IN WHICH WE CONTINUE TO PROVE THAT THE CID WAS A CID IN EVERY WAY
The first care of Rodrigo Diaz, having defeated the Moors as the result
of his expedition from Portugal, was to send messengers to the king, Don
Fernando, to announce to him that victory.
The king was in Coimbra when he received this auspicious news, and he
determined to return immediately to Castile, as he wished to see his
family again, and also to attend to an important matter which was
pending between him and Henry IV., Emperor of Germany, who for a
considerable time had been demanding from him vassalage and tribute,
which Don Fernando refused, putting forward very valid reasons for
preserving the independence of his kingdoms.
When departing from Portugal he had received letters from Rome which
caused him deep anxiety, for Pope Alexander II. threatened him with
excommunication and a crusade, if he did not comply with the demands of
the emperor.
In whatever portion of the annals of the reign of Don Fernando I. we
read, we find incontrovertible proofs of the piety of that great
monarch: in his reign were ransomed from the Moors the sacred bodies of
St. Isidore, Archbishop of Seville, of Saints Justa, Rufina, Victor, and
many other servants of God; in his time were erected magnificent
cathedrals and monasteries, amongst which may be mentioned that of
Sahagun; in his time ecclesiastical discipline was admirably regulated
in Castile; in his time Christian worship, neglected till then, on
account of the continual wars with the Moors and internal dissensions,
was fully re-established; and, as a last proof of the piety of Don
Fernando the Great, history tells us that he made long and frequent
retreats in the monastery of St. John of Sahagun, joining in pious
exercises with its monks, and taking part in all the austerities and
mortifications which, at that period, accompanied monastic life. We can
judge of those which were practised by the monks of Sahagun, when we
recall to mind many anecdotes found in history. In one of his frequent
visits to that monastery Don Fernando noticed that the monks went about
barefooted, a custom which caused many of them to contract deadly
diseases; the king felt compassion for them, and supplied the abbot with
the money necessary to procure sandals for them. There was in the
monastery a glass vessel, which was reserved for the superior and for
the king whenever he sought hospitality in that holy house. One day,
when Don Fernando went to Sahagun, he found the community in a state of
great affliction, and when he inquired the cause of it he was informed
that the monastery had lost one of its most precious possessions, the
glass cup of the abbot, which had been broken. The king knew that this
feeling of the monks was not unfounded, as the loss of that article, in
their extreme poverty, was difficult for them to make good, and he
ordered a golden goblet to be made, to take the place of the glass one.
A council had been held at Rome, promoted by the Emperor of Germany, at
which had assisted the King of France and other sovereigns who supported
the pretensions of the emperor, and the letters which we have mentioned
were sent to Don Fernando as a consequence of it.
Don Fernando was in a state of perplexity between two courses, either to
excite the enmity of the allies of Henry IV., especially that of the
Holy See, or to submit his states to a vassalage, hateful to a nation
which had worked out its independence with the sword, and which was
therefore proud of it and little disposed to submit to a foreign yoke.
In this difficult matter he considered that he should not come to any
conclusion guided by his own opinion alone, but that he should consult
the wisest men of Castile and Leon, particularly the bishops, who might
be considered very competent advisers in such a matter.
Whilst the grandees, noblemen, and bishops were assembling from various
districts, Don Fernando was taking repose, after his recent fatigues, in
the midst of his family, which had come to meet him in Leon. At last the
time arrived for the opening of the Cortes, and the dejection of the
king was changed into hope and gladness when he saw himself surrounded
by so many illustrious men--some famous for their wisdom, others for
their nobility. All the great men of the kingdom were arriving in Leon,
and, notwithstanding, at the time for commencing the debates, Don
Fernando did not see at his side him whom he most desired to be present,
Rodrigo Diaz, the brave cavalier, whose advice he thought more of than
that of all the other nobles of Castile and Leon. How was it that
Rodrigo had not come to the Cortes, to assist the king, when he was so
much in need of the counsels of all good men, and when a matter of such
vital importance was about to be considered, whether Castile and Leon
should or should not be made subject to a foreign yoke?
Don Fernando explained to the nobles the object for which he had
summoned them together, and the high importance, in his opinion, of the
question which they had to decide.
"Do you believe," he asked of them, "that Castile and Leon should
acknowledge vassalage to the Emperor of Germany, whose pretensions are
supported by the Pope, or that we should repudiate it?"
"Those who were present," as Mariana relates, "were not unanimous. They
who were most religiously disposed advised that submission should be
made, in order that the Pope might not be offended, and that
disturbances might not be stirred up in Spain, which would necessarily
injure the country very much, as in every possible way civil war should
be avoided, as the country was divided into many kingdoms, and as so
many Moors, enemies of Christianity, were in it. Others, more daring and
of greater courage, said, that if they yielded, Spain would be submitted
to a very heavy yoke, which it would never be able to shake off; that
it would be better to die with arms in their hands than to permit such
injury to their country, and such lowering of its dignity."
The views of those last mentioned, who consisted of Arias Gonzalo,
Peranzures, and many more, were those which were most in harmony with
the opinion of Don Fernando; he, however, considered the opposite one
worthy of deep consideration, as it was that of the majority, and
especially that of many wise and virtuous prelates, and it was at last
virtually decided to yield to the demands of the emperor and his allies.
The debates had already ceased, and those who had been present at them
were about to leave the chamber in which the Cortes had been held, when
the arrival of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was announced. Prolonged
expressions of satisfaction on the one part, and of annoyance on the
other, arose on all sides, and joy shone in the countenance of the king.
The Counts of Carrion and of Cabra bit their lips with fury, and
interchanged looks, the significance of which no one knew just then, but
which the reader shall learn very soon. The Cid appeared in the council
chamber a moment after. Notwithstanding the solemnity of the occasion,
Don Fernando arose from his throne, in order to advance to meet Rodrigo,
whom he clasped in his arms, not permitting him to prostrate himself at
his feet.
All fixed their looks on the Count of Carrion, and all remarked the
vexation and rage which were excited in him by those signal proofs of
friendship and affection which the king exhibited towards De Vivar.
"Oh!" said Don Fernando, beaming with joy, "my hope was not vain that
you would arrive before the question we were considering was finally
settled, so that we might have the advantage of your loyal counsels. Why
have you delayed so long, when your presence was so necessary? My desire
to clasp you in my arms, long before this, was very great."
"Sire," answered Rodrigo, with a certain embarrassment, which the king
could not help noticing, "my family detained me rather too long; you,
who love yours so much, can easily understand the effect of the tears of
a wife, who fears, when her husband is leaving her, that she may not see
him again for a very long time. Perhaps I have failed in my duty as a
good subject, and in the gratitude which I owe to you, but I assure you,
sire, that it was impossible for me to avoid it."
"The proofs of loyalty, which you have always given, suffice abundantly
to prove it to me, Rodrigo."
"Sire, dispose of my life and of all that I possess, for they are not
sufficient to repay your kindness!" exclaimed Rodrigo, deeply moved.
"Are you well informed, Rodrigo, as to the serious business which has
obliged me to summon together all the leading men of my kingdoms?" asked
Don Fernando.
"No person in Castile is ignorant of it, sire," replied the Cid. "It is
a question of the freedom or of the enslavement of a brave and proud
nation, which has won its independence by fighting against foreign foes
during four centuries. Has not such a nation some interest in the
question which brings us together here?"
The presence of the Cid caused the debates, which were thought to be
ended, to commence afresh. Those who were disposed to refuse vassalage
to the emperor had now some hopes of seeing their views prevail, as they
felt sure that the Cid would support them, and they knew that the
influence of De Vivar was very great.
Rodrigo Diaz listened for some time to the arguments of the opposed
parties, and then said--
"We have scarcely shaken off the yoke which the Moors held over our
humiliated heads, and shall we now allow Christians to make us vassals
and enslave us? Our ancestors smashed to pieces the heavy yoke imposed
on them by the Romans, and shall we now permit the Germans to bend us
down under another? Theirs would then become the power, the authority,
the honour, the riches, which our fathers won with their blood. And what
would remain to us? Trials, dangers, slavery, and poverty! It is better
to die as brave men than lose the liberty which our forefathers left us
as a sacred inheritance!"
Almost the entire assembly broke out into exclamations of assent when
Rodrigo had pronounced those words. A bishop, however, whose name the
"Chronicles" do not mention, arose from his seat and replied to him
thus--
"If the vassalage which is demanded of Castile were not supported by the
Supreme Pontiff, your reasons would be just and valid, and it would be
right to sustain the refusal with the sword; but it is a question of
obedience or non-obedience to the Vicar of Christ."
"For the law of Christ Castile has fought for more than four hundred
years," replied the Cid with energy. "For the law of Christ I have
fought, and shall always fight, and nevertheless I should consider
myself a bad Christian, a bad cavalier, and a bad Castilian, if I were
not to oppose to the utmost the demand of the emperor, even though it be
supported by the Pope. If Castile is now, when free and rich, only
barely able to keep the infidels in check, how can she conquer them when
poor and enslaved? The vassalage which the foreigner seeks to impose on
us will enervate our strength, will pauperise us, will make us cowards
as well as slaves, and then--what will become of the faith of our
fathers, what will become of the Cross, which until recently was under
the subjection of the Crescent?"
Cries of enthusiasm, which even the presence of the king and the
solemnity of the occasion were not able to keep down, answered those
words of Rodrigo Diaz. Even those who, with the greatest zeal, had
maintained that the demands of the Germans should be acceded to, changed
their minds, with the exceptions of the Counts of Carrion and Cabra and
a few others, who were envious of the favour and advancement which the
Cid enjoyed. The latter turned towards Don Fernando, and continued--
"Sire, you were born in an evil day for Spain, if in your time a people
should become enslaved who, until now, have been always free. If you
consent to such a terrible humiliation, all is lost--lost is all the
honour which God has given you, and all the good He has accomplished for
you. Whoever counsels you to accede to the demands of the emperor is not
loyal, nor does he love your honour or your sway--he deserves not to be
a son of our beloved Castile."
The Count of Carrion and his partisans placed their hands on their
swords, unable to restrain their fury; and they would have drawn them if
the voice of the king had not been heard above the loud applause which
drowned the last words of Rodrigo. Don Fernando cried out--
"Silence, vassals, silence! Who is it that dares to lay his hand on his
sword in the presence of his lord and king? A valiant cavalier, a noble,
who is as good a Christian as he is a good knight, is he who sustains
opinions different to yours. You all have been summoned here to speak
freely what you think, and even if I were not present, the gravity and
importance of this assembly should restrain you. Speak, De Vivar, for we
consider all advice important, whether it be given with the energy
which befits a brave soldier, as you are, or with the calm deliberation
which characterises ecclesiastics."
Don Suero and his friends became quiet, much against their wills, and
the silence and order of the assembly were restored.
"I do not believe," continued Rodrigo, "that the Pontiff will close his
ears to our just prayers; let us send those to him who will defend our
freedom in his presence, and explain to him how unjust and impolitic are
the pretensions of the Germans; but if our reasonings avail nothing, we
must then have recourse to the sword. For my part, I am now resolved to
defend against the entire world the honour and the liberty which my
ancestors have handed down to me, and those who agree in my views I look
on as my friends, and as the friends of our country. If the Germans do
not recognise our rights, we have good lances in Castile wherewith to
prove to them that we have honour and courage. Rouse up the country,
sire; get together an invincible host--you can easily do so--and cross
the Pyrenees; I shall go in the front with two thousand of my friends,
and, in addition, the troops that my Moorish tributaries shall supply me
with."
This advice of the Cid satisfied almost all, especially the king, and it
was arranged to reply to the Pope with all respect, but at the same time
to raise, without delay, an army of ten thousand men, which should be
ready to cross the Pyrenees, under the command of the Cid, in case the
Germans and their allies should persist in their demands. The assembly
then broke up.
Whilst Rodrigo Diaz was thus opposing those who advised the king to
yield to the pretensions of Henry IV., Fernan Cardeña, with other
squires and pages, was walking about in the large square which fronted
the palace which the lords of Gormaz had owned in the city, and which
was now the property of Rodrigo, as a result of his marriage with
Ximena.
"It appears to me," said a squire to Fernan, "that we could kill time a
little in this square by exercising ourselves in arms; if our masters
serve Castile in the council chamber, we can serve her here by
practising how to give good blows on the battlefields."
"Leave me in peace, comrades," replied Fernan, "for the son of my mother
is in more humour to go asleep and rest himself than to exercise himself
in arms."
"Are you fatigued, then?"
"As much as if I had just come from a fierce battle."
"Your journey must have been a very hasty one?"
"One half of it was."
"Nevertheless, the Campeador arrived very late."
"That was not his fault."
"How was that?"
"We set out from Burgos in good time, but"--
"You had then some ugly adventure on the road?"
"It would have been so, in the case of anyone but my master."
"May I turn Moor if I understand you!"
"Then you need not hope that the son of my mother will explain himself
more fully."
"Anger of God! but you have very little confidence in your friends,
Fernan."
"How can I have confidence in anyone at the present time? No, only
believe that people love you, and, when you least expect it, they will
get up a plot against your life; and you would lose it, as my master
should have done, if he had not been so brave, and if he had not such
good cavaliers in his company."
These words excited the curiosity of his hearers.
"Tell us all about it," they cried out; "relate to us the adventure that
befell the Cid on his journey from Burgos to Leon."
"I swear that, for a prattler, I deserve to be driven with cudgels from
his service by my master!" cried Fernan, indignant with himself for his
indiscretion.
"Relate it to us, comrade, for we shall know from you exactly what took
place, and not with the addition of all kinds of embellishments, which
the people will invent before long."
Fernan, as it concerned honourable deeds of his master, felt that he
should burst if he did not relate them; he seemed satisfied, with regard
to his conscience, by the remarks of the last speaker, and said--
"Keep secret what I am about to tell you, for my lord, Don Rodrigo,
ordered all who were with him at the time not to speak of it, and he
must have had his reasons for doing so, and I should respect them. You
must know, then, that we sallied forth from Burgos early yesterday, in
order to arrive here in good time. My master had no other cavaliers with
him but Martin Antolinez and Guillen of the Standard, as he is now
called, because he rescued that of Don Rodrigo; and no other squires but
the two who are now asleep in the stable and myself; for that fool Alvar
still keeps his bed, as a result of a certain cudgelling he got Martin
Vengador has gone to Vivar to see his sweetheart, and Rui-Venablos could
not leave the band, which has entered into the service of my master, and
which he commands during the absence of Martin, who is its captain. We
were passing through a wood near Carrion, when certain very dolorous
wailings attracted our attention; we stopped to listen, when we heard a
woman's voice, which cried out--
"'Succour me, succour me, travellers! for my house is on fire, and my
children, who are in it, will be burned.'
"We all hastened to the place from which the voice sounded, and, on a
small hill, we saw the person who had called out; it was a woman with
dishevelled hair, and with all the signs of great despair.
"'Where is your house--in which direction?' we asked, when still at some
distance from her.
"'You will find it just round the turn of this hill,' she replied to our
question. 'Do you not see the smoke which is rising to the sky? Go
thither, good cavaliers, and save my unhappy children, if there is still
time; but there will be, if you hasten.' In reality, a column of smoke
was rising behind the hill.
"We applied spurs to our horses, and, in less time than I tell it, we
turned the small hill, and at a short distance, beside a thick cluster
of trees, we saw a house from which cries proceeded, seemingly those of
children, and from which dense smoke was arising.
"On arriving at the house we all dismounted, dashed in the door with a
few good kicks, and hastily entered."
"And did you save the children?" asked, impatiently, those who were
listening to the narration of Fernan.
"The children which we found," he answered, "were ten very big men, who
were concealed in one of the rooms of the house, and who rushed, swords
in hand, on us, and especially on my master, who was in the front. May
Beelzebub take my soul if ever I saw a fiercer fight than that which
then took place in the small room. Guilt doubtless caused those ruffians
to lose their presence of mind, for they all missed their first strokes
and gave time to Don Rodrigo and the two other cavaliers to draw their
swords and close with them. The fight lasted only a short time, but it
was fierce and bloody. Four of the assassins fell to the ground, pierced
by the sword of my master, and the others jumped through a window and
escaped through the wood."
"What a terrible picture must have presented that combat in a house
which was on fire!" exclaimed one of the squires.
"What was on fire was a lot of straw, heaped up in a yard," replied
Fernan; and he then continued: "Guillen thought he recognised one of the
assassins, who was weltering in his blood, and when he examined him
closely, he uttered a cry of surprise and exclaimed--
"'Illan! you armed with an assassin's dagger! wretched, wretched man!
And it was you who expressed surprise that I should be in the service of
the Count of Carrion before we separated at the railings of the porch of
Santa Gadea.'
"'Pardon, pardon, Guillen!' murmured the man called Illan.
"'Avarice--the gold which Don Garcia and Don Suero promised us, if we
killed the Cid and you, blinded me. Pardon a dying man, and do not go to
Carrion, for Don Suero knows that you love the Infanta'--
"'May God pardon you, as I do,' replied Guillen. And we all left the
house, in pursuit of those who had fled through the wood. We spent many
hours in search of them, in that hilly country, and at last, despairing
of finding them, we continued our journey hither, both ourselves and our
horses being much fatigued, as we had to press onward very quickly to
make up for lost time."
"And who was the woman that allured you to the ambuscade?"
"Some witch, doubtless, for she became invisible from the time she spoke
to us from the top of the hill, and we could find her no more than the
others we were seeking."
The squires had come to this part of their conversation when, the Cortes
being ended, the nobles who had taken part in it began to issue forth
from the Alcazar.
Fernan impressed on his friends the necessity of the strictest secrecy
with regard to that which he had related to them, and went off to the
residence of his master, whom he saw going towards it, accompanied by
Martin Antolinez and Guillen.