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 And 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, It dazzled like the sun, it filled the field with light.”+ * "A grandes voces lama, el que en buen ora nasco, Yo so Ruy Diaz, el Cid Campeador de Bibar. 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 They are most valuable historical documents-they are admirable illustrations of manners and character-they introduce us to the daily concerns of those who lived so many centuries ago; and though rude and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 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 * Martin Antolinez mano metio al espada 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, The flowers gave forth the sweets which sweetest flowrets hold, And many a noble tree put forth its riches there, All in their richest bloom-all fresh, and sweet, and fair. "Yo Maestro Gonzalo de Berceo nomnado 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. and sweet, The verdure of the fields, the flowers so gay 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, La verdura del prado, la olor de las flores, Podrie vevir el ome con aquillos olores. Nunqua trobé en sieglo logar tan deleytoso Unas tenien la quinta è las otras doblában, Non serie organista, nin serie violero, The field was beautiful, 'twas always fresh and green, And never storm disturb'd its face of joy serene. I threw me down in haste on this enchanted ground, The cares and sorrows fled which long had whelm'd me round; O happy, happy he, who such a rest has found. There men and birds might share the flowerets at their will, Where one was stolen, two grew-'twas like that heavenly hill The poet then goes on to explain his allegory. We are pilgrims to a better country, but have one beautiful resting place to relieve our weariness. It is that which he has painted-it is the Virgin Mary-the unchanging green is her virginity— the fountains are the evangelists-the shade of the trees, songs of devotion-the groves are her miracles-the birds are saints. and martyrs-the flowers are the names of the virgin. "Sennores è amigos, en vano contendemos, Nin estrument, nin lengua, nin tan claro vocero, El prado que vos digo avie otra bondat Manamano que fui en tierra acostado Los omes e las aves quantas acacien, Milagros de Nuestra Señora. |