The chronicle of the Cid.

Chapter I

Of Rodrigo of Bivar, and of how he slays Count Don Gomez and weds his daughter Ximena — He captures five Moorish Kings, and wins his title of "The Cid " — Of the siege of Coimbra, and of the knighting of Rodrigo by King Ferrando. ......".. 13

Chapter II

Dou Sancho worsts his brother Don Garcia and acquires his kingdom — He then demands that his other brother Don Alfonso shall yield up to him his realm — Don Alfonso refuses, and two pitched battles follow, in the second of which he falls into his brother's hands — Don Sancho himself is captured in this battle by thirteen Knights, but my Cid single-handed rescues him — Don Sancho next besieges Zamora the city of his sister Dona Urraca, but is treacherously slain by Vellido Dolfos. ....... 40

Chapter III

Don Diego Ordonez impeacheth Zamora — He slays the three sons of Don Arias Gonzalo, the champions of the city, in the lists — Don Alfonso returns and is crowned King — The Cid administers to him an oath that he had no part nor knowledge in his brother' s death. .....

Chapter IV

King Alfonso, misled by the slanders of his enemies, banishes Ruydiez — Thereupon my Cid, with three hundred retainers, departs into the country of the Moors — He captures Alcocer, and defeats a great army of Moors who come to besiege him — Of his share of the spoils he sends a present to King Alfonso.

IV CONTENTS.

Chapter V

The Cid takes Valencia for himself — Valencia fell in the year 1094, thirteen years after the Cid had been banished by Alfonso — These thirteen years had been passed by the Cid in battles with the Moors and others, that culminated in the great achievement of his life, the capture of Valencia — At the time our chapter begins, the siege had been in progress for some time, and the beleaguered Moors were looking for help to the Almoravides, a new horde of warlike fanatics who had swept over from Africa into Spain, to reinforce their Mohammedan brethren, and who were everywhere striking terror and gaining victories over the Christians. . . . . . . 112

Chapter VI

The Cid takes measures to prevent his followers from leaving him — Don Hieronymo, that good one with the shaven crown, comes from the parts of the East and is made Bishop of Valencia — The Cid sends for his wife and daughters, who arrive in great state — King Yucef, of Morocco, comes against Valencia with fifty thousand Moors, but is routed with great slaughter. . . 138

Chapter VII

The marriage of the Cid's daughters to the Counts of Carrion — The cowardice of the Counts — King Bucar comes from beyond sea with nine and twenty kings to avenge his brother Yucef, but his host is cut to pieces. . . 165

Chapter VIII

The Infantes of Carrion beat their wives, the daughters of my Cid, and leave them for dead in the Oak-wood of Corpes — Felez Munoz rescues them and bears word of the outrage to Valencia — The King summons his Cortes to try the Infantes. . ...... 191

Chapter IX

The Cid takes his seat in the assembled Cortes upon his ivory chair and demands from the Infantes his swords Tizona and Colada and the dower which he gave with his daughters — The Alcaldes decide that the demand is just and the Infantes are forced to make restitution — The Cid then attaints them before the King as false traitors and cowards and challenges them to mortal combat — Pero Bermudez, Martin Antolinez, and Muno Gustioz are appointed to do battle with them on his behalf three weeks from that day — Messengers from the Kings of Navarre and Aragon come asking the daughters of the Cid in marriage for their sons. . . . . . . .212

Chapter X

The combat takes place at Carrion, and the Infantes and their uncle Suero Gonzalez are overcome — The King proclaims them notorious traitors and orders his seneschal to take their arms and horses — The second marriage of the Cid' s daughters. ........ 244

Chapter XI

King Bucar the Miramamolin of Morocco comes a second time against Valencia — The Cid is admonished in a vision by St. Peter that his end is nigh, and prepares himself for death, giving directions to his followers as to how they shall conduct themselves when he is gone — My Cid wins his last battle with the Moors. ........ 258

T CHAPTER XII.

The Cid' s body is carried with all honour, upon his horse Bavieca, to the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardefia, where his funeral is celebrated with great pomp — His embalmed body sits for ten years in his ivory chair beside the high altar — My Cid does not forget his country after death. . . 279

«»mTKODU(fcion»»

Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, the Cid Campeador, renowned in song and story above any hero of Spain, was born somewhere about the year 1040. He may truly be called a hero of history and legend, for so greatly has the fabulous been interwoven with the record of his deeds that there have not been lacking those who held that no such person ever existed except in the brains of romancers. Of his actual existence, however, there is no doubt. The bare outline of his life is somewhat as follows.

He was born of noble lineage, at Burgos, somewhere between 1030 and 1040. No time in the history of Spain had given such opportunities for the exercise of personal bravery, and there had been no time when the exercise of personal bravery could bring such glorious results. The daring Cavalier could say with Ancient Pistol, that the world was an oyster which he might open with his sword. The great Ommiad dynasty, under whose firm grasp the Moors in Spain had been united and invincible, was at an end, and the Moorish power was broken up among a number of petty kings and caliphs, all greedy of power, and all fighting indiscriminately against one another or against the Christians to obtain it. The long occu-

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pation of Spain by the Arab Moors had worn away the hatred of them as invaders. Christian knights took service under their banners, and fought for them against Christians as unhesitatingly as against Moors.

Into these days of anarchy Rodrigo Diaz was born. Among the free-lances that the age produced, he was easily foremost.

King Fernando, his sovereign, died in 1065. By his will he divided his kingdom among his children : to Sancho, the eldest, he left Castile ; to Alfonso, Leon ; to Garcia, Galicia ; and to his two daughters, Urraca and Elvira, Zamora and Taro. The evils of the subdivision soon became apparent. Sancho, the eldest, asserting that he had been unjustly treated, declared war against his brothers. Rodrigo espoused his quarrel, and in the battles that followed, Sancho was victorious, and seized their kingdoms. He then proceeded to wrest the possessions of his sisters from them, but in the siege of Zamora, 1072, lost his life, being assassinated by a traitor, Vellido Dolfos.

As he left no heir, Alfonso was sent for from among the Moors, where he had taken refuge, and was crowned King. Before the knights of his dead brother in the Church at Burgos he took a solemn oath that he had no knowledge or part in his brother's death, and they then swore fealty to him. Rodrigo was taken into his service, and honoured with high confidence. At this time he was married to Ximena, the daughter of Count Oviedo, a relative of the King's.

It can easily be believed, however, that Alfonso would naturally feel harshly to the man who had been, more than any other, the cause of his first losing his kingdom. The enemies of the Cid did their best to increase the feeling. Sent by his sovereign to collect tribute from the Moorish King of Se-

INTRODUCTION. IX

ville, he found that worthy in desperate conflict with the King of Granada. He joined his forces, and in a pitched battle won the day, and returned to Burgos with the tribute of Seville and laden with the spoils of Granada. His enemies accused him of keeping back a part of the tribute, and the King banished him unheard.

Then began his career as a free-lance. With three hundred followers, he left the kingdom of Alfonso, a banished man. He offered his services first to the Count of Barcelona. They were declined. He then made his way to the Moorish King of Saragossa, by whom he was eagerly welcomed. Eight years he fought for him or his successors, against Moor or Christian alike, winning great renown by his daring and success, and having, by virtue of his importance, almost royal authority. During this time he made numerous attempts at reconciliation with Alfonso, but without success.

At length in 1094 he won his greatest victory, the capture of Valencia, known to this day as Valencia del Cid. It was the richest city of Spain, and there was not a King, Moor or Christian, who did not long to possess it. The Arab historians say that the Cid declared that none of his family had ever possessed a kingdom, and that from the moment when he first beheld Valencia he made up his mind to repair this omission on the part of fortune. At the head of seven thousand men, he marched against it.* Destroying the suburbs, he attempted to carry it by assault, but failed, and settled down to reduce it by famine. An army of Almoravides, a fresh inroad of Moors from Africa, marched to its relief, but unavailingly, and after nine months the city yielded.

The terms of the capitulation were violated, and many of the citizens were slaughtered- In the main, however, the Cid

.X INTRODUCTION.

ruled his kingdom justly. Twice the Moors attempted to regain it, under Yusef and Abu Bekr, but were beaten off with great slaughter. At length at Cuenca they gained a great victory over his trusty lieutenant, his right hand, Alvar Fanez. The mortification of this defeat is supposed to have brought about his death, and Rodrigo yielded up his soul in 1099. His widow Ximena held Valencia three years longer. Then, seeing that she would soon be overpowered, she ordered its abandonment. Taking everything of value, and the body of their leader, they left Valencia in flames behind them.

Hardly had Rodrigo been dead an hundred years before romance began to add all manner of legendary adventure to his history. He was no longer a freebooter, who fought against Moor and Christian equally. He had become the defender of the faith; "the Campeador," Champion ;" God's curse upon the Moor." He was " El mio Cid," from the Arabic Seid, lord ; " the one born in a fortunate hour," " the perfect one." In the two following centuries no adventure was too improbable to be imputed to him. He crossed the Pyrenees and bearded the Kings of France in their own land. He travelled to Rome and made acquaintance with the Pope. He shared his bed with a leper, as an act of charity, and so received the blessing of St. Lazarus. The ballads that recounted his exploits were sung by high and low. There are known to be in existence over two hundred of them.

In 1808, Southey published his "Chronicle of the Cid." This is a translation made up from three originals — " Cronica del Famosa Cavallero Cid Ruy Diaz Campeador," " La Cronica de Espana," and the " Poema del Cid."

This translation of Southey's is that from which the text of the present volume is taken. From its pages I have se-

INTRODUCTION. XI

lected large portions, giving the more interesting incidents in the Cid's history. I have now and then inserted descriptions of scenes from the metrical versions of Frere and Ormsby, and have added several of the ballads referring to the Campeador translated by Lockhart. In an appendix I have supplied also a few notes which seem to be necessary to an intelligent reading of the work.

In no chronicle of the days of chivalry is there so stirring a story so thrillingly told as is this. Nowhere do we find more vividly drawn characters than Alvar Fafiez, Pero Bermudez, Pelaez the Asturian, and the rest. And nowhere does so picturesque a figure stand out as is that of the Cid. Whether he is charging at the head of his men,

"Their lances in the rest, levelled fair and low, Their banners and their crests waving in a row, Their heads all stooping down toward the saddle bow,"

to the rescue of Pero Bermudez and his banner ; or whether he returns from the fray laughing, with his helmet unlaced showing his grizzled face ; or whether he sits gravely in the Cortes in his ivory chair stroking his long beard and fondling his "sweet trenchant swords," Tizona and Colada — he stands out from the page as if painted on the canvas in the hues of life.

Whatever his vices, and they were many, for the age did not bring forward spotless heroes, greater by far must have been his virtues. Here is the verdict of an Arab historian, a contemporary and an enemy.

"When the King of Saragossa saw himself threatened by the soldiers of the Emir el Moslemin he set at them a Galician dog, one Roderic surnamed the Canbitur. - He was the

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