V. BOOK he thought to betake himself to his own castle of Monviedro and dwell there, away from the troubles which were to come. Upon this purpose he took counsel with his friend Mahomed Abenhayen the Scribe, for there was great love between them; and when the Scribe heard what he purposed to do he was grieved thereat, and represented unto him that it was not fitting for him to forsake the city at such a time, so that Aboeza was persuaded. And they twain covenanted one to the other, to love and defend each other against all the men in the world, and to help each other with their persons and possessions; and Aboeza sent trusty men of his kinsfolk and friends to keep the Castles of Monviedro and Castro and Santa Cruz, and other Castles which were in his possession, and he himself abode in Valencia. And now he went out to Yahia, to give unto him the keys of the city, and the good men of the city went out with him, and they made obeisance to him, and promised to serve him loyally. Then Yahia, the grandson of Alimaymon, set forth with all his company from Sera, and all the people of Valencia, high and low, went out to meet him with great rejoicings. And Aboeza adorned the Alcazar right nobly, that Yahia and his women and they of his company might lodge within. The most honorable of his knights took up their lodging in the town, and the cross-bow men, and others of low degree, lodged round about the Alcazar, and in certain dwellings which were between it and the Mosque, and Alvar Fañez, and the Christians who were with him, in the village which was called Ruzaf. Chr. del Cid. cap. 133. 134. Chr. Gen. ff. 242. Of the tax which was barley for the Christians. VII. Yahia being now King in Valencia, made Aboeza raised for his Guazil, and gave him authority throughout all his kingdom. Nevertheless he bore displeasure against him in his heart, because he had served Abdalla Azis; and on his part also Aboeza secretly feared the King, and knew not whether it were better to depart from him, or not; howbeit he thought it best to remain and serve him right loyally and V. well, that so he might win his good will; and when the King BOOK perceived this, his anger abated and was clean put out of mind. And he made Aboeza his favorite, and made a vow unto him and confirmed it by a writing, that he would never take away his favor from him, nor change him for another, nor do any thing in his dominions without him. With this was Aboeza satisfied, and the fear which he felt in his heart was removed. And they who held the castles brought great gifts to Yahia, with much humility and reverence, such as the Moors know how to put on. This they did to set his heart at rest, that he might confide in them, and send away Alvar Fañez into his own country, and not keep him and his people at so great a charge, for it cost them daily six hundred maravedis, and the King had no treasure in Valencia, neither was he so rich that he could support his own company and supply this payment; and for this reason the Moors complained of the great cost. But on the other hand, Yahia feared that if he should send away Alvar Fañez, the Moors would rise against him; and to maintain him he laid a great tax upon the city and its district, saying that it was for barley. This tax they levied upon the rich, as well as the poor, and upon the great as well as the little, which they held to be a great evil and breach of their privileges, and thought that by his fault Valencia would be lost, even as Toledo had been. This tribute so sorely aggrieved the people, that it became as it were a by-word in the city, Give the barley. They say there was a great mastiff, with whom they killed beef in the shambles, who, whenever he heard, 'Give Chr. del the barley,' began to bark and growl: upon which a Troba- 134. 135. dor said, Thanks be to God, we have many in the town who ff. 242. are like the mastiff. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. went Abenmazot VIII. When they who held the Castles sent presents to How Yahia King Yahia, there was one among them, by name Aben- against mazot, who held Xativa, who neither sent him gifts, nor in Xativa. came to offer obedience. And the King sent to bid him come before him. But then Abenmazot sent a messenger V. BOOK with letters and full of rich presents, saying that he could by no means come himself, and not this from any feigning, and that he would alway do him service with a true good will. And he besought him as his Lord to let him remain in Xativa, and he would give him the rents thereof; but if it was his pleasure to appoint some other in his stead, he besought that he would then give him something for himself and his company to subsist upon, seeing that he desired nothing but the King's favor to be well with him. Then the King took counsel with Aboeza the Guazil, and the Guazil advised him to do unto Abenmazot even as he had requested, and let him keep Xativa; and to send away Alvar Fañez because of the great charge it was to maintain him, and to live in peace, and put his kingdom in order; in all which he advised him like a good counsellor and a true. But the King would not give heed to him; instead thereof he communicated his counsel to the two sons of Abdalla Azis who had submitted unto him, and whom he had taken into his favor, and they told him that Aboeza had advised him ill, and that it behoved him to lead out his host and bring Abenmazot to obedience. And the King believed them and went out and besieged Xativa. And the first day he entered the lower part of the town, but Abenmazot retired to the Alcazar and the fortresses, and defended the upper part; and the King besieged him there for four months, attacking him every day, till food began to fail both in the army of the King and in the town. And they of Valencia could not supply what was to be paid to Alvar Fañez and his company, much less what the King wanted. Then the King understood that he had been ill advised, and for this reason he condemned one of the sons of Abdalla Azis to pay Alvar Fañez for thirty days; and he seized a Jew who was one of his Almoxarifes in Valencia, that is to say, one who collected the taxes, and took from him all that he had, because he had advised him ill, and while this lasted the people of Valencia had some respite. Chr. del Cid. cap. 136. Chr. Gen. ff. 243. V. help Aben IX. When Abenmazot saw that the King was bent upon BOOK destroying him, and that every day he prest him more and more, he sent to Abenalfange who was King of Denia and How Abenalfange Tortosa, saying, that if he would come and help him, he came to would make him Lord of Xativa and of all his other mazot. Castles, and would be at his mercy; and this he did to escape from the hands of Yahia. When Abenalfange heard this it pleased him well, and he sent one of his Alcaydes, who was called the Left-handed, to enter the Alcazar, and help to defend it till he could collect a company of Christians who might deal with Alvar Fañez. So that Left-handed one entered the Alcazar with his company, and the Lord of the Castle which was called Almenar, was already there to help Abenmazot, and encourage him that he should not submit. Then Abenalfange gathered together all his host and his cavalry, and brought with him Giralte the Roman, with a company of French knights, and came towards Xativa, as a hungry lion goes against a sheep, or like the coming of a flood in its hour; so that Yahia was dismayed at the tidings of his approach, and fled as fast as he could to the Isle of Xucar, and though that Isle was so near, he thought he had done a great thing; and from thence he went to Valencia, holding himself greatly dishonored. Then Abenalfange had Xativa and all its Castles, so that it was all one kingdom as far as Denia. And he took Abenmazot with all his women and his household and all that he had, to Denia, and gave him possessions there, and did him much honor. And when it was seen that King Yahia was thus dishonored, and that Alvar Fañez had not helped him as had been looked for, they who held the Castles lost all fear of him, so that their hearts were changed towards him, as well they of Valencia as of the other Castles, and they said that they would rather belong to Abenalfange than to him, because Chr. del the town could not bear the charge of the Christians, nor 137. the oppressions which they suffered because of them. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 243. BOOK How Alvar try. X. Abenalfange abode some days in Xativa, and then V. moved on towards Valencia, thinking to win the city; for Fañez he knew how greatly the people were oppressed because of plundered the counthe Christians, and that they could not bear it, and that there was no love between them and their Lord. And he passed by a place which was an oratory of the Moors in their festivals, which they call in Arabic Axera, or Araxea; and he halted near Valencia, so that they in the town might see him ; and he went round about the town, to the right and to the left, wheresoever he would. The King of Valencia with his knights was near the wall watching him, and Alvar Fañez and his company were in readiness lest the French should defy them. And after Abenalfange had staid there awhile he drew off and went his way to Tortosa. And Yahia was perplexed with Alvar Fañez, and sought for means to pay him; and he threw the two sons of Abdalla Azis into prison, and many other good men of the town also, and took from them great riches. with Alvar Fañez, that he should remain with him, and gave him great possessions. And when the Moors saw that Alvar Fañez was in such power, all the ruffians and lewd livers in the town flocked unto him, so that Valencia was in the hands of him and his followers; and the Moors being desperate of remedy deserted the town, and went whither they could, setting at nought their inheritances, for no man was safe, neither in his goods nor person. Then Alvar Fañez made an inroad into the lands of Abenalfange, and overran the lands of Buriana, and other parts; and there went with him a great company of those Moorish desperadoes who had joined him, and of other Moorish AlmogavChr. Gen. ares,' and they stormed towns and castles, and slew many Chr. del Cid. cap. 137. 138. ff. 244. Then he made a covenant 1 Miedes says that Almogavares means-Of dust-i. e. Men sprung from the dust of the earth; or because, being the best of the army, they, in Arabic phrase, trod their enemies to dust. Bluteau explains it to mean men covered with dust, he is strangely mistaken in supposing them to be old garrison soldiers. Fr. Joam de Sousa, in his Lexicon Etymolo |