THE

EXCOMMUNICATION OF THE CID.

THE last specimen I shall give of the Cid-ballads, is one the subject of which is evidently of the most apocryphal cast. It is, however, so far as I recollect, the only one of all that immense collection that is quoted or alluded to in Don Quixote. Sancho," cried Don Quixote, "I am afraid of being excommunicated for having laid violent hands upon a man in holy orders, Juxta illud; si quis suadente diabolo, &c. But yet, now I think better on it, I never touched him with my hands, but only with my lance; besides, I did not in the least suspect I had to do with priests, whom I honour and revere as every good Catholic and faithful Christian ought to do, but rather took them to be evil spirits. Well, let the worst come to the worst, I remember what befel the Cid Ruy Dias, when he broke to pieces the chair of a king's ambassador in the Pope's presence, for which he was excommunicated; which did not hinder the worthy Rodrigo de Bivar from behaving himself that day like a valorous knight, and a man of honour."

10

THE

EXCOMMUNICATION OF THE CID.

I.

IT was when from Spain across the main the Cid had come to Rome,
He chanced to see chairs four and three beneath Saint Peter's dome.
"Now tell, I pray, what chairs be they?"-" Seven kings do sit thereon,
As well doth suit, all at the foot of the holy Father's throne.

II.

"The Pope he sitteth above them all, that they may kiss his toe,

Below the keys the Flower-de-lys doth make a gallant show;

For his great puissance, the King of France next to the Pope may sit, The rest more low, all in a row, as doth their station fit."

"Ha!" quoth the Cid, "now God forbid! it is a shame, I wiss,

To see the Castle* planted beneath the Flower-de-lys.t

No harm, I hope, good Father Pope-although I move thy chair."

-In pieces small he kick'd it all, ('twas of the ivory fair.)

The arms of Castille.

+ The arms of France.

IV.

The Pope's own seat he from his feet did kick it far away,
And the Spanish chair he planted upon its place that day;
Above them all he planted it, and laugh'd right bitterly;
Looks sour and bad I trow he had, as grim as grim might be.

V.

Now when the Pope was aware of this, he was an angry man,
His lips that night, with solemn rite, pronounced the awful ban;
The curse of God, who died on rood, was on that sinner's head-
To hell and woe man's soul must go if once that curse be said.

VI.

I wot, when the Cid was aware of this, a woeful man was he, At dawn of day he came to pray at the blessed Father's knee: "Absolve me, blessed Father, have pity upon me,

Absolve my soul, and

penance I for my sin will dree."

VII.

"Who is this sinner," quoth the Pope, "that at my foot doth kneel?”

"I am Rodrigo Diaz-a poor Baron of Castille."

Much marvell'd all were in the hall, when that name they heard him say, "Rise up, rise up," the Pope he said, "I do thy guilt away;

VIII.

"I do thy guilt away," he said-" and my curse I blot it outGod save Rodrigo Diaz, my Christian champion stout ;

I trow, if I had known thee, my grief it had been sore,

To curse Ruy Diaz de Bivar, God's scourge upon the Moor.”—

GARCIA PEREZ DE VARGAS.

THE Crowns of Castille and Leon being at length joined in the person of King Ferdinand, surnamed El Santo, the authority of the Moors in Spain was destined to receive many severe blows from the united efforts of two Christian states, which had in former times too often exerted their vigour against each other. The most important event of King Ferdinand's reign was the conquest of Seville, which great city yielded to his arms in the year 1248, after sustaining a long and arduous siege of sixteen months.

Don Garcia Perez de Vargas was one of the most distinguished warriors who on this great occasion fought under the banners of Ferdinand; and accordingly there are many ballads of which he is the hero. The incident celebrated in that which follows, is thus told, with a few variations, in the seventh chapter of the thirteenth book of MARIANA :—

"Above all others, there signalized himself in these affairs that Garci Perez de Vargas, a native of Toledo, of whose valour so many marvellous, and almost incredible achievements, are related. One day about the beginning of the siege, this Garcia Perez, and another with him, were riding by the side of the river, at some distance from the outposts, when, of a sudden, there came upon them a party of seven Moors on horseback. The companion of Perez was for returning immediately, but he replied, that never, even though he should lose his life for it, would he consent to the baseness of flight.' With that, his companion riding off, Perez armed himself, closed his visor, and put his lance in the rest. But the enemies, when they knew who it was, declined the combat.

"He had therefore pursued his way by himself for some space, when he perceived, that in lacing the head-piece and shutting the visor, he had, by inadvertence, dropt his scarf. He immediately returned upon his steps that he might seek for it. The King, as it happened, had his eyes upon Perez all this time, for the royal tent looked towards the place where he was riding, and he never doubted that the knight had turned back for the purpose of provoking the Moors to the combat. But they avoided him as before, and he, having regained his scarf, came in safety to the camp.

"The honour of the action was much increased by this circumstance, that although frequently pressed to disclose the name of the gentleman who had deserted him in that moment of danger, Garcia Perez would never consent to do so, for his modesty was equal to his bravery."

A little farther on Mariana relates, that Garcia Perez had a dispute with an other gentleman, who thought proper to assert that Garcia had no right to assume the coat-of-arms which he wore. "A sally having been made by the Moors, that gentleman, among many more, made his escape, but Garcia stood firm to his post, and never came back to the camp until the Moors were driven again into the city. He came with his shield all bruised and battered to the place where the gentleman was standing, and pointing to the effaced bearing which was on it, said, 'Indeed, sir, it must be confessed that you show more respect than I do to this same coat-of-arms, for you keep yours bright and unsullied, while mine is sadly discoloured.' The gentleman was sorely ashamed, and thenceforth Garcia Perez bore his achievement without gainsaying or dispute."