392
PARTISAN REVIEW
death, Bertaut and other travelers to Spain still heard tales of
his
seductive fascination, which must have been extraordinary. One of
these travelers was told, by an elderly but still handsome noble–
woman who had known the Count in her youth, that "physically and
mentally he was the peerless model of a gentleman. His memory
will live forever in the hearts of lovers." This is the way women
usually speak of their worst enemy.
His father was a great man at Court, and Villamediana traveled
a great deal. From early childhood onward, he figured in the great
court pageants, where the magnificence and elegance of his
dr~
caused a considerable sensation. All Spain talked of the youth who
appeared
in
the royal processions riding a white horse covered with
silver and gold, and looking like a fairy-tale prince. Reading the
contemporary descriptions, one can imagine the women gazing from
their balconies at this dazzling gallant, and sighing. Up until the
end of his life he loved to create a stir with his fantastic attire and
his uninhibited behavior. According to the legend, his recklessness
cost him his life.
Like many Don Juans, Villamediana was an impassioned
gambler. He would ruin his best friends at the gambling table, or
else be left penniless and debt-ridden himself. Like
"EI
Burlador,"
he was banished by the King, and fled to Italy, where his elegance
and his reckless cynicism dazzled everyone. He lived for a while in
Andalusia. And, to complete the likeness, his name was Juan: Don
Juan de Tassis; which is not too far from Don Juan Tenorio.
Villamediana was an excellent lyric poet, though his adventures
have overshadowed his poems. In those days a fine sonnet would
soften the heart of a woman more effectively than any jewels. So
one may imagine that his exceptional talent, along with his hand–
some face, and the baroque elegance of his clothes must have stood
him in good stead in his love affairs. Moreover, he was completely
without fear. He could affirm his rights, or his whims, with the
sword. And most important of all, he had no rival, among the
courtiers of his time, in the art of bullfighting, as it was then prac–
ticed: riding into the sun-drenched arena, and pitting his skill and
daring .against the terrible bulls of J arama. King, Queen, the whole
Court, and the populace followed
him
with their eyes, and he tasted
all
the pleasures of glory, as one might savor a bitter and luscious
fruit.
