the pilgrims begin their journey through spain; new and extraordinary adventures happen to them.
the tender years of auristella, the yet tenderer years of constance, and the middle age of ricla, might well have called for all the pomp and luxury of equipages for so long a journey as the one they were about to undertake; but the pious devotion of auristella had made her vow, that from the moment she arrived on terra firma, she would make her way to rome on foot, and the others not willing to be behind her in devotion, all with one consent, both men and women, were of the same opinion that the journey should be performed on foot, adding, if necessary, that they would beg from door to door; therefore they put by ricla's wealth, and periander determined not to dispose of the diamond cross that auristella wore, but to keep it, as well as her invaluable pearls, for a future occasion; all they did was to buy a baggage mule, to carry what was too heavy for their own shoulders. they provided themselves with walking sticks, as much for support as defence; and some small swords; and in this humble and lowly array they quitted lisbon, rich only in their beauty and prudence, the fame of which was the universal subject of discourse; and in every circle and assembly there, nothing was talked of but the extreme and extraordinary loveliness and wisdom of the foreign pilgrims.
in this way, travelling between two and three leagues a day, they arrived at badajoz, the governor of which had already heard from lisbon that the new pilgrims were to come that road. they, upon entering the city, took up their lodging in a house in which already a company of comedians had taken their quarters, who were going to rehearse this very night, a piece they were about to perform in public at the house of the corregidor. the moment they saw auristella and constance, they were struck, as all were at first sight, with surprise and admiration; but the most enchanted of the party was a poet, (note 6) who came with the company on purpose to help and patch up and mend old plays, and also write new ones, an occupation that brought him more work than profit, and more amusement than honour. however, good poetry is always like clear water; it improves all unclean things; like the sun it passes over all impurities without being defiled by them. it is a gleam of light that shines forth from a dark corner, not burning, but illuming all it meets with. in fine this poet, whose necessities had compelled him to exchange parnassus and the castalian springs for the stagnant pools and channels of roads and inns, was the one who was most struck by auristella's beauty, and he immediately set her down as good for the company, and fit to be an actress, without inquiring or knowing whether she could speak the castilian language or not. her form and figure pleased him; her graceful manner delighted him; he saw her at once in imagination, apparelled in the short coat of a man; then as rapidly she appeared to his mind's eye drest as a nymph; but almost in the same instant he had robed her in all the majesty of a queen. there was no part grave or gay in which he did not place her; in each he figured her to himself, serious, lively, prudent, quick, and above all, virtuous; extremes which seldom are to be found in an actress of low comedy.
ye heavens, with what facility does the poet's imagination disperse a thousand impossibilities: what grand chimeras does he not build upon the weakest foundations! he can do anything, all is easy and plain; hope can support him even when fortune fails. thus it was with this our present poet; when he by chance saw the picture in which all the adventures of periander were portrayed. he there saw, more than he had ever conceived in his whole life, and thereupon he felt a strong desire to write a drama about it, only he was puzzled whether to make it a tragedy or a comedy, or a tragi-comedy; and if he knew the middle, he did not know either the beginning or the end. but what troubled him most was, how he could possibly introduce a lacquey[m], a merry-andrew personage amongst all these islands and seas, fires, and snows; nevertheless, he did not despair, he would still make the play, and bring the merry-andrew in, in spite of all the rules of poetry and the drama; and so fully was he taken up with his idea, that he found an opportunity to speak to auristella, and open his intention to her, consulting her as to what part she would take if she became an actress, telling her that she would find the theatre a mine of gold, for the princes of that age were like alchymists, who changed your copper into gold; that she might have her garments all of cloth of gold, for all the gentlemen would be at her feet. he represented the pleasure of the journeys she would make, and how she would carry in her train two or three young nobles in disguise, who would be her servants as much as her lovers; and, above all, he extolled up to the very skies the honour and glory she would have in representing all the first parts, and he wound up all, by telling her, that if one thing more falsified than another the old castilian saying, "that honour and money are seldom found together," it was in the life of a beautiful actress.
auristella replied that she had not understood a single word of all he had been saying, for that she was ignorant of the castilian language, as he might plainly see; but when it was explained to her, she said, her views were very different, and that she had other prospects to look forward to, if not so agreeable, at least more suited to her taste.
the poet was in despair at this reply, which at once destroyed all the castles in the air he had been building in his folly and vanity.
they all went that evening to the corregidor's house, who, having heard of the arrival of the beautiful pilgrims in the city, sent to invite them to come and see the play, which was to be performed, and to accept his best endeavours to be of any service to them, in consequence of all that he had heard from lisbon in their praise.
periander, by the desire of auristella and the elder antonio, who he obeyed as his superior in age, accepted the invitation. there were many ladies of the city with the wife of the corregidor, when the fair pilgrims, with periander and the two antonios, entered the room: all were amazed and confounded at the surprising beauty and grace of the strangers, which increased the desire of every one to show them all possible kindness and civility; and their host forced them to take the highest places at the entertainment, which was the representation of the fable of cephalus and procris, when she, from an undue jealousy, lost her life by the dart too incautiously thrown by him, to his eternal sorrow. the verse bordered on perfection, as it was composed, they say, by juan de herrera de gamboa, nicknamed el maganto, or the spiritless, whose genius soared to the highest order of poetry.
when the play was over, the ladies examined the beauties of auristella minutely, and each feature separately, and found that they composed a whole, that might well be named "perfection" without a blot. the men said as much of periander, and all agreed in praising highly the beauty of constance and her brother.
they stayed in the city three days, during which the corregidor and his lady showed every possible kindness to the pilgrims, and loaded them with gifts. they in return promised to send the history of their adventures, and of all that should befall them, to their kind friends.
they left badajoz, and travelled on to our lady of guadaloupe. after a journey of three days, in which they had gone five leagues, night overtook them on a mountain, which was covered with ilexes, and other trees: it was that pleasant season of the year when there is an equal balance between the two equinoxes—neither too hot nor too cold—and in case of necessity, just as pleasant to spend the night in the open air as in a village; and therefore being far from any inn, it was auristella's desire that it should be passed in one of the sheepfolds of the herdsmen that they saw were near. they did as she wished, and had hardly gone above two hundred steps into the wood, when the darkness came on so fast that they paused to look for the light that shone from the herdsmen's fold, which served as their polar star, for fear of losing their way; the extreme darkness, and a sound that was heard at a distance, made them slacken their pace, and the boy antonio began to think of his bow, his constant companion; at this instant a man on horseback came up to them and said, "good people, do you belong to this place?"
"certainly not," answered periander, "but to one very far distant; we are foreign pilgrims, going to rome, but at present to guadaloupe."
"if," said he of the horse, "there is charity and courtesy in foreign lands, there may also be compassionate souls from thence."
"why not?" said antonio. "look you here now, sir, whoever you are; if you want any help from us, speak, and you will see whether you are right or not in your conjectures."
"take then," said the horseman, "take this chain of gold, which should be worth two hundred crowns; and take also this thing, which is priceless, at least i cannot name its value, and carry it to the city of trujillo, where you will give it to one of two gentlemen, who are well-known both there and elsewhere: one is called don francisco pizarro, and the other, don juan de orellana, both bachelors, both free, both rich, and both extremely generous;" (thus saying, he placed in ricla's arms, who, like a compassionate woman, stepped forward to receive it, a baby, which was beginning to cry, wrapt in clothes that might have been rich or poor, they could not tell which;) "and," continued he, "you will bid them keep it; and say, they shall soon know who it is, and the misfortunes that have brought it to them, if it ever comes there, and forgive my saying more, for i am pursued by my enemies; if they come up with you, and ask if you have seen me, tell them you have not, since there is no occasion for you to say you have seen me, or if you prefer it, you may say that three or four men on horseback have gone by, who went crying, 'for portugal! for portugal!' and now please god, i must not delay, for if fear lend spurs, sharper yet are those of honour," and so, touching the horse's sides with his, he vanished like a flash of lightning, not, however, before he had returned, rapidly exclaiming, "it is unbaptized," and then resumed his flight.
behold our pilgrims now, ricla with the baby in her arms, periander with the chain about his neck, and the boy antonio with his bow ready strung, his father also holding in readiness the sword which was concealed in his staff; auristella confounded and astonished at the strangeness of the adventure, and altogether wondering at it, and what would come forth from it.
auristella advised that they should make haste and find the herdsmen's fold, as there they might procure food to nourish this new-born infant, for by its small size and weak cries they guessed it could not be many hours old. they had hardly reached it, after many wrong turnings, and many stumbles and falls, when before they could ask whether the herdsman would give them a shelter for the night, a woman came up weeping, but not aloud, for she showed by her suppressed moans that she tried not to let her voice be heard. she was but half dressed, though the garments she had on, evidently proved her to be a person of some consequence.
by the light of the fires, in spite of the care with which she tried to conceal her face, it was plainly seen that she was as beautiful as she was young, and as young as she was beautiful. ricla, who was the best judge of ages, guessed that she might be from sixteen to seventeen years old. the herdsmen and shepherds asked her if she was pursued, or if anything had happened to her that required a speedy help; to which the unhappy girl replied, "the first help i need, sirs, is to be put under ground, or i had better say that i may be hidden somewhere, so that no one can find me; the second, that you will give me some food, for i am well nigh expiring from fatigue and fright."
"we will show that we have charity," said an old shepherd; and he went quickly towards the hollow trunk of a tree—the ruin of a once noble oak—and placing within it some snowy fleeces of sheep and goats, he made a sort of bed, good enough for the present necessity; then taking the young lady in his arms, he hid her in the old tree, and then brought her some milk; (he would have given her wine had she wished it;) then he covered her up closely with more sheep-skins, and hung them also about the tree, as if to dry them.
ricla, who watched all this, speedily conjectured that this must be the mother of the baby that she held in her arms. she went up to the old shepherd, saying, "let not your charity, good sir, stop here, but extend it to this infant, which is perishing of hunger;" and she quickly explained how they had come by it. answering more to her wants than words, the old shepherd called to one of the other shepherds, and bid him take the child to the sheep-fold, and put it by one of the goats in such a manner as to enable it to suck: he had hardly done this, and hardly had the last wailing cry of the baby ceased, when a troop of horsemen rode up to the fold, and asked if they had seen anything of a fugitive young woman, or of a man on horseback. but as no one gave them any intelligence of what they demanded, they passed on with extreme speed, which not a little rejoiced the charitable protectors of the woman and child; and the night passed away more quietly than the pilgrims expected, and more merrily to the herdsmen and shepherds, who had not looked for so much good company.
