him into his own dominions and gave orders that he should be attacked
along the whole of his border, and did not leave him till he had
plainly submitted. In this manner was Yahia delivered from the King of
Badajoz; but King Don Alfonso knowing how that city was to be taken,
contented himself with overrunning the country, and despoiling it, even
to the walls of the city; and thus he did for four years, so that he
was master of the land.

II. In all this time did my Cid do good service to King Don Alfonso.
And in these days King Don Alfonso fought at Consuegra with King
Abenalfange of Denia, and in this battle the Christians were defeated,
and Diego Rodriguez, the son of my Cid, was slain. Greatly was his
death lamented by the Christians, for he was a youth of great hope, and
one who was beginning to tread in the steps of his father. And King Don
Alfonso was fain to retire into the Castle of that town. And
Abenalfange gathered together the greatest power of the Moors that he
could, and entered the land of the Christians, and past the mountains,
and came even to Medina del Campo, and there Alvar Fanez Minaya met
him. Minaya had but five and twenty hundred horse with him, and of the
Moors there were fifteen thousand; nevertheless by God's blessing he
prevailed against them. And by the virtue of God Alvar Fanez gave King
Abenalfange a cruel wound in the face, so that he fled away. Great
honour did Minaya win for this victory.

III. Now had King Don Alfonso for many years cut down the bread and the
wine and the fruits in all the country round about Toledo, and he made
ready to go against the city. The tidings of this great enterprise
spread far and wide, and adventurers came from all parts lo be present;
not only they of Castille and Leon, Asturias and Nagera, Galicia and
Portugal, but King Sancho Ramirez of Aragon came also, with the flower