VII. BOOK good palfreys, and great mules, which were not bad ones. And he gave the Abbot the thousand marks of silver which the Cid had sent for the Monastery, with which to discharge all the debt that Doña Ximena and his daughters had contracted. Great was the stir throughout all that land, of the honor of the Cid, and of the license which the King gave to as many as should choose to join him; and for this reason full sixty knights came to St. Pedro de Cardeña and a great number of squires on foot. Don Alvar Fañez was well pleased to see them, and he promised them that he would obtain the Cid's grace for them, and would befriend them all he could. Great dole did the Abbot make when they departed; and he said, As God shall help you, Minaya, kiss the hand of the Campeador for me. This Monastery will never forget him, to pray for him every day in the year. The Cid will alway prosper more and more. Minaya promised to do this, and dispeeded himself, and they went their way. Five Cid. cap. days they travelled, and then they came to Medina Celi; and alway the porter of the King was with them, and made all Poema del that they wanted be given unto them, even as the King had Chr. del 216. Chr. Gen. ff. 276. Cid.v.1400. 1450. How Doña Ximena and her daughters came to Valencia. commanded. XVI. Now the three knights whom Alvar Fañez had sent, came to the Cid and delivered their message. When my Cid heard it his heart rejoiced and he was glad, and he spake with his mouth and said, He who sends good messengers looks for good tidings. Blessed be the name of God, since King Don Alfonso rejoices in my good fortune. And he called for Muño Gustios, and Pero Bermudez, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and bade them take a hundred knights least there should be need to fight, and go to Molina, to Abencano, who was his friend and vassal, and bid him. take another hundred knights, and go with them to Medina Celi as fast as they could go. There, said he, ye will find Alvar Fañez and my wife and daughters; bring them to me with great honor: I will remain here in Valencia which has cost me so much; great folly would it be if I were to leave VII. it I will remain in it, for I hold it for my heritage. And BOOK they did as he commanded them. And when they came to Molina, Abencaño received them right well, and did them great honor; and though the Cid had bidden him take only one hundred horse, he took two. On the morrow they went to horse they crossed the mountains which are great and wild, and they passed Mata de Toranz without fear, and they thought to come through the valley of Arbuxedo. There was good look out kept in Medina, and Alvar Fañez sent two knights to know who they were. They made no tarriance in doing this, for they had it at heart; one tarried with them, and the other returned, and said it was the host of the Campeador with Pero Bermudez, and Muño Gustios, and the Bishop Hieronymo, and the Alcayaz Abencaño. This instant, said Minaya, let us to horse; incontinently this was done, for they would make no delay. And they rode upon goodly horses with bells at their poitrals and trappings of sandall silk, and they had their shields round their necks, and lances with streamers in their hands. Oh, how Alvar Fañez went out from Castille with these ladies! They who pricked forward, couched their spears and then raised them, and great joy was there by Salon where they met. The others humbled themselves to Minaya: when Abencaño came up he kissed him on the shoulder, for such was his custom. In a good day, Minaya, said he, do you bring these ladies, the wife and daughters of the Cid, whom we all honor. Whatever ill we may wish him we can do him none; .. in peace or in war he will have our wealth, and he must be a fool who does not acknowledge this truth. Alvar Fañez smiled and told him he should lose nothing by this service which he had done the Cid; and now, said he, let us go rest, for the supper is ready. Abencaño said he was well pleased to partake it, and that within three days he would return him the entertainment two-fold. Then they entered Medina, and Minaya served them; all were full glad of the service which they had undertaken, and the King's porter VII. BOOK paid for all. The night is gone, morning is come, mass is said, and they go to horse. They left Medina and past the river Salon, and pricked up Arbuxuelo, and they crost the plain of Torancio. That good Christian the Bishop Don Hieronymo, night and day he guarded the ladies; on a goodly horse he rode, and they went between him and Alvar Fañez. They came to Molina and there were lodged in a good and rich house, and Abencaño the Moor waited on them. Nothing did they want which they could wish to have; he even had all their beasts new shod, and for Minaya and the ladies, Lord! how he honored them! On the morrow they left Molina, and the Moor went with them. When they were within three leagues of Valencia, news of their coming was brought to the Cid. Glad was the Cid, never was he more joyful, never had he such joy, for tidings were come to him of what he loved best. Two hundred knights did he order out to meet them, others he bade to keep the Alcazar, and the other high towers, and all the gates and entrances. And he commanded that they should bring him Bavieca. 1 It was but a short time since he had won this horse; my Cid, he who girt on sword in a happy hour, did not yet know if he was a good goer, and if he stopt well. The Bishop Don Hieronymo, he pricked forward and entered the city. 1 This is the first mention of this famous horse in the Poem: an old history to which Berganza often refers as beginning with King Fruela, says, Bavieca was won in the battle with the King of Seville, which may well agree with the Poem. The Chronica del Cid absurdly makes it the first horse that ever Rodrigo rode to battle. When he was growing towards years of strength, he asked his godfather to give him a foal from one of his mares: and the Priest, who had many mares, with many good foals, bade him choose for himself, and take the best. When it was time to choose, he went into the yard, and let many good mares go out with good foals, till last of all there went out one with a foal which was a full ugly one, and a scurvy, and he said to his godfather, I will have this. The godfather thereat was angered and said angrily, Bavieca, which signifyeth booby, thou hast chosen ill! Rodrigo answered, He will be a good horse, and Bavieca shall be his name; and the horse proved afterwards a VII. He left his horse and went to the Church, and collected all BOOK the clergy; they put on their surplices, and with crosses of silver went out to meet the ladies, and that good one Minaya. He who was born in happy hour made no tarriance; they saddled him Bavieca and threw his trappings on. My Cid wore light armor,' and his surcoat over it: long was his beard. He went out upon this horse, and ran a career with him; Bavieca was the name of the horse, and when he was running all marvelled at him: from that day Bavieca was famous all over Spain. At the end of the course my Cid alighted and went towards his wife and his daughters. Who can tell the joy that was made at their meeting? They fell at his feet, and their joy was such that they could not speak. And he raised them up and embraced them, and kissed them many times, weeping for joy that he saw them alive. Hear what he said who was born in happy hour! You dear and honored wife, and ye my daughters, my heart and my soul; enter with me into Valencia ; this is the inheritance good one and right fortunate, and upon this horse did my Cid conquer in many a pitched battle. Chronica del Cid. Cap. 2. Bavieca is an old and obsolete word of contempt; lubber would perhaps represent it. Bien me ten por babieca si yo te lo consciento. D. Gonzalo de Berceo. p. 128. According to tradition, he was foaled in the vale of Mondego. M. Lusitana. 2. 7. 28. 1 Armas de fuste tomaba. Poema del Cid. 1594. "Fuste is any frame made of slight wood to bulke out, being commonly covered over with painted cloths, as castles for a shew, and such like. The officers of them in Valencia are called Fusteros, and with such cudgels which support such frames they use to beat galley slaves, and thereof comes fustar, fustigar, and hostigar, to cudgel." Minsheu. He had forgotten the Latin etymon. I have rendered the passage vaguely, least by aiming at accuracy I should become incorrect. It seems to have been a suit of mock armor for shew; . . such perhaps as Ghosts walk in, upon the stage. Sancha has left the phrase unexplained. VII. BOOK which I have won for you. While they were thus rejoicing the Bishop Don Hieronymo came with the procession. Doña Ximena brought good relics and other sacred things, which she gave to ennoble the new Church of Valencia. In this guise they entered the city. Who can tell the rejoicings that were made that day, throwing at the board, and killing bulls! My Cid led them to the Alcazar, and took them up upon the highest tower thereof, and there they looked around and beheld Valencia, how it lay before them, and the great Garden with its thick shade, and the sea on the other side; and they lifted up their hands to thank God. Great honor did the Cid do to Abencaño the Lord of Molina, for all the service which he had done to Doña Ximena. Then said Abencaño, This, Sir, I was bound to do, for since I have been your vassal I have alway been respected and defended from all my enemies, and maintained in good estate; how then should I do otherwise than serve you? If I did not, I should lack understanding. And the Cid thanked him for what he had done, and what he had said, and promised also to show favor unto him. And Abencaño took his leave and returned to Molina. Poema del 1461. 1626. Cid. cap. 217. Chr. Gen. ff. 276. How tid ings came that the Miramamolin was coming XVII. The winter is past, and March is coming in. Three months Doña Ximena had been in Valencia, when tidings came to the Cid from beyond sea, that King Yucef, against Va. the son of the Miramamolin, who dwelt in Morocco, was lencia. coming to lay siege unto Valencia with fifty thousand men. When the Cid heard this he gave command to store all his Castles, and had them well repaired. And he had the walls of the city prepared, and stored it well with food and with all things needful for war, and gathered together a great power of Christians and of the Moors of his seignory. Hardly had he done this before he heard that Yucef was near at hand, and coming as fast as he could come. Then the Cid assembled together the Christians in the Alcazar, and when they were assembled, he rose upon his feet and said, Friends and kinsmen and vassals, praised be God and |