II. present did the like. And after this the King said unto them, BOOK I beseech ye intreat my brother King Don Alfonso to forgive me whatever wrong I have done him, and to pray to God to A.D.1072. have mercy upon my soul. And when he had said this he asked for the candle, and presently his soul departed. And all who were there present made great lamentation for the King. Oct. 4. Chr. Gen. ff. 216. Chr. del Cid. cap. 64. L HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD BOOK OF THE CHRONICLE OF THE CID. BOOK How it was resolved to impeach the Zamora. I. Now when the King was dead, the townsmen who were in the camp forsook their tents and fled, and much did they lose in their flight; but the noble Castillians, thinking rather of what they were bound to do as men who had alway preserved their loyalty, like their ancestors before them, would not depart from Zamora, nor break up the siege thereof, but remained bravely before it, though they had lost their Lord. And they summoned all the Bishops, and took the body of the King and sent it full honourably to the Monastery of Oña, and buried him there as beseemed a King: and while one part of the chief men of the host accompanied the body, the rest remained in the camp before Zamora. And when the prelates and good men had returned to the army, they took counsel together how they should proceed against the men of Zamora for this great treason which had been committed. Then Count Don Garcia de Cabra arose and said, Friends, ye see that we have lost our Lord the King Don III. Sancho; the traitor Vellido, being his vassal, slew him, and they BOOK of Zamora have received and harboured him within their walls; and therefore as we think, and as has been said unto us, he did this treason by their counsel. Now then if there be one here who will impeach them for this thing, we will do whatever may be needful that he may come off with honour, and the impeachment be carried through. Then Don Diego Ordoñez arose, the son of Count Don Ordoño, a man of royal lineage and great hardihood; and he said unto them, If ye will all assent to this which ye have heard, I will impeach the men of Zamora, for the death of the King our Lord: and they all assented, pro- cap. 64. 65. mising to fulfil what had been said. Now my Cid did not make this impeachment against the people of Zamora, because of the 217. oath which he had sworn. Chr. del Cid. Sandoval, ff. 35. Chr. Gen. Escobar. How Don Liego Ordoes made the impeach II. Then Don Diego Ordoñez went to his lodging and armed himself well, and armed his horse also, and mounted and rode toward Zamora. And when he drew nigh unto the town, he ment. covered himself with his shield that they might not hurt him from the walls, and began to cry aloud, asking if Don Arias Gonzalo were there, for he would speak with him. A squire who was keeping guard upon the wall went to Don Arias and told him that there was a knight well armed calling for him, without the walls, and he said that if it pleased Don Arias he would shoot at him with a cross-bow, and strike him or kill his horse: but Don Arias forbade him, saying that he should no ways harm him. And Don Arias Gonzalo went with his sons upon the wall to see who called for him, and he spake to the knight, saying, Friend, what wouldest thou? And Don Diego Ordoñez answered, The Castillians have lost their Lord; the traitor Vellido slew him, being his vassal, and ye of Zamora have received Vellido and harboured him within your walls. Now therefore I say that he is a traitor who hath a traitor with III. BOOK him, if he knoweth and consenteth unto the treason. And for this I impeach the people of Zamora, the great as well as the little, the living and the dead, they who now are and they who are yet unborn; and I impeach the waters which they drink and the garments which they put on; their bread and their wine, and the very stones in their walls. If there be any one in Zamora to gainsay what I have said, I will do battle with him, and with God's pleasure conquer him, so that the infamy shall remain upon you. Don Arias Gonzalo replied, If I were what thou sayest. I am, it had been better for me never to have been born; but in what thou sayest thou liest. In that which the great do the little have no fault, nor the dead for the deeds of the living, which they neither see nor hear: but setting aside these and the things which have no understanding, as to the rest I say that thou liest, and I will do battle with thee upon this quarrel, or give thee one in my stead. But know that you have been ill advised in making this impeachment, for the manner is, that whosoever impeacheth a Council must do battle with five, one after another, and if he conquer the five he shall be held a true man, but if either of the five conquer him, the council is held acquitted and he a liar. When Don Diego heard this it troubled him; howbeit he dissembled this right well, and said unto Don Arias Gonzalo, I will bring twelve Castillians, and do you bring twelve men of Zamora, and they shall swear upon the Holy Gospel to judge justly between us, and if they find that I am bound to do battle with five, I will perform it. And Don Arias made answer that he said well, and it should be so. And truce was made for three times nine days, till this should have been determined and the combat fought. Chr. Gen. ff. 217. Chr.del Cid. сар. 66. Of the manner in which the combat was to be performed. III. Then when the truce was made, Don Arias Gonzalo went out from the town into the host of the Castillians, and his sons with him, and many of the knights of the town; and all III. the Ricos-omes and knights who were in the host assembled toge- BOOK ther with them, and consulted what was to be done in this impeachment. And they chose out tweve alcaldes on the one part, and twelve on the other, who should decide in what manner he was bound to perform combat who impeached a Council, And the four and twenty alcaldes accorded concerning what was the law in this case; and two of them who were held the most learned in these things arose, the one being a Castillian and the other of Zamora, and said that they had found the law as it was written to be this: That whosoever impeacheth the Council of a town which was a bishop's seat, must do battle with five in the field, one after another; and that after every combat there should be given unto him fresh arms and horse, and three sops of bread, and a draught either of wine or of water, as he chose. And in this sentence which the twain pronounced, the other twenty and two 18. accorded. IV. On the morrow before the hour of tierce, the four and twenty alcaldes marked out the lists upon the sand beside the river, at the place which is called Santiago, and in the middle of the lists they placed a bar, and ordained that he who won the battle should lay hand on the bar, and say that he had conquered: and then they appointed a term of nine days for the combatants to come to those lists which had been assigned. And when all was appointed as ye have heard, Don Arias returned to Zamora, and told the Infanta Doña Urraca all that had been done, and she ordered a meeting to be called, at which all the men of the town assembled. And when they were gathered together, Don Arias Gonzalo said unto them, Friends, I beseech ye, if there be any here among ye who took counsel for the death of King Don Sancho, or were privy thereunto, that ye now tell me, and deny it not; for rather would I go with my sons to the land of the Moors, than be overcome in the field, and held for a traitor. Then they all Chr. Gen. Chr. del Cid. cap. 69. How Don Arias and his sons resolved to do combat for Zamora. |