While the Cid was thus resting upon his laurels, a great council had been held at Florence, where the Emperor (Henry III.) of Germany complained to the Pope that King Ferdinand had not done him homage for his crown, and that he refused to acknowledge his superiority.  The Pope immediately sent a message to King Ferdinand asking for homage and tribute, and threatening a crusade in case of disobedience.  This unwelcome message greatly displeased the Spanish ruler, and roused the indignation of the Cid, who declared that his king was the vassal of no monarch, and offered to fight any one who dared maintain a contrary opinion.

    “’Never yet have we done homage—­
      Shall we to a stranger bow? 
    Great the honor God hath given us—­
      Shall we lose that honor now?

    “’Send then to the Holy Father,
      Proudly thus to him reply—­
    Thou, the king, and I, Rodrigo,
      Him and all his power defy.’”
                Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart’s tr.).

This challenge was sent to the Pope, who, not averse to having the question settled by the judgment of God, bade the emperor send a champion to meet Rodrigo.  This imperial champion was of course defeated, and all King Ferdinand’s enemies were so grievously routed by the ever-victorious Cid that no further demands of homage or tribute were ever made.

Old age had now come on, and King Ferdinand, after receiving divine warning of his speedy demise, died.  He left Castile to his eldest son, Don Sancho, Leon to Don Alfonso, Galicia to Don Garcia, and gave his daughters, Dona Urraca and Dona Elvira, the wealthy cities of Zamora and Toro.  Of course this disposal of property did not prove satisfactory to all his heirs, and Don Sancho was especially displeased, because he coveted the whole realm.  He, however, had the Cid to serve him, and selected this doughty champion to accompany him on a visit to Rome, knowing that he would brook no insult to his lord.  These previsions were fully justified, for the Cid, on noticing that a less exalted seat had been prepared for Don Sancho than for the King of France, became so violent that the Pope excommunicated him.  But when the seats had been made of even height, the Cid, who was a good Catholic, humbled himself before the Pope, and the latter, knowing the hero’s value as a bulwark against the heathen Moors, immediately granted him full absolution.

“’I absolve thee, Don Ruy Diaz,
I absolve thee cheerfully,
If, while at my court, thou showest
Due respect and courtesy.’”

                            Ancient Spanish Ballads (Lockhart’s tr.).

[Sidenote:  The Cid Campeador.] On his return to Castile, Don Sancho found himself threatened by his namesake, the King of Navarre, and by Don Ramiro of Aragon.  They both invaded Castile, but were ignominously repulsed by the Cid.  As some of the Moors had helped the invaders, the Cid next proceeded to punish them, and gave up the siege of Saragossa only when the inhabitants made terms with him.  This campaign won for the Cid the title of “Campeador” (Champion), which he well deserved, as he was always ready to do battle for his king.