no harm should be done until he had commanded it. And he mounted on
horseback with his hidalgos and rode round the town, and beheld how
strongly it was situated upon a rock, with strong walls, and many and
strong towers, and the river Douro running at the foot thereof; and he
said unto his knights, Ye see how strong it is, neither Moor nor
Christian can prevail against it; if I could have it from my sister
either for money or exchange, I should be Lord of Spain.

XXIV. Then the King returned to his tents, and incontinently he sent
for the Cid, and said unto him, Cid, you well know how manifoldly you
are bound unto me, both by nature, and by reason of the breeding which
the King my father gave you; and when he died he commended you to me,
and I have ever shown favour unto you, and you have ever served me as
the loyalest vassal that ever did service to his Lord; and I have for
your good deserts given unto you more than there is in a great county,
and have made you the chief of all my household. Now therefore I
beseech you as my friend and true vassal, that you go to Zamora to my
sister Dona Urraca, and say unto her again, that I beseech her to give
me the town either for a price, or in exchange, and I will give to her
Medina de Rio-seco, with the whole Infantazgo, from Villalpando to
Valladolid, and Tiedra also, which is a good Castle; and I will swear
unto her, with twelve knights of my vassals, never to break this
covenant between us; but if she refuseth to do this I will take away
the town from her by force. And my Cid kissed the hand of the King and
said unto him, This bidding, Sir, should be for other messenger, for it
is a heavy thing for me to deliver it; for I was brought up in Zamora
by your father's command, in the house of Don Arias Gonzalo, with Dona
Urraca and with his sons, and it is not fitting that I should be the
bearer of such bidding. And the King persisted in requiring of him that
he should go, insomuch that he was constrained to obey his will. And he