The Cid by Pierre Corneille
page 55 of 77 (71%)
page 55 of 77 (71%)
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my hand by thine own [hand], and the Moors defeated before, amid these
terrors, I could give orders for repulsing their arms; these are brilliant services which leave not to thy King the means or the hope of discharging his debt of gratitude [_lit._ acquitting himself] towards thee. But the two kings, thy captives, shall be thy reward. Both of them in my presence have named thee their Cid--since Cid, in their language, is equivalent to lord, I shall not envy thee this glorious title of distinction; be thou, henceforth, the Cid; to that great name let everything yield; let it overwhelm with terror both Granada and Toledo, and let it indicate to all those who live under my laws both how valuable thou art to me [_lit._ that which thou art worth to me], and that [deep obligation] which I owe thee. _Don Rodrigo._ Let your majesty, sire, spare my modesty. On such an humble service your majesty [_lit._ it, referring to majesty] sets too high a value, and compels me to blush [for shame] before so great a King, at so little deserving the honor which I have received from him. I know too well [the gifts] that I owe to the welfare of your empire, both the blood which flows in my veins [_lit._ animates me] and the air which I breathe, and even though I should lose them in such a glorious cause [_lit._ for an object so worthy], I should only be doing the duty of a subject. _Don Fernando._ All those whom that duty enlists in my service do not discharge it with the same courage, and when [i.e. unless] valor attains a high degree, it never produces such rare successes; allow us then to praise thee, and tell me more at length the true history of this victory. _Don Rodrigo._ Sire, you are aware that in this urgent danger, which |
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