VI. he left only what would suffice for a fortnight, and took BOOK the rest, saying that in that time the King of Zaragoza would come and relieve them, for that he only tarried to collect great store of food, that he might bring it with him. This he said to keep the people quiet, and to encourage them. And of the food which he carried away, he took the most part for himself and for his guards, and the rest he ordered to be sold in such manner, that none should buy more than would suffice him for the day. And what he took he did not pay for, and when the people demanded payment, he put them off till another day; and he bade them not complain, for they would be relieved from this misery, and then he would pay them well. And they who had any food left buried it for fear, and for this reason there was none to be bought, neither dear nor cheap. And they Chr. del who had nothing else, ate herbs, and leather, and electuaries 188. 189. from the apothecaries,' which they bought at a great price, f. 286. and the poor ate the dead bodies. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. sent letters XXV. Now Abeniaf had no hope of succor, save only How the King of from the King of Zaragoza, who had sent to bid him hold Zaragoza out; and he sent to him every night, to tell him of the great to Valencia. misery which there was in Valencia, and the King of Zaragoza returned for answer that King Don Alfonso had sent him a great body of horsemen with Garcia Ordoñez, and would come himself after them; and he sent in this letter another letter written with his own hand, and which was to be shown to the good men of the town privily; and he said therein, with great oaths to confirm it, that he would without fail come and deliver them, for it was a great grief to him to think what they endured, and that this was 1 The Chronica General has especieros in the place of boticarios, . . a synonyme which is worthy of notice. This early mention of apothecaries was also unknown to Beckmann, and it strengthens the conjecture of that very learned and laborious writer, that the trade originated with the Saracens, and was by them introduced into Europe. Hist. of Inventions. English translation, Vol. 2. p. 133. BOOK Chr. del Cid. cap. 190. 191. Chr. Gen. ff. 267. How Aben as great sorrow to him as theirs could be. And certain of the King's favorites wrote to Abeniaf also after the same manner, telling him that he would surely come; howbeit one of his favorites who had compassion upon the men of Valencia, sent a covert message to warn them, saying, that the King of Zaragoza would build a tower in Alcudia de Tudela; the meaning of this was, that all the King said, was only to put them off. Abeniaf did not understand it, and sent to ask him what it was that he had said; but the other made him no reply. Then the King of Zaragoza sent two messengers to the Cid with jewels and rich presents, and besought him that he would not distress the men of Valencia so greatly, and also that he would let his messengers enter the town that they might speak with Abeniaf. This the Cid would not permit; howbeit they found means to send in a letter, saying, Wit ye that I send to entreat the Cid that he will not do so great evil unto you, and I give him jewels and rich presents that he may do my will in this, and I believe that he will do it. But if he should not, I will gather together a great host, and drive him out of the land. Howbeit these were but dissembling words, for the King of Zaragoza and the Cid were friends and were of one accord, that the Cid should take Valencia and give it the King, who should give him great treasures in return. 2 XXVI. Then the Cid began to treat with a great Moor of the town, named Abenmoxiz that he should rise up and how he against Abeniaf, and kill him or deliver him into his hands, moxiz rose against Abeniaf, was taken. 1 Que querie fazer una torre de candela en el Alcudia, . . is what the Chronica General says. Aboegib, according to the Chronica General. The sons of Aboegib have appeared so much without any mention of the father, that it seems probable he was either dead or superannuated: had their father been living, and active enough to have taken the part which this Abenmoxiz did, he would certainly have been sent out of the town with the rest of his family. VI. and that he would make him Lord over Valencia, and BOOK the country as far as Denia. And Abenmoxiz took counsel with his friends, and they advised him that he should do this; but Abeniaf knew of their counsel, and took them, and put them in prison, and gave them in charge to two of his household in whom he had great trust. And Abenmoxiz talked with his keepers, and told them all that he purposed to do, and promised them, if they would release him, to reward them greatly when he had succeeded, saying, that he undertook this with the consent and advice of the King of Zaragoza: so they were persuaded and promised to join with him. And when it was night Abenmoxiz and his friends and the two keepers agreed to seize the Alcazar, which was the place wherein they were imprisoned, and to beat the alarm, and raise a cry for the King of Zaragoza; and they thought the men of the town would join with them, and then they would go to the house of Abeniaf and lay hands on him. And they did accordingly, and beat a drum, and sent a cryer upon the tower of the Mosque to bid all the people assemble at the Alcazar. And when the people heard that drum and that cryer they were in great fear, and knew not what to think: and they assembled some to guard their own houses, other some to guard the tower, till they knew what it was. And when Abeniaf heard it, he was greatly dismayed, and he asked of all whom he found at his gates, what the uproar was, and what this thing might be. In short time all they who were on his side, both horse and foot, assembled together, and then they knew what it was; and he bade them go to the Alcazar and take Abenmoxiz, und all that held with him. Abenmoxiz this while was at the gate of the Alcazar with his little company, thinking that the whole town would join him; and behold Abeniaf's company came up and charged him; and he thought to defend himself with the few that were with him, but the most part fled, and he with four others were taken; and they led them with great shame VI. BOOK to the house of Abeniaf, who sent him to prison, and gave orders to smite off the heads of the others. And Abeniaf sent to lay hands on all whom he suspected, and took from them all that they had. And he sent messengers to the King of Zaragoza to tell him what had chanced, and they took with them Abenmoxiz prisoner, and they were charged to remain at Zaragoza, and send him true tidings from thence. Chr. del Cid. cap. 192. 193. Chr Gen. ff. 267. How the Cid attack and was put to the worst, and of the great cruelty which he committed upon the Moor. XXVII. Now there was no food to be bought in the ed the city city, and the people were in the waves of death: and men were seen to drop and die in the streets, and the Place of the Alcazar round about the walls thereof was full of graves, and there was no grave which had fewer than ten bodies in it. As many as could fled out of the town, and delivered themselves up to the Christians to be made prisoners. The Cid thought that they who were the Chiefs within the walls, thrust out the poor and feeble, that they might be able to hold out longer; and it troubled him, for he thought to take the town by starving it, and he feared the coming of the Almoravides. Sometimes it troubled him, and at other times. he seemed pleased that the Moors should come out and give themselves prisoners to his people. Now it befel that once, at such time as it seemed to please him, some of the chief men of the town came out in this manner, and counselled him that he should attack it, for they said the men at arms were few, and weak for hunger, and that he might presently win it and the Cid took thought upon this matter, and resolved to do as they said; and he gathered together his host and advanced against the gate which is called Belfanhanes, that is to say, the Gate of the Snake, and they drew nigh unto the wall. And all the people of the town assembled, even all the force which was therein, and threw down stones from the gate and from the wall, and shot their arrows, so that neither stone nor arrow fell in vain; and the Cid and they who had advanced with him went into a bath which was near the wall, to be under cover from the arrows. And VI. Abeniaf's company opened the gate and sallied out, seeing BOOK that the stones and arrows from the wall had hurt many, and made the Christians draw back; and the Cid and they who were with him remained in the bath, being shut up there, for they could not go out by the door whereat they had entered, and they broke through the wall on the other side, and the Cid escaped that way, being thus put to rout. Then he thought himself ill advised in having attacked the town, and in putting himself into a place from whence he had escaped with such great danger; and he held that the worst war which he could make upon the men of Valencia was to let them die of hunger. So he ordered proclamation to be made so loud that all the Moors upon the walls could hear, bidding all who had come out from the town to return into it, or he would burn as many as he should find; and saying also that he would slay all who came out from that time forth. Nevertheless they continued to let themselves down from the walls, and the Christians took them without his knowledge. But as many as he found he burnt alive before the walls, so that the Moors could see them; in one day he burnt eighteen, and cast others alive to the dogs, who tore them in pieces. They who could hide any sent them away by sea and by land to be sold; the most whom they sent were young men and girls, for others they would not take; and many virgins they kept for themselves. And if they knew that any who came out, had left kinsmen or friends in the town who would give any thing for them, they tortured them before the walls, or hung them from the towers of the Mosques which were without the city, and stoned them; and when they in the town saw this they gave ransom for them, that they might be permitted to dwell in Alcudia with the Moors who were in peace with the Cid. This continued for two months, till there were only four beasts left in the town, and one was a mule of Abeniaf's, and another was a horse Chr. del of his son's; and the people were so wasted that there were 193. 194. but few who had strength to mount the wall. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 268. |