Chronicle Of The Cid by Various
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Various >> Chronicle Of The Cid
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XXIII. Now they who hated the Cid spake leasing of him to King Don
Alfonso, saying that he had tarried in Requena, knowing that the King
was gone another way, that so he might give the Moors opportunity to
fall upon him. And the King believed them, and was wroth against the
Cid, and ordered all that he had in Castille to be taken from him, and
sent to take his wife, and his daughters. When the Cid heard this he
sent presently a knight to the King to defend himself, saying, that if
there were Count or Rico-ome or knight who would maintain that he had a
better and truer will to do the King service than he had, he would do
battle with him body to body, but the King being greatly incensed would
not hear him. And when they who hated the Cid saw this, and knew that
the Cid was gone against a Castle near Zaragoza, they besought the King
to give them force to go against him; howbeit this the King would not.
At this time Ali Abenaxa, the Adelantado of the Almoravides, besieged
Murcia, and there was a dearth in the city, and Alvar Faņez who should
have relieved them did not, and they were so closely beset that they
were compelled to yield up the town. As soon as he had taken Murcia he
went against the Castle of Aledo, of which you have heard, and
assaulted it vigorously, and took it by force and by famine. And when
he had won Murcia and Aledo, he wished to have Valencia also, and they
of Valencia, because of the yoke of the Cid, longed to be his vassals,
even as the sick man longeth after health. When King Don Alfonso heard
what Ali Abenaxa had done, he made ready to go against him. And the
Queen his wife, and certain knights who were friends to the Cid, wrote
to him that he should now come and serve the King in such a season,
that the King might thank him greatly and lay aside his wrath. Having
seen these letters the Cid set out from Zaragoza where he was, and went
his way with a great host, and advanced as far as Martos, where he
found the King. And the King received him honourably, and they
continued together till the King passed the Sierra de Elvira, and the
Cid went in the plain below before him. And they who wished ill to him
said to the King, The Cid came after you like one who was wearied, and
now he goes before you. And after this manner they set the King again
against him, so that his displeasure was greatly moved. And the Moors
did not venture to give him battle, but left the Castle of Aledo and
retreated to Murcia, and the King returned to Ubeda. And when the Cid
saw that the heart of the King was changed, he returned to Valencia,
and the King went back to Toledo.
XXIV. After this King Don Alfonso drew forth a great host and went
towards Valencia, and sent to all the Castles in that land, saying that
for five years they should pay him the tribute which they were wont to
pay unto the Cid. When the Cid knew this he sent to the King, saying,
he marvelled why the King should thus seek to dishonour him, and that
he trusted in God soon to make him know how ill he was advised by those
about him. And presently the Cid gathered together a full great host
both of Moors and of Christians, and entered the land of King Don
Alfonso, burning and destroying whatever he found, and he took Logroņo,
and Alfaro also, and sacked it. While he was at Alfaro, Count Garci
Ordoņez and certain other Ricos-omes of Castille sent to say to him,
that if he would tarry for them seven days, they would come and give
him battle. He tarried for them twelve days, and they did not dare to
come; and when the Cid saw this he returned to Zaragoza. Now when King
Don Alfonso knew what the Cid had done in his land, and that the
Ricos-omes had not dared fight against him, he saw that he had taken an
evil counsel when he set his heart against him. And he sent his letters
to the Cid saying, that he forgave him all that he had done, seeing
that he himself had given the occasion; and he besought him to come to
Castille, where he should find all things free which appertained unto
him. Much was the Cid rejoiced at these tidings, and he wrote to the
King thanking him for his grace, and beseeching him not to give ear to
bad counsellors, for he would alway be at his service.
XXV. Now it came to pass, that by reason of certain affairs the Cid
tarried a long time in Zaragoza. And they of Valencia being no longer
kept in awe by his presence, complained one to another of the
oppressions and wrongs which they endured from him and from his
servants, and from Abenalfarax, the Guazil whom he had appointed; and
they conspired with an Alcayde who was called Abeniaf. And when
Abenalfarax the Guazil understood how Abeniaf cast about to disturb the
peace of the city, he would have taken him and cast him in prison; but
this he dared not do till the Cid should come, and moreover he weened
that upon his coming the disturbance would cease. Now Abeniaf knew that
the Guazil was minded to seize him if he could have dared so to do, and
he sent his messengers to Ali Abenaxa the Adelantado of the
Almoravides, who was now Lord of Murcia, telling him to come to
Valencia, and he would deliver the city into his hands. Moreover he
took counsel with the Alcayde of Algezira de Xucar, that the Alcayde
also should send to Ali Abenaxa, exhorting him to make good speed
himself, or to send an Alcayde with a fitting power, and to come to
Algezira, which was near, and then presently proceed to Valencia. So
soon as Ali Abenaxa had received this message he made speed to come,
and as many Castles as were upon his road submitted unto him. When the
Alcayde of Denia heard of his coming, and that all these Castles had
submitted, he durst not abide there, but fled to Xativa; and Ali
Abenaxa took possession of Denia, and he sent his Alcayde to Algezira
de Xucar, and took possession of that also. When these tidings came to
Valencia, the Bishop who was there, and the forty knights who were with
the messenger of the King of Aragon because of the friendship between
their King and the Cid, and all the other Christians who were in the
city, would no longer abide there, but took of their goods each as much
as he could, and went away in fear. And the Guazil was greatly
dismayed, neither knew he what course to take, and Yahia, the King,
though he was now healed of his malady, neither mounted on horseback,
nor appeared abroad. Abenalfarax went unto him and told him the peril
in which they stood. And their counsel was, that they should remove all
that they had from Valencia and go to the Castle of Segorbe. Then they
sent away many beasts laden with goods and with riches, under the care
of a nephew of the Guazil and many others, to the Castle of Benaecab,
that is to say, the Castle of the Eagle, to be in charge of the Alcayde
thereof. And the King and the Guazil bestirred themselves and gathered
together foot-soldiers and cross-bow men to defend the Alcazar, and
sent speedily to Zaragoza, telling the Cid to come; but he could not
set forth so speedily as need was; and the stir which was in the city
endured for full twenty days. Then that Alcayde of Ali Abenaxa who was
in Algezira de Xucar set forward in the first of the night with twenty
horsemen of the Almoravides, and as many more of Algezira, all clad
alike in green, that they might all be taken for Almoravides; and they
came by day-break to Valencia, to the gate of Tudela, and sounded their
drums, and the rumour in the town was that there were full five hundred
knights of the Almoravides, and the Guazil was in great fear. And he
went to the Alcazar to take counsel with the King, and they gave order
that the gates of the town should be barred, and that the walls should
be manned.
XXVI. Then the King's soldiers went to the house of Abeniaf the Alcayde
who had sent for the Almoravides, and called unto him to come forth
that they might take him before the King; but he was trembling in great
fear, and would not come out. And the men of the town came to his help,
and when he saw the company that were on his side, he came forth and
went with them to the Alcazar, and entered it and took the Guazil of
the Cid. And the townsmen ran to the gates and drove away those of the
King's party who guarded them; and they strove to beat the gates down,
but they could not, and they set fire to them and burnt them. And
others let down ropes from the walls, and drew up the Almoravides. King
Yahia put on woman's apparel, and fled with his women, and hid himself
in a dwelling near unto a bath. And the Almoravides took possession of
the Alcazar, and plundered it. One Christian they slew who guarded the
gates, and another who was of St. Maria de Albarrazin, who guarded one
of the towers of the wall. In this manner was Valencia lost.
XXVII. Now when Abeniaf saw that all the people were on his side, and
obeyed him, his heart grew and he was puffed up, insomuch that he
despised those who were as good as himself or better. Albeit he was of
good parentage, for his fathers before him had all been Alcaydes ever
since Valencia was in the hands of the Moors. And because he knew that
the King had not fled out of the town, he made search for him, and
found him in the house where he had hidden himself with his women. Now
the King when he fled from the Alcazar had taken with him the best of
his treasures, pearls, among which was one the most precious and noble
that could be, so that nowhere was there a better one to be found, nor
so good; and precious stones, sapphires and rubies and emeralds; he had
with him a casket of pure gold full of these things; and in his girdle
he had hidden a string of precious stones and of pearls, such that no
King had so rich and precious a thing as that carkanet. They say that
in former times it had belonged to Queen Seleyda, who was wife to
Abanarrexit King of Belcab, which is beyond sea; and afterwards it had
come to the Kings called Benivoyas, who were Lords of Andalusia; after
that King Alimaymon of Toledo possessed it, and gave it to his wife,
and she gave it to the wife of her son, who was the mother of this
Yahia. Greatly did Abeniaf covet these treasures and this carkanet, and
incontinently he thought in his heart that he might take them and none
know thereof, which could no ways be done unless he slew King Yahia.
When therefore it was night he gave order to cut off his head, and to
throw it into a pond near the house in which he had been taken. This
was done accordingly, and Abeniaf took the treasures, and they who were
set over King Yahia to guard him and murder him, took also each what he
could, and concealed it. And the body lay where it had been slain till
the following day; but then a good man who grieved for the death of his
Lord took it up, and laid it upon the cords of a bed, and covered it
with an old horsecloth, and carried it out of the town, and made a
grave for it in a place where camels were wont to lie, and buried it
there, without gravecloaths and without any honours whatsoever, as if
the corpse had been the corpse of a villain.
BOOK VI.
I. When Abeniaf had slain his Lord, as you have heard, he became
haughty like a King, and gave no thought to anything save to building
his own houses, and setting guards round about them by day and by
night; and he appointed secretaries who should write his secret
letters, and chose out a body from among the good men of the city to be
his guard. And when he rode out he took with him many knights and
huntsmen, all armed, who guarded him like a King; and when he went
through the streets the women came out to gaze at him, and shouted and
rejoiced in him; and he being elated and puffed up with these vanities,
demeaned himself in all things after the manner of a King. This he did
for the sake of abasing a certain kinsman of his, who was chief
Alcayde, and who was better and wiser than he. Moreover he made no
account of the Alcayde of the Almoravides who held the Alcazar, neither
took counsel with him concerning anything, and he gave no heed to him
except to supply him and his company with their charges, which he did
right sparingly.
II. But when King Yahia was slain, his servants and eunuchs and they of
his household fled to Juballa, a Castle which was held by a kinsman of
the Guazil Abenalfarax, who lay in prison; other some fled to Zaragoza,
and told the Cid all that had befallen. The Cid was greatly grieved
when he heard it, and without delay he set forth with all his people,
and went as fast as he could go to Juballa, and there they who had
escaped from Valencia met him, and besought him to help them to revenge
the death of their Lord, saying that they would follow him for life or
for death, and do whatsoever he commanded them. Then the Cid sent
letters to Abeniaf, saying disdainfully unto him, that by God's help he
had kept his Lent well, and accomplished his fast with a worthy
sacrifice by murdering the King his master! and he reproached him for
the shame he had done the King in casting his head into the pond and
letting the body be buried in a dunghill; and at the end of the letter
he bade Abeniaf give him his corn which he had left in his granaries at
Valencia. Abeniaf returned for answer that his granaries had all been
plundered, and that the city now "belonged to the King of the
Almoravides;" and he said that if the Cid would serve that King he would
do his best to help him that he might win his love. When the Cid read
this letter he saw that Abeniaf was a fool, for he had sent to reproach
him for the death of his Lord, and the answer which he had returned was
concerning another matter; and he then knew that Abeniaf was not a man
to keep the power which he coveted. So he sent other letters to him,
calling him and all who were with him traitors, and saying that he
would never leave from making war against them till he had taken
vengeance for the death of King Yahia.
III. And the Cid sent letters to all the Castles round about, bidding
them supply his host with victuals, and do it speedily, or he would do
all he could to destroy them. And there was none to gainsay him; and
all obeyed his commands in this matter, saving Aboeza Abenlupo, for he
was a discreet man, and perceived what was to come, and in what this
was to end; moreover he feared that if he should not do as the Cid
commanded, the Cid would put him out of the world, and no one would be
able to protect him; and if he should do it, then he feared least he
should be banished. So he sent to the Cid to say he would do his
pleasure, and he sent also to Abenrazin, the Lord of Albarrazin, saying
that he would give him Monviedro and the other Castles in his
possession, and bidding him make his terms with the Cid, for as
touching himself, he desired to have no dispute, but to come off with
his company and his own person in peace. When Abenrazin heard this he
was well pleased; and he went to Monviedro with all speed, and took
possession of the Castle. From the time that King Yahia was slain till
this time, was twenty and six days. And when Abenrazin had got
possession of the Castle of Monviedro he came to the Cid, and
established love with him, and made a covenant that there should be
buying and selling between his Castles and the host, and that he would
provide food, and that the Cid should not make war upon him. And upon
this they made their writings, which were full fast; and Abenrazin
returned to his own land, and left one to keep Monviedro for him; and
Abenlupo went with him, taking with him his wives and his children and
his people and all that he had, and he thought himself well off that he
had escaped with his body, for he desired to have nothing to do with
the Cid. And the Cid lay before Juballa, and sent out his foragers
towards Valencia twice a day; one party went in the morning, and
another towards night; and they slew many Moors, and made many
prisoners, and made prey of all the flocks which they found without the
walls; nevertheless the Cid commanded that no hurt should be done to
those of the land of Moya, nor to the husbandmen, but that they who
laboured to produce bread and wine should be protected and encouraged;
and this he did thinking that what they raised would be for him when he
should lay siege unto the town; and he said this to his knights and
Adalides and Almocadenes, and took homage of them that they should obey
him therein. All this time the Cid held that Castle besieged, so that
none could enter in nor come out thereof; and it is said that terms had
secretly been made with him to yield it up, but that it was so to be
done that the other Moors might believe they had yielded from great
necessity, for it was not stored so as to be able to hold out long. And
while the Cid lay before Juballa, all the spoil which his Almogavares
took they brought to the host, and from the host it was taken and sold
at Monviedro. Many laden beasts came every day, and there was plenty in
the host.
IV. Abeniaf gathered together the knights who were natives of the city
and vassals to the King whom he had slain, and sent for others who were
in Denia, so that in all they were three hundred knights, and
maintained them with the bread which was in the granaries of the Cid
Ruydiez, and with the rents and possessions of those who had been the
King's officers, and who were gone from Valencia, and with the customs;
from all these did he give these knights whatsoever they stood in need
of. And he took no counsel with the Alcayde of the Almoravides
concerning any thing which he did, neither with any one, nor did he
care a jot for them. And when the Alcayde and the Almoravides saw that
he made himself master in the city, and how every thing that he did was
by his own will, they were offended therewith. The sons of Aboegib were
offended also: and they and the Almoravides placed their love upon each
other, and took counsel together against him, and became of one party,
and they bare great hatred against him, and he against them. All this
while the Cid lay before Juballa, and every day he scoured the country
to the gates of Valencia, early in the morning, and at noon day, and at
night, so that he never let them rest. And the three hundred knights
whom Abeniaf had collected went out against his foragers, with the men
of the town, and the Christians slew many of them, so that there were
lamentations daily within the walls, and wailings over the dead that
were brought in. And in one of these skirmishes, a rich Moor was taken
who was Alcayde of Acala, which is near Torralva, and they gave him
grievous torments till he ransomed himself for ten thousand marks of
silver; and moreover he gave the houses which he had in Valencia, which
were called the houses of Aņaya, to be theirs if peradventure the town
should be yielded up.
V. When the Cid knew that there was great hatred between Abeniaf and
the Almoravides and the sons of Aboegib, he devised means how to set
farther strife between them, and sent privily to proffer his love to
Abenaif on condition that they should expel the Almoravides out of the
town; saying, that if he did this, he would remain Lord thereof, and
the Cid would help him in this, and would be good to him, as he knew he
had been to the King of Valencia, and would defend him. When Abeniaf
heard this he was well pleased, thinking that he should be King of
Valencia. And he took counsel with Abenalfarax the Guazii of the Cid,
whom he held prisoner, and Abenalfarax, with the hope of getting out of
prison, counselled him to do thus, and to accept the love of the Cid.
Then sent he to the Cid, saying that he would do all which he commanded
to gain his love, and he began to stop the allowance of the
Almoravides, saying that he could give them nothing, for he had nothing
whereof to give: this did he to the end that they might go their way,
for he lacked not means.
VI. At this time Ali Abenaxa, the Alcayde who was in Denia, sent to
Abeniaf, saying unto him that he should send of that treasure, and of
those jewels which he had taken from King Yahia, to the Miramamolin
beyond sea; with the which he would gather together a great power, and
cross the sea, and come against the Cid, to help the people of
Valencia, and protect them against the Cid, who did so much evil to
them all. And Abeniaf took counsel with the men of Valencia concerning
this matter, whether he should send this to the Miramamolin beyond sea
or not. And the old men advised him that he should, and the others that
he should not. And Abeniaf took the treasures, and hid the best part
thereof for himself, for none knew what it was; and the rest he sent by
his messengers, Abenalfarax the Guazil of the Cid being one; and they
took their departure from Valencia with great secresy, least the Cid
should know it and overtake them upon the road. But Abenalfarax devised
means to let the Cid know, and sent him a messenger. And the Cid sent
horsemen to follow their track, who caught them, and took the treasure,
and brought it to the Cid. Greatly did he thank Abenalfarax for having
served him so well at that season, and putting the treasure into his
hands, and he promised him goodly guerdon; and he made him chief over
all the Moors who were his subjects. At this time the Alcayde of
Juballa yielded up the Castle to the Cid, and the Cid placed another
therein, and went up with his host against Valencia, and encamped in a
village which is called Deroncada. And as the seed time was now over,
he burnt all the villages round about, and wasted all that belonged to
Abeniaf and his lineage, and he burnt the mills, and the barks which
were in the river. And he ordered the corn to be cut, for it was now
the season, and he beset the city on all sides, and pulled down the
houses and towers which were round about, and the stone and wood
thereof he sent to Juballa, to make a town there beside the Castle.
VII. At this time there came the Guazil of the King of Zaragoza to the
host of the Cid, bringing with him great treasures which the King had
sent for the redemption of the captives, for ruth which he had of them,
and also that he might have his reward from God in the other world. He
came also to talk with Abeniaf and counsel him that he should give up
the city to the King of Zaragoza, and they would send away the
Almoravides, and the King would protect him; but Abeniaf would give no
ear to this, and the Guazil said unto him that he would repent not
having taken this advice. On the second day after this Guazil had
arrived, the Cid attacked the suburb which is called Villa Nueva, and
entered it by force, and slew many Moors, both men of Andalusia and
Almoravides, and plundered all that they found, and pulled down the
houses, and the wood and stone the Cid sent to Juballa, and he set a
guard there that the Moors might not recover the place. On the morrow
the Cid attacked another suburb, which is called Alcudia, and there
were a great body of the Moors gathered together there. And he sent a
part of his host against the gate of Alcantara, bidding them attack the
gate, while he fought against them in Alcadia; and he thought that by
God's mercy peradventure he should enter the town. And the Cid with his
company rode among that great multitude of the Moors, smiting and
slaying without mercy, and the Cid's horse trampled over the dead, and
stumbled among them and fell, and the Cid remained afoot. Howbeit they
brought him to horse again, and he continued smiting and laying on
strenuously, so that the Moors were amazed at the great mortality which
he made among them, and maugre all they could do, were fain to fly into
the town. And they whom he had sent against the gate of Alcantara,
attacked it so bravely that they would have entered the city, if it had
not been for the boys and the women, who were upon the wall and in the
towers, and threw down stones upon them. And this while the cry went
forth in the city, and many horsemen sallied forth and fought with the
Christians before the bridge, and the battle lasted from morning until
midday, and when they separated, the Cid returned to his camp. And when
the Cid had taken food, he returned after the _siesta_ to attack the
suburb of Alcudia; and this attack was so vigorous that they who dwelt
therein thought the place would be forced, and they began to cry out,
Peace! Peace! being in great fear. Then, the Cid bade his men give over
the attack, and the good men of the suburb came out to him, and
whatsoever terms of security they asked, he granted them; and he took
possession of the suburb that night, and set his guards therein; and he
commanded his people that they should do no wrong to them of Alcudia,
and if any one offended he said that his head should be smitten off; so
he returned that night to the camp. And on the morrow he came there,
and assembled together the Moors of that place, and comforted them much
with his speeches, and promised that he would favour them greatly and
not oppress them, and bade them till their fields and tend their flocks
securely, saying that he would take only a tenth of the fruit thereof,
as their law directed. And he placed a Moor there named Yucef to be his
Almoxarife, that is to say, his Receiver. And he gave orders that all
Moors who would come and dwell therein might come securely, and they
also who would bring food thither for sale, and other merchandize. So
much food and much merchandize were brought there from all parts, and
that suburb became like a city, and there was plenty therein.
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