"And as he was about to depart he looked back upon his own home, and
when he saw his hall deserted the household chests unfastened the doors
open, no cloaks hanging up, no seats in the porch, no hawks upon the
perches, the tears came into his eyes, and he said, My enemies have done
this.... God be praised for all things. And he turned toward the East
and knelt and said, Holy Mary Mother, and all Saints, pray to God for
me, that He may give me strength to destroy all the Pagans, and to win
enough from them to requite my friends therewith, and all those who
follow and help me. Then he called for Alvar Fañez and said unto him,
Cousin, the poor have no part in the wrong which the king hath done us;
see now that no wrong be done unto them along our road; and he called
for his horse. And then an old woman who was standing at her door said,
Go in a lucky minute, and make spoil of whatever you wish, And with
this proverb he rode on, saying, Friends, by God's good pleasure we
shall return to Castile with great honour and great gain. And as they
went out from Bivar they had a crow on their right hand, and when they
came to Burgos they had a crow on the left.
"My Cid Ruydiez entered Burgos, having sixty streamers in his company.
And men and women went forth to see him, and the men of Burgos and the
women of Burgos were at their windows, weeping, so great was their
sorrow; and they said with one accord, _Dios!_ how good a vassal if he
had but a good lord! must be scanno?] and willingly would each have bade
him come in, but no one dared so to do. For King Don Alfonso in his
anger had sent letters to Burgos, saying that no man should give the Cid
a lodging; and that whosoever disobeyed should lose all that he had, and
moreover the eyes in his head. Great sorrow had these Christian folk at
this, and they hid themselves when he came near them because they did
not dare speak to him; and my Cid went to his Posada, and when he came
to the door he found it fastened for fear of the king. And his people
called out with a loud voice, but they within made no answer. And the
Cid rode up to the door, and took his foot out of the stirrup, and gave
it a kick, but the door did not open with it, for it was well secured; a
little girl of nine years old then came out of one of the houses and
said unto him, O Cid, the king hath forbidden us to receive you. We dare
not open our doors to you, for we should lose our houses and all that we
have, and the eyes in our head. Cid, our evil would not help you, but
God and all His saints be with you. And when she had said this she
returned into the house. And when the Cid knew what the king had done he
turned away from the door and rode up to St. Mary's, and there he
alighted and knelt down, and prayed with all his heart; and then he
mounted again and rode out of the town, and pitched his tent near
Arlanzon, upon the Glera, that is to say, upon the sands. My Cid
Ruydiez, he who in a happy hour first girt on his sword, took up his
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