XXVIII. This provision having been notified unto them, the Abbot and Monks made answer that they were ready to obey it, and that he would go and give account to the Lord Governor of what had been done. And the Abbot went accordingly to Court, and informed the Cardinal Governor of the translation which had been made; and that the tomb of the Cid had been removed to a place more decorous, and nearer the High Altar, and answering the site where King Don Alfonso VI. had commanded him to be placed in his ivory chair before he was first interred; and where the vault had been made wherein he had lain many years. And that the reason why the tomb had been moved was, that the passage from the Sacristy to the choir and the High Altar might be cleared; and that the reason why it had not been placed in the middle of the Great Chapel, was, that if that place were occupied, it seemed due to Queen Doña Sancha, the foundress of that House, or to King Don Ramira, who had held that place in the old Church. But notwithstanding all these reasons which the Abbot alleged, the Cardinal ordered him to obey the King’s command. Hereupon the Abbot returned to the Monastery and determined to place the tombs of the Cid and of Doña Ximena in the middle of the Great Chapel, before it should be known in Burgos that the translation was to take place; and accordingly when those persons who would fain have been present made enquiry, they were told that the thing was done.
XXIX. Now there have not been wanting over-curious persons who, because the Monastery of Cardeña is the first under the royal patronage, by reason that it is a foundation of Queen Doña Sancha, who is the first royal personage that ever founded a Monastery in Spain, and because King Don Alfonso the Great re-edified it, and Garcia Ferrandez the Count of Castille restored it, have said, that the Cid hath taken the place of these patrons. And when King Carlos II. was in this Monastery in the year 1679, he asked whose the tomb was which occupied the middle of the Great Chapel; and Fray Joseph del Hoyo, who was at that time Abbot, made answer, Sir, it is the tomb of Rodrigo Diaz, the Cid Campeador. Why then, said one of the Grandees, doth the Cid occupy the best place, seeing that this Monastery is a royal foundation? Upon this the Abbot made answer, that the Emperor Charles V. had ordered the Abbot and Monks to place him in that place; and King Carlos II. said, The Cid was not a King, but he was one who made Kings. And from that time till the present day the tomb of the Cid hath remained in the same place, and that of Doña Ximena beside it; and with such veneration and respect are they preserved, that they are alway covered and adorned with two cloths, whereof the upper one is of silk, and on great festivals they are adorned with one still more precious.
XXX. Many are the things which belonged to Ruydiez the Cid Campeador, which are still preserved with that reverence which is due to the memory of such a man. First, there are those good swords Colada and Tizona, which the Cid won with his own hand. Colado is a sword of full ancient make: it hath only a cross for its hilt, and on one side are graven the words Si, Si … that is to say, Yea, Yea: and on the other, No, No. And this sword is in the Royal Armoury at Madrid. That good sword Tizona is in length three quarters and a half, some little more, and three full fingers wide by the hilt, lessening down to the point; and in the hollow of the sword, by the hilt, is this writing in Roman letters, Ave Maria gratia plena, Dominus, and on the other side, in the same letters, I am Tizona, which was made in the era 1040, that is to say, in the year 1002. This good sword is an heir-loom in the family of the Marquisses of Falces. The Infante Don Ramiro, who was the Cid’s son-in-law, inherited it, and from him it descended to them. Moreover the two coffers which were given in pledge to the Jews Rachel and Vidas are kept, the one in the Church of St. Agueda at Burgos, where it is placed over the principal door, in the inside, and the other is in the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardeña, where it is hung up by two chains on the left of the dome; on the right, and opposite to this coffer, is the banner of the Cid, but the colour thereof cannot now be known, for length of time and the dampness of the Church have clean consumed it. In the middle is his shield hanging against the wall, covered with skin, but now so changed that no blazonry or device is to be seen. In the Sacristy there are the keys of the coffer, a great round chest of sattín wood, the setting of the amethyst cup which he used at table, and one of the caskets which the Soldan of Persia sent with the myrrh and balsam; this is of silver, and gilt in the inside, and it is in two parts, the lid closing over the other part; its fashion is like that of the vessels in which the three Kings of the East are represented, bringing their offerings to Christ when he was newly born. On the upper part is graven the image of our Redeemer holding the world in his hand, and on the other the figure of a serpent marvellously contorted, per-adventure in token of the victory which Jesus atchieved over the enemy of the human race. That noble chess-board, the men whereof were of gold and silver, was also in the Monastery in the days of King Don Alfonso the Wise, but it hath long since been lost, no man knoweth how. Moreover there is in this Sacristy a precious stone of great size, black and sparkling; no lapidary hath yet known its name. The Convent have had an infant Jesus graven thereon, with the emblem of the Passion, that it might be worthily employed. It is thought also that the great cross of crystal which is set so well and wrought with such great cunning, is made of different pieces of crystal which belonged to the Cid. But the most precious relick of the Cid Ruydiez which is preserved and venerated in this Monastery, is the cross which he wore upon his breast when he went to battle; it is of plain silver, in four equal parts, and each part covered with three plates of gold, and in the flat part of each five sockets set with precious stones of some size; and with other white ones which are smaller; of these little ones, some are still left, fastened in with filigrane. In the middle of the cross is a raised part, after the manner of an artichoke, ending in white and green enamel; and it is said that in the hollow thereof are certain relicks, with a piece of the holy wood of the true cross. Verily, that part of the writing which can still be read implieth this, for thus much may at this day be discerned…. CRUCIS SALVATOR * * SANCTI PETRI * * PORTO. Of the four limbs of this cross the upper one is wanting. King Don Alfonso, the last of that name, asked for it, and had it made into a cross to wear himself when he went to battle, because of the faith which he had, that through it he should obtain the victory; of the lower limb little more is left than that to which the plates of silver and gold were fastened on. From point to point this cross is little more than a quarter.
XXXI. There is no doubt that the soul of the blessed Cid resteth and reigneth with the blessed in Heaven. And men of all nations and at all times have come from all parts to see and reverence his holy body and tomb, being led by the odour of his fame, especially knights and soldiers, who when they have fallen upon their knees to kiss his tomb, and scraped a little of the stone thereof to bear away with them as a relick, and commended themselves to him, have felt their hearts strengthened, and gone away in full trust that they should speed the better in all battles into which they should enter from that time with a good cause. By reason of this great devotion, and the great virtues of my Cid, and the miracles which were wrought by him, King Philip the Second gave order to his ambassador Don Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, to deal with the Court of Borne concerning the canonization of this venerable knight Rodrigo Diaz. Now Don Diego was a person of great learning, and moreover, one of the descendants of the Cid; and being greatly desirous that this thing should be effected, he sent to the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardeña, and had papers and depositions sent from thence, and made a memorial of the virtues and miracles of the Campeador, showing cause why this blessed knight should be canonized. But before the matter could be proceeded in, the loss of Sienna took place, whereupon he was fain to leave Rome and thus this pious design could not be brought about. Nevertheless the Cid hath alway been regarded with great reverence as an especial servant of God: and he is called the Blessed Cid, and the Venerable Rodrigo Diaz. Certes, his soul resteth and reigneth with the blessed in Heaven. Amen.
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
Robert Southey is
also famous for being the first author to publish what would later become known as the Goldilocks and the Three Bears fairy tale. Originally published as “The Story of the Three Bears” in 1837 in a collection of essays and miscellanea called The Doctor, the tale was not an original creation by Southey, but a retelling of a story that had long been in circulation. The same year, British poet George Nicol published a version in rhyme based upon Southey’s prose tale, with Southey approving the attempt to give the story more exposure. Both versions tell of three bears and an old woman that trespasses upon their property. The attractive girl with golden hair was to appear in versions of the tale many years later.
In the original published version of the tale, three anthropomorphic bears – “a Little, Small, Wee Bear, a Middle-sized Bear, and a Great, Huge Bear” – live together in a house in the woods. Southey describes them as good-natured, trusting, harmless, tidy and hospitable. Each of these “bachelor” bears has his own porridge bowl, chair and bed. One day they take a walk in the woods while their porridge cools. An old woman, who is described as impudent, bad, foul-mouthed, ugly, dirty and a vagrant, discovers the bears’ dwelling. She looks through a window and walks in. The old woman eats the Wee Bear’s porridge, then settles into his chair and breaks it. Looking around the house, she finds the bears’ beds and falls asleep in Wee Bear’s bed. The tale reaches its conclusion when the bears return. Wee Bear finds the old woman in his bed and cries, “Somebody has been lying in my bed, – and here she is!” The old woman starts up, jumps from the window, and runs away, never to be seen again.
Southey’s tale experienced two significant changes during its early publication history. In 1849 Southey’s intrusive old woman became an curious little girl called ‘Silver-Hair’, which changed in subsequent stories to ‘Golden Hair’ and eventually ‘Goldilocks’ was settled upon in the early 20th century. Secondly, Southey’s three bachelor bears evolved into Father, Mother and Baby Bear over the course of several years. What was originally a fearsome oral tale became a softer family story with only a hint of menace.
To allow readers to trace the development of the tale, several versions have been included in this edition, beginning with Southey’s original 1837 story, followed by Nicol’s poem, then the 1847 Silver-Hair tale and culminating with a Golden Hair version of the tale.
How the tale first appeared in ‘The Doctor’ in 1837
CONTENTS
The Story of the Three Bears - Original 1837 Version
1837 Poem by George Nicol
1849 Silver-Hair Version
1903 Golden Hair Version by W. W. Denslow
Arthur Rackham’s illustration of the famous tale
The Story of the Three Bears - Original 1837 Version
Once upon a time there were Three Bears who lived together in a house of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little Small Wee Bear, and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great Huge Bear. They had each a pot for their porridge; a lttle pot for the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and one was a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear, and a Great pot for the Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a chair to sit in; a little chair for the little, Small, Wee Bear, and a middle-sized chair for the Middle Bear and a Great chair for the Great, Huge, Bear. And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little, Small, Wee Bear,and a middle-sized bed for the middle Bear, and a great bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths by beginning too soon to eat it. And while they were walking, a little old Woman came to the house. She could not have been a good, honest old Woman; for first she looked in at the window, and then she peeped in at the key-hole; and seeing nobody in the house, she lifted the latch. The door not fastened, because the Bears were good Bears, who did nobody any harm, and never suspected that any body would harm them. So the little old Woman opened the door and went in; and well she was when she saw the porridge on the table. If she had been a good little old Woman, she would have waited till the Bears came home, and then; perhaps, they would have asked her to breakfast; for they were good bears — a little rough or so, as the manner of Bears is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But she was an impudent, bad old Woman, and set about helping herself.
So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, and that was too hot for her; and she said a bad word about that. And then she tasted the porridge of the Middle Bear, and that was too cold for her; and she said a bad word about that too. And then she went to the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and tasted that;and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right; and she liked it so well she ate it all up: but the naughty old Woman said a bad word about the little porridgepot, because it did not hold enough for her.
Then the little old Woman sat down in the chair of the Great, Huge Bear, and that was too hard for her. And then she sat down in the chair of the Middle Bear, and that was too soft for her. And then she sat down in the chair of the Little, Small Wee Bear, and that was neither too hard nor too soft, but just right. So she seated herself in it and there she sat till the bottom of the chair came out,and down came hers, plump upon the ground. And the naughty old Woman said a wicked word about that too.
Then the little old Woman went up stairs into the bed-chamber in which the Three Bears slept. And first she lay down upon the bed of the Great, Huge Bear; but that was too high at the head for her. And she lay down upon the bed of the Middle Bear; and that was too high at the foot for her. And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and that was neither too high at the head nor at the foot, but just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay there till she fell fast asleep.
By this time the Three Bears thought their porridge would be cool enough; so they came home to breakfast. Now the little old Women had had left the spoon of the Great Huge Bear standing in his porridge.
“Somebody has been at my porridge!”
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. and when the middle Bear looked at his he saw that the spoon was standng in it too. they were wooden spoons; If they had been silver ones, the naughty old Woman would have put them her pocket.
“Somebody has been at my porridge !”
said the middle bear in his middle voice.
Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked at his, and there was the spooon in the porridge-pot, but the porridge was all gone.
“Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all up!”
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Upon this the Three Bears, seeing that some one had entered their house, and eaten up the Little, Small, Wee Bear’s breakfast, began to look about them. Now the little old Woman had not put the hard cushion straight when she rose from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.
“Somebody has been sitting in my chair!”
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little old Woman had squatted down the soft cushion of the Middle Bear.
“Somebody has been sitting in my chair !”
said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
And you know what the little old Woman had done to the third chair.
“Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sat the bottom of it out!”
said the Little, small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Then the Three Bears thought it necessary that they should make farther search; so they went, up stairs into their bed-chamber. Now the little old. Woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of its place.
Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey Page 275