1 I. Brito. Mon. Par. 2. lib. Ferrando's power, and the King took vengeance and pun- BOOK ished him in all the parts which had offended; he cut off the foot which had pressed down the Armatost, and Lusitana. lopped off the hands which had held the bow and fitted 7. cap. 28. the quarrel, and plucked out the eyes which had taken the f. 4. mark; and the living trunk was then set up as a butt for the archers. 2 Sandoval, Chr. del 198. mego. XIV. In all these wars there was not a man who bore of the takgreater part, or did better feats in arms, than Rodrigo of Bi- ing of Lavar. And the King went up against Lamego, and besieged it. Now Zadan Aben Huim, son of Huim Alboazem, the King thereof, was mightier than all the Kings who had reigned before him in Lamego, and he had peopled many places from the Douro even to the rivers Tavora and Vouga. And because he was well beloved and his city well stored and strong, all the chief Moors in that district being dismayed by the fall of Viseu, retired into it, to be under his protection. But maugre all their power, King Don Ferrando girt the city round about, and brought against it so many engines, and so many bastilles, that Zadan submitted, and opened his gates on the twenty-second of July, the day of St. Mary Magdalene, being twenty-five days after the capture of Viseu. Brito Mon. And Zadan became tributary to the King, and the King took 1. 7. c. 28. with him many of the Moors, to be employed in building up cap. 13. Chr. Gen. the churches which had fallen to ruin since the land was lost. ff. 198. from the walls, shot him between the shoulders, - being, says Morales, the first and last of our kings who died in war against the Moors. He was slain in the year 1027. 1 The Armatoste was an instrument made for charging the cross-bow at this time, as they were not made of steel, says Brito. According to this author, the foot was used to press the bow down; but in the original document it is called the foot of the Armatost, which seems as if it acted upon the instrument like a lever. 2 * Duero is the Spanish orthography. I prefer the Portugeze, because, though the river rises in Spain, it falls into the sea in Portugal; and it seems right to adopt that name by which it is known where it is of most importance. Lusit. P. 2. Chr.delCid. BOOK XV. All this while was Coimbra in the power of the misbelievers. And the Abbot of Lorvam took counsel with of Coimbra, his Monks, and they said, Let us go to King Ferrando and Of the siege tell him the state of the city. And they chose out two of who came to hunt among the mountains took up their lodging in the monastery, as they were wont to do, these twain said unto them, We would go to the holy Dominicum, to say prayers there for our sins. So feigning this to be their errand they set forth, and came to the King in the town of Carrion, and spake unto him in council, saying, Sir King, we come to you through waters and over mountains and by bad ways, to tell you concerning Coimbra in what plight it is, if you desire to know, and in what guise the Moors dwell therein, what they are and how many, and with how little heed they keep the city. And he said unto them, I beseech ye, for the love of God, say on. Then told they him what they knew: and the King took counsel upon this matter with Rodrigo of Bivar, and Rodrigo said, that certes the Lord would help him to win the city: and he said he would fain be knighted by the King's hand, and that it seemed to him now that he should receive knighthood at his hand in Coimbra. A covenant was then made with the two Monks, that they should go with the army against the city in the month of January without fail. Now this was in October. Incontinently the King sent to summon his knights and people, and when one part of them had assembled at Santa Maria, he bade them do all the damage they could against Coimbra, and ravage the country, which accordingly they did. In the mean time the King made a pilgrimage to Santiago, as Rodrigo had exhorted him to do; and he remained there three days and nights in prayer, offering great gifts, and taking upon himself great devotion, that it might please God to fulfil his desire. And with the help of Santiago he gathered together a great host, and went up against Coimbra in the month of January, even as he had covenanted, and laid siege to it. And he I. fought against the city all February, and March, and April, BOOK May and June, five months did he fight, and could not prevail against it. And when July came the food of the besiegers failed them, insomuch that they had only the dole for a few days left; then the baggage was made ready, and the sumpter-beasts and serving men were ordered to depart for Leon, and proclamation was made in the camp that the army should remain yet four days, and on the fifth they might break up and depart every one to his own house. But then the Monks of Lorvam and the Abbot consulted together and said, Let us now go to the King and give him all the food which we have, both oxen and cows, and sheep and goats and swine, wheat and barley and maize, bread and wine, fish and fowl, even all that we have; for if the city, which God forbid, should not be won by the Christians, we may no longer abide here. Then went they to the King and gave him all their stores,' both of flocks and herds, and pulse, and wine beyond measure, which they had for a long time stored. Then was there abundance in the camp; but they who were within the city waxed feeble for hunger and long suffering, because the Christians beset them on all sides, and warred upon them hotly, and brought their engines to bear on every part, and the walls of the city were broken down: When the Moors saw this they came to the King, and fell at his feet, and besought him of his mercy that he would let them depart, leaving to him the city and all that they had therein, for they asked for nothing but their lives. And the King had compassion upon them and granted their Lus. P. 2. prayer; and the city was yielded to him on a Sunday at the hour of tierce, which was before a week had run out since Cid. cap. 14. the Monks of Lorvam had succored the host. XVI. Now it came to pass that while the King lay be- How Santifore Coimbra, there came a pilgrim from the land of Greece ed to on pilgrimage to Santiago; his name was Estiano, and he Bishop. 1 Berganza intimates a possibility that these stores were miraculously increased by the prayers of the Monks. Brito Mon. 1. 7. c. 28. Chr. del Chr. Gen. ff. 198. ago appear the Greek BOOK I. was a Bishop. And as he was praying in the church he heard certain of the townsmen and of the pilgrims saying that Santiago was wont to appear in battle like a knight, in aid of the Christians. And when he heard this it nothing pleased him, and he said unto them, Friends, call him not a knight, but rather a fisherman. Upon this it pleased God that he should fall asleep, and in his sleep Santiago appeared to him with a good and cheerful countenance, holding in his hand a bunch of keys, and said unto him, thou thinkest it a fable that they should call me a knight, and sayest that I am not so: for this reason am I come unto thee that thou never more mayest doubt concerning my knighthood; for a knight of Jesus Christ I am, and a helper of the Christians against the Moors. While he was thus saying a horse was brought him the which was exceeding white, and the Apostle Santiago mounted upon it, being well clad in bright and fair armor, after the manner of a knight. And he said to Estiano, I go to help King Don Ferrando who has lain these seven months before Coimbra, and to-morrow, with these keys which thou seest, will I open the gates of the city unto him at the hour of tierce, and deliver it into his hand. Having said this he departed. And the Bishop when he awoke in the morning called together the clergy and people of Compostella, and told them what he had seen and heard. And as he said, Cid.cap.14. even so did it come to pass; for tidings came that on that Chr. Gen. day, and at the hour of tierce, the gates of the city had been Chr. del ff. 198. Escobar. Rom. 13. Of the to the monks of opened. XVII. King Don Ferrando then assembled his Counts grant made and chief captains, and told them all that the Monks of Lorby the King vam had done, in bringing him to besiege the city, and in Lorvam. supplying his army in their time of need: and the Counts and chief captains made answer and said, Certes, O King, if the Monks had not given us the stores of their Monastery, thou couldest not have taken the city at this time. The King then called for the Abbot and the brethren, for they were with him in the host, and said the hours to him daily, and mass in I. St. Andre's, and buried there and in their Monastery as many BOOK as had died during the siege, either of arrow-wounds or by lances, or of their own infirmities. So they came before him and gave him joy of his conquest; and he said unto them, Take ye now of this city as much as ye desire, since by God's favor and your council I have won it. But they made answer, Thanks be to God and to you, and to your forefathers, we have enough and shall have, if so be that we have your favor and dwell among Christians. Only for the love of God, and for the remedy of your own soul, give us one church with its dwelling houses within the city, and confirm unto us the gifts made to us in old times by your forefathers, and the good men to whom God give a happy rest. With that the King turned to his sons and his soldiers, and said, Of a truth, by our Creator, these who desire so little are men of God. I would have given them half the city, and they will have only a single church! Now therefore, since they require but this, on the part of God Almighty let us grant and confirm unto them what they ask, to the honor of God and St. Mamede. And the brethren brought him their charters of King Ramiro, and King Bermudo, and King Alfonso, and of Gonzalo Moniz, who was a knight and married a daughter of King Bermudo, and of other good men. And the King confirmed them, and he bade them make a writing of all which had passed between him and them at the siege of Coimbra; and when they brought him the writing, they brought him also a crown of silver and of gold, which had been King Bermudo's, and which Gonzalo Moniz had given to the Monastery in honor of God and St. Mamede. The King saw the crown, how it was set with precious stones, and said to them, To what end bring ye hither this crown? And they said, That you should take it, Sire, in return for the good which you have done us. he answered, Far be it from me that I should take from your Monastery what the good men before me have given to it! Take ye back the crown, and also ten marks of But |