Mateo Alemán

“ So bold and surprising an action excited the admiration of the whole Court, and of all the people; the place re-echoed with shouts of applause and acclamations; nothing was to be heard for a full quarter of an hour, but, long live the Knight of the Blue Scarf, the strongest and bravest man of the age. While the valour of Ozmin was being thus proclaimed and celebrated, the timid Daraxa, whom the first sight of the bull had filled with the most dreadful apprehensions for her lover, was still so confounded, that she thought she saw the animal all in fury before her ”

“ I did not yet know what punishment the judges intended to impose on Sayavedra, and I was at dinner with Pompey, when one his servants, who had heard the sentence pronounced, rushed into the room quite out of breath, and cried out with as much apparent satisfaction, as if he had announced the restoration of my property: “Huzza! Signor Don Guzman, the thief who has robbed you, is condemned to the Pillory and the iron collar, and he is just now going to be fastened into it. It will be your own fault if you do not witness his punishment.” ”

“ The merchant could not be better satisfied than he was with his lot, and we were equally so with ours. Concord and peace reigned in our little abode, when a young German nobleman, handsome, well made, and with a grand equipage, chanced to see my wife at the playhouse with Signor Diego, and thought her so handsome, that he was most anxious to know who she was. Her superb dress and noble air impressed him with the idea that she was a lady of quality, while, on the other hand, the looks and dress of the merchant were by no means prepossessing. ”

“ Conceive, if possible, the agreeable surprise of Ozmin, when he saw Daraxa enter his chamber with Don Alonso, and learnt what she had just achieved for him. His joy could only be equalled by that of his mistress, whose heart overflowed with rapturous emotion which she could not otherwise express than by the tears that flowed in torrents from her eyes. Zuniga partook of the pleasure of the lovers, and embraced his friend as sincerely as though he had not been his rival. His friendship mingled with his love. ”

“ You are continually with Valerio; you very often visit at his house, and I cannot help thinking that you are in love with his sister: if I am mistaken in my conjectures, oblige me by declaring it. You are too well deserving the heart of that lady, for me to dispute it with you.” “You love Clorinia then,” exclaimed Dorido, a little ruffled; “I confess that I am quite charmed with her,” replied Horatio, “but nevertheless I do you justice, and agree that you deserve better than I, the happiness of being her husband.”—“Let us speak without flattery,” interrupted Dorido. ”

“ Breaking the silence which both my companion and I had kept till that moment: “Are you not tired, Sayavedra,” said I, “of thus travelling like two Carthusian friars? For my part, I feel quite absorbed in idle meditation. Let us talk. Tell me some story which may enliven us.” “Signor Don Guzman,” said he, “you will, I am sure, be ready to allow that it much better becomes him who has plenty of money in his pocket to tell merry stories, than him who has not a sous wherewith to bless himself.” ”

“ Independent of Daraxa’s having been recommended to his care by the Queen, in so particular a manner, that he would have considered himself unworthy of such confidence, did he not watch night and day over her actions, he well knew that she had many lovers; and did not believe Daraxa to be more insensible than others, the Moorish women of those days not being considered enemies to love. But was more afraid of enterprises from without, than of inward insensibility; of amorous cavaliers, than of the object beloved. He feared Don Alonso more than any, whom he regarded as a favoured lover. ”

“ Sayavedra, who observed my astonishment, said to me with a smile, “it appears to me, that you are somewhat agreeably surprised at the sight of this city.” “In truth, you have guessed rightly,” replied I, “I am completely charmed with it; I did not think there was another Rome in the world.” “And yet,” replied he, “you see nothing of its beauties to what may be seen. Some of the houses here, which might pass for as many palaces, are ornamented within with some of the most beautiful works of architecture. ”

“ They were no sooner gone than my trusty friend entered the chamber, and guessing by my looks the afflicting news I had to relate, felt the greatest grief when I told him what was the matter. However, far from being cast down as I was by this misfortune, he bore up against it, and with a firmness that astonished me. “Now master,” said he, “you must shew yourself a man of courage and stedfastness. Can you be surprised after having acted so delicate a part as you have done in the eyes of all the world, that some mischance should happen that gives a sad and gloomy turn to the plot of the play? ”

“ The master of the house was the first to distinguish Ozmin, by an imperfect recollection that he had of his features; and being convinced that he was not mistaken, he cried with transport, embracing him: “what happiness do I experience in thus meeting a man to whom I owe my life! I cannot be mistaken: you must be he who preserved me from the fury of the bull on the last day of the sports.” ”

“ Upon this, Nicoleta came to seek for me, and, as if the excess of her joy had almost deprived her of her senses, she threw her arms round my neck, crying out, “My dear friend, you will be transported at the agreeable news I bring you: my mistress resists no longer, but is willing to make your master the happiest of men.” I was so delighted at hearing these words, which I little expected, that I took Nicoleta by the hand, and led her like a triumphant general into my master’s closet, where we began to congratulate ourselves on the change that we had wrought in Fabia. ”

“ My uncle, impatient to relate to me what I knew quite as well as him, interrupted my eulogium, saying: “I must tell you, my dear nephew, an adventure which happened to us six or seven years ago. A little rascal made his appearance in Genoa half naked. He ran about the streets telling all those who were fools enough to listen to him, that he was the son of your father; and this young beggar, who could not be mistaken for any thing but what he was, flattered himself that some of our family would be weak enough to believe him on his word, and humane enough to have compassion on his misery. ”

“ The old Marquis knew not what to think. “Who can have entered my garden?” said he to himself; “and what motives can they have had? I am in no fear of thieves; the height of the wall is sufficient to deter them. I cannot imagine it to be one of Daraxa’s lovers, who surely could not be so fool-hardy as to expose himself to so great danger for the sake of merely seeing her from a window. My gardener must certainly have fancied all this, or the noise must have proceeded from some of my own servants. ”

“ My highest ambition is to unite my fate with hers; your views should yield to mine: sacrifice the mad hopes you have conceived. I expect this effort from your friendship and your virtue.” “You might add,” said Dorido, “that I owe it to the family of Clorinia; yes,” continued he, “I will leave the field open to you; and if Valerio’s sister should accept your addresses and consent to give you her hand, I will cease to be your rival. I will do more, I will speak in your favour, and I assure you that in that case it shall not be my fault if your wishes be not fulfilled.” ”

“ Ozmin, as much surprised at hearing himself styled Don Jaymé, as at meeting with so obliging a stranger, answered: “I know not who you are, nor why you interest yourself in my behalf; but whoever you be, you cannot but be a Cavalier of great worth: I will request the loan of some of your arms, having but a poniard to defend myself with; but can accept of no other assistance from you, without abusing your extreme kindness. ”

“ These words, which appeared to me to come from a fellow, who, well informed of my tricks, only amused himself by bantering me, did not much lessen my fear. I sat down, however, and running over the warrant in as collected a manner as I was able, I read the name of Donna Helena de Melida; I then took breath a little, and turning to the Alguazil: “What does it mean?” said I; “What! is it in the name of that lady I am arrested? what have I done to her?” “She pretends,” answered he, smiling, “that you have obtained by force, what her virtue had first refused to your desires.” ”

“ Fabia’s husband will doubtless inquire your business here the first thing in the morning. And what answer can you make? If you should tell the truth, for the first time in your life, you will make your master and yourself the common talk of Rome. What answer can you make then, but that Nicoleta had invited you, and that you were under a promise to marry her? And even should they oblige you to keep your word, this misfortune would be preferable to having all your bones broken to make you confess the truth. ”

“ The old Marquis, in his night-gown, night-cap, and slippers, with a dark lantern in his hand, was most attentively on the watch at the window. It was one of those clear star-light nights so common in hot countries; from which circumstance they soon discovered the shadow of a man, at the distance of about two hundred paces. No sooner did Don Lewis hear the clock strike twelve, than, recollecting that it was at about that hour his gardener had heard the noise the preceding night, his heart began to beat most violently, and he was seized with a cold shivering in all his limbs. ”

“ This was not much to be wondered at, Doctor Gracia having left his affairs in such a state as obliged his widow to take in boarders for a livelihood. If slander does not even spare young ladies brought up with the utmost severity, how could it possibly respect our three Graces, who were eternally surrounded with gallants? their father had been a man of pleasure, and had caused them to be instructed in music and other accomplishments; more intent upon fitting them for society, than forming their minds to virtue. ”

“ How pitiable is the situation of that man whose love tyrannizes over his reason! Horatio, seeing that his passion was despised, and his rival triumphant, felt all his love changed into hate: he now considered Clorinia only as an object of detestation; and refusing to listen to the voice of reason, he desired nothing more ardently than an opportunity to avenge himself at once on the lady and her favored lover. ”

“ Zuniga forgot nothing that a man in love and full of noble thoughts could say on such an occasion, and answered: that “he could not express how sensible he was of her kindness, in having selected himself and his friends to conduct her to the palace, where she could not fail to immortalize herself by so heroic an action.” Don Alonso, as well as the other gentlemen, could not sufficiently applaud so generous an undertaking, most firmly believing that the beautiful Moor interested herself for the prisoner, merely out of friendship for her friend Donna Elvira. ”

“ I will shew you a genius superior to that of many besides you. I will take upon myself, if it so please you, the charge of conducting this enterprise, and without implicating you in any misfortune that may happen to me in consequence; even though fortune be adverse to me, I will answer for the thousand pistoles, provided they remain in the strong box eight days longer.” Sayavedra and his friend laughed heartily at this speech, at which they were almost as much delighted as if the pistoles were already in their hands. ”

“ Soon after his departure from Sienna, Guzman meets with Sayavedra, whom he takes into his service, and carries with him to Florence. I was so anxious to escape from Sienna, that clapping spurs to my horse, I disappeared like lightning from the eyes of the ungrateful Pompey. After proceeding some miles, I perceived at a distance a man on foot, who appeared exactly to resemble my thief Sayavedra. ”

“ Of all parts of Spain, Andalusia is, undoubtedly, the most pleasant, and no part of Andalusia is so attractive as Gelvas and St. Juan d’Alfarache, two adjoining villages, which the famous river Guadalquiver fertilizes with its waters, winding about them in such various meanders, that it appears to quit them with regret. The spot abounds with beautiful gardens, the most delicious fruits and flowers, fountains, grottoes, and cascades. In a word, everything that can flatter the sight, taste, and smell, is here to be met with to admiration. ”

“ It was the pity of their master that I hoped to excite, who no sooner made his appearance than I redoubled my cries and complaints, addressing him in these words: “O noble Christian! friend of Jesus Christ! take pity on a poor afflicted sinner, diseased and crippled in the flower of his age; be pleased, your Eminence, to take compassion on my misery, and praised be the passion of our Redeemer.” ”

“ In the midst of our laughter, a servant announced to the abbess that Don Antonio de Miras was on the stairs, which seemed to please her extremely; for this was her dear nephew whom she wished to see united to the beautiful widow. His aunt had sent him word the evening before, that Donna Lucia (for that was my charmer’s name) was at the abbey, and he could not of course neglect so favourable an opportunity of waiting upon a lady whom he aspired to marry. The portrait that the muleteer had given me of this young gentleman, was by no means flattering, for I never beheld a handsomer cavalier. ”

“ He is not a gentleman of Arragon, nor is he Don Jaymé Vivez, but the brave Ozmin, whose name is well known among your troops, as having distinguished himself in many glorious actions. He it was, who, the last day of the sports killed the two bulls, and saved the life of Don Alonso de Zuniga. But what has impelled me more than all his noble qualities, to make this appeal to your Justice, is, that he is my husband, if I may be permitted to give that name to a man who with the mutual consent of our parents has plighted his faith to me, and received mine in return. ”

“ We are about to abandon ourselves to fortune, and as we cannot know in what manner she may treat us, we may hereafter find ourselves in situations where our greatest pain may be that we are known, and that our real names may be covered with infamy. To prevent this misfortune, let us change them. I approved of this idea, and we soon found ourselves fresh names. My brother took that of Mateo Lujan, and as I recollected that the most illustrious in Seville was that of Sayavedra, I assumed that name, which I have passed by ever since. ”

“ Nevertheless, as I was ambitious to distinguish myself in every profession I embraced, I was frequently tempted to run risks which turned out neither to my honor nor profit. An unlucky adventure of this description occurred to me one day in the month of September. The day was oppressively hot; I happened to go out between one and two o’clock, to beg from door to door in the streets of Rome, imagining that every one who saw me begging at such a time would be sure to think I must be half starved, and that I should not fail to have either victuals or money given me on that account. ”

“ She received Daraxa most graciously, and was extremely pleased to see her. She was particularly struck with the elegance of her appearance; and when she had conversed with her for some time, was convinced that her good sense and wit were at least equal to her beauty.
In the mean time, Don Alonso, having performed his commission, and being obliged to return to the army, found now for the first time, that if love has its sweets, it is not unaccompanied by chagrin; and that that deity makes us pay dearly for the least favor. ”

“ What would not a man say or do to get out of prison? Those who know what it is to live in such a place will excuse me for having proclaimed a thief to be an honest man for the sake of my liberty. I repaired immediately to my inn, where I found Sayavedra in a most disconsolate state of mind, much doubting whether the application of my solicitor, and the scandalous reports in the town concerning my imprisonment, would prevail so far as to extricate me from confinement. This dear confidant was overjoyed to see me, whom he did not in the least expect. ”

“ The life of a beggar is a delicacy without bone, an uninterrupted stream of pleasure, an employment exempt from trouble and vexation. How void of sense must my ancestors have been to have taken so much pains to live in wretchedness! In how many perplexities have they been involved for the sake of supporting their commerce and reputation! O absurd honour of this world, thou art but a millstone to sink such fools as consent to be burdened with thee! ”

“ They did nothing but cry to the people of the house to turn me out again; and any one, to see their fury in persecuting me, would have concluded that I had committed some enormous crime which had brought on me this exemplary punishment. To crown my misfortune, the master of the house in which I had taken refuge, did not seem much inclined to take my part against the insolent rabble. ”

“ He now longed only for Ambrosio’s death, whose prudence he had but a moment before been applauding. He assembled all his men of arms, tucked up his night-gown, over which he put on his armour, a helmet over his night-cap, with a target on his left arm, and a long pike in his right hand; and this brave captain in his slippers and gauntlets, caused the garden gate to be thrown open, through which his troop defiled three abreast: the musketeers marched first, and the halberdeers brought up the rear, followed by the Marquis himself. ”

“ Stop, Guzman, cry you, or you will lose yourself in moral reflections. Whither will this learned discourse lead you? To my basket again, reply I; yes, my friend, to my basket, which, having now become to me as useful as eloquence was to Demosthenes, or stratagems to Ulysses, consoled me under my present misfortune. Long may the basket-trade flourish, which a man, having once tried, will never fail to resume. ”

“ On such an occasion am I come hither, to implore justice against yourselves. A sentence is to be put in execution to-morrow, that you have pronounced upon a man, whose only crime is that of having defended his life against assassins. This is an incontrovertible fact, of which I was myself an eye-witness, as well as Donna Elvira, and two waiting-women who were also with us in the wood. ”

“ To complete his torments, the lively description they gave of this cavalier was sufficient to agonize so nice and passionate a lover as the wretched Ozmin; and had it not been for Orviedo, he must certainly have relapsed into those ravings which had before brought him so near the grave. This faithful squire recovered him by degrees, by representing to him that he wronged Daraxa by such alarms, who loved him too well to be faithless towards him: that, as for the rest, it was not surprising that so lovely a person should have inspired many with love, in a court celebrated for gallantry. ”

“ Don Alonso, still more violent than he, lost all patience at seeing himself threatened by a man whom he considered so much beneath him: calling him, therefore, an insolent fellow, and thrusting among the ribbons of his nosegay a sharp-pointed stick, such as the champions make use of to irritate the bulls, he intended to have carried off the nosegay and hat together, but the active and vigorous Ozmin forced the stick from his hand as from a child’s.
Who can express the rage of the proud Zuniga, at having received such an affront under the eyes of his mistress, and in the King’s presence! ”

“ What consolation for our lovers to have found means to establish an intercourse by letter, and even to see each other occasionally! Daraxa would gladly have walked alone in the palace gardens, that she might have conversed more freely with Ozmin; but it was too great a risk. They must both have been inevitably lost if any person had discovered them. Besides which, the sight of Ozmin had made so much impression on Elvira, that she never left her friend, and talked of nothing but the cavalier who had sung so finely. ”

“ King Mahomet, his kinsman, delighted by the glory that he had acquired by so brilliant an action, was not content with bestowing his praise upon him, but did him the honour of a visit, as a proof of the high sense he entertained of his valour; but what completed his joy, was a letter he received from his dear Daraxa, wherein she desired him to pay more regard to his wounds than to the honour they obtained him; that she valued the lover in him more than the hero ”

“ Don Lewis, whose resentment and haughtiness were by no means abated, was the only person who did not visit Ozmin, whom he could not regard in any other light than a man who had brought dishonor upon his family, by the great talk and noise that his daughter’s love for Don Jaymé had made in the city. He fully expected that he should be rallied at court on this account. For this reason he pretended illness, as an excuse for not being able to accompany Daraxa to Granada, and appeared no more in Seville until after her departure. ”

“ Although this melancholy appearance admitted of different interpretations, Ozmin, through some remains of hope, explained it in his own favor; and felt a secret pleasure on that account, of which refined lovers only are susceptible. While he was thus occupied in observing Daraxa with attention, the shouts of the spectators at seeing the second bull turned out, much stronger and more vicious than the first, obliged him, at length, to withdraw his attention, which had been so long fixed on her balcony. ”