honourably, and dispensed with his bastardry that he might hold any
sacred dignity; and in process of time he was made an honourable
Cardinal. So the King returned with great honour into his own land, and
from that time he was called Don Ferrando the Great, the Emperor's
Peer; and it was said of him in songs that he had passed the passes of
Aspa in despite of the Frenchmen.

XXVI. Many other things did King Don Ferrando, which are written in the
book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Spain, enriching churches and
monasteries, and honouring the saints and martyrs, and making war upon
the misbelievers. And it came to pass when he was waxed old, that as he
was one day saying his prayers, the confessor St. Isidro appeared unto
him, and told him the day and hour when he should die, to the intent
that he might make ready and confess his sins, and make atonement for
them, and take thought for his soul, that so he might appear clean from
offence before the face of God. From that day he, being certain that
his end was at hand, began to discharge his soul. And he devised within
himself how to dispose of the kingdoms which God had given him, that
there might be no contention between his sons after his death; and he
thought it best to divide his lands among them; but this which he
thought best proved to be the worst, and great evil came thereof, for
better had it been that he had left all to the eldest. Howbeit it was
his pleasure to divide them: he had three sons, Don Sancho who was the
eldest, and Don Alfonso who was the second born, and Don Garcia who was
the youngest; and two daughters, Dona Urraca and Dona Elvira. The
manner in which he divided his lands was this: he gave to Don Sancho
the kingdom of Castille as far as to the river Pisuerga, on the side of
Leon, with the border, which included the dioceses of Osma, and
Segovia, and Avila, and on the side of Navarre as far as the Ebro, as
he had won it from his nephew Don Sancho Garcia, King of Navarre. To