ABSTRACT

And the said King Manfred lived more magnificently that any other lord in the world, and with greater doings, and with greater expenditure ; so that this marriage pleased the' Lord King En Jaime of Aragon and the Lord Infante En Pedro, his son, more than any other in the world. He selected worthy and honourable messengers who went to conclude the matter with King Manfred’s messengers who had come for that purpose. And when they came to Naples they concluded their business with King Manfred ; and with ten well-equipped galleys they brought away the damsel, who was fourteen years old and the most beautiful creature and the most discreet and virtuous that lived at that time. And, very joyously and very gaily, with a great company of richs homens and knights and citizens and prelates and ladies and damsels, they brought her to Catalonia to the Lord Infante and he took her for his wife according

to the law, as Holy Church commands.1 And the good 1262 king his father, and all his brothers and all the barons of Aragon and of Catalonia were present at his wedding. And I could tell you the great doings at these nuptials, but they who would know them, let them go to the book that was made about the said Lord Infante En Pedro after he was king, and there they will find the noble doings and the great gifts that were made at these nuptials, and other long accounts which I refrain from writing because they are written already.2 And by this damsel, who was called Queen Costanza, the Lord Infante En Pedro had many children of whom four sons and two damsels survived the said Lady Queen and their father; namely, the Infante En Alfonso and the Infante En Jaime and the Infante En Fadrique and the Infante En Pedro. And all these lords became the wisest princes of the world and the most accomplished in feats of arms and in all feats, as you will see further on, when it is time and place for me to speak of them. And of the damsels, as I have told you before, one became Queen of Portugal, and the other became the wife of King Robert,3 King of Jerusalem.