VII. Yahia being now King in Valencia, made Aboeza his Guazil, and gave
him authority throughout all his kingdom. Nevertheless he bore
displeasure against him in his heart, because he had served Abdalla
Azis; and on his part also Aboeza secretly feared the King, and knew
not whether it were better to depart from him, or not; howbeit he
thought it best to remain and serve him right loyally and well, that so
he might win his good will; and when the King perceived this, his anger
abated and was clean put out of mind. And he made Aboeza his favourite,
and made a vow unto him and confirmed it by a writing, that he would
never take away his favour from him, nor change him for another, nor do
any thing in his dominions without him. With this was Aboeza satisfied,
and the fear which he felt in his heart was removed. And they who held
the castles brought great gifts to Yahia, with much humility and
reverence, such as the Moors know how to put on. This they did to set
his heart at rest, that he might confide in them, and send away Alvar
Fañez into his own country, and not keep him and his people at so great
a charge, for it cost them daily six hundred maravedis, and the King
had no treasure in Valencia, neither was he so rich that he could
support his own company and supply this payment; and for this reason
the Moors complained of the great cost. But on the other hand, Yahia
feared that if he should send away Alvar Fañez, the Moors would rise
against him; and to maintain him he laid a great tax upon the city and
its district, saying that it was for barley. This tax they levied upon
the rich as well as the poor, and upon the great as well as the little,
which they held to be a great evil and breach of their privileges, and
thought that by his fault Valencia would be lost, even as Toledo had
been. This tribute so sorely aggrieved the people, that it became as it
were a bye word in the city, Give the barley. They say there was a
great mastiff, with whom they killed beef in the shambles, who,
whenever he heard, 'Give the barley,'began to bark and growl: upon
which a Trobador said, Thanks be to God, we have many in the town who
are like the mastiff.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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