BOOK before them, and the great Garden with its thick shade, and VII. the sea on the other side; and they lifted up their hands to thank Poema del Cid. v.1461. 1626. Chr. del Cid. cap 217. Chr. Gen. f. 276. How tidings came that the lin was com Valencia. God. Great honour did the Cid do to Abencaño the Lord of Molina, for all the service which he had done to Doña Ximena. Then said Abencaño, This, Sir, I was bound to do, for since I have been your vassal I have alway been respected, and defended from all my enemies, and maintained in good estate; how then should I do otherwise than serve you? If I did not, I should lack understanding. And the Cid thanked him for what he had done, and what he had said, and promised also to show favour unto him. And Abencaño took his leave and returned to Molina. 1 XVII. The winter is past, and March is coming in. Three Miramamo months Doña Ximena had been in Valencia, when tidings came ing against to the Cid from beyond sea, that King Yucef, the son of the Miramamolin, who dwelt in Morocco, was coming to lay siege unto Valencia with fifty thousand men. When the Cid heard this he gave command to store all his Castles, and had them well repaired. And he had the walls of the city prepared, and stored it well with food and with all things needful for war, and gathered together a great power of Christians and of the Moors of his seignory. Hardly had he done this before he heard that Yucef was near at hand, and coming as fast as he could come. Then the Cid assembled together the Christians in the Alcazar, and when they were assembled, he rose upon his feet and said, Friends and kinsmen and vassals, praised be God and holy Mary Mother, all the good which I have in the world I have here in Valencia; with hard labour I won the city, and hold it for my heritage, and for nothing less than death will I leave it. My daughters and my wife shall see me fight,.. they shall see with their own eyes our manner of living in this land, and how we get our bread. We will go out against the Moors VII. Chr. Gen. 77. Poema del 1651. How the Cid took his wife and daugh ters upon the tower, that they might see the Moors land. and give them battle, and God who hath thus far shown favour BOOK unto us will still continue to be our helper. When they heard this they cried out with one accord that they would do his bidding, and go out with him and fight under his banner, for certain they were that by his good fortune the Moors would be overthrown. Cid. v.1627. XVIII. On the morrow the Cid took Doña Ximena by the hand, and her daughters with her, and made them go up upon the highest tower of the Alcazar, and they looked toward the sea and saw the great power of the Moors, how they came on and drew nigh, and began to pitch their tents round about Valencia, beating their tambours and with great uproar. And Ximena's heart failed her, and she asked the Cid if peradventure God would deliver him from these enemies. Fear not, honoured woman, said he; you are but lately arrived, and they come to bring you a prcsent, which shall help marry your daughters. Fear not, for you shall see me fight by the help of God and holy Mary Mother; my heart kindles because you are here! The more Moors the more gain! The tambours sounded now with a great alarum, and the sun was shining... Chear up, said my Cid;.. this is a glorious day. But Ximena was seized with such fear as if her heart would have broken; she and her daughters had never been in such fear since the day that they were born. Then the good Cid Campeador stroked his beard and said, Fear not, all this is for your good. Before fifteen days are over, if it please God, those tambours shall be laid before you, and shall be sounded for your pleasure, and then they shall be given to the Bishop Dan Hieronymo, that he may hang them up in the Church of St. Mary, Mother of God. This vow the Cid Campeador made. Now the Moors began to enter the gardens which were round about the town, and the watchman saw them and struck the bell. My Cid A mas Moros, mas ganancia. Berganza. The words past into a proverb. BOOK looked back and saw Alvar Salvadores beside him, and he said, VII. Go now, take two hundred horse, and sally upon yonder Moors who are entering the gardens: let Doña Ximena and her daughters sce the good will you have to serve them. Down went Alvar Salvadores in great haste, and ordered a bell to be rung which was a signal for two hundred knights to make ready; for the history saith, that the Cid, by reason that he was alway in war, had appointed such signals for his people, that they knew when one hundred were called for, and when two, and so forth. Presently they were ready at the place of meeting, and the gate was opened which was nearest the gardens where the Moors had entered, without order; and they fell fiercely upon them, smiting and slaying. Great was the pleasure of the Cid at seeing how well they behaved themselves. And Doña Ximena and her daughters stood trembling, like women who had never seen such things before: and when the Cid saw it he made them seat themselves, so as no longer to behold it. Great liking had the Bishop Don Hieronymo to see how bravely they fought. Alvar Salvadores and his companions bestirred themselves so well that they drove the enemy to their tents, making great mortality among them, and then they turned back, whereat my Cid was well pleased; but Alvar Salvadores went on, hacking and hewing all before him, for he thought the ladies were looking on, and he prest forward so far, that being without succour he was taken. The others returned to the city, falling back in brave order till they were out of reach of the enemy: and they had done no little in that exploit, for they slew above two hundred and fifty Moors. When my Cid saw that they who eat his bread were returned, he went down from the tower, and Chr.del Cid. received them right well, and praised them for what they had done like good knights: howbeit he was full sorrowful for Alvar Salvadores that he should be in the hands of the Moors, but Cid. 1652. he trusted in God that he should deliver him on the morrow. cap. 218. 219. Chr. Gen. f. 277. Poema del 1602, VII. Of the coun taken, after ner they tack the XIX. And the Cid assembled his chief captains and knights BOOK and people, and said unto them, Kinsmen and friends and vassals, hear me: to-day has been a good day, and to-morrow sel which was shall be a better. Be you all armed and ready in the dark of what manthe morning; mass shall be said, and the Bishop Don Hier- should atonymo will give us absolution, and then we will to horse, and Moors. out and smite them in the name of the Creator and of the Apostle Santiago. It is fitter that we should live than that they should gather in the fruits of this land. But let us take counsel in what manner we may go forth, so as to receive least hurt, for they are a mighty power, and we can only defeat them by great mastery in war. When Alvar Fañez Minaya heard this he answered and said, Praised be God and your good fortune, you have atchieved greater things than this, and I trust in God's mercy that you will atchieve this also. Give me three hundred horse, and we will go out when the first cock crows, and put ourselves in ambush in the valley of Albuhera; and when you have joined battle we will issue out and fall upon them on the other side, and on one side or the other God will help us. Well was the Cid pleased with this counsel, and he said that it should be so; and he bade them feed their horses in time and sup early, and as soon as it was cock-crow come to the Church of St. Pedro, and hear mass, and shrive themselves, and com- Chr. del Cid. municate, and then take horse in the name of the Trinity, Chr. Gen. that the soul of him who should die in the business might go Poema del without let to God. 4 cap. 218. f. 278. Cid. 1693. 1706. victory Cid won over King Yucef. XX. Day is gone, and night is come. At cock-crow they of the great all assembled together in the Church of St. Pedro, and the which the Bishop Don Hieronymo sung and assoyled, and howselled. the Bishop gave them: He who shall die, said he, fighting face forward, I will take his sins, and God shall have his soul. mass, and they were shriven sung mass BOOK Then said he, A boon, Cid Don Rodrigo; I have VII. to you this morning: let me have the giving the first wounds in this battle! and the Cid granted him this boon in the name of God. Then being all ready they went out through the gate which is called the Gate of the Snake, for the greatest power of the Moors was on that side, leaving good men to guard the gates. Alvar Fañez and his company were already gone forth, and had laid their ambush. Four thousand, lacking thirty, were they who went out with my Cid, with a good will, to attack fifty thousand. They went through all the narrow places, and bad passes, and leaving the ambush on the left, struck to the right hand, so as to get the Moors between them and the town. And the Cid put his battles in good array, and bade Pero Bermudez bear his banner. When the Moors saw this they were greatly amazed; and they harnessed themselves in great haste, and came out of their tents. Then the Cid bade his banner move on, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo pricked forward with his company, and laid on with such guise, that the hosts were soon mingled together. Then might you have seen many a horse running about the field with the saddle under his belly, and many a horseman in evil plight upon the ground. Great was the smiting and slaying in short time; but by reason that the Moors were so great a number, they bore hard upon the Christians, and were in the hour of overcoming them. And the Cid began to encourage them with a loud voice, shouting God and Santiago! And Alvar Fañez at this time issued out from ambush, and fell upon them, on the side which was nearest the sea; and the Moors thought that a great power had arrived to the Cid's succour, and they were dismayed, and began to fly. And the Cid and his people pursued, punishing them in a bad way. If we should wish to tell you how every one behaved himself |