Do?a Magdalena for her part reserved the duty of training him in the love of God and of his neighbour, which she easily did by always showing him the good example of her saintly life, rather than by rules and precepts8. Charity was the distinguishing virtue9 of this great woman, made brighter by her discretion10. She thought that the duties of her rank consisted in forwarding God's glory and the good of her neighbour, particularly of her vassals11, to whom she felt specially12 bound by the mere13 fact of her position. She gave away her ample income, and, later, distributed her fortune, which was not entailed14, in this way, to relieve misery15 and the material wants of the poor, to supply the needs of their souls, and to increase the service of Our Lord and His honour.
In order to further these objects she founded hospitals on her estates and beyond them, in increasing numbers she redeemed16 captives, and so continuous and copious17 were her alms, that after her death she was called "God's almoner." She also founded colleges, schools, missions and catechisings; and was so munificent18 in what referred to God's service that, not content with raising sumptuous19 temples, at one time she ordered 500 silver chalices20 to be made and distributed among poor parishes which did not possess any worthy21 of the Blessed Sacrament, the object of her special devotion.
Do?a Magdalena had ordered her accountant, Luis de Valverde, an honourable22 old man, to ascertain23 the wants of the poor of Villagarcia, and to give each one a paper signed by him, setting out what in his opinion was lacking to the bearer.
The poor brought the papers at a special time to Do?a Magdalena, which was very early in the morning, not to interfere24 with their work. She religiously paid them, adding to the alms the balsam of compassion25, good advice and respect for misfortune. This was Do?a Magdalena's hour of recreation, and she had also chosen it to instil26 in Jeromín charity and respect towards the poor, which after the fear of God is the first duty of the great and powerful.
This lady got up at sunrise at all times, and at once went to Jeromín's room to wake and dress him. They heard the mass read by García de Morales, and then Jeromín was dispatched to await in the cloisters27 the arrival of the poor people. He made them sit on two stone benches which ran along the lower cloisters, giving preference to the old and infirm, and then went to tell his aunt, for by this name, according to Quijada's wish, the child began to call Do?a Magdalena. "Aunt! There are such a lot of poor," he used to announce.
Then she would come down with two big purses, one filled with silver reales for the poor who were proud and had Valverde's papers, the other one with pence for the ordinary poor who had no papers, to whom she always gave 20 maravedises and upwards28. Do?a Magdalena collected the papers, and Jeromín gave the money, very respectfully, kissing it first, cap in hand.
One day, however, there came among the poor a very dirty old man from Tordehumos; it disgusted Jeromín to touch his hand, so he let the money fall, as if by accident, and the old man had to pick it up. But Do?a Magdalena, guessing the reason, stooped down and picked it up herself, and gave it to the old man, first kissing the dirty hand. Jeromín flushed up to the roots of his hair, and full of shame went on with his task.
Three days afterwards the same old man came again. Jeromín turned crimson29 on seeing him, intentionally30 dropped the money, stooped and picked it up, and kneeling humbly31 down, kissed first the money and then the hand of the old man.
Thus the child profited by and understood the lessons given him, and grew and flourished amid the love and blessings32 of everyone in the castle. There was only one thing which drew on him scoldings from D. Guillén Prieto and severe remarks from Do?a Magdalena—his studies. He could read Spanish fluently, write well in a running hand, and began to stammer33 in French, which by the express order of Quijada was taught him by a Fleming, who had come to Villagarcia for the purpose, but Latin with its "ibus" and "orum," and Greek with its horrible letters like flies' legs, were uphill work to the boy, which nothing save the wish to please Do?a Magdalena and to earn her approbation34 would have made him undertake. But the boy had made a complete conquest of Juan Galarza. No one, according to him, had a better eye, a steadier hand, or was more quick and agile35, or more daring and brave, and at the same time more calm, "and when he got astride either the pony36 or the Roman mule37 of my lord D. álvaro, God rest his soul," wrote the squire to Fr. Domingo de Ulloa, "a devil seems to enter him and make him more merry and active and a greater romp38 than ever."
And Do?a Magdalena said with deep conviction, "Let him grow up and he will be another Luis Quijada, my lord."
Periodically she wrote about these things to Quijada, who passed them on to a mysterious person, whom we shall often meet in the course of this history.
"The person who is in my charge," she wrote about then, "is in good health and to my mind is growing and is a good size for his age. He gets on with his lessons with much difficulty, and he does nothing with so much dislike. He is also learning French, and the few words he knows he pronounces well, though to know it as he should will take more time and practice. What he likes best is to go on horseback riding either with a saddle or bareback, and you will see that he seems as if he would use a lance well, though his strength does not help him yet."
This news must have proved to Luis Quijada and his mysterious correspondent that Jeromín's tastes were not those of a cleric, as his unknown father and Quijada desired they should be. Do?a Magdalena had seen it from the first moment with her usual perspicuity39. On his arrival at Villagarcia both she and her brother, Fr. Domingo de Ulloa, wished that she should show the boy the castle and its treasures, so as to be able to judge his character from his first impressions. Nothing caused the boy wonder or even surprise. Not the rich Flemish tapestries40 with which some of the halls were hung, or the sumptuous beds with their columns and canopies41; not the plate which shone everywhere, or the embroidered42 ornaments43 in the oratory44, purposely displayed before his gaze, or the cast-iron stove which had come from Flanders to warm Do?a Magdalena's parlour, and which was something then unknown in Spain, and so much prized that it was afterwards taken to Yuste, so that the Emperor himself might make use of it.
The boy looked at everything with the simple indifference45 of one who has grown up among similar objects, and with high-bred ease that pleased as much as it astonished.
But when he came to the armoury and saw the heavy iron armour46, the lances four times as tall as himself, the trophies47 of shining cuirasses, swords, and shields, the sight of these dread48 weapons filled him with enthusiasm. He ran about looking at all the details, and at each step stretched out his little hand to touch these wonders, and then drew it back as if he was afraid of hurting them.
Till at last admiration49 overcoming everything, he stopped before a small suit of very beautiful armour, that Quijada had brought from Italy, which was lying on the ground waiting to be cleaned, and he asked Do?a Magdalena's leave to touch it, with all a child's shyness. The lady gladly gave him permission, and with trembling respect, as if he was handling something sacred, he fingered the armour all over, examining the joints50, working the visor up and down, and ending by putting his fist into the cuirass. This made a metallic51 sound, and Jeromín lifted his radiant face towards his protectors with a smile on his lips, and a look in his eyes that showed his character.
The lady, half smiling and half astonished, said to her brother, "Luis Quijada, my lord, will be annoyed. We have here a little soldier and no monk52."
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1
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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vassals
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| n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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munificent
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| adj.慷慨的，大方的 | |
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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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chalices
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| n.高脚酒杯( chalice的名词复数 )；圣餐杯；金杯毒酒；看似诱人实则令人讨厌的事物 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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instil
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| v.逐渐灌输 | |
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cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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intentionally
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| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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romp
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| n.欢闹；v.嬉闹玩笑 | |
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perspicuity
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| n.（文体的）明晰 | |
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tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41
canopies
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| （宝座或床等上面的）华盖( canopy的名词复数 )； （飞行器上的）座舱罩； 任何悬于上空的覆盖物； 森林中天棚似的树荫 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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44
oratory
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| n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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47
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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48
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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49
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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50
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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51
metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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52
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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