your

VIII.

Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, came and knelt before the Cid BOOK and before Doña Ximena their mother, and said, You send us to the lands of Carrion, and we must fulfil your command; now then give us your blessing, and let us have some of people with us in Carrion, we beseech you. And the Cid embraced them and kissed them, and the mother kissed them and embraced them twice as much, and they gave them their blessing, and their daughters kissed their hands. And the Cid gave unto his sons-in-law great store of cloth of gold, and of serge, and of wool, and an hundred horses bridled and saddled, and an hundred mules with all their trappings, and ten cups of gold, and an hundred vessels of silver, and six hundred marks of silver in dishes and trenchers and other things. When all this was done they took their departure and went out of Valencia, and the Cid rode out a long league with them. He looked at the birds, and the augury was bad, and he thought that these marriages would not be without some evil. And his heart' smote him, and he began to think on what Doña Ximena had said, and to fear least evil should befall him from these sons-inlaw, for the manner of their speech was not as it was wont to be. Where art thou my nephew, where art thou Felez Muñoz? thou art the cousin of my daughters, said he, both in heart and in soul. Go with them even unto Carrion, and see the possessions which are given them, and come back with tidings thereof. And Felez Muñoz said that he would do this. And

8

4

The phrase is literally Spanish:.. Comenzo de ferirle el corazon muy reziamente. Chronica del Cid.

• The Chronica del Cid says that the Cid sent a hundred knights with his daughters, under Martin Pelaez the Asturian, and another knight called Pero

BOOK the Cid bade him salute the Moor Abengalvon in his name, VIII. 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 mo ther 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 Chr. del Cid, alway think of them, and would maintain them in good estate: gave them his blessing and turned back toward Valencia, Poema del and they went their way with their husbands, and that parting was like plucking the nail from the flesh.

cap. 238.

Chr. Gen. f. 280.

Cid. v. 2595. 2651.

How the Infantes would

Abengalvon

and he

XIII. So the Infantes of Carrion went their way, by the have slain Campo del Quarto to Chiva, and to Bonilla, and to Requena, and to Campo-Robres, and they took up their lodging 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

Sanchez, who did homage in his hands that they would alway serve his daughters as their liege ladies, and children of their natural Lord. Neither the Poen nor the Chronica General mention this, 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.

and rode on with them, having two hundred knights in his BOOK 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 seeing 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 ye 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 leave ye for traitors as ye are. Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, I go Poema del with your favour. God grant that this marriage may please 2698. your father! Having said this the good Moor returned to Mo. lina.

Cid. 2653.

Chr. del Cid.

cap. 230. Chr. Gen.

f. 286.

and of the great

cruelty

on which the

Infantescom

their wives.

XIV. They went on by Valdespino, and by Parra, Berrocal, and Val de Endrinas, and they left Medina Celi the right, and crost the plain of Barahona, and past near Bermitted upon langa; 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

BOOK of that oak forest, where there was a fountain of clear water, VIII. 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 that none remained with them, neither man nor woman, but 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 dishonour. 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

but

VIII.

Cid. 2699.

2773.

Chr. del Cid.

cap. 239.

Chr. Gen. f. 287.

Muñozfound

these dames

lying in the forest.

that ye should have your dower in the lands of Carrion! We BOOK 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 come upon them at that hour! And the In- Poema del fantes rode on glorying in what they had done, for they said the daughters of the Cid were worthy to be their harlots, not their wives. XV. When the Infantes, before they committed this great How Fele cruelty, ordered their company to ride forward, Felez Muñoz the nephew of the Cid, rode on with the rest: but 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 dishonour! 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