In the Monastery reigned silence and peace. In the middle of this silence, Ferdinand found his calm, and peaceful serenity. He was able to find his equilibrium. He was helped by intense meditation in the Holy Scriptures. In particular the pages of the Nest Testament.
His escape provoked an authentic storm. When it was ascertained that the disappeared boy was in the Monastery of the canonicals, his brothers led by Alonso arrived at Saint Vincent Church demanding the restitution of the fugitive. However, Prior Conway opposed to it. He affirmed that seeing that Ferdinand had intention of entering the Monastery, he had the right to withhold the future canonical for a period of proof. The tempestuous interviews continued for the whole day. Conway didn`t surrender. After all he had on his side the Bishop of Lisbon, Gilbert, who was also English and with whom he had a sincere friendship.
Finally between the two contenders there was an agreement. Ferdinand’s brothers accepted to leave Ferdinand there. However, the matter of his entrance in the order was postponed till the time the knight of Buglione would have come back from the expedition and would have expressed his consent.
After such agreement, one day arrived at the Monastery lady Maria. She burst in tears when she saw her son dressed humbly and with his hair cut short. She hugged for a long times her beloved.
"O little Ferdinand, how happy I am to see you. I was desperate when you disappeared and nobody knew what had happened to you. I prayed... Luckily Father David has come and informed me that you were here. Why did you ran away? I believe that priesthood would be good for you, however not in a Monastery. Alonso is right. Since you were born in the family Buglione, you should pursue ecclesiastical dignitaries. Perhaps you could become a Bishop..."
"I want, mother, to consecrate my life to God, far from the temptations of the world. The Monastery’s life is the one that I like most. Here I can study..."
"You can consecrate your life to God in many different ways. I am not opposed to your projects. However I sincerely need to say that since your uncle Inigo brought to our house Emily, I thought that you would be happier in marrying her. It seemed that both of your liked each other’s company…"
"I sworn to serve God, mother. Only God."
"If you have made a vow, the bishop can untie it."
"I do not want to be freed!"
"Don’t you like Emily?"
"O mother! Is is not that. A man offers life only once. I wouldn’t be worth of my ancestors, if I would retreat from what I have offered once for all. My blood belongs to God.
"However you shouldn’t become knight. You are weak, delicate..."
"Christ can do of my offer what he wants. I however will not retreat."
"So, you want to remain in the Monastery?" she asked with a sigh."
"Yes."
"Then will you accept to move from this monastery so that you pursue other studies?"
He opened wide his arms to show that he didn’t know.
"I don’t know mother, what will happen next. Now I need to be in the silence of the Monastery."
Ferdinand was encircled by total silence. Thanks to it, he could dedicate himself with all his zeal to the studies. He was reading a lot. He spent a long time reading and studying books. The Monastery’s library was well furnished. He could alongside his Bible studies consult the works of the Fathers of the Church.
He had an excellent memory. He was able to remember the texts after having re-read them only a few times. In brief time he became famous for the fact that he was able to quote a piece of the Gospel opened at random.
Two years had passed since he was in the Monastery, when a certain day he was called at the gate. This time the guests were his brothers: Alonso and the second in order of age, Louis.
"Hello Ferdinand" they greeted him when they entered the visitors’ room.
He bowed deeply to his brothers and in silence he sat on the bench in front of his visitors. The sedentary life had allowed him to gain some weight. His face was pale and his black eyes blazed. He had short hair and clean trimmed cheeks. He kept on having the aspect of a young boy.
Alonso and Louis were dressed sumptuously. On the black velvet dazzled gold fibulas and little buttons, and on their chest hung precious chains. The rapier suspended at their side had the mounting ornated with gems set on it. The headgear with the feathers completed the clothing that was to underline the top lineage birth.
"We haven’t seen each other for a long time" said Alonso.
"You have changed quite a lot. You are pale. Are you happy here?"
"Yes, Alonso. I am very happy." he assured. "I have what I wanted: I can serve God, knowing Him and reflecting on Him through his works."
"It is true. You wanted that. It has arrived, however, the moment in which we must come to a definitive decision about your future. The years which you have been here, have been years of proof. Now we must decide what will happen next. If you still want to be a Priest, you must leave the Monastery. After a consultation with the Bishop we will decide in which place you should go to pursue a suitable doctrine and at the same time occupy in the Church the position which honours your birth."
"I will not leave the monastery, Alonso. I want to become Priest and monk. I don’t aspire to any dignity."
"You will not remain in the Monastery. I have already told you and I will tell you again."
"You have no right to decide on my life. When our father will come back I will ask him."
With a dry gesture from his hand, on which Ferdinand saw with amazement the ring of the Buglione’s family, Alonso stopped him from saying anything else.
"We came here to bring you news about our father." Alonso straightened himself on the armchair. He assumed a pathetic tone.
"Our most venerable father gave his life in the fight against the infidels. As you probably have heard, it has been a big battle at Las Navas de Toulouse. God has helped us and the Christian army has reported a splendid victory. The enemy has been defeated and has retreated towards the river Guadalquivir. The Sultan has looked for refuge in Africa. But our father has fallen while fighting heroically. He has covered with glory the birth of the Buglione. Since he has shed his blood for the faith he has conquered the Heaven. I think that you will remember, Ferdinand, that there is no study, there is no Monastery life compared to the shedding of ones blood."
He was standing incapable of speaking, dismayed. He held a lowered head and his fingers tightly weaved. He thought: "Would it be really like this, as Alonso says? Would the shed of blood in battle be something of incomparably more important than the peaceful service of God? If this is so, why Jesus didn’t give me health and strength so that I could serve Him with a sword? I would not have spared my life, willingly I would have fallen while fighting..."
He loved and admired his father, but he knew him so little. The knight Martin, for what he remembered, had been always in war. He appeared from time to time in his castle in Lisbon that his father had received in gift from the king after the conquest of the city. Even when he was in Portugal he spent most of his time in the capital, Coimbra, at the regal court. He took care of the administration of the goods of old Manuel, an old friend of his grandfather. Since he had lost an arm in war and since he had nobody in the world, he was working for the Buglione`s family.
"Who brought you the news of the death of our father?" he asked.
"Uncle Inigo." affirmed Alonso. "He has brought with him our father’s bones from the battle camp. We have decided that the funeral will take place the day after tomorrow. The remains of our father will rest in this church close to our grandfather remains. The funeral should be splendid. The reverend Bishop will head the procession. The King has promised to send one of his representatives. We have already agreed on everything with the Prior. I have asked him to send you home. We need you."
"For what?"
"What do you mean, for what?"
"There will be a gathering of all the family. We haven’t yet told you everything. The funeral will be double..."
"Who died? Speak!"
"Our mother, at the news that our father had died, she gave her soul to God..."
"Mother..." he whispered with pale lips.
The news has annihilated him. She had been there very recently. They had talked. She had told him with affection:
"Little Ferdinand..." and she had asked him what did he want to do for his future.
"Your brothers" she had said "especially Alonso, want that you study in Paris. You could certainly become a Bishop... I, however, continue to regret that you have denied the matrimony with Emily. She is a good girl. I would be so happy... But do not pay attention to my words! I would be most happy if you decide the way you want. Even if you would remain here, in the Monastery... I only want one thing, and that is that you always will serve God...."
Lady Maria enjoyed good fame of being a credulous woman and too submissive at the will of her children. It was for this kindliness that she was loved by anybody at the court of the Buglione. With regret he now thought that the years of struggle against the passions had allowed him to move away from his mother. He rarely saw her, he rarely spoke to her. Only now he was able to understand all her devotion, all her love.
"Couldn't you have summoned me so that I could come and say good-bye to her?" he said in a reproaching way.
"There was no time... In the house there was a big confusion..."
"Perhaps she wanted to tell me something..."
"He hasn't said anything. She had lost the faculty of speaking... But certainly she remembered of you. And now come with us."
He didn’t oppose any longer. He left the monastery towards his house amongst two splendid knights.
Chapter 4
Two years had passed since he was in the Monastery, when a certain day he was called at the gate. This time the guests were his brothers: Alonso and the second in order of age, Louis.
In the Monastery reigned silence and peace. In the middle of this silence, Ferdinand found his calm, and peaceful serenity. He was able to find his equilibrium. He was helped by intense meditation in the Holy Scriptures. In particular the pages of the Nest Testament.
His escape provoked an authentic storm. When it was ascertained that the disappeared boy was in the Monastery of the canonicals, his brothers led by Alonso arrived at Saint Vincent Church demanding the restitution of the fugitive. However, Prior Conway opposed to it. He affirmed that seeing that Ferdinand had intention of entering the Monastery, he had the right to withhold the future canonical for a period of proof. The tempestuous interviews continued for the whole day. Conway didn`t surrender. After all he had on his side the Bishop of Lisbon, Gilbert, who was also English and with whom he had a sincere friendship.
Finally between the two contenders there was an agreement. Ferdinand’s brothers accepted to leave Ferdinand there. However, the matter of his entrance in the order was postponed till the time the knight of Buglione would have come back from the expedition and would have expressed his consent.
After such agreement, one day arrived at the Monastery lady Maria. She burst in tears when she saw her son dressed humbly and with his hair cut short. She hugged for a long times her beloved.
"O little Ferdinand, how happy I am to see you. I was desperate when you disappeared and nobody knew what had happened to you. I prayed... Luckily Father David has come and informed me that you were here. Why did you ran away? I believe that priesthood would be good for you, however not in a Monastery. Alonso is right. Since you were born in the family Buglione, you should pursue ecclesiastical dignitaries. Perhaps you could become a Bishop..."
"I want, mother, to consecrate my life to God, far from the temptations of the world. The Monastery’s life is the one that I like most. Here I can study..."
"You can consecrate your life to God in many different ways. I am not opposed to your projects. However I sincerely need to say that since your uncle Inigo brought to our house Emily, I thought that you would be happier in marrying her. It seemed that both of your liked each other’s company…"
"I sworn to serve God, mother. Only God."
"If you have made a vow, the bishop can untie it."
"I do not want to be freed!"
"Don’t you like Emily?"
"O mother! Is is not that. A man offers life only once. I wouldn’t be worth of my ancestors, if I would retreat from what I have offered once for all. My blood belongs to God.
"However you shouldn’t become knight. You are weak, delicate..."
"Christ can do of my offer what he wants. I however will not retreat."
"So, you want to remain in the Monastery?" she asked with a sigh."
"Yes."
"Then will you accept to move from this monastery so that you pursue other studies?"
He opened wide his arms to show that he didn’t know.
"I don’t know mother, what will happen next. Now I need to be in the silence of the Monastery."
Ferdinand was encircled by total silence. Thanks to it, he could dedicate himself with all his zeal to the studies. He was reading a lot. He spent a long time reading and studying books. The Monastery’s library was well furnished. He could alongside his Bible studies consult the works of the Fathers of the Church.
He had an excellent memory. He was able to remember the texts after having re-read them only a few times. In brief time he became famous for the fact that he was able to quote a piece of the Gospel opened at random.
"Hello Ferdinand" they greeted him when they entered the visitors’ room.
He bowed deeply to his brothers and in silence he sat on the bench in front of his visitors. The sedentary life had allowed him to gain some weight. His face was pale and his black eyes blazed. He had short hair and clean trimmed cheeks. He kept on having the aspect of a young boy.
Alonso and Louis were dressed sumptuously. On the black velvet dazzled gold fibulas and little buttons, and on their chest hung precious chains. The rapier suspended at their side had the mounting ornated with gems set on it. The headgear with the feathers completed the clothing that was to underline the top lineage birth.
"We haven’t seen each other for a long time" said Alonso.
"You have changed quite a lot. You are pale. Are you happy here?"
"Yes, Alonso. I am very happy." he assured. "I have what I wanted: I can serve God, knowing Him and reflecting on Him through his works."
"It is true. You wanted that. It has arrived, however, the moment in which we must come to a definitive decision about your future. The years which you have been here, have been years of proof. Now we must decide what will happen next. If you still want to be a Priest, you must leave the Monastery. After a consultation with the Bishop we will decide in which place you should go to pursue a suitable doctrine and at the same time occupy in the Church the position which honours your birth."
"I will not leave the monastery, Alonso. I want to become Priest and monk. I don’t aspire to any dignity."
"You will not remain in the Monastery. I have already told you and I will tell you again."
"You have no right to decide on my life. When our father will come back I will ask him."
With a dry gesture from his hand, on which Ferdinand saw with amazement the ring of the Buglione’s family, Alonso stopped him from saying anything else.
"We came here to bring you news about our father." Alonso straightened himself on the armchair. He assumed a pathetic tone.
"Our most venerable father gave his life in the fight against the infidels. As you probably have heard, it has been a big battle at Las Navas de Toulouse. God has helped us and the Christian army has reported a splendid victory. The enemy has been defeated and has retreated towards the river Guadalquivir. The Sultan has looked for refuge in Africa. But our father has fallen while fighting heroically. He has covered with glory the birth of the Buglione. Since he has shed his blood for the faith he has conquered the Heaven. I think that you will remember, Ferdinand, that there is no study, there is no Monastery life compared to the shedding of ones blood."
He was standing incapable of speaking, dismayed. He held a lowered head and his fingers tightly weaved. He thought: "Would it be really like this, as Alonso says? Would the shed of blood in battle be something of incomparably more important than the peaceful service of God? If this is so, why Jesus didn’t give me health and strength so that I could serve Him with a sword? I would not have spared my life, willingly I would have fallen while fighting..."
He loved and admired his father, but he knew him so little. The knight Martin, for what he remembered, had been always in war. He appeared from time to time in his castle in Lisbon that his father had received in gift from the king after the conquest of the city. Even when he was in Portugal he spent most of his time in the capital, Coimbra, at the regal court. He took care of the administration of the goods of old Manuel, an old friend of his grandfather. Since he had lost an arm in war and since he had nobody in the world, he was working for the Buglione`s family.
"Who brought you the news of the death of our father?" he asked.
"Uncle Inigo." affirmed Alonso. "He has brought with him our father’s bones from the battle camp. We have decided that the funeral will take place the day after tomorrow. The remains of our father will rest in this church close to our grandfather remains. The funeral should be splendid. The reverend Bishop will head the procession. The King has promised to send one of his representatives. We have already agreed on everything with the Prior. I have asked him to send you home. We need you."
"For what?"
"What do you mean, for what?"
"There will be a gathering of all the family. We haven’t yet told you everything. The funeral will be double..."
"Who died? Speak!"
"Our mother, at the news that our father had died, she gave her soul to God..."
"Mother..." he whispered with pale lips.
The news has annihilated him. She had been there very recently. They had talked. She had told him with affection:
"Little Ferdinand..." and she had asked him what did he want to do for his future.
"Your brothers" she had said "especially Alonso, want that you study in Paris. You could certainly become a Bishop... I, however, continue to regret that you have denied the matrimony with Emily. She is a good girl. I would be so happy... But do not pay attention to my words! I would be most happy if you decide the way you want. Even if you would remain here, in the Monastery... I only want one thing, and that is that you always will serve God...."
Lady Maria enjoyed good fame of being a credulous woman and too submissive at the will of her children. It was for this kindliness that she was loved by anybody at the court of the Buglione. With regret he now thought that the years of struggle against the passions had allowed him to move away from his mother. He rarely saw her, he rarely spoke to her. Only now he was able to understand all her devotion, all her love.
"Couldn't you have summoned me so that I could come and say good-bye to her?" he said in a reproaching way.
"There was no time... In the house there was a big confusion..."
"Perhaps she wanted to tell me something..."
"He hasn't said anything. She had lost the faculty of speaking... But certainly she remembered of you. And now come with us."
He didn’t oppose any longer. He left the monastery towards his house amongst two splendid knights.
