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But the day when I first beheld this city I was well pleased therewith, and coveted it that I might be its Lord; and I besought the Lord our God that he would give it me. See now what his power is, for the day when I sate down before Juballa I had no more than four loaves of bread, and now by God's mercy I have won Valencia.
But he who had the Castle of Algezira would not be in this covenant with them and the Cid sent parties into his lands, and did him much evil; and the Alcayde of Juballa went against him, and cut down all his corn and brought it to Juballa, which the Cid had made a great town with a church and with towers, and it was a goodly place; and there he had his corn and his other things, and his rents were all brought thither, and it abounded with all things; and men held it for a great marvel that in so short time he had made so great a town, which was so rich and so plentiful.
And Abeniaf made answer that it should be so. And the Cid demanded of him his son as hostage, that he might keep him in Juballa, for otherwise he said he could not be secure. And Abeniaf agreed to this also; so they parted for that day, having appointed that they should meet on the morrow, and confirm this covenant by writings so that it should be good.
And he ordered the corn to be cut, for it was now the season, and he beset the city on all sides, and pulled down the houses and towers which were round about, and the stone and wood thereof he sent to Juballa, to make a town there beside the Castle.
IX. Then the Cid went with all his host to Juballa, leaving none but such as were to collect his rents with his Almoxarife. And Abeniaf cast about how he might pay the Cid for the corn, and also what else was to be given him. And he made terms with those who held the Castles round about Valencia, that they should pay him the tenth of all their fruits and of all their other rents.
Now that land was in peace, and the dwellers thereof kept neither watch nor ward; and his foragers slew many, and made many prisoners, and drove great flocks and herds, sheep and kine, and brood mares, and prisoners all together, and they carried away all the corn; and they sent all the spoil to Juballa, and it was so great that Valencia and Juballa and all their dependencies were rich with cattle and with other things.
And that the suburb which he had won should be his; and that his host should remain in Juballa so long as they continued in that land. And upon this they made their writings, and confirmed them. And the Almoravides departed from Valencia, and horsemen were sent with them, who conducted them in safety, and the Moors of Valencia were left in peace.
VIII. On the morrow the Cid sent Abeniaf to Juballa. and they gave him great tortures till he was at the point of death; and they kept him there two days, and then brought him to Valencia to the Garden of the Cid, and the Cid gave order that he should write with his own hand an account of all that he had.
The Cid was greatly grieved when he heard it, and without delay he set forth with all his people, and went as fast as he could go to Juballa, and there they who had escaped from Valencia met him, and besought him to help them to revenge the death of their Lord, saying that they would follow him for life or for death, and do whatsoever he commanded them.
On the second day after this Guazil had arrived, the Cid attacked the suburb which is called Villa Nueva, and entered it by force, and slew many Moors, both men of Andalusia and Almoravides, and plundered all that they found, and pulled down the houses, and the wood and stone the Cid sent to Juballa, and he set a guard there that the Moors might not recover the place.
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