battle. All shall honor thee. Therefore, go on and evermore do
good."

With that the vision vanished.

The promise of St. Lazarus was fulfilled. In time young Rodrigo
became the great hero of Spain. The Spaniards called him Campeador
(cam-pe-a-dor'), or Champion. The Saracens called him "The Cid,"
or Lord. His real name was Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, but he is usually
spoken of as "The Cid."

The Goths, after the death of Alaric, had taken Spain away from the
Romans. The Saracens, or, as they were usually called, the Moors,
had crossed the sea from Africa and in turn had taken Spain from
the Goths. In the time of Charles Martel the Goths had lost all
Spain except the small mountain district in the northern part. In
the time of the Cid the Goths, now called Spaniards, had driven the
Moors down to about the middle of Spain. War went on all the time
between the two races, and many men spent their lives in fighting.
The Spanish part of the country then comprised the kingdoms of
Castile, Leon, Aragon and others.

The Cid was a subject of Fernando of Castile. Fernando had a
dispute with the king of Aragon about a city which each claimed.
They agreed to decide the matter by a combat. Each was to choose
a champion. The champions were to fight, and the king whose champion
won was to have the city. Fernando chose the Cid, and though the
other champion was called the bravest knight in Spain, the youthful
warrior vanquished him.