--- title: Don Roderick Receives an Extraordinary Embassy. — Legends of the conquest of Spain · full text with trees description: Don Roderick Receives an Extraordinary Embassy., «Legends of the conquest of Spain» by Washington Irving: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The heart of Don Roderick was not so depraved by sensuality, but that the wrong he had been guilty of toward --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/7/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Legends of the conquest of Spain](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/) / Don Roderick Receives an Extraordinary… # Don Roderick Receives an Extraordinary Embassy. Don Roderick Receives an Extraordinary Embassy. of «Legends of the conquest of Spain» by Washington Irving: the whole text, 30 sentences and 896 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. The heart of Don Roderick was not so depraved by sensuality, but that the wrong he had been guilty of toward the innocent Florinda, and the disgrace he had inflicted on her house, weighed heavy on his spirits, and a cloud began to gather on his once clear and unwrinkled brow.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Heaven, at this time, say the old Spanish chronicles, permitted a marvellous intimation of the wrath with which it intended to visit the monarch and his people, in punishment of their sins; nor are we, say the same orthodox writers, to startle, and withhold our faith, when we meet in the page of discreet and sober history with these signs and portents, which transcend the probabilities of ordinary life; for the revolutions of empires and the downfall of mighty kings are awful events, that shake the physical as well as the moral world, and are often announced by forerunning marvels and prodigious omens.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") With such-like cautious preliminaries do the wary but credulous historiographers of yore usher in a marvellous event of prophecy and enchantment, linked in ancient story with the fortunes of Don Roderick, but which modern doubters would fain hold up as an apocryphal tradition of Arabian origin.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, so it happened, according to the legend, that about this time, as King Roderick was seated one day on his throne, surrounded by his nobles, in the ancient city of Toledo, two men of venerable appearance entered the hall of audience.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Their snowy beards descended to their breasts, and their gray hairs were bound with ivy.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") They were arrayed in white garments of foreign or antiquated fashion, which swept the ground, and were cinctured with girdles, wrought with the signs of the zodiac, from which were suspended enormous bunches of keys of every variety of form.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Having approached the throne and made obeisance: “Know, O King,” said one of the old men, “that in days of yore, when Hercules of Libya, surnamed the strong, had set up his pillars at the ocean strait, he erected a tower near to this ancient city of Toledo.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") He built it of prodigious strength, and finished it with magic art, shutting up within it a fearful secret, never to be penetrated without peril and disaster.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") To protect this terrible mystery he closed the entrance to the edifice with a ponderous door of iron, secured by a great lock of steel; and he left a command that every king who should succeed him should add another lock to the portal; denouncing woe and destruction on him who should eventually unfold the secret of the tower.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “The guardianship of the portal was given to our ancestors, and has continued in our family, from generation to generation, since the days of Hercules.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Several kings, from time to time, have caused the gate to be thrown open, and have attempted to enter, but have paid dearly for their temerity.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Some have perished within the threshold, others have been overwhelmed with horror at tremendous sounds, which shook the foundations of the earth, and have hastened to reclose the door, and secure it with its thousand locks.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, since the days of Hercules, the inmost recesses of the pile have never been penetrated by mortal man, and a profound mystery continues to prevail over this great enchantment.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") This, O king, is all we have to relate; and our errand is to entreat thee to repair to the tower and affix thy lock to the portal, as has been done by all thy predecessors.”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Having thus said, the ancient men made a profound reverence and departed from the presence chamber.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") \[10\][16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") Don Roderick remained for some time lost in thought after the departure of the men: he then dismissed all his court, excepting the venerable Urbino, at that time archbishop of Toledo.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The long white beard of this prelate bespoke his advanced age, and his overhanging eyebrows showed him a man full of wary counsel.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “Father,” said the king, “I have an earnest desire to penetrate the mystery of this tower.”[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") The worthy prelate shook his hoary head: “Beware, my son,” said he; “there are secrets hidden from man for his good.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Your predecessors for many generations have respected this mystery, and have increased in might and empire.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") A knowledge of it, therefore, is not material to the welfare of your kingdom.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") Seek not then to indulge a rash and unprofitable curiosity, which is interdicted under such awful menaces.”[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") “Of what importance,” cried the king, “are the menaces of Hercules, the Lybian? was he not a pagan? and can his enchantments have aught avail against a believer in our holy faith?[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Doubtless, in this tower are locked up treasures of gold and jewels, amassed in days of old, the spoils of mighty kings, the riches of the pagan world.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") My coffers are exhausted; I have need of supply; and surely it would be an acceptable act in the eyes of Heaven, to draw forth this wealth which lies buried under profane and necromantic spells, and consecrate it to religious purposes.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The venerable archbishop still continued to remonstrate, but Don Roderick heeded not his counsel, for he was led on by his malignant star.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Father,” said he, “it is in vain you attempt to dissuade me.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") My resolution is fixed.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow I will explore the hidden mystery, or rather the hidden treasures of this tower.”[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Story of Florinda.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/6/) - next →: [Story of the Marvellous and Portentous Tower.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/8/) - ↑ back to [Legends of the conquest of Spain](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/)