horse and sandals were found on the river bank the
day after the battle; but his body was not with them.
Doubtless he was drowned and washed out to the
great ocean. But the Spaniards would not believe
this. They clothed the dead king with a holy mys-
tery which assuredly did not enfold him when alive.
They made the last of the Goths into a legendary
saviour like King Arthur, and believed that he would
come again from his resting-place in some ocean
isle, healed of his wound, to lead the Christians once
more against the infidels. In the Spanish legends,
Roderick spent the rest of his life in pious acts of
penance, and was slowly devoured by snakes in
punishment for the sins he had committed, until at last
his crime was washed out, "the body's pang had spared
the spirit's pain," and "Don Rodrigo" was suffered
to depart to the peaceful isle, whence his countrymen
long awaited his triumphant return.

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