THE

SIEGE OF VALENCIA.

A DRAMATIC POEM.

Judicio ha dado esta no vista hazana
Del valor que en los siglos venideros
Tendrán los Hijos de la fuerte Espana,
Hijos de tal padres herederos.
Hallò sola en Numancia todo quanto
Debe con justo titulo cantarse.

Y lo que puede dar materia al canto.

Numancia de Cervantes.

(285)

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE history of Spain records two instances of the severe and self-devoting heroism, which forms the subject of the following dramatic poem. The first of these occurred at the siege of Tarifa, which was defended, in 1294, for Sancho, King of Castile, during the rebellion of his brother, Don Juan, by Guzman, surnamed the Good.1 The second is related of Alonzo Lopez de Texeda, who, until his garrison had been utterly disabled by pestilence, maintained the city of Zamora for the children of Don Pedro the Cruel, against the forces of Henrique of Trastamara.2

Impressive as were the circumstances which distinguished both these memorable sieges, it appeared to the author of the following pages, that a deeper interest, as well as a stronger colour of nationality, might be imparted to the scenes in which she has feebly attempted "to describe high passions and high actions;" by connecting a religious feeling with the patriotism and high-minded loyalty which had thus been proved “faithful unto death," and by surrounding her ideal dramatis personæ with recollections derived from the heroic legends of Spanish chivalry. She has, for this reason, employed the agency of imaginary characters, and fixed upon "Valencia del Cid" as the scene to give them

"A local habitation and a name."

'See Quintana's Vidas de Espanoles celebres,' p. 53.
* See the Preface to Southey's Chronicle of the Cid.'

(287)

THE

SIEGE OF VALENCIA.

Scene-Room in a Palace of Valencia.
XIMENA Singing to a lute.

BALLAD.

"THOU hast not been with a festal throng,
At the pouring of the wine;
Men bear not from the Hall of Song
A mien so dark as thine!

-There's blood upon thy shield,
There's dust upon thy plume,

-Thou hast brought from some disastrous field,
That brow of wrath and gloom!"

"And is there blood upon my shield? Maiden! it well may be !

We have sent the streams from our battle-field, All darken'd to the sea!

We have given the founts a stain,

'Midst their woods of ancient pine; And the ground is wet-but not with rain, Deep-dyed-but not with wine!

"The ground is wet-but not with rain-
We have been in war array,

And the noblest blood of Christian Spain
Hath bathed her soil to-day.

VOL. III.- - 25

(289)