Journeys Through Bookland, Volume 4 | Page 7

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 CID DEFEATS TWO MOORISH KINGS
And my Cid lay before Alcocer fifteen weeks; and when he saw that
the town did not surrender, he ordered his people to break up their
camp, as if they were flying, and they left one of their tents behind
them, and took their way along the Salon, with their banners spread.
And when the Moors saw this they rejoiced greatly, and there was a
great stir among them, and they praised themselves for what they had
done in withstanding him, and said that the Cid's bread and barley had
failed him, and he had fled away, and left one of his tents behind him.
And they said among themselves, "Let us pursue them and spoil them,
for if they of Teruel should be before us, the honour and the profit will
be theirs, and we shall have nothing." And they went out after him,
great and little, leaving the gates open and shouting as they went; and
there was not left in the town a man who could bear arms.
And when my Cid saw them coming he gave orders to quicken their
speed, as if he was in fear, and would not let his people turn till the
Moors were far enough from the town. But when he saw that there was
a good distance between them and the gates, then he bade his banner
turn, and spurred towards them, crying, "Lay on, knights, by God's
mercy the spoil is our own." God! what a good joy was theirs that
morning! My Cid's vassals laid on without mercy--in one hour, and in a
little space, three hundred Moors were slain, and the Cid and Alvar
Fañez had good horses and got between them and the castle, and stood
in the gateway sword in hand, and there was a great mortality among
the Moors; and my Cid won the place, and Pero Bermudez planted his
banner upon the highest point of the castle. And the Cid said, "Blessed
be God and all his saints, we have bettered our quarters both for horses

and men."
And he said to Alvar Fañez and all his knights, "Hear me, we shall get
nothing by killing these Moors; let us take them and they shall show us
their treasures which they have hidden in their houses, and we will
dwell here and they shall serve us." In this manner did my Cid win
Alcocer, and take up his abode therein.
Much did this trouble the Moors of Teca, and it did not please those of
Teruel, nor of Calatayud. And they sent to the king of Valencia to tell
him that one who was called Ruydiez the Cid, whom King Don
Alfonso had banished, was come into their country, and had taken
Alcocer; and if a stop were not put to him, the king might look upon
Teca and Teruel and Calatayud as lost, for nothing could stand against
him, and he had plundered the whole country, along the Salon on the
one side, and the Siloca on the other.