This ballad is no earlier than the sixteenth century, and seems to be based upon historic fact, and, as Mr Fitzmaurice Kelly points out, it confuses Almanzor and the Toledan governor Abdalla on the one hand and Alfonso V of Leon with his father, Bermudo II, on the other, and introduces chronological difficulties.
Passing by the ballads of the Cid, to the subject-matter of which we have already done ample justice, we come to that of
Garcia Pérez de Vargas
This Mr Fitzmaurice Kelly dismisses in a word, although it seems to me to merit some attention. De Vargas distinguished himself greatly at the siege of Seville in the year 1248. One day, while riding by the banks of the river, accompanied only by a single companion, he was attacked by a party of seven mounted Moors. His comrade rode off, but Pérez, closing his visor, and setting his lance in rest, faced the paynim warriors. They, seeing who awaited them, made all speed back to their own lines. As he made his way back to camp Pérez noticed that he had dropped his scarf, and immediately returned to seek for it. But although he rode far into the danger zone ere he found it, the Moors still avoided him, and he returned to the Spanish camp in safety. The ballad makes Pérez recover the scarf from the Moors, who had found it and “looped it on a spear.”
“Stand, stand, ye thieves and robbers, lay down my lady’spledge!”
He cried; and ever as he cried they felt his faulchion’s edge.
That day when the Lord of Vargas came to the camp alone,
The scarf, his lady’s largess, around his breast was thrown;
Bare was his head, his sword was red, and, from his pommel strung,