{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_50352/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_50352","id":"gutenberg_50352","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50352","summary":null,"tags":["Category: American Literature","Category: Historical Novels","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Novels","Spain -- History"],"text":"TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE\n\n  * Italics are denoted by underscores as in _italics_.\n  * Small caps are represented in upper case as in SMALL CAPS.\n  * Original spelling was kept, but variant spellings were made\n    consistent when a predominant usage was found.\n  * Obvious printer errors have been silently corrected.\n  * The following changes were also made:\n    Page  29:    cheek \u2192 check    (to check the indulgence)\n    Page  31:  potents \u2192 portents (with these signs and portents)\n    Page 459:  se\u00f1oria \u2192 se\u00f1orio  (the se\u00f1orio of Serpa)\n    Page 516:   Argoti \u2192 Argote   (Argote de Molina)\n    Page 521: pundoner \u2192 pundonor (\u201cpundonor,\u201d or point of honor)\n  * The text of chapter headings and of Table of Contents entries\n    have been made consistent.\n  * All chapters end with ornated illustrations, even when they were\n    not present in the printed book.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: The Court of Dolls. Alcazar. Seville.]\n\nPHILADELPHIA J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.\n\n\n\n\n  SPANISH PAPERS.\n\n\n  BY\n  WASHINGTON IRVING.\n\n\n  EDITED BY\n\n  PIERRE M. IRVING.\n\n\n  PHILADELPHIA:\n  J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.\n  1872.\n\n\n\n\nEntered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by\n\nG. P. PUTNAM AND SON,\n\nIn the Clerk\u2019s Office of the District Court for the Southern\nDistrict of New York.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPREFACE BY THE EDITOR.\n\n\nA limited edition of the \u201cLegends of the Conquest of Spain,\u201d with\nwhich this volume commences, was published in 1835. These Legends,\nconsisting of the \u201cLegend of Don Roderick,\u201d the \u201cLegend of the\nSubjugation of Spain,\u201d the \u201cLegend of Count Julian and his Family,\u201d\nformed No. III. of the \u201cCrayon Miscellany.\u201d For the Chronicles\nwhich follow them, with the exception of \u201cAbderahman\u201d and \u201cSpanish\nRomance,\u201d which have appeared in the \u201cKnickerbocker Magazine,\u201d I have\ndrawn upon the unpublished manuscripts of Mr. Irving, bequeathed\nto me by his will. This portion of the volume is illustrative of\nthe wars between the Spaniards and the Moors, and consists of the\n\u201cLegend of Pelayo,\u201d the \u201cChronicle of Count Fernan Gonzalez,\u201d the\nmost illustrious hero of his epoch, who united the kingdoms of Leon\nand Castile; and the \u201cChronicle of Fernando the Saint,\u201d that renowned\nchampion of the faith, under whom the greater part of Spain was\nrescued from the Moors. I have selected these themes from a mass\nof unpublished manuscript that came into my hands at the death of\nMr. Irving, because they bore the impress of being most nearly,\nthough not fully, prepared for the press, and because they had for\nhim a special fascination, arising in part, perhaps, from his long\nresidence in that romantic country. \u201cThese old Morisco-Spanish\nsubjects\u201d\u2014is the language of one of his published letters\u2014\u201chave a\ncharm that makes me content to write about them at half price. They\nhave so much that is high-minded, and chivalrous, and quaint, and\npicturesque, and at times half comic, about them.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LEGEND OF DON RODERICK.\n\nCHAPTER I. PAGE\n\nOf the Ancient Inhabitants of Spain.\u2014Of the Misrule of Witiza the\nWicked.      1\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nThe Rise of Don Roderick.\u2014His Government.      8\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nOf the Loves of Roderick and the Princess Elyata.       13\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nOf Count Julian.      19\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nThe Story of Florinda.      22\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nDon Roderick receives an Extraordinary Embassy.      31\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nStory of the Marvelous and Portentous Tower.      35\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nCount Julian.\u2014His Fortunes in Africa.\u2014He hears of the Dishonor of his\nChild.\u2014His Conduct thereupon.      45\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nSecret Visit of Count Julian to the Arab Camp.\u2014First Expedition of\nTaric el Tuerto.      53\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nLetter of Muza to the Caliph.\u2014Second Expedition of Taric el\nTuerto.      58\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nMeasures of Don Roderick on Hearing of the Invasion.\u2014Expedition of\nAtaulpho.\u2014Vision of Taric.      64\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nBattle of Calpe.\u2014Fate of Ataulpho.      69\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nTerror of the Country.\u2014Roderick rouses himself to Arms.     76\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nMarch of the Gothic Army.\u2014Encampment on the Banks of the\nGuadalete.\u2014Mysterious Predictions of a Palmer.\u2014Conduct of Pelistes\nthereupon.      82\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nSkirmishing of the Armies.\u2014Pelistes and his Son.\u2014Pelistes and the\nBishop.      88\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nTraitorous Message of Count Julian.      93\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nLast Day of the Battle.      97\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nThe Field of Battle after the Defeat.\u2014The Fate of Roderick.      103\n\nILLUSTRATIONS OF THE FOREGOING LEGEND.\n\nThe Tomb of Roderick.      108\n\nThe Cave of Hercules.      109\n\n\nLEGEND OF THE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nConsternation of Spain.\u2014Conduct of the Conquerors.\u2014Missives between\nTaric and Muza.      119\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nCapture of Granada.\u2014Subjugation of the Alpuxarra Mountains.      125\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nExpedition of Magued against Cordova.\u2014Defense of the Patriot\nPelistes.      132\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nDefense of the Convent of St. George by Pelistes.      136\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nMeeting between the Patriot Pelistes and the Traitor Julian.      142\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nHow Taric el Tuerto captured the City of Toledo through the Aid\nof the Jews, and how he found the famous Talismanic Table of\nSolomon.      146\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nMuza ben Nosier.\u2014His Entrance into Spain and Capture of\nCarmona.      153\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nMuza marches against the City of Seville.      158\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMuza besieges the City of Merida.      160\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nExpedition of Abdalasis against Seville and the \u201cLand of\nTadmir.\u201d      168\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nMuza arrives at Toledo.\u2014Interview between him and Taric.      177\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nMuza prosecutes the Scheme of Conquest.\u2014Siege of\nSaragossa.\u2014Complete Subjugation of Spain.      182\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nFeud between the Arab Generals.\u2014They are summoned to appear before\nthe Caliph at Damascus.\u2014Reception of Taric.      187\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nMuza arrives at Damascus.\u2014His Interview with the Caliph.\u2014The Table of\nSolomon.\u2014A rigorous Sentence.      193\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nConduct of Abdalasis as Emir of Spain.      198\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nLoves of Abdalasis and Exilona.      203\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nFate of Abdalasis and Exilona.\u2014Death of Muza.      208\n\n\nLEGEND OF COUNT JULIAN AND HIS FAMILY.\n\nLegend of Count Julian and his Family.      217\n\nNote to the preceding Legend.      232\n\n\nTHE LEGEND OF PELAYO.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nObscurity of the Ancient Chronicles.\u2014The Loves of Do\u00f1a Lucia and the\nDuke Favila.\u2014Birth of Pelayo, and what happened thereupon; His Early\nFortunes, and his Tutelage under the veteran Count Grafeses.      237\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nWhat happened to Pelayo at the Court of Witiza.      246\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nHow Pelayo lived among the Mountains of Cantabria.\u2014His Adventure\nwith the Needy Hidalgo of Gascony and the Rich Merchant of\nBordeaux.\u2014Discourse of the Holy Hermit.      249\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nPilgrimage of Pelayo, and what befell him on his Return to\nSpain.      261\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nThe Battle of Covadonga.      268\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nPelayo becomes King of Leon.\u2014His Death.      274\n\n\nABDERAHMAN: THE FOUNDER OF THE DYNASTY OF THE OMMIADES OF SPAIN.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nOf the Youthful Fortunes of Abderahman.      279\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nLanding of Abderahman in Spain.\u2014Condition of the Country.      289\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nTriumphs of Abderahman.\u2014The Palm-tree which he planted, and\nthe Verses he composed thereupon.\u2014Insurrections.\u2014His Enemies\nsubdued.\u2014Undisputed Sovereign of the Moslems of Spain.\u2014Begins the\nfamous Mosque in Cordova.\u2014His Death.      293\n\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNAN GONZALEZ, COUNT OF CASTILE.\n\nIntroduction.      313\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nInstallation of Fernan Gonzalez as Count of Castile.\u2014His First\nCampaign against the Moors.\u2014Victory of San Quirce.\u2014How the Count\ndisposed of the Spoils.      316\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nOf the Sally from Burgos, and Surprise of the Castle of\nLara.\u2014Capitulation of the Town.\u2014Visit to Alfonso the Great, King of\nLeon.      321\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nExpedition against the Fortress of Mu\u00f1on.\u2014Desperate Defense of the\nMoors.\u2014Enterprise against Castro Xeriz.      326\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nHow the Count of Castile and the King of Leon make a Triumphant Foray\ninto the Moorish Country.\u2014Capture of Salamanca.\u2014Of the Challenge\nbrought by the Herald, and of the Count\u2019s Defiance.      329\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nA Night Assault upon the Castle of Carazo.\u2014The Moorish Maiden who\nbetrayed the Garrison.      331\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nDeath of Alfonso, King of Leon.\u2014The Moors determined to strike a\nfresh Blow at the Count, who summons all Castile to his Standard.\u2014Of\nhis Hunt in the Forest while waiting for the Enemy, and of the Hermit\nthat he met with.      335\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nThe Battle of the Ford of Cascajares.      340\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nOf the Message sent by the Count to Sancho II., King of Navarre, and\nthe Reply.\u2014Their Encounter in Battle.      343\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nHow the Count of Toulouse makes a Campaign against Castile, and how\nhe returns in his Coffin.      347\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nHow the Count went to receive the Hand of a Princess, and was thrown\ninto a Dungeon.\u2014Of the Stranger that visited him in his Chains, and\nof the Appeal that he made to the Princess for his\nDeliverance.      351\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nOf the Meditations of the Princess, and their Result.\u2014Her Flight from\nthe Prison with the Count, and Perils of the Escape.\u2014The\nNuptials.      355\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nKing Garcia confined in Burgos by the Count.\u2014The Princess intercedes\nfor his Release.      361\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nOf the Expedition against the ancient City of Sylo.\u2014The unwitting\nTrespass of the Count into a Convent, and his Compunction\nthereupon.      363\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nOf the Moorish Host that came up from Cordova, and how the Count\nrepaired to the Hermitage of San Pedro, and prayed for Success\nagainst them, and received Assurance of Victory in a Vision.\u2014Battle\nof Hazinas.      366\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nThe Count imprisoned by the King of Leon.\u2014The Countess concerts his\nEscape.\u2014Leon and Castile united by the Marriage of the Prince Ordo\u00f1o\nwith Urraca, the Daughter of the Count by his first Wife.      373\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nMoorish Incursion into Castile.\u2014Battle of San Estevan.\u2014Of Pascual\nVivas and the Miracle that befell him.\u2014Death of Ordo\u00f1o III.      378\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nKing Sancho the Fat.\u2014Of the Homage he exacted from Count Fernan\nGonzalez, and of the strange Bargain that he made with him for the\nPurchase of his Horse and Falcon.      385\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nFurther of the Horse and Falcon.      389\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nThe Last Campaign of Count Fernan.\u2014His Death.      393\n\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE SAINT.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nThe Parentage of Fernando.\u2014Queen Berenguela.\u2014The Laras.\u2014Don Alvar\nconceals the Death of King Henry.\u2014Mission of Queen Berenguela to\nAlfonso IX.\u2014She renounces the Crown of Castile in favor of her son\nFernando.      401\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nKing Alfonso of Leon ravages Castile.\u2014Captivity of Don Alvar.\u2014Death\nof the Laras.      408\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nMarriage of King Fernando.\u2014Campaign against the Moors.\u2014Aben Mohamed,\nKing of Baeza, declares himself the Vassal of King Fernando.\u2014They\nmarch to Jaen.\u2014Burning of the Tower.\u2014Fernando commences the Building\nof the Cathedral at Toledo.      415\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nAssassination of Aben Mohamed.\u2014His Head carried as a Present to\nAbullale, the Moorish King of Seville.\u2014Advance of the Christians into\nAndalusia.\u2014Abullale purchases a Truce.      420\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nAben Hud.\u2014Abullale purchases another Year\u2019s Truce.\u2014Fernando hears of\nthe Death of his Father, the King of Leon, while pressing the Siege\nof Jaen.\u2014He becomes Sovereign of the two Kingdoms of Leon and\nCastile.      423\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nExpedition of the Prince Alonzo against the Moors.\u2014Encamps on the\nBanks of the Guadalete.\u2014Aben Hud marches out from Xerez and gives\nBattle.\u2014Prowess of Garcia Perez de Vargas.\u2014Fight and Pursuit of the\nMoors.\u2014Miracle of the Blessed Santiago.      427\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nA bold Attempt upon Cordova, the Seat of Moorish Power.      435\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nA Spy in the Christian Camp.\u2014Death of Aben Hud.\u2014A vital Blow to\nMoslem Power.\u2014Surrender of Cordova to King Fernando.      439\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMarriage of King Fernando to the Princess Juana.\u2014Famine at\nCordova.\u2014Don Alvar Perez.      446\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nAben Alhamar, Founder of the Alhambra.\u2014Fortifies Granada and makes\nit his Capital.\u2014Attempts to Surprise the Castle of Martos.\u2014Peril\nof the Fortress.\u2014A Woman\u2019s Stratagem to save it.\u2014Diego Perez, the\nSmasher.\u2014Death of Count Alvar Perez de Castro.      450\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nAben Hudiel, the Moorish King of Murcia, becomes the Vassal of\nKing Fernando.\u2014Aben Alhamar seeks to drive the Christians out of\nAndalusia.\u2014Fernando takes the Field against him.\u2014Ravages of the\nKing.\u2014His last Meeting with the Queen-Mother.      456\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nKing Fernando\u2019s Expedition to Andalusia.\u2014Siege of Jaen.\u2014Secret\nDeparture of Aben Alhamar for the Christian Camp.\u2014He acknowledges\nhimself the Vassal of the King, who enters Jaen in Triumph.      465\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nAxataf, King of Seville, exasperated at the Submission of the King of\nGranada, rejects the Propositions of King Fernando for a Truce.\u2014The\nlatter is encouraged by a Vision to undertake the Conquest of the\nCity of Seville.\u2014Death of Queen Berenguela.\u2014A Diplomatic\nMarriage.      470\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nInvestment of Seville.\u2014All Spain aroused to Arms.\u2014Surrender of\nAlcala del Rio.\u2014The Fleet of Admiral Ramon Bonifaz advances up the\nGuadalquivir.\u2014Don Pelayo Correa, Master of Santiago.\u2014His Valorous\nDeeds and the Miracles wrought in his Behalf.      475\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nKing Fernando changes his Camp.\u2014Garci Perez and the seven\nMoors.      482\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nOf the Raft built by the Moors, and how it was boarded by Admiral\nBonifaz.\u2014Destruction of the Moorish Fleet.\u2014Succor from\nAfrica.      488\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nOf the Stout Prior Ferran Ruyz, and how he rescued his Cattle from\nthe Moors.\u2014Further Enterprises of the Prior, and of the Ambuscade\ninto which he Fell.      492\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nBravado of the Three Cavaliers.\u2014Ambush at the Bridge over the\nGuadayra.\u2014Desperate Valor of Garci Perez.\u2014Grand Attempt of Admiral\nBonifaz on the Bridge of Boats.\u2014Seville dismembered from Triana.      496\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nInvestment of Triana.\u2014Garci Perez and the Infanzon.      504\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\nCapitulation of Seville.\u2014Dispersion of the Moorish\nInhabitants.\u2014Triumphant Entry of King Fernando.      508\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\nDeath of King Fernando.      514\n\n\nSPANISH ROMANCE.\n\nSpanish Romance.      519\n\nLegend of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa.      523\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nFew events in history have been so original and striking in their\nmain circumstances, and so overwhelming and enduring in their\nconsequences, as that of the conquest of Spain by the Saracens; yet\nthere are few where the motives, and characters, and actions of the\nagents have been enveloped in more doubts and contradiction. As in\nthe memorable story of the \u201cFall of Troy,\u201d we have to make out, as\nwell as we can, the veritable details through the mists of poetic\nfiction; yet poetry has so combined itself with, and lent its magic\ncoloring to every fact, that to strip it away would be to reduce\nthe story to a meagre skeleton and rob it of all its charms. The\nstorm of Moslem invasion that swept so suddenly over the peninsula,\nsilenced for a time the faint voice of the Muse, and drove the sons\nof learning from their cells. The pen was thrown aside to grasp and\nsword and spear, and men were too much taken up with battling against\nthe evils which beset them on every side, to find time or inclination\nto record them.\n\nWhen the nation had recovered in some degree from the effects\nof this astounding blow, or rather had become accustomed to the\ntremendous reverse which it produced, and sage men sought to inquire\nand write the particulars, it was too late to ascertain them in their\nexact verity. The gloom and melancholy that had overshadowed the\nland had given birth to a thousand superstitious fancies; the woes\nand terrors of the past were clothed with supernatural miracles and\nportents, and the actors in the fearful drama had already assumed\nthe dubious characteristics of romance. Or if a writer from among\nthe conquerors undertook to touch upon the theme, it was embellished\nwith all the wild extravagances of an oriental imagination, which\nafterwards stole into the graver works of the monkish historians.\n\nHence, the earliest chronicles which treat of the downfall of Spain,\nare apt to be tinctured with those saintly miracles which savor of\nthe pious labors of the cloister, or those fanciful fictions that\nbetray their Arabian authors. Yet from these apocryphal sources the\nmost legitimate and accredited Spanish histories have taken their\nrise, as pure rivers may be traced up to the fens and mantled pools\nof a morass. It is true, the authors, with cautious discrimination,\nhave discarded those particulars too startling for belief, and have\nculled only such as, from their probability and congruity, might be\nsafely recorded as historical facts; yet, scarce one of these but has\nbeen connected in the original with some romantic fiction, and, even\nin its divorced state, bears traces of its former alliance.\n\nTo discard, however, everything wild and marvelous in this portion\nof Spanish history, is to discard some of its most beautiful,\ninstructive, and national features; it is to judge of Spain by the\nstandard of probability suited to tamer and more prosaic countries.\nSpain is virtually a land of poetry and romance, where every-day life\npartakes of adventure, and where the least agitation or excitement\ncarries everything up into extravagant enterprize and daring exploit.\nThe Spaniards, in all ages, have been of swelling and braggart\nspirit, soaring in thought, pompous in word, and valiant, though\nvainglorious, in deed. Their heroic aims have transcended the cooler\nconceptions of their neighbors, and their reckless daring has borne\nthem on to achievements which prudent enterprise could never have\naccomplished. Since the time, too, of the conquest and occupation\nof their country by the Arabs, a strong infusion of oriental\nmagnificence has entered into the national character, and rendered\nthe Spaniard distinct from every other nation of Europe.\n\nIn the following pages, therefore, the author has ventured to dip\nmore deeply into the enchanted fountains of old Spanish chronicle\nthan has usually been done by those who, in modern times, have\ntreated of the eventful period of the Conquest; but in so doing, he\ntrusts he will illustrate more fully the character of the people and\nthe times. He has thought proper to throw these records into the form\nof legends, not claiming for them the authenticity of sober history,\nyet giving nothing that has not historical foundation. All the facts\nherein contained, however extravagant some of them may be deemed,\nwill be found in the works of sage and reverend chroniclers of yore,\ngrowing side by side with long-acknowledged truths, and might be\nsupported by learned and imposing references in the margin.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGENDS OF THE CONQUEST OF SPAIN.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE LEGEND OF DON RODERICK.[1]\n\n  [1] Many of the facts in this legend are taken from an old\n  chronicle, written in quaint and antiquated Spanish, and\n  professing to be a translation from the Arabian chronicle of\n  the Moor Rasis, by Mohammed, a Moslem writer, and Gil Perez, a\n  Spanish priest. It is supposed to be a piece of literary mosaic\n  work, made up from both Spanish and Arabian chronicles; yet,\n  from this work most of the Spanish historians have drawn their\n  particulars relative to the fortunes of Don Roderick.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nOf the Ancient Inhabitants of Spain.\u2014Of the Misrule of Witiza the\nWicked.\n\n\nSpain, or Iberia as it was called in ancient days, has been a\ncountry harassed from the earliest times by the invader. The\nCelts, the Greeks, the Ph\u0153nicians, the Carthaginians, by turns or\nsimultaneously, infringed its territories, drove the native Iberians\nfrom their rightful homes, and established colonies and founded\ncities in the land. It subsequently fell into the all-grasping power\nof Rome, remaining for some time a subjugated province; and when\nthat gigantic empire crumbled into pieces, the Suevi, the Alani, and\nthe Vandals, those barbarians of the North, overran and ravaged this\ndevoted country, and portioned out the soil among them.\n\nTheir sway was not of long duration. In the fifth century the\nGoths, who were then the allies of Rome, undertook the reconquest\nof Iberia, and succeeded, after a desperate struggle of three\nyears\u2019 duration. They drove before them the barbarous hordes, their\npredecessors, intermarried and incorporated themselves with the\noriginal inhabitants, and founded a powerful and splendid empire,\ncomprising the Iberian peninsula, the ancient Narbonnaise, afterwards\ncalled Gallia Gothica, or Gothic Gaul, and a part of the African\ncoast called Tingitania. A new nation was, in a manner, produced\nby this mixture of the Goths and Iberians. Sprang from a union of\nwarrior races, reared and nurtured amidst the din of arms, the Gothic\nSpaniards, if they may so be termed, were a warlike, unquiet, yet\nhigh-minded and heroic people. Their simple and abstemious habits,\ntheir contempt for toil and suffering, and their love of daring\nenterprise, fitted them for a soldier\u2019s life. So addicted were they\nto war that, when they had no external foes to contend with, they\nfought with one another; and, when engaged in battle, says an old\nchronicler, the very thunders and lightnings of heaven could not\nseparate them.[2]\n\n  [2] Florain, _de Ocampo_, lib. 3, c. 12. Justin, _Abrev. Trog\n  Pomp._, lib. 44. Bleda, _Cronica_, lib. 2, c. 3.\n\nFor two centuries and a half the Gothic power remained unshaken, and\nthe sceptre was wielded by twenty-five successive kings. The crown\nwas elective, in a council of palatines, composed of the bishops and\nnobles, who, while they swore allegiance to the newly made sovereign,\nbound him by a reciprocal oath to be faithful to his trust. Their\nchoice was made from among the people, subject only to one condition,\nthat the king should be of pure Gothic blood. But though the crown\nwas elective in principle, it gradually became hereditary from usage,\nand the power of the sovereign grew to be almost absolute. The king\nwas commander-in-chief of the armies; the whole patronage of the\nkingdom was in his hands; he summoned and dissolved the national\ncouncils; he made and revoked laws according to his pleasure; and,\nhaving ecclesiastical supremacy, he exercised a sway even over the\nconsciences of his subjects.\n\nThe Goths, at the time of their inroad, were stout adherents of\nthe Arian doctrines; but after a time they embraced the Catholic\nfaith, which was maintained by the native Spaniards free from many\nof the gross superstitions of the Church at Rome, and this unity of\nfaith contributed more than anything else to blend and harmonize\nthe two races into one. The bishops and other clergy were exemplary\nin their lives, and aided to promote the influence of the laws and\nmaintain the authority of the state. The fruits of regular and secure\ngovernment were manifest in the advancement of agriculture, commerce,\nand the peaceful arts; and in the increase of wealth, of luxury,\nand refinement; but there was a gradual decline of the simple,\nhardy, and warlike habits that had distinguished the nation in its\nsemi-barbarous days.\n\nSuch was the state of Spain when, in the year of Redemption 701,\nWitiza was elected to the Gothic throne. The beginning of his reign\ngave promise of happy days to Spain. He redressed grievances,\nmoderated the tributes of his subjects, and conducted himself with\nmingled mildness and energy in the administration of the laws. In a\nlittle while, however, he threw off the mask, and showed himself in\nhis true nature\u2014cruel and luxurious.\n\nTwo of his relatives, sons of a preceding king, awakened his jealousy\nfor the security of his throne. One of them, named Favila, Duke of\nCantabria, he put to death, and would have inflicted the same fate\nupon his son Pelayo, but that the youth was beyond his reach, being\npreserved by Providence for the future salvation of Spain. The other\nobject of his suspicion was Theodofredo, who lived retired from\ncourt. The violence of Witiza reached him even in his retirement. His\neyes were put out, and he was immured within a castle at Cordova.\nRoderick, the youthful son of Theodofredo, escaped to Italy, where he\nreceived protection from the Romans.\n\nWitiza, now considering himself secure upon the throne, gave the\nreins to his licentious passions, and soon, by his tyranny and\nsensuality, acquired the appellation of Witiza the Wicked. Despising\nthe old Gothic continence, and yielding to the example of the sect\nof Mahomet, which suited his lascivious temperament, he indulged in\na plurality of wives and concubines, encouraging his subjects to do\nthe same. Nay, he even sought to gain the sanction of the Church to\nhis excesses, promulgating a law by which the clergy were released\nfrom their vows of celibacy, and permitted to marry and to entertain\nparamours.\n\nThe sovereign Pontiff Constantine threatened to depose and\nexcommunicate him, unless he abrogated this licentious law; but\nWitiza set him at defiance, threatening, like his Gothic predecessor\nAlaric, to assail the eternal city with his troops, and make spoil of\nher accumulated treasures.[3] \u201cWe will adorn our damsels,\u201d said he,\n\u201cwith the jewels of Rome, and replenish our coffers from the mint of\nSt. Peter.\u201d\n\n  [3] _Chron. de Luitprando_, 709. Abarca, _Anales de Aragon_ (el\n  Mahometismo, fol. 5).\n\nSome of the clergy opposed themselves to the innovating spirit of\nthe monarch, and endeavored from the pulpits to rally the people to\nthe pure doctrines of their faith; but they were deposed from their\nsacred office, and banished as seditious mischief-makers. The church\nof Toledo continued refractory; the Archbishop Sindaredo, it is true,\nwas disposed to accommodate himself to the corruptions of the times,\nbut the prebendaries battled intrepidly against the new laws of the\nmonarch, and stood manfully in defense of their vows of chastity.\n\u201cSince the church of Toledo will not yield itself to our will,\u201d said\nWitiza, \u201cit shall have two husbands.\u201d So saying, he appointed his own\nbrother Oppas, at that time archbishop of Seville, to take a seat\nwith Sindaredo in the episcopal chair of Toledo, and made him primate\nof Spain. He was a priest after his own heart, and seconded him in\nall his profligate abuses.\n\nIt was in vain the denunciations of the Church were fulminated from\nthe chair of St. Peter. Witiza threw off all allegiance to the Roman\nPontiff, threatening with pain of death those who should obey the\npapal mandates. \u201cWe will suffer no foreign ecclesiastic, with triple\ncrown,\u201d said he, \u201cto domineer over our dominions.\u201d\n\nThe Jews had been banished from the country during the preceding\nreign, but Witiza permitted them to return, and even bestowed upon\ntheir synagogues privileges of which he had despoiled the churches.\nThe children of Israel, when scattered throughout the earth by\nthe fall of Jerusalem, had carried with them into other lands the\ngainful arcana of traffic, and were especially noted as opulent\nmoney-changers, and curious dealers in gold and silver and precious\nstones; on this occasion, therefore, they were enabled, it is said,\nto repay the monarch for his protection by bags of money, and caskets\nof sparkling gems, the rich product of their oriental commerce.\n\nThe kingdom at this time enjoyed external peace, but there were\nsymptoms of internal discontent. Witiza took the alarm; he remembered\nthe ancient turbulence of the nation and its proneness to internal\nfeuds. Issuing secret orders, therefore, in all directions, he\ndismantled most of the cities, and demolished the castles and\nfortresses that might serve as rallying points for the factious. He\ndisarmed the people also, and converted the weapons of war into the\nimplements of peace. It seemed, in fact, as if the millennium were\ndawning upon the land; for the sword was beaten into a ploughshare,\nand the spear into a pruning-hook.\n\nWhile thus the ancient martial fire of the nation was extinguished,\nits morals likewise were corrupted. The altars were abandoned, the\nchurches closed, wide disorder and sensuality prevailed throughout\nthe land, so that, according to the old chroniclers, within the\ncompass of a few short years, \u201cWitiza the Wicked taught all Spain to\nsin.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nThe Rise of Don Roderick.\u2014His Government.\n\n\nWoe to the ruler who founds his hope of sway on the weakness or\ncorruption of the people. The very measures taken by Witiza to\nperpetuate his power ensured his downfall. While the whole nation,\nunder his licentious rule, was sinking into vice and effeminacy,\nand the arm of war was unstrung, the youthful Roderick, son of\nTheodofredo, was training up for action in the stern but wholesome\nschool of adversity. He instructed himself in the use of arms; became\nadroit and vigorous by varied exercises: learned to despise all\ndanger, and inured himself to hunger and watchfulness and the rigor\nof the seasons.\n\nHis merits and misfortunes procured him many friends among the\nRomans; and when, being arrived at a fitting age, he undertook to\nrevenge the wrongs of his father and his kindred, a host of brave and\nhardy soldiers flocked to his standard. With these he made his sudden\nappearance in Spain. The friends of his house and the disaffected of\nall classes hastened to join him, and he advanced rapidly and without\nopposition, through an unarmed and enervated land.\n\nWitiza saw too late the evil he had brought upon himself. He made\na hasty levy, and took the field with a scantily equipped and\nundisciplined host, but was easily routed and made prisoner, and the\nwhole kingdom submitted to Don Roderick.\n\nThe ancient city of Toledo, the royal residence of the Gothic\nkings, was the scene of high festivity and solemn ceremonial on\nthe coronation of the victor. Whether he was elected to the throne\naccording to the Gothic usage, or seized it by the right of conquest,\nis a matter of dispute among historians, but all agree that the\nnation submitted cheerfully to his sway, and looked forward to\nprosperity and happiness under their newly elevated monarch. His\nappearance and character seemed to justify the anticipation. He was\nin the splendor of youth, and of a majestic presence. His soul was\nbold and daring, and elevated by lofty desires. He had a sagacity\nthat penetrated the thoughts of men, and a magnificent spirit that\nwon all hearts. Such is the picture which ancient writers give of Don\nRoderick, when, with all the stern and simple virtues unimpaired,\nwhich he had acquired in adversity and exile, and flushed with the\ntriumph of a pious revenge, he ascended the Gothic throne.\n\nProsperity, however, is the real touchstone of the human heart; no\nsooner did Roderick find himself in possession of the crown, than the\nlove of power and the jealousy of rule were awakened in his breast.\nHis first measure was against Witiza who was brought in chains into\nhis presence. Roderick beheld the captive monarch with an unpitying\neye, remembering only his wrongs and cruelties to his father. \u201cLet\nthe evils he has inflicted on others be visited upon his own head,\u201d\nsaid he; \u201cas he did unto Theodofredo, even so be it done unto him.\u201d\nSo the eyes of Witiza were put out, and he was thrown into the same\ndungeon at Cordova in which Theodofredo had languished. There he\npassed the brief remnant of his days in perpetual darkness, a prey to\nwretchedness and remorse.\n\nRoderick now cast an uneasy and suspicious eye upon Evan and\nSiseburto, the two sons of Witiza. Fearful lest they should foment\nsome secret rebellion, he banished them the kingdom. They took refuge\nin the Spanish dominions in Africa, where they were received and\nharbored by Requila, governor of Tangier, out of gratitude for favors\nwhich he had received from their late father. There they remained,\nto brood over their fallen fortunes, and to aid in working out the\nfuture woes of Spain.\n\nTheir uncle Oppas, bishop of Seville, who had been made copartner,\nby Witiza, in the archiepiscopal chair at Toledo, would have\nlikewise fallen under the suspicion of the king; but he was a man of\nconsummate art, and vast exterior sanctity, and won upon the good\ngraces of the monarch. He was suffered, therefore, to retain his\nsacred office at Seville; but the see of Toledo was given in charge\nto the venerable Urbino, and the law of Witiza was revoked that\ndispensed the clergy from their vows of celibacy.\n\nThe jealousy of Roderick for the security of his crown was soon\nagain aroused, and his measures were prompt and severe. Having been\ninformed that the governors of certain castles and fortresses in\nCastile and Andalusia had conspired against him, he caused them to\nbe put to death and their strongholds to be demolished. He now went\non to imitate the pernicious policy of his predecessor, throwing\ndown walls and towers, disarming the people, and thus incapacitating\nthem from rebellion. A few cities were permitted to retain their\nfortifications, but these were intrusted to alcaids in whom he\nhad especial confidence; the greater part of the kingdom was left\ndefenseless; the nobles, who had been roused to temporary manhood\nduring the recent stir of war, sunk back into the inglorious state of\ninaction which had disgraced them during the reign of Witiza\u2014passing\ntheir time in feasting and dancing to the sound of loose and wanton\nminstrelsy.[4] It was scarcely possible to recognize in these idle\nwassailers and soft voluptuaries the descendants of the stern\nand frugal warriors of the frozen North\u2014who had braved flood and\nmountain, and heat and cold, and had battled their way to empire\nacross half a world in arms.\n\n  [4] Mariana, _Hist. Esp._, lib. 6, c. 21.\n\nThey surrounded their youthful monarch, it is true, with a blaze of\nmilitary pomp. Nothing could surpass the splendor of their arms,\nwhich were embossed and enameled, and enriched with gold and jewels\nand curious devices; nothing could be more gallant and glorious than\ntheir array; it was all plume and banner and silken pageantry, the\ngorgeous trappings for tilt and tourney and courtly revel; but the\niron soul of war was wanting.\n\nHow rare it is to learn wisdom from the misfortunes of others. With\nthe fate of Witiza full before his eyes, Don Roderick indulged in the\nsame pernicious errors, and was doomed, in like manner, to prepare\nthe way for his own perdition.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nOf the Loves of Roderick and the Princess Elyata.\n\n\nAs yet the heart of Roderick, occupied by the struggles of his early\nlife, by warlike enterprises, and by the inquietudes of newly-gotten\npower, had been insensible to the charms of women; but in the present\nvoluptuous calm the amorous propensities of his nature assumed their\nsway. There are divers accounts of the youthful beauty who first\nfound favor in his eyes, and was elevated by him to the throne.\nWe follow in our legend the details of an Arabian chronicler,[5]\nauthenticated by a Spanish poet.[6] Let those who dispute our facts\nproduce better authority for their contradiction.\n\n  [5] _Perdida de Espa\u00f1a_, por Abulcasim Tarif Abentarique, lib. 1.\n\n  [6] Lope de Vega.\n\nAmong the few fortified places that had not been dismantled by Don\nRoderick was the ancient city of Denia, situated on the Mediterranean\ncoast, and defended on a rock-built castle that overlooked the sea.\n\nThe alcaide of the castle, with many of the people of Denia, was\none day on his knees in the chapel, imploring the Virgin to allay a\ntempest which was strewing the coast with wrecks, when a sentinel\nbrought word that a Moorish cruiser was standing for the land. The\nalcaide gave orders to ring the alarm-bells, light signal-fires on\nthe hill-tops, and rouse the country, for the coast was subject to\ncruel maraudings from the Barbary cruisers.\n\nIn a little while the horsemen of the neighborhood were seen pricking\nalong the beach, armed with such weapons as they could find, and the\nalcaide and his scanty garrison descended from the hill. In the mean\ntime the Moorish bark came rolling and pitching towards the land.\nAs it drew near, the rich carving and gilding with which it was\ndecorated, its silken bandaroles and banks of crimson oars, showed\nit to be no warlike vessel, but a sumptuous galiot destined for\nstate and ceremony. It bore the marks of the tempest; the masts were\nbroken, the oars shattered, and fragments of snowy sails and silken\nawnings were fluttering in the blast.\n\nAs the galiot grounded upon the sand, the impatient rabble rushed\ninto the surf to capture and make spoil; but were awed into\nadmiration and respect by the appearance of the illustrious company\non board. There were Moors of both sexes sumptuously arrayed, and\nadorned with precious jewels, bearing the demeanor of persons\nof lofty rank. Among them shone conspicuous a youthful beauty,\nmagnificently attired, to whom all seemed to pay reverence.\n\nSeveral of the Moors surrounded her with drawn swords, threatening\ndeath to any that approached; others sprang from the bark, and\nthrowing themselves on their knees before the alcaide, implored him,\nby his honor and courtesy as a knight, to protect a royal virgin from\ninjury and insult.\n\n\u201cYou behold before you,\u201d said they, \u201cthe only daughter of the king\nof Algiers, the betrothed bride of the son of the king of Tunis. We\nwere conducting her to the court of her expecting bridegroom, when a\ntempest drove us from our course, and compelled us to take refuge on\nyour coast. Be not more cruel than the tempest, but deal nobly with\nthat which even sea and storm have spared.\u201d\n\nThe alcaide listened to their prayers. He conducted the princess and\nher train to the castle, where every honor due to her rank was paid\nher. Some of her ancient attendants interceded for her liberation,\npromising countless sums to be paid by her father for her ransom;\nbut the alcaide turned a deaf ear to all their golden offers. \u201cShe\nis a royal captive,\u201d said he; \u201cit belongs to my sovereign alone to\ndispose of her.\u201d After she had reposed, therefore, for some days at\nthe castle, and recovered from the fatigue and terror of the seas, he\ncaused her to be conducted, with all her train, in magnificent state\nto the court of Don Roderick.\n\nThe beautiful Elyata[7] entered Toledo more like a triumphant\nsovereign than a captive. A chosen band of Christian horsemen,\nsplendidly armed, appeared to wait upon her as a mere guard of\nhonor. She was surrounded by the Moorish damsels of her train, and\nfollowed by her own Moslem guards, all attired with the magnificence\nthat had been intended to grace her arrival at the court of Tunis.\nThe princess was arrayed in bridal robes, woven in the most costly\nlooms of the Orient; her diadem sparkled with diamonds and was\ndecorated with the rarest plumes of the bird of paradise, and even\nthe silken trappings of her palfrey, which swept the ground, were\ncovered with pearls and precious stones. As this brilliant cavalcade\ncrossed the bridge of the Tagus, all Toledo poured forth to behold\nit, and nothing was heard throughout the city but praises of the\nwonderful beauty of the princess of Algiers. King Roderick came\nforth, attended by the chivalry of his court, to receive the royal\ncaptive. His recent voluptuous life had disposed him for tender and\namorous affections, and at the first sight of the beautiful Elyata he\nwas enraptured with her charms. Seeing her face clouded with sorrow\nand anxiety, he soothed her with gentle and courteous words, and,\nconducting her to a royal palace, \u201cBehold,\u201d said he, \u201cthy habitation,\nwhere no one shall molest thee; consider thyself at home in the\nmansion of thy father, and dispose of anything according to thy will.\u201d\n\n  [7] By some she is called Zara.\n\nHere the princess passed her time with the female attendants who had\naccompanied her from Algiers; and no one but the king was permitted\nto visit her, who daily became more and more enamored of his lovely\ncaptive, and sought by tender assiduity to gain her affections.\nThe distress of the princess at her captivity was soothed by this\ngentle treatment. She was of an age when sorrow cannot long hold sway\nover the heart. Accompanied by her youthful attendants, she ranged\nthe spacious apartments of the palace, and sported among the groves\nand alleys of its garden. Every day the remembrance of the paternal\nhome grew less and less painful, and the king became more and more\namiable in her eyes; and when at length he offered to share his heart\nand throne with her, she listened with downcast looks and kindling\nblushes, but with an air of resignation.\n\nOne obstacle remained to the complete fruition of the monarch\u2019s\nwishes, and this was the religion of the princess. Roderick forthwith\nemployed the archbishop of Toledo to instruct the beautiful Elyata in\nthe mysteries of the Christian faith. The female intellect is quick\nin perceiving the merits of new doctrines; the archbishop, therefore,\nsoon succeeded in converting, not merely the princess, but most of\nher attendants, and a day was appointed for their public baptism.\nThe ceremony was performed with great pomp and solemnity, in the\npresence of all the nobility and chivalry of the court. The princess\nand her damsels, clad in white, walked on foot to the cathedral,\nwhile numerous beautiful children, arrayed as angels, strewed their\npath with flowers; and the archbishop meeting them at the portal,\nreceived them, as it were, into the bosom of the church. The princess\nabandoned her Moorish appellation of Elyata, and was baptized by\nthe name of Exilona, by which she was thenceforth called, and has\ngenerally been known in history.\n\nThe nuptials of Roderick and the beautiful convert took place shortly\nafterwards, and were celebrated with great magnificence. There were\njousts, and tourneys, and banquets, and other rejoicings, which\nlasted twenty days, and were attended by the principal nobles from\nall parts of Spain. After these were over, such of the attendants\nof the princess as refused to embrace Christianity, and desired\nto return to Africa, were dismissed with munificent presents; and\nan embassy was sent to the king of Algiers, to inform him of the\nnuptials of his daughter, and to proffer him the friendship of King\nRoderick.[8]\n\n  [8] \u201cComo esta Infanta era muy hermosa, y el Rey [Don Rodrigo]\n  dispuesto y gentil hombre, entro por medio el amor y aficion, y\n  junto con el regalo con que la avia mandado hospedar y servir ful\n  causa que el rey persuadio esta Infanta que si se tornava a su\n  ley de christiano la tomaria por muger, y que la haria se\u00f1ora de\n  sus Reynos. Con esta persuasion ella fue contenta, y aviendose\n  vuelto christiana, se caso con ella, y se celebraron sus bodas\n  con muchas fiestas y regozijos, como era razon.\u201d\u2014Abulcasim,\n  _Conq\u2019st de Espan_, cap. 3.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nOf Count Julian.\n\n\nFor a time Don Roderick lived happily with his young and beautiful\nqueen, and Toledo was the seat of festivity and splendor. The\nprincipal nobles throughout the kingdom repaired to his court to pay\nhim homage, and to receive his commands; and none were more devoted\nin their reverence than those who were obnoxious to suspicion from\ntheir connection with the late king.\n\nAmong the foremost of these was Count Julian, a man destined to be\ninfamously renowned in the dark story of his country\u2019s woes. He was\none of the proudest Gothic families, lord of Consuegra and Algeziras,\nand connected by marriage with Witiza and the bishop Oppas\u2014his\nwife, the countess Frandina, being their sister. In consequence of\nthis connection, and of his own merits, he had enjoyed the highest\ndignities and commands, being one of the Espatorios, or royal\nsword-bearers\u2014an office of the greatest confidence about the person\nof the sovereign.[9] He had, moreover, been intrusted with the\nmilitary government of the Spanish possessions on the African coast\nof the strait, which at that time were threatened by the Arabs of the\nEast, the followers of Mahomet, who were advancing their victorious\nstandard to the extremity of Western Africa. Count Julian established\nhis seat of government at Ceuta, the frontier bulwark, and one of the\nfar-famed gates of the Mediterranean Sea. Here he boldly faced, and\nheld in check, the torrent of Moslem invasion.\n\n  [9] Condes Espatorios; so called from the drawn swords of ample\n  size and breadth with which they kept guard in the ante-chambers\n  of the Gothic kings. Comes Spathariorum, custodum corporis Regis\n  Profectus. Hunc et Propospatharium appellatum existimo.\u2014_Patr.\n  Pant. de Offic. Goth._\n\nDon Julian was a man of an active, but irregular genius, and a\ngrasping ambition; he had a love for power and grandeur, in which\nhe was joined by his haughty countess; and they could ill brook the\ndownfall of their house, as threatened by the fate of Witiza. They\nhad hastened therefore to pay their court to the newly elevated\nmonarch, and to assure him of their fidelity to his interests.\n\nRoderick was readily persuaded of the sincerity of Count Julian; he\nwas aware of his merits as a soldier and a governor, and continued\nhim in his important command; honoring him with many other marks of\nimplicit confidence. Count Julian sought to confirm this confidence\nby every proof of devotion. It was a custom among the Goths to rear\nmany of the children of the most illustrious families in the royal\nhousehold. They served as pages to the king, and handmaids and\nladies of honor to the queen, and were instructed in all manner of\naccomplishments befitting their gentle blood. When about to depart\nfor Ceuta, to resume his command, Don Julian brought his daughter\nFlorinda to present her to the sovereigns. She was a beautiful virgin\nthat had not as yet attained to womanhood. \u201cI confide her to your\nprotection,\u201d said he to the king, \u201cto be unto her as a father; and\nto have her trained in the paths of virtue. I can leave with you no\ndearer pledge of my loyalty.\u201d\n\nKing Roderick received the timid and blushing maiden into his\nparental care; promising to watch over her happiness with a parent\u2019s\neye, and that she should be enrolled among the most cherished\nattendants of the queen. With this assurance of the welfare of his\nchild, Count Julian departed, well pleased, for his government at\nCeuta.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nThe Story of Florinda.\n\n\nThe beautiful daughter of Count Julian was received with great\nfavor by the queen Exilona and admitted among the noble damsels\nthat attended upon her person. Here she lived in honor and apparent\nsecurity, and surrounded by innocent delights. To gratify his queen,\nDon Roderick had built for her rural recreation a palace without the\nwalls of Toledo, on the banks of the Tagus. It stood in the midst\nof a garden, adorned after the luxurious style of the East. The air\nwas perfumed by fragrant shrubs and flowers; the groves resounded\nwith the song of the nightingale, while the gush of fountains\nand water-falls, and the distant murmur of the Tagus, made it a\ndelightful retreat during the sultry days of summer. The charm of\nperfect privacy also reigned throughout the place, for the garden\nwalls were high, and numerous guards kept watch without to protect it\nfrom all intrusion.\n\nIn this delicious abode, more befitting an oriental voluptuary\nthan a Gothic king, Don Roderick was accustomed to while away much\nof that time which should have been devoted to the toilsome cares\nof government. The very security and peace which he had produced\nthroughout his dominions by his precautions to abolish the means and\nhabitudes of war, had effected a disastrous change in his character.\nThe hardy and heroic qualities which had conducted him to the throne,\nwere softened in the lap of indulgence. Surrounded by the pleasures\nof an idle and effeminate court, and beguiled by the example of his\ndegenerate nobles, he gave way to a fatal sensuality that had lain\ndormant in his nature during the virtuous days of his adversity. The\nmere love of female beauty had first enamored him of Exilona, and the\nsame passion, fostered by voluptuous idleness, now betrayed him into\nthe commission of an act fatal to himself and Spain. The following is\nthe story of his error as gathered from an old chronicle and legend.\n\nIn a remote part of the palace was an apartment devoted to the queen.\nIt was like an eastern harem, shut up from the foot of man, and where\nthe king himself but rarely entered. It had its own courts, and\ngardens, and fountains, where the queen was wont to recreate herself\nwith her damsels, as she had been accustomed to do in the jealous\nprivacy of her father\u2019s palace.\n\nOne sultry day the king, instead of taking his siesta, or mid-day\nslumber, repaired to this apartment to seek the society of the queen.\nIn passing through a small oratory, he was drawn by the sound of\nfemale voices to a casement overhung with myrtles and jessamines. It\nlooked into an interior garden or court, set out with orange-trees,\nin the midst of which was a marble fountain, surrounded by a grassy\nbank, enameled with flowers.\n\nIt was the high noontide of a summer day when, in sultry Spain, the\nlandscape trembles to the eye, and all nature seeks repose, except\nthe grasshopper, that pipes his lulling note to the herdsman as he\nsleeps beneath the shade.\n\nAround the fountain were several of the damsels of the queen, who,\nconfident of the sacred privacy of the place, were yielding in that\ncool retreat to the indulgence prompted by the season and the hour.\nSome lay asleep on the flowery bank; others sat on the margin of\nthe fountain, talking and laughing, as they bathed their feet in\nits limpid waters, and King Roderick beheld delicate limbs shining\nthrough the wave that might rival the marble in whiteness.\n\nAmong the damsels was one who had come from the Barbary coast with\nthe queen. Her complexion had the dark tinge of Mauritania, but it\nwas clear and transparent, and the deep rich rose blushed through the\nlovely brown. Her eyes were black and full of fire, and flashed from\nunder long silken eyelashes.\n\nA sportive contest arose among the maidens, as to the comparative\nbeauty of the Spanish and Moorish forms; but the Mauritanian damsel\nrevealed limbs of voluptuous symmetry that seemed to defy all rivalry.\n\nThe Spanish beauties were on the point of giving up the contest,\nwhen they bethought themselves of the young Florinda, the daughter\nof Count Julian, who lay on the grassy bank, abandoned to a summer\nslumber. The soft glow of youth and health mantled on her cheek; her\nfringed eyelashes scarcely covered their sleeping orbs; her moist and\nruby lips were slightly parted, just revealing a gleam of her ivory\nteeth, while her innocent bosom rose and fell beneath her bodice,\nlike the gentle swelling and sinking of a tranquil sea. There was a\nbreathing tenderness and beauty in the sleeping virgin, that seemed\nto send forth sweetness like the flowers around her.\n\n\u201cBehold,\u201d cried her companions exultingly, \u201cthe champion of Spanish\nbeauty!\u201d\n\nIn their playful eagerness they half disrobed the innocent Florinda\nbefore she was aware. She awoke in time, however, to escape from\ntheir busy hands; but enough of her charms had been revealed to\nconvince the monarch that they were not to be rivaled by the rarest\nbeauties of Mauritania.\n\nFrom this day the heart of Roderick was inflamed with a fatal\npassion. He gazed on the beautiful Florinda with fervid desire, and\nsought to read in her looks whether there was levity or wantonness in\nher bosom; but the eye of the damsel ever sunk beneath his gaze, and\nremained bent on the earth in virgin modesty.\n\nIn vain he called to mind the sacred trust reposed in him by Count\nJulian, and the promise he had given to watch over his daughter with\npaternal care; his heart was vitiated by sensual indulgence, and the\nconsciousness of power had rendered him selfish in his gratifications.\n\nBeing one evening in the garden where the queen was diverting\nherself with her damsels, and coming to the fountain where he had\nbeheld the innocent maidens at their sport, he could no longer\nrestrain the passion raging within his breast. Seating himself beside\nthe fountain, he called Florinda to draw forth a thorn which had\npierced his hand. The maiden knelt at his feet to examine his hand,\nand the touch of her slender fingers thrilled through his veins.\nAs she knelt, too, her amber locks fell in rich ringlets about her\nbeautiful head, her innocent bosom palpitated beneath the crimson\nbodice, and her timid blushes increased the effulgence of her charms.\n\nHaving examined the monarch\u2019s hand in vain, she looked up in his face\nwith artless perplexity.\n\n\u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said she, \u201cI can find no thorn nor any sign of wound.\u201d\n\nDon Roderick grasped her hand and pressed it to his heart. \u201cIt is\nhere, lovely Florinda!\u201d said he; \u201cit is here! and thou alone canst\npluck it forth!\u201d\n\n\u201cMy lord!\u201d exclaimed the blushing and astonished maiden.\n\n\u201cFlorinda!\u201d said Don Roderick, \u201cdost thou love me?\u201d\n\n\u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said she, \u201cmy father taught me to love and reverence you. He\nconfided me to your care as one who would be as a parent to me, when\nhe should be far distant, serving your majesty with life and loyalty.\nMay God incline your majesty ever to protect me as a father.\u201d So\nsaying, the maiden dropped her eyes to the ground, and continued\nkneeling; but her countenance had become deadly pale, and as she\nknelt she trembled.\n\n\u201cFlorinda,\u201d said the king, \u201ceither thou dost not, or thou wilt not,\nunderstand me. I would have thee love me, not as a father, nor as\na monarch, but as one who adores thee. Why dost thou start? No one\nshall know our loves; and, moreover, the love of a monarch inflicts\nno degradation like the love of a common man; riches and honors\nattend upon it. I will advance thee to rank and dignity, and place\nthee above the proudest females of my court. Thy father, too, shall\nbe more exalted and endowed than any noble in my realm.\u201d\n\nThe soft eye of Florinda kindled at these words. \u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said she,\n\u201cthe line I spring from can receive no dignity by means so vile;\nand my father would rather die than purchase rank and power by\nthe dishonor of his child. But I see,\u201d continued she, \u201cthat your\nmajesty speaks in this manner only to try me. You may have thought\nme light and simple, and unworthy to attend upon the queen. I pray\nyour majesty to pardon me, that I have taken your pleasantry in such\nserious part.\u201d\n\nIn this way the agitated maiden sought to evade the addresses of the\nmonarch, but still her cheek was blanched, and her lip quivered as\nshe spake.\n\nThe king pressed her hand to his lips with fervor. \u201cMay ruin seize\nme,\u201d cried he, \u201cIf I speak to prove thee. My heart, my kingdom, are\nat thy command. Only be mine, and thou shalt rule absolute mistress\nof myself and my domains.\u201d\n\nThe damsel rose from the earth where she had hitherto knelt, and\nher whole countenance glowed with virtuous indignation. \u201cMy lord,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cI am your subject, and in your power; take my life if\nit be your pleasure, but nothing shall tempt me to commit a crime\nwhich would be treason to the queen, disgrace to my father, agony\nto my mother, and perdition to myself.\u201d With these words she left\nthe garden, and the king, for the moment, was too much awed by her\nindignant virtue to oppose her departure.\n\nWe shall pass briefly over the succeeding events of the story of\nFlorinda, about which so much has been said and sung by chronicler\nand bard; for the sober page of history should be carefully chastened\nfrom all scenes that might inflame a wanton imagination\u2014leaving them\nto poems and romances, and such like highly seasoned works of fantasy\nand recreation.\n\nLet it suffice to say that Don Roderick pursued his suit to the\nbeautiful Florinda, his passion being more and more inflamed by the\nresistance of the virtuous damsel. At length, forgetting what was\ndue to helpless beauty, to his own honor as a knight, and his word\nas a sovereign, he triumphed over her weakness by base and unmanly\nviolence.\n\nThere are not wanting those who affirm that the hapless Florinda lent\na yielding ear to the solicitations of the monarch, and her name has\nbeen treated with opprobrium in several of the ancient chronicles\nand legendary ballads that have transmitted, from generation to\ngeneration, the story of the woes of Spain. In very truth, however,\nshe appears to have been a guiltless victim, resisting as far as\nhelpless female could resist, the arts and intrigues of a powerful\nmonarch, who had naught to check the indulgence of his will, and\nbewailing her disgrace with a poignancy that shows how dearly she had\nprized her honor.\n\nIn the first paroxysm of her grief she wrote a letter to her father,\nblotted with her tears and almost incoherent from her agitation.\n\u201cWould to God, my father,\u201d said she, \u201cthat the earth had opened and\nswallowed me ere I had been reduced to write these lines. I blush to\ntell thee, what it is not proper to conceal. Alas, my father! thou\nhast intrusted thy lamb to the guardianship of the lion. Thy daughter\nhas been dishonored, the royal cradle of the Goths polluted, and our\nlineage insulted and disgraced. Hasten, my father, to rescue your\nchild from the power of the spoiler, and to vindicate the honor of\nyour house.\u201d\n\nWhen Florinda had written these lines she summoned a youthful esquire\nwho had been a page in the service of her father. \u201cSaddle thy steed,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cand if thou dost aspire to knightly honor, or hope for\nlady\u2019s grace; if thou hast fealty for thy lord, or devotion to his\ndaughter, speed swiftly upon my errand. Rest not, halt not, spare not\nthe spur, but hie thee day and night until thou reach the sea; take\nthe first bark, and haste with sail and oar to Ceuta, nor pause until\nthou give this letter to the count my father.\u201d The youth put the\nletter in his bosom. \u201cTrust me, lady,\u201d said he \u201cI will neither halt,\nnor turn aside, nor cast a look behind, until I reach Count Julian.\u201d\nHe mounted his fleet steed, sped his way across the bridge, and soon\nleft behind him the verdant valley of the Tagus.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nDon Roderick receives an Extraordinary Embassy.\n\n\nThe heart of Don Roderick was not so depraved by sensuality, but that\nthe wrong he had been guilty of toward the innocent Florinda, and the\ndisgrace he had inflicted on her house, weighed heavy on his spirits,\nand a cloud began to gather on his once clear and unwrinkled brow.\n\nHeaven at this time, say the old Spanish chronicles, permitted a\nmarvelous intimation of the wrath with which it intended to visit the\nmonarch and his people, in punishment of their sins; nor are we, say\nthe same orthodox writers, to startle and withhold our faith when we\nmeet in the page of discreet and sober history with these signs and\nportents, which transcend the probabilities of ordinary life; for the\nrevolutions of empires and the downfalls of mighty kings are awful\nevents, that shake the physical as well as the moral world, and are\noften announced by forerunning marvels and prodigious omens.\n\nWith such like cautious preliminaries do the wary but credulous\nhistoriographers of yore usher in a marvelous event of prophecy\nand enchantment, linked in ancient story with the fortunes of Don\nRoderick, but which modern doubters would fain hold up as an\napocryphal tradition of Arabian origin.\n\nNow, so it happened, according to the legend, that about this time,\nas King Roderick was seated one day on his throne, surrounded by\nhis nobles, in the ancient city of Toledo, two men of venerable\nappearance entered the hall of audience. Their snowy beards descended\nto their breasts, and their gray hairs were bound with ivy. They were\narrayed in white garments of foreign or antiquated fashion, which\nswept the ground, and were cintured with girdles, wrought with the\nsigns of the zodiac, from which were suspended enormous bunches of\nkeys of every variety of form. Having approached the throne and made\nobeisance,\u2014\u201cKnow, O king,\u201d said one of the old men, \u201cthat in days of\nyore, when Hercules of Lybia, surnamed the Strong, had set up his\npillars at the ocean strait, he erected a tower near to this ancient\ncity of Toledo. He built it of prodigious strength, and finished it\nwith magic art, shutting up within it a fearful secret, never to\nbe penetrated without peril and disaster. To protect this terrible\nmystery he closed the entrance to the edifice with a ponderous door\nof iron, secured by a great lock of steel, and he left a command that\nevery king who should succeed him should add another lock to the\nportal; denouncing woe and destruction on him who should eventually\nunfold the secret of the tower.\n\n\u201cThe guardianship of the portal was given to our ancestors, and has\ncontinued in our family, from generation to generation, since the\ndays of Hercules. Several kings, from time to time, have caused the\ngate to be thrown open, and have attempted to enter, but have paid\ndearly for their temerity. Some have perished within the threshold;\nothers have been overwhelmed with horror at tremendous sounds, which\nshook the foundations of the earth, and have hastened to reclose the\ndoor and secure it with its thousand locks. Thus, since the days of\nHercules, the inmost recesses of the pile have never been penetrated\nby mortal man, and a profound mystery continues to prevail over this\ngreat enchantment. This, O king, is all we have to relate; and our\nerrand is to entreat thee to repair to the tower and affix thy lock\nto the portal, as has been done by all thy predecessors.\u201d Having thus\nsaid, the ancient men made a profound reverence and departed from the\npresence-chamber.[10]\n\n  [10] _Perdida de Espa\u00f1a_, por Abulcasim Tarif Abentarique, L. 1,\n  c. 6. _Cronica del Rey Don Rodrigo_, por el Moro Rasis, L. 1, c.\n  1. Bleda, _Cron._ cap. vii.\n\nDon Roderick remained for some time lost in thought after the\ndeparture of the men; he then dismissed all his court excepting the\nvenerable Urbino, at that time Archbishop of Toledo. The long white\nbeard of this prelate bespoke his advanced age, and his overhanging\neyebrows showed him a man full of wary counsel.\n\n\u201cFather,\u201d said the king, \u201cI have an earnest desire to penetrate the\nmystery of this tower.\u201d The worthy prelate shook his hoary head.\n\u201cBeware, my son,\u201d said he; \u201cthere are secrets hidden from man for\nhis good. Your predecessors for many generations have respected\nthis mystery, and have increased in might and empire. A knowledge\nof it, therefore, is not material to the welfare of your kingdom.\nSeek not then to indulge a rash and unprofitable curiosity, which is\ninterdicted under such awful menaces.\u201d\n\n\u201cOf what importance,\u201d cried the king, \u201care the menaces of Hercules\nthe Libyan? was he not a pagan? and can his enchantments have aught\navail against a believer in our holy faith? Doubtless in this tower\nare locked up treasures of gold and jewels, amassed in days of old,\nthe spoils of mighty kings, the riches of the pagan world. My coffers\nare exhausted; I have need of supply; and surely it would be an\nacceptable act in the eyes of Heaven to draw forth this wealth which\nlies buried under profane and necromantic spells, and consecrate it\nto religious purposes.\u201d\n\nThe venerable archbishop still continued to remonstrate, but Don\nRoderick heeded not his counsel, for he was led on by his malignant\nstar. \u201cFather,\u201d said he, \u201cit is in vain you attempt to dissuade me.\nMy resolution is fixed. To-morrow I will explore the hidden mystery,\nor rather the hidden treasures, of this tower.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nStory of the Marvelous and Portentous Tower.\n\n\nThe morning sun shone brightly upon the cliff-built towers of Toledo,\nwhen King Roderick issued out of the gate of the city at the head of\na numerous train of courtiers and cavaliers, and crossed the bridge\nthat bestrides the deep rocky bed of the Tagus. The shining cavalcade\nwound up the road that leads among the mountains, and soon came in\nsight of the necromantic tower.\n\nOf this renowned edifice marvels are related by the ancient Arabian\nand Spanish chroniclers, \u201cand I doubt much,\u201d adds the venerable\nAgapida, \u201cwhether many readers will not consider the whole as a\ncunningly devised fable, sprung from an Oriental imagination; but it\nis not for me to reject a fact which is recorded by all those writers\nwho are the fathers of our national history; a fact too, which is\nas well attested as most of the remarkable events in the story of\nDon Roderick. None but light and inconsiderate minds,\u201d continues the\ngood friar, \u201cdo hastily reject the marvelous. To the thinking mind\nthe whole world is enveloped in mystery, and everything is full of\ntype and portent. To such a mind the necromantic tower of Toledo\nwill appear as one of those wondrous monuments of the olden time;\none of those Egyptian and Chaldaic piles, storied with hidden wisdom\nand mystic prophecy, which have been devised in past ages, when man\nyet enjoyed an intercourse with high and spiritual natures, and when\nhuman foresight partook of divination.\u201d\n\nThis singular tower was round and of great height and grandeur,\nerected upon a lofty rock, and surrounded by crags and precipices.\nThe foundation was supported by four brazen lions, each taller than\na cavalier on horseback. The walls were built of small pieces of\njasper and various colored marbles, not larger than a man\u2019s hand;\nso subtilely joined, however, that, but for their different hues,\nthey might be taken for one entire stone. They were arranged with\nmarvelous cunning, so as to represent battles and warlike deeds of\ntimes and heroes long since passed away, and the whole surface was\nso admirably polished that the stones were as lustrous as glass, and\nreflected the rays of the sun with such resplendent brightness as to\ndazzle all beholders.[11]\n\n  [11] From the minute account of the good friar, drawn from the\n  ancient chronicles, it would appear that the walls of the tower\n  were pictured in mosaic work.\n\nKing Roderick and his courtiers arrived wondering and amazed at the\nfoot of the rock. Here there was a narrow arched way cut through the\nliving stone, the only entrance to the tower. It was closed by a\nmassive iron gate, covered with rusty locks of divers workmanship and\nin the fashion of different centuries, which had been affixed by the\npredecessors of Don Roderick. On either side of the portal stood the\ntwo ancient guardians of the tower, laden with the keys appertaining\nto the locks.\n\nThe king alighted, and approaching the portals, ordered the guardians\nto unlock the gate. The hoary headed men drew back with terror.\n\u201cAlas!\u201d cried they, \u201cwhat is it your majesty requires of us? Would\nyou have the mischiefs of this tower unbound, and let loose to shake\nthe earth to its foundations?\u201d\n\nThe venerable Archbishop Urbino likewise implored him not to\ndisturb a mystery which had been held sacred from generation to\ngeneration within the memory of man, and which even C\u00e6sar himself,\nwhen sovereign of Spain, had not ventured to invade. The youthful\ncavaliers, however, were eager to pursue the adventure, and\nencouraged him in his rash curiosity.\n\n\u201cCome what come may,\u201d exclaimed Don Roderick, \u201cI am resolved to\npenetrate the mystery of this tower.\u201d So saying, he again commanded\nthe guardians to unlock the portal. The ancient men obeyed with\nfear and trembling, but their hands shook with age, and when they\napplied the keys the locks were so rusted by time, or of such strange\nworkmanship, that they resisted their feeble efforts, whereupon the\nyoung cavaliers pressed forward and lent their aid. Still the locks\nwere so numerous and difficult, that with all their eagerness and\nstrength a great part of the day was exhausted before the whole of\nthem could be mastered.\n\nWhen the last bolt had yielded to the key, the guardians and the\nreverend archbishop again entreated the king to pause and reflect.\n\u201cWhatever is within this tower,\u201d said they, \u201cis as yet harmless, and\nlies bound under a mighty spell; venture not then to open a door\nwhich may let forth a flood of evil upon the land.\u201d But the anger\nof the king was roused, and he ordered that the portal should be\ninstantly thrown open. In vain, however, did one after another exert\nhis strength, and equally in vain did the cavaliers unite their\nforces, and apply their shoulders to the gate; though there was\nneither bar nor bolt remaining, it was perfectly immovable.\n\nThe patience of the king was now exhausted, and he advanced to\napply his hand; scarcely, however, did he touch the iron gate,\nwhen it swung slowly open, uttering, as it were, a dismal groan,\nas it turned reluctantly upon its hinges. A cold, damp wind issued\nforth, accompanied by a tempestuous sound. The hearts of the ancient\nguardians quaked within them, and their knees smote together; but\nseveral of the youthful cavaliers rushed in, eager to gratify their\ncuriosity, or to signalize themselves in this redoubtable enterprise.\nThey had scarcely advanced a few paces, however, when they recoiled,\novercome by the baleful air, or by some fearful vision.[12] Upon\nthis, the king ordered that fires should be kindled to dispel the\ndarkness, and to correct the noxious and long-imprisoned air; he\nthen led the way into the interior; but, though stout of heart, he\nadvanced with awe and hesitation.\n\n  [12] Bleda, _Cronica_, cap. 7.\n\nAfter proceeding a short distance, he entered a hall or ante-chamber,\non the opposite side of which was a door, and before it, on a\npedestal stood a gigantic figure, of the color of bronze and of a\nterrible aspect. It held a huge mace, which it whirled incessantly,\ngiving such cruel and resounding blows upon the earth as to prevent\nall further entrance.\n\nThe king paused at sight of this appalling figure, for whether it\nwere a living being, or a statue of magic artifice, he could not\ntell. On its breast was a scroll, whereon was inscribed, in large\nletters, \u201cI do my duty.\u201d[13] After a little while, Roderick plucked\nup heart, and addressed it with great solemnity. \u201cWhatever thou be,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cknow that I come not to violate this sanctuary, but to\ninquire into the mystery it contains; I conjure thee, therefore, to\nlet me pass in safety.\u201d\n\n  [13] Bleda, _Cronica_ cap. 7.\n\nUpon this the figure paused with uplifted mace, and the king and his\ntrain passed unmolested through the door.\n\nThey now entered a vast chamber, of a rare and sumptuous\narchitecture, difficult to be described. The walls were incrusted\nwith the most precious gems, so joined together as to form one smooth\nand perfect surface. The lofty dome appeared to be self-supported,\nand was studded with gems, lustrous as the stars of the firmament.\nThere was neither wood, nor any other common or base material to be\nseen throughout the edifice. There were no windows or other openings\nto admit the day, yet a radiant light was spread throughout the place\nwhich seemed to shine from the walls and to render every object\ndistinctly visible.\n\nIn the centre of this hall stood a table of alabaster, of the rarest\nworkmanship, on which was inscribed, in Greek characters, that\nHercules Alcides, the Theban Greek, had founded this tower in the\nyear of the world three thousand and six. Upon the table stood a\ngolden casket, richly set round with precious stones, and closed\nwith a lock of mother-of-pearl, and on the lid were inscribed the\nfollowing words:\u2014\n\n\u201cIn this coffer is contained the mystery of the tower. The hand of\nnone but a king can open it; but let him beware! for marvelous events\nwill be revealed to him, which are to take place before his death.\u201d\n\nKing Roderick boldly seized upon the casket. The venerable archbishop\nlaid his hand upon his arm, and made a last remonstrance. \u201cForbear,\nmy son,\u201d said he; \u201cdesist while there is yet time. Look not into\nthe mysterious decrees of Providence. God has hidden them in mercy\nfrom our sight, and it is impious to rend the veil by which they are\nconcealed.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat have I to dread from a knowledge of the future?\u201d replied\nRoderick, with an air of haughty presumption. \u201cIf good be destined me\nI shall enjoy it by anticipation; if evil, I shall arm myself to meet\nit.\u201d So saying, he rashly broke the lock.\n\nWithin the coffer he found nothing but a linen cloth, folded\nbetween two tablets of copper. On unfolding it, he beheld painted\non it figures of men on horseback, of fierce demeanor, clad in\nturbans and robes of various colors, after the fashion of the Arabs,\nwith scimetars hanging from their necks, and cross-bows at their\nsaddle-backs, and they carried banners and pennons with divers\ndevices. Above them was inscribed, in Greek characters, \u201cRash\nmonarch! behold the men who are to hurl thee from thy throne, and\nsubdue thy kingdom!\u201d\n\nAt sight of these things the king was troubled in spirit, and\ndismay fell upon his attendants. While they were yet regarding the\npaintings, it seemed as if the figures began to move, and a faint\nsound of warlike tumult arose from the cloth, with the clash of\ncymbal and bray of trumpet, the neigh of steed and shout of army;\nbut all was heard indistinctly, as if afar off, or in a reverie or\ndream. The more they gazed, the plainer became the motion, and the\nlouder the noise; and the linen cloth rolled forth, and amplified,\nand spread out, as it were, a mighty banner, and filled the hall,\nand mingled with the air, until its texture was no longer visible,\nor appeared as a transparent cloud. And the shadowy figures became\nall in motion, and the din and uproar became fiercer and fiercer;\nand whether the whole were an animated picture, or a vision, or an\narray of embodied spirits, conjured up by supernatural power, no one\npresent could tell. They beheld before them a great field of battle,\nwhere Christians and Moslems were engaged in deadly conflict.\nThey heard the rush and tramp of steeds, the blast of trump and\nclarion, the clash of cymbal, and the stormy din of a thousand drums.\nThere was the clash of swords, and maces, and battle-axes, with\nthe whistling of arrows and the hurtling of darts and lances. The\nChristians quailed before the foe; the infidels pressed upon them and\nput them to utter rout; the standard of the cross was cast down, the\nbanner of Spain was trodden under foot, the air resounded with shouts\nof triumph, with yells of fury, and with the groans of dying men.\nAmidst the flying squadrons King Roderick beheld a crowned warrior,\nwhose back was towards him, but whose armor and device were his own,\nand who was mounted on a white steed that resembled his own war-horse\nOrelia. In the confusion of the flight, the warrior was dismounted,\nand was no longer to be seen, and Orelia galloped wildly through the\nfield of battle without a rider.\n\nRoderick stayed to see no more, but rushed from the fatal hall,\nfollowed by his terrified attendants. They fled through the outer\nchamber, where the gigantic figure with the whirling mace had\ndisappeared from his pedestal, and, on issuing into the open air,\nthey found the two ancient guardians of the tower lying dead at the\nportal, as though they had been crushed by some mighty blow. All\nnature, which had been clear and serene, was now in wild uproar. The\nheavens were darkened by heavy clouds; loud bursts of thunder rent\nthe air, and the earth was deluged with rain and rattling hail.\n\nThe king ordered that the iron portal should be closed, but the door\nwas immovable, and the cavaliers were dismayed by the tremendous\nturmoil and the mingled shouts and groans that continued to prevail\nwithin. The king and his train hastened back to Toledo, pursued\nand pelted by the tempest. The mountains shook and echoed with the\nthunder, trees were uprooted and blown down, and the Tagus raged\nand roared and flowed above its banks. It seemed to the affrighted\ncourtiers as if the phantom legions of the tower had issued forth\nand mingled with the storm; for amidst the claps of thunder and the\nhowling of the wind, they fancied they heard the sound of the drums\nand trumpets, the shouts of armies, and the rush of steeds. Thus\nbeaten by tempest and overwhelmed with horror, the king and his\ncourtiers arrived at Toledo, clattering across the bridge of the\nTagus, and entering the gate in headlong confusion, as though they\nhad been pursued by an enemy.\n\nIn the morning the heavens were again serene, and all nature was\nrestored to tranquillity. The king, therefore, issued forth with\nhis cavaliers, and took the road to the tower, followed by a great\nmultitude, for he was anxious once more to close the iron door, and\nshut up those evils that threatened to overwhelm the land. But lo! on\ncoming in sight of the tower, a new wonder met their eyes. An eagle\nappeared high in the air, seeming to descend from heaven. He bore in\nhis beak a burning brand, and, lighting on the summit of the tower,\nfanned the fire with his wings. In a little while the edifice burst\nforth into a blaze, as though it had been built of rosin, and the\nflames mounted into the air with a brilliancy more dazzling than\nthe sun; nor did they cease until every stone was consumed, and the\nwhole was reduced to a heap of ashes. Then there came a vast flight\nof birds, small of size and sable of hue, darkening the sky like a\ncloud; and they descended, and wheeled in circles round the ashes,\ncausing so great a wind with their wings that the whole was borne\nup into the air, and scattered throughout all Spain, and wherever\na particle of that ashes fell it was as a stain of blood. It is\nfurthermore recorded by ancient men and writers of former days, that\nall those on whom this dust fell were afterwards slain in battle,\nwhen the country was conquered by the Arabs, and that the destruction\nof this necromantic tower was a sign and token of the approaching\nperdition of Spain.\n\n\u201cLet all those,\u201d concludes the cautious friar, \u201cwho question the\nverity of this most marvelous occurrence, consult those admirable\nsources of our history, the chronicle of the Moor Rasis, and the work\nentitled \u201cThe Fall of Spain,\u201d written by the Moor Abulcasim Tarif\nAbentarique. Let them consult, moreover, the venerable historian\nBleda, and the cloud of other Catholic Spanish writers who have\ntreated of this event, and they will find I have related nothing that\nhas not been printed and published under the inspection and sanction\nof our holy mother Church. God alone knoweth the truth of these\nthings; I speak nothing but what has been handed down to me from\ntimes of old.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nCount Julian.\u2014His Fortunes in Africa.\u2014He hears of the Dishonor of his\nChild.\u2014His Conduct thereupon.\n\n\nThe course of our legendary narration now returns to notice the\nfortunes of Count Julian, after his departure from Toledo, to resume\nhis government on the coast of Barbary. He left the Countess Frandina\nat Algeziras, his paternal domain, for the province under his command\nwas threatened with invasion. In fact, when he arrived at Ceuta he\nfound his post in imminent danger from the all-conquering Moslems.\nThe Arabs of the East, the followers of Mahomet, having subjugated\nseveral of the most potent Oriental kingdoms, had established their\nseat of empire at Damascus, where at this time it was filled by\nWaled Almanzor, surnamed \u201cThe Sword of God.\u201d From thence the tide\nof Moslem conquest had rolled on to the shores of the Atlantic, so\nthat all Almagreb, or Western Africa, had submitted to the standard\nof the Prophet, with the exception of a portion of Tingitania, lying\nalong the straits,\u2014being the province held by the Goths of Spain,\nand commanded by Count Julian. The Arab invaders were a hundred\nthousand strong, most of them veteran troops, seasoned in warfare\nand accustomed to victory. They were led by an old Arab general, Muza\nben Nosier, to whom was confided the government of Almagreb,\u2014most\nof which he had himself conquered. The ambition of this veteran was\nto make the Moslem conquest complete, by expelling the Christians\nfrom the African shores; with this view his troops menaced the few\nremaining Gothic fortresses of Tingitania, while he himself sat down\nin person before the walls of Ceuta. The Arab chieftain had been\nrendered confident by continual success, and thought nothing could\nresist his arms and the sacred standard of the Prophet. Impatient of\nthe tedious delays of a siege, he led his troops boldly against the\nrock-built towers of Ceuta, and attempted to take the place by storm.\nThe onset was fierce, and the struggle desperate: the swarthy sons\nof the desert were light and vigorous, and of fiery spirit; but the\nGoths, inured to danger on this frontier, retained the stubborn valor\nof their race, so impaired among their brethren in Spain. They were\ncommanded, too, by one skilled in warfare and ambitious of renown.\nAfter a vehement conflict, the Moslem assailants were repulsed from\nall points, and driven from the walls. Don Julian sallied forth and\nharassed them in their retreat, and so severe was the carnage that\nthe veteran Muza was fain to break up his camp and retire confounded\nfrom the siege.\n\nThe victory at Ceuta resounded throughout Tingitania, and spread\nuniversal joy. On every side were heard shouts of exultation, mingled\nwith praises of Count Julian. He was hailed by the people, wherever\nhe went, as their deliverer, and blessings were invoked upon his\nhead. The heart of Count Julian was lifted up, and his spirit swelled\nwithin him; but it was with noble and virtuous pride, for he was\nconscious of having merited the blessings of his country.\n\nIn the midst of his exultation, and while the rejoicings of the\npeople were yet sounding in his ears, the page arrived who bore the\nletter from his unfortunate daughter.\n\n\u201cWhat tidings from the king?\u201d said the count, as the page knelt\nbefore him. \u201cNone, my lord,\u201d replied the youth; \u201cbut I bear a letter\nsent in all haste by the Lady Florinda.\u201d\n\nHe took the letter from his bosom and presented it to his lord. As\nCount Julian read it, his countenance darkened and fell. \u201cThis,\u201d said\nhe, bitterly, \u201cis my reward for serving a tyrant; and these are the\nhonors heaped on me by my country while fighting its battles in a\nforeign land. May evil overtake me, and infamy rest upon my name, if\nI cease until I have full measure of revenge.\u201d\n\nCount Julian was vehement in his passions, and took no counsel in\nhis wrath. His spirit was haughty in the extreme, but destitute of\ntrue magnanimity, and when once wounded, turned to gall and venom.\nA dark and malignant hatred entered into his soul, not only against\nDon Roderick, but against all Spain; he looked upon it as the scene\nof his disgrace, a land in which his family was dishonored, and, in\nseeking to revenge the wrongs he had suffered from his sovereign, he\nmeditated against his native country one of the blackest schemes of\ntreason that ever entered into the human heart.\n\nThe plan of Count Julian was to hurl King Roderick from his\nthrone, and to deliver all Spain into the hands of the infidels.\nIn concerting and executing this treacherous plot, it seemed as if\nhis whole nature was changed; every lofty and generous sentiment\nwas stifled, and he stooped to the meanest dissimulation. His first\nobject was, to extricate his family from the power of the king and to\nremove it from Spain before his treason should be known; his next,\nto deprive the country of its remaining means of defense against an\ninvader.\n\nWith these dark purposes at heart, but with an open and serene\ncountenance, he crossed to Spain and repaired to the court at Toledo.\nWherever he came he was hailed with acclamation as a victorious\ngeneral, and appeared in the presence of his sovereign radiant with\nthe victory at Ceuta. Concealing from King Roderick his knowledge of\nthe outrage upon his house, he professed nothing but the most devoted\nloyalty and affection.\n\nThe king loaded him with favors; seeking to appease his own\nconscience by heaping honors upon the father in atonement of the\ndeadly wrong inflicted upon his child. He regarded Count Julian,\nalso, as a man able and experienced in warfare, and took his advice\nin all matters relating to the military affairs of the kingdom. The\ncount magnified the dangers that threatened the frontier under his\ncommand, and prevailed upon the king to send thither the best horses\nand arms remaining from the time of Witiza, there being no need of\nthem in the centre of Spain, in its present tranquil state. The\nresidue, at his suggestion, was stationed on the frontiers of Gallia;\nso that the kingdom was left almost wholly without defense against\nany sudden irruption from the south.\n\nHaving thus artfully arranged his plans, and all things being\nprepared for his return to Africa, he obtained permission to\nwithdraw his daughter from the court, and leave her with her mother,\nthe Countess Frandina, who, he pretended, lay dangerously ill at\nAlgeziras. Count Julian issued out of the gate of the city, followed\nby a shining band of chosen followers, while beside him, on a\npalfrey, rode the pale and weeping Florinda. The populace hailed\nand blessed him as he passed, but his heart turned from them with\nloathing. As he crossed the bridge of the Tagus he looked back with\na dark brow upon Toledo, and raised his mailed hand and shook it at\nthe royal palace of King Roderick, which crested the rocky height.\n\u201cA father\u2019s curse,\u201d said he, \u201cbe upon thee and thine! may desolation\nfall upon thy dwelling, and confusion and defeat upon thy realm!\u201d\n\nIn his journeyings through the country, he looked round him with\na malignant eye: the pipe of the shepherd and the song of the\nhusbandman were as discord to his soul; every sight and sound of\nhuman happiness sickened him at heart; and, in the bitterness of his\nspirit, he prayed that he might see the whole scene of prosperity\nlaid waste with fire and sword by the invader.\n\nThe story of domestic outrage and disgrace had already been made\nknown to the Countess Frandina. When the hapless Florinda came in\npresence of her mother, she fell on her neck, and hid her face in her\nbosom, and wept; but the countess shed never a tear, for she was a\nwoman haughty of spirit and strong of heart. She looked her husband\nsternly in the face. \u201cPerdition light upon thy head,\u201d said she, \u201cif\nthou submit to this dishonor. For my own part, woman as I am, I will\nassemble the followers of my house, nor rest until rivers of blood\nhave washed away this stain.\u201d\n\n\u201cBe satisfied,\u201d replied the count; \u201cvengeance is on foot, and will be\nsure and ample.\u201d\n\nBeing now in his own domains, surrounded by his relatives and\nfriends, Count Julian went on to complete his web of treason. In this\nhe was aided by his brother-in-law, Oppas, the Bishop of Seville,\u2014a\nman dark and perfidious as the night, but devout in demeanor, and\nsmooth and plausible in council. This artful prelate had contrived\nto work himself into the entire confidence of the king, and had\neven prevailed upon him to permit his nephews, Evan and Siseburto,\nthe exiled sons of Witiza, to return into Spain. They resided in\nAndalusia, and were now looked to as fit instruments in the present\ntraitorous conspiracy.\n\nBy the advice of the bishop, Count Julian called a secret meeting\nof his relatives and adherents on a wild rocky mountain, not far\nfrom Consuegra, and which still bears the Moorish appellation of\n\u201cLa Sierra de Calderin,\u201d or the Mountain of Treason.[14] When all\nwere assembled, Count Julian appeared among them, accompanied by the\nbishop and by the Countess Frandina. Then gathering around him those\nwho were of his blood and kindred, he revealed the outrage that had\nbeen offered to their house. He represented to them that Roderick was\ntheir legitimate enemy; that he had dethroned Witiza, their relation,\nand had now stained the honor of one of the most illustrious\ndaughters of their line. The Countess Frandina seconded his words.\nShe was a woman majestic in person and eloquent of tongue, and being\ninspired by a mother\u2019s feelings, her speech aroused the assembled\ncavaliers to fury.\n\n  [14] Bleda, cap. 5.\n\nThe count took advantage of the excitement of the moment to unfold\nhis plan. The main object was to dethrone Don Roderick, and give\nthe crown to the sons of the late King Witiza. By this means they\nwould visit the sins of the tyrant upon his head, and, at the same\ntime, restore the regal honors to their line. For this purpose their\nown force would be insufficient, but they might procure the aid of\nMuza ben Nosier, the Arabian general in Mauritania, who would no\ndoubt gladly send a part of his troops into Spain to assist in the\nenterprise.\n\nThe plot thus suggested by Count Julian received the unholy\nsanction of Bishop Oppas, who engaged to aid it secretly with all\nhis influence and means; for he had great wealth and possessions,\nand many retainers. The example of the reverend prelate determined\nall who might otherwise have wavered, and they bound themselves by\ndreadful oaths to be true to the conspiracy. Count Julian undertook\nto proceed to Africa, and seek the camp of Muza, to negotiate for his\naid, while the bishop was to keep about the person of King Roderick,\nand lead him into the net prepared for him.\n\nAll things being thus arranged, Count Julian gathered together his\ntreasure, and taking his wife and daughter and all his household,\nabandoned the country he meant to betray,\u2014embarking at Malaga for\nCeuta. The gate in the wall of that city, through which they went\nforth, continued for ages to bear the name of Puerta de la Cava, or\nthe Gate of the Harlot; for such was the opprobrious and unmerited\nappellation bestowed by the Moors on the unhappy Florinda.[15]\n\n  [15] Bleda, cap. 4.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nSecret Visit of Count Julian to the Arab Camp.\u2014First Expedition of\nTaric el Tuerto.\n\n\nWhen Count Julian had placed his family in security in Ceuta,\nsurrounded by soldiery devoted to his fortunes, he took with him\na few confidential followers and departed in secret for the camp\nof the Arabian Emir, Muza ben Nosier. The camp was spread out in\none of those pastoral valleys which lie at the feet of the Barbary\nHills, with the great range of the Atlas Mountains towering in the\ndistance. In the motley army here assembled were warriors of every\ntribe and nation, that had been united by pact or conquest in the\ncause of Islam. There were those who had followed Muza from the\nfertile regions of Egypt, across the deserts of Barca, and those who\nhad joined his standard from among the sunburnt tribes of Mauritania.\nThere were Saracen and Tartar, Syrian and Copt, and swarthy Moor;\nsumptuous warriors from the civilized cities of the East, and the\ngaunt and predatory rovers of the desert. The greater part of the\narmy, however, was composed of Arabs; but differing greatly from the\nfirst rude hordes that enlisted under the banner of Mahomet. Almost\na century of continual wars with the cultivated nations of the East\nhad rendered them accomplished warriors; and the occasional sojourn\nin luxurious countries and populous cities, had acquainted them with\nthe arts and habits of civilized life. Still the roving, restless,\nand predatory habits of the genuine son of Ishmael prevailed, in\ndefiance of every change of clime or situation.\n\nCount Julian found the Arab conqueror Muza surrounded by somewhat\nof Oriental state and splendor. He was advanced in life, but of a\nnoble presence, and concealed his age by tingeing his hair and beard\nwith henna. The count assumed an air of soldier-like frankness and\ndecision when he came into his presence. \u201cHitherto,\u201d said he, \u201cwe\nhave been enemies; but I come to thee in peace, and it rests with\nthee to make me the most devoted of thy friends. I have no longer\ncountry or king. Roderick the Goth is an usurper, and my deadly\nfoe; he has wounded my honor in the tenderest point, and my country\naffords me no redress. Aid me in my vengeance, and I will deliver all\nSpain into thy hands,\u2014a land far exceeding in fertility and wealth\nall the vaunted regions thou hast conquered in Tingitania.\u201d\n\nThe heart of Muza leaped with joy at these words, for he was a bold\nand ambitious conqueror, and, having overrun all western Africa, had\noften cast a wistful eye to the mountains of Spain, as he beheld them\nbrightening beyond the waters of the strait. Still he possessed the\ncaution of a veteran, and feared to engage in an enterprise of such\nmoment, and to carry his arms into another division of the globe,\nwithout the approbation of his sovereign. Having drawn from Count\nJulian the particulars of his plan, and of the means he possessed to\ncarry it into effect, he laid them before his confidential counselors\nand officers, and demanded their opinion. \u201cThese words of Count\nJulian,\u201d said he, \u201cmay be false and deceitful; or he may not possess\nthe power to fulfill his promises. The whole may be a pretended\ntreason to draw us on to our destruction. It is more natural that he\nshould be treacherous to us than to his country.\u201d\n\nAmong the generals of Muza, was a gaunt, swarthy veteran, scarred\nwith wounds,\u2014a very Arab, whose great delight was roving and\ndesperate enterprise, and who cared for nothing beyond his steed,\nhis lance, and scimetar. He was a native of Damascus; his name was\nTaric ben Zeyad, but, from having lost an eye, he was known among\nthe Spaniards by the appellation of Taric el Tuerto, or Taric the\none-eyed.\n\nThe hot blood of this veteran Ishmaelite was in a ferment when he\nheard of a new country to invade and vast regions to subdue, and\nhe dreaded lest the cautious hesitation of Muza should permit the\nglorious prize to escape them. \u201cYou speak doubtingly,\u201d said he, \u201cof\nthe words of this Christian cavalier, but their truth is easily to be\nascertained. Give me four galleys and a handful of men, and I will\ndepart with this Count Julian, skirt the Christian coast, and bring\nthee back tidings of the land, and of his means to put it in our\npower.\u201d\n\nThe words of the veteran pleased Muza ben Nosier, and he gave his\nconsent; and Taric departed with four galleys, and five hundred\nmen, guided by the traitor Julian.[16] This first expedition of the\nArabs against Spain, took place, according to certain historians, in\nthe year of our Lord seven hundred and twelve; though others differ\non this point, as indeed they do upon almost every point in this\nearly period of Spanish history. The date to which the judicious\nchroniclers incline, is that of seven hundred and ten, in the month\nof July. It would appear from some authorities, also, that the\ngalleys of Taric cruised along the coasts of Andalusia and Lusitania,\nunder the feigned character of merchant barks, nor is this at all\nimprobable, while they were seeking merely to observe the land, and\nget a knowledge of the harbors. Wherever they touched, Count Julian\ndispatched emissaries to assemble his friends and adherents at an\nappointed place. They gathered together secretly at Gezira Alhadra,\nthat is to say, the Green Island, where they held a conference with\nCount Julian in presence of Taric ben Zeyad.[17] Here they again\navowed their readiness to flock to his standard whenever it should\nbe openly raised, and made known their various preparations for a\nrebellion. Taric was convinced, by all that he had seen and heard,\nthat Count Julian had not deceived them, either as to his disposition\nor his means to betray his country. Indulging his Arab inclinations,\nhe made an inroad into the land, collected great spoil and many\ncaptives, and bore off his plunder in triumph to Muza, as a specimen\nof the riches to be gained by the conquest of the Christian land.[18]\n\n  [16] Beuter, _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, L. 1, c. 28. Marmol Descrip.\n  de Africa, L. 2, c. 10.\n\n  [17] Bleda, _Cron._ c. 5.\n\n  [18] Conde, _Hist. Dom. Arab._ part 1, c. 8.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nLetter of Muza to the Caliph.\u2014Second Expedition of Taric el Tuerto.\n\n\nIn hearing the tidings brought by Taric el Tuerto, and beholding\nthe spoil he had collected, Muza wrote a letter to the Caliph Waled\nAlmanzor, setting forth the traitorous proffer of Count Julian, and\nthe probability, through his means, of making a successful invasion\nof Spain. \u201cA new land,\u201d said he, \u201cspreads itself out before our\ndelighted eyes, and invites our conquest: a land, too, that equals\nSyria in the fertility of its soil and the serenity of its sky;\nYemen, or Arabia the Happy, in its delightful temperature; India, in\nits flowers and spices; Hegiaz, in its fruits and flowers; Cathay,\nin its precious minerals; and Aden, in the excellence of its ports\nand harbors. It is populous also, and wealthy; having many splendid\ncities and majestic monuments of ancient art. What is to prevent\nthis glorious land from becoming the inheritance of the faithful?\nAlready we have overcome the tribes of Berbery, of Zab, of Derar of\nZaara, Mazamuda and Sus, and the victorious standard of Islam floats\non the towers of Tangier. But four leagues of sea separate us from\nthe opposite coast. One word from my sovereign, and the conquerors\nof Africa will pour their legions into Andalusia, rescue it from\nthe domination of the unbeliever, and subdue it to the law of the\nKoran.\u201d[19]\n\n  [19] Conde, part 1, c. 8.\n\nThe Caliph was overjoyed with the contents of the letter. \u201cGod is\ngreat!\u201d exclaimed he, \u201cand Mahomet is his prophet! It has been\nforetold by the ambassador of God that his law should extend to the\nultimate parts of the West, and be carried by the sword into new\nand unknown regions. Behold another land is opened for the triumphs\nof the faithful. It is the will of Allah, and be his sovereign will\nobeyed.\u201d So the Caliph sent missives to Muza, authorizing him to\nundertake the conquest.\n\nUpon this there was a great stir of preparation, and numerous vessels\nwere assembled and equipped at Tangier to convey the invading\narmy across the straits. Twelve thousand men were chosen for this\nexpedition,\u2014most of them light Arabian troops, seasoned in warfare,\nand fitted for hardy and rapid enterprise. Among them were many\nhorsemen, mounted on fleet Arabian steeds. The whole was put under\nthe command of the veteran Taric el Tuerto, or the one-eyed, in\nwhom Muza reposed implicit confidence as in a second self. Taric\naccepted the command with joy; his martial fire was roused at the\nidea of having such an army under his sole command, and such a\ncountry to overrun, and he secretly determined never to return unless\nvictorious.\n\nHe chose a dark night to convey his troops across the Straits of\nHercules, and by break of day they began to disembark at Tarifa\nbefore the country had time to take the alarm. A few Christians\nhastily assembled from the neighborhood and opposed their landing,\nbut were easily put to flight. Taric stood on the sea-side, and\nwatched until the last squadron had landed, and all the horses,\narmor, and munitions of war were brought on shore; he then gave\norders to set fire to the ships. The Moslems were struck with terror\nwhen they beheld their fleet wrapped in flames and smoke, and sinking\nbeneath the waves. \u201cHow shall we escape,\u201d exclaimed they, \u201cif the\nfortune of war should be against us?\u201d \u201cThere is no escape for the\ncoward,\u201d cried Taric; \u201cthe brave man thinks of none; your only chance\nis victory.\u201d \u201cBut how without ships shall we ever return to our\nhomes?\u201d \u201cYour homes,\u201d replied Taric, \u201care before you; but you must\nwin them with your swords.\u201d\n\nWhile Taric was yet talking with his followers, says one of the\nancient chroniclers, a Christian female was descried waving a white\npennon on a reed, in signal of peace. On being brought into the\npresence of Taric, she prostrated herself before him. \u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said\nshe, \u201cI am an ancient woman; and it is now fully sixty years past\nand gone since, as I was keeping vigils one winter\u2019s night by the\nfireside, I heard my father, who was an exceeding old man, read a\nprophecy said to have been written by a holy friar; and this was the\npurport of the prophecy, that a time would arrive when our country\nwould be invaded and conquered by a people from Africa of a strange\ngarb, a strange tongue, and a strange religion. They were to be led\nby a strong and valiant captain, who would be known by these signs:\non his right shoulder he would have a hairy mole, and his right arm\nwould be much longer than the left, and of such length as to enable\nhim to cover his knee with his hand without bending his body.\u201d\n\nTaric listened to the old beldame with grave attention, and when she\nhad concluded, he laid bare his shoulder, and lo! there was the mole\nas it had been described; his right arm, also, was in verity found to\nexceed the other in length, though not to the degree that had been\nmentioned. Upon this the Arab host shouted for joy, and felt assured\nof conquest.\n\nThe discreet Antonio Agapida, though he records this circumstance as\nit is set down in ancient chronicle, yet withholds his belief from\nthe pretended prophecy, considering the whole a cunning device of\nTaric to increase the courage of his troops. \u201cDoubtless,\u201d says he,\n\u201cthere was a collusion between this ancient sibyl and the crafty\nson of Ishmael; for these infidel leaders were full of damnable\ninventions to work upon the superstitious fancies of their followers,\nand to inspire them with a blind confidence in the success of their\narms.\u201d\n\nBe this as it may, the veteran Taric took advantage of the excitement\nof his soldiery, and led them forward to gain possession of a\nstronghold, which was in a manner the key to all the adjacent\ncountry. This was a lofty mountain or promontory almost surrounded\nby the sea, and connected with the main-land by a narrow isthmus. It\nwas called the rock of Calpe, and, like the opposite rock of Ceuta,\ncommanded the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Here, in old times,\nHercules had set up one of his pillars, and the city of Heraclea had\nbeen built.\n\nAs Taric advanced against this promontory, he was opposed by a\nhasty levy of the Christians, who had assembled under the banner\nof a Gothic noble of great power and importance, whose domains lay\nalong the mountainous coast of the Mediterranean. The name of this\nChristian cavalier was Theodomir, but he has universally been called\nTadmir by the Arabian historians, and is renowned as being the first\ncommander that made any stand against the inroads of the Moslems.\nHe was about forty years of age; hardy, prompt, and sagacious; and\nhad all the Gothic nobles been equally vigilant and shrewd in their\ndefense, the banner of Islam would never have triumphed over the land.\n\nTheodomir had but seventeen hundred men under his command, and\nthese but rudely armed; yet he made a resolute stand against the\narmy of Taric, and defended the pass to the promontory with great\nvalor. He was at length obliged to retreat, and Taric advanced and\nplanted his standard on the rock of Calpe, and fortified it as\nhis stronghold, and as the means of securing an entrance into the\nland. To commemorate his first victory, he changed the name of the\npromontory, and called it Gibel Taric, or the Mountain of Taric, but\nin process of time the name has gradually been altered to Gibraltar.\n\nIn the mean time, the patriotic chieftain Theodomir, having collected\nhis routed forces, encamped with them on the skirts of the mountains,\nand summoned the country round to join his standard. He sent off\nmissives in all speed to the king, imparting in brief and blunt\nterms the news of the invasion, and craving assistance with equal\nfrankness. \u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said he, in his letter, \u201cthe legions of Africa\nare upon us, but whether they come from heaven or earth I know not.\nThey seem to have fallen from the clouds, for they have no ships. We\nhave been taken by surprise, overpowered by numbers, and obliged to\nretreat; and they have fortified themselves in our territory. Send\nus aid, Se\u00f1or, with instant speed, or rather, come yourself to our\nassistance.\u201d[20]\n\n  [20] Conde, part 1, c. 9.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nMeasures of Don Roderick on Hearing of the Invasion.\u2014Expedition of\nAtaulpho.\u2014Vision of Taric.\n\n\nWhen Don Roderick heard that legions of turbaned troops had poured\ninto the land from Africa, he called to mind the visions and\npredictions of the necromantic tower, and great fear came upon\nhim. But, though sunk from his former hardihood and virtue, though\nenervated by indulgence, and degraded in spirit by a consciousness of\ncrime, he was resolute of soul, and roused himself to meet the coming\ndanger. He summoned a hasty levy of horse and foot, amounting to\nforty thousand; but now were felt the effects of the crafty counsel\nof Count Julian, for the best of the horses and armor intended for\nthe public service had been sent into Africa, and were really in\npossession of the traitors. Many nobles, it is true, took the field\nwith the sumptuous array with which they had been accustomed to\nappear at tournaments and jousts, but most of their vassals were\ndestitute of weapons, and cased in cuirasses of leather, or suits\nof armor almost consumed by rust. They were without discipline or\nanimation; and their horses, like themselves, pampered by slothful\npeace, were little fitted to bear the heat, the dust, and toil of\nlong campaigns.\n\nThis army Don Roderick put under the command of his kinsman Ataulpho,\na prince of the royal blood of the Goths, and of a noble and generous\nnature; and he ordered him to march with all speed to meet the foe,\nand to recruit his forces on the way with the troops of Theodomir.\n\nIn the mean time, Taric el Tuerto had received large reinforcements\nfrom Africa, and the adherents of Count Julian and all those\ndiscontented with the sway of Don Roderick had flocked to his\nstandard; for many were deceived by the representations of Count\nJulian, and thought that the Arabs had come to aid him in placing the\nsons of Witiza upon the throne. Guided by the count, the troops of\nTaric penetrated into various parts of the country, and laid waste\nthe land; bringing back loads of spoil to their stronghold at the\nrock of Calpe.\n\nThe Prince Ataulpho marched with his army through Andalusia, and was\njoined by Theodomir with his troops; he met with various detachments\nof the enemy foraging the country, and had several bloody skirmishes;\nbut he succeeded in driving them before him, and they retreated to\nthe rock of Calpe, where Taric lay gathered up with the main body of\nhis army.\n\nThe prince encamped not far from the bay which spreads itself out\nbefore the promontory. In the evening he dispatched the veteran\nTheodomir, with a trumpet, to demand a parley of the Arab chieftain,\nwho received the envoy in his tent, surrounded by his captains.\nTheodomir was frank and abrupt in speech, for the most of his life\nhad been passed far from courts. He delivered, in round terms, the\nmessage of the Prince Ataulpho; upbraiding the Arab general with his\nwanton invasion of the land, and summoning him to surrender his army\nor to expect no mercy.\n\nThe single eye of Taric el Tuerto glowed like a coal of fire at this\nmessage. \u201cTell your commander,\u201d replied he, \u201cthat I have crossed the\nstrait to conquer Spain, nor will I return until I have accomplished\nmy purpose. Tell him I have men skilled in war, and armed in proof,\nwith whose aid I trust soon to give a good account of his rabble\nhost.\u201d\n\nA murmur of applause passed through the assemblage of Moslem\ncaptains. Theodomir glanced on them a look of defiance, but his eye\nrested on a renegado Christian, one of his own ancient comrades, and\na relation of Count Julian. \u201cAs to you, Don Graybeard,\u201d said he,\n\u201cyou who turn apostate in your declining age, I here pronounce you a\ntraitor to your God, your king, and country; and stand ready to prove\nit this instant upon your body, if field be granted me.\u201d\n\nThe traitor knight was stung with rage at these words, for truth\nrendered them piercing to the heart. He would have immediately\nanswered to the challenge, but Taric forbade it, and ordered that\nthe Christian envoy should be conducted from the camp. \u201c\u2019Tis well,\u201d\nreplied Theodomir; \u201cGod will give me the field which you deny. Let\nyon hoary apostate look to himself to-morrow in the battle, for I\npledge myself to use my lance upon no other foe until it has shed\nhis blood upon the native soil he has betrayed.\u201d So saying, he left\nthe camp, nor could the Moslem chieftains help admiring the honest\nindignation of this patriot knight, while they secretly despised his\nrenegado adversary.\n\nThe ancient Moorish chroniclers relate many awful portents and\nstrange and mysterious visions, which appeared to the commanders\nof either army during this anxious night. Certainly it was a night\nof fearful suspense, and Moslem and Christian looked forward with\ndoubt to the fortune of the coming day. The Spanish sentinel walked\nhis pensive round, listening occasionally to the vague sounds from\nthe distant rock of Calpe, and eying it as the mariner eyes the\nthunder-cloud, pregnant with terror and destruction. The Arabs,\ntoo, from their lofty cliffs, beheld the numerous camp-fires of the\nChristians gradually lighted up, and saw that they were a powerful\nhost; at the same time the night breeze brought to their ears the\nsullen roar of the sea which separated them from Africa. When they\nconsidered their perilous situation,\u2014an army on one side, with a\nwhole nation aroused to reinforce it, and on the other an impassable\nsea,\u2014the spirits of many of the warriors were cast down, and they\nrepented the day when they had ventured into this hostile land.\n\nTaric marked their despondency, but said nothing. Scarce had the\nfirst streak of morning light trembled along the sea, however, when\nhe summoned his principal warriors to his tent. \u201cBe of good cheer,\u201d\nsaid he; \u201cAllah is with us and has sent his Prophet to give assurance\nof his aid. Scarce had I retired to my tent last night, when a man\nof a majestic and venerable presence stood before me. He was taller\nby a palm than the ordinary race of men, his flowing beard was of\na golden hue, and his eyes were so bright that they seemed to send\nforth flashes of fire. I have heard the Emir Bahamet, and other\nancient men, describe the Prophet, whom they had seen many times\nwhile on earth, and such was his form and lineament. \u2018Fear nothing, O\nTaric, from the morrow,\u2019 said he; \u2018I will be with thee in the fight.\nStrike boldly, then, and conquer. Those of thy followers who survive\nthe battle will have this land for an inheritance; for those who fall\na mansion in Paradise is prepared, and immortal houries await their\ncoming.\u2019 He spake and vanished; I heard a strain of celestial melody,\nand my tent was filled with the odors of Arabia the Happy.\u201d \u201cSuch,\u201d\nsay the Spanish chroniclers, \u201cwas another of the arts by which this\narch son of Ishmael sought to animate the hearts of his followers;\nand the pretended vision has been recorded by the Arabian writers as\na veritable occurrence. Marvelous, indeed, was the effect produced by\nit upon the infidel soldiery, who now cried out with eagerness to be\nled against the foe.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nBattle of Calpe.\u2014Fate of Ataulpho.\n\n\nThe gray summits of the rock of Calpe brightened with the first rays\nof morning, as the Christian army issued forth from its encampment.\nThe Prince Ataulpho rode from squadron to squadron, animating his\nsoldiers for the battle. \u201cNever should we sheathe our swords,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cwhile these infidels have a footing in the land. They are pent\nup within you rocky mountain; we must assail them in their rugged\nhold. We have a long day before us; let not the setting sun shine\nupon one of their host who is not a fugitive, a captive, or a corpse.\u201d\n\nThe words of the prince were received with shouts, and the army moved\ntowards the promontory. As they advanced, they heard the clash of\ncymbals and the bray of trumpets, and the rocky bosom of the mountain\nglittered with helms and spears and scimetars; for the Arabs,\ninspired with fresh confidence by the words of Taric, were sallying\nforth, with flaunting banners, to the combat.\n\nThe gaunt Arab chieftain stood upon a rock as his troops marched\nby; his buckler was at his back, and he brandished in his hand a\ndouble-pointed spear. Calling upon the several leaders by their\nnames, he exhorted them to direct their attacks against the Christian\ncaptains, and especially against Ataulpho; \u201cfor the chiefs being\nslain,\u201d said he, \u201ctheir followers will vanish from before us like the\nmorning mist.\u201d\n\nThe Gothic nobles were easily to be distinguished by the splendor of\ntheir arms, but the Prince Ataulpho was conspicuous above all the\nrest for the youthful grace and majesty of his appearance and the\nbravery of his array. He was mounted on a superb Andalusian charger,\nrichly caparisoned with crimson velvet, embroidered with gold. His\nsurcoat was of like color and adornment, and the plumes that waved\nabove his burnished helmet were of the purest white. Ten mounted\npages, magnificently attired, followed him to the field, but their\nduty was not so much to fight as to attend upon their lord, and to\nfurnish him with steed or weapon.\n\nThe Christian troops, though irregular and undisciplined, were full\nof native courage; for the old warrior spirit of their Gothic sires\nstill glowed in their bosoms. There were two battalions of infantry,\nbut Ataulpho stationed them in the rear; \u201cfor God forbid,\u201d said he,\n\u201cthat foot-soldiers should have the place of honor in the battle,\nwhen I have so many valiant cavaliers.\u201d As the armies drew nigh to\neach other, however, it was discovered that the advance of the Arabs\nwas composed of infantry. Upon this the cavaliers checked their\nsteeds, and requested that the foot soldiery might advance and\ndisperse this losel crew, holding it beneath their dignity to contend\nwith pedestrian foes. The prince, however, commanded them to charge;\nupon which, putting spurs to their steeds, they rushed upon the foe.\n\nThe Arabs stood the shock manfully, receiving the horses upon the\npoints of their lances; many of the riders were shot down with bolts\nfrom cross-bows, or stabbed with the poniards of the Moslems. The\ncavaliers succeeded, however, in breaking into the midst of the\nbattalion and throwing it into confusion, cutting down some with\ntheir swords, transpiercing others with their spears, and trampling\nmany under the hoofs of their horses. At this moment they were\nattacked by a band of Spanish horsemen, the recreant partisans of\nCount Julian. Their assault bore hard upon their countrymen, who were\ndisordered by the contest with the foot-soldiers, and many a loyal\nChristian knight fell beneath the sword of an unnatural foe.\n\nThe foremost among these recreant warriors was the renegado cavalier\nwhom Theodomir had challenged in the tent of Taric. He dealt his\nblows about him with a powerful arm and with malignant fury, for\nnothing is more deadly than the hatred of an apostate. In the midst\nof his career he was espied by the hardy Theodomir, who came spurring\nto the encounter. \u201cTraitor,\u201d cried he, \u201cI have kept my vow. This\nlance has been held sacred from all other foes to make a passage\nfor thy perjured soul.\u201d The renegade had been renowned for prowess\nbefore he became a traitor to his country, but guilt will sap the\ncourage of the stoutest heart. When he beheld Theodomir rushing upon\nhim, he would have turned and fled; pride alone withheld him; and,\nthough an admirable master of defense, he lost all skill to ward the\nattack of his adversary. At the first assault the lance of Theodomir\npierced him through and through; he fell to the earth, gnashed his\nteeth as he rolled in the dust, but yielded his breath without\nuttering a word.\n\nThe battle now became general, and lasted throughout the morning with\nvarying success. The stratagem of Taric, however, began to produce\nits effect. The Christian leaders and most conspicuous cavaliers were\nsingled out and severally assailed by overpowering numbers. They\nfought desperately, and performed miracles of prowess, but fell,\none by one, beneath a thousand wounds. Still the battle lingered on\nthroughout a great part of the day, and as the declining sun shone\nthrough the clouds of dust, it seemed as if the conflicting hosts\nwere wrapped in smoke and fire.\n\nThe Prince Ataulpho saw that the fortune of battle was against him.\nHe rode about the field, calling out the names of the bravest of his\nknights, but few answered to his call; the rest lay mangled on the\nfield. With this handful of warriors he endeavored to retrieve the\nday, when he was assailed by Tenderos, a partisan of Count Julian,\nat the head of a body of recreant Christians. At the sight of this\nnew adversary, fire flashed from the eyes of the prince, for\nTenderos had been brought up in his father\u2019s palace. \u201cWell dost thou,\ntraitor!\u201d cried he, \u201cto attack the son of thy lord, who gave thee\nbread; thou, who hast betrayed thy country and thy God!\u201d\n\nSo saying, he seized a lance from one of his pages, and charged\nfuriously upon the apostate; but Tenderos met him in mid career, and\nthe lance of the prince was shivered upon his shield. Ataulpho then\ngrasped his mace, which hung at his saddle-bow, and a doubtful fight\nensued. Tenderos was powerful of frame and superior in the use of\nhis weapons, but the curse of treason seemed to paralyze his arm. He\nwounded Ataulpho slightly between the greaves of his armor, but the\nprince dealt a blow with his mace that crushed through helm and skull\nand reached the brain; and Tenderos fell dead to earth, his armor\nrattling as he fell.\n\nAt the same moment, a javelin hurled by an Arab transpierced the\nhorse of Ataulpho, which sunk beneath him. The prince seized the\nreins of the steed of Tenderos, but the faithful animal, as though\nhe knew him to be the foe of his late lord, reared and plunged and\nrefused to let him mount. The prince, however, used him as a shield\nto ward off the press of foes, while with his sword he defended\nhimself against those in front of him. Taric ben Zeyad arrived at\nthe scene of conflict, and paused for a moment in admiration of the\nsurpassing prowess of the prince; recollecting, however, that his\nfall would be a death-blow to his army, he spurred upon him, and\nwounded him severely with his scimetar. Before he could repeat his\nblow, Theodomir led up a body of Christian cavaliers to the rescue,\nand Taric was parted from his prey by the tumult of the fight. The\nprince sank to the earth, covered with wounds and exhausted by the\nloss of blood. A faithful page drew him from under the hoofs of\nthe horses, and, aided by a veteran soldier, an ancient vassal of\nAtaulpho, conveyed him to a short distance from the scene of battle,\nby the side of a small stream that gushed out from among rocks. They\nstanched the blood that flowed from his wounds, and washed the dust\nfrom his face, and laid him beside the fountain. The page sat at his\nhead, and supported it on his knees, and the veteran stood at his\nfeet, with his brow bent and his eyes full of sorrow. The prince\ngradually revived, and opened his eyes. \u201cHow fares the battle?\u201d said\nhe. \u201cThe struggle is hard,\u201d replied the soldier, \u201cbut the day may yet\nbe ours.\u201d\n\nThe prince felt that the hour of his death was at hand, and ordered\nthat they should aid him to rise upon his knees. They supported him\nbetween them, and he prayed fervently for a short time, when, finding\nhis strength declining, he beckoned the veteran to sit down beside\nhim on the rock. Continuing to kneel, he confessed himself to that\nancient soldier, having no priest or friar to perform that office\nin this hour of extremity. When he had so done, he sunk again upon\nthe earth and pressed it with his lips, as if he would take a fond\nfarewell of his beloved country. The page would then have raised his\nhead, but found that his lord had yielded up the ghost.\n\nA number of Arab warriors, who came to the fountain to slake their\nthirst, cut off the head of the prince, and bore it in triumph to\nTaric, crying, \u201cBehold the head of the Christian leader.\u201d Taric\nimmediately ordered that the head should be put upon the end of a\nlance, together with the surcoat of the prince, and borne about the\nfield of battle, with the sound of trumpets, atabals, and cymbals.\n\nWhen the Christians beheld the surcoat, and knew the features of\nthe prince, they were struck with horror, and heart and hand failed\nthem. Theodomir endeavored in vain to rally them; they threw by their\nweapons and fled; and they continued to fly, and the enemy to pursue\nand slay them, until the darkness of the night. The Moslems then\nreturned and plundered the Christian camp, where they found abundant\nspoil.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nTerror of the Country.\u2014Roderick rouses himself to Arms.\n\n\nThe scattered fugitives of the Christian army spread terror\nthroughout the land. The inhabitants of the towns and villages\ngathered around them as they applied at their gates for food, or laid\nthemselves down, faint and wounded, beside the public fountains. When\nthey related the tale of their defeat, old men shook their heads and\ngroaned, and the women uttered cries and lamentations. So strange and\nunlooked-for a calamity filled them with consternation and despair;\nfor it was long since the alarm of war had sounded in their land, and\nthis was a warfare that carried chains and slavery, and all kinds of\nhorrors in its train.\n\nDon Roderick was seated with his beauteous queen, Exilona, in the\nroyal palace which crowned the rocky summit of Toledo, when the\nbearer of ill tidings came galloping over the bridge of the Tagus.\n\u201cWhat tidings from the army?\u201d demanded the king, as the panting\nmessenger was brought into his presence. \u201cTidings of great woe,\u201d\nexclaimed the soldier. \u201cThe prince has fallen in battle. I saw his\nhead and surcoat upon a Moorish lance, and the army was overthrown\nand fled.\u201d\n\nAt hearing these words, Roderick covered his face with his hands,\nand for some time sat in silence; and all his courtiers stood mute\nand aghast, and no one dared to speak a word. In that awful space\nof time, passed before his thoughts all his errors and his crimes,\nand all the evils that had been predicted in the necromantic tower.\nHis mind was filled with horror and confusion, for the hour of his\ndestruction seemed at hand; but he subdued his agitation by his\nstrong and haughty spirit; and when he uncovered his face, no one\ncould read on his brow the trouble and agony of his heart. Still\nevery hour brought fresh tidings of disaster. Messenger after\nmessenger came spurring into the city, distracting it with new\nalarms. The infidels, they said, were strengthening themselves in\nthe land; host after host were pouring in from Africa; the seaboard\nof Andalusia glittered with spears and scimetars. Bands of turbaned\nhorsemen had overrun the plains of Sidonia, even to the banks of the\nGuadiana. Fields were laid waste, towns and cities plundered, the\ninhabitants carried into captivity, and the whole country lay in\nsmoking desolation.\n\nRoderick heard all these tidings with an undaunted aspect, nor did\nhe ever again betray sign of consternation; but the anxiety of his\nsoul was evident in his warlike preparations. He issued orders that\nevery noble and prelate of his kingdom should put himself at the head\nof his retainers and take the field, and that every man capable of\nbearing arms should hasten to his standard, bringing whatever horse\nand mule and weapon he possessed; and he appointed the plain of\nCordova for the place where the army was to assemble. Throwing by,\nthen, all the trappings of his late slothful and voluptuous life, and\narming himself for warlike action, he departed from Toledo at the\nhead of his guard, composed of the flower of the youthful nobility.\nHis queen, Exilona, accompanied him, for she craved permission to\nremain in one of the cities of Andalusia, that she might be near her\nlord in this time of peril.\n\nAmong the first who appeared to hail the arrival of the king at\nCordova, was the Bishop Oppas, the secret partisan of the traitor\nJulian. He brought with him his two nephews, Evan and Siseburto,\nthe sons of the late King Witiza, and a great host of vassals and\nretainers, all well armed and appointed; for they had been furnished\nby Count Julian with a part of the arms sent by the king to Africa.\nThe bishop was smooth of tongue and profound in his hypocrisy; his\npretended zeal and devotion, and the horror with which he spoke of\nthe treachery of his kinsman, imposed upon the credulous spirit of\nthe king, and he was readily admitted into his most secret councils.\n\nThe alarm of the infidel invasion had spread throughout the land, and\nroused the Gothic valor of the inhabitants. On receiving the orders\nof Roderick, every town and hamlet, every mountain and valley, had\nsent forth its fighting men, and the whole country was on the march\ntowards Andalusia. In a little while there were gathered together, on\nthe plain of Cordova, near fifty thousand horsemen and a countless\nhost of foot-soldiers. The Gothic nobles appeared in burnished\narmor, curiously inlaid and adorned, with chains and jewels of gold,\nand ornaments of precious stones, and silken scarfs, and surcoats\nof brocade, or velvet richly embroidered; betraying the luxury and\nostentation into which they had declined from the iron hardihood of\ntheir warlike sires. As to the common people, some had lances and\nshields and swords and cross-bows, but the greater part were unarmed,\nor provided merely with slings, and clubs studded with nails, and\nwith the iron implements of husbandry; and many had made shields for\nthemselves from the doors and windows of their habitations. They\nwere a prodigious host, and appeared, say the Arabian chroniclers,\nlike an agitated sea; but, though brave in spirit, they possessed no\nknowledge of warlike art, and were ineffectual through lack of arms\nand discipline.\n\nSeveral of the most ancient and experienced cavaliers, beholding the\nstate of the army, advised Don Roderick to await the arrival of more\nregular troops, which were stationed in Iberia, Cantabria, and Gallia\nGothica; but this counsel was strenuously opposed by the Bishop\nOppas; who urged the king to march immediately against the infidels.\n\u201cAs yet,\u201d said he, \u201ctheir number is but limited; but every day new\nhosts arrive, like flocks of locusts, from Africa. They will augment\nfaster than we; they are living, too, at our expense, and while we\npause, both armies are consuming the substance of the land.\u201d\n\nKing Roderick listened to the crafty counsel of the bishop, and\ndetermined to advance without delay. He mounted his war-horse Orelia,\nand rode among his troops assembled on that spacious plain, and\nwherever he appeared he was received with acclamations; for nothing\nso arouses the spirit of the soldier as to behold his sovereign in\narms. He addressed them in words calculated to touch their hearts and\nanimate their courage. \u201cThe Saracens,\u201d said he, \u201care ravaging our\nland, and their object is our conquest. Should they prevail, your\nvery existence as a nation is at an end. They will overturn your\naltars, trample on the cross, lay waste your cities, carry off your\nwives and daughters, and doom yourselves and sons to hard and cruel\nslavery. No safety remains for you but in the prowess of your arms.\nFor my own part, as I am your king, so will I be your leader, and\nwill be the foremost to encounter every toil and danger.\u201d\n\nThe soldiery answered their monarch with loud acclamations, and\nsolemnly pledged themselves to fight to the last gasp in defense of\ntheir country and their faith. The king then arranged the order of\ntheir march; all those who were armed with cuirasses and coats of\nmail were placed in the front and rear; the centre of the army was\ncomposed of a promiscuous throng, without body-armor and but scantily\nprovided with weapons.\n\nWhen they were about to march, the king called to him a noble\ncavalier named Ramiro, and, delivering him the royal standard,\ncharged him to guard it well for the honor of Spain; scarcely,\nhowever, had the good knight received it in his hand, when he fell\ndead from his horse, and the staff of the standard was broken in\ntwain. Many ancient courtiers who were present looked upon this as\nan evil omen, and counseled the king not to set forward on his march\nthat day; but, disregarding all auguries and portents, he ordered\nthe royal banner to be put upon a lance, and gave it in charge of\nanother standard-bearer; then commanding the trumpets to be sounded,\nhe departed at the head of his host to seek the enemy.\n\nThe field where this great army assembled was called, from the solemn\npledge given by the nobles and the soldiers, _El campo de la verdad_;\nor, The Field of Truth\u2014a name, says the sage chronicler Abulcasim,\nwhich it bears even to the present day.[21]\n\n  [21] _La Perdida de Espa\u00f1a_, cap. 9. Bleda, L. 2, c. 8.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nMarch of the Gothic Army.\u2014Encampment on the Banks of the\nGuadalete.\u2014Mysterious Predictions of a Palmer.\u2014Conduct of Pelistes\nthereupon.\n\n\nThe hopes of Andalusia revived as this mighty host stretched in\nlengthening lines along its fertile plains; from morn until night it\ncontinued to pour along, with sound of drum and trumpet; it was led\non by the proudest nobles and bravest cavaliers of the land, and, had\nit possessed arms and discipline, might have undertaken the conquest\nof the world.\n\nAfter a few days\u2019 march, Don Roderick arrived in sight of the\nMoslem army, encamped on the banks of the Guadalete,[22] where that\nbeautiful stream winds through the fertile land of Xeres. The infidel\nhost was far inferior in number to the Christians, but then it was\ncomposed of hardy and dexterous troops, seasoned to war and admirably\narmed. The camp shone gloriously in the setting sun, and resounded\nwith the clash of cymbal, the note of the trumpet, and the neighing\nof fiery Arabian steeds. There were swarthy troops from every nation\nof the African coast, together with legions from Syria and Egypt,\nwhile the light Bedouins were careering about the adjacent plain.\nWhat grieved and incensed the spirits of the Christian warriors,\nhowever, was to behold, a little apart from the Moslem host, an\nencampment of Spanish cavaliers, with the banner of Count Julian\nwaving above their tents. They were ten thousand in number, valiant\nand hardy men, the most experienced of Spanish soldiery, most of\nthem having served in the African wars; they were well armed and\nappointed, also, with the weapons of which the count had beguiled his\nsovereign; and it was a grievous sight to behold such good soldiers\narrayed against their country and their faith.\n\n  [22] This name was given to it subsequently by the Arabs. It\n  signifies the River of Death. _Vide_ Pedraza, _Hist. Granad._ p.\n  3, c. 1.\n\nThe Christians pitched their tents about the hour of vespers, at\na short league distant from the enemy, and remained gazing with\nanxiety and awe upon this barbaric host that had caused such terror\nand desolation in the land; for the first sight of a hostile\nencampment in a country disused to war is terrible to the newly\nenlisted soldier. A marvelous occurrence is recorded by the Arabian\nchroniclers as having taken place in the Christian camp; but discreet\nSpanish writers relate it with much modification, and consider it\na stratagem of the wily Bishop Oppas, to sound the loyalty of the\nChristian cavaliers.\n\nAs several leaders of the army were seated with the bishop in his\ntent, conversing on the dubious fortunes of the approaching contest,\nan ancient pilgrim appeared at the entrance. He was bowed down with\nyears, his snowy beard descended to his girdle, and he supported\nhis tottering steps with a palmer\u2019s staff. The cavaliers rose and\nreceived him with great reverence as he advanced within the tent.\nHolding up his withered hand, \u201cWoe, woe to Spain!\u201d exclaimed he, \u201cfor\nthe vial of the wrath of Heaven is about to be poured out. Listen,\nwarriors, and take warning. Four months since, having performed my\npilgrimage to the sepulchre of our Lord in Palestine, I was on my\nreturn towards my native land. Wearied and wayworn, I lay down one\nnight to sleep beneath a palm-tree, by the side of a fountain, when\nI was awakened by a voice saying unto me, in soft accents, \u2018Son of\nsorrow, why sleepest thou?\u2019 I opened my eyes, and beheld one of a\nfair and beauteous countenance, in shining apparel, and with glorious\nwings, standing by the fountain; and I said, \u2018Who art thou who\ncallest upon me in this deep hour of the night?\u2019\n\n\u201c\u2018Fear not,\u2019 replied the stranger; \u2018I am an angel from heaven, sent\nto reveal unto thee the fate of thy country. Behold, the sins of\nRoderick have come up before God, and his anger is kindled against\nhim, and He has given him up to be invaded and destroyed. Hasten then\nto Spain, and seek the camp of thy countrymen. Warn them that such\nonly shall be saved as shall abandon Roderick; but those who adhere\nto him shall share his punishment, and shall fall under the sword of\nthe invader.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe pilgrim ceased, and passed forth from the tent; certain of\nthe cavaliers followed him to detain him, that they might converse\nfurther with him about these matters, but he was nowhere to be found.\nThe sentinel before the tent said, \u201cI saw no one come forth, but it\nwas as if a blast of wind passed by me, and there was a rustling as\nof dry leaves.\u201d\n\nThe cavaliers remained looking upon each other with astonishment. The\nBishop Oppas sat with his eyes fixed upon the ground, and shadowed\nby his overhanging brow. At length, breaking silence, in a low and\nfaltering voice, \u201cDoubtless,\u201d said he, \u201cthis message is from God;\nand since He has taken compassion upon us, and given us notice\nof his impending judgment, it behooves us to hold grave council,\nand determine how best we may accomplish his will and avert his\ndispleasure.\u201d\n\nThe chiefs still remained silent, as men confounded. Among them was\na veteran noble named Pelistes. He had distinguished himself in the\nAfrican wars, fighting side by side with Count Julian; but the latter\nhad never dared to tamper with his faith, for he knew his stern\nintegrity. Pelistes had brought with him to the camp his only son,\nwho had never drawn a sword except in tourney. When the young man saw\nthat the veterans held their peace, the blood mantled in his cheek,\nand, overcoming his modesty, he broke forth with a generous warmth:\n\u201cI know not, cavaliers,\u201d said he, \u201cwhat is passing in your minds,\nbut I believe this pilgrim to be an envoy from the devil; for none\nelse could have given such dastard and perfidious counsel. For my\nown part, I stand ready to defend my king, my country, and my faith;\nI know no higher duty than this, and if God thinks fit to strike me\ndead in the performance of it, his sovereign will be done!\u201d\n\nWhen the young man had risen to speak, his father had fixed his eyes\nupon him with a grave and stern demeanor, leaning upon a two-handed\nsword. As soon as the youth had finished, Pelistes embraced him with\na father\u2019s fondness. \u201cThou hast spoken well, my son,\u201d said he; \u201cif\nI held my peace at the counsel of this losel pilgrim, it was but\nto hear thy opinion, and to learn whether thou wert worthy of thy\nlineage and of the training I had given thee. Hadst thou counseled\notherwise than thou hast done,\u2014hadst thou shown thyself craven and\ndisloyal,\u2014so help me God, I would have struck off thy head with this\nweapon which I hold in my hand. But thou hast counseled like a loyal\nand a Christian knight, and I thank God for having given me a son\nworthy to perpetuate the honors of my line. As to this pilgrim, be\nhe saint or be he devil, I care not; this much I promise, that if I\nam to die in defense of my country and my king, my life shall be a\ncostly purchase to the foe. Let each man make the same resolve, and\nI trust we shall yet prove the pilgrim a lying prophet.\u201d The words\nof Pelistes roused the spirits of many of the cavaliers; others,\nhowever, remained full of anxious foreboding; and when this fearful\nprophecy was rumored about the camp, as it presently was by the\nemissaries of the bishop, it spread awe and dismay among the soldiery.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nSkirmishing of the Armies.\u2014Pelistes and his Son.\u2014Pelistes and the\nBishop.\n\n\nOn the following day the two armies remained regarding each other\nwith wary but menacing aspect. About noontide King Roderick sent\nforth a chosen force of five hundred horse and two hundred foot,\nthe best armed of his host, to skirmish with the enemy, that, by\ngaining some partial advantage, they might raise the spirits of the\narmy. They were led on by Theodomir, the same Gothic noble who had\nsignalized himself by first opposing the invasion of the Moslems.\n\nThe Christian squadrons paraded with flying pennons in the valley\nwhich lay between the armies. The Arabs were not slow in answering\ntheir defiance. A large body of horsemen sallied forth to the\nencounter, together with three hundred of the followers of Count\nJulian. There was hot skirmishing about the field and on the banks\nof the river; many gallant feats were displayed on either side,\nand many valiant warriors were slain. As the night closed in, the\ntrumpets from either camp summoned the troops to retire from the\ncombat. In this day\u2019s action the Christians suffered greatly in\nthe loss of their distinguished cavaliers; for it is the noblest\nspirits who venture most, and lay themselves open to danger; and the\nMoslem soldiers had instructions to single out the leaders of the\nadverse host. All this is said to have been devised by the perfidious\nBishop Oppas, who had secret communications with the enemy, while he\ninfluenced the councils of the king; and who trusted that by this\nskirmishing warfare the flower of the Christian troops would be cut\noff, and the rest disheartened.\n\nOn the following morning a larger force was ordered out to skirmish,\nand such of the soldiery as were unarmed were commanded to stand\nready to seize the horses and strip off the armor of the killed and\nwounded. Among the most illustrious of the warriors who fought that\nday was Pelistes, the Gothic noble who had so sternly checked the\ntongue of the Bishop Oppas. He led to the field a large body of his\nown vassals and retainers, and of cavaliers trained up in his house,\nwho had followed him to the wars in Africa, and who looked up to\nhim more as a father than a chieftain. Beside him was his only son,\nwho now for the first time was fleshing his sword in battle. The\nconflict that day was more general and bloody than the day preceding;\nthe slaughter of the Christian warriors was immense, from their\nlack of defensive armor; and as nothing could prevent the flower\nof the Gothic chivalry from spurring to the combat, the field was\nstrewed with the bodies of the youthful nobles. None suffered more,\nhowever, than the warriors of Pelistes. Their leader himself was\nbold and hardy, and prone to expose himself to danger; but years\nand experience had moderated his early fire; his son, however, was\neager to distinguish himself in this, his first essay, and rushed\nwith impetuous ardor into the hottest of the battle. In vain his\nfather called to caution him; he was ever in the advance, and seemed\nunconscious of the perils that surrounded him. The cavaliers and\nvassals of his father followed him with devoted zeal, and many of\nthem paid for their loyalty with their lives. When the trumpets\nsounded in the evening for retreat, the troops of Pelistes were\nthe last to reach the camp. They came slowly and mournfully, and\nmuch decreased in number. Their veteran commander was seated on his\nwar-horse, but the blood trickled from the greaves of his armor.\nHis valiant son was borne on the shields of his vassals; when they\nlaid him on the earth near to where the king was standing, they\nfound that the heroic youth had expired of his wounds. The cavaliers\nsurrounded the body, and gave utterance to their grief, but the\nfather restrained his agony, and looked on with the stern resignation\nof a soldier.\n\nDon Roderick surveyed the field of battle with a rueful eye, for it\nwas covered with the mangled bodies of his most illustrious warriors;\nhe saw, too, with anxiety, that the common people, unused to war\nand unsustained by discipline, were harassed by incessant toils and\ndangers, and were cooling in their zeal and courage.\n\nThe crafty Bishop Oppas marked the internal trouble of the king, and\nthought a favorable moment had arrived to sway him to his purpose.\nHe called to his mind the various portents and prophecies which had\nforerun their present danger. \u201cLet not my lord the king,\u201d said he,\n\u201cmake light of these mysterious revelations, which appear to be so\ndisastrously fulfilling. The hand of Heaven appears to be against\nus. Destruction is impending over our heads. Our troops are rude and\nunskillful, but slightly armed, and much cast down in spirit. Better\nis it that we should make a treaty with the enemy, and by granting\npart of his demands, prevent the utter ruin of our country. If such\ncounsel be acceptable to my lord the king, I stand ready to depart\nupon an embassy to the Moslem camp.\u201d\n\nUpon hearing these words, Pelistes, who had stood in mournful\nsilence, regarding the dead body of his son, burst forth with honest\nindignation. \u201cBy this good sword,\u201d said he, \u201cthe man who yields such\ndastard counsel deserves death from the hand of his countrymen rather\nthan from the foe; and, were it not for the presence of the king, may\nI forfeit salvation if I would not strike him dead upon the spot.\u201d\n\nThe bishop turned an eye of venom upon Pelistes. \u201cMy lord,\u201d said he,\n\u201cI, too, bear a weapon, and know how to wield it. Were the king not\npresent you would not dare to menace, nor should you advance one step\nwithout my hastening to meet you.\u201d\n\nThe king interposed between the jarring nobles, and rebuked the\nimpetuosity of Pelistes, but at the same time rejected the counsel of\nthe bishop. \u201cThe event of this conflict,\u201d said he, \u201cis in the hand of\nGod; but never shall my sword return to its scabbard while an infidel\ninvader remains within the land.\u201d\n\nHe then held a council with his captains, and it was determined to\noffer the enemy general battle on the following day. A herald was\ndispatched defying Taric ben Zeyad to the contest, and the defiance\nwas gladly accepted by the Moslem chieftain.[23] Don Roderick then\nformed the plan of action, and assigned to each commander his several\nstation, after which he dismissed his officers, and each one sought\nhis tent, to prepare by diligence or repose for the next day\u2019s\neventful contest.\n\n  [23] Bleda, _Cronica_.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nTraitorous Message of Count Julian.\n\n\nTaric Ben Zeyad had been surprised by the valor of the Christian\ncavaliers in the recent battles, and at the number and apparent\ndevotion of the troops which accompanied the king to the field. The\nconfident defiance of Don Roderick increased his surprise. When\nthe herald had retired, he turned an eye of suspicion on Count\nJulian. \u201cThou hast represented thy countrymen,\u201d said he, \u201cas sunk in\neffeminacy and lost to all generous impulse; yet I find them fighting\nwith the courage and the strength of lions. Thou hast represented thy\nking as detested by his subjects and surrounded by secret treason;\nbut I behold his tents whitening the hills and dales, while thousands\nare hourly flocking to his standard. Woe unto thee if thou hast dealt\ndeceitfully with us, or betrayed us with guileful words.\u201d\n\nDon Julian retired to his tent in great trouble of mind, and fear\ncame upon him that the Bishop Oppas might play him false; for it is\nthe lot of traitors ever to distrust each other. He called to him the\nsame page who had brought him the letter from Florinda, revealing\nthe story of her dishonor.\n\n\u201cThou knowest, my trusty page,\u201d said he, \u201cthat I have reared thee in\nmy household, and cherished thee above all thy companions. If thou\nhast loyalty and affection for thy lord, now is the time to serve\nhim. Hie thee to the Christian camp, and find thy way to the tent\nof the Bishop Oppas. If any one ask thee who thou art, tell them\nthou art of the household of the bishop, and bearer of missives from\nCordova. When thou art admitted to the presence of the bishop, show\nhim this ring, and he will commune with thee in secret. Then tell him\nCount Julian greets him as a brother, and demands how the wrongs of\nhis daughter Florinda are to be redressed. Mark well his reply, and\nbring it word for word. Have thy lips closed, but thine eyes and ears\nopen; and observe everything of note in the camp of the king. So,\nspeed thee on thy errand\u2014away, away!\u201d\n\nThe page hastened to saddle a Barbary steed, fleet as the wind, and\nof a jet black color, so as not to be easily discernible in the\nnight. He girded on a sword and dagger, slung an Arab bow with a\nquiver of arrows at his side, and a buckler at his shoulder. Issuing\nout of the camp, he sought the banks of the Guadalete, and proceeded\nsilently along its stream, which reflected the distant fires of the\nChristian camp. As he passed by the place which had been the scene\nof the recent conflict, he heard from time to time the groan of some\nexpiring warrior who had crawled among the reeds on the margin\nof the river, and sometimes his steed stepped cautiously over the\nmangled bodies of the slain. The young page was unused to the sights\nof war, and his heart beat quick within him. He was hailed by the\nsentinels as he approached the Christian camp, and, on giving the\nreply taught him by Count Julian, was conducted to the tent of the\nBishop Oppas.\n\nThe bishop had not yet retired to his couch. When he beheld the ring\nof Count Julian, and heard the words of his message, he saw that the\npage was one in whom he might confide. \u201cHasten back to thy lord,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cand tell him to have faith in me and all shall go well. As\nyet I have kept my troops out of the combat. They are all fresh, well\narmed, and well appointed. The king has confided to myself, aided by\nthe princes Evan and Siseburto, the command of a wing of the army.\nTo-morrow, at the hour of noon, when both armies are in the heat of\naction, we will pass over with our forces to the Moslems. But I claim\nthe compact made with Taric ben Zeyad, that my nephews be placed in\ndominion over Spain, and tributary only to the Caliph of Damascus.\u201d\nWith this traitorous message the page departed. He led his black\nsteed by the bridle, to present less mark for observation, as he went\nstumbling along near the expiring fires of the camp. On passing the\nlast outpost, where the guards were half slumbering on their arms, he\nwas overheard and summoned, but leaped lightly into the saddle and\nput spurs to his steed. An arrow whistled by his ear, and two more\nstuck in the target which he had thrown upon his back. The clatter\nof swift hoofs echoed behind him, but he had learnt of the Arabs to\nfight and fly. Plucking a shaft from his quiver, and turning and\nrising in the stirrups as his courser galloped at fall speed, he drew\nthe arrow to the head and launched it at his pursuer. The twang of\nthe bow-string was followed by the crash of armor, and a deep groan,\nas the horseman tumbled to the earth. The page pursued his course\nwithout further molestation, and arrived at the Moslem camp before\nthe break of day.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nLast Day of the Battle.\n\n\nA light had burned throughout the night in the tent of the king, and\nanxious thoughts and dismal visions troubled his repose. If he fell\ninto a slumber, he beheld in his dreams the shadowy phantoms of the\nnecromantic tower, or the injured Florinda, pale and disheveled,\nimprecating the vengeance of Heaven upon his head. In the mid-watches\nof the night, when all was silent except the footstep of the\nsentinel pacing before his tent, the king rose from his couch, and\nwalking forth, looked thoughtfully upon the martial scene before\nhim. The pale crescent of the moon hung over the Moorish camp, and\ndimly lighted up the windings of the Guadalete. The heart of the\nking was heavy and oppressed; but he felt only for himself, says\nAntonio Agapida; he thought nothing of the perils impending over the\nthousands of devoted subjects in the camp below him; sleeping, as it\nwere, on the margin of their graves. The faint clatter of distant\nhoofs, as if in rapid flight, reached the monarch\u2019s ear, but the\nhorsemen were not to be descried. At that very hour, and along the\nshadowy banks of that river, here and there gleaming with the scanty\nmoonlight, passed the fugitive messenger of Count Julian, with the\nplan of the next day\u2019s treason.\n\nThe day had not yet dawned when the sleepless and impatient monarch\nsummoned his attendants and arrayed himself for the field. He then\nsent for the venerable Bishop Urbino, who had accompanied him to\nthe camp, and, laying aside his regal crown, he knelt with head\nuncovered, and confessed his sins before the holy man. After this\na solemn mass was performed in the royal tent, and the eucharist\nadministered to the monarch. When these ceremonies were concluded,\nhe besought the archbishop to depart forthwith for Cordova, there\nto await the issue of the battle, and to be ready to bring forward\nreinforcements and supplies. The archbishop saddled his mule and\ndeparted just as the faint blush of morning began to kindle in the\neast. Already the camp resounded with the thrilling call of the\ntrumpet, the clank of armor, and the tramp and neigh of steeds.\nAs the archbishop passed through the camp, he looked with a\ncompassionate heart on this vast multitude, of whom so many were soon\nto perish. The warriors pressed to kiss his hand, and many a cavalier\nfull of youth and fire received his benediction, who was to lie stiff\nand cold before the evening.\n\nWhen the troops were marshaled for the field, Don Roderick prepared\nto sally forth in the state and pomp with which the Gothic kings\nwere wont to go to battle. He was arrayed in robes of gold brocade;\nhis sandals were embroidered with pearls and diamonds; he had a\nsceptre in his hand, and he wore a regal crown resplendent with\ninestimable jewels. Thus gorgeously appareled, he ascended a lofty\nchariot of ivory, the axle-trees of which were of silver, and the\nwheels and pole covered with plates of burnished gold. Above his head\nwas a canopy of cloth of gold, embossed with armorial devices, and\nstudded with precious stones.[24] This sumptuous chariot was drawn\nby milk-white horses, with caparisons of crimson velvet, embroidered\nwith pearls. A thousand youthful cavaliers surrounded the car, all of\nthe noblest blood and bravest spirit; all knighted by the king\u2019s own\nhand, and sworn to defend him to the last.\n\n  [24] Entrand. _Chron. an. Chris._ 714.\n\nWhen Roderick issued forth in this resplendent state, says an Arabian\nwriter, surrounded by his guards in gilded armor and waving plumes\nand scarfs and surcoats of a thousand dyes, it was as if the sun were\nemerging in the dazzling chariot of the day from amidst the glorious\nclouds of morning.\n\nAs the royal car rolled along in front of the squadrons, the\nsoldiers shouted with admiration. Don Roderick waved his sceptre and\naddressed them from his lofty throne, reminding them of the horror\nand desolation which had already been spread through the land by\nthe invaders. He called upon them to summon up the ancient valor\nof their race, and avenge the blood of their brethren. \u201cOne day of\nglorious fighting,\u201d said he, \u201cand this infidel horde will be driven\ninto the sea or will perish beneath your swords. Forward bravely to\nthe fight; your families are behind you praying for your success; the\ninvaders of your country are before you; God is above to bless his\nholy cause, and your king leads you to the field.\u201d The army shouted\nwith one accord, \u201cForward to the foe, and death be his portion who\nshuns the encounter!\u201d\n\nThe rising sun began to shine along the glistening waters of the\nGuadalete as the Moorish army, squadron after squadron, came sweeping\ndown a gentle declivity to the sound of martial music. Their turbans\nand robes, of various dyes and fashions, gave a splendid appearance\nto their host; as they marched, a cloud of dust arose and partly hid\nthem from the sight, but still there would break forth flashes of\nsteel and gleams of burnished gold, like rays of vivid lightning;\nwhile the sound of drum and trumpet, and the clash of Moorish cymbal,\nwere as the warlike thunder within that stormy cloud of battle.\n\nAs the armies drew near each other, the sun disappeared among\ngathering clouds, and the gloom of the day was increased by the\ncolumns of dust which rose from either host. At length the trumpets\nsounded for the encounter. The battle commenced with showers of\narrows, stones, and javelins. The Christian foot-soldiers fought to\ndisadvantage, the greater part being destitute of helm or buckler. A\nbattalion of light Arabian horsemen, led by a Greek renegado named\nMaguel el Rumi, careered in front of the Christian line, launching\ntheir darts, and then wheeling off beyond the reach of the missiles\nhurled after them. Theodomir now brought up his seasoned troops into\nthe action, seconded by the veteran Pelistes, and in a little while\nthe battle became furious and promiscuous. It was glorious to behold\nthe old Gothic valor shining forth in this hour of fearful trial.\nWherever the Moslems fell, the Christians rushed forward, seized upon\ntheir horses, and stripped them of their armor and their weapons.\nThey fought desperately and successfully, for they fought for their\ncountry and their faith. The battle raged for several hours; the\nfield was strewn with slain, and the Moors, overcome by the multitude\nand fury of their foes, began to falter.\n\nWhen Taric beheld his troops retreating before the enemy, he threw\nhimself before them, and, rising in his stirrups, \u201cO Moslems!\nconquerors of Africa!\u201d cried he, \u201cwhither would you fly? The sea is\nbehind you, the enemy before; you have no hope but in your valor and\nthe help of God! Do as I do, and the day is ours!\u201d\n\nWith these words he put spurs to his horse and sprung among the\nenemy, striking to right and left, cutting down and destroying, while\nhis steed, fierce as himself, trampled upon the foot-soldiers, and\ntore them with his teeth. At this moment a mighty shout arose in\nvarious parts of the field; the noontide hour had arrived. The Bishop\nOppas, with the two princes, who had hitherto kept their bands out of\nthe fight, suddenly went over to the enemy, and turned their weapons\nupon their astonished countrymen. From that moment the fortune of\nthe day was changed, and the field of battle became a scene of\nwild confusion and bloody massacre. The Christians knew not whom to\ncontend with, or whom to trust. It seemed as if madness had seized\nupon their friends and kinsmen, and that their worst enemies were\namong themselves.\n\nThe courage of Don Roderick rose with his danger. Throwing off the\ncumbrous robes of royalty, and descending from his car, he sprang\nupon his steed Orelia, grasped his lance and buckler, and endeavored\nto rally his retreating troops. He was surrounded and assailed by a\nmultitude of his own traitorous subjects, but defended himself with\nwondrous prowess. The enemy thickened around him; his loyal band of\ncavaliers were slain, bravely fighting in his defense; the last that\nwas seen of the king was in the midst of the enemy, dealing death at\nevery blow.\n\nA complete panic fell upon the Christians; they threw away their\narms and fled in all directions. They were pursued with dreadful\nslaughter, until the darkness of the night rendered it impossible to\ndistinguish friend from foe. Taric then called off his troops from\nthe pursuit, and took possession of the royal camp; and the couch\nwhich had been pressed so uneasily on the preceding night by Don\nRoderick, now yielded sound repose to his conqueror.[25]\n\n  [25] This battle is called indiscriminately by historians the\n  battle of Guadalete, or of Xeres, from the neighborhood of that\n  city.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nThe Field of Battle after the Defeat.\u2014The Fate of Roderick.\n\n\nOn the morning after the battle, the Arab leader, Taric ben Zeyad,\nrode over the bloody field of the Guadalete, strewed with the ruins\nof those splendid armies which had so lately passed like glorious\npageants along the river banks. There Moor and Christian, horseman\nand horse, lay gashed with hideous wounds; and the river, still red\nwith blood, was filled with the bodies of the slain. The gaunt Arab\nwas as a wolf roaming through the fold he had laid waste. On every\nside his eye reveled on the ruin of the country, on the wrecks of\nhaughty Spain. There lay the flower of her youthful chivalry, mangled\nand destroyed, and the strength of her yeomanry prostrated in the\ndust. The Gothic noble lay confounded with his vassals, the peasant\nwith the prince\u2014all ranks and dignities were mingled in one bloody\nmassacre.\n\nWhen Taric had surveyed the field, he caused the spoils of the dead\nand the plunder of the camp to be brought before him. The booty was\nimmense. There were massy chains and rare jewels of gold, pearls and\nprecious stones, rich silks and brocades, and all other luxurious\ndecorations in which the Gothic nobles had indulged in the latter\ntimes of their degeneracy. A vast amount of treasure was likewise\nfound, which had been brought by Roderick for the expenses of the war.\n\nTaric then ordered that the bodies of the Moslem warriors should\nbe interred; as for those of the Christians, they were gathered\nin heaps, and vast pyres of wood were formed, on which they were\nconsumed. The flames of these pyres rose high in the air, and were\nseen afar off in the night; and when the Christians beheld them from\nthe neighboring hills, they beat their breasts and tore their hair,\nand lamented over them as over the funeral fires of their country.\nThe carnage of that battle infected the air for two whole months, and\nbones were seen lying in heaps upon the field for more than forty\nyears; nay, when ages had passed and gone, the husbandman, turning up\nthe soil, would still find fragments of Gothic cuirasses and helms,\nand Moorish scimetars, the relics of that dreadful fight.\n\nFor three days the Arabian horsemen pursued the flying Christians,\nhunting them over the face of the country, so that but a scanty\nnumber of that mighty host escaped to tell the tale of their disaster.\n\nTaric ben Zeyad considered his victory incomplete so long as the\nGothic monarch survived; he proclaimed great rewards, therefore, to\nwhomsoever should bring Roderick to him, dead or alive. A diligent\nsearch was accordingly made in every direction, but for a long\ntime in vain; at length a soldier brought to Taric the head of a\nChristian warrior, on which was a cap decorated with feathers and\nprecious stones. The Arab leader received it as the head of the\nunfortunate Roderick, and sent it, as a trophy of his victory, to\nMuza ben Nosier, who, in like manner, transmitted it to the Caliph\nat Damascus. The Spanish historians, however, have always denied its\nidentity.\n\nA mystery has ever hung, and ever must continue to hang, over the\nfate of King Roderick, in that dark and doleful day of Spain. Whether\nhe went down amidst the storm of battle, and atoned for his sins\nand errors by a patriot grave, or whether he survived to repent of\nthem in hermit exile, must remain matter of conjecture and dispute.\nThe learned Archbishop Rodrigo, who has recorded the events of this\ndisastrous field, affirms that Roderick fell beneath the vengeful\nblade of the traitor Julian, and thus expiated with his blood his\ncrime against the hapless Florinda; but the archbishop stands alone\nin his record of the fact. It seems generally admitted that Orelia,\nthe favorite war-horse of Don Roderick, was found entangled in a\nmarsh on the borders of the Guadalete, with the sandals and mantle\nand royal insignia of the king lying close by him. The river at this\nplace ran broad and deep, and was encumbered with the dead bodies\nof warriors and steeds; it has been supposed, therefore, that he\nperished in the stream; but his body was not found within its waters.\n\nWhen several years had passed away, and men\u2019s minds, being restored\nto some degree of tranquillity, began to occupy themselves about the\nevents of this dismal day, a rumor arose that Roderick had escaped\nfrom the carnage on the banks of the Guadalete, and was still alive.\nIt was said that having from a rising ground caught a view of the\nwhole field of battle, and seen that the day was lost, and his army\nflying in all directions, he likewise sought his safety in flight.\nIt is added that the Arab horsemen, while scouring the mountains in\nquest of fugitives, found a shepherd arrayed in the royal robes,\nand brought him before the conqueror, believing him to be the king\nhimself. Count Julian soon dispelled the error. On being questioned,\nthe trembling rustic declared that while tending his sheep in the\nfolds of the mountains, there came a cavalier on a horse wearied and\nspent and ready to sink beneath the spur. That the cavalier with\nan authoritative voice and menacing air commanded him to exchange\ngarments with him, and clad himself in his rude garb of sheep-skin,\nand took his crook and his scrip of provisions, and continued up the\nrugged defiles of the mountains leading towards Castile, until he was\nlost to view.[26]\n\n  [26] Bleda, _Cron._ L. 2, c. 9. Abulcasim Tarif Abentarique, L.\n  1, c. 10.\n\nThis tradition was fondly cherished by many, who clung to the\nbelief in the existence of their monarch as their main hope for the\nredemption of Spain. It was even affirmed that he had taken refuge,\nwith many of his host, in an island of the \u201cOcean sea,\u201d from whence\nhe might yet return once more to elevate his standard, and battle for\nthe recovery of his throne.\n\nYear after year, however, elapsed, and nothing was heard of Don\nRoderick; yet, like Sebastian of Portugal and Arthur of England, his\nname continued to be a rallying-point for popular faith, and the\nmystery of his end to give rise to romantic fables. At length, when\ngeneration after generation had sunk into the grave, and near two\ncenturies had passed and gone, traces were said to be discovered that\nthrew a light on the final fortunes of the unfortunate Roderick. At\nthat time Don Alphonso the Great, king of Leon, had wrested the city\nof Viseo in Lusitania from the hands of the Moslems. As his soldiers\nwere ranging about the city and its environs, one of them discovered\nin a field, outside of the walls, a small chapel or hermitage, with\na sepulchre in front, on which was inscribed this epitaph in Gothic\ncharacters:\u2014\n\n  HIC REQUIESCIT RUDERICUS,\n  ULTIMUS REX GOTHORUM.[27]\n\n  [27] Here lies Roderick,\n  The last King of the Goths.\n\n\nIt has been believed by many that this was the veritable tomb of\nthe monarch, and that in this hermitage he had finished his days in\nsolitary penance. The warrior, as he contemplated the supposed tomb\nof the once haughty Roderick, forgot all his faults and errors, and\nshed a soldier\u2019s tear over his memory; but when his thoughts turned\nto Count Julian, his patriotic indignation broke forth, and with his\ndagger he inscribed a rude malediction on the stone.\n\n\u201cAccursed,\u201d said he, \u201cbe the impious and headlong vengeance of the\ntraitor Julian. He was a murderer of his king, a destroyer of his\nkindred, a betrayer of his country. May his name be bitter in every\nmouth, and his memory infamous to all generations.\u201d\n\nHere ends the legend of Don Roderick.\n\n\n\n\nILLUSTRATIONS OF THE FOREGOING LEGEND.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TOMB OF RODERICK.\n\n\nThe venerable Sebastiano, Bishop of Salamanca, declares that the\ninscription on the tomb at Viseo in Portugal existed in his time, and\nthat he had seen it. A particular account of the exile and hermit\nlife of Roderick is furnished by Berganza, on the authority of\nPortuguese chronicles.\n\n\u201cAlgunos historiadores Portugueses asseguran, que el Rey Rodrigo,\nperdida la battalla, huyo a tierra de Merida, y se recogio en el\nmonasterio de Cauliniano, en donde, arrepentido de sus culpas,\nprocuro confessarlas con muchas lagrimas. Deseando mas retiro, y\nescogiendo por compa\u00f1ero a un monge llamado Roman, y elevando la\nImagen de Nazareth, que Cyriaco monge de nacion griego avra traido\nde Jerusalem al monasterio de Cauliniano, se subio \u00e1 un monte muy\naspero, que estaba sobre el mar, junto al lugar de Pederneyra. Vivio\nRodrigo en compania de el monge en el hueco de una gruta por espacio\nde un a\u00f1o; despues se passo \u00e1 la ermita de san Miguel, que estaba\ncerca de Viseo, en donde murio y fue sepultado.\n\n\u201cPuedese ver esta relacion en las notas de Don Thomas Tamayo sobre\nPaulo deacano. El chronicon de san Millan, que llega hasta el a\u00f1o\n883, deze que, hasta su tiempo, si ignora el fin del Rey Rodrigo.\nPocos a\u00f1os despues el Rey Don Alonzo el Magno, avi\u00e9ndo ganado la\nciudad de Viseo, encontro en una iglesia el epitafio que en romance\ndize\u2014aqui yaze, Rodrigo, ultimo Rey de los Godos.\u201d\u2014_Berganza_, L. i.\nc. 13.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CAVE OF HERCULES.\n\n\nAs the story of the necromantic tower is one of the most famous as\nwell as least credible points in the history of Don Roderick, it may\nbe well to fortify or buttress it by some account of another marvel\nof the city of Toledo. This ancient city, which dates its existence\nalmost from the time of the flood, claiming as its founder Tubal, the\nson of Japhet, and grandson of Noah,[28] has been the warrior hold of\nmany generations and a strange diversity of races. It bears traces of\nthe artifices and devices of its various occupants, and is full of\nmysteries and subjects for antiquarian conjecture and perplexity. It\nis built upon a high rocky promontory, with the Tagus brawling round\nits base, and is overlooked by cragged and precipitous hills. These\nhills abound with clefts and caverns; and the promontory itself, on\nwhich the city is built, bears traces of vaults and subterraneous\nhabitations, which are occasionally discovered under the ruins of\nancient houses, or beneath the churches and convents.\n\n  [28] Salazar, _Hist. Gran. Cardinal. Prologo_, vol. i. plan 1.\n\nThese are supposed by some to have been the habitations or retreats\nof the primitive inhabitants; for it was the custom of the ancients,\naccording to Pliny, to make caves in high and rocky places, and live\nin them through fear of floods; and such a precaution, says the\nworthy Don Pedro de Roxas, in his history of Toledo, was natural\nenough among the first Toledans, seeing that they founded their city\nshortly after the deluge, while the memory of it was still fresh in\ntheir minds.\n\nSome have supposed these secret caves and vaults to have been places\nof concealment of the inhabitants and their treasure during times of\nwar and violence; or rude temples for the performance of religious\nceremonies in times of persecution. There are not wanting other, and\ngrave writers, who give them a still darker purpose. In these caves,\nsay they, were taught the diabolical mysteries of magic; and here\nwere performed those infernal ceremonies and incantations horrible\nin the eyes of God and man. \u201cHistory,\u201d says the worthy Don Pedro de\nRoxas, \u201cis full of accounts that the magi taught and performed their\nmagic and their superstitious rites in profound caves and secret\nplaces; because as this art of the devil was prohibited from the very\norigin of Christianity, they always sought for hidden places in which\nto practice it.\u201d In the time of the Moors this art, we are told,\nwas publicly taught at their universities, the same as astronomy,\nphilosophy, and mathematics, and at no place was it cultivated with\nmore success than at Toledo. Hence this city has ever been darkly\nrenowned for mystic science; insomuch that the magic art was called\nby the French, and by other nations, the Arte Toledana.\n\nOf all the marvels, however, of this ancient, picturesque, romantic,\nand necromantic city, none in modern times surpass the Cave of\nHercules, if we may take the account of Don Pedro de Roxas for\nauthentic. The entrance to this cave is within the church of San\nGines, situated in nearly the highest part of the city. The portal is\nsecured by massy doors, opening within the walls of the church, but\nwhich are kept rigorously closed. The cavern extends under the city\nand beneath the bed of the Tagus to the distance of three leagues\nbeyond. It is, in some places, of rare architecture, built of small\nstones curiously wrought, and supported by columns and arches.\n\nIn the year 1546 an account of this cavern was given to the\narchbishop and Cardinal Don Juan Martinez Siliceo, who, desirous\nof examining it, ordered the entrance to be cleaned. A number of\npersons, furnished with provisions, lanterns, and cords, then went\nin, and, having proceeded about half a league, came to a place where\nthere was a kind of chapel or temple, having a table or altar, with\nseveral statues of bronze in niches or on pedestals.\n\nWhile they were regarding this mysterious scene of ancient worship\nor incantation, one of the statues fell, with a noise that echoed\nthrough the cavern, and smote the hearts of the adventurers with\nterror. Recovering from their alarm, they proceeded onward, but were\nsoon again dismayed by a roaring and rushing sound that increased as\nthey advanced. It was made by a furious and turbulent stream, the\ndark waters of which were too deep and broad and rapid to be crossed.\nBy this time their hearts were so chilled with awe, and their\nthoughts so bewildered, that they could not seek any other passage\nby which they might advance; so they turned back and hastened out of\nthe cave. It was nightfall when they sallied forth, and they were so\nmuch affected by the terror they had undergone, and by the cold and\ndamp air of the cavern, to which they were the more sensible from its\nbeing in the summer, that all of them fell sick and several of them\ndied. Whether the archbishop was encouraged to pursue his research\nand gratify his curiosity, the history does not mention.\n\nAlonzo Telles de Meneses, in his history of the world, records that\nnot long before his time a boy of Toledo, being threatened with\npunishment by his master, fled and took refuge in this cave. Fancying\nhis pursuer at his heels, he took no heed of the obscurity or\ncoldness of the cave, but kept groping and blundering forward, until\nhe came forth at three leagues\u2019 distance from the city.\n\nAnother and very popular story of this cave, current among the common\npeople, was, that in its remote recesses lay concealed a great\ntreasure of gold, left there by the Romans. Whoever would reach this\nprecious hoard must pass through several caves or grottoes; each\nhaving its particular terror, and all under the guardianship of a\nferocious dog, who has the key of all the gates, and watches day and\nnight. At the approach of any one, he shows his teeth, and makes a\nhideous growling; but no adventurer after wealth has had courage to\nbrave a contest with this terrific cerberus.\n\nThe most intrepid candidate on record was a poor man who had lost\nhis all, and had those grand incentives to desperate enterprise,\na wife and a large family of children. Hearing the story of this\ncave, he determined to venture alone in search of the treasure. He\naccordingly entered, and wandered many hours, bewildered, about the\ncave. Often would he have returned, but the thoughts of his wife and\nchildren urged him on. At length he arrived near to the place where\nhe supposed the treasure lay hidden; but here, to his dismay, he\nbeheld the floor of the cavern strewn with human bones, doubtless the\nremains of adventurers like himself, who had been torn to pieces.\n\nLosing all courage, he now turned and sought his way out of the cave.\nHorrors thickened upon him as he fled. He beheld direful phantoms\nglaring and gibbering around him, and heard the sound of pursuit\nin the echoes of his footsteps. He reached his home overcome with\naffright; several hours elapsed before he could recover speech to\ntell his story, and he died on the following day.\n\nThe judicious Don Pedro de Roxas holds the account of the buried\ntreasure for fabulous, but the adventure of this unlucky man for very\npossible\u2014being led on by avarice, or rather the hope of retrieving a\ndesperate fortune. He, moreover, pronounces his dying shortly after\ncoming forth as very probable; because the darkness of the cave, its\ncoldness, the fright at finding the bones, the dread of meeting the\nimaginary dog, all joining to operate upon a man who was past the\nprime of his days, and enfeebled by poverty and scanty food, might\neasily cause his death.\n\nMany have considered this cave as intended originally for a sally\nor retreat from the city in case it should be taken; an opinion\nrendered probable, it is thought, by its grandeur and great extent.\n\nThe learned Salazar de Mendoza, however, in his history of the\ngrand cardinal of Spain, affirms it as an established fact, that\nit was first wrought out of the rock by Tubal, the son of Japhet,\nand grandson of Noah, and afterwards repaired and greatly augmented\nby Hercules the Egyptian, who made it his habitation after he had\nerected his pillars at the Straits of Gibraltar. Here, too, it\nis said, he read magic to his followers, and taught them those\nsupernatural arts by which he accomplished his vast achievements.\nOthers think that it was a temple dedicated to Hercules, as was the\ncase, according to Pomponius Mela, with the great cave in the rock of\nGibraltar; certain it is, that it has always borne the name of \u201cThe\nCave of Hercules.\u201d\n\nThere are not wanting some who have insinuated that it was a work\ndating from the time of the Romans, and intended as a cloaca or sewer\nof the city; but such a groveling insinuation will be treated with\nproper scorn by the reader, after the nobler purposes to which he has\nheard this marvelous cavern consecrated.\n\nFrom all the circumstances here adduced from learned and reverend\nauthors, it will be perceived that Toledo is a city fruitful of\nmarvels, and that the necromantic tower of Hercules has more solid\nfoundation than most edifices of similar import in ancient history.\n\nThe writer of these pages will venture to add the result of his\npersonal researches respecting the far-famed cavern in question.\nRambling about Toledo in the year 1826, in company with a small knot\nof antiquity hunters, among whom were an eminent British painter,[29]\nand an English nobleman,[30] who has since distinguished himself\nin Spanish historical research, we directed our steps to the church\nof San Gines, and inquired for the portal of the secret cavern. The\nsacristan was a voluble and communicative man, and one not likely to\nbe niggard of his tongue about anything he knew, or slow to boast of\nany marvel pertaining to his church; but he professed utter ignorance\nof the existence of any such portal. He remembered to have heard,\nhowever, that immediately under the entrance to the church there was\nan arch of mason work, apparently the upper part of some subterranean\nportal; but that all had been covered up and a pavement laid down\nthereon; so that whether it led to the magic cave or the necromantic\ntower remains a mystery, and so must remain until some monarch or\narchbishop shall again have courage and authority to break the spell.\n\n  [29] Mr. D. W\u2014kie.\n\n  [30] Lord Mah\u2014n.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGEND\n\nOF THE\n\nSUBJUGATION OF SPAIN.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGEND\n\nOF\n\nTHE SUBJUGATION OF SPAIN.[31]\n\n  [31] In this legend most of the facts respecting the Arab inroads\n  into Spain are on the authority of Arabian writers, who had\n  the most accurate means of information. Those relative to the\n  Spaniards are chiefly from old Spanish chronicles. It is to be\n  remarked that the Arab accounts have most the air of verity,\n  and the events as they relate them are in the ordinary course\n  of common life. The Spanish accounts, on the contrary, are full\n  of the marvelous; for there were no greater romancers than the\n  monkish chroniclers.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nConsternation of Spain.\u2014Conduct of the Conquerors.\u2014Missives between\nTaric and Muza.\n\n\nThe overthrow of King Roderick and his army on the banks of the\nGuadalete, threw open all southern Spain to the inroads of the\nMoslems. The whole country fled before them; villages and hamlets\nwere hastily abandoned; the inhabitants placed their aged and infirm,\ntheir wives and children, and their most precious effects, on mules\nand other beasts of burden, and, driving before them their flocks\nand herds, made for distant parts of the land, for the fastnesses of\nthe mountains, and for such of the cities as yet possessed walls and\nbulwarks. Many gave out, faint and weary, by the way, and fell into\nthe hands of the enemy; others, at the distant sight of a turban or\na Moslem standard, or on hearing the clangor of a trumpet, abandoned\ntheir flocks and herds and hastened their flight with their families.\nIf their pursuers gained upon them, they threw by their household\ngoods and whatever was of burden, and thought themselves fortunate\nto escape, naked and destitute, to a place of refuge. Thus the roads\nwere covered with scattered flocks and herds, and with spoil of all\nkinds.\n\nThe Arabs, however, were not guilty of wanton cruelty or ravage;\non the contrary, they conducted themselves with a moderation but\nseldom witnessed in more civilized conquerors. Taric el Tuerto,\nthough a thorough man of the sword, and one whose whole thoughts were\nwarlike, yet evinced wonderful judgment and discretion. He checked\nthe predatory habits of his troops with a rigorous hand. They were\nforbidden, under pain of severe punishment, to molest any peaceable\nand unfortified towns, or any unarmed and unresisting people, who\nremained quiet in their homes. No spoil was permitted to be made,\nexcepting in fields of battle, in camps of routed foes, or in cities\ntaken by the sword.\n\nTaric had little need to exercise his severity; his orders were\nobeyed through love, rather than fear, for he was the idol of his\nsoldiery. They admired his restless and daring spirit, which nothing\ncould dismay. His gaunt and sinewy form, his fiery eye, his visage\nseamed with scars, were suited to the hardihood of his deeds; and\nwhen mounted on his foaming steed, careering the field of battle with\nquivering lance or flashing scimetar, his Arabs would greet him with\nshouts of enthusiasm. But what endeared him to them more than all was\nhis soldier-like contempt of gain. Conquest was his only passion:\nglory the only reward he coveted. As to the spoil of the conquered,\nhe shared it freely among his followers, and squandered his own\nportion with open-handed generosity.\n\nWhile Taric was pushing his triumphant course through Andalusia,\ntidings of his stupendous victory on the banks of the Guadalete\nwere carried to Muza ben Nosier. Messenger after messenger arrived,\nvying who should most extol the achievements of the conqueror and\nthe grandeur of the conquest. \u201cTaric,\u201d said they, \u201chas overthrown\nthe whole force of the unbelievers in one mighty battle. Their king\nis slain; thousands and tens of thousands of their warriors are\ndestroyed; the whole land lies at our mercy; and city after city is\nsurrendering to the victorious arms of Taric.\u201d\n\nThe heart of Muza ben Nosier sickened at these tidings, and, instead\nof rejoicing at the success of the cause of Islam, he trembled with\njealous fear lest the triumphs of Taric in Spain should eclipse his\nown victories in Africa. He dispatched missives to the Caliph Waled\nAlmanzor, informing him of these new conquests, but taking the\nwhole glory to himself, and making no mention of the services of\nTaric; or at least, only mentioning him incidentally as a subordinate\ncommander. \u201cThe battles,\u201d said he, \u201chave been terrible as the day of\njudgment; but by the aid of Allah we have gained the victory.\u201d\n\nHe then prepared in all haste to cross over into Spain and assume the\ncommand of the conquering army; and he wrote a letter in advance to\ninterrupt Taric in the midst of his career. \u201cWherever this letter may\nfind thee,\u201d said he, \u201cI charge thee halt with thy army and await my\ncoming. Thy force is inadequate to the subjugation of the land, and\nby rashly venturing, thou mayst lose everything. I will be with thee\nspeedily, with a reinforcement of troops competent to so great an\nenterprise.\u201d\n\nThe letter overtook the veteran Taric while in the full glow of\ntriumphant success, having overrun some of the richest part of\nAndalusia, and just received the surrender of the city of Ecija.\nAs he read the letter the blood mantled in his sunburnt cheek and\nfire kindled in his eye, for he penetrated the motives of Muza. He\nsuppressed his wrath, however, and turning with a bitter expression\nof forced composure to his captains, \u201cUnsaddle your steeds,\u201d said he,\n\u201cand plant your lances in the earth; set up your tents and take your\nrepose, for we must await the coming of the Wali with a mighty force\nto assist us in our conquest.\u201d\n\nThe Arab warriors broke forth with loud murmurs at these words.\n\u201cWhat need have we of aid,\u201d cried they, \u201cwhen the whole country is\nflying before us; and what better commander can we have than Taric to\nlead us on to victory?\u201d\n\nCount Julian, also, who was present, now hastened to give his\ntraitorous counsel.\n\n\u201cWhy pause,\u201d cried he, \u201cat this precious moment? The great army\nof the Goths is vanquished, and their nobles are slaughtered or\ndispersed. Follow up your blow before the land can recover from its\npanic. Overrun the provinces, seize upon the cities, make yourself\nmaster of the capital, and your conquest is complete.\u201d[32]\n\n  [32] Conde, p. 1, c. 10.\n\nThe advice of Julian was applauded by all the Arab chieftains, who\nwere impatient of any interruption in their career of conquest. Taric\nwas easily persuaded to what was the wish of his heart. Disregarding\nthe letter of Muza, therefore, he prepared to pursue his victories.\nFor this purpose he ordered a review of his troops on the plain\nof Ecija. Some were mounted on steeds which they had brought from\nAfrica; the rest he supplied with horses taken from the Christians.\nHe repeated his general orders, that they should inflict no wanton\ninjury, nor plunder any place that offered no resistance. They were\nforbidden, also, to encumber themselves with booty, or even with\nprovisions; but were to scour the country with all speed, and seize\nupon all its fortresses and strongholds.\n\nHe then divided his host into three several armies. One he placed\nunder the command of the Greek renegado, Maguel el Rumi, a man of\ndesperate courage; and sent it against the ancient city of Cordova.\nAnother was sent against the city of Malaga, and was led by Zayd\nben Kesadi, aided by the Bishop Oppas. The third was led by Taric\nhimself, and with this he determined to make a wide sweep through the\nkingdom.[33]\n\n  [33] _Chronica de Espa\u00f1a_, de Alonzo el Sabio. P. 3, c. 1.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nCapture of Granada.\u2014Subjugation of the Alpuxarra Mountains.\n\n\nThe terror of the arms of Taric ben Zeyad went before him; and,\nat the same time, the report of his lenity to those who submitted\nwithout resistance. Wherever he appeared, the towns, for the most\npart, sent forth some of their principal inhabitants to proffer a\nsurrender; for they were destitute of fortifications, and their\nfighting men had perished in battle. They were all received into\nallegiance to the Caliph, and were protected from pillage or\nmolestation.\n\nAfter marching some distance through the country, he entered one\nday a vast and beautiful plain, interspersed with villages, adorned\nwith groves and gardens, watered by winding rivers, and surrounded\nby lofty mountains. It was the famous vega, or plain of Granada,\ndestined to be for ages the favorite abode of the Moslems. When\nthe Arab conquerors beheld this delicious vega, they were lost in\nadmiration; for it seemed as if the Prophet had given them a paradise\non earth, as a reward for their services in his cause.\n\nTaric approached the city of Granada, which had a formidable aspect,\nseated on lofty hills and fortified with Gothic walls and towers,\nand with the red castle or citadel, built in times of old by the\nPh\u0153nicians or the Romans. As the Arab chieftain eyed the place, he\nwas pleased with its stern warrior look, contrasting with the smiling\nbeauty of its vega, and the freshness and voluptuous abundance of its\nhills and valleys. He pitched his tents before its walls, and made\npreparations to attack it with all his force.\n\nThe city, however, bore but the semblance of power. The flower of\nits youth had perished in the battle of the Guadalete; many of the\nprincipal inhabitants had fled to the mountains, and few remained\nin the city excepting old men, women, and children, and a number of\nJews, which last were well disposed to take part with the conquerors.\nThe city, therefore, readily capitulated, and was received into\nvassalage on favorable terms. The inhabitants were to retain their\nproperty, their laws, and their religion; their churches and priests\nwere to be respected; and no other tribute was required of them than\nsuch as they had been accustomed to pay to their Gothic kings.\n\nOn taking possession of Granada, Taric garrisoned the towers and\ncastles, and left as alcayde or governor a chosen warrior named Betiz\nAben Habuz, a native of Arabia Felix, who had distinguished himself\nby his valor and abilities. This alcayde subsequently made himself\nking of Granada, and built a palace on one of its hills; the remains\nof which may be seen at the present day[34].\n\n  [34] The house shown as the ancient residence of Aben Habuz is\n  called _la Casa del Gallo_, or the house of the weathercock; so\n  named, says Pedraza, in his history of Granada, from a bronze\n  figure of an Arab horseman, armed with lance and buckler, which\n  once surmounted it, and which varied with every wind. On this\n  warlike weathercock was inscribed, in Arabic characters,\u2014\n\n    \u201cDice el sabio Aben Habuz\n    Que asi se defiende el Andaluz.\u201d\n\n    (In this way, says Aben Habuz the Wise,\n    The Andalusian his foe defies.)\n\n  The Casa del Gallo, even until within twenty years, possessed\n  two great halls beautifully decorated with morisco reliefs.\n  It then caught fire and was so damaged as to require to be\n  nearly rebuilt. It is now a manufactory of coarse canvas, and\n  has nothing of the Moorish character remaining. It commands a\n  beautiful view of the city and the vega.\n\nEven the delights of Granada had no power to detain the active and\nardent Taric. To the east of the city he beheld a lofty chain of\nmountains, towering to the sky, and crowned with shining snow. These\nwere the \u201cMountains of the Sun and Air;\u201d and the perpetual snows\non their summits gave birth to streams that fertilized the plains.\nIn their bosoms, shut up among cliffs and precipices, were many\nsmall valleys of great beauty and abundance. The inhabitants were a\nbold and hardy race, who looked upon their mountains as everlasting\nfortresses that could never be taken. The inhabitants of the\nsurrounding country had fled to these natural fastnesses for refuge,\nand driven thither their flocks and herds.\n\nTaric felt that the dominion he had acquired of the plains would be\ninsecure until he had penetrated and subdued these haughty mountains.\nLeaving Aben Habuz, therefore, in command of Granada, he marched\nwith his army across the vega, and entered the folds of the sierra,\nwhich stretch towards the south. The inhabitants fled with affright\non hearing the Moorish trumpets, or beholding the approach of the\nturbaned horsemen, and plunged deeper into the recesses of their\nmountains. As the army advanced, the roads became more and more\nrugged and difficult; sometimes climbing great rocky heights, and at\nother times descending abruptly into deep ravines, the beds of winter\ntorrents. The mountains were strangely wild and sterile; broken into\ncliffs and precipices of variegated marble. At their feet were little\nvalleys, enameled with groves and gardens, interlaced with silver\nstreams, and studded with villages and hamlets,\u2014but all deserted\nby their inhabitants. No one appeared to dispute the inroad of the\nMoslems, who continued their march with increasing confidence, their\npennons fluttering from rock and cliff, and the valleys echoing to\nthe din of trumpet, drum, and cymbal. At length they came to a defile\nwhere the mountains seemed to have been rent asunder to make way for\na foaming torrent. The narrow and broken road wound along the dizzy\nedge of precipices, until it came to where a bridge was thrown across\nthe chasm. It was a fearful and gloomy pass; great beetling cliffs\noverhung the road, and the torrent roared below. This awful defile\nhas ever been famous in the warlike history of those mountains, by\nthe name, in former times, of the Barranco de Tocos, and at present\nof the Bridge of Tablete. The Saracen army entered fearlessly into\nthe pass; a part had already crossed the bridge, and was slowly\ntoiling up the rugged road on the opposite side, when great shouts\narose, and every cliff appeared suddenly peopled with furious foes.\nIn an instant a deluge of missiles of every sort was rained upon\nthe astonished Moslems. Darts, arrows, javelins, and stones, came\nwhistling down, singling out the most conspicuous cavaliers; and\nat times great masses of rock, bounding and thundering along the\nmountain side, crushed whole ranks at once, or hurled horses and\nriders over the edge of the precipices.\n\nIt was in vain to attempt to brave this mountain warfare. The enemy\nwere beyond the reach of missiles, and safe from pursuit; and the\nhorses of the Arabs were here an incumbrance rather than an aid.\nThe trumpets sounded a retreat, and the army retired in tumult and\nconfusion, harassed by the enemy until extricated from the defile.\nTaric, who had beheld cities and castles surrendering without a\nblow, was enraged at being braved by a mere horde of mountain boors,\nand made another attempt to penetrate the mountains, but was again\nwaylaid and opposed with horrible slaughter.\n\nThe fiery son of Ishmael foamed with rage at being thus checked\nin his career and foiled in his revenge. He was on the point of\nabandoning the attempt, and returning to the vega, when a Christian\nboor sought his camp, and was admitted to his presence. The miserable\nwretch possessed a cabin and a little patch of ground among the\nmountains, and offered, if these should be protected from ravage, to\ninform the Arab commander of a way by which troops of horse might\nbe safely introduced into the bosom of the sierra, and the whole\nsubdued. The name of this caitiff was Fandino, and it deserves to be\nperpetually recorded with ignominy. His case is an instance how much\nit is in the power, at times, of the most insignificant being to do\nmischief, and how all the valor of the magnanimous and the brave may\nbe defeated by the treason of the selfish and the despicable.\n\nInstructed by this traitor, the Arab commander caused ten thousand\nfoot-soldiers and four thousand horsemen, commanded by a valiant\ncaptain, named Ibrahim Albuxarra, to be conveyed by sea to the little\nport of Adra, at the Mediterranean foot of the mountains. Here they\nlanded, and, guided by the traitor, penetrated to the heart of the\nsierra, laying everything waste. The brave mountaineers, thus hemmed\nin between two armies, destitute of fortresses and without hope of\nsuccor, were obliged to capitulate; but their valor was not without\navail, for never, even in Spain, did vanquished people surrender\non prouder or more honorable terms. We have named the wretch who\nbetrayed his native mountains; let us equally record the name of\nhim whose pious patriotism saved them from desolation. It was the\nreverend Bishop Centerio. While the warriors rested on their arms\nin grim and menacing tranquillity among the cliffs, this venerable\nprelate descended to the Arab tents in the valley, to conduct the\ncapitulation. In stipulating for the safety of his people, he did not\nforget that they were brave men, and that they still had weapons in\ntheir hands. He obtained conditions accordingly. It was agreed that\nthey should be permitted to retain their houses, lands, and personal\neffects; that they should be unmolested in their religion, and their\ntemples and priests respected; and that they should pay no other\ntribute than such as they had been accustomed to render to their\nkings. Should they prefer to leave the country and remove to any part\nof Christendom, they were to be allowed to sell their possessions,\nand to take with them the money, and all their other effects.[35]\n\n  [35] Pedraza, _Hist. Granad._ p. 3, c. 2. Bleda, _Cronica_, L 2\n  c. 10.\n\nIbrahim Albuxarra remained in command of the territory, and the whole\nsierra, or chain of mountains, took his name, which has since been\nslightly corrupted into that of the Alpuxarras. The subjugation of\nthis rugged region, however, was for a long time incomplete; many of\nthe Christians maintained a wild and hostile independence, living in\ngreen glens and scanty valleys among the heights; and the sierra of\nthe Alpuxarras has in all ages been one of the most difficult parts\nof Andalusia to be subdued.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nExpedition of Magued against Cordova.\u2014Defense of the Patriot Pelistes.\n\n\nWhile the veteran Taric was making this wide circuit through the\nland, the expedition under Magued the renegado proceeded against the\ncity of Cordova. The inhabitants of that ancient place had beheld\nthe great army of Don Roderick spreading like an inundation over\nthe plain of the Guadalquivir, and had felt confident that it must\nsweep the infidel invaders from the land. What then was their dismay\nwhen scattered fugitives, wild with horror and affright, brought\nthem tidings of the entire overthrow of that mighty host, and the\ndisappearance of the king! In the midst of their consternation, the\nGothic noble Pelistes arrived at their gates, haggard with fatigue\nof body and anguish of mind, and leading a remnant of his devoted\ncavaliers, who had survived the dreadful battle of the Guadalete.\nThe people of Cordova knew the valiant and steadfast spirit of\nPelistes, and rallied round him as a last hope. \u201cRoderick is fallen,\u201d\ncried they, \u201cand we have neither king nor captain; be unto us as a\nsovereign; take command of our city, and protect us in this hour of\nperil!\u201d\n\nThe heart of Pelistes was free from ambition, and was too much\nbroken by grief to be flattered by the offer of command; but he\nfelt above everything for the woes of his country, and was ready to\nassume any desperate service in her cause. \u201cYour city,\u201d said he, \u201cis\nsurrounded by walls and towers, and may yet check the progress of\nthe foe. Promise to stand by me to the last, and I will undertake\nyour defense.\u201d The inhabitants all promised implicit obedience and\ndevoted zeal; for what will not the inhabitants of a wealthy city\npromise and profess in a moment of alarm? The instant, however,\nthat they heard of the approach of the Moslem troops, the wealthier\ncitizens packed up their effects and fled to the mountains, or to the\ndistant city of Toledo. Even the monks collected the riches of their\nconvents and churches, and fled. Pelistes, though he saw himself thus\ndeserted by those who had the greatest interest in the safety of the\ncity, yet determined not to abandon its defense. He had still his\nfaithful though scanty band of cavaliers, and a number of fugitives\nof the army, in all amounting to about four hundred men. He stationed\nguards, therefore, at the gates and in the towers, and made every\npreparation for a desperate resistance.\n\nIn the mean time, the army of Moslems and apostate Christians\nadvanced, under the command of the Greek renegado Magued, and guided\nby the traitor Julian. While they were yet at some distance from\nthe city, their scouts brought to them a shepherd, whom they had\nsurprised on the banks of the Guadalquivir. The trembling hind was\nan inhabitant of Cordova, and revealed to them the state of the place\nand the weakness of its garrison.\n\n\u201cAnd the walls and gates,\u201d said Magued, \u201care they strong and well\nguarded?\u201d\n\n\u201cThe walls are high and of wondrous strength,\u201d replied the shepherd,\n\u201cand soldiers hold watch at the gates by day and night. But there\nis one place where the city may be secretly entered. In a part of\nthe wall, not far from the bridge, the battlements are broken, and\nthere is a breach at some height from the ground. Hard by stands a\nfig-tree, by the aid of which the wall may easily be scaled.\u201d\n\nHaving received this information, Magued halted with his army, and\nsent forward several renegado Christians, partisans of Count Julian,\nwho entered Cordova as if flying before the enemy. On a dark and\ntempestuous night, the Moslems approached to the end of the bridge\nwhich crosses the Guadalquivir, and remained in ambush. Magued took\na small party of chosen men, and, guided by the shepherd, forded the\nstream, and groped silently along the wall to the place where stood\nthe fig-tree. The traitors, who had fraudulently entered the city,\nwere ready on the wall to render assistance. Magued ordered his\nfollowers to make use of the long folds of their turbans instead of\ncords, and succeeded without difficulty in clambering into the breach.\n\nDrawing their scimetars, they now hastened to the gate which opened\ntowards the bridge; the guards, suspecting no assault from within,\nwere taken by surprise and easily overpowered; the gate was thrown\nopen, and the army that had remained in ambush rushed over the\nbridge, and entered without opposition.\n\nThe alarm had by this time spread throughout the city; but already\na torrent of armed men was pouring through the streets. Pelistes\nsallied forth with his cavaliers and such of the soldiery as he could\ncollect, and endeavored to repel the foe; but every effort was in\nvain. The Christians were slowly driven from street to street and\nsquare to square, disputing every inch of ground; until, finding\nanother body of the enemy approaching to attack them in rear, they\ntook refuge in a convent, and succeeded in throwing to and barring\nthe ponderous doors. The Moors attempted to force the gates, but\nwere assailed with such showers of missiles from the windows and\nbattlements that they were obliged to retire. Pelistes examined the\nconvent, and found it admirably calculated for defense. It was of\ngreat extent, with spacious courts and cloisters. The gates were\nmassive, and secured with bolts and bars; the walls were of great\nthickness; the windows high and grated; there was a great tank\nor cistern of water, and the friars, who had fled from the city,\nhad left behind a good supply of provisions. Here, then, Pelistes\nproposed to make a stand, and to endeavor to hold out until succor\nshould arrive from some other city. His proposition was received with\nshouts by his loyal cavaliers, not one of whom but was ready to lay\ndown his life in the service of his commander.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nDefense of the Convent of St. George by Pelistes.\n\n\nFor three long and anxious months did the good knight Pelistes\nand his cavaliers defend their sacred asylum against the repeated\nassaults of the infidels. The standard of the true faith was\nconstantly displayed from the loftiest tower, and a fire blazed there\nthroughout the night, as signals of distress to the surrounding\ncountry. The watchman from his turret kept a wary lookout over the\nland, hoping in every cloud of dust to descry the glittering helms of\nChristian warriors. The country, however, was forlorn and abandoned,\nor if perchance a human being was perceived, it was some Arab\nhorseman, careering the plain of the Guadalquivir as fearlessly as if\nit were his native desert.\n\nBy degrees the provisions of the convent were consumed, and the\ncavaliers had to slay their horses, one by one, for food. They\nsuffered the wasting miseries of famine without a murmur, and always\nmet their commander with a smile. Pelistes, however, read their\nsufferings in their wan and emaciated countenances, and felt more for\nthem than for himself. He was grieved at heart that such loyalty and\nvalor should only lead to slavery or death, and resolved to make one\ndesperate attempt for their deliverance. Assembling them one day in\nthe court of the convent, he disclosed to them his purpose.\n\n\u201cComrades and brothers in arms,\u201d said he, \u201cit is needless to conceal\ndanger from brave men. Our case is desperate; our countrymen either\nknow not or heed not our situation, or have not the means to help us.\nThere is but one chance of escape; it is full of peril, and, as your\nleader, I claim the right to brave it. To-morrow, at break of day, I\nwill sally forth and make for the city gates at the moment of their\nbeing opened; no one will suspect a solitary horseman; I shall be\ntaken for one of those recreant Christians who have basely mingled\nwith the enemy. If I succeed in getting out of the city I will hasten\nto Toledo for assistance. In all events I shall be back in less than\ntwenty days. Keep a vigilant lookout toward the nearest mountain. If\nyou behold five lights blazing upon its summit, be assured I am at\nhand with succor, and prepare yourselves to sally forth upon the city\nas I attack the gates. Should I fail in obtaining aid, I will return\nto die with you.\u201d\n\nWhen he had finished, his warriors would fain have severally\nundertaken the enterprise, and they remonstrated against his exposing\nhimself to such peril; but he was not to be shaken from his purpose.\nOn the following morning, ere the break of day, his horse was led\nforth, caparisoned, into the court of the convent, and Pelistes\nappeared in complete armor. Assembling his cavaliers in the chapel,\nhe prayed with them for some time before the altar of the holy\nVirgin. Then rising and standing in the midst of them, \u201cGod knows,\nmy companions,\u201d said he, \u201cwhether we have any longer a country; if\nnot, better were we in our graves. Loyal and true have ye been to me,\nand loyal have ye been to my son, even to the hour of his death; and\ngrieved am I that I have no other means of proving my love for you,\nthan by adventuring my worthless life for your deliverance. All I ask\nof you before I go, is a solemn promise to defend yourselves to the\nlast like brave men and Christian cavaliers, and never to renounce\nyour faith, or throw yourselves on the mercy of the renegado Magued,\nor the traitor Julian.\u201d They all pledged their words, and took a\nsolemn oath to the same effect before the altar.\n\nPelistes then embraced them one by one, and gave them his\nbenediction, and as he did so his heart yearned over them, for\nhe felt towards them, not merely as a companion in arms and as a\ncommander, but as a father; and he took leave of them as if he had\nbeen going to his death. The warriors, on their part, crowded round\nhim in silence, kissing his hands and the hem of his surcoat, and\nmany of the sternest shed tears.\n\nThe gray of the dawning had just streaked the east, when Pelistes\ntook lance in hand, hung his shield about his neck, and mounting his\nsteed, issued quietly forth from a postern of the convent. He paced\nslowly though the vacant streets, and the tramp of his steed echoed\nafar in that silent hour; but no one suspected a warrior, moving\nthus singly and tranquilly in an armed city, to be an enemy. He\narrived at the gate just at the hour of opening; a foraging party\nwas entering with cattle and with beasts of burden, and he passed\nunheeded through the throng. As soon as he was out of sight of the\nsoldiers who guarded the gate, he quickened his pace, and at length,\ngalloping at full speed, succeeded in gaining the mountains. Here he\npaused, and alighted at a solitary farm-house to breathe his panting\nsteed; but had scarce put foot to ground when he heard the distant\nsound of pursuit, and beheld a horseman spurring up the mountain.\n\nThrowing himself again upon his steed, he abandoned the road and\ngalloped across the rugged heights. The deep dry channel of a torrent\nchecked his career, and his horse stumbling upon the margin, rolled\nwith his rider to the bottom. Pelistes was sorely bruised by the\nfall, and his whole visage was bathed in blood. His horse, too, was\nmaimed and unable to stand, so that there was no hope of escape. The\nenemy drew near, and proved to be no other than Magued the renegado\ngeneral, who had perceived him as he issued forth from the city and\nhad followed singly in pursuit. \u201cWell met, se\u00f1or alcaid!\u201d exclaimed\nhe, \u201cand overtaken in good time. Surrender yourself my prisoner.\u201d\n\nPelistes made no other reply than by drawing his sword, bracing his\nshield, and preparing for defense. Magued, though an apostate, and a\nfierce warrior, possessed some sparks of knightly magnanimity. Seeing\nhis adversary dismounted, he disdained to take him at a disadvantage,\nbut, alighting, tied his horse to a tree.\n\nThe conflict that ensued was desperate and doubtful, for seldom had\ntwo warriors met so well matched or of equal prowess. Their shields\nwere hacked to pieces, the ground was strewed with fragments of their\narmor, and stained with their blood. They paused repeatedly to take\nbreath, regarding each other with wonder and admiration. Pelistes,\nhowever, had been previously injured by his fall, and fought to great\ndisadvantage. The renegado perceived it, and sought not to slay him,\nbut to take him alive. Shifting his ground continually, he wearied\nhis antagonist, who was growing weaker and weaker from the loss of\nblood. At length Pelistes seemed to summon up all his remaining\nstrength to make a signal blow; it was skillfully parried, and he\nfell prostrate upon the ground. The renegado ran up, and putting his\nfoot upon his sword, and the point of his scimetar to his throat,\ncalled upon him to ask his life; but Pelistes lay without sense, and\nas one dead. Magued then unlaced the helmet of his vanquished enemy,\nand seated himself on a rock beside him, to recover breath. In this\nsituation the warriors were found by certain Moorish cavaliers, who\nmarveled much at the traces of that stern and bloody combat.\n\nFinding there was yet life in the Christian knight, they laid him\nupon one of their horses, and aiding Magued to remount his steed,\nproceeded slowly to the city. As the convoy passed by the convent,\nthe cavaliers looked forth and beheld their commander borne along\nbleeding and a captive. Furious at the sight, they sallied forth\nto the rescue, but were repulsed by a superior force and driven\nback to the great portal of the church. The enemy entered pell-mell\nwith them, fighting from aisle to aisle, from altar to altar, and\nin the courts and cloisters of the convent. The greater part of\nthe cavaliers died bravely, sword in hand; the rest were disabled\nwith wounds and made prisoners. The convent, which was lately\ntheir castle, was now made their prison, and in after-times, in\ncommemoration of this event, was consecrated by the name of St.\nGeorge of the Captives.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nMeeting between the Patriot Pelistes and the Traitor Julian.\n\n\nThe loyalty and prowess of the good knight Pelistes had gained him\nthe reverence even of his enemies. He was for a long time disabled\nby his wounds, during which he was kindly treated by the Arab\nchieftains, who strove by every courteous means to cheer his sadness\nand make him forget that he was a captive. When he was recovered from\nhis wounds they gave him a magnificent banquet, to testify their\nadmiration of his virtues.\n\nPelistes appeared at the banquet clad in sable armor, and with a\ncountenance pale and dejected, for the ills of his country evermore\npreyed upon his heart. Among the assembled guests was Count Julian,\nwho held a high command in the Moslem army, and was arrayed in\ngarments of mingled Christian and morisco fashion. Pelistes had been\na close and bosom friend of Julian in former times, and had served\nwith him in the wars in Africa, but when the count advanced to accost\nhim with his wonted amity, he turned away in silence and deigned\nnot to notice him, neither, during the whole of the repast, did he\naddress to him ever a word, but treated him as one unknown.\n\nWhen the banquet was nearly at a close, the discourse turned upon\nthe events of the war, and the Moslem chieftains, in great courtesy,\ndwelt upon the merits of many of the Christian cavaliers who had\nfallen in battle, and all extolled the valor of those who had\nrecently perished in the defense of the convent. Pelistes remained\nsilent for a time, and checked the grief which swelled within his\nbosom as he thought of his devoted cavaliers. At length, lifting up\nhis voice, \u201cHappy are the dead,\u201d said he, \u201cfor they rest in peace,\nand are gone to receive the reward of their piety and valor! I could\nmourn over the loss of my companions in arms, but they have fallen\nwith honor and are spared the wretchedness I feel in witnessing the\nthraldom of my country. I have seen my only son, the pride and hope\nof my age, cut down at my side; I have beheld kindred, friends, and\nfollowers falling one by one around me, and have become so seasoned\nto those losses that I have ceased to weep. Yet there is one man over\nwhose loss I will never cease to grieve. He was the loved companion\nof my youth, and the steadfast associate of my graver years. He\nwas one of the most loyal of Christian knights. As a friend, he\nwas loving and sincere; as a warrior, his achievements were above\nall praise. What has become of him, alas, I know not! If fallen in\nbattle, and I knew where his bones were laid, whether bleaching on\nthe plains of Xeres or buried in the waters of the Guadalete, I\nwould seek them out and enshrine them as the relics of a sainted\npatriot. Or if, like many of his companions in arms, he should be\ndriven to wander in foreign lands, I would join him in his hapless\nexile, and we would mourn together over the desolation of our\ncountry!\u201d\n\nEven the hearts of the Arab warriors were touched by the lament of\nthe good Pelistes, and they said\u2014\u201cWho was this peerless friend in\nwhose praise thou art so fervent?\u201d\n\n\u201cHis name,\u201d replied Pelistes, \u201cwas Count Julian.\u201d\n\nThe Moslem warriors started with surprise. \u201cNoble cavalier,\u201d\nexclaimed they, \u201chas grief disordered thy senses? Behold thy friend\nliving and standing before thee, and yet thou dost not know him!\nThis, this is Count Julian!\u201d\n\nUpon this, Pelistes turned his eyes upon the count, and regarded\nhim for a time with a lofty and stern demeanor; and the countenance\nof Julian darkened, and was troubled, and his eye sank beneath the\nregard of that loyal and honorable cavalier. And Pelistes said, \u201cIn\nthe name of God, I charge thee, man unknown! to answer. Dost thou\npresume to call thyself Count Julian?\u201d\n\nThe count reddened with anger at these words. \u201cPelistes,\u201d said he,\n\u201cwhat means this mockery? thou knowest me well; thou knowest me for\nCount Julian.\u201d\n\n\u201cI know thee for a base impostor!\u201d cried Pelistes. \u201cCount Julian was\na noble Gothic knight; but thou appearest in mongrel Moorish garb.\nCount Julian was a Christian, faithful and devout; but I behold in\nthee a renegado and an infidel. Count Julian was ever loyal to his\nking, and foremost in his country\u2019s cause; were he living, he would\nbe the first to put shield on neck and lance in rest, to clear the\nland of her invaders; but thou art a hoary traitor; thy hands are\nstained with the royal blood of the Goths, and thou hast betrayed thy\ncountry and thy God. Therefore, I again repeat, man unknown! if thou\nsayest thou art Count Julian, thou liest! My friend, alas, is dead;\nand thou art some fiend from hell, which hast taken possession of his\nbody to dishonor his memory and render him an abhorrence among men!\u201d\nSo saying, Pelistes turned his back upon the traitor, and went forth\nfrom the banquet; leaving Count Julian overwhelmed with confusion,\nand an object of scorn to all the Moslem cavaliers.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nHow Taric el Tuerto captured the City of Toledo through the aid of\nthe Jews, and how he found the famous Talismanic Table of Solomon.\n\n\nWhile these events were passing in Cordova, the one-eyed Arab\ngeneral, Taric el Tuerto, having subdued the city and vega of\nGranada, and the Mountains of the Sun and Air, directed his march\ninto the interior of the kingdom, to attack the ancient city of\nToledo, the capital of the Gothic kings. So great was the terror\ncaused by the rapid conquests of the invaders, that at the very rumor\nof their approach many of the inhabitants, though thus in the very\ncitadel of the kingdom, abandoned it and fled to the mountains with\ntheir families. Enough remained, however, to have made a formidable\ndefense; and, as the city was seated on a lofty rock, surrounded\nby massive walls and towers, and almost girdled by the Tagus, it\nthreatened a long resistance. The Arab warriors pitched their tents\nin the vega, on the borders of the river, and prepared for a tedious\nsiege.\n\nOne evening, as Taric was seated in his tent, meditating on the\nmode in which he should assail this rock-built city, certain of the\npatrols of the camp brought a stranger before him. \u201cAs we were going\nour rounds,\u201d said they, \u201cwe beheld this man lowered down with cords\nfrom a tower, and he delivered himself into our hands, praying to\nbe conducted to thy presence, that he might reveal to thee certain\nthings important for thee to know.\u201d\n\nTaric fixed his eye upon the stranger; he was a Jewish rabbi, with a\nlong beard which spread upon his gabardine, and descended even to his\ngirdle. \u201cWhat hast thou to reveal?\u201d said he to the Israelite. \u201cWhat\nI have to reveal,\u201d replied the other, \u201cis for thee alone to hear;\ncommand, then, I entreat thee, that these men withdraw.\u201d When they\nwere alone he addressed Taric in Arabic: \u201cKnow, leader of the host of\nIslam,\u201d said he, \u201cthat I am sent to thee on the part of the children\nof Israel, resident in Toledo. We have been oppressed and insulted\nby the Christians in the time of their prosperity, and now that they\nare threatened with siege, they have taken from us all our provisions\nand our money; they have compelled us to work like slaves, repairing\ntheir walls; and they oblige us to bear arms and guard a part of the\ntowers. We abhor their yoke, and are ready, if thou wilt receive us\nas subjects, and permit us the free enjoyment of our religion and our\nproperty, to deliver the towers we guard into thy hands, and to give\nthee safe entrance into the city.\u201d\n\nThe Arab chief was overjoyed at this proposition, and he rendered\nmuch honor to the rabbi, and gave orders to clothe him in a costly\nrobe, and to perfume his beard with essences of a pleasant odor, so\nthat he was the most sweet-smelling of his tribe; and he said, \u201cMake\nthy words good, and put me in possession of the city, and I will\ndo all and more than thou hast required, and will bestow countless\nwealth upon thee and thy brethren.\u201d\n\nThen a plan was devised between them by which the city was to be\nbetrayed and given up. \u201cBut how shall I be secured,\u201d said he, \u201cthat\nall thy tribe will fulfill what thou hast engaged, and that this is\nnot a stratagem to get me and my people into your power?\u201d\n\n\u201cThis shall be thy assurance,\u201d replied the rabbi; \u201cten of the\nprincipal Israelites will come to this tent and remain as hostages.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is enough,\u201d said Taric; and he made oath to accomplish all\nthat he had promised; and the Jewish hostages came and delivered\nthemselves into his hands.\n\nOn a dark night a chosen band of Moslem warriors approached the part\nof the walls guarded by the Jews, and were secretly admitted into\na postern gate and concealed within a tower. Three thousand Arabs\nwere at the same time placed in ambush among rocks and thickets,\nin a place on the opposite side of the river, commanding a view of\nthe city. On the following morning Taric ravaged the gardens of the\nvalley, and set fire to the farm-houses, and then, breaking up his\ncamp, marched off as if abandoning the siege.\n\nThe people of Toledo gazed with astonishment from their walls at the\nretiring squadrons of the enemy, and scarcely could credit their\nunexpected deliverance; before night there was not a turban nor a\nhostile lance to be seen in the vega. They attributed it all to\nthe special intervention of their patron saint, Leocadia; and the\nfollowing day being Palm Sunday, they sallied forth in procession,\nman, woman, and child, to the church of that blessed saint, which is\nsituated without the walls, that they might return thanks for her\nmarvelous protection.\n\nWhen all Toledo had thus poured itself forth, and was marching with\ncross and relic and solemn chant towards the chapel, the Arabs who\nhad been concealed in the tower rushed forth, and barred the gates of\nthe city. While some guarded the gates, others dispersed themselves\nabout the streets, slaying all who made resistance; and others\nkindled a fire and made a column of smoke on the top of the citadel.\nAt sight of this signal, the Arabs in ambush beyond the river rose\nwith a great shout, and attacked the multitude who were thronging to\nthe church of St. Leocadia. There was a great massacre, although the\npeople were without arms and made no resistance; and it is said in\nancient chronicles that it was the apostate Bishop Oppas who guided\nthe Moslems to their prey, and incited them to this slaughter. The\npious reader, says Fray Antonio Agapida, will be slow to believe such\nturpitude; but there is nothing more venomous than the rancor of an\napostate priest; for the best things in this world, when corrupted,\nbecome the worst and most baneful.\n\nMany of the Christians had taken refuge within the church, and\nhad barred the doors, but Oppas commanded that fire should be set\nto the portals, threatening to put every one within to the sword.\nHappily the veteran Taric arrived just in time to stay the fury of\nthis reverend renegado. He ordered the trumpets to call off the\ntroops from the carnage, and extended grace to all the surviving\ninhabitants. They were permitted to remain in quiet possession of\ntheir homes and effects, paying only a moderate tribute; and they\nwere allowed to exercise the rites of their religion in the existing\nchurches, to the number of seven, but were prohibited from erecting\nany others. Those who preferred to leave the city were suffered to\ndepart in safety, but not to take with them any of their wealth.\n\nImmense spoil was found by Taric in the alcazar, or royal castle,\nsituated on a rocky eminence in the highest part of the city. Among\nthe regalia treasured up in a secret chamber were twenty-five regal\ncrowns of fine gold, garnished with jacinths, amethysts, diamonds,\nand other precious stones. These were the crowns of the different\nGothic kings who had reigned in Spain; it having been the usage\non the death of each king to deposit his crown in this treasury,\ninscribing on it his name and age.[36]\n\n  [36] Conde, _Hist. de los Arabes en Espa\u00f1a_, c. 12.\n\nWhen Taric was thus in possession of the city, the Jews came to\nhim in procession, with songs and dances and the sound of timbrel\nand psaltery, hailing him as their lord, and reminding him of his\npromises.\n\nThe son of Ishmael kept his word with the children of Israel; they\nwere protected in the possession of all their wealth and the exercise\nof their religion, and were, moreover, rewarded with jewels of gold\nand jewels of silver and much moneys.[37]\n\n  [37] The stratagem of the Jews of Toledo is recorded briefly by\n  Bishop Lucas de Tuy, in his chronicle, but is related at large in\n  the chronicle of the Moor Rasis.\n\nA subsequent expedition was led by Taric against Guadalaxara, which\nsurrendered without resistance; he moreover captured the city of\nMedina Celi, where he found an inestimable table which had formed\na part of the spoil taken at Rome by Alaric, at the time that the\nsacred city was conquered by the Goths. It was composed of one\nsingle and entire emerald, and possessed talismanic powers; for\ntraditions affirm that it was the work of genii, and had been wrought\nby them for King Solomon the Wise, the son of David. This marvelous\nrelic was carefully preserved by Taric, as the most precious of\nall his spoils, being intended by him as a present to the caliph;\nand in commemoration of it the city was called by the Arabs Medina\nAlmeyda,\u2014that is to say, \u201cThe City of the Table.\u201d[38]\n\n  [38] According to Arabian legends, this table was a mirror\n  revealing all great events; insomuch that by looking on it the\n  possessor might behold battles and sieges and feats of chivalry,\n  and all actions worthy of renown; and might thus ascertain the\n  truth of all historic transactions. It was a mirror of history\n  therefore; and had very probably aided King Solomon in acquiring\n  that prodigious knowledge and wisdom for which he was renowned.\n\nHaving made these and other conquests of less importance, and having\ncollected great quantities of gold and silver, and rich stuffs and\nprecious stones, Taric returned with his booty to the royal city of\nToledo.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nMuza ben Nosier.\u2014 His Entrance into Spain and Capture of Carmona.\n\n\nLet us leave for a season the bold Taric in his triumphant progress\nfrom city to city, while we turn our eyes to Muza ben Nosier, the\nrenowned emir of Almagreb, and the commander-in-chief of the Moslem\nforces of the West. When that jealous chieftain had dispatched his\nletter commanding Taric to pause and await his coming, he immediately\nmade every preparation to enter Spain with a powerful reinforcement,\nand to take command of the conquering army. He left his eldest son,\nAbdalasis, in Cairvan, with authority over Almagreb, or Western\nAfrica. This Abdalasis was in the flower of his youth, and beloved by\nthe soldiery for the magnanimity and the engaging affability which\ngraced his courage.\n\nMuza ben Nosier crossed the Strait of Hercules with a chosen force\nof ten thousand horse and eight thousand foot, Arabs and Africans.\nHe was accompanied by his two sons, Meruan and Abdelola, and by\nnumerous illustrious Arabian cavaliers of the tribe of the Koreish.\nHe landed his shining legions on the coast of Andalusia, and pitched\nhis tents near to the Guadiana. There first he received intelligence\nof the disobedience of Taric to his orders, and that, without waiting\nhis arrival, the impetuous chieftain had continued his career, and\nwith his light Arab squadrons had overrun and subdued the noblest\nprovinces and cities of the kingdom.\n\nThe jealous spirit of Muza was still more exasperated by these\ntidings; he looked upon Taric no longer as a friend and coadjutor,\nbut as an invidious rival, the decided enemy of his glory, and he\ndetermined on his ruin. His first consideration, however, was to\nsecure to himself a share in the actual conquest of the land before\nit should be entirely subjugated.\n\nTaking guides, therefore, from among his Christian captives, he set\nout to subdue such parts of the country as had not been visited by\nTaric. The first place which he assailed was the ancient city of\nCarmona; it was not of great magnitude, but was fortified with high\nwalls and massive towers, and many of the fugitives of the late army\nhad thrown themselves into it.\n\nThe Goths had by this time recovered from their first panic; they had\nbecome accustomed to the sight of Moslem troops, and their native\ncourage had been roused by danger. Shortly after the Arabs had\nencamped before their walls, a band of cavaliers made a sudden sally\none morning before the break of day, fell upon the enemy by surprise,\nkilled above three hundred of them in their tents, and effected their\nretreat into the city; leaving twenty of their number dead, covered\nwith honorable wounds, and in the very centre of the camp.\n\nOn the following day they made another sally, and fell on a different\nquarter of the encampment; but the Arabs were on their guard, and met\nthem with superior numbers. After fighting fiercely for a time, they\nwere routed, and fled full speed for the city, with the Arabs hard\nupon their traces. The guards within feared to open the gate, lest\nwith their friends they should admit a torrent of enemies. Seeing\nthemselves thus shut out, the fugitives determined to die like brave\nsoldiers rather than surrender. Wheeling suddenly round, they opened\na path through the host of their pursuers, fought their way back to\nthe camp, and raged about it with desperate fury until they were all\nslain, after having killed above eight hundred of the enemy.[39]\n\n  [39] Abulcasim, _Perdida de Espa\u00f1a_, L. 1, c. 13.\n\nMuza now ordered that the place should be taken by storm. The Moslems\nassailed it on all sides, but were vigorously resisted; many were\nslain by showers of stones, arrows, and boiling pitch, and many\nwho had mounted with scaling-ladders were thrown headlong from the\nbattlements. The alcayde, Galo, aided solely by two men, defended\na tower and a portion of the wall, killing and wounding with a\ncross-bow more than eighty of the enemy. The attack lasted above\nhalf a day, when the Moslems were repulsed with the loss of fifteen\nhundred men.\n\nMuza was astonished and exasperated at meeting with such formidable\nresistance from so small a city; for it was one of the few places,\nduring that memorable conquest, where the Gothic valor shone forth\nwith its proper lustre. While the Moslem army lay encamped before\nthe place, it was joined by Magued the renegado, and Count Julian\nthe traitor, with one thousand horsemen; most of them recreant\nChristians, base betrayers of their country, and more savage in their\nwarfare than the Arabs of the desert. To find favor in the eyes of\nMuza, and to evince his devotion to the cause, the count undertook,\nby wily stratagem, to put this gallant city in his power.\n\nOne evening, just at twilight, a number of Christians, habited as\ntravelling merchants, arrived at one of the gates, conducting a\ntrain of mules laden with arms and warlike munitions. \u201cOpen the gate\nquickly,\u201d cried they; \u201cwe bring supplies for the garrison, but the\nArabs have discovered and are in pursuit of us.\u201d The gate was thrown\nopen, the merchants entered with their beasts of burden, and were\njoyfully received. Meat and drink were placed before them, and after\nthey had refreshed themselves they retired to the quarters allotted\nto them.\n\nThese pretended merchants were Count Julian and a number of his\npartisans. At the hour of midnight they stole forth silently, and\nassembling together, proceeded to what is called the Gate of Cordova.\nHere setting suddenly upon the unsuspecting guards, they put them to\nthe edge of the sword, and throwing open the gates, admitted a great\nbody of the Arabs. The inhabitants were roused from their sleep by\nsound of drum and trumpet and the clattering of horses. The Arabs\nscoured the streets; a horrible massacre was commenced, in which\nnone were spared but such of the females as were young and beautiful,\nand fitted to grace the harems of the conquerors. The arrival of Muza\nput an end to the pillage and the slaughter, and he granted favorable\nterms to the survivors. Thus the valiant little city of Carmona,\nafter nobly resisting the open assaults of the infidels, fell a\nvictim to the treachery of apostate Christians.[40]\n\n  [40] _Cron. gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, por Alonzo el Sabio. P. 3, c. 1.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nMuza marches against the City of Seville.\n\n\nAfter the capture of Carmona, Muza descended into a noble plain,\ncovered with fields of grain, with orchards and gardens, through\nwhich glided the soft-flowing Guadalquivir. On the borders of the\nriver stood the ancient city of Seville, surrounded by Roman walls,\nand defended by its golden tower. Understanding from his spies that\nthe city had lost the flower of its youth in the battle of the\nGuadalete, Muza anticipated but a faint resistance. A considerable\nforce, however, still remained within the place, and what they wanted\nin numbers they made up in resolution. For some days they withstood\nthe assaults of the enemy, and defended their walls with great\ncourage. Their want of warlike munitions, however, and the superior\nforce and skill of the besieging army, left them no hope of being\nable to hold out long. There were two youthful cavaliers of uncommon\nvalor in the city. They assembled the warriors and addressed them.\n\u201cWe cannot save the city,\u201d said they; \u201cbut at least we may save\nourselves, and preserve so many strong arms for the service of our\ncountry. Let us cut our way through the infidel force, and gain some\nsecure fortress, from whence we may return with augmented numbers for\nthe rescue of the city.\u201d\n\nThe advice of the young cavaliers was adopted. In the dead of\nthe night the garrison assembled, to the number of about three\nthousand,\u2014the most part mounted on horseback. Suddenly sallying from\none of the gates, they rushed in a compact body upon the camp of the\nSaracens, which was negligently guarded, for the Moslems expected no\nsuch act of desperation. The camp was a scene of great carnage and\nconfusion; many were slain on both sides; the two valiant leaders of\nthe Christians fell covered with wounds, but the main body succeeded\nin forcing their way through the centre of the army, and in making\ntheir retreat to Beja in Lusitania.\n\nMuza was at a loss to know the meaning of this desperate sally. In\nthe morning he perceived the gates of the city wide open. A number of\nancient and venerable men presented themselves at his tent, offering\nsubmission and imploring mercy, for none were left in the place but\nthe old, the infirm, and the miserable. Muza listened to them with\ncompassion, and granted their prayer, and the only tribute he exacted\nwas three measures of wheat and three of barley from each house or\nfamily. He placed a garrison of Arabs in the city, and left there\na number of Jews to form a body of population. Having thus secured\ntwo important places in Andalusia, he passed the boundaries of the\nprovince, and advanced with great martial pomp into Lusitania.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMuza besieges the City of Merida.\n\n\nThe army of Muza was now augmented to about eighteen thousand\nhorsemen, but he took with him but few foot-soldiers, leaving them\nto garrison the conquered towns. He met with no resistance on his\nentrance into Lusitania. City after city laid its keys at his feet\nand implored to be received in peaceful vassalage. One city alone\nprepared for vigorous defense, the ancient Merida, a place of great\nextent, uncounted riches, and prodigious strength. A noble Goth named\nSacarus was the governor,\u2014a man of consummate wisdom, patriotism, and\nvalor. Hearing of the approach of the invaders, he gathered within\nthe walls all the people of the surrounding country, with their\nhorses and mules, their flocks and herds, and most precious effects.\nTo insure for a long time a supply of bread, he filled the magazines\nwith grain, and erected wind-mills on the churches. This done, he\nlaid waste the surrounding country to a great extent, so that a\nbesieging army would have to encamp in a desert.\n\nWhen Muza came in sight of this magnificent city, he was struck\nwith admiration. He remained for some time gazing in silence upon\nits mighty walls and lordly towers, its vast extent, and the stately\npalaces and temples with which it was adorned. \u201cSurely,\u201d cried he, at\nlength, \u201call the people of the earth have combined their power and\nskill to embellish and aggrandize this city. Allah Achbar! Happy will\nhe be who shall have the glory of making such a conquest!\u201d\n\nSeeing that a place so populous and so strongly fortified would\nbe likely to maintain a long and formidable resistance, he sent\nmessengers to Africa to his son Abdalasis, to collect all the forces\nthat could be spared from the garrisons of Mauritania, and to hasten\nand reinforce him.\n\nWhile Muza was forming his encampment, deserters from the city\nbrought him word that a chosen band intended to sally forth at\nmidnight and surprise his camp. The Arab commander immediately took\nmeasures to receive them with a counter surprise. Having formed his\nplan, and communicated it to his principal officers, he ordered\nthat, throughout the day, there should be kept up an appearance of\nnegligent confusion in his encampment. The outposts were feebly\nguarded; fires were lighted in various places, as if preparing for\nfeasting; bursts of music and shouts of revelry resounded from\ndifferent quarters, and the whole camp seemed to be rioting in\ncareless security on the plunder of the land. As the night advanced,\nthe fires were gradually extinguished, and silence ensued, as if the\nsoldiery had sunk into deep sleep after the carousal.\n\nIn the mean time, bodies of troops had been secretly and silently\nmarched to reinforce the outposts; and the renegado Magued, with a\nnumerous force, had formed an ambuscade in a deep stone quarry by\nwhich the Christians would have to pass. These preparations being\nmade, they awaited the approach of the enemy in breathless silence.\n\nAbout midnight the chosen force intended for the sally assembled,\nand the command was confided to Count Tendero, a Gothic cavalier\nof tried prowess. After having heard a solemn mass and received\nthe benediction of the priest, they marched out of the gate with\nall possible silence. They were suffered to pass the ambuscade in\nthe quarry without molestation; as they approached the Moslem camp\neverything appeared quiet, for the foot-soldiers were concealed in\nslopes and hollows, and every Arab horseman lay in his armor beside\nhis steed. The sentinels on the outposts waited until the Christians\nwere close at hand, and then fled in apparent consternation.\n\nCount Tendero gave the signal for assault, and the Christians rushed\nconfidently forward. In an instant an uproar of drums, trumpets,\nand shrill war-cries burst forth from every side. An army seemed to\nspring up from the earth; squadrons of horse came thundering on them\nin front while the quarry poured forth legions of armed warriors in\ntheir rear.\n\nThe noise of the terrific conflict that took place was heard on the\ncity walls, and answered by shouts of exultation, for the Christians\nthought it rose from the terror and confusion of the Arab camp. In\na little while, however, they were undeceived by fugitives from the\nfight, aghast with terror and covered with wounds. \u201cHell itself,\u201d\ncried they, \u201cis on the side of these infidels; the earth casts forth\nwarriors and steeds to aid them. We have fought, not with men, but\ndevils!\u201d\n\nThe greater part of the chosen troops who had sallied were cut to\npieces in that scene of massacre, for they had been confounded by\nthe tempest of battle which suddenly broke forth around them. Count\nTendero fought with desperate valor, and fell covered with wounds.\nHis body was found the next morning, lying among the slain, and\ntranspierced with half a score of lances. The renegado Magued cut\noff his head and tied it to the tail of his horse, and repaired with\nthis savage trophy to the tent of Muza; but the hostility of the Arab\ngeneral was of a less malignant kind. He ordered that the head and\nbody should be placed together upon a bier, and treated with becoming\nreverence.\n\nIn the course of the day a train of priests and friars came forth\nfrom the city to request permission to seek for the body of the\ncount. Muza delivered it to them, with many soldier-like encomiums on\nthe valor of that good cavalier. The priests covered it with a pall\nof cloth of gold, and bore it back in melancholy procession to the\ncity where it was received with loud lamentations.\n\nThe siege was now pressed with great vigor, and repeated assaults\nwere made, but in vain. Muza saw, at length, that the walls were too\nhigh to be scaled, and the gates too strong to be burst open without\nthe aid of engines, and he desisted from the attack until machines\nfor the purpose could be constructed. The governor suspected from\nthis cessation of active warfare that the enemy flattered themselves\nto reduce the place by famine; he caused, therefore, large baskets\nof bread to be thrown from the wall, and sent a messenger to Muza\nto inform him that if his army should be in want of bread he would\nsupply it, having sufficient corn in his granaries for a ten years\u2019\nsiege.[41]\n\n  [41] Bleda, _Cronica_, L. 2, c. 11.\n\nThe citizens, however, did not possess the undaunted spirit of\ntheir governor. When they found that the Moslems were constructing\ntremendous engines for the destruction of their walls, they lost all\ncourage, and, surrounding the governor in a clamorous multitude,\ncompelled him to send forth persons to capitulate.\n\nThe ambassadors came into the presence of Muza with awe, for they\nexpected to find a fierce and formidable warrior in one who had\nfilled the land with terror; but, to their astonishment, they beheld\nan ancient and venerable man, with white hair, a snowy beard, and\na pale, emaciated countenance. He had passed the previous night\nwithout sleep, and had been all day in the field; he was exhausted,\ntherefore, by watchfulness and fatigue, and his garments were covered\nwith dust.\n\n\u201cWhat a devil of a man is this,\u201d murmured the ambassadors, one to\nanother, \u201cto undertake such a siege when on the verge of the grave.\nLet us defend our city the best way we can; surely we can hold out\nlonger than the life of this graybeard.\u201d\n\nThey returned to the city, therefore, scoffing at an invader who\nseemed fitter to lean on a crutch than wield a lance; and the terms\noffered by Muza, which would otherwise have been thought favorable,\nwere scornfully rejected by the inhabitants. A few days put an end to\nthis mistaken confidence. Abdalasis, the son of Muza, arrived from\nAfrica at the head of his reinforcement; he brought seven thousand\nhorsemen and a host of Barbary archers, and made a glorious display\nas he marched into the camp. The arrival of this youthful warrior\nwas hailed with great acclamations, so much had he won the hearts of\nthe soldiery by the frankness, the suavity, and generosity of his\nconduct. Immediately after his arrival a grand assault was made upon\nthe city, and several of the huge battering engines being finished,\nthey were wheeled up and began to thunder against the walls.\n\nThe unsteady populace were again seized with terror, and, surrounding\ntheir governor with fresh clamors, obliged him to send forth\nambassadors a second time to treat of a surrender. When admitted to\nthe presence of Muza, the ambassadors could scarcely believe their\neyes, or that this was the same withered, white-headed old man of\nwhom they had lately spoken with scoffing. His hair and beard were\ntinged of a ruddy brown; his countenance was refreshed by repose\nand flushed with indignation, and he appeared a man in the matured\nvigor of his days. The ambassadors were struck with awe. \u201cSurely,\u201d\nwhispered they, one to the other, \u201cthis must be either a devil or a\nmagician, who can thus make himself old and young at pleasure!\u201d\n\nMuza received them haughtily. \u201cHence,\u201d said he, \u201cand tell your people\nI grant them the same terms I have already proffered, provided the\ncity be instantly surrendered; but, by the head of Mahomet, if there\nbe any further delay, not one mother\u2019s son of ye shall receive mercy\nat my hands!\u201d\n\nThe deputies returned into the city pale and dismayed. \u201cGo forth!\ngo forth!\u201d cried they, \u201cand accept whatever terms are offered; of\nwhat avail is it to fight against men who can renew their youth at\npleasure? Behold, we left the leader of the infidels an old and\nfeeble man, and to-day we find him youthful and vigorous.\u201d[42]\n\n  [42] _Conde_, p. 1, c. 13. Ambrosio de Morales. N. B.\u2014In the\n  chronicle of Spain, composed by order of Alonzo the Wise, this\n  anecdote is given as having happened at the siege of Seville.\n\nThe place was, therefore, surrendered forthwith, and Muza entered it\nin triumph. His terms were merciful. Those who chose to remain were\nprotected in persons, possessions, and religion; he took the property\nof those only who abandoned the city or had fallen in battle;\ntogether with all arms and horses, and the treasures and ornaments\nof the churches. Among these sacred spoils was found a cup made of\na single pearl, which a king of Spain, in ancient times, had brought\nfrom the temple of Jerusalem when it was destroyed by Nabuchodonosor.\nThis precious relic was sent by Muza to the caliph, and was placed in\nthe principal mosque of the city of Damascus.[43]\n\n  [43] Marmol, _Descrip. de Africa_, T. 1, L. 2.\n\nMuza knew how to esteem merit even in an enemy. When Sacarus, the\nGovernor of Merida, appeared before him, he lauded him greatly for\nthe skill and courage he had displayed in the defense of his city;\nand, taking off his own scimetar, which was of great value, girded\nit upon him with his own hands. \u201cWear this,\u201d said he, \u201cas a poor\nmemorial of my admiration; a soldier of such virtue and valor is\nworthy of far higher honors.\u201d\n\nHe would have engaged the governor in his service, or have persuaded\nhim to remain in the city, as an illustrious vassal of the caliph,\nbut the noble-minded Sacarus refused to bend to the yoke of the\nconquerors; nor could he bring himself to reside contentedly in his\ncountry, when subjected to the domination of the infidels. Gathering\ntogether all those who chose to accompany him into exile, he embarked\nto seek some country where he might live in peace and in the free\nexercise of his religion. What shore these ocean pilgrims landed upon\nhas never been revealed; but tradition vaguely gives us to believe\nthat it was some unknown island far in the bosom of the Atlantic.[44]\n\n  [44] Abulcasim, _Perdida de Espa\u00f1a_, L. 1, c. 13.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nExpedition of Abdalasis against Seville and the \u201cLand of Tadmir.\u201d\n\n\nAfter the capture of Merida, Muza gave a grand banquet to his\ncaptains and distinguished warriors in that magnificent city. At\nthis martial feast were many Arab cavaliers who had been present in\nvarious battles, and they vied with each other in recounting the\ndaring enterprises in which they had been engaged, and the splendid\ntriumphs they had witnessed. While they talked with ardor and\nexultation, Abdalasis, the son of Muza, alone kept silence, and sat\nwith a dejected countenance. At length, when there was a pause, he\nturned to his father and addressed him with modest earnestness. \u201cMy\nlord and father,\u201d said he, \u201cI blush to hear your warriors recount\nthe toils and dangers they have passed while I have done nothing\nto entitle me to their companionship. When I return to Egypt and\npresent myself before the caliph, he will ask me of my services in\nSpain; what battle I have gained; what town or castle I have taken.\nHow shall I answer him? If you love me, then, as your son, give me\na command, intrust to me an enterprise, and let me acquire a name\nworthy to be mentioned among men.\u201d\n\nThe eyes of Muza kindled with joy at finding Abdalasis thus ambitious\nof renown in arms. \u201cAllah be praised!\u201d exclaimed he, \u201cthe heart of my\nson is in the right place. It is becoming in youth to look upward and\nbe aspiring. Thy desire, Abdalasis, shall be gratified.\u201d\n\nAn opportunity at that very time presented itself to prove the\nprowess and discretion of the youth. During the siege of Merida,\nthe Christian troops which had taken refuge at Beja had reinforced\nthemselves from Pe\u00f1aflor, and suddenly returning, had presented\nthemselves before the gates of the city of Seville.[45] Certain of\nthe Christian inhabitants threw open the gates and admitted them. The\ntroops rushed to the alcazar, took it by surprise, and put many of\nthe Moslem garrison to the sword; the residue made their escape, and\nfled to the Arab camp before Merida, leaving Seville in the hands of\nthe Christians.\n\n  [45] Espinosa, _Antq. y Grand. de Seville_, L. 2, c. 3.\n\nThe veteran Muza, now that the siege of Merida was at an end, was\nmeditating the recapture and punishment of Seville at the very time\nwhen Abdalasis addressed him. \u201cBehold, my son,\u201d exclaimed he, \u201can\nenterprise worthy of thy ambition! Take with thee all the troops\nthou hast brought from Africa; reduce the city of Seville again to\nsubjection, and plant thy standard upon its alcazar. But stop not\nthere: carry thy conquering sword into the southern parts of Spain;\nthou wilt find there a harvest of glory yet to be reaped.\u201d\n\nAbdalasis lost no time in departing upon this enterprise. He took\nwith him Count Julian, Magued el Rumi, and the Bishop Oppas, that\nhe might benefit by their knowledge of the country. When he came in\nsight of the fair city of Seville, seated like a queen in the midst\nof its golden plain, with the Guadalquivir flowing beneath its walls,\nhe gazed upon it with the admiration of a lover, and lamented in his\nsoul that he had to visit it as an avenger. His troops, however,\nregarded it with wrathful eyes, thinking only of its rebellion and of\nthe massacre of their countrymen in the alcazar.\n\nThe principal people of the city had taken no part in this gallant\nbut fruitless insurrection; and now, when they beheld the army of\nAbdalasis encamped upon the banks of the Guadalquivir, would fain\nhave gone forth to make explanations, and intercede for mercy. The\npopulace, however, forbade any one to leave the city, and, barring\nthe gates, prepared to defend themselves to the last.\n\nThe place was attacked with resistless fury. The gates were soon\nburst open; the Moslems rushed in, panting for revenge. They confined\nnot their slaughter to the soldiery in the alcazar, but roamed\nthrough every street, confounding the innocent with the guilty in one\nbloody massacre, and it was with the utmost difficulty that Abdalasis\ncould at length succeed in staying their sanguinary career.[46]\n\n  [46] Conde, P. 1, c. 14.\n\nThe son of Muza proved himself as mild in conquest as he had been\nintrepid in assault. The moderation and benignity of his conduct\nsoothed the terrors of the vanquished, and his wise precautions\nrestored tranquillity. Having made proper regulations for the\nprotection of the inhabitants, he left a strong garrison in the place\nto prevent any future insurrection, and then departed on the further\nprosecution of his enterprise.\n\nWherever he went his arms were victorious; and his victories were\nalways characterized by the same magnanimity. At length he arrived\non the confines of that beautiful region, comprising lofty and\nprecipitous mountains and rich and delicious plains, afterwards known\nby the name of the kingdom of Murcia. All this part of the country\nwas defended by the veteran Theodomir, who, by skillful management,\nhad saved a remnant of his forces after the defeat on the banks of\nthe Guadalete.\n\nTheodomir was a stanch warrior, but a wary and prudent man. He\nhad experienced the folly of opposing the Arabs in open field,\nwhere their cavalry and armor gave them such superiority; on their\napproach, therefore, he assembled all his people capable of bearing\narms, and took possession of the cliffs and mountain passes. \u201cHere,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201ca simple goat-herd, who can hurl down rocks and stones,\nis as good as a warrior armed in proof.\u201d In this way he checked\nand harassed the Moslem army in all its movements,\u2014showering down\nmissiles upon it from overhanging precipices, and waylaying it in\nnarrow and rugged defiles, where a few raw troops could make stand\nagainst a host.\n\nTheodomir was in a fair way to baffle his foes, and oblige them\nto withdraw from his territories; unfortunately, however, the wary\nveteran had two sons with him, young men of hot and heady valor,\nwho considered all this prudence of their father as savoring of\ncowardice, and who were anxious to try their prowess in the open\nfield. \u201cWhat glory,\u201d said they, \u201cis to be gained by destroying an\nenemy in this way, from the covert of rocks and thickets?\u201d\n\n\u201cYou talk like young men,\u201d replied the veteran. \u201cGlory is a prize one\nmay fight for abroad, but safety is the object when the enemy is at\nthe door.\u201d\n\nOne day, however, the young men succeeded in drawing down their\nfather into the plain. Abdalasis immediately seized on the\nopportunity, and threw himself between the Goths and their mountain\nfastnesses. Theodomir saw too late the danger into which he was\nbetrayed. \u201cWhat can our raw troops do,\u201d said he, \u201cagainst those\nsquadrons of horse that move like castles? Let us make a rapid\nretreat to Orihuela, and defend ourselves from behind its walls.\u201d\n\n\u201cFather,\u201d said the eldest son, \u201cit is too late to retreat; remain\nhere with the reserve while my brother and I advance. Fear nothing;\nam not I your son, and would I not die to defend you?\u201d\n\n\u201cIn truth,\u201d replied the veteran, \u201cI have my doubts whether you are my\nson. But if I remain here, and you should all be killed, where then\nwould be my protection? Come,\u201d added he, turning to the second son,\n\u201cI trust that thou art virtually my son, let us hasten to retreat\nbefore it is too late.\u201d\n\n\u201cFather,\u201d replied the youngest, \u201cI have not a doubt that I am\nhonestly and thoroughly your son, and as such I honor you; but I owe\nduty likewise to my mother, and when I sallied to the war she gave me\nher blessing as long as I should act with valor, but her curse should\nI prove craven and fly the field. Fear nothing, father; I will defend\nyou while living, and even after you are dead. You shall never fail\nof an honorable sepulture among your kindred.\u201d\n\n\u201cA pestilence on ye both,\u201d cried Theodomir, \u201cfor a brace of\nmisbegotten madmen! What care I, think ye, where ye lay my body\nwhen I am dead? One day\u2019s existence in a hovel is worth an age of\ninterment in a marble sepulchre. Come, my friends,\u201d said he, turning\nto his principal cavaliers, \u201clet us leave these hot-headed striplings\nand make our retreat; if we tarry any longer the enemy will be upon\nus.\u201d\n\nUpon this, the cavaliers and proud hidalgoes drew up scornfully and\ntossed their heads: \u201cWhat do you see in us,\u201d said they, \u201cthat you\nthink we will show our backs to the enemy? Forward! was ever the good\nold Gothic watchword, and with that will we live and die!\u201d\n\nWhile time was lost in these disputes, the Moslem army kept advancing\nuntil retreat was no longer practicable. The battle was tumultuous\nand bloody. Theodomir fought like a lion, but it was all in vain;\nhe saw his two sons cut down, and the greater part of their rash\ncompanions, while his raw mountain troops fled in all directions.\n\nSeeing there was no longer any hope, he seized the bridle of a\nfavorite page who was near him, and who was about spurring for the\nmountains. \u201cPart not from me,\u201d said he, \u201cbut do thou, at least,\nattend to my counsel, my son; and of a truth I believe thou art my\nson, for thou art the offspring of one of my handmaids who was kind\nunto me.\u201d And indeed the youth marvelously resembled him. Turning\nthen the reins of his own steed, and giving him the spur, he fled\namain from the field, followed by the page; nor did he stop until he\narrived within the walls of Orihuela.\n\nOrdering the gates to be barred and bolted, he prepared to receive\nthe enemy. There were but few men in the city capable of bearing\narms, most of the youth having fallen in the field. He caused the\nwomen, therefore, to clothe themselves in male attire, to put on hats\nand helmets, to take long reeds in their hands instead of lances, and\nto cross their hair upon their chins in semblance of beards. With\nthese troops he lined the walls and towers.\n\nIt was about the hour of twilight that Abdalasis approached with his\narmy, but he paused when he saw the walls so numerously garrisoned.\nThen Theodomir took a flag of truce in his hand, and put a herald\u2019s\ntabard on the page, and they two sallied forth to capitulate, and\nwere graciously received by Abdalasis.\n\n\u201cI come,\u201d said Theodomir, \u201con the behalf of the commander of this\ncity, to treat for terms worthy of your magnanimity and of his\ndignity. You perceive that the city is capable of withstanding a\nlong siege, but he is desirous of sparing the lives of his soldiers.\nPromise that the inhabitants shall be at liberty to depart unmolested\nwith their property, and the city will be delivered up to you\nto-morrow morning without a blow; otherwise we are prepared to fight\nuntil not a man be left.\u201d\n\nAbdalasis was well pleased to get so powerful a place upon such easy\nterms, but stipulated that the garrison should lay down their arms.\nTo this Theodomir readily assented, with the exception, however, of\nthe governor and his retinue, which was granted out of consideration\nfor his dignity. The articles of capitulation were then drawn out,\nand when Abdalasis had affixed his name and seal, Theodomir took the\npen and wrote his signature. \u201cBehold in me,\u201d said he, \u201cthe governor\nof the city!\u201d\n\nAbdalasis was pleased with the hardihood of the commander of the\nplace in thus venturing personally into his power, and entertained\nthe veteran with still greater honor. When Theodomir returned to the\ncity, he made known the capitulation, and charged the inhabitants to\npack up their effects during the night and be ready to sally forth\nduring the morning.\n\nAt the dawn of day the gates were thrown open, and Abdalasis looked\nto see a great force issuing forth, but to his surprise beheld merely\nTheodomir and his page in battered armor, followed by a multitude of\nold men, women, and children.\n\nAbdalasis waited until the whole had come forth, then turning to\nTheodomir, \u201cWhere,\u201d cried he, \u201care the soldiers whom I saw last\nevening lining the walls and towers?\u201d\n\n\u201cSoldiers have I none,\u201d replied the veteran. \u201cAs to my garrison,\nbehold it before you. With these women did I man my walls, and this\nmy page is my herald, guard, and retinue.\u201d\n\nUpon this the Bishop Oppas and Count Julian exclaimed that the\ncapitulation was a base fraud and ought not to be complied with; but\nAbdalasis relished the stratagem of the old soldier, and ordered\nthat the stipulations of the treaty should be faithfully performed.\nNay, so high an opinion did he conceive of the subtle wisdom of this\ncommander that he permitted him to remain in authority over the\nsurrounding country on his acknowledging allegiance and engaging to\npay tribute to the caliph; and all that part of Spain, comprising\nthe beautiful provinces of Murcia and Valencia, was long after known\nby the Arabic name of its defender, and is still recorded in Arabian\nchronicles as \u201cThe land of Tadmir.\u201d[47]\n\n  [47] Conde, p. 1. _Cronica del Moro Rasis._\u2014_Cron. gen. Espa\u00f1a_,\n  por Alonzo el Sabio, p. 3, c. 1.\n\nHaving succeeded in subduing this rich and fruitful region, and\nhaving gained great renown for his generosity as well as valor,\nAbdalasis returned with the chief part of his army to the city of\nSeville.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nMuza arrives at Toledo.\u2014Interview between him and Taric.\n\n\nWhen Muza ben Nosier had sent his son Abdalasis to subdue Seville, he\ndeparted for Toledo to call Taric to account for his disobedience to\nhis orders; for, amidst all his own successes, the prosperous career\nof that commander preyed upon his mind. What can content the jealous\nand ambitious heart? As Muza passed through the land, towns and\ncities submitted to him without resistance; he was lost in wonder at\nthe riches of the country and the noble monuments of art with which\nit was adorned; when he beheld the bridges, constructed in ancient\ntimes by the Romans, they seemed to him the work, not of men, but\nof genii. Yet all these admirable objects only made him repine the\nmore that he had not had the exclusive glory of invading and subduing\nthe land; and exasperated him the more against Taric, for having\napparently endeavored to monopolize the conquest.\n\nTaric heard of his approach, and came forth to meet him at Talavera,\naccompanied by many of the most distinguished companions of his\nvictories, and with a train of horses and mules laden with spoils,\nwith which he trusted to propitiate the favor of his commander.\nTheir meeting took place on the banks of the rapid river Tietar,\nwhich rises in the mountains of Placencia and throws itself into the\nTagus. Muza, in former days, while Taric had acted as his subordinate\nand indefatigable officer, had cherished and considered him as a\nsecond self; but now that he had started up to be a rival, he could\nnot conceal his jealousy. When the veteran came into his presence,\nhe regarded him for a moment with a stern and indignant aspect.\n\u201cWhy hast thou disobeyed my orders?\u201d said he. \u201cI commanded thee to\nawait my arrival with reinforcements, but thou hast rashly overrun\nthe country, endangering the loss of our armies and the ruin of our\ncause.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have acted,\u201d replied Taric, \u201cin such manner as I thought would\nbest serve the cause of Islam, and in so doing I thought to fulfill\nthe wishes of Muza. Whatever I have done has been as your servant;\nbehold your share as commander-in-chief of spoils which I have\ncollected.\u201d So saying he produced an immense treasure in silver and\ngold, and costly stuffs and precious stones, and spread it before\nMuza.\n\nThe anger of the Arab commander was still more kindled at the sight\nof this booty, for it proved how splendid had been the victories\nof Taric; but he restrained his wrath for the present, and they\nproceeded together in moody silence to Toledo. When he entered this\nroyal city, however, and ascended to the ancient palace of the Gothic\nkings, and reflected that all this had been a scene of triumph to\nhis rival, he could no longer repress his indignation. He demanded of\nTaric a strict account of all the riches he had gathered in Spain,\neven of the presents he had reserved for the caliph, and, above all,\nhe made him yield up his favorite trophy, the talismanic table of\nSolomon. When all this was done, he again upbraided him bitterly with\nhis disobedience of orders, and with the rashness of his conduct.\n\u201cWhat blind confidence in fortune hast thou shown,\u201d said he, \u201cin\noverrunning such a country and assailing such powerful cities with\nthy scanty force! What madness to venture everything upon a desperate\nchance, when thou knewest I was coming with a force to make the\nvictory secure. All thy success has been owing to mere luck, not to\njudgment nor generalship.\u201d\n\nHe then bestowed high praises upon the other chieftains for their\nservices in the cause of Islam, but they answered not a word, and\ntheir countenances were gloomy and discontented; for they felt the\ninjustice done to their favorite leader. As to Taric, though his eye\nburned like fire, he kept his passion within bounds. \u201cI have done the\nbest I could to serve God and the caliph,\u201d said he emphatically; \u201cmy\nconscience acquits me, and I trust my sovereign will do the same.\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps he may,\u201d replied Muza, bitterly; \u201cbut, in the mean time, I\ncannot confide his interests to a desperado who is heedless of orders\nand throws everything at hazard. Such a general is unworthy to be\nintrusted with the fate of armies.\u201d\n\nSo saying, he divested Taric of his command, and gave it to Magued\nthe renegado. The gaunt Taric still maintained an air of stern\ncomposure. His only words were, \u201cThe caliph will do me justice!\u201d Muza\nwas so transported with passion at this laconic defiance that he\nordered him to be thrown into prison, and even threatened his life.\n\nUpon this, Magued el Rumi, though he had risen by the disgrace\nof Taric, had the generosity to speak out warmly in his favor.\n\u201cConsider,\u201d said he, to Muza, \u201cwhat may be the consequences of this\nseverity. Taric has many friends in the army; his actions, too, have\nbeen signal and illustrious, and entitle him to the highest honors\nand rewards, instead of disgrace and imprisonment.\u201d\n\nThe anger of Muza, however, was not to be appeased; and he trusted\nto justify his measures by dispatching missives to the caliph,\ncomplaining of the insubordination of Taric, and his rash and\nheadlong conduct. The result proved the wisdom of the caution\ngiven by Magued. In the course of a little while Muza received a\nhumiliating letter from the caliph, ordering him to restore Taric to\nthe command of the soldiers \u201cwhom he had so gloriously conducted;\u201d\nand not to render useless \u201cone of the best swords in Islam!\u201d[48]\n\n  [48] Conde, pt. 1. c. 15.\n\nIt is thus the envious man brings humiliation and reproach upon\nhimself, in endeavoring to degrade a meritorious rival. When the\ntidings came of the justice rendered by the caliph to the merits of\nthe veteran, there was general joy throughout the army, and Muza read\nin the smiling countenances of every one around him a severe censure\nupon his conduct. He concealed, however, his deep humiliation, and\naffected to obey the orders of his sovereign with great alacrity;\nhe released Taric from prison, feasted him at his own table, and\nthen publicly replaced him at the head of his troops. The army\nreceived its favorite veteran with shouts of joy, and celebrated with\nrejoicings the reconciliation of the commanders; but the shouts of\nthe soldiery were abhorrent to the ears of Muza.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nMuza prosecutes the Scheme of Conquest.\u2014Siege of Saragossa.\u2014Complete\nSubjugation of Spain.\n\n\nThe dissensions, which for a time had distracted the conquering\narmy, being appeased, and the Arabian generals being apparently once\nmore reconciled, Muza, as commander in-chief, proceeded to complete\nthe enterprise by subjugating the northern parts of Spain. The same\nexpeditious mode of conquest that had been sagaciously adopted by\nTaric was still pursued. The troops were lightly armed, and freed\nfrom every superfluous incumbrance. Each horseman, beside his arms,\ncarried a small sack of provisions, a copper vessel in which to\ncook them, and a skin which served him for surcoat and for bed. The\ninfantry carried nothing but their arms. To each regiment or squadron\nwas allowed a limited number of sumpter-mules and attendants, barely\nenough to carry their necessary baggage and supplies; nothing was\npermitted that could needlessly diminish the number of fighting men,\ndelay their rapid movements, or consume their provisions. Strict\norders were again issued, prohibiting, on pain of death, all plunder\nexcepting the camp of an enemy, or cities given up to pillage.[49]\n\n  [49] Conde, pt. 1, c. 15.\n\nThe armies now took their several lines of march. That under Taric\ndeparted towards the northeast; beating up the country towards the\nsource of the Tagus, traversing the chain of Iberian or Arragonian\nMountains, and pouring down into the plains and valleys watered by\nthe Ebro. It was wonderful to see, in so brief a space of time, such\na vast and difficult country penetrated and subdued, and the invading\narmy, like an inundating flood, pouring its streams into the most\nremote recesses.\n\nWhile Taric was thus sweeping the country to the northeast, Muza\ndeparted in an opposite direction; yet purposing to meet him, and\nto join their forces in the north. Bending his course westwardly,\nhe made a circuit behind the mountains, and then, advancing into\nthe open country, displayed his banners before Salamanca, which\nsurrendered without resistance. From hence he continued on towards\nAstorga, receiving the terrified submission of the land; then turning\nup the Valley of the Douro, he ascended the course of that famous\nriver towards the east; crossed the Sierra de Moncayo, and, arriving\non the banks of the Ebro, marched down along its stream, until he\napproached the strong city of Saragossa, the citadel of all that part\nof Spain. In this place had taken refuge many of the most valiant\nof the Gothic warriors\u2014the remnants of armies, and fugitives from\nconquered cities. It was one of the last rallying-points of the land.\nWhen Muza arrived, Taric had already been for some time before the\nplace, laying close siege; the inhabitants were pressed by famine,\nand had suffered great losses in repeated combats; but there was a\nspirit and obstinacy in their resistance surpassing anything that had\nyet been witnessed by the invaders.\n\nMuza now took command of the siege, and ordered a general assault\nupon the walls. The Moslems planted their scaling-ladders, and\nmounted with their accustomed intrepidity, but were vigorously\nresisted; nor could all their efforts obtain them a footing upon\nthe battlements. While they were thus assailing the walls, Count\nJulian ordered a heap of combustibles to be placed against one of\nthe gates, and set on fire. The inhabitants attempted in vain, from\nthe barbican, to extinguish the flames. They burned so fiercely\nthat in a little while the gate fell from the hinges. Count Julian\ngalloped into the city, mounted upon a powerful charger, himself and\nhis steed all covered with mail. He was followed by three hundred of\nhis partisans, and supported by Magued the renegado, with a troop of\nhorse.\n\nThe inhabitants disputed every street and public square; they made\nbarriers of dead bodies, fighting behind these ramparts of their\nslaughtered countrymen. Every window and roof was filled with\ncombatants; the very women and children joined in the desperate\nfight, throwing down stones and missiles of all kinds, and scalding\nwater upon the enemy.\n\nThe battle raged until the hour of vespers, when the principal\ninhabitants held a parley, and capitulated for a surrender. Muza\nhad been incensed at their obstinate resistance, which had cost the\nlives of so many of his soldiers; he knew, also, that in the city\nwere collected the riches of many of the towns of eastern Spain. He\ndemanded, therefore, beside the usual terms, a heavy sum to be paid\ndown by the citizens, called the contribution of blood; as by this\nthey redeemed themselves from the edge of the sword. The people were\nobliged to comply. They collected all the jewels of their richest\nfamilies, and all the ornaments of their temples, and laid them at\nthe feet of Muza; and placed in his power many of their noblest\nyouths as hostages. A strong garrison was then appointed, and thus\nthe fierce city of Saragossa was subdued to the yoke of the conqueror.\n\nThe Arab generals pursued their conquests even to the foot of the\nPyrenees; Taric then descended along the course of the Ebro, and\ncontinued along the Mediterranean coast; subduing the famous city\nof Valencia, with its rich and beautiful domains, and carrying the\nsuccess of his arms even to Denia.\n\nMuza undertook with his host a wider range of conquest. He overcame\nthe cities of Barcelona, Gerona, and others that lay on the skirts\nof the eastern mountains; then crossing into the land of the Franks,\nhe captured the city of Narbonne\u2014in a temple of which he found seven\nequestrian images of silver, which he brought off as trophies of\nhis victory.[50] Returning into Spain, he scoured its northern\nregions along Gallicia and the Asturias; passed triumphantly through\nLusitania, and arrived once more in Andalusia, covered with laurels\nand enriched with immense spoils.\n\n  [50] Conde, pt. 1, c. 16.\n\nThus was completed the subjugation of unhappy Spain. All its cities,\nand fortresses, and strongholds, were in the hands of the Saracens,\nexcepting some of the wild mountain tracts that bordered the Atlantic\nand extended towards the north. Here, then, the story of the conquest\nmight conclude, but that the indefatigable chronicler, Fray Antonio\nAgapida, goes on to record the fate of those persons who were most\nrenowned in the enterprise. We shall follow his steps, and avail\nourselves of his information, laboriously collected from various\nsources; and, truly, the story of each of the actors in this great\nhistorical drama bears with it its striking moral, and is full of\nadmonition and instruction.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nFeud between the Arab Generals.\u2014They are summoned to appear before\nthe Caliph at Damascus.\u2014Reception of Taric.\n\n\nThe heart of Muza ben Nosier was now lifted up, for he considered\nhis glory complete. He held a sway that might have gratified the\nambition of the proudest sovereign, for all western Africa and the\nnewly acquired peninsula of Spain were obedient to his rule; and he\nwas renowned throughout all the lands of Islam as the great conqueror\nof the West. But sudden humiliation awaited him in the very moment of\nhis highest triumph.\n\nNotwithstanding the outward reconciliation of Muza and Taric, a deep\nand implacable hostility continued to exist between them; and each\nhad busy partisans who distracted the armies by their feuds. Letters\nwere incessantly dispatched to Damascus by either party, exalting\nthe merits of their own leader and decrying his rival. Taric was\nrepresented as rash, arbitrary, and prodigal, and as injuring the\ndiscipline of the army, by sometimes treating it with extreme rigor\nand at other times giving way to licentiousness and profusion. Muza\nwas lauded as prudent, sagacious, dignified, and systematic in his\ndealings. The friends of Taric, on the other hand, represented him\nas brave, generous, and high-minded; scrupulous in reserving to his\nsovereign his rightful share of the spoils, but distributing the rest\nbounteously among his soldiers, and thus increasing their alacrity\nin the service. \u201cMuza, on the contrary,\u201d said they, \u201cis grasping and\ninsatiable; he levies intolerable contributions and collects immense\ntreasure, but sweeps it all into his own coffers.\u201d\n\nThe caliph was at length wearied out by these complaints, and feared\nthat the safety of the cause might be endangered by the dissensions\nof the rival generals. He sent letters, therefore, ordering them\nto leave suitable persons in charge of their several commands, and\nappear, forthwith, before him at Damascus.\n\nSuch was the greeting from his sovereign that awaited Muza on his\nreturn from the conquest of northern Spain. It was a grievous blow to\na man of his pride and ambition; but he prepared instantly to obey.\nHe returned to Cordova, collecting by the way all the treasures he\nhad deposited in various places. At that city he called a meeting of\nhis principal officers, and of the leaders of the faction of apostate\nChristians, and made them all do homage to his son Abdalasis, as emir\nor governor of Spain. He gave this favorite son much sage advice for\nthe regulation of his conduct, and left with him his nephew, Ayub,\na man greatly honored by the Moslems for his wisdom and discretion;\nexhorting Abdalasis to consult him on all occasions, and consider him\nas his bosom counselor. He made a parting address to his adherents,\nfull of cheerful confidence; assuring them that he would soon return,\nloaded with new favors and honors by his sovereign, and enabled to\nreward them all for their faithful services.\n\nWhen Muza sallied forth from Cordova, to repair to Damascus, his\ncavalagada appeared like the sumptuous pageant of some oriental\npotentate; for he had numerous guards and attendants splendidly armed\nand arrayed, together with four hundred hostages, who were youthful\ncavaliers of the noblest families of the Goths, and a great number\nof captives of both sexes, chosen for their beauty, and intended as\npresents for the caliph. Then there was a vast train of beasts of\nburden, laden with the plunder of Spain; for he took with him all the\nwealth he had collected in his conquests, and all the share that had\nbeen set apart for his sovereign. With this display of trophies and\nspoils, showing the magnificence of the land he had conquered, he\nlooked forward with confidence to silence the calumnies of his foes.\n\nAs he traversed the valley of the Guadalquivir he often turned and\nlooked back wistfully upon Cordova; and, at the distance of a league,\nwhen about to lose sight of it, he checked his steed upon the summit\nof a hill, and gazed for a long time upon its palaces and towers. \u201cO\nCordova!\u201d exclaimed he, \u201cgreat and glorious art thou among cities,\nand abundant in all delights. With grief and sorrow do I part from\nthee, for sure I am it would give me length of days to abide within\nthy pleasant walls!\u201d When he had uttered these words, say the\nArabian chronicles, he resumed his wayfaring; but his eyes were bent\nupon the ground, and frequent sighs bespoke the heaviness of his\nheart.\n\nEmbarking at Cadiz, he passed over to Africa with all his people and\neffects, to regulate his government in that country. He divided the\ncommand between his sons, Abdelola and Meruan, leaving the former\nin Tangier and the latter in Cairvan. Thus having secured, as he\nthought, the power and prosperity of his family, by placing all his\nsons as his lieutenants in the country he had conquered, he departed\nfor Syria, bearing with him the sumptuous spoils of the West.\n\nWhile Muza was thus disposing of his commands, and moving cumbrously\nunder the weight of wealth, the veteran Taric was more speedy and\nalert in obeying the summons of the caliph. He knew the importance,\nwhere complaints were to be heard, of being first in presence of the\njudge; besides, he was ever ready to march at a moment\u2019s warning,\nand had nothing to impede him in his movements. The spoils he had\nmade in his conquests had either been shared among his soldiers, or\nyielded up to Muza, or squandered away with open-handed profusion. He\nappeared in Syria with a small train of war-worn followers, and had\nno other trophies to show than his battered armor and a body seamed\nwith scars. He was received, however, with rapture by the multitude,\nwho crowded to behold one of those conquerors of the West, whose\nwonderful achievements were the theme of every tongue. They were\ncharmed with his gaunt and martial air, his hard, sunburnt features,\nand his scathed eye. \u201cAll hail,\u201d cried they, \u201cto the Sword of Islam,\nthe terror of the unbelievers! Behold the true model of a warrior,\nwho despises gain, and seeks for nought but glory!\u201d\n\nTaric was graciously received by the caliph, who asked tidings of his\nvictories. He gave a soldier-like account of his actions, frank and\nfull, without any feigned modesty, yet without vainglory. \u201cCommander\nof the Faithful,\u201d said he, \u201cI bring thee no silver, nor gold, nor\nprecious stones, nor captives, for what spoils I did not share with\nmy soldiers I gave up to Muza as my commander. How I have conducted\nmyself the honorable warriors of thy host will tell thee; nay, let\nour enemies, the Christians, be asked if I have ever shown myself\ncowardly, or cruel, or rapacious.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat kind of people are these Christians?\u201d demanded the caliph.\n\n\u201cThe Spaniards,\u201d replied Taric, \u201care lions in their castles, eagles\nin their saddles, but mere women when on foot. When vanquished they\nescape like goats to the mountains, for they need not see the ground\nthey tread on.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd tell me of the Moors of Barbary.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey are like Arabs in the fierceness and dexterity of their attacks\nand in their knowledge of the stratagems of war; they resemble them,\ntoo, in feature, in fortitude, and hospitality; but they are the most\nperfidious people upon earth, and never regard promise or plighted\nfaith.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd the people of Afranc; what sayest thou of them?\u201d\n\n\u201cThey are infinite in number, rapid in the onset, fierce in battle,\nbut confused and headlong in flight.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd how fared it with thee among these people? Did they sometimes\nvanquish thee?\u201d\n\n\u201cNever, by Allah!\u201d cried Taric, with honest warmth; \u201cnever did a\nbanner of mine fly the field. Though the enemy were two to one, my\nMoslems never shunned the combat!\u201d\n\nThe caliph was well pleased with the martial bluntness of the\nveteran, and showed him great honor; and wherever Taric appeared he\nwas the idol of the populace.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nMuza arrives at Damascus.\u2014His Interview with the Caliph.\u2014The Table of\nSolomon.\u2014A rigorous Sentence.\n\n\nShortly after the arrival of Taric el Tuerto at Damascus, the caliph\nfell dangerously ill, insomuch that his life was despaired of. During\nhis illness, tidings were brought that Muza ben Nosier had entered\nSyria with a vast cavalcade, bearing all the riches and trophies\ngained in the western conquests. Now Suleiman ben Abdelmelec, brother\nto the caliph, was successor to the throne, and he saw that his\nbrother had not long to live, and wished to grace the commencement of\nhis reign by this triumphant display of the spoils of Christendom; he\nsent messengers, therefore, to Muza, saying, \u201cThe caliph is ill and\ncannot receive thee at present; I pray thee tarry on the road until\nhis recovery.\u201d Muza, however, paid no attention to the messages of\nSuleiman, but rather hastened his march to arrive before the death of\nthe caliph. And Suleiman treasured up his conduct in his heart.\n\nMuza entered the city in a kind of triumph, with a long train of\nhorses and mules and camels laden with treasure, and with the four\nhundred sons of Gothic nobles as hostages, each decorated with a\ndiadem and a girdle of gold; and with one hundred Christian damsels,\nwhose beauty dazzled all beholders. As he passed through the streets\nhe ordered purses of gold to be thrown among the populace, who rent\nthe air with acclamations. \u201cBehold,\u201d cried they, \u201cthe veritable\nconqueror of the unbelievers! Behold the true model of a conqueror,\nwho brings home wealth to his country!\u201d And they heaped benedictions\non the head of Muza.\n\nThe Caliph Waled Almanzor rose from his couch of illness to receive\nthe emir, who, when he repaired to the palace, filled one of its\ngreat courts with treasures of all kinds; the halls, too, were\nthronged with youthful hostages, magnificently attired, and with\nChristian damsels, lovely as the houris of paradise. When the caliph\ndemanded an account of the conquest of Spain, he gave it with great\neloquence; but, in describing the various victories, he made no\nmention of the name of Taric, but spoke as if everything had been\neffected by himself. He then presented the spoils of the Christians\nas if they had been all taken by his own hands; and when he delivered\nto the caliph the miraculous table of Solomon, he dwelt with\nanimation on the virtues of that inestimable talisman.\n\nUpon this, Taric, who was present, could no longer hold his peace.\n\u201cCommander of the Faithful,\u201d said he, \u201cexamine this precious table,\nif any part be wanting.\u201d The caliph examined the table, which was\ncomposed of a single emerald, and he found that one foot was\nsupplied by a foot of gold. The caliph turned to Muza and said,\n\u201cWhere is the other foot of the table?\u201d Muza answered, \u201cI know not;\none foot was wanting when it came into my hands.\u201d Upon this, Taric\ndrew from beneath his robe a foot of emerald of like workmanship to\nthe others, and fitting exactly to the table, \u201cBehold, O Commander of\nthe Faithful!\u201d cried he, \u201ca proof of the real finder of the table;\nand so is it with the greater part of the spoils exhibited by Muza\nas trophies of his achievements. It was I who gained them, and who\ncaptured the cities in which they were found. If you want proof,\ndemand of these Christian cavaliers here present, most of whom I\ncaptured; demand of those Moslem warriors who aided me in my battles.\u201d\n\nMuza was confounded for a moment, but attempted to vindicate himself.\n\u201cI spake,\u201d said he, \u201cas the chief of your armies, under whose orders\nand banners this conquest was achieved. The actions of the soldier\nare the actions of the commander. In a great victory it is not\nsupposed that the chief of the army takes all the captives, or kills\nall the slain, or gathers all the booty, though all are enumerated\nin the records of his triumph.\u201d The caliph, however, was wroth, and\nheeded not his words. \u201cYou have vaunted your own deserts,\u201d said he,\n\u201cand have forgotten the deserts of others; nay, you have sought to\ndebase another who has loyally served his sovereign; the reward\nof your envy and covetousness be upon your head!\u201d So saying, he\nbestowed a great part of the spoils upon Taric and the other chiefs,\nbut gave nothing to Muza; and the veteran retired amidst the sneers\nand murmurs of those present.\n\nIn a few days the Caliph Waled died, and was succeeded by his brother\nSuleiman. The new sovereign cherished deep resentment against Muza\nfor having presented himself at court contrary to his command, and he\nlistened readily to the calumnies of his enemies\u2014for Muza had been\ntoo illustrious in his deeds not to have many enemies. All now took\ncourage when they found he was out of favor, and they heaped slanders\non his head; charging him with embezzling much of the share of the\nbooty belonging to the sovereign. The new caliph lent a willing ear\nto the accusation, and commanded him to render up all that he had\npillaged from Spain. The loss of his riches might have been borne\nwith fortitude by Muza, but the stigma upon his fame filled his heart\nwith bitterness. \u201cI have been a faithful servant to the throne from\nmy youth upwards,\u201d said he, \u201cand now am I degraded in my old age. I\ncare not for wealth, I care not for life, but let me not be deprived\nof that honor which God has bestowed upon me!\u201d\n\nThe Caliph was still more exasperated at his repining, and stripped\nhim of his commands, confiscated his effects, fined him two\nhundred thousand _pesants_ of gold, and ordered that he should be\nscourged and exposed to the noontide sun, and afterwards thrown\ninto prison.[51] The populace, also; reviled and scoffed at him in\nhis misery, and as they beheld him led forth to the public gaze,\nand fainting in the sun, they pointed at him with derision, and\nexclaimed, \u201cBehold the envious man and the impostor; this is he who\npretended to have conquered the land of the unbelievers!\u201d\n\n  [51] Conde, pt. 1, c. 17.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nConduct of Abdalasis as Emir of Spain.\n\n\nWhile these events were happening in Syria, the youthful Abdalasis,\nthe son of Muza, remained as emir or governor of Spain. He was of a\ngenerous and benignant disposition, but he was open and confiding,\nand easily led away by the opinions of those he loved. Fortunately\nhis father had left with him, as a bosom counselor, the discreet\nAyub, the nephew of Muza; aided by his advice, he for some time\nadministered the public affairs prudently and prosperously.\n\nNot long after the departure of his father, he received a letter from\nhim, written while on his journey to Syria; it was to the following\npurport:\u2014\n\n\u201cBeloved son; honor of thy lineage; Allah guard thee from all harm\nand peril! Listen to the words of thy father. Avoid all treachery,\nthough it should promise great advantage, and trust not in him who\ncounsels it, even though he should be a brother. The company of\ntraitors put far from thee; for how canst thou be certain that he who\nhas proved false to others will prove true to thee? Beware, O my son,\nof the seductions of love. It is an idle passion, which enfeebles\nthe heart and blinds the judgment; it renders the mighty weak, and\nmakes slaves of princes. If thou shouldst discover any foible of a\nvicious kind springing up in thy nature, pluck it forth, whatever\npang it cost thee. Every error, while new, may easily be weeded out,\nbut if suffered to take root, it flourishes and bears seed, and\nproduces fruit an hundred-fold. Follow these counsels, O son of my\naffections, and thou shalt live secure.\u201d\n\nAbdalasis meditated upon this letter, for some part of it seemed to\ncontain a mystery which he could not comprehend. He called to him his\ncousin and counselor, the discreet Ayub. \u201cWhat means my father,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cin cautioning me against treachery and treason? Does he think my\nnature so base that it could descend to such means?\u201d\n\nAyub read the letter attentively. \u201cThy father,\u201d said he, \u201cwould put\nthee on thy guard against the traitors Julian and Oppas, and those\nof their party who surround thee. What love canst thou expect from\nmen who have been unnatural to their kindred, and what loyalty from\nwretches who have betrayed their country?\u201d\n\nAbdalasis was satisfied with the interpretation, and he acted\naccordingly. He had long loathed all communion with these men, for\nthere is nothing which the open, ingenuous nature so much abhors\nas duplicity and treason. Policy, too, no longer required their\nagency; they had rendered their infamous service, and had no longer a\ncountry to betray; but they might turn and betray their employers.\nAbdalasis, therefore, removed them to a distance from his court, and\nplaced them in situations where they could do no harm, and he warned\nhis commanders from being in any wise influenced by their counsels or\naided by their arms.\n\nHe now confided entirely in his Arabian troops, and in the Moorish\nsquadrons from Africa, and with their aid he completed the conquest\nof Lusitania to the ultimate parts of the Algarbe, or west, even\nto the shores of the great Ocean sea.[52] From hence he sent his\ngenerals to overrun all those vast and rugged sierras, which rise\nlike ramparts along the ocean borders of the peninsula; and they\ncarried the standard of Islam in triumph even to the Mountains of\nBiscay, collecting all manner of precious spoil.\n\n  [52] Algarbe, or Algarbia, in Arabic signifies the west, as\n  Axarkia is the east, Algufia the north, and Aquibla the south.\n  This will serve to explain some of the geographical names on the\n  peninsula which are of Arabian origin.\n\n\u201cIt is not enough, O Abdalasis,\u201d said Ayub, \u201cthat we conquer and rule\nthis country with the sword; if we wish our dominion to be secure, we\nmust cultivate the arts of peace, and study to secure the confidence\nand promote the welfare of the people we have conquered.\u201d Abdalasis\nrelished counsel which accorded so well with his own beneficent\nnature. He endeavored, therefore, to allay the ferment and confusion\nof the conquest; forbade, under rigorous punishment, all wanton\nspoil or oppression, and protected the native inhabitants in the\nenjoyment and cultivation of their lands, and the pursuit of all\nuseful occupations. By the advice of Ayub, also, he encouraged great\nnumbers of industrious Moors and Arabs to emigrate from Africa, and\ngave them houses and lands; thus introducing a peaceful and Mahometan\npopulation in the conquered provinces.\n\nThe good effect of the counsels of Ayub were soon apparent. Instead\nof a sudden but transient influx of wealth, made by the ruin of\nthe land, which left the country desolate, a regular and permanent\nrevenue sprang up, produced by reviving prosperity, and gathered\nwithout violence. Abdalasis ordered it to be faithfully collected,\nand deposited in coffers by public officers appointed in each\nprovince for the purpose; and the whole was sent by ten deputies to\nDamascus to be laid at the feet of the caliph; not as the spoils\nof a vanquished country, but as the peaceful trophies of a wisely\nadministered government.\n\nThe common herd of warlike adventurers, the mere men of the sword,\nwho had thronged to Spain for the purpose of ravage and rapine,\nwere disappointed at being thus checked in their career, and at\nseeing the reign of terror and violence drawing to a close. What\nmanner of leader is this, said they, who forbids us to make spoil\nof the enemies of Islam, and to enjoy the land we have wrested from\nthe unbelievers? The partisans of Julian, also, whispered their\ncalumnies. \u201cBehold,\u201d said they, \u201cwith what kindness he treats the\nenemies of your faith; all the Christians who have borne arms against\nyou, and withstood your entrance into the land, are favored and\nprotected; but it is enough for a Christian to have befriended the\ncause of the Moslems to be singled out by Abdalasis for persecution,\nand to be driven with scorn from his presence.\u201d\n\nThese insinuations fermented the discontent of the turbulent and\nrapacious among the Moslems, but all the friends of peace and order\nand good government applauded the moderation of the youthful emir.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nLoves of Abdalasis and Exilona.\n\n\nAbdalasis had fixed his seat of government at Seville, as permitting\neasy and frequent communications with the coast of Africa. His palace\nwas of noble architecture, with delightful gardens extending to the\nbanks of the Guadalquivir. In a part of this palace resided many of\nthe most beautiful Christian females, who were detained as captives,\nor rather hostages, to insure the tranquillity of the country. Those\nwho were of noble rank were entertained in luxury and magnificence;\nslaves were appointed to attend upon them, and they were arrayed in\nthe richest apparel and decorated with the most precious jewels.\nThose of tender age were taught all graceful accomplishments; and\neven where tasks were imposed, they were of the most elegant and\nagreeable kind. They embroidered, they sang, they danced, and passed\ntheir times in pleasing revelry. Many were lulled by this easy and\nvoluptuous existence; the scenes of horror through which they had\npassed were gradually effaced from their minds, and a desire was\noften awakened of rendering themselves pleasing in the eyes of their\nconquerors.\n\nAfter his return from his campaign in Lusitania and during the\nintervals of public duty, Abdalasis solaced himself in the repose\nof this palace, and in the society of these Christian captives. He\nremarked one among them who ever sat apart, and neither joined in the\nlabors nor sports of her companions.\n\nShe was lofty in her demeanor, and the others always paid her\nreverence; yet sorrow had given a softness to her charms, and\nrendered her beauty touching to the heart. Abdalasis found her one\nday in the garden with her companions; they had adorned their heads\nwith flowers, and were singing the songs of their country, but she\nsat by herself and wept. The youthful emir was moved by her tears,\nand accosted her in gentle accents. \u201cO fairest of women!\u201d said he,\n\u201cwhy dost thou weep, and why is thy heart troubled?\u201d \u201cAlas!\u201d replied\nshe, \u201chave I not cause to weep, seeing how sad is my condition, and\nhow great the height from which I have fallen? In me you behold the\nwretched Exilona, but lately the wife of Roderick and the Queen of\nSpain, now a captive and a slave!\u201d and, having said these words, she\ncast her eyes upon the earth, and her tears began to flow afresh.\n\nThe generous feelings of Abdalasis were aroused at the sight of\nbeauty and royalty in tears. He gave orders that Exilona should be\nentertained in a style befitting her former rank; he appointed a\ntrain of female attendants to wait upon her, and a guard of honor to\nprotect her from all intrusion. All the time that he could spare from\npublic concerns was passed in her society; and he even neglected\nhis divan, and suffered his counselors to attend in vain, while he\nlingered in the apartments and gardens of the palace, listening to\nthe voice of Exilona.\n\nThe discreet Ayub saw the danger into which he was falling. \u201cO\nAbdalasis,\u201d said he, \u201cremember the words of thy father. \u2018Beware, my\nson,\u2019 said he, \u2018of the seductions of love. It renders the mighty\nweak, and makes slaves of princes!\u2019\u201d A blush kindled on the cheek of\nAbdalasis, and he was silent for a moment. \u201cWhy,\u201d said he, at length,\n\u201cdo you seek to charge me with such weakness? It is one thing to be\ninfatuated by the charms of a woman, and another to be touched by\nher misfortunes. It is the duty of my station to console a princess\nwho has been reduced to the lowest humiliation by the triumphs\nof our arms. In doing so I do but listen to the dictates of true\nmagnanimity.\u201d\n\nAyub was silent, but his brow was clouded, and for once Abdalasis\nparted in discontent from his counselor. In proportion as he was\ndissatisfied with others or with himself, he sought the society of\nExilona, for there was a charm in her conversation that banished\nevery care. He daily became more and more enamored, and Exilona\ngradually ceased to weep, and began to listen with secret pleasure\nto the words of her Arab lover. When, however, he sought to urge his\npassion, she recollected the light estimation in which her sex was\nheld by the followers of Mahomet, and assumed a countenance grave and\nsevere.\n\n\u201cFortune,\u201d said she, \u201chas cast me at thy feet; behold I am thy\ncaptive and thy spoil. But though my person is in thy power, my soul\nis unsubdued; and know that, should I lack force to defend my honor,\nI have resolution to wash out all stain upon it with my blood. I\ntrust, however, in thy courtesy as a cavalier to respect me in my\nreverses, remembering what I have been, and that though the crown\nhas been wrested from my brow, the royal blood still warms within my\nveins.\u201d[53]\n\n  [53] Faxardo, _Corona Gothica_, T. 1, p. 492.\u2014Joan. _Mar. de Reb.\n  Hisp._ L. 6, c. 27.\n\nThe lofty spirit of Exilona, and her proud repulse, served but to\nincrease the passion of Abdalasis. He besought her to unite her\ndestiny with his, and share his state and power, promising that she\nshould have no rival nor copartner in his heart. Whatever scruples\nthe captive queen might originally have felt to a union with one of\nthe conquerors of her lord, and an enemy of her adopted faith, they\nwere easily vanquished, and she became the bride of Abdalasis. He\nwould fain have persuaded her to return to the faith of her fathers;\nbut though of Moorish origin, and brought up in the doctrines of\nIslam, she was too thorough a convert to Christianity to consent, and\nlooked back with disgust upon a religion that admitted a plurality of\nwives.\n\nWhen the sage Ayub heard of the resolution of Abdalasis to espouse\nExilona he was in despair. \u201cAlas, my cousin!\u201d said he, \u201cwhat\ninfatuation possesses thee? Hast thou then entirely forgotten the\nletter of thy father? \u2018Beware, my son,\u2019 said he, \u2018of love; it is an\nidle passion, which enfeebles the heart and blinds the judgment.\u2019\u201d\nBut Abdalasis interrupted him with impatience. \u201cMy father,\u201d said he,\n\u201cspake but of the blandishments of wanton love; against these I am\nsecured by my virtuous passion for Exilona.\u201d\n\nAyub would fain have impressed upon him the dangers he ran of\nawakening suspicion in the caliph, and discontent among the Moslems,\nby wedding the queen of the conquered Roderick, and one who was\nan enemy to the religion of Mahomet; but the youthful lover only\nlistened to his passion. Their nuptials were celebrated at Seville\nwith great pomp and rejoicings, and he gave his bride the name of\nOmalisam; that is to say, she of the precious jewels;[54] but she\ncontinued to be known among the Christians by the name of Exilona.\n\n  [54] Conde, pt. 1, c. 17.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nFate of Abdalasis and Exilona.\u2014Death of Muza.\n\n\nPossession, instead of cooling the passion of Abdalasis, only added\nto its force; he became blindly enamored of his beautiful bride, and\nconsulted her will in all things; nay, having lost all relish for\nthe advice of the discreet Ayub, he was even guided by the counsels\nof his wife in the affairs of government. Exilona, unfortunately,\nhad once been a queen, and she could not remember her regal glories\nwithout regret. She saw that Abdalasis had great power in the\nland,\u2014greater even than had been possessed by the Gothic kings,\u2014but\nshe considered it as wanting in true splendor until his brow should\nbe encircled with the outward badge of royalty. One day when they\nwere alone in the palace of Seville, and the heart of Abdalasis was\ngiven up to tenderness, she addressed him in fond yet timid accents.\n\u201cWill not my lord be offended,\u201d said she, \u201cif I make an unwelcome\nrequest?\u201d Abdalasis regarded her with a smile. \u201cWhat canst thou ask\nof me, Exilona,\u201d said he, \u201cthat it would not be a happiness for me to\ngrant?\u201d Then Exilona produced a crown of gold, sparkling with jewels,\nwhich had belonged to the king, Don Roderick, and said, \u201cBehold,\nthou art king in authority; be so in thy outward state. There is\nmajesty and glory in a crown; it gives a sanctity to power.\u201d Then\nputting the crown upon his head, she held a mirror before him that\nhe might behold the majesty of his appearance. Abdalasis chid her\nfondly, and put the crown away from him, but Exilona persisted in her\nprayer. \u201cNever,\u201d said she, \u201chas there been a king in Spain that did\nnot wear a crown.\u201d So Abdalasis suffered himself to be beguiled by\nthe blandishments of his wife, and to be invested with the crown and\nsceptre and other signs of royalty.[55]\n\n  [55] _Chron. gen._ de Alonzo el Sabio, p. 3. Joan _Mar. de Reb.\n  Hisp._ lib. 6, c. 27. Conde, pt. 1, c. 19.\n\nIt is affirmed by ancient and discreet chroniclers, that Abdalasis\nonly assumed this royal state in the privacy of his palace, and to\ngratify the eye of his youthful bride; but where was a secret ever\nconfined within the walls of a palace? The assumption of the insignia\nof the ancient Gothic kings was soon rumored about, and caused the\nmost violent suspicions. The Moslems had already felt jealous of\nthe ascendency of this beautiful woman, and it was now confidently\nasserted that Abdalasis, won by her persuasions, had secretly turned\nChristian.\n\nThe enemies of Abdalasis, those whose rapacious spirits had been kept\nin check by the beneficence of his rule, seized upon this occasion to\nruin him. They sent letters to Damascus, accusing him of apostacy,\nand of an intention to seize upon the throne in right of his wife,\nExilona, as widow of the late king Roderick. It was added, that the\nChristians were prepared to flock to his standard as the only means\nof regaining ascendency in their country.\n\nThese accusations arrived at Damascus just after the accession of\nthe sanguinary Suleiman to the throne, and in the height of his\npersecution of the unfortunate Muza. The caliph waited for no proofs\nin confirmation; he immediately sent private orders that Abdalasis\nshould be put to death, and that the same fate should be dealt to his\ntwo brothers who governed in Africa, as a sure means of crushing the\nconspiracy of this ambitious family.\n\nThe mandate for the death of Abdalasis was sent to Abhilbar ben\nObeidah and Zeyd ben Nabegat, both of whom had been cherished friends\nof Muza, and had lived in intimate favor and companionship with\nhis son. When they read the fatal parchment, the scroll fell from\ntheir trembling hands. \u201cCan such hostility exist against the family\nof Muza?\u201d exclaimed they. \u201cIs this the reward for such great and\nglorious services?\u201d The cavaliers remained for some time plunged in\nhorror and consternation. The order, however, was absolute, and left\nthem no discretion. \u201cAllah is great,\u201d said they, \u201cand commands us to\nobey our sovereign.\u201d So they prepared to execute the bloody mandate\nwith the blind fidelity of Moslems.\n\nIt was necessary to proceed with caution. The open and magnanimous\ncharacter of Abdalasis had won the hearts of a great part of the\nsoldiery, and his magnificence pleased the cavaliers who formed his\nguard; it was feared, therefore, that a sanguinary opposition would\nbe made to any attempt upon his person. The rabble, however, had been\nimbittered against him from his having restrained their depredations,\nand because they thought him an apostate in his heart, secretly bent\nupon betraying them to the Christians. While, therefore, the two\nofficers made vigilant dispositions to check any movement on the part\nof the soldiery, they let loose the blind fury of the populace by\npublishing the fatal mandate. In a moment the city was in a ferment,\nand there was a ferocious emulation who should be first to execute\nthe orders of the caliph.\n\nAbdalasis was at this time at a palace in the country not far from\nSeville, commanding a delightful view of the fertile plain of the\nGuadalquivir. Hither he was accustomed to retire from the tumult\nof the court, and to pass his time among groves and fountains and\nthe sweet repose of gardens, in the society of Exilona. It was the\ndawn of day, the hour of early prayer, when the furious populace\narrived at this retreat. Abdalasis was offering up his orisons in\na small mosque which he had erected for the use of the neighboring\npeasantry. Exilona was in a chapel in the interior of the palace,\nwhere her confessor, a holy friar, was performing mass. They were\nboth surprised at their devotions, and dragged forth by the hands of\nthe rabble. A few guards, who attended at the palace, would have made\ndefense, but they were overawed by the sight of the written mandate\nof the caliph.\n\nThe captives were borne in triumph to Seville. All the beneficent\nvirtues of Abdalasis were forgotten; nor had the charms of Exilona\nany effect in softening the hearts of the populace. The brutal\neagerness to shed blood, which seems inherent in human nature, was\nawakened; and woe to the victims when that eagerness is quickened by\nreligious hate. The illustrious couple, adorned with all the graces\nof youth and beauty, were hurried to a scaffold in the great square\nof Seville, and there beheaded amidst the shouts and execrations of\nan infatuated multitude. Their bodies were left exposed upon the\nground, and would have been devoured by dogs, had they not been\ngathered at night by some friendly hand, and poorly interred in one\nof the courts of their late dwelling.\n\nThus terminated the loves and lives of Abdalasis and Exilona, in\nthe year of the Incarnation seven hundred and fourteen. Their names\nwere held sacred as martyrs to the Christian faith; but many read in\ntheir untimely fate a lesson against ambition and vainglory; having\nsacrificed real power and substantial rule to the glittering bauble\nof a crown.\n\nThe head of Abdalasis was embalmed and inclosed in a casket, and sent\nto Syria to the cruel Suleiman. The messenger who bore it overtook\nthe caliph as he was performing a pilgrimage to Mecca. Muza was among\nthe courtiers in his train, having been released from prison. On\nopening the casket and regarding its contents, the eyes of the tyrant\nsparkled with malignant satisfaction. Calling the unhappy father to\nhis side, \u201cMuza,\u201d said he, \u201cdost thou know this head?\u201d The veteran\nrecognized the features of his beloved son, and turned his face\naway with anguish. \u201cYes! well do I know it,\u201d replied he; \u201cand may\nthe curse of God light upon him who has destroyed a better man than\nhimself.\u201d\n\nWithout adding another word, he retired to Mount Deran, a prey to\ndevouring melancholy. He shortly after received tidings of the death\nof his two sons, whom he had left in the government of western\nAfrica, and who had fallen victims to the jealous suspicions of the\nCaliph. His advanced age was not proof against these repeated blows,\nand this utter ruin of his late prosperous family, and he sank into\nhis grave sorrowing and broken-hearted.\n\nSuch was the lamentable end of the conqueror of Spain; whose great\nachievements were not sufficient to atone, in the eye of his\nsovereign, for a weakness to which all men ambitious of renown are\nsubject; and whose triumphs eventually brought persecution upon\nhimself and untimely death upon his children.\n\nHere ends the legend of the Subjugation of Spain.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGEND\n\nOF\n\nCOUNT JULIAN AND HIS FAMILY.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGEND\n\nOF\n\nCOUNT JULIAN AND HIS FAMILY.\n\n\nIn the preceding legends is darkly shadowed out a true story of the\nwoes of Spain. It is a story full of wholesome admonition, rebuking\nthe insolence of human pride and the vanity of human ambition, and\nshowing the futility of all greatness that is not strongly based on\nvirtue. We have seen, in brief space of time, most of the actors in\nthis historic drama disappearing, one by one, from the scene, and\ngoing down, conqueror and conquered, to gloomy and unhonored graves.\nIt remains to close this eventful history by holding up, as a signal\nwarning, the fate of the traitor whose perfidious scheme of vengeance\nbrought ruin on his native land.\n\nMany and various are the accounts given in ancient chronicles of\nthe fortunes of Count Julian and his family, and many are the\ntraditions on the subject still extant among the populace of Spain,\nand perpetuated in those countless ballads sung by peasants and\nmuleteers, which spread a singular charm over the whole of this\nromantic land.\n\nHe who has travelled in Spain in the true way in which the country\nought to be travelled,\u2014sojourning in its remote provinces, rambling\namong the rugged defiles and secluded valleys of its mountains, and\nmaking himself familiar with the people in their out-of-the-way\nhamlets and rarely-visited neighborhoods,\u2014will remember many a group\nof travellers and muleteers, gathered of an evening around the door\nor the spacious hearth of a mountain venta, wrapped in their brown\ncloaks, and listening with grave and profound attention to the long\nhistoric ballad of some rustic troubadour, either recited with the\ntrue _ore rotundo_ and modulated cadences of Spanish elocution,\nor chanted to the tinkling of a guitar. In this way he may have\nheard the doleful end of Count Julian and his family recounted in\ntraditionary rhymes, that have been handed down from generation to\ngeneration. The particulars, however, of the following wild legend\nare chiefly gathered from the writings of the pseudo Moor Rasis;\nhow far they may be safely taken as historic facts it is impossible\nnow to ascertain; we must content ourselves, therefore, with their\nanswering to the exactions of poetic justice.\n\nAs yet everything had prospered with Count Julian. He had gratified\nhis vengeance; he had been successful in his treason, and had\nacquired countless riches from the ruin of his country. But it\nis not outward success that constitutes prosperity. The tree\nflourishes with fruit and foliage while blasted and withering at the\nheart. Wherever he went, Count Julian read hatred in every eye. The\nChristians cursed him as the cause of all their woe; the Moslems\ndespised and distrusted him as a traitor. Men whispered together as\nhe approached, and then turned away in scorn; and mothers snatched\naway their children with horror if he offered to caress them. He\nwithered under the execration of his fellow-men, and last, and worst\nof all, he began to loathe himself. He tried in vain to persuade\nhimself that he had but taken a justifiable vengeance; he felt that\nno personal wrong can justify the crime of treason to one\u2019s country.\n\nFor a time he sought in luxurious indulgence to soothe or forget\nthe miseries of the mind. He assembled round him every pleasure\nand gratification that boundless wealth could purchase, but all in\nvain. He had no relish for the dainties of his board; music had no\ncharm wherewith to lull his soul, and remorse drove slumber from\nhis pillow. He sent to Ceuta for his wife Frandina, his daughter\nFlorinda, and his youthful son Alarbot; hoping in the bosom of his\nfamily to find that sympathy and kindness which he could no longer\nmeet with in this world. Their presence, however, brought him no\nalleviation. Florinda, the daughter of his heart, for whose sake\nhe had undertaken this signal vengeance, was sinking a victim to\nits effects. Wherever she went, she found herself a byword of shame\nand reproach. The outrage she had suffered was imputed to her\nas wantonness, and her calamity was magnified into a crime. The\nChristians never mentioned her name without a curse, and the Moslems,\nthe gainers by her misfortune, spake of her only by the appellation\nof Cava, the vilest epithet they could apply to woman.\n\nBut the opprobrium of the world was nothing to the upbraiding of\nher own heart. She charged herself with all the miseries of these\ndisastrous wars\u2014the deaths of so many gallant cavaliers, the conquest\nand perdition of her country. The anguish of her mind preyed upon\nthe beauty of her person. Her eye, once soft and tender in its\nexpression, became wild and haggard; her cheek lost its bloom, and\nbecame hollow and pallid, and at times there was desperation in\nher words. When her father sought to embrace her she withdrew with\nshuddering from his arms, for she thought of his treason and the\nruin it had brought upon Spain. Her wretchedness increased after her\nreturn to her native country, until it rose to a degree of frenzy.\nOne day when she was walking with her parents in the garden of their\npalace, she entered a tower, and, having barred the door, ascended to\nthe battlements. From thence she called to them in piercing accents,\nexpressive of her insupportable anguish and desperate determination.\n\u201cLet this city,\u201d said she, \u201cbe henceforth called Malacca, in memorial\nof the most wretched of women, who therein put an end to her days.\u201d\nSo saying, she threw herself headlong from the tower, and was dashed\nto pieces. The city, adds the ancient chronicler, received the name\nthus given it, though afterwards softened to Malaga, which it still\nretains in memory of the tragical end of Florinda.\n\nThe Countess Frandina abandoned this scene of woe, and returned to\nCeuta, accompanied by her infant son. She took with her the remains\nof her unfortunate daughter, and gave them honorable sepulture in\na mausoleum of the chapel belonging to the citadel. Count Julian\ndeparted for Carthagena, where he remained plunged in horror at this\ndoleful event.\n\nAbout this time, the cruel Suleiman, having destroyed the family of\nMuza, had sent an Arab general, named Alahor, to succeed Abdalasis\nas emir or governor of Spain. The new emir was of a cruel and\nsuspicious nature, and commenced his sway with a stern severity that\nsoon made those under his command look back with regret to the easy\nrule of Abdalasis. He regarded with an eye of distrust the renegado\nChristians who had aided in the conquest, and who bore arms in the\nservice of the Moslems; but his deepest suspicions fell upon Count\nJulian. \u201cHe has been a traitor to his own countrymen,\u201d said he; \u201chow\ncan we be sure that he will not prove traitor to us?\u201d\n\nA sudden insurrection of the Christians who had taken refuge in\nthe Asturian Mountains, quickened his suspicions, and inspired him\nwith fears of some dangerous conspiracy against his power. In the\nheight of his anxiety, he bethought him of an Arabian sage named\nYuza, who had accompanied him from Africa. This son of science was\nwithered in form, and looked as if he had outlived the usual term\nof mortal life. In the course of his studies and travels in the\nEast, he had collected the knowledge and experience of ages; being\nskilled in astrology, and, it is said, in necromancy, and possessing\nthe marvelous gift of prophecy or divination. To this expounder of\nmysteries Alahor applied to learn whether any secret treason menaced\nhis safety.\n\nThe astrologer listened with deep attention and overwhelming brow to\nall the surmises and suspicion of the emir, then shut himself up to\nconsult his books and commune with those supernatural intelligences\nsubservient to his wisdom. At an appointed hour the emir sought him\nin his cell. It was filled with the smoke of perfumes; squares and\ncircles and various diagrams were described upon the floor, and\nthe astrologer was poring over a scroll of parchment, covered with\ncabalistic characters. He received Alahor with a gloomy and sinister\naspect; pretending to have discovered fearful portents in the\nheavens, and to have had strange dreams and mystic visions.\n\n\u201cO emir,\u201d said he, \u201cbe on your guard! treason is around you and in\nyour path; your life is in peril. Beware of Count Julian and his\nfamily.\u201d\n\n\u201cEnough,\u201d said the emir. \u201cThey shall all die! Parents and\nchildren\u2014all shall die!\u201d\n\nHe forthwith sent a summons to Count Julian to attend him in Cordova.\nThe messenger found him plunged in affliction for the recent death\nof his daughter. The count excused himself, on account of this\nmisfortune, from obeying the commands of the emir in person, but\nsent several of his adherents. His hesitation, and the circumstance\nof his having sent his family across the straits to Africa, were\nconstrued by the jealous mind of the emir into proofs of guilt. He no\nlonger doubted his being concerned in the recent insurrections, and\nthat he had sent his family away preparatory to an attempt by force\nof arms, to subvert the Moslem domination. In his fury he put to\ndeath Siseburto and Evan, the nephews of Bishop Oppas and sons of the\nformer king, Witiza, suspecting them of taking part in the treason.\nThus did they expiate their treachery to their country in the fatal\nbattle of the Guadalete.\n\nAlahor next hastened to Carthagena to seize upon Count Julian. So\nrapid were his movements that the count had barely time to escape\nwith fifteen cavaliers, with whom he took refuge in the strong castle\nof Marcuello, among the mountains of Aragon. The emir, enraged to\nbe disappointed of his prey, embarked at Carthagena and crossed the\nstraits to Ceuta, to make captives of the Countess Frandina and her\nson.\n\nThe old chronicle from which we take this part of our legend,\npresents a gloomy picture of the countess in the stern fortress to\nwhich she had fled for refuge\u2014a picture heightened by supernatural\nhorrors. These latter the sagacious reader will admit or object\naccording to the measure of his faith and judgment; always\nremembering that in dark and eventful times, like those in question,\ninvolving the destinies of nations, the downfall of kingdoms, and\nthe crimes of rulers and mighty men, the hand of fate is sometimes\nstrangely visible, and confounds the wisdom of the worldly wise by\nintimations and portents above the ordinary course of things. With\nthis proviso, we make no scruple to follow the venerable chronicler\nin his narration.\n\nNow so it happened that the Countess Frandina was seated late at\nnight in her chamber, in the citadel of Ceuta, which stands on a\nlofty rock, overlooking the sea. She was revolving in gloomy thought\nthe late disasters of her family, when she heard a mournful noise\nlike that of the sea-breeze moaning about the castle walls. Raising\nher eyes, she beheld her brother, the Bishop Oppas, at the entrance\nof the chamber. She advanced to embrace him, but he forbade her with\na motion of his hand, and she observed that he was ghastly pale, and\nthat his eyes glared as with lambent flames.\n\n\u201cTouch me not, sister,\u201d said he, with a mournful voice, \u201clest thou\nbe consumed by the fire which rages within me. Guard well thy son,\nfor bloodhounds are upon his track. His innocence might have secured\nhim the protection of Heaven, but our crimes have involved him in\nour common ruin.\u201d He ceased to speak, and was no longer to be seen.\nHis coming and going were alike without noise, and the door of the\nchamber remained fast bolted.\n\nOn the following morning a messenger arrived with tidings that the\nBishop Oppas had been made prisoner in battle by the insurgent\nChristians of the Asturias, and had died in fetters in a tower of the\nmountains. The same messenger brought word that the Emir Alahor had\nput to death several of the friends of Count Julian; had obliged him\nto fly for his life to a castle in Aragon, and was embarking with a\nformidable force for Ceuta.\n\nThe Countess Frandina, as has already been shown, was of courageous\nheart, and danger made her desperate. There were fifty Moorish\nsoldiers in the garrison; she feared that they would prove\ntreacherous, and take part with their countrymen. Summoning her\nofficers, therefore, she informed them of their danger, and commanded\nthem to put those Moors to death. The guards sallied forth to obey\nher orders. Thirty-five of the Moors were in the great square,\nunsuspicious of any danger, when they were severally singled out by\ntheir executioners, and, at a concerted signal, killed on the spot.\nThe remaining fifteen took refuge in a tower. They saw the armada\nof the emir at a distance, and hoped to be able to hold out until\nits arrival. The soldiers of the countess saw it also, and made\nextraordinary efforts to destroy these internal enemies before they\nshould be attacked from without. They made repeated attempts to storm\nthe tower, but were as often repulsed with severe loss. They then\nundermined it, supporting its foundations by stanchions of wood.\nTo these they set fire, and withdrew to a distance, keeping up a\nconstant shower of missiles to prevent the Moors from sallying forth\nto extinguish the flames. The stanchions were rapidly consumed, and\nwhen they gave way the tower fell to the ground. Some of the Moors\nwere crushed among the ruins; others were flung to a distance and\ndashed among the rocks; those who survived were instantly put to the\nsword.\n\nThe fleet of the emir arrived at Ceuta about the hour of vespers.\nHe landed, but found the gates closed against him. The countess\nherself spoke to him from a tower, and set him at defiance. The emir\nimmediately lay siege to the city. He consulted the astrologer Yuza,\nwho told him that for seven days his star would have the ascendant\nover that of the youth Alarbot, but after that time the youth would\nbe safe from his power, and would effect his ruin.\n\nAlahor immediately ordered the city to be assailed on every side,\nand at length carried it by storm. The countess took refuge with her\nforces in the citadel, and made desperate defense; but the walls\nwere sapped and mined, and she saw that all resistance would soon\nbe unavailing. Her only thoughts now were to conceal her child.\n\u201cSurely,\u201d said she, \u201cthey will not think of seeking him among the\ndead.\u201d She led him, therefore, into the dark and dismal chapel. \u201cThou\nart not afraid to be alone in this darkness, my child?\u201d said she.\n\n\u201cNo, mother,\u201d replied the boy; \u201cdarkness gives silence and sleep.\u201d\nShe conducted him to the tomb of Florinda. \u201cFearest thou the dead, my\nchild?\u201d \u201cNo, mother; the dead can do no harm, and what should I fear\nfrom my sister?\u201d\n\nThe countess opened the sepulchre. \u201cListen, my son,\u201d said she. \u201cThere\nare fierce and cruel people who have come hither to murder thee.\nStay here in company with thy sister, and be quiet as thou dost value\nthy life!\u201d The boy, who was of a courageous nature, did as he was\nbidden, and remained there all that day, and all the night, and the\nnext day until the third hour.\n\nIn the mean time the walls of the citadel were sapped, the troops of\nthe emir poured in at the breach, and a great part of the garrison\nwas put to the sword. The countess was taken prisoner, and brought\nbefore the emir. She appeared in his presence with a haughty\ndemeanor, as if she had been a queen receiving homage; but when he\ndemanded her son, she faltered and turned pale, and replied, \u201cMy son\nis with the dead.\u201d\n\n\u201cCountess,\u201d said the emir, \u201cI am not to be deceived; tell me where\nyou have concealed the boy, or tortures shall wring from you the\nsecret.\u201d\n\n\u201cEmir,\u201d replied the countess, \u201cmay the greatest torments be my\nportion, both here and hereafter, if what I speak be not the truth.\nMy darling child lies buried with the dead.\u201d\n\nThe emir was confounded by the solemnity of her words; but the\nwithered astrologer Yuza, who stood by his side regarding the\ncountess from beneath his bushed eyebrows, perceived trouble in her\ncountenance and equivocation in her words. \u201cLeave this matter to me,\u201d\nwhispered he to Alahor; \u201cI will produce the child.\u201d\n\nHe ordered strict search to be made by the soldiery, and he obliged\nthe countess to be always present. When they came to the chapel, her\ncheek turned pale and her lip quivered. \u201cThis,\u201d said the subtile\nastrologer, \u201cis the place of concealment!\u201d\n\nThe search throughout the chapel, however, was equally vain, and the\nsoldiers were about to depart, when Yuza remarked a slight gleam of\njoy in the eye of the countess. \u201cWe are leaving our prey behind,\u201d\nthought he; \u201cthe countess is exulting.\u201d\n\nHe now called to mind the words of her asseveration, that her child\nwas with the dead. Turning suddenly to the soldiers, he ordered them\nto search the sepulchres. \u201cIf you find him not,\u201d said he, \u201cdrag forth\nthe bones of that wanton Cava, that they may be burned, and the ashes\nscattered to the winds.\u201d\n\nThe soldiers searched among the tombs, and found that of Florinda\npartly open. Within lay the boy in the sound sleep of childhood, and\none of the soldiers took him gently in his arms to bear him to the\nemir.\n\nWhen the countess beheld that her child was discovered, she rushed\ninto the presence of Alahor, and, forgetting all her pride, threw\nherself upon her knees before him.\n\n\u201cMercy! mercy!\u201d cried she in piercing accents, \u201cmercy on my son\u2014my\nonly child! O emir! listen to a mother\u2019s prayer and my lips shall\nkiss thy feet. As thou art merciful to him so may the most high God\nhave mercy upon thee, and heap blessings on thy head.\u201d\n\n\u201cBear that frantic woman hence,\u201d said the emir, \u201cbut guard her well.\u201d\n\nThe countess was dragged away by the soldiery, without regard to her\nstruggles and her cries, and confined in a dungeon of the citadel.\n\nThe child was now brought to the emir. He had been awakened by\nthe tumult, but gazed fearlessly on the stern countenances of the\nsoldiers. Had the heart of the emir been capable of pity, it would\nhave been touched by the tender youth and innocent beauty of the\nchild; but his heart was as the nether millstone, and he was bent\nupon the destruction of the whole family of Julian. Calling to him\nthe astrologer, he gave the child into his charge with a secret\ncommand. The withered son of the desert took the boy by the hand and\nled him up the winding staircase of a tower. When they reached the\nsummit, Yuza placed him on the battlements.\n\n\u201cCling not to me, my child,\u201d said he; \u201cthere is no danger.\u201d \u201cFather,\nI fear not,\u201d said the undaunted boy; \u201cyet it is a wondrous height!\u201d\n\nThe child looked around with delighted eyes. The breeze blew his\ncurling locks from about his face, and his cheek glowed at the\nboundless prospect; for the tower was reared upon that lofty\npromontory on which Hercules founded one of his pillars. The surges\nof the sea were heard far below, beating upon the rocks, the sea-gull\nscreamed and wheeled about the foundations of the tower, and the\nsails of lofty caraccas were as mere specks on the bosom of the deep.\n\n\u201cDost thou know yonder land beyond the blue water?\u201d said Yuza.\n\n\u201cIt is Spain,\u201d replied the boy; \u201cit is the land of my father and my\nmother.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen stretch forth thy hands and bless it, my child,\u201d said the\nastrologer.\n\nThe boy let go his hold of the wall; and, as he stretched forth his\nhands, the aged son of Ishmael, exerting all the strength of his\nwithered limbs, suddenly pushed him over the battlements. He fell\nheadlong from the top of that tall tower, and not a bone in his\ntender frame but was crushed upon the rocks beneath.\n\nAlahor came to the foot of the winding stairs.\n\n\u201cIs the boy safe?\u201d cried he.\n\n\u201cHe is safe,\u201d replied Yuza; \u201ccome and behold the truth with thine own\neyes.\u201d\n\nThe emir ascended the tower and looked over the battlements, and\nbeheld the body of the child, a shapeless mass on the rocks far\nbelow, and the sea-gulls hovering about it; and he gave orders that\nit should be thrown into the sea, which was done.\n\nOn the following morning the countess was led forth from her dungeon\ninto the public square. She knew of the death of her child, and that\nher own death was at hand, but she neither wept nor supplicated. Her\nhair was disheveled, her eyes were haggard with watching, and her\ncheek was as the monumental stone; but there were the remains of\ncommanding beauty in her countenance and the majesty of her presence\nawed even the rabble into respect.\n\nA multitude of Christian prisoners were then brought forth, and\nAlahor cried out: \u201cBehold the wife of Count Julian! behold one of\nthat traitorous family which has brought ruin upon yourselves and\nupon your country!\u201d And he ordered that they should stone her to\ndeath. But the Christians drew back with horror from the deed, and\nsaid, \u201cIn the hand of God is vengeance; let not her blood be upon\nour heads.\u201d Upon this the emir swore with horrid imprecations that\nwhoever of the captives refused should himself be stoned to death. So\nthe cruel order was executed, and the Countess Frandina perished by\nthe hands of her countrymen. Having thus accomplished his barbarous\nerrand, the emir embarked for Spain, and ordered the citadel of Ceuta\nto be set on fire, and crossed the straits at night by the light of\nits towering flames.\n\nThe death of Count Julian, which took place not long after, closed\nthe tragic story of his family. How he died remains involved in\ndoubt. Some assert that the cruel Alahor pursued him to his retreat\namong the mountains, and, having taken him prisoner, beheaded him;\nothers that the Moors confined him in a dungeon, and put an end to\nhis life with lingering torments; while others affirm that the tower\nof the castle of Marcuello, near Huesca, in Aragon, in which he\ntook refuge, fell on him and crushed him to pieces. All agree that\nhis latter end was miserable in the extreme and his death violent.\nThe curse of Heaven, which had thus pursued him to the grave, was\nextended to the very place which had given him shelter; for we are\ntold that the castle is no longer inhabited on account of the strange\nand horrible noises that are heard in it; and that visions of armed\nmen are seen above it in the air; which are supposed to be the\ntroubled spirits of the apostate Christians who favored the cause of\nthe traitor.\n\nIn after times a stone sepulchre was shown, outside of the chapel\nof the castle, as the tomb of Count Julian; but the traveller and\nthe pilgrim avoided it, or bestowed upon it a malediction; and the\nname of Julian has remained a byword and a scorn in the land for the\nwarning of all generations. Such ever be the lot of him who betrays\nhis country.\n\nHere end the legends of the Conquest of Spain.\n\n  WRITTEN IN THE ALHAMBRA, _June 10, 1829_.\n\n\nNOTE TO THE PRECEDING LEGEND.\n\nEl licenciado Ardevines (lib. 2, c. 8) dize que dichos Duendos\ncaseros, o los del aire, hazen aparacer exercitos y peleas, como lo\nque se cuenta por tradicion (y aun algunos personas lo deponen como\ntestigos de vista) de la torre y castello de Marcuello, lugar al\npie de las monta\u00f1as de Aragon (aora inhabitable, por las grandes y\nespantables ruidos, que en el se oyen) donde se retraxo el Conde Don\nJulian, causa de la perdicion de Espa\u00f1a; sobre el qual castillo, deze\nse ven en el aire ciertas visiones, como de soldados, que el vulgo\ndize son los cavalleros y gente que le favorecian.\n\nVide \u201cEl Ente Dislucidado,\u201d por Fray Antonio de Fuentalape\u00f1a,\nCapuchin. Seccion 3, Subseccion 5, Instancia 8, Num. 644.\n\nAs readers unversed in the Spanish language may wish to know the\ntestimony of the worthy and discreet Capuchin friar, Antonio de\nFuentalape\u00f1a, we subjoin a translation of it:\u2014\n\n\u201cThe licentiate Ardevines (book ii., chap. 8) says that the said\nhouse fairies (or familiar spirits), or those of the air, cause the\napparitions of armies and battles,\u2014such as those which are related\nin tradition (and some persons even depose to the truth of them as\neye-witnesses), of the town and castle of Marcuello, a fortress at\nthe foot of the mountains of Aragon (at present uninhabitable, on\naccount of the great and frightful noises heard in it), the place of\nretreat of Count Don Julian, the cause of the perdition of Spain. It\nis said that certain apparitions of soldiers are seen in the air,\nwhich the vulgar say are those of the courtiers and people who aided\nhim.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE LEGEND OF PELAYO.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[THE \u201cLegend of Pelayo,\u201d a fragment of which was printed in \u201cThe\nSpirit of the Fair,\u201d in 1864, and another, entitled \u201cPelayo and the\nMerchant\u2019s Daughter,\u201d in \u201cThe Knickerbocker,\u201d in 1840, is now first\npublished entire.\u2014ED.]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTHE LEGEND OF PELAYO.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nObscurity of the Ancient Chronicles.\u2014The Loves of Do\u00f1a Lucia and the\nDuke Favila.\u2014Birth of Pelayo, and what happened thereupon; His Early\nFortunes, and His Tutelage under the veteran Count Grafeses.\n\n\nIt is the common lamentation of Spanish historians that, in the\nobscure and melancholy space of time which succeeded the perdition\nof their country, its history is a mere wilderness of dubious facts,\nwild exaggerations, and evident fables. Many learned men in cells\nand cloisters have passed their lives in the weary and fruitless\ntask of attempting to correct incongruous events and reconcile\nabsolute contradictions. The worthy Jesuit Pedro Abarca confesses\nthat for more than forty years, during which he had been employed\nin theological controversies, he had never found any questions so\nobscure and inexplicable as those rising out of this portion of\nSpanish history; and that the only fruit of an indefatigable, prolix,\nand even prodigious study of the subject, was a melancholy and\nmortifying indecision.[56]\n\n  [56] Abarca, _Anales de Aragon_. Ante regno, \u00a7 2.\n\nLet us console ourselves, therefore, in our attempts to thread this\nmazy labyrinth with the reflection that, if we occasionally err and\nbecome bewildered, we do but share the errors and perplexities of our\ngraver and more laborious predecessors; and that, if we occasionally\nstray into the flowery by-ways of fanciful tradition, we are as\nlikely to arrive at the truth as those who travel by more dry and\ndusty but not more authenticated paths.\n\nWe premise these suggestions before proceeding to cull, from the\nmidst of the fables and extravagances of ancient chronicles, a few\nparticulars of the story of Pelayo, the deliverer of Spain; whose\nname, like that of William Wallace, the hero of Scotland, will ever\nbe linked with the glory of his country; but linked, like his, by a\nband in which fact and fiction are indissolubly mingled.\n\nIn the ensuing pages it is our intention to give little more than\nan abstract of an old chronicle teeming with extravagances, yet\ncontaining facts of admitted credibility, and presenting pictures of\nSpanish life, partly sylvan, partly chivalrous, which have all the\nquaint merit of the curious delineations in old tapestry.\n\nThe origin of Pelayo is wrapped in great obscurity, though all\nwriters concur in making him of royal Gothic lineage. The chronicle\nin question makes Pelayo the offspring of a love affair in the court\nof Ezica, one of the last of the Gothic kings, who held his seat of\ngovernment at Toledo. Among the noble damsels brought up in the\nroyal household was the beautiful Lucia, niece and maid of honor to\nthe queen. A mutual passion subsisted between her and Favila, the\nyouthful Duke of Cantabria, one of the most accomplished cavaliers of\nthe kingdom. The duke, however, had a powerful rival in the Prince\nWitiza, son to the king, and afterwards known, for the profligacy\nof his reign, by the name of Witiza the Wicked. The prince, to rid\nhimself of a favored rival, procured the banishment of Favila to\nhis estates in Cantabria; not, however, before he had been happy in\nhis loves in stolen interviews with the fair Lucia. The cautious\nchronicler, however, lets us know that a kind of espousal took place,\nby the lovers plighting their faith with solemn vows before an image\nof the Virgin, and as the image gave no sign of dissent by way of\nforbidding the bans, the worthy chronicler seems to consider them as\ngood as man and wife.\n\nAfter the departure of the duke, the prince renewed his suit with\nstronger hope of success, but met with a repulse which converted his\nlove into implacable and vengeful hate.\n\nThe beautiful Lucia continued in attendance on the queen, but soon\nbecame sensible of the consequences of her secret and informal\nnuptials so tacitly sanctioned by the Virgin. In the process of time,\nwith great secrecy, she gave birth to a male child, whom she named\nPelayo. For fifteen days the infant was concealed in her apartment,\nand she trusted all was safe, when, to her great terror, she learned\nthat her secret had been betrayed to Prince Witiza, and that search\nwas to be made for the evidence of her weakness.\n\nThe dread of public scorn and menace of a cruel death overcame even\nthe feelings of a mother. Through means of a trusty female of her\nchamber she procured a little ark, so constructed as to be impervious\nto water. She then arrayed her infant in costly garments, wrapping it\nin a mantle of rich brocade, and when about to part with it, kissed\nit many times, and laid it in her lap, and wept over it. At length\nthe child was borne away by the Due\u00f1a of her chamber and a faithful\nhandmaid. It was dark midnight when they conveyed it to the borders\nof the Tagus, where it washes the rocky foundations of Toledo.\nCovering it from the dew and night air, they committed the ark to the\neddying current, which soon swept it from the shore. As it glided\ndown the rapid stream, says the ancient chronicle, they could mark\nits course even in the darkness of the night; for it was surrounded\nby a halo of celestial light.[57] They knew not how to account for\nthis prodigy, says the same authentic writer, until they remembered\nthat the mother had blessed the child with the sign of the cross,\nand had baptized it with her own hand. Others, however, explain this\nmarvel differently; for in this child, say they, was centred the\nmiraculous light which was afterwards to shine forth with comfort and\ndeliverance in the darkest hour of Spain.\n\n  [57] El Moro Rasis, _La Destruycion de Espa\u00f1a_. Rojas, _Hist.\n  Toledo_, pt. 2, L. 4, cl.\n\nThe chronicle quoted by Fray Antonio Agapida goes on to state\nwhat befell the fair Lucia after the departure of the child. Her\napartments were searched at early dawn, but no proof appeared\nto substantiate the charges made against her. The Prince Witiza\npersisted in accusing her publicly of having brought disgrace upon\nher line by her frailty. A cavalier of the court, suborned by him,\nsupported the accusation by an oath, and offered to maintain the\ntruth of it by his sword. A month was granted by the king for the\nafflicted lady to find a champion, and a day appointed for the lists;\nif none appeared, or if her champion were overcome, she was to be\nconsidered guilty and put to death. The day arrived, the accusing\nknight was on the ground in complete armor, proclamation was made,\nbut no one stepped forward to defend the lady. At length a trumpet\nsounded; an unknown knight, with visor closed, entered the lists.\nThe combat was long and doubtful, for it would appear as if the Holy\nVirgin was not perfectly satisfied with the nature of the espousals\nwhich had taken place before her image. At length the accusing knight\nwas overcome and slain, to the great joy of the court and all the\nspectators, and the beautiful Lucia was pronounced as immaculate as\nthe Virgin, her protectress.\n\nThe unknown champion of course proved to be the Duke of Cantabria.\nHe obtained a pardon of the king for returning from banishment\nwithout the royal permission; what is more, he obtained permission\nformally to espouse the lady whose honor he had so gallantly\nestablished. Their nuptials were solemnized in due form and with\ngreat magnificence, after which he took his blooming bride to his\ncastle in Cantabria, to be out of reach of the persecutions of the\nPrince Witiza.\n\nHaving made this brief abstract of what occupies many a wordy page in\nthe ancient chronicle, we return to look after the fortunes of the\ninfant Pelayo, when launched upon the waves in the darkness of the\nnight.\n\nThe ark containing this future hope of Spain, continues the old\nchronicle, floated down the current of the Golden Tagus, where that\nrenowned river winds through the sylvan solitudes of Estremadura. All\nnight, and throughout the succeeding day and the following night, it\nmade its tranquil way: the stream ceased its wonted turbulence and\ndimpled round it; the swallow circled round it with lively chirp and\nsportive wing, the breezes whispered musically among the reeds, which\nbowed their tall heads as it passed; such was the bland influence of\nthe protection of the Virgin.\n\nNow, so it happened that at this time there lived in a remote part of\nEstremadura an ancient cavalier, a hale and hearty bachelor, named\nthe Count Grafeses. He had been a warrior in his youth, but now,\nin a green and vigorous old age, had retired from camp and court\nto a domain on the banks of the Tagus, inherited from his Gothic\nancestors. His great delight was in the chase, which he followed\nsuccessfully in the vast forests of Estremadura. Every morning heard\nthe woods resounding with the melody of hound and horn; and the heads\nof stags, of wolves, and wild boars vied in his castle hall with the\nhelms and bucklers and lances, and the trophies of his youthful and\nmartial days.\n\nThe jovial count was up at early dawn pursuing a boar in the thick\nforest bordering the Tagus, when he beheld the little ark floating\ndown the stream. He ordered one of his huntsmen to strip and enter\nthe river and bring the ark to land. On opening it, he was surprised\nto behold within an infant wrapped in costly robes, but pale and\nwan, and apparently almost exhausted. Beside it was a purse of gold,\nand on its bosom a cross of rubies and a parchment scroll, on which\nwas written, \u201cLet this infant be honorably entertained; he is of\nillustrious lineage; his name is Pelayo.\u201d\n\nThe good count shrewdly surmised the cause of this perilous exposure\nof a helpless infant. He had a heart kind and indulgent toward the\nweaker sex, as the heart of a genial old bachelor is prone to be; and\nwhile he looked with infinite benevolence upon the beauteous child,\nfelt a glow of compassion for the unknown mother. Commanding his\nhuntsman to be silent as to what he had witnessed, he took the infant\nin his arms and returned with it to his castle.\n\nNow, so it happened that the wife of his steward had, about a week\nbefore, been delivered of a child which lived out a very few days,\nleaving the mother in great affliction. The count gave her the\ninfant, and the money found with it, and told her the story of the\nark, with a strong injunction of secrecy, entreating her to take\ncharge of the child and rear it as her own. The good woman doubted\nthe story, and strongly suspected her master of having fallen into\nan error in his old age; she received the infant, however, as a gift\nfrom Heaven, sent to console her in her affliction, and pressed it\nwith tears to her bosom, for she thought of the child she had lost.\n\nPelayo, therefore, was reared on the banks of the Tagus as the\noffspring of the steward and his wife, and the adopted son of the\ncount. That veteran cavalier bore in mind, however, that his youthful\ncharge was of illustrious lineage, and took delight in accomplishing\nhim in all things befitting a perfect hidalgo. He placed him astride\nof a horse almost as soon as he could walk; a lance and cross-bow\nwere his earliest playthings, and he was taught to hunt the small\ngame of the forest until strong enough to accompany the count in\nhis more rugged sports. Thus he was inured to all kinds of hardy\nexercises, and rendered heedless of danger and fatigue. Nor was\nthe discipline of his mind neglected. Under the instructions of a\nneighboring friar, he learned to read in a manner that surprised the\nerudition of his foster-father; for he could con more correctly all\nthe orisons of the Virgin, and listened to mass, and attended all the\nceremonies of the Church, with a discretion truly exemplary. Some\nancient chroniclers have gone so far as to say that he even excelled\nin clerkly craft; but this is most likely a fond exaggeration.\n\nTime glided by. King Ezica was gathered to his fathers, and his son\nWitiza reigned in his stead. All the chivalry of the kingdom was\nsummoned to Toledo to give splendor to his coronation. The good old\ncount prepared, among the rest, to appear at a court from which he\nhad long been absent. His ancient serving-men were arrayed in the\nantiquated garbs in which they had figured in his days of youthful\ngallantry, and his household troops in the battered armor which had\nseen hard service in the field, but which had long rusted in the\narmory. He determined to take with him his adopted son Pelayo, now\nseven years of age. A surcoat was made for him from the mantle of\nrich brocade in which he had been found wrapped in the ark. A palfrey\nwas also caparisoned for him in warlike style. It was a rare sight,\nsays the old chronicler, to see the antiquated chivalry of the good\nCount Grafeses parading across the bridge of the Tagus, or figuring\nin the streets of Toledo, in contrast to the silken and shining\nretinues of the more modern courtiers; but the veteran was hailed\nwith joy by many of the ancient nobles, his early companions in arms.\nThe populace, too, when they beheld the youthful Pelayo ambling by\nhis side on his gentle palfrey, were struck with the chivalrous\ndemeanor of the boy, and the perfect manner in which he managed his\nsteed.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nWhat happened to Pelayo at the Court of Witiza.\n\n\nAmong the nobles, continues the old chronicle, who appeared in Toledo\nto do homage to the new king was Favila, Duke of Cantabria. He left\nhis wife in their castle among the mountains,\u2014for the fair Lucia was\nstill in the meridian of her beauty, and he feared lest the sight of\nher might revive the passion of Witiza. They had no other fruit of\ntheir union but a little daughter of great beauty, called Lucinda,\nand they still mourned in secret the loss of their first-born. The\nduke was related to Count Grafeses; and when he first beheld Pelayo\nhis heart throbbed, he knew not why, and he followed him with his\neyes in all his youthful sports. The more he beheld him the more his\nheart yearned toward him, and he entreated the count to grant him the\nyouth for a time as a page, to be reared by him in all the offices of\nchivalry, as was the custom in the houses of warlike nobles in those\ndays.\n\nThe count willingly complied with his request, knowing the great\nprowess of the Duke of Cantabria, who was accounted a mirror of\nknightly virtue. \u201cFor my own part,\u201d said he, \u201cI am at present but\nlittle capable of instructing the boy; for many years have passed\nsince I gave up the exercise of arms, and little am I worth at\npresent excepting to blow the horn and follow the hound.\u201d\n\nWhen the ceremonies of the coronation were over, therefore, the Duke\nof Cantabria departed for his castle, accompanied by the young Pelayo\nand the count, for the good old cavalier could not yet tear himself\nfrom his adopted child.\n\nAs they drew near the castle, the duchess came forth with a grand\nretinue; for they were as petty sovereigns in their domains. The duke\npresented Pelayo to her as her page, and the youth knelt to kiss her\nhand, but she raised him and kissed him on the forehead; and as she\nregarded him the tears stood in her eyes.\n\n\u201cGod bless thee, gentle page,\u201d said she, \u201cand preserve thee to the\ndays of manhood; for thou hast in thee the promise of an accomplished\ncavalier; joyful must be the heart of the mother who can boast of\nsuch a son!\u201d\n\nOn that day, when the dinner was served with becoming state, Pelayo\ntook his place among the other pages in attendance, who were all\nchildren of nobles; but the duchess called him to her as her peculiar\npage. He was arrayed in his surcoat of brocade, made from the mantle\nin which he had been folded in the ark, and round his neck hung the\ncross of rubies.\n\nAs the duchess beheld these things, she turned pale and trembled.\n\u201cWhat is the name of thy son,\u201d said she to Count Grafeses. \u201cHis\nname,\u201d replied the count, \u201cis Pelayo.\u201d \u201cTell me of a truth,\u201d demanded\nshe, still more earnestly, \u201cis this indeed thy son?\u201d The count was\nnot prepared for so direct a question. \u201cOf a truth,\u201d said he, \u201che\nis but the son of my adoption; yet is he of noble lineage.\u201d The\nduchess again addressed him with tenfold solemnity. \u201cOn thy honor as\na knight, do not trifle with me; who are the parents of this child?\u201d\nThe count, moved by her agitation, briefly told the story of the ark.\nWhen the duchess heard it she gave a great sigh and fell as one dead.\nOn reviving, she embraced Pelayo with mingled tears and kisses, and\nproclaimed him as her long-lost son.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nHow Pelayo lived among the Mountains of Cantabria.\u2014His Adventure\nwith the Needy Hidalgo of Gascony and the Rich Merchant of\nBordeaux.\u2014Discourse of the Holy Hermit.\n\n\nThe authentic Agapida passes over many pages of the ancient chronicle\nnarrating the early life of Pelayo, presenting nothing of striking\nimportance. His father, the Duke of Cantabria, was dead, and he was\ncarefully reared by his widowed mother at a castle in the Pyrenees,\nout of the reach of the dangers and corruptions of the court. Here\nthat hardy and chivalrous education was continued which had been\ncommenced by his veteran foster-father on the banks of the Tagus. The\nrugged mountains around abounded with the bear, the wild boar, and\nthe wolf, and in hunting these he prepared himself for the conflicts\nof the field.\n\nThe old chronicler records an instance of his early prowess in the\ncourse of one of his hunting expeditions on the immediate borders of\nFrance. The mountain passes and the adjacent lands were much infested\nand vexed by marauders from Gascony. The Gascons, says the worthy\nAgapida, were a people ready to lay their hands upon everything\nthey met. They used smooth words when necessary, but force when they\ndared. Though poor, they were proud: there was not one who did not\nplume himself upon being a hijo de algo, or son of somebody. Whenever\nPelayo, therefore, hunted on the borders infested by these, he was\nattended by a page conducting his horse, with his buckler and lance,\nto be at hand in case of need.\n\nAt the head of a band of fourteen of these self-styled hidalgos of\nGascony was a broken-down cavalier by the name of Arnaud. He and\nfour of his comrades were well armed and mounted, the rest were mere\nscamper-grounds on foot, armed with darts and javelins. This band was\nthe terror of the border; here to-day, gone to-morrow; sometimes in\none pass of the mountains, sometimes in another; sometimes they made\ndescents into Spain, harassing the roads and marauding the country,\nand were over the mountains again and into France before a force\ncould be sent against them.\n\nIt so happened that while Pelayo with a number of his huntsmen was\non the border, this Gascon cavalier and his crew were on the maraud.\nThey had heard of a rich merchant of Bordeaux who was to pass through\nthe mountains on his way to one of the ports of Biscay, with which\nseveral of his vessels traded, and that he would carry with him much\nmoney for the purchase of merchandise. They determined to ease him\nof his money-bags; for, being hidalgos who lived by the sword, they\nconsidered all peaceful men of trade as lawful spoil, sent by Heaven\nfor the supply of men of valor and gentle blood.\n\nAs they waylaid a lonely defile they beheld the merchant approaching.\nHe was a fair and portly man, whose looks bespoke the good cheer of\nhis native city. He was mounted on a stately and well-fed steed;\nbeside him on palfreys paced his wife, a comely dame, and his\ndaughter, a damsel of marriageable age, and fair to look upon. A\nyoung man, his nephew, who acted as his clerk, rode with them, and a\nsingle domestic followed.\n\nWhen the travellers had advanced within the defile, the bandoleros\nrushed from behind a rock and set upon them. The nephew fought\nvaliantly and was slain; the servant fled; the merchant, though\nlittle used to the exercise of arms, and of unwieldy bulk, made\ncourageous defense, having his wife and daughter and his money-bags\nat hazard. He was wounded in two places and overpowered.\n\nThe freebooters were disappointed at not finding the booty they\nexpected, and putting their swords to the breast of the merchant,\ndemanded where was the money with which he was to traffic in Biscay.\nThe trembling merchant informed them that a trusty servant was\nfollowing him at no great distance with a stout hackney laden with\nbags of money. Overjoyed at this intelligence, they bound their\ncaptives to trees and awaited the arrival of the treasure.\n\nIn the mean time Pelayo was on a hill near a narrow pass, awaiting\na wild boar which his huntsmen were to rouse. While thus posted the\nmerchant\u2019s servant, who had escaped, came running in breathless\nterror, but fell on his knees before Pelayo and craved his life in\nthe most piteous terms, supposing him another of the robbers. It\nwas some time before he could be persuaded of his mistake and made\nto tell the story of the robbery. When Pelayo heard the tale, he\nperceived that the robbers in question must be the Gascon hidalgos\nupon the scamper. Taking his armor from the page, he put on his\nhelmet, slung his buckler round his neck, took lance in hand, and\nmounting his horse, compelled the trembling servant to guide him to\nthe scene of the robbery. At the same time he dispatched his page to\nsummon as many of his huntsmen as possible to his assistance.\n\nWhen the robbers saw Pelayo advancing through the forest, the sun\nsparkling upon his rich armor, and saw that he was attended but by a\nsingle page, they considered him a new prize, and Arnaud and two of\nhis companions mounting their horses advanced to meet him. Pelayo put\nhimself in a narrow pass between two rocks, where he could only be\nattacked in front, and, bracing his buckler and lowering his lance,\nawaited their coming.\n\n\u201cWho and what are ye,\u201d cried he, \u201cand what seek ye in this land?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are huntsmen,\u201d cried Arnaud, \u201cin quest of game; and lo! it runs\ninto our toils.\u201d\n\n\u201cBy my faith,\u201d said Pelayo, \u201cthou wilt find the game easier roused\nthan taken; have at thee for a villain.\u201d\n\nSo saying, he put spurs to his horse and charged upon him. Arnaud\nwas totally unprepared for so sudden an assault, having scarce\nanticipated a defense. He hastily couched his lance, but it merely\nglanced on the shield of Pelayo, who sent his own through the middle\nof his breast, and threw him out of his saddle to the earth. One of\nthe other robbers made at Pelayo and wounded him slightly in the\nside, but received a blow on the head which cleft his skull-cap and\nsank into his brain. His companion, seeing him fall, galloped off\nthrough the forest.\n\nBy this time three or four of the robbers on foot had come up, and\nassailed Pelayo. He received two of their darts on his buckler, a\njavelin razed his cuirass, and his horse received two wounds. Pelayo\nthen rushed upon them and struck one dead; the others, seeing several\nhuntsmen advancing, took to flight; two were overtaken and made\nprisoners, the rest escaped by clambering among rocks and precipices.\n\nThe good merchant of Bordeaux and his family beheld this scene with\ntrembling and amazement. They almost looked upon Pelayo as something\nmore than mortal, for they had never witnessed such feats of arms.\nStill they considered him as a leader of some rival band of robbers,\nand when he came up and had the bands loosened by which they were\nfastened to the trees, they fell at his feet and implored for mercy.\nIt was with difficulty he could pacify their fears; the females were\nsoonest reassured, especially the daughter, for the young maid was\nstruck with the gentle demeanor and noble countenance of Pelayo, and\nsaid to herself, Surely nothing wicked can dwell in so heavenly a\nform.\n\nPelayo now ordered that the wounds of the merchant should be dressed,\nand his own examined. When his cuirass was taken off, his wound was\nfound to be but slight; but his men were so exasperated at seeing\nhis blood, that they would have put the two captive Gascons to death\nhad he not forbade them. He now sounded his hunting horn, which\nechoed from rock to rock, and was answered by shouts and horns from\nvarious parts of the mountains. The merchant\u2019s heart misgave him; he\nagain thought he was among robbers; nor were his fears allayed when\nhe beheld in a little while more than forty men assembling together\nfrom various parts of the forest, clad in hunting-dresses, with\nboar-spears, darts, and hunting-swords, and each leading a hound by\na long cord. All this was a new and a wild world to the astonished\nmerchant, nor was his uneasiness abated when he beheld his servant\narrive leading the hackney laden with money. Certainly, said he to\nhimself, this will be too tempting a spoil for these wild men of the\nmountains.\n\nThe huntsmen brought with them a boar, which they had killed, and\nbeing hungry from the chase, they lighted a fire at the foot of a\ntree, and each cutting such portion of the boar as he liked best,\nroasted it at the fire, and ate it with bread taken from his wallet.\nThe merchant, his wife, and daughter looked at all this and wondered,\nfor they had never beheld so savage a repast. Pelayo then inquired of\nthem if they did not desire to eat. They were too much in awe of him\nto decline, though they felt a loathing at the idea of this hunter\u2019s\nfare. Linen cloths were therefore spread under the shade of a great\noak, to screen them from the sun; and when they had seated themselves\nround it, they were served, to their astonishment, not with the\nflesh of the boar, but with dainty viands, such as the merchant\nhad scarcely hoped to find out of the walls of his native city of\nBordeaux.\n\nWhile they were eating, the young damsel, the daughter of the\nmerchant, could not keep her eyes from Pelayo. Gratitude for his\nprotection, admiration of his valor, had filled her heart; and when\nshe regarded his noble countenance, now that he had laid aside his\nhelmet, she thought she beheld something divine. The heart of the\ntender Donzella, says the old historian, was kind and yielding; and\nhad Pelayo thought fit to ask the greatest boon that love and beauty\ncould bestow,\u2014doubtless meaning her own fair hand,\u2014she would not have\nhad the cruelty to say him nay. Pelayo, however, had no such thought.\nThe love of woman had never yet entered in his heart: and though he\nregarded the damsel as the fairest maiden he had ever beheld, her\nbeauty caused no perturbation in his breast.\n\nWhen the repast was over, Pelayo offered to conduct the merchant\nand his family through the passes of the mountains, which were yet\ndangerous from the scattered band of Gascons. The bodies of the slain\nmarauders were buried, and the corpse of the nephew of the merchant\nwas laid upon one of the horses captured in the battle. They then\nformed their cavalcade and pursued their way slowly up one of the\nsteep and winding defiles of the Pyrenees.\n\nTowards sunset they arrived at the dwelling of a holy hermit. It was\nhewn out of the solid rock, a cross was over the door, and before it\nwas a spreading oak, with a sweet spring of water at its foot. Here\nthe body of the merchant\u2019s nephew was buried, close by the wall of\nthis sacred retreat, and the hermit performed a mass for the repose\nof his soul. Pelayo then obtained leave from the holy father that\nthe merchant\u2019s wife and daughter should pass the night within his\ncell; and the hermit made beds of moss for them and gave them his\nbenediction; but the damsel found little rest, so much were her\nthoughts occupied by the youthful cavalier who had delivered her from\ndeath or dishonor.\n\nWhen all were buried in repose, the hermit came to Pelayo, who was\nsleeping by the spring under the tree, and he awoke him and said,\n\u201cArise my son, and listen to my words.\u201d Pelayo arose and seated\nhimself on a rock, and the holy man stood before him, and the beams\nof the moon fell on his silver hair and beard, and he said: \u201cThis is\nno time to be sleeping; for know that thou art chosen for a great\nwork. Behold the ruin of Spain is at hand, destruction shall come\nover it like a cloud, and there shall be no safeguard. For it is the\nwill of Heaven that evil shall for a time have sway, and whoever\nwithstands it shall be destroyed. But tarry thou not to see these\nthings, for thou canst not relieve them. Depart on a pilgrimage, and\nvisit the sepulchre of our blessed Lord in Palestine, and purify\nthyself by prayer, and enrol thyself in the order of chivalry, and\nprepare for the work of the redemption of thy country. When thou\nshalt return, thou wilt find thyself a stranger in the land. Thy\nresidence will be in wild dens and caves of the earth, which thy\nyoung foot has never trodden. Thou wilt find thy countrymen harboring\nwith the beasts of the forest and the eagles of the mountains. The\nland which thou leavest smiling with cornfields, and covered with\nvines and olives, thou wilt find overrun with weeds and thorns and\nbrambles; and wolves will roam where there have been peaceful flocks\nand herds. But thou wilt weed out the tares, and destroy the wolves,\nand raise again the head of thy suffering country.\u201d\n\nMuch further discourse had Pelayo with this holy man, who revealed to\nhim many of the fearful events that were to happen, and counseled him\nthe way in which he was to act.\n\nWhen the morning sun shone upon the mountains, the party assembled\nround the door of the hermitage, and made a repast by the fountain\nunder the tree. Then, having received the benediction of the hermit,\nthey departed, and travelled through the forests and defiles of the\nmountain, in the freshness of the day; and when the merchant beheld\nhis wife and daughter thus secure by his side, and the hackney laden\nwith his treasure following close behind him, his heart was light in\nhis bosom, and he carolled as he went. But Pelayo rode in silence,\nfor his mind was deeply moved by the revelations and the counsel of\nthe hermit; and the daughter of the merchant ever and anon regarded\nhim with eyes of tenderness and admiration, and deep sighs spoke the\nagitation of her bosom.\n\nAt length they came to where the forests and the rocks terminated,\nand a secure road lay before them; and here Pelayo paused to take his\nleave, appointing a number of his followers to attend and guard them\nto the nearest town.\n\nWhen they came to part, the merchant and his wife were loud in their\nthanks and benedictions; but for some time the daughter spake never\na word. At length she raised her eyes, which were filled with tears,\nand looked wistfully at Pelayo, and her bosom throbbed, and after\na struggle between strong affection and virgin modesty her heart\nrelieved itself by words.\n\n\u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d said she, \u201cI know that I am humble and unworthy of the\nnotice of so noble a cavalier, but suffer me to place this ring on\na finger of your right hand, with which you have so bravely rescued\nus from death; and when you regard it, you shall consider it as a\nmemorial of your own valor, and not of one who is too humble to be\nremembered by you.\u201d With these words she drew a ring from off her\nfinger and put it upon the finger of Pelayo; and having done this,\nshe blushed and trembled at her own boldness, and stood as one\nabashed, with her eyes cast down upon the earth.\n\nPelayo was moved at her words, and at the touch of her fair hand, and\nat her beauty as she stood thus troubled and in tears before him;\nbut as yet he knew nothing of woman, and his heart was free from the\nsnares of love. \u201cAmiga\u201d (friend), said he, \u201cI accept thy present, and\nwill wear it in remembrance of thy goodness.\u201d The damsel was cheered\nby these words, for she hoped she had awakened some tenderness in his\nbosom; but it was no such thing, says the ancient chronicler, for his\nheart was ignorant of love, and was devoted to higher and more sacred\nmatters; yet certain it is, that he always guarded well that ring.\n\nThey parted, and Pelayo and his huntsmen remained for some time on\na cliff on the verge of the forest, watching that no evil befell\nthem about the skirts of the mountain; and the damsel often turned\nher head to look at him, until she could no longer see him for the\ndistance and the tears that dimmed her eyes.\n\nAnd, for that he had accepted her ring, she considered herself\nwedded to him in her heart, and never married; nor could be brought\nto look with eyes of affection upon any other man, but for the true\nlove which she bore Pelayo she lived and died a virgin. And she\ncomposed a book, continues the old chronicler, which treated of love\nand chivalry, and the temptations of this mortal life,\u2014and one part\ndiscoursed of celestial things,\u2014and it was called the \u201cContemplations\nof Love;\u201d because at the time she wrote it she thought of Pelayo,\nand of his having received her jewel, and called her by the gentle\nname of \u201cAmiga;\u201d and often thinking of him, and of her never having\nbeheld him more, in tender sadness she would take the book which she\nhad written, and would read it for him, and, while she repeated the\nwords of love which it contained, she would fancy them uttered by\nPelayo, and that he stood before her.[58]\n\n  [58] El Moro Rasis, _Destruycion de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 2, c. 101.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nPilgrimage of Pelayo, and what befell him on his Return to Spain.\n\n\nPelayo, according to the old chronicle before quoted, returned to his\nhome deeply impressed with the revelations made to him by the saintly\nhermit, and prepared to set forth upon the pilgrimage to the Holy\nSepulchre. Some historians have alleged that he was quickened to this\npious expedition by fears of violence from the wicked King Witiza;\nbut at this time Witiza was in his grave, and Roderick swayed the\nGothic sceptre; the sage Agapida is therefore inclined to attribute\nthe pilgrimage to the mysterious revelation already mentioned.\n\nHaving arranged the concerns of his household, chosen the best suit\nof armor from his armory, and the best horse from his stable, and\nsupplied himself with jewels and store of gold for his expenses, he\ntook leave of his mother and his sister Lucinda, as if departing\nupon a distant journey in Spain, and, attended only by his page, set\nout upon his holy wayfaring. Descending from the rugged Pyrenees, he\njourneyed through the fair plains of France to Marseilles, where,\nlaying by his armor, and leaving his horses in safe keeping, he\nput on a pilgrim\u2019s garb, with staff and scrip and cockle-shell,\nand embarked on board of a galley bound for Sicily. From Messina\nhe voyaged in a small bark to Rhodes; thence in a galliot, with a\nnumber of other pilgrims, to the Holy Land. Having passed a year of\npious devotion at the Holy Sepulchre, and visited all the places\nrendered sacred by the footsteps of our Lord, and of his mother the\never-blessed Virgin, and having received the order of knighthood, he\nturned his steps toward his native land.\n\nThe discreet Agapida here pauses and forbears to follow the ancient\nchronicler further in his narration, for an interval of obscurity\nnow occurs in the fortunes of Pelayo. Some who have endeavored to\nascertain and connect the links of his romantic and eventful story,\nhave represented him as returning from his pilgrimage in time to\nshare in the last struggle of his country, and as signalizing himself\nin the fatal battle on the banks of the Guadalete. Others declare\nthat by the time he arrived in Spain the perdition of the country was\ncomplete; that infidel chieftains bore sway in the palaces of his\nancestors; that his paternal castle was a ruin, his mother in her\ngrave, and his sister Lucinda carried away into captivity.\n\nStepping lightly over this disputed ground, the cautious Agapida\nresumes the course of the story where Pelayo discovers the residence\nof his sister in the city of Gijon, on the Atlantic coast, at the\nfoot of the Asturian Mountains. It was a formidable fortress, chosen\nby Taric as a military post, to control the seaboard, and hold in\ncheck the Christian patriots who had taken refuge in the neighboring\nmountains. The commander of this redoubtable fortress was a renegado\nchief, who has been variously named by historians, and who held\nthe sister of Pelayo a captive; though others affirm that she had\nsubmitted to become his wife, to avoid a more degrading fate.\nAccording to the old chronicle already cited, Pelayo succeeded by\nartifice in extricating her from his hands, and bearing her away to\nthe mountains. They were hotly pursued, but Pelayo struck up a steep\nand rugged defile, where scarcely two persons could pass abreast, and\npartly by his knowledge of the defiles, partly by hurling down great\nmasses of rock to check his pursuers, effected the escape of his\nsister and himself to a secure part of the mountains. Here they found\nthemselves in a small green meadow, blocked up by a perpendicular\nprecipice, whence fell a stream of water with great noise into a\nnatural basin or pool, the source of the river Deva. Here was the\nhermitage of one of those holy men who had accompanied the Archbishop\nUrbano in his flight from Toledo, and had established a sanctuary\namong these mountains. He received the illustrious fugitives with\njoy, especially when he knew their rank and story, and conducted them\nto his retreat. A kind of ladder led up to an aperture in the face of\nthe rock, about two pike lengths from the ground. Within was a lofty\ncavern capable of containing many people, with an inner cavern of\nstill greater magnitude. The outer cavern served as a chapel, having\nan altar, a crucifix, and an image of the blessed Mary.\n\nThis wild retreat had never been molested; not a Moslem turban had\nbeen seen within the little valley. The cavern was well known to the\nGothic inhabitants of the mountains and the adjacent valleys. They\ncalled it the cave of Santa Maria; but it is more commonly known to\nfame by the name of Covadonga. It had many times been a secure place\nof refuge to suffering Christians, being unknown to their foes, and\ncapable of being made a natural citadel. The entrance was so far\nfrom the ground that, when the ladder was removed, a handful of men\ncould defend it from all assault. The small meadow in front afforded\npasturage and space for gardens; and the stream that fell from the\nrock was from a never-failing spring. The valley was high in the\nmountains; so high that the crow seldom winged its flight across it,\nand the passes leading to it were so steep and dangerous that single\nmen might set whole armies at defiance.\n\nSuch was one of the wild fastnesses of the Asturias, which formed\nthe forlorn hope of unhappy Spain. The anchorite, too, was one\nof those religious men permitted by the conquerors, from their\napparently peaceful and inoffensive lives, to inhabit lonely chapels\nand hermitages, but whose cells formed places of secret resort and\ncouncil for the patriots of Spain, and who kept up an intercourse and\nunderstanding among the scattered remnants of the nation. The holy\nman knew all the Christians of the Asturias, whether living in the\nalmost inaccessible caves and dens of the cliffs, or in the narrow\nvalleys imbedded among the mountains. He represented them to Pelayo\nas brave and hardy, and ready for any desperate enterprise that might\npromise deliverance; but they were disheartened by the continued\nsubjection of their country, and on the point, many of them, of\ndescending into the plains and submitting, like the rest of their\ncountrymen, to the yoke of the conquerors.\n\nWhen Pelayo considered all these things, he was persuaded the time\nwas come for effecting the great purpose of his soul. \u201cFather,\u201d said\nhe, \u201cI will no longer play the fugitive, nor endure the disgrace of\nmy country and my line. Here in this wilderness will I rear once more\nthe royal standard of the Goths, and attempt, with the blessing of\nGod, to shake off the yoke of the invader.\u201d\n\nThe hermit hailed his words with transport, as prognostics of the\ndeliverance of Spain. Taking staff in hand, he repaired to the\nnearest valley inhabited by Christian fugitives. \u201cHasten in every\ndirection,\u201d said he, \u201cand proclaim far and wide among the mountains\nthat Pelayo, a descendant of the Gothic kings, has unfurled his\nbanner at Covadonga as a rallying-point for his countrymen.\u201d\n\nThe glad tidings ran like wildfire throughout all the regions of the\nAsturias. Old and young started up at the sound, and seized whatever\nweapons were at hand. From mountain cleft and secret glen issued\nforth stark and stalwart warriors, grim with hardship, and armed\nwith old Gothic weapons that had rusted in caves since the battle of\nthe Guadalete. Others turned their rustic implements into spears and\nbattle-axes, and hastened to join the standard of Pelayo. Every day\nbeheld numbers of patriot warriors arriving in the narrow valley, or\nrather glen, of Covadonga, clad in all the various garbs of ancient\nSpain,\u2014for here were fugitives from every province, who had preferred\nliberty among the sterile rocks of the mountains to ease and slavery\nin the plains. In a little while Pelayo found himself at the head\nof a formidable force, hardened by toil and suffering, fired with\nold Spanish pride, and rendered desperate by despair. With these he\nmaintained a warlike sway among the mountains. Did any infidel troops\nattempt to penetrate to their stronghold, the signal fires blazed\nfrom height to height, the steep passes and defiles bristled with\narmed men, and rocks were hurled upon the heads of the intruders.\n\nBy degrees the forces of Pelayo increased so much in number, and\nin courage of heart, that he sallied forth occasionally from the\nmountains, swept the sea-coast, assailed the Moors in their towns\nand villages, put many of them to the sword, and returned laden with\nspoil to the mountains.\n\nHis name now became the terror of the infidels, and the hope and\nconsolation of the Christians. The heart of old Gothic Spain was once\nmore lifted up, and hailed his standard as the harbinger of happier\ndays. Her scattered sons felt again as a people, and the spirit of\nempire arose once more among them. Gathering together from all parts\nof the Asturias in the Valley of Cangas, they resolved to elect their\nchampion their sovereign. Placing the feet of Pelayo upon a shield,\nseveral of the starkest warriors raised him aloft, according to\nancient Gothic ceremonial, and presented him as king. The multitude\nrent the air with their transports, and the mountain cliffs, which so\nlong had echoed nothing but lamentations, now resounded with shouts\nof joy.[59] Thus terminated the interregnum of Christian Spain, which\nhad lasted since the overthrow of King Roderick and his host on the\nbanks of the Guadalete, and the new king continued with augmented\nzeal his victorious expeditions against the infidels.\n\n  [59] Morales, _Cronicon de Espa\u00f1a_, L. 13, c. 2.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nThe Battle of Covadonga.\n\n\nTidings soon spread throughout Spain that the Christians of the\nAsturias were in arms and had proclaimed a king among the mountains.\nThe veteran chief, Taric el Tuerto, was alarmed for the safety of\nthe seaboard, and dreaded lest this insurrection should extend into\nthe plains. He despatched, therefore, in all haste, a powerful force\nfrom Cordova, under the command of Ibrahim Alcamar, one of his most\nexperienced captains, with orders to penetrate the mountains and\ncrush this dangerous rebellion. The perfidious Bishop Oppas, who had\npromoted the perdition of Spain, was sent with this host, in the hope\nthat through his artful eloquence Pelayo might be induced to lay down\nhis arms and his newly assumed sceptre.\n\nThe army made rapid marches, and in a few days arrived among the\nnarrow valleys of the Asturias. The Christians had received notice\nof their approach, and fled to their fastnesses. The Moors found the\nvalleys silent and deserted; there were traces of men, but not a man\nwas to be seen. They passed through the most wild and dreary defiles,\namong impending rocks,\u2014here and there varied by small green strips\nof mountain meadow,\u2014and directed their march for the lofty valley, or\nrather glen, of Covadonga, whither they learnt from their scouts that\nPelayo had retired.\n\nThe newly elected king, when he heard of the approach of this mighty\nforce, sent his sister, and all the women and children, to a distant\nand secret part of the mountain. He then chose a thousand of his best\narmed and most powerful men, and placed them within the cave. The\nlighter armed and less vigorous he ordered to climb to the summit of\nthe impending rocks, and conceal themselves among the thickets with\nwhich they were crowned. This done, he entered the cavern and caused\nthe ladder leading to it to be drawn up.\n\nIn a little while the bray of distant trumpets, and the din of\natabals resounded up the glen, and soon the whole gorge of the\nmountain glistened with armed men; squadron after squadron of swarthy\nArabs spurred into the valley, which was soon whitened by their\ntents. The veteran Ibrahim Alcamar, trusting that he had struck\ndismay into the Christians by this powerful display, sent the crafty\nBishop Oppas to parley with Pelayo, and persuade him to surrender.\n\nThe bishop advanced on his steed until within a short distance of\nthe cave, and Pelayo appeared at its entrance with lance in hand.\nThe silver-tongued prelate urged him to submit to the Moslem power,\nassuring him that he would be rewarded with great honors and estates.\nHe represented the mildness of the conquerors to all who submitted to\ntheir sway, and the hopelessness of resistance. \u201cRemember,\u201d said he,\n\u201chow mighty was the power of the Goths, who vanquished both Romans\nand Barbarians, yet how completely was it broken down and annihilated\nby these people. If the whole nation in arms could not stand before\nthem, what canst thou do with thy wretched cavern and thy handful\nof mountaineers? Be counseled then, Pelayo; give up this desperate\nattempt; accept the liberal terms offered thee; abandon these sterile\nmountains, and return to the plains to live in wealth and honor under\nthe magnanimous rule of Taric.\u201d\n\nPelayo listened to the hoary traitor with mingled impatience and\ndisdain. \u201cPerdition has come upon Spain,\u201d replied he, \u201cthrough the\ndegeneracy of her sons, the sins of her rulers,\u2014like the wicked King\nWitiza thy brother,\u2014and the treachery of base men like thee. But when\npunishment is at an end, mercy and forgiveness succeed. The Goths\nhave reached the lowest extreme of misery; it is for me to aid their\nfortune in the turn, and soon I trust will it arise to its former\ngrandeur. As to thee, Don Oppas, thou shalt stand abhorred among men,\nfalse to thy country, traitorous to thy king, a renegado Christian,\nand an apostate priest.\u201d\n\nSo saying he turned his back upon the bishop and retired into his\ncave.\n\nOppas returned pale with shame and malice to Alcamar. \u201cThese people,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201care stiff-necked in their rebellion; their punishment\nshould be according to their obstinacy, and should serve as a terror\nto evil doers; not one of them should be permitted to survive.\u201d\n\nUpon this Alcamar ordered a grand assault upon the cavern; and the\nslingers and the cross-bow men advanced in great force, and with a\ndin of atabals and trumpets that threatened to rend the very rocks.\nThey discharged showers of stones and arrows at the mouth of the\ncavern, but their missiles rebounded from the face of the rock, and\nmany of them fell upon their own heads. This is recorded as a miracle\nby pious chroniclers of yore, who affirm that the stones and arrows\nabsolutely turned in the air and killed those who had discharged them.\n\nWhen Alcamar and Oppas saw that the attack was ineffectual, they\nbrought up fresh forces and made preparations to scale the mouth of\nthe cavern. At this moment, says the old chronicle, a banner was put\nin the hand of Pelayo, bearing a white cross on a blood-red field,\nand inscribed on it in Chaldean characters was the name of Jesus.\nAnd a voice spake unto him and said, \u201cArouse thy strength; go forth\nin the name of Jesus Christ, and thou shalt conquer.\u201d Who gave\nthe banner and uttered the words has never been known; the whole,\ntherefore, stands recorded as a miracle.\n\nThen Pelayo elevated the banner. \u201cBehold,\u201d said he, \u201ca sign from\nHeaven,\u2014a sacred cross sent to lead us on to victory.\u201d\n\nUpon this the people gave a great shout of joy; and when the Saracens\nheard that shout within the entrails of the mountain their hearts\nquaked, for it was like the roar of a volcano giving token of an\neruption.\n\nBefore they could recover from their astonishment, the Christians\nissued in a torrent from the cave, all fired with rage and holy\nconfidence. By their impetuous assault they bore back the first rank\nof their adversaries and forced it upon those behind, and as there\nwas no space in that narrow valley to display a front of war, or for\nmany to fight at a time, the numbers of the foe but caused their\nconfusion. The horse trampled on the foot, and the late formidable\nhost became a mere struggling and distracted multitude. In the front\nwas carnage and confusion, in the rear terror and fright; wherever\nthe sacred standard was borne, the infidels appeared to fall before\nit, as if smitten by some invisible hand rather than by the Christian\nband.\n\nEarly in the fight Pelayo encountered Ibrahim Alcamar. They fought\nhand to hand on the border of the pool from which springs the river\nDeva, and the Saracen was slain upon the margin of that pool, and his\nblood mingled with its waters.\n\nWhen the Bishop Oppas beheld this he would have fled, but the valley\nwas closed up by the mass of combatants, and Pelayo overtook him and\ndefied him to the fight. But the bishop, though armed, was as craven\nas he was false, and yielding up his weapons implored for mercy. So\nPelayo spared his life, but sent him bound to the cavern.\n\nThe whole Moorish host now took to headlong flight. Some attempted to\nclamber to the summit of the mountains, but they were assailed by\nthe troops stationed there by Pelayo, who showered down darts and\narrows and great masses of rock, making fearful havoc.\n\nThe great body of the army fled by the road leading along the ledge\nor shelf overhanging the deep ravine of the Deva; but as they\ncrowded in one dense multitude upon the projecting precipice, the\nwhole mass suddenly gave way, and horse and horseman, tree and rock,\nwere precipitated in one tremendous ruin into the raging river.\nThus perished a great part of the flying army. The venerable Bishop\nSebastiano, who records this event with becoming awe, as another\nmiracle wrought in favor of the Christians, assures us that, in his\ntime, many years afterwards, when during the winter season the Deva\nwould swell and rage and tear away its banks, spears and scimetars\nand corselets, and the mingled bones of men and steeds, would be\nuncovered, being the wrecks and relics of the Moslem host, thus\nmarvelously destroyed.[60]\n\n  [60] Judicio Domini actum est, ut ipsius montis pars se a\n  fundamentis evolvens, sexaginta tria millia caldeorum stupenter\n  in fulmina projecit, atque eos omnes opressit. Ubi usque\n  nunc ipse fluvius dum tempore hyemali alveum suum implet,\n  ripasque dissoluit, signa armorum et ossa eorum evidentissime\n  ostendit.\u2014_Sebastianus Salmanticensis Episc._\n\nNOTE.\u2014To satisfy all doubts with respect to the miraculous banner of\nPelayo, that precious relic is still preserved in the sacred chamber\nof the church of Oviedo, richly ornamented with gold and precious\nstones. It was removed to that place by order of Alonzo the Third,\nfrom the church of Santa Cruz, near Cangas, which was erected by\nFavila, the son and successor of Pelayo, in memory of this victory.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nPelayo becomes King of Leon.\u2014His Death.\n\n\nWhen Pelayo beheld his enemies thus scattered and destroyed, he saw\nthat Heaven was on his side, and proceeded to follow up his victory.\nRearing the sacred banner, he descended through the valleys of\nthe Asturias, his army augmenting, like a mountain torrent, as it\nrolled along; for the Christians saw in the victory of Covadonga a\nmiraculous interposition of Providence in behalf of ruined Spain, and\nhastened from all parts to join the standard of the deliverer.\n\nEmboldened by numbers, and by the enthusiasm of his troops, Pelayo\ndirected his march towards the fortress of Gijon. The renegado\nMagued, however, did not await his coming. His heart failed him\non hearing of the defeat and death of Alcamar, the destruction of\nthe Moslem army, and the augmenting force of the Christians; and,\nabandoning his post, he marched towards Leon with the greatest\npart of his troops. Pelayo received intelligence of his movements,\nand advancing rapidly through the mountains, encountered him in\nthe Valley of Ollalas. A bloody battle ensued on the banks of the\nriver which flows through that valley. The sacred banner was again\nvictorious; Magued was slain by the hand of Pelayo, and so great was\nthe slaughter of his host, that for two days the river ran red with\nthe blood of the Saracens.\n\nFrom hence, Pelayo proceeded rapidly to Gijon, which he easily\ncarried by assault. The capture of this important fortress gave him\nthe command of the seaboard, and of the skirts of the mountains.\nWhile reposing himself after his victories, the Bishop Oppas was\nbrought in chains before him, and the Christian troops called\nloudly for the death of that traitor and apostate. But Pelayo\nrecollected that he had been a sacred dignitary of the Church, and\nregarded him as a scourge in the hand of Heaven for the punishment\nof Spain. He would not, therefore, suffer violent hands to be laid\nupon him, but contented himself with placing him where he could no\nlonger work mischief. He accordingly ordered him to be confined in\none of the towers of Gijon, with nothing but bread and water for\nhis subsistence. There he remained a prey to the workings of his\nconscience, which filled his prison with horrid spectres of those who\nhad perished through his crimes. He heard wailings and execrations in\nthe sea-breeze that howled round the tower, and in the roaring of the\nwaves that beat against its foundations; and in a little time he was\nfound dead in his dungeon, hideously distorted, as if he had died in\nagony and terror.[61]\n\n  [61] _La Destruycion de Espa\u00f1a_, part 3.\n\nThe sacred banner that had been elevated at Covadonga never sank nor\nreceded, but continued to be the beacon of deliverance to Spain.\nPelayo went on from conquest to conquest, increasing and confirming\nhis royal power. Having captured the city of Leon, he made it the\ncapital of his kingdom, and took there the title of the King of Leon.\nHe moreover adopted the device of the city for his arms\u2014a blood-red\nlion rampant, in a silver field. This long continued to be the arms\nof Spain, until in after times the lion was quartered with the\ncastle, the device of Burgos, capital of Old Castile.\n\nWe forbear to follow this patriot prince through the rest of\nhis glorious career. Suffice it to say that he reigned long and\nprosperously; extending on all sides the triumphs of his arms;\nestablishing on solid foundations the reviving empire of Christian\nSpain; and that, after a life of constant warfare, he died in peace\nin the city of Cangas, and lies buried with his queen, Gaudiosa, in\nthe church of Santa Eulalia, near to that city.\n\nHere ends the legend of Pelayo.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nABDERAHMAN:\n\nTHE\n\nFOUNDER OF THE DYNASTY OF THE OMMIADES IN SPAIN.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[THE Memoir of Abderahman, the founder of the dynasty of the Ommiades\nin Spain, was published in the \u201cKnickerbocker Magazine\u201d in 1840. In\nintroducing it to that periodical, the author, after stating that\nhe had conformed to the facts furnished by the Arabian chronicles,\nas cited by Conde, remarks: \u201cThe story of Abderahman has almost\nthe charm of romance; but it derives a higher interest from the\nheroic, yet gentle virtues which it illustrates, and from recording\nthe fortunes of the founder of that splendid dynasty which shed\nsuch a lustre upon Spain during the domination of the Arabs.\u201d The\naccomplished Ford says of the history of Abderahman: \u201cNo fiction of\nromance ever surpassed the truth of his eventful life.\u201d\n\nThe present Memoir is not an exact reprint of the article in the\n\u201cKnickerbocker,\u201d but is given as altered from that, in 1847, when the\nauthor was thinking of preparing for the press the \u201cChronicle of the\nOmmiades,\u201d embracing the whole line which he had \u201croughly sketched\nout at Madrid in 1827, just after he had finished Columbus.\u201d\u2014ED.]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nABDERAHMAN.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nOf the Youthful Fortunes of Abderahman.\n\n\n\u201cBlessed be God!\u201d exclaims an Arabian historian; \u201cin his hands alone\nis the destiny of princes. He overthrows the mighty, and humbles the\nhaughty to the dust; and he raises up the persecuted and afflicted\nfrom the very depths of despair!\u201d\n\nThe illustrious house of Omeya, one of the two lines descended from\nMahomet, had swayed the sceptre at Damascus for nearly a century,\nwhen a rebellion broke out, headed by Abu al Abbas Safah, who\naspired to the throne of the caliphs, as being descended from Abbas,\nthe uncle of the prophet. The rebellion was successful. Meruan,\nthe last caliph of the house of Omeya, was defeated and slain. A\ngeneral proscription of the Ommiades took place. Many of them fell\nin battle; many were treacherously slain in places where they had\ntaken refuge; above seventy, most noble and distinguished, were\nmurdered at a banquet to which they had been invited, and their dead\nbodies, covered with cloths, were made to serve as tables for the\nhorrible festivity. Others were driven forth, forlorn and desolate\nwanderers in various parts of the earth, and pursued with relentless\nhatred; for it was the determination of the usurper that not one of\nthe persecuted family should escape. Abu al Abbas took possession\nof three stately palaces, and delicious gardens, and founded the\npowerful dynasty of the Abbassides, which, for several centuries,\nmaintained dominion in the East.\n\n\u201cBlessed be God!\u201d again exclaims the Arabian historian; \u201cit was\nwritten in his eternal decrees that, notwithstanding the fury of the\nAbbassides, the noble stock of Omeya should not be destroyed. One\nfruitful branch remained to flourish with glory and greatness in\nanother land.\u201d\n\nWhen the sanguinary proscription of the Ommiades took place, two\nyoung princes of that line, brothers, by the names of Solyman and\nAbderahman, were spared for a time. Their personal graces, noble\ndemeanor, and winning affability, had made them many friends, while\ntheir extreme youth rendered them objects of but little dread to the\nusurper. Their safety, however, was but transient. In a little while\nthe suspicions of Abu al Abbas were aroused. The unfortunate Solyman\nfell beneath the scimetar of the executioner. His brother Abderahman\nwas warned of his danger in time. Several of his friends hastened\nto him, bringing him jewels, a disguise, and a fleet horse. \u201cThe\nemissaries of the caliph,\u201d said they, \u201care in search of thee; thy\nbrother lies weltering in his blood; fly to the desert! There is no\nsafety for thee in the habitations of man!\u201d\n\nAbderahman took the jewels, clad himself in the disguise, and\nmounting the steed, fled for his life. As he passed, a lonely\nfugitive, by the palaces of his ancestors, in which his family had\nlong held sway, their very walls seemed disposed to betray him, as\nthey echoed the swift clattering of his steed.\n\nAbandoning his native country, Syria, where he was liable at each\nmoment to be recognized and taken, he took refuge among the Bedouin\nArabs, a half-savage race of shepherds. His youth, his inborn majesty\nand grace, and the sweetness and affability that shone forth in his\nazure eyes, won the hearts of these wandering men. He was but twenty\nyears of age, and had been reared in the soft luxury of a palace; but\nhe was tall and vigorous, and in a little while hardened himself so\ncompletely to the rustic life of the fields, that it seemed as though\nhe had passed all his days in the rude simplicity of a shepherd\u2019s\ncabin.\n\nHis enemies, however, were upon his traces, and gave him but little\nrest. By day he scoured the plains with the Bedouins, hearing in\nevery blast the sound of pursuit, and fancying in every distant cloud\nof dust a troop of the caliph\u2019s horsemen. His night was passed in\nbroken sleep and frequent watchings, and at the earliest dawn he was\nthe first to put the bridle to his steed.\n\nWearied by these perpetual alarms, he bade farewell to his friendly\nBedouins, and leaving Egypt behind, sought a safer refuge in Western\nAfrica. The province of Barca was at that time governed by Aben\nHabib, who had risen to rank and fortune under the fostering favor of\nthe Ommiades. \u201cSurely,\u201d thought the unhappy prince, \u201cI shall receive\nkindness and protection from this man; he will rejoice to show his\ngratitude for the benefits showered upon him by my kindred.\u201d\n\nAbderahman was young, and as yet knew little of mankind. None are so\nhostile to the victim of power as those whom he has befriended. They\nfear being suspected of gratitude by his persecutors, and involved in\nhis misfortunes.\n\nThe unfortunate Abderahman had halted for a few days to repose\nhimself among a horde of Bedouins, who had received him with their\ncharacteristic hospitality. They would gather round him in the\nevenings to listen to his conversation, regarding with wonder this\ngently spoken stranger from the more refined country of Egypt. The\nold men marveled to find so much knowledge and wisdom in such early\nyouth, and the young men, won by his frank and manly carriage,\nentreated him to remain among them.\n\nIn the mean time the Wali Aben Habib, like all the governors of\ndistant posts, had received orders from the caliph to be on the\nwatch for the fugitive prince. Hearing that a young man answering\nthe description had entered the province alone, from the frontiers\nof Egypt, on a steed worn down by travel, he sent forth horsemen\nin his pursuit, with orders to bring him to him dead or alive. The\nemissaries of the wali traced him to his resting-place, and coming\nupon the encampment in the dead of the night, demanded of the Arabs\nwhether a young man, a stranger from Syria, did not sojourn among\ntheir tribe. The Bedouins knew by the description that the stranger\nmust be their guest, and feared some evil was intended him. \u201cSuch a\nyouth,\u201d said they, \u201chas indeed sojourned among us; but he has gone,\nwith some of our young men, to a distant valley to hunt the lion.\u201d\nThe emissaries inquired the way to the place, and hastened on to\nsurprise their expected prey.\n\nThe Bedouins repaired to Abderahman, who was still sleeping. \u201cIf thou\nhast aught to fear from man in power,\u201d said they, \u201carise and fly; for\nthe horsemen of the wali are in quest of thee! We have sent them off\nfor a time on a wrong errand, but they will soon return.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlas! whither shall I fly?\u201d cried the unhappy prince; \u201cmy enemies\nhunt me like the ostrich of the desert. They follow me like the wind,\nand allow me neither safety nor repose!\u201d\n\nSix of the bravest youths of the tribe stepped forward. \u201cWe have\nsteeds,\u201d said they, \u201cthat can outstrip the wind, and hands that can\nhurl the javelin. We will accompany thee in thy flight, and will\nfight by thy side while life lasts, and we have weapons to wield.\u201d\n\nAbderahman embraced them with tears of gratitude. They mounted their\nsteeds, and made for the most lonely parts of the desert. By the\nfaint light of the stars, they passed through dreary wastes, and over\nhills of sand. The lion roared and the hyena howled unheeded, for\nthey fled from man, more cruel and relentless, when in pursuit of\nblood, than the savage beasts of the desert.\n\nAt sunrise they paused to refresh themselves beside a scanty well,\nsurrounded by a few palm-trees. One of the young Arabs climbed a\ntree, and looked in every direction, but not a horseman was to be\nseen.\n\n\u201cWe have outstripped pursuit,\u201d said the Bedouins; \u201cwhither shall we\nconduct thee? Where is thy home, and the land of thy people?\u201d\n\n\u201cHome have I none!\u201d replied Abderahman, mournfully, \u201cnor family, nor\nkindred! My native land is to me a land of destruction, and my people\nseek my life!\u201d\n\nThe hearts of the youthful Bedouins were touched with compassion at\nthese words, and they marveled that one so young and gentle should\nhave suffered such great sorrow and persecution.\n\nAbderahman sat by the well and mused for a time. At length, breaking\nsilence, \u201cIn the midst of Mauritania,\u201d said he, \u201cdwells the tribe\nof Zeneta. My mother was of that tribe; and perhaps when her son\npresents himself, a persecuted wanderer, at their door, they will not\nturn him from the threshold.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Zenetes,\u201d replied the Bedouins, \u201care among the bravest and\nmost hospitable of the people of Africa. Never did the unfortunate\nseek refuge among them in vain, nor was the stranger repulsed from\ntheir door.\u201d So they mounted their steeds with renewed spirits, and\njourneyed with all speed to Tahart, the capital of the Zenetes.\n\nWhen Abderahman entered the place, followed by his six rustic Arabs,\nall wayworn and travel-stained, his noble and majestic demeanor shone\nthrough the simple garb of a Bedouin. A crowd gathered around him\nas he alighted from his weary steed. Confiding in the well-known\ncharacter of the tribe, he no longer attempted concealment.\n\n\u201cYou behold before you,\u201d said he, \u201cone of the proscribed house of\nOmeya. I am that Abderahman upon whose head a price has been set, and\nwho has been driven from land to land. I come to you as my kindred.\nMy mother was of your tribe, and she told me with her dying breath\nthat in all time of need I would find a home and friends among the\nZenetes.\u201d\n\nThe words of Abderahman went straight to the hearts of his hearers.\nThey pitied his youth and his great misfortunes, while they were\ncharmed by his frankness, and by the manly graces of his person. The\ntribe was of a bold and generous spirit, and not to be awed by the\nfrown of power. \u201cEvil be upon us and upon our children,\u201d said they,\n\u201cif we deceive the trust thou hast placed in us!\u201d\n\nOne of the noblest, Xeques, then took Abderahman to his house, and\ntreated him as his own child; and the principal people of the tribe\nstrove who most should cherish him and do him honor\u2014endeavoring to\nobliterate by their kindness the recollection of his past misfortunes.\n\nAbderahman had resided some time among the hospitable Zenetes, when\none day two strangers of venerable appearance, attended by a small\nretinue, arrived at Tahart. They gave themselves out as merchants,\nand from the simple style in which they travelled, excited no\nattention. In a little while they sought out Abderahman, and, taking\nhim apart, \u201cHearken,\u201d said they, \u201cAbderahman, of the royal line of\nOmeya. We are ambassadors, sent on the part of the principal Moslems\nof Spain, to offer thee, not merely an asylum, for that thou hast\nalready among these brave Zenetes, but an empire! Spain is a prey\nto distracting factions, and can no longer exist as a dependence\nupon a throne too remote to watch over its welfare. It needs to be\nindependent of Asia and Africa, and to be under the government of a\ngood prince, who shall reside within it and devote himself entirely\nto its prosperity; a prince with sufficient title to silence all\nrival claims and bring the warring parties into unity and peace;\nand, at the same time, with sufficient ability and virtue to insure\nthe welfare of his dominions. For this purpose the eyes of all the\nhonorable leaders in Spain have been turned to thee as a descendant\nof the royal line of Omeya, and an offset from the same stock\nas our holy prophet. They have heard of thy virtues, and of thy\nadmirable constancy under misfortunes; and invite thee to accept the\nsovereignty of one of the noblest countries in the world. Thou wilt\nhave some difficulties to encounter from hostile men; but thou wilt\nhave on thy side the bravest captains that have signalized themselves\nin the conquest of the unbelievers.\u201d\n\nThe ambassadors ceased, and Abderahman remained for a time lost\nin wonder and admiration. \u201cGod is great!\u201d exclaimed he, at length;\n\u201cthere is but one God, who is God, and Mahomet is his prophet!\nIllustrious ambassadors, you have put new life into my soul, for you\nhave shown me something to live for. In the few years that I have\nlived, troubles and sorrows have been heaped upon my head, and I\nhave become inured to hardships and alarms. Since it is the wish of\nthe valiant Moslems of Spain, I am willing to become their leader\nand defender, and devote myself to their cause, be it happy or\ndisastrous.\u201d\n\nThe ambassadors now cautioned him to be silent as to their errand,\nand to depart secretly for Spain. \u201cThe seaboard of Africa,\u201d said\nthey, \u201cswarms with your enemies, and a powerful faction in Spain\nwould intercept you on landing, did they know your name and rank, and\nthe object of your coming.\u201d\n\nBut Abderahman replied: \u201cI have been cherished in adversity by these\nbrave Zenetes; I have been protected and honored by them when a price\nwas set upon my head, and to harbor me was great peril. How can I\nkeep my good fortune from my benefactors, and desert their hospitable\nroofs in silence? He is unworthy of friendship who withholds\nconfidence from his friend.\u201d\n\nCharmed with the generosity of his feelings, the ambassadors made\nno opposition to his wishes. The Zenetes proved themselves worthy\nof his confidence. They hailed with joy the great change in his\nfortunes. The warriors and the young men pressed forward to follow\nand aid them with horse and weapon; \u201cfor the honor of a noble house\nand family,\u201d said they, \u201ccan be maintained only by lances and\nhorsemen.\u201d In a few days he set forth with the ambassadors, at the\nhead of nearly a thousand horsemen, skilled in war, and exercised\nin the desert, and a large body of infantry, armed with lances. The\nvenerable Xeque, with whom he had resided, blessed him, and shed\ntears over him at parting, as though he had been his own child; and\nwhen the youth passed over the threshold, the house was filled with\nlamentations.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nLanding of Abderahman in Spain.\u2014Condition of the Country.\n\n\nAbderahman Ben Omeya arrived in safety on the coast of Andalusia\nand landed at Almunecar, or Malaga, with his little band of warlike\nZenetes. Spain was at that time in great confusion. Upwards of\nforty years had elapsed since the Conquest. The civil wars in Syria\nand Egypt, and occasional revolts in Africa, had caused frequent\noverflowings of different tribes into Spain, which was a place of\ncommon refuge. Hither, too, came the fragments of defeated armies,\ndesperate in fortune, with weapons in their hands. These settled\nthemselves in various parts of the peninsula, which thus became\ndivided between the Arabs of Yemen, the Egyptians, the Syrians,\nand the Alabdarides. The distractions in its Eastern and African\nprovinces prevented the main government at Damascus from exercising\nany control over its distant and recently acquired territory in\nSpain, which soon became broken up into factions and a scene of\nall kinds of abuses. Every sheik and wali considered the town or\nprovince committed to his charge an absolute property, and practiced\nthe most arbitrary extortions. These excesses at length became\ninsupportable, and at a convocation of the principal leaders it was\ndetermined, as a means of ending these dissensions, to unite all\nthe Moslem provinces of the peninsula under one emir, or general\ngovernor. Yusuf el Fehri, an ancient man of honorable lineage, being\nof the tribe of Koreish, and a descendant of Ocba, the conqueror of\nAfrica, was chosen for this station. He began his reign with policy,\nand endeavored to conciliate all parties. At the head of the Egyptian\nfaction was a veteran warrior, named Samael, to whom Yusuf gave the\ngovernment of Toledo, and to his son that of Saragossa. At the head\nof the Alabdarides was Amer ben Amru, Emir of the Seas; his office\nbeing suppressed, Yusuf gave him in place thereof the government of\nthe noble city of Seville. Thus he proceeded, distributing honors\nand commands, and flattered himself that he secured the loyalty and\ngood-will of every one whom he benefited.\n\nWho shall pretend, says the Arabian sage, to content the human heart\nby benefits, when even the bounties of Allah are ineffectual? In\nseeking to befriend all parties, Yusuf created for himself inveterate\nenemies. Amer ben Amru, powerful from his wealth and connections,\nand proud of his descent from Mosab, the standard-bearer of the\nprophet in the battle of Beder, was indignant that Samael and his\nson, with whom he was at deadly feud, should be appointed to such\nimportant commands. He demanded one of those posts for himself, and\nwas refused. An insurrection and a civil war was the consequence;\nand the country was laid waste with fire and sword. The inhabitants\nof the villages fled to the cities for refuge; flourishing towns\ndisappeared from the face of the earth, or were reduced to heaps of\nrubbish.\n\nIn these dismal times, say the Arabian chroniclers, the very heavens\ngave omens of the distress and desolation of the earth. At Cordova\ntwo pale and livid suns were seen shedding a baleful light. In the\nnorth appeared a flaming scythe, and the heavens were red as blood.\nThese were regarded as presages of direful calamities and bloody wars.\n\nAt the time of the landing of Abderahman in Spain, Yusuf had captured\nSaragossa, in which was Amer ben Amru, with his son and secretary,\nand loading them with chains and putting them on camels, he set out\non his return to Cordova. He had halted one day in a valley called\nWadaramla, and was reposing with his family in his tent, while his\npeople and the prisoners made a repast in the open air. The heart\nof the old emir was lifted up, for he thought there was no one\nto dispute with him the domination of Spain. In the midst of his\nexultation some horsemen were seen spurring up the valley, bearing\nthe standard of the Wali Samael.\n\nThat officer arrived, covered with dust and exhausted with fatigue.\nHe brought tidings of the arrival of Abderahman, and that the whole\nseaboard was flocking to his standard. Messenger after messenger\narrived confirming the fearful tidings, and adding that this\ndescendant of the Omeyas had been secretly invited to Spain by Amru\nand his party.\n\nYusuf waited not to ascertain the truth of this accusation. In a\ntransport of fury he ordered that Amru, his son, and secretary should\nbe cut to pieces. His orders were instantly executed; and this\ncruelty, adds the Arabian chronicler, lost him the favor of Allah;\nfor from that time success deserted his standard.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nTriumphs of Abderahman.\u2014The Palm-tree which he planted, and\nthe Verses he composed thereupon.\u2014Insurrections.\u2014His Enemies\nsubdued.\u2014Undisputed Sovereign of the Moslems of Spain.\u2014Begins the\nfamous Mosque in Cordova.\u2014His Death.\n\n\nAbderahman had indeed been hailed with joy on his landing. The old\npeople hoped to find tranquillity under the sway of one supreme\nchieftain, descended from their ancient caliphs; the young men were\nrejoiced to have a youthful warrior to lead them on to victories;\nand the populace, charmed with his freshness and manly beauty, his\nmajestic yet gracious and affable demeanor, shouted, \u201cLong live\nAbderahman, Miramamolin of Spain!\u201d\n\nIn a few days the youthful sovereign saw himself at the head of more\nthan twenty thousand men, from the neighborhood of Elvira, Almeria,\nMalaga, Xeres, and Sidonia. Fair Seville threw open its gates at\nhis approach, and celebrated his arrival with public rejoicings. He\ncontinued his march into the country, vanquished one of the sons of\nYusuf before the gates of Cordova, and obliged him to take refuge\nwithin its walls, where he held him in close siege. Hearing, however,\nof the approach of Yusuf, the father, with a powerful army, he\ndivided his forces, and leaving ten thousand men to press the siege,\nhe hastened with the other ten to meet the coming foe.\n\nYusuf had indeed mustered a formidable force, from the east and\nsouth of Spain, and accompanied by his veteran general, Samael,\ncame with confident boasting to drive this intruder from the land.\nHis confidence increased on beholding the small army of Abderahman.\nTurning to Samael, he repeated, with a scornful sneer, a verse from\nan Arabian poetess, which says:\u2014\n\n\u201cHow hard is our lot! We come, a thirsty multitude, and lo! but this\ncup of water to share among us!\u201d\n\nThere was indeed a fearful odds. On the one side were two veteran\ngenerals, grown gray in victory, with a mighty host of warriors,\nseasoned in the wars of Spain. On the other side was a mere youth,\nscarce attained to manhood, with a hasty levy of half-disciplined\ntroops; but the youth was a prince, flushed with hope, and aspiring\nafter fame and empire, and surrounded by a devoted band of warriors\nfrom Africa, whose example infused zeal into the little army.\n\nThe encounter took place at daybreak. The impetuous valor of the\nZenetes carried everything before it. The cavalry of Yusuf was broken\nand driven back upon the infantry, and before noon the whole host\nwas put to headlong flight. Yusuf and Samael were born along in the\ntorrent of the fugitives, raging and storming, and making ineffectual\nefforts to rally them. They were separated widely in the confusion\nof the flight, one taking refuge in the Algarves, the other in the\nkingdom of Murcia. They afterward rallied, reunited their forces,\nand made another desperate stand near to Almunecar. The battle was\nobstinate and bloody, but they were again defeated, and driven,\nwith a handful of followers, to take refuge in the rugged mountains\nadjacent to Elvira.\n\nThe spirit of the veteran Samael gave way before these fearful\nreverses. \u201cIn vain, O Yusuf!\u201d said he, \u201cdo we contend with the\nprosperous star of this youthful conqueror; the will of Allah be\ndone! Let us submit to our fate, and sue for favorable terms while we\nhave yet the means of capitulation.\u201d\n\nIt was a hard trial for the proud spirit of Yusuf, that had once\naspired to uncontrolled sway; but he was compelled to capitulate.\nAbderahman was as generous as brave. He granted the two gray-headed\ngenerals the most honorable conditions, and even took the veteran\nSamael into favor, employing him, as a mark of confidence, to visit\nthe eastern provinces of Spain, and restore them to tranquillity.\nYusuf, having delivered up Elvira and Granada, and complied with\nother articles of his capitulation, was permitted to retire to\nMurcia, and rejoin his son Muhamad. A general amnesty to all chiefs\nand soldiers who should yield up their strongholds and lay down their\narms completed the triumph of Abderahman, and brought all hearts into\nobedience. Thus terminated this severe struggle for the domination of\nSpain; and thus the illustrious family of Omeya, after having been\ncast down and almost exterminated in the East, took new root, and\nsprang forth prosperously in the West.\n\nWherever Abderahman appeared, he was received with rapturous\nacclamations. As he rode through the cities, the populace rent\nthe air with shouts of joy; the stately palaces were crowded with\nspectators, eager to gain a sight of his graceful form and beaming\ncountenance; and when they beheld the mingled majesty and benignity\nof their new monarch, and the sweetness and gentleness of his whole\nconduct, they extolled him as something more than mortal,\u2014as a\nbeneficent genius, sent for the happiness of Spain.\n\nIn the interval of peace which now succeeded, Abderahman occupied\nhimself in promoting the useful and elegant arts, and in introducing\ninto Spain the refinements of the East. Considering the building\nand ornamenting of cities as among the noblest employments of the\ntranquil hours of princes, he bestowed great pains upon beautifying\nthe city of Cordova and its environs. He reconstructed banks and\ndykes to keep the Guadalquivir from overflowing its borders, and on\nthe vast terraces thus formed he planted delightful gardens. In the\nmidst of these he erected a lofty tower, commanding a view of the\nvast and fruitful valley, enlivened by the windings of the river.\nIn this tower would he pass hours of meditation, gazing on the soft\nand varied landscape, and inhaling the bland and balmy airs of that\ndelightful region. At such times his thoughts would recur to the\npast, and the misfortunes of his youth; the massacre of his family\nwould rise to view, mingled with tender recollections of his native\ncountry, from which he was exiled. In these melancholy musings, he\nwould sit with his eyes fixed upon a palm-tree which he had planted\nin the midst of his garden. It is said to have been the first ever\nplanted in Spain, and to have been the parent stock of all the\npalm-trees which grace the southern provinces of the peninsula. The\nheart of Abderahman yearned toward this tree; it was the offspring\nof his native country, and like him an exile. In one of his moods\nof tenderness he composed verses upon it, which have since become\nfamous throughout the world. The following is a rude but literal\ntranslation:\u2014\n\n\u201cBeauteous palm! thou also wert hither brought a stranger; but thy\nroots have found a kindly soil, thy head is lifted to the skies, and\nthe sweet airs of Algarve fondle and kiss thy branches.\n\n\u201cThou hast known, like me, the storms of adverse fortune. Bitter\ntears wouldst thou shed, couldst thou feel my woes. Repeated griefs\nhave overwhelmed me. With early tears I bedewed the palms on the\nbanks of the Euphrates; but neither tree nor river heeded my sorrows,\nwhen driven by cruel fate and the ferocious Abu al Abbas, from the\nscenes of my childhood and the sweet objects of my affection.\n\n\u201cTo thee no remembrance remains of my beloved country; I, unhappy!\ncan never recall it without tears!\u201d\n\nThe generosity of Abderahman to his vanquished foe was destined to\nbe abused. The veteran Yusuf, in visiting certain of the cities\nwhich he had surrendered, found himself surrounded by zealous\npartisans, ready to peril life in his service. The love of command\nrevived in his bosom, and he repented the facility with which he\nhad suffered himself to be persuaded to submission. Flushed with\nnew hopes of success, he caused arms to be secretly collected and\ndeposited in various villages, most zealous in their professions of\ndevotion, and raising a considerable body of troops, seized upon\nthe castle of Almodovar. The rash rebellion was short-lived. At the\nfirst appearance of an army sent by Abderahman, and commanded by\nAbdelmelee, governor of Seville, the villages which had so recently\nprofessed loyalty to Yusuf, hastened to declare their attachment to\nthe monarch, and to give up the concealed arms. Almodovar was soon\nretaken, and Yusuf, driven to the environs of Lorea, was surrounded\nby the cavalry of Abdelmelee. The veteran endeavored to cut a passage\nthrough the enemy, but after fighting with desperate fury, and with\na force of arm incredible in one of his age, he fell beneath blows\nfrom weapons of all kinds, so that after the battle his body could\nscarcely be recognized, so numerous were the wounds. His head was cut\noff and sent to Cordova, where it was placed in an iron cage, over\nthe gate of the city.\n\nThe old lion was dead, but his whelps survived. Yusuf had left three\nsons, who inherited his warlike spirit, and were eager to revenge his\ndeath. Collecting a number of the scattered adherents of their house,\nthey surprised and seized upon Toledo during the absence of Temam,\nits wali or commander. In this old warrior city, built upon a rock,\nand almost surrounded by the Tagus, they set up a kind of robber\nhold, scouring the surrounding country, levying tribute, seizing upon\nhorses, and compelling the peasantry to join their standard. Every\nday cavalcades of horses and mules, laden with spoil, with flocks of\nsheep and droves of cattle, came pouring over the bridges on either\nside of the city, and thronging in at the gates,\u2014the plunder of the\nsurrounding country. Those of the inhabitants who were still loyal to\nAbderahman dared not lift up their voices, for men of the sword bore\nsway. At length one day, when the sons of Yusuf, with their choicest\ntroops, were out on a maraud, the watchmen on the towers gave the\nalarm. A troop of scattered horsemen were spurring wildly toward the\ngates. The banners of the sons of Yusuf were descried. Two of them\nspurred into the city, followed by a handful of warriors, covered\nwith confusion and dismay. They had been encountered and defeated by\nthe Wali Temam, and one of the brothers had been slain.\n\nThe gates were secured in all haste, and the walls were scarcely\nmanned when Temam appeared before them with his troops, and summoned\nthe city to surrender. A great internal commotion ensued between the\nloyalists and the insurgents; the latter, however, had weapons in\ntheir hands, and prevailed; and for several days, trusting to the\nstrength of their rock-built fortress, they set the wali at defiance.\nAt length some of the loyal inhabitants of Toledo, who knew all its\nsecret and subterraneous passages, some of which, if chroniclers\nmay be believed, have existed since the days of Hercules, if not\nof Tubal Cain, introduced Temam, and a chosen band of his warriors,\ninto the very centre of the city, where they suddenly appeared as\nif by magic. A panic seized upon the insurgents. Some sought safety\nin submission, some in concealment, some in flight. Casim, one of\nthe sons of Yusuf, escaped in disguise; the youngest, unharmed, was\ntaken, and was sent captive to the king, accompanied by the head of\nhis brother, who had been slain in battle.\n\nWhen Abderahman beheld the youth laden with chains, he remembered his\nown sufferings in his early days, and had compassion on him; but, to\nprevent him from doing further mischief, he imprisoned him in a tower\nof the wall of Cordova.\n\nIn the mean time, Casim, who had escaped, managed to raise another\nband of warriors. Spain, in all ages a guerilla country, prone to\npartisan warfare and petty maraud, was at that time infested by bands\nof licentious troops, who had sprung up in the civil contests; their\nonly object pillage, their only dependence the sword, and ready to\nflock to any new and desperate standard that promised the greatest\nlicense. With a ruffian force thus levied, Casim scoured the country,\ntook Sidonia by storm, and surprised Seville while in a state of\nunsuspecting security.\n\nAbderahman put himself at the head of his faithful Zenetes, and took\nthe field in person. By the rapidity of his movements the rebels were\ndefeated, Sidonia and Seville speedily retaken, and Casim was made\nprisoner. The generosity of Abderahman was again exhibited toward\nthis unfortunate son of Yusuf. He spared his life, and sent him to be\nconfined in a tower at Toledo.\n\nThe veteran Samael had taken no part in these insurrections, but had\nattended faithfully to the affairs intrusted to him by Abderahman.\nThe death of his old friend and colleague Yusuf, however, and the\nsubsequent disasters of his family, filled him with despondency.\nFearing the inconstancy of fortune, and the dangers incident to\npublic employ, he entreated the king to be permitted to retire to\nhis house in Seguenza, and indulge a privacy and repose suited to\nhis advanced age. His prayer was granted. The veteran laid by his\narms, battered in a thousand conflicts; hung his sword and lance\nagainst the wall, and, surrounded by a few friends, gave himself up\napparently to the sweets of quiet and unambitious leisure.\n\nWho can count, however, upon the tranquil content of a heart nurtured\namid the storms of war and ambition? Under the ashes of this outward\nhumility were glowing the coals of faction. In his seemingly\nphilosophical retirement, Samael was concerting with his friends new\ntreason against Abderahman. His plot was discovered; his house was\nsuddenly surrounded by troops; and he was conveyed to a tower at\nToledo, where, in the course of a few months, he died in captivity.\n\nThe magnanimity of Abderahman was again put to the proof by a new\ninsurrection at Toledo. Hixem ben Adra, a relation of Yusuf, seized\nupon the Alcazar, or citadel, slew several of the royal adherents\nof the king, liberated Casim from his tower, and, summoning all the\nbanditti of the country, soon mustered a force of ten thousand men.\nAbderahman was quickly before the walls of Toledo, with the troops of\nCordova and his devoted Zenetes. The rebels were brought to terms,\nand surrendered the city on promise of general pardon, which was\nextended even to Hixem and Casim. When the chieftains saw Hixem and\nhis principal confederates in the power of Abderahman, they advised\nhim to put them all to death. \u201cA promise given to traitors and\nrebels,\u201d said they, \u201cis not binding when it is to the interest of the\nstate that it should be broken.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo!\u201d replied Abderahman, \u201cif the safety of my throne were at stake,\nI would not break my word.\u201d So saying, he confirmed the amnesty, and\ngranted Hixem ben Adra a worthless life, to be employed in further\ntreason.\n\nScarcely had Abderahman returned from this expedition, when a\npowerful army, sent by the caliph, landed from Africa on the coast\nof the Algarves. The commander, Aly ben Mogueth, Emir of Cairvan,\nelevated a rich banner which he had received from the hands of the\ncaliph. Wherever he went, he ordered the caliph of the East to be\nproclaimed by sound of trumpet, denouncing Abderahman as a usurper,\nthe vagrant member of a family proscribed and execrated in all the\nmosques of the East.\n\nOne of the first to join his standard was Hixem ben Adra, so\nrecently pardoned by Abderahman. He seized upon the citadel of\nToledo, and repairing to the camp of Aly, offered to deliver the city\ninto his hands.\n\nAbderahman, as bold in war as he was gentle in peace, took the\nfield with his wonted promptness; overthrew his enemies with great\nslaughter; drove some to the sea-coast to regain their ships, and\nothers to the mountains. The body of Aly was found on the field of\nbattle. Abderahman caused the head to be struck off, and conveyed\nto Cairvan, where it was affixed at night to a column in the public\nsquare, with this inscription,\u2014\u201cThus Abderahman, the descendant of\nthe Omeyas, punishes the rash and arrogant.\u201d\n\nHixem ben Adra escaped from the field of battle, and excited further\ntroubles, but was eventually captured by Abdelmelee, who ordered his\nhead to be struck off on the spot, lest he should again be spared\nthrough the wonted clemency of Abderahman.\n\nNotwithstanding these signal triumphs, the reign of Abderahman was\ndisturbed by further insurrections, and by another descent from\nAfrica, but he was victorious over them all; striking the roots\nof his power deeper and deeper into the land. Under his sway, the\ngovernment of Spain became more regular and consolidated, and\nacquired an independence of the empire of the East. The caliph\ncontinued to be considered as first pontiff and chief of the\nreligion, but he ceased to have any temporal power over Spain.\n\nHaving again an interval of peace, Abderahman devoted himself to\nthe education of his children. Suleiman, the eldest, he appointed\nwali, or governor, of Toledo; Abdallah, the second, was intrusted\nwith the command of Merida; but the third son, Hixem, was the delight\nof his heart, the son of Howara, his favorite sultana whom he loved\nthroughout life with the utmost tenderness. With this youth, who was\nfull of promise, he relaxed from the fatigues of government; joining\nin his youthful sports amidst the delightful gardens of Cordova, and\nteaching him the gentle art of falconry, of which the king was so\nfond that he received the name of the Falcon of Coraixi.\n\nWhile Abderahman was thus indulging in the gentle propensities of his\nnature, mischief was secretly at work. Muhamad, the youngest son of\nYusuf, had been for many years a prisoner in the tower of Cordova.\nBeing passive and resigned, his keepers relaxed their vigilance, and\nbrought him forth from his dungeon. He went groping about, however,\nin broad daylight, as if still in the darkness of his tower. His\nguards watched him narrowly, lest this should be a deception, but\nwere at length convinced that the long absence of light had rendered\nhim blind. They now permitted him to descend frequently to the\nlower chambers of the tower, and to sleep there occasionally during\nthe heats of summer. They even allowed him to grope his way to the\ncistern, in quest of water for his ablutions.\n\nA year passed in this way, without anything to excite suspicion.\nDuring all this time, however, the blindness of Muhamad was entirely\na deception; and he was concerting a plan of escape, through the\naid of some friends of his father, who found means to visit him\noccasionally. One sultry evening in midsummer the guards had gone\nto bathe in the Guadalquivir, leaving Muhamad alone, in the lower\nchambers of the tower. No sooner were they out of sight and hearing,\nthan he hastened to a window of the staircase, leading down to the\ncistern, lowered himself as far as his arms would reach, and dropped\nwithout injury to the ground. Plunging into the Guadalquivir, he\nswam across to a thick grove on the opposite side, where his friends\nwere waiting to receive him. Here, mounting a horse which they had\nprovided for an event of the kind, he fled across the country, by\nsolitary roads, and made good his escape to the mountains of Jaen.\n\nThe guardians of the tower dreaded for some time to make known\nhis flight to Abderahman. When at length it was told to him, he\nexclaimed,\u2014\u201cAll is the work of eternal wisdom; it is intended to\nteach us that we cannot benefit the wicked without injuring the good.\nThe flight of that blind man will cause much trouble and bloodshed.\u201d\n\nHis predictions were verified. Muhamad reared the standard of\nrebellion in the mountains; the seditious and discontented of all\nkinds hastened to join it, together with soldiers of fortune, or\nrather wandering banditti, and he had soon six thousand men, well\narmed, hardy in habits, and desperate in character. His brother Casim\nalso reappeared about the same time, in the mountains of Ronda, at\nthe head of a daring band, that laid all the neighboring valleys\nunder contribution.\n\nAbderahman summoned his alcaids from their various military posts,\nto assist in driving the rebels from their mountain fastnesses into\nthe plains. It was a dangerous and protracted toil, for the mountains\nwere frightfully wild and rugged. He entered them with a powerful\nhost, driving the rebels from height to height, and valley to valley,\nand harassing them by a galling fire from thousands of cross-bows. At\nlength a decisive battle took place near the river Guadalemar. The\nrebels were signally defeated; four thousand fell in action; many\nwere drowned in the river, and Muhamad, with a few horsemen, escaped\nto the mountains of the Algarves. Here he was hunted by the alcaids\nfrom one desolate retreat to another; his few followers grew tired of\nsharing the disastrous fortunes of a fated man, one by one deserted\nhim, and he himself deserted the remainder, fearing they might give\nhim up, to purchase their own pardon.\n\nLonely and disguised, he plunged into the depths of the forests, or\nlurked in dens and caverns like a famished wolf, often casting back\nhis thoughts with regret to the time of his captivity in the gloomy\ntower of Cordova. Hunger at length drove him to Alarcon, at the\nrisk of being discovered. Famine and misery, however, had so wasted\nand changed him, that he was not recognized. He remained nearly a\nyear in Alarcon, unnoticed and unknown, yet constantly tormenting\nhimself with the dread of discovery, and with groundless fears\nof the vengeance of Abderahman. Death at length put an end to his\nwretchedness.\n\nA milder fate attended his brother Casim. Being defeated in the\nmountains of Murcia, he was conducted in chains to Cordova. On coming\ninto the presence of Abderahman, his once fierce and haughty spirit,\nbroken by distress, gave way; he threw himself on the earth, kissed\nthe dust beneath the feet of the king, and implored his clemency.\nThe benignant heart of Abderahman was filled with melancholy, rather\nthan exultation, at beholding this wreck of the once haughty family\nof Yusuf a suppliant at his feet, and suing for mere existence. He\nthought upon the mutability of Fortune, and felt how insecure are\nall her favors. He raised the unhappy Casim from the earth, ordered\nhis irons to be taken off, and, not content with mere forgiveness,\ntreated him with honor, and gave him possessions in Seville, where he\nmight live in state conformable to the ancient dignity of his family.\nWon by this great and persevering magnanimity, Casim ever after\nremained one of the most devoted of his subjects.\n\nAll the enemies of Abderahman were at length subdued; he reigned\nundisputed sovereign of the Moslems of Spain; and so benign was his\ngovernment, that every one blessed the revival of the illustrious\nline of Omeya. He was at all times accessible to the humblest of his\nsubjects; the poor man ever found in him a friend, and the oppressed\na protector. He improved the administration of justice, established\nschools for public instruction, encouraged poets and men of letters,\nand cultivated the sciences. He built mosques in every city that he\nvisited; inculcated religion by example as well as by precept; and\ncelebrated all the festivals prescribed by the Koran with the utmost\nmagnificence.\n\nAs a monument of gratitude to God for the prosperity with which he\nhad been favored, he undertook to erect a mosque in his favorite\ncity of Cordova that should rival in splendor the great mosque\nof Damascus, and excel the one recently erected in Bagdad by the\nAbbassides, the supplanters of his family.\n\nIt is said that he himself furnished the plan for this famous\nedifice, and even worked on it, with his own hands, one hour in each\nday, to testify his zeal and humility in the service of God, and to\nanimate his workmen. He did not live to see it completed, but it was\nfinished according to his plans by his son Hixem. When finished, it\nsurpassed the most splendid mosques of the East. It was six hundred\nfeet in length, and two hundred and fifty in breadth. Within were\ntwenty-eight aisles, crossed by nineteen, supported by a thousand and\nninety-three columns of marble. There were nineteen portals, covered\nwith plates of bronze, of rare workmanship. The principal portal\nwas covered with plates of gold. On the summit of the grand cupola\nwere three gilt balls, surmounted by a golden pomegranate. At night\nthe mosque was illuminated with four thousand seven hundred lamps,\nand great sums were expended in amber and aloes, which were burnt\nas perfumes. The mosque remains to this day shorn of its ancient\nsplendor, yet still one of the grandest Moslem monuments in Spain.\n\nFinding himself advancing in years, Abderahman assembled in his\ncapital of Cordova the principal governors and commanders of his\nkingdom, and in presence of them all, with great solemnity, nominated\nhis son Hixem as the successor to the throne. All present made an\noath of fealty to Abderahman during his life, and to Hixem after\nhis death. The prince was younger than his brothers, Suleiman and\nAbdallah; but he was the son of Howara, the tenderly beloved sultana\nof Abderahman, and her influence, it is said, gained him this\npreference.\n\nWithin a few months afterward Abderahman fell grievously sick at\nMerida. Finding his end approaching, he summoned Hixem to his\nbedside. \u201cMy son,\u201d said he, \u201cthe angel of death is hovering over\nme; treasure up, therefore, in thy heart this dying counsel, which\nI give through the great love I bear thee. Remember that all empire\nis from God, who gives and takes it away, according to his pleasure.\nSince God, through his divine goodness, has given us regal power\nand authority, let us do his holy will, which is nothing else than\nto do good to all men, and especially to those committed to our\nprotection. Render equal justice, my son, to the rich and the poor,\nand never suffer injustice to be done within thy dominion, for it is\nthe road to perdition. Be merciful and benignant to those dependent\nupon thee. Confide the government of thy cities and provinces to men\nof worth and experience; punish without compassion those ministers\nwho oppress thy people with exorbitant exactions. Pay thy troops\npunctually; teach them to feel a certainty in thy promises; command\nthem with gentleness but firmness, and make them in truth the\ndefenders of the state, not its destroyers. Cultivate unceasingly\nthe affections of thy people; for in their good-will consists the\nsecurity of the state, in their distrust its peril, in their hatred\nits certain ruin. Protect the husbandmen, who cultivate the earth and\nyield us necessary sustenance; never permit their fields and groves\nand gardens to be disturbed. In a word, act in such wise that thy\npeople may bless thee, and may enjoy, under the shadow of thy wing, a\nsecure and tranquil life. In this consists good government; if thou\ndost practice it, thou wilt be happy among thy people, and renowned\nthroughout the world.\u201d\n\nHaving given this excellent counsel, the good King Abderahman blessed\nhis son Hixem, and shortly after died, being but in the sixtieth year\nof age. He was interred with great pomp; but the highest honors that\ndistinguished his funeral were the tears of real sorrow shed upon his\ngrave. He left behind him a name for valor, justice, and magnanimity,\nand forever famous as being the founder of the glorious line of the\nOmmiades in Spain.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNAN GONZALEZ,\n\nCOUNT OF CASTILE.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNAN GONZALEZ,\n\nCOUNT OF CASTILE.\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION.\n\n\nAt the time of the general wreck of Spain by the sudden tempest of\nArab invasion, many of the inhabitants took refuge in the mountains\nof the Asturias, burying themselves in narrow valleys difficult\nof access, wherever a constant stream of water afforded a green\nbosom of pasture-land and scanty fields for cultivation. For mutual\nprotection they gathered together in small villages called castros,\nor castrellos, with watch-towers and fortresses on impending cliffs,\nin which they might shelter and defend themselves in case of sudden\ninroad. Thus arose the kingdom of the Asturias, subject to Pelayo and\nthe kings his successors, who gradually extended their dominions,\nbuilt towns and cities, and after a time fixed their seat of\ngovernment at the city of Leon.\n\nAn important part of the region over which they bore sway was ancient\nCantabria, extending from the Bay of Biscay to the Duero, and\ncalled Castile from the number of castles with which it was studded.\nThey divided it into seigniories, over which they placed civil and\nmilitary governors called counts\u2014a title said to be derived from the\nLatin _comes_, a companion, the person enjoying it being admitted to\nthe familiar companionship of the king, entering into his councils in\ntime of peace, and accompanying him to the field in time of war. The\ntitle of count was therefore more dignified than that of duke in the\ntime of the Gothic kings.\n\nThe power of these counts increased to such a degree that four of\nthem formed a league to declare themselves independent of the crown\nof Leon. Ordo\u00f1o II., who was then king, received notice of it, and\ngot them into his power by force, as some assert, but as others\nmaintain, by perfidious artifice. At any rate, they were brought to\ncourt, convicted of treason, and publicly beheaded. The Castilians\nflew to arms to revenge their deaths. Ordo\u00f1o took the field with a\npowerful army, but his own death defeated all his plans.\n\nThe Castilians now threw off allegiance to the kingdom of Leon, and\nelected two judges to rule over them\u2014one in a civil, the other in\na military capacity. The first who filled those stations were Nu\u00f1o\nRasura and Lain Calvo, two powerful nobles, the former descended from\nDiego Porcello, a count of Lara; the latter, ancestor of the renowned\nCid Campeador.\n\nNu\u00f1o Rasura, the civil and political judge, was succeeded by his son\nGonzalez Nu\u00f1o, who married Do\u00f1a Ximena, a daughter of one of the\ncounts of Castile put to death by Ordo\u00f1o II. From this marriage came\nFernan Gonzalez, the subject of the following chronicle.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nInstallation of Fernan Gonzalez as Count of Castile. His First\nCampaign against the Moors.\u2014Victory of San Quirce.\u2014How the Count\ndisposed of the Spoils.\n\n\nThe renowned Fernan Gonzalez, the most complete hero of his time,\nwas born about the year 887. Historians trace his descent to Nu\u00f1o\nBelchidez, nephew of the Emperor Charlemagne, and Do\u00f1a Sula Bella,\ngranddaughter to the Prince Don Sancho, rightful sovereign of Spain,\nbut superseded by Roderick, the last of the Gothic kings.\n\nFernan Gonzalez was hardily educated among the mountains in a strong\nplace called Maron, in the house of Martin Gonzalez, a gallant and\nveteran cavalier. From his earliest years he was inured to all\nkinds of toils and perils, taught to hunt, to hawk, to ride the\ngreat horse, to manage sword, lance, and buckler; in a word, he was\naccomplished in all the noble exercises befitting a cavalier.\n\nHis father Gonzalvo Nu\u00f1ez died in 903, and his elder brother\nRodrigo in 904, without issue; and such was the admiration already\nentertained of Fernan Gonzalez by the hardy mountaineers and old\nCastilian warriors, that though scarce seventeen years of age he was\nunanimously elected to rule over them. His title is said to have been\nCount, Duke, and Consul, under the seigniory of Alonzo the Great,\nKing of Leon. A cortes, or assemblage of the nobility and chivalry of\nCastile and of the mountains, met together at the recently built city\nof Burgos to do honor to his installation. Sebastian, the renowned\nBishop of Oca, officiated.\n\nIn those stern days of Spain, the situation of a sovereign was not\nthat of silken ease and idle ceremonial. When he put the rich crown\nupon his head, he encircled it likewise with shining steel. With the\nsceptre were united the lance and shield, emblems of perpetual war\nagainst the enemies of the faith. The cortes took this occasion to\npass the following laws for the government of the realm:\u2014\n\n1. Above all things the people should observe the law of God, the\ncanons and statutes of the holy fathers, the liberty and privileges\nof the Church, and the respect due to its ministers.\n\n2. No person should prosecute another out of Castile at any tribunal\nof justice or of arms, under pain of being considered a stranger.\n\n3. All Jews and Moors who refused to acknowledge the Christian faith\nshould depart from Castile within two months.\n\n4. That cavaliers of noble blood should treat their tenants and\nvassals with love and gentleness.\n\n5. That he who slew another, or committed any other grave offense,\nshould make equal measure of atonement.\n\n6. That no one should take the property of another; but, if oppressed\nby poverty, should come to the count, who ought to be as a father to\nall.\n\n7. That all should unite and be of one heart, and aid one another in\ndefense of their faith and of their country.\n\nSuch were the ordinances of the ancient Cortes of Burgos; brief\nand simple, and easy to be understood; not, as at the present day,\nmultifarious and perplexed, to the confusion and ruin of clients and\nthe enrichment of lawyers.\n\nScarce was the installation ended, and while Burgos was yet abandoned\nto festivity, the young count, with the impatient ardor of youth,\ncaused the trumpets to sound through the streets a call to arms. A\ncaptain of the Moorish king of Toledo was ravaging the territory of\nCastile at the head of seven thousand troops, and against him the\nyouthful count determined to make his first campaign. In the spur of\nthe moment but one hundred horsemen and fifteen hundred foot-soldiers\ncould be collected; but with this slender force the count prepared\nto take the field. Ruy Velasquez, a valiant cavalier, remonstrated\nagainst such rashness, but in vain. \u201cI owe,\u201d said the count, \u201ca\ndeath to the grave; the debt can never be paid so honorably as in\nthe service of God and my country. Let every one, therefore, address\nhimself heart and hand to this enterprise; for if I come face to\nface with this Moor, I will most assuredly give him battle.\u201d So\nsaying, he knelt before Bishop Sebastian of Salamanca and craved his\nbenediction. The reverend prelate invoked on his head the blessing\nand protection of Heaven, for his heart yearned toward him; but when\nhe saw the youthful warrior about to depart, he kindled as it were\nwith a holy martial fire, and ordering his steed to be saddled he\nsallied forth with him to the wars.\n\nThe little army soon came upon traces of the enemy in fields laid\nwaste, and the smoking ruins of villages and hamlets. The count sent\nout scouts to clamber every height and explore every defile. From the\nsummit of a hill they beheld the Moors encamped in a valley which was\ncovered with the flocks and herds swept from the neighboring country.\nThe camp of the marauders was formidable as to numbers, with various\nstandards floating in the breeze; for in this foray were engaged the\nMoorish chiefs of Saragossa, Denia, and Seville, together with many\nvaliant Moslems who had crossed the straits from Africa to share in\nwhat they considered a holy enterprise. The scouts observed, however,\nthat the most negligent security reigned throughout the camp; some\nreposing, others feasting and reveling, all evidently considering\nthemselves safe from any attack.\n\nUpon hearing this the count led his men secretly and silently to\nthe assault, and came upon the Moors in the midst of their revelry,\nbefore they had time to buckle on their armor. The infidels, however,\nmade a brave though confused resistance; the camp was strewn with\ntheir dead; many were taken prisoners, and the rest began to falter.\nThe count killed their captain-general with his own hand, in single\nfight, as he was bravely rallying his troops. Upon seeing him fall,\nthe Moors threw down their weapons and fled.\n\nImmense booty was found in the Moorish camp,\u2014partly the rich arms\nand equipments of the infidel warriors, partly the plunder of the\ncountry. An ordinary victor would have merely shared the spoils\nwith his soldiery, but the count was as pious as he was brave, and,\nmoreover, had by his side the venerable Bishop of Salamanca as\ncounselor. Contenting himself, therefore, with distributing one third\namong his soldiery, he shared the rest with God, devoting a large\npart to the Church, and to the relief of souls in purgatory\u2014a pious\ncustom, which he ever after observed. He moreover founded a church on\nthe field of battle, dedicated to St. Quirce, on whose festival (the\n16th July) this victory was obtained. To this church was subsequently\nadded a monastery where a worthy fraternity of monks were maintained\nin the odor of sanctity, to perpetuate the memory of this victory.\nAll this was doubtless owing to the providential presence of the\ngood bishop on this occasion; and this is one instance of the great\nbenefit derived from those priests and monks and other purveyors of\nthe Church, who hovered about the Christian camps throughout all\nthese wars with the infidels.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nOf the Sally from Burgos and Surprise of the Castle of\nLara.\u2014Capitulation of the Town.\u2014Visit to Alfonso the Great, King of\nLeon.\n\n\nCount Fernan Gonzalez did not remain idle after the victory of\nSan Quirce. There was at this time an old castle, strong but much\nbattered in the wars, which protected a small town, the remains of\nthe once flourishing city of Lara. It was the ancient domain of his\nfamily, but was at present in possession of the Moors. In sooth it\nhad repeatedly been taken and retaken; for in those iron days no\ncastle nor fortress remained long under the same masters. One year\nit was in the hands of the Christians; the next, of the Moors. Some\nof these castles, with their dependent towns, were sacked, burnt,\nand demolished; others remained silent and deserted, their original\nowners fearing to reside in them; and their ruined towers were only\ntenanted by bats and owls and screaming birds of prey. Lara had lain\nfor a time in ruins after being captured by the Moors, but had been\nrebuilt by them with diminished grandeur, and they held a strong\ngarrison in the castle, whence they sallied forth occasionally to\nravage the lands of the Christians. The Moorish chieftain of Lara,\nas has been observed, was among the associated marauders who had been\nrouted in the battle of San Quirce; and the Count Fernan Gonzalez\nthought this a favorable time to strike for the recovery of his\nfamily domain, now that the infidel possessor was weakened by defeat\nand could receive no succor.\n\nAppointing Rodrigo Velasquez and the Count Don Vela Alvarez to act as\ngovernors of Castile during his absence, the count sallied forth from\nBurgos with a brilliant train of chivalry. Among the distinguished\ncavaliers who attended him were Martin Gonzalez, Don Gustios\nGonzalez, Don Velasco, and Don Lope de Biscaya, which last brought\na goodly band of stout Biscayans. The alferez, or standard-bearer,\nwas Orbita Velasquez, who had distinguished himself in the battle\nof San Quirce. He bore as a standard a great cross of silver, which\nshone gloriously in front of the host, and is preserved, even to the\npresent day, in the church of San Pedro de Arlanza. One hundred and\nfifty noble cavaliers, well armed and mounted, with many esquires and\npages of the lance, and three thousand foot-soldiers, all picked men,\nformed this small but stout-hearted army.\n\nThe count led his troops with such caution that they arrived in the\nneighborhood of Lara without being discovered. It was the vigil of\nSt. John; the country was wrapped in evening shadows, and the count\nwas enabled to approach near to the place to make his observations.\nHe perceived that his force was too inconsiderable to invest the town\nand fortress. Besides, about two leagues distant was the gaunt and\nrock-built castle of Carazo, a presidio or stronghold of the Moors,\nwhence he might be attacked in the rear, should he linger before the\nfortress. It was evident, therefore, that whatever was to be effected\nmust be done promptly and by sudden surprise. Revolving these things\nin his mind he put his troops in ambush in a deep ravine where they\ntook their rest, while he kept watch upon the castle; maturing his\nplans against the morrow. In this way he passed his midsummer\u2019s\nnight, the vigil of the blessed St. John.\n\nThe festival of St. John is observed as well by Mahometans as\nChristians. During the night the bonfires blazed on the hill-tops and\nthe sound of music and festivity was heard from within the town. When\nthe rising sun shone along the valley of the Arlanza the Moors in the\ncastle, unsuspicious of any lurking danger, threw open the gates and\nissued forth to recreate themselves in the green fields and along\nthe banks of the river. When they had proceeded to a considerable\ndistance, and a hill shut them from view, the count with his eager\nfollowers issued silently but swiftly from their hiding-place and\nmade directly for the castle. On the way they met with another band\nof Moors who had likewise come forth for amusement. The count struck\nthe leader to the earth with one blow of his lance; the rest were\neither slain or taken prisoners; so that not one escaped to give the\nalarm.\n\nThose of the garrison who had remained in the castle, seeing a\nChristian force rushing up to the very walls, hastened to close the\ngates, but it was too late. The count and his cavaliers burst them\nopen and put every one to the sword who made opposition. Leaving\nDon Velasco and a number of soldiers to guard the castle, the count\nhastened with the rest in pursuit of the Moors who were solemnizing\nthe day on the banks of the Arlanza. Some were reclining on the\ngrass, others were amusing themselves with music and the popular\ndance of the Zambra, while their arms lay scattered among the herbage.\n\nAt sight of the Christians, they snatched up their weapons and made\na desperate though vain resistance. Within two hours almost all\nwere either slain or captured; a few escaped to the neighboring\nmountains of Carazo. The town, seeing the castle in the hands of\nthe Christians, and the garrison routed and destroyed, readily\ncapitulated; and the inhabitants were permitted to retain unmolested\npossession of their houses, on agreeing to pay to the count the same\ntribute which had been exacted from them by the Moorish king. Don\nVelasco was left alcaid of the fortress, and the count returned,\ncovered with glory, to his capital of Burgos.\n\nThe brilliant victories and hardy deeds of arms with which the\nyouthful Count of Castile had commenced his reign excited the\nadmiration of Alonzo the Great, King of Leon, and he sent missives\nurging him to appear at his royal court. The count accordingly\nset forth with a cavalcade of his most approved knights and many\nof his relatives, sumptuously armed and arrayed and mounted on\nsteeds richly caparisoned. It was a pageant befitting a young and\nmagnificent chief, in the freshness and pleasance of his years.\n\nThe king came out of the city to meet him, attended by all the pomp\nand grandeur of his court. The count alighted, and approached to kiss\nthe king\u2019s hand; but Alfonso alighted also, and embraced him with\ngreat affection, and the friendship of these illustrious princes\ncontinued without interruption throughout the life of the king.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nExpedition against the Fortress of Mu\u00f1on.\u2014Desperate Defense of the\nMoors.\u2014Enterprise against Castro Xeriz.\n\n\nMany are the doughty achievements recorded in ancient chronicles\nof this most valorous cavalier; among others is his expedition,\nwith a chosen band, against the castle of Mu\u00f1on, a place of great\nimportance, which stood at no great distance from Burgos. He sallied\nfrom his capital in an opposite direction, to delude the Moorish\nscouts; but making a sudden turn, came upon the fortress by surprise,\nbroke down the gates, and forced his way in at the head of his\ntroops, having nothing but a dagger in his hand, his lance and sword\nhaving been broken in the assault. The Moors fought desperately from\ncourt to tower, from tower to wall; and when they saw all resistance\nvain, many threw themselves from the battlements into the ditch\nrather than be made captives. Leaving a strong garrison in the place,\nthe count returned to Burgos.\n\nHis next enterprise was against Castro Xeriz, a city with a strong\ncastle, which had been a thorn in the side of Castile\u2014the Moorish\ngarrison often sweeping the road between Burgos and Leon, carrying\noff travellers, capturing cattle, and plundering convoys of\nprovisions and merchandise. The count advanced against this place in\nopen day, ravaging the country and announcing his approach by clouds\nof smoke from the burning habitations of the Moors. Abdallah, the\nalcaid of the fortress, would have made peace, but the count refused\nall terms. \u201cGod,\u201d said he, \u201chas appointed me to rescue his holy\ninheritance from the power of infidels; nothing is to be negotiated\nbut by the edge of the sword.\u201d\n\nAbdallah then made a sally with a chosen band of his cavaliers. They\nat first careered lightly with their Arabian steeds and launched\ntheir Moorish darts, but the Christians closed in the old Gothic\nstyle, fighting hand to hand. Abdallah fell by the sword of the\ncount, and his followers fled with loosened reins back to the city.\nThe Christians followed hard upon them, strewing the ground with\ndead. At the gate of the city they were met by Almondir, the son\nof Abdallah, who disputed the gateway and the street inch by inch,\nuntil the whole place ran with blood. The Moors, driven from the\nstreets, took refuge in the castle, where Almondir inspirited them\nto a desperate defense, until a stone struck him as he stood on the\nbattlements, and he fell to the earth dead. Having no leader to\ndirect them, the Moors surrendered. When the town was cleared of the\ndead and order restored, the count divided the spoils\u2014allotting the\nhouses among his followers, and peopling the place with Christians.\nHe gave the command of it to Layn Bermudez, with the title of count.\nFrom him descended an illustrious line of cavaliers termed de Castro,\nwhose male line became extinct in Castile, but continued to flourish\nin Portugal. The place is said to have been called Castro Xeriz, in\nconsequence of the blood shed in this conflict\u2014xeriz, in the Arabic\nlanguage signifying bloody.[62]\n\n  [62] Sandoval, p. 301.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nHow the Count of Castile and the King of Leon make a Triumphant Foray\ninto the Moorish Country.\u2014Capture of Salamanca.\u2014Of the Challenge\nbrought by the Herald, and of the Count\u2019s Defiance.\n\n\nCount Fernan Gonzalez was restless, daring, and impetuous; he\nseldom suffered lance to rest on wall or steed in stable, and no\nMoorish commander could sleep in quiet who held town or tower in his\nneighborhood. King Alonzo the Great became emulous of sharing in his\nachievements, and they made a campaign together against the Moors.\nThe count brought a splendid array of Castilian chivalry into the\nfield, together with a host of Montaneses, hardy and vigorous troops\nfrom the Asturias, excellent for marauding warfare. The King of Leon\nbrought his veteran bands, seasoned to battle. With their united\nforces they ravaged the Moorish country, marking their way with\nhavoc and devastation; arrived before Salamanca, they took that city\nby storm after a brave defense, and gave it up to be sacked by the\nsoldiery. After which such of the Moors as chose to remain in it were\nsuffered to retain their possessions as vassals to the king. Having\naccomplished this triumphant foray, they returned, each one to his\ncapital.\n\nThe Count of Castile did not repose long in his palace. One day a\nMoorish herald magnificently dressed, rode into the city of Burgos,\nbringing Fernan Gonzalez a cartel of defiance. It was from a vaunting\nMoor named Acefali, who had entered the territories of Castile\nwith a powerful force of horse and foot, giving out that he had\ncome to measure strength and prowess with the count in battle. Don\nFernan Gonzalez replied to the defiance with weapon in hand at the\nhead of his warriors. A pitched battle ensued, which lasted from\nearly morn until evening twilight. In the course of the fight the\ncount was in imminent peril, his horse being killed under him and\nhimself surrounded, but he was rescued by his cavaliers. After great\nbloodshed, the Moors were routed and pursued beyond the borders. The\nspoil gained in this battle was devoutly expended in repairing the\nchurches of Castile and the Montaneses.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nA Night Assault upon the Castle of Carazo.\u2014The Moorish Maiden who\nbetrayed the Garrison.\n\n\nIn those warlike times of Spain every one lived with sword in hand;\nthere was scarcely a commanding cliff or hill-top but had its\ncastle. Moors and Christians regarded each other from rival towers\nand battlements perched on opposite heights, and were incessantly\ncontending for the dominion of the valleys.\n\nWe have seen that Count Fernan Gonzalez had regained possession of\nthe ancient town and fortress of Lara, the domain of his ancestors;\nbut it will be recollected that within two leagues\u2019 distance stood\nthe Moorish presidio of Carazo. It was perched like an eagle\u2019s\nnest on the summit of a mountain, and the cragged steepness of\nits position, and its high and thick walls seemed to render it\nproof against all assault. The Moors who garrisoned it were fierce\nmarauders, who used to sweep down like birds of prey from their lofty\nnest, pounce upon the flocks and dwellings of the Christians, make\nhasty ravages, and bear away their spoils to the mountain-top. There\nwas no living with safety or tranquillity within the scope of their\nmaraudings.\n\nIntelligence of their misdeeds was brought to the count at Burgos.\nHe determined to have that castle of Carazo, whatever might be the\ncost: for this purpose he called a council of his chosen cavaliers.\nHe did not conceal the peril of the enterprise, from the crag-built\nsituation of the castle, its great strength, and the vigilance\nand valor of its garrison. Still the Castilian cavaliers offered\nthemselves to carry the fortress or die.\n\nThe count sallied secretly from Burgos with a select force, and\nrepaired in the night-time to Lara, that the Moors might have no\nintimation nor suspicion of his design. In the midst of the next\nnight, the castle gate was quietly opened and they issued forth as\nsilently as possible, pursuing their course in the deep shadows of\nthe valley until they came to the foot of the mountain of Carazo.\nHere they remained in ambush, and sent forth scouts. As the latter\nprowled about the day began to dawn, and they heard a female voice\nsinging above them on the side of the mountain. It was a Moorish\ndamsel coming down, with a vessel upon her head. She descended to\na fountain which gushed forth beneath a grove of willows, and as\nshe sang she began to fill her vessel with water. The spies issued\nfrom their concealment, seized her, and carried her to Count Fernan\nGonzalez.\n\nOvercome by terror or touched by conviction, the Moorish damsel\nthrew herself on her knees before the count, declared her wish to\nturn Christian, and offered, in proof of her sincerity, to put him\nin a way of gaining possession of the castle. Being encouraged to\nproceed, she told him that there was to be a marriage feast that day\nin the castle, and of course a great deal of revelry, which would\nput the garrison off its guard. She pointed out a situation where\nhe might lie in ambush with his troops in sight of the tower, and\npromised when a favorable moment presented for an attack to give a\nsignal with a light.\n\nThe count regarded her for a time with a fixed and earnest gaze,\nbut saw no faltering nor change of countenance. The case required\nbold measures, combined with stratagem; so he confided in her, and\npermitted her to return to the castle. All day he lay in ambush\nwith his troops, each man his hand upon his weapon to guard against\nsurprise. The distant sound of revelry from the castle, with now\nand then the clash of cymbals, the bray of trumpets, and a strain\nof festive music, showed the gayety that reigned within. Night came\non; lights gleamed from walls and windows, but none resembling the\nappointed signal. It was almost midnight, and the count began to fear\nthe Moorish damsel had deceived him, when to his great joy he saw the\nsignal-light gleaming from one of the towers.\n\nHe now sallied forth with his men, and all, on foot, clambered up the\nsteep and rugged height. They had almost attained the foot of the\ntowers when they were descried by a sentinel who cried with a loud\nvoice, \u201cThe foe! the foe! to arms! to arms!\u201d The count, followed by\nhis hardy cavaliers, rushed forward to the gate, crying, \u201cGod and\nSaint Millan!\u201d The whole castle was instantly in an uproar. The\nMoors were bewildered by the sudden surprise and the confusion of a\nnight assault. They fought bravely, but irregularly. The Christians\nhad but one plan and one object. After a hard struggle and great\nbloodshed, they forced the gate and made themselves masters of the\ncastle.\n\nThe count remained several days, fortifying the place and garrisoning\nit, that it might not fall again into the possession of the Moors.\nHe bestowed magnificent rewards on the Moorish damsel who had thus\nbetrayed her countrymen; she embraced the Christian faith, to which\nshe had just given such a signal proof of devotion, though it is not\nsaid whether the count had sufficient confidence in her conversion\nand her newly moulted piety to permit her to remain in the fortress\nshe had betrayed.\n\nHaving completed his arrangements, the count departed on his return,\nand encountered on the road his mother Do\u00f1a Nu\u00f1a Fernandez, who,\nexulting in his success, had set out to visit him at Carazo. The\nmother and son had a joyful meeting, and gave the name of Contreras\nto the place of their encounter.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nDeath of Alfonso, King of Leon.\u2014The Moors determined to strike a\nfresh Blow at the Count, who summons all Castile to his Standard.\u2014Of\nhis Hunt in the Forest while waiting for the Enemy, and of the Hermit\nthat he met with.\n\n\nAlfonso the Great was now growing old and infirm, and his queen and\nsons, taking advantage of his age and feebleness, endeavored by\nharsh treatment to compel him to relinquish the crown. Count Fernan\nGonzalez interceded between them, but in vain; and Alfonso was at\nlength obliged to surrender his crown to his oldest son, Don Garcia.\nThe aged monarch then set out upon a pilgrimage to the shrine of St.\nIago; but, falling ill of his mortal malady, sent for the count to\ncome to him to his death-bed at Zamora. The count hastened thither\nwith all zeal and loyalty. He succeeded in effecting a reconciliation\nbetween Alfonso and his son Don Garcia in his dying moments, and was\nwith the monarch when he quietly breathed his last. The death of\nthe king gave fresh courage to the Moors, and they thought this a\nfavorable moment to strike a blow at the rising power of the count.\nAbderahman was at this time king of Cordova and Miramamolin, or\nsovereign of the Moors in Spain. He had been enraged at the capture\nof the castle of Carazo, and the other victories of the count; and\nnow that the latter had no longer the King of Leon to back him, it\nwas thought he might, by a vigorous effort, be completely crushed.\nAbderahman accordingly assembled at Cordova a great army of Moorish\nwarriors, both those of Spain and Africa, and sent them, under the\ncommand of Almanzor, to ravage the country of Count Fernan Gonzalez.\nThis Almanzor was the most valiant Moorish general in Spain, and one\non whom Abderahman depended as upon his right hand.\n\nOn hearing of the impending danger, Count Fernan Gonzalez summoned\nall men of Castile capable of bearing arms to repair to his standard\nat Mu\u00f1on. His force when assembled was but small, but composed of\nthe bravest chivalry of Castile, any one knight of which he esteemed\nequal to ten Moors. One of the most eminent of his cavaliers was\nDon Gonzalo Gustios, of Lara, who brought seven valiant sons to the\nfield\u2014the same afterwards renowned in Spanish story as the seven\nprinces of Lara. With Don Gonzalo came also his wife\u2019s brother, Ruy\nor Rodrigo Velasquez, a cavalier of great prowess.\n\nIn the mean time tidings continued to arrive of the great force of\nthe enemy, which was said to cover the country with its tents. The\nname of the Moorish general, Almanzor, likewise inspired great alarm.\nOne of the count\u2019s cavaliers, therefore, Gonzalo Diaz, counseled him\nnot to venture upon an open battle against such fearful odds; but\nrather to make a tula, or ravaging inroad into the country of the\nMoors, by way of compelling them to make a truce. The count, however,\nrejected his advice. \u201cAs to their numbers,\u201d said he, \u201cone lion is\nworth ten sheep, and thirty wolves could kill thirty thousand lambs.\nAs to that Moor, Almanzor, be assured we shall vanquish him, and the\ngreater his renown the greater will be the honor of the victory.\u201d\n\nThe count now marched his little army to Lara, where he paused to\nawait the movements of the enemy. While his troops were lying there\nhe mounted his horse one day and went forth with a few attendants to\nhunt in the forests which bordered the river Arlanza. In the course\nof the chase he roused a monstrous boar and pursued it among rocks\nand brakes until he became separated from his attendants. Still\nfollowing the track of the boar, he came to the foot of a rocky\nprecipice, up which the animal mounted by a rugged and narrow path,\nwhere the horse could not follow. The count alighted, tied his horse\nto an oak, and clambered up the path, assisting himself at times\nwith his boar-spear. The path led to a close thicket of cedars,\nsurrounding a small edifice partly built of stone and partly hewn out\nof the solid rock. The boar had taken refuge within, and had taken\nhis stand behind what appeared to be a mass of stone. The count was\nabout to launch his javelin when he beheld a cross of stone standing\non what he now perceived was an altar, and he knew that he was in a\nholy place. Being as pious as he was brave, the good count now knelt\nbefore the altar and asked pardon of God for the sin he had been on\nthe point of committing; and when he had finished this prayer, he\nadded another for victory over the foe.\n\nWhile he was yet praying, there entered a venerable monk, Fray\nPelayo by name, who, seeing him to be a Christian knight, gave him\nhis benediction. He informed the count that he resided in this\nhermitage in company with two other monks\u2014Arsenio and Silvano. The\ncount marveled much how they could live there in a country overrun\nby enemies, and which had for a long time, and but recently, been in\nthe power of the infidels. The hermit replied that in the service of\nGod they were ready to endure all hardships. It is true they suffered\nmuch from cold and hunger, being obliged to live chiefly on herbs\nand roots; but by secret paths and tracks they were in communication\nwith other hermitages scattered throughout the country, so that they\nwere enabled to aid and comfort each other. They could also secretly\nsustain in the faith the Christians who were held in subjection by\nthe Moors, and afford them places of refuge and concealment in cases\nof extremity.\n\nThe count now opened his heart to the good hermit, revealing his name\nand rank, and the perils impending over him from the invasion of the\ninfidel. As the day was far spent, Fray Pelayo prevailed upon him to\npass the night in the hermitage, setting before him barley bread and\nsuch simple fare as his cell afforded.\n\nEarly in the morning the count went forth and found the hermit\nseated beneath a tree on a rock, whence he could look far and wide\nout of the forest and over the surrounding country. The hermit then\naccosted him as one whose holy and meditative life and mortifications\nof the flesh had given to look into the future almost with the eye\nof prophecy. \u201cOf a truth, my son,\u201d said he, \u201cthere are many trials\nand hardships in store for thee; but be of good cheer, thou wilt\nconquer these Moors, and wilt increase thy power and possessions.\u201d\nHe now revealed to the count certain signs and portents which would\ntake place during battle. \u201cWhen thou shalt see these,\u201d said he, \u201cbe\nassured that Heaven is on thy side, and thy victory secure.\u201d The\ncount listened with devout attention. \u201cIf these things do indeed come\nto pass,\u201d said he, \u201cI will found a church and convent in this place,\nto be dedicated to St. Peter, the patron saint of this hermitage;\nand when I die my body shall be interred here.\u201d Receiving then the\nbenediction of the holy friar he departed.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nThe Battle of the Ford of Cascajares.\n\n\nWhen Count Fernan Gonzalez returned to his troops he found them in\ngreat alarm at his absence, fearing some evil had befallen him; but\nhe cheered them with an account of his adventure and of the good\nfortune predicted by the hermit.\n\nIt was in the month of May, on the day of the Holy Cross, that the\nChristian and Moslem armies came in sight of each other. The Moors\nadvanced with a great sound of trumpets, atabals, and cymbals, and\ntheir mighty host extended over hill and valley. When they saw how\nsmall was the force of the Christians they put up derisive shouts,\nand rushed forward to surround them.\n\nDon Fernan Gonzalez remained calm and unmoved upon a rising ground,\nfor the hour was at hand when the sign of victory promised by the\nhermit was to take place. Near by him was a youthful cavalier, Pedro\nGonzalez by name, native of La Puente de Hitero, of fiery courage\nbut vainglorious temper. He was cased in shining armor, and mounted\non a beautiful horse impatient of spirit as himself, and incessantly\nfoaming and champing on the bit and pawing the earth. As the Moors\ndrew near, while there was yet a large space between them and the\nChristians, this fiery cavalier could no longer contain himself, but\ngiving reins to his steed set off headlong to encounter the foe; when\nsuddenly the earth opened, man and horse rushed downward into an\nabyss, and the earth closed as before.\n\nA cry of horror ran through the Christian ranks, and a panic was\nlike to seize upon them, but Don Fernan Gonzalez rode in front of\nthem, exclaiming, \u201cThis is the promised sign of victory. Let us\nsee how Castilians defend their lord, for my standard shall be\nborne into the thickest of the fight.\u201d So saying, he ordered Orbita\nFernandez to advance his standard; and when his troops saw the silver\ncross glittering on high and borne toward the enemy, they shouted,\n\u201cCastile! Castile!\u201d and rushed forward to the fight. Immediately\naround the standard fought Don Gonzalo Gustios and his seven sons,\nand he was, say the old chroniclers, like a lion leading his whelps\ninto the fight. Wherever they fought their way, they might be traced\nby the bodies of bleeding and expiring infidels. Few particulars of\nthis battle remain on record; but it is said the Moors were as if\nstruck with sudden fear and weakness, and fled in confusion. Almanzor\nhimself escaped by the speed of his horse, attended by a handful of\nhis cavaliers.\n\nIn the camp of the Moors was found vast booty in gold and silver, and\nother precious things, with sumptuous armor and weapons. When the\nspoil was divided and the troops were refreshed, Don Fernan Gonzalez\nwent with his cavaliers in pious procession to the hermitage of San\nPedro. Here he gave much silver and gold to the worthy Fray Pelayo,\nto be expended in masses for the souls of the Christian warriors\nwho had fallen in battle, and in prayers for further victories over\nthe infidels; after which he returned in triumph to his capital of\nBurgos.[63]\n\n  [63] It does not appear that Count Fernan Gonzalez kept his\n  promise of founding a church and monastery on the site of the\n  hermitage. The latter edifice remained to after ages. \u201cIt\n  stands,\u201d says Sandoval, \u201con a precipice overhanging the river\n  Arlanza, insomuch that it inspires dread to look below. It is\n  extremely ancient; large enough to hold a hundred persons. Within\n  the chapel is an opening like a chasm, leading down to a cavern\n  larger than the church, formed in the solid rock, with a small\n  window which overlooks the river. It was here the Christians used\n  to conceal themselves.\u201d\n\n  As a corroboration of the adventure of the Count of Castile,\n  Sandoval assures us that in his day the oak still existed to\n  which Don Fernan Gonzalez tied his horse, when he alighted to\n  scramble up the hill in pursuit of the boar. The worthy Fray\n  Agapida, however, needed no corroboration of the kind, swallowing\n  the whole story with the ready credence of a pious monk. The\n  action here recorded was known by the name of the battle of the\n  Ford of Cascajares.\n\n  Sandoval gives a different account of the fate of the hermits.\n  He says that Almanzor, in a rage at their prognostics, overthrew\n  their chapel, and, without alighting from his horse, ordered the\n  three monks to be beheaded in his presence. \u201cThis martyrdom,\u201d he\n  adds, \u201cis represented in an ancient painting of the chapel which\n  still exists.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nOf the Message sent by the Count to Sancho II., King of Navarre; and\nthe Reply.\u2014Their Encounter in Battle.\n\n\nThe good Count of Castile was so inspirited by this signal victory\nover the Moors, and their great general Almanzor, that he determined,\nnow that he had a breathing-spell from infidel warfare, to redress\ncertain grievances sustained from one of his Christian neighbors.\nThis was Don Sancho II., King of Navarre, surnamed Abarca, either\nfrom the abarcas or shepherd shoes which he had worn in early life,\nwhen brought up in secrecy and indigence, during the overthrow of\nhis country by the Moors, or from making his soldiers wear shoes of\nthe kind in crossing the snowy Pyrenees. It was a name by which the\npopulace delighted to call him.\n\nThis prince had recovered all Navarre from the infidels, and even\nsubjected to his crown all Biscay, or Cantabria, and some territory\nbeyond the Pyrenees, on the confines of France. Not content with\nthese acquisitions, he had made occasional inroads into Castile, in\nconsequence of a contest respecting the territories of Navarre and\nRioxa, to which he laid claim. These incursions he repeated whenever\nhe had peace or truce with the Moors.[64]\n\n  [64] Sandoval. _The Five Bishops._ Mariana, lib. 8, c. 5, p. 367.\n  _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, part 3, c. 18, fol. 53.\n\nCount Fernan Gonzalez, having now time, as has been observed, to\nattend to these matters, sent an ambassador to King Sancho, charged\nwith a courteous but resolute message. \u201cI come, Se\u00f1or,\u201d said the\nambassador to the king, \u201cby command of the Count Fernan Gonzalez of\nCastile, and this is what I am told to say. You have done him much\nwrong in times past, by leaguing with the infidels and making inroads\ninto his territories while he was absent or engaged in war. If you\nwill amend your ways in this respect, and remedy the past, you will\ndo him much pleasure; but if you refuse, he sends you his defiance.\u201d\n\nKing Sancho Abarca was lost in astonishment and indignation at\nreceiving such a message from a count of Castile. \u201cReturn to the\ncount,\u201d said he, \u201cand tell him I will amend nothing; that I marvel\nat his insolence, and hold him for a madman for daring to defy me.\nTell him he has listened to evil counsel, or a few trifling successes\nagainst the Moors have turned his brain; but it will be very\ndifferent when I come to seek him, for there is not town or tower\nfrom which I will not drag him forth.\u201d[65]\n\n  [65] _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, ut supra.\n\nThe ambassador returned with this reply, nor did he spare the least\nof its scorn and bitterness. Upon this the count assembled his\ncavaliers and councilors, and represented the case. He exhorted them\nto stand by him in seeking redress for this insult and injury to\ntheir country and their chieftain. \u201cWe are not equal in numbers to\nthe enemy, but we are valiant men, united and true to each other, and\none hundred good lances, all in the hands of chosen cavaliers, all of\none heart and mind, are worth three hundred placed by chance in the\nhands of men who have no common tie.\u201d The cavaliers all assured him\nthey would follow and obey him as loyal subjects of a worthy lord,\nand would prove their fealty in the day of battle.\n\nA little army of staunch Castilians was soon assembled, the silver\ncross was again reared on high by the standard-bearer Orbita\nVelasquez, and the count advanced resolutely a day\u2019s journey into the\nkingdom of Navarre, for his maxim was to strike quickly and sudden.\nKing Sancho wondered at his daring, but hastened to meet him with a\ngreatly superior force. The armies came in sight of each other at a\nplace called the Era de Gollanda.\n\nThe count now addressed his men. \u201cThe enemy,\u201d said he, \u201care more\nnumerous than we; they are vigorous of body and light of foot, and\nare dexterous in throwing darts. They will have the advantage if they\nattack us; but if we attack them and close manfully, we shall get the\nfield of them before they have time to hurl their darts and wound\nus. For my part, I shall make for the king. If I can but revenge the\nwrongs of Castile upon his person I care not how soon I die.\u201d\n\nAs the armies drew near each other the Castilians, true to the\norders of their chieftain, put up the war-cry, \u201cCastile! Castile!\u201d\nand rushing forward, broke through the squadrons of Navarre. Then\nfollowed a fight so pitiless and deadly, says an old chronicler, that\nthe strokes of their weapons resounded through the whole country.\nThe count sought King Sancho throughout the whole field; they met\nand recognized each other by their armorial bearings and devices.\nThey fought with fury, until both fell from their horses as if dead.\nThe Castilians cut their way through the mass of the enemy, and\nsurrounded their fallen chief. Some raised him from the earth while\nothers kept off the foe. At first they thought him dead, and were\nloud in their lamentations; but when the blood and dust were wiped\nfrom his face he revived and told them not to heed him, for his\nwounds were nothing; but to press on and gain the victory, for he had\nslain the King of Navarre.\n\nAt hearing this they gave a great shout and returned to the fight;\nbut those of Navarre, seized with terror at the fall of their king,\nturned their backs and fled.\n\nThe count then caused the body of the king to be taken from among\nthe slain and to be conducted, honorably attended, to Navarre. Thus\nfell Sancho Abarca, King of Navarre, and was succeeded by his son Don\nGarcia, surnamed the Trembler.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nHow the Count of Toulouse makes a Campaign against Castile, and how\nhe returns in his Coffin.\n\n\nWhile the Count Fernan Gonzalez was yet ill of his wounds in his\ncapital, and when his soldiers had scarce laid by their cuirasses and\nhung up their shields and lances, there was a fresh alarm of war. The\nCount of Toulouse and Poictiers, the close friend and ally of King\nSancho Abarca, had come from France with a host to his assistance,\nbut finding him defeated and slain, raised his standard to make a\ncampaign, in his revenge, against the Castilians. The Navarrese all\ngathered round him, and now an army was on foot more powerful than\nthe one which had recently been defeated.\n\nCount Fernan Gonzalez, wounded as he was, summoned his troops to\nmarch against this new enemy; but the war-worn Castilians, vexed at\nbeing thus called again to arms before they had time to breathe,\nbegan to murmur. \u201cThis is the life of the very devil,\u201d said they, \u201cto\ngo about day and night, without a moment\u2019s rest. This lord of ours\nis assuredly Satan himself, and we are lesser devils in his employ,\nalways busy entrapping the souls of men. He has no pity for us, so\nbattered and worn, nor for himself, so badly wounded. It is necessary\nthat some one should talk with him, and turn him from this madness.\u201d\n\nAccordingly a hardy cavalier, Nu\u00f1o Laynez, remonstrated with the\ncount against further fighting until he should be cured of his wounds\nand his people should have time to repose; for mortal men could not\nsupport this kind of life. \u201cNor is this urged through cowardice,\u201d\nadded he, \u201cfor your men are ready to fight for and defend you as they\nwould their own souls.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell have you spoken, Nu\u00f1o Laynez,\u201d replied the count; \u201cyet for all\nthis I am not minded to defer this fight. A day lost never returns.\nAn opportunity foregone can never be recalled. The warrior who\nindulges in repose will never leave the memory of great deeds behind\nhim. His name dies when his soul leaves the body. Let us, therefore,\nmake the most of the days and hours allotted us, and crown them with\nsuch glorious deeds that the world shall praise us in all future\ntime.\u201d\n\nWhen Nu\u00f1o Laynez repeated these generous words to the cavaliers, the\nblood glowed in their veins, and they prepared themselves manfully\nfor the field; nor did the count give them time to cool before he\nput himself at their head and marched to meet the enemy. He found\nthem drawn up on the opposite side of a river which was swollen and\ntroubled by recent rains. Without hesitation he advanced to ford\nit, but his troops were galled by flights of darts and arrows as\nthey crossed, and received with lances on the water\u2019s edge; the\nbodies of many floated down the turbid stream, and many perished on\nthe banks. They made good their crossing, however, and closed with\nthe enemy. The fight was obstinate and the Castilians were hardly\npressed, being so inferior in number. Don Fernan Gonzalez galloped\nalong the front of the enemy. \u201cWhere is the Count of Toulouse?\u201d cried\nhe; \u201clet him come forth and face me,\u2014me, Fernan Gonzalez of Castile,\nwho defy him to single combat!\u201d The count answered promptly to the\ndefiance. No one from either side presumed to interfere while the two\ncounts encountered, man to man and horse to horse, like honorable\nand generous cavaliers. They rushed upon each other with the full\nspeed of their horses; the lance of Don Fernan pierced through all\nthe armor and accoutrements of the Count of Toulouse and bore him\nout of the saddle, and before he touched the earth his soul had\nalready parted from his body. The men of Toulouse, seeing their chief\nfall dead, fled amain, but were pursued, and three hundred of them\ntaken.[66]\n\n  [66] _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a._\n\nThe field being won, Count Fernan Gonzalez alighted and took off the\narmor of the Count of Toulouse, with his own hands, and wrapped him\nin a xemete, or Moorish mantle, of great value, which he had gained\nwhen he conquered Almanzor. He ordered a coffin to be made, and\ncovered with cloth of gold, and studded with silver nails, and he\nput therein the body of the count, and delivered it to the captive\ncavaliers, whom he released and furnished with money for their\nexpenses, making them swear not to leave the body of the count until\nthey had conducted it to Toulouse. So the count, who had come from\nFrance in such chivalrous state, at the head of an array of shining\nwarriors, returned in his coffin with a mourning train of vanquished\ncavaliers, while Count Fernan Gonzalez conducted his victorious\ntroops in triumph back to Burgos.\n\nThis signal victory took place in the year of our Redemption 926, in\nthe beginning of the reign of Alfonso the Monk on the throne of Leon\nand the Asturias.[67]\n\n  [67] Mariana, lib. 8, c. 5, p. 367.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nHow the Count went to receive the Hand of a Princess, and was thrown\ninto a Dungeon.\u2014Of the Stranger that visited him in his Chains, and\nof the Appeal that he made to the Princess for his Deliverance.\n\n\nGarcia II., who had succeeded to the throne of Navarre on the death\nof his father, was brave of soul, though surnamed El Tembloso, or\nThe Trembler. He was so called because he was observed to tremble\non going into battle; but, as has been said of others, it was only\nthe flesh that trembled, foreseeing the dangers into which the\nspirit would carry it. This king was deeply grieved at the death of\nhis father, slain by Count Fernan Gonzalez, and would have taken\nvengeance by open warfare, but he was counseled by his mother,\nthe Queen Teresa, to pursue a subtler course. At her instigation\novertures were made to the count to settle all the feuds between\nNavarre and Castile by a firm alliance, and to this end it was\nproposed that the count should take to wife Do\u00f1a Sancha, the sister\nof King Garcia and daughter of King Sancho Abarca. The count accepted\ngladly the proffered alliance, for he had heard of the great merit\nand beauty of the princess, and was pleased with so agreeable a\nmode of putting an end to all their contests. A conference was\naccordingly appointed between the count and King Garcia, to take\nplace at Ciruena, each to be attended only by five cavaliers.\n\nThe count was faithful to his compact, and appeared at the appointed\nplace with five of the bravest of his cavaliers; but the king arrived\nwith five-and-thirty chosen men, all armed _cap-a-pie_. The count,\nsuspecting treachery, retreated with his cavaliers into a neighboring\nhermitage, and, barricading the door, defended himself throughout\nthe day until nightfall. Seeing there was no alternative, he at\nlength capitulated and agreed to surrender himself a prisoner, and\npay homage to the king, on the latter assuring him, under oath, that\nhis life should be secure. King Garcia the Trembler, having in this\nwily manner gained possession of the count, threw him in irons and\nconducted him prisoner to Navarre, where he confined him in a strong\ncastle called Castro Viejo. At his intercession, however, his five\ncavaliers were released, and carried back to Castile the doleful\ntidings of his captivity.\n\nNow it came to pass that a brave Norman count, who was performing a\npilgrimage to St. Iago of Compostella, heard that the Count Fernan\nGonzalez, whose renown had spread far and wide, lay in chains in\nCastro Viejo. Having a vehement desire to see the man of whom fame\nhad spoken so loudly, he repaired to the castle, and bribed his way\nto the prison of the count. When he entered and beheld so noble a\ncavalier in a solitary dungeon and in chains, he was sore at heart.\nThe count looked up with wonder as this stranger stood before him in\npilgrim garb and with sorrowful aspect, but when he learned his name\nand rank, and the object of his visit, he gave him the right hand of\nfriendship.\n\nThe pilgrim count left the castle more enamored than ever of the\ncharacter of Count Fernan Gonzalez. At a festival of the court he\nbeheld the Princess Sancha, who had served as a lure to draw the good\ncount into the power of his enemies, and he found her of surpassing\nbeauty, and of a gentle and loving demeanor; so he determined to seek\nan opportunity to speak with her in private, for surely, thought he,\nin such a bosom must dwell the soft pity of womanhood. Accordingly,\none day as the princess was walking in the garden with her ladies,\nhe presented himself before her in his pilgrim\u2019s garb, and prayed\nto speak with her apart, as if on some holy mission. And when they\nwere alone, \u201cHow is this, Princess,\u201d said he, \u201cthat you are doing\nsuch great wrong to Heaven, to yourself, and to all Christendom?\u201d The\nprincess started, and said, \u201cWhat wrong have I done?\u201d Then replied\nthe pilgrim count, \u201cBehold, for thy sake the noblest of cavaliers,\nthe pride of Spain, the flower of chivalry, the hope of Christendom,\nlies in a dungeon, fettered with galling chains. What lady but would\nbe too happy to be honored with the love of Count Fernan Gonzalez;\nand thou hast scorned it! How will it tell for thy fame in future\ntimes, that thou wast made a snare to capture an honorable knight;\nthat the gentlest, the bravest, the most generous of cavaliers was\ninveigled by the love of thee to be thrown into a dungeon? How hast\nthou reversed the maxims of chivalry! Beauty has ever been the friend\nof valor; but thou hast been its foe! The fair hands of lovely dames\nhave ever bestowed laurels and rewards on those gallant knights\nwho sought and deserved their loves; thou hast bestowed chains and\na dungeon. Behold, the Moors rejoice in his captivity, while all\nChristians mourn. Thy name will be accursed throughout the land like\nthat of Cava; but shouldst thou have the heroism to set him free,\nthou wilt be extolled above all Spanish ladies. Hadst thou but seen\nhim as I have done,\u2014alone, abandoned, enchained; yet so noble, so\ncourteous, so heroic in his chains, that kings upon their thrones\nmight envy the majesty of his demeanor. If thou couldst feel love for\nman, thou shouldst do it for this knight; for I swear to thee on this\ncross which I bear, that never was there king or emperor in the world\nso worthy of woman\u2019s love.\u201d When the pilgrim count had thus spoken,\nhe left the princess to meditate upon his words.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nOf the Meditations of the Princess, and their Result.\u2014Her Flight from\nthe Prison with the Count, and Perils of the Escape.\u2014The Nuptials.\n\n\nThe Princess Sancha remained for some time in the garden, revolving\nin her mind all that she had just heard, and tenderness for the Count\nFernan Gonzalez began to awaken in her bosom; for nothing so touches\nthe heart of woman as the idea of valor suffering for her sake.\nThe more the princess meditated the more she became enamored. She\ncalled to mind all she had heard of the illustrious actions of the\ncount. She thought upon the pictures just drawn of him in prison\u2014so\nnoble, so majestic in his chains. She remembered the parting words\nof the pilgrim count\u2014\u201cNever was there king nor emperor so worthy\nof a woman\u2019s love.\u201d \u201cAlas!\u201d cried she, \u201cwas there ever a lady more\nunfortunate than I? All the love and devotion of this noble cavalier\nI might have had, and behold it has been made a mockery. Both he and\nmyself have been wronged by the treachery of my brother.\u201d\n\nAt length the passion of the princess arose to such a height that\nshe determined to deliver the count from the misery of which she had\nbeen made the instrument. So she found means one night to bribe\nthe guards of his prison, and made her way to his dungeon. When the\ncount saw her, he thought it a beautiful vision, or some angel sent\nfrom heaven to comfort him, for certainly her beauty surpassed the\nordinary loveliness of woman.\n\n\u201cNoble cavalier,\u201d said the princess, \u201cthis is no time for idle words\nand ceremonies. Behold before you the Princess Do\u00f1a Sancha; the word\nwhich my brother brake I am here to fulfill. You came to receive my\nhand, and, instead, you were thrown in chains. I come to yield you\nthat hand, and to deliver you from those chains. Behold, the door of\nyour prison is open, and I am ready to fly with you to the ends of\nthe earth. Swear to me one word, and when you have sworn it, I know\nyour loyalty too well to doubt that you will hold your oath sacred.\nSwear that if I fly with you, you will treat me with the honor of a\nknight; that you will make me your wife, and never leave me for any\nother woman.\u201d\n\nThe count swore all this on the faith of a Christian cavalier; and\nwell did he feel disposed to keep his oath, for never before had he\nbeheld such glorious beauty.\n\nSo the princess led the way, and her authority and her money had\nconquered the fidelity of the guards, so that they permitted the\ncount to sally forth with her from the prison.\n\nIt was a dark night, and they left the great road and climbed a\nmountain. The count was so fettered by his chains that he moved with\ndifficulty, but the princess helped and sometimes almost carried\nhim; for what will not delicate woman perform when her love and\npity are fully aroused. Thus they toiled on their way until the day\ndawned, when they hid themselves in the cliffs of the mountain, among\nrocks and thickets. While thus concealed they beheld an archpriest\nof the castle, mounted on a mule with a falcon on his fist, hawking\nabout the lower part of the mountain. The count knew him to be a base\nand malignant man, and watched his movements with great anxiety. He\nhad two hounds beating about the bushes, which at length got upon\nthe traces of the count and princess, and discovering them, set up a\nviolent barking. Alighting from his mule, the archpriest clambered\nup to where the fugitives were concealed. He knew the count, and saw\nthat he had escaped. \u201cAha! traitor,\u201d cried he, drawing his sword,\n\u201cthink not to escape from the power of the king.\u201d The count saw that\nresistance was in vain, for he was without weapon and in chains,\nand the archpriest was a powerful man, exceeding broad across the\nshoulders; he sought, therefore, to win him by fair words, promising\nthat if he would aid him to escape he would give him a city in\nCastile, for him and his heirs forever. But the archpriest was more\nviolent than ever, and held his sword at the breast of the count to\nforce him back to the castle. Upon this the princess rushed forward,\nand with tears in her eyes implored him not to deliver the count into\nthe hands of his enemies. But the heart of the priest was inflamed\nby the beauty of the princess, and thinking her at his mercy,\n\u201cGladly,\u201d said he, \u201cwill I assist the count to escape, but upon one\ncondition.\u201d Then he whispered a proposal which brought a crimson glow\nof horror and indignation into the cheeks of the princess, and he\nwould have laid his hand upon her, but he was suddenly lifted from\nthe earth by the strong grasp of the count, who bore him to the edge\nof a precipice and flung him headlong down; and his neck was broken\nin the fall.\n\nThe count then took the mule of the archpriest, his hawk, and his\nhounds, and after keeping in the secret parts of the mountain all\nday, he and the princess mounted the mule at night, and pursued their\nway, by the most rugged and unfrequented passes, toward Castile.\n\nAs the day dawned they found themselves in an open plain at the foot\nof the mountains, and beheld a body of horsemen riding toward them,\nconducting a car, in which sat a knight in armor, bearing a standard.\nThe princess now gave all up for lost. \u201cThese,\u201d said she, \u201care sent\nby my brother in pursuit of us; how can we escape, for this poor\nanimal has no longer strength nor speed to bear us up the mountains?\u201d\nUpon this Count Fernan alighted, and drawing the sword of the\narchpriest, placed himself in a narrow pass. \u201cDo you,\u201d said he to the\nprincess, \u201cturn back and hasten to the mountains, and dearly shall it\ncost him who attempts to follow you.\u201d \u201cNot so,\u201d replied the princess;\n\u201cfor the love of me hast thou been brought from thine own domain and\nbetrayed into all these dangers, and I will abide to share them with\nthee.\u201d\n\nThe count would have remonstrated, when to his astonishment he saw,\nas the car drew near, that the knight seated in it was clad in his\nown armor, with his own devices, and held his own banner in his hand.\n\u201cSurely,\u201d said he, crossing himself, \u201cthis is enchantment;\u201d but on\nlooking still nearer, he recognized among the horsemen Nu\u00f1o Sandias\nand Nu\u00f1o Laynez, two of his most faithful knights. Then his heart\nleaped for joy. \u201cFear nothing,\u201d cried he to the princess; \u201cbehold my\nstandard, and behold my vassals. Those whom you feared as enemies\nshall kneel at your feet and kiss your hand in homage.\u201d\n\nNow so it appears that the tidings of the captivity of the count\nhad spread mourning and consternation throughout Castile, and the\ncavaliers assembled together to devise means for his deliverance. And\ncertain of them had prepared this effigy of the count, clad in his\narmor and bearing his banner and devices, and having done homage and\nsworn fealty to it as they would have done to the count himself, they\nhad placed it in this car and set forth with it as a leader, making\na vow, in the spirit of ancient chivalry, never to return to their\nhomes until they should have delivered the count from his captivity.\n\nWhen the cavaliers recognized the count, they put up shouts of\njoy, and kissed his hands and the hands of the princess in token\nof devoted loyalty. And they took off the fetters of the count and\nplaced him in the car and the princess beside him, and returned\njoyfully to Castile.\n\nVain would be the attempt to describe the transports of the\nmultitude as Count Fernan Gonzalez entered his noble capital of\nBurgos. The Princess Sancha, also, was hailed with blessings wherever\nshe passed, as the deliverer of their lord and the savior of Castile,\nand shortly afterwards her nuptials with the count were celebrated\nwith feasting and rejoicing and tilts and tournaments, which lasted\nfor many days.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nKing Garcia confined in Burgos by the Count.\u2014The Princess intercedes\nfor his Release.\n\n\nThe rejoicings for the marriage of Count Fernan Gonzalez with the\nbeautiful Princess Sancha were scarcely finished when King Garcia the\nTrembler came with a powerful army to revenge his various affronts.\nThe count sallied forth to meet him, and a bloody and doubtful battle\nensued. The Navarrese at length were routed, and the king was wounded\nand taken prisoner in single combat by Count Fernan, who brought him\nto Burgos and put him in close confinement.\n\nThe Countess Do\u00f1a Sancha was now almost as much afflicted at the\ncaptivity of her brother as she had been at that of the count, and\ninterceded with her husband for his release. The count, however,\nretained too strong a recollection of the bad faith of King Garcia\nand of his own treacherous and harsh imprisonment to be easily moved,\nand the king was kept in duress for a considerable time. The countess\nthen interested the principal cavaliers in her suit, reminding them\nof the services she had rendered them in aiding the escape of their\nlord. Through their united intercessions the count was induced to\nrelent; so King Garcia the Trembler was released and treated with\ngreat honor, and sent back to his dominions with a retinue befitting\nhis rank.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nOf the Expedition against the ancient City of Sylo.\u2014The unwitting\nTrespass of the Count into a Convent, and his Compunction thereupon.\n\n\nVolumes would it take to follow the Count Fernan Gonzalez in his\nheroic achievements against the infidels,\u2014achievements which give to\nsober history almost the air of fable. I forbear to dwell at large\nupon one of his campaigns, wherein he scoured the Valley of Laguna;\npassed victoriously along the banks of the Douro, building towers and\ncastles to keep the country in subjection; how he scaled the walls of\nthe castle of Ormaz, being the first to mount, sword in hand; how by\nthe valor of his arm he captured the city of Orma; how he took the\ntown of Sandoval, the origin of the cavaliers of Sandoval, who were\nanciently called Salvadores; how he made an inroad even to Madrid,\nthen a strongly fortified village, and having taken and sacked it,\nreturned in triumph to Burgos.\n\nBut it would be wronging the memory of this great and good cavalier\nto pass in silence over one of his exploits in which he gave a\nsingular instance of his piety. This was in an expedition against\nthe ancient city of Sylo. It was not a place of much value in itself,\nbeing situated in a cold and sterile country, but it had become a\nstronghold of the Moors, whence they carried on their warfare. This\nplace the count carried by assault, entering it in full armor, on his\nsteed, overturning and slaying all who opposed him. In the fury of\nhis career he rode into a spacious edifice which he supposed to be a\nmosque, with the pious intention of slaying every infidel he might\nfind within. On looking round, however, great was his astonishment\nat beholding images of saints, the blessed cross of our Saviour, and\nvarious other sacred objects, which announced a church devoted to\nthe veritable faith. Struck with remorse, he sprang from his horse,\nthrew himself upon his knees, and with many tears implored pardon of\nGod for the sin he had unknowingly committed. While he was yet on his\nknees, several monks of the order of St. Dominic approached, meagre\nin looks and squalid in attire, but hailing him with great joy as\ntheir deliverer. In sooth this was a convent of San Sebastian, the\nfraternity of which had remained captives among the Moors, supporting\nthemselves poorly by making baskets, but permitted to continue in the\nexercise of their religion.\n\nStill filled with pious compunction for the trespass he had made,\nthe count ordered that the shoes should be taken from his horse and\nnailed upon the door of the church; for never, said he, shall they\ntread any other ground after having trodden this holy place. From\nthat day, we are told, it has been the custom to nail the shoes of\nhorses on the portal of that convent\u2014a custom which has extended to\nmany other places.\n\nThe worthy Fray Prudencio de Sandoval records a marvelous memento of\nthe expedition of the count against this city, which remained, he\nsays, until his day. Not far from the place, on the road which passes\nby Lara, is to be seen the print of his horse\u2019s hoofs in a solid\nrock, which has received the impression as though it had been made\nin softened wax.[68] It is to be presumed that the horse\u2019s hoofs had\nbeen gifted with miraculous hardness in reward to the count for his\npious oblation of the shoes.\n\n  [68] Sandoval, p. 313.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nOf the Moorish Host that came up from Cordova, and how the Count\nrepaired to the Hermitage of San Pedro, and prayed for Success\nagainst them, and received Assurance of Victory in a Vision.\u2014Battle\nof Hazinas.\n\n\nThe worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, from whose manuscripts this memoir\nis extracted, passes by many of the striking and heroic deeds of the\ncount, which crowd the pages of ancient chroniclers; but the good\nfriar ever is sure to dwell with delight upon any of those miraculous\noccurrences which took place in Spain in those days, and which\nshowed the marked interposition of Heaven in behalf of the Christian\nwarriors in their battles with the infidels. Such was the renowned\nbattle of Hazinas, which, says Agapida, for its miraculous events is\nworthy of eternal blazon.\n\nNow so it was that the Moorish king of Cordova had summoned all the\nfaithful, both of Spain and Africa, to assist him in recovering the\nlands wrested from him by the unbelievers, and especially by Count\nFernan Gonzalez in his late victories; and such countless legions of\nturbaned warriors were assembled that it was said they covered the\nplains of Andalusia like swarms of locusts.\n\nHearing of their threatening approach, the count gathered together\nhis forces at Piedrafita, while the Moors encamped in Hazinas. When,\nhowever, he beheld the mighty host arrayed against him, his heart\nfor once was troubled with evil forebodings, and calling to mind the\ncheering prognostications of the friar Pelayo on a like occasion, he\nresolved to repair again to that holy man for counsel. Leaving his\ncamp, therefore, secretly, he set out, accompanied by two cavaliers,\nto seek the chapel which he had ordered to be built at the hermitage\nof San Pedro, on the mountain overhanging the river Arlanza, but when\narrived there he heard to his great grief that the worthy friar was\ndead.\n\nEntering the chapel, however, he knelt down at the altar and prayed\nfor success in the coming fight; humbly representing that he had\nnever, like many of the kings and nobles of Spain, done homage to the\ninfidels and acknowledged them for sovereigns. The count remained a\nlong time at prayer, until sleep gradually stole over him; and as he\nlay slumbering before the altar the holy Fray Pelayo appeared before\nhim in a vision, clad in garments as white as snow. \u201cWhy sleepest\nthou, Fernan Gonzalez?\u201d said he; \u201carise, and go forth, and know that\nthou shalt conquer those Moors. For, inasmuch as thou art a faithful\nvassal of the Most High, he has commanded the Apostle San Iago and\nmyself, with many angels, to come to thy aid, and we will appear in\nthe battle clad in white armor, with each of us a red cross upon our\npennon. Therefore arise, I say, and go hence with a valiant heart.\u201d\n\nThe count awoke, and while he was yet musing upon the vision he heard\na voice saying, \u201cArise, and get thee hence; why dost thou linger?\nSeparate thy host into three divisions: enter the field of battle by\nthe east, with the smallest division, and I will be with thee; and\nlet the second division enter by the west, and that shall be aided by\nSan Iago; and let the third division enter by the north. Know that I\nam San Millan who come to thee with this message.\u201d\n\nThe count departed joyfully from the chapel, and returned to his\narmy; and when he told his troops of this, his second visit to the\nhermitage, and of the vision he had had, and how the holy friar San\nPelayo had again assured him of victory, their hearts were lifted\nup, and they rejoiced to serve under a leader who had such excellent\ncounselors in war.\n\nIn the evening preceding the battle Don Fernan Gonzalez divided his\nforces as he had been ordered. The first division was composed of two\nhundred horsemen and six thousand infantry; hardy mountaineers, light\nof foot and of great valor. In the advance were Don Gustios Gonzalez\nof Salas, and his seven sons and two nephews, and his brother Ruy\nVelasquez, and a valiant cavalier named Gonzalo Diaz.\n\nThe second division was led by Don Lope de Biscaya, with the people\nof Burueba and Trevino, and Old Castile and Castro and the Asturias.\nTwo hundred horsemen and six thousand infantry.\n\nThe third division was led by the count himself, and with him went\nRuy Cavia, and Nu\u00f1o Cavia and the Velascos, whom the count that\nday dubbed knights, and twenty esquires of the count, whom he had\nlikewise knighted. His division consisted of four hundred and fifty\nhorse and fifteen hundred foot; and he told his men that if they\nshould not conquer the Moors on the following day, they should draw\noff from the battle when he gave the word. Late at night, when all\nthe camp, excepting the sentinels and guards, were buried in sleep,\na light suddenly illumined the heavens, and a great serpent was seen\nin the air, wounded and covered with blood, and vomiting flames, and\nmaking a loud hissing that awakened all the soldiers. They rushed\nout of their tents, and ran hither and thither, running against each\nother in their affright. Count Fernan Gonzalez was awakened by their\noutcries, but before he came forth the serpent had disappeared. He\nrebuked the terrors of his people, representing to them that the\nMoors were great necromancers, and by their arts could raise devils\nto their aid; and that some Moorish astrologer had doubtless raised\nthis spectrum to alarm them; but he bade them be of good heart, since\nthey had San Iago on their side, and might set Moor, astrologer, and\ndevil at defiance.\n\nIn the first day\u2019s fight Don Fernan fought hand to hand with a\npowerful Moor, who had desired to try his prowess with him. It was\nan obstinate contest, in which the Moor was slain; but the count\nso badly wounded that he fell to the earth, and had not his men\nsurrounded and defended him, he would have been slain or captured.\nThe battle lasted all day long, and Gustios Gonzalez and his kindred\nwarriors showed prodigies of valor. Don Fernan, having had his wounds\nstanched, remounted his horse and galloped about, giving courage\nto his men; but he was covered with dust and blood, and so hoarse\nthat he could no longer be heard. The sun went down, the Moors kept\non fighting, confiding in their great numbers. The count, seeing\nthe night approaching, ordered the trumpets to be sounded, and,\ncollecting his troops, made one general charge on the Moors, and\ndrove them from the field. He then drew off his men to their tents,\nwhere the weary troops found refreshment and repose, though they\nslept all night upon their arms.\n\nOn the second day the count rose before the dawn, and having attended\nmass like a good Christian, attended next to his horses, like a\ngood cavalier, seeing with his own eyes that they were well fed\nand groomed, and prepared for the field. The battle this day was\nobstinate as the day before, with great valor and loss on either side.\n\nOn the third day the count led forth his forces at an early hour,\nraising his silver standard of the cross, and praying devoutly for\naid. Then lowering their lances, the Castilians shouted San Iago! San\nIago! and rushed to the attack.\n\nDon Gustios Gonzalo de Salas, the leader of one of the divisions,\nmade a lane into the centre of the Moorish host, dealing death on\neither side. He was met by a Moorish cavalier of powerful frame.\nCovering themselves with their shields, they attacked each other with\ngreat fury; but the days of Gustios Gonzalo were numbered, and the\nMoor slew him, and with him fell a nephew of Count Fernan, and many\nof his principal cavaliers.\n\nCount Fernan Gonzalez encountered the Moor who had just slain his\nfriend. The infidel would have avoided him, having heard that never\nman escaped alive from a conflict with him; but the count gave him\na furious thrust with his lance, which stretched him dead upon the\nfield.\n\nThe Moors, however, continued to press the count sorely, and their\nnumbers threatened to overwhelm him. Then he put up a prayer for\nthe aid promised in his vision, and of a sudden the Apostle San\nIago appeared, with a great and shining company of angels in white,\nbearing the device of a red cross, and all rushing upon the Moors.\nThe Moors were dismayed at the sight of this reinforcement to the\nenemy. The Christians, on the other hand, recovered their forces,\nknowing the Apostle San Iago to be at hand. They charged the Moors\nwith new vigor, and put them to flight, and pursued them for two\ndays, killing and making captive. They then returned and gathered\ntogether the bodies of the Christians who had been slain, and buried\nthem in the chapel of San Pedro of Arlanza and in other hermitages.\nThe bodies of the Moors were piled up and covered with earth, forming\na mound which is still to be seen on the field of battle.\n\nSome have ascribed to the signal worn in this battle by the celestial\nwarriors the origin of the Cross of Calatrava.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nThe Count imprisoned by the King of Leon.\u2014The Countess concerts his\nEscape.\u2014Leon and Castile united by the Marriage of the Prince Ordo\u00f1o\nwith Urraca, the Daughter of the Count by his first Wife.\n\n\nNot long after this most renowned and marvelous battle, a Moorish\ncaptain named Aceyfa became a vassal of the Count Don Fernan. Under\nhis protection, and that of a rich and powerful Castilian cavalier\nnamed Diego Mu\u00f1on, he rebuilt Salamanca and Ledesma, and several\nplaces on the river Tormes, which had been desolated and deserted in\ntimes past.\n\nRamiro the Second, who was at this time King of Leon, was alarmed at\nseeing a strong line of Moorish fortresses erected along the borders\nof his territories, and took the field with an army to drive the Moor\nAceyfa from the land. The proud spirit of Count Fernan Gonzalez was\naroused at this attack upon his Moorish vassal, which he considered\nan indignity offered to himself; so being seconded by Don Diego\nMu\u00f1on, he marched forth with his chivalry to protect the Moor. In the\npresent instance he had trusted to his own head, and had neglected\nto seek advice of saint or hermit; so his army was defeated by King\nRamiro, and himself and Don Diego Mu\u00f1on taken prisoner. The latter\nwas sent in chains to the castle of Gordon; but the count was carried\nto Leon, where he was confined in a tower of the wall, which to this\nday is pointed out as his prison.[69]\n\n  [69] In the _Cronica General de Espa\u00f1a_, this imprisonment is\n  said to have been by King Sancho the Fat; but the cautious\n  Agapida goes according to his favorite Sandoval in attributing\n  it to King Ramiro, and in so doing he is supported by the\n  _Chronicle_ of Bleda, L. 3, c. 19.\n\nAll Castile was thrown into grief and consternation by this event,\nand lamentations were heard throughout the land, as though the count\nhad been dead. The countess, however, did not waste time in idle\ntears, for she was a lady of most valiant spirit. She forthwith\nassembled five hundred cavaliers, chosen men of tried loyalty and\ndevotion to the count. They met in the chapel of the palace, and took\nan oath upon the Holy Evangelists to follow the countess through all\ndifficulties and dangers, and to obey implicitly all her commands\nfor the rescue of their lord. With this band the countess departed\nsecretly at nightfall, and travelled rapidly until morning, when they\nleft the roads, and took to the mountains, lest their march should\nbe discovered. Arrived near to Leon, she halted her band in a thick\nwood in the mountain of Samosa where she ordered them to remain\nin secrecy. Then clothing herself as a pilgrim with her staff and\npannier, she sent word to King Ramiro that she was on a pilgrimage to\nSan Iago, and entreated that she might have permission to visit her\nhusband in his prison. King Ramiro not merely granted her request,\nbut sallied forth above a league from the city with a great retinue\nto do her honor. So the countess entered a second time the prison\nwhere the count lay in chains, and stood before him as his protecting\nangel. At sight of him in this miserable and dishonored state,\nhowever, the valor of spirit which had hitherto sustained her gave\nway, and tears flowed from her eyes. The count received her joyfully,\nand reproached her with her tears; \u201cfor it becomes us,\u201d said he, \u201cto\nsubmit to what is imposed upon us by God.\u201d\n\nThe countess now sent to entreat the king that while she remained\nwith the count his chains should be taken off. The king again granted\nher request; and the count was freed from his irons and an excellent\nbed prepared in his prison.\n\nThe countess remained with him all night and concerted his escape.\nBefore it was daylight she gave him her pilgrim\u2019s dress and staff,\nand the count went forth from the chamber disguised as his wife. The\nporter at the outer portal, thinking it to be the countess, would\nhave waited for orders from the king; but the count, in a feigned\nvoice, entreated not to be detained, lest he should not be able to\nperform his pilgrimage. The porter, mistrusting no deceit, opened the\ndoor. The count issued forth, repaired to a place pointed out by the\ncountess, where the two cavaliers awaited him with a fleet horse.\nThey all sallied quietly forth from the city at the opening of the\ngates, until they found themselves clear of the walls, when they put\nspurs to their horses and made their way to the mountain of Samosa.\nHere the count was received with shouts of joy by the cavaliers whom\nthe countess had left there in concealment.\n\nAs the day advanced the keeper of the prison entered the apartment of\nDon Fernan, but was astonished to find there the beautiful countess\nin place of her warrior husband. He conducted her before the king,\naccusing her of the fraud by which she had effected the escape of\nthe count. King Ramiro was greatly incensed, and he demanded of the\ncountess how she dared to do such an act. \u201cI dared,\u201d replied she,\n\u201cbecause I saw my husband in misery, and felt it my duty to relieve\nhim; and I dared because I was the daughter of a king, and the wife\nof a distinguished cavalier; as such I trust to your chivalry to\ntreat me.\u201d\n\nThe king was charmed with her intrepidity. \u201cSe\u00f1ora,\u201d said he, \u201cyou\nhave acted well and like a noble lady, and it will redound to your\nlaud and honor.\u201d So he commanded that she should be conducted to her\nhusband in a manner befitting a lady of high and noble rank; and\nthe count was overjoyed to receive her in safety, and they returned\nto their dominions and entered Burgos at the head of their train of\ncavaliers, amidst the transports and acclamations of their people.\nAnd King Ramiro sought the amity of Count Fernan Gonzalez, and\nproposed that they should unite their houses by some matrimonial\nalliance which should serve as a bond of mutual security. The count\ngladly listened to his proposals. He had a fair daughter named\nUrraca, by his first wife, who was now arrived at a marriageable\nage; so it was agreed that nuptials should be solemnized between her\nand the Prince Ordo\u00f1o, son of King Ramiro; and all Leon and Castile\nrejoiced at this union, which promised tranquillity to the land.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nMoorish Incursion into Castile.\u2014Battle of San Estevan.\u2014Of Pascual\nVivas and the Miracle that Befell him.\u2014Death of Ordo\u00f1o III.\n\n\nFor several succeeding years of the career of this most redoubtable\ncavalier, the most edifying and praiseworthy traces which remain,\nsays Fray Antonio Agapida, are to be found in the archives of various\nmonasteries, consisting of memorials of pious gifts and endowments\nmade by himself and his countess, Do\u00f1a Sancha.\n\nIn the process of time King Ramiro died, and was succeeded by his son\nOrdo\u00f1o III., the same who had married Urraca, the daughter of Count\nFernan. He was surnamed the Fierce, either from his savage temper or\nsavage aspect. He had a step-brother named Don Sancho, nephew, by\nthe mother\u2019s side, of King Garcia of Navarre, surnamed the Trembler.\nThis Don Sancho rose in arms against Ordo\u00f1o at the very outset of his\nreign, seeking to deprive him of his crown. He applied for assistance\nto his uncle Garcia and to Count Fernan Gonzalez, and it is said\nboth favored his pretensions. Nay, the count soon appeared in the\nfield in company with King Garcia the Trembler, in support of Prince\nSancho. It may seem strange that he should take up arms against his\nown son-in-law; and so it certainly appeared to Ordo\u00f1o III., for he\nwas so incensed against the count that he repudiated his wife Urraca\nand sent her back to her father, telling him that since he would not\nacknowledge him as king, he should not have him for son-in-law.\n\nThe kingdom now became a prey to civil wars; the restless part of\nthe subjects of King Ordo\u00f1o rose in rebellion, and everything was in\nconfusion. King Ordo\u00f1o succeeded, however, in quelling the rebellion,\nand defended himself so ably against King Garcia and Count Fernan\nGonzalez, that they returned home without effecting their object.\n\nAbout this time, say the records of Compostella, the sinful\ndissensions of the Christians brought on them a visible and awful\nscourge from Heaven. A great flame, or, as it were, a cloud of fire,\npassed throughout the land, burning towns, destroying men and beasts,\nand spreading horror and devastation even over the sea. It passed\nover Zamora, consuming a great part of the place; it scorched Castro\nXerez likewise, and Brebiesco and Pan Corvo in its progress, and in\nBurgos one hundred houses were consumed.\n\n\u201cThese,\u201d says the worthy Agapida, \u201cwere fiery tokens of the\ndispleasure of Heaven at the sinful conduct of the Christians in\nwarring upon each other, instead of joining their arms like brethren\nin the righteous endeavor to extirpate the vile sect of Mahomet.\u201d\n\nWhile the Christians were thus fighting among themselves, the\nMoors, taking advantage of their discord, came with a great army,\nand made an incursion into Castile as far as Burgos. King Ordo\u00f1o\nand Count Fernan Gonzalez, alarmed at the common danger, came to a\nreconciliation, and took arms together against the Moors; though it\ndoes not appear that the king received again his repudiated wife\nUrraca. These confederate princes gave the Moors a great battle near\nto San Estevan. \u201cThis battle,\u201d says Fray Antonio Agapida, \u201cis chiefly\nmemorable for a miracle which occurred there,\u201d and which is recorded\nby the good friar with an unction and perfect credence worthy of a\nmonkish chronicler.\n\nThe Christians were incastellated at San Estevan de Gormaz, which is\nnear the banks of the Douro. The Moors had possession of the fortress\nof Gormaz, about a league further up the river on a lofty and rocky\nheight.\n\nThe battle commenced at the dawn of day. Count Fernan Gonzalez,\nhowever, before taking the field, repaired with his principal\ncavaliers to the church, to attend the first morning\u2019s mass. Now, at\nthis time, there was in the service of the count a brave cavalier\nnamed Pascual Vivas, who was as pious as he was brave, and would pray\nwith as much fervor and obstinacy as he would fight. This cavalier\nmade it a religious rule with himself, or rather had made a solemn\nvow, that, whenever he entered a church in the morning, he would on\nno account leave it until all the masses were finished.\n\nOn the present occasion the firmness of this brave but pious cavalier\nwas put to a severe proof. When the first mass was finished, the\ncount and his cavaliers rose and sallied from the church in clanking\narmor, and soon after the sound of trumpet and quick tramp of steed\ntold that they were off to the encounter. Pascual Vivas, however,\nremained kneeling all in armor before the altar, waiting, according\nto custom, until all the masses should be finished. The masses that\nmorning were numerous, and hour after hour passed away; yet still the\ncavalier remained kneeling all in armor, with weapon in hand, yet so\nzealous in his devotion that he never turned his head.\n\nAll this while the esquire of the cavalier was at the door of the\nchurch, holding his war-horse, and the esquire beheld with surprise\nthe count and his warriors depart, while his lord remained in the\nchapel; and, from the height on which the chapel stood, he could see\nthe Christian host encounter the Moors at the ford of the river,\nand could hear the distant sound of trumpets and din of battle; and\nat the sound the war-horse pricked his ears and snuffed the air\nand pawed the earth, and showed all the eagerness of a noble steed\nto be among the armed men, but still Pascual Vivas came not out of\nthe chapel. The esquire was wroth, and blushed for his lord, for he\nthought it was through cowardice and not piety that he remained in\nthe chapel while his comrades were fighting in the field.\n\nAt length the masses were finished, and Pascual Vivas was about to\nsally forth when horsemen came riding up the hill with shouts of\nvictory, for the battle was over and the Moors completely vanquished.\n\nWhen Pascual Vivas heard this he was so troubled in mind that he\ndared not leave the chapel nor come into the presence of the count,\nfor he said to himself, \u201cSurely I shall be looked upon as a recreant\nknight, who have hidden myself in the hour of danger.\u201d Shortly,\nhowever, came some of his fellow-cavaliers, summoning him to the\npresence of the count; and as he went with a beating heart, they\nlauded him for the valor he had displayed and the great services he\nhad rendered, saying that to the prowess of his arm they owed the\nvictory. The good knight, imagining they were scoffing at him, felt\nstill more cast down in spirit, and entered the presence of the count\ncovered with confusion. Here again he was received with praises and\ncaresses, at which he was greatly astonished, but still thought it\nall done in mockery. When the truth came to be known, however, all\npresent were filled with wonder, for it appeared as if this cavalier\nhad been, at the same moment, in the chapel and in the field; for\nwhile he remained on his knees before the altar, with his steed\npawing the earth at the door, a warrior exactly resembling him, with\nthe same arms, device, and steed, had appeared in the hottest of\nthe fight, penetrating and overthrowing whole squadrons of Moors;\nthat he had cut his way to the standard of the enemy, killed the\nstandard-bearer, and carried off the banner in triumph; that his\npourpoint and coat of mail were cut to pieces, and his horse covered\nwith wounds; yet still he fought on, and through his valor chiefly\nthe victory was obtained.\n\nWhat more moved astonishment was that for every wound received by\nthe warrior and his steed in the field, there appeared marks on the\npourpoint and coat of mail and upon the steed of Pascual Vivas, so\nthat he had the semblance of having been in the severest press of the\nbattle.\n\nThe matter was now readily explained by the worthy friars who\nfollowed the armies in those days, and who were skillful in\nexpounding the miracles daily occurring in those holy wars. A\nmiraculous intervention had been vouchsafed to Pascual Vivas. That\nhis piety in remaining at his prayers might not put him to shame\nbefore sinful men, an angel bearing his form and semblance had taken\nhis place in battle, and fought while he prayed.\n\nThe matter being thus explained, all present were filled with pious\nadmiration, and Pascual Vivas, if he ceased to be extolled as a\nwarrior, came near being canonized as a saint.[70]\n\n  [70] Exactly the same kind of miracle is recorded as happening in\n  the same place to a cavalier of the name of Don Fernan Antolenez,\n  in the service of the Count Garcia Fernandez. Fray Antonio\n  Agapida has no doubt that the same miracle did actually happen to\n  both cavaliers; \u201cfor in those days,\u201d says he, \u201cthere was such a\n  demand for miracles that the same had frequently to be repeated;\u201d\n  witness the repeated appearance of Santiago in precisely the same\n  manner, to save Christian armies from imminent danger of defeat,\n  and achieve wonderful victories over the infidels, as we find\n  recorded throughout the Spanish chronicles.\n\nKing Ordo\u00f1o III. did not long survive this battle. Scarce had he\narrived at Zamora on his way homeward, when he was seized with a\nmortal malady of which he died. He was succeeded by his brother Don\nSancho, the same who had formerly endeavored to dispossess him of his\nthrone.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nKing Sancho the Fat.\u2014Of the Homage he exacted from Count Fernan\nGonzalez, and of the strange Bargain that he made with him for the\npurchase of his Horse and Falcon.\n\n\nKing Sancho I., on ascending the throne, held a cortes at Leon,\nwhere all the great men of the kingdom and the princes who owed\nallegiance to him were expected to attend and pay homage. As the\ncourt of Leon was excessively tenacious of its claim to sovereignty\nover Castile, the absence of Count Fernan Gonzalez was noticed with\ngreat displeasure by the king, who sent missives to him commanding\nhis attendance. The count being proud of heart, and standing much\nupon the independence of Castile, was unwilling to kiss the hand of\nany one in token of vassalage. He was at length induced to stifle his\nrepugnance and repair to the court, but he went in almost regal style\nand with a splendid retinue, more like a sovereign making a progress\nthrough his dominions.\n\nAs he approached the city of Leon, King Sancho came forth in great\nstate to receive him, and they met apparently as friends, but there\nwas enmity against each other in their hearts.\n\nThe rich and gallant array with which Count Fernan made his entry\nin Leon was the theme of every tongue; but nothing attracted more\nnotice than a falcon, thoroughly trained, which he carried on his\nhand, and an Arabian horse of wonderful beauty, which he had gained\nin his wars with the Moors. King Sancho was seized with a vehement\ndesire to possess this horse and falcon, and offered to purchase\nthem of the count. Don Fernan haughtily declined to enter into\ntraffic; but offered them to the monarch as a gift. The king was\nequally punctilious in refusing to accept a favor; but as monarchs do\nnot easily forego anything on which they have set their hearts, it\nbecame evident to Count Fernan that it was necessary, for the sake\nof peace, to part with his horse and falcon. To save his dignity,\nhowever, he asked a price corresponding to his rank; for it was\nbeneath a cavalier, he said, to sell his things cheap, like a mean\nman. He demanded, therefore, one thousand marks of silver for the\nhorse and falcon,\u2014to be paid on a stipulated day; if not paid on that\nday the price to be doubled on the next, and on each day\u2019s further\ndelay the price should in like manner be doubled. To these terms the\nking gladly consented, and the terms were specified in a written\nagreement, which was duly signed and witnessed. The king thus gained\nthe horse and falcon, but it will be hereinafter shown that this\nindulgence of his fancy cost him dear.\n\nThis eager desire for an Arabian steed appears the more singular\nin Sancho the First, from his being so corpulent that he could\nnot sit on horseback. Hence he is commonly known in history by the\nappellation of King Sancho the Fat. His unwieldy bulk, also, may be\none reason why he soon lost the favor of his warrior subjects, who\nlooked upon him as a mere trencherman and bed-presser, and not fitted\nto command men who lived in the saddle, and had rather fight than\neither eat or sleep.\n\nKing Sancho saw that he might soon have hard fighting to maintain\nhis throne; and how could he figure as a warrior who could not mount\non horseback. In his anxiety he repaired to his uncle Garcia, king\nof Navarre, surnamed the Trembler, who was an exceeding meagre man,\nand asked counsel of him what he should do to cure himself of this\ntroublesome corpulency. Garcia the Trembler was totally at a loss for\na recipe, his own leanness being a gift of Nature; he advised him,\nhowever, to repair to Abderahman, the Miramamolin of Spain and King\nof Cordova, with whom he was happily at peace, and consult with him,\nand seek advice of the Arabian physicians resident at Cordova\u2014the\nMoors being generally a spare and active people, and the Arabian\nphysicians skillful above all others in the treatment of diseases.\n\nKing Sancho the Fat, therefore, sent amicable messages beforehand to\nthe Moorish miramamolin, and followed them as fast as his corpulency\nwould permit; and he was well received by the Moorish sovereign,\nand remained for a long time at Cordova, diligently employed in\ndecreasing his rotundity.\n\nWhile the corpulent king was thus growing leaner, discontent broke\nout among his subjects at home; and, Count Fernan Gonzalez taking\nadvantage of it, stirred up an insurrection, and placed upon the\nthrone of Leon Ordo\u00f1o the Fourth, surnamed the Bad, who was a kinsman\nof the late King Ordo\u00f1o III., and he moreover gave him his daughter\nfor wife\u2014his daughter Urraca, the repudiated wife of the late king.\n\nIf the good Count Fernan Gonzalez supposed he had fortified himself\nby this alliance, and that his daughter was now fixed for the second\ntime, and more firmly than ever, on the throne of Leon, he was\ngrievously deceived; for Sancho I. returned from Cordova at the head\nof a powerful host of Moors, and was no longer to be called the Fat,\nfor he had so well succeeded under the regimen prescribed by the\nmiramamolin and his Arabian physicians, that he could vault into the\nsaddle with merely putting his hand upon the pommel.\n\nOrdo\u00f1o IV. was a man of puny heart; no sooner did he hear of the\napproach of King Sancho, and of his marvelous leanness and agility,\nthan he was seized with terror, and, abandoning his throne and\nhis twice-repudiated spouse Urraca, he made for the mountains of\nAsturias, or, as others assert, was overtaken by the Moors and killed\nwith lances.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nFurther of the Horse and Falcon.\n\n\nKing Sancho I., having re\u00ebstablished himself on the throne, and\nrecovered the good-will of his subjects by his leanness and\nhorsemanship, sent a stern message to Count Fernan Gonzalez to come\nto his cortes, or resign his countship. The count was exceedingly\nindignant at this order, and feared, moreover, that some indignity\nor injury would be offered him should he repair to Leon. He made the\nmessage known to his principal cavaliers, and requested their advice.\nMost of them were of opinion that he should not go to the cortes.\nDon Fernan declared, however, that he would not act disloyally in\nomitting to do that which the counts of Castile had always performed,\nalthough he felt that he incurred the risk of death or imprisonment.\nLeaving his son, Garcia Fernandez, therefore, in charge of his\ncouncilors, he departed for Leon with only seven cavaliers.\n\nAs he approached the gates of that city, no one came forth to greet\nhim, as had always been the custom. This he considered an evil\nsign. Presenting himself before the king, he would have kissed his\nhand, but the monarch withheld it. He charged the count with being\nvainglorious and disloyal; with having absented himself from the\ncortes and conspired against his throne;\u2014for all which he should make\natonement, and should give hostages or pledges for his good faith\nbefore he left the court.\n\nThe count in reply accounted for absenting himself from the cortes\nby the perfidious treatment he had formerly experienced at Leon. As\nto any grievances the king might have to complain of, he stood ready\nto redress them, provided the king would make good his own written\nengagement, signed with his own hand and sealed with his own seal, to\npay for the horse and falcon which he had purchased of the count on\nhis former visit to Leon. Three years had now elapsed since the day\nappointed for the payment, and in the mean time the price had gone on\ndaily doubling, according to stipulation.\n\nThey parted mutually indignant; and, after the count had retired to\nhis quarters, the king, piqued to maintain his royal word, summoned\nhis major-domo, and ordered him to take a large amount of treasure\nand carry it to the Count of Castile in payment of his demand. So\nthe major-domo repaired to the count with a great sack of money to\nsettle with him for the horse and hawk; but when he came to cast up\nthe account, and double it each day that had intervened since the\nappointed day of payment, the major-domo, though an expert man at\nfigures, was totally confounded, and, returning to the king, assured\nhim that all the money in the world would not suffice to pay the\ndebt. King Sancho was totally at a loss how to keep his word, and pay\noff a debt which was more than enough to ruin him. Grievously did he\nrepent his first experience in traffic, and found that it is not safe\neven for a monarch to trade in horses.\n\nIn the mean time the count was suffered to return to Castile; but\nhe did not let the matter rest here; for, being sorely incensed\nat the indignities he had experienced, he sent missives to King\nSancho, urging his demand of payment for the horse or falcon\u2014menacing\notherwise to make seizures by way of indemnification. Receiving no\nsatisfactory reply, he made a foray into the kingdom of Leon, and\nbrought off great spoil of sheep and cattle.\n\nKing Sancho now saw that the count was too bold and urgent a creditor\nto be trifled with. In his perplexity he assembled the estates of\nhis kingdom, and consulted them upon this momentous affair. His\ncounselors, like himself, were grievously perplexed between the\nsanctity of the royal word and the enormity of the debt. After much\ndeliberation they suggested a compromise\u2014the Count Fernan Gonzalez\nto relinquish the debt, and in lieu thereof to be released from his\nvassalage.\n\nThe count agreed right gladly to this compromise, being thus relieved\nfrom all tribute and imposition, and from the necessity of kissing\nthe hand of any man in the world as his sovereign. Thus did King\nSancho pay with the sovereignty of Castile for a horse and falcon,\nand thus were the Castilians relieved, by a skillful bargain in\nhorse-dealing, from all subjection to the kingdom of Leon.[71]\n\n  [71] _Cronica_ de Alonzo el Sabio, pt. 3 c. 19.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nThe Last Campaign of Count Fernan.\u2014His Death.\n\n\nThe good Count Fernan Gonzalez was now well stricken in years. The\nfire of youth was extinct, the pride and ambition of manhood were\nover; instead of erecting palaces and lofty castles, he began now\nto turn his thoughts upon the grave and to build his last earthly\nhabitation, the sepulchre.\n\nBefore erecting his own, he had one built of rich and stately\nworkmanship for his first wife, the object of his early love, and\nhad her remains conveyed to it and interred with great solemnity.\nHis own sepulchre, according to ancient promise, was prepared at the\nchapel and hermitage of San Pedro at Arlanza, where he had first\ncommuned with the holy Friar Pelayo. When it was completed, he merely\ninscribed upon it the word \u201cObijt,\u201d leaving the rest to be supplied\nby others after his death.\n\nWhen the Moors perceived that Count Fernan Gonzalez, once so\nredoubtable in arms, was old and infirm, and given to build tombs\ninstead of castles, they thought it a favorable time to make an\ninroad into Castile. They passed the border, therefore, in great\nnumbers, laying everything waste and bearding the old lion in his\nvery den.\n\nThe veteran had laid by sword and buckler, and had almost given up\nthe world; but the sound of Moorish drum and trumpet called him back\neven from the threshold of the sepulchre. Buckling on once more\nhis armor and bestriding his war-steed, he summoned around him his\nCastilian cavaliers, seasoned like him in a thousand battles, and\naccompanied by his son Garcia Fernandez, who inherited all the valor\nof his father, issued forth to meet the foe; followed by the shouts\nand blessings of the populace, who joyed to see him once more in arms\nand glowing with his ancient fire.\n\nThe Moors were retiring from an extensive ravage, laden with booty\nand driving before them an immense cavalgada, when they descried a\nsquadron of cavaliers, armed all in steel, emerging from a great\ncloud of dust, and bearing aloft the silver cross, the well-known\nstandard of Count Fernan Gonzalez. That veteran warrior came on, as\nusual, leading the way, sword in hand. The very sight of his standard\nhad struck dismay into the enemy; they soon gave way before one of\nhis vigorous charges, nor did he cease to pursue them until they\ntook shelter within the very walls of Cordova. Here he wasted the\nsurrounding country with fire and sword, and after thus braving the\nMoor in his very capital, returned triumphant to Burgos.\n\n\u201cSuch,\u201d says Fray Antonio Agapida, \u201cwas the last campaign in\nthis life of this most valorous cavalier;\u201d and now, abandoning\nall further deeds of mortal enterprise in arms to his son Garcia\nFernandez, he addressed all his thoughts, as he said, to prepare for\nhis campaign in the skies. He still talked as a veteran warrior,\nwhose whole life had been passed in arms, but his talk was not of\nearthly warfare nor of earthly kingdoms. He spoke only of the kingdom\nof heaven, and what he must do to make a successful inroad and gain\nan eternal inheritance in that blessed country.\n\nHe was equally indefatigable in preparing for his spiritual as for\nhis mortal campaign. Instead, however, of mailed warriors tramping\nthrough his courts, and the shrill neigh of steed or clang of trumpet\nechoing among their walls, there were seen holy priests and barefoot\nmonks passing to and fro, and the halls resounded with the sacred\nmelody of litany and psalm. So pleased was Heaven with the good\nworks of this pious cavalier, and especially with rich donations to\nchurches and monasteries which he made under the guidance of his\nspiritual counselors, that we are told it was given to him to foresee\nin vision the day and hour when he should pass from this weary life\nand enter the mansions of eternal rest.\n\nKnowing that the time approached, he prepared for his end like a\ngood Christian. He wrote to the kings of Leon and Navarre in terms\nof great humility, craving their pardon for all past injuries and\noffenses, and entreating them, for the good of Christendom, to live\nin peace and amity, and make common cause for the defense of the\nfaith.\n\nTen days before the time which Heaven had appointed for his death he\nsent for the abbot of the chapel and convent of Arlanza, and bending\nhis aged knees before him, confessed all his sins. This done, as in\nformer times he had shown great state and ceremony in his worldly\npageants, so now he arranged his last cavalgada to the grave. He\nprayed the abbot to return to his monastery and have his sepulchre\nprepared for his reception, and that the abbots of St. Sebastian\nand Silos and Quirce, with a train of holy friars, might come at\nthe appointed day for his body; that thus, as he commended his soul\nto Heaven through the hands of his confessor, he might, through the\nhands of these pious men, resign his body to the earth.\n\nWhen the abbot had departed, the count desired to be left alone; and\nclothing himself in a coarse friar\u2019s garb, he remained in fervent\nprayer for the forgiveness of his sins. As he had been a valiant\ncaptain all his life against the enemies of the faith, so was he in\ndeath against the enemies of the soul. He died in the full command of\nall his faculties, making no groans nor contortions, but rendering up\nhis spirit with the calmness of a heroic cavalier.\n\nWe are told that when he died voices were heard from heaven in\ntestimony of his sanctity while the tears and lamentations of all\nSpain proved how much he was valued and beloved on earth. His remains\nwere conveyed, according to his request, to the monastery of St.\nPedro de Arlanza by a procession of holy friars with solemn chant\nand dirge. In the church of that convent they still repose; and two\npaintings are to be seen in the convent,\u2014one representing the count\nvaliantly fighting with the Moors, the other conversing with St.\nPelayo and St. Millan, as they appeared to him in vision before the\nbattle of Hazinas.\n\nThe cross which he used as his standard is still treasured up in the\nsacristy of the convent. It is of massive silver, two ells in length,\nwith our Saviour sculptured upon it, and above the head, in Gothic\nletters, I. N. R. I. Below is Adam awaking from the grave, with the\nwords of St. Paul, \u201cAwake, thou who sleepest, and arise from the\ntomb, for Christ shall give thee life.\u201d\n\nThis holy cross still has the form at the lower end by which the\nstandard-bearer rested it in the pommel of his saddle.\n\n\u201cInestimable,\u201d adds Fray Antonio Agapida, \u201care the relics and remains\nof saints and sainted warriors.\u201d In after times, when Fernando the\nThird, surnamed the Saint, went to the conquest of Seville, he took\nwith him a bone of this thrice-blessed and utterly renowned cavalier,\ntogether with his sword and pennon, hoping through their efficacy\nto succeed in his enterprise,\u2014nor was he disappointed; but what is\nmarvelous to hear, but which we have on the authority of the good\nBishop Sandoval, on the day on which King Fernando the Saint entered\nSeville in triumph, great blows were heard to resound within the\nsepulchre of the count at Arlanza, as if veritably his bones which\nremained behind exulted in the victory gained by those which had been\ncarried to the wars. Thus were marvelously fulfilled the words of\nthe holy psalm,\u2014\u201cExaltabant ossa humilitata.\u201d[72]\n\nHere ends the chronicle of the most valorous and renowned Don Fernan\nGonzalez, Count of Castile. _Laus Deo._\n\n  [72] Sandoval, p. 334.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE SAINT.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHRONICLE OF FERNANDO THE SAINT.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nThe Parentage of Fernando.\u2014Queen Berenguela.\u2014The Laras.\u2014Don Alvar\nconceals the Death of King Henry.\u2014Mission of Queen Berenguela to\nAlfonso IX.\u2014She renounces the Crown of Castile in favor of her son\nFernando.\n\n\nFernando III., surnamed the Saint, was the son of Alfonso III. King\nof Leon, and of Berenguela, a princess of Castile; but there were\nsome particulars concerning his parentage which it is necessary\nclearly to state before entering upon his personal history.\n\nAlfonso III. of Leon, and Alfonso IX. King of Castile, were cousins,\nbut there were dissensions between them. The King of Leon, to\nstrengthen himself, married his cousin, the Princess Theresa,\ndaughter of his uncle, the King of Portugal. By her he had two\ndaughters. The marriage was annulled by Pope Celestine III. on\naccount of their consanguinity, and, on their making resistance,\nthey were excommunicated and the kingdom laid under an interdict.\nThis produced an unwilling separation in 1195. Alfonso III. did not\nlong remain single. Fresh dissensions having broken out between him\nand his cousin Alfonso IX. of Castile, they were amicably adjusted\nby his marrying the Princess Berenguela, daughter of that monarch.\nThis second marriage, which took place about three years after the\ndivorce, came likewise under the ban of the Church, and for the same\nreason, the near propinquity of the parties. Again the commands\nof the Pope were resisted, and again the refractory parties were\nexcommunicated and the kingdom laid under an interdict.\n\nThe unfortunate king of Leon was the more unwilling to give up the\npresent marriage, as the Queen Berenguela had made him the happy\nfather of several children, one of whom he hoped might one day\ninherit the two crowns of Leon and Castile.\n\nThe intercession and entreaties of the bishops of Castile so far\nmollified the rigor of the Pope, that a compromise was made; the\nlegitimacy of the children by the present marriage was not to be\naffected by the divorce of the parents, and Fernando, the eldest,\nthe subject of the present chronicle, was recognized as successor to\nhis father to the throne of Leon. The divorced Queen Berenguela left\nFernando in Leon, and returned in 1204 to Castile, to the court of\nher father, Alfonso III. Here she remained until the death of her\nfather in 1214, who was succeeded by his son, Enrique, or Henry I.\nThe latter being only in his eleventh year, his sister, the ex-Queen\nBerenguela, was declared regent. She well merited the trust, for\nshe was a woman of great prudence and wisdom, and a resolute and\nmagnanimous spirit.\n\nAt this time the house of Lara had risen to great power. There were\nthree brothers of that turbulent and haughty race, Don Alvar Nu\u00f1ez,\nDon Fernan Nu\u00f1ez, and Don Gonzalo Nu\u00f1ez. The Laras had caused great\ntrouble in the kingdom during the minority of Prince Henry\u2019s father,\nby arrogating to themselves the regency; and they now attempted, in\nlike manner, to get the guardianship of the son, declaring it an\noffice too important and difficult to be intrusted to a woman. Having\na powerful and unprincipled party among the nobles, and using great\nbribery among persons in whom Berenguela confided, they carried their\npoint; and the virtuous Berenguela, to prevent civil commotions,\nresigned the regency into the hands of Don Alvar Nu\u00f1ez de Lara, the\nhead of that ambitious house. First, however, she made him kneel\nand swear that he would conduct himself toward the youthful king,\nEnrique, as a thorough friend and a loyal vassal, guarding his person\nfrom all harm; that he would respect the property of individuals,\nand undertake nothing of importance without the counsel and consent\nof Queen Berenguela. Furthermore, that he would guard and respect\nthe hereditary possessions of Queen Berenguela, left to her by her\nfather, and would always serve her as his sovereign, the daughter of\nhis deceased king. All this Don Alvar Nu\u00f1ez solemnly swore upon the\nsacred evangelists and the holy cross.\n\nNo sooner, however, had he got the young king in his power, than\nhe showed the ambition, rapacity, and arrogance of his nature. He\nprevailed upon the young king to make him a count; he induced him to\nhold cortes without the presence of Queen Berenguela; issuing edicts\nin the king\u2019s name, he banished refractory nobles, giving their\noffices and lands to his brothers; he levied exactions on rich and\npoor, and, what is still more flagrant, he extended these exactions\nto the Church. In vain did Queen Berenguela remonstrate; in vain did\nthe Dean of Toledo thunder forth an excommunication; he scoffed at\nthem both, for in the king\u2019s name he persuaded himself he had a tower\nof strength. He even sent a letter to Queen Berenguela in the name of\nthe young king, demanding of her the castles, towns, and ports which\nhad been left to her by her father. The queen was deeply grieved at\nthis letter, and sent a reply to the king that, when she saw him\nface to face, she would do with those possessions whatever he should\ncommand, as her brother and sovereign.\n\nOn receiving this message, the young king was shocked and distressed\nthat such a demand should have been made in his name; but he was\nyoung and inexperienced, and could not openly contend with a man of\nDon Alvar\u2019s overbearing character. He wrote secretly to the queen,\nhowever, assuring her that the demand had been made without his\nknowledge, and saying how gladly he would come to her if he could,\nand be relieved from the thraldom of Don Alvar.\n\nIn this way the unfortunate prince was made an instrument in the\nhands of this haughty and arrogant nobleman of inflicting all kinds\nof wrongs and injuries upon his subjects. Don Alvar constantly kept\nhim with him, carrying him from place to place of his dominions,\nwherever his presence was necessary to effect some new measure of\ntyranny. He even endeavored to negotiate a marriage between the young\nking and some neighboring princess, in order to retain an influence\nover him, but in this he was unsuccessful.\n\nFor three years had he maintained this iniquitous sway, until one\nday in 1217, when the young king was with him at Palencia, and was\nplaying with some youthful companions in the court-yard of the\nepiscopal palace, a tile, either falling from the roof of a tower, or\nsportively thrown by one of his companions, struck him in the head,\nand inflicted a wound of which he presently died.\n\nThis was a fatal blow to the power of Don Alvar. To secure himself\nfrom any sudden revulsion in the popular mind, he determined to\nconceal the death of the king as long as possible, and gave out that\nhe had retired to the fortress of Tariego, whither he had the body\nconveyed, as if still living. He continued to issue dispatches from\ntime to time in the name of the king, and made various excuses for\nhis non-appearance in public.\n\nQueen Berenguela soon learned the truth. According to the laws of\nCastile she was heiress to the crown, but she resolved to transfer it\nto her son Fernando, who, being likewise acknowledged successor to\nthe crown of Leon, would unite the two kingdoms under his rule. To\neffect her purpose she availed herself of the cunning of her enemy,\nkept secret her knowledge of the death of her brother, and sent\ntwo of her confidential cavaliers, Don Lope Diaz de Haro, Se\u00f1or of\nBiscay, and Don Gonzalo Ruyz Giron, and Don Alonzo Tellez de Meneses,\nto her late husband, Alfonso IX., King of Leon, who, with her son\nFernando, was then at Toro, entreating him to send the latter to her\nto protect her from the tyranny of Don Alvar. The prudent mother,\nhowever, forbore to let King Alfonso know of her brother\u2019s death,\nlest it might awaken in him ambitious thoughts about the Castilian\ncrown.\n\nThis mission being sent, she departed with the cavaliers of her party\nfor Palencia. The death of the King Enrique being noised about, she\nwas honored as Queen of Castile, and Don Tello, the bishop, came\nforth in procession to receive her. The next day she proceeded to the\ncastle of Duenas, and, on its making some show of resistance, took it\nby force.\n\nThe cavaliers who were with the queen endeavored to effect a\nreconciliation between her and Don Alvar, seeing that the latter\nhad powerful connections, and through his partisans and retainers\nheld possession of the principal towns and fortresses; that haughty\nnobleman, however, would listen to no proposals unless the Prince\nFernando was given into his guardianship, as had been the Prince\nEnrique.\n\nIn the mean time the request of Queen Berenguela had been granted by\nher late husband, the King of Leon, and her son Fernando hastened to\nmeet her. The meeting took place at the castle of Otiella, and happy\nwas the anxious mother once more to embrace her son. At her command\nthe cavaliers in her train elevated him on the trunk of an elm-tree\nfor a throne, and hailed him king with great acclamations.\n\nThey now proceeded to Valladolid, which at that time was a great and\nwealthy town. Here the nobility and chivalry of Estremadura and other\nparts hastened to pay homage to the queen. A stage was erected in the\nmarket-place, where the assembled states acknowledged her for queen\nand swore fealty to her. She immediately, in presence of her nobles,\nprelates, and people, renounced the crown in favor of her son. The\nair rang with the shouts of \u201cLong live Fernando, King of Castile!\u201d\nThe bishops and clergy then conducted the king in state to the\nchurch. This was on the 31st of August, 1217, and about three months\nfrom the death of King Enrique.\n\nFernando was at this time about eighteen years of age, an\naccomplished cavalier, having been instructed in everything befitting\na prince and a warrior.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nKing Alfonso of Leon ravages Castile.\u2014Captivity of Don Alvar.\u2014Death\nof the Laras.\n\n\nKing Alfonso of Leon was exceedingly exasperated at the furtive\nmanner in which his son Fernando had left him, without informing\nhim of King Henry\u2019s death. He considered, and perhaps with reason,\nthe transfer of the crown of Castile by Berenguela to her son, as a\nman\u0153uvre to evade any rights or claims which he, King Alfonso, might\nhave over her, notwithstanding their divorce; and he believed that\nboth mother and son had conspired to deceive and outwit him; and,\nwhat was especially provoking, they had succeeded. It was natural\nfor King Alfonso to have become by this time exceedingly irritable\nand sensitive; he had been repeatedly thwarted in his dearest\nconcerns; excommunicated out of two wives by the Pope, and now, as he\nconceived, cajoled out of a kingdom.\n\nIn his wrath he flew to arms,\u2014a prompt and customary recourse of\nkings in those days when they had no will to consult but their own;\nand notwithstanding the earnest expostulations and entreaties of\nholy men, he entered Castile with an army, ravaging the legitimate\ninheritance of his son, as if it had been the territory of an enemy.\nHe was seconded in his outrages by Count Alvar Nu\u00f1ez de Lara and his\ntwo bellicose brothers, who hoped still to retain power by rallying\nunder his standard.\n\nThere were at this time full two thousand cavaliers with the youthful\nking, resolute men, well armed and well appointed, and they urged him\nto lead them against the King of Leon. Queen Berenguela, however,\ninterposed and declared her son should never be guilty of the impiety\nof taking up arms against his father. By her advice King Fernando\nsent an embassy to his father, expostulating with him, and telling\nhim that he ought to be thankful to God that Castile was in the hands\nof a son disposed at all times to honor and defend him, instead of a\nstranger who might prove a dangerous foe.\n\nKing Alfonso, however, was not so to be appeased. By the ambassadors\nhe sent proposals to Queen Berenguela that they re\u00ebnter into wedlock,\nfor which he would procure a dispensation from the Pope; they would\nthen be jointly sovereigns of both Castile and Leon, and the Prince\nFernando, their son, should inherit both crowns. But the virtuous\nBerenguela recoiled from this proposal of a second nuptials. \u201cGod\nforbid,\u201d replied she, \u201cthat I should return to a sinful marriage; and\nas to the crown of Castile, it now belongs to my son, to whom I have\ngiven it with the sanction of God and the good men of this realm.\u201d\n\nKing Alfonso was more enraged than ever by this reply, and, being\nincited and aided by Count Alvar and his faction, he resumed his\nravages, laying waste the country and burning the villages. He would\nhave attacked Duenas, but found that place strongly garrisoned by\nDiego Lopez de Haro and Ruy Diaz de los Cameros; he next marched upon\nBurgos, but that place was equally well garrisoned by Lope Diez de\nFaro and other stout Castilian cavaliers; so perceiving his son to\nbe more firmly seated upon the throne than he had imagined, and that\nall his own menaces and ravages were unavailing, he returned deeply\nchagrined to his kingdom.\n\nKing Fernando, in obedience to the dictates of his mother as well\nas of his own heart, abstained from any acts of retaliation on his\nfather; but he turned his arms against Mu\u00f1on and Lerma and Lara,\nand other places which either belonged to, or held out for, Count\nAlvar, and, having subdued them, proceeded to Burgos, the capital\nof his kingdom, where he was received by the bishop and clergy with\ngreat solemnity, and whither the nobles and chivalry from all parts\nof Castile hastened to rally round his throne. The turbulent Count\nAlvar Nu\u00f1ez de Lara and his brothers retaining other fortresses too\nstrong to be easily taken, refused all allegiance, and made ravaging\nexcursions over the country. The prudent and provident Berenguela,\ntherefore, while at Burgos, seeing that the troubles and contentions\nof the kingdom would cause great expense and prevent much revenue,\ngathered together all her jewels of gold and silver and precious\nstones, and all her plate and rich silks, and other precious things,\nand caused them to be sold, and gave the money to her son to defray\nthe cost of these civil wars.\n\nKing Fernando and his mother departed shortly afterwards for\nPalencia; on their way they had to pass by Herrera, which at that\ntime was the stronghold of Count Alvar. When the king came in sight,\nCount Fernan Nu\u00f1ez, with his battalions, was on the banks of the\nriver, but drew within the walls. As the king had to pass close by\nwith his retinue, he ordered his troops to be put in good order and\ngave it in charge to Alonzo Tellez and Suer Tellez and Alvar Ruyz to\nprotect the flanks.\n\nAs the royal troops drew near, Count Alvar, leaving his people in\nthe town, sallied forth with a few cavaliers to regard the army as\nit passed. Affecting great contempt for the youthful king and his\ncavaliers, he stood drawn up on a rising ground with his attendants,\nlooking down upon the troops with scornful aspect, and rejecting all\nadvice to retire into the town.\n\nAs the king and his immediate escort came nigh, their attention was\nattracted to this little body of proud warriors drawn up upon a bank\nand regarding them so loftily; and Alonzo Tellez and Suer Tellez\nlooking more closely, recognized Don Alvar, and putting spurs to\ntheir horses, dashed up the bank, followed by several cavaliers. Don\nAlvar repented of his vain confidence too late, and seeing great\nnumbers urging toward him, turned his reins and retreated toward\nthe town. Still his stomach was too high for absolute flight, and\nthe others, who spurred after him at full speed, overtook him.\nThrowing himself from his horse, he covered himself with his shield\nand prepared for defense. Alonzo Tellez, however, called to his men\nnot to kill the count, but to take him prisoner. He was accordingly\ncaptured, with several of his followers, and borne off to the king\nand queen. The count had everything to apprehend from their vengeance\nfor his misdeeds. They used no personal harshness, however, but\ndemanded from him that he should surrender all the castles and strong\nplaces held by the retainers and partisans of his brothers and\nhimself, that he should furnish one hundred horsemen to aid in their\nrecovery, and should remain a prisoner until those places were all in\nthe possession of the crown.\n\nCaptivity broke the haughty spirit of Don Alvar. He agreed to those\nconditions, and until they should be fulfilled was consigned to\nthe charge of Gonsalvo Ruyz Giron, and confined in the castle of\nValladolid. The places were delivered up in the course of a few\nmonths, and thus King Fernando became strongly possessed of his\nkingdom.\n\nStripped of power, state, and possessions, Count Alvar and his\nbrothers, after an ineffectual attempt to rouse the King of Leon to\nanother campaign against his son, became savage and desperate, and\nmade predatory excursions, pillaging the country, until Count Alvar\nfell mortally ill of hydropsy. Struck with remorse and melancholy, he\nrepaired to Toro and entered the chivalrous order of Santiago, that\nhe might gain the indulgences granted by the Pope to those who die in\nthat order, and hoping, says an ancient chronicler, to oblige God,\nas it were, by that religious ceremony, to pardon his sins.[73] His\nillness endured seven months, and he was reduced to such poverty that\nat his death there was not money enough left by him to convey his\nbody to Ucles, where he had requested to be buried, nor to pay for\ntapers for his funeral. When Queen Berenguela heard this, she ordered\nthat the funeral should be honorably performed at her own expense,\nand sent a cloth of gold to cover the bier.[74]\n\n  [73] _Cronica Gotica_, por Don Alonzo Nu\u00f1ez de Castro, p. 17.\n\n  [74] _Cronica General de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 3, p. 370.\n\nThe brother of Count Alvar, Don Fernando, abandoned his country\nin despair and went to Marocco, where he was well received by the\nmiramamolin, and had lands and revenues assigned to him. He became a\ngreat favorite among the Moors, to whom he used to recount his deeds\nin the civil wars of Castile. At length he fell dangerously ill,\nand caused himself to be taken to a suburb inhabited by Christians.\nThere happened to be there at that time one Don Gonsalvo, a knight\nof the order of the Hospital of St. John de Acre, and who had been\nin the service of Pope Innocent III. Don Fernando, finding his end\napproaching, entreated of the knight his religious habit, that he\nmight die in it. His request was granted, and thus Count Fernando\ndied in the habit of a Knight Hospitaliere of St. John de Acre, in\nElbora, a suburb of Marocco. His body was afterwards brought to\nSpain, and interred in a town on the banks of the Pisuerga, in which\nrepose likewise the remains of his wife and children.\n\nThe Count Gonsalvo Nu\u00f1ez de Lara, the third of these brothers, also\ntook refuge among the Moors. He was seized with violent disease in\nthe city of Baeza, where he died. His body was conveyed to Campos a\nZalmos, which appertained to the Friars of the Temple, where the holy\nfraternity gave it the rites of sepulture with all due honor. Such\nwas the end of these three brothers of the once proud and powerful\nhouse of Lara, whose disloyal deeds had harassed their country and\nbrought ruin upon themselves.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nMarriage of King Fernando.\u2014Campaign against the Moors.\u2014Aben Mohamed,\nKing of Baeza, declares himself the Vassal of King Fernando.\u2014They\nmarch to Jaen.\u2014Burning of the Tower.\u2014Fernando commences the Building\nof the Cathedral at Toledo.\n\n\nKing Fernando, aided by the sage counsels of his mother, reigned for\nsome time in peace and quietness, administering his affairs with\nequity and justice. The good Queen Berenguela now began to cast about\nher eyes in search of a suitable alliance for her son, and had many\nconsultations with the Bishop Maurice of Burgos, and other ghostly\ncounselors, thereupon. They at length agreed upon the Princess\nBeatrix, daughter of the late Philip, Emperor of Germany, and the\nBishop Maurice and Padre Fray Pedro de Arlanza were sent as envoys to\nthe Emperor Frederick II., cousin of the princess, to negotiate the\nterms. An arrangement was happily effected, and the princess set out\nfor Spain. In passing through France she was courteously entertained\nat Paris by King Philip, who made her rich presents. On the borders\nof Castile she was met at Vittoria by the Queen Berenguela, with a\ngreat train of prelates, monks, and masters of the religious orders,\nand of abbesses and nuns, together with a glorious train of chivalry.\nIn this state she was conducted to Burgos, where the king and all his\ncourt came forth to receive her, and their nuptials were celebrated\nwith great pomp and rejoicing.\n\nKing Fernando lived happily with his fair Queen Beatrix, and his\nkingdom remained in peace; but by degrees he became impatient of\nquiet, and anxious to make war upon the Moors. Perhaps he felt called\nupon to make some signal essay in arms at present, having, the day\nbefore his nuptials, been armed a knight in the monastery of Las\nHuelgas, and in those iron days knighthood was not a matter of mere\nparade and ceremony, but called for acts of valor and proofs of stern\nendurance.\n\nThe discreet Berenguela endeavored to dissuade her son from taking\nthe field, considering him not of sufficient age. In all things else\nhe was ever obedient to her counsels, and even to her inclinations,\nbut it was in vain that she endeavored to persuade him from making\nwar upon the infidels. \u201cGod,\u201d would he say, \u201chad put into his hands\nnot merely a sceptre to govern, but a sword to avenge his country.\u201d\n\nIt was fortunate for the good cause, moreover, add the Spanish\nchroniclers, that while the queen-mother was endeavoring to throw\na damper on the kindling fire of her son, a worthy prelate was at\nhand to stir it up into a blaze. This was the illustrious historian\nRodrigo, Archbishop of Toledo, who now preached a crusade against the\nMoors, promising like indulgences with those granted to the warriors\nfor the Holy Sepulchre. The consequence was a great assemblage of\ntroops from all parts at Toledo.\n\nKing Fernando was prevented for a time from taking the field in\nperson, but sent in advance Don Lope Diaz de Haro and Ruy Gonsalvo de\nGiron and Alonzo Tellez de Meneses, with five hundred cavaliers well\narmed and mounted. The very sight of them effected a conquest over\nAben Mohamed, the Moorish king of Baeza, insomuch that he sent an\nembassy to King Fernando, declaring himself his vassal.\n\nWhen King Fernando afterwards took the field, he was joined by this\nMoorish ally at the Navas or plains of Tolosa; who was in company\nwith him when the king marched to Jaen, to the foot of a tower, and\nset fire to it, whereupon those Moors who remained in the tower were\nburned to death, and those who leaped from the walls were received on\nthe points of lances.\n\nNotwithstanding the burnt-offering of this tower, Heaven did not\nsmile upon the attempt of King Fernando to reduce the city of Jaen.\nHe was obliged to abandon the siege, but consoled himself by laying\nwaste the country. He was more successful elsewhere. He carried the\nstrong town of Priego by assault, and gave the garrison their lives\non condition of yielding up all their property, and paying, moreover,\neighty thousand maravedis of silver. For the payment of this sum they\nwere obliged to give as hostages fifty-five damsels of great beauty,\nand fifty cavaliers of rank, besides nine hundred of the common\npeople. The king divided his hostages among his bravest cavaliers\nand the religious orders; but his vassal, the Moorish king of Baeza,\nobtained the charge of the Moorish damsels.\n\nThe king then attacked Loxa, and his men scaled the walls and burnt\nthe gates, and made themselves masters of the place. He then led his\narmy into the Vega of Granada, the inhabitants of which submitted to\nbecome his vassals, and gave up all the Christian captives in that\ncity, amounting to thirteen hundred.\n\nAben Mohamed, king of Baeza, then delivered to King Fernando the\ntowers of Martos and Andujar, and the king gave them to Don Alvar\nPerez de Castro, and placed with him Don Gonzalo Yba\u00f1ez, Master of\nCalatrava, and Tello Alonzo Meneses, son of Don Alonzo Tellez, and\nother stout cavaliers, fitted to maintain frontier posts. These\narrangements being made, and having ransacked every mountain and\nvalley, and taken many other places not herein specified, King\nFernando returned in triumph to Toledo, where he was joyfully\nreceived by his mother Berenguela and his wife Beatrix.\n\nClerical historians do not fail to record with infinite satisfaction\na signal instance of the devout and zealous spirit which King\nFernando had derived from his constant communion with the reverend\nfathers of the Church. As the king was one day walking with his\nghostly adviser the archbishop, in the principal church of Toledo,\nwhich was built in the Morisco fashion, having been a mosque of the\ninfidels, it occurred, or more probably was suggested to him, that,\nsince God had aided him to increase his kingdom, and had given him\nsuch victories over the enemies of his holy faith, it became him to\nrebuild his holy temple, which was ancient and falling to decay, and\nto adorn it richly with the spoils taken from the Moors. The thought\nwas promptly carried into effect. The king and the archbishop laid\nthe first stone with great solemnity, and in the fullness of time\naccomplished that mighty cathedral of Toledo, which remains the\nwonder and admiration of after ages.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nAssassination of Aben Mohamed.\u2014His Head carried as a Present to\nAbullale, the Moorish King of Seville.\u2014Advance of the Christians into\nAndalusia.\u2014Abullale purchases a Truce.\n\n\nThe worthy Fray Antonio Agapida records various other victories and\nachievements of King Fernando in a subsequent campaign against the\nMoors of Andalusia; in the course of which his camp was abundantly\nsupplied with grain by his vassal Aben Mohamed, the Moorish king\nof Baeza. The assistance rendered by that Moslem monarch to the\nChristian forces in their battles against those of his own race and\nhis own faith, did not meet with the reward it merited. \u201cDoubtless,\u201d\nsays Antonio Agapida, \u201cbecause he halted half way in the right path,\nand did not turn thorough renegado.\u201d It appears that his friendship\nfor the Christians gave great disgust to his subjects, and some of\nthem rose upon him, while he was sojourning in the city of Cordova,\nand sought to destroy him. Aben Mohamed fled by a gate leading to the\ngardens, to take shelter in the tower of Almodovar; but the assassins\novertook him, and slew him on a hill near the tower. They then cut\noff his head and carried it as a present to Abullale, the Moorish\nking of Seville, expecting to be munificently rewarded; but that\nmonarch gave command that their heads should be struck off and their\nbodies thrown to the dogs, as traitors to their liege lords.[75]\n\n  [75] _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 4, fol. 373.\n\nKing Fernando was grieved when he heard of the assassination of his\nvassal, and feared the death of Aben Mohamed might lead to a rising\nof the Moors. He sent notice to Andujar, to Don Alvar Perez de Castro\nand Alonzo Tellez de Meneses, to be on their guard; but the Moors,\nfearing punishment for some rebellious movements, abandoned the town,\nand it fell into the hands of the king. The Moors of Martos did the\nlike. The Alcazar of Baeza yielded also to the king, who placed in it\nDon Lope Diaz de Haro with five hundred men.\n\nAbullale, the Moorish sovereign of Seville, was alarmed at seeing\nthe advances which the Christians were making in Andalusia; and\nattempted to wrest from their hands these newly acquired places. He\nmarched upon Martos, which was not strongly walled. The Countess Do\u00f1a\nYrenia, wife to Don Alvar Perez de Castro, was in this place, and her\nhusband was absent. Don Tello Alonzo, with a Spanish force, hastened\nto her assistance. Finding the town closely invested, he formed his\nmen into a troop, and endeavored to cut his way through the enemy.\nA rude conflict ensued, the cavaliers fought their way forward, and\nChristian and Moor arrived pell-mell at the gate of the town. Here\nthe press was excessive. Fernan Gomez de Pudiello, a stout cavalier,\nwho bore the pennon of Don Tello Alonzo, was slain, and the same fate\nwould have befallen Don Tello himself, but that a company of esquires\nsallied from the town to his rescue.\n\nKing Abullale now encircled the town, and got possession of the\nPe\u00f1a, or rock, which commands it, killing two hundred Christians who\ndefended it.\n\nProvisions began to fail the besieged, and they were reduced to\nslay their horses for food, and even to eat the hides. Don Gonsalvo\nYba\u00f1ez, master of Calatrava, who was in Baeza, hearing of the\nextremity of the place, came suddenly with seventy men and effected\nan entrance. The augmentation of the garrison only served to increase\nthe famine, without being sufficient in force to raise the siege. At\nlength word was brought to Don Alvar Perez de Castro, who was with\nthe king at Guadalaxara, of the imminent danger to which his wife was\nexposed. He instantly set off for her relief, accompanied by several\ncavaliers of note, and a strong force. They succeeded in getting into\nMartos, recovered the Pe\u00f1a, or rock, and made such vigorous defense\nthat Abullale abandoned the siege in despair. In the following year\nKing Fernando led his host to take revenge upon this Moorish king of\nSeville; but the latter purchased a truce for one year with three\nhundred maravedis of silver.[76]\n\n  [76] _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 4, c. ii.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nAben Hud.\u2014Abullale purchases another Year\u2019s Truce.\u2014Fernando hears of\nthe Death of his Father, the King of Leon, while pressing the Siege\nof Jaen.\u2014He becomes Sovereign of the Two Kingdoms of Leon and Castile.\n\n\nAbout this time a valiant sheik, named Aben Abdallah Mohammed ben\nHud, but commonly called Aben Hud, was effecting a great revolution\nin Moorish affairs. He was of the lineage of Aben Alfange, and\nbitterly opposed to the sect of Almohades, who for a long time had\nexercised a tyrannical sway. Stirring up the Moors of Murcia to rise\nupon their oppressors, he put himself at their head, massacred all\nthe Almohades that fell into his hands, and made himself sheik or\nking of that region. He purified the mosques with water, after the\nmanner in which Christians purify their churches, as though they had\nbeen defiled by the Almohades. Aben Hud acquired a name among those\nof his religion for justice and good faith as well as valor; and\nafter some opposition, gained sway over all Andalusia. This brought\nhim in collision with King Fernando...\n\n  \u261e (Something is wanting here.)[77]\n\n  [77] The hiatus, here noted by the author, has evidently arisen\n  from the loss of a leaf of his manuscript. The printed line which\n  precedes the parenthesis concludes page 32 of the manuscript;\n  the line which follows it begins page 34. The intermediate page\n  is wanting. I presume the author did not become conscious of\n  his loss until he had resorted to his manuscript for revision,\n  and that he could not depend upon his memory to supply what was\n  wanting without a fresh resort to authorities not at hand. Hence\n  a postponement and ultimate omission. The missing leaf would\n  scarce have filled half a page of print, and, it would seem from\n  the context, must have related the invasion of Andalusia by\n  Fernando and the ravages committed by his armies.\u2014ED.\n\nlaying waste fields of grain. The Moorish sovereign of Seville\npurchased another year\u2019s truce of him for three hundred thousand\nmaravedis of silver. Aben Hud, on the other hand, collected a great\nforce and marched to oppose him, but did not dare to give him battle.\nHe went, therefore, upon Merida, and fought with King Alfonso of\nLeon, father of King Fernando, where, however, he met with complete\ndiscomfiture.\n\nOn the following year King Fernando repeated his invasion of\nAndalusia, and was pressing the siege of the city of Jaen, which\nhe assailed by means of engines discharging stones, when a courier\narrived in all speed from his mother, informing him that his father\nAlfonso was dead, and urging him to proceed instantly to Leon, to\nenforce his pretensions to the crown. King Fernando accordingly\nraised the siege of Jaen, sending his engines to Martos, and repaired\nto Castile, to consult with his mother, who was his counselor on all\noccasions.\n\nIt appeared that in his last will King Alfonso had named his two\ndaughters joint heirs to the crown. Some of the Leonese and Gallegos\nwere disposed to place the Prince Alonzo, brother to King Fernando,\non the throne; but he had listened to the commands of his mother,\nand had resisted all suggestions of the kind; the larger part of\nthe kingdom, including the most important cities, had declared for\nFernando.\n\nAccompanied by his mother, King Fernando proceeded instantly into the\nkingdom of Leon with a powerful force. Wherever they went the cities\nthrew open their gates to them. The princesses Do\u00f1a Sancha and Do\u00f1a\nDulce, with their mother Theresa, would have assembled a force to\noppose them, but the prelates were all in favor of King Fernando. On\nhis approach to Leon, the bishops and clergy and all the principal\ninhabitants came forth to receive him, and conducted him to the\ncathedral, where he received their homage, and was proclaimed king,\nwith the _Te Deums_ of the choir and the shouts of the people.\n\nDo\u00f1a Theresa, who, with her daughters, was in Galicia, finding the\nkingdom thus disposed of, sent to demand provision for herself\nand the two princesses, who in fact were step-sisters of King\nFernando. Queen Berenguela, though she had some reason not to feel\nkindly disposed towards Do\u00f1a Theresa, who she might think had been\nexercising a secret influence over her late husband, yet suppressed\nall such feelings, and undertook to repair in person to Galicia, and\nnegotiate this singular family question. She had an interview with\nQueen Theresa at Valencia de Merlio in Galicia, and arranged a noble\ndower for her, and an annual revenue to each of her daughters of\nthirty thousand maravedis of gold. The king then had a meeting with\nhis sisters at Benevente, where they resigned all pretensions to the\nthrone. All the fortified places which held for them were given up,\nand thus Fernando became undisputed sovereign of the two kingdoms of\nCastile and Leon.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nExpedition of the Prince Alonzo against the Moors.\u2014Encamps on the\nBanks of the Guadalete.\u2014Aben Hud marches out from Xerez and gives\nBattle.\u2014Prowess of Garcia Perez de Vargas.\u2014Flight and Pursuit of the\nMoors.\u2014Miracle of the Blessed Santiago.\n\n\nKing Fernando III. having, through the sage counsel and judicious\nmanagement of his mother, made this amicable arrangement with his\nstep-sisters, by which he gained possession of their inheritance,\nnow found his territories to extend from the Bay of Biscay to the\nvicinity of the Guadalquivir, and from the borders of Portugal to\nthose of Aragon and Valencia; and in addition to his titles of King\nof Castile and Leon, called himself King of Spain by seigniorial\nright. Being at peace with all his Christian neighbors, he now\nprepared to carry on with more zeal and vigor than ever his holy wars\nagainst the infidels. While making a progress, however, through his\ndominions, administering justice, he sent his brother, the Prince\nAlonzo, to make an expedition into the country of the Moors, and to\nattack the newly-risen power of Aben Hud.\n\nAs the Prince Alonzo was young and of little experience, the king\nsent Don Alvar Perez de Castro, the Castilian, with him as captain,\nhe being stout of heart, strong of hand, and skilled in war. The\nprince and his captain went from Salamanca to Toledo, where they\nrecruited their force with a troop of cavalry. Thence they proceeded\nto Andujar, where they sent out corredores, or light foraging troops,\nwho laid waste the country, plundering and destroying and bringing\noff great booty. Thence they directed their ravaging course toward\nCordova, assaulted and carried Palma, and put all its inhabitants to\nthe sword. Following the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir, they\nscoured the vicinity of Seville, and continued onward for Xerez,\nsweeping off cattle and sheep from the pastures of Andalusia; driving\non long cavalgadas of horses and mules laden with spoil; until the\nearth shook with the tramping of their feet, and their course was\nmarked by clouds of dust and the smoke of burning villages.\n\nIn this desolating foray they were joined by two hundred horse and\nthree hundred foot, Moorish allies, or rather vassals, being led by\nthe son of Aben Mohamed, the king of Baeza.\n\nArrived within sight of Xerez, they pitched their tents on the banks\nof the Guadalete\u2014that fatal river, sadly renowned in the annals of\nSpain for the overthrow of Roderick and the perdition of the kingdom.\n\nHere a good watch was set over the captured flocks and herds which\ncovered the adjacent meadows, while the soldiers, fatigued with\nravage, gave themselves up to repose on the banks of the river, or\nindulged in feasting and revelry, or gambled with each other for\ntheir booty.\n\nIn the mean time Aben Hud, hearing of this inroad, summoned all his\nchivalry of the seaboard of Andalusia to meet him in Xerez. They\nhastened to obey his call; every leader spurred for Xerez with his\nband of vassals. Thither came also the king of the Azules, with seven\nhundred horsemen, Moors of Africa, light, vigorous and active; and\nthe city was full of troops.\n\nThe camp of Don Alonzo had a formidable appearance at a distance,\nfrom the flocks and herds which surrounded it, the vast number of\nsumpter mules, and the numerous captives; but when Aben Hud came to\nreconnoitre it, he found that its aggregate force did not exceed\nthree thousand five hundred men\u2014a mere handful in comparison to his\narmy, and those encumbered with cattle and booty. He anticipated,\ntherefore, an easy victory. He now sallied forth from the city, and\ntook his position in the olive-fields between the Christians and the\ncity; while the African horsemen were stationed on each wing, with\ninstructions to hem in the Christians on either side, for he was only\napprehensive of their escaping. It is even said that he ordered great\nquantities of cords to be brought from the city, and osier bands to\nbe made by the soldiery, wherewith to bind the multitude of prisoners\nabout to fall into their hands. His whole force he divided into seven\nbattalions, each containing from fifteen hundred to two thousand\ncavalry. With these he prepared to give battle.\n\nWhen the Christians thus saw an overwhelming force in front, cavalry\nhovering on either flank, and the deep waters of the Guadalete behind\nthem, they felt the perils of their situation.\n\nIn this emergency Alvar Perez de Castro showed himself the able\ncaptain that he had been represented. Though apparently deferring\nto the prince in council, he virtually took the command, riding\namong the troops lightly armed, with truncheon in hand, encouraging\nevery one by word and look and fearless demeanor. To give the most\nformidable appearance to their little host, he ordered that as many\nas possible of the foot-soldiers should mount upon the mules and\nbeasts of burden, and form a troop to be kept in reserve. Before\nthe battle he conferred the honor of knighthood on Garcia Perez de\nVargas, a cavalier destined to gain renown for hardy deeds of arms.\n\nWhen the troops were all ready for the field, the prince exhorted\nthem as good Christians to confess their sins and obtain absolution.\nThere was a goodly number of priests and friars with the army, as\nthere generally was with all the plundering expeditions of this\nholy war, but there were not enough to confess all the army; those,\ntherefore, who could not have a priest or monk for the purpose,\nconfessed to each other.\n\nAmong the cavaliers were two noted for their valor; but who, though\nbrothers-in-law, lived in mortal feud. One was Diego Perez, vassal\nto Alvar Perez and brother to him who had just been armed knight;\nthe other was Pero Miguel, both natives of Toledo. Diego Perez was\nthe one who had given cause of offense. He now approached his\nadversary and asked his pardon for that day only; that, in a time\nof such mortal peril there might not be enmity and malice in their\nhearts. The priests added their exhortations to this request, but\nPero Miguel sternly refused to pardon. When this was told to the\nprince and Don Alvar, they likewise entreated Don Miguel to pardon\nhis brother-in-law. \u201cI will,\u201d replied he, \u201cif he will come to my arms\nand embrace me as a brother.\u201d But Diego Perez declined the fraternal\nembrace, for he saw danger in the eye of Pero Miguel, and he knew his\nsavage strength and savage nature, and suspected that he meant to\nstrangle him. So Pero Miguel went into battle without pardoning his\nenemy who had implored forgiveness.\n\nAt this time, say the old chroniclers, the shouts and yells of the\nMoorish army, the sound of their cymbals, kettle-drums, and other\ninstruments of warlike music, were so great that heaven and earth\nseemed commingled and confounded. In regarding the battle about to\noverwhelm him, Alvar Perez saw that the only chance was to form the\nwhole army into one mass, and by a headlong assault to break the\ncentre of the enemy. In this emergency he sent word to the prince,\nwho was in the rear with the reserve and had five hundred captives\nin charge, to strike off the heads of the captives and join him with\nthe whole reserve. This bloody order was obeyed. The prince came\nto the front, all formed together in one dense column, and then,\nwith the war-cry \u201cSantiago! Santiago! Castile! Castile!\u201d charged\nupon the centre of the enemy. The Moors\u2019 line was broken by the\nshock, squadron after squadron was thrown into confusion, Moors and\nChristians were intermingled, until the field became one scene of\ndesperate, chance-medley fighting. Every Christian cavalier fought as\nif the salvation of the field depended upon his single arm. Garcia\nPerez de Vargas, who had been knighted just before the battle, proved\nhimself worthy of the honor. He had three horses killed under him,\nand engaged in a desperate combat with the King of the Azules, whom\nat length he struck dead from his horse. This king had crossed from\nAfrica on a devout expedition in the cause of the Prophet Mahomet.\n\u201cVerily,\u201d says Antonio Agapida, \u201che had his reward.\u201d\n\nDiego Perez was not behind his brother in prowess; and Heaven favored\nhim in that deadly fight, notwithstanding that he had not been\npardoned by his enemy. In the heat of the battle he had broken both\nsword and lance; whereupon, tearing off a great knotted limb from an\nolive-tree, he laid about him with such vigor and manhood that he who\ngot one blow in the head from that war-club never needed another. Don\nAlvar Perez, who witnessed his feats, was seized with delight. At\neach fresh blow that cracked a Moslem skull he would cry out, \u201cAssi!\nAssi! Diego, Machacha! Machacha!\u201d (So! So! Diego, smash them! smash\nthem!) and from that day forward that strong-handed cavalier went by\nthe name of Diego Machacha, or Diego the Smasher, and it remained\nthe surname of several of his lineage.\n\nAt length the Moors gave way and fled for the gates of Xerez; being\nhotly pursued they stumbled over the bodies of the slain, and thus\nmany were taken prisoners. At the gates the press was so great that\nthey killed each other in striving to enter; and the Christian sword\nmade slaughter under the walls.\n\nThe Christians gathered spoils of the field, after this victory,\nuntil they were fatigued with collecting them, and the precious\narticles found in the Moorish tents were beyond calculation. Their\ncamp-fires were supplied with the shafts of broken lances, and they\nfound ample use for the cords and osier bands which the Moors had\nprovided to bind their expected captives.\n\nIt was a theme of much marvel and solemn meditation that of all\nthe distinguished cavaliers who entered into this battle, not one\nwas lost, excepting the same Pero Miguel who refused to pardon his\nadversary. What became of him no one could tell. The last that was\nseen of him he was in the midst of the enemy, cutting down and\noverturning, for he was a valiant warrior and of prodigious strength.\nWhen the battle and pursuit were at an end, and the troops were\nrecalled by sound of trumpet, he did not appear. His tent remained\nempty. The field of battle was searched, but he was nowhere to be\nfound. Some supposed that, in his fierce eagerness to make havoc\namong the Moors, he had entered the gates of the city and there been\nslain; but his fate remained a mere matter of conjecture, and the\nwhole was considered an awful warning that no Christian should go\ninto battle without pardoning those who asked forgiveness.\n\n\u201cOn this day,\u201d says the worthy Agapida, \u201cit pleased Heaven to work\none of its miracles in favor of the Christian host; for the blessed\nSantiago appeared in the air on a white horse, with a white banner in\none hand and a sword in the other, accompanied by a band of cavaliers\nin white. This miracle,\u201d he adds, \u201cwas beheld by many men of verity\nand worth,\u201d probably the monks and priests who accompanied the army;\n\u201cas well as by numbers of the Moors, who declared that the greatest\nslaughter was effected by those sainted warriors.\u201d\n\nIt may be as well to add that Fray Antonio Agapida is supported in\nthis marvelous fact by Rodrigo, Archbishop of Toledo, one of the most\nlearned and pious men of the age, who lived at the time and records\nit in his chronicle. It is a matter, therefore, placed beyond the\ndoubts of the profane.\n\nNOTE BY THE EDITOR.\u2014A memorandum at the foot of this page of the\nauthor\u2019s manuscript, reminds him to \u201cnotice death of Queen Beatrix\nabout this time,\u201d but the text continues silent on the subject.\nAccording to Mariana, she died in the city of Toro in 1235, before\nthe siege of Cordova. Another authority gives the 5th of November,\n1236, as the date of the decease, which would be some months after\nthe downfall of that renowned city. Her body was interred in the\nnunnery of Las Huelgas at Burgos, and many years afterwards removed\nto Seville, where reposed the remains of her husband.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nA bold Attempt upon Cordova, the Seat of Moorish Power.\n\n\nAbout this time certain Christian cavaliers of the frontiers received\ninformation from Moorish captives that the noble city of Cordova was\nnegligently guarded, so that the suburbs might easily be surprised.\nThey immediately concerted a bold attempt, and sent to Pedro and\nAlvar Perez, who were at Martos, entreating them to aid them with\ntheir vassals. Having collected a sufficient force, and prepared\nscaling ladders, they approached the city on a dark night in January,\namid showers of rain and howling blasts, which prevented their\nfootsteps being heard. Arrived at the foot of the ramparts, they\nlistened, but could hear no sentinel. The guards had shrunk into the\nwatch-towers for shelter from the pelting storm, and the garrison was\nin profound sleep, for it was the midwatch of the night.\n\nSome, disheartened by the difficulties of the place, were for\nabandoning the attempt, but Domingo Mu\u00f1oz, their adalid, or guide,\nencouraged them. Silently fastening ladders together, so as to be of\nsufficient length, they placed them against one of the towers. The\nfirst who mounted were Alvar Colodro and Benito de Banos, who were\ndressed as Moors and spoke the Arabic language. The tower which they\nscaled is to this day called the tower of Alvar Colodro. Entering\nit suddenly but silently, they found four Moors asleep, whom they\nseized and threw over the battlements, and the Christians below\nimmediately dispatched them. By this time a number more of Christians\nhad mounted the ladder, and sallying forth, sword in hand, upon\nthe wall, they gained possession of several towers and of the gate\nof Martos. Throwing open the gate, Pero Ruyz Tabur galloped in at\nthe head of a squadron of horse, and by the dawn of day the whole\nsuburbs of Cordova, called the Axarquia, were in their possession;\nthe inhabitants having hastily gathered such of their most valuable\neffects as they could carry with them, and taken refuge in the city.\n\nThe cavaliers now barricaded every street of the suburbs excepting\nthe principal one, which was broad and straight; the Moors, however,\nmade frequent sallies upon them, or showered down darts and arrows\nand stones from the walls and towers of the city. The cavaliers soon\nfound that they had got into warm quarters, which it would cost them\nblood and toil to maintain. They sent off messengers, therefore, to\nDon Alvar Perez, then at Martos, and to King Fernando, at Benevente,\ncraving instant aid. The messenger to the king travelled day and\nnight, and found the king at table; when, kneeling down, he presented\nthe letter with which he was charged.\n\nNo sooner had the king read the letter than he called for horse and\nweapon. All Benevente instantly resounded with the clang of arms and\ntramp of steed; couriers galloped off in every direction, rousing\nthe towns and villages to arms, and ordering every one to join the\nking on the frontier. \u201cCordova! Cordova!\u201d was the war-cry,\u2014that proud\ncity of the infidels! that seat of Moorish power! The king waited not\nto assemble a great force, but, within an hour after receiving the\nletter, was on the road with a hundred good cavaliers.\n\nIt was the depth of winter; the rivers were swollen with rain. The\nroyal party were often obliged to halt on the bank of some raging\nstream until its waters should subside. The king was all anxiety\nand impatience. Cordova! Cordova! was the prize to be won, and the\ncavaliers might be driven out of the suburbs before he could arrive\nto their assistance.\n\nArrived at Cordova, he proceeded to the bridge of Alcolea, where he\npitched his tents and displayed the royal standard.\n\nBefore the arrival of the king, Alvar Perez had hastened from the\ncastle of Martos with a body of troops, and thrown himself into the\nsuburbs. Many warriors, both horse and foot, had likewise hastened\nfrom the frontiers and from the various towns to which the king\nhad sent his mandates. Some came to serve the king, others out of\ndevotion to the holy faith, some to gain renown, and not a few to aid\nin plundering the rich city of Cordova. There were many monks, also,\nwho had come for the glory of God and the benefit of their convents.\n\nWhen the Christians in the suburbs saw the royal standard floating\nabove the camp of the king, they shouted for joy, and in the\nexultation of the moment, forgot all past dangers and hardships.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nA Spy in the Christian Camp.\u2014Death of Aben Hud.\u2014A Vital Blow to\nMoslem Power.\u2014Surrender of Cordova to King Fernando.\n\n\nAben Hud, the Moorish chief, who had been defeated by Alvar Perez\nand Prince Alonzo before Xerez, was at this time in Ecija with a\nlarge force, and disposed to hasten to the aid of Cordova, but his\nrecent defeat had made him cautious. He had in his camp a Christian\ncavalier, Don Lorenzo Xuarez by name, who had been banished from\nCastile by King Fernando. This cavalier offered to go as a spy into\nthe Christian camp, accompanied by three Christian horsemen, and to\nbring accounts of its situation and strength. His offer was gladly\naccepted, and Aben Hud promised to do nothing with his forces until\nhis return.\n\nDon Lorenzo set out privately with his companions, and when he came\nto the end of the bridge he alighted and took one of the three with\nhim, leaving the other two to guard the horses. He entered the camp\nwithout impediment, and saw that it was small and of but little\nforce; for, though recruits had repaired from all quarters, they had\nas yet arrived in but scanty numbers.\n\nAs Don Lorenzo approached the camp he saw a montero who stood\nsentinel. \u201cFriend,\u201d said he, \u201cdo me the kindness to call to me some\nperson who is about the king, as I have something to tell him of\ngreat importance.\u201d The sentinel went in and brought out Don Otiella.\nDon Lorenzo took him aside and said, \u201cDo you not know me? I am Don\nLorenzo. I pray you tell the king that I entreat permission to enter\nand communicate matters touching his safety.\u201d\n\nDon Otiella went in and awoke the king, who was sleeping, and\nobtained permission for Don Lorenzo to enter. When the king beheld\nhim he was wroth at his presuming to return from exile; but Don\nLorenzo replied,\u2014\u201cSe\u00f1or, your majesty banished me to the land of the\nMoors to do me harm, but I believe it was intended by Heaven for the\nwelfare both of your majesty and myself.\u201d Then he apprised the king\nof the intention of Aben Hud to come with a great force against him,\nand of the doubts and fears he entertained lest the army of the king\nshould be too powerful. Don Lorenzo, therefore, advised the king\nto draw off as many troops as could be spared from the suburbs of\nCordova, and to give his camp as formidable an aspect as possible;\nand that he would return and give Aben Hud such an account of the\npower of the royal camp as would deter him from the attack. \u201cIf,\u201d\ncontinued Don Lorenzo, \u201cI fail in diverting him from his enterprise,\nI will come off with all my vassals and offer myself, and all I can\ncommand, for the service of your majesty, and hope to be accepted for\nmy good intentions. As to what takes place in the Moorish camp, from\nhence, in three days, I will send your majesty letters by this my\nsquire.\u201d\n\nThe king thanked Don Lorenzo for his good intentions, and pardoned\nhim, and took him as his vassal; and Don Lorenzo said: \u201cI beseech\nyour majesty to order that for three or four nights there be made\ngreat fires in various parts of the camp, so that in case Aben Hud\nshould send scouts by night, there may be the appearance of a great\nhost.\u201d The king promised it should be done, and Don Lorenzo took his\nleave; rejoining his companions at the bridge, they mounted their\nhorses and travelled all night and returned to Ecija.\n\nWhen Don Lorenzo appeared in presence of Aben Hud he had the air of\none fatigued and careworn. To the inquiries of the Moor he returned\nanswers full of alarm, magnifying the power and condition of the\nroyal forces. \u201cSe\u00f1or,\u201d added he, \u201cif you would be assured of the\ntruth of what I say, send out your scouts, and they will behold the\nChristian tents whitening all the banks of the Guadalquivir, and\ncovering the country as the snow covers the mountains of Granada;\nor at night they will see fires on hill and dale illumining all the\nland.\u201d\n\nThis intelligence redoubled the doubts and apprehensions of Aben\nHud. On the following day two Moorish horsemen arrived in all haste\nfrom Zaen, king of Valencia, informing him that King James of Aragon\nwas coming against that place with a powerful army, and offering him\nthe supremacy of the place if he would hasten with all speed to its\nrelief.\n\nAben Hud, thus perplexed between two objects, asked advice of his\ncounselors, among whom was the perfidious Don Lorenzo. They observed\nthat the Christians, though they had possession of the suburbs of\nCordova, could not for a long time master the place. He would have\ntime, therefore, to relieve Valencia, and then turn his arms and\nthose of King Zaen against the host of King Fernando.\n\nAben Hud listened to their advice, and marched immediately for\nAlmeria, to take thence his ships to guard the port of Valencia.\nWhile at Almeria a Moor named Aben Arramin, and who was his especial\nfavorite, invited him to a banquet. The unsuspecting Aben Hud threw\noff his cares for the time, and giving loose to conviviality in\nthe house of his favorite, drank freely of the winecup that was\ninsidiously pressed upon him, until he became intoxicated. He was\nthen suffocated by the traitor in a trough of water, and it was given\nout that he had died of apoplexy.\n\nAt the death of Aben Hud, his host fell asunder, and every one hied\nhim to his home, whereupon Don Lorenzo and the Christians who were\nwith him hastened to King Fernando, by whom they were graciously\nreceived and admitted into his royal service.\n\nThe death of Aben Hud was a vital blow to Moslem power, and spread\nconfusion throughout Andalusia. When the people of Cordova heard of\nit, and of the dismemberment of his army, all courage withered from\ntheir hearts. Day after day the army of King Fernando was increasing\nthe roads were covered with foot-soldiers hastening to his standard;\nevery hidalgo who could bestride a horse spurred to the banks of the\nGuadalquivir to be present at the downfall of Cordova. The noblest\ncavaliers of Castile were continually seen marching into the camp\nwith banners flying and long trains of retainers.\n\nThe inhabitants held out as long as there was help or hope; but they\nwere exhausted by frequent combats and long and increasing famine,\nand now the death of Aben Hud cut off all chance of succor. With sad\nand broken spirits, therefore, they surrendered their noble city\nto King Fernando, after a siege of six months and six days. The\nsurrender took place on Sunday, the twenty-ninth day of July, the\nfeast of the glorious Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, in the year of\nthe Incarnation one thousand two hundred and thirty-six.\n\nThe inhabitants were permitted to march forth in personal safety,\nbut to take nothing with them. \u201cThus,\u201d exclaims the pious Agapida,\n\u201cwas the city of Cordova, the queen of the cities of Andalusia, which\nso long had been the seat of the power and grandeur of the Moors,\ncleansed from all the impurities of Mahomet and restored to the\ndominion of the true faith.\u201d\n\nKing Fernando immediately ordered the cross to be elevated on the\ntower of the principal mosque, and beside it the royal standard;\nwhile the bishops, the clergy, and all the people chanted _Te Deum\nLaudamus_, as a song of triumph for this great victory of the\nfaith.[78]\n\n  [78] _Cron. Gen. de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 4. Bleda, lib. 4, c. 10.\n\nThe king, having now gained full possession of the city, began to\nrepair, embellish, and improve it. The grand mosque, the greatest\nand most magnificent in Spain, was now converted into a holy\nCatholic church. The bishops and other clergy walked round it in\nsolemn procession, sprinkling holy water in every nook and corner,\nand performing all other rites and ceremonies necessary to purify\nand sanctify it. They erected an altar in it, also, in honor of the\nVirgin, and chanted masses with great fervor and unction. In this way\nthey consecrated it to the true faith, and made it the cathedral of\nthe city.\n\nIn this mosque were found the bells of the church of San Iago in\nGallicia, which the Alhagib Almanzor, in the year of our Redemption\nnine hundred and seventy-five, had brought off in triumph and placed\nhere, turned with their mouths upward to serve as lamps, and remain\nshining mementos of his victory. King Fernando ordered that these\nbells should be restored to the church of San Iago; and as Christians\nhad been obliged to bring those bells hither on their shoulders, so\ninfidels were compelled in like manner to carry them back. Great\nwas the popular triumph when these bells had their tongues restored\nto them, and were once more enabled to fill the air with their holy\nclangor.\n\nHaving ordered all things for the security and welfare of the city,\nthe king placed it under the government of Don Tello Alonzo de\nMeneses; he appointed Don Alvar Perez de Castro, also, general of\nthe frontier, having his stronghold in the castle of the rock of\nMartos. The king then returned, covered with glory, to Toledo.\n\nThe fame of the recovery of the renowned city of Cordova, which\nfor five hundred and twenty-two years had been in the power of\nthe infidels, soon spread throughout the kingdom, and people came\ncrowding from every part to inhabit it. The gates which lately had\nbeen thronged with steel-clad warriors were now besieged by peaceful\nwayfarers of all kinds, conducting trains of mules laden with their\neffects and all their household wealth; and so great was the throng\nthat in a little while there were not houses sufficient to receive\nthem.\n\nKing Fernando, having restored the bells to San Iago, had others\nsuspended in the tower of the mosque, whence the muezzin had been\naccustomed to call the Moslems to their worship. \u201cWhen the pilgrims,\u201d\nsays Fray Antonio Agapida, \u201cwho repaired to Cordova, heard the holy\nsound of these bells chiming from the tower of the cathedral, their\nhearts leaped for joy, and they invoked blessings on the head of the\npious King Fernando.\u201d\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMarriage of King Fernando to the Princess Juana.\u2014Famine at\nCordova.\u2014Don Alvar Perez.\n\n\nWhen Queen Berenguela beheld King Fernando returning in triumph from\nthe conquest of Cordova, her heart was lifted up with transport, for\nthere is nothing that more rejoices the heart of a mother than the\ntrue glory of her son. The queen, however, as has been abundantly\nshown, was a woman of great sagacity and forecast. She considered\nthat upwards of two years had elapsed since the death of the Queen\nBeatrix, and that her son was living in widowhood. It is true he was\nof quiet temperament, and seemed sufficiently occupied by the cares\nof government and the wars for the faith; so that apparently he had\nno thought of further matrimony; but the shrewd mother considered\nlikewise that he was in the prime and vigor of his days, renowned in\narms, noble and commanding in person, and gracious and captivating\nin manners, and surrounded by the temptations of a court. True, he\nwas a saint in spirit, but after all in flesh he was a man, and\nmight be led away into those weaknesses very incident to, but highly\nunbecoming of, the exalted state of princes. The good mother was\nanxious, therefore, that he should enter again into the secure and\nholy state of wedlock.\n\nKing Fernando, a mirror of obedience to his mother, readily concurred\nwith her views in the present instance, and left it to her judgment\nand discretion to make a choice for him. The choice fell upon the\nPrincess Juana, daughter of the Count of Pothier, and a descendant\nof Louis the Seventh of France. The marriage was negotiated by Queen\nBerenguela with the Count of Pothier; and the conditions being\nsatisfactorily arranged, the princess was conducted in due state\nto Burgos, where the nuptials were celebrated with great pomp and\nceremony.\n\nThe king, as well as his subjects, was highly satisfied with the\nchoice of the sage Berenguela, for the bride was young, beautiful,\nand of stately form, and conducted herself with admirable suavity and\ngrace.\n\nAfter the rejoicings were over, King Fernando departed with his\nbride, and visited the principal cities and towns of Castile and\nLeon; receiving the homage of his subjects, and administering justice\naccording to the primitive forms of those days, when sovereigns\nattended personally to the petitions and complaints of their\nsubjects, and went about hearing causes and redressing grievances.\n\nIn the course of his progress, hearing while at Toledo of a severe\nfamine which prevailed at Cordova, he sent a large supply of money to\nthat city, and at the same time issued orders to various parts, to\ntransport thither as much grain as possible. The calamity, however,\nwent on increasing. The conquest of Cordova had drawn thither great\nmultitudes, expecting to thrive on the well-known fertility and\nabundance of the country. But the Moors, in the agitation of the\ntime, had almost ceased to cultivate their fields; the troops helped\nto consume the supplies on hand; there were few hands to labor and\nan infinity of mouths to eat, and the cry of famine went on daily\ngrowing more intense.\n\nUpon this, Don Alvar Perez, who had command of the frontier, set off\nto represent the case in person to the king; for one living word from\nthe mouth is more effective than a thousand dead words from the pen.\nHe found the king at Valladolid, deeply immersed in the religious\nexercises of Holy Week, and much did it grieve this saintly monarch,\nsay his chroniclers, to be obliged even for a moment to quit the holy\nquiet of the church for the worldly bustle of the palace, to lay by\nthe saint and enact the sovereign. Having heard the representations\nof Don Alvar Perez, he forthwith gave him ample funds wherewith to\nmaintain his castles, his soldiers, and even the idlers who thronged\nabout the frontier, and who would be useful subjects when the times\nshould become settled. Satisfied, also, of the zeal and loyalty of\nAlvar Perez, which had been so strikingly displayed in the present\ninstance, he appointed him adelantado of the whole frontier of\nAndalusia\u2014an office equivalent to that at present called viceroy.\nDon Alvar hastened back to execute his mission and enter upon his\nnew office. He took his station at Martos, in its rock-built castle,\nwhich was the key of all that frontier, whence he could carry relief\nto any point of his command, and could make occasional incursions\ninto the territories. The following chapter will show the cares and\nanxieties which awaited him in his new command.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nAben Alhamar, Founder of the Alhambra.\u2014Fortifies Granada and makes\nit his Capital.\u2014Attempts to surprise the Castle of Martos.\u2014Peril\nof the Fortress.\u2014A Woman\u2019s Stratagem to save it.\u2014Diego Perez, the\nSmasher.\u2014Death of Count Alvar Perez de Castro.\n\n\nOn the death of Aben Hud, the Moorish power in Spain was broken up\ninto factions, as has already been mentioned, but these factions\nwere soon united under one head, who threatened to be a formidable\nadversary to the Christians. This was Mohammed ben Alhamar, or Aben\nAlhamar, as he is commonly called in history. He was a native of\nArjona, of noble descent, being of the Beni Nasar, or race of Nasar,\nand had been educated in a manner befitting his rank. Arrived at\nmanly years, he had been appointed alcayde of Arjona and Jaen, and\nhad distinguished himself by the justice and benignity of his rule.\nHe was intrepid, also, and ambitious, and during the late dissensions\namong the Moslems had extended his territories, making himself master\nof many strong places.\n\nOn the death of Aben Hud, he made a military circuit through the\nMoorish territories, and was everywhere hailed with acclamations\nas the only one who could save the Moslem power in Spain from\nannihilation. At length he entered Granada amidst the enthusiastic\nshouts of the populace. Here he was proclaimed king, and found\nhimself at the head of the Moslems of Spain, being the first of\nhis illustrious line that ever sat upon a throne. It needs nothing\nmore to give lasting renown to Aben Alhamar than to say he was the\nfounder of the Alhambra, that magnificent monument which to this day\nbears testimony to Moorish taste and splendor. As yet, however, Aben\nAlhamar had not time to indulge in the arts of peace. He saw the\nstorm of war that threatened his newly-founded kingdom, and prepared\nto buffet with it. The territories of Granada extended along the\ncoast from Algeziras almost to Murcia, and inland as far as Jaen and\nHuescar. All the frontiers he hastened to put in a state of defense,\nwhile he strongly fortified the city of Granada, which he made his\ncapital.\n\nBy the Mahometan law every citizen is a soldier, and to take arms in\ndefense of the country and the faith is a religious and imperative\nduty. Aben Alhamar, however, knew the unsteadiness of hastily levied\nmilitia, and organized a standing force to garrison his forts and\ncities, the expense of which he defrayed from his own revenues. The\nMoslem warriors from all parts now rallied under his standard, and\nfifty thousand Moors, abandoning Valencia on the conquest of that\ncountry by the king of Aragon, hastened to put themselves under the\ndominion of Aben Alhamar.\n\nDon Alvar Perez, on returning to his post, had intelligence of all\nthese circumstances, and perceived that he had not sufficient force\nto make head against such a formidable neighbor, and that in fact the\nwhole frontier, so recently wrested from the Moors, was in danger of\nbeing reconquered. With his old maxim, therefore, \u201cThere is more life\nin one word from the mouth than in a thousand words from the pen,\u201d he\ndetermined to have another interview with King Fernando, and acquaint\nhim with the imminent dangers impending over the frontier.\n\nHe accordingly took his departure with great secrecy, leaving his\ncountess and her women and donzellas in his castle of the rock of\nMartos, guarded by his nephew Don Tello and forty chosen men.\n\nThe departure of Don Alvar Perez was not so secret, however, but that\nAben Alhamar had notice of it by his spies, and he resolved to make\nan attempt to surprise the castle of Martos, which, as has been said,\nwas the key to all this frontier.\n\nDon Tello, who had been left in command of the fortress, was a young\ngalliard, full of the fire of youth, and he had several hardy and\nadventurous cavaliers with him, among whom was Diego Perez de Vargas,\nsurnamed Machacha, or the Smasher, for his exploits at the battle\nof Xerez in smashing the heads of the Moors with the limb of an\nolive-tree. These hot-blooded cavaliers, looking out like hawks from\ntheir mountain hold, were seized with an irresistible inclination to\nmake a foray into the lands of their Moorish neighbors. On a bright\nmorning they accordingly set forth, promising the donzellas of the\ncastle to bring them jewels and rich silks, the spoils of Moorish\nwomen.\n\nThe cavaliers had not been long gone when the castle was alarmed by\nthe sound of trumpets, and the watchman from the tower gave notice\nof a cloud of dust, with Moorish banners and armor gleaming through\nit. It was, in fact, the Moorish king, Aben Alhamar, who pitched his\ntents before the castle.\n\nGreat was the consternation that reigned within the walls, for all\nthe men were absent, excepting one or two necessary for the service\nof the castle. The dames and donzellas gave themselves up to despair,\nexpecting to be carried away captive, perhaps to supply some Moorish\nharem. The countess, however, was of an intrepid spirit and ready\ninvention. Summoning her due\u00f1as and damsels, she made them arrange\ntheir hair, and dress themselves like men, take weapons in hand,\nand show themselves between the battlements. The Moorish king was\ndeceived, and supposed the fort well garrisoned. He was deterred,\ntherefore, from attempting to take it by storm. In the mean time she\ndispatched a messenger by the postern-gate, with orders to speed\nswiftly in quest of Don Tello, and tell him the peril of the fortress.\n\nAt hearing these tidings, Don Tello and his companions turned their\nreins and spurred back for the castle, but on drawing nigh, they\nsaw from a hill that it was invested by a numerous host who were\nbattering the walls. It was an appalling sight,\u2014to cut their way\nthrough such a force seemed hopeless,\u2014yet their hearts were wrung\nwith anguish when they thought of the countess and her helpless\ndonzellas. Upon this, Diego Perez de Vargas, surnamed Machacha,\nstepped forward and proposed to form a forlorn hope, and attempt to\nforce a passage to the castle. \u201cIf any of us succeed,\u201d said he, \u201cwe\nmay save the countess and the rock; if we fall, we shall save our\nsouls and act the parts of good cavaliers. This rock is the key of\nall the frontier, on which the king depends to get possession of the\ncountry. Shame would it be if Moors should capture it; above all if\nthey should lead away our honored countess and her ladies captive\nbefore our eyes, while our lances remain unstained by blood and we\nunscarred with a wound. For my part, I would rather die than see\nit. Life is but short; we should do in it our best. So, in a word,\ncavaliers, if you refuse to join me I will take my leave of you and\ndo what I can with my single arm.\u201d\n\n\u201cDiego Perez,\u201d cried Don Tello, \u201cyou have spoken my very wishes;\nI will stand by you until the death, and let those who are good\ncavaliers and hidalgos follow our example.\u201d\n\nThe other cavaliers caught fire at these words; forming a solid\nsquadron, they put spurs to their horses and rushed down upon the\nMoors. The first who broke into the ranks of the enemy was Diego\nPerez, the Smasher, and he opened a way for the others. Their only\nobject was to cut their way to the fortress; so they fought and\npressed forward. The most of them got to the rock; some were cut off\nby the Moors, and died like valiant knights, fighting to the last\ngasp.\n\nWhen the Moorish king saw the daring of these cavaliers, and that\nthey had succeeded in reinforcing the garrison, he despaired of\ngaining the castle without much time, trouble, and loss of blood. He\npersuaded himself, therefore, that it was not worth the price, and,\nstriking his tents, abandoned the siege. Thus the rock of Martos was\nsaved by the sagacity of the countess and the prowess of Diego Perez\nde Vargas, surnamed the Smasher.\n\nIn the mean time, Don Alvar Perez de Castro arrived in presence of\nthe king at Hutiel. King Fernando received him with benignity, but\nseemed to think his zeal beyond his prudence; leaving so important a\nfrontier so weakly guarded, sinking the viceroy in the courier, and\ncoming so far to give by word of mouth what might easily have been\ncommunicated by letter. He felt the value, however, of his loyalty\nand devotion, but, furnishing him with ample funds, requested him to\nlose no time in getting back to his post. The count set out on his\nreturn, but it is probable the ardor and excitement of his spirit\nproved fatal to him, for he was seized with a violent fever when on\nthe journey, and died in the town of Orgaz.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nAben Hudiel, the Moorish King of Murcia, becomes the Vassal of\nKing Fernando.\u2014Aben Alhamar seeks to drive the Christians out of\nAndalusia.\u2014Fernando takes the Field against him.\u2014Ravages of the\nKing.\u2014His Last Meeting with the Queen-Mother.\n\n\nThe death of Count Alvar Perez de Castro caused deep affliction to\nKing Fernando, for he considered him the shield of the frontier.\nWhile he was at Cordova, or at his rock of Martos, the king felt\nas assured of the safety of the border as though he had been there\nhimself. As soon as he could be spared from Castile and Leon, he\nhastened to Cordova, to supply the loss the frontier had sustained\nin the person of his vigilant lieutenant. One of his first measures\nwas to effect a truce of one year with the king of Granada,\u2014a measure\nwhich each adopted with great regret, compelled by his several\npolicy: King Fernando to organize and secure his recent conquests;\nAben Alhamar to regulate and fortify his newly founded kingdom.\nEach felt that he had a powerful enemy to encounter and a desperate\nstruggle before him.\n\nKing Fernando remained at Cordova until the spring of the following\nyear (1241), regulating the affairs of that noble city, assigning\nhouses and estates to such of his cavaliers as had distinguished\nthemselves in the conquest, and, as usual, making rich donations\nof towns and great tracts of land to the Church and to different\nreligious orders. Leaving his brother Alfonso with a sufficient force\nto keep an eye upon the king of Granada and hold him in check, King\nFernando departed for Castile, making a circuit by Jaen and Baeza\nand Andujar, and arriving in Toledo on the fourth of April. Here\nhe received important propositions from Aben Hudiel, the Moorish\nking of Murcia. The death of Aben Hud had left that kingdom a scene\nof confusion. The alcaydes of the different cities and fortresses\nwere at strife with each other, and many refused allegiance to Aben\nHudiel. The latter, too, was in hostility with Aben Alhamar, the king\nof Granada, and he feared he would take advantage of his truce with\nKing Fernando, and the distracted state of the kingdom of Murcia,\nto make an inroad. Thus desperately situated, Aben Hudiel had sent\nmissives to King Fernando, entreating his protection, and offering to\nbecome his vassal.\n\nThe king of Castile gladly closed with this offer. He forthwith sent\nhis son and heir, the Prince Alfonso, to receive the submission\nof the king of Murcia. As the prince was young and inexperienced\nin these affairs of state, he sent with him Don Pelayo de Correa,\nthe Grand Master of Santiago, a cavalier of consummate wisdom and\naddress, and also Rodrigo Gonzalez Giron. The prince was received\nin Murcia with regal honors; the terms were soon adjusted by which\nthe Moorish king acknowledged vassalage to King Fernando, and ceded\nto him one half of his revenues, in return for which the king\ngraciously took him under his protection. The alcaydes of Alicant,\nElche, Oriola, and several other places, agreed to this covenant of\nvassalage, but it was indignantly spurned by the Wali of Lorca; he\nhad been put in office by Aben Hud; and, now that potentate was no\nmore, he aspired to exercise an independent sway, and had placed\nalcaydes of his own party in Mula and Carthagena.\n\nAs the Prince Alfonso had come to solemnize the act of homage and\nvassalage proposed by the Moorish king, and not to extort submission\nfrom his subjects by force of arms, he contented himself with making\na progress through the kingdom and receiving the homage of the\nacquiescent towns and cities, after which he rejoined his father in\nCastile.\n\nIt is conceived by the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, as well as\nby other monkish chroniclers, that this important acquisition of\nterritory by the saintly Fernando was a boon from Heaven in reward\nof an offering which he made to God of his daughter Berenguela,\nwhom early in this year he dedicated as a nun in the convent of Las\nHuelgas, in Burgos\u2014of which convent the king\u2019s sister Constanza was\nabbess.[79]\n\n  [79] _Cronica del Rey Santo_, cap. 13.\n\nAbout this time it was that King Fernando gave an instance of his\nmagnanimity and his chivalrous disposition. We have seen the deadly\nopposition he had experienced from the haughty house of Lara, and\nthe ruin which the three brothers brought upon themselves by their\ntraitorous hostility. The anger of the king was appeased by their\nindividual ruin; he did not desire to revenge himself upon their\nhelpless families, nor to break down and annihilate a house lofty\nand honored in the traditions of Spain. One of the brothers, Don\nFernando, had left a daughter, Do\u00f1a Sancha Fernandez de Lara; there\nhappened at this time to be in Spain a cousin-german of the king,\na prince of Portugal, Don Fernando by name, who held the se\u00f1orio\nof Serpa. Between this prince and Do\u00f1a Sancha the king effected a\nmarriage, whence has sprung one of the most illustrious branches of\nthe ancient house of Lara.[80] The other daughters of Don Fernando\nretained large possessions in Castile; and one of his sons will be\nfound serving valiantly under the standard of the king.\n\n  [80] _Notas para la Vida del Santo Rey_, p. 554.\n\nIn the mean time the truce with Aben Alhamar, the king of Granada,\nhad greatly strengthened the hands of that monarch. He had received\naccessions of troops from various parts, had fortified his capital\nand his frontiers, and now fomented disturbances in the neighboring\nkingdom of Murcia,\u2014encouraging the refractory cities to persist in\ntheir refusal of vassalage,\u2014hoping to annex that kingdom to his own\nnewly consolidated dominions.\n\nThe Wali of Lorca and his partisans, the alcaydes of Mula and\nCarthagena, thus instigated by the king of Granada, now increased in\nturbulence, and completely overawed the feeble-handed Aben Hudiel.\nKing Fernando thought this a good opportunity to give his son and\nheir his first essay in arms. He accordingly dispatched the prince a\nsecond time to Murcia, accompanied as before by Don Pelayo de Correa,\nthe Grand Master of Santiago; but he sent him now with a strong\nmilitary force, to play the part of a conqueror. The conquest, as may\nbe supposed, was easy; Mula, Lorca, and Carthagena soon submitted,\nand the whole kingdom was reduced to vassalage\u2014Fernando henceforth\nadding to his other titles King of Murcia. \u201cThus,\u201d says Fray Antonio\nAgapida, \u201cwas another precious jewel wrested from the kingdom of\nAntichrist, and added to the crown of this saintly monarch.\u201d\n\nBut it was not in Murcia alone that King Fernando found himself\ncalled to contend with his new adversary the king of Granada. That\nable and active monarch, strengthened as has been said during the\nlate truce, had made bold forays in the frontiers recently conquered\nby King Fernando, and had even extended them to the neighborhood\nof Cordova. In all this he had been encouraged by some degree of\nnegligence and inaction on the part of King Fernando\u2019s brother\nAlfonso, who had been left in charge of the frontier. The prince took\nthe field against Aben Alhamar, and fought him manfully; but the\nMoorish force was too powerful to be withstood, and the prince was\ndefeated.\n\nTidings of this was sent to King Fernando, and of the great danger of\nthe frontier, as Aben Alhamar, flushed with success, was aiming to\ndrive the Christians out of Andalusia. King Fernando immediately set\noff for the frontier, accompanied by the Queen Juana. He did not wait\nto levy a powerful force, but took with him a small number\u2014knowing\nthe loyalty of his subjects and their belligerent propensities, and\nthat they would hasten to his standard the moment they knew he was in\nthe field and exposed to danger. His force accordingly increased as\nhe advanced. At Andujar he met his brother Alfonso with the relics\nof his lately defeated army,\u2014all brave and expert soldiers. He had\nnow a commanding force, and leaving the queen with a sufficient\nguard at Andujar, he set off with his brother Alonzo and Don Nu\u00f1o\nGonzalez de Lara, son of the Count Gonzalo, to scour the country\nabout Arjona, Jaen, and Alcaudete. The Moors took refuge in their\nstrong places, whence they saw with aching hearts the desolation of\ntheir country\u2014olive plantations on fire, vineyards laid waste, groves\nand orchards cut down, and all the other modes of ravage practiced in\nthese unsparing wars.\n\nThe king of Granada did not venture to take the field; and King\nFernando, meeting no enemy to contend with, while ravaging the\nlands of Alcaudete, detached a part of his force under Don Rodrigo\nFernandez de Castro, a son of the brave Alvar Perez lately deceased,\nand he associated with him Nu\u00f1o Gonzalez, with orders to besiege\nArjona. This was a place dear to Aben Alhamar, the King of Granada,\nbeing his native place, where he had first tasted the sweets of\npower. Hence he was commonly called the king of Arjona.\n\nThe people of the place, though they had quailed before King\nFernando, despised his officers and set them at defiance. The king\nhimself, however, made his appearance on the following day with the\nremainder of his forces, whereupon Arjona capitulated.\n\nWhile his troops were reposing from their fatigues, the king made\nsome further ravages, and reduced several small towns to obedience.\nHe then sent his brother Don Alfonso with sufficient forces to\ncarry fire and sword into the Vega of Granada. In the mean time he\nreturned to Andujar to the Queen Juana. He merely came, say the\nold chroniclers, for the purpose of conducting her to Cordova;\nfulfilling, always, his duty as a cavalier, without neglecting that\nof a king.\n\nThe moment he had left her in her palace at Cordova, he hastened\nback to join his brother in harassing the territories of Granada. He\ncame in time; for Aben Alhamar, enraged at seeing the destruction of\nthe Vega, made such a vigorous sally that had Prince Alfonso been\nalone in command, he might have received a second lesson still more\ndisastrous than the first. The presence of the king, however, put new\nspirits and valor into the troops: the Moors were driven back to the\ncity, and the Christians pursued them to the very gates. As the king\nhad not sufficient forces with him to attempt the capture of this\nplace, he contented himself with the mischief he had done, and, with\nsome more which he subsequently effected, he returned to Cordova to\nlet his troops rest from their fatigues.\n\nWhile the king was in this city a messenger arrived from his mother,\nthe Queen Berenguela, informing him of her intention of coming to\npay him a visit. A long time had elapsed since they had seen each\nother, and her extreme age rendered her anxious to embrace her son.\nThe king, to prevent her from taking so long a journey, set off to\nmeet her, taking with him his Queen Juana. The meeting took place in\nPezuelo near Burgos,[81] and was affecting on both sides, for never\ndid son and mother love and honor each other more truly. In this\ninterview, the queen represented her age and increasing weakness,\nand her incapacity to cope with the fatigues of public affairs, of\nwhich she had always shared the burden with the king; she therefore\nsignified her wish to retire to her convent, to pass the remnant of\nher days in holy repose. King Fernando, who had ever found in his\nmother his ablest counselor and best support, entreated her not to\nleave his side in these arduous times, when the King of Granada on\none side, and the King of Seville on the other, threatened to put\nall his courage and resources to the trial. A long and earnest, yet\ntender and affectionate, conversation succeeded between them, which\nresulted in the queen-mother\u2019s yielding to his solicitations. The\nillustrious son and mother remained together six weeks, enjoying each\nother\u2019s society, after which they separated\u2014the king and queen for\nthe frontier, and the queen-mother for Toledo. They were never to\nbehold each other again upon earth, for the king never returned to\nCastile.\n\n  [81] Some chronicles, through mistake, make it Pezuelo near\n  Ciudal Real, in the mountains on the confines of Granada.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nKing Fernando\u2019s Expedition to Andalusia.\u2014Siege of Jaen.\u2014Secret\nDeparture of Aben Alhamar for the Christian Camp.\u2014He Acknowledges\nhimself the Vassal of the King, who enters Jaen in Triumph.\n\n\nIt was in the middle of August, 1245, that King Fernando set out on\nhis grand expedition to Andalusia, whence he was never to return.\nAll that autumn he pursued the same destructive course as in his\npreceding campaigns, laying waste the country with fire and sword in\nthe vicinity of Jaen and to Alcala la Real. The town, too, of Illora,\nbuilt on a lofty rock and fancying itself secure, was captured and\ngiven a prey to flames, which was as a bale-fire to the country.\nThence he descended into the beautiful Vega of Granada, ravaging that\nearthly paradise. Aben Alhamar sallied forth from Granada with what\nforces he could collect, and a bloody battle ensued about twelve\nmiles from Granada. A part of the troops of Aben Alhamar were hasty\nlevies, inhabitants of the city, and but little accustomed to combat;\nthey lost courage, gave way, and threw the better part of the troops\nin disorder; a retreat took place which ended in a headlong flight,\nin which there was great carnage.[82]\n\n  [82] Conde, tom. iii. c. 5.\n\nContent for the present with the ravage he had made and the victory\nhe had gained, King Fernando now drew off his troops and repaired\nto his frontier hold of Martos, where they might rest after their\nfatigues in security.\n\nHere he was joined by Don Pelayo Perez Correa, the Grand Master\nof Santiago. This valiant cavalier, who was as sage and shrewd in\ncouncil as he was adroit and daring in the field, had aided the\nyouthful Prince Alfonso in completing the tranquilization of Murcia,\nand leaving him in the quiet administration of affairs in that\nkingdom, had since been on a pious and political mission to the court\nof Rome. He arrived most opportunely at Martos, to aid the king with\nhis counsels, for there was none in whose wisdom and loyalty the king\nhad more confidence.\n\nThe grand master listened to all the plans of the king for the\nhumiliation of the haughty King of Granada; he then gravely but most\nrespectfully objected to the course the king was pursuing. He held\nthe mere ravaging the country of little ultimate benefit. It harassed\nand irritated, but did not destroy the enemy, while it fatigued and\ndemoralized the army. To conquer the country, they must not lay waste\nthe field, but take the towns; so long as the Moors retained their\nstrongholds, so long they had dominion over the land. He advised,\ntherefore, as a signal blow to the power of the Moorish king, the\ncapture of the city of Jaen. This was a city of immense strength,\nthe bulwark of the kingdom; it was well supplied with provisions\nand the munitions of war; strongly garrisoned and commanded by Abu\nOmar, native of Cordova, a general of cavalry, and one of the bravest\nofficers of Aben Alhamar. King Fernando had already besieged it in\nvain, but the reasoning of the grand master had either convinced his\nreason or touched his pride. He set himself down before the walls of\nJaen declaring he would never raise the siege until he was master\nof the place. For a long time the siege was carried on in the depth\nof winter, in defiance of rain and tempests. Aben Alhamar was in\ndespair: he could not relieve the place; he could not again venture\non a battle with the king after his late defeat. He saw that Jaen\nmust fall, and feared it would be followed by the fall of Granada. He\nwas a man of ardent spirit and quick and generous impulses. Taking a\nsudden resolution, he departed secretly for the Christian camp, and\nmade his way to the presence of King Fernando. \u201cBehold before you,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cthe King of Granada. Resistance I find unavailing; I come,\ntrusting to your magnanimity and good faith, to put myself under your\nprotection and acknowledge myself your vassal.\u201d So sayings, he knelt\nand kissed the king\u2019s hand in token of homage.\n\n\u201cKing Fernando,\u201d say the old chroniclers, \u201cwas not to be outdone in\ngenerosity. He raised his late enemy from the earth, embraced him as\na friend, and left him in the sovereignty of his dominions; the good\nking, however, was as politic as he was generous. He received Aben\nAlhamar as a vassal; conditioned for the delivery of Jaen into his\nhands; for the yearly payment of one half of his revenues; for his\nattendance at the cortes as one of the nobles of the empire, and his\naiding Castile in war with a certain number of horsemen.\u201d\n\nIn compliance with these conditions, Jaen was given up to the\nChristian king, who entered it in triumph about the end of\nFebruary.[83] His first care was to repair in grand procession,\nbearing the holy cross, to the principal mosque, which was purified\nand sanctified by the Bishop of Cordova, and erected into a cathedral\nand dedicated to the most holy Virgin Mary.\n\n  [83] _Notas para la Vida_, etc., p. 562.\n\nHe remained some time in Jaen, giving repose to his troops,\nregulating the affairs of this important place, disposing of houses\nand estates among his warriors who had most distinguished themselves,\nand amply rewarding the priests and monks who had aided him with\ntheir prayers.\n\nAs to Aben Alhamar, he returned to Granada, relieved from\napprehension of impending ruin to his kingdom, but deeply humiliated\nat having to come under the yoke of vassalage. He consoled himself\nby prosecuting the arts of peace, improving the condition of his\npeople, building hospitals, founding institutions of learning, and\nbeautifying his capital with those magnificent edifices which remain\nthe admiration of posterity; for now it was that he commenced to\nbuild the Alhambra.\n\nNOTE.\u2014There is some dispute among historians as to the duration of\nthe siege and the date of the surrender of Jaen. Some make the\nsiege endure eight months, from August into the middle of April. The\nauthentic Agapida adopts the opinion of the author of _Notas para\nla Vida del Santo Rey_, etc., who makes the siege begin on the 31st\nDecember and end about 26th February.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nAxataf, King of Seville, exasperated at the Submission of the King of\nGranada, rejects the Propositions of King Fernando for a Truce.\u2014The\nlatter is encouraged by a Vision to undertake the Conquest of the\nCity of Seville.\u2014Death of Queen Berenguela.\u2014A Diplomatic Marriage.\n\n\nKing Fernando, having reduced the fair kingdom of Granada to\nvassalage, and fortified himself in Andalusia by the possession of\nthe strong city of Jaen, bethought him now of returning to Castile.\nThere was but one Moorish potentate in Spain whose hostilities he\nhad to fear: this was Axataf, the King of Seville. He was the son\nof Aben Hud, and succeeded to a portion of his territories. Warned\nby the signal defeat of his father at Xerez, he had forborne to\ntake the field against the Christians, but had spared no pains and\nexpense to put the city of Seville in the highest state of defense;\nstrengthening its walls and towers, providing it with munitions\nof war of all kinds, and exercising his people continually in the\nuse of arms. King Fernando was loth to leave this great frontier\nin its present unsettled state, with such a powerful enemy in the\nneighborhood, who might take advantage of his absence to break into\nopen hostility; still it was his policy to let the sword rest in\nthe sheath until he had completely secured his new possessions. He\nsought, therefore, to make a truce with King Axataf, and, to enforce\nhis propositions, it is said he appeared with his army before Seville\nin May, 1246.[84] His propositions were rejected, as it were, at the\nvery gate. It appears that the King of Seville was exasperated rather\nthan dismayed by the submission of the King of Granada. He felt that\non himself depended the last hope of Islamism in Spain; he trusted\non aid from the coast of Barbary, with which his capital had ready\ncommunication by water; and he resolved to make a bold stand in the\ncause of his faith.\n\n  [84] _Notas para la Vida del Santo Rey_, p. 572.\n\nKing Fernando retired indignant from before Seville, and repaired to\nCordova, with the pious determination to punish the obstinacy and\nhumble the pride of the infidel, by planting the standard of the\ncross on the walls of his capital. Seville once in his power, the\nrest of Andalusia would soon follow, and then his triumph over the\nsect of Mahomet would be complete. Other reasons may have concurred\nto make him covet the conquest of Seville. It was a city of great\nsplendor and wealth, situated in the midst of a fertile country, in a\ngenial climate, under a benignant sky; and having by its river, the\nGuadalquivir, an open highway for commerce, it was the metropolis of\nall Morisma\u2014a world of wealth and delight within itself.\n\nThese were sufficient reasons for aiming at the conquest of this\nfamous city, but these were not sufficient to satisfy the holy friars\nwho have written the history of this monarch, and who have found a\nreason more befitting his character of saint. Accordingly we are\ntold, by the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, that at a time when the\nking was in deep affliction for the death of his mother, the Queen\nBerenguela, and was praying with great fervor, there appeared before\nhim Saint Isidro, the great Apostle of Spain, who had been Archbishop\nof Seville in old times, before the perdition of Spain by the Moors.\nAs the monarch gazed in reverend wonder at the vision, the saint laid\non him a solemn injunction to rescue from the empire of Mahomet his\ncity of Seville. \u201cQue asi la llamo por suya en la patria, suya en la\nsilla, y suya en la proteccion.\u201d \u201cSuch,\u201d says Agapida, \u201cwas the true\nreason why this pious king undertook the conquest of Seville;\u201d and in\nthis assertion he is supported by many Spanish chroniclers; and by\nthe traditions of the Church\u2014the vision of San Isidro being read to\nthis day among its services.[85]\n\n  [85] Rodriguez, _Memorias del Santo Rey_, c. lviii.\n\nThe death of Queen Berenguela, to which we have just adverted,\nhappened some months after the conquest of Jaen and submission of\nGranada. The grief of the king on hearing the tidings, we are told,\nwas past description. For a time it quite overwhelmed him. \u201cNor is\nit much to be marveled at,\u201d says an old chronicler; \u201cfor never did\nmonarch lose a mother so noble and magnanimous in all her actions.\nShe was indeed accomplished in all things, an example of every\nvirtue, the mirror of Castile and Leon and all Spain, by whose\ncounsel and wisdom the affairs of many kingdoms were governed. This\nnoble queen,\u201d continues the chronicler, \u201cwas deplored in all the\ncities, towns, and villages of Castile and Leon; by all people, great\nand small, but _especially by poor cavaliers_, to whom she was ever a\nbenefactress.\u201d[86]\n\n  [86] _Cronica del Rey Don Fernando_, c. XIII.\n\nAnother heavy loss to King Fernando, about this time, was that of\nthe Archbishop of Toledo, Don Rodrigo, the great adviser of the king\nin all his expeditions, and the prelate who first preached the grand\ncrusade in Spain. He lived a life of piety, activity, and zeal, and\ndied full of years, of honors, and of riches\u2014having received princely\nestates and vast revenues from the king in reward of his services in\nthe cause.\n\nThese private afflictions for a time occupied the royal mind; the\nking was also a little disturbed by some rash proceedings of his son,\nthe hereditary Prince Alfonso, who, being left in the government of\nMurcia, took a notion of imitating his father in his conquests, and\nmade an inroad into the Moorish kingdom of Valencia, at that time in\na state of confusion. This brought on a collision with King Jayme\nof Aragon, surnamed the Conqueror, who had laid his hand upon all\nValencia, as his by right of arms. There was thus danger of a rupture\nwith Aragon, and of King Fernando having an enemy on his back, while\nbusied in his wars in Andalusia. Fortunately King Jayme had a fair\ndaughter, the Princess Violante; and the grave diplomatists of the\ntwo courts determined that it were better the two children should\nmarry, than the two fathers should fight. To this arrangement King\nFernando and King Jayme gladly assented. They were both of the same\nfaith; both proud of the name of Christian; both zealous in driving\nMahometanism out of Spain, and in augmenting their empires with\nits spoils. The marriage was accordingly solemnized in Valladolid\nin the month of November in this same year; and now the saintly\nKing Fernando turned his whole energies to this great and crowning\nachievement, the conquest of Seville, the emporium of Mahometanism in\nSpain.\n\nForeseeing, as long as the mouth of the Guadalquivir was open, the\ncity could receive reinforcements and supplies from Africa, the king\nheld consultations with a wealthy man of Burgos, Ramon Bonifaz, or\nBoniface, by name,\u2014some say a native of France,\u2014one well experienced\nin maritime affairs, and capable of fitting out and managing a fleet.\nThis man he constituted his admiral, and sent him to Biscay to\nprovide and arm a fleet of ships and galleys, with which to attack\nSeville by water, while the king should invest it by land.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nInvestment of Seville.\u2014All Spain aroused to Arms.\u2014Surrender of\nAlcala Del Rio.\u2014The Fleet of Admiral Ramon Bonifaz advances up the\nGuadalquivir.\u2014Don Pelayo Correa, Master of Santiago.\u2014His Valorous\nDeeds and the Miracles wrought in his Behalf.\n\n\nWhen it was bruited abroad that King Fernando the Saint intended to\nbesiege the great city of Seville, all Spain was roused to arms.\nThe masters of the various military and religious orders, the ricos\nhombres, the princes, cavaliers, hidalgos, and every one of Castile\nand Leon capable of bearing arms, prepared to take the field. Many of\nthe nobility of Catalonia and Portugal repaired to the standard of\nthe king, as did other cavaliers of worth and prowess from lands far\nbeyond the Pyrenees.\n\nPrelates, priests, and monks likewise thronged to the army,\u2014some to\ntake care of the souls of those who hazarded their lives in this holy\nenterprise, others with a zealous determination to grasp buckler and\nlance, and battle with the arm of flesh against the enemies of God\nand the Church.\n\nAt the opening of spring the assembled host issued forth in shining\narray from the gates of Cordova. After having gained possession of\nCarmona, and Lora and Alcolea, and of other neighboring places,\u2014some\nby voluntary surrender others by force of arms,\u2014the king crossed\nthe Guadalquivir, with great difficulty and peril, and made himself\nmaster of several of the most important posts in the neighborhood\nof Seville. Among these was Alcala del Rio, a place of great\nconsequence, through which passed all the succors from the mountains\nto the city. This place was bravely defended by Axataf in person,\nthe commander of Seville. He remained in Alcala with three hundred\nMoorish cavaliers, making frequent sallies upon the Christians, and\neffecting great slaughter. At length he beheld all the country around\nlaid waste, the grain burnt or trampled down, the vineyards torn up,\nthe cattle driven away and the villages consumed; so that nothing\nremained to give sustenance to the garrison or the inhabitants. Not\ndaring to linger there any longer, he departed secretly in the night\nand retired to Seville, and the town surrendered to King Fernando.\n\nWhile the king was putting Alcala del Rio in a state of defense.\nAdmiral Ramon Bonifaz arrived at the mouth of the Guadalquivir with a\nfleet of thirteen large ships and several small vessels and galleys.\nWhile he was yet hovering about the land, he heard of the approach\nof a great force of ships from Tangier, Ceuta, and Seville, and of\nan army to assail him from the shores. In this peril he sent in all\nspeed for succor to the king; when it reached the sea-coast the\nenemy had not yet appeared; wherefore, thinking it a false alarm,\nthe reinforcement returned to the camp. Scarcely, however, had it\ndeparted when the Africans came swarming over the sea, and fell upon\nRamon Bonifaz with a greatly superior force. The admiral, in no way\ndismayed, defended himself vigorously\u2014sunk several of the enemy, took\na few prizes, and put the rest to flight, remaining master of the\nriver. The king had heard of the peril of the fleet, and, crossing\nthe ford of the river, had hastened to its aid; but when he came\nto the sea-coast, he found it victorious, at which he was greatly\nrejoiced, and commanded that it should advance higher up the river.\n\nIt was on the twentieth of the month of August that King Fernando\nbegan formally the siege of Seville, having encamped his troops,\nsmall in number, but of stout hearts and valiant hands, near to the\ncity on the banks of the river. From hence Don Pelayo Correa, the\nvaliant Master of Santiago, with two hundred and sixty horsemen, many\nof whom were warlike friars, attempted to cross the river at the ford\nbelow Aznal Farache. Upon this, Aben Amaken, Moorish king of Niebla,\nsallied forth with a great host to defend the pass, and the cavaliers\nwere exposed to imminent peril, until the king sent one hundred\ncavaliers to their aid, led on by Rodrigo Flores and Alonzo Tellez\nand Fernan Dia\u00f1ez.\n\nThus reinforced, the Master of Santiago scoured the opposite side of\nthe river, and with his little army of scarce four hundred horsemen,\nmingled monks and soldiers, spread dismay throughout the country.\nThey attacked the town of Gelbes, and, after a desperate combat,\nentered it, sword in hand, slaying or capturing the Moors, and making\nrich booty. They made repeated assaults upon the castle of Triana,\nand had bloody combats with its garrison, but could not take the\nplace. This hardy band of cavaliers had pitched their tents and\nformed their little camp on the banks of the river, below the castle\nof Aznal Farache. This fortress was situated on an eminence above the\nriver, and its massive ruins, remaining at the present day, attest\nits formidable strength.\n\nWhen the Moors from the castle towers looked down upon this little\ncamp of Christian cavaliers, and saw them sallying forth and\ncareering about the country, and returning in the evenings with\ncavalgadas of sheep and cattle, and mules laden with spoil, and\nlong trains of captives, they were exceedingly wroth, and they\nkept a watch upon them, and sallied forth every day to fight with\nthem, and to intercept stragglers from their camp, and to carry off\ntheir horses. Then the cavaliers concerted together, and they lay\nin ambush one day in the road by which the Moors were accustomed to\nsally forth, and when the Moors had partly passed their ambush, they\nrushed forth and fell upon them, and killed and captured above three\nhundred, and pursued the remainder to the very gates of the castle.\nFrom that time the Moors were so disheartened that they made no\nfurther sallies.\n\nShortly after, the Master of Santiago receiving secret intelligence\nthat a Moorish sea-captain had passed from Seville to Triana, on\nhis way to succor the castle of Aznal Farache, placed himself, with\na number of chosen cavaliers, in ambuscade at a pass by which the\nMoors were expected to come. After waiting a long time, their scouts\nbrought word that the Moors had taken another road, and were nearly\nat the foot of the hill on which stood the castle. \u201cCavaliers,\u201d cried\nthe master, \u201cit is not too late; let us first use our spurs and then\nour weapons, and if our steeds prove good, the day will yet be ours.\u201d\nSo saying, he put spurs to his horse, and the rest following his\nexample, they soon came in sight of the Moors. The latter, seeing\nthe Christians coming after them full speed, urged their horses up\nthe hill towards the castle, but the Christians overtook them and\nslew seven of those in the rear. In the skirmish, Garci Perez struck\nthe Moorish captain from his horse with a blow of his lance. The\nChristians rushed forward to take him prisoner. On seeing this, the\nMoors turned back, threw themselves between their commander and his\nassailants, and kept the latter in check while he was conveyed into\nthe castle. Several of them fell, covered with wounds; the residue,\nseeing their chieftain safe, turned their reins and galloped for the\ncastle, just entering in time to have the gates closed upon their\npursuers.\n\nTime and space permit not to recount the many other valorous deeds\nof Don Pelayo Correa, the good Master of Santiago, and his band\nof cavaliers and monks. His little camp became a terror to the\nneighborhood, and checked the sallies of the Moorish mountaineers\nfrom the Sierra Morena. In one of his enterprises he gained a signal\nadvantage over the foe, but the approach of night threatened to\ndefraud him of his victory. Then the pious warrior lifted up his\nvoice and supplicated the Virgin Mary in those celebrated words:\n\u201cSanta Maria deten tu dia\u201d (Holy Mary, detain thy day), for it\nwas one of the days consecrated to the Virgin. The blessed Virgin\nlistened to the prayer of her valiant votary; the daylight continued\nin a supernatural manner, until the victory of the good Master of\nSantiago was completed. In honor of this signal favor, he afterwards\nerected a temple to the Virgin by the name of Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de\nTentudia.[87]\n\n  [87] Zuniga, _Annales de Sevilla_, L. 1.\n\nIf any one should doubt this miracle, wrought in favor of this\npious warrior and his soldiers of the cowl, it may be sufficient to\nrelate another, which immediately succeeded, and which shows how\npeculiarly he was under the favor of Heaven. After the battle was\nover, his followers were ready to faint with thirst, and could find\nno stream or fountain; and when the good master saw the distress of\nhis soldiers, his heart was touched with compassion, and, bethinking\nhimself of the miracle performed by Moses, in an impulse of holy zeal\nand confidence, and in the name of the blessed Virgin, he struck\na dry and barren rock with his lance, and instantly there gushed\nforth a fountain of water, at which all his Christian soldiery drank\nand were refreshed.[88] So much at present for the good Master of\nSantiago, Don Pelayo Correa.\n\n  [88] Jacob Paranes, _Lib. de los Maestros de St. Iago._ _Corona\n  Gothica_, T. 3, \u00a7 xiii. Zuniga, _Annales de Sevilla_.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nKing Fernando changes his Camp.\u2014Garci Perez and the seven Moors.\n\n\nKing Fernando the Saint soon found his encampment on the banks of\nthe Guadalquivir too much exposed to the sudden sallies and insults\nof the Moors. As the land was level, they easily scoured the fields,\ncarried off horses and stragglers from the camp, and kept it in\ncontinual alarm. He drew off, therefore, to a securer place, called\nTablada, the same where at present is situated the hermitage of\nNuestra Se\u00f1ora de el Balme. Here he had a profound ditch digged all\nround the camp, to shut up the passes from the Moorish cavalry. He\nappointed patrols of horsemen also, completely armed, who continually\nmade the rounds of the camp, in successive bands, at all hours of\nthe day and night.[89] In a little while his army was increased by\nthe arrival of troops from all parts,\u2014nobles, cavaliers, and rich\nmen, with their retainers,\u2014nor were there wanting holy prelates,\nwho assumed the warrior, and brought large squadrons of well-armed\nvassals to the army. Merchants and artificers now daily arrived,\nand wandering minstrels, and people of all sorts, and the camp\nappeared like a warlike city, where rich and sumptuous merchandise\nwas mingled with the splendor of arms; and the various colors of the\ntents and pavilions, and the fluttering standards and pennons bearing\nthe painted devices of the proudest houses of Spain, were gay and\nglorious to behold.\n\n  [89] _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, \u00a7 viii.\n\nWhen the king had established the camp in Tablada he ordered that\nevery day the foragers should sally forth in search of provisions and\nprovender, guarded by strong bodies of troops. The various chiefs of\nthe army took turns to command the guard who escorted the foragers.\nOne day it was the turn of Garci Perez, the same cavalier who had\nkilled the king of the Azules. He was a hardy, iron warrior, seasoned\nand scarred in warfare, and renowned among both Moors and Christians\nfor his great prowess, his daring courage, and his coolness in the\nmidst of danger. Garci Perez had lingered in the camp until some time\nafter the foragers had departed, who were already out of sight. He at\nlength set out to join them, accompanied by another cavalier. They\nhad not proceeded far before they perceived seven Moorish genetes, or\nlight-horsemen, directly in their road. When the companion of Garci\nPerez beheld such a formidable array of foes, he paused and said:\n\u201cSe\u00f1or Perez, let us return; the Moors are seven and we but two,\nand there is no law in the _duello_ which obliges us to make front\nagainst such fearful odds.\u201d\n\nTo this Garci Perez replied: \u201cSe\u00f1or, forward, always forward; let us\ncontinue on our road; those Moors will never wait for us.\u201d The other\ncavalier, however, exclaimed such rashness, and turning the reins\nof his horse, returned as privately as possible to the camp, and\nhastened to his tent.\n\nAll this happened within sight of the camp. The king was at the door\nof his royal tent, which stood on a rising ground and overlooked the\nplace where this occurred. When the king saw one cavalier return and\nthe other continue, notwithstanding that there were seven Moors in\nthe road, he ordered that some horsemen should ride forth to his aid.\n\nUpon this Don Lorenzo Xuarez, who was with the king and had seen\nGarci Perez sally forth from the camp, said: \u201cYour majesty may leave\nthat cavalier to himself; that is Garci Perez, and he has no need\nof aid against seven Moors. If the Moors know him they will not\nmeddle with him; and if they do, your majesty will see what kind of a\ncavalier he is.\u201d\n\nThey continued to watch the cavalier, who rode on tranquilly as if in\nno apprehension. When he drew nigh to the Moors, who were drawn up on\neach side of the road, he took his arms from his squire and ordered\nhim not to separate from him. As he was lacing his _morion_, an\nembroidered cap which he wore on his head fell to the ground without\nhis perceiving it. Having laced the capellina, he continued on his\nway, and his squire after him. When the Moors saw him near by they\nknew by his arms that it was Garci Perez, and bethinking them of his\ngreat renown for terrible deeds in arms, they did not dare to attack\nhim, but went along the road even with him, he on one side, they on\nthe other, making menaces.\n\nGarci Perez went on his road with great serenity, without making any\nmovement. When the Moors saw that he heeded not their menaces, they\nturned round and went back to about the place where he dropped his\ncap.\n\nHaving arrived at some distance from the Moors, he took off his arms\nto return them to his squire, and unlacing the capellina, found that\nthe cap was wanting. He asked the squire for it, but the latter\nknew nothing about it. Seeing that it had fallen, he again demanded\nhis arms of the squire and returned in search of it, telling his\nsquire to keep close behind him and look out well for it. The squire\nremonstrated. \u201cWhat, se\u00f1or,\u201d said he, \u201cwill you return and place\nyourself in such great peril for a mere capa? Have you not already\ndone enough for your honor, in passing so daringly by seven Moors,\nand have you not been singularly favored by fortune in escaping\nunhurt, and do you seek again to tempt fortune for a cap?\u201d\n\n\u201cSay no more,\u201d replied Garci Perez; \u201cthat cap was worked for me by\na fair lady; I hold it of great value. Besides, dost thou not see\nthat I have not a head to be without a cap?\u201d alluding to the baldness\nof his head, which had no hair in front. So saying, he tranquilly\nreturned towards the Moors. When Don Lorenzo Xuarez saw this, he\nsaid to the king: \u201cBehold! your majesty, how Garci Perez turns upon\nthe Moors; since they will not make an attack, he means to attack\nthem. Now your majesty will see the noble valor of this cavalier,\nif the Moors dare to await him.\u201d When the Moors beheld Garci Perez\napproaching they thought he meant to assault them, and drew off, not\ndaring to encounter him. When Don Lorenzo saw this he exclaimed,\u2014\n\n\u201cBehold! your majesty, the truth of what I told you. These Moors\ndare not wait for him. I knew well the valor of Garci Perez, and it\nappears the Moors are aware of it likewise.\u201d\n\nIn the mean time Garci Perez came to the place where the capa had\nfallen, and beheld it upon the earth. Then he ordered his squire to\ndismount and pick it up, and putting it deliberately on his head, he\ncontinued on his way to the foragers.\n\nWhen he returned to the camp from guarding the foragers, Don Lorenzo\nasked him, in presence of the king, who was the cavalier who had\nset out with him from the camp, but had turned back on sight of the\nMoors; he replied that he did not know him, and he was confused, for\nhe perceived that the king had witnessed what had passed, and he was\nso modest withal, that he was ever embarrassed when his deeds were\npraised in his presence.\n\nDon Lorenzo repeatedly asked him who was the recreant cavalier,\nbut he always replied that he did not know, although he knew full\nwell and saw him daily in the camp. But he was too generous to say\nanything that should take away the fame of another, and he charged\nhis squire that never, by word or look, he should betray the secret;\nso that, though inquiries were often made, the name of that cavalier\nwas never discovered.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nOf the Raft built by the Moors, and how it was boarded by Admiral\nBonifaz.\u2014Destruction of the Moorish Fleet.\u2014Succor from Africa.\n\n\nWhile the army of King Fernando the Saint harassed the city by land\nand cut off its supplies, the bold Bonifaz, with his fleet, shut up\nthe river, prevented all succor from Africa, and menaced to attack\nthe bridge between Triana and Seville, by which the city derived its\nsustenance from the opposite country. The Moors saw their peril. If\nthis pass were destroyed, famine must be the consequence, and the\nmultitude of their soldiers, on which at present they relied for\nsafety, would then become the cause of their destruction.\n\nSo the Moors devised a machine by which they hoped to sweep the\nriver and involve the invading fleet in ruin. They made a raft so\nwide that it reached from one bank to the other, and they placed\nall around it pots and vessels filled with resin, pitch, tar, and\nother combustibles, forming what is called Greek fire, and upon it\nwas a great number of armed men; and on each shore\u2014from the castle\nof Triana on the one side, and from the city on the other\u2014sallied\nforth legions of troops, to advance at the same time with the raft.\nThe raft was preceded by several vessels well armed, to attack the\nChristian ships, while the soldiers on the raft should hurl on board\ntheir pots of fire; and at length, setting all the combustibles in\na blaze, should send the raft flaming into the midst of the hostile\nfleet, and wrap it in one general conflagration.\n\nWhen everything was prepared, the Moors set off by land and water,\nconfident of success. But they proceeded in a wild, irregular manner,\nshouting and sounding drums and trumpets, and began to attack the\nChristian ships fiercely, but without concert, hurling their pots of\nfire from a distance, filling the air with smoke, but falling short\nof their enemy. The tumultuous uproar of their preparations had put\nall the Christians on their guard. The bold Bonifaz waited not to be\nassailed; he boarded the raft, attacked vigorously its defenders,\nput many of them to the sword, and drove the rest into the water,\nand succeeded in extinguishing the Greek fire. He then encountered\nthe ships of war, grappling them and fighting hand to hand from ship\nto ship. The action was furious and bloody, and lasted all the day.\nMany were cut down in flight, many fell into the water, and many in\ndespair threw themselves in and were drowned.\n\nThe battle had raged no less fiercely upon the land. On the side of\nSeville, the troops had issued from the camp of King Fernando, while\non the opposite shore the brave Master of Santiago, Don Pelayo Perez\nCorrea, with his warriors and fighting friars, had made sharp work\nwith the enemy. In this way a triple battle was carried on; there was\nthe rush of squadrons, the clash of arms, and the din of drums and\ntrumpets on either bank, while the river was covered with vessels,\ntearing each other to pieces as it were, their crews fighting in the\nmidst of flames and smoke, the waves red with blood and filled with\nthe bodies of the slain. At length the Christians were victorious;\nmost of the enemies\u2019 vessels were taken or destroyed, and on either\nshore the Moors, broken and discomfited, fled,\u2014those on the one side\nfor the gates of Seville, and those on the other for the castle of\nTriana,\u2014pursued with great slaughter by the victors.\n\nNotwithstanding the great destruction of their fleet, the Moors soon\nrenewed their attempts upon the ships of Ramon Bonifaz, for they knew\nthat the salvation of the city required the freedom of the river.\nSuccor arrived from Africa, of ships, with troops and provisions;\nthey rebuilt the fire-ships which had been destroyed, and incessant\ncombats, feints, and stratagems took place daily, both on land and\nwater. The admiral stood in great dread of the Greek fire used by\nthe Moors. He caused large stakes of wood to be placed in the river,\nto prevent the passage of the fire-ships. This for some time was of\navail; but the Moors, watching an opportunity when the sentinels\nwere asleep, came and threw cables round the stakes, and fastening\nthe other ends to their vessels, made all sail, and, by the help\nof wind and oars, tore away the stakes and carried them off with\nshouts of triumph. The clamorous exultation of the Moors betrayed\nthem. The Admiral Bonifaz was aroused. With a few of the lightest of\nhis vessels he immediately pursued the enemy. He came upon them so\nsuddenly that they were too much bewildered either to fight or fly.\nSome threw themselves into the waves in affright; others attempted to\nmake resistance and were cut down. The admiral took four barks laden\nwith arms and provisions, and with these returned in triumph to his\nfleet.[90]\n\n  [90] _Cronica Gotica_, L. 3, \u00a7 13. _Cronica General_, pt. 4.\n  _Cronica de Santo Rey_, c. 55.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nOf the Stout Prior Ferran Ruyz, and how he rescued his Cattle from\nthe Moors.\u2014Further Enterprises of the Prior, and of the Ambuscade\ninto which he Fell.\n\n\nIt happened one day that a great part of the cavaliers of the army\nwere absent, some making cavalgadas about the country, others\nguarding the foragers, and others gone to receive the Prince Alfonso,\nwho was on his way to the camp from Murcia. At this time ten Moorish\ncavaliers, of the brave lineage of the Azules, finding the Christian\ncamp but thinly peopled, came prowling about, seeking where they\nmight make a bold inroad. As they were on the lookout they came to\nthat part of the camp where were the tents of the stout Friar Ferran\nRuyz, prior of the hospital. The stout prior, and his fighting\nbrethren, were as good at foraging as fighting. Around their quarters\nthere were several sleek cows grazing, which they had carried off\nfrom the Moors. When the Azules saw these, they thought to make a\ngood prize, and to bear off the prior\u2019s cattle as a trophy. Careering\nlightly round, therefore, between the cattle and the camp, they began\nto drive them towards the city. The alarm was given in the camp,\nand six sturdy friars sallied forth, on foot, with two cavaliers,\nin pursuit of the marauders. The prior himself was roused by the\nnoise; when he heard that the beeves of the Church were in danger\nhis ire was kindled; and buckling on his armor, he mounted his steed\nand galloped furiously to the aid of his valiant friars, and the\nrescue of his cattle. The Moors attempted to urge on the lagging\nand full-fed kine, but finding the enemy close upon them, they were\nobliged to abandon their spoil among the olive-trees, and to retreat.\nThe prior then gave the cattle in charge to a squire, to drive them\nback to the camp. He would have returned himself, but his friars had\ncontinued on for some distance. The stout prior, therefore, gave\nspurs to his horse and galloped beyond them, to turn them back.\nSuddenly great shouts and cries arose before and behind him, and\nan ambuscade of Moors, both horse and foot, came rushing out of a\nravine. The stout Prior of San Juan saw that there was no retreat;\nand he disdained to render himself a prisoner. Commending himself to\nhis patron saint, and bracing his shield, he charged bravely among\nthe Moors, and began to lay about him with a holy zeal of spirit\nand a vigorous arm of flesh. Every blow that he gave was in the\nname of San Juan, and every blow laid an infidel in the dust. His\nfriars, seeing the peril of their leader, came running to his aid,\naccompanied by a number of cavaliers. They rushed into the fight,\nshouting, \u201cSan Juan! San Juan!\u201d and began to deal such sturdy blows\nas savored more of the camp than of the cloister. Great and fierce\nwas this struggle between cowl and turban. The ground was strewn\nwith bodies of the infidels; but the Christians were a mere handful\namong a multitude. A burly friar, commander of Sietefilla, was struck\nto the earth, and his shaven head cleft by a blow of a scimetar;\nseveral squires and cavaliers, to the number of twenty, fell covered\nwith wounds; yet still the stout prior and his brethren continued\nfighting with desperate fury, shouting incessantly, \u201cSan Juan! San\nJuan!\u201d and dealing their blows with as good heart as they had ever\ndealt benedictions on their followers.\n\nThe noise of this skirmish, and the holy shouts of the fighting\nfriars, resounded through the camp. The alarm was given, \u201cThe Prior\nof San Juan is surrounded by the enemy! To the rescue! to the\nrescue!\u201d The whole Christian host was in agitation, but none were so\nalert as those holy warriors of the Church, Don Garcia, Bishop of\nCordova, and Don Sancho, Bishop of Coria. Hastily summoning their\nvassals, horse and foot, they bestrode their steeds, with cuirass\nover cassock, and lance instead of crosier, and set off at full\ngallop to the rescue of their brother saints. When the Moors saw the\nwarrior bishops and their retainers scouring to the field, they gave\nover the contest, and leaving the prior and his companions, they drew\noff towards the city. Their retreat was soon changed to a headlong\nflight; for the bishops, not content with rescuing the prior,\ncontinued in pursuit of his assailants. The Moorish foot-soldiers\nwere soon overtaken and either slaughtered or made prisoners: nor\ndid the horsemen make good their retreat into the city, until\nthe powerful arm of the Church had visited their rear with pious\nvengeance.[91] Nor did the chastisement of Heaven end here. The stout\nprior of the hospital, being once aroused, was full of ardor and\nenterprise. Concerting with the Prince Don Enrique, and the Masters\nof Calatrava and Alcantara, and the valiant Lorenzo Xuarez, they made\na sudden assault by night on the suburb of Seville called Benaljofar,\nand broke their way into it with fire and sword. The Moors were\nroused from their sleep by the flames of their dwellings and the\nshouts of the Christians. There was hard and bloody fighting. The\nprior of the hospital, with his valiant friars, was in the fiercest\nof the action, and their war-cry of \u201cSan Juan! San Juan!\u201d was heard\nin all parts of the suburb. Many houses were burnt, many sacked, many\nMoors slain or taken prisoners, and the Christian knights and warrior\nfriars, having gathered together a great cavalgada of the flocks and\nherds which were in the suburb, drove it off in triumph to the camp,\nby the light of the blazing dwellings.\n\n  [91] _Cronica General_, pt. 4, p. 338.\n\nA like inroad was made by the prior and the same cavaliers, a few\nnights afterwards, into the suburb called Macarena, which they laid\nwaste in like manner, bearing off wealthy spoils. Such was the pious\nvengeance which the Moors brought upon themselves by meddling with\nthe kine of the stout prior of the hospital.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nBravado of the Three Cavaliers.\u2014Ambush at the Bridge over the\nGuadayra.\u2014Desperate Valor of Garci Perez.\u2014Grand Attempt of Admiral\nBonifaz on the Bridge of Boats.\u2014Seville dismembered from Triana.\n\n\nOf all the Christian cavaliers who distinguished themselves in this\nrenowned siege of Seville, there was none who surpassed in valor the\nbold Garci Perez de Vargas. This hardy knight was truly enamored\nof danger, and like a gamester with his gold, he seemed to have no\npleasure of his life except in putting it in constant jeopardy.\nOne of the greatest friends of Garci Perez was Don Lorenzo Xuarez\nGallinato, the same who had boasted of the valor of Garci Perez at\nthe time that he exposed himself to be attacked by seven Moorish\nhorsemen. They were not merely companions, but rivals in arms; for in\nthis siege it was the custom among the Christian knights to vie with\neach other in acts of daring enterprise.\n\nOne morning, as Garci Perez, Don Lorenzo Xuarez, and a third\ncavalier, named Alfonso Tello, were on horseback, patrolling the\nskirts of the camp, a friendly contest rose between them as to\nwho was most adventurous in arms. To settle the question, it was\ndetermined to put the proof to the Moors, by going alone and\nstriking the points of their lances in the gate of the city.\n\nNo sooner was this mad bravado agreed upon than they turned the reins\nof their horses and made for Seville. The Moorish sentinels, from and\ntowers of the gate, saw three Christian knights advancing over the\nplain, and supposed them to be messengers or deserters from the army.\nWhen the cavaliers drew near, each struck his lance against the gate,\nand wheeling round, put spurs to his horse and retreated. The Moors,\nconsidering this a scornful defiance, were violently exasperated, and\nsallied forth in great numbers to revenge the insult. They soon were\nhard on the traces of the Christian cavaliers. The first who turned\nto fight with them was Alfonso Tello, being of a fiery and impatient\nspirit. The second was Garci Perez; the third was Don Lorenzo, who\nwaited until the Moors came up with them, when he braced his shield,\ncouched his lance, and took the whole brunt of their charge. A\ndesperate fight took place, for though the Moors were overwhelming\nin number, the cavaliers were three of the most valiant warriors in\nSpain. The conflict was beheld from the camp. The alarm was given;\nthe Christian cavaliers hastened to the rescue of their companions\nin arms; squadron after squadron pressed to the field, the Moors\npoured out reinforcements from the gate; in this way a general battle\nensued, which lasted a great part of the day, until the Moors were\nvanquished and driven within their walls.\n\nThere was one of the gates of Seville, called the gate of the\nAlcazar, which led out to a small bridge over the Guadayra. Out of\nthis gate the Moors used to make frequent sallies, to fall suddenly\nupon the Christian camp, or to sweep off the flocks and herds about\nits outskirts, and then to scour back to the bridge, beyond which it\nwas dangerous to pursue them.\n\nThe defense of this part of the camp was intrusted to those two\nvaliant compeers in arms, Garci Perez de Vargas and Don Lorenzo\nXuarez; and they determined to take ample revenge upon the Moors for\nall the depredations they had committed. They chose, therefore, about\ntwo hundred hardy cavaliers, the flower of those seasoned warriors on\nthe opposite side of the Guadalquivir, who formed the little army of\nthe good Master of Santiago. When they were all assembled together,\nDon Lorenzo put them in ambush, in the way by which the Moors were\naccustomed to pass in their maraudings, and he instructed them, in\npursuing the Moors, to stop at the bridge, and by no means to pass\nbeyond it; for between it and the city there was a great host of the\nenemy, and the bridge was so narrow that to retreat over it would\nbe perilous in the extreme. This order was given to all, but was\nparticularly intended for Garci Perez, to restrain his daring spirit,\nwhich was ever apt to run into peril.\n\nThey had not been long in ambush when they heard the distant tramp\nof the enemy upon the bridge, and found that the Moors were upon\nthe forage. They kept concealed, and the Moors passed by them in\ncareless and irregular manner, as men apprehending no danger. Scarce\nhad they gone by when the cavaliers rushed forth, charged into the\nmidst of them, and threw them all into confusion. Many were killed or\noverthrown in the shock, the rest took to flight, and made at full\nspeed for the bridge. Most of the Christian soldiers, according to\norders, stopped at the bridge; but Don Lorenzo, with a few of his\ncavaliers, followed the enemy half way across, making great havoc in\nthat narrow pass. Many of the Moors, in their panic, flung themselves\nfrom the bridge, and perished in the Guadayra; others were cut down\nand trampled under the hoofs of friends and foes. Don Lorenzo, in\nthe heat of the fight, cried aloud incessantly, defying the Moors,\nand proclaiming his name,\u2014\u201cTurn hither! turn hither! \u2019Tis I, Lorenzo\nXuarez!\u201d But few of the Moors cared to look him in the face.\n\nDon Lorenzo now returned to his cavaliers, but on looking round,\nGarci Perez was not to be seen. All were dismayed, fearing some evil\nfortune had befallen him; when, on casting their eyes beyond the\nbridge, they saw him on the opposite side, surrounded by Moors and\nfighting with desperate valor.\n\n\u201cGarci Perez has deceived us,\u201d said Don Lorenzo, \u201cand has passed the\nbridge, contrary to agreement. But to the rescue, comrades! never\nlet it be said that so good a cavalier as Garci Perez was lost for\nwant of our assistance.\u201d So saying, they all put spurs to their\nhorses, rushed again upon the bridge, and broke their way across,\ncutting down and overturning the Moors, and driving great numbers to\nfling themselves into the river. When the Moors who had surrounded\nGarci Perez saw this band of cavaliers rushing from the bridge, they\nturned to defend themselves. The contest was fierce, but broken;\nmany of the Moors took refuge in the river, but the Christians\nfollowed and slew them among the waves. They continued fighting for\nthe remainder of the day, quite up to the gate of the Alcazar; and\nif the chronicles of the times speak with their usual veracity, full\nthree thousand infidels bit the dust on that occasion. When Don\nLorenzo returned to the camp, and was in presence of the king and\nof numerous cavaliers, great encomiums were passed upon his valor;\nbut he modestly replied that Garci Perez had that day made them good\nsoldiers by force.\n\nFrom that time forward the Moors attempted no further inroads into\nthe camp, so severe a lesson had they received from these brave\ncavaliers.[92]\n\n  [92] _Cronica General de Espa\u00f1a_, pt. 4. _Cronica del Rey\n  Fernando el Santo_, c. 60. _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, p. 126.\n\nThe city of Seville was connected with the suburb of Triana by a\nstrong bridge of boats, fastened together by massive chains of iron.\nBy this bridge a constant communication was kept up between Triana\nand the city, and mutual aid and support passed and repassed. While\nthis bridge remained, it was impossible to complete the investment of\nthe city, or to capture the castle of Triana.\n\nThe bold Admiral Bonifaz at length conceived a plan to break this\nbridge asunder, and thus to cut off all communication between the\ncity and Triana. No sooner had this idea entered his mind than he\nlanded, and proceeded with great speed to the royal tent, to lay it\nbefore the king. Then a consultation was summoned by the king of\nancient mariners and artificers of ships, and other persons learned\nin maritime affairs; and after Admiral Bonifaz had propounded his\nplan, it was thought to be good, and all preparations were made\nto carry it into effect. The admiral took two of his largest and\nstrongest ships, and fortified them at the prows with solid timber\nand with plates of iron; and he put within them a great number of\nchosen men, well armed and provided with everything for attack and\ndefense. Of one he took the command himself. It was the third day of\nMay, the day of the most Holy Cross, that he chose for this grand and\nperilous attempt; and the pious King Fernando, to insure success,\nordered that a cross should be carried as a standard at the masthead\nof each ship.\n\nOn the third of May, towards the hour of noon, the two ships\ndescended the Guadalquivir for some distance, to gain room to come\nup with the greater violence. Here they waited the rising of the\ntide, and as soon as it was in full force, and a favorable wind\nhad sprung up from the sea, they hoisted anchor, spread all sail,\nand put themselves in the midst of the current. The whole shores\nwere lined on each side with Christian troops, watching the event\nwith great anxiety. The king and the Prince Alfonso, with their\nwarriors, on the one side had drawn close to the city to prevent the\nsallying forth of the Moors, while the good Master of Santiago, Don\nPelayo Perez Correa, kept watch upon the gates of Triana. The Moors\ncrowded the tops of their towers, their walls and house-tops, and\nprepared engines and weapons of all kinds to overwhelm the ships with\ndestruction.\n\nTwice the bold admiral set all sail and started on his career, and\ntwice the wind died away before he had proceeded half his course.\nShouts of joy and derision rose from the walls and towers of Seville,\nwhile the warriors in the ships began to fear that their attempt\nwould be unsuccessful. At length a fresh and strong wind arose\nthat swelled every sail and sent the ships ploughing up the waves\nof the Guadalquivir. A dead silence prevailed among the hosts on\neither bank, even the Moors remained silent, in fixed and breathless\nsuspense. When the ships arrived within reach of the walls of the\ncity and the suburbs, a tremendous attack was commenced from every\nwall and tower; great engines discharged stones and offensive weapons\nof all kinds, and flaming pots of Greek fire. On the tower of gold\nwere stationed catapults and vast cross-bows that were worked with\ncranks, and from hence an iron shower was rained upon the ships. The\nMoors in Triana were equally active; from every wall and turret, from\nhouse-tops, and from the banks of the river, an incessant assault was\nkept up with catapults, cross-bows, slings, darts, and everything\nthat could annoy. Through all this tempest of war, the ships kept\non their course. The first ship which arrived struck the bridge on\nthe part towards Triana. The shock resounded from shore to shore,\nthe whole fabric trembled, the ship recoiled and reeled, but the\nbridge was unbroken; and shouts of joy rose from the Moors on each\nside of the river. Immediately after came the ship of the admiral.\nIt struck the bridge just about the centre with a tremendous crash.\nThe iron chains which bound the boats together snapped as if they\nhad been flax. The boats were crushed and shattered and flung wide\nasunder, and the ship of the admiral proceeded in triumph through\nthe open space. No sooner did the king and the Prince Alfonso see\nthe success of the admiral, than they pressed with their troops\nclosely round the city, and prevented the Moors from sallying forth;\nwhile the ships, having accomplished their enterprise, extricated\nthemselves from their dangerous situation, and returned in triumph to\ntheir accustomed anchorage. This was the fatal blow that dismembered\nSeville from Triana, and insured the downfall of the city.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nInvestment of Triana.\u2014Garci Perez and the Infanzon.\n\n\nOn the day after the breaking of the bridge, the king, the Prince\nAlfonso, the Prince Enrique, the various masters of the orders, and\na great part of the army, crossed the Guadalquivir and commenced an\nattack on Triana, while the bold Admiral Bonifaz approached with his\nships and assaulted the place from the water. But the Christian army\nwas unprovided with ladders or machines for the attack, and fought to\ngreat disadvantage. The Moors, from the safe shelter of their walls\nand towers, rained a shower of missiles of all kinds. As they were\nso high above the Christians, their arrows, darts, and lances came\nwith the greater force. They were skillful with the cross-bow, and\nhad engines of such force that the darts which they discharged would\nsometimes pass through a cavalier all armed, and bury themselves in\nthe earth.[93]\n\n  [93] _Cronica General_, pt. 4, 341.\n\nThe very women combated from the walls, and hurled down stones that\ncrushed the warriors beneath.\n\nWhile the army was closely investing Triana, and fierce encounters\nwere daily taking place between Moor and Christian, there arrived at\nthe camp a youthful Infanzon, or noble, of proud lineage. He brought\nwith him a shining train of vassals, all newly armed and appointed,\nand his own armor, all fresh and lustrous, showed none of the dents\nand bruises and abuses of the war. As this gay and gorgeous cavalier\nwas patrolling the camp, with several cavaliers, he beheld Garci\nPerez pass by, in armor and accoutrements all worn and soiled by the\nhard service he had performed, and he saw a similar device to his\nown, of white waves, emblazoned on the scutcheon of this unknown\nwarrior. Then the nobleman was highly ruffled and incensed, and he\nexclaimed, \u201cHow is this? who is this sorry cavalier that dares to\nbear these devices? By my faith, he must either give them up or show\nhis reasons for usurping them.\u201d The other cavaliers exclaimed, \u201cBe\ncautious how you speak; this is Garci Perez; a braver cavalier wears\nnot sword in Spain. For all he goes thus modestly and quietly about,\nhe is a very lion in the field, nor does he assume anything that he\ncannot well maintain. Should he hear this which you have said, trust\nus he would not rest quiet until he had terrible satisfaction.\u201d\n\nNow so it happened that certain mischief-makers carried word to Garci\nPerez of what the nobleman had said, expecting to see him burst into\nfierce indignation, and defy the other to the field. But Garci Perez\nremained tranquil, and said not a word.\n\nWithin a day or two after, there was a sally from the castle of\nTriana and a hot skirmish between the Moors and Christians; and Garci\nPerez and the Infanzon, and a number of cavaliers, pursued the Moors\nup to the barriers of the castle. Here the enemy rallied and made a\nfierce defense, and killed several of the cavaliers. But Garci Perez\nput spurs to his horse, and couching his lance, charged among the\nthickest of the foes, and followed by a handful of his companions,\ndrove the Moors to the very gates of Triana. The Moors seeing how\nfew were their pursuers turned upon them, and dealt bravely with\nsword and lance and mace, while stones and darts and arrows were\nrained down from the towers above the gates. At length the Moors\ntook refuge within the walls, leaving the field to the victorious\ncavaliers. Garci Perez drew off coolly and calmly amidst a shower of\nmissiles from the wall. He came out of the battle with his armor all\nbattered and defaced; his helmet bruised, the crest broken off, and\nhis buckler so dented and shattered that the device could scarcely be\nperceived. On returning to the barrier, he found there the Infanzon,\nwith his armor all uninjured, and his armorial bearing as fresh as if\njust emblazoned, for the vaunting warrior had not ventured beyond the\nbarrier. Then Garci Perez drew near to the Infanzon, and eying him\nfrom head to foot, \u201cSe\u00f1or cavalier,\u201d said he, \u201cyou may well dispute\nmy right to wear this honorable device in my shield, since you see I\ntake so little care of it that it is almost destroyed. You, on the\nother hand, are worthy of bearing it. You are the guardian angel of\nhonor, since you guard it so carefully as to put it to no risk. I\nwill only observe to you that the sword kept in the scabbard rusts,\nand the valor that is never put to the proof becomes sullied.\u201d[94]\n\n  [94] _Cronica General_, pt. 4. _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, \u00a7 16.\n\nAt these words the Infanzon was deeply humiliated, for he saw\nthat Garci Perez had heard of his empty speeches, and he felt how\nunworthily he had spoken of so valiant and magnanimous a cavalier.\n\u201cSe\u00f1or cavalier,\u201d said he, \u201cpardon my ignorance and presumption; you\nalone are worthy of bearing those arms, for you derive not nobility\nfrom them, but ennoble them by your glorious deeds.\u201d\n\nThen Garci Perez blushed at the praises he had thus drawn upon\nhimself, and he regretted the harshness of his words towards the\nInfanzon, and he not merely pardoned him all that had passed, but\ngave him his hand in pledge of amity, and from that time they were\nclose friends and companions in arms.[95]\n\n  [95] _Cronica General_, pt. 4. _Cronica del Rey Santo._ _Corona\n  Gothica_, T. 3, \u00a7 16.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\nCapitulation of Seville.\u2014Dispersion of the Moorish\nInhabitants.\u2014Triumphant Entry of King Fernando.\n\n\nAbout this time there arrived in Seville a Moorish alfaqui, named\nOrias, with a large company of warriors, who came to this war as if\nperforming a pilgrimage, for it was considered a holy war no less\nby infidels than Christians. This Orias was of a politic and crafty\nnature, and he suggested to the commander of Seville a stratagem by\nwhich they might get Prince Alfonso in their power, and compel King\nFernando to raise the siege by way of ransom. The counsel of Orias\nwas adopted, after a consultation with the principal cavaliers,\nand measures taken to carry it into execution; a Moor was sent,\ntherefore, as if secretly and by stealth, to Prince Alfonso, and\noffered to put him in possession of two towers of the wall, if he\nwould come in person to receive them, which towers once in his\npossession, it would be easy to overpower the city.\n\nPrince Alfonso listened to the envoy with seeming eagerness, but\nsuspected some deceit, and thought it unwise to put his person in\nsuch jeopardy. Lest, however, there should be truth in his proposals,\na party of chosen cavaliers were sent as if to take possession of\nthe towers, and with them was Don Pero Nu\u00f1ez de Guzman, disguised as\nthe prince.\n\nWhen they came to the place where the Moors had appointed to meet\nthem, they beheld a party of infidels, strongly armed, who advanced\nwith sinister looks, and attempted to surround Don Nu\u00f1ez, but he,\nbeing on his guard, put spurs to his horse, and, breaking through the\nmidst of them, escaped. His companions followed his example, all but\none, who was struck from his horse and cut to pieces by the Moors.[96]\n\n  [96] _Cronica General_, pt. 4, p. 424.\n\nJust after this event there arrived a great reinforcement to the camp\nfrom the city of Cordova, bringing provisions and various munitions\nof war. Finding his army thus increased, the king had a consultation\nwith Admiral Bonifaz, and determined completely to cut off all\ncommunication between Seville and Triana, for the Moors still crossed\nthe river occasionally by fording. When they were about to carry\ntheir plan into effect, the crafty Alfaqui Orias crossed to Triana,\naccompanied by a number of Ganzules. He was charged with instructions\nto the garrison, and to concert some mode of reuniting their forces,\nor of effecting some blow upon the Christian camp; for unless they\ncould effect a union and co\u00f6peration, it would be impossible to make\nmuch longer resistance.\n\nScarce had Orias passed, when the Christian sentinels gave notice.\nUpon this, a detachment of the Christian army immediately crossed\nand took possession of the opposite shore, and Admiral Bonifaz\nstationed his fleet in the middle of the river. Thus the return of\nOrias was prevented, and all intercourse between the places, even\nby messenger, completely interrupted. The city and Triana were now\nseverally attacked, and unable to render each other assistance. The\nMoors were daily diminishing in number; many slain in battle, many\ntaken captive, and many dying of hunger and disease. The Christian\nforces were daily augmenting, and were animated by continual success,\nwhereas mutiny and sedition began to break out among the inhabitants\nof the city. The Moorish commander Axataf, therefore, seeing all\nfurther resistance vain, sent ambassadors to capitulate with King\nFernando. It was a hard and humiliating struggle to resign this fair\ncity, the queen of Andalusia, the seat of Moorish sway and splendor,\nand which had been under Moorish domination ever since the Conquest.\n\nThe valiant Axataf endeavored to make various conditions; that King\nFernando should raise the siege on receiving the tribute which had\nhitherto been paid to the miramamolin. This being peremptorily\nrefused, he offered to give up a third of the city, and then half,\nbuilding at his own cost a wall to divide the Moorish part from the\nChristian. King Fernando, however, would listen to no such terms.\nHe demanded the entire surrender of the place, with the exception\nof the persons and effects of the inhabitants, and permitting the\ncommander to retain possession of St. Lucar, Aznal Farache, and\nNiebla. The commander of Seville saw the sword suspended over his\nhead, and had to submit; the capitulations of the surrender were\nsigned, when Axataf made one last request, that he might be permitted\nto demolish the grand mosque and the principal tower (or Giralda) of\nthe city.[97] He felt that these would remain perpetual monuments of\nhis disgrace. The Prince Alfonso was present when this last demand\nwas made, and his father looked at him significantly, as if he\ndesired the reply to come from his lips. The prince rose indignantly\nand exclaimed, that if there should be a single tile missing from\nthe temple or a single brick from the tower, it should be paid by so\nmany lives that the streets of Seville should run with blood. The\nMoors were silenced by this reply, and prepared with heavy hearts to\nfulfill the capitulation. One month was allowed them for the purpose,\nthe alcazar or citadel of Seville being given up to the Christians as\na security.\n\n  [97] _Mariana_, L. 13, c. 7.\n\nOn the twenty-third day of November this important fortress was\nsurrendered, after a siege of eighteen months. A deputation of the\nprincipal Moors came forth and presented King Fernando with the keys\nof the city; at the same time the aljamia, or council of the Jews,\npresented him with the key of Jewry, the quarter of the city which\nthey inhabited. This key was notable for its curious workmanship. It\nwas formed of all kinds of metals. The guards of it were wrought into\nletters, bearing the following signification,\u2014\u201cGod will open\u2014the\nking will enter.\u201d On the ring was inscribed in Hebrew,\u2014\u201cThe King of\nkings will enter; all the world will behold him.\u201d This key is still\npreserved in the cathedral of Seville, in the place where repose the\nremains of the sainted King Fernando.[98]\n\n  [98] In Castile, whenever the kings entered any place where\n  there was a synagogue, the Jews assembled in council and paid to\n  the Monteros, or bull-fighters, twelve maravedis each, to guard\n  them, that they should receive no harm from the the Christians;\n  being held in such contempt and odium, that it was necessary they\n  should be under the safeguard of the king, not to be injured or\n  insulted.[A]\n\n  [A] Zuniga, _Annales de Sevilla_.\n\nDuring the month of grace the Moors sold such of their effects as\nthey could not carry with them, and the king provided vessels for\nsuch as chose to depart for Africa. Upwards of one hundred thousand,\nit is said, were thus convoyed by Admiral Bonifaz, while upwards of\ntwo hundred thousand dispersed themselves throughout such of the\nterritory of Andalusia as still remained in possession of the Moors.\n\nWhen the month was expired, and the city was evacuated by its Moorish\ninhabitants, King Fernando the Saint entered in solemn triumph, in a\ngrand religious and military procession. There were all the captains\nand cavaliers of the army, in shining armor, with the prelates, and\nmasters of the religious and military orders, and the nobility of\nCastile, Leon, and Aragon, in their richest apparel. The streets\nresounded with the swelling notes of martial music and with the\njoyous acclamations of the multitude.\n\nIn the midst of the procession was the venerable effigy of the most\nHoly Mary, on a triumphal car of silver, wrought with admirable\nskill; and immediately after followed the pious king, with a drawn\nsword in his hand, and on his left was Prince Alfonso and the other\nprinces.\n\nThe procession advanced to the principal mosque, which had been\npurified and consecrated as a Christian temple, where the triumphal\ncar of the Holy Virgin was placed at the grand altar. Here the pious\nking knelt and returned thanks to Heaven and the Virgin for this\nsignal victory, and all present chanted _Te Deum Laudamus_.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\nDeath of King Fernando.\n\n\nWhen King Fernando had regulated everything for the good government\nand prosperity of Seville, he sallied forth with his conquering army\nto subdue the surrounding country. He soon brought under subjection\nXerez, Medina Sidonia, Alua, Bepel, and many other places near the\nsea-coast; some surrendered voluntarily, others were taken by force;\nhe maintained a strict peace with his vassal the King of Granada,\nbut finding not sufficient scope for his arms in Spain, and being\ninflamed with a holy zeal in the cause of the faith, he determined to\npass over into Africa, and retaliate upon the Moslems their daring\ninvasion of his country. For this purpose he ordered a powerful\narmada to be prepared in the ports of Cantabria, to be put under the\ncommand of the bold Admiral Bonifaz.\n\nIn the midst of his preparations, which spread consternation\nthroughout Mauritania, the pious king fell dangerously ill at Seville\nof a dropsy. When he found his dying hour approaching, he made\nhis death-bed confession, and requested the holy Sacrament to be\nadministered to him. A train of bishops and other clergy, among whom\nwas his son Philip, Archbishop of Seville, brought the Sacrament\ninto his presence. The king rose from his bed, threw himself on\nhis knees, with a rope round his neck and a crucifix in his hand,\nand poured forth his soul in penitence and prayer. Having received\nthe _viatica_ and the holy Sacrament, he commanded all ornaments\nof royalty to be taken from his chamber. He assembled his children\nround his bedside, and blessed his son the Prince Alfonso, as his\nfirst-born and the heir of his throne, giving him excellent advice\nfor the government of his kingdom, and charging him to protect the\ninterests of his brethren. The pious king afterwards fell into an\necstasy or trance, in which he beheld angels watching round his bed\nto bear his soul to heaven. He awoke from this in a state of heavenly\nrapture, and, asking for a candle, he took it in his hand and made\nhis ultimate profession of the faith. He then requested the clergy\npresent to repeat the litanies, and to chant the _Te Deum Laudamus_.\nIn chanting the first verse of the hymn, the king gently inclined\nhis head, with perfect serenity of countenance, and rendered up his\nspirit. \u201cThe hymn,\u201d says the ancient chronicle, \u201cwhich was begun on\nearth by men, was continued by the voices of angels, which were heard\nby all present.\u201d These doubtless were the angels which the king in\nhis ecstasy had beheld around his couch, and which now accompanied\nhim, in his glorious ascent to heaven, with songs of holy triumph.\nNor was it in his chamber alone that these voices were heard, but in\nall the royal alcazars of Seville, the sweetest voices were heard in\nthe air and seraphic music, as of angelic choirs, at the moment that\nthe sainted king expired.[99] He died on the 30th of May, the vespers\nof the Holy Trinity, in the year of the Incarnation one thousand\ntwo hundred and forty-two, aged seventy-three years\u2014having reigned\nthirty-five years over Castile and twenty over Leon.\n\n  [99] Pablo de Espinosa, _Grandesas de Sevilla_, fol. 146.\n  _Cronica del Santo Rey_, c. 78. _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, p. 166.\n\nTwo days after his death he was interred in his royal chapel in the\nHoly Church, in a sepulchre of alabaster, which still remains. It is\nasserted by grave authors that at the time of putting his body in the\nsepulchre, the choir of angels again was heard chanting his eulogium,\nand filling the air with sweet melody in praise of his virtues.[100]\n\n  [100] Argote de Molina, _Nobleza de Andaluzia_, L. 1, c. 21.\n  Tomas Bocio, _Signales de la Iglesia_, L. 20. Don Rodrigo\n  Sanchez, Bishop of Palencia, pt. 3, c. 40.\n\nWhen Alhamar, the Moorish king of Granada, heard of his death, he\ncaused great demonstrations of mourning to be made throughout his\ndominions. During his life he sent yearly a number of Moors with one\nhundred wax tapers, to assist at his exequies, which ceremony was\nobserved by his successors, until the time of the conquest of Granada\nby Fernando the Catholic.[101]\n\n  [101] Pablo de Espinosa, fol. 146.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSPANISH ROMANCE.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSPANISH ROMANCE.\n\n\n  _To the Editor of \u201cThe Knickerbocker\u201d:\u2014_\n\nSir,\u2014I have already given you a legend or two, drawn from ancient\nSpanish sources, and may occasionally give you a few more. I love\nthese old Spanish themes, especially when they have a dash of the\nMorisco in them, and treat of the times when the Moslems maintained\na foothold in the peninsula. They have a high, spicy, oriental\nflavor, not to be found in any other themes that are merely European.\nIn fact, Spain is a country that stands alone in the midst of\nEurope\u2014severed in habits, manners, and modes of thinking from all\nits continental neighbors. It is a romantic country; but its romance\nhas none of the sentimentality of modern European romance; it is\nchiefly derived from the brilliant regions of the East, and from the\nhigh-minded school of Saracenic chivalry.\n\nThe Arab invasion and conquest brought a higher civilization, and\na nobler style of thinking into Gothic Spain. The Arabs were a\nquick-witted, sagacious, proud-spirited, and poetical people, and\nwere imbued with oriental science and literature. Wherever they\nestablished a seat of power, it became a rallying-place for the\nlearned and ingenious; and they softened and refined the people\nwhom they conquered. By degrees, occupancy seemed to give them a\nhereditary right to their foothold in the land; they ceased to be\nlooked upon as invaders, and were regarded as rival neighbors. The\npeninsula, broken up into a variety of states, both Christian and\nMoslem, became for centuries a great campaigning ground, where the\nart of war seemed to be the principal business of man, and was\ncarried to the highest pitch of romantic chivalry. The original\nground of hostility, a difference of faith, gradually lost its\nrancor. Neighboring states, of opposite creeds, were occasionally\nlinked together in alliances, offensive and defensive; so that the\nCross and Crescent were to be seen side by side, fighting against\nsome common enemy. In times of peace, too, the noble youth of either\nfaith resorted to the same cities, Christian or Moslem, to school\nthemselves in military science. Even in the temporary truces of\nsanguinary wars, the warriors who had recently striven together in\nthe deadly conflicts of the field, laid aside their animosity, met at\ntournaments, jousts, and other military festivities, and exchanged\nthe courtesies of gentle and generous spirits. Thus the opposite\nraces became frequently mingled together in peaceful intercourse, or\nif any rivalry took place, it was in those high courtesies and nobler\nacts which bespeak the accomplished cavalier. Warriors of opposite\ncreeds became ambitious of transcending each other in magnanimity\nas well as valor. Indeed, the chivalric virtues were refined upon to\na degree sometimes fastidious and constrained, but at other times\ninexpressibly noble and affecting. The annals of the times teem with\nillustrious instances of high-wrought courtesy, romantic generosity,\nlofty disinterestedness, and punctilious honor, that warm the very\nsoul to read them. These have furnished themes for national plays\nand poems, or have been celebrated in those all-pervading ballads,\nwhich are as the life-breath of the people, and thus have continued\nto exercise an influence on the national character which centuries\nof vicissitude and decline have not been able to destroy; so that,\nwith all their faults, and they are many, the Spaniards, even at\nthe present day, are, on many points, the most high-minded and\nproud-spirited people of Europe. It is true, the romance of feeling\nderived from the sources I have mentioned has, like all other\nromance, its affectations and extremes. It renders the Spaniard at\ntimes pompous and grandiloquent; prone to carry the \u201cpundonor,\u201d or\npoint of honor, beyond the bounds of sober sense and sound morality;\ndisposed, in the midst of poverty, to affect the \u201cgrande caballero,\u201d\nand to look down with sovereign disdain upon arts \u201cmechanical,\u201d and\nall the gainful pursuits of plebeian life; but this very inflation\nof spirit, while it fills his brain with vapors, lifts him above a\nthousand meannesses; and though it often keeps him in indigence, ever\nprotects him from vulgarity.\n\nIn the present day when popular literature is running into the\nlow levels of life, and luxuriating on the vices and follies of\nmankind; and when the universal pursuit of gain is trampling down the\nearly growth of poetic feeling, and wearing out the verdure of the\nsoul, I question whether it would not be of service for the reader\noccasionally to turn to these records of prouder times and loftier\nmodes of thinking, and to steep himself to the very lips in old\nSpanish romance.\n\nFor my own part, I have a shelf or two of venerable, parchment-bound\ntomes, picked up here and there about the peninsula, and filled with\nchronicles, plays, and ballads about Moors and Christians, which\nI keep by me as mental tonics, in the same way that a provident\nhouse-wife has her cupboard of cordials. Whenever I find my mind\nbrought below par, by the common-place of every-day life, or jarred\nby the sordid collisions of the world, or put out of tune by the\nshrewd selfishness of modern utilitarianism, I resort to these\nvenerable tomes, as did the worthy hero of La Mancha to his books\nof chivalry, and refresh and tone up my spirit by a deep draught\nof their contents. They have some such effect upon me as Falstaff\nascribes to a good Sherris sack, \u201cwarming the blood, and filling the\nbrain with fiery and delectable shapes.\u201d\n\nI here subjoin, Mr. Editor, a small specimen of the cordials I have\nmentioned, just drawn from my Spanish cupboard, which I recommend to\nyour palate. If you find it to your taste, you may pass it on to your\nreaders.\n\n  Your correspondent and well-wisher,\n\n  GEOFFREY CRAYON.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEGEND OF DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA.\n\n\nIn the cloisters of the ancient Benedictine convent of San Domingo,\nat Silos, in Castile, are the mouldering yet magnificent monuments\nof the once powerful and chivalrous family of Hinojosa. Among these\nreclines the marble figure of a knight, in complete armor, with the\nhands pressed together, as if in prayer. On one side of his tomb\nis sculptured, in relief, a band of Christian cavaliers capturing\na cavalcade of male and female Moors; on the other side, the same\ncavaliers are represented kneeling before an altar. The tomb, like\nmost of the neighboring monuments, is almost in ruins, and the\nsculpture is nearly unintelligible, excepting to the keen eye of the\nantiquary. The story connected with the sepulchre, however, is still\npreserved in the old Spanish chronicles, and is to the following\npurport:\u2014\n\n\nIn old times, several hundred years ago, there was a noble Castilian\ncavalier, named Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa, lord of a border\ncastle, which had stood the brunt of many a Moorish foray. He\nhad seventy horsemen as his household troops, all of the ancient\nCastilian proof; stark warriors, hard riders, and men of iron: with\nthese he scoured the Moorish lands, and made his name terrible\nthroughout the borders. His castle hall was covered with banners\nand scimetars and Moslem helms, the trophies of his prowess. Don\nMunio was, moreover, a keen huntsman; and rejoiced in hounds of all\nkinds, steeds for the chase, and hawks for the towering sport of\nfalconry. When not engaged in warfare, his delight was to beat up\nthe neighboring forests; and scarcely ever did he ride forth without\nhound and horn, a boar-spear in his hand, or a hawk upon his fist,\nand an attendant train of huntsmen.\n\nHis wife, Do\u00f1a Maria Palacin, was of a gentle and timid nature,\nlittle fitted to be the spouse of so hardy and adventurous a knight;\nand many a tear did the poor lady shed when he sallied forth upon his\ndaring enterprises, and many a prayer did she offer up for his safety.\n\nAs this doughty cavalier was one day hunting, he stationed himself\nin a thicket, on the borders of a green glade of the forest, and\ndispersed his followers to rouse the game and drive it towards his\nstand. He had not been here long when a cavalcade of Moors, of both\nsexes, came pranking over the forest lawn. They were unarmed, and\nmagnificently dressed in robes of tissue and embroidery, rich shawls\nof India, bracelets and anklets of gold, and jewels that sparkled in\nthe sun.\n\nAt the head of this gay cavalcade rode a youthful cavalier, superior\nto the rest in dignity and loftiness of demeanor, and in splendor\nof attire; beside him was a damsel, whose veil, blown aside by the\nbreeze, displayed a face of surpassing beauty, and eyes cast down in\nmaiden modesty, yet beaming with tenderness and joy.\n\nDon Munio thanked his stars for sending him such a prize, and exulted\nat the thought of bearing home to his wife the glittering spoils of\nthese infidels. Putting his hunting-horn to his lips, he gave a blast\nthat rung through the forest. His huntsmen came running from all\nquarters, and the astonished Moors were surrounded and made captives.\n\nThe beautiful Moor wrung her hands in despair, and her female\nattendants uttered the most piercing cries. The young Moorish\ncavalier alone retained self-possession. He inquired the name of the\nChristian knight who commanded this troop of horsemen. When told\nthat it was Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa, his countenance lighted\nup. Approaching that cavalier, and kissing his hand, \u201cDon Munio\nSancho,\u201d said he, \u201cI have heard of your fame as a true and valiant\nknight, terrible in arms, but schooled in the noble virtues of\nchivalry. Such do I trust to find you. In me you behold Abadil, son\nof a Moorish alcaid. I am on the way to celebrate my nuptials with\nthis lady; chance has thrown us in your power, but I confide in your\nmagnanimity. Take all our treasure and jewels; demand what ransom you\nthink proper for our persons, but suffer us not to be insulted or\ndishonored.\u201d\n\nWhen the good knight heard this appeal, and beheld the beauty of the\nyouthful pair, his heart was touched with tenderness and courtesy.\n\u201cGod forbid,\u201d said he, \u201cthat I should disturb such happy nuptials. My\nprisoners in troth shall ye be, for fifteen days, and immured within\nmy castle, where I claim, as conqueror, the right of celebrating your\nespousals.\u201d\n\nSo saying, he dispatched one of his fleetest horsemen in advance, to\nnotify Do\u00f1a Maria Palacin of the coming of this bridal party; while\nhe and his huntsmen escorted the cavalcade, not as captors, but as\na guard of honor. As they drew near to the castle, the banners were\nhung out, and the trumpets sounded from the battlements; and on\ntheir nearer approach, the drawbridge was lowered, and Do\u00f1a Maria\ncame forth to meet them, attended by her ladies and knights, her\npages and her minstrels. She took the young bride, Allifra, in her\narms, kissed her with the tenderness of a sister, and conducted her\ninto the castle. In the mean time, Don Munio sent forth missives in\nevery direction, and had viands and dainties of all kinds collected\nfrom the country round; and the wedding of the Moorish lovers was\ncelebrated with all possible state and festivity. For fifteen days\nthe castle was given up to joy and revelry. There were tiltings and\njousts at the ring, and bull-fights, and banquets, and dances to the\nsound of minstrelsy. When the fifteen days were at an end, he made\nthe bride and bridegroom magnificent presents, and conducted them and\ntheir attendants safely beyond the borders. Such, in old times, were\nthe courtesy and generosity of a Spanish cavalier.\n\nSeveral years after this event, the king of Castile summoned his\nnobles to assist him in a campaign against the Moors. Don Munio\nSancho was among the first to answer to the call, with seventy\nhorsemen, all stanch and well-tried warriors. His wife, Do\u00f1a Maria,\nhung about his neck. \u201cAlas, my lord!\u201d exclaimed she, \u201chow often wilt\nthou tempt thy fate, and when will thy thirst for glory be appeased?\u201d\n\n\u201cOne battle more,\u201d replied Don Munio, \u201cone battle more, for the honor\nof Castile, and I here make a vow that when this is over, I will\nlay by my sword, and repair with my cavaliers in pilgrimage to the\nSepulchre of our Lord at Jerusalem.\u201d The cavaliers all joined with\nhim in the vow, and Do\u00f1a Maria felt in some degree soothed in spirit;\nstill, she saw with a heavy heart the departure of her husband, and\nwatched his banner with wistful eyes, until it disappeared among the\ntrees of the forest.\n\nThe king of Castile led his army to the plains of Salmanara, where\nthey encountered the Moorish host, near to Ucles. The battle was long\nand bloody; the Christians repeatedly wavered, and were as often\nrallied by the energy of their commanders. Don Munio was covered with\nwounds, but refused to leave the field. The Christians at length\ngave way, and the king was hardly pressed, and in danger of being\ncaptured.\n\nDon Munio called upon his cavaliers to follow him to the rescue. \u201cNow\nis the time,\u201d cried he, \u201cto prove your loyalty. Fall to, like brave\nmen! We fight for the true faith, and if we lose our lives here, we\ngain a better life hereafter.\u201d\n\nRushing with his men between the king and his pursuers, they checked\nthe latter in their career, and gave time for their monarch to\nescape; but they fell victims to their loyalty. They all fought\nto the last gasp. Don Munio was singled out by a powerful Moorish\nknight, but having been wounded in the right arm, he fought to\ndisadvantage, and was slain. The battle being over, the Moor paused\nto possess himself of the spoils of this redoubtable Christian\nwarrior. When he unlaced the helmet, however, and beheld the\ncountenance of Don Munio, he gave a great cry; and smote his breast.\n\u201cWoe is me?\u201d cried he, \u201cI have slain my benefactor! the flower of\nknightly virtue! the most magnanimous of cavaliers!\u201d\n\nWhile the battle had been raging on the plain of Salmanara, Do\u00f1a\nMaria Palacin remained in her castle, a prey to the keenest anxiety.\nHer eyes were ever fixed on the road that led from the country of the\nMoors, and often she asked the watchman of the tower, \u201cWhat seest\nthou?\u201d\n\nOne evening, at the shadowy hour of twilight, the warden sounded his\nhorn. \u201cI see,\u201d cried he, \u201ca numerous train winding up the valley.\nThere are mingled Moors and Christians. The banner of my lord is in\nthe advance. Joyful tidings!\u201d exclaimed the old seneschal; \u201cmy lord\nreturns in triumph, and brings captives!\u201d Then the castle courts\nrang with shouts of joy; and the standard was displayed, and the\ntrumpets were sounded, and the drawbridge was lowered, and Do\u00f1a Maria\nwent forth with her ladies, and her knights, and her pages, and her\nminstrels, to welcome her lord from the wars. But as the train drew\nnigh, she beheld a sumptuous bier, covered with black velvet, and on\nit lay a warrior, as if taking his repose; he lay in his armor, with\nhis helmet on his head, and his sword in his hand, as one who had\nnever been conquered, and around the bier were the escutcheons of the\nhouse of Hinojosa.\n\nA number of Moorish cavaliers attended the bier, with emblems of\nmourning and with dejected countenances; and their leader cast\nhimself at the feet of Do\u00f1a Maria, and hid his face in his hands. She\nbeheld in him the gallant Abadil, whom she had once welcomed with his\nbride to her castle, but who now came with the body of her lord, whom\nhe had unknowingly slain in battle!\n\n\nThe sepulchre erected in the cloisters of the Convent of San Domingo\nwas achieved at the expense of the Moor Abadil, as a feeble testimony\nof his grief for the death of the good knight Don Munio, and his\nreverence for his memory. The tender and faithful Do\u00f1a Maria soon\nfollowed her lord to the tomb. On one of the stones of a small arch,\nbeside his sepulchre, is the following simple inscription: \u201c_Hic\njacet Maria Palacin, uxor Munonis Sancij De Hinojosa_:\u201d Here lies\nMaria Palacin, wife of Munio Sancho de Hinojosa.\n\nThe legend of Don Munio Sancho does not conclude with his death.\nOn the same day on which the battle took place on the plain of\nSalmanara, a chaplain of the Holy Temple at Jerusalem, while standing\nat the outer gate, beheld a train of Christian cavaliers advancing,\nas if in pilgrimage. The chaplain was a native of Spain, and as the\npilgrims approached, he knew the foremost to be Don Munio Sancho de\nHinojosa, with whom he had been well acquainted in former times.\nHastening to the patriarch, he told him of the honorable rank of the\npilgrims at the gate. The patriarch, therefore, went forth with a\ngrand procession of priests and monks, and received the pilgrims with\nall due honor. There were seventy cavaliers, beside their leader,\nall stark and lofty warriors. They carried their helmets in their\nhands, and their faces were deadly pale. They greeted no one, nor\nlooked either to the right or to the left, but entered the chapel,\nand kneeling before the Sepulchre of our Saviour, performed their\norisons in silence. When they had concluded, they rose as if to\ndepart, and the patriarch and his attendants advanced to speak to\nthem, but they were no more to be seen. Every one marveled what could\nbe the meaning of this prodigy. The patriarch carefully noted down\nthe day, and sent to Castile to learn tidings of Don Munio Sancho\nde Hinojosa. He received for reply, that on the very day specified\nthat worthy knight, with seventy of his followers, had been slain in\nbattle. These, therefore, must have been the blessed spirits of those\nChristian warriors, come to fulfill their vow of a pilgrimage to the\nHoly Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Such was Castilian faith in the olden\ntime, which kept its word, even beyond the grave.\n\nIf any one should doubt of the miraculous apparition of these phantom\nknights, let him consult the \u201cHistory of the Kings of Castile and\nLeon,\u201d by the learned and pious Fray Prudencio de Sandoval, Bishop of\nPamplona, where he will find it recorded in the History of the King\nDon Alonzo VI., on the hundred and second page. It is too precious a\nlegend to be lightly abandoned to the doubter.\n\n\nTHE END.","title":"Spanish Papers","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":122769}