VI. 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 f. 265. the fire. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. sent to ask the King of 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 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, 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 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 Cid. cap. from the apothecaries,' which they bought at a great price, f. 286. and the poor ate the dead bodies. 188. 189. Chr. Gen. 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 sent letters 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 1 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 190. 191. and give it the King, who should give him great treasures Chr. del Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. ff. 267. How Aben moxiz rose in return. 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, against Abeniaf, was taken. 1 Que querie fazer una torre de candela en el Alcudia, is what the Chronica General says. 2 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 |