VII. BOOK and many a good horse, and many a goodly suit of arms, cloaks, and mantles both of cloth and of peltry;'.. great and little are all clad in colors. Alvar Fañez Minaya, and Pero Bermudez, and Martin Munoz, and Martin Antolinez that worthy Burgalese, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo that good one with the shaven crown, and Alvar Alvarez, and Alvar Salvadores, and Muño Gustios that knight of prowess, and Galind Garcia of Aragon; all these and all the others made ready to go with the Cid. But he bade Alvar Salvadores and Galind Garcia and all those who were under them, remain and look with heart and soul to the safety of Valencia, and not open the gates of the Alcazar neither by day nor by night, for his wife and daughters were there, in whom he had his heart and soul, and the other ladies with them; he like a good husband gave order that not one of them should stir out of the Alcazar till he returned. Then Poema del they left Valencia and pricked on more than apace; more Cid. 1974. than a thousand knights, all ready for war, were in this company. All those great horses that paced so well and 224.225. were so soft of foot, my Cid won; they were not given to 2022. Chr. del Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 280. Of the meeting. him. XXVIII. King Don Alfonso arrived first by one day at the place of meeting, and when he heard that the Cid was at hand, he went out with all his honorable men, more than a long league to meet him. When he who was born in a good hour had his eye upon the King, he bade his company halt, and with fifteen of the knights whom he loved best he alighted, and put his hands and his knees to the ground, and took the herbs of the field between his teeth, as if he would have eaten them,' weeping for great joy; . . thus did Pellizones. Neither of the Chronicles make the Cid thus enact Nebuchadnezzar before his Lord the King; both however represent him as offering to kiss his feet. It is remarkable that even this should not have been felt as a humiliation; and that so free a people as the Spaniards should have adopted the loathsome forms of eastern servility from the Moors. VII. he know how to humble himself before Alfonso his Lord; BOOK and in this manner he approached his feet and would have kissed them. And the King drew back and said, The hand, Cid Campeador, not the foot! And the Cid drew nigh upon his knees and besought grace, saying, In this guise grant me your love, so that all present may hear. And the King said that he forgave him, and granted him his love with his heart and soul. And the Cid kissed both his hands, being still upon his knees; and the King embraced him, and gave him the kiss of peace. Well pleased were all they who beheld this, save only Alvar Diez and Garcia Ordoñez, for they did not love the Cid. Then went they all toward the town, the King and the Cid talking together by the way. And the Cid asked the King to eat with him, and the King answered, Not so, for ye are not prepared; we arrived yesterday, and ye but now. Eat you and your company therefore with me, for we have made ready. To-day, Cid Campeador, you are my guest, and to-morrow we will do as pleases you. Now came the Infantes of Carrion up and humbled themselves before the Cid, and he received them well, and they promised to do him service. And the company of the Cid came up, and kissed the King's hand. So they alighted and went to meat; and the King said unto the Cid that he should eat with him at his table; howbeit he would not. And when the King saw that he would not take his seat with him, he ordered a high table to be placed for the Cid and for Count Don Gonzalo, the father of the Infantes of Carrion. All the while that they ate the King could never look enough at the Cid, and he marvelled greatly at his beard, that it had grown to such length. And when they had eaten they were merry, and took their pleasure. And on the morrow the King and all they who went with him to this meeting, Cid, 2023. ate with the Cid, and so well did he prepare for them that Chr. del all were full joyful, and agreed in one thing, that they had 225. not eaten better for three years. There was not a man ff. 281. Poema del 2077. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. VII. BOOK there who did not eat upon silver, and the King and the chief persons ate upon dishes and trenchers' of gold. And when the Infantes saw this they had the marriage more at heart than before. How the give his fantes. XXIX. On the morrow as soon as it was day, the Bithe Cid to shop Don Hieronymo sung mass before the King, in the daughters oratory of the Cid: and when it was over, the King said in marriage to the In- before all who were there assembled, Counts and Infanzones and knights, hear what I shall say unto the Cid. Cid Ruydiez, the reason wherefore I sent for you to this meeting was twofold: first, that I might see you, which I greatly desired, for I love you much because of the many and great services which you have done me, albeit that at one time I was wroth against you, and banished you from the land. But you so demeaned yourself that you never did me disservice, but contrariwise, great service, both to God and to me, and have won Valencia, and enlarged Christendom, wherefore I am bound to show favor unto you, and to love you alway. The second reason was, that I might ask you for your two daughters Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, that you would give them in marriage to the Infantes of Carrion, for this methinks would be a fit marriage, and to your honor and good. When the Cid heard this, he was in a manner bound to consent, having them thus demanded from him; and he answered and said, Sir, my daughters are of tender years, and if it might please you, they are yet too young for marriage. I do not say this as if the Infantes of Carrion were not worthy to match with them, and with better than they. And the King bade him make no excuse, saying, that he should esteem himself well served if he gave his consent. Then the Cid said, Sir, I begat them, and you give them in marriage; both I and they are yours, . . Tajaderos; the English corresponds in etymology. 2 Both the Poem and the Chronica del Cid say, Vos las criastes, . you bred them up, . . which is in contradiction to the history. Vos las casays are the words of the Chronica General. VII. give them to whom you please, and I am pleased therewith. BOOK When the King heard this he was well pleased, and he bade the Infantes kiss the hand of the Cid Campeador, and incontinently they changed swords before the King, and they did homage to him, as sons-in-law to their father-in-law. Then the King turned to the Cid and said, I thank thee, Ruydiez, that thou hast given me thy daughters for the Infantes of Carrion and here I give them to the Infantes to be their brides; I give them and not you, and I pray God that it may please him, and that you also may have great joy herein. The Infantes I put into your hands; Cid. cap. they will go with you, and I shall return from hence, and I Chr. Gen. order that three hundred marks of silver be given to them for Poema del their marriage, and they and your daughters will all be your 2129. children. Chr. del 225. 226. ff. 281. Cid. 2078. they How the every one XXX. Eight days this meeting lasted; the one day dined with the King, and the other with the Cid. Then was it appointed that on the morrow at sunrise should depart to his own home. My Cid then began to give to every one who would take his gifts, many a great mule, and many a good palfrey, and many a rich garment, every one had what they asked, he said no to none. Threescore horses did my Cid give away in gifts; well pleased were all they who went to that meeting. And now they were about to separate, for it was night. The King took the Infantes by the hand, and delivered them into the power of my . Cid the Campeador, . . See here your sons : from this day, Campeador, you will know what to make of them. And the Cid answered, Sir, may it please you, seeing it is you who have made this marriage for my daughters, to appoint some one to whom I may deliver them, and who may give them, as from your hand, to the Infantes. And the King called for Alvar Fañez Minaya, and said, You are sib to the damsels: I command you, when you come to Valencia, to take them with your own hands, and give them to the Infantes, as I should do if that I were there present: Cid dispeeded himself of the King. VII. BOOK and be you the brides' father. Then said the Cid, Sir, you must accept something from me at this meeting. I bring for you twenty palfreys, these that are gaily trapped, and thirty horses fleet of foot, these that are well caparisoned, take them, and I kiss your hand. Greatly have you bound me, said King Don Alfonso; I receive this gift, and God and all Saints grant that it may be well requited; if I live you shall have something from me. Then my Cid sprung up upon his horse Bavieca, and he said, Here I say before my Lord the King, that if any will go with me to the wedding, I think they will get something by it! And he besought the King that he would let as many go with him as were so minded; and the King licensed them accordingly. And when they were about to part, the company that went with the Cid was greater than that which returned with the King. And the Cid kissed the King's hand and Poema del dispeeded himself with his favor, and the King returned to Castille. Chr. del Cid. cap. 226. Chr. Gen. ff. 281. Cid. 2121. 2176. Of the conditions of the Infantes. XXXI. My Cid went his way toward Valencia, and he appointed Pero Bermudez and Muño Gustios, than whom there were no better two in all his household, to keep company with the Infantes of Carrion and be their guard, and he bade them spy out what their conditions were; and this they soon found out. The Count Don Suero Gonzalez went with the Infantes; he was their father's brother, and had been their Ayo and bred them up, and badly had he trained them, for he was a man of great words, good of tongue, and of nothing else good; and full scornful and orgullous had he made them, so that the Cid was little pleased with them, and would willingly have broken off the marriage; but he could not, seeing that the King had made it. And when they Cid. cap. reached Valencia, the Cid lodged the Infantes in the suburb Chr. Gen. of Alcudia, where he had formerly lodged himself; and all Poema del the company who were come to the marriage were quartered with them. And he went to the Alcazar. Chr. del 226. ff. 281. Cid. v. 2177. 2193. |