een Sancho of Castile
and Sancho of Navarre, in which he won his name of _Campeador_, by
slaying the enemy's champion in single combat. In the quarrel between
Sancho and his brother Alphonso, Rodrigo Diaz espoused the cause of the
former, and it was he who suggested the perfidious stratagem by which
Sancho eventually obtained the victory and possession of Leon. Sancho
having been slain in 1072, while engaged in the siege of Zamora,
Alphonso returned from exile and occupied the vacant throne. One of the
most striking of the passages in the Cid's legendary history is that
wherein he is represented as forcing the new king to swear that he had
no part in his brother's death; but there was cause enough without this
for Alphonso's animosity against the man who had helped to despoil him
of his patrimony. For a time the Cid, already renowned throughout Spain
for his prowess in war, was even advanced by the king's favour and
entrusted with high commissions of state. In 1074 the Cid was wedded to
Ximena, daughter of the count of Oviedo, and granddaughter, by the
mother's side, of Alphonso V. The original deed of the marriage-contract
is extant. Some time afterwards the Cid was sent on an embassy to
collect tribute from Motamid, the king of Seville, whom he found engaged
in a war with Abdallah, the king of Granada. On Abdallah's side were
many Castilian knights, among them Count Garcia Ordonez, a prince of the
blood, whom the Cid endeavoured vainly to persuade of the disloyalty of
opposing their master's ally. In the battle which ensued under the walls
of Seville, Abdallah and his auxiliaries were routed with great
slaughter, the Cid returning to Burgos with many prisoners and a rich
booty. There fresh proofs of his prowess only served to kindle against
him the rancour of his enemies and the jealousy of the king. Garcia
Ordonez accused him to Alphonso of keeping back part of the tribute
received from Seville, and the king took advantage of the Cid's absence
on a raid against the Moors to banish him from Castile.

Henceforth Rodrigo Diaz began to live that life of a soldier of fortune
which has made him famous, sometimes fighting under the Christian
banner, sometimes under Moorish, but always for his own hand. At the
head of a band of 300 free lances he offered his services first to the
count of Barcelona; then, failing him, to Moktadir, the Arab king of
Saragossa, of the race of the Beni Houd. Under Moktadir, and his
successors Mo