V.

-BOOK the poor, and upon the great as well as the little, which they held to be a great evil and breach of their privileges, and thought that by his fault Valencia would be lost, even as Toledo had been. This tribute so sorely aggrieved the people, that it became as it were a bye word in the city, Give the barley. They say there was a great mastiff, with whom they killed beef in the Chr.del Cid. shambles, who, whenever he heard, Give the barley,' began to bark and growl: upon which a Trobador said, Thanks be to God, we have many in the town who are like the mastiff.

cap. 134. 135.

Chr. Gen.

ff. 242.

How Yahia went against

in Xativa.

6

VIII. When they who held the Castles sent presents to King Abenmuot Yahia, there was one among them, by name Abenmazot, who held Xativa, who neither sent him gifts, nor came to offer obe-, dience. And the King sent to bid him come before him. But then Abenmazot sent a messenger with letters and full rich presents, saying that he could by no means come himself, and this not from any feigning, and that he would alway do him service with a true good will. And he besought him as his Lord to let him remain in Xativa, and he would give him the rents thereof; but if it was his pleasure to appoint some other in his stead, he besought that he would then give him something for himself and his company to subsist upon, seeing that he desired nothing but the King's favour to be well with him. Then the King took counsel with Aboeza the Guazil, and the Guazil advised him to do unto Abenmazot even as he had requested, and let him keep Xativa; and to send away Alvar Fañez because of the great charge it was to maintain him, and to live in peace, and put his kingdom in order; in all which he advised him like a good counsellor and a true. But the King would not give heed to him; instead thereof he communicated his counsel to the two sons of Abdalla Azis who had submitted unto him, and whom he had taken into his favour, and they told him that Aboeza had advised him ill, and

the

V.

Chr.del Cid.

cap. 136.

Chr. Gen. f. 243.

that it behoved him to lead out his host and bring Abenmazot-BOOK to obedience. And the King believed them and went out and besieged Xativa. And the first day he entered the lower part of the town, but Abenmazot retired to the Alcazar and the fortresses, and defended the upper part; and the King besieged him there for four months, attacking him every day, till food began to fail both in the army of the King and in the town. And they of Valencia could not supply what was to be paid to. Alvar Fañez and his company, much less what the King wanted. Then the King understood that he had been ill advised, and for this reason he condemned one of the sons of Abdalla Azis to pay Alvar Fañez for thirty days; and he seized a Jew who was one of his Almoxarifes in Valencia, that is to say, one who collected the taxes, and took from him all that he had, because he had advised him ill, and while this lasted people of Valencia had some respite. IX. When Abenmazot saw that the King was bent upon destroying him, and that every day he prest him more. and more, he sent to Abenalfange who was King of Denia and Tortosa, saying, that if he would come and help him, he would make him Lord of Xativa and of all his other Castles, and would be at his mercy; and this he did to escape from the hands of Yahia. When Abenalfange heard this it pleased him well, and he sent one of his Alcaydes, who was called the Left-handed, to enter the Alcazar, and help to defend it till he could collect a company of Christians who might deal with Alvar Fañcz. So that Left-handed one entered the Alcazar with his com-: pany, and the Lord of the Castle which was called Almenar, was already there to help Abenmazot, and encourage him that he should not submit. Then Abenalfange gathered together all his host and his cavalry, and brought with him Giralte the Roman, with a company of French knights, and came towards

How Abe

nalfange

came to help

Abenmazot.

BOOK Xativa, as a hungry lion goes against a sheep, or like the com V. ing of a flood in its hour; so that Yahia was dismayed at the tidings of his approach, and fled as fast as he could to the Isle of Xucar, and though that Isle was so near, he thought he had done a great thing; and from thence he went to ValenThen Abenalfange cia, holding himself greatly dishonoured. had Xativa and all its Castles, so that it was all one kingdom as far as Denia. And he took Abenmazot with all his women and his household and all that he had, to Denia, and gave him possessions there, and did him much honour. And. when it was seen that King Yahia was thus dishonoured, and that Alvar Fañez had not helped him as had been looked for, they who held the Castles lost all fear of him, so that their hearts were changed towards him, as well they of Valencia as of the other Castles, and they said that they would rather belong to AbenChr.delCid, alfange than to him, because the town could not bear the. Ch. charge of the Christians, nor the oppressions which they suffered because of them.

cap. 137.

ff. 243.

How Alvar

Fuñez plun

dered the

country.

X. Abenalfange abode some days in Xativa, and then moved on towards Valencia, thinking to win the city; for he knew how greatly the people were oppressed because of the Christians, and that they could not bear it, and that there was no love between them and their Lord. And he passed by a place which was an oratory of the Moors in their festivals, which they call in Arabic Axera, or Araxea; and he halted near Valencia, so that they in the town might see him; and he went round about the town, to the right and to the left, wheresoever he would. The King of Valencia with his knights was near the wall watching him, and Alvar Fañez and his company were in readiness lest the French should defy them. And after Abenalfange had staid there awhile he drew off and went his way to Tortosa. And Yahia was perplexed with Alvar Fañez, and sought for means to

V.

pay him; and he threw the two sons of Abdalla Azis into BOOK prison, and many other good men of the town also, and took from them great riches. Then he made a covenant with Alvar Fañez, that he should remain with him, and gave him great possessions. And when the Moors saw that Alvar Fañez was in such power, all the ruffians and lewd livers in the town flocked unto him, so that Valencia was in the hands of him and his followers; and the Moors being desperate of remedy deserted the town, and went whither they could, setting at nought their inheritances, for no man was safe, neither in his goods nor person. Then Alvar Fañez made an inroad into the lands of Abenalfange, and overran the lands of Buriana, and other parts; and there went with him a great company of those Moorish Chr.del.Cid; desperadoes who had joined him, and of other Moorish Al- 138. mogavares, and they stormed towns and castles, and slew .244. ƒ.

Miedes says that Almogavares means-Of dust-i. e. Men sprung from the dust of the earth; or because, being the best of the army, they, in Arabic phrase, trod their enemies to dust. Bluteau explains it to mean men covered with dust, he is strangely mistaken in supposing them to be old garrison soldiers. Fr. Joam de Sousa, in his Lexicon Etymologico, makes it merely warriors or fighting men. An incursion into an enemy's country was called almogauria.

Winter and summer they lay upon the bare earth, they consorted in the camp with none but their fellows, their manners were sullen like savages, they spake little, but when they went to battle were like wild beasts let loose, and kindled with joy. Winter and summer they wore the same dress, of skins girt with a cord of esparto. Shoes, bonnet, and scrip, were of the same skin as their dress; they carried spear, sword, and dagger, some of them a mace, (porrimaza) and without any defensive armour attacked horse or foot, generally the horse. The Almogavar, when a horseman ran at him, rested the end of his lance against his right foot, bent forward, and let the horse spit himself;—in a moment he was upon the fallen horseman with his dagger, or rather knife. If he could kill the man and save the horse, his reward was to become a horse-soldier himself, for they were as skilful when mounted as when a-foot.

The French in Sicily thought little of the Spanish men at arms, but stood in great fear of the Almogavares. Miedes, Historia del Rey D. Jayme el Conquistador. L. 11. C. 7.

cap. 137. Chr. Gen

BOOK many Moors, and brought away flocks and herds both of cat

V.

Of the covenant which one of the

sons of Ab

made with

King Don Alfonso.

tle and of brood mares, and much gold and silver, and store of wearing apparel, all which they sold in Valencia.

XI. Now when one of the sons of Abdalla Azis was loosed

from prison, he placed his love upon Alvar Fañez and gave him dalla Azis goodly gifts, and upon Aboeza the King's Guazil, and upon a Jew who was a messenger from King Don Alfonso. And they all sent to King Don Alfonso to beseech him that he would take the son of Abdalla Azis and all that he had under his protection, so that Yahia might do no evil unto him, neither take by force from him any thing that was his; and for this protection he promised to give the King thirty thousand maravedis yearly. This request King Don Alfonso granted, and incontinently he took him under his protection, and sent to the King of Valencia to request that he would do him no wrong. Therefore the son of Abdalla Azis was from that time held in more honour because of the love of King Don Alfonso; nevertheless he was still kept under a guard in his own house, that he should not issue forth. And because of this confinement not thinking himself safe, he made a hole through the wall and got out by night in woman's apparel, and lay hid all the next day in a garden, and on the following night mounted on horseback and rode to Monviedro. When the Guazil knew this he took his son and his uncle as sureties for him for the thirty thousand maravedis, which the Jew was now come to receive for King Don Alfonso. And they went to Monviedro to him, and communed with him, and accorded with him that he should pay the one half immediately, and whenever he returned to Valencia and was safe there in possession of all his rents and inheritances, that then he should pay the remainder: so he paid the fifteen thousand forthwith in silver, and in rings of gold, and in cloth, and in strings of pearls, and the Jew returned therewith to King Don Alfonso. At this time his brother was released from prison by desire of

Chr. delCid. cap. 139.

140.

Chr. Gen. f. 244.