Señor Rey, noble, alto, Oy este Sermon, Que vyene desyr Santob, Judio de Carrion. Comunalmente trobado, De glosas moralmente, De la Filosofia sacado, Segunt que va syguiente. My noble King and mighty Lord, Hear a discourse most true; ’T is Santob brings your Grace the word, Of Carrion’s town the Jew. In plainest verse my thoughts I tell, With gloss and moral free, Drawn from Philosophy’s pure well, As onward you may see. The oldest notice of the Jew of Carrion is in the letter of the Marquis of Santillana to the Constable of Portugal, from which there can be no doubt that the Rabbi still enjoyed much reputation in the middle of the fifteenth century. Because upon a thorn it grows, The rose is not less fair; And wine that from the vine-stock flows Still flows untainted there. The goshawk, too, will proudly soar, Although his nest sits low; And gentle teachings have their power, Though ’t is the Jew says so.[142] [142] Por nascer en el espino, No val la rosa cierto Menos; ni el buen vino, Por nascer en el sarmyento. Non val el açor menos, Por nascer de mal nido; Nin los exemplos buenos, Por los decir Judio. These lines seem better given in the Escurial manuscript as follows:-- Por nascer en el espino, La rosa ya non siento, Que pierde; ni el buen vino, Por salir del sarmiento. Non vale el açor menos, Porque en vil nido siga; Nin los enxemplos buenos, Porque Judio los diga. The manuscripts ought to be collated, and this curious poem published. After a preface in prose, which seems to be by another hand, and an address to the king by the poet himself, he goes on:-- Quando el Rey Don Alfonso Fynò, fyncò la gente, Como quando el pulso Fallesçe al doliente. Que luego no ayudava, Que tan grant mejoria A ellos fyncava Nin omen lo entendia. Quando la rosa seca, En su tiempo sale El agua que della fynca, Rosada que mas vale. Asi vos fyncastes del Para mucho tu far, Et facer lo que el Cobdiciaba librar, etc. One of the philosophical verses is very quaint:-- Quando no es lo que quiero, Quiero yo lo que es; Si pesar he primero, Plaser avré despues. If what I find, I do not love, Then love I what I find; If disappointment go before, Joy sure shall come behind. I add from the unpublished original:-- Las mys canas teñilas, Non por las avorrescer, Ni por desdesyrlas, Nin mancebo parescer. Mas con miedo sobejo De omes que bastarian[*] En mi seso de viejo, E non lo fallarian.