WRITING AUTHORITY IN LATE MEDIEVAL ... - Cornell University

Of course, Ayala’s “translation” certainly gives verisimilitude to his history by adjoining
a “first-hand” document to the narrative. However, his frame to the epistle is too much of a trope
of political specula to be taken at face value by any reader versed in political discourse:
Asi fue que el rey don Pedro despues que la pelea de Najara fue vençida, enbio sus cartas a vn
moro de Granada de quien el fiaua, e era su amigo, e era grant sabidor e grand filosofo e
consegero del rey de Granada, el qual auia nonbre Benaharin, en que le fizo saber commo auia
vençido en pelea a sus enemigos, e commo estaua ya en su regno muy aconpannado de muchas
gentes nobles e estrannas que le vinieron ayudar. E el moro, despues que resçibio las cartas del
rey, enbiole respuesta con castigos çiertos e buenos, de la qual el treslado es este: Las gracias sean
dadas a Dios…Sabed que yo soy en parte del Andalozia, faziendo saber a alas gentes el vuestro
poder…que si vos de tal commo yo de demandades que cunpla los vuestros conplimientos commo
a tal commo a vos pertenesçe, seria a mi muy graue sin alguna dubda de mas que non son en mi,
nin puedo aver apartamiento para estudiar e muchos otros negoçios que me enbargan.
It was in this manner that the king Don Pedro after the fight of Najera was won, sent his letters to
a moor of Granada, whom he relied on, and he was his friend, and he was a great wise man and
philosopher and councilor to the king of Granada., whose name was Benaharin, to whom he made
known how he had conquered in a war with his enemies, and how he was now in his kingdom
accompanied of many great noble and foreign people who came to aid him. And the Moor, after
he received the letters of the king, sent him an answer with true and good examples, of which the
translation is this: Thanks be to God… you should know that I am in Andalusia, letting people
know your power…that if I, just as you demand, come to fulfill my honor to you, just as you
deserve, it would be too grave without casting a great doubt to those who are not of my part, nor
could I take leave to study and do other business that press me. 313
If the letter was not thought to be tropic and hence not real, it would be hard to see it as a proper
letter for Enrique or his supporters to read since it contradicts the Trastamaran depiction of
Muslims as enemies of the State. Ayala’s speculum exemplifies Benaharin’s role as a wise
advisor whose “castigos çiertos e buenos” ‘true and good teachings’ should be heeded by
anyone. The infidel Benaharin does not advise incorrectly or in an “un-Christian” manner. Quite
the contrary, the narrator says that, because Pedro “no se allego a las cosas en ella contenidas”
‘did not approach the things in contained in it,’ he fared much worse in the coming conflict.
The letter’s tropic gestures, however, do not mean that it was read as a way of
representing the historical political maxims which Pedro had ignored, i.e. Benaharin was not
simply a mouthpiece of Trastamaran grievances. For example, Benaharin counsels Pedro to
313 López de Ayala Corónica 174-175.
186