Produced by Robert S. Rudder The White Knight: Tirant lo Blanc written and copyrighted by Robert S. Rudder Joanot Martorell and Marti Johan d'Galba. The White Knight: Tirant lo Blanc. Robert S. Rudder. 1556 Lafayette Rd. Claremont, CA. 91711. rrudder@lausd.k12.ca.us THE WHITE KNIGHT: TIRANT LO BLANC by Johanot Martorell and Marti Johan d'Galba Edited and Translated by Robert S. Rudder For Jose Rubia Barcia Friend and colleague at UCLA A true "caballero andante" TABLE OF CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I. COUNT WILLIAM OF WARWICK CHAPTER II. THE TOURNAMENT CHAPTER III. SICILY CHAPTER IV. CONSTANTINOPLE CHAPTER V. THE BATTLEFIELD CHAPTER VI. A TRUCE CHAPTER VII. IN THE PRINCESS'S BED CHAPTER VIII. THE BETROTHAL CHAPTER IX. WIDOW REPOSE CHAPTER X. THE BARBARY COAST CHAPTER XI. PLAERDEMAVIDA CHAPTER XII. CONQUEST CHAPTER XIII. THE WEDDING CHAPTER XIV. DEATH CHAPTER XV. AFTERMATH DEO GRATIAS INTRODUCTION "Tirant lo Blanc is the best European novel of the fifteenth century," says Damaso Alonso in his excellent study.(1) Miguel de Cervantes, writing from the 17th century, affirms: "as far as style is concerned, this is the best book in the world."(2) If this is so, why has the novel all but disappeared from view? Some place the blame on the language of the original: Catalan, whose literature is not widely read in the original tongue. Others say it is the fault of the erotic scenes ~~ too shameful for the polite society of earlier times. To my mind, a heavily contributing factor is its rhetoric. As Joseph Vaeth says: "Within this work may be found religious and philosophical discourses, speeches and disputations...; formal debates...; documents and papers...; formal challenges and replies...; dramatic lamentations; long and fervent prayers; and allusions to classical Latin authors, to biblical characters and to figures prominent in medieval literature." He goes on to say that if the novelist had omitted many of these elements, "his book would in that case have been reduced to approximately one-fourth of its present size, but quite probably it would now be considered a masterpiece of narration and dialogue."(3) Such has been the aim of this translation: The story line has been slightly abridged, but the most dramatic change is that most of the rhetoric has been eliminated. If the reader's literary palate is tickled by this version, and if he would like to read the entire manuscript in English, he is referred to the version by David Rosenthal or to the even more complete translation by Ray La Fontaine.(4)