le at Salas.
The fate of the revengeful Dona Lambra is not recorded, but it is to be
hoped that she was made to atone in some way for all her savage rage.

About Ximena and her far-famed husband Don Rodrigo, widely known as the
Cid, many marvellous tales have been told, and it is a matter for regret
that so many of them are purely legendary. According to one of the
traditions, which was followed by the French dramatic poet Pierre
Corneille when he wrote his famous play, _Le Cid_, in 1636, Ximena is
given a much more prominent place in the story than that accorded to her
in history. According to this version, Don Diego, father of Don Rodrigo,
is given a mortal insult by the braggart Don Gomez, who is the father of
Ximena. Young Don Rodrigo, eager to avenge the slight put upon his aged
father, provokes Don Gomez to a duel and kills him. Ximena, who has
loved Don Rodrigo, overcome by these tragic events, is at a loss to know
what to do, and in her heart there is a fierce struggle between her love
for her lover and her respect for her father. This distressing situation
is relieved somewhat by the thought that Don Rodrigo, in killing her
father, has but avenged his own; but still her Spanish nature cries for
redress, and she appeals to King Fernan of Castile, at whose court all
these things have taken place. Believing her love for Don Rodrigo to be
stronger than her hatred, the king suddenly announces the death of
Rodrigo, which so surprises Ximena that she discloses her deep
affection, which she had made an attempt to conceal; whereat he
announces his intention to unite the two lovers as soon as Rodrigo
should have given further proof of his valor.

As a matter of fact, the Cid was a free-lance of undoubted bravery and
courage, who fought now with and now against the Moors; but in spite of
the fact that he was not always true to the same allegiance, he is
essentially a popular hero, as he represents a spirit of boldness and
independence which in itself is enough to endear him to the minds of the
people. His killing of Don Gomez in the manner described is extremely
doubtful, and history affords no details as to the manner of his wooing
or his wedding. But Ximena was his wife, shared in many of his
hardships, and at his death, in 1099, ruled in his stead for three
years at Valencia. Finally, much harried by the Moslems, who were ever
growing bolder, Ximena withdrew to Burgos, taking with her the body of
the Cid, embalmed in