X.

night, and with a good guard to protect them till they should BOOK be in safety; and they took their leave of the King, and travelled by night and day, and came to Valencia. When the Cid knew that they drew nigh, he went out to meet them, and did them great honour. Who can tell the great joy which he made over them? And they told him all even as it had come to pass, and how the King had declared the Infantes of Carrion and their uncle to be notorious traitors. Great was the joy of the Cid at these tidings, and he lifted up his hands to Heaven, and blest the name of God because of the vengeance which he had given him for the great dishonour which he had received. And he took with him Martin Antolinez and Pero Bermudez and Muño Gustioz, and went to Doña Ximena and her daughters, and said to them, Blessed be the name of God, now are you and your daughters avenged! and he made the knights recount the whole unto them, even as it had come to pass. Great was the joy of Doña Ximena and her daughters, and they bent their knees to the ground, and praised the name of Jesus Christ, because he had given them this vengeance for the dishonour which they had received; and Doña Elvira and Doña Sol embraced those knights many times, and would fain have kissed their hands and their feet. And the Cid said

that the Infantes of Carrion and the daughters of the Cid were near enough of kin to afford a plea for divorce, being alike descended on the mother's side from King Don Bermudo II. It may be added, that princes in those days cared little for the bond of marriage, married whatever women they liked, and forsook them whenever they were tired of them.

The conduct of the Infantes of Carrion is certainly improbable. There are instances enough of such cruelty, but none of such folly. Yet nothing can be so improbable as that such a story should be invented and related so soon after their death, of persons who had really existed, and were of such rank: and that it should be accredited and repeated by all the historians who lived nearest the time.

X.

BOOK unto Doña Ximena, Now may you without let marry your daughters with the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre, and I trust in God that they will be well and honourably married, better than they were at first. Eight days did the great rejoicings endure which the Cid made in Valencia, for the vengeance which God had given him upon the Infantes of Carrion, and their uncle Suero Gonzalez, the aider and abettor in the villainy which they had committed.

Chr. del Cid.

cap. 269. Chr. Gen. ff.301.

How the Sol

dan of Per

sents to the

Cid.

IX. Now it came to pass after this, that the Great Soldan sia sent pre- of Persia, having heard of the great goodness of the Cid, and of his great feats in arms, and how he had never been vanquished by mortal man, and how he had conquered many Kings, Moor and Christian, and had won the noble city of Valencia, and had defeated King Bucar Lord of Africa and Morocco, and twenty nine Kings with him, all these things made him greatly desirous of his love. And holding him to be one of the noble men of the world, he sent messengers to him with great gifts, which will be recounted hereafter, and with them he sent one of his kinsmen, a full honourable man, with letters of great love. When this kinsman reached the port of Valencia, he sent word to the Cid that he was arrived there with a message from the Great Soldan of Persia, who had sent a present by him; and when the Cid knew this he was well pleased. And in the morning the Cid took horse, and went out with all his company, all nobly attired, and his knights rode before him with their lances erect. And when they had gone about a league they met the messenger of the Soldan coming to Valencia: and when he beheld them in what order they came, he understood what a noble man the Cid Campeador was. And when he drew nigh, the Cid stopt his horse Bavieca, and waited to receive him. And when the messenger came before the Cid and beheld him, all his flesh began to tremble, and he mar

X.

velled greatly that his flesh should tremble thus; and his voice BOOK failed him, so that he could not bring forth a word. And the Cid said that he was welcome, and went towards him to embrace him; but the Moor made him no reply, being amazed. And when he had somewhat recovered and could speak, he would have kissed the Cid's hand, but the Cid would not give it him and he thought this was done for haughtiness, but they made him understand that it was to do him honour; then was he greatly rejoiced, and he said, I humble myself before thee, O Cid, who art the fortunate, the best Christian, and the most honourable that hath girded on sword or bestrode horse these thousand years. The Great Soldan of Persia, my Lord, hearing of thy great fame and renown, and of the great virtue which is in thee, hath sent me to salute thee and receive thee as his friend, even as his best friend, the one whom he loveth and prizeth best. And he hath sent a present by me who am of his lineage, and beseecheth thee to receive it as from a friend. And the Cid made answer that he thanked him greatly. X. Then the Cid bade his people make way that the sump- of the preter beasts which carried the present might pass, and also the the Soldan strange animals which the Soldan had sent, the like whereof were not in that land. And when they were passed he and his company returned towards the town, and the messenger with him. And whensoever the messenger spake to the Cid, it came into his mind how his voice had failed and his flesh trembled when he beheld him; and he marvelled thereat, and would fain have asked the Cid why it should be. And when they entered • Valencia, great was the crowd which assembled to see the sumpter beasts, and the strange animals, for they had never seen such before, and they marvelled at them. And the Cid gave order that the beasts should be taken care of, and he went to the Alcazar and took the Moor with him; and when they

Chr. del Cid. cap. 270. Chr. Gen.

1.

sents which

sent.

BOOK came to Doña Ximena the Moor humbled himself before her and X. her daughters, and would have kissed her hand, but she would not give it him. Then he commanded that the camels and other beasts of burthen should be unloaded in their presence, and he began to open the packages and display the noble things which were contained therein. And he laid before them great store of gold and of money, which came in leathern bags, each having its lock; and wrought silver in dishes and trenchers and basons, and pots for preparing food; all these of fine silver and full cunningly wrought, the weight whereof was ten thousand marks. Then he brought out five cups of gold, in each of which were ten marks of gold, with many precious stones set therein, and three silver barrels, which were full of pearls and of precious stones. Moreover he presented unto him many pieces of cloth of gold, and of silk, of those which are made in Tartary, and in the land of Calabria. And moreover, a pound of myrrh and of balsam, in little caskets of gold; this was a precious thing, for with this ointment they were wont to anoint the bodies of the Kings when they departed, to the end that they might not corrupt, neither the earth consume them: and with this was the body of the Cid embalmed after his death. Moreover he presented unto him a chess board, which was one of the noble ones in the world; it was of ivory rivetted with gold, and with many precious stones round about it; and the men were of gold and silver, and the squares also were richly wrought Chr del Cid. With stones of many virtues. This was a full rich, and great and noble present, so that no man could tell the price thereof.

cap. 271.

Chr. Gen.

ff. 301.

This is the description in the Chronica del Cid. The Chronica General only says that this chess-board (arcidriche... Berganza notices the singular word) is at this day, i. e. about 1250, in the Monastery at Cardeña. It had disappeared in Berganza's time.

X.

Of what past

messenger of

and the Cid.

XI. When the Moor had produced all these things before the BOOK Cid, he said unto him, All this, Sir, with the animals which thou hast seen, my Lord the Soldan of Persia hath sent unto thee, between the because of the great fame which he hath heard of thy goodness the Soldan and loyalty; and, Sir, he beseecheth thee to accept it for the love of him. And the Cid thanked him, taking great pleasure therein, and said that he would fain do him greater honour than he had ever yet done to any one. And then he embraced him in the name of the Soldan, and said, that if he were a Christian he would give him the kiss of peace; and he asked whether among those things there was aught which had belonged to the person of the Soldan, that if so he might kiss it in his honour, and in token that if he were there present, he would kiss him on the shoulder, according to the custom of the Moors, for he knew that his Lord was one of the noblest men in all Pagandom. When the kinsman of the Soldan heard this he was greatly rejoiced because of the great courtesy with which the Cid had spoken, and he perceived how noble a man he was. And he said unto him, Sir Cid, if you were present before my Lord the Soldan, he would do you full great honour, and would give you the head of his horse to eat, according to the custom of our country; but seeing that this is not the custom of this country, I give you my living horse, which is one of the best horses of Syria; and do you give order that he be taken in honour of my Lord the Soldan, and he will be better than his head would be boiled. And I kiss your hand, Sir Ruydiez, and hold myself more honoured and a happier man than ever I have been heretofore. And the Cid accepted the horse, and gave consent to the Moor that he should kiss his hand. And then he called for his Almoxarife, and bade him take with him this kinsman of the Soldan, and lodge him in the Garden of Villa Nueva, and cap. 271. do him even such honour and service as he would to himself. ff. 301.

Chr. del Cid

Chr. Gen.