El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-14

daughters were taken from him and
imprisoned.
fought to settle questions of various
kinds between noblemen, and measure
ments Of chests, arms, wrists and
thighs were made to match the con-
testants fairly. The Cid sent a mess
enger to court to say that he had been
falsely accused, and that he would
fight anyone of his age and condition
In the presence Of the court to vindi
cate himself, should anyone have the
hardihood TO say that he had been dis
loyal to his sovereign.
The Cid's Justification Valid.
While much that is untrue has been
written of the Cid, the sayants agree
that the documents constituting his
brief Of his case are authentic, and the
argument he made in his behalf when
the king declined to accept his terms
was clear cut, rhetorically effective and
soldferly. He would make an oath as
solemn as that which he had compelled
Alfonso to make with regard to the
death of his brother, that he had not
been disloyal, and would swear 1T to
the warrior of his station and age
and experience in arms who cared to
question his veracity, calling upon God
to witness the conflict and decide 1t
in accordance with the deserts OF the
petitioner. The monarch declined to
accept the conditions, but under the
code the Cid's justification was valid.
and the stigma was removed from his
name
When the conQuests Of the barbarous
Almoravides had caused the overthrow
Of many Andalusian princes the king
or CASTLE summoned the Cid to the
field as his ally, and when the two
met at Martos. Alfonso greeted the adj
venturer as his cherished friend, but
intriguers convinced the king that the
Cid was disloyal and soon he was
forced TO steal Of out of the camp at
night to escape arrest for treason. The
influence welded by the great soldier
of fortune Is evident from the fact
that although his army remained in
camp with Alfonso's forces fearing to
De classed as traitors, the Cid soon had
another army behind him, took and Sc
cured the city of Valencia and set out
upon war with the king of Aragon
In which he brought that Christian
monarch to terms.
The Death of the Cid.
The death of the Cid, in Valencia,
was no less picturesque than his ca
reer Like true knight he confessed
his sins to the bishop Don Hieronyrno.
and was absolved- During the last seven
days of his life he drank baIsam,
myrrh and rosewater from a gold cup,
and gave directions as to how his
faithful followers should escape to
CASTLE. as Valencia was then besieged
by king Bucar, with 36 lesser kings
and countless hordes of Moors. In
obedience to his directions the body
OF Cid, which had been washed MANY
times with rosewater clad in mail was
bound upon his charger, and his good
sword. Tizona, was placed in his hands.
His eyes were opened equally" as
the chronfcler puts 1t. and he had every
appearance Of being alive when his
forces rode out of Valencia, heWed
their way through the Moors and de-
parted for CASTLE The BODY was
placed upon wooden horse in the
chapel OF St Peters, and masses were
sung, by order of the king, for the re-
pose OF the warriors soul The BODY
was then placed upon an ivory settle or
throne, upon which the Cid had sat in
many places while his sword and his
name were his kingdom. and clad In
cloak Of royal purple There 1t re-
NAMED for ten years. with Tizona,
sheathed by its side
Babioca, the Cid's favorite war
morse, was never mounted after the
BODY OF Cid was borne to Cardena. but
was faithfully attended by a servant
OF the Cid till he died at the age of
~, and was buried at the gate of the
monastery Two great, and ancient
ems are now pointed out as having
oeen planted over the body. Jimena,
the wife of Cid, lived only four years
AFTER his death. and was buried at the
FOOT of the ivory throne GiaI Diaz.
who had faithfully attended Babioca-
was rewarded by being buried near the
body of the charger.
Alfonso the Learned. king of CASTLE.
caused a sepulcher to be builded to
receive the body of the Cid nearly two
centuries after 1T had been buried. On
a wall near the tomb Is this inscrip-
ton:
The Cid Ruy Diez I am. who lie
mere buried I conquered king Bucar.
together with So pagan kings. of whom,
y died in the field. 1 conquered them
hard by Valencia, after 1 was dead.
mounted on my horse With this one
the pitched battles 1 gained were 70"
In the 18th century work on the
foundations Of the building disturbed