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And the King was right glad when they were brought before him, and he did great justice upon them, and sent to thank my Cid for having avenged him. XXI. After my Cid had done this good service to King Don Alfonso, he and King Zulema of Zaragoza entered Aragon, slaying, and burning, and plundering before them, and they returned to the Castle of Monzon with great booty.
Saragossa steel was esteemed for helmets, and the sword of James of Arragon in 1230, "a very good sword, and lucky to those who handled it," was from Monzon. The Cid's sword was similar, and named Tizona.
XI. Count Don Garcia came in the front of King Don Sancho's army, and in the one wing was the Count de Monzon and Count Don Nuno de Lara; and the Count Don Fruela of Asturias in the other; and the King was in the rear, with Don Diego de Osma, who carried his banner: and in this manner were they arrayed on the one side and on the other, being ready for the onset.
"With reference to the 4th Company stationed in the Province of Isabela, whose captain is Don Antonio Monzon of Panamitan, there are many complaints of thefts and assaults committed by the soldiers, and in answer to my questions, Don Simeón Adriano y Villa, Major and Sanitary Inspector and doctor of this battalion, whom I have stationed there for lack of a competent person, tells me that he has always punished and offered advice to officers and soldiers in order to prevent the recurrence of thefts and assaults, but he has never been able to suppress them completely, because the soldiers are abandoned by their officers, and because of lack of example on the part of the latter; they do not understand that it is a great blot when they commit these abuses, since when they discover the goods or house of a Spaniard they believe they have a right to appropriate everything which they encounter.
The chief counsellor of King Don Alfonso was Don Pero Ansures, a notable and valiant knight, of the old and famous stock of the Ansures, Lords of Monzon, which is nigh unto Palencia; the same who in process of time was Count of Carrion and of Saldana and Liebana, and Lord of Valladolid, a city which was by him greatly increased.
And King Pedro of Aragon came out against him, but my Cid took the Castle of Monzon in his sight; and then he went to Tamarit: and one day as he rode out hunting from thence with twelve of his knights, he fell in with a hundred and fifty of the King of Aragon's people, and he fought with them and put them to flight, and took seven knights prisoners, whom he let go freely.
In good time did he arrive, for the captains of King Don Sancho had now gained many lands in Galicia and in the province of Beira, finding none to resist them, and the Count Don Nuno de Lara, and the Count of Monzon, and Don Garcia de Cabra, were drawing nigh unto Coimbra.
And the Moors of the town rejoiced in his good speed, liking him well, because he protected them so well that they were safe from all harm. And my Cid went out again from Zaragoza, and rode over the lands of Monzon and Huerta and Onda and Buenar.
And my Cid chose out two hundred horsemen and went out by night, and fell upon the lands of Alcaniz; and he remained out three days in this inroad, and brought away great booty. Great was the talk thereof among the Moors: and they of Monzon and of Huesca were troubled, but they of Zaragoza rejoiced; because they paid tribute to the Cid, and were safe.
There is record of bronze bells in Valencia as early as 622, and an ancient mortar was found near Monzon, in the ruins of a castle which had formerly belonged to the Arabs. Round the edge of this mortar was the inscription: "Complete blessing, and ever increasing happiness and prosperity of every kind and an elevated and happy social position for its owner." The mortar was richly ornamented.
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