The White Knight: Tirant Lo BlancMartorell, Joanot
General
The White Knight: Tirant Lo Blanc
Martorell, Joanot
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Adventure stories; Knights and knighthood -- Fiction
Earlier, when Hippolytus had not been able to find his captain,
he thought Tirant must have gone toward Turkey, so he ordered his
pilot to set that course. While not finding the captain, he did
see a new ship from the armada. When he followed the ship, it
fled and stopped at an island that was nearly unpopulated. The
wind was against it, and the men abandoned ship and made land by
boat. When Hippolytus drew alongside, he captured the ship that
was empty of men but full of riches, and took possession of it.
When the captain saw that everyone was there except Hippolytus,
he sent out three ships to search for him. And they found him
coming back with his prize. When the captain got news of it, and
saw that he was returning with such great honor, he was very
content.
This Hippolytus turned out to be a very valiant knight, generous
and courageous. And he accomplished singular acts in his life
because he tried to imitate his master and lord.
When Lord Malvei learned that Tirant had come back triumphant and
victorious, he was very glad, and he rode out to meet him. But
before going, he sent one messenger to the emperor and another to
the camp, and then everyone rejoiced. On hearing the news, the
emperor had all the bells in the city rung, and there were great
celebrations.
When Lord Malvei found Tirant, he advised him to go to the
emperor as soon as he could. And there was nothing Tirant wanted
more, because he wanted to see the princess. He assembled all
the men who had been with him, and they set sail.
When they were in sight of the city of Constantinople, the
emperor was told that their captain was coming with the entire
armada, and the ships were already in sight. The emperor quickly
had a wooden bridge constructed that extended thirty paces out
over the water, entirely covered with rich satin cloths. And he
had a cenotaph placed in the center of the marketplace, covered
with brocade and silk, for himself, the empress, the princess and
all the maidens. And from the cenotaph to the end of the bridge
where they would disembark, he had cloth of red velvet put down
so that the captain would step on silk instead of on the ground.
(And when it was over, whoever managed to take a piece of silk
was able to keep it, and many hands were wounded with swords and
knives as they tried to cut a piece of silk.)
As the ships came into port, the captain's ship drew alongside
the wooden bridge, and he came out with the Grand Caramany on his
right, the King of Upper India on his left, and all the barons in
front. They were met by all the townspeople, and led in a great
procession to the marketplace where the emperor and all the
ladies were.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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