Page:Tirant lo Blanch; a study of its authorship, principal sources and historical setting (IA cu31924026512263).pdf/65

 young Capita Major. Diaphebus naturally made an effort to see the princess and Stephania, and not without success. The words he spoke to Carmesina increased greatly her admiration for Tirant. His own love affair made wonderful progress during this visit. (Chaps. 144-148)

The Turks, having lost one hundred thousand men since Tirant became the leader of the imperial army, held a council, in which it was decreed that the foreign captain, Tirant lo Blanch, must be slain. The King of Egypt was designated as the one to accomplish this, since he was the most skillful of them all in the use of arms. The sultan himself said: "If this devil of a man had not come from France, we should even now be in the palace of Constantinople, and should already have made a mosque of the beautiful church there. We shall never be able to accomplish that, if this captain lives much longer." (Chaps. 148-149)

The King of Egypt accordingly challenged Tirant to mortal combat. In the challenge this king stated that he had made a vow to his lady-love that he would engage in a combat à outrance with a king or a king's son, or with the best captain of the Christian army, and that it was his intenton to send her the head of Tirant to show that his vow had been accomplished. He also suggested that each one of them should champion the cause of a lady, and then the combat should also determine which one of these ladies excelled in beauty, dignity, virtue, lineage, grace, and wisdom. The challenge and the suggestion were accepted. It was agreed that the King of Egypt should fight in behalf of his lady-love, the Grand Turk's daughter, and Tirant, in behalf of Carmesina, the emperor's daughter. The combat was to take place on the field of battle, on August the twentieth, four days earlier, or four days later. (Chaps. 149-152)

Tirant was making preparations for a supreme effort to win a decisive victory over the enemy. But the