Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey

by Robert Southey

  XXV. Now Abeniaf had no hope of succour save only from the King of Zaragoza, who had sent to bid him hold out; and he sent to him every night to tell him of the great 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 as great sorrow to him, as theirs could be. And certain of the King’s favourites wrote to Abeniaf also after the same manner, telling him that he would surely come; howbeit one of his favourites 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.

  XXVI. Then the Cid began to treat with a great Moor of the town, named Abenmoxiz that he should rise up against Abeniaf, and kill him or deliver him into his hands, and that he would make him Lord over Valencia, and 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 proposed 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, and 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 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.

  XXVII. Now there was no food to be bought in the 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 be 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 Abeniaf’s company opened the gate and sallied out, seeing 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 where at 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 of his son’s; and the people were so wasted that there were but few who had strength to mount the wall.

  XXVIII. The company of Abeniaf and of his kinsmen despaired now of holding out, and of the help of the King of Zaragoza, or of the Almoravides, and they desired rather to die than endure this misery. And the good men of the city, as many as were left, went to an Alfaqui, who was a good man, and one who was held in great esteem, and besought him to give them counsel, for he saw their great distress, and how they were out of all hope of succour; and they besought him that he would go to Abeniaf, and know of him what he thought to do, or what hope he had, that he let them a
ll perish thus. The Alfaqui gave ear to them, and said that if they would all hold together, and be of one heart, and show great anger at having been brought to this misery, he would do all he could to relieve them; and they promised to do whatever he should advise. Now Abeniaf knew of the talk which the good men of the town had had with the Alfaqui, and understood that it was because of the great misery which they endured; and he thought in his heart that he would humble himself, and do whatever his people should think good. And the Alfaqui thought that happy man was his dole now that the people had committed themselves to his guidage, and he went to Abeniaf and communed with him, and their accord was to give up all hope of succour. And Abeniaf put himself in the hands of the Alfaqui, that he should go between him and the Cid and the people of Valencia, and make the best terms for them that he could, seeing that they could no longer hold out, and maintain the town.

  XXIX. Here the history relates that at this time Martin Pelaez the Asturian came with a convoy of laden beasts, carrying provisions to the host of the Cid; and as he passed near the town the Moors sallied out in great numbers against him; but he, though he had few with him, defended the convoy right well, and did great hurt to the Moors, slaying many of them, and drove them into the town. This Martin Pelaez who is here spoken of, did the Cid make a right good knight, of a coward, as ye shall hear. When the Cid first began to lay siege to the city of Valencia, this Martin Pelaez came unto him; he was a knight, a native of Santillana in Asturias, a hidalgo, great of body and strong of limb, a well made man and of goodly semblance, but withal a right coward at heart, which he had shown in many places when he was among feats of arms. And the Cid was sorry when he came unto him, though he would not let him perceive this; for he knew he was not fit to be of his company. Howbeit he thought that since he was come he would make him brave whether he would or not. And when the Cid began to war upon the town, and sent parties against it twice and thrice a day, as ye have heard, for the Cid was alway upon the alert, there was fighting and tourneying every day. One day it fell out that the Cid and his kinsmen and friends and vassals were engaged in a great encounter, and this Martin Pelaez was well armed; and when he saw that the Moors and Christians were at it, he fled and betook himself to his lodging, and there hid himself till the Cid returned to dinner. And the Cid saw what Martin Pelaez did, and when he had conquered the Moors he returned to his lodging to dinner. Now it was the custom of the Cid to eat at a high table, seated on his bench, at the head. And Don Alvar Fañez, and Pero Bermudez, and other precious knights, ate in another part, at high tables, full honourably, and none other knights whatsoever dared take their seats with them, unless they were such as deserved to be there; and the others who were not so approved in arms ate upon estrados, at tables with cushions. This was the order in the house of the Cid, and every one knew the place where he was to sit at meat, and every one strove all he could to gain the honour of sitting to eat at the table of Don Alvar Fañez and his companions, by strenuously behaving himself in all feats of arms; and thus the honour of the Cid was advanced. This Martin Pelaez, thinking that none had seen his badness, washed his hands in turn with the other knights, and would have taken his place among them. And the Cid went unto him, and took him by the hand and said, You are not such a one as deserves to sit with these, for they are worth more than you or than me; but I will have you with me: and he seated him with himself at table. And he, for lack of understanding, thought that the Cid did this to honour him above all the others. On the morrow the Cid and his company rode towards Valencia, and the Moors came out to the tourney; and Martin Pelaez went out well armed, and was among the foremost who charged the Moors, and when he was in among them he turned the reins, and went back to his lodging; and the Cid took heed to all that he did, and saw that though he had done badly he had done better than the first day. And when the Cid had driven the Moors into the town he returned to his lodging, and as he sate down to meat he took this Martin Pelaez by the hand, and seated him with himself, and bade him eat with him in the same dish, for he had deserved more that day than he had the first. And the knight gave heed to that saying, and was abashed; howbeit he did as the Cid commanded him: and after he had dined he went to his lodging and began to think upon what the Cid had said unto him, and perceived that he had seen all the baseness which he had done; and then he understood that for this cause he would not let him sit at board with the other knights who were precious in arms, but had seated him with himself, more to affront him than to do him honour, for there were other knights there better than he, and he did not show them that honour. Then resolved he in his heart to do better than he had done heretofore. Another day the Cid and his company and Martin Pelaez rode toward Valencia, and the Moors came out to the tourney full resolutely, and Martin Pelaez was among the first, and charged them right boldly; and he smote down and slew presently a good knight, and he lost there all the bad fear which he had had, and was that day one of the best knights there; and as long as the tourney lasted there he remained, smiting and slaying and overthrowing the Moors, till they were driven within the gates, in such manner that the Moors marvelled at him, and asked where that Devil came from, for they had never seen him before. And the Cid was in a place where he could see all that was going on, and he gave good heed to him, and had great pleasure in beholding him, to see how well he had forgotten the great fear which he was wont to have. And when the Moors were shut up within the town, the Cid and all his people returned to their lodging, and Martin Pelaez full leisurely and quietly went to his lodging also, like a good knight. And when it was the hour of eating the Cid waited for Martin Pelaez, and when he came, and they had washed, the Cid took him by the hand and said, My friend, you are not such a one as deserves to sit with me from henceforth, but sit you here with Don Alvar Fañez, and with these other good knights, for the good feats which you have done this day have made you a companion for them; and from that day forward he was placed in the company of the good. And the history saith that from that day forward this knight Martin Pelaez was a right good one, and a right valiant, and a right precious, in all places where he chanced among feats of arms, and he lived alway with the Cid, and served him right well and truly. And the history saith, that after the Cid had won the city of Valencia, on the day when they conquered and discomfited the King of Seville, this Martin Pelaez was so good a one, that setting aside the body of the Cid himself, there was no such good knight there, nor one who bore such part, as well in the battle as in the pursuit. And so great was the mortality which he made among the Moors that day, that when he returned from the business the sleeves of his mail were clotted with blood, up to the elbow; insomuch that for what he did that day his name is written in this history, that it may never die. And when the Cid saw him come in that guise, he did him great honour, such as he never had done to any knight before that day, and from thenceforward gave him a place in all his actions and in all his secrets, and he was his great friend. In this knight Martin Pelaez was fulfilled the example which saith, that he who betaketh himself to a good tree, hath good shade, and he who serves a good Lord winneth good guerdon; for by reason of the good service which he did the Cid, he came to such good state that he was spoken of as ye have heard: for the Cid knew how to make a good knight, as a good groom knows how to make a good horse. The history now leaves to speak of him, and returns to the accord of the Alfaqui and Abeniaf, which they propounded unto the Cid.

  XXX. This Alfaqui sent his messengers to an Almoxarife of the Cid whose name was Abdalla Adiz; who was a good man and one whom the Cid loved, and who never left him after he had obtained his favour. And when Abdalla Adiz heard that they wished to propose terms, he spake with the Cid upon this matter, and the Cid bade him enter the town, and speak with them, and know of them what they would have. And he went into the town, and spake with them as the Cid had commanded, and came out again, and reported unto him what they had said, till he had made terms between them, Abeniaf sent three good men with him to confirm the terms which were made, and th
e covenant was after this manner, that they of Valencia should send messengers to the King of Zaragoza, and to Ali Abenaxa who was Adelantado of the Almoravides and Lord of Murcia, beseeching them to succour them within fifteen days; and if within that time they were not succoured they should then give up the city to the Cid, with such conditions, that Abeniaf should remain mighty in the town, as he had been before, his person being secure and all that he had, and his wives, and his children, and that he should remain Veedor, that is to say. Overseer, of all the rents of the town, he and the Almoxarife of the Cid, and a Moor who was called Musa should be Guazil of the town; this Musa had looked after the affairs of the Cid in the time of King Yabia, and never forsook him after the death of the King his Lord; and the Cid made him Alcayde of a Castle, and alway found him loyal, and at his service, and for this reason trusted he in him so as to make him Guazil, who should keep the keys of the town, with a guard of Almocadenes, and of Christian foot-men of Almogavares who had been born in the land of the Moors. And it was appointed that the Cid should dwell in Juballa, in the town which he had made, and that he should alter none of their privileges, nor of their customs, nor the rents which they paid, nor their money.