Investment of Triana.—Garci Perez and the Infanzon.
On the day after the breaking of the bridge, the king, the Prince
Alfonso, the Prince Enrique, the various masters of the orders, and
a great part of the army, crossed the Guadalquivir and commenced an
attack on Triana, while the bold Admiral Bonifaz approached with his
ships and assaulted the place from the water. But the Christian army
was unprovided with ladders or machines for the attack, and fought to
great disadvantage. The Moors, from the safe shelter of their walls
and towers, rained a shower of missiles of all kinds. As they were
so high above the Christians, their arrows, darts, and lances came
with the greater force. They were skillful with the cross-bow, and
had engines of such force that the darts which they discharged would
sometimes pass through a cavalier all armed, and bury themselves in
the earth.[93]
[93] _Cronica General_, pt. 4, 341.
The very women combated from the walls, and hurled down stones that
crushed the warriors beneath.
While the army was closely investing Triana, and fierce encounters
were daily taking place between Moor and Christian, there arrived at
the camp a youthful Infanzon, or noble, of proud lineage. He brought
with him a shining train of vassals, all newly armed and appointed,
and his own armor, all fresh and lustrous, showed none of the dents
and bruises and abuses of the war. As this gay and gorgeous cavalier
was patrolling the camp, with several cavaliers, he beheld Garci
Perez pass by, in armor and accoutrements all worn and soiled by the
hard service he had performed, and he saw a similar device to his
own, of white waves, emblazoned on the scutcheon of this unknown
warrior. Then the nobleman was highly ruffled and incensed, and he
exclaimed, “How is this? who is this sorry cavalier that dares to
bear these devices? By my faith, he must either give them up or show
his reasons for usurping them.” The other cavaliers exclaimed, “Be
cautious how you speak; this is Garci Perez; a braver cavalier wears
not sword in Spain. For all he goes thus modestly and quietly about,
he is a very lion in the field, nor does he assume anything that he
cannot well maintain. Should he hear this which you have said, trust
us he would not rest quiet until he had terrible satisfaction.”
Now so it happened that certain mischief-makers carried word to Garci
Perez of what the nobleman had said, expecting to see him burst into
fierce indignation, and defy the other to the field. But Garci Perez
remained tranquil, and said not a word.
Within a day or two after, there was a sally from the castle of
Triana and a hot skirmish between the Moors and Christians; and Garci
Perez and the Infanzon, and a number of cavaliers, pursued the Moors
up to the barriers of the castle. Here the enemy rallied and made a
fierce defense, and killed several of the cavaliers. But Garci Perez
put spurs to his horse, and couching his lance, charged among the
thickest of the foes, and followed by a handful of his companions,
drove the Moors to the very gates of Triana. The Moors seeing how
few were their pursuers turned upon them, and dealt bravely with
sword and lance and mace, while stones and darts and arrows were
rained down from the towers above the gates. At length the Moors
took refuge within the walls, leaving the field to the victorious
cavaliers. Garci Perez drew off coolly and calmly amidst a shower of
missiles from the wall. He came out of the battle with his armor all
battered and defaced; his helmet bruised, the crest broken off, and
his buckler so dented and shattered that the device could scarcely be
perceived. On returning to the barrier, he found there the Infanzon,
with his armor all uninjured, and his armorial bearing as fresh as if
just emblazoned, for the vaunting warrior had not ventured beyond the
barrier. Then Garci Perez drew near to the Infanzon, and eying him
from head to foot, “Señor cavalier,” said he, “you may well dispute
my right to wear this honorable device in my shield, since you see I
take so little care of it that it is almost destroyed. You, on the
other hand, are worthy of bearing it. You are the guardian angel of
honor, since you guard it so carefully as to put it to no risk. I
will only observe to you that the sword kept in the scabbard rusts,
and the valor that is never put to the proof becomes sullied.”[94]
[94] _Cronica General_, pt. 4. _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, § 16.
At these words the Infanzon was deeply humiliated, for he saw
that Garci Perez had heard of his empty speeches, and he felt how
unworthily he had spoken of so valiant and magnanimous a cavalier.
“Señor cavalier,” said he, “pardon my ignorance and presumption; you
alone are worthy of bearing those arms, for you derive not nobility
from them, but ennoble them by your glorious deeds.”
Then Garci Perez blushed at the praises he had thus drawn upon
himself, and he regretted the harshness of his words towards the
Infanzon, and he not merely pardoned him all that had passed, but
gave him his hand in pledge of amity, and from that time they were
close friends and companions in arms.[95]
[95] _Cronica General_, pt. 4. _Cronica del Rey Santo._ _Corona
Gothica_, T. 3, § 16.
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