[BS] In this action, i.e., Henry.
CHAPTER XXXV.
How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the ransom.
If I marvelled before at the endurance of John Fernandez (to wit, his living in that land and enduring what I have said), little less do I marvel at the affection which those who dwelt there came to feel for him. And albeit that his affability was very great towards all other people, I was astonished it could exist towards these, or how it could be so felt and returned by such savages; for I am assured that when he parted from the men among whom he had lived those seven months, many of them wept with regretful thought. But why do I say so, when I know that we are all sons of Adam, composed of the same elements, and that we all receive a soul as reasonable beings? True it is that, in some bodies, the instruments are not so good for producing virtues as they are in others, to whom God by His grace hath granted such power; and when men lack the first principles on which the higher ones depend, they lead a life little less than bestial. For into three modes is the life of men divided, as saith the Philosopher. The first are those who live in contemplation, leaving on one side all other worldly matters and only occupying themselves in praying and contemplating, and those he calls demi-gods. And the second are those who live in cities, improving their estates and trading one with another. And the third are those who live in the deserts, removed from all conversation,[[BT]] who, because they have not perfectly the use of reason, live as the beasts live; like those who after the Division of Tongues (which by the will of our Lord God was made in the Tower of Babylon), spread themselves through the world and settled there[[BU]] without increasing any part of their first stock of knowledge. But yet these last have their passions like other reasonable creatures; as love, hate, hope, fear, and the other twelve which all of us naturally have; the which each one of us setteth in use more or less, according to the grace he hath of God, for as St. Paul hath said: God is He who worketh in us the fulfilment of His will. And by these primal passions I hold that these men were moved to the love of John Fernandez, for which reason they henceforth felt sorrow at his departure. And it would be very fitting to speak a little upon these passions, and in what way they are universal in all men; but I fear to prolong my story, and to weary your goodwill by lengthening out my words, even though all would be profitable.[[99]] So let us leave the long conferences that there might be among those on board the caravels at the coming of John Fernandez, and let us only tell how he said to Antam Gonçalvez that there was hard by there a noble called Ahude Meymam, and that he wished to traffic with them in the matter of some blacks whom he had taken; and of this Antam Gonçalvez was very glad, and put on shore the same John Fernandez, who in a short time brought a great number of that people there. And, after settling the matter of hostages, Antam Gonçalvez received two Moors as security; and he on his side gave two others of those that he had with him. And those two, who were so given on the part of Antam Gonçalvez while the exchanges were being made, were taken to the tents of the Moors, where was a very great number of Moorish women, and those among the best of that land.
Now it happened that the Moors raised an uproar among themselves, for which reason they went out of their dwellings a good way on to the plain. And the Moorish women, looking upon those two hostages, thought to try them, shewing a very great desire of lying with them; and those who thought themselves best favoured shewed themselves right willingly as naked as when they first came out of the bellies of their mothers, and so made them other signs sufficiently unchaste. But seeing that the others[[BV]] were more concerned at the terror they felt (thinking that the tumult of those Moors was warily raised in order chiefly to cause them injury), the women nevertheless persevered in their unchaste purpose, making them signs of great security, and asking them, as could be understood by their gestures, that they should perform what they sought. But whether this was attempted with deceit, or whether it was only the wickedness of their nature that urged them to this, let it be the business of each one to settle as he thinks best. Great confidence was shown by those Moors in their trafficking, for, in speaking about their matters, many came boldly on to the ships, bringing their women with them, who above all desired to see that novelty.[[BW]]
And when the noble[[BX]] concluded his bargaining, he received some things which pleased him most among those tendered to him by our men (though they were really small and of little value), and he gave us for the same nine negroes and a little gold dust.[[100]] And upon the end of this same bargaining, one squire who dwelt in the isle of Madeira required of Antam Gonçalvez that he should knight him; because, as I believe, he was of great age and had some lineage of nobility; and, having a sufficient wealth, he wished to acquire an honourable title for his sepulchre. He was called Fernam Taavares, and that place was known from henceforth by the name of the Cape of the Ransom.[[101]]
Well would it have pleased me to speak somewhat in this chapter of the things that John Fernandez saw and learnt in that land; but it is necessary that I should bring the action of those three caravels to an end; and afterwards when I find time I will tell you of all, that I may pursue my story in the order that seemeth best to me.
Now the Moors having left that place, and the caravels sailing on, those men of ours who were working the sails saw near the shore some 200 camels, with certain Moors who followed them. And because they seemed to be very near they went towards them right briskly; but those Moors, seeing themselves pressed by the others, jumped up lightly upon the camels and fled upon them. But the camels were more in number than the men, for which reason some stayed on the spot where they were; and of these our men killed forty, and the others fled and escaped.
And so the caravels going on, came nigh to the island of Tider,[[BY]][[102]] where we have said already there were many Moors; and seeing near the shore where they were, some houses; and wishing to know if they could find anything there, they landed. And perceiving that all was desolate, they had a mind to go further inland; where they saw two Moors, who were coming in their direction, and our men, anxious to take them, contended for them. But Antam Gonçalvez, being advised of their deceit, understood by their countenance that that movement of theirs was for the purpose of some ambush; for, as to such confidence shewn by two men against so many, any man of judgment could understand that it was to essay some stratagem.
"Go", said Antam Gonçalvez to two of his men, "a little way inland (signing to them whither they were to proceed), and you will see the treachery of these dogs." And so, as the Christians advanced from the side of the shore, the Moors came out against them; and being near, they hurled their spears, and the Christians ran after them till they came to the place that had been marked out for them before, and so turned back. And as our men began to retire to the ships the ambuscade was discovered; and those who were of it very soon came down upon the shore, so that, if our people had not retired thus sharply, they could not have escaped from these without very great loss. For the Moors, perceiving their advantage, shewed clearly enough their desire, entering into the water as far as they could; whence, had they not been kept at a distance by the cross-bows, they would have followed still, even by swimming, in order to accomplish their desire of injuring our men.
[BT] Of men.