. The literature of all nations and all ages; history, character, and incident. ed so much Europeanliterature, are not forgotten by the Spanish balladist. TheMoorish ballads are of another type ; they reflect a more sen-suous, fantastic and luxurious life than that of the country ingeneral. Yet, without this element, the Spanish nature is notcomplete. Of the Chronicles, which treated of all aspects of life, thatof Alfonso is first in time and. quality; the narrative ofRoderic, the last king of the Goths, has been rendered in anEnglish dress by Southey. Provencal poetr>% introducedinto Spain
. The literature of all nations and all ages; history, character, and incident. ed so much Europeanliterature, are not forgotten by the Spanish balladist. TheMoorish ballads are of another type ; they reflect a more sen-suous, fantastic and luxurious life than that of the country ingeneral. Yet, without this element, the Spanish nature is notcomplete. Of the Chronicles, which treated of all aspects of life, thatof Alfonso is first in time and. quality; the narrative ofRoderic, the last king of the Goths, has been rendered in anEnglish dress by Southey. Provencal poetr>% introducedinto Spain at the period of the persecution of the Albigenses,had little afiinity with the genius of the people, and didnot long survive transplantation. The attempt to form anItalian school of poetry was not long successful. Finally, wemay mention the famous cycle of Chivalric Romances ofwhich Amadis de Gaul was the prototype and chief. Ourprimary survey of Spanish literature closes with the four-teenth century, and discussion of later productions will bedeferred to a future SPANISH LITERATURE. 355 THE POEM OF THE CID. The following literal translation by Butler Clarke of a favoritepassage in the Poem of the Cid illustrates the heroic simplicity, therapid movement, the life-like pictures the poem presents of the turbu-lent times in which it was composed, and the free and light-heartedspirit it breathes throughout. They clasp their shields before their hearts;Their lances are leveled with pennants decked;Their heads they bent low over the saddle;To smite them they went with valiant hearts. lyoudly calls He who was Born in a happy Hour,*Strike them, my knights, for love of charity !I am Ruy Diaz the Cid Campeador of Bivar! One and all shower blows on the band round Pero Vermuez:Three hundred lances are they, each with its pennant decked:A Moor apiece they killed, each with a single blow,And when they wheeled about, they slew as many more. There might one see many lances rise and
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