by the side of the Douro, where he lay sorely wounded, even unto
death; but he had not yet lost his speech, and the hunting spear was
in his body, through and through, and they did not dare to take it out
lest he should die immediately. And a master of Burgos came up who was
well skilled in these things, and he sawed off the ends of the spear,
that he might not lose his speech, and said that he should be
confessed, for he had death within him. Then Count Don Garcia de Cabra
said unto him, Sir, think of your soul, for you have a desperate
wound. And the king made answer, The traitor Vellido has killed me,
and I well know that this was for my sins, because I broke the oath
which I made unto the king my father. As the king was saying this the
Cid came up and knelt before him and said, I, sir, remain more
desolate than any other of your vassals, for for your sake have I made
your brethren mine enemies, and all in the world who were against you,
and against whom it pleased you to go. The king your father commended
me to them as well as to you, when he divided his kingdoms, and I have
lost their love for your sake, having done them great evil. And now
neither can I go before King Don Alfonso, your brother, nor remain
among the Christians before Donya Urraca your sister, because they
hold that whatsoever you have done against them was by my counsel. Now
then, sir, remember me before you depart. And the king said, I beseech
all ye who are here present, that if my brother King Don Alfonso
should come from the land of the Moors, ye beseech him to show favour
unto you, my Cid, and that he always be bountiful unto you, and
receive you to be his vassal. Then the Cid arose and kissed his hand,
and all the chief persons who were there present did the like. And the
king said unto them, I beseech ye intreat my brother King Don Alfonso
to forgive me whatever wrong I have done him, and to pray to God to
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.
Now when the king was dead, the townsmen who were in the camp forsook
their tents and fled, but the noble Castillians would not depart from
Zamora, nor break up the siege thereof, but remained bravely before
it, though they had lost their lord. And 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, 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 Ordonez
arose, 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. Now my Cid did not make this
impeachment against the people of Zamora, because of the oath which he
had sworn.
Then Don Diego Ordonez went to his lodging and armed himself well and
rode toward Zamora. And when he drew nigh unto the town he began to
cry aloud, asking if Don Arias Gonzalo were there, for he would speak
with 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 Ordonez 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 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. 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, 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.
Then when the truce was made they chose out twelve alcades 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. 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
accorded.
On the morrow the four and twenty alcades marked out the lists upon
the sand beside the river, 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 the Infanta Donya Urraca 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 replied, that there was none there who
knew of the treason, nor had consented unto it. At this was Don Arias
Gonzalo well pleased, and he went to his house with his sons, and
chose out four of them to do combat, and said that he would be the
fifth himself.
HOW DON DIEGO FOUGHT THE THREE BROTHERS
By Robert Southey
When the day appointed was come, Don Arias Gonzalo early in the
morning armed his sons, and they armed him. As they rode through the
gates of their house, Donya Urraca with a company of dames met them,
and said to Don Arias, weeping, Remember now how my father, King Don
Ferrando, left me to your care, and you swore between his hands that
you would never forsake me; and lo! now you are forsaking me. I
beseech you remain with me. And she took hold on him, and would not
let him go, and made him be disarmed. Then came many knights around
him, to demand arms of him, and request that they might do battle in
his stead; nevertheless he would give them to none. And he called for
his son Pedro Arias, who was a right brave knight, though but of green
years, and Don Arias armed him completely with his own hands, and
instructed him how to demean himself, and gave him his blessing with
his right hand. Then went they into the field, where Don Diego Ordonez
was awaiting them, and Pedro Arias entered the lists, and the judges
placed them each in his place, and divided the sun between them, and
went out, leaving them in the lists.
Then they turned their horses one against the other, and ran at each
other full bravely, like good knights. Five times they encountered,
and at the sixth encounter their spears brake, and they laid hand upon
their swords, and dealt each other such heavy blows that the helmets
failed; and in this manner the combat between them continued till
noon. And when Don Diego Ordonez saw that it lasted so long, and he
could not yet conquer him, he called to mind that he was there
fighting to revenge his lord, who had been slain by a foul treason,
and he collected together all his strength. And he lifted up his sword
and smote Pedro Arias upon the helmet, so that he cut through it, and
through the hood of the mail also, and made a wound in the head. And
Pedro Arias with the agony of death bowed down to the neck of the
horse; yet with all this he neither lost his stirrups, nor let go his
sword. And Don Diego Ordonez seeing him thus, thought that he was
dead, and would not strike him again; and he called aloud, saying, Don
Arias, send me another son, for this one will never fulfil your
bidding. When Pedro Arias heard this, grievously wounded as he was, he
went fiercely against him: and he took the sword in both hands, and
thought to give it him upon his head; but the blow missed, and fell
upon the horse, and the horse immediately ran away because of the
great wound which he had received. And Don Diego had no reins
wherewith to stop him, and perceiving that he should else be carried
out of the lists, he threw himself off. And while he did this, Pedro
Arias fell down dead, just without the mark. And Don Diego Ordonez
laid hand on the bar, and said, Praised be the name of God, one is
conquered. And incontinently the judges came and took him by the hand,
and led him to a tent and disarmed him, and gave him three sops, and
he drank of the wine and rested awhile. And afterwards they gave him
other arms, and a horse that was a right good one, and went with him
to the lists.
Then Don Arias Gonzalo called for another son, whose name was Diego
Arias, gave him his blessing and went with him to the lists. And the
judges took the reins of the two champions and led them each to his
place, and went out and left them in the lists. And they ran against
each other with such force that both shields failed, and in another
career they brake their lances. Then laid they hand on their good
swords, and delivered such blows that their helmets were cut away, and
the sleeves of the mail. And at length Diego Arias received such a
blow near the heart that he fell dead. And Don Diego Ordonez went to
the bar and laid hold on it, and cried out to Don Arias Gonzalo, Send
me another son, for I have conquered two, thanks be to God. Then the
judges came and said that the dead knight was not yet out of the
lists, and that he must alight and cast him out. Don Diego Ordonez did
as they had directed him, and then went and laid hand upon the bar
again. And then the judges came to him, and led him to the tent, and
disarmed him, and gave him the three sops and the wine, as they had
done before.
Then Don Arias Gonzalo, in great rage called for his son Rodrigo
Arias, who was a good knight, right hardy and valiant, the elder of
all the brethren. And Don Arias said unto him, Son, go now and do
battle with Diego Ordonez, to save Donya Urraca your lady, and
yourself, and the Council of Zamora; and if you do this, in happy hour
were you born. Then Rodrigo Arias kissed his hand and answered,
Father, I thank you much for what you have said, and be sure that I
will save them, or take my death. And he took his arms and mounted,
and his father gave him his blessing, and went with him to the lists;
and the judges took his reins and led him in. And when the judges were
gone out, they twain ran at each other, and Don Diego missed his blow,
but Rodrigo Arias, did not miss, for he gave him so great a stroke
with the lance that it pierced through the shield, and broke the
saddle-bow behind, and made him lose his stirrups, and he embraced the
neck of his horse. But albeit that Don Diego was sorely bested with
that stroke, he took heart presently, and went bravely against him,
and dealt him so great a blow that he broke the lance in him; for it
went through the shield and all his other arms, and great part of the
lance remained in his flesh. After this they laid hand to sword, and
gave each to the other great blows, and great wounds with them. And
Rodrigo Arias gave so great a wound to Diego Ordonez, that he cut his
left arm through to the bone. And Don Diego Ordonez, when he felt
himself so sorely wounded, went against Rodrigo Arias and delivered
him a blow upon the head which cut through the helmet and the hood of
the mail, and entered into his head. When Rodrigo Arias felt himself
wounded to death, he let go the reins and took his sword in both
hands, and gave so great a blow to the horse of Don Diego that the
horse ran out of the lists, and carried Don Diego out also, and there
died. And Rodrigo Arias fell dead as he was following him. Then Don
Diego Ordonez would have returned into the field to do battle with the
other two, but the judges would not permit this, neither did they
think good to decide whether they of Zamora were overcome in this
third duel or not. And in this manner the thing was left undecided.
Nevertheless, though no sentence was given, there remained no infamy
upon the people of Zamora. Better had it been for Don Arias Gonzalo if
he had given up Vellido to the Castillians, that he might have died
the death of a traitor; he would not then have lost these three sons,
who died like good men, in their duty. Now what was the end of Vellido
the history sayeth not, but it is to be believed, that because the
impeachment was not made within three days, Don Arias Gonzalo thrust
him out of the town as Donya Urraca had requested, and that he fled
into other lands, peradventure among the Moors.
In the meantime the Infanta Donya Urraca wrote letters secretly and
sent messengers with them to Toledo to King Don Alfonso, telling him
that King Don Sancho his brother was dead, and had left no heir, and
that he should come as speedily as he could to receive the kingdoms.
As soon as King Don Alfonso arrived at Zamora, he took counsel with
his sister. And the Infanta Donya Urraca, who was a right prudent lady
and a wise, sent letters throughout the land, that a cortes should
assemble and receive him for their lord. And when the Leonese and the
Gallegos knew that their lord King Don Alfonso was come, they were
full joyful, and they came to Zamora and received him for their lord
and king. And afterwards the Castillians arrived, and they of
Navarre, and they also received him for their lord and king, but upon
this condition, that he should swear that he had not taken counsel for
the death of his brother King Don Sancho. Howbeit they did not come
forward to receive the oath, and they kissed his hands in homage, all,
save only Ruydiez, my Cid. And when King Don Alfonso saw that the Cid
did not do homage and kiss his hand, he said, Since now ye have all
received me for your lord, and given me authority over ye, I would
know of the Cid Ruydiez why he will not kiss my hand and acknowledge
me. And the Cid arose and said, Sir, all whom you see here present,
suspect that by your counsel the King Don Sancho your brother came to
his death; and therefore, I say unto you that, unless you clear
yourself of this, as by right you should do, I will never kiss your
hand, nor receive you for my lord. Then said the king, Cid, what you
say pleases me well; and here I swear to God and to St. Mary, that I
never slew him, nor took counsel for his death, neither did it please
me, though he had taken my kingdom from me. And I beseech ye therefore
all, as friends and true vassals, that ye tell me how I may clear
myself. And the chiefs who were present said, that he and twelve of
the knights who came with him from Toledo, should make this oath in
the church at St. Gadea at Burgos, and that so he should be cleared.
So the king and all his company took horse and went to Burgos. And
when the day appointed for the oath was come, the king went to hear
mass in the church of Gadea. And the king came forward upon a high
stage that all the people might see him, and my Cid came to him to
receive the oath; and my Cid took the book of the Gospels and opened
it, and laid it upon the altar, and the king laid his hands upon it,
and the Cid said unto him, King Don Alfonso, you come here to swear
concerning the death of King Don Sancho your brother, that you neither
slew him nor took counsel for his death; say now you and these
hidalgos, if ye swear this. And the king and the hidalgos answered and
said, Yea, we swear it. And the Cid said, If ye knew of this thing, or
gave command that it should be done, may you die even such a death as
your brother the King Don Sancho, by the hand of a villain whom you
trust; one who is not a hidalgo, from another land, not a Castillian;
and the king and the knights who were with him said Amen. And the
king's colour changed; and the Cid repeated the oath unto him a second
time, and the king and the twelve knights said Amen to it in like
manner, and in like manner the countenance of the king was changed
again. And my Cid repeated the oath unto him a third time, and the
king and the knights said Amen; but the wrath of the king was
exceeding great, and he said to the Cid, Ruydiez, why dost thou thus
press me, man? To-day thou swearest me, and to-morrow thou wilt kiss
my hand. And from that day forward there was no love towards my Cid in
the heart of the king.
After this was King Don Alfonso crowned King of Castille, and Leon,
and Galicia, and Portugal; and he called himself King and Emperor of
all Spain, even as his father had done before him.
TALES OF ROBIN HOOD
Robin Hood is said to have been born at Locksley in the County of
Nottingham, in the reign of Henry II, about 1160. Some claim that he
came of good family, and was in reality the Earl of Huntingdon.
Public performances of plays based on the tales became so common by
1550 that they had to be forbidden, "but the people would not be
forbidden," said John Knox, the preacher. Bishop Latimer complained
bitterly how, when he was one day ready to preach in a country church,
he was told it was Robin Hood's day, a busy day with them, and they
could not hear him.
You will find a lot about Robin Hood in Scott's Ivanhoe, some of which
is in the volume "The Stories that never Grow Old."
ROBIN HOOD AND THE KNIGHT
Retold by Mary Macleod
In the days of Richard I there lived a famous outlaw who was known by
the name of Robin Hood. He was born at Locksley in the county of
Nottingham, and was of noble origin, for he is often spoken of as
"Earl of Huntingdon." Robin was very wild and daring, and having
placed his life in danger by some reckless act, or possibly through
some political offence, he fled for refuge to the greenwood. His chief
haunts were Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and Barnsdale in
Yorkshire. Round him soon flocked a band of trusty followers. An old
chronicler states that Robin Hood "entertained an hundred tall men and
good archers." They robbed none but the rich, and killed no man except
in self-defence. Robin "suffered no woman to be oppressed or otherwise
molested; poor men's goods he spared, abundantly relieving them" with
spoils got from abbeys or the houses of rich people.
Robin Hood's exploits were widely known, and although the poorer
classes were all on his side, those in authority were naturally
incensed against him. Many attempts were made to seize him, and large
rewards were offered for his capture. He was often in danger of his
life, and had many narrow escapes, but so daring was his courage, and
so quick and clever his wit and resource that he always contrived to
get clear away.
An old tradition says that the father of Robin was a forester, a
renowned archer. On one occasion he shot for a wager against the three
gallant yeomen of the north country--Adam Bell, Clym-of-the-Clough,
and William of Cloudesly, and the forester beat all three of them.
The mother of Robin Hood was a niece of the famous Guy, Earl of
Warwick, who slew the blue boar; her brother was Gamwel of Great
Gamwel Hall, a squire of famous degree, and the owner of one of the
finest houses in Nottinghamshire.
When the other outlaws flocked to Robin Hood they begged him to tell
them what sort of life they were to lead, and where they were to go,
what they were to take and what to leave, what sort of people they
were to rob, and whom they were to beat and to bind--in short, how
they were to act in every circumstance.
"Have no fear, we shall do very well," answered Robin. "But look you
do no harm to any husbandman that tilleth with his plough, nor to any
good yeoman that walketh in the greenwood, nor to any knight or squire
who is a good fellow. And harm no folk in whose company is any woman.
"But fat rascals, and all who have got rich by pilfering, canting, and
cheating, those you may beat and bind, and hold captive for ransom.
And chiefly the Sheriff of Nottingham--look you, bear him well in
mind."
And his followers promised to pay heed to his words, and carry them
out carefully.
Chief among the band of outlaws known as "Robin Hood's merry men" was
"Little John," so called because his name was John Little, and he was
seven feet high. Robin Hood was about twenty years old when he first
came to know Little John, and they got acquainted in this way. Robin
was walking one day in the forest when coming near a brook he chanced
to spy a stranger, a strong lusty lad like himself. The two met in the
middle of a long narrow bridge, and neither would give way. They
quarrelled as to which should be the master, and finally agreed to
fight with stout staves on the bridge, and whichever fell into the
water the other was to be declared to have won. The encounter was a
stiff one, but finally the stranger knocked down Robin Hood, and
tumbled him into the brook. Robin bore no malice, but owned at once
the other had got the best of it, and seeing what a stout nimble
fellow he was, persuaded him to join his band of archers, and go and
live with them in the greenwood.
Next to Little John the chief man was Will Scarlet, who in reality was
Robin's own cousin or nephew, young Gamwel of Gamwel Hall. Having
slain his father's steward either by accident or in some brawl, young
Will fled to his kinsman, Robin Hood, in Sherwood Forest, where, as in
the case of Little John, he first made his acquaintance by fighting
with him. As young Will on this occasion happened to be dressed very
smartly in silken doublet and scarlet stockings Robin Hood dubbed him
"Will Scarlet," by which name he was always afterwards known.
Besides these two famous outlaws there were many others of lesser note
who from time to time joined the band. Among them may be mentioned
"Gilbert of the white hand" who was almost as good an archer as Robin
himself; Allen-a-Dale, whose bride Robin Hood helped him to secure;
Much, the son of a miller; George-a-Green; Friar Tuck; Will Stutely,
who was taken prisoner by the Sheriff of Nottingham and nearly hanged,
but was rescued from the gallows by the gallant yeomen;
Arthur-a-Bland, the sturdy tanner of Nottingham, who beat Robin when
they fought with staves; the jolly tinker of Banbury who went out to
arrest Robin, but ended by joining his band, and the chief ranger of
Sherwood Forest, who did the same.
Lastly, there was the bonny maid of noble degree, who was known in the
north country as Maid Marian. She had loved Robin Hood when they were
young together, in the days when he was still the Earl of Huntingdon,
but spiteful fortune forced them to part. Robin had to fly for refuge
to the greenwood, and Maid Marian, unable to live without him, dressed
herself like a page, with quiver and bow, sword and buckler, and went
in search of him. Long and wearily she ranged the forest, and when the
lovers met they did not know each other, for Robin, too, had been
obliged to disguise himself. They fought as foes, and so sore was the
fray that both were wounded, but Robin so much admired the valour of
the stranger lad that he bade him stay his hand, and asked him to join
his company. When Marian knew the voice of her lover she quickly made
herself known to him, and great was the rejoicing. A stately banquet
was quickly prepared, which was served in a shady bower, and they
feasted merrily, while all the tall and comely yeomen drank to the
health of Robin Hood's bride. So for many years they dwelt together
with great content in the greenwood.
It happened one day as Robin Hood stood under a tree in Barnsdale that
Little John went up to him, and said:
"Master, if you would dine soon, would it not be well?"
"I do not care to dine," answered Robin, "until I have some bold baron
or stranger guest to eat with us, or else some rich rascal who will
pay for the feast, or else some knight or squire who dwells in these
parts."
"It is already far on in the day; now heaven send us a guest soon, so
that we may get to dinner," said Little John.