XI. BOOK myrrh and balsam, and had neither ate nor drank of aught else, and how he had afterwards been anointed and embalmed, he did not then hold it for so great a wonder, for he had heard that in the land of Egypt they were wont to do thus with their Kings. When they had all returned to the Monastery they took the Cid from off his horse, and set the body upon the frame, as they were wont to do, and placed it before the altar. Many were the honors which King Don Alfonso did to the Cid in masses and vigils, and other holy services, such as are fitting for the body and soul of one who is departed. Moreover he did great honor to the King of Navarre, and to the Infante of Aragon, ordering that all things which were needful should be given to them and their companies. Chr. del Cid. cap. 287. Chr. Gen. ff. 310. How the body of the Cid was placed in XIII. On the third day after the coming of King Don Alfonso, they would have interred the body of the Cid, but his ivory when the King heard what Doña Ximena had said, that while it was so fair and comely it should not be laid in a coffin, he held that what she said was good. And he sent for the ivory chair which had been carried to chair. the Cortes of Toledo, and gave order that it should be placed on the right of the altar of St. Peter; and he laid a cloth of gold upon it, and upon that placed a cushion covered with a right noble tartari, and he ordered a graven tabernacle to be made over the chair, richly wrought with azure and gold, having thereon the blazonry of the Kings of Castille and Leon, and the King of Navarre, and the Infante of Aragon, and of the Cid Ruydiez the Campeador. And he himself, and the King of Navarre and the Infante of Aragon, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo, to do honor to the Cid, helped to take his body from between the two boards, in which it had been fastened at Valencia. And when they had taken it out, the body was so firm that it bent not on either side, and the flesh so firm and comely, that it seemed as if he were yet alive. And the King thought that what they purported to do and had thus begun, might full well be effected. And they clad till it XI. Chr. del And 288. Chr. Gen. company after this the body in full noble tartari, and in cloth of purple, which BOOK the Soldan of Persia had sent him, and put him on hose of. the same, and set him in his ivory chair; and in his left hand they placed his sword Tizona in its scabbard, and the strings of his mantle in his right. And in this fashion the body of the Cid remained there ten years and more, was taken thence, as the history will relate anon. when his garments waxed old, other good ones were put on. ff. 311. XIV. King Don Alfonso, and the sons-in-law of the Cid, How the King Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the Infante Don Sancho brake up of Aragon, with all their companies, and all the other hon- was done. orable men, abode three weeks in St. Pedro de Cardeña, doing honor to the Cid. And the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and the other Bishops who came with King Don Alfonso, said every day their masses, and accompanied the body of the Cid there where it was placed, and sprinkled holy water upon it, and incensed it, as is the custom to do over a grave. And after three weeks they who were there assembled began to break up, and depart to their own houses. And of the company of the Cid, some went with the King of Navarre, and other some with the Infante of Aragon; but the greater number, and the most honorable among them, betook themselves to King Don Alfonso, whose natural subjects they were. And Doña Ximena and her companions abode in San Pedro de Cardeña, and Gil Diaz with her, as the Cid had commanded in his testament. And the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and Alvar Fañez Minaya, and Chr. del Pero Bermudez, remained there also till they had fulfilled 233. all that the Cid Ruydiez had commanded in his testament to f. 311. be done. Cid. cap. 288. Chr. Gen. Bavieca. XV. Gil Diaz did his best endeavor to fulfil all that his of the care which was Lord the Cid Ruydiez had commanded him, and to serve taken of Doña Ximena and her companions truly and faithfully; and this he did so well, that she was well pleased with his faithfulness. And Doña Ximena fulfilled all that the Cid had commanded her; and every day she had masses performed XI. BOOK myrrh and balsam, and had neither ate nor drank of aught else, and how he had afterwards been anointed and embalmed, he did not then hold it for so great a wonder, for he had heard that in the land of Egypt they were wont to do thus with their Kings. When they had all returned to the Monastery they took the Cid from off his horse, and set the body upon the frame, as they were wont to do, and placed it before the altar. Many were the honors which King Don Alfonso did to the Cid in masses and vigils, and other holy services, such as are fitting for the body and soul of one who is departed. Moreover he did great honor to the King of Navarre, and to the Infante of Aragon, ordering that all things which were needful should be given to them and their companies. Chr. del Cid. cap. XIII. On the third day after the coming of King Don Alfonso, they would have interred the body of the Cid, but when the King heard what Doña Ximena had said, that while it was so fair and comely it should not be laid in a coffin, he held that what she said was good. for the ivory chair which had been carried to And he sent the Cortes of Toledo, and gave order that it should be placed on the right of the altar of St. Peter; and he laid a cloth of gold upon it, and upon that placed a cushion covered with a right noble tartari, and he ordered a graven tabernacle to be made over the chair, richly wrought with azure and gold, having thereon the blazonry of the Kings of Castille and Leon, and the King of Navarre, and the Infante of Aragon, and of the Cid Ruydiez the Campeador. And he himself, and the King of Navarre and the Infante of Aragon, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo, to do honor to the Cid, helped to take his body from between the two boards, in which it had been fastened at Valencia. And when they had taken it out, the body was so firm that it bent not on either side, and the flesh so firm and comely, that it seemed as if he were yet alive. And the King thought that what they purported to do and had thus begun, might full well be effected. And they clad more, till it XI. Chr. del And 288. Chr. Gen. company after this the body in full noble tartari, and in cloth of purple, which BOOK the Soldan of Persia had sent him, and put him on hose of. the same, and set him in his ivory chair; and in his left hand they placed his sword Tizona in its scabbard, and the strings of his mantle in his right. And in this fashion the body of the Cid remained there ten years and was taken thence, as the history will relate anon. when his garments waxed old, other good ones were put on. ff. 311. XIV. King Don Alfonso, and the sons-in-law of the Cid, How the King Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the Infante Don Sancho brake up of Aragon, with all their companies, and all the other hon- was done. orable men, abode three weeks in St. Pedro de Cardeña, doing honor to the Cid. And the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and the other Bishops who came with King Don Alfonso, said every day their masses, and accompanied the body of the Cid there where it was placed, and sprinkled holy water upon it, and incensed it, as is the custom to do over a grave. And after three weeks they who were there assembled began to break up, and depart to their own houses. And of the company of the Cid, some went with the King of Navarre, and other some with the Infante of Aragon; but the greater number, and the most honorable among them, betook themselves to King Don Alfonso, whose natural subjects they were. And Doña Ximena and her companions abode in San Pedro de Cardeña, and Gil Diaz with her, as the Cid had commanded in his testament. And the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and Alvar Fañez Minaya, and Chr. del Pero Bermudez, remained there also till they had fulfilled 233. all that the Cid Ruydiez had commanded in his testament to f. 311. be done. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. Bavieca. XV. Gil Diaz did his best endeavor to fulfil all that his Of the care which was Lord the Cid Ruydiez had commanded him, and to serve taken of Doña Ximena and her companions truly and faithfully; and this he did so well, that she was well pleased with his faithfulness. And Doña Ximena fulfilled all that the Cid had commanded her; and every day she had masses performed XI. BOOK for his soul, and appointed many vigils, and gave great alms for the soul of the Cid and of his family. And this was the life which she led, doing good wherever it was needful for the love of God; and she was alway by the body of the Cid, save only at meal times and at night, for then they would not permit her to tarry there, save only when vigils were kept in honor of him. Moreover Gil Diaz took great delight in tending the horse Bavieca, so that there were few days in which he did not lead him to water, and bring him back with his own hand. And from the day in which the dead body of the Cid was taken off his back, never man was suffered to bestride that horse, but he was alway led when they took him to water, and when they brought him back. And Gil Diaz thought it fitting that the race of that good horse should be continued, and he bought two mares for him, the goodliest that could be found, and when they were with foal, he saw that they were well taken care of, and they brought forth the one a male colt and the other a female; and from these the race of this good horse was kept up in Castille, so that there were afterwards many good and precious horses of his race, and peradventure are at this day. And this good horse lived two years and a half after the death of his master the Cid, and then he died also, having lived, according to the history, full forty years. And Gil Diaz buried him before the gate of the Monastery, in the public place, on the right hand; and he planted two elms upon the grave, the one at his head and the other at his feet, and these elms grew and became great trees, and are yet to be seen before the gate of the Monastery. Chr. Gen. And Gil Diaz gave order that when he died they should Chr. del bury him by that good horse Bavieca, whom he had loved so well. ff. 311. Cid. cap. 289. Of the death of XVI. Four years after the Cid had departed that noble Doña Xim- lady Doña Ximena departed also, she who had been the wife of that noble baron the Cid Ruydiez, the Campeador. At that time Don Garcia Tellez was Abbot of the Monas ena. |