CCCXXXIV.

Arrived there, I sent word to the Kaid of Xativa that I wished to see him, and that he should come to me. I was quartered within the town in my own palace, and the Kaid came there. I would not speak with him on the day he came, that he might have time to see and consider well on the great force I had there round me. Early next day he came to me, and said he had come at my bidding, and in consequence of the letter I had sent to him, and that he was ready to hear what I wished to say. I told him: "Kaid, I sent for you for this reason, that your Moors and your power, the knights you have in your pay, have done me wrong, and have attacked and defeated a company belonging to the force in charge of Valencia. You know well the agreement between you and me; the charters are divided by A, B, C; you have one part and I the other.⁽¹⁾ And according to what is contained in them, you have broken the agreement you made with me. Not only in that have [ 449] those men of yours, and those you have in your pay, done me wrong; but they have offended me in two or three other things, for they have slain men of mine, who would not otherwise have died. Wherefore that agreement and truce you have with me, it is not seemly that I shall be held by it, since you yourself have broken it; and whereas I already possess the greater part of the kingdom of Valencia, and Xativa belongs to this kingdom, I wish to take it. And as it is you who hold it, I bid you to surrender it to me immediately."

CCCXXXV

When the Kaid heard that, he lost colour, and thought himself a prisoner: he pondered, and could not answer for the great fear he was in. I said to him: "Kaid, be not afraid ; you are as safe here as if you were in the castle of Xativa. I do not want you to give me an answer here, but go back and consult with your sheikhs and with whomsoever you choose. When you have taken counsel, either come to me again or send me your answer in writing ; for my resolve is that no one who comes to me shall be arrested, be his offence what it may; but if you will not settle it so with me, be sure that I will demand it of you in such wise that you will be compelled to do what I now ask [450] of you ; it is better to do it with a good grace and will than to be forced into it." Thereupon he and the other Moors kissed my hand, he the first, and said they well knew the good faith and honour that was in me. So they went to dine, and stayed all that day. I desired them before they left to fix a day for their answer to come. They said that what I demanded was so great a thing that they needed eight days, and asked me to allow them those; after eight days the Kaid would come or send a message to me. I granted them. The next day they went to Xativa, and I to Castellon, taking with me the Queen, my uncle Don Fernando, and other barons.

CCCXXXVI.

When the eighth day came the Kaid sent to me a learned Moor, whose name was Almofarix,⁽²⁾ the most learned man in all Xativa, and one of the greatest; another Moor came with him. I had with me Don Fernando and the other barons who were in the town, and I told the Saracen to deliver his message. He rose and said: "My lord, the Kaid and the other sheikhs of Xativa greet you well. On the day you bade them to come before [451] you they make you this answer. The harm of which you complain they did not do, but for the reason that the Christians took away what was the Kaid of Xativa's, as well as what was of those who raised the war-cry. On summons made they had to make a sortie, and took back what they had lost, and did no other harm. And the Kaid's answer respecting the castle of Xativa is this - that you well know what the castle of Xativa is; there is none better in all Andalusia;⁽³⁾ and that both Moors and Christians would hold him for a coward and a villain if he were for so little cause to surrender it to you. Though the Kaid and the Moors are not of your faith, they would fear your scorn too, if they did what would be base of them. They pray, therefore, that you do not wish them to do it." And then he sat down.

CCCXXXVII.

Without any previous consultation I made the following answer: "Almofarix, you are a learned man,⁽⁴⁾ as appears by two things - by your repute, and by stating your case so well. But if in the things that in this world are debated by many, or by party to party, there were no way of [452] deciding which side was right, nothing would come to an end. The Kaid is my vassal; he became such a vassal when he made treaty with me in my camp near the town, and he engaged to guard me and defend me and mine. Since he is my vassal, he ought to submit to justice at my hands, and take a judge from me. I give him for judge Don Fernando, who is one of the truest men in all Spain by descent and nobility. If he say that I ask what is just, let the Kaid agree to it; if he say it is not, I will withdraw at once the demand I made. What talk I might have with you on behalf of the Kaid would be of no avail without a judge to decide; and that judge from this moment I give you."

CCCXXXVIII.

To that the Almofarix said that it was not the will of the Kaid and of the sheikhs that the matter should be submitted to a judge; but that he would go back, and, after consultation, would make me an answer. I asked when that would be ready; he said, on the third day after this. I easily granted him that delay, for I did not wish to oppose him, and saw that what he asked was reasonable. The Almofarix accordingly went away, and on the third day returned, and made answer before Don Fernando and the rest of my court. He said that it was not [453] at all a case for a judge to decide, but that if I stated what my wishes were, I would get an answer. I deliberated, and said to Don Fernando: "Almofarix speaks ill. In every question raised by lord against vassal, or by one man against another, there should be a judge, especially if the one do not admit the other's claim ; and the judge should have security from the parties that his judgment shall be performed. To you, who are the Kaid's messenger, I reply, that if the Kaid will accept Don Fernando for judge, and give security that what I may gain by the judgment I shall get, I will be satisfied." He then said that he could not say or do more than what he had been ordered. Thereupon I called to witness the barons and the citizens of Valencia, who were there with me, that the Kaid would not accept a judge from me nor give security that he would submit to the award of the judge I appointed. When I had thus called them to witness, the Almofarix mounted, and went his way; and from that time forward there was war between the Kaid of Xativa and myself.

CCCXXXIX.

Thereupon I summoned the knights of the kingdom of Valencia, and those of my own train (mesnada), and the Almugavars, and went with the barons to besiege Xativa. I pitched my tent [454] in the Garden plain (orta), beside the river. On the other side, where a ravine comes down, I raised a wall, and so the camp was inclosed. While I was in the camp many were the skirmishes with the Moors of Xativa. There was inside the town a relative of the Bishop of Cuenca, a native of that city, who had told me before I went to the siege [of Xativa] that the Infante Don Alfonso wanted a tent made there, and for reason of that tent, while they were making it, a parley went on between the Kaid of Xativa and the then Infante, King Alfonso who now is.⁽⁵⁾ I saw plainly that the making of the tent was nothing but a stratagem that the Kaid of Xativa might have an interview or treat with the Infante Don Alfonso, and that the tent was being made merely for the sake of concealing what they were about. When the man of Cuenca knew that I was besieging Xativa, he himself came there, with the Bishop's privity, that he might be where he could communicate with those in the town, tell them that Don Alfonso was coming, and that they ought to treat with him in preference. Wherefore I suspected what was being done, and knew that the making of the tent was only a stratagem through which I might perchance lose Xativa. [455]

CCCXL.

I therefore caused to be proclaimed throughout the camp that any one found to hold intercourse with the Moors of Xativa, unless he asked my leave first, should at once be arrested and brought before me. One day the Moors made a sortie against those of the army who were ravaging their lands and foraging; the cry to arms was raised; my men went out against them, under the command of Don Pedro Lobera, and in the skirmish that ensued, the man from Cuenca, who was actually parleying with the Moors, fell into the hands of my people. In virtue of my proclamation that any one who parleyed with the Moors without my leave should be taken prisoner, Pedro Lobera went up to the man, and told him he should come to me. The man of Cuenca said: "Why do you want to take me to the king?" "Because the king forbade any one to parley with the Moors, and you have been parleying. I want to know if the king ordered you to do so or not." The man could not help himself, and he was brought by force into my presence. When he came before me, Don Pedro Lobera said: "My lord, this knight was parleying with the people of Xativa." The man did not deny that he had been parleying, but maintained that he had said nothing against me or the army. I asked him, "How long have you [456] been in the camp?" He answered, "Fifteen days." I then said: "If you have really been here fifteen days, it is only eight days since a proclamation was made that no one should dare parley with the Moors unless he asked for my leave; you did not apply for it, then why did you parley with them?" He said he had not parleyed with them to my hurt. I replied: "Yes, you have; you are the very man who brought letters from the Bishop of Cuenca, and who wanted a tent made for the Infante Don Alfonso, and on the excuse of having that tent made have been at Xativa treating with the Moors to my injury, that they should surrender the town to him. That I know for certain, through the Moors in the town. You know very well the proclamation I caused to be made, for all in the camp must have heard it. And for what you have done against me I will not trust you, but will punish you so that any one who wishes to take Xativa from me shall keep aloof for fear of the punishment I am about to inflict on you." And thus I ordered the porters to seize him, let a priest confess him, and hang him on a tree.

CCCXLI.

A month after this news was brought to me, that Enguera and Muxent had surrendered to the [457] Infante Don Alfonso; at which I wondered greatly that he should take anything in the dominion of Xativa, the conquest of which belonged by right to me; the more so that we were already related and that my daughter was his wife.⁽⁶⁾ In order to ascertain if the news was true I myself went to Enguera. I told the Saracens to surrender the town to me; they said they had already surrendered it to the Infante Don Alfonso, and that his Kaid (governor) was already there. I then saw clearly that the report about the tent was perfectly true; that if the Infante took any one of the castles attached to Xativa he would, if he could, take Xativa itself. I then sent for the knight in command of the place to come to me, and I asked him: "How are you here?" He said to me, he was there on behalf of Don Pedro Nunez de Guzman; the Infante had given it in charge to Don Pedro Nunez to hold for him. I said to him, "I did not think the Infante would hold anything in the world that belonged to my conquest."

CCCXLII.

Thereon I went away, and ordered light horsemen from the camp to do these people what hurt they could. Next day I myself laid an ambush for [458] those of Enguera, and my men took seventeen of them. They were brought before me, and I bought them of them. Next day I went to Enguera, and told its people to surrender the town, for if they did not I would have all the seventeen executed, and would do the same with all those I could take, till the place was empty of men. But for all I said they would not surrender the castle; upon which, and in their very sight, I had half the men beheaded⁽⁷⁾ and the other half hanged, and went back to my camp before Xativa.

CCCXLIII.

Fifteen days after this the Infante Don Alfonso sent me word that he wished to see me, and asked me to meet him at Algezira (Alcira). I sent him word that he had done me wrong, and that when he had repaired it in some manner I would willingly see him. Before his answer came, however, I arranged with a knight of Calatrava, who held Villena, that he should surrender to me both that town and Saix, and besides that I myself should get from the Moors Los Capdets and Bugarra.⁽⁸⁾ When, therefore, the Infante [459] came and wished to enter Villena and Saix, and the other two castles [Capdets and Bugarra], they would not receive him, because of their being held for me. The Infante then sent to beg me that I would come out to see him. I therefore left in the camp two hundred knights and what footmen there happened to be, and I myself went to see him, accompanied only by En Guillem de Moncada, the Master of the Hospital, Don Eximen Perez de Arenós, En Carrós, and part of my own train; with the Infante Don Alfonso were the Master of the Temple and the Master of Uclés, and Don Diego de Viczaya, and other barons (ricos homens) of Castile and Galicia, whose names I do not recollect. The interview took place midways between Almizra⁽⁹⁾ and Capdets, where the Infante had pitched his tents, I myself being quartered in the former place (Almizra). I had with me now a third more knights than there were with him; and so we met. After our meeting he came to my camp to visit the Queen, my wife. I wished to give up to him the castle of Almizra and the town for his quarters, but he would not, and encamped outside at the foot of the hill of Almizra, where he had tents set up. There we had great rejoicing and love. [460]

CCCXLIV.

Then the Queen, my wife, came, for he had begged that I should let her come to the meeting, that the dispute between me and him, her son-in-law, should be settled. As soon as the Queen came the Infante came, all that day being spent in joy and mirth, for it was not well to speak of business on the very first day of our meeting.

CCCXLV.

Next day, after hearing mass, the Infante⁽¹⁰⁾ came to see the Queen again. I asked him why he had sent for me to see him. The Master of Uclés and Don Diego de Vizcaya said on his behalf that the Infante had come for this reason: he had married my daughter,⁽¹¹⁾ and he believed I could not have married her better to any one in the world but himself (sic); he expected to have some piece of land with her in marriage, and I ought to give him Xativa, as I had once offered by Ovieco Garcia, who treated for their marriage. I told him that I would consider, and make answer. I consulted with the Queen, and with the barons, who were with me in the camp, and sent word to the king to send the Master and Don Diego, and that I would [461] give them an answer. They came, and it was thus: That I and the Queen well knew that we had married our daughter well, and yet we had made no such promise to Ovieco Garcia or to any other man in the world, as to give her Xativa or any other place as marriage portion; that when I married his aunt, the Queen Doña Leonor,⁽¹²⁾ they gave me neither land nor domain, house nor holding, with her. I do not believe that I should give more to any king with my daughter than he to me with his; he should not take it amiss if I would not give up Xativa to any one in the world, for it was mine and belonged to my conquest; he himself had abundance of land, and should not envy what I had; and I prayed that he would not find fault with me if I came to no other conclusion.

CCCXLVI.

The Master and Don Diego went away showing discontent, and returned to their camp. They came again at vespers, and said that what they had asserted they would prove by the testimony of Ovieco Garcia. I said to them: "I hold Ovieco Garcia to be so good a knight that he will not fail to tell the truth to me for the sake of Don [462] Alfonso, his lord; yet according to law the evidence of a vassal is not received against that of his lord; this is a weighty matter, and I will not stake Xativa on the word of a man who is a vassal of the other party. I know what the truth of the matter is, and God also does; the Infante ought not to ask land with my daughter; other great and good aids he might have from me to his honour and profit; for if he ever needed a thousand or two thousand knights he could have them for his aid, with me at their head, and that not once only, but twice, thrice, or ten times if need were; but Xativa I will not give up one way or other. Such an offer and my good will are better than the other thing with ill will." So that night passed with those words between me and them. In short, I told them that I would not in any way do what they asked, and so they parted that very night from me.

CCCXLVII.

Next day they came back and said, "My lord, it were well you gave Xativa to the Infante; if you do not, he will get it, for the Kaid will certainly give it him." I said, "How is that? how will he get it? How can the Kaid give it him?" They answered, "Because the Kaid really wishes to give Xativa to the Prince." I said, "I have no [463] fear of any one but myself getting it; the Kaid will not dare surrender it to any one but me, nor will any one dare to receive it from him, for Xativa is mine, and whoever enters it must pass over my body. You Castilians imagine that your threats can make an impression upon me, but you are much mistaken; I will wait and see what you do; if you have anything else to say, say it at once; otherwise our conference is at an end; know that I shall go my way, you may do your worst."

CCCXLVIII.

Thereupon I ordered my horses to be saddled and the mules to be loaded; the Queen took to weeping, and said, "In an evil hour was I born, since I came here to make it up between my husband and my son-in-law, and I see them separate on such bad terms!" The Infante was told that I meant to go away, and had ordered to saddle. When I had saddled, there came the Master of Uclés and Don Diego de Vizcaya and said to me: "King of Aragon, is it for your good to rage so greatly?" I answered: "There is no man in the world, however temperate, but you would put in a rage; you do everything with such haughtiness and pride; you imagine that everything you wish for should be immediately granted." They said to the Queen: "Lady, do you speak to [464] your husband, and tell him not to depart while he is in passion ; we will go to Don Alfonso, and the separation shall not be as now it is." The Queen, weeping, prayed me to consider, and not take to horse; she would go to Don Alfonso, and they would arrange matters to my satisfaction and his. I said: "Since you and they ask me, I will stay; let the ambassadors go and return quickly with their proposition." They went to the Infante Don Alfonso, and negotiated thus: he was to give up his demand for Xativa, and I was to divide the conquered lands between him and me, so as to separate completely the kingdoms of Murcia and Valencia. I was to surrender to him Villena, Saix, the Capdets and Bugarra, and he was to surrender to me Enguera and Muxent.

CCCXLIX.

This was the division of the lands; that the Infante should have Almansa, Sarazull, and the Cabriuol river; I was to have for my share Castalla, Biar, Releu, Sexona, Alarch, Fenestrat, Torres, Pelop in la Mola, near Agnes, Altea and Tormo, and that is inclosed within those boundaries. Thereupon sealed charters were made between me and the Infante Don Alfonso, and we parted good friends; each of us returning to the other what he held that was not his own. I then returned to [465] Xativa, and to the army, and stayed fully two months before it without the Kaid offering to capitulate.

CCCL.

At the end of two months the Kaid sent to me a Saracen named Albocacim⁽¹³⁾; I made every one leave my tent, and remained alone with him. When Albocacim saw there was no one there but us two, he said to me: "The Kaid of Xativa salutes you, and commends himself to your favour, as to the man on earth he has most at heart to love, serve, and honour. He sends me to ask why you keep besieging him, for you must be aware that his father ordered him not to surrender the castle to any man in the world, whether Christian or Saracen, but to you, if he were to lose it. You ought not to keep it besieged or do him, the Kaid, any harm, for he is in fact holding the place for you, and would do no one's will but yours." I replied that I knew by report the words which his father had delivered to him on his death-bed; but it had been God's will that I should become King of Valencia, and as Xativa was the noblest place in it except, perhaps, the capital itself, the Kaid ought to make it up to me, for I then could do him such good that he and his could live in honour. There was besides, I said, another argument in my favour, for [466] the castle of Xativa was the key of the kingdom, and I could not be king of Valencia if Xativa were not mine. Wherefore I prayed him to consent, as otherwise I would never leave the place till I had it in my possession. Besides which, the money I would have to spend in taking the castle would be out of proportion to what he would have to spend in defending it; there would be consequently two losses, one to him and one to me: all which expense and loss might be saved and compensated by the love and kindness I would show him hereafter; he would be better off for what I intended to give him instead, and Xativa would be mine.

CCCLI.

"My lord," said Albocacim, "what do you wish of the Kaid of Xativa?" I said, "Let him give me the castle, and I will endow him and his family." Albocacim replied: "How could he part with such a castle as that of Xativa, which is so good a place, without thinking first what he should ask you for, and what he should not ask?" I said: "He will part with it to one who will be his lord, and will henceforward protect him from evil, and will give him ten times as much as his family ever had." He said: "My lord, these words of yours are of great weight, and if it please you, I will return to the Kaid and repeat them to him."[467] I said: "It pleases me well that you should go and say those my words to the Kaid ; go, and work well for me; you are the chief scribener⁽¹⁴⁾ of Xativa, and have great influence over the Kaid. If you succeed, I will endow you well, and give you more than ever you had in your life ; you know well that you cannot avert the fall of your city."

CCCLII.

Thereon Albocacim went into Xativa, and next day he returned to me and said that it was not the Raid's opinion that Xativa could be surrendered on any account. My answer was: "Since the Kaid does not wish to give it to me, he must prepare for the defence, for certainly I must have it, and will stay here in this camp until I take it." Albocacim then prayed me to send Eximen de Toviá into the city, for that the Kaid wished to speak to him. "Eximen," he said, "should come with me into Xativa, that he may witness the love and affection the Kaid entertains for you." This was on a Wednesday, and Albocacim prayed us not to do anything against the city till the following Sunday, for the sheikhs (he said) would meet in the Mosque⁽¹⁵⁾ on Friday, and deliberate until Saturday; [468] for that reason he asked that the truce should last till Sunday. To this I agreed: but I will not enter into many details as to the parley, for it lasted a long while, and it would lengthen this book of mine beyond measure.

CCCLIII.

Next day there came to me Albocacim, Sexí,⁽¹⁶⁾ Almofarix, and En Eximen de Toviá, to discuss with me the terms of the capitulation they had just made, and ask for my approval. Eximen de Toviá said: "My lord, the Kaid of Xativa lays before you his whole mind, and opens his heart to you; what these his delegates may do, you may consider as secure as if he himself did it." The proposals were: that the Kaid should surrender immediately the lesser castle of Xativa, and keep the greater one for two years, to be counted from Pentecost next. I was to name what place of importance I would give him instead, for him to hold in fief of me. I then asked them what lordships suited the Kaid best. They asked for Montesa and for [469] Vallada, both good castles in the neighbourhood of Xativa. I said I would consider of it. I left my tent and went to the Queen's apartments. There I found some of my Council, such as the Master of the Hospital, En Hugh de Fullalquer, En Guillem de Moncada, Eximen Perez de Arenós, En Carrós, and others. I told them what capitulation the Kaid proposed, and asked them to advise on it. They asked the Queen to speak first, and the Queen said: "My lord, what counsel can I give you in this matter? none at all: yet my advice is, that since you can have Xativa, you ought not to delay for the sake of a castle or two; for Xativa is the finest castle, and the richest that I or any man has ever seen." The Master of the Hospital said: "I can add nothing to the Queen's words: for her advice is good." All the rest assented; and I said they had given me good counsel, and as such I accepted it; for I bethought myself that when the lesser castle was surrendered, the larger one could no longer remain in the Kaid's hands.

CCCLIV.

So I sent for Eximen de Toviá and for the Saracens, and made them this answer: that I so loved the father of the Kaid and the son himself, whom the father had left in charge to me, that although I had not got the business ended as I [470] wished, yet would I for his love grant the capitulation as proposed. They then asked on behalf of the Kaid, and of the sheikhs in the city, that I would consent to Eximen de Toviá holding the castle; for the Kaid, said they, trusted in him, and I also. I consented to that, and took possession of the lesser castle: thereupon I withdrew my army, furnished the castle with provisions and men, and returned to Valencia.

CCCLV.

While I was there, two Moors of Biar came to me, both old men more than fifty years of age, and told my porters that they wished to speak with me. They came, they said, for my great advantage. I made them come in, and asked what they wanted. They said: "If you will come to Biar, we will give up the castle to you ; it is the best on this frontier." I said: "Now tell me how is it that you can give the castle to me? and how that can be done?" The answer was: "We are among the best connected people in the town; we have spoken with some of our own relatives and friends who have the power of giving it over to you; and we know for certain that should you show yourself, the thing would be soon done." I said: "Do return home; I will collect some hundred knights in this place, and will be at Xativa on [471] such a day. Bring me thither a clear plan of your design, and I will see whether the thing can be done or not."

CCCLVI.

When the appointed day came, I was at Xativa, where one of those Saracens arrived. I asked him what had become of his companion. He told me that all the Moors of Biar had agreed to surrender the town to me, and that his companion had remained behind that he might lead them all, and persuade them to make their submission the moment I should make my appearance. I therefore determined to go to Biar confidently, for up to that time no Saracen had ever broken faith with me, or refused to surrender his castle when he had promised to do so, except, perhaps, Landrach at the affair of Roguar.⁽¹⁷⁾ The Saracen made such strong representations that I went thither; yet, when I arrived there, I found the Saracens of Biar all under arms outside the town. I then told the Saracen [472] who was with me, "Do you go to them, and tell them I am here." He went to them, and they said they would not treat with him, and that if he went near them they would stone him. I stayed there three or four days, on the side of the town leading from Ontenientes, on this side of the water.

CCCLVII.

Thence I removed to a hill on the side towards Castalla. It was Michaelmas, and I had my house set up there; those who could not have houses, built good huts; some in houses, and some in huts, we stayed there three months, during which I had a "fonevol" constructed, and but few days passed without a skirmish between my men and those of the town; for there were inside no less than seven hundred footmen, all good men, and well armed.

CCCLVIII.

On a certain day I collected my barons, and knights, and such of the military Orders as were at hand, besides En Guillem de Moncada, who had come from Tortosa with sixty cross-bowmen, all very good men. I made an attack upon the town, and tried to take up quarters in it. The Saracens made a stout defence, giving up nothing but through sheer force; many knights on our side being wounded, and as many or more men on [473] their side. In this manner I stayed there from the middle of September till the beginning of February of next year. I will not recount the deeds of arms that were there performed, nor all the parleys between me and the people of Biar, for it would take me too long a time to relate.

CCCLIX.

To make the matter short, when it came to the last, the Kaid of Biar, whose name was Muzalmoravit,⁽¹⁸⁾ surrendered the castle to me. I left the Saracens in the town, and granted them charters for their "zunes,"⁽¹⁹⁾ and that they should for all time after remain under me and my descendants. [474]

CCCLX.

When that was over, I returned to Valencia, and determined to ask Zeit to surrender Castalla, which he was bound to give up to me according to the terms of the capitulation; but Don Eximen Perez de Arenós told me there was no need of that, inasmuch as Zeit held it as a fief of my crown, and I could easily agree with him for it. He said to me: "Don Guillen Perez de Castalla holds it for Zeit, and can surrender it to you whenever you have made terms with that Saracen." I asked Don Eximen: "What terms do you think I could make?" He said: "I think that Zeit will accept in the kingdom of Valencia one fifth of what Castalla is worth." After a rather long debate, it was agreed that I should give Zeit the towns of Xest and Marxiant; I gave them to him, and in that way I got possession of Castalla. And when the Saracens saw that I had Xativa and Biar, they surrendered to me the whole country, from the Xucar up to Murcia, on condition that I should leave them in the kingdom. And so I had it all to myself.

CCCLXI.

I then left for Aragon, passing through Teruel and Daroca, and came to Catalayud. One day I went to hear mass in the great Church of Saint [475] Mary at Catalayud. After mass, Don Eximen Perez de Arenós came to me, and said: "My lord, need be that you look into your affairs, for difficulties are arising that you know not of." I said: What difficulties may those be?" He said: "You will soon learn." I replied: "You do ill, Don Eximen Perez; if you know of anything to my disadvantage, I would be glad to know of it; it would please me greatly to hear of it; for if it were something hurtful, I would at once take counsel, for if one can provide against such things beforehand, so much the better. He said: "Do you really wish me to tell you the bad news?" I said: "Certainly, I do wish it." Don Eximen then said: "Alazarch⁽²⁰⁾ has taken from you some castles and lands in Valencia; we did not dare tell you of it." I said: "You and they did ill not to tell me, for you know I will not willingly lose anything of my property; but, on the other hand, it pleases me much, for if, on account of the treaties made with the Saracens I did not drive them out of this country, should they now have done anything owing to which I should be justified in driving them out, I would be delighted to be the means of destroying them entirely and their [476] accursed sect, and that those temples where the name of Mohammed has long been proclaimed and invoked, should be retrieved for the Faith of Christ." I then asked Don Eximen if he knew what castles had actually been taken. He said: "Gallinera, Serra, and Pego," I said: "Since those are the news, I will see who does me harm; I will go to Valencia and take counsel." Then I told the Queen what Don Eximen Perez de Arenós had just said to me. She said: "I knew of it already, but dared not tell you." I said to her: "You were grievously wrong not to tell me, for the sooner man takes good counsel on any harm done to him, the better is it for him; it is my will to go to Valencia and recover my land as soon as possible, for the more Alazarch settles himself in my land, the worse it will be to get it back from him." She said: "You speak well; good luck attend you. I beg you to take me with you."

CCCLXII.

Thereon I and the Queen departed and went to Valencia. Whilst there the Kaid of Xativa arrived with a great company of Saracens and about ten of his sheikhs; he came very joyfully before me and kissed my hand, and asked me how it went with me. I answered: "Well, thank God; but I am much grieved for the injury [477] Alazarch has done me in taking my castles, and I wonder how you have permitted it." The Kaid and his companions then said: "My lord, if it grieves you, know that it annoys us as much, and that it is grief to us." But yet, though they spoke good words, I observed that they seemed joyful and contented; and while I expected that the harm Alazarch had done me would grieve them, and that they would offer their help, they offered none, but merely said they had come to see me, and were glad to have done so. They also said that by God's grace, and ours, Xativa was presently so full of people that they jostled against one another. The Kaid and his men stayed two days with me at Valencia. On the third day they went away, and I said to the Queen: "Have you observed what those Saracens did? how joyfully they came, and how they turned aside from our troubles and went away so lightly?" She said: "I did not observe it; but I understand that you speak the truth; these people care little or nothing about our troubles; not a word did they say about your going to them, or inviting you to their city."

CCCLXIII.

When the Kaid of Xativa and his sheikhs had departed from Valencia, I went to Burriana to [478] hunt. I had been there two days, when one night, as I was in bed, they knocked at my door, and said that a messenger was there from the Queen.⁽²¹⁾ I thought at first that the messenger must be concerning some new rising that had occurred. He came in and gave me a letter from the Queen, of which the contents were, that Alazarch had lately taken the castle of Peñaguila. I was deeply concerned at it, since that instead of my arrival at Valencia having made Alazarch repent of what he had done, he was doing still greater mischief, taking from me a place of so much importance and honour as Peñaguila was. I was greatly stirred within myself. On one side I was greatly annoyed at the affront, on the other I was pleased, for it afforded me good opportunity for taking revenge on the Saracens. I could not sleep at all that night, but sweated as if I was in a warm bath.

CCCLXIV.

Next morning I mounted and went to Valencia. I found there the Bishop of Valencia, who afterwards was Bishop of Zaragoza, named En Arnau, of the Peralta family; Don Pedro Fernandez de Azagra, Don Pedro Cornell, Don Eximen de Urrea, En G. de Muncada, castellan of Tortosa, [479] Don Artal de Alagon, and Don Rodrigo Liçana, all of whom came out to meet me. I told them to come next day to me, that I wished to speak with them of a great, high, and precious matter. They said they would come as I commanded. And next day after mass I had two clerks of the church of Valencia, both men of importance, and five of the citizens, and some barons, and the debate began. I said to them that I had come expressly from Borriana on a letter from the Queen, in which she informed me that Alazarch had taken the castle of Peñaguila; that the news had greatly grieved and angered me, considering that the Saracens should have so much audacity as to take two or three of my castles; and what was more, that they would not refrain from doing me injury when I had let them remain in the country, close to Valencia and to my own house. "And now it is to my shame and yours that, while we are in our own country, the Saracens should esteem so little my love and my sovereignty over them. It has grieved me much, and it behoves you, as good vassals, to take part in my grief; for just as you shared in my prosperity, so you should bear a part of my adversity and loss, and of my disgrace in this instance. Wherefore, I pray you and order you, by the sovereignty I have over you, that you grieve for me, and help me to revenge the injury [480] received; for it is at my heart dearly to avenge the wrong. And it seems to me as if the thing were the work of Our Lord, and that He wills that His sacrifice be over the whole kingdom of Valencia; and that He shields us from breaking the treaties made with the Saracens, giving me cause and reason to go against them, since, while I was leaving them in peace in my own country, not driving them from their homes, nor doing ill to them, but allowing them, on the contrary, to live in plenty among us, they should thus do us harm. Know ye that with God's will I intend to repay them well and hardly. And, moreover, since they have taken the land from me, besides that in which I had settled them, I have good cause to drive them from it and repeople it with Christians, and I will tell you how I intend setting about to do that, after first hearing the opinion of each of you, and seeing whether it is better than mine."

CCCLXV.

"My plan is to reinforce the garrisons of the castles which are in our hands, that is Xativa and the others, with four hundred knights; when they have been thus reinforced, to hold [in Valencia] the festival of Epiphany, which will be in a month hence; and then publicly and [481] formally, before everybody in the church of Our Lady Saint Mary, after exposing first all the wrongs they have done us - to say that I will reassume possession of the land and settle it with Christians. When the people of our kingdom and of other countries shall hear that I have that good intention for the service of God, it will not be necessary to call by proclamation for an army or a raid; we shall get more people than if we did. But bear in mind that those who have not rebelled against me, nor taken my castles, will take no hurt from me or mine. I will appoint a suitable day for them to prepare for leaving the kingdom of Valencia with their women and children and what goods they can carry away; they shall be conducted by me till they are in the kingdom of Murcia, and there they will learn how to go on to Granada, and further on if they like."

CCCLXVI.

My speech at an end, the Bishop of Valencia replied, and said that he gave Our Lord and His Mother great thanks for the good intention with which He had inspired me; that no man had served Our Lord so well as I had; that my name would be reported throughout the whole world, and that I could not give the Pope and the Church [482] of Rome more pleasure than by accomplishing my purpose. I then told the barons to speak, each in their turn. Those who had Saracen vassals spoke with reluctance, for what I proposed did not seem to please them. I said to them: "Why does this not please you? - why do you not counsel me for your own advantage? You should not abstain from giving me advice for the good of God, and mine, and your own in the end. Though your revenue will be lessened, and not be so great by Christians as by Saracens, yet you ought to consider how great is the gain that I and you will derive by the latter giving me cause to drive them out of this country, without, however, breaking my faith with them. Another very weighty consideration is, that if, perchance, for the sins of us Christians, it should sometime happen that the Saracens beyond the sea, and those on this side, should come to an agreement, and those especially who dwell in our towns should rise, they might perhaps take so many castles from us, and from the King of Castile, that every one who heard of it would be astonished at the damage thus done to Christianity. And it is better that harm should happen to others than to ourselves, for time changes in one day, and every man should take care that the change do not happen to his hurt." [483]

CCCLXVII.

Thereupon the citizens of Valencia, the bishops, and the clerks, supported me strongly in maintaining the opinion I had given. I was, therefore, enabled to overcome the resistance of the barons, who, perceiving that my opinion was more favourably received than theirs, gave in at last, and had to agree to my proposal. It was decided that Xativa and all the castles I held in the kingdom of Valencia should be strengthened. That of Xativa I at once assigned to En Guillen de Moncada with sixty men between knights and squires⁽²²⁾ properly armed. I also ordered other castles to be strengthened; where the garrisons could not defend themselves well and stoutly in case of attack, companies of men were sent till there were enough in each place. To the Saracens I despatched letters and messages written in Arabic, summoning them at a fixed time, and within the period of a month from that date of the letters, to be ready to leave the country with all their goods and chattels, and, in fact, with all they could take away; for it was not my will (I said) that they should remain in my kingdom after they had behaved so ill towards me and my people.

1. A, B, C. During the middle ages two copies of the same deed were written on a sheet of parchment perpendicularly, and separated only by a scroll containing three or more letters of the alphabet, according to the size of the parchment; when divided or cut asunder for each contracting party to take his part, the identity of the deed could be proved, even to the illiterate, by showing that their separated edges fitted one into another, and reproduced the perfect letters.

2. Almofarix in the edition of 1557; in that of Barcelona Almofays, neither of which seems to be an Arabic name. (Arabic letters in book), Al-mofaris (the horseman) would be by far a better reading, unless (Arabic letters in book), (Al-moxárif), or (Arabic letters in book), (Al-mokhárif), be meant, which are likewise proper names, or rather appellatives.

3. There is no need of remarking that Xativa is not in Andalusia, but in Valencia. Perhaps the interpreter hearing the word Andalos, (Arabic letters in book), in Arabic, which means "Spain," translated "Andalucia."

4. "E dixem li: Almofarix, uos sots saui hom."

5. Alfonso X., called "El Sabio" (the Learned).

6. Early in life, in 1248, Prince Don Alfonso, afterwards Alfonso the Learned, not the Wise, had married Yoland, the daughter of James.

7. "E a uista dels faem ne la meytat escapsar, e laltra meytat enforcar." "Escapsar" (in Span. "descabezar"), to take the head off.

8. These places (Capdetz and Bugarra) appear to have been all within the limits of the "conquest" or district occupied by, or assigned to, Castile. In 1179 a treaty had been concluded between Ferdinand of Castile and James of Aragon drawing a line of demarcation for their respective conquests from the Moors.

9. Almizra, also in the kingdom of Murcia; the Barcelona edition reads "Almura," perhaps a misprint for Almiçra.

10. Don Alfonso, at the time Infante, but King of Castile when this Chronicle was written.

11. Yoland, or Violante, as the Spanish chroniclers call her.

12. Doña Leonor was no doubt Alfonso's grand-aunt, she being the sister of Berengaria, or Berenguela, Queen of Leon, James's grandmother ; in February, 1221, she married James at Tarazona, in Aragon.

13. (Arabic letters in book), Abu-1-Kásim.

14. "Escriua major de Xativa"; but I should say that (Arabic letters in book), cátib, - in Spanish Alcátib - is meant; i.e. writer, scribe, man versed in law, also a secretary.

15. "La mesquita," from the Arabic, (Arabic letters in book), mesjid.

16. Sexí is the patronymic of Saix, or Sex, a town in the kingdom of Valencia. From the manner it is used in this passage it might be supposed that it formed part of the name of Abolcasim, or Abu-l-kásim, on account of his being a native of Saix; but the reading in the Barcelona edition agreeing entirely in this particular with that of 1557, and naming distinctly three persons: Abolcacim e Setxi, e Almofoys, is not in favour of the above conjecture. I must add that Abu-l-cásim's name is sometimes written Albocasim in both editions, owing to the frequent transposition of the l of the article Al.

17. The text here is much vitiated or else very obscure. "E nos anam la ab aquesta fiança, car anch sarray nons trenca fe quens hagues promesa per rao de cartell quens hagues promes de retre de Lançrat enfora en lo feyt de Rogat." Thus the modern Barcelona edition, which is, generally speaking, more correct than that of Valencia, 1557. This one, however, has: "De rendre de Landrach enfora en lo feyt de Roguar," which, though not differing materially from the above, is far from solving the difficulty. Landrach and Lançrat might be corruptions of Al-azrach, the name of a Moorish rais, of whom more will be said hereafter; but where was Rogat, or Roguar, situated?

18. i.e., (Arabic letters in book), or Musa, the Almorávid.

19. "E faem les cartes de lurs "Çunes, e que romanguesien tots temps ab nos e ab los nostres." Çunes is derived from sunna, or sonna, (Arabic letters in book), meaning traditional law founded on the deeds and sayings of the prophet Mohammad. (Arabic letters in book), xariâ is civil law. In all the charters granted to the Moors in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries by the Christian kings of the Peninsula, the words çunna et xâra, (Arabic letters in book), are generally used as expressive of the laws and customs, both religious and civil, under which the conquerors allowed the Moslems to live for a time. As long as that great bulwark of Islam in Spain - the mighty kingdom of Granada - from Gibraltar almost to the gates of Murcia existed, these charters, many of which have been published in various collections, were in full vigour, the Christian kings being practically tolerant and faithful to their engagements; but after the taking of Granada, in 1492, the capitulation signed by Ferdinand and Isabella was most wantonly infringed. James, himself, after a rebellion of his Valencian subjects, of which some account will be given hereafter, had them expelled, notwithstanding the opposition of his great vassals, who lost thereby thousands of agricultural labourers.

20. This is the first time that the name of this rais, or chief, is expressly mentioned in the Chroicle. His name is variously written Alzarach, Alaçrac, and Alazrat, all derived from (Arabic letters in book), Al-azrak, or he of the light blue eyes ; in Spanish, zarco. See also above p. 471, note.

21. At this time James's queen was Yoland of Hungary, daughter of King Andrew (1205--1235).

22. "Ab lx. cauallers e escuders ab armes" in the Barcelona edition.