CHAPTER IV.
Poi la Vittoria da quel canto stia, Che vorra la divina providenza: Il cavalier non havra colpa alcuna, Ma il tutto impulterassi a la fortuna.
_Ariosto._
The following morning shone equally bright as the preceding, and theexpectations of the public were equally sanguine. The same pomp andceremony presided in the court; the same precision and gallantdeportment was observable in the knights, the heralds, and all otherpersons connected with the sports.
As these, however, as far as concerned the tournament, were but arepetition of the antecedent day, and more to be enjoyed by being anactive witness than a passive reader of them, we will not dwell on thesubject further than to observe, that those of the castle sustained thechallenge most gallantly. Although many were the fresh arrivals ofadventurers who fearlessly advanced to engage the _Mantenedor_ and hiscomrades, none were sufficiently accomplished to bear away the palm.Indeed, the incognito knight, the most redoubtable of all thecombatants, either from fear of discovery, or from some secretinjunction, had abstained from making a second appearance in the lists.
The signal was now given, and the heralds proclaimed that the games ofvalour and strength were ended, and those of skill about to commence.
An interval of two hours was employed in clearing the lists, andpreparing the ground for the _juego de la sortija_,[9] which waspeculiarly gratifying to the queen. This intermediate time was devotedby the assembled and motley crowd, to the rational, and providentpurpose of a substantial repast.
A tall and slight pine tree, beautifully decorated with ribbons, wasplaced in the ground, and a gold ring of proportion suitable to theoccasion, suspended on one of the projecting branches, under which thecandidates were to pass at full career. The queen herself resolved toreward the victor with her own royal hand. Her portrait, superbly set insparkling jewellery, and hanging on a ponderous gold chain of curiousworkmanship, was suspended by her side--a meet reward for the successfulcompetitor. The nature of the guerdon, the quality of the bestower, andthe circumstance that there was but one prize to be obtained, greatlystimulated the emulation of every knight to deserve an honor the moredesirable from its admitting of no participation.
_Chirimias_, _dulzainas_,[10] and other musical instruments which arenow grown obsolete, but which in those days were in high request, nowfilled the air with harmony, while the attention of the gay and motleyconcourse was arrested by the sudden arrival of heralds on horseback,gorgeously apparelled, and preceded by black slaves playing on thecymbals. These paraded the lists for a short time, and then retiring totheir posts, gave way to beautiful pages, mounted on elegant palfreys,and attired in costly silken dresses of light blue, bedizened withribbons, and bearing a turban of crimson velvet with white feathers.These pages carried before them the light and slender lancesappropriated for the games, and having deposited them near the queen,they retired and took their stations opposite to the troop of heraldsand black musicians.
The attention of the public was then simultaneously attracted to thefour corners of the lists, from whence four quadrilles of equestriansproceeded, all vieing with each other in the richness of their dresses,the splendor of ornaments, and the gaiety of their bearing. Thesequadrilles were distinguished by the different colours which they wore,and out of each were selected three champions to dispute the prize. Atthe signal given, they started severally according to the order ofprecedence, which had been obtained by casting lots, and in the firstcourse seven candidates passed their lances clearly through the ring,carrying it along in their headlong career.
The music sounded a flourish, and the seven competitors underwentanother trial, in which only two were successful--young Garcilaso, andAntonio de Leyva. The contest was now to be divided by the two, and pinkand green were the colours that contended for the victory; accordinglytheir quadrilles, as well as the spectators of both sexes who hadadopted those colours, awaited the result of the contest, with anxioussuspense. Garcilaso now made a graceful curvet, and spring at once withthe celerity of an arrow, in the middle of his precipitous career heextended his lance with perfect ease and dexterity, and again carriedaway the ring. Don Antonio next advanced; and having indulged for ashort space in several feats of horsemanship, he sped towards thehonored tree on which was suspended victory or defeat. His horsemanshipwas so perfect that, excepting the feather on his head which streamedbefore the wind, all appeared like the figure of a centaur, flyingmeteor-like along the plain. His lance, however, missed the middle ofthe ring, and touching one of its edges, such was the rapidity of DonAntonio's motion that the ring sprung high in the air, when thedexterous cavalier, to the admiration of the surrounding multitude,turned short, and before the ring had time to fall, he caught it fairlywith his lance. This extraordinary feat excited universal applause, andsome even vociferated that Don Antonio was deservedly entitled to theprize. However, as Garcilaso had likewise succeeded in carrying away thering, the candidates were obliged to refer to another trial, which wasdecided in favor of young de Leyva, who was immediately escorted by thetriumphant party to receive the reward amidst the exhilarating strainsof the music, and the acclamation of the vast concourse.
As soon as the victorious cavalcade arrived near the queen, Don Antonioand the chief of the quadrille vaulted nimbly from their horses, whenthe conqueror knelt at the feet of his gracious sovereign, who, with acondescending smile, threw the portrait round his neck.
"Wear this," she then said, "in commemoration of thy skill, and theregard of Isabella. Remember that this gift is a gage of my royal wordto accord to the bearer any boon he may have to demand. Upon thepresentation of this token it shall be granted. My royal word ispassed."
Don Antonio humbly kissed the hand of his queen, and mingling again withhis party, they paraded the place in ceremonial triumph, previous totheir departure. The feats of De Leyva, both in the tourney and the gameof the ring, had secured for him the admiration of all the spectators,and more particularly amongst the fairer part. Many were the glancesbestowed upon him by sparkling eyes and many a gentle bosom beat highwith emotion as he inclined towards them his handsome figure in gracefulsalutations.--Even the proud Leonor could not entirely conceal theinward satisfaction she felt at the triumph of the young Don Antonio;for, notwithstanding her efforts, she could but ill disguise a latentfeeling of interest and delight. Certainly it was not love; for,according to general opinion, she had irretrievably fixed her affectionson another object. But yet she was in that state of mind which is moreeasily felt than described; a state too glowing to be called merefriendship--too cold to be denominated love; it was something betweenboth--a tender sentiment of regard towards one whom she was taught toconsider her inferior in point of rank and fortune.
Leonor de Aguilar had inherited from her warlike father that pride andloftiness of spirit which in some measure spurned the softer sensationsof the heart. She scarcely believed in the existence of unbounded,unconquerable passion; her ideas were too much engrossed in the dazzlingvisions of glory and fame to descend to a minute analysis of the variousgradations of tenderness, and the progressive workings of love.--Sheseemed to sympathize more with the lofty feelings of her father, thanwith those of her woman's heart. She had implicitly trusted to him thecare of her happiness, and upon his slightest intimation she hadconsented to receive Gomez Arias as her future husband, and he had toomany brilliant qualities not to meet with her approbation.
Gomez Arias possessed in an eminent degree great military talents, andan unbounded desire of glory and renown,--qualities which, in theopinion of Leonor, were paramount to every other consideration.Accordingly, she loved him, as she thought, in a manner worthy of thedaughter of Don Alonso de Aguilar.
In this state of mind she awaited the marriage, which had only beenretarded by the untoward accident which had unhappily brought the lifeof Don Rodrigo de Cespedes into mortal jeopardy.
Meantime the extraordinary valour and address which Gomez Arias haddisplayed in th
e tournament (for Leonor felt conscious that theincognito knight could be no other), tended considerably to increase heradmiration for him, and to enhance her desire of uniting her fortunes tothose of a man so well calculated to merit by his services theapprobation of his country.
The games being over, various chiefs, such as the Alcayde de losDonceles, Count Cifuentes, and others of equal merit, departed with theforces under their command, to act against the rebels, now dailyincreasing both in number and strength.
Meantime Don Alonso de Aguilar, on whom devolved the most dangerous partof the enterprize, that of penetrating into the heart of those terriblemountains of the Alpujarras, felt scarcely satisfied with his detentionat Granada, as he considered every moment spent in inactivity as lost toglory and renown.
Great, therefore, was his satisfaction when he communicated to hisdaughter the perfect recovery of Don Rodrigo de Cespedes. Nothing nowcould prevent the immediate appearance of Gomez Arias at Granada, forthe celebration of the nuptials, or throw any impediment on Don Alonso'sdeparture against the rebel Moors. Intelligence, therefore, was sent toDon Lope, who lay concealed at Guadix, that he might repair with theutmost expedition to Granada,--an invitation which Aguilar entertainedno doubt would be most anxiously welcomed by that cavalier. Under thisimpression Don Alonso now turned his thoughts solely to the object thatwas ever in his mind, and engrossed his every sentiment. Two or threedays more and he would be marching against the enemies of his country,and adding new laurels to the flourishing branches that already gracedhis glorious name.
Meantime his daughter Leonor evinced an equal anxiety for the return ofher lover, not so much for any selfish gratification of feeling as forthe more noble ambition of claiming the prerogative to call by theendearing names of father and husband, the two first warriors of theland.
Thus impressed, both father and daughter awaited with impatience thefollowing day, which, beyond the possibility of doubt, was to bringGomez Arias to the city.