| Arias Gonzalo |
Foster-father of Dona Urraca, who lost three sons to Don Diego Ordonez in the affair of the fall of Zamora. There is no historical records connecting him with Urraca or the rebellion.
And now also will be accomplished that which my fosterer Arias Gonzalo said, for now that King Don Garcia who is my younger brother, hath dispossessed me and broken the oath which he made unto my father, what will not the elder do, who made the vow by compulsion, and always made protestation against the division! God send that as thou hast disherited me, thou mayest speedily thyself in like manner be disherited, Amen! But when King Don Sancho heard what his brother had done he was well pleased thereat, thinking that he might now bring to pass that which he so greatly desired; and he assembled together his Ricos-omes and his knights, and said unto them, The King my father divided the kingdoms which should have been mine, and therein he did unjustly; now King Don Garcia my brother hath broken the oath and disherited Dona Urraca my sister; I beseech ye therefore counsel me what I shall do, and in what manner to proceed against him, for I will take his kingdom away from him.
Then was the saying of Arias Gonzalo fulfilled, that kinsmen should kill kinsmen, and brother fall by his brother's hand.
And that day also was the saying of Arias Gonzalo fulfilled.
And for this reason they took Don Arias Gonzalo to be their chief captain, Dona Urraca's foster-father, that by his means they might protect themselves, if need should be.
And my Cid kissed the hand of the King and said unto him, This bidding, Sir, should be for other messenger, for it is a heavy thing for me to deliver it; for I was brought up in Zamora by your father's command, in the house of Don Arias Gonzalo, with Dona Urraca and with his sons, and it is not fitting that I should be the bearer of such bidding.
With that there came down a knight who was nephew to Arias Gonzalo, and had the keeping of the gate, and he bade the Cid enter, saying that he would order him to be well lodged while he went to Dona Urraca to know if she would be pleased to see him.
So the Cid went in, and the knight went to the Infanta, and told her that Ruydiez of Bivar was come with a message from King Don Sancho; and it pleased her well that he should be the messenger, and she bade him come before that she might know what was his bidding; and she sent Arias Gonzalo and the other knights of her party to meet him and accompany him.
And Dona Urraca said unto him, Cid, you well know that you were brought up with me here in Zamora, in the house of Don Arias Gonzalo, and when my father was at the point of death he charged you that you should always counsel his sons the best you could.
And she said she would do as Don Arias Gonzalo should advise her.
And Don Arias answered that it was well to hear what the King her brother had sent to say: Peradventure, said he, he goeth against the Moors, and requires aid of you, which it would be right to give; and for such service I and my sons would go with him, and I would give fifteen of my people well mounted and armed, and supply them with food for ten years, if he needed them.
Then Don Arias Gonzalo stood up and said, Lady Dona Urraca, in thus complaining and making lamentation you do inconsiderately; for in time of trouble it befits us to take thought of what best is to be done, and so must we do.
When the Infanta Dona Urraca heard this she was well pleased, and praised them greatly; and she turned to the Cid and said unto him, You were bred up with me in this town of Zamora, where Don Arias Gonzalo fostered you by command of the King my father, and through your help it was that the King my father gave it unto me to be my inheritance.
And when Don Arias Gonzalo saw the misery, and the hunger, and the mortality which were there, he said to the Infanta Dona Urraca, You see, Lady, the great wretchedness which the people of Zamora have suffered, and do every day suffer to maintain their loyalty; now then call together the Council, and thank them truly for what they have done for you, and bid them give up the town within nine days to the King your brother.
Then went he to his lodging, and armed himself, and mounted his horse, and rode to the house of Don Arias Gonzalo, and cried with a loud voice, We all know the reason, Don Arias Gonzalo, why you will not let Dona Urraca exchange Zamora with her brother; it is because you deal with her as a harlot, like an old traitor.
When Arias Gonzalo heard this, it grieved him to the heart, and he said, In an evil day was I born, that so shameful a falsehood as this should be said to me in mine old age, and there should be none to revenge me! Then his sons arose and armed themselves hastily, and went after Vellido, who fled before them toward the gate of the town.
And Vellido went to the King and kissed his hand, and said unto him these false words with a lying tongue: Sir, because I said to the Council of Zamora that they should yield the town unto you, the sons of Arias Gonzalo would have slain me, even as you have seen.
And Vellido, when he heard this went to the King, and said, Sir, the old Arias Gonzalo is full crafty, and hath sent to say this unto you, because he knows that by my means you would have won the town.
But the King took him by the hand and said, Friend and vassal, take no thought for this; I say unto you, that if I may have Zamora, I will make you chief therein, even as Arias Gonzalo is now.
And when Don Arias Gonzalo knew this, he went unto the Infanta and said, Lady, I beseech you that you give up this traitor to the Castillians, otherwise be sure that it will be to your own harm; for the Castillians will impeach all who are in Zamora, and that will be greater dishonour for you and for us.
Don Arias Gonzalo then answered, Give him unto me, and I will keep him in custody for three days, and if the Castillians impeach us we will deliver him into their hands; and if they do not impeach us within that time, we will thrust him out of the town so that he shall not be seen among us.
And Don Arias Gonzalo took him from thence, and secured him with double fetters, and guarded him well.
And when he drew nigh unto the town, he covered himself with his shield that they might not hurt him from the walls, and began to cry aloud, asking if Don Arias Gonzalo were there, for he would speak with him.
A squire who was keeping guard upon the wall went to Don Arias and told him that there was a knight well armed calling for him, without the walls, and he said that if it pleased Don Arias he would shoot at him with a cross-bow, and strike him or kill his horse: but Don Arias forbade him, saying that he should no ways harm him.
And Don Arias Gonzalo went with his sons upon the wall to see who called for him, and he spake to the knight, saying, Friend, what wouldest thou? And Don Diego Ordonez answered, The Castillians have lost their Lord; the traitor Vellido slew him, being his vassal, and ye of Zamora have received Vellido and harboured him within your walls.
Don Arias Gonzalo replied, If I were what thou sayest I am, it had been better for me never to have been born; but in what thou sayest thou liest.
When Don Diego heard this it troubled him; howbeit he dissembled this right well, and said unto Don Arias Gonzalo, I will bring twelve Castillians, and do you bring twelve men of Zamora, and they shall swear upon the Holy Gospel to judge justly between us, and if they find that I am bound to do battle with five, I will perform it.
And Don Arias made answer that he said well, and it should be so.
Then when the truce was made, Don Arias Gonzalo went out from the town into the host of the Castillians, and his sons with him, and many of the knights of the town; and all the Ricos-omes and knights who were in the host assembled together with them, and consulted what was to be done in this impeachment.
And when all was appointed as ye have heard, Don Arias returned to Zamora, and told the Infanta Dona Urraca all that had been done, and she ordered a meeting to be called, at which all the men of the town assembled.
And when they were gathered together, Don Arias Gonzalo said unto them, Friends, I beseech ye, if there be any here among ye who took counsel for the death of King Don Sancho, or were privy thereunto, that ye now tell me, and deny it not; for rather would I go with my sons to the land of the Moors, than be overcome in the field, and held for a traitor.
At this was Don Arias Gonzalo well pleased, and he bade them go each to his house; and he went to his house also with his sons, and chose out four of them to do combat, and said that he would be the fifth himself; and he gave them directions how to demean themselves in the lists, and said, that he would enter first; and if, said he, what the Castillian saith be true, I would die first, not to see the infamy; but if what he saith be false, I shall conquer him, and ye shall ever be held in honour.
When the day appointed was come, Don Arias Gonzalo early in the morning armed his sons, and they armed him; and it was told him that Don Diego Ordonez was already in the lists.
Then he and his sons mounted their horses, and as they rode through the gates of their house, Dona Urraca, with a company of dames met them, and said to Don Arias, weeping, Remember now how my father, King Don Ferrando, left me to your care, and you swore between his hands that you would never forsake me; and lo! now you are forsaking me.
And Don Arias armed him compleatly with his own hands, and instructed him how to demean himself, and gave him his blessing with his right hand, and said unto him, that in such a point he went to save the people of Zamora, as when our Lord Jesus Christ came through the Virgin Mary, to save the people of this world, who were lost by our father Adam.
And Don Diego Ordonez seeing him thus, thought that he was dead, and would not strike him again; and he called aloud, saying, Don Arias, send me another son, for this one will never fulfil your bidding.
Then Don Arias Gonzalo called for another son, whose name was Diego Arias, and said unto him, To horse! and go fight to deliver this Council and to revenge the death of your brother: and he answered, For this am I come hither.
And Don Diego Ordonez went to the bar and laid hold on it, and cried out to Don Arias Gonzalo, Send me another son, for I have conquered two, thanks be to God.
And then the judges came to him, and led him to the tent, and disarmed him, and gave him the three sops and the wine, as they had done before, and sent to say to Don Arias Gonzalo that this son also was slain, and that he should send another.
When Don Arias Gonzalo, in great rage and in great trouble called for his son Rodrigo Arias, who was a good knight, right hardy and valiant, the elder of all the brethren; he had been in many a tournament, and with good fortune.
And Don Arias said unto him, Son, go now and do battle with Diego Ordonez, to save Dona Urraca your Lady, and yourself, and the Council of Zamora; and if you do this, in happy hour were you born.
But better had it been for Don Arias Gonzalo if he had given up Vellido to the Castillians, that he might have died the death of a traitor; he would not then have lost these three sons, who died like good men, in their duty.
Now what was the end of Vellido the history sayeth not, through the default of the Chroniclers; but it is to be believed, that because the impeachment was not made within three days, Don Arias Gonzalo thrust him out of the town as Dona Urraca had requested, and that he fled into other lands, peradventure among the Moors.