II.

God's mercy and with your help. and with your help. Then by command of the BOOK council there rose up a knight who was called Don Nuño, a man of worth, aged, and of fair speech; and he said, God reward you, Lady, this favour which you have shewn us in thinking good to come to our council, for we are your vassals, and should do what you command. And we beseech you give not up Zamora, neither for price nor for exchange, for he who besieges you upon the rock would soon drive you from the plain. The council of Zamora will do your bidding, and will not desert you neither for trouble nor for danger which may befall them, even unto death. Sooner, Lady, will we expend all our possessions, and eat our mules and horses, yea sooner feed upon our children and our wives, than give up Zamora, unless by your command. And they all with one accord confirmed what Don Nuño had said. When the Infanta Doña Urraca heard this she was well pleased, and praised them greatly; and she turned to the Cid and said unto him, You were bred up with me in this town of Zamora, where Don Arias Gonzalo fostered you by command of the King my father, and through your help it was that the King father gave it unto me to be my inheritance. I beseech you help me now against my brother, and intreat him that he will not seek to disherit me; but if he will go on with what he hath begun, say to him that I will rather die with the men of Zamora, and they with me, than give him up the town, either for price or exchange. And with this answer did the Cid return unto the 213. King.

my

Chr. Gen.

Chr. del Cid.

cap. 56.

How the

King was

the Cid.

XXVI. When King Don Sancho heard what the Cid said, his anger kindled against him, and he said, You have given this wroth with counsel to my sister because you were bred up with her. And my Cid answered and said, Faithfully have I discharged your bidding, and as a true vassal. Howbeit, O King, I will not bear arms against the Infanta your sister, nor against Zamora, because

BOOK of the days which are past 7;--and I beseech you do not persist II. in doing this wrong. But then King Don Sancho was more greatly incensed, and he said unto him, If it were not that my father left you commended to me, I would order you this instant to be hanged. But for this which you have said I command you to quit my kingdom within nine days. And the Cid went to his tent in anger, and called for his kinsmen and his friends, and bade them make ready on the instant to depart with him. And he set forth with all the knights and esquires of his table, and with all their retainers horse and foot, twelve hundred persons, all men of approved worth, a goodly company;-and they took the road to Toledo, meaning to join King Don Alfonso among the Moors. And that night they slept at Castro Nuño. But when the Counts and Ricos-omes, and the other good men of the host saw this, they understood the great evil and disservice which might arise to the King, and to the land, from the departure of the Cid, who went away in wrath. And they went to the King and said unto him, Sir, wherefore would you lose so good a vassal, who has done you such great service? If he should go unto your brother Don Alfonso brother Don Alfonso among the Moors, he would not let you besiege this city thus in peace. And the King perceived that they spake rightly, and he called for Don Diego Ordoñez, the son of Count Don Bermudo, who was the son of the Infante Don Ordoño of Leon, and bade him follow the Cid, and beseech him in his name to return; and whatever covenant he

I have ventured to insert in this place the declaration of the Cid that he would not bear arms against Zamora, which is nowhere to be found, neither in the Chronicles nor Ballads, though referred to by some, and implied in all. This seemed the fittest place, as it would account for the violence of King Sancho's resentment, which would hardly have been so excited by the failure of his embassy, or a mere suspicion that the Cid had not faithfully discharged it.

II.

should make it should be confirmed unto him; and of this he BOOK ordered his letters of credence to be made out. And Don Diego Ordoñez went to horse, and rode after the Cid, and overtook him between Castro Nuño and Medina del Campo. And when it was told unto the Cid that Don Diego Ordoñez was coming, he turned to meet him, and greeted him well, and asked him wherefore he was come. And he delivered the King's bidding, and showed unto him his letters of credence, and said unto him that the King besought him not to bear in mind the words which he had spoken unto him, being in anger. Then the Cid called together his kinsmen and friends, and asked them what they should do. And they counselled him that he should return to the King, for it was better to remain in his land and serve God, than to go among the Moors. And he held their counsel good, and called for Don Diego, and said unto him that he would do the will of the King: and Don Diego sent to the King to tell him how he had sped. And when the Cid drew nigh unto the host, the King went out with five hundred knights to meet him, and received him gladly, and did him great honour. And the Cid kissed his hand and asked him if he confirmed what Don Diego had said; and the King confirmed it before all the knights who were there present, promising to give him great possessions. And when they came to the army great was the joy because of the Cid's return, and great were the rejoicings which were made: but as great was the sorrow in Zamora, for they who were in the town held that the siege was broken up by his departure. Nevertheless my Cid would not bear arms against the Infanta, nor against the town of Zamora, because of the days 14 which were past.

Sandoval

f. 33.

Chr. Gen.

Chr. del Cid. cap. 57.

Urraca re

XXVII. And the King ordered proclamation to be made How Dona throughout the host that the people should make ready to at- solved to tack the town And they fought against it three days and three town..

K

yield the

II.

BOOK nights so bravely that all the ditches were filled up, and the barbicans thrown down, and they who were within fought sword in hand with those without, and the waters of the Douro, as they past below the town, were all discoloured with blood. And when Count Don Garcia de Cabra saw the great loss which they were suffering, it grieved him; and he went unto the King and told him that many men were slain, and advised him to call off the host that they should no longer fight against the town, but hold it besieged, for by famine it might soon be taken. Then the King ordered them to draw back, and he sent to each camp to know how many men had died in the attack, and the number was found to be a thousand and thirty. And when the King knew this he was greatly troubled for the great loss which he had received, and he ordered the town to be beleagered round about, and in this manner he begirt it, that none could enter into it, neither go out therefrom; and there was a great famine within the town. And when Don Arias Gonzalo saw the misery, and the hunger, and the mortality which were there, he said to the Infanta Doña Urraca, You see, Lady, the great wretchedness which the people of Zamora have suffered, and do every day suffer to maintain their loyalty; now then call together the Council, and thank them truly for what they have done for you, and bid them give up the town within nine days to the King your brother. And we, Lady, will go to Toledo to your brother King Don Alfonso, for we cannot defend Zamora; King Don Sancho is of so great heart and so resolute, that he will never break up the siege, and I do not hold it good that you should abide here longer. And Doña Urraca gave orders that the good men of Zamora should meet together in Council; and she said unto them, Friends, ye well see the resoluteness of King Don Sancho my brother; and already have ye suffered much evil and much wretchedness for doing

II.

right and loyally, losing kinsmen and friends in my service. Ye BOOK have done enough, and I do not hold it good that ye should perish; I command ye therefore give up the town to him within nine days, and I will go to Toledo to my brother King Don Alfonso. The men of Zamora when they heard this had great sorrow, because they had endured the siege so long, and must now give up the town at last; and they determined cap. 58. 59. all to go with the Infanta, and not remain in the town.

8

Chr.del Cid.

town.

Chr. Gen. ff. 214. XXVIII. When Vellido Dolfos heard this, he went to Doña How Vellide Dolfo fled Urraca and said, Lady, I came here to Zamora to do you ser- out of the vice with thirty knights, all well accoutred, as you know; and I have served you long time, and never have I had from you guerdon for my service, though I have demanded it: but now if you will grant my demand I will relieve Zamora, and make King Don Sancho break up the siege. Then said Doña Urraca, Vellido, I shall repeat to thee the saying of the wise man, A man bargains well with the slothful and with him who is in need; and thus you would deal with me. I do not bid thee commit any evil thing, if such thou hast in thy thought; but I say unto you, that there is not a man in the world to whom if he should relieve Zamora, and make the King my brother raise the siege, I would not grant whatsoever he might require. And when Vellido heard this he kissed her hand, and went to a porter who kept one of the gates of the town, and spake with him, saying, that he should open the gate unto him when he saw him flying toward it, and he gave him his cloak. Then went he to his lodging and armed himself, and mounted his horse, and rode to the house of Don Arias Gonzalo, and cried with a loud voice, We all

• Dolfos is the corrupted patronymic of Ataulpho, the Adolphus of modern Germany.