THE

LAMENTATION OF DON RODERICK.

THE treason of Count Julian, and, indeed, the whole history of King Roderick, and the downfall of the Gothic Monarchy in Spain, have been so effectually made known to the English reader by Mr Southey and Sir Walter Scott, that it would be impertinent to say any thing of these matters here. The ballad, a version of which follows, appears to be one of the oldest, among the great number relating to the Moorish conquest of Spain. One verse of it is quoted, and several parodied, in the Second Part of Don Quixote, in the inimitable chapter of the Puppet-show.

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Hold, hold, sir,' cried the puppet-player, hold for pity's sake! What do you mean, sir? These are no real Moors that you cut and hack so, but poor harmless puppets made of paste-board. Think of what you do, you ruin me for ever. Oh that ever I was born! you have broke me quite.' But Don Quixote, without minding his words, doubled and redoubled his blows so thick, and laid about him so outrageously, that in less than two credos he had cut all the strings and wires, mangled the puppets, and spoiled and demolished the whole motion. King Marsilius was in a grievous condition. The Emperor Charlemagne's head and crown were cleft in two. The whole audience was in a sad consternation. The ape scampered off to the top of the house. The scholar was frightened out of his wits; the page was very uneasy, and Sancho himself was in a terrible fright; for, as he swore after the hurricane was over, he had never seen his master in such a rage before.

"The general rout of the puppets being over, Don Quixote's fury began to abate; and with a more pacified countenance turning to the company, 'Now,' said he, I could wish all those incredulous persons here who slight knight-errantry might receive conviction of their error, and behold undeniable proofs of the benefit of that function; for how miserable had been the condition of poor Don Gayferos and the fair Melisendra by this time, had I not been here and stood up in their defence! I make no question but those infidels would have apprehended them, and used them barbarously. Well, when all is done, long live knight-errantry; long let it live, I say, above all things whatsoever in this world!'-' Ay, ay,' said Master Peter in a doleful tone, let it live long for me, so I may die; for why should I live so unhappy as to say with King Roderigo, ' Yesterday I was lord of Spain, to-day have not a foot of land I can call mine?' It is not half an hour, nay scarce a moment, since I had kings and emperors at command. I had horses in abundance, and chests and bags full of fine things; but now you see me a poor sorry undone man, quite and clean broke and cast down, and in short a mere beggar. What is worst of all, I have lost my ape too, who I am sure will make me sweat ere I catch him again.""

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THE

LAMENTATION OF DON RODERICK.

I.

THE hosts of Don Rodrigo were scatter'd in dismay,

When lost was the eighth battle, nor heart nor hope had they ;-
He, when he saw that field was lost, and all his hope was flown,
He turn'd him from his flying host, and took his way alone.

II.

His horse was bleeding, blind, and lame-he could no farther go;
Dismounted, without path or aim, the King stepp'd to and fro;

It was a sight of pity to look on Roderick,

For, sore athirst and hungry, he stagger'd faint and sick.

III.

All stain'd and strew'd with dust and blood, like to some smouldering brand Pluck'd from the flame Rodrigo shew'd:—his sword was in his hand,

But it was hack'd into a saw of dark and purple tint;

His jewell'd mail had many a flaw, his helmet many a dint.

IV.

He climb❜d unto a hill top, the highest he could see,

Thence all about of that wide route his last long look took he;
He saw his royal banners, where they lay drench'd and torn,
He heard the cry of victory, the Arab's shout of scorn.

V.

He look'd for the brave captains that had led the hosts of Spain,
But all were filed except the dead, and who could count the slain !
Where'er his eye could wander, all bloody was the plain,

And while thus he said, the tears he shed run down his cheeks like rain :—

VI.

"Last night I was the King of Spain-to-day no king am I ;

Last night fair castles held my train, to-night where shall I lie?
Last night a hundred pages did serve me on the knee?
To-night not one I call mine own:-not one pertains to me.

VII.

"O luckless, luckless was the hour, and cursed was the day, When I was born to have the power of this great signiory! Unhappy me, that I should see the sun go down to-night!

O Death, why now so slow art thou, why fearest thou to smite ?"

THE

PENITENCE OF DON RODERICK.

THIS Ballad also is quoted in Don Quixote. “And let me tell you again, quoth Sancho Panza to the Duchess,' if you don't think fit to give me an island because I am a fool, I will be so wise as not to care whether you do or no. It is an old saying, The Devil lurks behind the cross. All is not gold that glisters. From the tail of the plough, Bamba was made King of Spain; and from his silks and riches, was Roderigo cast to be devoured by the snakes, if the old ballads say true, and sure they are too old to tell a lie.'- That they are indeed,' said Donna Rodriguez, the old waiting-woman, who listened among the rest, for I remember one of the ballads tells us, how Don Rodrigo was shut up alive in a tomb full of toads, snakes, and lizards; and how, after two days, he was heard to cry out of the tomb in a low and doleful voice, Now they eat me, now they gnaw me, in the part where I sinned most.' And according to this the gentleman is in the right in saying he had rather be a poor labourer than a king, to be gnawed to death by vermin.'”

Cervantes would scarcely have made this absurd story the subject of conversation between any more intelligent personages, than Sancho Panza and the venerable Donna Rodriguez. Nevertheless, there is something very peculiar in the old ballad to which these interlocutors allude-enough, perhaps, to make it worth the trouble of translation. There is a little difference between the ballad, as it stands in the Cancionero, and the copy which Donna Rodriguez quotes; but I think the effect is better when there is only one snake, than when the tomb is full of them.