Arias Gonzalo

Day is gone, and night is come.

At cock-crow they all assembled together in the Church of St. Pedro, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo sung mass, and they were shriven and assoyled, and houselled.

Great was the absolution which the Bishop gave them: He who shall die, said he, fighting face forward, I will take his sins, and God shall have his soul.

Then said he, A boon, Cid Don Rodrigo; I have sung mass to you this morning: let me have the giving the first wounds in this battle! and the Cid granted him this boon in the name of God.

Then being all ready they went out through the gate which is called the Gate of the Snake, for the greatest power of the Moors was on that side, leaving good men to guard the gates.

Alvar Fanez and his company were already gone forth, and had laid their ambush.

Four thousand, lacking thirty, were they who went out with my Cid, with a good will, to attack fifty thousand.

They went through all the narrow places, and bad passes, and leaving the ambush on the left, struck to the right hand, so as to get the Moors between them and the town.

And the Cid put his battles in good array, and bade Pero Bermudez bear his banner.

When the Moors saw this they were greatly amazed; and they harnessed themselves in great haste, and came out of their tents.

Then the Cid bade his banner move on, and the Bishop Don Hieronymo pricked forward with his company, and laid on with such guise, that the hosts were soon mingled together.

Then might you have seen many a horse running about the field with the saddle under his belly, and many a horseman in evil plight upon the ground.

Great was the smiting and slaying in short time; but by reason that the Moors were so great a number, they bore hard upon the Christians, and were in the hour of overcoming them.

And the Cid began to encourage them with a loud voice, shouting God and Santiago! And Alvar Fanez at this time issued out from ambush, and fell upon them, on the side which was nearest the sea; and the Moors thought that a great power had arrived to the Cid's succour, and they were dismayed, and began to fly.

And the Cid and his people pursued, punishing them in a bad way.

If we should wish to tell you how every one behaved himself in this battle, it is a thing which could not be done, for all did so well that no man can relate their feats.

And the Cid Ruydiez did so well, and made such mortality among the Moors, that the blood ran from his wrist to his elbow! great pleasure had he in his horse Bavieca that day, to find himself so well mounted.

And in the pursuit he came up to King Yucef, and smote him three times: but the King escaped from under the sword, for the horse of the Cid passed on in his course, and when he turned, the King being on a fleet horse, was far off, so that he might not be overtaken; and he got into a Castle called Guyera, for so far did the Christians pursue them, smiting and slaying, and giving them no respite, so that hardly fifteen thousand escaped of fifty that they were.

They who were in the ships, when they saw this great overthrow, fled to Denia.