ell, pierced through the eye with an arrow. His housecarls
fought where they stood till they fell one by one; his brothers, Gurth
and Leofwin, died beside him. The king's body was found upon the field,
recognized only by a former mistress, the fair Eadgyth Swanneshals
("Edith of the swan's neck").

At first, William ordered it to be buried on the rocks at Hastings, but
seems after to have permitted it to be removed to Harold's own church at
Waltham. Than Harold, no braver or more heroic figure ever filled a
throne; no king ever fought more heroically for his crown. If he failed,
it was because he had to bow his head to fate, and in his death he saved
all the honor of his family and his race. His tragic story has given a
subject for a romance to Lytton, and for a stately drama to Tennyson.

[Illustration: Edith searching for the Body of Harold.]

THE CID

By HENRY G. HEWLETT

(1026-1099)

[Illustration: The Cid.]

The narratives concerning the life and exploits of the Cid are, to a
great extent, merely poetic. Yet it has been wisely said, that much
which must be rejected as not fact may still be accepted as truth; that
is, there is often to be found under the husks of legend and myth, a
sound kernel of historical reality. This may be the case with respect to
the Cid, who probably was a warrior so remarkable for genius or bravery
above his fellows that he gathered up in a single fame the reputation of
many others, with whose deeds he was credited, and whom, as a class, he
accordingly represents in history.

Spain, long one of the most flourishing provinces of the Roman Empire,
was among the first to fall under the sway of the Visigoths, a warlike
but enlightened race, which soon embraced Christianity. For three
centuries the country remained under Gothic rule, but fell, in 712,
by the invasion of the Arabian conquerors of Africa--a remnant of
Christians only preserving an independent monarchy in the mountains of
Asturia. This little seed of freedom grew and bore fruit. France proved
a formidable barrier against further invasion; and in Spain itself
internal jealousies among the Arab families weakened the Moslem and
strengthened the Christian power. In the eleventh century there were
several states in Spain wholly unfettered by a foreign yoke. The enmity
between the two races and creeds was bitter, and war raged perpetually.
Yet it often happened that, at the prompting of private revenge or
family quarrel