The Legend of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa

by Washington Irving

　　BY THE AUTHOR OF THE SKETCH-BOOK.

　　In the cloisters of the ancient Benedictine convent of San Domingo, atSilos, in Castile, are the mouldering yet magnificent monuments of theonce powerful and chivalrous family of Hinojosa. Among these, reclinesthe marble figure of a knight, in complete armor, with the hands pressedtogether, as if in prayer. On one side of his tomb is sculptured inrelief a band of Christian cavaliers, capturing a cavalcade of male andfemale Moors; on the other side, the same cavaliers are representedkneeling before an altar. The tomb, like most of the neighboringmonuments, is almost in ruins, and the sculpture is nearlyunintelligible, excepting to the keen eye of the antiquary. The storyconnected with the sepulchre, however, is still preserved in the oldSpanish chronicles, and is to the following purport.

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　　In old times, several hundred years ago, there was a noble Castiliancavalier, named Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa, lord of a border castle,which had stood the brunt of many a Moorish foray. He had seventyhorsemen as his household troops, all of the ancient Castilian proof;stark warriors, hard riders, and men of iron; with these he scoured theMoorish lands, and made his name terrible throughout the borders. Hiscastle hall was covered with banners, and scimitars, and Moslem helms,the trophies of his prowess. Don Munio was, moreover, a keen huntsman;and rejoiced in hounds of all kinds, steeds for the chase, and hawks forthe towering sport of falconry. When not engaged in warfare, his delightwas to beat up the neighboring forests; and scarcely ever did he rideforth, without hound and horn, a boar-spear in his hand, or a hawk uponhis fist, and an attendant train of huntsmen.His wife, Donna Maria Palacin, was of a gentle and timid nature, littlefitted to be the spouse of so hardy and adventurous a knight; and manya tear did the poor lady shed, when he sallied forth upon his daringenterprises, and many a prayer did she offer up for his safety.As this doughty cavalier was one day hunting, he stationed himself in athicket, on the borders of a green glade of the forest, and dispersedhis followers to rouse the game, and drive it toward his stand. He hadnot been here long, when a cavalcade of Moors, of both sexes, cameprankling over the forest lawn. They were unarmed, and magnificentlydressed in robes of tissue and embroidery, rich shawls of India,bracelets and anklets of gold, and jewels that sparkled in the sun.At the head of this gay cavalcade, rode a youthful cavalier, superiorto the rest in dignity and loftiness of demeanor, and in splendor ofattire; beside him was a damsel, whose veil, blown aside by the breeze,displayed a face of surpassing beauty, and eyes cast down in maidenmodesty, yet beaming with tenderness and joy.Don Munio thanked his stars for sending him such a prize, and exulted atthe thought of bearing home to his wife the glittering spoils of theseinfidels. Putting his hunting-horn to his lips, he gave a blast thatrung through the forest. His huntsmen came running from all quarters,and the astonished Moors were surrounded and made captives.The beautiful Moor wrung her hands in despair, and her female attendantsuttered the most piercing cries. The young Moorish cavalier aloneretained self-possession. He inquired the name of the Christian knight,who commanded this troop of horsemen. When told that it was Don MunioSancho de Hinojosa, his countenance lighted up. Approaching thatcavalier, and kissing his hand, "Don Munio Sancho," said he, "I haveheard of your fame as a true and valiant knight, terrible in arms, butschooled in the noble virtues of chivalry. Such do I trust to find you.In me you behold Abadil, son of a Moorish Alcayde. I am on the way tocelebrate my nuptials with this lady; chance has thrown us in yourpower, but I confide in your magnanimity. Take all our treasure andjewels; demand what ransom you think proper for our person, but sufferus not to be insulted or dishonored."When the good knight heard this appeal, and beheld the beauty of theyouthful pair, his heart was touched with tenderness and courtesy."God forbid," said he, "that I should disturb such happy nuptials. Myprisoners in troth shall ye be, for fifteen days, and immured withinmy castle, where I claim, as conqueror, the right of celebrating yourespousals."So saying, he despatched one of his fleetest horsemen in advance, tonotify Donna Maria Palacin of the coming of this bridal party; while heand his huntsmen escorted the cavalcade, not as captors, but as a guardof honor. As they drew near to the castle, the banners were hung out,and the trumpets sounded from the battlements; and on their nearerapproach, the draw-bridge was lowered, and Donna Maria came forthto meet them, attended by her ladies and knights, her pages and herminstrels. She took the young bride, Allifra, in her arms, kissed herwith the tenderness of a sister, and conducted her into the castle. Inthe mean time, Don Munio sent forth missives in every direction, and hadviands and dainties of all kinds collected from the country round; andthe wedding of the Moorish lovers was celebrated with all possible stateand festivity. For fifteen days, the castle was given up to joy andrevelry. There were tiltings and jousts at the ring, and bullfights, andbanquets, and dances to the sound of minstrelsy. When the fifteen dayswere at an end, he made the bride and bridegroom magnificent presents,and conducted them and their attendants safely beyond the borders. Such,in old times, were the courtesy and generosity of a Spanish cavalier.Several years after this event, the King of Castile summoned his noblesto assist him in a campaign against the Moors. Don Munio Sancho wasamong the first to answer to the call, with seventy horsemen, allstaunch and well-tried warriors. His wife, Donna Maria, hung about hisneck. "Alas, my lord!" exclaimed she, "how often wilt thou tempt thyfate, and when will thy thirst for glory be appeased?""One battle more," replied Don Munio, "one battle more, for the honor ofCastile, and I here make a vow, that when this is over, I will lay by mysword, and repair with my cavaliers in pilgrimage to the sepulchre ofour Lord at Jerusalem." The cavaliers all joined with him in the vow,and Donna Maria felt in some degree soothed in spirit: still, she sawwith a heavy heart the departure of her husband, and watched his bannerwith wistful eyes, until it disappeared among the trees of the forest,The King of Castile led his army to the plains of Almanara, where theyencountered the Moorish host, near to Ucles. The battle was long andbloody; the Christians repeatedly wavered, and were as often rallied bythe energy of their commanders. Don Munio was covered with wounds, butrefused to leave the field. The Christians at length gave way, and theking was hardly pressed, and in danger of being captured.Don Munio called upon his cavaliers to follow him to the rescue. "Now isthe time," cried he, "to prove your loyalty. Fall to, like brave men!We fight for the true faith, and if we lose our lives here, we gain abetter life hereafter."Rushing with his men between the king and his pursuers, they checked thelatter in their career, and gave time for their monarch to escape; butthey fell victims to their loyalty. They all fought to the last gasp.Don Munio was singled out by a powerful Moorish knight, but having beenwounded in the right arm, he fought to disadvantage, and was slain. Thebattle being over, the Moor paused to possess himself of the spoils ofthis redoubtable Christian warrior. When he unlaced the helmet, however,and beheld the countenance of Don Munio, he gave a great cry, and smotehis breast. "Woe is me!" cried he: "I have slain my benefactor! Theflower of knightly virtue! the most magnanimous of cavaliers!"

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　　While the battle had been raging on the plain of Salmanara, Donna MariaPalacin remained in her castle, a prey to the keenest anxiety. Her eyeswere ever fixed on the road that led from the country of the Moors, andoften she asked the watchman of the tower, "What seest thou?"One evening, at the shadowy hour of twilight, the warden sounded hishorn. "I see," cried he, "a numerous train winding up the valley. Thereare mingled Moors and Christians. The banner of my lord is in theadvance. Joyful tidings!" exclaimed the old seneschal: "my lord returnsin triumph, and brings captives!" Then the castle courts rang withshouts of joy; and the standard was displayed, and the trumpets weresounded, and the draw-bridge was lowered, and Donna Maria went forthwith her ladies, and her knights, and her pages, and her minstrels, towelcome her lord from the wars. But as the train drew nigh, she beheld asumptuous bier, covered with black velvet, and on it lay a warrior, asif taking his repose: he lay in his armor, with his helmet on his head,and his sword in his hand, as one who had never been conquered, andaround the bier were the escutcheons of the house of Hinojosa.A number of Moorish cavaliers attended the bier, with emblems ofmourning, and with dejected countenances: and their leader cast himselfat the feet of Donna Maria, and hid his face in his hands. She beheld inhim the gallant Abadil, whom she had once welcomed with his bride toher castle, but who now came with the body of her lord, whom he hadunknowingly slain in battle!The sepulchre erected in the cloisters of the Convent of San Domingo wasachieved at the expense of the Moor Abadil, as a feeble testimony of hisgrief for the death of the good knight Don Munio, and his reverence forhis memory. The tender and faithful Donna Maria soon followed her lordto the tomb. On one of the stones of a small arch, beside his sepulchre,is the following simple inscription: "Hic jacet Maria Palacin, uxorMunonis Sancij de Finojosa:" Here lies Maria Palacin, wife of MunioSancho de Hinojosa.The legend of Don Munio Sancho does not conclude with his death. On thesame day on which the battle took place on the plain of Salmanara, achaplain of the Holy Temple at Jerusalem, while standing at the outergate, beheld a train of Christian cavaliers advancing, as if inpilgrimage. The chaplain was a native of Spain, and as the pilgrimsapproached, he knew the foremost to be Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa,with whom he had been well acquainted in former times. Hastening to thepatriarch, he told him of the honorable rank of the pilgrims at thegate. The patriarch, therefore, went forth with a grand procession ofpriests and monks, and received the pilgrims with all due honor. Therewere seventy cavaliers, beside their leader, all stark and loftywarriors. They carried their helmets in their hands, and their faceswere deadly pale. They greeted no one, nor looked either to the right orto the left, but entered the chapel, and kneeling before the Sepulchreof our Saviour, performed their orisons in silence. When they hadconcluded, they rose as if to depart, and the patriarch and hisattendants advanced to speak to them, but they were no more to be seen.Every one marvelled what could be the meaning of this prodigy. Thepatriarch carefully noted down the day, and sent to Castile to learntidings of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa. He received for reply, thaton the very day specified, that worthy knight, with seventy of hisfollowers, had been slain in battle. These, therefore, must have beenthe blessed spirits of those Christian warriors, come to fulfil theirvow of a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Such wasCastilian faith, in the olden time, which kept its word, even beyond thegrave.If any one should doubt of the miraculous apparition of these phantomknights, let him consult the History of the Kings of Castile and Leon,by the learned and pious Fray Prudencio de Sandoval, Bishop of Pamplona,where he will find it recorded in the History of the King Don AlonzoVI., on the hundred and second page. It is too precious a legend to belightly abandoned to the doubter.

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