--- title: Story of the Marvellous and Portentous Tower. — Legends of the conquest of Spain · full text with trees · page 2 description: Story of the Marvellous and Portentous Tower., «Legends of the conquest of Spain» by Washington Irving: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The morning sun shone brightly upon the cliff-built towers of Toledo, when King Roderick issued out of the gat --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/8/page/2/) [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/) / Story of the Marvellous and Portentous… # Story of the Marvellous and Portentous Tower. · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/8/) **2** “In this coffer is contained the mystery of the tower.[48](../../48/ "tree and pragmatics") The hand of none but a king can open it; but let him beware! for marvellous events will be revealed to him, which are to take place before his death.”[49](../../49/ "tree and pragmatics") King Roderick boldly seized upon the casket.[50](../../50/ "tree and pragmatics") The venerable archbishop laid his hand upon his arm, and made a last remonstrance.[51](../../51/ "tree and pragmatics") “Forbear, my son!” said he; “desist while there is yet time.[52](../../52/ "tree and pragmatics") Look not into the mysterious decrees of Providence.[53](../../53/ "tree and pragmatics") God has hidden them in mercy from our sight, and it is impious to rend the veil by which they are concealed.”[54](../../54/ "tree and pragmatics") “What have I to dread from a knowledge of the future?” replied Roderick, with an air of haughty presumption.[55](../../55/ "tree and pragmatics") “If good be destined me, I shall enjoy it by anticipation: if evil, I shall arm myself to meet it.”[56](../../56/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, he rashly broke the lock.[57](../../57/ "tree and pragmatics") Within the coffer he found nothing but a linen cloth, folded between two tablets of copper.[58](../../58/ "tree and pragmatics") On unfolding it, he beheld painted on it figures of men on horseback, of fierce demeanour, clad in turbans and robes of various colours, after the fashion of the Arabs, with scimitars hanging from their necks, and cross-bows at their saddle backs, and they carried banners and pennons with divers devices.[59](../../59/ "tree and pragmatics") Above them was inscribed in Greek characters, “Rash monarch! behold the men who are to hurl thee from thy throne, and subdue thy kingdom!”[60](../../60/ "tree and pragmatics") At sight of these things the king was troubled in spirit, and dismay fell upon his attendants.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") While they were yet regarding the paintings, it seemed as if the figures began to move, and a faint sound of warlike tumult arose from the cloth, with the clash of cymbal and bray of trumpet, the neigh of steed and shout of army; but all was heard indistinctly, as if afar off, or in a reverie or dream.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") The more they gazed, the plainer became the motion, and the louder the noise; and the linen cloth rolled forth, and amplified and spread out, as it were, a mighty banner, and filled the hall, and mingled with the air, until its texture was no longer visible, or appeared as a transparent cloud: and the shadowy figures became all in motion, and the din and uproar became fiercer and fiercer; and whether the whole were an animated picture, or a vision, or an array of embodied spirits, conjured up by supernatural power, no one present could tell.[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") They beheld before them a great field of battle, where Christians and Moslems were engaged in deadly conflict.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") They heard the rush and tramp of steeds, the blast of trump and clarion, the clash of cymbal, and the stormy din of a thousand drums.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") There was the clash of swords, and maces, and battle-axes, with the whistling of arrows, and the hurling of darts and lances.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") The Christians quailed before the foe; the infidels pressed upon them and put them to utter rout; the standard of the cross was cast down, the banner of Spain was trodden under foot, the air resounded with shouts of triumph, with yells of fury, and with the groans of dying men.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") Amidst the flying squadrons, King Roderick beheld a crowned warrior, whose back was turned towards him, but whose armour and device were his own, and who was mounted on a white steed that resembled his own war horse Orelia.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") In the confusion of the flight, the warrior was dismounted, and was no longer to be seen, and Orelia galloped wildly through the field of battle without a rider.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") Roderick stayed to see no more, but rushed from the fatal hall, followed by his terrified attendants.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") They fled through the outer chamber, where the gigantic figure with the whirling mace had disappeared from his pedestal; and on issuing into the open air, they found the two ancient guardians of the tower lying dead at the portal, as though they had been crushed by some mighty blow.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") All nature, which had been clear and serene, was now in wild uproar.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") The heavens were darkened by heavy clouds; loud bursts of thunder rent the air, and the earth was deluged with rain and rattling hail.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") The king ordered that the iron portal should be closed; but the door was immoveable, and the cavaliers were dismayed by the tremendous turmoil and the mingled shouts and groans that continued to prevail within.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") The king and his train hastened back to Toledo, pursued and pelted by the tempest.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") The mountains shook and echoed with the thunder, trees were uprooted and blown down, and the Tagus raged and roared and flowed above its banks.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") It seemed to the affrighted courtiers as if the phantom legions of the tower had issued forth and mingled with the storm; for amidst the claps of thunder and the howling of the wind, they fancied they heard the sound of the drums and trumpets, the shouts of armies and the rush of steeds.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus beaten by tempest, and overwhelmed with horror, the king and his courtiers arrived at Toledo, clattering across the bridge of the Tagus, and entering the gate in headlong confusion, as though they had been pursued by an enemy.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") In the morning the heavens were again serene, and all nature was restored to tranquillity.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") The king, therefore, issued forth with his cavaliers and took the road to the tower, followed by a great multitude, for he was anxious once more to close the iron door, and shut up those evils that threatened to overwhelm the land.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") But lo! on coming in sight of the tower, a new wonder met their eyes.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") An eagle appeared high in the air, seeming to descend from heaven.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") He bore in his beak a burning brand, and lighting on the summit of the tower, fanned the fire with his wings.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") In a little while the edifice burst forth into a blaze as though it had been built of rosin, and the flames mounted into the air with a brilliancy more dazzling than the sun; nor did they cease until every stone was consumed and the whole was reduced to a heap of ashes.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") Then there came a vast flight of birds, small of size and sable of hue, darkening the sky like a cloud; and they descended and wheeled in circles round the ashes, causing so great a wind with their wings that the whole was borne up into the air and scattered throughout all Spain, and wherever a particle of those ashes fell it was as a stain of blood.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") It is furthermore recorded by ancient men and writers of former days, that all those on whom this dust fell were afterwards slain in battle, when the country was conquered by the Arabs, and that the destruction of this necromantic tower was a sign and token of the approaching perdition of Spain.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") “Let all those,” concludes the cautious friar, “who question the verity of this most marvellous occurrence, consult those admirable sources of our history, the chronicle of the Moor Rasis, and the work entitled, ‘The Fall of Spain,’ written by the Moor, Abulcasim Tarif Abentarique.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") Let them consult, moreover, the venerable historian Bleda, and the cloud of other Catholic Spanish writers, who have treated of this event, and they will find I have related nothing that has not been printed and published under the inspection and sanction of our holy mother church.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") God alone knoweth the truth of these things; I speak nothing but what has been handed down to me from times of old.”[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/8/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/8/) - next →: [Chapter VIII.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/9/) - ↑ back to [Legends of the conquest of Spain](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg77685/)