This celebrated1 hero of Spanish history has been for more than eight centuries the theme of eulogy2 and song, and doubtless his wonderful achievements and romantic fame have contributed to kindle3 an emulous flame in many a youthful bosom4, and to stir up even a nation to the resistance of oppression. It is by no means improbable that many of the deeds of valor5 and patriotic6 devotion witnessed during the invasion of Spain by Napoleon's armies, had their source in the name and fame of the Cid. In one of the numerous ballads7 which recount his history, and which are among the popular poetry of Spain to this day, he is addressed in the following vigorous lines:—
"Mighty8 victor, never vanquished9,
Bulwark10 of our native land,
Shield of Spain, her boast and glory,
Knight11 of the far-dreaded brand,
Venging scourge12 of Moors13 and traitors15,
Mighty thunderbolt of war,
Mirror bright of chivalry16,
Ruy, my Cid Campeador!"
This chivalrous17 knight was born at Burgos, in the year 1025. His name was Rodrigo, or Ruy Diaz, Count of Bivar. He was called the Cid, which means lord; and the name of Campeador, or champion without an equal, was appropriated as his peculiar18 title. At this period, the greater part of the Peninsula was in the hands of the Arabs or Moors, who had invaded them three centuries before. The few Goths who had remained unconquered among the mountains, maintained a constant warfare19 upon the infidels, and by the time of which we speak, they had recovered a large portion of the country lying in the northwestern quarter. This territory was divided into several petty kingdoms, or counties, the principal of which, at the time of our hero's birth, were united under Ferdinand I., the founder20 of the kingdom of Castile. The rest of the Peninsula, subject to the Arabs, was also divided into petty kingdoms.
The father of Rodrigo, Don Diego Lainez, was the representative of an ancient, wealthy, and noble race. When our hero was a mere21 stripling, his father was grossly insulted by the haughty22 and powerful Count of Gormaz, Don Lozano Gomez, who smote23 him in the face, in the very presence of the king and court. The dejection of the worthy24 hidalgo, who was very aged25, and therefore incapable26 of taking personal vengeance27 for his wrong, is thus strongly depicted28 in one of the ballads:—
"Sleep was banished30 from his eyelids31;
Not a mouthful could he taste;
There he sat with downcast visage,—
Direly32 had he been disgraced.
Never stirred he from his chamber33;
With no friends would he converse34,
Lest the breath of his dishonor
Should pollute them with its curse."
[Pg 184]When young Rodrigo, the son, was informed of the indignity35 offered to his father, he was greatly incensed36, and determined37 to avenge38 it. He accordingly took down an old sword, which had been the instrument of mighty deeds in the hands of his ancestors, and, mounting a horse, proceeded to challenge the haughty Count Gomez, in the following terms:—
"How durst thou to smite39 my father?
Craven caitiff! know that none
Unto him shall do dishonor,
While I live, save God alone.
For this wrong, I must have vengeance,—
Traitor14, here I thee defy!
With thy blood alone my sire
Can wash out his infamy41!"
The count despised his youth, and refused his challenge; but the boy set bravely upon him, and, after a fierce conflict, was victorious42. He bore the bleeding head of his antagonist43 to his father, who greeted him with rapture44. His fame was soon spread abroad, and he was reckoned among the bravest squires45 of the time.
But now there appeared before king Ferdinand and the court of Burgos the lovely Ximena, daughter of the Count Gomez, demanding vengeance of the sovereign for the death of her father. She fell on her knees at the king's feet, crying for justice.
"Justice, king! I sue for justice—
Vengeance on a traitorous47 knight;
Grant it me! so shall thy children
Thrive, and prove thy soul's delight."
When she had spoken these words, her eye fell on[Pg 185] Rodrigo, who stood among the attendant nobles, and she exclaimed,—
"Thou hast slain49 the best and bravest
That e'er set a lance in rest,
Of our holy faith the bulwark,—
Terror of each Paynim breast.
Traitorous murderer, slay50 me also!
Though a woman, slaughter51 me!
Spare not! I'm Ximena Gomez,
Thine eternal enemy!
Here's my heart,—smite, I beseech52 thee!
Smite! and fatal be thy blow!
Death is all I ask, thou caitiff,—
Grant this boon53 unto thy foe54."
Not a word, however, did Rodrigo reply, but, seizing the bridle55 of his steed, he vaulted56 into the saddle, and rode slowly away. Ximena turned to the crowd of nobles, and seeing that none prepared to follow him and take up her cause, she cried aloud, "Vengeance, sirs, I pray you vengeance!" A second time did the damsel disturb the king, when at a banquet, with her cries for justice. She had now a fresh complaint.
"Every day at early morning,
To despite me more, I wist,
He who slew57 my sire doth ride by,
With a falcon58 on his fist.
At my tender dove he flies it;
Many of them hath it slain.
See, their blood hath dyed my garments,
With full many a crimson59 stain."
Rodrigo, however, was not punished, and the king suspected that this conduct of the young count was only typical of his purpose to hawk60 at the lady himself,[Pg 186] and make her the captive of love. He was therefore left to pursue his career; and he soon performed an achievement which greatly increased his fame. Five Moorish61 chiefs or kings, and their attendants, had made a foray into the Castilian territories, and, being unresisted, were bearing off immense booty and many captives. Rodrigo, though still a youth under twenty, mounted his horse, Babieca, as famous in his story as is Bucephalus in that of Alexander, hastily gathered a host of armed men, and fell suddenly upon the Moors, among the mountains of Oca. He routed them with great slaughter, captured the five kings, and recovered all that they had taken.
The spoil he divided among his followers62, but reserved the kings for his own share, and carried them home to his castle of Bivar, to present them, as proofs of his prowess, to his mother. With his characteristic generosity63, which was conspicuous64 even at this early age, he then set them at liberty, on their agreeing to pay him tribute; and they departed to their respective territories, lauding65 his valor and magnanimity.
The fame of this exploit soon spread far and wide, through the land, and as martial66 valor in those chivalrous times was the surest passport to ladies' favor, it must have had its due effect on Ximena's mind, and will, in a great measure, account for the entire change in her sentiments towards the youth, which she manifested on another visit to Burgos. Falling on her knees before the king, she spoke48 thus:—
"I am daughter of Don Gomez,
Count of Gormaz was he hight;
Him Rodrigo by his valor[Pg 187]
Did o'erthrow in mortal fight.
King! I come to crave40 a favor—
This the boon for which I pray,
That thou give me this Rodrigo
For my wedded67 lord this day.
Grant this precious boon, I pray thee;
'Tis a duty thou dost owe;
For the great God hath commanded
That we should forgive a foe."
There is a touch of nature in all this, that is quite amusing: while the lady's anger burns, she cries for justice; when love has taken possession of her heart, she appeals to religion to enforce her wishes. "Now I see," said the king, "how true it is, what I have often heard, that the will of woman is wild and strange. Hitherto this damsel hath sought deadly vengeance on the youth, and now she would have him to husband. Howbeit, with right good will I will grant what she desireth."
He sent at once for Rodrigo, who, with a train of three hundred young nobles, his friends and kinsmen68, all arrayed in new armor and robes of brilliant color, obeyed with all speed the royal summons. The king rode forth69 to meet him, "for right well did he love Rodrigo," and opened the matter to him, promising70 him great honors and much land if he would make Ximena his bride. Rodrigo, who desired nothing better, and who doubtless had hoped for this issue, at once acquiesced71.
"King and lord! right well it pleaseth
Me thy wishes to fulfil:
In this thing, as in all others,[Pg 188]
I obey thy sovereign will."
The young pair then plighted72 their troth in presence of the king, and in pledge thereof gave him their hands. He kept his promise, and gave Rodrigo Valduerna, Saldana, Belforado, and San Pedro de Cardena, for a marriage portion.
The wedding was attended by vast pomp and great festivities. Rodrigo, sumptuously73 attired74, went with a long procession to the church. After a while, Ximena came, with a veil over her head and her hair dressed in large plaits, hanging over her ears. She wore an embroidered75 gown of fine London cloth, and a close-fitting spencer. She walked on high-heeled clogs76 of red leather. A necklace of eight medals or plates of gold, with a small pendent image of St. Michael, which together were "worth a city," encircled her white neck.
The happy pair met, seized each other's hands, and embraced. Then said Rodrigo, with great emotion, as he gazed on his bride,—
"I did slay thy sire, Ximena,
But, God wot, not traitorously77;
'Twas in open fight I slew him:
Sorely had he wronged me.
A man I slew,—a man I give thee,—
Here I stand thy will to bide78!
Thou, in place of a dead father,
Hast a husband at thy side."
All approved well his prudence79,
And extolled80 him with zeal81;
Thus they celebrate the nuptials82
Of Rodrigo of Castile.
[Pg 189]We cannot attend this renowned83 hero through his long and brilliant career. We must be content to say, that on all occasions he displayed every noble and heroic quality. His life was an almost perpetual strife84 with the Moors, whom he defeated in many combats. Having collected a considerable force, on one occasion, he penetrated85 to the southeastern extremity86 of Arragon, and established himself in a strong castle, still called the Rock of the Cid. He afterwards pushed his victories to the borders of the Mediterranean87, and laid siege to the rich and powerful Moorish city of Valencia, which he captured. Here he established his kingdom, and continued to reign46 till his death, about the year 1099, at the age of seventy-five.
While the Cid was living, his reputation was sufficient to keep the Moors in awe88; but when he was dead, their courage revived, and they boldly attacked the Spaniards, even in Valencia, the city where his remains89 were laid. The Spaniards went forth to meet them; and behold90, a warrior91, with the well known dress of the Cid, but with the aspect of death, was at their head. The Moors recognised his features, and they fled in superstitious92 horror, fancying that a miracle had been performed in behalf of the Spaniards. The truth was, however, that the latter had taken him from the tomb, set him on his warhorse, and thus, even after his death, he achieved a victory over his foes93. This incident sufficiently94 attests95 the wonderful power which the Cid's name exerted, as well over his countrymen as their enemies.
The Spaniards have an immense number of ballads[Pg 190] and romances, founded upon the life of this wonderful hero. They all depict29 him as a noble and high-minded chief, without fear and without reproach, the very beau ideal of a knight of the olden time. Some of these ballads are finely rendered into English by Mr. Lockhart, and they have been published in a style of unsurpassed beauty and splendor96.
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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bulwark
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| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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depict
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| vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述 | |
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30
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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direly
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| 可怕的，恐怖的； 悲惨的； 迫切的，极端的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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35
indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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infamy
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| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
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42
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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squires
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| n.地主，乡绅( squire的名词复数 ) | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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traitorous
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| adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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lauding
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| v.称赞，赞美( laud的现在分词 ) | |
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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kinsmen
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| n.家属，亲属( kinsman的名词复数 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plighted
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| vt.保证，约定（plight的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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sumptuously
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| 奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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clogs
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| 木屐； 木底鞋，木屐( clog的名词复数 ) | |
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traitorously
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| 叛逆地，不忠地 | |
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bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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extolled
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| v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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nuptials
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| n.婚礼；婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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85
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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86
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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87
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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88
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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89
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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90
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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91
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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92
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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93
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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94
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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95
attests
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| v.证明( attest的第三人称单数 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓 | |
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96
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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