might go join him. And my Cid went to the King to commune with him, and
while my Cid was with him, Don Ramon Berenguer, Lord of Barcelona, came
to Zaragoza; and the King gave him great gifts, that he might not place
his love upon any other for want; for the King had now put away his
love from the Cid, thinking that because of him he had lost Valencia.
And presently he sent a force to besiege Valencia under Don Ramon
Berenguer; and he had two Bastilles built, one in Liria, which King
Yahia had given him when he came to relieve him, and the other in
Juballa, and he thought to build another on the side of Albuhera, so
that none might enter into the city, neither go out from it. And he
re-edified the Castle of Cebolla, that the Count might retire thither
if it should be needful; and every day the Count attacked the city, and
King Yahia defended himself, looking for the coming of the Cid to help
him, according to the covenant which was between them.

XVI. When the Cid returned from Castille and knew that Valencia was
besieged by the French, he went to Tares, which is near Monviedro, and
encamped there with his people, who were many in number. And when the
Count knew that the Cid was so near, he feared him, holding him to be
his enemy. And the Cid sent to him to bid him move from that place and
raise the siege of Valencia. The Count took counsel with his knights,
and they said that they would rather give battle to the Cid. Howbeit
the Cid had no wish to fight with them, because the Count was related
to King Don Alfonso, and moreover he had defeated him and made him
prisoner heretofore: so he sent a second time, bidding him depart. And
the Count seeing that he could not abide there in the Cid's despite,
broke up the siege and went his way by Requena, for he would not pass
through Zaragoza. Then the Cid went to Valencia, and King Yahia
received him full honourably, and made a covenant with him to give him
weekly four thousand maravedis of silver, and he on his part was to