Sancho had done, thinking that it was to his great injury and
abasement, for Zaragoza he held to be within his conquest. And he came
out with all his power to cut off the King's return, and took
possession of the way, and said unto him that he should not pass till
he had made amends for the great dishonour which he had wrought him, in
coming into his conquest and against his vassals: the amends which he
required was, that he should yield unto him all the spoil, and all
which the King of Zaragoza had given him, else should he not pass
without battle. When King Don Sancho heard this, being a man of great
heart, he made answer, that he was the head of the kingdoms of Castille
and Leon, and all the conquests in Spain were his, for the Kings of
Aragon had no conquests appertaining unto them, being by right his
tributaries, and bound to appear at his Cortes. Wherefore he counselled
him to waive this demand, and let him pass in peace. But the King of
Aragon drew up his host for battle, and the onset was made, and heavy
blows were dealt on both sides, and many horses were left without a
master. And while the battle was yet upon the chance, King Don Sancho
riding light bravely through the battle, began to call out Castille!
Castille! and charged the main body so fiercely that by fine force he
broke them; and when they were thus broken, the Castillians began
cruelly to slay them, so that King Don Sancho had pity thereof, and
called out unto his people not to kill them, for they were Christians.
Then King Don Ramiro being discomfited, retired to a mountain, and King
Don Sancho beset the mountain round about, and made a covenant with him
that he should depart, and that the King of Zaragoza should remain
tributary to Castille; and but for this covenant the King of Aragon
would then have been slain, or made prisoner. This was the battle
whereof the Black Book of Santiago speaketh, saying, that in this year,
on the day of the Conversion of St. Paul, was the great slaughter of
the Christians in Porca. In all these wars did my Cid demean himself