y
narrated to him the occurrences at Barcelona. Don Sancho was proceeding
to make peace between the combatants, but there was no need of that, for
he found them already dismounted and embracing their sons with tears of
joy. There now appeared at the entrance of the valley a great number of
armed men on foot and on horseback: these were the vassals of the three
knights, who had come to support the cause of their respective lords;
but when they saw them embracing the pilgrims they halted, and knew not
what to think until Don Sancho briefly recounted to them what he had
learned from his daughter. The joy of all was unbounded. Five of the
vassals immediately mounted the pilgrims on their own horses, and the
whole party set out for the house of Marco Antonio's father, where it
was arranged that the two weddings should be celebrated. On the way Don
Rafael and Marco Antonio learned that the cause of the quarrel which had
been so happily ended was a challenge sent to the father of the latter
by the fathers of Teodosia and Leocadia, under the belief that he had
been privy to the acts of seduction committed by his son. The two
challengers having found him alone would not take any advantage of him,
but agreed to fight him one after the other, like brave and generous
knights. The combat, nevertheless, must have ended in the death of one
or all of them but for the timely arrival of their children, who gave
thanks to God for so happy a termination of the dispute.

The day after the arrival of the pilgrims, Marco Antonio's father
celebrated the marriages of his son and Teodosia, Don Rafael and
Leocadia, with extraordinary magnificence. The two wedded pairs lived
long and happily together, leaving an illustrious progeny which still
exists in their two towns, which are among the best in Andalusia. Their
names, however, we suppress, in deference to the two ladies, whom
malicious or prudish tongues might reproach with levity of conduct. But
I would beg of all such to forbear their sentence, until they have
examined themselves and seen whether they too have not been assailed
some time or other by what are called the arrows of Cupid, weapons whose
force is truly irresistible. Calvete was made happy with the gift of the
mule which Don Rafael had left at Salamanca, and with many other
presents; and the poets of the time took occasion to employ their pens
in celebrating the beauty and the adventures of the two damsels, as bold
as they were vir