[Page 35].—l. 11. Tabor: Mount Tabor, the supposed scene of the Transfiguration of Christ; cf. St. Matthew xvii., St. Mark ix., St. Luke ix.
l. 12. que se raçona, which is related.
l. 13. fija de Latona, i.e., Diana.
l. 15. punto: strengthens the negation, not at all.
ll. 17-22. These two tercets suggest Dante’s sonnet, Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare (in the Vita nuova).
l. 23. This is the most celebrated of all Santillana’s poems.
[Page 36].—l. 29. As the caption states, this was composed by the Marquis for his three daughters.
l. 34. conosçellas: i.e., conocerlas. The assimilation of the infinitive r to the l of the appended pronoun is still frequent in poetry.
[LOPE DE ESTÚÑIGA]. Estúñiga, or Stúñiga, fought under Alfonso V. of Aragon (1416-58) in Italy, and played a prominent part in the passage of honor held by his cousin, Suero de Quiñones. The fact that two of his pieces stand at the head of a certain collection of poems—the Cancionero de Stúñiga—caused it to be called by his name. Cf. Menéndez y Pelayo, Antología, II, 163 ff.
[SUERO DE QUIÑONES]. Noted as the originator of the famous passage of honor (paso honroso), which lasted from July 10 to August 9, 1434, and during which, in order to dissolve his chivalric vow of wearing an iron chain in his lady’s honor, he and nine other champions held the bridge of Órbigo, near León, against all knightly comers. Cf. Menéndez y Pelayo, Antología, II, 477.