IX. such a one as Ruydiez; and when he had said this he held BOOK his peace and sate down.' Then Count Don Garcia rose and said, Come away, Infantes, and let us leave the Cid sitting like a bridegroom in his ivory chair: . . he lets his beard grow and thinks to frighten us with it!.. The Campeador put up his hand to his beard, and said, What hast thou to do with my beard, Count? Thanks be to God, it is long because it hath been kept for my pleasure; never son of woman hath taken me by it; never son of Moor or of Christian hath plucked it, as I did yours in your castle of Cabra, Count, when I took your castle of Cabra, and took you by the beard; there was not a boy of the host but had his pull at it. What I plucked then is not yet methinks grown even!.. And the Count cried out again, Come away, Infantes, and leave him! Let him go back to Rio de Ovierna, to his own country, and set up his mills, and take toll as he used to do! . . he is not your peer that you should strive Cid. v. with him. At this the knights of the Cid looked at each Chr. del. other with fierce eyes and wrathful countenances; but none 255. 256. of them dared speak till the Cid bade them, because of the f. 296. command which he had given. Poema del 3282. 3393. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. Bermudez XIII. When the Cid saw that none of his people made How Pero answer, he turned to Pero Bermudez and said, Speak, Pero being angered by Mudo, what art thou silent for? He called him Mudo, which the Cid, 1 The Chronica del Cid inserts here an account of the Cid's pedigree, as given by the King in reply to this speech of the Infantes. Both Chronicles proceed with a speech from Ordoño, in which he tells the Infante Diego of his cowardice in the battle with King Bucar, and repeats the story of the lion. There is nothing of this in the Poem, and it is foolishly interpolated, because it appears immediately afterwards that none of the Cid's people, exasperated as they were, ventured to speak till he commanded them. All that the Chronicles attribute to Ordoño is in the Poem assigned to Felez Muñoz, and this I have followed. * Por esa es luenga que a delicio fue creada. Poema del Cid. 3294. smote down Count Don Garcia. IX. BOOK is to say, Dumb-ee, because he snaffled and stuttered when he began to speak; and Pero Bermudez was wroth that he should be so called before all that assembly. And he said, I tell you what, Cid, you always call me Dumb-ee in Court, and you know I cannot help my words; but when any thing is to be done, it shall not fail for me. And in his anger he forgot what the Cid had said to him and to the others that they should make no broil before the King. And he gath. ered up his cloak under his arm and went up to the eleven Counts who were against the Cid, to Count Garcia, and when he was nigh him he clenched his fist, and gave him a blow which brought him to the ground. Then was the whole Cortes in an uproar by reason of that blow, and many swords were drawn, and on one side the cry was Cabra and Grañon, and on the other side it was Valencia and Bivar; but the strife was in such sort that the Counts in short time voided the palace. King Don Alfonso meantime cried out aloud, forbidding them to fight before him, and charging them to look to his honor; and the Cid then strove what he could to quiet his people, saying to the King, Sir, you saw that I could bear it no longer, being thus maltreated in your presence; if it had not been before you, well would I have had him punished. Then the King sent to call those Counts who had been driven out; and they came again to the Palace, though they fain would not, complaining of the dishonor which they had received. And the King said unto them that they should defend themselves with courtesy and reason, and not revile the Cid, who was not a man to be reviled; and he said that he would defend as far as he could Cid. cap. the rights of both parties. Then they took their seats on the estrados as before. Chr. del 257. Chr. Gen. ff. 296. How the XIV. And Pero Bermudez rose and said to Count King said Garcia, Foul mouth, in which God hath put no truth, thou that he sentence in would give hast dared let thy tongue loose to speak of the Cid's beard. this matter. His is a praiseworthy beard, and an honorable one, and one that is greatly feared, and that never hath been dishonored IX. nor overcome! and if you please you may remember when BOOK he fought against you in Cabra, hundred to hundred, he threw you from your horse, and took thee by the beard, and made thee and thy knights prisoners, and carried thee prisoner away across a packsaddle; and his knights pulled thy beard for thee, and I who stand here had a good handfull of it: how then shall a beard that hath been pulled speak against one that hath alway been honorable! If you deny this, I will fight you upon this quarrel before the King our Lord. Then Count Suero Gonzalez rose in great haste and said, Nephews, go you away and leave these rascally companions: if they are for fighting, we will give them their fill of that, if our Lord the King should think good so to command; that shall not fail for us, though they are not our peers. Then Don Alvar Fañez Minaya arose and said, Hold thy peace, Count Suero Gonzalez! you have been to breakfast before you said your prayers, and your words are more like a drunkard's than one who is in his senses. Your kinsmen like those of the Cid! . . if it were not out of reverence to my Lord the King, I would teach you never to talk again in this way. And then the King saw that these words were going on to worse, and moreover that they were nothing to the business; and he commanded them to be silent, and said, I will determine this business of the defiance with the Alcaldes, as shall be found right; and I will Chr.delcid. not have these disputes carried on before me, least you should raise another uproar in my presence. cap. 258. Chr. Gen. ff. 297. battle was and the Cid XV. Then the King rose and called to the Alcaldes, and How the went apart with them into a chamber, and the Cid and all appointed, the others remained in the Hall. And when the King and named his champions. the Alcaldes had taken counsel together concerning what was right in this matter, they came out from the chamber, and the King went and seated himself in his chair, and the Alcaldes each in his place, and they commanded all persons to be silent and hear the sentence which the King should give. Then the King spake thus: I have taken counsel IX. BOOK the name of God, because it hath pleased him that the dishonor which was done to me and to you in your daughters, should thus be turned into honor: for they were the wives of the sons of Counts, and now shall they be the wives of the sons of Kings, and Queens hereafter. Great was the pleasure of the Cid and his company at these words of the King, for before they had sorrow, and now it was turned into joy. And the Infantes went away from the Palace full sadly, and went to their lodging, and prepared to go to Cargid. cap. rion that they might make ready for the combat, which was Chr. del 260. Chr. Gen. ff. 297. How the Cid com knights to protection. to be in three weeks from that time. XVII. Then the Cid said unto the King, Sir, I have mitted his appointed those who are to do battle with the Infantes and three their uncle, for the enmity and treason which they committhe King's ted against me and my daughters; and now, Sir, as there is nothing more for me to do here, I will leave them in your hand, knowing that you will not suffer them to receive any displeasure or wrong soever, and that you will defend their right. And if it please you I would fain return to Valencia, where I have left my wife and daughters, and my other companions; for I would not that the Moors should rise up against me during my absence, thinking peradventure that I have not sped so well in this matter as I have done, praised be God and you. And moreover I have to make ready for these marriages which you have now appointed. And the King bade him go when he pleased, and good fortune with him, and said that he would protect his knights and maintain his right in all things. Then the Cid kissed the King's hand for this which he had said, and commended the knights to his keeping. And the King called for Count Don Remond, his son-in-law, and gave the knights of the Cid to his charge, and bade them not depart from him; and then the King rose and returned to the Alcazar. Chr. del Cid. cap. 261. Chr. Gen. ff. 298. Of the nobleness with which XVIII. Then the Cid took off his coif of ranzal, which the Cid dis- was as white as the sun, and he loosed his beard, and took tributed his it out of the cord with which it was bound. All they who treasure. IX. were there could not be satisfied with looking at him. And BOOK the Counts Don Anrrich and Don Remond came up to him, and he embraced them, and thanked them and the other good men who had been Alcaldes in this business for maintaining his right; and he promised to do for them in requital whatever they might require; and he besought them to accept part of his treasures. And they thanked him for this offer, but said that it was not seemly. Howbeit he sent great presents to each of them, and some accepted them and some did not. Who can tell how nobly the Cid distributed his treasure before he departed? And he forgave the King the two hundred marks which should have been paid on account of the Infantes. And to the knights who had come Chr. del from Aragon and Navarre concerning the marriages, he gave 261. many horses, and money in gold, and sent them with great ff. 298. honor into their own country. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. Cid would Bavieca to XIX. On the morrow the Cid went to take leave of the How the King, and the King went some way out of the town with have given him, and all the good men who were in the court also, to do the King. him honor as he deserved. And when he was about to dispeed himself of the King, they brought him his precious horse Bavieca, and he turned to the King and said, Sir, I should depart ill from hence if I took with me so good a horse as my Bavieca, and did not leave him for you, for such a horse as this is fit for you, and for no other master : and that you may see what he is, I will do before you what it is long since I have done, except in the battles which I have had with my enemies. Then he mounted his horse, with his ermine housings, and gave him the spur. Who can tell the goodness of the horse Bavieca, and of the Cid who rode him? And as the Cid was doing this, the horse brake one of his reins, yet he came and stopt before the King as easily as if both the reins had been whole. Greatly did the King and all they who were with him marvel at this, saying that they had never seen or heard of so good a horse as that. And the Cid besought the King that he would be |