WITIZA, King of the Wisi-Goths; dethroned and blinded by Roderick. THEODOFRED, son of King Chindasuintho, blinded by King Witiza. FAVILA, his brother; put to death by Witiza. The Wife of Favila, Witiza’s adulterous mistress. (_These four persons are dead before the action of the poem commences._) RODERICK, the last King of the Wisi-Goths: son of Theodofred. PELAYO, the founder of the Spanish Monarchy: son of Favila. GAUDIOSA, his wife. GUISLA, his sister. FAVILA, his son. HERMESIND, his daughter. RUSILLA, widow of Theodofred, and mother of Roderick. COUNT PEDRO, } powerful Lords of Cantabria. COUNT EUDON, } ALPHONSO, Count Pedro’s son, afterwards King. URBAN, Archbishop of Toledo. ROMANO, a Monk of the Caulian Schools, near Merida. ABDALAZIZ, the Moorish Governor of Spain. EGILONA, formerly the wife of Roderick, now of Abdalaziz. ABULCACEM, } ALCAHMAN, } AYUB, } Moorish Chiefs. IBRAHIM, } MAGUED, } ORPAS, brother to Witiza, and formerly Archbishop of Seville, now a renegade. SISIBERT, } sons of Witiza and of Pelayo’s mother. EBBA, } NUMACIAN, a renegade, governor of Gegio. COUNT JULIAN, a powerful Lord among the Wisi-Goths, now a renegade. FLORINDA, his daughter, violated by King Roderick. ADOSINDA, daughter of the Governor of Auria. ODOAR, Abbot of St. Felix. SIVERIAN, Roderick’s foster-father. FAVINIA, Count Pedro’s wife. The four latter persons are imaginary. All the others are mentioned in history. I ought, however, to observe, that Romano is a creature of monkish legends; that the name of Pelayo’s sister has not been preserved; and that that of Roderick’s mother, Ruscilo, has been altered to Rusilla, for the sake of euphony. RODERICK, THE LAST OF THE GOTHS. I. RODERICK AND ROMANO.