Page:Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical setting (IA cu31924026512263).pdf/113

 CHAPTER II

IN WHAT WAY WAS DE GALBA CONNECTED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF TIRANT LO BLANCH?

We are told in the note at the end of the book that Martorell, because of his death, was unable to translate more than three parts of it, and that "la quarta part que es la fi del libre es stada traduida per lo magnifich caualler Mossen Marti Johan de Galba." Now the question arises: What did de Galba have to do with the production of Tirant lo Blanch? It is difficult to answer the question definitely.

In the first place, we do not know what the four parts of the book are. Martorell, at the beginning of the work, probably intended to divide it into a number of parts, for, after the dedication and the prologue, we read: "Comença la primera part del libre de Tirant la qual tracta de certs virtuosos actes que feu lo Comte Guillem de Ueroych en los seus benaventurats darrers dies." Then, in the chapter immediately following this caption, we find these words: "E per tant com la divina providencia ha ordenat, e li plau que los .vii. planets donen influencia en lo mon e tenen domini sobre la humana natura per ço ab lo diuinal adiutori sera departit lo present libre de caualleria en .vii. parts principals La primera part sera del principi de caualleria. La segona sera del stament e offici de caualleria, etc." After informing us of what these seven parts shall treat, he makes this puzzling statement: "Les quals .vii. parts de caualleria seran deduydes en serta part del