VII. Chr. del BOOK which he had shown to the son of Abeniaf; and they took out Abeniaf to stone him, and other twenty and two with him. And the Cid bade them come again to him on the morrow, and he would appoint what should be the manner of his dwelling among them. Cid. cap. 210. Of the speech which the Cid made unto the would have himself. IX. That night the Cid spake with Alvar Fañez and with Pero Bermudez, and all them who were of his council, and they resolved in what manner they would live among Moors, tel- the Moors. And on the morrow the honorable Moors of ling them that he Valencia assembled together in the Alcazar, as they had the city to been commanded to do, and the Cid took his seat upon the estrado, and all the honorable men round about him, and he spake unto them after this manner: Good men of the Aljama of Valencia, ye know how I served and defended King Yahia your Lord, and ye also, until his death. And I had great sorrow for him, and strove to revenge him, as ye know, and endured great hardships in winning Valencia. And since God hath thought it good that I should be Lord thereof, I will have it for myself, and for those who have holpen me to win it, saving the sovereignty of King Don Alfonso of Castille, my Lord, whom God preserve for his service long and happy years. Ye are all now in my power, to do with ye whatever I will, both with your persons and your riches, and your wives and your children ; but I will not do thus. And I hold it good that the honorable men among ye who have alway been loyal, remain in the city in their dwellings and with all their family; and that none among ye keep more than one beast, which shall be a mule, and that ye do not use arms, neither have them in your possession, except when it is needful and I shall give command. And all the rest of the people shall go out of the town, and dwell in the suburb of Alcudia, where I was wont to be. Ye shall have two Mosques, one in the city and one in the suburb; and ye shall have your Alfaquis and follow your own law; and ye shall have your Cadis, and your Guazil, as I have appointed; and ye shall VII. have your inheritances, and pay me the tenth of the fruits BOOK thereof as your service; and the power of justice shall be mine, and I will order such money to be coined as I shall think good. Do ye therefore who are minded to abide with me in the land abide and let those who are not, go, in God's name, and good luck with them, but they shall take only their own persons, and I will give command to see them escorted in safety. When the Moors of Valencia heard this, they were full sorrowful; howbeit it was now a time when they could do no otherwise than as he commanded. And incontinently they began to go out of the city with their wives and children, all except those whom the Cid had commanded to abide there; and as the Moors went out the Christians who dwelt in Alcudia entered in. And the history saith, that so great was the multitude which departed, that they were two whole days in going out. Great was the Chr. del joy of the Cid and his people that day, and from thence- 211. forward he was called My Cid the Campeador, Lord of f. 274. Valencia. Cid. cap. Chr. Gen. King of Se And ville came knew against Va lencia and feated. X. Now it was bruited abroad throughout all lands, how How the the Cid Ruydiez had won the noble city of Valencia. when Ali Abenaxa the Adelantado of the Almoravides it, he sent his son-in-law the King of Seville to besiege him was dein Valencia, and gave him thirty thousand men at arms. And this King came in great haste to Valencia, and besieged the Cid therein. And the Cid made ready with all his people, and went out to fight him. And the battle was nigh unto Valencia, beside the garden which is called the Garden of Villa Nueva; and it was a good battle, and at length he of the good fortune conquered; and the pursuit continued as far as Xativa; even so far did the Christians pursue them, smiting and slaying. And at the passage of the Xucar there might you have seen confusion, and there the Moors without liking it, drank plenty of water. They say that fifteen thousand Moors died in the river; and the King of Seville fled with three great blows. This day did VII. BOOK Martin Pelaez the Asturian approve himself a right good one; there was no knight so good that day in arms as he, nor who bore away such honor. And when the pursuit was ended the Cid returned to the field of battle, and ordered the spoils of the field and of the tents to be collected. Be it known that this was a profitable day's work. Every foot soldier shared a hundred marks of silver that day. And the Cid returned full honorably to Valencia. Great was the joy of the Christians in the Cid Ruydiez, he who was born in a good hour. His beard was grown, and continued to grow a great length. My Cid said of his chin, For the love of King Don Alfonso, who hath banished me from his land, no scissars shall come upon it, nor shall a hair be cut away, and Moors and Christians shall talk of it. Chr. del 212. Chr. Gen. ff. 274. Poema del Cid v. 1230 1251. How the Cid numbered his people. XI. That night the Cid took counsel with Alvar Fañez, who departed not from his side, and with the other honorable men who were of his council, concerning what should be done for now that his people were all rich, he feared least they should return into their own country, for my Cid saw that if they might go they would. And Minaya advised him that he should cause proclamation to be made through the city, that no man should depart without permission of the Cid, and if any one went who had not dispeeded himself and kist his hand, if he were overtaken he should lose all that he had, and moreover be fixed upon a stake. And that they might be the more certain, he said unto Minaya that he would take account of all the people who were with him, both horsemen and foot, and Pero Bermudez and Martin Antolinez made the roll; and there were found a thousand knights of lineage, and five hundred and fifty other horsemen, and of foot soldiers four thousand, besides boys Chr.delCid, and others; thus many were the people of my Cid, he of Chr. Gen. Bivar. And his heart rejoiced, and he smiled and said, Poema del Thanks be to God, Minaya, and to Holy Mary Mother!... we had a smaller company when we left the house of Bivar! cap. 213. ff. 274. Cid. v. 1258 1270. BOOK came a Cid made XII. At this time there came a crowned one from the parts of the East, that is to say, one who was shaven and shorn; his name was the Bishop Don Hieronymo, a full How there learned man and a wise, and one who was mighty both on Bishop to Valencia, horseback and a-foot: and he came inquiring for the Cid, and the wishing that he might see himself with the Moors in the the city a Bishopric field, for if he could once have his fill of smiting-and slaying for him. them, Christians should never lament him. And when the Cid knew this it pleased him in his heart, and he took horse. and went to visit him, and rejoiced greatly that he was come; and he resolved to make Valencia a bishopric and give it to this good Christian. And they took counsel, and it was that on the morrow the Bishop and his clergy should turn the Mosques into Churches, wherein they might sing masses, and sacrifice the body of Jesus Christ. And rents were appointed for the table of the Bishop and for his Canons, and for all the clergy in the city of Valencia. And nine parish Churches were made. And the greatest was called St. Pedro's and another was called St. Mary of the Virtues. This was near the Alcazar, and there the Cid went oftenest to hear service. After this manner the Cid ordered his city Chr. Gen. that it should be a Bishopric, for the honor of the Catholic Poema del faith. God! how joyful was all Christendom that there was 1295. 1314 a Lord Bishop in the land of Valencia ! Chr.delCid. cap. 213. ff. 275. Cid. v. How the his wife ters. XIII. Now the Cid bethought him of Doña Ximena his Cid sent for wife, and of his daughters Doña Elvira and Doña Sol, and daughwhom he had left in the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardeña; and he called for Alvar Fañez and Martin Antolinez of Burgos, and spake with them, and besought them that they would go to Castille, to King Don Alfonso his Lord, and take him a present from the riches which God had given them; and the present should be a hundred horses, saddled and bridled; and that they would kiss the King's hand for him, and beseech him to send him his wife Doña Ximena, and his daughters, and that they would tell the King all the mercy which God had shown him, and how he was at his BOOK service with Valencia and with all that he had. Moreover he bade them take a thousand marks of silver to the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardeña, and give them to the Abbot, and thirty marks of gold for his wife and daughters, that they might prepare themselves and come in honorable guise. And he ordered three hundred marks of gold to be given them, and three hundred marks of silver, to redeem the chests full of sand which he had pledged in Burgos to the Jews; and he bade them ask Rachel and Vidas to forgive him the deceit of the sand, for he had done it because of his great need: and he said, You, Martin Antolinez, were aiding and abetting herein, but praised be the name of the Lord for ever, he hath let me quit myself truly tell them that they shall have more profit than they asked. And he bade them each take with him his whole company, that they might be better advised and accompanied, and that Doña Ximena Chr. del might come with the greater honor: and the company was Cid. cap. this: two hundred knights who were of Don Alvar Fañez, Chr. Gen. and fifty of Martin Antolinez: and he ordered money to be Poema del given them for their disbursement, and for all things need1280. 1294. ful, in abundance. 214. ff. 275. Cid. v. How these messengers came to the favor which them. XIV. Alvar Fañez and Martin Antolinez went their King, and way, and they found the King in the city of Palencia. of the great When they arrived he was coming from mass, and seeing was shown this goodly company of horsemen he stopt in the church porch, and asked who they were. And it was told him that they were people of the Cid, who came to him with a full great present. And Alvar Fañez and Martin Antolinez alighted, and came to the King, and kissed his hand; and he received them right well, and said, What tidings bring ye me of the Cid, my true vassal, the most honorable knight that ever was knighted in Castille? Well was Minaya pleased when he heard this, and he said, A boon, Sir King Don Alfonso, for the love of your Maker! My Cid sendeth to kiss your hands and your feet, as his natural Lord, at whose service he is, and from whom he expecteth much |