His
troops, being suddenly surrounded by a numerous party of the enemy, were
ready to fly, when, at the prayers of the bishop, a venerable old man,
clothed in white, with a red cross on his breast, appeared in the air.
troops, being suddenly surrounded by a numerous party of the enemy, were
ready to fly, when, at the prayers of the bishop, a venerable old man,
clothed in white, with a red cross on his breast, appeared in the air.
Camoes - Lusiades
_--He was named Mem Moniz, and was son of Egas
Moniz, celebrated for the surrender of himself and family to the King of
Castile, as already mentioned.
[517] _The dauntless Gerald. _--"He was a man of rank, who, in order to
avoid the legal punishment to which several crimes rendered him
obnoxious, put himself at the head of a party of freebooters. Tiring,
however, of that life, he resolved to reconcile himself to his sovereign
by some noble action. Full of this idea, one evening he entered Evora,
which then belonged to the Moors. In the night he killed the sentinels
of one of the gates, which he opened to his companions, who soon became
masters of the place. This exploit had its desired effect. The king
pardoned Gerald, and made him governor of Evora. A knight with a sword
in one hand, and two heads in the other, from that time became the
armorial bearing of the city. "--CASTERA.
[518] _Wrong'd by his king. _--Don Pedro Fernando de Castro, injured by
the family of Lara, and denied redress by the King of Castile, took the
infamous revenge of bearing arms against his native country. At the head
of a Moorish army he committed several outrages in Spain; but was
totally defeated in Portugal.
[519] _And lo, the skies unfold. _--"According to some ancient Portuguese
histories, Don Matthew, bishop of Lisbon, in the reign of Alonso I,
attempted to reduce Alcazar, then in possession of the Moors.
His
troops, being suddenly surrounded by a numerous party of the enemy, were
ready to fly, when, at the prayers of the bishop, a venerable old man,
clothed in white, with a red cross on his breast, appeared in the air.
The miracle dispelled the fears of the Portuguese; the Moors were
defeated, and the conquest of Alcazar crowned the victory. "--CASTERA.
[520]
_Her streets in blood deplore
The seven brave hunters murder'd by the Moor. --_
"During a truce with the Moors, six cavaliers of the order of St. James
were, while on a hunting party, surrounded and killed, by a numerous
body of the Moors. During the fight, in which the gentlemen sold their
lives dear, a common carter, named Garcias Rodrigo, who chanced to pass
that way, came generously to their assistance, and lost his life along
with them. The poet, in giving all seven the same title, shows us that
virtue constitutes true nobility. Don Payo de Correa, grand master of
the order of St. James, revenged the death of these brave unfortunates
by the sack of Tavila, where his just rage put the garrison to the
sword. "--CASTERA.
[521] _Those three bold knights how dread. _--Nothing can give us a
stronger picture of the romantic character of their age, than the
manners of those champions, who were gentlemen of birth; and who, in the
true spirit of knight-errantry, went about from court to court in quest
of adventures. Their names were, Goncalo Ribeiro; Fernando Martinez de
Santarene; and Vasco Anez, foster-brother to Mary, queen of Castile,
daughter of Alonzo IV. of Portugal.
[522] _And I, behold, am off'ring sacrifice.
Moniz, celebrated for the surrender of himself and family to the King of
Castile, as already mentioned.
[517] _The dauntless Gerald. _--"He was a man of rank, who, in order to
avoid the legal punishment to which several crimes rendered him
obnoxious, put himself at the head of a party of freebooters. Tiring,
however, of that life, he resolved to reconcile himself to his sovereign
by some noble action. Full of this idea, one evening he entered Evora,
which then belonged to the Moors. In the night he killed the sentinels
of one of the gates, which he opened to his companions, who soon became
masters of the place. This exploit had its desired effect. The king
pardoned Gerald, and made him governor of Evora. A knight with a sword
in one hand, and two heads in the other, from that time became the
armorial bearing of the city. "--CASTERA.
[518] _Wrong'd by his king. _--Don Pedro Fernando de Castro, injured by
the family of Lara, and denied redress by the King of Castile, took the
infamous revenge of bearing arms against his native country. At the head
of a Moorish army he committed several outrages in Spain; but was
totally defeated in Portugal.
[519] _And lo, the skies unfold. _--"According to some ancient Portuguese
histories, Don Matthew, bishop of Lisbon, in the reign of Alonso I,
attempted to reduce Alcazar, then in possession of the Moors.
His
troops, being suddenly surrounded by a numerous party of the enemy, were
ready to fly, when, at the prayers of the bishop, a venerable old man,
clothed in white, with a red cross on his breast, appeared in the air.
The miracle dispelled the fears of the Portuguese; the Moors were
defeated, and the conquest of Alcazar crowned the victory. "--CASTERA.
[520]
_Her streets in blood deplore
The seven brave hunters murder'd by the Moor. --_
"During a truce with the Moors, six cavaliers of the order of St. James
were, while on a hunting party, surrounded and killed, by a numerous
body of the Moors. During the fight, in which the gentlemen sold their
lives dear, a common carter, named Garcias Rodrigo, who chanced to pass
that way, came generously to their assistance, and lost his life along
with them. The poet, in giving all seven the same title, shows us that
virtue constitutes true nobility. Don Payo de Correa, grand master of
the order of St. James, revenged the death of these brave unfortunates
by the sack of Tavila, where his just rage put the garrison to the
sword. "--CASTERA.
[521] _Those three bold knights how dread. _--Nothing can give us a
stronger picture of the romantic character of their age, than the
manners of those champions, who were gentlemen of birth; and who, in the
true spirit of knight-errantry, went about from court to court in quest
of adventures. Their names were, Goncalo Ribeiro; Fernando Martinez de
Santarene; and Vasco Anez, foster-brother to Mary, queen of Castile,
daughter of Alonzo IV. of Portugal.
[522] _And I, behold, am off'ring sacrifice.
