pay me tribute. Great joy was made in Valencia for this victory, and
great was the joy of the Infantes of Carrion; five thousand marks came
to them for their portion of the spoil. And when they saw themselves so
rich, they and their uncle Suero Gonzalez took counsel together, and
confirmed the wicked resolution which they had taken.
X. One day the companions of the Cid were talking before him of this
victory, and they were saying who were the young knights that had
demeaned themselves well in the battle and in the pursuit, and who had
not; but no mention was made of the Infantes; for though some there
were who whispered to each other concerning them, none would speak ill
of them before the Cid. And the Infantes saw this, and took counsel
with their uncle, who ought not to have given them the evil counsel
that he did, and they determined forthwith to put their wicked design
in execution. So they went before the Cid, and Ferrando Gonzalez,
having enjoined silence, began to say thus. Cid, thou knowest well the
good tie which there is between thee and us, for we hold thee in the
place of a father, and thou didst receive us as thy sons on the day
when thou gavest us thy daughters to be our wives; and from that day we
have alway abode with thee, and have alway endeavoured to do that which
was to thy service; and if we have at any time failed therein it hath
not been wilfully, but for lack of better understanding. Now inasmuch
as it is long time since we departed from Castille, from our father and
from our mother, and because neither we know how it fares with them,
nor they how it fares with us, we would now, if you and Doña Ximena
should so think good, return unto them, and take our wives with us: so
shall our father and our mother and our kinsmen see how honourably we
are mated, and how greatly to our profit, and our wives shall be put in
possession of the towns which we have given them for their dower, and
shall see what is to be the inheritance of the children whom they may
have. And whensoever you shall call upon us, we will be ready to come
and do you service. Then the Cid made answer, weening that this was
spoken without deceit, My sons, I am troubled at what ye say, for when
ye take away my daughters ye take my very heart-strings: nevertheless,
it is fitting that ye do as ye have said. Go when ye will, and I will
give unto you such gifts that it shall be known in Gallicia and in
Castille and in Leon, with what riches I have sent my sons-in-law home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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