BOOK VIII. Cid. Chr.del demand it. Now then I beseech you tarry not, but let us to horse and confront them and accuse them, for this is not a thing to be done leisurely. And the Cid answered and said, Chafe not thyself, Pero Bermudez, for the man who thinketh by chafing to expedite his business, leaveth off worse than he began. Be you certain, that if I die not I shall take vengeance upon those traitors, and I trust in God not to die till I have taken it. Now therefore, give me no more anger than I feel in my own heart, for Felez Muñoz hath given me enough. I thank my Lord King Don Alfonso for the answer which he gave you, and for appointing the Cortes, and in such guise will I appear there as shall gall them who wish ill to me. God willing, we will take our de Poema del parture in good time! Do you now return to Molina, and 2839. 2843, bring on my daughters, for I would fain see them; and I will talk with them that they may tell me the whole truth of 245 246. this thing, that I may know the whole when I go to the court of the King to demand vengeance. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 290. How the dames re Valencia. And they XXIII. Pero Bermudez returned the next day to Moliturned to na, where Abengalvon had done great honor to the dames, and to Alvar Fañez and all that were with him. departed from Molina, and Abengalvon with them, for he would not leave them till he had brought them to Valencia to his Lord the Cid. And when the Cid knew that they were drawing nigh he rode out two leagues to meet them, and when they saw him they made great lamentation, they and all his company, not only the Christians but the Moors also who were in his service. But my Cid embraced his daughters, and kissed them both, and smiled and said, Ye are come, my children, and God will heal you! I accepted this marriage for you, but I could do no other; by God's pleasure ye shall be better mated hereafter. And when they reached Valencia and went into the Alcazar to their mother Doña Ximena, who can tell the lamentation which was made Cid. cap. by the mother over her daughters, and the daughters with Chr. Gen. their mother, and by the women of their household. Three Poema del 2895 2905. 246. ff. 191. VIII. days did this great lamentation last. And the Cid thanked BOOK Abengalvon, his vassal, for the honor which he had shown to his children and their company, and promised to protect him from all who should come against him. And Abengalvon returned to Molina well pleased. VIII. BOOK mentation there as if they had seen the dames lie dead before them. Then rode they to the village where the good man dwelt, and went to his dwelling, and good guerdon did they give unto him for the service which he had done, so that he was full well requited. And they took with them the two sons and the two daughters of the good man, that they might recompense them for the good deeds of their father; and the dames gave them in marriage, and made them full rich, and held them even as brothers and as sisters, because of the service which they had received from them. When it was known at Santesteban that Minaya was coming for his kinswomen, the men of that town welcomed him and his company, and they brought him in payment the efurcion, that is to say, the supper-money, and it was full great. But Minaya would not accept it at their hands, and he thanked them and said, Thanks, men of Santesteban, for what ye have done, and my Cid the Campeador will thank ye, as I do, and God will give ye your guerdon. Then went they to visit their kinswomen, and when they saw the dames, who can tell the great lamentation which was made on both sides? Albeit that they rejoiced to see each other. And Minaya said unto them, By God, cousins, he knoweth the truth, and your father and mother know it also, . . I misdoubted this when you went away with those false ones; and it grieved me when your father said that he had given his consent that ye should go, and your mother gainsaid it also; but we could not prevail, for he said he had consented. Howbeit, since ye are alive, of evils let us be thankful for the least you have lost one marriage, and may gain a better, and the day will come when we shall avenge ye. That night they rested at Santesteban, and on the morrow they set forward and took the road towards Atienza, and the men of Santesteban escorted them as far as the river Damor, to do them pleasure. And they past Alcoceba, and went on to the King's Ford, and there took up their lodging at the Casa de Berlanga. On the morrow they lodged at Medina VIII. Poema del Chr. del that Cid. cap. been Chr. Gen. 244. 245. ff. 290. How Pero Valencia. Celi, and from thence they went to Milina, and Abengalvon BOOK came out with a right good will to welcome them, for love of the Cid, and he did them all the honor that he could. Cid. And it was accorded between them that the dames should 2856. 2894. rest there some days, because of their weakness, and they should send and let the Cid know what had done. XXII. Then Pero Bermudez went on to Valencia, and Bermudez Alvar Fañez and the rest of his company abode with the returned to dames in Molina. And when Pero Bermudez arrived he found the Cid Ruydiez just risen with his chivalry from dinner, and when the Cid saw him he welcomed him right well; howbeit he could not refrain from weeping; for before this Felez Muños had told him all. And he stroked his beard and said, Thanks be to Christ, the Lord of this world, by this beard which no one hath ever cut, the Infantes of Carrion shall not triumph in this! And he began to take comfort, hearing how King Don Alfonso had appointed the Cortes. And he took Pero Bermudez by the hand and led him to Doña Ximena, who wept greatly at seeing him, and said, Ah, Pero Bermudez, what tidings bringest thou of my daughters? And he comforted her and said, Weep not, Lady, for I left them alive and well at Molina, and Alvar Fañez with them; by God's blessing you shall have good vengeance for them! Then the Cid seated himself near his wife, and Pero Bermudez took his seat before them, and told them all that he had done, and how the King had summoned them to the Cortes at Toledo. And he said unto the Cid, My uncle and Lord, I know not what to say, but ill is my luck that I could not take vengeance before I returned here and certes, if I could have found them I would have died, or have completed it but they when they had done this villany dared not appear before the King, neither in his Court, and therefore he hath issued this summons to them that they should come. Manifestly may it be seen that the King well inclineth to give you justice, if you fail not to VIII. BOOK demand it. Now then I beseech you tarry not, but let us to horse and confront them and accuse them, for this is not a thing to be done leisurely. And the Cid answered and said, Chafe not thyself, Pero Bermudez, for the man who thinketh by chafing to expedite his business, leaveth off worse than he began. Be you certain, that if I die not I shall take vengeance upon those traitors, and I trust in God. not to die till I have taken it. Now therefore, give me no more anger than I feel in my own heart, for Felez Muñoz hath given me enough. I thank my Lord King Don Alfonso for the answer which he gave you, and for appointing the Cortes, and in such guise will I appear there as shall gall them who wish ill to me. God willing, we will take our dePoema del parture in good time! Do you now return to Molina, and 2839. 2843. bring on my daughters, for I would fain see them; and I will talk with them that they may tell me the whole truth of Cid. Chr.del Cid. cap. 245. 246. Chr. Gen. ff. 290. How the dames re Valencia. this thing, that I may know the whole when I go to the court of the King to demand vengeance. XXIII. Pero Bermudez returned the next day to Moliturned to na, where Abengalvon had done great honor to the dames, and to Alvar Fañez and all that were with him. And they departed from Molina, and Abengalvon with them, for he would not leave them till he had brought them to Valencia to his Lord the Cid. And when the Cid knew that they were drawing nigh he rode out two leagues to meet them, and when they saw him they made great lamentation, they and all his company, not only the Christians but the Moors also who were in his service. But my Cid embraced his daughters, and kissed them both, and smiled and said, Ye are come, my children, and God will heal you! I accepted this marriage for you, but I could do no other; by God's pleasure ye shall be better mated hereafter. And when they reached Valencia and went into the Alcazar to their mother Doña Ximena, who can tell the lamentation which was made 246. by the mother over her daughters, and the daughters with Chr. Gen. their mother, and by the women of their household. Three Poema del 2895 2905. ff. 191. |