They arrived at Seville without meeting with any other adventure; and took up their lodgings in the suburbs beyond the river Guadalquiver; which, although the most remote and obscure part of the town, was at that time so thronged with persons of all qualities, and their equipages, that they were fortunate in obtaining any accommodation at all, which was not to be wondered at, it being only a few days before the combat of bulls, when every one was busied in the magnificent preparations that were making for these diversions. Our Moors had only to listen to the conversation of the servants of the numerous noblemen, with whom their inn was filled, as well as all the rest in the town, to be perfectly well informed of whatever was going on at the court.
By these means, Ozmin learned more than he wished to know; they informed him, among other things, that Don Alonso styled himself the Knight of the beautiful Moor; that Daraxa had several other lovers, but that Don Alonso had the advantage over all his rivals; and that if that lady embraced Christianity, as was expected, it was confidently reported that he would marry her. To complete his torments, the lively description they gave of this cavalier was sufficient to agonize so nice and passionate a lover as the wretched Ozmin; and had it not been for Orviedo, he must certainly have relapsed into those ravings which had before brought him so near the grave. This faithful squire recovered him by degrees, by representing to him that he wronged Daraxa by such alarms, who loved him too well to be faithless towards him: that, as for the rest, it was not surprising that so lovely a person should have inspired many with love, in a court celebrated for gallantry. Orviedo completely succeeded in calming the agitation of his master’s mind, by reminding him, that the approaching diversions would furnish a good opportunity for himself to judge of the merit of his rivals, as well as how Daraxa conducted herself towards them; and that he could take his future measures accordingly. Ozmin yielded to his reasonings, and determined to observe Daraxa attentively; at the same time, to shew her the difference between his rivals and himself, and to signalize himself by his strength and dexterity in the presence of the whole of the Catholic Court, he resolved to enter the lists at the combat of bulls. He enjoined Orviedo to prepare every thing that would be necessary for that exercise, invented by the Moors, and at which Ozmin was universally acknowledged to be the most expert in their nation.
The day of the solemnity at last arrived; never had so much magnificence been seen; every thing was in order early in the morning; rich ornaments and fine tapestries lined the streets through which Ferdinand and Isabella were to pass with their court, in their way to the great square appropriated to the diversions. Here was assembled a complete crowd of people of every description seated on benches fixed round about as in an amphitheatre; and on all sides were to be seen an infinite number of ladies and gentlemen most superbly dressed, crowding the windows and balconies, so that even the spectators formed a gratifying sight.
About three o’clock in the afternoon, the King and Queen took their places in their balcony; in another, at the side of this, sat the beautiful Moor, accompanied by many ladies and several old lords, who, being no longer vigorous in these sports, found themselves obliged to resign the honour of the combats to the younger noblemen. The sports began, as usual, by the combat of bulls; they turned loose one at first, who not being one of the most savage, was quickly brought to the ground.
Our two Moors were already at the place; they kept on the outside of the square, among many other persons on horseback, to see how the Christians managed these diversions. It need not be asked whether Ozmin looked about impatiently for his mistress, whom he soon distinguished; but how great his surprise, and what fatal presages did he form, when he perceived that she was dressed in a Spanish habit; nevertheless, though he could but see her from afar off, he could not avoid remarking a certain sadness in her countenance; in fact, she felt so little interest in these diversions, that an express desire of the Queen had been necessary to oblige her to dress herself suitably to the occasion, and notwithstanding which, she had taken but little pains to adorn herself; with her elbow leaning on the balcony, and her head reclining on her hand, her eye wandered on all sides with indifference, or rather her mind was so abstracted from the sights before her, that she saw nothing at all.
Although this melancholy appearance admitted of different interpretations, Ozmin, through some remains of hope, explained it in his own favor; and felt a secret pleasure on that account, of which refined lovers only are susceptible. While he was thus occupied in observing Daraxa with attention, the shouts of the spectators at seeing the second bull turned out, much stronger and more vicious than the first, obliged him, at length, to withdraw his attention, which had been so long fixed on her balcony. He looked round the square, and observed that the bull gave full employment to the cavaliers that opposed him; but as he did not wish to shew what he could perform until after the death of this second bull, it much surprised the spectators that were round about them, that though Orviedo and he were superbly equipped, they appeared to have no intention of venturing within the square: “for what possible reason,” said they aloud one to another, “are these two champions standing here without the lists? Are they only come here to see the sports? Dare they not enter? Are they afraid of the bull’s horns? Do they carry a lance only to lend it to some cavalier more worthy to do honour to himself with it?”
These railleries, so usual among the common people, who spare nobody on such occasions, were heard by Ozmin and Orviedo with contempt; all they attended to was the issue of the combat of the bull which was then in the square. This high-spirited animal had already disabled two of the combatants, and having become more enraged by two slight wounds from Don Alonso, he avenged himself on his horse, which he laid dead on the spot; but just at that moment, Don Rodrigo de Padilla, one of the strongest of all the combatants, struck the bull with such force, that another blow was not necessary to dispatch him.
A third bull was on the point of being loosed, when Ozmin, who perceived it, made sign to Orviedo to walk up to the bars of the lists, and desire admission; and their appearance was of too much consequence for this to be refused them. No sooner had they got within the lists, than every eye was turned upon them; a silent admiration prevailed throughout the place for a considerable time; every one seemed to take great pleasure in considering the splendour of their arms, the tastefulness of their equipage, and, above all, their noble appearance on horseback. Ozmin, especially, attracted the observation of the assembly by his graceful and fashionable deportment. Both their faces were covered with blue crape, to shew that they did not wish to be known. The squire carried his master’s lance in a different manner from the Spaniards; and Ozmin wore round his left arm the embroidered handkerchief that Daraxa had given him, which was a gallantry quite different from the custom in Spain; from which it was concluded, that if they were not foreigners they at least wished to be thought so; but that they were Moors was not even suspected. Ferdinand was one of the first who had his eyes upon them, and he pointed them out to the Queen, who was not less pleased with their appearance. All the cavaliers, within the barrier, made way for them to pass, and conceived, of the master in particular, the most advantageous opinion.
Daraxa was the only one present who had taken no notice of these new champions, and, most probably, would not have seen them at all, if the old Don Lewis, Marquis de Padilla, father of Don Rodrigo, after having rallied her upon her pensive and melancholy humour, had not obliged her at last to turn her head that way. At first sight of these two cavaliers, she felt a slight emotion, which she could not account for; their foreign air excited her curiosity so as to induce her to ask Don Lewis who they were. “I know not, Madam,” replied he, “nor is the King himself able to learn.” In the mean time Ozmin approached the balcony where she was; she fixed her eyes upon the handkerchief that he wore upon his arm, and the palpitation of her heart at the moment inspired her with a thousand thoughts. She could not, however, yet believe that it could be the same handkerchief she had sent her lover when he was wounded, nor that it was that dear lover himself who now stood before her eyes; but as he stopped opposite to her balcony, and she had full leisure to observe him with attention, her heart at length assured her that it could be no other.
She was on the point of abandoning herself to the most excessive joy, when the third bull, who, since he had been loose, had completely disordered the whole square, came up, and interrupted these delightful moments, by advancing towards Ozmin. This formidable animal was one of the Tarita breed, and a more enormous beast had never been seen. His frightful bellowings spread terror throughout the place. Though he had no need to be irritated, they did not, therefore, omit to throw stakes at him, according to custom, which so excited his rage, that Don Rodrigo, Don Alonso, and the other combatants, dared not face him with the intrepidity that they had shewn towards the two others.