ABSTRACT
And, as soon as I had surrendered the islands and had the letter of discharge, I took leave of the Lord King and returned to the Lord Infante whom I found in Messina, preparing to embark. And I told him that I had come to serve him and to go on board the galleys and also to lend him all I had. And on the day I told him this, he said to me he would answer me on the following day. And next day, when he had heard mass, he summoned a great number of knights and of men of good birth and before all he said to me :— “ En Ramon Muntaner, it is the truth that you are the man to whom We are more beholden than to any other.” And here he gave m any good reasons and acknowledged how I had lost, in his service, all I had brought from Romania ; and, again, that I was put into prison with him, and how King Robert had done me much hurt because of him ; and how I had lent him of m y fortune in Romania and given up all I had ; and, again, how I had left all the charges I had in the Company for him, and m any other services which I do not remember, which he heard I had done him ; especially that, for love of him, I had given up the command of Jerba, which I had had for seven years ; again, that I had lent him, at that juncture, all the money I had. “ And so,” said he, “ so m any are the services you have rendered me that I could not reward them at all. But now We have arrived at a case in which the service We beg of you will surpass all the other services you have rendered Us ; and We beg you, in the presence of these knights, to grant Us this service.” And I rose and went to kiss his hand and gave him m any thanks for the praise he had given me and for holding himself well served by me. And I
