King Vamba

During the time that the Goths governed Spain, there was once an
interregnum. The stock of the last dynasty was extinct, and every one
who could collect a few supporters set himself up to rule over the
rest, so that there were several calling themselves kings at once,
and fighting with each other for the mastery. Of course this led to
the greatest confusion, for there was no one to keep order.

At last, as they found they could not agree among themselves, they sent
to Rome to ask the Pope to decide for them. So the Pope went into his
oratory, and prayed God to tell him which of all the candidates should
be King of Spain. But when he came out again to the envoys, he told
them that none of the pretenders were worthy to wear the crown; that
he who was to be King of Spain would be found ploughing his land with
a grey and white ox, and a priest walking by his side; that he would
be found somewhere in Andalusia, and that his name would be Vamba.

The envoys came back to Spain in no very cheerful mood; for they said,
"How shall we find this man?" And then they searched Andalusia over,
and could find no one whose name was Vamba. Just as they were going
to give up the search in despair, as they were passing through a
bank planted with canes they heard a woman with a basket on her
shoulder call out, "Come and dine, Vamba! You seem to forget it is
twelve o'clock!"

When the envoys heard that, they turned round again, and saw a man
ploughing in a field with a grey and white ox. So they went back, and
threw themselves on their knees before him, and spoke in this manner,

"Give us your hands to kiss, your majesty!"

But Vamba, full of astonishment, and at a loss to understand them,
thought they must want to kill him; and exclaimed, trembling, "Spare
my life, Señores! Why do you seek to take it?"

But they answered, "We have no such thought, Vamba. Far from it. The
Pope who now reigns in Rome told us that you were to be our king;
and our king you must therefore be."

But Vamba, who could not believe they were serious, stuck the vara
he held in his hand for a goad, into the ground; and said, laughing,
"When my vara shall take root, and bring forth flowers, then will I
believe that I am King of Spain!"

Then, behold! before he had finished speaking, the vara became covered
with leaves, and from its branches sprang beautiful flowers.

When Vamba saw that, he hesitated no longer; but called his wife
Sancha, and his children, and went along with the envoys to Toledo,
which was the capital of the kingdom of the Goths.

The envoys sent messengers on before, to tell the Council of the
kingdom that the king was coming. The Council rose in a body, and
went out to meet him; and all the people followed behind, and the
joy-bells were set ringing.

Thus King Vamba made his entrance by the Gate of Cambron, the noblest
gate adorning great Toledo; but when he saw the Alcaide of his palace
bearing the sword before him according to custom, he begged, in his
humility, that he would not bear a sword, but that his children might
go before him to show that he loved peace and love, rather than war
and strife; and so he went on into the city.

And all the people looked out of their balconies, and cried,--


"Toledo and Spain for Vamba!
And also for Queen Sancha!"


But as the cry swept over the bosom of old father Tagus, the golden
Tagus who reflects the glories of all Spain, he bore the cry along
gladly and soft, but yet inverting the order,--


"All Spain hails thee first,
And then her chief city Toledo!"


Thus they conducted the good king to the palace, and there they led him
to the bath; and then they trimmed his red melena , and arranged
it so that it might not fall into his eyes; and they combed out the
hair of his beard, but left it long and noble; and they put on him
a royal robe with gold embroidery and an ermine collar, though he
would have it sober in colour, and on his breast a blood-red cross.

Queen Sancha, too, they arrayed in a robe of green velvet, with
gold and jewels round the border, her beautiful golden hair unbound,
falling loose over her shoulders and reaching down to her palfrey.

The ladies went before, and strewed the ground with flowers, and
filled the air with benedictions.

And thus they went forth to the cathedral to be crowned. And all the
people ran to their balconies as they passed along, and cried,--


"Toledo and Spain for Vamba!
And also for Queen Sancha!"


But as the cry swept over the bosom of old father Tagus, the golden
Tagus, who reflects the glories of all Spain, he bore the cry along,
gladly and soft, but inverting the order,--


"All Spain hails thee first!
And then her chief city Toledo!"


Like King David, taken from the sheep-fold to be ruler of the people,
Vamba made a very good king. His reign is spoken of in history as
"the era of wisdom and justice." He had not, like later sovereigns
of Spain, to fight the Saracen intruder on his own soil; but he did
more, he crossed the sea to check his advancing power on the African
coast, and returned towing two hundred and seventy vessels which his
prowess had taken from the enemy. If equal determination had been
shown in succeeding reigns, the Moslem had never obtained a footing
on Christian soil.

Nevertheless, though respected and beloved by his subjects, Vamba
was destined not long to enjoy the peace he so ardently loved. The
ambitious men who had been contending for the crown before his
accession, continued unyielding and restless. Pretenders rose up in
Navarre and the Asturias, and Ilderic, Count of Nimes, at the same
time set up the standard of revolt in the Gaulish provinces. Vamba
marched in person against Navarre, and sent Paulo his general to
Nimes. But Paulo, instead of going to chastise the rebel, procured,
on his own behalf, the assistance of Remismundo, Duke of Cantabria,
and proclaimed himself king. Vamba, though he had been made king
without his own seeking, determined that the sceptre entrusted to him
should lose none of its authority by his remissness, and had no sooner
restored peace within the kingdom, than he set out against the more
distant insurgents, whom he soon reduced to obedience also. Paulo was
taken prisoner at Narbonne, together with the bulk of his adherents;
at the intercession of the Archbishop they were all pardoned, except
Paulo himself, who was found hidden in a cave.

When brought before him, Vamba said to him, "I conjure you now before
God to tell me, have you any complaint against me, have I ever done
any thing to justify your revolt?"

"Since you ask me in God's Name," replied Paulo, "I cannot but speak
the truth. And I must therefore say, that never have I received evil
at your hands, but on the contrary signal favours. I was always highly
honoured by you, and it was the devil who led me astray."

Then the king forgave him the penalty of death, but he had his eyes
put out, and took him captive to Toledo with a rope round his neck.

You might think that Vamba would have had peace, now that he had
subdued all his enemies, but it was not so; another noble, Erviga,
rose up against him and usurped his authority. By this time Vamba
was old and worn down with care. Sancha was dead, and his race seemed
well-nigh run. Erviga, though unjust in seeking to take the crown by
force, was a brave leader and had the qualities necessary for a good
ruler, therefore the good Vamba, instead of spending the blood of his
subjects in fighting for a position which he had so little strength
left to maintain, settled the question by retiring into a monastery
and recommending the people to accept the rule of Erviga.