The Pilgrim of Castile; or, El Pelegrino in Su Patria

by Lope de Vega

There are two hills in the confines of the mountain of Morena, which as two strong walls environ the town and monastery of Guadalupe, with so many fountains which run from the rocks into the bottom of the valley, so much fruit and so much grain of all sorts that it seems Nature knowing that which should happen, had destined this place from the beginning of the world to build this palace to the princess of heaven. The pilgrim being come thither and having adored the Virgin, visited the temple and paid his vow: as he went back again down the stairs, at that time of the year when the sun is equally distant between the two Poles; he met a passenger going towards the temple, who earnestly beholding him asked him if he had not known either there or in any other place, a pilgrim of Madrid called Pamphilus, who lately was in Aragon. Pamphilus, troubled with this demand and fearing that he was sought after with some warrant from the justice for Godfrey's death, turned back and fled towards the temple; but the Aragonese by some tokens which were given him, and by his sudden flight, presuming that it was he, followed him and courteously calling him said, stay knight; I am not come to apprehend you, neither doth the privilege of this place permit any man to be arrested prisoner here. It is only a letter from a young lady called Flerida, which I bring you: see thereby what I am, and for what occasion I seek you. Pamphilus then staying took the letter, and having opened it, found the contents as follows:

To the Pilgrim of Madrid:
Thou thyself O Pamphilus may judge in what care thou left me, if thou hast had never so little thought of me since thou left me. And now as well to satisfy myself as to know how thy misfortunes are determined, have I sent this messenger to you. My brothers being returned and missing thee in the prison where they had left thee, witnessed more sorrow for thy departure then for my brother Godfrey's death. But a few days after, a woman of the country falling out with another, amongst other words (which choler provoked, a thing ordinary amongst women) said she was the cause of Godfrey's death. Being thereupon taken, and having confessed that Tansiles killed him out of jealousy, he was apprehended, and the crime being verified, the third day after he had his head cut off. My mother and my brother being now assured of thy innocence doe bewail their hard usage towards thee, and have made great search to find thee. If thou wilt return, they will redeem the injury of thy unjust Imprisonment with embraces and kind usage, and thou shalt thereby pay me for the desire which I continually have of thy welfare, and for the tears which thou hast cost me.

The pilgrim wondered at Tansiles' strange fate, and was something moved in his mind with Flerida’s loving desires: but fearing to offend Nisa, he satisfied the messenger as well as he could, giving him the jewels which Flerida had given him, entreating that he would secretly deliver them, together with a most kind letter to her, which he presently wrote, and so the same day dispatched away the messenger, who went his way very joyful that he had in so short a time so happily dispatched his business: for Flerida not thinking he could easily find him, had commanded him to search him in every house where pilgrims were used to lodge throughout all Spain. I do here remember that I heard Pamphilus say, after he had retired himself to covert from the storm of his fortunes, that he never in all his life found anything so difficult as to resist Flerida’s desire, for besides the obligations wherein he stood tied, which were very great and no less than for his life, she was most perfectly fayre; yet he continued his loving friendship by letters, not only with her but with her brothers also, until that she being married with a knight of Andalucia was carried into the Indies.

Ten times had the sun circled heaven in the time of the year when as Astrea doth equal the balances of the Equinoctial, when Pamphilus journeying night and day through deserts and unknown ways found himself one morning when the day began to smile on him at the side of craggy mountains, oppressed both with weariness and hunger, and much more with the remembrance of Nisa, where sitting at the foot of an oak beholding the solitariness of the fields and the murmuring of the little brooks which fell precipitately from the mountain, he heard a flute played upon, to the sound whereof turning his eyes, he saw a man sitting between two rocks amidst a flock of sheep, which seemed to leave their feeding to hearken to his music.

But Pamphilus having other discourses in his head went to him, and wishing health to him, (which he could not obtain for himself) and courteously again saluted by the shepherd, who having nothing that savoured of rusticness but his apparel, made him know in a few reasons his understanding; and the other quickly discerned in the pilgrim that he had more need of meat than discourse. Wherefore getting fire out of two laurel sticks which for that purpose he carried with him, they poorly fed of that which Fabio (for so was this shepherd called) had willingly dressed, the ground serving them for a table, the grass for napkins, and bubbling brooks for their drink and music. They passed away the best part of the day in telling their adventures: and when it grew night, they retired themselves into a little village, whether Fabio led Pamphilus to keep his master's oxen, who was a farmer of a grange which Nisa's father had in the mountains. Pamphilus was glad of this condition, hoping that by this means he might with time have news of his mistress. By the way Pamphilus entreated Fabio to relate the cause of his retiring into this place, who although that this request brought to his mind a great deal of grief and passion, yet after some sighs he shortly told him that he was borne in Biscay, and descended of most noble parents who were careful to fit him in his youth with qualities answerable to his birth, wherein he profited so well, that he neither raised discontentment in his parents nor shame to his tutors; but after growing more ripe in years, and incited with the courageous heat of youth. In those times, when the English with their warlike ships ravaged along our coasts, as well of Spain as the islands, and oftentimes with their desperate resolutions made themselves masters of our Indian gold, I put myself to sea in one of the King's armadas, as well with an intent to gain honour by my valour, as experience in those services, thereby to be the abler to serve my country wherein I was so fortunate (because I will not say too much) that I got command myself, and by taking and executing two or three of those pirates was in a fair way both of grace with the King, and renown in the world, when my eyes were the instruments whereby the most excellent and admirable beauty of Albiana captivated my heart so powerfully that all other courses set apart, I was enforced to give myself wholly to her service, wherein after some small time, I had so happy a progression, that she did confess she was obliged by my perseverance, and by the opinion which the world held of me, to esteem of me and of my service: thus happily in her favour I spent some time, until it fortuned some English slaves which I had, endeavouring to make an escape but by my soldiers and mariners prevented, I inflicted a cruel punishment on them, bound thereunto by that common policy which exacts from masters, a severe hand over their mutinous slaves; especially I used it towards one, who more eminent then the rest, as well in regard of his person as that he was a chief author of their attempt, which Albiana with most earnest prayers to me sought to divert, were it out of a pitiful compassion, ordinary in most women, or that she took any special liking to him. But I having more care at that time to execute my rage, then mindful of her importunity, (which I did not think would have turned to that consequence) for example sake, which as it is powerful, so is it most necessary, especially amongst men of our profession, who serve ourselves with multitudes of them, persevered in having him soundly punished. Whereat she discontented, though with little show thereof, underhand wrought such means by her friends at court, before I imagined any such thing, that the slave was by messenger from the Duke of Lerma, and by warrant under the King's hand fetched from me, and the next day she did let me know that any denial to a woman effects her hatred; for she sent me a letter wherein she said I was a cruel monster, and that she was so far from loving and esteeming me, that she would ever hate my barbarous nature, and she wondered that any valour could be lodged where cruelty had such a habitation; to conclude she told me that I should never come in her sight, nor be where she might hear of my name. How grievous this was to me gentle sir may easily be guessed if you knew the extremity of my love, which was so much that I presently without the knowledge of any of my friends took such order as I could with my command, and retired myself into these desert places, where I am resolved under this disguised habit to end my days; seeing that Albiana will have it so, who whether her complaints were just or no, or whether they but serve to colour her inconstancy, shall be always loved and truly obeyed by me, to whom only this comfort is left: that though life hath left me, death will take me. Before Fabio had finished this short discourse, they had discovered the village where Alfesibus did keep Nisa’s father's cattle, in the best house of the village, which for a country house was a fair one. Alfesibus received Pamphilus, and informed by Fabio of his intent he agreed with him for wages; and after an evil supper and a worse lodging he passed the night miserably. And when morning appeared, Pamphilus went after his oxen to the solitary fields, where he lived some time free from the confused noises of the cities, with a good leisure to meditate on his adventures.

In the meantime Nisa healed of her wounds and knew that she had received them from her own brother out of jealousy which he had conceived against her for Finia. And entreating her good host that he would have pity on her blood, by both their means his pardon and liberty was obtained, the one soliciting, and the other forbearing the prosecution. One of the wounds which Nisa had received was in her left side, and as in the dressing it could not be avoided but that she was known to be a woman, although she had conjured her host to keep it secret from his family, yet it was impossible: because that his son Thesander unhappily one day was at her dressing and transported so into his mind the wounds which she had in her body, that within a few days, he fell sick by force of this continual thought, not being able to receive into his imagination any thought, but the desire of this beauty. For all the heaven of love moves between these two poles, imagination and desire. And then his body is as full of imaginary and fantastic figures as the astrologer's globe. Thesander did all that he could to divert himself from this thought, and as evils are healed by their contraries, he proposed to his eyes other objects, and other cares to his imaginations: But as art is made out of many experiences which were wanting to Thesander, he rather found the evil than the remedy. For it is impossible that young men should know much, because that to be wise requires experience, and that is gotten with time.

Nisa was much grieved at Thesander's passion, although he had never spoken to her about it. But as he which is amorous so often speaks as he looks on that which he loves, she easily read in his looks the depth of his thoughts; and willing to disabuse him so, that not being understood by others, she might let him understand the vanity of his love, one night after she was healed, being entreated by all the company, she sang these verses following:

I wot not what is love, nor yet his flame,
Nay more, to know it I have not the mind:
In others, twill suffice a man may find,
The woes this tyrant in their souls doth frame.
That I for him do sigh he cannot say,
He masters not my will, that bideth free:
His bad and my good nature disagree,
And free, me from his empire's laws for aye.
To cast his darts elsewhere, I him require,
My heart (as rocks of brass) doth scorn his might:
Let him not grieve, I from him take my flight,
Because I am all ye, and he all fire.

But they rather increased the fire which was too much kindled in Thesander's soul, who taking the lute from Nisa answered her with these verses, which he had conceived in his mind the night before.

The great God's supreme power to deny,
Unto my soul as rashness I do hold:
This to deny with truth I may be bold:
Mine evil, nor yet myself I can destroy.
My knowledge, love hath ravished whom you blame,
I think he hath no might nor yet discretion:
If I be thus tormented for confession.
You that deny his power feel not the same.
He makes the widest breach in strongest brass,
From coldest ice, he greatest fire can draw:
Not one can fight him; for none ever saw,
Ought else his shafts in swiftness to surpass.