Read Patrañas; or, Spanish Stories, Legendary and Traditional Page 39

  DON JAIME DE ARAGON.

  The good King of Aragon whom men call Jaime, was wondrous brave. Dayand night he bethought him by what new means he could increase theglory of the Christian faith, and lay low the power of the usurpingMoor.

  He called together the nobles of every degree belonging to hiskingdom, the archbishops and prelates, and all the orders of knights,and summoned them to meet him in his good town of Zaragoza on acertain day.

  When they had all come together, he spoke thus to them:--"My soul isgreatly grieved that our fair Island of Mallorca [95] should remain inthe hand of the Moor; the voice of our Divine religion is silenced,and Al Koran is openly taught. The noble seaport of Valencia, too,so rich and flourishing, which the Cid won back for us once, toour shame is now retaken by the infidel. Now I have resolved thatI will spare nothing, not even my own life, to recover these twostrongholds. For I trust in the protection of Christ, that He willgive us the victory according to our prayers. To this end, then,I have called you together, to tell you this my resolve, and to seekyour counsel as to the means of compassing it."

  To which they all responded with a shout of confident joy:--"Be itdone in the Name of God, that which his Highness desires; for in anundertaking so honourable our goods and our lives shall not fail him!"

  The bearers of all the noble names of Aragon sent forth their sonsthat day; and Barcelona by the sea welcomed them, and gave them allprovisions for the undertaking with no measured hand. She found themships too to take over their arms and men. And when the king foundall was ready and nothing wanting, he took his place on the ship,and his nobles followed round him. At break of day next morning thetrumpet gave a blast, and so they set sail, that gallant host, withshouts and tears of joy, all the brave colours waving which they hadborne in many a fight. The cross they bore aloft, and the Virgin Mary'simage, and that, too, of St. George, who always watched over Aragon.

  Proudly they skimmed the water, the oars of the galleys cut the waves,and the white sails cut the air; for they knew that there gazed uponthem, from out Monjuy so high, the ladies fair they had left behind,praying for victory.

  Now as they neared Mallorca, the Moors were all amazed; to theirshores they rushed in sudden haste, striving vainly to drive back theChristian host. So a bloody fight ensued; but the Christians won theday; and with the help of God the cross was raised once more on allthe islands near.

  They then came back by Valencia, laid siege to its strong walls;nor could its fortifications stand before their impetuous onset. Sogood King Jaime of Aragon came home covered with glory and renown.