CHAP. III. Great Preparations thro' Christendom for the Holy War. Valencia taken by Roderick de Bivar, Other Actions of his, suspected to be Fabulous. His Death, and that of Joseph, the Moorish Monarch.

WHilst these things hap'ned in Spain, all the rest of Christendom sounded of nothing but Preparations for the Holy War. Pope Ʋrban, at the General Council he held * at Clermont, in France, and by his Legates at the Courts of all Christian Princes, stirred them up to undertake this Religious Work. Many Bishops, Princes, and Men of Note, Listed themselves, and wore the Cross, then the Mark of being engaged in that War. A∣mong the rest, Bernard, Archbishop of Toledo, having setled the Government of that Church, Page  157 and Constituted 30 Canons, and as many Half-Canons, taking up the Cross, departed to∣wards * the Holy Land. No sooner was he gone, but the Canons he had appointed, met, and chose another Archbishop, Expelling those that opposed this unlawful Proceeding. D. Ber∣nard understanding what had been done, returned to Toledo, and Expelling all that had a hand in that Disorder, put Monks of the Monastery of Sahagun, in their places. This done, he sets forward again, and being come to Rome, was obliged by the Pope to return home a∣gaine as believing his Presence was necessary at Toledo, being a place but lately recovered, and unsetled. He absolved him of the Vow he had made, to go to the Holy-Land, upon condition he should lay out the Money he had designed for that Expedition, in Rebuilding of Tarragona, a City then newly taken from the Moors, by the Earl of Barcelona. In the time * of the Romans, it was a Noble City, and the Seat of their Empire in Spain, since, reduced to a small number of poor Houses. D. Bernard Repaired it, and Translated Berengarius, Bi∣shop of Vique, thither, with the Dignity of Archbishop. Yet the new Archbishop forget∣ing this Favour, afterwards contended with Bernard about the Right of the Primacy. Pope Ʋrban put an end to the strife, assigning the Supremacy of all Spain, to Bernard, and his Suc∣cessors. Bernard, the Archbishop, in his way thro' France, brought along with him many Learned and Pious Men into Spain, who were afterwards promoted to great Dignities. A∣mong them also came Burdinus, not worthy to be named among them, for he afterwards made himself Anti-pope, and caused a Schism in the Church, as shall be hinted in its place.

Roderick Diaz, Sirnamed Cid, or the Lord, was not idle all this while, but having obtain'd leave of the King, who was busie in Andaluzia, with a choice Band of his own Forces, fell upon the Moors that dwelt upon the Borders of Aragon and Castile. All the Moorish Princes strove to gain his Friendship. The first he agreed withal, was the Lord of Albarrazin. Then he went to visit the King of Zaragoça, who received him with great signs of Affection, hoping with his assistance to make himself Master of Valencia. This City is seated where formerly were the Editani, near the Sea, in a very pleasant Country, and has always been a * place of great Trade, and very Rich. Hiaya, he that had been King of Toledo, was then in possession of it, having inherited it of his Father Almenon, to whom it belonged. The Lord of Denia, Xativa, and Tortosa, laid close Siege to it. The King of Zaragoça thought to raise himself upon the Ruins of others; for the Besieged having sent to him for Relief, he hoped under that colour to subdue both them, and the Besiegers. He agreed with Roderick Diaz, and both marched thither. The Lord of Denja knowing himself inferior to them, made Peace with Valencia, and raised the Siege. Nevertheless, the King of Zaragoça, would have possessed himself of Valencia, had not Roderick Diaz opposed him, for that it was un∣der the Protection of the King his Master. Hereupon, that King returned home. Roderick Diaz, under colour of assisting the King of Valencia, made his own advantage, obliging all the Moors thereabouts to pay him Tribute; with which, and the Booty, he maintained the charge of the War. King Hiaya, before grown odious to his Subjects, encreased their hatred, by being a Friend to the Christians, so that they called in the Almoravides, then grown Powerful, who killed Hiaya, and gave the Sovereignty of the City to Abenaxa, the Contriver of that Re∣volution. Roderick Diaz desiring to punish their Treachery, and rejoycing that an opportu∣nity was offered him of taking that Noble City, resolved to lay Siege to it. Valencia was well stored with Provisions, Warlike Ammunition, a good Garison, and a great number of resolute Citizens; yet his Constancy overcame all those Difficulties. He laid close Siege to it, which lasted a long time, till the Besieged wanting Provisions, and seeing no hopes of re∣lief, * Surrendred. Not so satisfied, tho' it seemed a rashness, he resolved to main∣tain that City, and in order to it, made one Hierome, a Companion of the Archbishop of Toledo, Bishop of it. Moreover, he brought thither his Wife and Daughters, whom, as was said above, he had left in the Custody of the Abbot of S. Peter of Carden̄a. To the King, for that he had favoured his designs, he sent a Present of 200 choice Horses, with as many Scymiters hanging at the Saddles. Such was the posture of Roderick Diaz's Affairs, when two young Lords, called Earls of Carrion, their Names, James and Ferdinand, Men of great Birth, but mean degenerate Souls, having obtained the King's Recommendation, * Marry'd his two Daughters at Valencia. It hap'ned soon after, that a Lion breaking lose, they both hid themselves in an undecent place; and at another time, in a Skirmish with the Moors they fled. These things made them grow contemptible to their Father-in-law, who Reproached them, and they study'd Revenge. Suero, their Uncle, who ought to have given them better advice, heightned their malice. Having resolved upon the Villany they were to act, they prepared to return home. Their Father-in-law having accompanied them part of the way; returned to Valencia, and they prosecuted their Journey, till they came to a Wood, on the Frontiers of Castile, after they had passed the River Duero. There sending away most of their Retinue, they took the two Ladies into the Wood, and having strip'd them naked, whipped them till they lay for dead, wallowing in their blood. In this manner they were found by Ordonius, sent after them, by their Father, who suspected some ill design. He * carried them to the next Village, where they were dressed, and taken care of. This Villain∣ous Act brought upon the Husbands the hatred of all Men. Roderick Diaz seeking revenge, had recourse to the King at such time as a general Assembly of the States, or Parliament, was Page  158 held at Toledo. Judges were appointed to determine what was to be done, the chief where∣of, was Raymund of Burgundy, the King's Son-in-law. After a full hearing, it was decreed, that those two Lords should restore all that they had received with their Wives, and that they and their Uncle Suero, should Combat with three others, appointed on his part by Ro∣derick Diaz. Three Men of note, whose Names were Bermudo, Antolin, and Gustio, under∣took his Quarrel. The young Lords endeavoured to evade the Combat, by gaining time, so Roderick Diaz went away to Valencia, and they to their Estate. But the King not satisfied, obliged them to fight at Carrion, where they were all three overcome. Roderick Diaz's two Daughters were Marry'd again, D. Elvira to D. Ramiro, Son to D. Sancho Garcia, King of Navarre, who was killed by his Brother Raymund, as was said above, D. Sol, to D. Peter, Son to the King of Aragon, of the same Name; both which, sent to demand them in Marriage. D. Ramiro had by D. Elvira, Garci Ramirez, who was afterwards King of Navarre. D. Peter dy'd before his Father, and left no Issue. Two several times King Bucar, who came out of Africk, was overthrown in sight of Valencia, by Roderick Diaz and his Forces, who kept that City as long as he lived, which was five Years after the taking of it. He was near his Death when the same Bucar came again before the City, and perceiving it could not be maintained after his Death, ordered in his Will, that they should all in a Body quit the place, and return to Castile. The Moors believing it was a powerful Army, that designed to give them Battle, drew off. Those Christians marched without ceasing till they came to Castile, and Valencia* being left without any Garison, fell again into the hands of the Moors. They that came from Valencia, brought with them the Body of Roderick Diaz, which was Bury'd with great Mag∣nificence, in the Monastery of S. Peter of Carden̄a, near Burgos, K. Alonso, and Roderick Diaz's two Sons-in-law being present. Many look upon most of this Relation as Fabulous; and I write more than I believe, because I would not wholly omit what others affirm. In the Church of S. Peter of Carden̄a, are to be seen five Tombs, that of Roderick Diaz, that of his Wife, and those of his Son and Daughters. Perhaps, they are only empty Monuments, such as are called Cenotaphia, erected in Honour of such People.

The Death of Roderick Diaz de Bivar, was a great loss to the Christians for his extraordi∣nary Valour, Conduct and Prosperity. Authors do not agree about the Year in which it * hap'ned, the most likely Opinion is, that it was in the Year of our Lord 1093. About this time, Pope Ʋrban translated the Bishoprick of Iria, to Compostella, at the request of Dalma∣chius,* who was the first Bishop of that City, and made it independant of the See of Braga. King Alonso, tho' very ancient, never neglected the Affairs of War, but made several Incursi∣ons into Andaluzia, which was the more easie to be done, for that Joseph, the Moor, was re∣turned into Africk. This gave the Christians some time of breathing, which the King made use of to encrease the Religious Worship. He built a Monastery of Benedictines at Toledo, of the In∣vocation of S. Servandus and S. German, others say, he only repaired it. Besides, he erected * two Monasteries of Nuns, the one Dedicated to S. Peter, the other to S. Dominick of Silos. At Burgos, without the Walls, he Founded another Convent, now called S. John of Burgos. The Year following, which was 1099. was remarkable for the Death of Pope Ʋrban, and the taking of Jerusalem by the Christians. Cardinal Raynerius, who had been Legate in Spain, a * Person of great Worth and Experience, succeeded Ʋrban, by the Name of Pasqualis II. He * in the time of his Papacy, granted a Privilege to the Church of S: James the Apostle, that after the manner of the Church of Rome, it might have seven Canons Cardinals, and that the Bishops of that See might use the Pall, an Ornament betokening greater Authority, than that of common Bishops. The next ensuing Year, which was 1100. proved no less pleasing to the Christians, by reason of the Death of Joseph, who was Sovereign of all the Moors in Spain,* during the space of 12 Years, and of those in Africk, about 32, than it was at last unfortu∣nate * for the untimely end of D. Sancho, Prince of Castile, which will be seen in the next Chapter.