The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose Now First Collected with a Prefatory Memoir by his Nephews W. E. and Sir Bartle Frere |
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 | The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose |  |
III.
ARGUMENT.
The Cid—after various successes, having won the city of Valencia, and having overthrown the king of Seville (who was sent with 30,000 men to besiege him) in the battle of Villa Nueva, in which every footsoldier shared 100 marks of silver—fearing lest his people who were now rich should return to their own country, took counsel with Alvar Fanez and others, when Minaya advised that proclamation should be made that no man should leave the city without permission of the Cid, on pain of losing all he had and being impaled. With this view the Cid orders an account to be taken of all his vassals, sends Alvar Fanez and Martin Antolinez with presents to the king, Don Alphonso, beseeching him to let his wife and daughters join him,—re-makes Valencia into a bishoprick, and makes the pilgrim Don Jerom bishop. The king receives the messengers favourably, and orders that the ladies have a guard to escort them throughout his dominions, and restores the Cid and his followers to favour.
I wish for an account
“Of all my vassals here, their number and amount,
“Their grants of tenements and lands, Minaya, will you look
“To mark their names in writing, and count them in a book—
—“For the service of Valencia this shall be the law—
“If any man shall leave it, to desert us and withdraw,
“He shall resign and vacate his tenure, to divide
“Among my followers here, that in the town abide,
“That watch the city walls, and keep the country side.”
“Of all my vassals here, their number and amount,
“Their grants of tenements and lands, Minaya, will you look
“To mark their names in writing, and count them in a book—
—“For the service of Valencia this shall be the law—
“If any man shall leave it, to desert us and withdraw,
“He shall resign and vacate his tenure, to divide
“Among my followers here, that in the town abide,
“That watch the city walls, and keep the country side.”
Minaya said—“The thing can easily be done.”
He summon'd them to Court, they came there every one;
He wrote their names in order, and made a fair account,
Three thousand and six hundred was the complete amount.
“Thanks be to God, Minaya, the troop was thinner far
“When we rode forth as exiles from my manor at Bivar:
“As we have prosper'd hitherto so shall we prosper still;
“Yet farther, if you like it, and if it suits your will,
“I fain would send you forth for a message into Spain,
“To see my Lord Alphonso my lawful king again.
“A hundred goodly steeds for a present you shall bring,
“A portion of the booty, to present them to the king.
“Then you shall kiss his hands intreating earnestly
“That he will condescend to set my wife and daughters free—
“And for their coming with you, these words shall be the token;
“The words they recollect, that heretofore were spoken:—
“That the Cid's daughters and his wife, upon some future day,
“As rich and mighty dames should ride in proud array
“To meet their worthy father within some foreign land,
“Where he should reign a conqueror in honour and command.”
“I'll do it,” said Minaya, “with all my soul and heart.”
He sets affairs in order preparing to depart,
With a hundred men-at-arms as an escort strong and fair;
And a thousand marks of silver must Alvar Fanez bear
To the Convent of San Pedro, for the good abbot there.
He summon'd them to Court, they came there every one;
He wrote their names in order, and made a fair account,
Three thousand and six hundred was the complete amount.
419
“When we rode forth as exiles from my manor at Bivar:
“As we have prosper'd hitherto so shall we prosper still;
“Yet farther, if you like it, and if it suits your will,
“I fain would send you forth for a message into Spain,
“To see my Lord Alphonso my lawful king again.
“A hundred goodly steeds for a present you shall bring,
“A portion of the booty, to present them to the king.
“Then you shall kiss his hands intreating earnestly
“That he will condescend to set my wife and daughters free—
“And for their coming with you, these words shall be the token;
“The words they recollect, that heretofore were spoken:—
“That the Cid's daughters and his wife, upon some future day,
“As rich and mighty dames should ride in proud array
“To meet their worthy father within some foreign land,
“Where he should reign a conqueror in honour and command.”
“I'll do it,” said Minaya, “with all my soul and heart.”
He sets affairs in order preparing to depart,
With a hundred men-at-arms as an escort strong and fair;
And a thousand marks of silver must Alvar Fanez bear
To the Convent of San Pedro, for the good abbot there.
While thus they were discoursing, and mirth and hope increased
A pilgrim came amongst them, from adventures in the East,
A clerk of holy Church and shaven as a priest:
Don Jerom was his name, a person of discerning,
Courteous and discreet, and famous for his learning;
A worthy man besides, on horseback or on foot,
And thither was he come, for his errand and pursuit
Had been to join the Cid, that he might fight his fill,
Sword-in-hand among the Moors, to cut them down and kill.—
The Cid with his arrival was pleased and satisfied;
He took Minaya Fanez to speak with him aside.
“Hear me, Minaya Fanez! in Heaven's name I say,
“Of all that Heaven has blessed us with, something we must repay:
“And therefore of my conquest this shall be the fruit,
“I'll make a bishop here, and a bishopric to boot;
“And this same good Don Jerom the bishop he shall be.
“Where can we find in all our host a better clerk than he?
“These will be goodly tidings, happy news and fair,
“Reported in Castille at your arrival there.”
Minaya was agreed; the thing was done as said,
And therewithal Don Jerom was a bishop made,
Invested and endow'd with lands and yearly rent;
And, oh! what happy tidings thro' Christendom were sent,
In all the courts of Christendom, and ev'ry town of Spain,
That a bishop in Valencia was appointed once again.
A pilgrim came amongst them, from adventures in the East,
A clerk of holy Church and shaven as a priest:
Don Jerom was his name, a person of discerning,
Courteous and discreet, and famous for his learning;
A worthy man besides, on horseback or on foot,
And thither was he come, for his errand and pursuit
Had been to join the Cid, that he might fight his fill,
Sword-in-hand among the Moors, to cut them down and kill.—
The Cid with his arrival was pleased and satisfied;
He took Minaya Fanez to speak with him aside.
“Hear me, Minaya Fanez! in Heaven's name I say,
“Of all that Heaven has blessed us with, something we must repay:
“And therefore of my conquest this shall be the fruit,
“I'll make a bishop here, and a bishopric to boot;
“And this same good Don Jerom the bishop he shall be.
“Where can we find in all our host a better clerk than he?
“These will be goodly tidings, happy news and fair,
“Reported in Castille at your arrival there.”
420
And therewithal Don Jerom was a bishop made,
Invested and endow'd with lands and yearly rent;
And, oh! what happy tidings thro' Christendom were sent,
In all the courts of Christendom, and ev'ry town of Spain,
That a bishop in Valencia was appointed once again.
Minaya took his leave, and forth in haste he prest
His journey through Valencia; the country was at rest:
As for his other travel, I care not to recite
The stages that he made or where he stopt at night.
He rides inquiring for the king; at last he comes to know,
“The king was at St. Fagunt a little while ago,
“Meaning to go to Carrion so people understood.”
Minaya rode to Carrion, to find him if he could,
Ready with his present in case the king should pass;
And there at once he met him returning from the Mass.
Behold Minaya Fanez, in presence of the crowd,
He knelt before the king and made his moan aloud:—
“The good Cid Ruy Diaz salutes you as is meet,
“As a good vassal to his lord, kissing your hands and feet;
“He is driven from your kingdom, and he has lost your love,
“Be gracious to him, good my Lord, for heaven's sake above;
“Though living as a banish'd man, yet hath he prosper'd well
“Within the Moorish border, such tidings I can tell.
“He has taken towns and lands and castles many a one,
“Xerica and Almenar, Cebola, Casteion;
“He has taken Penna Cadella, the fortress and the hill,
“He has taken Murviedro, which is far better still;
“He is master of Valencia and rules it at his will;
“He has made a bishop of his own, with mitre, ring, and pall;
“He has fought five battles in the field, and conquer'd in them all;
“Great is the wealth and booty that, by the will of heaven,
“The Cid hath purchased in the field, and largely hath he thriven;
“And here I bring your Grace a sample and a token,
“In proof of his allegiance, and that the truth is spoken,—
“A hundred noble coursers, strong and tall and fleet,
“With saddles and caparisons, and all equipments meet;
“He sends his humble present, kissing your Grace's hands,
“And owns himself your vassal in his Lordship and his lands.”
His journey through Valencia; the country was at rest:
As for his other travel, I care not to recite
The stages that he made or where he stopt at night.
He rides inquiring for the king; at last he comes to know,
“The king was at St. Fagunt a little while ago,
“Meaning to go to Carrion so people understood.”
Minaya rode to Carrion, to find him if he could,
Ready with his present in case the king should pass;
And there at once he met him returning from the Mass.
Behold Minaya Fanez, in presence of the crowd,
He knelt before the king and made his moan aloud:—
“The good Cid Ruy Diaz salutes you as is meet,
“As a good vassal to his lord, kissing your hands and feet;
“He is driven from your kingdom, and he has lost your love,
“Be gracious to him, good my Lord, for heaven's sake above;
“Though living as a banish'd man, yet hath he prosper'd well
“Within the Moorish border, such tidings I can tell.
“He has taken towns and lands and castles many a one,
“Xerica and Almenar, Cebola, Casteion;
“He has taken Penna Cadella, the fortress and the hill,
“He has taken Murviedro, which is far better still;
“He is master of Valencia and rules it at his will;
“He has made a bishop of his own, with mitre, ring, and pall;
“He has fought five battles in the field, and conquer'd in them all;
“Great is the wealth and booty that, by the will of heaven,
“The Cid hath purchased in the field, and largely hath he thriven;
“And here I bring your Grace a sample and a token,
“In proof of his allegiance, and that the truth is spoken,—
“A hundred noble coursers, strong and tall and fleet,
“With saddles and caparisons, and all equipments meet;
“He sends his humble present, kissing your Grace's hands,
“And owns himself your vassal in his Lordship and his lands.”
The king lift up his hand, made a cross upon his brow,
The Cid was grown, he thought, to power and wealth enow.
“As heaven shall be my speed, heaven and St. Isidore,
“I like these tidings well from the Cid Campeador,
“And I receive his present and thank him furthermore.”
But the Count Garci Ordonnez, at his heart's inmost core,
The more the king was satisfied, was envious and sore.
“If the Cid conquers at this rate, if all is true that's said,
“What has become of all the Moors? the people must be dead.”
The king said, “Hold your peace, and make no more ado;
“The Cid has serv'd me more and better far than you.”
With that Minaya Fanez made a manly speech:—
“The Cid entreats your favour and fain he would beseech
“Your warrant and your licence (if so your Grace should please),
“As for his wife and daughters to grant them their release,—
“To take them from the convent whereat they now remain,
“And bring them to Valencia, to see them once again.”
421
“As heaven shall be my speed, heaven and St. Isidore,
“I like these tidings well from the Cid Campeador,
“And I receive his present and thank him furthermore.”
But the Count Garci Ordonnez, at his heart's inmost core,
The more the king was satisfied, was envious and sore.
“If the Cid conquers at this rate, if all is true that's said,
“What has become of all the Moors? the people must be dead.”
The king said, “Hold your peace, and make no more ado;
“The Cid has serv'd me more and better far than you.”
With that Minaya Fanez made a manly speech:—
“The Cid entreats your favour and fain he would beseech
“Your warrant and your licence (if so your Grace should please),
“As for his wife and daughters to grant them their release,—
“To take them from the convent whereat they now remain,
“And bring them to Valencia, to see them once again.”
“It pleases me right well,” the noble king replied:
“A convoy they shall have, where'er they pass or ride,
“To defend them from dishonour or offence that may betide
“In all my country's bounds, up to the border's side:
“But when they pass the border the charge will rest with you,
“To attend them and protect them, as is their right and due.
“—Ye knights and nobles of the court, my vassals, hear ye me!
“Henceforth shall Ruy Diaz stand unimpeach'd and free;
“I quit him from all forfeiture and other detriment,
“And for his followers that have lost their heritage and rent
“In favour of the Cid I grant it back again,
“To enable them to serve him there in his new domain.”
Minaya kissed his hand, and thank'd him for his grace.
Then spoke the noble king, with his smiling, manly face,
“Whichever of my vassals is minded to resort
“To Valencia with the Cid may freely leave the court;
“And he shall hold his lands unforfeited and free;
“And I shall own his service as a vassalage to me.”
“A convoy they shall have, where'er they pass or ride,
“To defend them from dishonour or offence that may betide
“In all my country's bounds, up to the border's side:
“But when they pass the border the charge will rest with you,
“To attend them and protect them, as is their right and due.
“—Ye knights and nobles of the court, my vassals, hear ye me!
“Henceforth shall Ruy Diaz stand unimpeach'd and free;
“I quit him from all forfeiture and other detriment,
“And for his followers that have lost their heritage and rent
“In favour of the Cid I grant it back again,
“To enable them to serve him there in his new domain.”
Minaya kissed his hand, and thank'd him for his grace.
Then spoke the noble king, with his smiling, manly face,
“Whichever of my vassals is minded to resort
“To Valencia with the Cid may freely leave the court;
“And he shall hold his lands unforfeited and free;
“And I shall own his service as a vassalage to me.”
| The Works of John Hookham Frere In Verse and Prose | |