VII. BOOK sakes, and you shall enter into great honor, and they shall kiss your hands. Then my Cid alighted when he had said this, and the ladies knelt down before him, and kissed his hand and wished long life. Then they entered the Palace with him, and took their seats upon the precious benches. Wife Doña Ximena, said he, these damsels who have served you so well, I will give in marriage to these my vassals, and to every one of them two hundred marks of silver, Poema del that it may be known in Castille what they have got by their services. Your daughters' marriage will come in time. And they all rose and kissed his hand; and great was the joy in the Palace, and it was done according as the Cid had said. Cid. Cid. cap. 221. Chr. Gen. ff. 279. Of the great spoil which was found. Poema del Cid. 1780. 1811. Chr. del Cid. cap. 221. XXII. Alvar Fañez this while was in the field writing and taking account of the spoil: but the tents and arms and precious garments were so many, that they cannot be told, and the horses were beyond all reckoning; they ran about the field, and there was nobody to take them, and the Moors of the land got something by that great overthrow. Nevertheless so many horses were taken, that the Campeador had to his share of the good ones a thousand and five hundred. Well might the others have good store when he had so many. And my Cid won in this battle from King Yucef, his good sword Tizona, which is to say, the fire-brand. The tent of the King of Morocco, which was supported by two pillars wrought with gold, he gave order not to be touched, for he would send it to Alfonso the Castilian. The Bishop Don Hieronymo, that perfect one with the shaven crown, he had his fill in that battle, fighting with both hands; no one could tell how many he slew. Great booty came to him, and moreover the Cid sent him the tithe of his fifth. Glad were the Christian folk in Valencia for the great booty which they had gotten, and glad was Doña Ximena and her daughters, and glad were all those ladies who were married. VII. How King XXIII. King Yucef, after the pursuit was given over, BOOK and he saw that he might come forth from the Castle, fled to Denia, and embarked in his ships, and returned to Morocco. Yucef died, sped, and how and of the of his peo charge which be gave to his many But before he died brother to revenge And thinking every day how badly he had he had been conquered by so few, and how ple he had lost, he fell sick and died. he besought his brother, who was called Bucar, that for the him. tie there was between them, he would take vengeance for the dishonor which he had received from the Cid Campeador before Valencia; and Bucar promised to do this, and swore also upon the Koran, which is the book of their law. And accordingly he came afterwards across the sea, with nine and twenty Kings, as shall be related when the time Cid. cap. comes. Chr. del 221. Of the present Cid sent XXIV. Then the Cid sent Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez with a present to King Alfonso his Lord. And the which the present which he sent was two hundred horses saddled and unto the King. bridled, with each a sword hanging from the saddle-bow; and also the noble tent which he had won from King Yucef of Morocco. This present he gave, because the King had sent him his wife and daughters when he asked for them, and because of the honor which he had done them, and that the King might not speak ill of him who commanded in Valencia. Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez went their way towards Castille, over sierras and mountains and waters; and they asked where the King was, and it was told them that he was at Valladolid, and thither they went. And when they drew nigh unto the city, they sent to let him know of their coming, and to ask of him whether he thought it good for them to come into the city unto him, or if he would come out to them, for they were a great company, and the present a full great one, which he would see better without, than in the town. And the King thought this best, and he went to horse, and bade all the hidalgos who were with him do the like. Now the Infantes of Carrion were there, Diego Gonzalez, and Ferrando Gonzalez, the sons VII. BOOK of Count Don Gonzalo. And they found the company of the Cid about half a league from the town, and when the King saw how many they were, he blest himself, for they seemed like a host. And Minaya and Pero Bermudez pricked on when they saw him, and came before him, and alighted, and knelt down, and kissed the ground and kissed both his feet: and he bade them rise and mount their horses, and would not hear them till they had mounted, and taken their places one at his right hand, and the other at his left. And they said, Sir, the Cid commends himself to your grace as his liege Lord, and thanks you greatly for having sent him with such honor his wife and daughters. And know, Sir, that since they arrived, he hath achieved a great victory over the Moors, and their King Yucef of Morocco, the Miramamolin, who besieged him in Valencia with fifty thousand men. And he went out against them, and smote them, and hath sent you these two hundred horses from his fifth. Then Alvar Fañez gave order that the horses should be led forward. And this was the manner in which they came. The two hundred horses came first, and every one was led by a child, and every one had a sword hanging from the saddle, on the left side; and after them came the pages of all the knights in company, carrying their spears, and then the company, and after them an hundred couple with spears in rest. And when they had all past by, the King blest himself again, and he laughed and said that never had so goodly a present been sent before to King of Spain by his vassal. And Alvar Fañez said moreover, Sir, he hath sent you a tent, the noblest that ever man saw, which he won in this battle and the King gave order that the tent should be spread, and he alighted and went into it, he and all his people, and he was greatly pleased; and they all said that they had never seen so noble a tent as this: and the King said he had won many from the Moors, but never such as this. But albeit that all the others were well pleased, Count Don Garcia was not so; and he and : VII. Cid. cap. 222. ff. 279. Cid.v.1812. 1827. Infantes of sired to Cid's ten of his lineage talked apart, and said that this which BOOK the Cid had done was to their shame, for they hated the Cid in their hearts. And King Don Alfonso said, Thanks be to God and to Sir Saint Isidro of Leon, these horses may do me good service; and he gave three of them to Minaya, and Pero Bermudez, and bade them choose, and he ordered food and clothing to be given them while they remained, and said that he would give them complete ar- Chr. del mor when they returned, such as was fit for them to appear in before my Cid. And they were lodged, and Chr. Gen. all things that were needful provided for them and their Poema del people. XXV. When the Infantes of Carrion, Diego Gonzalez How the and Ferrando Gonzalez, saw the noble present which the Carrion deCid had sent unto the King, and heard how his riches and marry the power daily increased, and thought what his wealth must daughters. needs be when he had given those horses out of the fifth of one battle, and moreover that he was Lord of Valencia: they spake one with the other, and agreed, that if the Cid would give them his daughters to wife, they should be well married, and become rich and honorable. And they agreed together that they would talk with the King in private upon this matter. And they went presently to him, and said, Sir, we beseech you of your bounty to help us in a thing which will be to your honor; for we are your vassals, and the richer we are the better able shall we be to serve you. And the King asked of them what it was they would have, and they then told him their desire. And the King thought upon it awhile, and then came to them, and said, Infantes, this thing which you ask lies not in me, but in the Cid; for it is in his power to marry his daughters, and peradventure he will not do it as yet. Nevertheless that ye may not fail for want of my help, I will send to tell him what ye wish. Then they kissed his hand for this favor. And the King sent for Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez, and went apart with them, and praised the Cid, and thanked him for the VII. BOOK of Count Don Gonzalo. And they found the company of the Cid about half a league from the town, and when the King saw how many they were, he blest himself, for they seemed like a host. And Minaya and Pero Bermudez pricked on when they saw him, and came before him, and alighted, and knelt down, and kissed the ground and kissed both his feet: and he bade them rise and mount their horses, and would not hear them till they had mounted, and taken their places one at his right hand, and the other at his left. And they said, Sir, the Cid commends himself to your grace as his liege Lord, and thanks you greatly for having sent him with such honor his wife and daughters. And know, Sir, that since they arrived, he hath achieved a great victory over the Moors, and their King Yucef of Morocco, the Miramamolin, who besieged him in Valencia with fifty thousand men. And he went out against them, and smote them, and hath sent you these two hundred horses from his fifth. Then Alvar Fañez gave order that the horses should be led forward. And this was the manner in which they came. The two hundred horses came first, and every one was led by a child, and every one had a sword hanging from the saddle, on the left side; and after them came the pages of all the knights in company, carrying their spears, and then the company, and after them an hundred couple with spears in rest. And when they had all past by, the King blest himself again, and he laughed and said that never had so goodly a present been sent before to King of Spain by his vassal. And Alvar Fañez said moreover, Sir, he hath sent you a tent, the noblest that ever man saw, which he won in this battle and the King gave order that the tent should be spread, and he alighted and went into it, he and all his people, and he was greatly pleased; and they all said that they had never seen so noble a tent as this: and the King said he had won many from the Moors, but never such as this. But albeit that all the others were well pleased, Count Don Garcia was not so; and he and : |