VI. BOOK looked that he should give him of the treasures and jewels that he had taken from King Yahia whom he had slain; but when he saw that he brought nothing, then began the Cid to talk of terms, and said unto him that if he desired to have his love, and that there should be peace between them, he must divide with him the rents of the town, as well what was collected within as without, and that he would have his own Almoxarife to see to this and collect his share. And Abeniaf made answer that it should be so. And the Cid demanded of him his son as hostage, that he might keep him in Juballa, for otherwise he said he could not be secure. And Abeniaf agreed to this also; so they parted for that. day, having appointed that they should meet on the morrow, and confirm this covenant by writings so that it should be good. Then Abeniaf returned into the city, full sorrowful and taking great thought; and then he saw the foolishness that he had done in sending away the Almoravides out of the land, and in putting his trust in men of another law. And on the morrow the Cid sent for him that he should come out and confirm the covenant; but Abeniaf sent him word that he would not give him his son, even though he knew he should lose his head for refusing. And the Cid sent him a letter with great threats, saying, that since he had thus deceived him, there should never more be love between them, nor would he ever believe aught which he should say. And then the hatred between them waxed very great. And the Cid sent unto that Moor who had taken the sons of Aboegib and bade him leave the town, and go unto the Castle which was called Alcala; and he obeyed and went thither, for he dared not do otherwise than as the Cid commanded. And he did great honors to the sons of Aboegib and to their kinsmen, and gave orders that they should be provided with all things which they needed, and gave them garments, and promised that he would be their great friend. At this time three good men of Valencia died, who were the most honorable of the town and of the most discretion, and Chr. del id. cap. 86. · Abeniaf was left as Chief, for there was none to gainsay him. men. BOOK pride and Abeniaf; more and more. XXI. And the Cid made war afresh upon the city as cruelly as he could, and the price of bread was now three times as great as it had been at the beginning; the load of of the wheat was worth an hundred maravedis of silver, and the tyranny of pound of flesh was a maravedi. And the Cid drew nigh and how the price of unto the walls, so as to fight hand to hand with the towns- food waxed And Abeniaf waxed proud and despised the people, and when any went to make complaint before him, and ask justice at his hands, he dishonored them, and they were evil entreated by him. And he was like a King, retired apart, and trobadors and gleemen and masters disported before him which could do the best, and he took his pleasure. And they of the town were in great misery, from the Christians who warred upon them from without, and the famine whereof they died within. Moreover Abeniaf oppressed them greatly, and he took unto himself all the goods of those who died, and he made all persons equal, the good and the bad, and took from all all that he could; and those who gave him nothing he ordered to be tormented with. stripes, and cast into rigorous prisons, till he could get something from them. And he had no respect neither for kinsman nor friend. There was but one measure for all, and men cared nothing now for their possessions, so that the sellers were many and the buyers none. And with all these miseries the price of food became exceeding great, for the cafiz of wheat was priced at ninety maravedis, and that of barley at eighty, and that of painick' eighty and five, and that of all pulse sixty, and the arroba of figs seven, and of honey twenty, and of cheese eighteen, and of carobs sixteen, and of onions twelve, and the measure of oil twenty: flesh there was none, neither of beast nor of any thing else; but if a beast died, the pound was worth three 1 Panizo... this is Minsheu's interpretation, who says it is a grain resembling millet. i. e. horse, mule, or ass. VI. BOOK maravedis. And they were so weak with hunger that the Christians came to the walls and threw stones in with the hand, and there was none who had strength to drive them back. cap. 186. Chr. Gen. ff. 265. Of the famine which there lencia. XXII. And the Cid having it at heart to take the town, let make an engine, and placed it at one of the gates, was in Va- and it did great hurt both to the walls and within the town; and the Moors made other engines, with the which they brake that of the Cid. And the Cid in his anger let make three engines, and placed them at the three gates of the town, and they did marvellous great hurt. And food waxed dearer every day, till at last dear nor cheap it was not to be had, and there was a great mortality for famine; and they eat dogs and cats and mice. And they opened the vaults and privies and sewers' of the town, and took out the stones of the grapes which they had eaten, and washed them, and ate them. And they who had horses fed upon them. And many men, and many women, and many children watched when the gates were open, and went out and gave themselves into the hands of the Christians, who slew some, and took others, and sold them to the Moors in Alcudia; and the price of a Moor was a loaf and a pitcher of wine: and when they gave them food and they took their fill, they died. Them that were stronger they sold to merchants who came there by sea from all parts. And the Moors of Alcudia, and of the town which ' Of the sewers at Valencia Miedes gives a long account, L. 12. C. 17. which fills the whole chapter. They were the work of the Romans, and were perfect two centuries ago, to the great comfort of the inhabitants. A canal from the river, after supplying the dye-houses, entered them, and swept away their filth to the sea, . . fertilizing, says Miedes, the fields through which it flowed. This mention of privies is curious. I give the original passage because it has escaped Professor Beckmann's researches. Abrian las camaras e privadas, e los caños de la villa, e saccavan el uruso de las uvas que comian, e lavavanlo en el agua, e comianlo. Chronica del Cid. cap. 187. VI. Cid. cap. the Cid had made there, had plenty of all things, and as BOOK great as was their abundance, even so great was the misery of those in the town: and they spake the verse which say- Chr. del eth, If I go to the right the water will destroy me, and if I 187. go to the left the lion will kill me, and if I turn back there is ff. 265. the fire. Chr. Gen. sent to ask XXIII. Now the Moors of Valencia being in this great How they misery, because of the siege which the Cid laid unto the the aid of the King of town, Abeniaf bethought him that he would send a messen- Zaragoza. ger to the King of Zaragoza, and beseech him to come to his succor, even as he had succored the grandson of Alimaymon, when the Lord of Denia and Tortosa came against him. And the good men of the town took counsel whether they should say in these letters, To you the King, or whether they should humble themselves before him and call him Lord; and they debated upon this for three days, and agreed that they would call him Lord, that he might have the more compassion upon them. And though Abeniaf was troubled at heart at this determination, nevertheless he said in the letter as they had appointed. And he called a Moor who spake the mixed language, and instructed him how to get out of the city by night, so that the Christians might not see him, and told him that when he had given that letter to the King of Zaragoza, the King would give him garments, and a horse, and a mule to ride on, and that he himself would show favor unto him as long as he lived. So the messenger departed with the letter. And the famine in the town waxed greater, and food was not now bought by the cafiz, neither by the fanega, but by ounces, or at most by the pound. And the pound of wheat cost a maravedi and a half, and that of barley a maravedi, and that of painick a maravedi and a quarter, and of pulse a maravedi, and of flax-seed three parts of a maravedi, and of cheese three dineros, and of honey three, and of figs one; and the panilla of oil was eight dineros, and the pound of colewort five, and the ounce of carobs three parts of a VI. BOOK dinero, and the ounce of onions the same, and the head of garlick the same; and a pound of beast's flesh was six maravedis, and grape-stones were half a dinero the pound, and the skins of kine and of beasts five dineros: the dinero was silver, for there was no money current save silver and gold. Chr. del ff. 266. Of the answer of the King of Zaragoza, which Abe for food. XXIV. When the King of Zaragoza saw the letter which Abeniaf and the men of Valencia had sent him, he and of the gave no heed to it, neither cared he for the messenger, search neither did he give him a draught of water for his reward. niaf made And the messenger waited for his answer from day to day for three weeks, and he dared not depart without it for fear lest Abeniaf should slay him; and he thought also that some of the King's people would come out after him, and slay him upon the way: and he was urgent for his answer, and began at last to cry aloud at the gate of the King's house, so that the King asked of what that messenger was making his complaint. Then they told the King that he wanted his answer that he might be gone. And the King wrote an answer and said, that this aid which they besought of him he could not give till he had sent to ask help of King Don Alfonso of Castille, for he could not else venture to do battle with the Cid. And he exhorted them to defend themselves the best they could, while he procured horsemen from King Don Alfonso to help them, and that they should from time to time send him word how they went on. So the messenger returned in great sorrow, that he had sped no better, and that nothing had been given him as Abeniaf had promised and all this which the King of Zaragoza said was only delay, and meant nothing. And the famine now waxed so great that there was no food to sell, and many died of hunger. And many for great misery went out to the Christians, recking not whether they should be made captive, or slain, for they thought it better to be slain than to perish for lack of food. And Abeniaf searched all the houses in the town for food, and where he found any store, |