'Is then your valor, Cid, forlorn? Was it for this, that you of such high race were born? Again, in the following description of a battle with the Moors, there is great energy: "Then his mighty voice was heard, who was born in happy hour, 'Come onward, onward, knights, for the sake of charity, For I am Ruy Diaz-the Cid-then follow me.' * "Pasando va la noch, viniendo la mañana Tu eres Rey de los Reyes è de todel mundo Padre, E ruego à San Peydro que me ayude a rogar, Lorando de los oios que non sabe A Dios vos acomiendo fijas que se far. E a la mugier è al padre Espiritual. En buen ora nasquiestes de madre: They hurry to the spot, where Bermuez advances Three hundred banners, hung on three hundred waving lances. Their shields in rapid motion, their shining coats of mail The field—the Moors their prayers to Mahomet address'd, There is a remarkably fine passage where the Cid summons his treacherous relations to answer for their perfidy before the Cortes; and the description of the encounter between the Infantes of Carrion and the Defenders of the Hero has been often referred to as full of energy and truth. "Each thinks now of himself, and of himself alone; They seize their shields, those shields their valiant bosoms cover: Antonio puts his hand upon his sword so bright, * "A grandes voces lama, el que en buen ora nasco, Yo so Ruy Diaz, el Cid Campeador de Bibar. Tanta adarga a foradar e pasar, Tanta loriga falsa desmanchar Tantos pendones blancos salir bermeios en sangre, Los Moros laman Mafomat, los Cristianos Sanctiague." "Cada uno de ellos mientes tiene al so But not for their poetic merits alone, or principally, are these early fragments interesting. They are most valuable historical documents-they are admirable illustrations of manners and character-they introduce us to the daily concerns of those who lived so many centuries ago; and though rude and unpolished, the portraitures of the individuals introduced are singularly bold and vivid. The blind obedience to kingly authority -the influence of the priests-the disorganized state of society, are strikingly developed. There is little of the machinery of the epic; and powerful description, rather than fanciful decoration, distinguishes them. The Cid is usually called "The born in happy hour." Over all there is spread a spirit of rude devotion-a constant appeal to the Heavenly Creator, to Holy Mary, Jesus, and the Saints. The versification is irregular and imperfect. A syllable or two, too much or too little, never perplexes the author. Asonantes and consonantes are frequently blended, and seem not to have been distinguished by the ear of the writer. The Poema del Cid has many examples of that species of rhyme which became universal in the following century, viz. couplets of four lines with the same rhyme, as for example: "Notó los Don Martino sin peso los tomaba Los otros trecientos en oro gelos paraba Cinco escuderos tiene Don Martino à todos los cargaba There is often too a verbal repetition of the same stanzas, and especially where the lines are such as the writer regarded with particular self-complacency. As a specimen of the then state of the language of Spain, these early poems are most valuable. So undetermined does it appear, that no less than four words are employed as the third person singular of the perfect tense of the verb nacer; nado, násco, nasció, nació. A number of Arabic words,-Acaiaz (señor), seid, (cid) alfaya (gift), almofalla (army), almofar (coif), axobda (centinel), &c. now obsolete, are used. The construc Abaxan las lanzas abueltas con los pendones Tembrar querie la tierra dod eran movedores Todos tres por tres ya juntados son. Martin Antolinez mano metio al espada Relumbra todel campo: tanto es limpia è clara." tion is more of a Latin character, and a variety of Latin words are employed, which are no longer understood in Spain: Allaudar (allaudare), monedado (monedatus, Du Cange), cingir (cingere), cuer (cor), dona (pl. donum), eguar (equare), finiestra (fenestra), glera (sea-shore), exir (exire), jogado (jocatus), plorra (plorare), regno (regnum), remaner (remanere), si (sic), toller (tollere), ullo (ullus), &c. In the following century, Don Gonzalo de Berceo and Don Juan Lorenzo contributed not a little to give character and precision to Castillian poetry. The following verses of the former will serve admirably well for a comparison with those of the latter which we had before occasion to quote. (iii. 283), "To me it once befel, when in Romeria (a) gone, To tread a fertile plain, with greenest turf o'ergrown, The flowers gave forth the sweets which sweetest flowrets hold, And many a noble tree put forth its riches there, The granate and the fig, the apple and the pear, And other various fruits, salubrious and rare, All in their richest bloom—all fresh, and sweet, and fair. "Yo Maestro Gonzalo de Berceo nomnado Iendo en Romeria caeci en un prado Daban olor sobeio las flores bien olientes Avie hy grand abondo de buenas arboledas (a) Romeria; a joyous pilgrimage made to some shrine, or in honor of some saint. The verdure of the fields, the flowers so gay and sweet, The shade beneath the trees so cool and soft, and meet, Refreshed my wearied frame, and eased my tottering feet; Life well might be sustained by breath so exquisite. I never, never saw so privileged a spot, Or felt so soft a breeze, or such a calm cool grot; I threw my garments down, and wrapt in gentle thought, A thousand thoughts of joy and peace came o'er me then, And now 'twas gently soft, and now 'twas boldly loud, The organ or the harp, the psaltery or the lyre, Such harmony of soul, such satisfied desire. La verdura del prado, la olor de las flores, Podrie vevir el ome con aquillos olores. Nunqua trobé en sieglo logar tan deleytoso Yaciendo a la sombra perdi todos cuidados Unas tenien la quinta è las otras doblában, Al Non serie organista, nin serie violero, |