Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical settingVaeth, Joseph Anthony
History
Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical setting
Vaeth, Joseph Anthony
Martorell, Joanot, -1468. Tirant lo Blanch
[49] And on that island of Tenedos, there was at that time an
idol, and one month in every year all the noble men and noble
ladies of Romania came thither on a pilgrimage. And thus it
was that at that time Arena [Helen] wife of the Duke of Tenes
[Athens?] came thither on a pilgrimage with a hundred knights
who accompanied her. And Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy,
likewise had come on a pilgrimage and he had with him about
fifty knights. He saw the Lady Arena, and fell so deeply in love
with her that he said to his men that he must have her and carry
her away with him. And what he had set his heart upon doing was
done: he made ready to carry out his purpose with his company,
and he seized the lady and was about to take her away. And those
knights who were with her tried to defend her, and finally every
one of the hundred was killed and Paris carried away the lady.
Muntaner’s _Chronica_, chap. ccxiv.
Roger’s companion, En Fernan de Ahones, married a relative of the
emperor and was appointed Admiral; Tirant’s intimate companion,
Diaphebus, became Constable and married the niece of the emperor,
Stephania.
The above are the principal features that seem to owe their origin to
that part of the _Chronica_ that treats of Roger de Flor in connection
with the Catalan-Aragonese expedition to the Orient. Another feature
which is apparently due to the same source is the description of the
manner in which Tirant ran the blockade at Rhodes. The description is
as follows:
[50] E en la primera guayta la nau feu vela: e ixqueren del port ab
molt bon temps: e agueren lo vent molt prosper: que en .iiii. dies
passaren lo golf de Venecia e foren en vista de Rodes, e anaren al
castell de sanct Pere, e aqui surgiren per sperar vent que fos un poch
fortunal. E Tirant a consell de dos mariners que de sa terra hauia
portats, qui amauen molt la honor sua, com veren lo vent larguer e bo,
en la nit donaren vela e de mati apuntant la alba, ells foren en vista
de Rodes molt prop. Com les naus de Genouesos veren aquella nau venir
pensaren que era una de dues que hauien trameses per portar vitualles
per al camp, e vehien que venien de levant, no podien pensar que neguna
altra nau tingues atreviment de venir en mig de tantes naues com en lo
port stauen. La nau se acosta e con fon prop delles carregua de tantes
veles com podia portar: en aço conegueren los Genouesos, e en lo galip
de la nau que no era de les sues, posarense en orde del que pogueren:
empero la nau los fon tan prop que neguna nau no pogue alçar vela, e
aquesta a veles plenes passa per mig de totes les naus al lur despit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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