THE INFANTE DON HENRIQUE AND THE LIONS.
The Infante Don Henrique had a dispute with his brother, KingAlfonso. And, as he wished not to fight with him, thought it mostprudent to go over to Barbary. As the King of Tunis had been in greatawe of his father, and was very desirous not to run any risk of acollision with the Christians, he took pains to treat Don Henriquewell, and entertained him honourably for more than four years, andinstructed all his people to behave to him kindly.
Mean time, Don Henrique's princely bearing won all hearts. In allgames, and feats of strength and horsemanship, and trials of arms,he bore away the palm; so that all men admired him and cried, "Godsave him!" till at last the advisers of the King of Tunis feared thatthey would want next to make him their king, and they would all beunder power of the Christians, and the name of the Prophet be put out.
Don Henrique was so valiant, however, and so were all the Christians,his companions, that they dared not attack him openly. And the kingsaw the danger full well, but durst not interfere either to attackor defend him, for he was divided between love for the young princeand alarm for his own safety.
At last, an astute old Moor devised a plan which should rid them ofthe young prince without putting them in any danger of suffering fromhis resistance or the vengeance of his followers, for it should notappear that they of the Moorish sect had any thing to do with it,but it should seem a natural calamity.
The old Moor poured it into the king's ear, and the king could not butsay it was well found; and, for all his love for the young prince,he could not resist taking so easy a way for ridding himself of agreat danger.
The young prince, in his ingenuousness, suspected nothing. He wasused to go out hunting with the king; and now that he invited him toa hunting party, he was only glad to join the gallant sport.
The Moorish king led him on, away from the rest of the party, intoa wild part of the thicket, which, according to the plan of theold Moor, had been turned into a corral, or enclosed ground havingno outlet, but so overgrown with bushes, that the prince couldnot perceive the trap. Then the old Moor, who was on the watch, assoon as they entered the fatal precincts, gave a signal to his men,who let loose and turned in two fierce hungry lions. The prince,not at all dismayed, drew his sword, and rode right up to them. Thelions cowered before his prowess, and did not attempt to attack him,so he drove them before him across the corral, and then he saw it wasclosed in and had no opening but into the den where the lions had beenkept; he shut them in and made it fast, and knew now it was a snare;but the king, not daring to face him, had turned and ridden away.
The prince's heart was grieved, for he had thought the king was hisfriend, but he said, "I will not remain where my presence is considereda burden." The Spanish companions with him wanted him to wreak signalvengeance on the treacherous pagans, but Don Henrique said, "As I ama Christian, I shed no man's blood in personal vengeance; but neitherwill I leave this ungrateful land without one stroke for Christ. Nowthese pagans hold in bondage a multitude of Christian captives; go,tell their king that if he fears our presence, we will go, but weleave not our brethren behind."
When the king found that his plan had failed, he was filled withanger at the old man who had invented it, that he sent and cutoff his head, and then he sat trembling with fear at the vengeanceDon Henrique might take. So, when they brought him his message, hereceived it with gladness, and ordered that all who had Christianslaves in their house should give them up to Don Henrique. And, asDon Henrique's galleys were not enough to contain all the multitudeof captives he had saved, the king ordered others to be lent him,so that only the danger might be removed from his coast.
Then the Christian fleet set sail, and God sent them a prosperouswind; and so they came to Rome, where Don Henrique joined the bannerof Charles of Anjou, and did deeds of valour in his cause.