However, we accept in full faith the statement of the author that he is a Valencian. The contents of his work corroborate it. He knew that Ferdinand was Prince of Portugal; but did the latter ask him to translate the English original? We cannot believe that there was such a book in English, and consequently we doubt that _Tirant_ was written at this request. We shall probably never be able to discover whether Martorell was personally acquainted with Prince Ferdinand, or whether he ever was in communication with him. The details of the dedicatory letter point in that direction, but perhaps that was only an ingenious way of the author to induce us to give credit to his statements. However that may be, there was probably some good reason for dedicating the work to the prince, but very likely we shall never know just what that reason was.
If we cannot believe that there was an English original, and we doubt that the book was first written in Portuguese, then it is probable that we shall conclude that _Tirant lo Blanch_ was first written in Catalan. Perhaps an attempt to prove that it is a Catalan production will help us solve the problem.
In the composition of this book, material drawn from Catalan history and Catalan literature has been utilized. The former we shall discuss in other parts of this work, but we take up at this time two of the literary sources. First let us give a series of parallel passages from Raymond Lull’s _Libre del Orde d’Cauayleria_ and from _Tirant lo Blanch_ in order to see what can be gained from a study of these.
_Libre del Orde d’Cauayleria_ _Tirant lo Blanch_
1^{ a} En aquell temps en la entrada 1^{ b} Lo virtuos rey de Anglaterra del gran iuern sesdevench perque a total oci e languiment que un gran Rey molt noble nos sotsmetessen: delibera, puix e de bones costumes be habundos, hauie contractat matrimoni, de hac manades corts: e per fer cridar cort general afi que la gran fama qui fon per la terra si fes gran exercici darmes. La de sa cort, hun assaut scuder fama fon divulgada per tots los tot sol, en son palaffre caualcant, regnes de cristians, de la grandissima anava a la cort per esser adobat festa que lo famos Rey a noueyl cauayler: on per lo preparaua. Seguis que un gentilom trebayl que hac sostengut d’son de linatge antich e natural caualcar, dementre que anaua de Bretanya, anant en companyia en son palaffre adormis. E en de molts altres gentils aquella hora lo cauayler qui en homens qui a la gran festa la forest fahia sa penitencia ffon anauen aturas mes darrer de vengut a la ffont contemplar tots e adormis sobrel roci fatigat Deu e menysprear la vanitat de del treball del gran cami que aquest mon, seguns que cascun fet hauia. Son cauall lexa lo jorn hauia acustumat. cami e pres per una senda qui Dementre que lescuder caualcaua dreçava ala delitosa font hon en axi, son palaffre exi d’l lermita staua qui en aquell cas cami e mes se per lo boscatge, se delitaua legir un libre qui es e ana tant la hon li plach per lo nomenat arbre de batalles. E boscatge, tro esdevench en la feya continuament gracies, com fontana hon lo cauayler estava aquell libre legia, a nostre en oracio. Lo cauayler qui viu Senyor Deu de les singulars venir lescuder lexa sa oracio e graties que en aquest mon hauia assech se en lo bel prat a la aconseguides servint lorde de ombra del arbre, e comença a caualleria. E stant axi veu legir a .i. libre que tenia en la venir per pla un home a cauall; fauda. e conegue que venia dormint; lexas de legir e nol volgue despertar. Lo palaffre con fo a la font Com lo roci fon dauant bech de laygua, e lescuder qui la font e veu laygua, acostasi senti en durment que son palaffre per voler beure: e per que tenia nos mouia, despertas, e la falça regna en larço de la viu denant si lo cauayler qui fo çella no podia: e tant bascha molt veyl, e hac gran barba e que fon forçat al gentilom ques lonchs cabels, e romputs vestiments: despertas: e obrint los hulls, se per la velea e per la veu dauant un hermita ab molt penitencia que fasia fo magre gran barba tota blancha: e quasi e descolorit, e per les lagremes les vestidures rompudes: e mostrauas que gitaua, sos hulls foren apoquits, flach e descolorit. E e ac esguart d’molta santa aço causaua la molta penitencia vida. que feya continuament, e per les moltes lagremes quels seus hulls destillauen li eren los hulls molt apoquits. Lo conspectu seu era de home admirable e de gran sanctedat.