XVIII. When Felez Muñoz saw that the voices which they heard had ceased, he went after awhile to a village which was at hand, to seek food for the dames and for himself; and in this manner he kept them for seven days. And in that village he found a good man, who was a husbandman, and who lived a godly life with his wife and with his daughters; and this good man knew the Cid Ruydiez, for the Cid had lodged in his house, and he had heard tell of his great feats. And when Felez Muñoz knew this he took the man aside, seeing how good a man he was, and how well he spake of the Cid, and told him what had befallen those dames, and how he had hidden them in the wood. And when the good man heard it he had great ruth for them, but he held himself a happy man in that he could do them service; and he took two asses and went with Felez Muñoz to the place where they were hidden, and took with him his two sons, who were young men. And when the dames saw them they marvelled who they might be, and were ashamed and would have hidden themselves; but they could not. And the good man bent his knees before them, weeping, and said, Ladies, I am at the service of the Cid your father, who hath many times lodged in my house, and I served him the best I could, and he alway was bountiful toward me. And now, this young man, who saith his name is Felez Muñoz, hath told me the great wrong and dishonour which your husbands, the Infantes of Carrion, have done unto you. And when I heard it I was moved to great sorrow, and for the great desire I have to do service to the Cid and to you, I am come hither, to carry you, if you will be so pleased, upon these beasts, to my house; for you must not remain in this wild forest, where the beasts would devour you. And when you are there, I and my wife and my daughters will serve you the best we can; and you may then send this squire to your father, and we will keep you secretly and well till your father shall send for you; this place is not fit for you, for you would die of cold and hunger. When the good man had said this, Doña Sol turned to Doña Elvira and said, Sister, the good man saith well, and it is better that we should go with him than remain and die here, for so shall we see the vengeance which I trust in God our father will give us. So they gave thanks to God, and to that man. And he set them upon his beasts, and led them to the village, when it was now night; and they entered his house secretly, so that none knew of their coming save the good man and his family, whom he charged that they should tell no man thereof. And there his wife and his daughters ministered uoto them with pure good will.
XIX. Then these dames wrote a letter to their father the Cid, which was a letter of credence, that he should believe the tidings which Felez Muñoz would deliver, and they wrote it with the blood from their wounds. And Felez Muñoz went his way toward Valencia; and when he came to Santesteban he spake with Diego Tellez, who had been of the company of Alvar Fañez, and told him of what had befallen. He, so soon as he heard this great villainy, took beasts and seemly raiment, and went for those dames, and brought them from the house of that good man to Santesteban, and did them all honour that he could. They of Santesteban were always gentlemen; and they comforted the daughters of the Cid, and there they were healed of their hurts. In the mean time Felez Muñoz proceeded on his journey; and it came to pass that he met Alvar Fañez Minaya, and Pero Bermudez on the way, going to the King with a present which the Cid had sent him; and the present was this, … two hundred horses, from those which he had won in the battle of Quarto from King Bucar, and an hundred Moorish prisoners, and many good swords, and many rich saddles. And as Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez rode on in talk, they thought that it was he, and marvelled greatly; and he when he drew nigh began to tear his hair, and make great lamentation, so that they were greatly amazed. And they alighted, asking him what it was. And he related unto them all that had befallen. But when they heard this, who can tell the lamentation which they made? And they took counsel together what they should do, and their counsel was this, … that they should proceed to the King, and demand justice at his hands in the name of the Cid, and that Felez Muñoz should proceed to Valencia. So he told them the name of the good man with whom he had left the dames, and the place where he dwelt, and also how he had spoken with Diego Tellez at Santesteban, and then they parted.
XX. Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez held on their way, and came to the King, whom they found in Valladolid. And he received them right well, and asked them for the Cid, and they kissed his hand and said, Sir, the Cid commends himself to your grace; he hath had a good affair with King Bucar of Morocco, and hath defeated him, and nine and twenty Kings who came with him, in the field of Quarto, and great booty did he gain there in gold and in silver, and in horses and tents and cattle; and he hath slain many and taken many prisoners. And in acknowledgment of you as his natural Lord, he sends you two hundred horses, and an hundred black Moors, and many rich saddles and precious swords, beseeching you to accept them at his hand, in token of the desire he hath to do service to God and to you, maintaining the faith of Jesus Christ. And King Don Alfonso made answer and said, that he took the present of the Cid with a right good will, as of the truest and most honourable vassal that ever Lord had: and he gave order to his people to receive it, and bade Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez seat themselves at his feet. After a while Alvar Fañez rose and said, Sir, when we departed from the Cid we left him in great honour and prosperity; but on our way we met a squire who is his nephew, by name Felez Muñoz, and he hath told us the evil and the dishonour which both we and the Cid endure in the villainy which the Infantes of Carrion have committed upon his daughters. You, Sir, know how great this villainy hath been, and how nearly it toucheth you, for the marriage was of your appointment, and I gave them by your command to the Infantes. Pero Sánchez hath told you that the dames were dead, as he believed them to be; but we, Sir, know that they are yet alive, having been grievously hurt and wounded with bridles and spurs, and stript of their garments, … in which plight Felez Muñoz found them. Certes such a thing as this cannot please God in heaven, and ought to offend you who are Lord here in your own realm. Now therefore we beseech you that you take justice for yourself, and give us and the Cid ours. And let not the Cid be dishonoured in your time, for blessed be God, he hath never been dishonoured yet, but hath gone on alway advancing in honour since King Don Ferrando your father knighted him in Coimbra. To this the King made answer and said, God knoweth the trouble which I resent for this dishonour which hath been done to the Cid, and the more I hear of it the more doth it trouble me, and many reasons are there why it should; for my own sake, and for the sake of the Cid, and for the sake of his daughters; but since they are yet alive the evil is not so great, for as they have been wrongfully put to shame, nothing meriting such treatment, they may be rightfully avenged, as my Cortes shall determine. Moreover it is a grief to me that my vassals the Infantes of Carrion should have erred so badly and with such cruelty; but since it hath been so I cannot but do justice. I hold it good therefore to summon them to my Cortes, which I will assemble for this matter in Toledo, and the time assigned them shall be three months from this day; and do ye tell the Cid to come there with such of his people as he shall think good. Glad were Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez of this reply, and they kissed his hand, and dispeeded themselves. And the King ordered mules to be given them for the dames, with right noble saddles and trappings of gold and cloth of gold and of wool, with menever and gris.
XXI. Then Alvar Fañez and Pero Bermudez went their way, and Pero Sanchez and his company departed with them. They went up Val de Esgueva to Peñafiel, and by Roa and Arrueco, and they entered the Oak-forest of Corpes, and Pero Sanchez showed the place beside the fountain where the villainy had been committed; and they made such lamentation there as if they had seen the dames lie dead before them. Then rode they to the village where the good man dwelt, and went to his dwelling, and good guerdon did they give unto him for the service which he had done, so that he was full well requited. And they took with them the two sons and the two daughters of the good man, that they might recompense them for the good deeds of their father; and the dames gave them in marriage, and made them full rich, an
d held them even as brothers and as sisters, because of the service which they had received from them. When it was known at Santesteban that Minaya was coming for his kinswomen, the men of that town welcomed him and his company, and they brought him in payment the efurcion, that is to say, the supper-money, and it was full great. But Minaya would not accept it at their hands, and he thanked them, and said, Thanks, men of Santesteban, for what ye have done, and my Cid the Campeador will thank ye, as I do, and God will give ye your guerdon. Then went they to visit their kinswomen, and when they saw the dames, who can tell the great lamentation which was made on both sides? albeit that they rejoiced to see each other. And Minaya said unto them, By God, cousins, he knoweth the truth, and your father and mother know it also, … I misdoubted this when you went away with those false ones; and it grieved me when your father said that he had given his consent that ye should go, and your mother gainsaid it also; but we could not prevail, for he said he had consented. Howbeit, since ye are alive, of evils let us be thankful for the least: you have lost one marriage, and may gain a better, and the day will come when we shall avenge ye. That night they rested at Santesteban, and on the morrow they set forward and took the road towards Atienza, and the men of Santesteban escorted them as far as the river Damor, to do them pleasure. And they past Alcoceba, and went on to the King’s Ford, and there took up there lodging at the Casa de Berlanga. On the morrow they lodged at Medina Celi, and from thence they went to Molina, and Abengalvon came out with a right good will to welcome them, for love of the Cid, and he did them all the honour that he could. And it was accorded between them that the dames should rest there some days, because of their weakness, and that they should send and let the Cid know what had been done.
XXII. Then Pero Bermudez went on to Valencia, and Alvar Fañez and the rest of his company abode with the dames in Molina. And when Pero Bermudez arrived he found the Cid Ruydiez just risen with his chivalry from dinner, and when the Cid saw him he welcomed him right well; howbeit he could not refrain from weeping; for before this Felez Muñoz had told him all. And he stroked his beard and said, Thanks be to Christ, the Lord of this world, by this beard which no one hath ever cut, the Infantes of Carrion shall not triumph in this! And he began to take comfort, hearing how King Don Alfonso had appointed the Cortes. And he took Pero Bermudez by the hand and led him to Doña Ximena, who wept greatly at seeing him, and said, Ah, Pero Bermudez, what tidings bringest thou of my daughters? And he comforted her and said, Weep not, Lady, for I left them alive and well at Molina, and Alvar Fañez with them; by God’s blessing you shall have good vengeance for them! Then the Cid seated himself near his wife, and Pero Bermudez took his seat before them, and told them all that he had done, and how the King had summoned them to the Cortes at Toledo. And he said unto the Cid, My uncle and Lord, I know not what to say, but ill is my luck that I could not take vengeance before I returned here; and certes, if I could have found them I would have died, or have compleated it: but they when they had done this villainy dared not appear before the King, neither in his Court, and therefore he hath issued this summons to them that they should come. Manifestly may it be seen that the King well inclineth to give you justice, if you fail not to demand it. Now then I beseech you tarry not, but let us to horse and confront them and accuse them, for this is not a thing to be done leisurely. And the Cid answered and said, Chafe not thyself, Pero Bermudez, for the man who thinketh by chafing to expedite his business, leaveth off worse than he began. Be you certain, that if I die not I shall take vengeance upon those traitors, and I trust in God not to die till I have taken it. Now therefore, give me no more anger than I feel in my own heart, for Felez Muñoz hath given me enough. I thank my Lord King Don Alfonso for the answer which he gave you, and for appointing the Cortes, and in such guise will I appear there as shall gall them who wish ill to me. God willing, we will take our departure in good time! Do you now return to Molina, and bring on my daughters, for I would fain see them; and I will talk with them that they may tell me the whole truth of this thing, that I may know the whole when I go to the court of the King to demand vengeance.
XXIII. Pero Bermudez returned the next day to Molina, where Abengalvon had done great honour to the dames, and to Alvar Fañez, and all that were with him. And they departed from Molina, and Abengalvon with them, for he would not leave them till he had brought them to Valencia to his Lord the Cid. And when the Cid knew that they were drawing nigh he rode out two leagues to meet them, and when they saw him they made great lamentation, they and all his company, not only the Christians but the Moors also who were in his service. But my Cid embraced his daughters, and kissed them both, and smiled and said, Ye are come, my children, and God will heal you! I accepted this marriage for you, but I could do no other; by God’s pleasure ye shall be better mated hereafter. And when they reached Valencia and went into the Alcazar to their mother Doña Ximena, who can tell the lamentation which was made by the mother over her daughters, and the daughters with their mother, and by the women of their household. Three days did this great lamentation last. And the Cid thanked Abengalvon, his vassal, for the honour which he had shown to his children and their company, and promised to protect him from all who should come against him. And Abengalvon returned to Molina well pleased.
BOOK IX.
I. My Cid the Campeador made ready to appear at the Cortes in Toledo, and he left the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and Martin Pelaez the Asturian, to command in Valencia, and five hundred knights with them, all hidalgos. And he spake with his daughters, and commanded and besought them to tell him the whole truth, how this matter had been, and not say the thing which was false; and they did accordingly, and related unto him all, even as it had befallen them. And the Cid departed from Valencia, and with him went Alvar Fañez Minaya with two hundred knights, and Pero Bermudez with one hundred; and Martin Antolinez with fifty, and Martin Ferrandez with other fifty, and Felez Ferruz and Benito Sanchez with fifty each; … these were five hundred knights. And there went fifty with Martin Garcia and Martin Salvadorez, and fifty with Pero Gonzalvez and Martin Muñoz, and Diego Sanchez of Arlanza went with fifty, and Don Nuño, he who colonized Cubiella, and Alvar Bermudez he who colonized Osma, went with forty, and Gonzalo Muñoz of Orbaneja, and Muño Ravia, and Yvañez Cornejo with sixty, and Muño Fernandez the Lord of Monteforte, and Gomez Fernandez he who colonized Pampliego with sixty; and Don Garcia de Roa and Serrazin his brother, Lord of Aza, with ninety; and Antolin Sanchez of Soria took with him forty knights who were his children or his kin: … nine hundred knights were they in all. And there went with them five hundred esquires on foot, all hidalgos, beside those who were bred in his household, and beside other foot-men, who were many in number. All these went well clad in right good garments, and with good horses, to serve the Cid both in Cortes and in the war.
II. King Don Alfonso made no delay, but sent out his letters through Leon and Santiago, to the Portugueze and the Calicians, and they of Carrion, and the Castillians, that he would hold a Cortes in Toledo at the end of seven weeks, and that they who did not appear should no longer be accounted his vassals. At this greatly were the Infantes of Carrion troubled, for they feared the coming of my Cid the Campeador. And they took counsel with their kin and prayed the King that he would hold them excused from that Cortes; and the King made answer, that nothing but God should excuse them from it, for the Campeador was coming to demand justice against them, and he, quoth the King, who will not appear, shall quit my kingdoms. So when they saw that they must needs appear, they took counsel with the Count Don Garcia, the enemy of my Cid, who alway wished him ill, and they went with the greatest company that they could assemble, thinking to dismay my Cid the Campeador. And they arrived before him.
III. When my Cid drew nigh unto Toledo, he sent Alvar Fañez forward to kiss the King’s hand, and let him wit that he should be there that night. When the King heard this it rejoiced his heart, and he took horse and went out with a great company to meet him who was born in happy hour; and there went
with him his sons-in-law, the Count Don Anrrich, and the Count Don Remond; this one was the father of the good Emperor. When they came in sight, the Cid dismounted and fell to the ground, and would have abased himself to honour his Lord, but the King cried out to him and said, By St. Isidro this must not be to-day! Mount, Cid, or I shall not be well pleased! I welcome you with heart and soul; … and my heart is grieved for your grief. God send that the court be honoured by you! Amen, said my Cid the Campeador, and he kissed his hand, and afterwards saluted him. And the Cid said, I thank God that I see you, Sir; and he humbled himself to Count Don Anrrich, and Count Don Remond, and the others, and said, God save all our friends, and chiefly you, Sir! my wife Doña Ximena kisses your hand, and my daughters also, that this thing which hath befallen us, may be found displeasing unto you. And the King said, That will it be, unless God prevent. So they rode toward Toledo. And the King said unto him, I have ordered you to be lodged in my Palaces of Galiana, that you may be near me. And the Cid answered, Gramercy, Sir! God grant you long life and happy, but in your Palaces there is none who should be lodged save you. When you hold your Cortes let it be in those Palaces of Galiana, for there is better room there than in the Alcazar. I will not cross the Tagus to-night, but will pass the night in St. Servans on this side, and hold a vigil there. To-morrow I will enter the city, and be in the court before dinner. The King said that it pleased him well, and he returned into Toledo. And the Cid went into the Church of St. Servans, and ordered candles to be placed upon the altar, for he would keep a vigil there; and there he remained with Minaya and the other good ones, praying to the Lord, and talking in private. The tents of his company were pitched upon the hills round about. Any one who beheld them might well have said, that it looked like a great host.
Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey Page 267