his leave; and the King covenanted on his side to love him and honour
him, and defend him to the utmost of his power. And Alimaymon ordered
fair palaces to be edified for him, by the wall of the Alcazar, on the
outer part, that the Moors of the city might do no displeasure neither
to him nor to his companions: and they were hard by a garden of the
King's, that he might go out and disport himself therein whensoever it
pleased him. And for these things King Don Alfonso loved to serve King
Alimaymon. Nevertheless when he saw the great honour of the King of
Toledo, and how powerful he was, and that he was the Lord of so great
chivalry, and of the noblest city which had belonged unto the Gothic
Kings, from whom he himself was descended, it grieved him in his heart
to see that city in the hands of the Moors: and he said within his
heart, Lord God and Father Jesus Christ, it is wholly in thy power to
give and to take away, and right it is that thy will should be done,
even as thou hast done it to me, to whom thou gavest a kingdom, and it
was thy will to take it away from me, and thou hast made me come hither
to serve the enemies who were at the service of the King my father.
Lord, I put my hope in thee that thou wilt deliver me from this
servitude, and give me a land and kingdom to command, and that thou
wilt show unto me such favour that this land and this city shall by me
be won, that thy holy body may be sacrificed in it to the honour of
Christendom. This prayer he made with great devotion and with many
tears; and the Lord God heard him, as hereafter you shall hear in this
history. In those days King Alimaymon was at war with other Moorish
Kings his enemies, and King Don Alfonso fought against them on his
side, and did such good service that he quelled their power, and they
durst no longer offend him. And in time of peace Don Alfonso and his
companions went fowling along the banks of the Tagus, for in those days
there was much game there, and venison of all kinds; and they killed
venison among the mountains. And as he was thus spoiling he came to a