Guillem de Castro (1569-1631) chose two themes from the life of the Cid for dramatic treatment, composing a dual drama styled 'Las Mocedades del Cid' (The Youth of the Cid). The first part is the more important. De Castro, drawing from the ballads, told again the story of the insult to Don Diego (according to the ballads, a blow in the face given by Don Gomez in a moment of passion), its revenge, the pursuit of Rodrigo by Jimena, demanding justice of King Ferdinand, and finally the reconciliation through marriage. But De Castro added love, and the conflict in the mind of Rodrigo and in that of Jimena between affection and the claims of honor. Corneille recast De Castro's first drama in his 'Le Cid,' condensing it and giving to the verse greater dignity and nobility. The French dramatist has worked with entire independence here, and both in what he has omitted and what he has added has usually shown an unerring dramatic instinct. In certain instances, however, through ignorance of the spirit and sources of the Spanish drama he has erred. But the invention is wholly De Castro's, and many of Corneille's most admired passages are either free translations from the Spanish or expressions of some thought or sentiment contained in De Castro's version. In more recent times Herder has enriched German literature with free renderings of some of the Cid ballads. Victor Hugo has drawn from the Cid theme, in his 'La Legende des Siecles' (The Legend of the Centuries), fresh inspiration for his muse. [Signature: Charles Sprague Smith] FROM 'THE POEM OF MY CID' LEAVING BURGOS With tearful eyes he turned to gaze upon the wreck behind, His rifled coffers, bursten gates, all open to the wind: Nor mantle left, nor robe of fur; stript bare his castle hall; Nor hawk nor falcon in the mew, the perches empty all. Then forth in sorrow went my Cid, and a deep sigh sighed he; Yet with a measured voice and calm, my Cid spake loftily,-- "I thank thee, God our Father, thou that dwellest upon high, I suffer cruel wrong to-day, but of mine enemy!" As they came riding from Bivar the crow was on the right; By Burgos's gate, upon the left, the crow was there in sight. My Cid he shrugged his shoulders and he lifted up his head: "Good tidings, Alvar Fanez! we are banished men!" he said. With sixty lances in his train my Cid rode up the town, The burghers and their dames from all the windows looking down; And there were tears in every eye, and on each lip one word: "A worthy vassal--would to God he served a worthy Lord!" FAREWELL TO HIS WIFE AT SAN PEDRO DE CARDENA