Alfonso hearing of this success, felt all his old enmity aroused by jealousy, and resolving by some means to rid himself of his proud subject he accused him of having entered the dominions of his ally the king of Toledo, and without waiting for any defence, banished him and his family from his states.

Rodrigo yielded to the storm and retired to Barcelona.

It would be almost useless and tiresome to follow Rodrigo Diaz through the remainder of his adventurous life. It resembles more that of a Guerilla chief than of an independent lord. Sometimes engaged against some of the petty Moorish kings, sometimes fighting for them.

In 1088 he returned to Castile, where he was received with joy both by king and people.

The former conferred upon him the privilege of holding in his own right whatever territories he might conquer. But this did not last long. In an expedition against the Moors the king desired Rodrigo to meet him at Vellena with his forces to aid him. But through some misunderstanding the junction was not effected; and the king returned from his expedition very much dissatisfied with the Cid. The numerous enemies of the latter at court contrived to increase the king's anger, and Rodrigo was again banished the kingdom.

While in favour with Alfonso, the Cid had made many enemies, and among these was Berenger, Count of Barcelona. Receiving intelligence of his banishment, Berenger resolved to attack his little army, and raising a large number of troops, he advanced to meet him near Denia. The army of the Cid was well posted on the side of a hill, and awaited calmly the approach of their powerful enemy. Berenger, though his force was four times as numerous as the Cid's, endeavoured by insulting messages and challenges, to draw the Cid from his position. But not succeeding in his object, he commenced his onset early one misty morning. The Cid was prepared, and after a long battle, the count's army was routed, himself with five thousand of his officers and men made prisoners, while all his baggage and camp equipage were in his

enemy's hands. The ransom of his captives being arranged, the Cid proceeded to invest Liria.

While before Liria he ascertained that the king Alfonso was about to enter Granada, to attack the Moors of that kingdom, who were in rebellion. Hoping that he might once. more conciliate the king, he sent to desire permission to join the expedition. Leave being granted, Rodrigo came up with the king near Cordova. But it was in vain for the Cid to strive to regain his sovereign's favour. Brave, talented, and benevolent as Alfonso has always been considered, he could never be reconciled to Don Rodrigo Diaz. On this occasion the Cid was treated most ungenerously and insultingly; and fearful for his life he left the camp at night with his followers.

With what remained of his little band, he now determined. to establish himself at Pinnacatel in the kingdom of Valencia. He repaired the fortifications, and having placed a strong garrison in it he began to make preparations for invading the territories of Don Garcia Ordonez, the second man in Castile in riches and power, and the Cid's most implacable enemy. The king had assigned to him the govern ment of the district of La Rioja, and in 1094, the Cid entered that district, ravaging, burning, and destroying. Don Garcia seeing himself nearly stripped of his government, raised some troops, but he had no sooner approached the Cid, than his whole band took to flight in a great panic.

Having satisfied his vengeance, he next resolved to possess himself of the city of Valencia, which had lately been taken by a fresh tribe of Moors from Africa. The country around the city was laid waste and the lines thrown up, and the leaguer commenced. After a most distressing siege which lasted nine months, the place surrendered, and Don Rodrigo Diaz was lord of Valencia. And now after a long life of continued action, our hero began to exhibit as much skill in legislation as he had heretofore shown in the field. With the exception of a few skirmishes with the Moors, the Cid Campeador passed the remainder of his life in quiet. His death took place in 1099.

Such is the authentic history of the Cid, on the authority of his countryman Quintana. His romantic history is quite a different affair. This must be sought in those old heroic songs, which the German critic, Schlegel, very justly considers the most valuable, as it undoubtedly is the most national portion of the Spanish literature. Lockhart's translation has familiarized English and American readers with some of the best of these national ballads; and in these the Cid figures as the leading hero. His lady, the Donna Ximena, his sword, his very horse, Bavieca, all are immortalized in song. Indeed, in some of the ballads, Bavieca takes the leading part; and if half that is said and sung of him be true, Bucephalus is entirely eclipsed by his wonderful virtues and prowess. Nor is the romantic fame of the Cid confined to his native country. Corneille owes much of his celebrity to a fortunate adaptation of his adventures to dramatic effect; and Herder has wrought all the adventures of Ruy Diaz recorded in the Spanish ballads into one grand heroic poem. It is from a splendidly illustrated edition of this poem recently published in Germany, that we have selected the illustration placed at the head of this article, representing the Cid taking leave of his lady on setting out upon one of his expeditions.

URING the long administration of Ferdinand the Catholic, no internal commotion had arisen in Spain. His superior abilities had enabled him to restrain the turbulence of the nobles, and to

moderate the jealousy of the commons. By the wisdom of his domestic government, by the sagacity with which he conducted his foreign operations, and by the high opinion which his subjects entertained of both, he had preserved among them a degree of tranquillity greater than was natural to a constitution, in which the seeds of discord and

disorder were so copiously mingled. But, by the death of Ferdinand, these restraints were at once withdrawn; and faction and discontent, from being long repressed, were ready to break out with fiercer animosity.

In order to prevent these evils, Ferdinand had in his last will taken a most prudent precaution, by appointing Cardinal Ximenes, archbishop of Toledo, to be sole regent of Castile, until the arrival of his grandson in Spain. The singular character of this man, and the extraordinary qualities which marked him out for that office at such a juncture, merit a particular description. He was descended of an honourable, not of a wealthy family; and the circumstances of his parents, as well as his own inclinations, having determined him to enter into the church, he early obtained benefices of great value, and which placed him in the way of the highest preferment. All these, however, he renounced at once; and after undergoing a severe noviciate, assumed the habit of St. Francis in a monastery of Observantine friars, one of the most rigid orders in the Romish church. There he soon be came eminent for his uncommon austerity of manners, and for those excesses of superstitious devotion, which are the proper characteristics of the monastic life. But notwithstanding these extravagances, to which weak and enthusiastic minds alone are usually prone, his understanding, naturally pene trating and decisive, retained its full vigour, and acquired him such great authority in his own order, as raised him to be their provincial. His reputation for sanctity soon procured him the office of father-confessor to Queen Isabella, which he accepted with the utmost reluctance. He preserved in a court the same austerity of manners which had distinguished him in the cloister. He continued to make all his journeys on foot; he subsisted only upon alms; his acts of mortification were as severe as ever, and his penances as rigorous. Isabella, pleased with her choice, conferred on him, not long after, the archbishopric of Toledo, which, next to the papacy, is the richest dignity in the church of Rome. This honour he declined, with a firmness which nothing but the authori