als deus en la ylla don Paris sen porta la Reyna Elena: e perço hagueren en temps antich los Grechs victoria dels Troyans.
This proposal is surprising. Why should such a suggestion
be made in a Christian court? We find the answer
in the following passage taken from the Chronica:
[1] E en aquella illa del Tenedo en aquell temps
hauia una ydola, e venien hi un mes del any tots
los honrrats homens de Romania, e les honrrades
dones a romeria. E axi fo, que en aquell temps
Arena, muller del duch de Tenes, hi vench en romeria
ab C cauallers qui lacompanyaren, e Paris,
fill del rey Priam de Troya, axi mateix era vengut
a romeria, e hauia ab si entro cinquanta cauallers.
E vae la dona Arena, e altas tant della, que dix
a sos homens, que mester era, que lagues e la sen
menas. E axi com so mes en cor, axi fo: que
garnis ab tota sa companya, e pres la dona, e
volch sen menar. E aquells cauallers qui eren
ab ella volgren la li defendre, e finalment tots
cent muriren, e Paris menassan la dona.
- [Footnote: whence Paris carried away Queen Helen: it was in this way that,
in ancient times, the Greeks won a victory over the Trojans. Tirant lo Blanch, chap. cxxiii, col. 4.]wife of the Duke of Tenes [Athens?] came thither on a pilgrimage with a hundred knights who accompanied her. And Paris, the son of King Priam of Troy, likewise had come on a pilgrimage and he had with him about fifty knights. He saw the Lady Arena, and fell so deeply in love with her that he said to his men that he must have her and carry her away with him. And what he had set his heart upon doing was done: he made ready to carry out his purpose with his company, and he seized the lady and was about to take her away. And those knights who were with her tried to defend her, and finally every one of the hundred was killed and Paris carried away the lady. Muntaner's Chronica, chap. ccxiv.]
- ↑ And on that island of Tenedos, there was at that time an idol, and one month in every year all the noble men and noble ladies of Romania came thither on a pilgrimage. And thus it was that at that time Arena [Helen
