I.

Chr.del Cid. 2. Berganza,

cap. 1.

1. 5. c. 10. § 129

Rodrigo Alvarez, Count and Governor of Asturias, and had by BOOK her this Rodrigo. In the year of the Incarnation 1026 was Rodrigo born, of this noble lineage, in the city of Burgos, and in the street of St. Martin, hard by the palace of the Counts of Castille, where Diego Laynez had his dwelling. In the church of St. Martin was he baptized, a good priest of Burgos, whose name was Don Pedro de Pernegas, being his godfather: and to this church Rodrigo was always greatly affectionate, and he built the belfrey tower thereof. III. At this time it came to pass that there was strife be- of the strife tween Count Don Gomez the Lord of Gormaz, and Diego Lay- Count Gonez the father of Rodrigo; and the Count insulted Diego and Diego Laygave him a blow. Now Diego was a man in years, and his Rodrigosten strength had passed from him, so that he could not take vengeance, and he retired to his home to dwell there in solitude and lament over his dishonour. And he took no pleasure in his food, neither could he sleep by night, nor would he lift up his eyes from the ground, nor stir out of his house, nor commune with his friends, but turned from them in silence as if the breath of his

between

mez and

nez, and how

him.

prove that her name was Teresa Rodriguez; and the Cid's own name, Rodrigo, must be admitted as some presumption in their favour. One of these authorities. states that Diego Laynez and his wife were buried at S. Pedro de Cardeña.

In Berganza's days the Casas del Cid were shown at Burgos, and probably are so at this day. The Monastery of Cardeña, to which he had given them, granted them to the city upon a low rent, and on condition that the arms of Rodrigo should always be preserved over the gateway, in token of respect to him who was so great an honour to the city, and by them the arms of the Monastery, in memory that it had been his inheritor.

Berganza, 5. 10. § 129.

For this Berganza quotes the Historia de Burgos of P. Fray Melchior Prieto.

I.

BOOK shame would taint them. Rodrigo was yet but a youth, and the Count was a mighty man in arms, one who gave his voice first in the Cortes, and was held to be the best in the war, and so powerful that he had a thousand friends among the mountains. Howbeit all these things appeared as nothing to Rodrigo when he thought of the wrong done to his father, the first which had ever been offered to the blood of Layn Calvo. He asked nothing but justice of Heaven, and of man he asked only a fair field; and his father seeing of how good heart he was, gave him his sword and his blessing. The sword had been the sword of Mudarra in former times, and when Rodrigo held its cross in his hand, he thought within himself that his arm was not weaker than Mudarra's. And he went out and defied the Count and slew him, and smote off his head and carried it home to his father. The old man was sitting at table, the food lying before him untasted, when Rodrigo returned, and pointing to the head which hung from the horse's collar, dropping blood, he bade him look up, for there was the herb which should restore to him his appetite: the tongue, quoth he, which insulted you, is no longer a tongue, and the hand which wronged you is no longer a hand. And the old man arose and embraced his son and placed him above him at the table, saying, that he who had brought home that head should be the head of Ro. 1, 2, the house of Layn' Calvo.

Escobar,

3, 4.

How Rodrigo took the

IV. After this Diego being full of years fell asleep and was ve Moorish gathered to his fathers. And the Moors entered Castille, in great power, for there came with them five Kings, and they past above Burgos, and crost the mountains of Oca, and plunder

Kings.

The death of Count Gomez is mentioned by the Chronicles, Garibay, and Mariana, but not the cause of the quarrel. This, with the circumstances which follow it, is given from the first four Ballads in Escobar's collection.

I.

ed Carrion, and Vilforado, and Saint Domingo de la Calzada, BOOK and Logroño, and Najara, and all that land; and they carried away many captives both male and female, and brood mares, and flocks of all kinds. But as they were returning with all speed, Rodrigo of Bivar raised the country, and came up with them in the mountains of Oca, and fell upon them and discomfited them, and won back all their booty, and took all the five Kings prisoners. 'Then he went back to his mother, taking the Kings 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 acknowledged cap. 2. themselves to be his vassals.

Chr. del Cid.

Cron. Gen.

ff. 194.

Gomez ask

in marriages.

V. King Don Ferrando was going through Leon, putting the How Ximena. Kingdom in order, when tidings reached him of the good speed ed Rodrigo of the King which Rodrigo had had against the Moors. And at the same time there came before him Ximena Gomez, 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 honoured; 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 ser

I.

BOOK vice, 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 to communicate to him, upon an affair which was greatly to God's service, and his own welfare and great honour.

Chr. del Cid. cap. 3 Chr. Gen. ff. 194.

How Rodri

go accepted

wife.

VI. When Rodrigo saw the letters of his Lord the King he her for his greatly rejoiced in them, and said to the messengers that he would fulfil the King's pleasure, and go incontinently at 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 honour; 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 Ximena 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 favonr. 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 other

6

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 at 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

I.

according as the law directs. And when they were espoused the BOOK King did them great honour, 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, and for all that he had heard him

say.

mo

VII. So Rodrigo departed from the king, and took his spouse with him to the house of his mother, and gave her to his ther's keeping. And forthwith he made a vow in her 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 honour, for which he should ever serve her with the better good will. And his mother promised him so to and then he departed from them and went out against frontier of the Moors.

do;

Chr.del Cid.

cap. 4. Chr. Gen. f. 194.

Chr. del Cid.

the cap. 4.

Chr. Gen. ff. 194.

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 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.