BOOK VIII. Cid. cap. ff. 286. Cid. v. 2541. 2589. Ximena the evil good, return unto them, and take our wives with us: so shall our father and our mother and our kinsmen see how honorably we are mated, and how greatly to our profit, and our wives shall be put in possession of the towns which we have given them for their dower, and shall see what is to be the inheritance of the children whom they may have. And whensoever you shall call upon us, we will be ready to come and do you service. Then the Cid made answer, weening that this was spoken without deceit, My sons, I am troubled at what ye say, for when ye take my daughters ye take my very heart-strings: nevertheless it is fitting that ye Chr. del do as ye have said. Go when ye will, and I will give unto 237. you such gifts that it shall be known in Gallicia and in Cas- Chr. Gen. tille and in Leon, with what riches I have sent my sons-in- Poema del law home. XI. When the Cid had made this reply, he rose from How Doña his seat and went to Doña Ximena his wife, and spake mistrusted with her and with Alvar Fañez, and told them what had passed with his sons-in-law, and what answer he had given. tes. Greatly was Doña Ximena troubled at this, and Alvar Fañez also, that he had consented to what they asked; and she said, I do not think it is wisely done to let them take our daughters from us, and carry them into another country; for these our sons-in-law are traitorous and false at heart, and if I areed them right they will do some dishonor to our daughters, when there will be none there to call them to account. And Alvar Fañez was of the same mind; but the Cid was displeased at this, and marvelled greatly at what they said; and he bade them speak no more thereof, for God would not let it be so, neither were the Infantes of such a race as that they should do this; neither, quoth he, would it come into their minds to do it, if only because our Lord King Don Alfonso was he who made the marriage; but if the Cid. cap. Devil should tempt them, and they should commit this wick- Chr. Gen. edness, dearly would it cost them! purpose of the Infan Chr. del 238. ff. 280. BOOK Of the parting between the Cid and his XII. So the Infantes of Carrion made ready for their departure, and there was a great stir in Valencia. And the two sisters, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, came and knelt before the Cid, and before Doña Ximena their mother, and daughters. said, You send us to the lands of Carrion, and we must fulfil your command; now then give us your blessing, and let us have some of your people with us in Carrion, we beseech you. And the Cid embraced them and kissed them, and the mother kissed them and embraced them twice as much, and they gave them their blessing, and their daughters kissed their hands. And the Cid gave unto his sons-in-law great store of cloth of gold, and of serge, and of wool, and an hundred horses bridled and saddled, and an hundred mules with all their trappings, and ten cups of gold, and an hundred vessels of silver, and six hundred marks of silver in dishes and trenchers and other things. When all this was done they took their departure and went out of Valencia, and the Cid rode out a long league with them. He looked at the birds, and the augury was bad, and he thought that these marriages would not be without some evil. And his heart' smote him, and he began to think on what Doña Ximena had said, and to fear least evil should befall him from these sons-in-law, for the manner of their speech was not as it was wont to be. Where art thou my nephew, where art thou Felez Muñoz? Thou art the cousin of my daughters, said he, both in heart and in soul. Go with them even unto Carrion, and see the possessions which are given them, and come back with tidings thereof.* The phrase is literally Spanish. muy reziamente. Chronica del Cid. Comenzo de ferirle el corazon 2 The Chronica del Cid says that the Cid sent a hundred knights with his daughters, under Martin Pelaez the Asturian, and another knight called Pero Sanchez, who did homage in his hands that they would alway serve his daughters, as their liege ladies, and children of their natural Lord. Neither the Poem, nor the Chronica General mention this, BOOK VIII. And Felez Munoz said that he would do this. And the Cid bade him salute the Moor Abengalvon in his name, with whom they should tarry a night at Molina, and bid him do service unto his daughters and his sons-in-law, and accompany them as far as Medina; and for all that he shall do, said the Cid, I will give him good guerdon. And when the ladies came to take their leave of their father the Cid, and of their mother Doña Ximena, great were the lamentations on both sides, as if their hearts had divined the evil which was to come; and the Cid strove to comfort them, saying, that Chr. del he should alway think of them, and would maintain them in Cid. cap. good estate and he gave them his blessing and turned Chr. Gen. back toward Valencia, and they went their way with their Poema del husbands, and that parting was like plucking the nail from 2595. 2651. the flesh. : 238. ff. 286. Cid. v. Infantes slain Aben XIII. So the Infantes of Carrion went their way, by the How the Campo del Quarto to Chiva, and to Bonilla, and to Re- would have quena, and to Campo-Robres, and they took up their lodg- galvon. ing at Villa Taxo. And on the morrow they took the road to Amaja, and leaving it on the right came to Adamuz, and passed by Colcha, and rested at Quintana. And when Abengalvon knew that the daughters of the Cid were coming, he went out joyfully from Molina to meet them, and pitched tents for them in the field, and had food brought there in abundance. God, how well he served them! and on the morrow the Moor gave full rich and noble gifts to the daughters of his Lord the Cid, and to each of the Infantes he gave a goodly horse. And he took horse himself and rode on with them, having two hundred knights in his company. They crossed the mountains of Luzon, and passed Arbuxuelo, and came to Salon, and the Moor lodged them in the place which is called Ansarera: all this he did for the love of the Cid Campeador. Now the Infantes see and all that is afterwards related of these knights, is in the latter attributed with more probability to the knights of the Infantes own company. VIII. BOOK ing the riches which this Moor had with him, took counsel together for treason, and said, Lo now if we could slay this Moor Abengalvon, we should possess all these riches as safely as if we were in Carrion, and the Cid could never take vengeance. And a Moor who understood the Latin of the country, heard them and knew what they said, and he went to Abengalvon, and said unto him, Acaiaz, that is to say, Sire, take heed, for I heard the Infantes of Carrion plotting to kill thee. Abengalvon the Moor was a bold Baron, and when this was told him, he went with his two hundred men before the Infantes, and what he said to them did not please them. Infantes of Carrion, he said, tell me what have I done? I have served ye without guile, and ye have taken counsel for my death. If it were not for the sake of my Cid, never should you reach Carrion! I would carry back his daughters to the loyal Campeador, and so deal with you that it should be talked of over the whole world. But I Poema del 2653. 2698. Chr. del leave ye for traitors as ye are. Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, I go with your favor. God grant that this marriage may please your father! Having said this the good Moor returned Gen. to Molina. Cid. cap. 239. Chr. ff. 286. Of the ty which tes com their wives. XIV. They went on by Valdespino, and by Parra, and great cruel- Berrocal, and Val de Endrinas, and they left Medina Celi the Infan- on the right, and crost the plain of Barahona, and past near mitted upon Berlanga; and they crost the Douro by a ford below the town, and rode on and came into the Oak-wood of Corpes. The mountains were high, and the trees thick and lofty, and there were wild beasts in that place. And they came to a green lawn in the midst of that oak forest, where there was a fountain of clear water, and there the Infantes gave order that their tent should be pitched; and they passed the night there, making show of love to their wives, which they badly fulfilled when the sun was risen, for this was the place where they thought to put them to shame. Early in the morning they ordered the sumpter beasts to be laden, and the tent struck, and they sent all their company on, so VIII. that none remained with them, neither man nor woman, but BOOK they and their wives were left alone, that they might disport with them at pleasure. And Doña Elvira said to her husband, Why wouldst thou that we should remain alone in this place? And he said, Hold thy peace, and thou shalt see! And the Infantes tore away the mantles from off their wives, and the garments which they wore, save only their inner garment, and they held them by the hair of their head with one hand, and with the other took the girths of their horses. And the women said, Don Diego and Don Ferrando, ye have strong swords and of sharp edge; the one is called Colada and the other Tizona; cut off our heads and we shall become martyrs! But set not this evil example upon us, for whatever shame ye do unto us, shall be to your own dishonor. But the Infantes heeded not what they said, and beat them cruelly with the saddlegirths, and kicked them with their spurs, so that their gar ments were torn and stained with blood. Oh, if the Cid Campeador had come upon them at that hour! And the women cried out and called upon God and Holy Mary to have mercy upon them; but the more they cried, the more cruelly did those Infantes beat and kick them, till they were covered with blood and swooned away. Then the Infantes took their mantles and their cloaks, and their furs of ermine and other garments, and left them for dead, saying, Lie there, daughters of the Cid of Bivar, for it is not fitting that ye should be our wives, nor that ye should have your dower in the lands of Carrion! We shall see how your father will avenge you, and we have now avenged ourselves for the shame he did us with the Lion. And they rode away as they said this, leaving them to the mountain birds and to the beasts of the forest. Oh if the Cid Campeador had Cid.v.2699. come upon them at that hour! And the Infantes rode on, Chr. del glorying in what they had done, for they said that the daugh- 239. ters of the Cid were worthy to be their harlots, but not their wives. Poema del 2773. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 287. |