VIII. And Felez Munoz said that he would do this. And the Cid BOOK 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 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. Chr. del 238. ff. 286. Cid. v. Infantes slain Aben galvon. 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 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 yé 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 Cid. cap. I leave ye for traitors as ye are. Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, go with your favor. God grant that this marriage may 239. please your father! Having said this the good Moor returned Chr. Gen. to Molina. ff. 286. Of the great cruelty which the Infantes com their wives. XIV. They went on by Valdespino, and by Parra, and Berrocal, and Val de Endrinas, and they left Medina Celi 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 garments 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. BOOK Muñoz dames ly ing in the forest. XV. When the Infantes, before they committed this great cruelty, ordered their company to ride forward, Felez How Felez Muñoz the nephew of the Cid, rode on with the rest: but found these this order nothing pleased him, and he was troubled at heart, insomuch that he went aside from his companions, and struck into the forest, and there waited privily till he should see his cousins come, or learn what the Infantes had done to them. Presently he saw the Infantes, and heard what they said to each other. Certes if they had espied him he could not have escaped death. But they pricked on, not seeing him, and he rode back to the fountain, and there he found the women lying senseless, and in such plight as ye have heard. And he made great lamentation over them, saying, Never can it please God that ye my cousins should receive such dishonor! God and St. Mary give them who have done this an evil guerdon! for ye never deserved this, neither are ye of a race to deserve that this or any other evil should betide ye! By this time the women began to come to themselves, but they could not speak, for their hearts were breaking. And Felez Muñoz called out to them, Cousins! Cousins! Doña Elvira! Doña Sol! for the love of God rouse yourselves that we may get away before night comes, or the wild beasts will devour us! And they came to themselves and began to open their eyes, and saw that he who spake to them was Felez Muñoz; and he said to them, For the love of God take heart and let us be gone; for the Infantes will soon seek for me, and if God do not befriend us we shall all be slain. And Doña Sol said to him in her great pain, Cousin, for all that our father hath deserved at your hands, give us water. Felez Muñoz took his hat and filled it with water and gave it to them. And he comforted them and bade them take courage, and besought them to bear up. And he placed them upon his horse; and covered them both with his cloak, and led them through the oak forest, into the thickest part thereof, and there he made a bed of leaves and of grass, and laid them on it, and covered VIII. Cid. 2774. to tell Cid. cap. 240. Chr. Gen. ff. 287. Sanchez knights de fantes. them with his cloak, and he sate down by them and began BOOK to weep, for he knew not what he should do; for he had no food, and if he went to seek it, great danger was there because they were wounded and bloody, that the wild beasts Poema del and the birds of the mountain would attack them; and on 2819. the other hand, unless he went to his uncle the Cid, him of this wickedness, none other knew what had been done, and thus there would be no vengeance taken. XVI. While Felez Muñoz was in this great trouble the How Pero Infantes joined their company, and their spurs were bloody the other and their hands also from the wounds which they had given fied the Intheir wives. And when their people saw them in this plight, and that their wives were not with them, they weened that some wickedness had been done; and all they who were of good heart and understanding among them went apart, to the number of an hundred, with one who was named Pero Sanchez; and he spake unto them, saying, Friends, these Infantes have done a foul deed upon their wives, the daughters of our Lord the Cid; and they are our liege Ladies, for we did homage to them before their father, and accepted them as such; and the Cid made us knights that we should discharge the duty which we owe to them. Now then, it behoveth us that we arm ourselves, and demand of the Infantes what they have done with our ladies, and require them at their hands. And if they will not deliver them to us, then will we fight against them even to death; for thus shall we do right, and otherwise we shall be ill spoken of, This was the counsel and not worthy to live in the world. us. |