because, as they well know, they besought me to do so, I never having thought thereof. It well seemeth now that they were not pleased with this marriage which I made at their request, and great part of the dishonour which they have done you, toucheth me. But seeing ye are here in my presence, it is not fitting that you make your demand in any other manner than through my Cortes; do you therefore accuse them, and let them acquit themselves if they can before my Alcaldes, who will pass sentence according to what is right. And the Cid kissed the King's hand, and returned to his place upon the ivory seat. XII. Then the Cid arose and said, God prosper you, Sir, in life, and honour, and estate, since you have compassion for me and for the dishonour which my daughters have received. And he turned towards the Infantes of Carrion, and said, Ferrando Gonzalez and Diego Gonzalez, I say that ye are false traitors for leaving your wives as ye left them in the Oak-forest; and here before the King I attaint you as false traitors, and defy you, and will produce your peers who shall prove it upon you, and slay you or thrust you out of the lists, or make you confess it in your throats. And they were silent. And the King said, that seeing they were there present, they should make answer to what the Cid had said. Then Ferrando Gonzalez the elder arose and said, Sir, we are your subjects, of your kingdom of Castille, and of the best hidalgos therein, sons of the Count Don Gonzalo Gonzalez; and we hold that men of such station as ourselves were not well married with the daughters of Ruydiez of Bivar. And for this reason we forsook them, because they come not of blood fit for our wives, for one lineage is above another. Touching what he says, that we forsook them, he saith truly; and we hold that in so doing we did nothing wrong, for they were not worthy to be our wives, and we are more to be esteemed for having left them, than we were while they were wedded with us. Now then, Sir, there is no reason why we should do battle upon this matter with any one. And Diego Gonzalez his brother arose and said, You know, Sir, what perfect men we are in our lineage, and it did not befit us to be married with the daughters of such a one as Ruydiez; and when he had said this he held his peace and sate down. Then Count Don García rose and said, Come away, Infantes, and let us leave the Cid sitting like a bridegroom in his ivory chair:... he lets his beard grow and thinks to frighten us with it!... The Campeador put up his hand to his beard, and said, What hast thou to do with my beard, Count? Thanks be to God, it is long because it hath been kept for my pleasure; never son of woman hath taken me by it; never son of Moor or of Christian hath plucked it, as I did yours in your castle of Cabra, Count, when I took your castle of Cabra, and took you by the beard; there was not a boy of the host but had his pull at it. What I plucked then is not yet methinks grown even!...