 army received these demands with such
acclamations that I was obliged to comply with them, as I could by no means
discover the imposition, nor do I believe I should have gained any credit if I
had.«
    »I had now done with the saint, but the bishop had not; for about a week
afterwards lights were seen in a wood near where the battle was fought; and in a
short time afterwards they discovered his tomb at the same place. Upon this the
bishop made me a visit, and forced me to go thither, to build a church to him,
and largely endow it. In a word, the good man so plagued me with miracle after
miracle, that I was forced to make interest with the pope to convey him to
Toledo, to get rid of him.«
    »But to proceed to other matters. - There was an inferior officer, who had
behaved very bravely in the battle against the Moors, and had received several
wounds, who solicited me for preferment; which I was about to confer on him,
when one of my ministers came to me in a fright, and told me that he had
promised the post I designed for this man to the son of count Alderedo; and that
the count, who was a powerful person, would be greatly disobliged at the
refusal, as he had sent for his son from school to take possession of it. I was
obliged to agree with my minister's reasons, and at the same time recommended
the wounded soldier to be preferred by him, which he faithfully promised he
would; but I met the poor wretch since in Elysium, who informed me he was
afterwards starved to death.«
    »None who hath not been himself a prince, nor any prince till his death, can
conceive the impositions daily put on them by their favourites and ministers; so
that princes are often blamed for the faults of others. The count of Saldagne
had been long confined in prison, when his son D. Bernard del Carpio, who had
performed the greatest actions against the Moors, entreated me, as a reward for
his service, to grant him his father's liberty. The old man's punishment had
been so tedious, and the services of the young one so singularly eminent, that I
was very inclinable to grant the request; but my ministers strongly opposed it;
they told me my glory demanded revenge for the dishonour offered to my family;
that so positive a demand carried with it rather the air of menace than
entreaty; that the vain detail of his services, and the recompense due to
