that the
enchantments cannot hinder me, and this being so, I have nothing to fear.
And the knights said, Do that, sir, which you think good, but this is not
done by our counsel. And when he saw that they were all of a different
accord from that which he wished to do, he said, Now gainsay me as you
will, for let what will happen I shall not forbear to do my pleasure.
And forthwith he went to the doors, and ordered all the locks to be
opened; and this was a great labour, for so many were the keys and the
locks, that if they had not seen it, it would have been a great thing to
believe. And after they were unlocked, the king pushed the door with his
hand, and he went in, and the chief persons who were there with him, as
many as he pleased, and they found a hall made in a square, being as wide
on one part as on the other, and in it there was a bed richly furnished,
and there was laid in that bed the statue of a man, exceeding great, and
armed at all points, and he had the one arm stretched out, and a writing
in his hand. And when the king and those who were with him saw this bed,
and the man who was laid in it, they marvelled what it might be, and they
said, Certes, that bed was one of the wonders of Hercules and of his
enchantments. And when they saw the writing which he held in his hand,
they showed it to the king, and the king went to him, and took it from
his hand, and opened it and read it, and it said thus, Audacious one,
thou who shalt read this writing, mark well what thou art, and how great
evil through thee shall come to pass, for even as Spain was peopled and
conquered by me, so by thee shall it be depopulated and lost. And I say
unto thee, that I was Hercules the strong, he who conquered the greater
part of the world, and all Spain; and I slew Geryon the Great, who was
Lord thereof; and I alone subdued all these lands of Spain, and conquered
many nations, and brave knights, and never any one could conquer me, save
only Death. Look well to what thou doest, for from this world thou wilt
carry with thee nothing but the good which thou hast done.
“And when the king had read the writing he was troubled, and he wished
then that he had not begun this thing. Howbeit he made semblance as if
it touched him not, and said that no man was powerful enough to know
that which is to come, except the true God. And all the knights who
were present were much troubled because of what the writing said; and
having seen this they went to behold another apartment, which was so
marvellous, that no man can relate how marvellous it was. The colours
which were therein were four. The one part of the apartment was white
as snow; and the other, which was over-against it, was more black than
pitch; and another part was green as a fine emerald, and that which was
over-against it was redder than fresh blood; and the whole apartment was
bright and more lucid than crystal, and it was so beautiful, and the
colour thereof so fine, that it seemed as if each of the sides were made
of a single stone, and all who were there present said that there was not
more than a single stone in each, and that there was no joining of one
stone with another, for every side of the whole four appeared to be one
solid slab; and they all said, that never in the world had such a work
as this elsewhere been made, and that it must be held for a remarkable
thing, and for one of the wonders of the world. And in all the apartments
there was no beam, nor any work of wood, neither within nor without; and
as the floor thereof was flat, so also was the ceiling. Above these were
windows, and so many, that they gave a great light, so that all which
was within might be seen as clearly as that which was without. And when
they had seen the apartment how it was made, they found in it nothing
but one pillar, and that not very large, and round, and of the height of
a man of mean stature: and there was a door in it right cunningly made,
and upon it was a little writing in Greek letters, which said, Hercules
made this house in the year of Adam three hundred and six. And when the
king had read these letters, and understood that which they said, he
opened the door, and when it was opened they found Hebrew letters which
said, This house is one of the wonders of Hercules; and when they had
read these letters they saw a niche made in that pillar, in which was a
coffer of silver, right subtly wrought, and after a strange manner, and
it was gilded, and covered with many precious stones, and of great price,
and it was fastened with a lock of mother-of-pearl. And this was made in
such a manner that it was a strange thing, and there were cut upon it
Greek letters which said, It cannot be but that the king, in whose time
this coffer shall be opened, shall see wonders before his death: thus
said Hercules the Lord of Greece and of Spain, who knew some of those
things which are to come. And when the king understood this, he said,
Within this coffer lies that which I seek to know, and which Hercules
has so strongly forbidden to be known. And he took the lock and broke
it with his hands, for there was no other who durst break it: and when
the lock was broken, and the coffer open, they found nothing within,
except a white cloth folded between two pieces of copper; and he took
it and opened it, and found Moors pourtrayed therein with turbans, and
banners in their hands and with their swords round their necks, and their
bows behind them at the saddle-bow, and over these figures were letters
which said, When this cloth shall be opened, and these figures seen, men
apparelled like them shall conquer Spain and shall be Lords thereof.
“When the King Don Rodrigo saw this he was troubled at heart, and all
the knights who were with him. And they said unto him, Now, sir, you
may see what has befallen you, because you would not listen to those
who counselled you not to pry into so great a thing, and because you
despised the kings who were before you, who all observed the commands of
Hercules, and ordered them to be observed, but you would not do this.
And he had greater trouble in his heart than he had ever before felt;
howbeit he began to comfort them all, and said to them, God forbid that
all this which we have seen should come to pass. Nevertheless, I say,
that if things must be according as they are here declared, I could not
set aside that which hath been ordained, and, therefore, it appears that
I am he by whom this house was to be opened, and that for me it was
reserved. And seeing it is done, there is no reason that we should grieve
for that which cannot be prevented, if it must needs come. And let come
what may, with all my power I will strive against that which Hercules has
foretold, even till I take my death in resisting it: and if you will all
do in like manner, I doubt whether the whole world can take from us our
power. But if by God it hath been appointed, no strength and no art can
avail against his Almighty power, but that all things must be fulfilled
even as to him seemeth good. In this guise they went out of the house,
and he charged them all that they should tell no man of what they had
seen there, and ordered the doors to be fastened in the same manner as
before. And they had hardly finished fastening them, when they beheld an
eagle fall right down from the sky, as if it had descended from Heaven,
carrying a burning fire-brand, which it laid upon the top of the house,
and began to fan it with its wings: and the fire-brand with the motion
of the air began to blaze, and the house was kindled and burnt as if
it had been made of rosin; so strong and mighty were the flames and so
high did they blaze up, that it was a great marvel, and it burnt so long
that there did not remain the sign of a single stone, and all was burnt
into ashes. And after a while there came a great flight of birds small
and black, who hovered over the ashes, and they were so many, that with
the fanning of their wings, all the ashes were stirred up, and rose into
the air, and were scattered over the whole of Spain; and many of those
persons upon whom the ashes fell, appeared as if they had been besmeared
with blood. All this happened in a day, and many said afterwards, that
all those persons upon whom those ashes fell, died in battle when Spain
was conquered and lost; and this was the first sign of the destruction of
Spain.”—_Chronica del Rey D. Rodrigo_, Part I. c. 28. 30.
“_Y siendo verdad lo que escriven nuestros Chronistas, y el Alcayde
Tarif, las letras que en este Palacio fueron halladas, no se ha de
entender que fueron puestas por Hercules en su fundacion, ni por algun
nigromantico, como algunos piensan, pues solo Dios sabe las cosas por
venir, y aquellos aquien el es servido revelarlas: bien puede ser que
fuessen puestas por alguna santa persona aquien nuestro Señor lo oviesse
revelado y mandado; como revelo el castigo que avia de suceder del
diluvio general en tiempo de Noe, que fue pregonero de la justicia de
Dios; y el de las ciudades de Sodoma y Gomorra a Abraham._”—Fran. de
Pisa, Descr. de Toledo, l. 2. c. 31.
The Spanish ballad upon the subject, fine as the subject is, is flat as a
flounder:—
_De los nobilissimos Godos
que en Castilla avian reynado
Rodrigo rey no el postrero
de los reyes que han passado:
en cuyo tiempo los Moros
todo Espana avian ganado,
sino fuera las Asturias
que defendio Don Pelayo
En Toledo esta Rodrigo
al comienço del reynado;
vinole gran voluntad
de ver lo que esta cerrado
en la torre que esta alli,
antigua de muchos años.
En esta torre los reyes
cada uno hecho un canado,
porque lo ordenara ansi
Hercules el afamado,
que gano primero a España
de Gerion gran tirano.
Creyo el rey que avia en la torre
gran thesoro alli guardado;
la torre fue luego abierta
y quitados los canados;
no ay en ella cosa alguna,
sola una caxa han hallado.
El rey la mandara abrir;
un paño dentro se ha hallado,
con unas letras latinas
que dizen en Castellano,
Quando aquestas cerraduras
que cierran estos canados,
fueren abiertas y visto
lo en el paño debuxado,
España sera perdida,
y toda ella asolada;
ganaran la gente estrana
como aqui est an figurados,
los rostros muy denegridos,
los braços arremangados,
muchas colores vestidas,
en las cabecas tocados,
alçadas traeran sus señas
en cavallos cavalgando,
largas lanças en sus manos,
con espadas en su lado.
Alarabes se diran,
y de aquesta tierra estraños;
perderase toda España,
que nada no aura fincado.
El rey con sus ricos hombres
todos se avian espantado,
quando vieron las figuras
y letras que hemos contado;
buelven a cerrar la torre,
quedo el rey muy angustiado._
Romances nuevamente sacados por Lorenço de Sepulveda, ff. 160. 1564.
Juan Yague de Salas relates a singular part of this miracle, which I have
not seen recorded any where but in his very rare and curious poem:—
_Cantò como rompidos los candados
De la lobrega cueva, y despedidas
De sus senos obscuros vozes tristes
No bien articuladas, si a remiendos,
Repetidas adentro por el ayre,
Y una mas bronca se escucho que dize,
Desdichado Rey Ro (y acaba digo,
Quedando la R submersa entre piçarras)
La Coro perderas, y el Man, y el Ce,
No dixo el na, ni el do, ni el tro, no dixo;
Almenos no se oyo, si bien oyose
Por lascivo tirano, y por sobervio,
Que ya permite el cielo que el de Meca
Castigue por tu causa el Reyno Godo,
Por solo que lo riges con mal modo._
Los Amantes de Teruel, p. 29.
The _Chronica General del Rey Don Alfonso_ gives a singular account of
the first inhabitant of this fatal spot:—
“There was a king who had to name Rocas; he was of the east country from
Edom, wherein was Paradise, and for the love of wisdom he forsook his
kingdom, and went about the world seeking knowledge. And in a country
between the east and the north he found seventy pillars; thirty were of
brass, thirty of marble, and they lay upon the ground, and upon them was
written all knowledge and the nature of things. These Rocas translated,
and carried with him the book in which he had translated them, by which
he did marvels. He came to Troy when the people under Laomedon were
building the city, and seeing them he laughed. They asked him why, and
he replied, that if they knew what was to happen, they would cease from
their work. Then they took him and led him before Laomedon, and Laomedon
asked him for why he had spoken these words, and Rocas answered, that
he had spoken truth, for the people should be put to the sword, and the
city be destroyed by fire. Wherefore the Trojans would have slain him,
but Laomedon, judging that he spake from folly, put him in prison to see
if he would repent. He, fearful of death, by his art sent a sleep upon
the guards, and filed off his irons, and went his way. And he came to the
seven hills by the Tyber, and there upon a stone he wrote the letters
Roma, and Romulus found them, and gave them as a name to his city,
because they bore a resemblance to his own.
“Then went King Rocas westward, and he entered Spain, and went round
it and through it, till coming to the spot where Toledo stands, he
discovered that it was the central place of the country, and that one
day a city should there be built, and there he found a cave into which
he entered. There lay in it a huge dragon, and Rocas in fear besought
the dragon not to hurt him, for they were both creatures of God. And
the dragon took such love towards him, that he always brought him part
of his food from the chase, and they dwelt together in the cave. One
day an honourable man of that land, by name Tartus, was hunting in that
mountain, and he found a bear, and the bear fled into the cave, and Rocas
in fear addressed him as he had done the dragon, and the bear quietly lay
down, and Rocas fondled his head, and Tartus following, saw Rocas how his
beard was long, and his body covered with hair, and he thought it was a
wild man, and fitted an arrow to his bow, and drew the string. Then Rocas
besought him in the name of God not to slay him, and obtained security
for himself and the bear under his protection. And when Tartus heard how
he was a king, he invited him to leave that den and return with him, and
he would give him his only daughter in marriage, and leave him all that
he had. By this the dragon returned. Tartus was alarmed, and would have
fled, but Rocas interfered, and the dragon threw down half an ox, for he
had devoured the rest, and asked the stranger to stop and eat. Tartus
declined the invitation, for he must be gone. Then said Rocas to the
dragon, My friend, I must now leave you, for we have sojourned together
long enough. So he departed, and married, and had two sons, and for love
of the dragon he built a tower over the cave, and dwelt there. After
his death, one of his sons built another, and King Pirros added more
building, and this was the beginning of Toledo.”
* * * * *
_Redeemed Magdalen._—X. p. 97.
Lardner published a letter to Jonas Hanway, showing why houses for the
reception of penitent harlots ought not to be called Magdalen Houses;
Mary Magdalen not being the sinner recorded in the 7th chapter of Luke,
but a woman of distinction and excellent character, who laboured under
some bodily infirmity, which our Lord miraculously healed.
In the Shibboleth of Jean Despagne, is an article thus entitled: _De
Marie Magdelaine laquelle faussement on dit avoir este femme de mauvaise
vie: Le tort que luy font les Theologiens pour la plus part en leurs
sermons, en leurs livres; et specialement la Bible Angloise en l’Argument
du 7ᵉ chap. de S. Luc_.
“The injury,” says this Hugonot divine, “which the Romish church does to
another Mary, the sister of Lazarus, has been sufficiently confuted by
the orthodox. It has been ignorantly believed that this Mary, and another
who was of Magdala, and the sinner who is spoken of in the 7th of Luke,
are the same person, confounding the three in one. We have justified one
of the three, to wit, her of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus; but her of
Magdala we still defame, as if that Magdalen were the sinner of whom St.
Luke speaks.