IV. BOOK Then was there a brave battle, and many were slain; but my Cid won the day, and King Abenalfange fled, and King Don Pedro was taken prisoner,' and many of his Counts and knights with him. My Cid returned to Zaragoza with this great honor, taking his prisoners with him; and he set them all freely at liberty, and having tarried in Zaragoza a few days, set forth for Castille, with great riches and full of honors. Chr. del Cid. cap. 112. Chr. Gen. ff. 233. How the Cid re XXI. Having done all these things in his banishment, turned into my Cid returned to Castille, and the King received him well, Castille. and gave him the Castle of Dueñas, and of Orcejon, and Ybia, and Campo, and Gaña, and Berviesca, and Berlanga, with all their districts. And he gave him privileges with leaden seals appendant, and confirmed with his own hand, that whatever castles, towns, and places, he might win from the Moors, or from any one else, should be his own, quit and free for ever, both for him and for his descendants. Thus was my Cid received into the King's favor, and he Chr. Gen. abode with him long time, doing him great services as his Lord. Chr. del Cid. cap. 113. ff. 234. 'The Aragonian writers, not contented with denying this, insist that the Cid was taken prisoner. They rest upon the authority of the Historia del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña. This authority is both late and bad. Berganza (L. 5. C. 17. § 222.) quotes Zurita to show its worthlessness - Vetus rerum Aragonensium Author, qui ante C. C. annos, Regum facta composuit, in artificio et operâ quam tenui et exili, cum alias nullam adhibuisse diligentiam videatur in recensendi regni originibus, longe se et cæteros omnes superat, sed falso quæsita propriæ gentis laus leviorem authorem facit. Such authority would be of little force, even if it were not opposed by the concurrent testimony of so many earlier documents. HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE CHRONICLE OF THE CID. of. who V. How the son King of Badajoz would have taken Toledo. was I. IN these days King Yahia reigned in Toledo, the BOOK grandson of King Alimaymon, who had been the friend King Don Alfonso; for Alimaymon was dead, and his Hicem also. Now Yahia was a bad King, and one walked not in the ways of his fathers. Insolent he towards the elders, and cruel towards his people: and his yoke was so heavy that all men desired to see his death, because there was no good in him. And the people seeing that he did not protect them, and that their lands were ravaged safely, went to him and said, Stand up, Sir, for thy people and thy country, else we must look for some other Lord who will defend us. But he was of such lewd customs that he gave no heed to their words. And when they knew that there was no hope of him, the Moors sent to the King of Badajoz, inviting him to come and be their protector, saying that they would deliver the city into his hands in spite of Yahia: And the Muzarabes who dwelt in the city sent to King Don Alfonso, exhorting him to win Toledo, which he might well do, now that he was no longer bound by his oath. Then both Kings came, thinking to have the city and the King of Badajoz came first, and the V. BOOK gates were opened to him in despite of Yahia. Howbeit King Don Alfonso speedily arrived, and the King of Badajoz, seeing that he could not maintain Toledo against him, retreated, and King Don Alfonso pursued him into his own dominions, and gave orders that he should be attacked along the whole of his border, and did not leave him till he had plainly submitted. In this manner was Yahia delivered from the King of Badajoz; but King Don Alfonso knowing how that city was to be taken, contented himself with overrunning the country, and despoiling it, even to the walls of the city; and thus he did for four years, so that he was master of the land. Garibay, xi. 16. Chr.delCid. cap. 115. 116. Chr. Gen. How Diego the son of the Cid was slain. II. In all this time did my Cid do good service to King Don Alfonso. And in these days King Don Alfonso fought at Consuegra with King Abenalfange of Denia, and in this battle the Christians were defeated,' and Diego Rodriguez, the son of my Cid, was slain. Greatly was his death lamented by the Christians, for he was a youth of great hope, and one who was beginning to tread in the steps of his father. And King Don Alfonso was fain to retire into the Castle of that town. And Abenalfange gathered together the greatest power of the Moors that he could, and entered the land of the Christians, and past the mountains, and came even to Medina del Campo, and there Alvar Fañez Minaya met him. Minaya had but five and twenty hundred horse with him, and of the Moors there were fifteen thousand; nevertheless by God's blessing he prevailed ff. 234. against them. And by the virtue of God Alvar Fañez gave King Abenalfange a cruel wound in the face, so that he fled 1. 9. c. 14. away. Great honor did Manaya win for this victory. How King III. Now had King Don Alfonso for many years cut down the bread and the wine and the fruits in all the coun Chr.delCid. cap. 116. Chr. Gen. Bleda. 1. 3. c. 30. Mariana. Don Alfon so went against Toledo. 1 Bleda, following the Chronica General, makes the Christians victorious in this battle. But where two writers of equal authority record the one the victory, the other the defeat of his countrymen, the latter is obviously to be preferred. V. try round about Toledo, and he made ready to go against BOOK the city. The tidings of this great enterprize spread far and wide, and adventurers came from all parts to be present; not only they of Castille and Leon, Asturias and Nagera, Galicia and Portugal, but King Sancho Ramirez of Aragon came also, with the flower of Aragon and Navarre and Catalonia, and Franks and Germans and Italians, and men of other countries, to bear their part in so great and catholic a war. And the King entertained them well, being full bountiful, insomuch that he was called He of the Open Hand. Never had so goodly a force of Christians been assembled in Spain, nor so great an enterprize attempted, since the coming of the Moors. And of this army was my Cid the leader. A. D. 1085. So soon as the winter was over, they began their march. And when they came to a ford of the Tagus, behold the river was swoln, and the best horseman feared to try the passage. Now there was a holy man in the camp, by name Lesmes, who was a monk of St. Benedict's; and he being mounted upon an ass, rode first into the ford, and passed safely Garibay, through the flood; and all who beheld him held it for a great Sandoval. miracle. xi. 17. ff. 227. ing of To IV. Greatly to be blamed are they who lived in those of the tak days, for not handing down to everlasting remembrance the ledo. worthy feats which were atchieved at this siege. For not only was Toledo a strong city, both by nature and in its walls and towers, but the flower of the chivalry of all Spain and of all Christendom was there assembled, and the Moors of Spain also, knowing that this was, as it were, the heart of their empire, did all they could to defend it: greatly to be blamed are they who neglected to transmit to us the memory of their deeds, and greatly have they wronged the worthy knights, whose exploits should else have gained for them a never-dying renown. Nothing more, owing to their default, can we say of this so notable a siege, than that when Don Cabrian, the Bishop of Leon, was earnestly engaged in prayer for the success of the Christian arms, the glorious V. BOOK gates were opened to him in despite of Yahia. Howbeit King Don Alfonso speedily arrived, and the King of Badajoz, seeing that he could not maintain Toledo against him, retreated, and King Don Alfonso pursued him into his own dominions, and gave orders that he should be attacked along the whole of his border, and did not leave him till he had plainly submitted. In this manner was Yahia delivered from the King of Badajoz; but King Don Alfonso knowing how that city was to be taken, contented himself with overrunning the country, and despoiling it, even to the walls of the city; and thus he did for four years, so that he was master of the land. Garibay, xi. 16. Chr.delCid. cap. 115. 116. Chr. Gen. ff. 234. How Diego Rodriguez the son of the Cid was slain. II. In all this time did my Cid do good service to King Don Alfonso. And in these days King Don Alfonso fought at Consuegra with King Abenalfange of Denia, and in this battle the Christians were defeated,' and Diego Rodriguez, the son of my Cid, was slain. Greatly was his death lamented by the Christians, for he was a youth of great hope, and one who was beginning to tread in the steps of his father. And King Don Alfonso was fain to retire into the Castle of that town. And Abenalfange gathered together the greatest power of the Moors that he could, and entered the land of the Christians, and past the mountains, and came even to Medina del Campo, and there Alvar Fañez Minaya met him. Minaya had but five and twenty hundred horse with him, and of the Moors there were fifteen thousand; nevertheless by God's blessing he prevailed ff. 234. against them. And by the virtue of God Alvar Fañez gave King Abenalfange a cruel wound in the face, so that he fled. Great honor did Manaya win for this victory. Chr.delCid. cap. 116. Chr. Gen. Bleda. 1. 3. c. 30. Mariana. 1. 9. c. 14. away. How King Don Alfonso went against Toledo. III. Now had King Don Alfonso for many years cut down the bread and the wine and the fruits in all the coun 1 Bleda, following the Chronica General, makes the Christians victorious in this battle. But where two writers of equal authority record the one the victory, the other the defeat of his countrymen, the latter is obviously to be preferred. |