Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poemSouthey, Robert
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Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poem
Southey, Robert
Roderick, King of the Visigoths, -711? -- Poetry
the enemy; but the King was confounded, and as it were beside himself,
and heeded not, neither did he know what they said, and he answered
nothing. And then they all went away, and seemed to the King that the one
were pursuing the others, and this continued till the first crowing of
the cock. And the King recovered his senses: howbeit he knew not whether
it was a vision, or if it had indeed happened; but he called to mind that
he had not compleated the prayers which he made every day; and he began
them again and finished them. And when he had finished, great part of the
night was past, and he laid himself down to sleep. And then for three
months he had no other temptation.”
Ch. 251.—_How the Devil, in the Figure of La Cava, the Daughter of Count
Don Julian, sought to deceive King Don Rodrigo._
“The King was saying his prayers at the hour of vespers on a Tuesday,
when he saw people on horseback coming toward him: and as they were about
the reach of a cross-bow from him, he saw that they alighted, and that
there came toward him a woman, who was full nobly clad; and when she came
near, he knew her that she was La Cava, the daughter of Count Don Julian,
and she seemed to him more beautiful than he had ever before seen her in
his life. And when she drew nigh she humbled herself, and said, Sir, what
fortune has brought you to this wretched life in which you have so long
continued? And the King held his peace and said nothing. And that false
Cava said, Sir, it is a month since a holy man, clad in white garments,
and having a red cross upon his breast, appeared to me when I was with my
father Count Don Julian in Toledo; where he now holds the seat of the
lordship of Spain, as he who, by force of arms, has subdued the Moors,
and killed or made captives of them all. At the hour when this holy man
appeared to me I was alone in my chamber, having great sorrow in my
heart, because I had no certain news where you was, and whether your soul
continued to live in this world, or in another. And, moreover, I was full
sorrowful, because of the death of my Lady the Queen Eliaca, your wife,
who is now deceased. And for these things my heart was full sorrowful,
and in great trouble with griefs and thoughts, which came to me I know
not from whence, and I was like one bereft of his judgment. And while I
was contemplating in this state, the holy man appeared to me in such wise
as I have said, and said to me, Of what art thou taking thought? Cease
to lament, for without me thou canst do nothing certain of that which
thou desirest. But that the dominion of Spain may not pass away from the
power of the Goths, and that he who shall have it may descend from thy
seed, and be of the generation of King Don Rodrigo, it is my will that
thou shouldst know where he is, and that thou shouldst go to him, and
that he should go in unto thee, and that thou shouldst conceive of him
a son, and shalt call his name Felbersan, the which shall be such a one
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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