Bellarion the Fortunate · Chapter
X: The Knight Bellarion explained
Bellarion returns to Milan alive after being presumed dead, leading survivors of his band.
What happens
Bellarion returns to Milan alive after being presumed dead, leading survivors of his band. He is celebrated by the city, receives a reward of ten thousand gold florins, and is knighted by Facino Cane. The Countess of Biandrate buckles his spurs. He adopts a variant of Facino's device. Carmagnola challenges him to a joust, but Bellarion feigns illness to avoid it. He has a tense encounter with Valeria, who reproaches him for his coldness after she mourned him.
Themes in this chapter
Fortune and Fate
Bellarion's return from presumed death is attributed to Fortune, reinforcing his epithet 'the Fortunate'.
Deception and Identity
Bellarion feigns illness to avoid the joust, and his identity as a knight is publicly celebrated despite his lack of skill at arms.
Loyalty and Betrayal
Valeria accuses Bellarion of disloyalty for his coldness, while Bellarion perceives her words as disloyal to Facino.
Characters to notice
- Bellarion
Returns to Milan alive, is knighted, and avoids a joust with Carmagnola by feigning illness.
- Facino Cane
Bestows the accolade of knighthood upon Bellarion.
- Countess of Biandrate
At her husband's bidding, buckles the gold spurs on Bellarion.
- Francesco Busone da Carmagnola
Challenges Bellarion to a joust, which Bellarion plans to avoid.
- Werner von Stoffel
Accompanies Bellarion into Milan and is his confidant regarding the joust.
- Valeria of Montferrat
Confronts Bellarion, expressing that she mourned him and reproaching his cold demeanor.
- Dionara
Present as Valeria's companion during the encounter.
- Gabriello Maria Visconti
Conducts Bellarion to the Ragione Palace to receive the city's thanks.
Key passages
“He knew himself without skill at arms, in which he had served only an elementary apprenticeship during those days at Abbiategrasso.”
Bellarion recognized his lack of combat training, having only learned the basics at Abbiategrasso.
Bellarion's self-awareness of his martial limitations.
“I have a feeling that tomorrow I shall not be in case to ride against anyone. I have a fever coming on: the result of hardships suffered on the way from Travo.”
Bellarion claims he will be too ill to joust, blaming the hardships of his journey.
Bellarion's feigned illness to avoid Carmagnola's challenge.
“Reputation, Stoffel, is a delicate bubble, easily pricked. To be unhorsed in the lists is no proper fate for a hero.”
Bellarion explains that reputation is fragile and being defeated in a joust would ruin his heroic image.
Bellarion's pragmatic view of reputation.
“I said that I had mourned you. It is true. As a mother might have mourned you. But you… You could think…”
Valeria claims her mourning was maternal, not romantic, and rebukes Bellarion for misinterpreting her.
Valeria's defensive clarification of her feelings.
