“And when the leaders of the Saxon army saw that the land was broad and fertile, and that the hands of the natives were slow to draw the sword, whereas they themselves and the greater part of the Saxons were without secure homes, they sent for an even larger army.” […]
THE SCENE: After the Spanish General El Cid defeated the army of King Bucar of Morocco, he pursued the fleeing monarch to the sea. After cornering Bucar, El Cid offered him one chance at surrender: […]
“The princes hesitated over what to do. Should they abandon a great and costly expedition without hope of recovering their losses? Or should they allow the lord pope, the City and the church be cast into slavery, or rather destroyed?” […]
“Hardly could he speak, but when he did, [craving] pardon for putting off the fulfillment of his promise, all were filled with wonder and sympathy, and the king himself, appeased by the good faith of his prisoner, let him go free.” […]
“Thinking that the time was ripe for them to obtain control of the whole region, they drew their knives and rushed upon the unarmed and unsuspecting enemy and slew them also that not a single man escaped.” […]
“The Count set spurs to his horse and rode off, turning his head to look back for fear the Cid should change his mind – a thing that famous man would not do for anything in the world, for never in his life had he gone back on his word.” […]
“Can we guess what affection for his monarch burned in this soldier, who reckoned it better to risk his safety in obvious danger rather than save himself for pleasure.” […]
“He himself was amazed, unconscious as he was of having earned praise, and in the end with difficulty realized that the Lord had supplied him with a substitute.” […]
“They kept pushing the other players around, hitting out at some and knocking them flat. In the evening three had broken arms, and a good many others were bruised and maimed. The Earl’s men felt they’d been given a rough time of it.” […]
“The cleanness of the strike cleaved the spinal cord and parted the fat and the flesh so far that the bright steel blade took a bite from the floor.” […]
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