THE SPANISH CHRONICLE OF THE CID
The Cid, who was as actual individual, is the Arthur and Roland of the Spaniards, the great hero of mediaeval Spain. The Chronicles, based on heroic songs and national traditions of the struggle with the Moors, pictures for us the life of an old and haughty nation, proud in arms. It was compiled in the reign of King Alfonso the Wise, who reigned between 1252 and 1284, and was translated into English by Robert Southey in 1808.
In the stories here given, Southey's rich and descriptive English has been retained, the condensation being secured by omitting long, tedious passages.