D. John returned to Canilles after dark, his left arm somewhat hurt by the terrible rebound5 of the shield on receiving the blow; he went direct to Luis Quijada's room and shut himself up with the doctors. These all declared the veteran's wound to be mortal; but they did not think that death was imminent6, and without hope of saving him, they nevertheless believed that they could ward7 it off for at least a few days. D. John was profoundly grieved, and thought first of all of Do?a Magdalena. This lady was in Madrid, in order to have the quickest and most reliable news about the war, and that same night D. John sent a messenger there with a true and detailed8 account of what had happened. Knowing the great heart and courage of the lady, he did not doubt for a moment that on hearing the news she would at once fly to her husband's side, so he also sent an itinerary9, written by his own hand, marking the safest route by which to make this undoubtedly10 brave journey considering the roughness of the road, the coolness of the season, and even the age of the lady, who was already fifty, and, above all, the continual risk of being surprised and attacked by the Moorish highwaymen, scattered11 all over that part of the kingdom of Granada, which was then the seat of war.
To prevent great dangers, D. John wrote to all the places where there were garrisons12, which most places had, ordering them to give Do?a Magdalena a strong and safe escort on her way, and he also ordered that daily two messengers might leave, one at daybreak and one in the evening, so that she should have frequent reports, whether she was in Madrid or on the journey, at the close of each day. D. John wrote these dispatches daily with his own hand after having consulted the doctors and heard their opinion. The first news D. John sent to Do?a Magdalena by his favourite and confidential13 valet Jorge de Lima. He had not judged the intrepid14 lady wrongly; as no sooner did she hear the terrible news than she at once arranged her journey, without hesitation15 or foolish hurry, but with the calmness and prudent16 activity which carry superior souls through difficult situations. She was accompanied by her brother the Marqués de la Mota, D. Rodrigo de Ulloa, several relations and friends, and a good many armed and trusty servants. Do?a Magdalena performed this journey as far as Granada in a litter, and from there to Canilles she rode strong mules17 lent her by the Archbishop; so long were the stages and so short the rests, that in five days she had traversed the sixty leagues which separated her from her lord and husband Luis Quijada. Meanwhile he felt that he was dying little by little, as he had himself said of the Emperor on the eve of his death. D. John had suspended operations, and looked after and helped Luis Quijada by himself as long as possible. These filial cares touched the old soldier, and he gave him counsels and warnings, and warmly commended good Do?a Magdalena to him, although he did not really believe that he was actually dying.
But when he heard from D. John himself that Do?a Magdalena was already on the way, and knew of all the loving precautions he had taken to protect her journey, the veteran's eyes filled with tears, and putting his only available hand on D. John's head, he pressed it with a manly19 and supreme20 effort. The advent21 of death laid bare the tenderness of his heart and smoothed his rugged22 nature. On the 20th of February, 1570, he was very much exhausted, and for the first time realised that his end was near. He at once asked for the sacraments, and D. John brought a Franciscan friar, one of those who followed the army, and was at the convent of Canilles. He was the then celebrated23 Fr. Christóbal de Molina, the hero of Tablate, whose dreadful gorge24 he was the first to cross, on a fragile plank25, his frock turned up, a sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other. Owing to the great terror inspired in the Moors26, and the heroic emulation27 of the Christians28, to the daring of the friar was due the defeat of the former and the victory of the latter, and the relief of Orgiva, sorely pressed by Aben-Humeya. Fr. Christóbal was small and ill-looking, and at his first visit Luis Quijada did not like him. When D. John, who revered29 him much, asked the reason, Quijada answered candidly30, "He distracts me and makes me worry, thinking how such a wretched little man could do so brave a deed."
Quijada, however, confessed to him with great contrition31 for his sins, and the same day they brought the Viaticum from St. Mary's and he received extreme unction, waited on by D. John, who most lovingly uncovered his hands and feet to be anointed with the holy oils. The next day, before the auditor32 of the army, Juan Bravo, he made a long codicil33 whose clauses all breathe the same simple piety34, at times rude, of the great warriors35 of former times, in which, no doubt, lay the secret of their courage. A celebrated, but by no means devout36 author, says, "Heaven smiles on the soldier who can dash into the fray37 uttering the holy war cry 'I believe.'"
Luis Quijada left the poor heirs of all his considerable wealth that was not entailed38, and the usufruct of it to Do?a Magdalena. He founded granaries and "monts de piété" in his four towns of Villagarcia, Villanueva de los Caballeros, Santofimia and Villamayor, founded schools, endowed hospitals with a special income that the dying should want for nothing, and added clauses referring to Do?a Magdalena in this tender way: "And if Do?a Magdalena thinks it best to join our estates and found some convent of friars or nuns39, provided that they are not the bare-footed nuns, as it is so cold at Campos that they could not live there, in this case I give power to Do?a Magdalena and my executors, that joined, she may dispose of and order them, as our wishes have both been to make a perpetual foundation with her property and mine, and that we should be buried together and have in death the same good companionship we had in life."
On the morning of the 23rd Luis Quijada was rather restless from fever, and a little before noon Jorge de Lima arrived saying that Do?a Magdalena was only one hour behind. D. John went to meet her at the entrance of the village, and led her himself to Quijada's bedside. In his delirium40 Quijada did not know her, but at dawn this disappeared as the fever lowered, and he had long, loving talks with her. He again wandered in the afternoon of the 24th, and never again came to himself; this strong life was ebbing41 away, little by little, and on the 25th of February at dusk he quietly expired, as one who passes from the natural to the eternal sleep. D. John held the hand which grasped the candle of the dying, Do?a Magdalena, on the other side, showed him the crucifix, and Fr. Christóbal de Molina, kneeling at his feet, commended the passing soul.
At the moment of death D. John embraced Do?a Magdalena, pressing her to his heart, as if he wished to show that he still remained to love and care for her; the lady hid her face for a moment in that loyal breast, and three or four dry, hoarse42 sobs43 escaped from her, signs rather of manly sorrow than of feminine weakness; but she recovered herself at once, and with great calmness and devotion closed the dead man's eyes, according to the custom of the times, sealing them with drops of wax from the candle of the dying; keeping the lids closed with her fingers and D. John dropping the wax. There were present the Knight44 Commander D. Luis de Requesens, the Marqués de la Mota, and the other captains and gentlemen who filled the poor habitation, the rest grouping themselves in the street, waiting sorrowfully for the fatal conclusion.
They dressed the corpse45 in his war armour46, and, as a sign of piety, in a Franciscan's cloak; the hands were crossed over the breast, on which rested his sword, whose handle was a cross. D. John arranged that the corpse should be exposed all the morning before the army, on a litter adorned47 with trophies48 and flags, and that in the afternoon they should carry it and bury it in the convent of the Heronimites at Baza, which was the place Quijada had himself chosen, until Do?a Magdalena could carry it elsewhere.[10] All the army were on the march with arquebuses reversed, the lances, pikes and flags trailing, the drums muffled49, the clarions and pipes untuned. The oldest captains carried the litter alternately, and behind them went D. John, riding a mule18, covered to the ground with mourning, he wearing a cloak with a hood50 which covered him to the eyes, his standard of Generalissimo in front, not reversed like the other flags, but carried high as usual; the Knight Commander followed and all the leaders of the army, more or less wearing mourning, according to what black cloth they could procure51 in that wretched place.
Do?a Magdalena stayed on three days in the camp and then went to the convent of Abrojo, where she intended retiring for a few weeks. She travelled in a very comfortable mourning litter which D. John had provided for her, and he accompanied her for two leagues beyond Canilles, riding by the side of her litter. There they separated: she sad as one having left behind all she loved; he sad too—as sad as one can be at twenty-three.
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1
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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pebble
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| n.卵石，小圆石 | |
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3
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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4
moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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5
rebound
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| v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回 | |
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6
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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7
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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8
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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9
itinerary
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| n.行程表，旅行路线；旅行计划 | |
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10
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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11
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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12
garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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13
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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14
intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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15
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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16
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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17
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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18
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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19
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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20
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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21
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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23
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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24
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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25
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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26
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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28
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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29
revered
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| v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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31
contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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32
auditor
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| n.审计员，旁听着 | |
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33
codicil
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| n.遗嘱的附录 | |
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34
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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35
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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36
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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37
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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38
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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39
nuns
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| n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 ) | |
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40
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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41
ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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42
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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43
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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44
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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45
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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46
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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47
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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48
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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49
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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50
hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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51
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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