Lippincott'S Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science, Volume 26 December, 1880., Various None [best books to read for beginners .txt] 📗

Shall Swear Solemnly To Do Justice To All Who Come

To The Pass,  And Who Shall Decide All Questions Which May Arise.

 

The Last Chapter Provides "That If The Lady Whose I [Quinones] Am Shall

Pass That Way,  She Shall Not Lose Her Glove,  And No One But Myself Shall

Do Combat For Her,  For No One In The World Could Do It So Truly As I."

 

When The Preceding Provisions Had Been Read,  Quinones Gave To The

King-At-Arms A Letter Signed And Sealed,  Which Invited To The Pass All

Knights So Disposed,  Granting Safe Conduct To Those Of Other Kingdoms,

And Declaring The Cause Of Said Trial Of Arms. Copies Of The Above

Letter Were Also Given To Other Heralds,  Who Were Provided With

Everything Necessary For Long Journeys,  And In The Six Months That

Intervened Before The Day Fixed For The Jousts The Matter Had Been

Proclaimed Throughout All Christendom. Meanwhile,  Quinones Provided

Horses And Arms And Everything Necessary For "Such An Important

Enterprise."

 

In The Kingdom Of Leon,  About Ten Miles East Of Astorga And On The

Highway From That City To The Capital,  Is The Bridge Of Orbigo. Suero De

Quinones Did Not Select Orbigo With Reference To Convenience Of Access

From The Castiles,  But Because It Must Be Passed By Pilgrims To

Santiago; And That Year (1434) Was Especially Sacred To The Saint,  Whose

Festival,  On The 25Th Of July,  Has Always Been Celebrated With Great

Pomp. The Spaniards Having Been Forbidden To Go To Jerusalem As

Crusaders,  And Being Too Much Occupied At Home With The Moors To Make

Such A Long Pilgrimage,  Wisely Substituted Santiago,  Where The Remains

Of St. James,  The Patron Of Spain,  Is Supposed To Rest. His Body Is Said

To Have Floated In a Stone Coffin From Joppa To Padron (Thirteen Miles

Below Santiago) In Seven Days,  And For Nearly Eight Centuries Lay

Forgotten In a Cave,  But Was At Length Miraculously Brought To Light By

Mysterious Flames Hovering Over Its Resting-Place,  And In 829 Was

Removed To Santiago. In 846 The Saint Made His Appearance At The

Celebrated Battle Of Clavijo,  Where He Slew Sixty Thousand Moors,  And

Was Rewarded By A Grant Of A Bushel Of Grain From Every Acre In Spain.

His Shrine Was A Favorite Resort For Pilgrims From All Christendom Until

After The Reformation,  And The Saint Retained His Bushel Of Grain (The

Annual Value Of Which Had Reached The Large Sum Of One Million Dollars)

Until 1835.

 

It Was Near The Highway,  In a Pleasant Grove,  That Quinones Erected The

Lists,  A Hundred And Forty-Six Paces Long And Surrounded By A Palisade

Of The Height Of A Lance,  With Various Stands For The Judges And

Spectators. At The Opposite Ends Of The Lists Were Entrances--One For

The Defenders Of The Pass--And There Were Hung The Arms And Banners Of

Quinones,  As Well As At The Other Entrance,  Which Was Reserved For The

Knights Who Should Come To Make Trial Of Their Arms. In Order That No

One Might Mistake The Way,  A Marble King-At-Arms Was Erected Near The

Volume 26 Title 1 (Lippincott'S Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science) Pg 117

Bridge,  With The Right Arm Extended And The Inscription,  "To The Pass."

 

The Final Arrangements Were Not Concluded Until The 10Th Of July,  The

First Day Of The Jousts. Twenty-Two Tents Had Been Erected For The

Accommodation Of Those Engaged In The Enterprise As Well As For Mere

Spectators,  And Quinones Had Provided All Necessary Servants And

Artisans,  Among Whom Are Mentioned Kings-At-Arms,  Heralds,  Trumpeters

And Other Musicians,  Notaries,  Armorers,  Blacksmiths,  Surgeons,

Physicians,  Carpenters,  Lance-Makers,  Tailors,  Embroiderers,  Etc. In The

Midst Of The Tents Was Erected A Wooden Dining--Hall,  Hung With Rich

French Cloth And Provided With Two Tables--One For Quinones And The

Knights Who Came To The Pass,  And The Other For Those Who Honored The

Jousts With Their Presence. A Curious Fact Not To Be Omitted Is That The

King Sent One Of His Private Secretaries To Prepare Daily Accounts Of

What Happened At The Pass,  Which Were Transmitted By Relays To Segovia

(Where He Was Engaged In Hunting),  So That He Should Receive Them Within

Twenty-Four Hours.

 

On Saturday,  The 10Th Of July,  1434,  All The Arrangements Having Been

Completed,  The Heralds Proceeded To The Entrance Of The Lists And

Announced To Quinones That Three Knights Were At The Bridge Of Orbigo

Who Had Come To Make Trial Of Their Arms--One A German,  Messer Arnoldo

De La Floresta Bermeja Of The Marquisate Of Brandenburg,  "About

Twenty-Seven Years Old,  Blond And Well-Dressed;" The Others Two Brothers

From Valencia,  By Name Juan And Per Fabla. Quinones Was Greatly

Delighted At Their Coming,  And Sent The Heralds To Invite Them To Take

Up Their Quarters With Him,  Which They Did,  And Were Received With Honor

At The Entrance Of The Lists In The Presence Of The Judges. It Being

Saturday,  The Jousting Was Deferred Until The Following Monday,  And The

Spurs Of The Three Knights Were Hung Up In The Judges' Stand As A Sort

Of Pledge,  To Be Restored To Their Owners When They Were Ready To Enter

The Lists.

 

The Next Morning The Trumpets Sounded,  And Quinones And His Nine

Companions Heard Mass In The Church Of St. John At Orbigo,  And Took

Possession Of The Lists In The Following Fashion: First Came The

Musicians With Drums And Moorish Fifes,  Preceded By The Judge,  Pero

Barba. Then Followed Two Large And Beautiful Horses Drawing A Cart

Filled With Lances Of Various Sizes Pointed With Milan Steel. The Cart

Was Covered With Blue And Green Trappings Embroidered With Bay Trees And

Flowers,  And On Every Tree Was The Figure Of A Parrot. The Driver Of

This Singular Conveyance Was A Dwarf. Next Came Quinones On A Powerful

Horse With Blue Trappings,  On Which Were Worked His Device And A Chain,

With The Motto _Il Faut Deliberer_[5] He Was Dressed In a Quilted Jacket

Of Olive Velvet Brocade Embroidered In Green,  With A Cloak Of Blue

Velvet,  Breeches Of Scarlet Cloth And A Tall Cap Of The Same Color. He

Wore Wheel-Spurs Of The Italian Fashion Richly Gilt,  And Carried A Drawn

Sword,  Also Gilt. On His Right Arm,  Near The Shoulder,  Was Richly

Embroidered His Device In Gold Two Fingers Broad,  And Around It In blue

Letters,

 

  Si A Vous Ne Plait De Avoyr Me Sure,

          Certes Ie Clis,

          Que Ie Suis,

        Sans Venture.[6]

 

Volume 26 Title 1 (Lippincott'S Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science) Pg 118

With Quinones Were His Nine Companions In Scarlet Velvet And Blue Cloaks

Bearing Quinones' Device And Chain,  And The Trappings Of Their Horses

Blue,  With The Same Device And Motto. Near Quinones Were Many Knights On

Foot,  Some Of Whom Led His Horse To Do Him Honor. Three Pages

Magnificently Attired And Mounted Closed The Procession,  Which Entered

The Lists,  And After Passing Around It Twice Halted Before The Judges'

Stand,  And Quinones Exhorted The Judges To Decide Impartially All That

Should Happen,  Giving Equal Justice To All,  And Especially To Defend The

Strangers In case They Should Be Attacked On Account Of Having Wounded

Any Of The Defenders Of The Pass.

 

The Next Day,  Monday,  At Dawn The Drums Beat The Reveille,  And The

Judges,  With The Heralds,  Notaries And Kings-At-Arms,  Took Their Places

In Their Stands. The Nine Defenders Meanwhile Heard Mass In a Large Tent

Which Served As A Private Chapel For Quinones,  And Where Mass Was Said

Thrice Daily At His Expense By Some Dominicans. After The Defenders Were

Armed They Sent For The Judges To Inspect Their Weapons And Armor. The

German Knight,  Arnoldo,  Had A Disabled Hand,  But He Declared He Would

Rather Die Than Refrain From Jousting. His Arms And Horse Were Approved,

Although The Latter Was Superior To That Of Quinones. The Judges Had

Provided A Body Of Armed Soldiers Whose Duty It Was To See That All Had

Fair Play In The Field,  And Had A Pile Of Lances Of Various Sizes Placed

Where Each Knight Could Select One To Suit Him.

 

Quinones And The German Now Entered The Lists,  Accompanied By Their

Friends And With "Much Music." The Judges Commanded That No One Should

Dare To Speak Aloud Or Give Advice Or Make Any Sign To Any One In The

Lists,  No Matter What Happened,  Under Penalty Of Having The Tongue Cut

Out For Speaking And A Hand Cut Off For Making Signs; And They Also

Forbade Any Knight To Enter The Lists With More Than Two Servants,  One

Mounted And The Other On Foot. The Spur Taken From The German The

Previous Saturday Was Now Restored To Him,  And The Trumpets Sounded A

Charge,  While The Heralds And Kings-At-Arms Cried _Legeres Aller!

Legeres Aller! E Fair Son Deber_.

 

The Two Knights Charged Instantly,  Lance In Rest,  And Quinones

Encountered His Antagonist In The Guard Of His Lance,  And His Weapon

Glanced Off And Touched Him In The Armor Of His Right Hand And Tore It

Off,  And His Lance Broke In The Middle. The German Encountered Him In

The Armor Of The Left Arm,  Tore It Off And Carried A Piece Of The Border

Without Breaking His Lance. In The Second Course Quinones Encountered

The German In The Top Of His Plastron,  Without Piercing It,  And The

Lance Came Out Under His Arm-Pit,  Whereupon All Thought He Was Wounded,

For On Receiving The Shock He Exclaimed _Olas!_ And His Right Vantbrace

Was Torn Off,  But The Lance Was Not Broken. The German Encountered

Quinones In The Front Of His Helmet,  Breaking His Lance Two Palms From

The Iron. In The Third Course Quinones Encountered The German In The

Guard Of His Left Gauntlet,  And Passed Through It,  And The Head Of The

Lance Stuck In The Rim Without Breaking,  And The German Failed To

Encounter. In The Fourth Course Quinones Encountered The German In The

Armor Of His Left Arm Without Breaking His Lance,  And The German Failed

To Encounter. In The Next Course Both Failed To Encounter,  But In The

Sixth Quinones Encountered The German In The Joint Of His Left

Vantbrace,  And The Iron Passed Half Through Without Breaking,  While The

Shaft Broke In The Middle,  And The German Failed To Encounter. After

This Last Course They Went To The Judges' Stand,  Where Their Jousting

Volume 26 Title 1 (Lippincott'S Magazine Of Popular Literature And Science) Pg 119

Was Pronounced Finished,  Since They Had Broken Three Lances Between

Them. Quinones Invited The German To Supper,  And Both Were Accompanied

To Their Quarters By Music,  And Quinones Disarmed Himself In Public.

 

The Two Valencian Knights Did Not