kisses by me your hands. For since you were wroth against him, and
banished him from the land, he being a man disherited, hath helped
himself with his own hands, and hath won from the Moors the Castle of
Alcocer. And the King of Valencia sent two Kings to besiege him there,
with all his power, and they begirt him round about, and cut off the
water and bread from us so that we could not subsist. And then holding
it better to die like good men in the field, than shut up like bad
ones, we went out against them, and fought with them in the open field,
and smote them and put them to flight; and both the Moorish Kings were
sorely wounded, and many of the Moors were slain, and many were taken
prisoners, and great was the spoil which we won in the field, both of
captives and of horses and arms, gold and silver and pearls, so that
all who are with him are rich men. And of his fifth of the horses which
were taken that day, my Cid hath sent you these, as to his natural
Lord, whose favour he desireth. I beseech you, as God shall help you,
show favour unto him. Then King Don Alfonso answered, This is betimes
in the morning for a banished man to ask favour of his Lord; nor is it
befitting a King, for no Lord ought to be wroth for so short a time.
Nevertheless, because the horses were won from the Moors, I will take
them, and rejoice that my Cid hath sped so well. And I pardon you,
Minaya, and give again unto you all the lands which you have ever held
of me, and you have my favour to go when you will, and come when you
will. Of the Cid Campeador, I shall say nothing now, save only that all
who choose to follow him may freely go, and their bodies and goods and
heritages are safe. And Minaya said, God grant you many and happy years
for his service. Now I beseech you, this which you have done for me, do
also to all those who are in my Cid's company, and show favour unto
them also, that their possessions may be restored unto them. And the
King gave order that it should be so. Then Minaya kissed the King's
hand and said, Sir, you have done this now, and you will do the rest