'I cannot help my nature; I never talk nor rail;

"But when a thing is to be done, you know I never fail.

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Fernando, you have lied, you have lied in every word:

"You have been honour'd by the Cid, and favour'd and preferr'd. "I know of all your tricks, and can tell them to your face: "Do you remember in Valencia the skirmish and the chase? "You asked leave of the Cid, to make the first attack: "You went to meet the Moor, but you soon came running back. "I met the Moor and kill'd him, or he would have kill'd you ; "I gave you up his arms, and all that was my due.

"Up to this very hour I never said a word.

"You praised yourself before the Cid, and I stood by and heard, "How you had kill'd the Moor, and done a valiant act, "And they believ'd you all, but they never knew the fact. "You are tall enough and handsome, but cowardly and weak. "Thou tongue without a hand, how can you dare to speak? There's the story of the lion should never be forgot: "Now let us hear, Fernando, what answer have you got? "The Cid was sleeping in his chair, with all his knights around, "The cry went forth along the Hall, That the lion was unbound,— "What did you do, Fernando? like a coward as you were, "You slunk behind the Cid, and crouch'd beneath his chair. "We press'd around the throne, to shield our Lord from harm, "Till the good Cid awoke; he rose without alarm; "He went to meet the lion, with his mantle on his arm;

"Mientes Ferrando de quanto dicho has:
"Por el Campeador mucho valiestes mas.
"Las tus mañas yo te las sabré contar;

"Miembrat' quando lidiamos cerca Valencia la grand,
"Pedist' las feridas primeras al Campeador leal:

"Vist' un Moro, fustel' ensaiar; antes fugiste que al te alegases.

"Si yo non uvjas' el Moro te jugára mal,

"Pasé por ti con el Moro me off de aiuntar:

"De los primeros colpes ofle de arrancar;

"Did el cavallo, tobeldo en poridad:

"Fasta este dia no lo descubri à nadi.

"Delant' Mio Cid, è delante todos ovistete de alabar,

Que matáras el Moro è que ficieras barnax.

"Crovierontelo todos, mas non saben la verdad.

"E eres fermoso, mas mal barragan.

"Lengua sin mancs, cuemo osas fablar?

"Di Ferrando, otorga esta razon;

Non te viene en miente en Valencia lo del Leon,
"Quando durmie Mio Cid è el Leon se desató?
"E tu Ferrando qué ficist' con el pavor?

"Metistet' tras el escaño, de Mio Cid el Campeador,
"Metistet' Ferrando, poró menos vales hoy.
"Nos cercamos el escaño por curiar nuestro Señor,
"Fasta do despertó Mio Cid el que Valencia ganó.
"Levantós' del escano è fues' poral Leon:

"El

"The lion was abash'd the noble Cid to meet,

"He bow'd his mane to the earth, his muzzle at his feet.
"The Cid by the neck and mane drew him to his den,
"He thrust him in at the hatch, and came to the hall again:
"He found his knights, his vassals, and all his valiant men;
"He ask'd for his sons-in-law, they were neither of them there.
"I defy you for a coward and a traitor as you are;

"For the daughters of the Cid you have done them great unright, "In the wrong that they have suffer'd, you stand dishonour'd quite. "Although they are but women, and each of you a knight, "I hold them worthier far, and here my word I plight, "Before the King Alfonso upon this plea to fight;

"If it be God his will, before the battle part,

"Thou shalt avow it with thy mouth, like a traitor as thou art." Uprose Diego Gonzalez and answered as he stood:

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By our lineage we are Counts, and of the purest blood; "This match was too unequal, it never could hold good; "For the daughters of the Cid we acknowledge no regret, "We leave them to lament the chastisement they met. "It will follow them through life for a scandal and a jest: "I stand upon this plea to combat with the best, "That having left them as we did, our honour is increas'd." Uprose Martin Antolinez when Diego ceas'd:

Peace, thou lying mouth! thou traitor coward, peace !

"The story of the lion should have taught you shame at least:

"El Leon premió la cabeza, á Mio Cid esperó,

"Dexos' le prender al cuello, è á la red le metió.
Quando se tornó el buen Campeador

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"A sos vasallos, violos aderredor.

"Demandó por sus Yernos, ninguno non falló.
"Riebtot' el cuerpo por malo è por traydor.
"Estot' lidiaré aqui antél Rey Don Alfonso
"Por fijas del Cid Don' Elvira è Dona Sol.
"Por quanto las dexastes menos valedes vos.
"Ellas son mugieres, è vos sodes varones;
"En todas guisas mas valen que vos.

Quando fuere la lid, si ploguiere al Criador,
"Tu lo otorgarás aguisa de traydor.

"De quanto he dicho verdadero sere yo."
De aquestos amos aqui quedó la razon.

Diego Gonzalez odredes lo que dixo:

"De natura somos de los Condes mas limpios.

"Estos casamientos non fuesen aparecidos

"Por consograr con Mio Cid Don Rodrigo.

Porque dexamos sus fijas aun no nos repentimos.

"Mientra que vivan pueden haber sospiros.

"Lo que les ficiemos serles ha retraido; esto lidiaré a tod' el mas

ardido.

"Que porque las dexamos ondrados somos nos."

Martin Antolinez en pie se levantaba;

Cala,

"You rush'd out at the door, and ran away so hard,

"You fell into the cispool that was open in the yard.

"We dragg'd you forth in all men's sight, dripping from the drain ; "For shame, never wear a mantle, nor a knightly robe again!

"I fight upon this plea without more ado,

"The daughters of the Cid are worthier far than you.

"Before the combat part you shall avow it true,

"And that you have been a traitor and a coward too."

Thus was ended the parley and challenge betwixt these two.

Assur Gonzalez was entering at the door

With his ermine mantle trailing along the floor;
With his sauntering pace and his hardy look,

Of manners or of courtesy, little heed he took :

He was flush'd and hot with breakfast and with drink.

"What oh, my masters, your spirits seem to sink !

"Have we no news stirring from the Cid Ruy Diaz of Bivar? "Has he been to Riodivirna to besiege the windmills there? "Does he tax the millers for their toll, or is that practice past? "Will he make a match for his daughters, another like the last?" Munio Gustioz rose and made reply;

"Traitor, wilt thou never cease to slander and to lie?

"Cala, alevoso, boca sin verdad.

"Lo del Leon non se te debe olvidar;

"Saliste por la puerta, metistet' al corral;

"Fusted meter tras la viga lagar;

"Mas non vestid' el manto nin el brial:

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66

Hyo lo lydiaré, non pasará por al.

Fijas del Cid por qué las vos dexastes?

"En todas guisas, sabet, que mas valen que vos.

"Al partir de la lid por tu boca lo diras,

"Que eras traydor è mentiste de quanto dicho has."

Destos amos la razon fincó.

Asur Gonzales entraba por el Palacio;

Manto armino è un brial rastrando ;

Bermeio viene, ca era almorzado.

En lo que fabló avie poco recabdo.

"Hya varones quien vió nunca tal mal?

"Quien nos darie nuevas de Mio Cid el de Bibar?
"Fues' a Riodouirna los molinos picar,
"E prender maquilas como lo suele far':
"Quil' darie con los de Carion a casar'?"
Esora Muno Gustioz en pie se levantó:
"Cala, alevoso, malo è traydor,
"Antes almuerzas que bayas à oracion;
"A los que das paz, fartaslos aderredor.
"Non dices verdad amigo ni à Señor,
"Falso à todos è mas al Criador.
"En tu amistad non quiero aver racion.
"Facertelo decir que tal eres qual digo yo."

"You breakfast before mass, you drink before you pray;
"There is no honour in your heart, nor truth in what you say;
"You cheat your comrade and your Lord, you flatter to betray:
"Your hatred I despise, your friendship I defy:
"False to all mankind, and most to God on high.

"I shall force you to confess that what I say is true."

Alfonso here imposes silence upon the assembly. He declares that he grants permission to the challengers to fight, and that by them the cause shall be decided. At this moment two ambassadors from Navarre and Aragon enter the assembly, and demand of the Cid, with the consent of Alfonso, to grant his two daughters in marriage to the two Kings or Infants of Navarre and Aragon; a request sufficiently singular after the adventures which they had undergone. Rodrigo, at the solicitation of Alfonso, accedes to the demand. Menaya Alvar Fanez, one of the Cid's friends, takes this opportunity of again defying either of the Infants who may be inclined to meet him. The king, however, again imposes silence, and declares that the three first couple of combatants are sufficient to settle the question. He was desirous of adjourning the combat till the following day only, but the Infants of Carion demand three weeks in order to prepare themselves; and as the Cid wishes to return to Valencia, the king takes under his own protection the three knights who were to combat for him. He promises to preside at the combat on the plains of Carion; and having appointed the two parties to meet there in one and twenty days, he announces that those who fail to appear shall be accounted vanquished, and reckoned as traitors. Don Rodrigo then unties his beard, which hitherto he had kept bound in sign of his affliction; he thanks the king, and taking leave of all the grandees, to each of whom he offers a present, returns to Valencia. He endeavoured to make the king accept his good horse, Babieca ; but the monarch answered that the charger would be a loser by the change, and that it was fit that the best warrior in Spain should possess the best horse to pursue the Moors.

After a delay of three weeks, Alfonso proceeds to Carion with the three champions of the Cid. On the other side the Infants of Carion arm themselves under the superintendence of the Count Garcia Ordoñez. They beg the king to forbid their adversaries to use the two good swords Colada and

Tizon, which they had restored, and which were about to be
used against their late masters. The king replies that they
had restored them in the Cortes without drawing them from
their sheaths, and that it is now their duty to procure good
weapons. He directs the barriers to be raised; he names
the heralds and the judges, and then thus addresses them :
"Infants of Carion! Attend to what I say:

"You should have fought this battle upon a former day,
"When we were at Toledo, but you would not agree;
"And now the noble Cid has sent these champions three,
"To fight in the lands of Carion, escorted here by me.
"Be valiant in your right, attempt no force or wrong;
"If any man attempt it he shall not triumph long,

"He never shall have rest or peace within my kingdom more."
The Infants of Carion are now repenting sore;

The Heralds and the King are foremost in the place,
They clear away the people from the middle space:
They measure out the lists, the barriers they fix :

They point them out in order, and explain to all the six :

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If you are forc'd beyond the line where they are fix'd and traced,

"You shall be held as conquered and beaten and disgraced."

Six lances length on either side an open space is laid,

They share the field between them, the sunshine and the shade.
Their office is perform'd, and from the middle space

The heralds are withdrawn, and leave them face to face.
Here stood the warriors of the Cid, that noble champion,
Opposite on the other side, the Lords of Carion.*

* "Oyd que vos digo, Infantes de Carion;

"Esta lid en Toledo la ficierades, mas non quisiestes vos :
"Estos tres cavalleros de mio Cid el Campeador,
"Hyo los aduj' à salvo a tierras de Carion.
"Habed vuestro derecho, tuerto non querades vos ;
"Ca qui tuerto quisiere fazer, mal gelo vedare yo;
"En todo mio regno non habrá buen sabor."
Hya les va pesandc à los Infantes de Carion,
Los Fieles è el Rey enseñaron los moiones.
Librabanse del campo todos aderredor;
Bien gelo demonstraron à todos seis como son,
Que por y serie vencido qui saliese del moion.
Todas las yentes esconbraron aderredor

De seis astas de lanzas que non legasen al moion.
Sorteabanles el campo, ya les partien el sol;
Salien los Fieles de medio ellos, cara por cara son.
Desi vinien los de Mio Cid à los Infantes de Carion,
Ellos Infantes de Carion à los del Campeador.
Cada uno dellos mientes tiene al so.
Abrazan los escudos delant' los corazones;
Abaxan las lanzas abueltas con los pendones;

Enclinaban