58 WORKMEN AND HEROES the knight, urging the curious plea that she foresaw he would one day be the most powerful subject in the realm. Informed of this request, of which the king approved, Rodrigo consented to the marriage, as an act of obedience to his sov- ereign and of justice to the lady. The meeting of this strangely matched pair is thus described in the ballad (Lockhart's translation) : "But when the fair Ximena came forth to plight her hand, Rodrigo, gazing on her, his face could not command He stood, and blushed before her : thus at the last said he, 'I slew thy sire, Ximena, but not in villany : In no disguise I slew him ; man against man I stood ; There was some wrong between us, and I did shed his blood : I slew a man ; I owe a man ; fair lady, by God's grace, An honored husband shalt thou have in thy dead father's place.' " It is unfortunate that this charming story is supposed to have but little foun- dation in fact. Many of Rodrigo's legendary exploits are still less authentic ; but history and fable unite in declaring him a warrior of no common stamp. His master, King Ferdinand, as we have said, invade.d the territories of his brothers and friends, besides those of his enemies. Garcia, Ramirez, and Ber- mudez successively fell before his attacks, which Rodrigo, in the true spirit of knightly obedience to his lord, did not hesitate to lead. Sancho, the king's eld- est son, was Rodrigo's most intimate friend ; and on the accession of the prince to his father's throne on the death of Ferdinand, in 1065, Rodrigo became Cam- peador (or, as the Arabs call him, El Cambitur) ; that is, head of the army. The new king followed in his father's courses of injustice, and drove his brother, Al- fonso, King of Leon, into exile. In 1072 Sancho besieged Zamora, 'which one of his sisters, whom he had likewise despoiled, held out against him. The king was killed during the siege, and, as it was suspected, by the agency of his exiled brother, Alfonso, who suc- ceeded to the throne. Rodrigo felt his friend's death deeply, and did not scruple to avow his suspicions of Alfonso. Before promising allegiance, the Campeador insisted that the king should cleanse himself by an oath of the accusation which popular rumor had brought against him. To this Alfonso, whether innocent or guilty, not unnaturally demurred ; but the powerful warrior was firm, and the king at last yielded. When the appointed day arrived, Alfonso made his appear- ance, surrounded by his courtiers, all obsequiously vying in praise of his glory and virtue, and contemptuous denunciations of his daring accuser. Rodrigo stood alone and gazed on the king sternly. Some of the nobles endeavored to dissuade him from holding this attitude of opposition, -and to induce him to forego the demand which he had made ; but he put them aside and repeated his challenge. Alfonso dared not refuse to accept, and accordingly recited aloud the form of oath prescribed on such occasions, affirming, in the presence of his maker and the saints of heaven, that he was guiltless of the death of his brother. He had no sooner concluded than all eyes were turned upon the Cid, who, in deep, solemn tones, and with the most impressive earnestness of manner, impre-
