V. Count Ramon heard in his flight that the Cid had taken all BOOK his chief captains, and that well nigh all his power was either slain or taken, he thought it best to come unto the Cid and trust unto his mercy, and he came full humbly and put himself into his hands. And the Cid received him full well and honored him greatly, and let him go into his own country. And the Count offered a price for the prisoners which was a full great ransom, and moreover the swords precious above all others, which were made in other times.' Bountiful was the Cid when he received this ransom, and great part of it he returned unto them again, and showed them great courtesy, and they did homage to him never to come against him 157. 158. with any man in the world. Chr. del Cid. cap. Chr Gen. ff. 253. death of Cid became XXI. When Abenalfange the King of Denia and Tortosa of the heard this, he was so sorely grieved that he fell sick and died. Abenalfange, and He left one son who was a little one, and the sons of Buxar how the were his guardians. One of these held Tortosa for the child, master in and the other held Xativa, and one who was their cousin held the land. Denia. And they knowing that they could neither live in peace, nor yet have strength for war, unless they could have the love of the Cid, sent humbly to say unto him that if he would do no hurt to their lands they would do whatever he pleased, and pay him yearly what he should think good. And the Cid demanded of them fifty thousand maravedis of silver, every year and the covenant was made between them, and the whole country from Tortosa to Orihuela was under his protection and at his command. And he fixed the tribute which each Castle was to pay, that it should be certain and it was as you shall be told. The Lord of Albar 1 Emas las espadas preciadas de todos, que fueran de otro tempo. Berganza labors to prove that this is not the former story of the Count of Barcelona told over again, and that the only error in the Chronicle is that of mistaking Berenguer Ramon for his brother Ramon Berenguer, — a mistake sufficiently easy. But this circumstance of the swords makes against him, for Colada must be meant, and Colada is mentioned as part of the spoils in the former battle. V. BOOK mained that day to put his things in order for flight, and as soon as night came he would make his escape by way of the mountain. Moreover they said that the Cid did not think Count Ramon had it so much at heart to give him battle, or he would not have awaited till his coming; and they counselled the Count to send and take possession of the passes by which he meant to escape, for so he might easily take him. Then the Frenchmen divided their host into four parts, and sent them to guard the passes, and the Count himself remained with one part at the entrance of the straits. The Cid was ready with all his company, and he had sent the Moors who were with him forward to the passes whither his men had directed the Frenchmen, and they lay in ambush there; and when the Frenchmen were in the strong places, and had begun to ascend, little by little, as they could, they rose upon them from the ambush and slew many, and took others of the best, and among the prisoners was Guirabent the brother of Giralte the Roman, who was wounded in the face. And the Cid went out and attacked the Count, and the battle was a hard one; the Count was beaten from his horse, nevertheless his men remounted him, and he bade them stand to it bravely, and the battle lasted long time; but at the end, he who was never conquered won the day. And the Cid took a good thousand prisoners; among them was Don Bernalte de Tamaris, and Giralte the Roman, and Ricarte Guillen. And he put them all in irons, and reproached them saying, that he well knew what his chivalry was, and his hardihood, and that he should thus beat them all down; and he said to them that he was in God's service, taking vengeance for the ills which the Moors had done unto the Christians, and had done them no wrong; but they being envious of him, had come to help the Moors, therefore God had helped him, because he was in his service. And he took their tents, and their horses, and their arms, which were many and good; and much gold and silver, and fine linen, and all that they had, so that he and all his company were rich men with the spoils. And when V. Count Ramon heard in his flight that the Cid had taken all BOOK his chief captains, and that well nigh all his power was either slain or taken, he thought it best to come unto the Cid and trust unto his mercy, and he came full humbly and put himself into his hands. And the Cid received him full well and honored him greatly, and let him go into his own country. And the Count offered a price for the prisoners which was a full great ransom, and moreover the swords precious above all others, which were made in other times.' Bountiful was the Cid when he received this ransom, and great part of it he returned unto them again, and showed them great courtesy, and they did homage to him never to come against him 157. 158. with any man in the world. Chr. del Cid. cap. Chr Gen. ff. 253. death of fange, and Cid became XXI. When Abenalfange the King of Denia and Tortosa of the heard this, he was so sorely grieved that he fell sick and died. AbenalHe left one son who was a little one, and the sons of Buxar how the were his guardians. One of these held Tortosa for the child, master in and the other held Xativa, and one who was their cousin held the land. Denia. And they knowing that they could neither live in peace, nor yet have strength for war, unless they could have the love of the Cid, sent humbly to say unto him that if he would do no hurt to their lands they would do whatever he pleased, and pay him yearly what he should think good. And the Cid demanded of them fifty thousand maravedis of silver, every year and the covenant was made between them, and the whole country from Tortosa to Orihuela was under his protection and at his command. And he fixed the tribute which each Castle was to pay, that it should be certain and it was as you shall be told. The Lord of Albar 1 Emas las espadas preciadas de todos, que fueran de otro tempo. Berganza labors to prove that this is not the former story of the Count of Barcelona told over again, and that the only error in the Chronicle is that of mistaking Berenguer Ramon for his brother Ramon Berenguer, a mistake sufficiently easy. But this circumstance of the swords makes against him, for Colada must be meant, and Colada is mentioned as part of the spoils in the former battle. V. BOOK razin was to pay ten thousand, according to covenant as you heard heretofore, and the Lord of Alfuente ten thousand, and Monviedro eight thousand, and Segorbe six thousand, and Xerica four thousand, and Almenara three thousand. Liria at that time paid nothing, for it was in the Lordship of Zaragoza; but the Cid had it in his heart to fight with that King. For every thousand maravedis a hundred more were paid for a Bishop, whom the Moors I called Alat Almarian. And you are to know that whatever my Cid commanded in Valencia was done, and whatever he forbad was forbidden. And because the King was sick of a malady which continued upon him long time, so that he could not mount on horseback, and was seen by none, Valencia remained under the command of his Guazil Abenalfarax, whom the Cid had appointed. And then the Cid appointed trusty men in the city who should know to how much the rents amounted, as well those of the land as of the sea; and in every village he placed a knight to protect it, so that none dared do wrong to another, nor take anything from him. Each of these knights had three maravedis daily. And the people complained greatly of what they gave these knights, and of that also which they paid to King Yahia. Yet were they withal abundantly supplied with bread, and with flocks which the Christians brought in, and With captives both male and female, and with Moorish men and women, who gave great sums for their ransom. Chr. del Cid. cap. 15. 159. Chr. Gen. ff. 253. How the Cid went to King. XXII. Then the Cid sent to the King of Zaragoza, bidRequena, ding him yield up the Bastilles which he had built against thinking to meet the Valencia; and the King returned for answer that he would not until King Yahia had paid him the whole cost which he had been at, when he came to his succor against King Abenalfange. Then the Cid besieged Liria, and the people submitted unto him, that they should pay him yearly two thousand maravedis. And he overran the whole of the King of Zaragoza's country, and brought great spoils to Valencia. Now at this time a Moor called Ali Abenaxa, This V. the Adelantado of the Almoravides, that is to say, of the BOOK Moors from beyond sea, came with a great power of the Moors of Andalusia to besiege the Castle of Aledo. he did because he knew that King Don Alfonso would come to its relief, and he thought that peradventure the King would bring with him so small a force that he might slay or take him. But when the King heard of it he assembled a great host, and sent to the Cid, bidding him come and aid him. And the Cid went to Requena, believing that he should meet the King there; but the King went another way, and the Cid not knowing this tarried some days in Requena expecting him, because that was the road. And when the Moors knew that King Don Alfonso was coming with so great a host to relieve the Castle, they departed, flying. And King Don Alfonso came to the Castle, and when he came there he found that he was short of victuals, and returned in great distress for want of food, and lost many men and many beasts who could not pass the Sierra. Nevertheless he supplied the castle well with arms, and with Chr.delcid. such food as he could. cap. 160. How King banished time. XXIII. Now they who hated the Cid spake leasing of Don Alfonso him to King Don Alfonso, saying that he had tarried in the Cid a Requena, knowing that the King was gone another way, second 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 1 Berganza refers to Fr. Juan Gil de Zamora, who wrote about five centuries before him, for a fuller account of this part of the Cid's history; and he quotes from him four different forms of defiance delivered in the |