Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poemSouthey, Robert
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Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poem
Southey, Robert
Roderick, King of the Visigoths, -711? -- Poetry
shall be mistress of all my wives. To this she made answer and said, Sir,
offer me no violence concerning my law, but let me live as a Christian:
And to this Belazin was nothing loth and he granted it, and his marriage
was performed with her according to the law of the Moors; and every day
he liked her more, and did her such honour that greater could not be.
And it befell that Belazin being one day with Ulaca, she said to him,
Sir, do not think it ill if I tell you of a thing in which you do not act
as if you knew the custom. And he said, Wherein is it that I err? Sir,
said she, because you have no crown, for no one was ever confirmed in
Spain, except he had a crown upon his head. He said, This which you say
is nothing, for we have it not of our lineage, neither is it our custom
to wear a crown. She said, many good reasons are there why a crown is
of use, and it would injure you nothing, but be well for you, and when
you should wear your crown upon your head, God would know you and others
also by it: And she said, You would look full comely with it, and it
would be great nobleness to you, and be right fitting, and you should
wear in it certain stones, which will be good for you, and avail you.
And in a short time afterwards Belazin went to dwell at Seville, and he
carried Ulaca with him, and she took of her gold, and of her pearls, and
of her precious stones, which she had many and good, and made him the
noblest crown that ever was seen by man, and gave it him, and bade him
take it, and place it where it should be well kept; and Ulaca, as she
was a woman of understanding and prudence, ordered her affairs as well
as Belazin, so that he loved her much, and did great honour to her, and
did many of those things which she desired; so that he was well pleased
with the Christians, and did them much good, and showed favour unto
them.”—_Memorias de las Reynas Catholicas_, 1. p. 28.
The issue of this was fatal to Abdalaziz. In Albucacim’s history, it is
said that he was converted by this Christian wife, and for that reason
put to death by his father. Others have supposed that by means of her
influence he was endeavouring to make himself King of Spain, independent
of the Caliph. A characteristic circumstance is added. Egilona was very
desirous to convert her husband, and that she might at least obtain from
him some mark of outward respect for her images, made the door of the
apartment in which she kept them, so low, that he could not enter without
bowing.—_Bleda_, p. 214.
_Deixam a Abdalaziz, que de Bellona
Mamara o leite, por Rector da Hesperia;
Este caza co a inclyta Egilona,
Mulher de Dom Rodrigo, (o gram miseria!)
Tomou Coroa de ouro, e a Matrona
Lhe deu para a tomar larga materia,
Foi notado à misera raynha
Cazarse com hum Mouro tarn asinha._
Destruiçam de Espanha, p. 237.
The Character of this Queen is beautifully conceived by the author of
Count Julian:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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