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
All the soldiers advised the emperor to go back on land quickly
because a black cloud with thunder and lightning was coming their
way. So the emperor went on land. The princess was sorry that
she had not been there when her father went on the galley so that
she could have gone too and talked with Tirant. By now the sea
was so choppy that the women were not allowed on board, nor would
her father have given his permission. The princess, sighing
deeply, and with tears streaming from her eyes, had no recourse
other than to beg Plaerdemavida to go on board the galley and
find out why Tirant had left so secretly, without saying anything
to her, and why he had placed his hands over his face as he
passed by, and also why he had not wanted to stay in the
palace--which he had wanted to do so many times before.
Plaerdemavida understood exactly what her lady wanted, and she
got on a boat with Hippolytus and some others who were with him.
The pain that the empress felt as she saw Hippolytus going on
board the galley cannot be described. When Plaerdemavida was on
board, Tirant paid no attention to her. But she insisted, and
said to him:
"Oh, cruel knight! Who has turned your thoughts? To leave such
a virtuous lady, who has more dignity and virtue than anyone in
the world, without so much as telling her goodbye! If you want
her life to be sad and to hasten her death, don't go back on
land, and don't look at her. But if you want to restore her
bitter life, let her see your lordship for a short time."
When she had said this she could no longer hold back her tears,
and she wrapped her cloak around herself, and moaned softly but
would say no more. Tirant wanted to reply to what Plaerdemavida
had told him, and very softly so that no one could hear him he
said:
"Her beauty and discretion so far surpasses all the others that
only a madman could compare anyone else with her. But I saw this
lady with the black gardener, Lauseta, and she was not thinking
of me at all. First I saw them kissing, and I was offended by
the sight. Then I was even more shocked when I saw them
embracing like lovers and going into a chamber. When they came
back out Widow Repose knelt down at her feet and put a silk scarf
high under her skirt. Painful thoughts attacked my mind when I
saw how he treated her. I don't know why I didn't kill someone
right then, but the wall was in my way. But I could not take the
terrible jealousy of the black gardener out of my mind, and I cut
through his neck with my sword. Still the pain kept increasing
so much that I was beside myself, and I went into my chamber,
pretending to be terribly tired so I would be left alone. And
now I want to be in the sea; I want my body to float, unburied,
on the waves until it reaches the princess, so that she can dress
me in my shroud with her delicate hands."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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