XXXIII. On the morrow they went to the Church of St. Mary, and there the Bishop Don Hieronymo sate awaiting them, and he blest them all four at the altar. Who can tell the great nobleness which the Cid displayed at that wedding, the feasts and the bull-fights, and the throwing at the target, and the throwing canes, and how many joculars were there, and all the sports which are proper at such weddings? As soon as they came out of Church they took horse and rode to the Glera; three times did the Cid change his horse that day; seven targets were set up on the morrow, and before they went to dinner all seven were broken. Fifteen days did the feasts at this wedding continue; then all they who had come there to do honour to the Cid took leave of him and of the Infantes. Who can tell the great and noble gifts which the Cid gave to them, both to great and little, each according to his quality, vessels of gold and silver, rich cloth, cloaks, furs, horses, and money beyond all reckoning, so that all were well pleased. And when it was told in Castille with what gifts they who had been to the wedding were returned, many were they who repented that they had not gone there.
BOOK VIII.
I. Now the history relateth that Gilbert, a sage who wrote the history of the Moorish Kings who reigned in Africa, saith, that Bucar remembering the oath which he had made to his brother King Yucef, how he would take vengeance for him for the dishonour which he had received from the Cid Ruydiez before Valencia, ordered proclamation to be made throughout all the dominions of his father, and gathered together so great a power of Moors, that among the Captains of his host there were twenty and nine Kings; this he could well do, for his father was Miramamolin, which is as much as to say Emperor. And when he had gathered together this mighty host, he entered into his ships and crost the sea, and came unto the port of Valencia, and what there befell him with the Cid the history shall relate in due time.
II. Two years after their marriage did the Infantes of Carrion sojourn in Valencia in peace and pleasure, to their own great contentment, and their uncle Suero Gonzalez with them; and at the end of those two years, there came to pass a great misadventure, by reason of which they fell out with the Cid, in whom there was no fault. There was a lion in the house of the Cid, who had grown a large one, and a strong, and was full nimble: three men had the keeping of this lion, and they kept him in a den which was in a court yard, high up in the palace; and when they cleansed the court they were wont to shut him up in his den, and afterward to open the door that he might come out and eat: the Cid kept him for his pastime, that he might take pleasure with him when he was minded so to do. Now it was the custom of the Cid to dine every day with his company, and after he had dined, he was wont to sleep awhile upon his seat. And one day when he had dined there came a man and told him that a great fleet was arrived in the port of Valencia, wherein there was a great power of the Moors, whom King Bucar had brought over, the son of the Miramamolin of Morocco. And when the Cid heard this, his heart rejoiced and he was glad, for it was nigh three years since he had had a battle with the Moors. Incontinently he ordered a signal to be made that all the honourable men who were in the city should assemble together. And when they were all assembled in the Alcazar and his sons-in-law with them, the Cid told them the news, and took counsel with them in what manner they should go out against this great power of the Moors. And when they had taken counsel the Cid went to sleep upon his seat, and the Infantes and the others sate playing at tables and chess. Now at this time the men who were keepers of the lion were cleaning the court, and when they heard the cry that the Moors were coming, they opened the den, and came down into the palace where the Cid was, and left the door of the court open. And when the lion had ate his meat and saw that the door was open he went out of the court and came down into the palace, even into the hall where they all were; and when they who were there saw him, there was a great stir among them; but the Infantes of Carrion showed greater cowardice than all the rest. Ferrando González having no shame, neither for the Cid nor for the others who were present, crept under the seat whereon the Cid was sleeping, and in his haste he burst his mantle and his doublet also at the shoulders. And Diego González, the other, ran to a postern door, crying, I shall never see Carrion again! this door opened upon a court yard where there was a wine press, and he jumped out, and by reason of the great height could not keep on his feet, but fell among the lees and defiled himself therewith. And all the others who were in the hall wrapt their cloaks around their arms, and stood round about the seat whereon the Cid was sleeping, that they might defend him. The noise which they made awakened the Cid, and he saw the lion coming towards him, and he lifted up his hand and said, What is this?… and the lion hearing his voice stood still; and he rose up and took him by the mane, as if he had been a gentle mastiff, and led him back to the court where he was before, and ordered his keepers to look better to him for the time to come. And when he had done this he returned to the hall and took his seat again; and all they who beheld it were greatly astonished.
III. After some time Ferrando Gonzalez crept from under the seat where he had hidden himself, and he came out with a pale face, not having yet lost his fear, and his brother Diego got from among the lees: and when they who were present saw them in this plight you never saw such sport as they made; but my Cid forbade their laughter. And Diego went out to wash himself and change his garments, and he sent to call his brother forth, and they took counsel together in secret, and said to each other, Lo now, what great dishonour this Ruydiez our father-in-law hath done us, for he let this lion loose for the nonce, to put us to shame. But in an evil day were we born if we do not revenge this upon his daughters. Badly were we matched with them, and now for the after-feast he hath made this mockery of us! But we must keep secret this which we bear in mind, and not let him wit that we are wroth against him, for otherwise he would not let us depart from hence, neither give us our wives to take with us, and he would take from us the swords Colada and Tizona which he gave us…. We will therefore turn this thing into merriment before him and his people, to the end that they may not suspect what we have at heart. While they were thus devising their uncle Suero Gonzalez came in, and they told him of their intent. And he counselled them to keep their wrath secret, as they said, till this stir of the Moors from beyond sea was over, and then they should demand their wives of the Cid that they might take them to their own country; This, said he, the Cid can have no reason to deny, neither for detaining ye longer with him, and when ye are got away far out of his land, then may ye do what ye will with his daughters, and ill will ye do if ye know not how to revenge yourselves; so shall ye remove the dishonour from yourselves, and cast it upon him and his children. This wicked counsel did Suero González give unto his nephews, which he might have well excused giving, and then both he and they would not have come off so badly as the history will in due season relate.
IV. After Suero González and his nephews had taken this evil counsel together, they went to their lodging, and on the morrow they went to the Alcazar and came to the Cid where he was preparing for business. And when they drew nigh, the Cid rose and welcomed them right well, and they carried a good countenance towards him, and made sport of what had happened about the lion. And the Cid began to give order in what array they should go out to battle. While they were in this discourse, a great cry was heard in the town and a great tumult, and this was because King Bucar was come with his great power into the place which is called the Campo del Quarto, which is a league from Valencia, and there he was pitching his tents and when this was done the camp made a mighty show, for the history saith that there were full five thousand pavilions, besides common tents. And when the Cid heard this, he took both his sons-in-law and Suero González with them, and went upon the highest tower of the Alcazar, and showed them the great power which King Bucar of Morocco had brought; and when he beheld this great power he began to laugh and was exceeding glad: but Suero González and his nephews were in great fear: howbeit they would not let it be seen. And when they came down from the tower the Cid went foremost,
and they tarried behind, and said, If we go into this battle we shall never return to Carrion. Now it so chanced that Muño Gustios heard them, and he told it to the Cid, and it grieved the Cid at heart; but he presently made sport of it, and turned to his sons-in-law, and said, You my sons shall remain in Valencia and guard the town, and we who are used to this business will go out to battle; and they when they heard this were ashamed, for they weened that some one had overheard what they said; and they made answer, God forefend, Cid, that we should abide in Valencia! we will go with you to the work, and protect your body as if we were your sons, and you were the Count Don Gonzalo Gomez our father. And the Cid was well pleased hearing them say this.
V. While they were thus saying, word was brought to the Cid that there was a messenger from King Bucar at the gate of the town, who would fain speak with him. The name of this Moor was Ximen de Algezira, and the Cid gave order that he should be admitted. Now the history saith, God had given such grace to my Cid that never Moor beheld his face without having great fear of him; and this Ximen began to gaze upon his countenance, and said nothing, for he could not speak. And so great was the fear which came upon him that the Cid perceived it, and bade him take courage and deliver the bidding of his Lord, without fear or shame, for he was a messenger. And when the Moor heard this he laid aside his fear, and recovered heart, and delivered his bidding fully, after this wise. Sir Cid Campeador, King Bucar my Lord hath sent me to thee saying, great wrong hast thou done him in holding Valencia against him, which belonged to his forefathers; and moreover thou hast discomfited his brother King Yucef. And now he is come against thee with twenty and nine Kings, to take vengeance for his brother, and to win Valencia from thee in spite of thee and of all who are with thee. Nevertheless, King Bucar saith, that inasmuch as he hath heard that thou art a wise man and of good understanding, he will show favour unto thee, and let thee leave Valencia with all the lands thereof, and go into Castille, and take with thee all that is thine. And if thou wilt not do this he sends to say that he will fight against Valencia, and take thee and thy wife and thy daughters, and torment thee grievously, in such manner that all Christians who shall hear tell of it shall talk thereof for evermore. This is the bidding of my Lord King Bucar.
VI. When the Cid heard this, notwithstanding he was wroth at heart, he would not manifest it, but made answer in few words and said, Go tell thy Lord King Bucar I will not give him up Valencia: great labour did I endure in winning it, and to no man am I beholding for it in the world, save only to my Lord Jesus Christ, and to my kinsmen and friends and vassals who aided me to win it. Tell him that I am not a man to be besieged, and when he does not expect it I will give him battle in the field; and would that even as he has brought with him twenty and nine Kings, so he had brought all the Moors of all Pagandom, for with the mercy of God in which I trust, I should think to conquer them all. Bear this answer to your Lord, and come here no more with messages, neither on this account nor on any other. When Ximen de Algezira, the Moorish messenger, heard this, he left Valencia, and went unto his Lord and told him before the twenty and nine Kings all that the Cid had said. And they were astonished at the brave words of the Cid, for they did not think that he would have resisted, so great was their power, neither did they ween that he would so soon come out to battle. And they began to give order to set their siege round about Valencia, as the history, and as Gilbert also relateth. This King Bucar and his brother King Yucef were kinsmen of Alimaymon, who had been King of Toledo and Valencia, and this was the reason why Bucar said that Valencia had belonged to his forefathers.
VII. No sooner had Ximen, the messenger of King Bucar, left the city, than the Cid ordered the bell to be struck, at the sound of which all the men at arms in Valencia were to gather together. Incontinently they all assembled before the Cid, and he told them all to be ready full early on the morrow to go out and give battle to the Moors. And they made answer with one accord that they were well pleased to do this, for they trusted in God and in his good fortune that they should overcome them. On the morrow therefore at the first cock-crow, they confessed and communicated, as was their custom, and before the morning brake they went forth from Valencia. And when they had got through the narrow passes among the gardens, the Cid set his army in array. The van he gave to Alvar Fañez Minaya, and to Pero Bermudez who bore his banner; and he gave them five hundred horsemen, and a thousand and five hundred men a-foot. In the right wing was that honourable one with the shaven crown, Don Hieronymo the Bishop, with the like number both of horse and foot; and in the left Martin Antolinez of Burgos and Alvar Salvadores, with as many more. The Cid came in the rear with a thousand horsemen all in coats of mail, and two thousand five hundred men a-foot. And in this array they proceeded till they came in sight of the Moors. As soon as the Cid saw their tents he ordered his men to slacken their pace, and got upon his horse Bavieca, and put himself in the front before all his army, and his sons-in-law the Infantes of Carrion advanced themselves with him. Then the Bishop Don Hieronymo came to the Cid and said, This day have I said the mass of the Holy Trinity before you, I left my own country and came to seek you, for the desire I had to kill some Moors, and to do honour to my order and to my own hands. Now would I be the foremost in this business; I have my pennon and my armorial bearing, and will employ them by God’s help, that my heart may rejoice. And my Cid, if you do not for the love of me grant this I will go my ways from you. But the Cid bade him do his pleasure, saying that it would please him also. And then the great multitude of the Moors began to come out of their tents, and they formed their battle in haste, and came against the Christians, with the sound of trumpets and tambours, and with a great uproar; and as they came out upon the alarm, not expecting that the Cid would come against them so soon, they did not advance in order, as King Bucar had commanded. And when the Cid saw this, he ordered his banner to be advanced, and bade his people lay on manfully. The Bishop Don Hieronynio he pricked forward; two Moors he slew with the two first thrusts of the lance; the haft broke, and he laid hand on his sword, God,… how well the Bishop fought! two he slew with the lance and five with the sword; the Moors came round about him and laid on load of blows, but they could not pierce his arms. He who was born in happy hour had his eyes upon him, and he took his shield and placed it before him, and lowered his lance, and gave Bavieca the spur, that good horse. With heart and soul he went at them, and made his way into their first battle; seven the Campeador smote down, and four he slew. In short time they joined battle in such sort that many were slain and many overthrown, on one side and on the other, and so great was the din of strokes and of tambours that none could hear what another said; and they smote away cruelly, without rest or respite.
VIII. Now it came to pass in this battle that the Infante Diego Gonzalez encountered a Moor of Africa who was of great stature and full valiant withal, and this Moor came fiercely against him; and when the Infante saw how fiercely he was coming, he turned his back and fled. No one beheld this but Felez Muñoz the nephew of the Cid, who was a squire; he set himself against the Moor with his lance under his arm, and gave him such a thrust in the breast, that the streamer of the lance came out all red with blood between his shoulders, and he down’d with the dead man and took his horse by the bridle, and began to call the Infante Diego Gonzalez. When the Infante heard himself called by his name he turned his head to see who called him, and when he saw that it was his cousin Felez Muñoz, he turned and awaited him. And Felez Muñoz said, Take this horse, cousin Diego Gonzalez, and say that you killed the Moor; nobody shall ever know otherwise from me, unless you give just cause. While they were talking the Cid came up, after another Moorish knight, whom he reached just as he came up to them, and smote him with his sword upon the head, so that he split it down to the teeth. When Felez Muñoz saw the Cid, he said, Sir, your son-in-law Don Diego Gonzalez hath great desire to serve and help you in this day’s work, and he hath just slain a Moor from whom he hath won this horse: and this pleased the Cid much, for he weened t
hat it was true. And then they all three advanced themselves toward the midst of the battle, giving great strokes, and smiting and slaying. Who can tell how marvellously the Bishop Don Hieronymo behaved himself in this battle, and how well all the rest behaved, each in his way, and above all, the Cid Campeador, as the greatest and best of all! nevertheless the power of the Moors was so great that they could not drive them to flight, and the business was upon the balance even till the hour of nones. Many were the Christians who died that day among the foot-soldiers; and the dead, Moors and Christians together, were so many, that the horses could scant move among their bodies. But after the hour of nones the Cid and his people smote the Moors so sorely that they could no longer stand against them, and it pleased God and the good fortune of the Cid that they turned their backs; and the Christians followed, hewing them down, and smiting and slaying; ana they tarried not to lay hands on those whom they felled, but went on in the pursuit as fast as they could. Then might you have seen cords broken, and stakes plucked up as the Christians came to the tents; my Cid’s people drove King Bucar’s through their camp, and many an arm with its sleeve-mail was lopt off, and many a head with its helmet fell to the ground; and horses ran about on all sides without riders. Seven full miles did the pursuit continue. And while they were thus following their flight the Cid set eyes upon King Bucar, and made at him to strike him with the sword; and the Moorish King knew him when he saw him coming; Turn this way Bucar, cried the Campeador, you who came from beyond sea, to see the Cid with the long beard. We must greet each other and cut out a friendship! God confound such friendship, cried King Bucar, and turned his bridle, and began to fly towards the sea, and the Cid after him, having great desire to reach him. But King Bucar had a good horse and a fresh, and the Cid went spurring Bavieca who had had hard work that day, and he came near his back; and when they were nigh unto the ships, and the Cid saw that he could not reach him, he darted his sword at him, and struck him between the shoulders; and King Bucar being badly wounded rode into the sea, and got to a boat, and the Cid alighted and picked up his sword. And his people came up, hewing down the Moors before them, and the Moors in their fear of death ran into the sea, so that twice as many died in the water as in the battle; nevertheless so many were they who were slain in the field, that they were thought to be seventeen thousand persons and upward: but a greater number died in the sea. And so many were they who were taken prisoner, that it was a wonder; and of the twenty and nine Kings who came with King Bucar, seventeen were slain. And when the Cid saw that of the Moors some had gotten to the ships and the others were slain or taken, he returned toward their tents.
Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey Page 265