In the meantime the fleet left Tirant's camp to go to theillustrious city of Constantinople, and the wind and weather wereso favorable that on that same day, two hours before Phoebusended his journey, they reached the city. The noble citizens andthe townspeople, hearing the cries of happiness, ran to the wallto see the help they wanted so much. The fleet came in, flyingthe flags of His imperial Majesty and the valiant captain,Tirant. There was no less happiness inside the city, as theyrang the bells and praised divine Providence.
When the princess saw Plaerdemavida, her servant, coming sotriumphantly as a queen, she dismounted in order to pay herhonor. The queen threw herself at her feet to honor her, but thelady would not allow that, and instead kissed her many times onthe mouth as a sign of her great love. The night the virtuousQueen of Fez arrived at Constantinople the princess wanted her tosleep with her so they could talk at their leisure. When theywere in bed the princess said:
"My virtuous sister and lady, my heart has been very anxious allthe time you were gone. I couldn't write down all the reasonsfor this, for I loved you more than all the ladies and maidens inthe world. I found it impossible to live without you, especiallywhen I thought that because of me you had died a frighteningdeath at the terrible hands of the sea. I beg you, my sister andlady, please tell me how I offended virtuous Tirant who socruelly left the one who loved him more than her own life. Anddon't think that I am the way I was when you left me, becauselove has won over me so that I am beside myself. And I'm afraidthat if I don't see my Tirant soon my life will not last long."
The lady ended her pitiful words, weeping uncontrollably. Thevirtuous queen comforted her with tender words, and when theprincess had recovered, the queen said:
"My lady, Your Highness should rejoice at one thing: you are notat all to blame. I told Tirant everything. When he knew thetruth he was very confused and ashamed, and through me he asksYour Majesty to pardon him. My lady, Your Highness shouldforgive him because he was deceived by someone who was deeplytrusted, and Your Majesty is unaware of her cruelty. Trust me,my lady, I have never failed you when you needed me. I will soonhave him come here to pay you homage, for I know that he trulyhas no other desire than to honor you and offer his services toYour Majesty."
"My sister," said the princess, "I can see now that in the pastwhen you were in my service, you gave me good advice and I didn'trealize 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 yourdesire very quickly--even more than you wish."
And with these words and others like them, they spent most of thenight. The princess took great pleasure in the queen's words,for it had been a long time since they had seen each other andthey had a great deal to talk about. The queen said:
"My lady, let us give ourselves up to the night so that YourHighness 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 theambassadors of the sultan and the Turk, the council decidedunanimously that His Majesty the emperor should be consulted.Tirant thought he had reached the end he so much desired to havea justifiable reason for going and paying homage to the lady whoheld his heart captive.
Thinking that this business was of great importance, and that itaffected his honor more than it did the others', he decided to goalone, secretly, to the noble, beloved city to talk with HisMajesty, the emperor, and to know his decision. In that waypeace could be brought to the Empire of Greece, and he couldenjoy restful tranquility in the arms of his lady.
When darkness of night fell, he spoke to the King of Sicily andthe King of Fez, and left the camp in their hands. Then he wenton board a galley and sailed to Constantinople, which was sometwenty miles from Tirant's camp. When Tirant reached the portand the galley was anchored, it was ten o'clock at night. Heordered the ship's commander not to leave. Then he disguisedhimself, and disembarked, and when he was at the city gates, hetold the guards to open them, that he was a servant of Tirant whohad come to speak to His Majesty, the emperor. The guards lethim pass, and he went to the emperor's palace. When he wasinside they told him that the emperor had gone to bed. Tirantwent to the Queen of Fez's chamber and found her praying. Whenthe queen saw him she quickly recognized him and ran to embracehim 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 myprayers. Come, my lord, so worthy of glory. It is time now foryou to receive the payment for your honorable deeds in the armsof the lady who is your real happiness. And if you don't do whatI tell you to this time, I swear that you'll never have my helpagain. 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 begyou to forgive me. I promise and swear to you, on the order ofchivalry that I hold, that there will be nothing in the worldthat you will command of me that I will not obey, even if I amcertain it will bring me death. For I am very sure that youalways gave me good advice, if only I had taken advantage of it."
"Now then," said the queen, "we shall see what you are able todo. 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 thevictor in a delicious battle. Wait here, and I will go talk tothe princess. I'll ask her to come here tonight to sleep withme."
The queen quickly left Tirant and went to the princess's chamber,and found her ready to go to bed. When the princess saw thequeen, 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 closeto the princess's and said:
"My lady, please come sleep with me in my bed tonight. I havemany things to tell Your Majesty. A galley has come fromTirant's camp, and a man came ashore and talked to me."
The princess very happily told her she would do it, because shehad slept with her other times, and the queen had also slept inher bed. They did this when they wanted to talk freely withoutawakening the suspicion of the empress and the maidens. Theprincess took the queen's hand, and they went to her chamber.They found it in good order and well perfumed, as the queen hadprepared it. The princess quickly got into bed because of hergreat desire to have news about Tirant, and her maidens helpedher undress. When the princess was in bed, they bade her a goodnight--which they did not know was already prepared for her.
When the maidens had left the bedroom the queen bolted the doorherself and told her maidens to go to sleep because she was goingto pray a little while, and she would go to bed later and did notwant anyone there.
All the maidens went into another chamber where they slept. Whenthe queen had dismissed them all she went into the sitting roomand said to Tirant:
"Glorious knight, strip yourself to your nightshirt, and go liebeside the lady who loves you more than her own life. Apply thespurs strongly and without mercy, as befits a knight. And don'tcome to me with any squeamishness, because I swear to you on myword as a queen that if you don't do it now you'll never getanother chance to have this much glory for the rest of yourlife."
When Tirant heard such beautiful words from the queen he kneltdown on the floor and kissed her hands and feet. Then he said:
"My lady and my sister, you've bound my liberty with strongchains.
What you are doing for me is so great that, even if I were yourcaptive for the rest of my life, I don't believe I could repaywhat I owe you."
"My lord, Tirant," said the queen, "don't waste time. Take yourclothes off right now."
The virtuous Tirant flung his clothes into the air, and in atrice he was naked and barefoot. The queen took him by the handand led him to the bed where the princess was. The queen said tothe princess:
&nb
sp; "My lady, here is your adventurous knight whom Your Majesty lovesso much. Be a good companion to him, your grace, as one wouldexpect from Your Excellency. You're not unaware of how manytrials and hardships he has gone through to win your love. Makewise use of him, for you are the discretion of the world, and heis your husband. And Your Majesty should think of nothing butthe 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 willmake 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 andwent to a bed in the chamber, to sleep. When the queen had gone,the princess turned to Tirant who was pushing forward in hisbattle, and she said:
"Calm yourself, my lord, and don't try to use your bellicosestrength, because the strength of a delicate maiden is not sogreat that she can resist such a knight. Upon your mercy, don'ttreat me like this. The struggle of love doesn't require greatforce; it is not won by strength, but by ingenious flattery andsweet 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 toconquer someone who is already conquered by your goodness. Letme have part of your manliness so that I may resist you. Oh, mylord!
How can something which is forced give you pleasure? Oh! Canlove allow you to harm the thing that is loved? Restrainyourself, my lord, upon your virtue and nobility. Wait, poorthing! The arms of love should not cut, nor should the enamoredlance break or wound! Have pity, have compassion on thissolitary maiden. Oh, false and cruel knight! I will cry out!Wait, for I want to scream. Lord Tirant, will you have nocompassion on me? You are not Tirant. Wretched me! Is thiswhat I desired so? Oh, hope of my life, here is your deadprincess!"
And do not think that Tirant refrained from doing his workbecause of the pitiful words of the princess, for in a short timeTirant was the conqueror in the delicious battle, and theprincess gave up her arms and swooned. Tirant jumped out of bed,thinking he had killed her, and he went to call the queen so thatshe would come and help him. The queen got up quickly and took ajar of water and sprinkled it on the princess's face, and rubbedher temples. She recovered her senses, and giving a deep sigh,she said:
"Even if these are the signs of love, they should not be usedwith so much force and cruelty. Now, lord Tirant, I must believethat you did not love me with a virtuous love. If only you hadwaited for the day of solemnity and the ceremonial festivities tolawfully enter the doors of my chastity."
The queen did not wait for the princess to say any more, and witha smiling face she said:
"Oh, my blessed lady! How well you know how to act like you'rehurt! A knight's arms do no harm to a maiden. May God give me adeath like the one you pretend he's giving you! May I beattacked by the illness you're talking about if by morning youdon't feel completely cured."
The princess was not entirely consoled at the loss of hervirginity, and since she did not want to answer the queen'sinsane words, she kept quiet. The two lovers spent the entirenight playing that happy sport that lovers play.
CHAPTER XIII
THE WEDDING
During the night Tirant told the princess about all themisfortunes he had suffered because of her love. Then he tookgreat pleasure in telling her about his prosperity and victory,but finally he told her that he felt less glory in any of it thanhe did in conquering her illustrious person. When she hadgathered her strength and her sweet anger was over, she toldTirant about the life she had led while he was gone, and howduring this time she had never seen anyone laugh or take joy inanything. Withdrawn from all delights, alone in continualprayer, deep in religion because of her love, she had been ableto survive until they brought her the happy news of his arrival.And they exchanged many other delicious words, full of lovingsighs.
The queen, who was responsible for this affair, saw that daylightwas near, and she realized that when people in love have somepleasure, they do not think of anything that would disturb them.She got up from her bed, anxiously, and went to where the loverswere. She told them that since their night had been good shehoped God would give them a good morning. They returned her goodwishes very graciously, and she found them very happy, taking joyin one another. The queen said to Tirant:
"Lord of the Empire of Greece: Get up, it's already day. Youmust leave as secretly as you can so that no one will see you."
Tirant would have liked that night to last a year. Many times,while kissing the princess, he begged her to forgive him. Theprincess answered:
"My lord Tirant, love obliges me to forgive you, on the conditionthat you come back soon, for I cannot live without you. Now Iknow what love is, and before I did not know."
The lady had barely uttered the last syllable of her loving wordswhen Tirant said:
"Your Highness will see how short the war will become so that I,your captive, can wait on you with loving service."
And with a kiss of deepest love they parted. The queen took himby the hand and led him through a back door into the orchard.Saying very courteous words, they each went their way. Tirantwent to Hippolytus' quarters, and the queen went back to theprincess, and took Tirant's place in the bed. And there theyslept peacefully until well into the day.
Hippolytus' happiness was by no means slight when he saw hismaster and lord Tirant. With the great love he had for him, hethrew himself at his feet, attempting to kiss them. Tirant wouldnot allow it, and lifted him from the floor, and embraced andkissed him. They greeted each other at length, for they had notseen each other since fate had carried off Tirant. Tirant toldHippolytus to go to the palace and tell the emperor that he hadcome and wished to speak with him secretly.
Hippolytus quickly went to the emperor and told him of Tirant'sarrival. The emperor thought Tirant must have come because ofvery important matters, and he told Hippolytus to have him comeimmediately. Hippolytus went to his quarters and told Tirantwhat the emperor had said. The two relatives left Hippolytus'lodging in disguise and went to the palace. They found theemperor in his chamber as he was finishing dressing.
When Tirant was before His Majesty he threw himself at his feet,to kiss them. The great lord would not permit it, and insteadtook Tirant by the hand, lifted him from the floor and kissed himon the mouth. Tirant kissed his hand, and the emperor took hishand and led him to another chamber where he made him sit at hisside. Tears ran down the emperor's cheeks because of his greathappiness, and because of all the losses he had suffered--whichhe knew well would not have happened if Tirant had been there.Tirant said:
"Most excellent Sire, the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk havesent me on this mission which has many conditions that affectYour Majesty.
Since it would be very presumptuous of me to give a reply withoutthe express license of Your Majesty, I entreat your grace that itbe examined carefully in the council and a decision be reachedabout what is to be done, so that if it should be brought up inthe future, I would not be held to blame. The Moorish sultan andthe Grand Turk are asking Your Majesty for a truce of threemonths, or for longer if Your Majesty wishes. And if you want alasting peace for one hundred one years, they will be happy toform an alliance with Your Majesty to be friends of your friendsand enemies of your enemies."
The emperor answered:
"Our virtuous captain and son: We hold you in such high esteemand trust that we would have accepted whatever you decided. Butto please you, I will hold counsel on the matter."
The great emperor ordered the council to meet quickly so thatTirant could return to camp. Taking his leave of the emperor,Tirant went to pay his respects to the empress and the princess.He found them together in the princess's chamber because she waspretending to be sick, and the empress had come to be with her.The empress was very glad to see Tirant. The princess pretendedto greet him coldly so as not to arouse suspicions abou
t what hadhappened the night before. They spoke of many things, and theprincess especially asked Tirant if he had any news about thearrival of the Queen of Ethiopia. Tirant answered:
"My lady, three days ago I received a letter, by messenger, fromKing Escariano. He asked me not to do battle with the Moorsuntil he arrived. And he assured me that he would be here in twoweeks."
The princess answered:
"Captain, there is nothing I desire more than to see this queen.I hear that her beauty is greater than that of anyone in theworld."
Tirant answered:
"My lady, they told you the truth. After Your Majesty I don'tthink a more beautiful or more virtuous woman can be foundanywhere. She has the same desire you do: her only reason forcoming here is because of all the perfection she has heard aboutYour Majesty."
While Tirant, the empress and the princess were speaking,Stephanie, Duchess of Macedonia, came into the chamber. With theabsence of her husband, she had entered religion and did not wantto leave it until that fortunate day when she hoped all hertroubles would end. She threw herself at Tirant's feet and criedaloud, tears flowing down her cheeks. Tirant would not allow theduchess to kneel. He took her arm and raised her from the floor.Then he embraced her and kissed her, and said:
"I promise you, on my order of chivalry, that before a month hasgone by the Duke of Macedonia and all the others will be out ofprison and they will be here. That is the sole reason I came."
When the Duchess of Macedonia heard Tirant's words, she threwherself at his feet, wanting to kiss them. Tirant would notallow it, and lifting her from the floor he kissed her again.Then, taking her hands, they sat down and told each other abouttheir past difficulties.
While the captain was entertaining the ladies and consoling theDuchess of Macedonia, the emperor called for a council meetingand explained the mission that the sultan and the Turk had sentTirant on, just as Tirant had told it to him. When all thecouncil members learned the good news there were arguments anddisagreements among them. Finally, after much deliberation, theysent for the emperor and said to him:
"Your Majesty, we advise you to make a lasting peace with thesultan and with the Turk and with all the other great lords intheir company, with the stipulation that they put themselves inYour Excellency's power as your prisoners. And they must not bereleased until they have carried out all their promises, and theother Moors have left, unarmed and on foot."
The emperor was very happy with this decision since it was suchgood advice. He went to the princess's chamber where he foundTirant, and taking him by the hand, he had him sit by his side ingreat friendship, and told him what he wanted.
"Tirant, my captain and son, our council has come to the decisionwe mentioned. So, I beg you to depart as quickly as you can togive reply to the embassy."
Tirant said he would do as he was ordered, and he took his leaveof the emperor. He went to the empress and the princess and badethem farewell, and they begged him to do everything he could toliberate the Empire of Greece. Tirant replied:
"My ladies, may Our Lord grant that it be done as quickly as YourExcellencies wish."
He took his leave of the princess, and the queen accompanied himto the door of his chamber to tell him that as soon as it wasdark he should go through the orchard door and come to her roomwhere he could talk to the princess. Tirant said he would do asshe commanded.
After Tirant had left the ladies he went to Hippolytus' room towait for the dark of night so he could have his heart's desire.Alone and in disguise, when the time was right he crept softlythrough the familiar orchard toward the queen's chamber, andthere he found the princess, with the queen, waiting for him.The princess greeted him with great happiness, and the three ofthem went into the chamber.
Tirant gamboled with the princess and they passed the time inamorous solace and delicious chatter until it was time for bed.The princess got into bed first, and the queen dismissed all theladies and put valiant Tirant at the side of his lady, whotreated him with more love than she had the night before. Afterthe queen had placed them in the list and they were in deliciousbattle, she left to go to sleep, trusting that they would be insuch agreement that the battle would never come to an end.
Tirant did not sleep the entire night, like a brave knight whounderstands that one who is valiant in battle must be valiant inbed. As day drew near Tirant said to the princess:
"My lady and my life, I must go. I promised His Majesty theemperor that tomorrow, at break of day, I would be in my camp."
The princess answered:
"My lord and my love, your departure grieves me deeply. If itwere possible I would never let you out of my sight. If I feltpain before, now it will be a thousand times worse. Do me thegrace, my lord, not to delay your return unless you want to cutshort my life, for I cannot live without you."
When Tirant had her permission he got up from the bed anddressed, and with kisses of deep-felt love along with tears heleft the princess. Going out the back gate of the orchard, hewent to Hippolytus' lodging. Hippolytus got up, and quicklyescorted Tirant to the city gates so they would be opened forhim. Tirant went to the ocean and boarded the galley that leftthe port secretly and rowed to the encampment.
The sun had been up scarcely an hour when the galley was in sightof the camp. The entire camp knew the captain had returned, andthe King of Sicily and the King of Fez rode with their men toescort Tirant, and they took him to his triumphal tent with greathonor. Tirant explained to them everything His Majesty theemperor had decided, and they were all very content.
The morning of the following day the captain asked the kings andgrandees to come to mass. They all quickly went to his tent withmany knights. After mass he sent word to the ambassadors of thesultan and the Turk to come, as he wanted to give them an answer.The ambassadors were very glad to receive the news. Dressed inMoorish fashion, and accompanied by many noble knights fromTirant's camp, the great lords went with great pomp and gravityto the tent of the valiant captain. Before they left their tentthe ambassadors put their mounts and servants in readiness sothat when they had the reply from Tirant they could return totheir camp.
When the ambassadors were in the presence of the valiant captainthey bowed deeply to him and Tirant paid them as much honor as hethought they deserved. When they were seated before him, Tirantgave the following reply:
"Do not be astonished that the answer has been so long in coming,for I wanted to consult His Majesty, the emperor, about yourembassy. He, with great benignity and clemency, has hadcompassion on you. As you well know, your life or death is inour hands. So that you may know how great is the humanity andclemency of the emperor, he is content to spare your lives andgrant you mercy in this fashion: The sultan and Turk, with allthe kings and lords in your camp, will place themselves in theemperor's power as prisoners. There you will stay until such atime as you have restored all the lands you have taken from theempire. At the same time you will bring to him all the prisonersand captives in the lands of the sultan as well as the Turk. AndHis Majesty the emperor is willing to let all the Moors leave whoare in your camp, but on foot and unarmed. And if you are notsatisfied with the emperor's mercy, you can all prepare to die,for I promise you that not one of you will be spared."
On the morning of the following day the Moors held councilregarding the reply they should give to Tirant, and the councildecided to acquiesce to everything Tirant asked for. Theambassadors delivered the reply to Tirant, saying that the sultanand the Turk, with the counsel and will of all the rest, werecontent to do everything his lordship had asked.
Soon all those who were to be hostages rode in, and there weretwenty-two in all, all titled and of high nobility. I will notgive their names here so that I will not take up too much space,but I can tell you that because of their great hunger they werehardly slow in coming down the road. They all presentedthemselves to Tirant, and bowed deeply. Tirant welcomed them,paying them great honor, and gave them a magnificent banquet.
&n
bsp; After the banquet, Tirant put all the prisoners on two galleys,and then he went on board himself to go with them.
The two galleys sailed away from the camp, and quickly reachedConstantinople. When the captain was near the port ofConstantinople, and the people in the town heard that Tirant wascoming in triumph, bringing the highest lords of the Moorishpeople as prisoners, they were the happiest people in the world.Everyone ran to the ocean to see the prisoners. An immense crowdgathered, both men and women, shouting:
"Long live our blessed captain! May God protect and prolong hislife, for he has freed us from so much misery!"
Tirant refused to leave the galleys until the emperor sentHippolytus along with other knights. When Hippolytus was on thegalley with Tirant, he told him:
"My lord, His Majesty, the emperor, has sent me to your lordship,and he begs you to come on land."
Tirant said he would be happy to do what he commanded. Thecaptain quickly had the galleys draw near to land and theylowered the ladders. Then Tirant had all the prisoners disembarkwith him. When they were on land they met all the officials andmagistrates of the city who received them with great honor, andTirant with great reverence. They all left the shore togetherand went to the emperor's palace, and the populace followed them.
When they were in the palace square they saw the emperor up aboveon the cenotaph, seated in the imperial chair, with the empressto his left, and the princess to the right of the emperor, but alittle lower, as a sign that she would be the successor to theempire. When Tirant and the prisoners were in view of theemperor, they all knelt to the ground; then they went up to thecenotaph where the emperor was. They made another deep bow, andTirant moved to the front.
When he stood before the emperor he threw himself at his feet tokiss them, but the emperor would not allow it. Instead he tookhim by the arm, lifted him from the ground and kissed him on themouth, and Tirant kissed his hand. The Turk and the other greatlords did the same. The emperor received them with greathumanity, and ordered them taken to the other cenotaph.
The tables were prepared immediately, and each was seatedaccording to his station. The emperor wanted Tirant to eat athis table, and the five of them ate there: the emperor, theempress, the princess and Tirant, and the Queen of Fez. Theemperor ordered the prisoners to be served with great honor andreverence, for even though they were infidels they were still menof great dignity and station. And it was all done well, with agreat abundance of precious foods and wines of different kinds.They were astonished, and they said that the Christians were moreexperienced than the Moors in eating.
When they had eaten, Tirant asked the emperor's permission to goto the Moorish camp and have the Moors sent to Turkey. Theemperor agreed. Tirant took his leave of the empress and theprincess, and he withdrew to the galleys, and sailed to the fleetin front of the Moorish camp. When the admiral saw Tirantapproaching he commanded the trumpets, pipes and horns to beblown, and they greeted the captain with loud cries. The admiralwent on board the captain's ship and said to him:
"Sir, what does your lordship require?"
Tirant answered:
"Have all the ships come near shore, and all the Moors will go toTurkey."
The admiral said he would carry out the order. He returned tohis ship and gave the signal for all the ships to draw in toshore. And it was done very quickly. Tirant had a man that hehad brought from the sultan put ashore, and he told the Moors togo aboard the ships without fear, and that they would go toTurkey. The Moors, who wanted nothing else in the world becauseof their great hunger, quickly gathered and left behind theirhorses and arms, with their tents still standing, containing alltheir booty. When the ships were loaded with Moors, they carriedthem over to their land: It was very near as they only had tocross the Bosphorus; then they returned for more. You canimagine how many men there were, for four hundred vessels,including ships and galleys and other vessels made ten crossings.
When the men of Tirant's camp learned that all the Moors weregone, they all ran as fast as they could to take a share of thebooty. After the men on the vessels had taken the Moors across,they went ashore and they still had time to take part of thebooty. It could truly be said that that camp was the richest onethere had ever been, for they had captured and robbed the entireEmpire of Greece, and they had it all right there, and a lot ofgood it did them! And the men who found themselves with thatbooty were rich for the rest of their lives.
When the entire Moorish camp had been sacked, Tirant ordered allthe men back to their camp. He kept only the King of Sicily andthe King of Fez with him, along with some other barons who wantedto pay homage to the emperor. They left the Moors' camp and wentoverland to the illustrious city of Constantinople, while theships sailed into the port of the city.
After the emperor had left the table and the prisoners had eatentheir fill, he ordered Hippolytus to take all the prisoners tothe top of the palace towers which were prepared for them.Hippolytus went to the cenotaph where the prisoners were and toldthem to go with him. They came down from the cenotaph andfollowed Hippolytus as he led them up to the towers. Hippolytusput the Moorish sultan and the Grand Turk in a beautiful chamber.Then he told them:
"Sirs, His Majesty the emperor commands your lordships to resthere, and to be a little patient if you are not being treated asbefits your worthiness."
The sultan replied:
"Virtuous knight, we are grateful to His Majesty the emperor forthe great honor he is doing us, because he is not treating orregarding us as prisoners, but as brothers. We are deeplyobligated to him for this, and when we are given our liberty andour power again, we shall serve him in everything he commands."
Afterward Hippolytus ordered the four pages never to leave thechamber, and to serve them with all respect in everything theycommanded. Then he ordered guards to keep watch over the tower.Hippolytus took the rest of the prisoners and placed them in theother towers where they were given very nice chambers andservants to serve them, and they were very content. And he gavethem good guards so that they would be well served and wellguarded.
The emperor went to the palace with all the ladies and gaveorders that nothing on the square should be touched, because hehad been advised by Tirant that the King of Sicily and the Kingof Fez would be coming to pay him their respects. He orderedHippolytus to arrange for good lodgings in the city, andHippolytus, who was virtuous and discreet, carried out everythingthe emperor commanded him.
A few days later the emperor was told that Tirant was coming withthe King of Sicily and other lords, and that they were a leagueaway from the city. The emperor had Hippolytus and all theofficials from the city, along with the nobles and knights whowere there, go out to receive them. When they were at thepalace, Tirant, the King of Sicily and the others dismounted.The new guests were astonished at the great beauty of the ladies,especially of the princess.
After they had entertained the ladies, the emperor was told thatthe dinner was ready. Later they cleared the tables, and thedances began. The square was full of people from the city whowere looking at such a beautiful celebration. Others weredancing, and it was lovely to see such a victory celebration. Inthe city there were also other kinds of dances and games, for theemperor had ordered celebrations held for a week.
Tirant would not leave the side of the King of Sicily during allthese festivities. Instead they slept and ate togethercontinuously-- the better to cover up what had taken placebetween him and the princess. The others spent the eight dayscelebrating. Every day Tirant told the princess of his love, andbegged Her Highness to arrange the marriage so that they couldenjoy its delights without fear.
The princess answered:
"Oh, most virtuous of all men! Don't beg me for the one thing Iwant most in the whole world, and don't think me so ungratefulthat I've forgotten what your great nobility has brought us.Please, my lord, do not become angry because you have to wait forthe culmination of our happiness, for you have already won aglorious victory over me. Just
think how it has been to yourglory and that of your men that you have recovered the entireempire, and conquered and killed so many Moorish kings and lords.Now the only thing your lordship lacks is to have dominion overall the empire as part of your matrimony. Since you havereturned to me, and you are the mainstay of my life, I promise torenounce the crown in your favor, and to complete our weddingvows with you as emperor since my father, being advanced inyears, wants me to rule in his stead."
Tirant would not allow the lady to continue, and with a lovingheart he said:
"Even if I could, I find it difficult to accept your gracious andgenerous offer. May the Divine Power not permit me to commitsuch great folly as to take the crown of the empire during theemperor's lifetime. I only ask His Majesty to keep me as a sonand servant, and the captive of his daughter. I want nothingelse in this world."
When Tirant finished these words of love, tears sprang from hislady's eyes. Throwing herself into his arms, and clinging fromhis neck, she kissed him many times. After a moment she said:
"My lord and my life, no tongue could express the perfection andvirtues of your noble person, and now I truly understand that youare unique in all the world. May you long possess the crown ofthe Greek Empire, and may I be able to serve you all your life."
And they departed with many words of mutual love.
Tirant spent the night in amorous thoughts, waiting for Phoebusto arrive in the east, spreading its luminous rays over ourhorizon. At the proper time the captain went before the emperor,and said:
"Your Majesty remembers the promise given by the sultan and theTurk to Your Excellency, of restoring to your power all the landsthey occupy in the Greek Empire. So, great lord, if YourMajesty will grant me permission, I will leave to take possessionof them for Your Majesty. If fortune favors us, Sire, YourExcellency will command all the land that your predecessor, theemperor Justine, commanded."
The emperor answered:
"We are well aware of the many services and honors you have donefor us and for the entire empire, and we are greatly indebted toyou. We would therefore like to give you and your people theentire empire while we are still alive, and furthermore we wishto give you our daughter Carmesina as your wife, if you willaccept her. For we are at such an age that we are no longer ableto rule, much less to defend the empire."
When Tirant heard the emperor's kind words he threw himself athis feet and kissed them with great humility and love, and hesaid:
"My lord, may heaven never permit Tirant lo Blanc, Your Majesty'shumble servant, to commit such an error as to allow Your Highnessto lose the command of your empire during your lifetime; beforethat should happen I would rather die. But Sire, if you would dome the grace of giving me something that is worth much more, asYour Majesty has offered, I would value it more than if you gaveme ten empires."
Seeing his great gentility, the emperor took him by the arm,lifted him from the floor and kissed him on the mouth, and Tirantkissed his hand. The emperor took Tirant's hand and led him tothe chambers of the princess, who was with all her ladies,entertaining the King of Sicily. When the great emperor cameinto the room everyone stood up and bowed to him. As the emperorsat down he made the princess sit at his right, Tirant at hisleft, and the King of Sicily in front of them. The emperor thenturned to his daughter, and said:
"My daughter, you're aware of the great service and high honorsTirant here has bestowed on us. And that he has liberated theentire empire from all the hardships that the Moors haveinflicted on us. As we realize that we do not have enough tooffer him for all he has done for us, we have decided that wehave nothing dearer or of greater value or that we love more thanyou yourself. So we have offered you to him, and I beg andcommand you, my dear daughter, to take him as your husband andlord: that will be the way you can best serve me."
The lady answered with a gracious and modest continence:
"Most merciful and kind lord, it is to my glory that Your Majestyhas placed me in such high esteem that I am a worthy reward forall the services and honors which valiant Tirant has done forYour Majesty and for everyone in the empire. Even though I amnot worthy to remove his shoe, when one thinks of all the uniquequalities and virtues he possesses, I hope he will accept me ashis servant and his captive, for I am ready to do whatever YourMajesty or he commands me."
The emperor sent for the archbishop of the city to betroth themimmediately. And this gracious union was a matter of no slighthappiness, for during a long while Tirant and the princess couldnot speak, so inflamed with true love were they. As soon as thearchbishop arrived, the emperor ordered him to betroth hisdaughter and Tirant, and he did so.
When the betrothal was completed, there was much celebrating andgreat happiness throughout the city. A marvelous feast wasprepared as suited such a betrothal, and music was performed bymany groups from the towers and through windows of the greathalls. The foreigners and everyone in general took greatpleasure in this betrothal, for they had faith that the boldspirit of Tirant would allow them to live in peace. And thecelebrations, both in the palace and in the city, lasted a week.
The emperor sent a proclamation throughout the city, with manytrumpets and drums, that they should all consider Tirant hissuccessor and the Caesar of the empire. And he made them swearthat after his death they would hold him as their emperor andlord. And from that time forward the new Prince Tirant was namedCaesar of the Greek Empire.
CHAPTER XIV
DEATH
Tirant decided to leave as soon as he could in order to recoverall of the Greek Empire, and put it in the emperor's power. Atthe same time it hurt him to think of being away from theprincess, for life without her was impossible. He was tired ofwar now, and he wanted peace and tranquility. When he receivednews that the magnanimous King Escariano was coming with manymen, and that he was in Pinxenais which borders on Greece, and isten days journey from Constantinople, he decided to go out tomeet him.
After he had taken his leave of the emperor, the empress, and ofhis princess and wife, he left the city of Constantinople, andwent to his camp with grandees and other nobles. When the Caesarreached his camp he had the trumpets blow for the camp to beraised. Everyone got ready, and the following morning they leftthe bridge and went toward the place where King Escariano was.
As the powerful army was going along, many castles and villasdelivered themselves over to the Caesar (We omit their names toavoid being prolix.). Finally they reached the city of Streneswhere King Escariano's army was resting.
When King Escariano knew that his dear friend and brother at armswas coming, he rode out with his grandees and met him on theroad. They dismounted quickly, embraced and kissed very warmly.Tirant told King Escariano that the King of Sicily and the Kingof Fez were with him. King Escariano went to the other kings,and embraced and kissed them very courteously. Then they mountedtheir horses again and went toward the city. When they reachedKing Escariano's tents, Prince Tirant and the kings dismounted infront of the tent of the illustrious Queen of Ethiopia whowelcomed them, and embraced and kissed them all.
They decided to send the beautiful queen to the city ofConstantinople, and five hundred soldiers made ready to go,accompanied by many nobles and knights. The illustrious queentook leave of her lord, King Escariano, Tirant, and the otherkings and lords who escorted her for a league. Then Tirant andthe others bade the queen farewell, and she continued on toConstantinople while Tirant and the others returned to the city.
Tirant and King Escariano immediately commanded their camps to beraised and each of them put their men in order. They left thecity and went toward the province of Thrace. They reached a citycalled Stagira, which is surrounded by walls adorned withbeautiful towers. The city immediately opened all the gates tothem. After all the renegade Greeks had been made goodChristians again, they swore fidelity to the emperor. And allthe Moors who did not want to be baptized were thrown out of thecity. It was in this same city that the great philosopherAristotle had been born, and he was co
nsidered a saint.
While Prince Tirant had his tents set up in this city and wasresting, he sent two Moorish ambassadors through the outlyingterritories, and to all the cities, castles and villas of theneighboring provinces. They delivered up their keys and renderedhomage to Prince Tirant, and he replaced the captain of everycity, 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 froma nearby mountain, one of the highest in the world. Here theywere 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 cityof Trebizond which delivered itself over immediately. Theybrought all the knights who were held prisoner here, and withthem was Captain Diafebus, Duke of Macedonia. Prince Tirantasked for the Duke of Macedonia, and he was brought to him. Buthe was so changed that Tirant would never have recognized him:His beard had grown down to his waist, and the hair on his headreached past his shoulders; he was thin and discolored, and hisappearance was very different; he wore a yellow cloak, with ablue turban around his head. All the other knights were dressedthe same way. When the Duke of Macedonia was before the Caesar,he threw himself at his feet, wanting to kiss them. The Caesarlifted him up, and with tears running from his eyes, he kissedhim 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 himon the mouth. After the marquis, came the Duke of Pera, hisbrother, and the prior of Saint John, and all the other knights.The Caesar received them with great love, and honored them asthey 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, butthe princess caught her by the arm, raised her up, and kissed herwarmly three times. Then she took her hand and made her sit ather side.
The princess was astonished at the queen's great beauty. At thesame time the Queen of Ethiopia was startled by the beauty of theprincess. Everyone in the court was impressed by the queen'sbeauty, and they whispered about Tirant's great virtue in turningdown such a beautiful lady, for they were sure that she had askedhim to be her husband and lord of the kingdom of Tunis and of allBarbary, and he had left it all for love of the princess.
After the Caesar had held celebrations for the Duke of Macedoniaand his companions, he gave them their leave. They left the cityof 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 wasespecially welcomed by the duchess, his wife, who loved him morethan her life. With the arrival of the prisoners, greatcelebrations were held in the court.
After the Duke of Macedonia had left the city of Trebizond withall his companions, Tirant quickly had all the others break camp,and he had King Escariano and all his men, and each captain withhis squadron, depart. So one squadron left after another, in anorderly fashion, and they went to the land of Bendin, six daysjourney away, and when the Caesar arrived there with his entirearmy, they surrendered to him by order of the sultan and theTurk.
When the captains had been placed in the city and in thefortress, they advanced and recovered the entire province ofBlagay and all the land of Brina and all the land of Foxa and allthe land of Bocina, for each of these is a large province withmany cities, castles and villas, and they all surrenderedwillingly to the Caesar. They were accustomed to being subjectto the Greek Empire, and they wanted to be so again because ofthe 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 byforce of arms, for it did not belong to the sultan or the Turkand it had its own king. The virtuous Prince Tirant conqueredmany other provinces and lands, and joined them under thedominion and power of the empire with such great triumph andvictory that it would be tiring to tell it all. He recovered allof Greece, Asia Minor, all of Persia, all Selonich (which isGalipoli), Morea, Arca, the Cape of Arca, Valona. And by sea hesent the fleet he had in Constantinople to take the islands, withhis admiral, the Marquis of Lizana, as its captain. And he tookall the islands which had belonged to the empire: Calistres,Colcos, Oritige, Tesbrie, Nimocha, Flaxen, Meclotapace, and manyother islands the book does not mention to avoid prolixity.
After the admiral had conquered all the islands that once formedpart of the empire, he had his entire fleet return toConstantinople, and they entered the city firing their bombardsand shouting their greetings to the illustrious city. Thetownspeople ran to the sea wall to greet the fleet with joy. Theadmiral disembarked, accompanied by many well dressed knights andnoblemen, and they went to bow to His Majesty the emperor whoreceived them very cordially, and they all kissed his foot andhis hand.
Wanting to reward many nobles and knights who had been releasedfrom their imprisonment, he gave them over in matrimony tomaidens of high station, all of them servants of the empress andthe princess, and he also gave them large estates so they couldlive out their lives honorably. When the engagements had beenmade, their weddings were postponed until the day Prince Tirantwould be wed to the princess.
But Fortune would not permit a mortal body to have so muchdelight and glory in this world. For God did not create humannature to reach bliss and glory in this world, but instead toenjoy the glory of paradise. No one ponders this: everydayvirtuous 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 highdegree of intelligence, he conquered so many kingdoms and broughtuncountable numbers of people in Barbary and in Greece into theHoly Catholic faith. And yet, he was unable to see the finalityof all that he had so desired and labored for.
Among so many other sorrows, I find it impossible to free myweary hands from setting down on white paper how fortune lets mango unrewarded. This, despite the fact the glorious actions ofTirant bring me renewed anguish, for they did not bring him theprize he so richly deserved.
So then, after the Caesar had defeated and recovered the entireempire, and subjugated many other nearby provinces, he startedback in great triumph to the city of Constantinople. In hiscompany went the magnanimous King of Fez and many other kings,dukes, counts, and marquis, and innumerable knights (who camewith him to share in the enormous celebration that would takeplace upon his return, and out of love for King Escariano, and tocelebrate Tirant's wedding), and no one would leave his side.When the emperor received word that he was coming, he prepared anenormous celebration.
When Tirant was one day's journey from Constantinople, in a citycalled Andrinopol, he stopped because the emperor had sent wordto him not to come to the city until he should tell him. Whilethe virtuous Caesar was enjoying himself in that city, findingsport and pleasure, and strolling with King Escariano and theKing of Sicily at a river's edge which ran alongside the walls ofthe city, he felt such a great and powerful pain in his side thatthey had to take him in their arms and carry him back into thecity.
When Tirant was in his bed the six doctors who accompanied himcame to him--the best in the world--and four of King Escariano's.They gave him many kinds of medicine, but these brought norelief to his pain. Then Tirant realized he was dying, and heasked for confession. They had the confessor who accompanied himcome quickly. He was a good priest of the Order of SaintFrancis, a teacher of holy theology, and a man of greatknowledge. While the Caesar was making confession the King ofFez sent an urgent message to the emperor, giving His Majesty toknow that the Caesar was very ill, and that his doctors could nothelp him. He begged his grace to send his own doctors veryquickly, as he had great doubts that they would arrive in time.
After the Caesar had confessed, he ha
d the precious body of JesusChrist brought to him. He looked at it with great devotion, andwith tears in his eyes he prayed:
"Almighty Lord, humble, sweet and benign! How can I thank Youfor all the love You have shown to me, a weak creature? I giveYou infinite thanks, Lord, for all Your gifts. And I humblybeseech You, Lord, since You have saved me so many times fromdanger (and You are now giving me death, which I accept mostobediently, since it is Your holy will, in remission and penancefor my weaknesses), that You will grant me, Lord, forgiveness ofmy sins in order to have Your absolution and mercy."
After he had said these words, he received the holy body of JesusChrist. And the people in the room with him whispered that hedid not seem to be a knight, but rather a holy man. When he hadgiven restitution to his soul, he had his secretary come, and hegave his last will and testament in the presence of all those whowere with him.
"I, Tirant lo Blanc, of the lineage of Rocasalada and the Houseof Brittany, knight of the Garter, and Prince and Caesar of theGreek Empire, with an illness from which I fear I will die, butwith full knowledge, and firm and manifest word: with my lordsand 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, Ido make and leave the following final will and testament.
"I name as executors of this testament the virtuous and mostexcellent 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 toBrittany, to the Church of Our Lady, where lie all those of mylineage of Rocasalada.
"I also desire and command that from my estate one hundredthousand ducats be given to each of the men of my lineage who arehere. And of all my other property and rights which I havegained with Divine help, and which have been given to me by HisMajesty, the emperor, I make as my beneficiary my servant andnephew Hippolytus of Rocasalada. It is my wish that he take myplace, and be my successor."
After Tirant had made his testament, he told the secretary towrite 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 mylife in your arms.
"But I beg Your Highness to go on living, so that you will keepthe great love that I have had for you.
"And since fortune has not allowed me to speak to you or to seeyou--for I believe you would have cured me and saved my life--Ihave decided to write you this letter, because death will notgrant me more time, so that at least you will be certain of mygreat love. I cannot tell you more, for the great pain I amsuffering will not allow it. I only beg of you to take in yourcharge my relatives and servants.
"Your Tirant, who kisses your feet and hands, commends to you hissoul."
After Prince Tirant had made his testament, he begged KingEscariano, the King of Sicily and the King of Fez to carry him toConstantinople before his life ended. For the greatest pain hefelt was that he might die without seeing the princess. And hewas of the belief that if he saw her she would give him healthand life.
The doctors gave their approval because, since they consideredhim as good as dead, they thought that with the great consolationhe would feel if he saw the princess, whom he loved deeply,nature could have a more beneficial effect than all the medicinesin the world. They quickly put him on a litter, and he wascarried on men's shoulders very comfortably. He was accompaniedby 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 intodeep anguish and concern. As secretly as he could he sent forhis doctors and the Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus. He showedthem the King of Fez's letter, and begged them to ride therequickly. The Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus left the imperialpalace without a word to anyone, and went off with the doctors,for the emperor feared that if the princess heard of it she wouldfaint and it could be very dangerous for her.
When the Duke of Macedonia and Hippolytus, along with thedoctors, were half a day's journey from Constantinople, they metTirant on the road. They dismounted, and the litter was laid onthe 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 Tiranttold them that he commended his soul to them, and that he wishedthem to hold more love for the princess, his wife, than they didfor himself. The duke answered:
"My lord and cousin, is a knight as valiant as your lordshipgrowing weak hearted? Have faith in Our Lord, that He, in Hismercy, 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, guardianangel, angel Michael, defend me! Jesus, into Your hands, Lord, Icommend my spirit."
And with these words, he delivered up his noble soul, while hisbeautiful body lay in the arms of the Duke of Macedonia. Thetears and wailing were so great from all who were there, that itwas a pity to hear them. For Prince Tirant was loved by all.
After they had cried for some time, King Escariano called theKing of Sicily, the King of Fez, the Duke of Macedonia,Hippolytus, and some of the others, and they held counsel aboutwhat they had to do. They all agreed that King Escariano, alongwith the others in his company, should accompany Tirant's body tothe city, but that they should not go in, for as King Escarianohad not yet seen the emperor, it was not the time or place forthem 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 haddied, and made their way toward the city of Constantinople. Bythe time they arrived it was well into the night. They gatheredat the city gate, and King Escariano took his leave of the Kingof 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. Theothers placed Tirant's body in a house within the city, where itwas embalmed by the doctors.
After they had embalmed it, they dressed it and took it to themain church of the city: Saint Sofia. There a very large andtall cenotaph was prepared for him, covered entirely withbrocade, and on the cenotaph was a large bed. There they placedTirant's body, stretched out on the bed, with his sword at hisside.
When the emperor learned that Tirant was dead, he rent his royalgarments. Coming down from his imperial seat and lamenting overTirant's death, he said:
"Today is the day when our scepter is lost, and I see the crowntaken from my head and dashed to the ground. Let everyone dressin deep black mourning, let all the bells ring at once, and leteveryone wail over this loss, which is so terrible that my voiceis scarcely able to speak of it."
The emperor spent the greater part of the night lamenting, andwhen day came he went to the church to pay him honor, and to makea large tomb for him with the funeral rites that are normallygiven to great lords. When the princess saw everyone crying shewas very surprised. She wondered what the people in the palaceand her maidens were crying about. She thought her father, theemperor, might have died, and she got up quickly, dressed in herchemise, and looked out the window. She saw the Duke ofMacedonia, crying and tearing at his hair, and Hippolytus andmany others clawing at their faces, and hitting their headsagainst the walls.
"By the one God," said the princess, "I beg you to tell me thetruth. What is the cause of all this uproar and sadne
ss?"
The Widow of Montsant said:
"My lady, it is inevitable that you will hear of it at anymoment. Tirant has passed from this life to the other. Atmidnight they took him to the church to give him a holy funeralas he deserves. The emperor is there, crying and bemoaning hisdeath, 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 ofMontsant said:
"But my lady! At the death of such an admirable knight who diedin the service of His Majesty, the emperor, and of yours, are yougoing to dress that way, as if you were going to your wedding?Everyone else is dressed in mourning and sadness, because theycannot stop crying, and Your Highness, who should be the saddestand for whom it should mean the most, has dressed yourself in anunheard-of way."
"Don't worry yourself, Widow," said the princess. "You will knowthe meaning of this when it is time."
When she had dressed, the sad lady of the imperial palace camedown with all the ladies and maidens, and with steps hastened bythe anguish she felt, she went to the church where Tirant's bodylay. She stepped to the top of the great cenotaph, and when shesaw Tirant's body she felt her heart would break, and yet passionlifted her spirit and she went over to his bed with warm tearsflowing from her eyes, and threw herself upon Tirant's body. Thesuffering woman kissed his cold body. Everyone who heard herweep shed great tears of grief. Then she said:
"I want to go looking for the soul of the one who was my Tirantin the blessed places where it rests. And I do so want to keepyou company in death since in life, where I loved you so much, Ihave not been able to serve you. Oh, you ladies and maidens, donot cry! Save your tears for a more opportune time. It's enoughfor 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 helpedher regain consciousness. When she had recovered her senses, thelady again threw herself upon the body, kissing Tirant's coldmouth. She tore at her hair and clothing, along with the skin ofher breasts and her face, this sad lady, more grievous than anyother. Stretched out on his body, she kissed his cold mouth,mixing her warm tears with Tirant's cold ones. She wanted totalk, but could not, and she knew no words sad enough to expressher grief. With trembling hands she opened Tirant's eyes whichshe kissed first with her mouth, and then filled with all thetears 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 himwho lost his life for her-- and with words that would be enoughto break precious stones, diamonds and steel itself, she criedgrievously:
"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 bodieswill be embraced in one grave, and together we will share thesame 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 herchambers, 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 tosuch an extreme, for your grief is death to me. Stop your cryingand 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, Icannot 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 histerrible anguish he left. Then the princess sat on the bed andsaid:
"Come, my faithful maidens, and help me undress, for there willbe time enough to cry."
And she prepared her body in the most comely way she could, andsaid:
"I am the infanta who hoped to rule over the entire empire ofGreece. It is my duty to move everyone here to grief andcompassion for the death of the virtuous and blessed knight,Tirant lo Blanc. Oh, my Tirant, out of grief for your death letour right hands wound our breasts and tear at our faces so thatour misery will be so much greater, for you were our shield andthe shield of the whole empire. Oh sword of virtue, great wasthe 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 Iwill weep for your death. Now, my dear maidens, help me to crythis short time that is left of my life, for I cannot remainwith you long."
The crying and wailing was so great that it made the entire cityresound. When they saw the princess nearly more dead than alive,they cursed fortune which had brought them such anguish. Thedoctors came and said she had all the signs of a dying woman: Shefelt such grief for Tirant's death that blood was coming from hermouth.
The grieving empress came into the chamber, knowing that herdaughter was not well. When she saw her in that state shesuffered such a shock that she could not speak. When she hadrecovered, she said:
"Oh, my daughter! Is this the joy and happiness I hoped to havefrom you? Is this the wedding your father and I and all thepeople hoped to be consoled by? Everywhere I turn I see nothingbut grief and sorrow!
I see the poor emperor, lying on the floor; I see the ladies andmaidens, their hair unkempt, their skin covered with blood, theirbreasts uncovered and scratched, crying throughout the palace,revealing their grief to everyone. I see the knights andgrandees, all in mourning, all lamenting, twisting their hands,tearing the hair from their head. What a bitter day, so filledwith sadness! I see all the orders of friars coming with pain intheir voices, and not one of them can sing. Tell me, what kindof celebration is this for everyone to run from it? Scarcelyanyone can talk without a grieving face. Oh, sad is the motherwho bears such a daughter! I beg you, my daughter, be happy andput an end to all this sadness. This way you will giveconsolation 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 consolationand rejoice if I have lost such a knight who was my husband andlord, and had no equal in the world? Have my protector, myfather and lord, come so that he can see my death and my end, andso that part of his daughter will be left for him."
When the sad father was there, she begged him kindly to sit atone 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 ofall who are here."
Then the confessor had her make a general confession, andafterward he absolved her of all punishment and guilt. Whenabsolution had been granted the princess asked that the preciousbody of Jesus Christ be brought to her, and with great devotionand contrition she received it. And all those in the chamberwere astonished at the great constancy and firmness of spirit theprincess 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 theemperor's secretary come, and turning to her father, she said:
"Father and lord, if it please Your Majesty, I would like todispose 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 thisearth."
The princess thanked him, and turning to the secretary, shedictated her will:
"I make, as executors of my will, Diafe
bus, Duke of Macedonia andStephanie, his wife. And I beg and command them to place my bodytogether with Tirant's in the place he will be buried. For, aswe were not able to remain together in life, at least in deathour bodies will be united until the end of the world.
"In addition, all my clothing and jewelry shall be sold, and theproceeds will be given to my maidens for their weddings. As forall the other rights I have in the Greek Empire, I make theempress, 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 handsand his mouth again and again, and she did the same to hermother, the empress, asking their forgiveness and their blessingwith great humility.
"Oh unfortunate and miserable me!" said the princess. "I see theemperor more dead than alive because of me. On the one hand thedeath of Tirant pulls me, and on the other my father's deathpulls me: Each of them is winning me over."
Her miserable father, his face wet with tears, saw that hisdaughter was ready to die and could barely speak. He heard hersay such painful words, and saw all the wailing that was going onin the chamber and throughout the palace. He felt greatlydisturbed and was beside himself. He tried to get up from thebed to go out, but he fell to the ground, senseless. They pickedhim up, unconscious, and put him on a bed in another chamber, andthere he ended his days before his daughter, the princess.
Because of the emperor's death there was loud wailing, and thenews reached the empress and the princess. The empress ran asquickly as she could, but the emperor had already passed fromthis life. Imagine how the poor lady must have felt: to see herhusband, her daughter, and her son-in-law all dead! And don'task me what grief there was in the palace. So muchtribulation--all in one day!
The princess said:
"Help me sit down on my bed, and you will hear my words. You allknow that with the death of the emperor, my father, I am thesuccessor to the Greek Empire. And so my knights, I command you,by the allegiance you owe to His Majesty, the emperor, and now tome, 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, andTirant on the left, while she was in between them. She kissedher father many times, and Tirant many times more, and she criedin a miserable voice:
"Look, knights, you who suffer from love. Take note of me andsee if I am not fortunate! On one side I have an emperor, and onthe other the best knight in the world. Look and see if I shouldnot go into the next world happy, for I will have such goodcompany. Come to me, my loyal sisters and companions, and kissme, one by one. Then you will feel a part of my misery."
And they did. First came the Queen of Ethiopia, then the Queenof Fez, then the Duchess of Macedonia, and then all her othermaidens and her mother's maidens. They kissed her hand and hermouth, and they sadly bade the princess farewell, shedding manytears. She had them bring her the cross, and looking at itsteadfastly, she said these words with great devotion:
"Receive the soul of Your servant, oh Lord, and free me frominfernal bonds and pains. May I feel, oh Lord, the blessed restof heaven and of eternal light, and may I deserve to have, amongYour chosen saints, everlasting life and glory. Oh God, full ofpure love and goodness. You Who know only how to forgive. Grantme, oh Lord, that my soul, drawn apart and stripped of earthlyvices, may be placed in the company of those redeemed by You. Igive myself to God Who created me."
Saying these words, the princess gave up her spirit to hercreator.
CHAPTER XV
AFTERMATH
The destruction of the very last of the lineage of the royalhouse of Greece was complete. After going through so much pastmisery with all its trials and hardships, they would haveobtained a happy peace--if fortune had allowed it. And so, noone should depend on worldly prosperity, for it fails when it ismost unexpected.
When the princess had passed on from this life, the wailing andcrying in the palace was so loud that it echoed throughout theentire city. And the heartache felt for Tirant and the emperorwas renewed and redoubled. The poor empress fell into such adeep faint that the doctors could not revive her, and Hippolytusbeat his head and face, believing that she was dead. Finally,with all the remedies they tried, after more than an hour, sheseemed to awaken slightly. Hippolytus remained steadfast at herside in great anguish, rubbing her wrists and wetting her facewith rose water. When she regained consciousness, they pickedher up in their arms and carried her to her chamber, putting heron a bed.
Hippolytus was always at her side, comforting her, and kissingher often to bring to mind the love they had continually had foreach other. The empress loved him more than her daughter andherself because of the great kindness and genteelness she hadfound in Hippolytus who had always obeyed her every wish. Anddon't think that at that moment Hippolytus was feeling greatpain, for as soon as Tirant was dead he realized that he would beemperor, especially after the death of the emperor and hisdaughter, for he had great confidence in the love the empress hadfor him. Putting aside all shame, she would take him as herhusband.
After the empress had spoken a short while with Hippolytus, andtheir pain had been somewhat alleviated with kisses, she said tohim:
"My son and my lord, I beg you, as lord here, to order funeralsheld for the emperor, my daughter, and Tirant, so that afterwardyour desire and mine can be carried out."
When Hippolytus heard such loving words he kissed her hand andher mouth, and said he would do everything Her Majesty commanded.Hippolytus went to the princess's chamber where the three bodieswere lying, and on behalf of the empress he ordered them to takeTirant to his cenotaph in the church immediately. And it wasquickly done.
Then he ordered the surgeons to embalm the bodies of the emperorand the princess. Hippolytus had another cenotaph put up in theChurch of Saint Sofia, much more beautiful and higher thanTirant's, and he had the emperor's body brought to the cenotaph.He had the princess put in Tirant's bed, on his right hand side.
He ordered a proclamation read throughout the city that all thosewho wished to dress in mourning should go to a certain house inthe city, and there mourning cloth would be given to men as wellas to women. In the space of one day everyone in the palace andthe city, and all the foreigners were dressed in mourning. Inaddition, Hippolytus decreed that all the clergy--friars,chaplains and nuns--within two days journey from Constantinopleshould come to participate in the funerals of the dead, and onethousand two hundred were counted.
They decided that the burial should take place two weeks afterthe emperor's death, and all the barons of Greece were summoned,so that they could be present for the emperor's funeral rites.Then he sent a message to King Escariano on behalf of himself andthe empress, inviting him to come and honor the burial of theemperor and his daughter, and his dear friend and brother Tirant.For, since he had not been able to honor their wedding he wouldbe able to honor his burial. King Escariano sent word to himthat he would do so, but that he had hoped to enterConstantinople with happier news. And he left for Constantinoplewith one hundred knights.
While the people were arriving, Hippolytus had the King ofSicily, the King of Fez, the Duke of Macedonia, the Marquis ofLizana, and the Viscount of Branches and some others gather in achamber. Then he said to them:
"My lords and brothers, your lordships are not unaware of thegreat danger that has befallen us with the death of our fatherand lord, Tirant. He expected to be emperor, and he would haveennobled and enriched all those of our lineage. Now that thereis no hope of that, we must take counsel about what should bedone. Your lordships realize that the entire empire is in theempress's power. Although she is advanced in years, some greatlord will be very pleased to marry her, and he will find it veryagreeable to be emperor. After her death, he will be the ruler,and he may treat foreigners (which is what we are) badly. I amof the opinion that we should make one of us emperor, and all ofus should help him; and the one who is elected will enrich theothers very well. Now, I beg you, let eac
h of you give youropinion."
Then the King of Sicily said he felt it was a good idea that oneof them should be made emperor, and that they should selectwhoever was willing. The King of Fez spoke, because he was theeldest of their line, and he said:
"My lords and brothers, it seems to me good advice that one of usshould be chosen emperor. But it is my opinion that we shouldfollow the dictates of Tirant's will, then the princess's, andwith these two wills we shall see who among us is indicated."
Everyone agreed with what the King of Fez had said. They sentfor the secretaries of Tirant and the emperor, and had the willsread. When they had read them, they made the secretaries leavethe room, and the Duke of Macedonia spoke:
"My lords and brothers, as I see it, our selection is very clearand cannot be disputed. I see that our good relative and lordleaves as recipient of all the rights he has earned in the GreekEmpire, Hippolytus here. Further, I see that the princess hasbestowed the entire empire on her mother.
So from what I see there is no other action we can take,considering the friendship we all know Hippolytus has with theempress, than for him to take her as his wife. In that way hewill become emperor, and he will keep each of us in our station,for he is our relative."
Then the Marquis of Lizana spoke:
"Lords, I find the Duke of Macedonia's advice to be good, andpraise it, for we all have wives, and furthermore it is Tirant'scommand."
All the rest praised him and agreed that Hippolytus should bechosen emperor and husband of the empress. When Hippolytus sawthe gentility of his relatives, he praised them, and gave themmany thanks for their great love. And he made a vow before Godand Our Lady that if God granted that he become emperor, he wouldrepay them in such a way that they would all be very happy. Andthey decided that after the funeral rites were held for the dead,they would raise him to the status of emperor, and would hold thewedding for him and the empress.
Tirant's relatives agreed, and the following night King Escarianoentered Constantinople, dressed in mourning, with all his men.He was received with great honor by Hippolytus, and by his wife,the queen, who was very happy to see him. Hippolytus placed himin the emperor's palace, in a beautiful apartment. The King ofSicily, the King of Fez, the Duke of Macedonia, and many otherknights came to see him, and a great celebration was held.
After this, King Escariano took his leave of them, and taking thequeen, his wife, by the hand, he went with Hippolytus to payhonor to the empress. When they were in her chamber, KingEscariano bowed before the empress, and she warmly embraced him.She took him by the hand, and had him sit at her side. Then KingEscariano said:
"I left my land in order to help Tirant lo Blanc recover theempire, and the queen, my wife, came only to attend the weddingof my brother Tirant and the virtuous princess. Their deathshave made me both sad and angry. Now that they are gone, I amready to serve you for the rest of my life."
The empress hesitated, and then said softly:
"It is great glory for me that so magnanimous a king should saysuch words to me. I thank you very much for coming, and evenmore for helping us put an end to this conquest. But with it Ihave lost three of the best people in the world, and because ofthis the rest of my life will be filled with sadness."
The empress could speak no more, and tears sprang from her eyes.King Escariano also began to cry.
That night Hippolytus went to sleep with the empress, and he toldher about his conversation with his relatives, and what they hadall decided:
"That I should take you as my wife. My lady, I know that I amnot worthy of being your husband, or even your servant. But Itrust in Your Highness' love and virtue, and I hope that you willaccept me as Your Majesty's captive. And trust me, my lady, todo well. I will be so obedient to you that you can command memore than ever before, for I never wanted anything but to serveyou."
The empress answered:
"Hippolytus, my son, you know how much I love you, and I will bevery pleased if you will take me as your wife. But remember, myson and lord, even though I'm old you will never find anyone wholoves you as much as I do."
Then Hippolytus knelt to kiss her hands and feet, but she liftedhim up and embraced him and kissed him. And they spent thatdelicious night with little thought about those who were lying onthe cenotaphs for burial.
In the morning, before Phoebus had spread its shiny rays over theearth, the knight got up, full of new joy, for that nightHippolytus had entertained his lady very well. He arrangedeverything that was necessary for the burial.
On the appointed day all the barons and knights who were invitedwent to the city of Constantinople. On the first day they buriedthe emperor with the most beautiful sacramental lights ever givento a prince. To exalt the occasion there were many kings, dukes,counts and marquis, and many noble knights. All the people fromthe city were there, lamenting over their good lord, and theclergy performed the ceremony, singing so that all were weeping.And on that day the emperor's body was solely buried. The secondday was reserved for the princess's burial, and the third forTirant's.
There was so much wailing and lamenting during those three daysthat no one felt like crying for the rest of the year. When thefuneral rites for the emperor were over, the emperor's body wasplaced in a beautiful tomb which the emperor had ordered madesome time before. The bodies of Tirant and the princess wereplaced in a wooden coffin, for they had to be taken to Brittany.
When this was done, the King of Sicily, the King of Fez, and theDuke of Macedonia went to King Escariano and told him all aboutthe council they had held with Tirant's relatives, and how theyhad decided to raise Hippolytus to the status of emperor. KingEscariano said:
"I am very pleased by your decision. I think Hippolytus is agood and virtuous knight, and he deserves to be emperor."
Then they asked him to go with them and carry the news to theempress, and he was glad to do so. The three kings left with theDuke of Macedonia, and it was the noblest embassy that had everbeen made to a man or a woman. They entered the empress'schamber, and she welcomed them with great honor. She took thehand of King Escariano and the King of Sicily, and they sat downin the imperial throne room, with the empress between the twokings. They had agreed that King Escariano should explain theirmission, and he began:
"As we deeply appreciate the honor of your illustrious person, wehope it will be agreeable to you to take a husband. And we begYour Majesty not to be angry at what I am going to tell you.Your Majesty knows what good condition the Greek Empire is inbecause of that singular knight, Tirant. You know the rightsthat His Majesty, the emperor, granted to him, and you know thathe left those rights to his nephew, Hippolytus. And so we begand advise Your Majesty to take Hippolytus as your husband andlord. He is such a virtuous knight that Your Majesty will begreatly loved and revered by him, and he is such a knight that hewill be able to rule and defend the empire, which has beenreconquered through so much effort."
The empress then said very graciously:
"Great lords, I realize that you are my brothers, and I trustthat you would never advise me to do anything that would beharmful to me or my honor. So I freely place myself in yourlordships' hands to deal with me and my empire as though it wereyour own."
They all bowed deeply to the empress and gave her many thanks.And they left, very satisfied with the empress' reply. The threekings went with the Duke of Macedonia to Hippolytus' chamber, andhe received them very warmly. They told him about the entireconversation they had had with the empress, and how she hadagreed to do everything they wanted.
Hippolytus knelt, and thanked them, and he was very happy. Theyquickly took him to the empress's chamber, and then had thebishop come from the city and marry them. In attendance were theQueen of Ethiopia, the Queen of Fez, the Duchess of Macedonia,and all the ladies of the court. They were all very pleasedbecause of all the hard times they had had, and which they wereafraid would continue.
The news that the empress had married Hippolytus ran through the
city, and everyone was glad. They all gave thanks to God forgiving them such a good lord. Everyone in the city likedHippolytus because in times of need he had been their captain,and he had treated them very well.
Soon afterward the King of Sicily departed, and the emperorentreated the King of Fez and the Viscount of Branches to carrythe bodies of Tirant and the princess to Brittany. They saidthey would do it very willingly out of love for His Majesty andTirant. The emperor commanded the admiral to put forty galleysin order so they would go in his honor. And they were quicklyarmed and put in order.
The emperor had ordered a very beautiful wooden coffin made, allcovered with gold, and decorated so that it looked like thesepulcher of a great lord. And he had the bodies of Tirant andthe princess placed inside, all dressed in brocade, with theirfaces uncovered so that they seemed to be sleeping.
He had the coffin put on board a galley with all of Tirant'sweapons and flags on it so that they could be placed upon thesepulcher where Tirant would lie, to serve as a perpetualmemorial. And the emperor gave the King of Fez two hundredthousand ducats so that the sepulcher of Tirant and the princesscould be made in Brittany in accord with their great merit. Wheneverything was in order the King of Fez and the Queen set sail,and they had such good weather that in a few short days theyreached Brittany very safely.
The King of Fez, the queen, and the Viscount of Branches, alongwith many noblemen and knights, made port in a city calledNantes, and here they were well received and entertained by theDuke of Brittany, and the Duchess. They took the coffin withTirant and the princess, and with a great procession of manyclerics, friars and monks they carried it to the high church ofthe city, and it was placed in a tomb held up by four lions.This tomb was worked in a very clear alabaster, and molded infine gold were these words:
The knight who in arms was phoenix
And the lady most beautiful of all,
Lie dead in this tomb,
While their living fame resounds throughout the world:
Tirant lo Blanc and noble Carmesina.
And above the tomb these three verses were sculpted in gold:
Cruel love that united them in life
And has taken their life in great pain,
After their death, encloses them in the sepulcher.
Words could not express the mourning that took place in Brittany.There was great mourning over his death by the Duke of Brittanyand the Duchess and all Tirant's relatives when they learned ofthe actions of everlasting renown he had performed and the greatprosperity he had achieved. The King of Fez had large amounts ofmoney given in charity for the souls of Tirant and the princess.He spent the two thousand ducats the emperor had given him verywell. And he decided to return to his homeland, for he hadstayed in Brittany six months to carry out everything the emperorhad encharged to him.
The King and Queen of Fez took their leave of the duke andduchess and all the relatives who were very sad to see themleave. And the Viscount of Branches also took his leave ofeveryone. They embarked on the galleys and set their coursetoward the lands of the King of Fez. Our Heavenly Father gavethem such good weather that in a few days they reached the portof Tangier. And the King of Fez and the Queen disembarked withall their people. The Viscount of Branches returned toConstantinople with the forty galleys, and was well received bythe emperor who was greatly desirous of knowing what had happenedin Brittany.
The Viscount of Branches very discreetly told the emperor abouteverything that had been done, just as it had been directed byhis majesty. The emperor was highly pleased, and immediatelybought the county of Benaixi, which belonged to the princess, forthree hundred thousand ducats, and gave it to the Viscount ofBranches as a reward for his works, Then he gave a largeinheritance to all those who had married servants of the empressand the princess so that they could live well and honorably,each according to his station, and all were very happy. Then hearranged marriages for all his other knights.
Fortune favored Emperor Hippolytus so much, and he was such avirtuous knight that he greatly increased the Empire of Greece,and he added to it many provinces that he conquered, and due tohis great diligence he amassed a very large treasure. He wasdeeply loved and feared by his subjects and also by theneighboring lords who lived near the empire.
A few days after he was made emperor he had the Moorish sultanand the Grand Turk released from prison, along with all the otherkings and lords who had been imprisoned with them. They madepeace and a truce for one hundred one years, and they were socontent that they said they would come to his aid against theentire world. Afterward the emperor had them go to Turkey aboardtwo galleys.
This Emperor Hippolytus had a long life. But after the death ofher daughter, the empress lived only three years. After a shorttime the emperor took another wife, who was the daughter of theKing of England. This empress was extremely beautiful, humble,and a very virtuous and devout Christian. The genteel lady boreEmperor Hippolytus three sons and two daughters, and the sonswere exceptional and valiant knights. The eldest son was namedHippolytus, like his father, and he lived his entire life amagnanimous man and performed singular acts of chivalry whichthis book does not relate, but defers to the books that werewritten about him. But the emperor, his father, left all hisrelatives and servants well provided for before he died.
And when the emperor and the empress passed from this life theywere very old. They both died on the same day, and were placedin a very luxurious tomb which the emperor had ordered made. Andyou may be sure that because of their excellent rule and theirgood and virtuous life they are in the glory of paradise.
DEO GRATIAS
Here ends the book of the valiant and singular knight, Tirant loBlanc, Prince and Caesar of the Greek Empire of Constantinople,which was translated from English into the Portuguese language,and afterward into the Valencian tongue by the magnificent andvirtuous knight, Johanot Martorell who, because of his death, wasable to finish the translation of only the first three parts.The fourth part, which is the end of the book, was translated atthe behest of the noble Isabel de Loris by the magnificent knightMarti Johan d' Galba. If any defect should be found he wishes itto be attributed to his ignorance, and may Our Lord Jesus Christ,in His great goodness, grant him the glory of paradise as areward for his works. And he protests that if he has put somethings in this book that are not Catholic, he retracts them andsubmits them to the correction of the Holy Catholic Church.
This work was printed in the city of Valencia, the 20th day ofthe month of November in the year of the Birth of Our Lord JesusChrist 1490.
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