I. Then he went back to his mother, taking the Kings BOOK with him, and there he divided the whole spoil with the hidalgos and his other companions, both the Moorish captives and all the spoil of whatever kind, so that they departed right joyfully, being well pleased with what he had done. And he gave thanks to God for the grace which had been vouchsafed to him, and said to his mother, that he did not think it good to keep the Kings in captivity, but to let them go freely; and he set them at liberty and bade them depart. So they returned each to his own country, blessing him for their deliverance, and magnifying his great bounty; and forthwith they sent him tribute and acknow- Cid. cap. 2. ledged themselves to be his vassals. Chr. del Cron. Gen. ff. 194. V. King Don Ferrando was going through Leon, put- How Ximting the Kingdom in order, when tidings reached him of ena Gomez the good speed which Rodrigo had had against the Moors. drigo of the King in And at the same time there came before him Ximena Go- marriage. mez, the daughter of the Count, who fell on her knees before him and said, Sir, I am the daughter of Count Don Gomez of Gormaz, and Rodrigo of Bivar has slain the Count my father, and of three daughters whom he has left I am the youngest. And Sir, I come to crave of you a boon, that you will give me Rodrigo of Bivar to be my husband, with whom I shall hold myself well married, and greatly honored; for certain I am that his possessions will one day be greater than those of any man in your dominions. Certes Sir, it behoves you to do this, because it is for God's service and because I may pardon Rodrigo with a good will. The King held it good to accomplish her desire; and forthwith ordered letters to be drawn up to Rodrigo of Bivar, wherein he enjoined and commanded him that he should come incontinently to Palencia, for he had much Chr. del to communicate to him, upon an affair which was greatly to God's service, and his own welfare and great honor. VI. When Rodrigo saw the letters of his Lord the King drigo ac he greatly rejoiced in them, and said to the messengers that cepted her Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 194. How Ro 3. for his wife. BOOK he would fulfil the king's pleasure, and go incontinently at I. his command. And he dight himself full gallantly and well, and took with him many knights, both his own and of his kindred and of his friends, and he took also many new arms, and came to Palencia to the King with two hundred of his peers in arms, in festival guise; and the King went out to meet him, and received him right well, and did him honor; and at this were all the Counts displeased. And when the King thought it a fit season, he spake to him and said, that Doña Zimena Gomez, the daughter of the Count whom he had slain, had come to ask him for her husband, and would forgive him her father's death; wherefore he besought him to think it good to take her to be his wife, in which case he would show him great favor. When Rodrigo heard this it pleased him well, and he said to the King that he would do his bidding in this, and in all other things which he might command; and the King thanked him much. And he sent for the Bishop of Palencia, and took their vows and made them plight' themselves each to the 1 This marriage, with all its circumstances, has been doubted. The marriage settlement of the Cid to Ximena Diaz, daughter of his cousin Count Don Diego de Asturias, is extant among the archives of Burgos, and has been printed by Sandoval. This author, however, who is sufficiently, and more than sufficiently, sceptical concerning the history of the Cid, admits that the marriage with Ximena Gomez is asserted in so many manuscripts, and her tomb shown with such evident authenticity in the monastery of St. Juan de Peña, that there is evidence enough to prove two marriages, both wives having the same baptismal name, and the first dying young. — Ay bastantes indicios, y digo provança suficiente, para dezir, que Rodrigo Diaz fue casado dos vezes, una en tiempo del Rey Don Fernando con Ximena Gomez, como dizen las historias, ff. 54. "I do not," says Berganza, (5. 11. § 132.) hold for very certain what is related of this match; because of the suspicion there is that the ancients intermixed in their histories some marriage adventures taken from the Joculars (Juglares); just as in these times the composers of Comedies are wont to invent such, even when they are treating of the histories of saints." If however it be admitted, as it is, that Rodrigo had a wife named Ximena Gomez, the circumstances of that marriage are not to be I. Chr. del Chr. Gen. ff. 194. go took his and of the other according as the law directs. And when they were BOOK espoused the King did them great honor, and gave them many noble gifts, and added to Rodrigo's lands more than he had till then possessed: and he loved him greatly in his heart, because he saw that he was obedient to his commands, Cid. cap. 4. and for all that he had heard him say. VII. So Rodrigo departed from the king, and took his How Rodrispouse with him to the house of his mother, and gave her to wife home, his mother's keeping. And forthwith he made a vow in her vow which hands that he would never accompany with her, neither in the desert nor in the inhabited place, till he had won five battles in the field. And he besought his mother that she would love her even as she loved him himself, and that she would do good to her and show her great honor, for which he should ever serve her with the better good will. And Chr.delCid. his mother promised him so to do; and then he departed Chr. Gen. from them and went out against the frontier of the Moors. he made. cap. 4. ff. 194. pute con lahorra. VIII. Now the history relates that King Don Ferrando Of the, discontended with King Don Ramiro of Aragon, for the city of cerning CaCalahorra, which each claimed as his own; in such guise that the King of Aragon placed it upon the trial by combat, confiding in the prowess of Don Martin Gonzalez, who was at that time held to be the best, knight in all Spain. King Don Ferrando accepted the challenge, and said that Rodrigo of Bivar should do battle on his part, but that he was not then present. And they plighted homage on both parts to meet and bring each his knight, and the knight who conquered should win Calahorra for his Lord. Having ratified this engagement, they returned into their own lands. And immediately Ferrando sent for Rodrigo of Bivar, and told him all the matter as it then stood, and that he was to do battle. Well pleased was Rodrigo when he heard this, and disbelieved for their singularity; had such circumstances appeared incredible, or repugnant to common feeling, they would not have been invented; whether therefore they be true or false, they are equally characteristic of the state of manners. I. BOOK he accorded to all that the King had said that he should do battle for him upon that cause; but till the day arrived he must needs, he said, go to Compostella, because he had Cid. cap. 6. vowed a pilgrimage; and the King was content therewith, ff. 195. and gave him great gifts. Chr. del. Chr. Gen. Of the charity of Rodrigo. to wards the leper. IX. Rodrigo forthwith set out upon the road, and took with him twenty knights. And as he went he did great good, and gave alms, feeding the poor and needy. And upon the way they found a leper, struggling in a quagmire, who cried out to them with a loud voice to help him for the love of God; and when Rodrigo heard this, he alighted from his beast and helped him, and placed him upon the beast before him, and carried him with him in this manner to the inn where he took up his lodging that night. At this were his knights little pleased. And when supper was ready he bade his knights take their seats, and he took the leper by the hand, and seated him next himself, and ate with him out of the same dish. The knights were greatly offended at this foul sight, insomuch that they rose up and left the chamber. But Rodrigo ordered a bed to be made ready for himself and for the leper, and they twain slept together. When it was midnight and Rodrigo was fast asleep, the leper breathed against him between his shoulders, and that breath was so strong that it passed through him, even through his breast; and he awoke, being astounded, and felt for the leper by him, and found him not; and he began to call him, but there was no reply. Then he arose in fear, and called for light, and it was brought him; and he looked for the leper and could see nothing; so he returned into the bed, leaving the light burning. And he began to think within himself what had happened, and of that breath which had passed through him, and how the leper was not there. After awhile, as he was thus musing, there appeared before him one in white garments, who said unto him, Sleepest thou or wakest thou, Rodrigo? and he answered and said, I do not sleep but who art thou that bringest with thee such bright I: ness and so sweet an odor? Then said he, I am Saint BOOK Lazarus, and know that I was the leper to whom thou didst so much good and so great honor for the love of God; and because thou didst this for his sake hath God now granted thee a great gift; for whensoever that' breath which thou hast felt shall come upon thee, whatever thing thou desirest to do, and shalt then begin, that shalt thou accomplish to thy heart's desire, whether it be in battle or aught else, so that thy honor shall go on increasing from day to day; and thou shalt be feared both by Moors and Christians, and thy enemies shall never prevail against thee, and thou shalt die an honorable death in thine own house, and in thy renown, for God hath blessed thee; therefore go thou on, and evermore persevere in doing good; and with that he disappeared.' And Rodrigo arose and prayed to our lady 1 E por el bien que tu por el su amor me feziste, otorgate Dios un gran don, que quando el bafo que sentiste ante te veniere, que comiences la cosa que quisieres fazer; assi como en lides, o en otras cosas, todas las acabaras complidamente. Both the Chronica del Cid and the Chronica General have this passage. It is remarkable that the promised token is never afterwards referred to. The Ballad which appears to be one of the more ancient ones, omits the circumstance altogether. Sepulveda, ff. 66. Escobar. Rom. 12. This miracle of the leper is sufficiently common in hagiology. Simam Rodriguez, who introduced the Jesuits into Portugal, took one in like manner into his bed, who disappeared during the night; por ventura, sem saber quem agasalhava, recolhia ao mesmo Christo, says Tellez. In most of these miraculous stories charity is carried to an excess at once loathsome and ridiculous. Thus in the Chronicle, diz que les semejava que caya la gafedad en la escudilla en que comia. Berganza displays some right Catholic logic upon this subject. We believe, he says, the cruelty of Dives towards Lazarus in refusing him the crumbs which fell from his table; why then should we not believe that the human heart is capable of an equal degree of charity? And as if to show there was nothing extraordinary in the miracle, he relates three such, one of which happened" about, if not at the very same time, to Pope Leo IX." The devotion of the Cid to St. Lazarus is brought forward in proof of the truth of the story. He gave certain houses in Palencia to form a parish and hospital under his invocation, and estab |