chronicle of the conquest of granada-第3章

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asionally　discolored　by　the　bigotry；　superstition；　and　fierce　intolerance　of　the　age；　but　their　pages　were　illumined　at　times　with　scenes　of　high　emprise；　of　romantic　generosity；　and　heroic　valor；　which　flashed　upon　the　reader　with　additional　splendor　from　the　surrounding　darkness。　　I　collated　these　various　works；　some　of　which　have　never　appeared　in　print；　drew　from　each　facts　relative　to　the　different　enterprises；　arranged　them　in　as　clear　and　lucid　order　as　I　could　command；　and　endeavored　to　give　them　somewhat　of　a　graphic　effect　by　connecting　them　with　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　age　in　which　they　occurred。　　The　rough　draught　being　completed；　I　laid　the　manuscript　aside　and　proceeded　with　the　Life　of　Columbus。　　After　this　was　finished　and　sent　to　the　press　I　made　a　tour　in　Andalusia；　visited　the　ruins　of　the　Moorish　towns；　fortresses；　and　castles；　and　the　wild　mountain…　passes　and　defiles　which　had　been　the　scenes　of　the　most　remarkable　events　of　the　war；　and　passed　some　time　in　the　ancient　palace　of　the　Alhambra；　the　once　favorite　abode　of　the　Moorish　monarchs。　　Everywhere　I　took　notes；　from　the　most　advantageous　points　of　view；　of　whatever　could　serve　to　give　local　verity　and　graphic　effect　to　the　scenes　described。　　Having　taken　up　my　abode　for　a　time　at　Seville；　I　then　resumed　my　manuscript　and　rewrote　it；　benefited　by　my　travelling　notes　and　the　fresh　and　vivid　impressions　of　my　recent　tour。　　In　constructing　my　chronicle　I　adopted　the　fiction　of　a　Spanish　monk　as　the　chronicler。　　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　was　intended　as　a　personification　of　the　monkish　zealots　who　hovered　about　the　sovereigns　in　their　campaigns；　marring　the　chivalry　of　the　camp　by　the　bigotry　of　the　cloister；　and　chronicling　in　rapturous　strains　every　act　of　intolerance　toward　the　Moors。　　In　fact；　scarce　a　sally　of　the　pretended　friar　when　he　bursts　forth　in　rapturous　eulogy　of　some　great　stroke　of　selfish　policy　on　the　part　of　Ferdinand；　or　exults　over　some　overwhelming　disaster　of　the　gallant　and　devoted　Moslems；　but　is　taken　almost　word　for　word　from　one　or　other　of　the　orthodox　chroniclers　of　Spain。

The　ironical　vein　also　was　provoked　by　the　mixture　of　kingcraft　and　priestcraft　discernible　throughout　this　great　enterprise；　and　the　mistaken　zeal　and　self…delusion　of　many　of　its　most　gallant　and　generous　champions。　　The　romantic　coloring　seemed　to　belong　to　the　nature　of　the　subject；　and　was　in　harmony　with　what　I　had　seen　in　my　tour　through　the　poetical　and　romantic　regions　in　which　the　events　had　taken　place。　　With　all　these　deductions　the　work；　in　all　its　essential　points；　was　faithful　to　historical　fact　and　built　upon　substantial　documents。　　It　was　a　great　satisfaction　to　me；　therefore；　after　the　doubts　that　had　been　expressed　of　the　authenticity　of　my　chronicle；　to　find　it　repeatedly　and　largely　used　by　Don　Miguel　Lafuente　Alcantara　of　Granada　in　his　recent　learned　and　elaborate　history　of　his　native　city；　he　having　had　ample　opportunity；　in　his　varied　and　indefatigable　researches；　of　judging　how　far　it　accorded　with　documentary　authority。

I　have　still　more　satisfaction　in　citing　the　following　testimonial　of　Mr。　Prescott；　whose　researches　for　his　admirable　history　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　took　him　over　the　same　ground　I　had　trodden。　　His　testimonial　is　written　in　the　liberal　and　courteous　spirit　characteristic　of　him；　but　with　a　degree　of　eulogium　which　would　make　me　shrink　from　quoting　it　did　I　not　feel　the　importance　of　his　voucher　for　the　substantial　accuracy　of　my　work：

〃Mr。　Irving's　late　publication；　the　'Chronicle　of　the　Conquest　of　Granada；'　has　superseded　all　further　necessity　for　poetry　and；　unfortunately　for　me；　for　history。　　He　has　fully　availed　himself　of　all　the　picturesque　and　animating　movement　of　this　romantic　era；　and　the　reader　who　will　take　the　trouble　to　compare　his　chronicle　with　the　present　more　prosaic　and　literal　narrative　will　see　how　little　he　has　been　seduced　from　historic　accuracy　by　the　poetical　aspect　of　his　subject。　　The　fictitious　and　romantic　dress　of　his　work　has　enabled　him　to　make　it　the　medium　of　reflecting　more　vividly　the　floating　opinions　and　chimerical　fancies　of　the　age；　while　he　has　illuminated　the　picture　with　the　dramatic　brilliancy　of　coloring　denied　to　sober　history。〃*

*Prescott's　Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　vol。　ii。　c。　15。


In　the　present　edition　I　have　endeavored　to　render　the　work　more　worthy　of　the　generous　encomium　of　Mr。　Prescott。　　Though　I　still　retain　the　fiction　of　the　monkish　author　Agapida；　I　have　brought　my　narrative　more　strictly　within　historical　bounds；　have　corrected　and　enriched　it　in　various　parts　with　facts　recently　brought　to　light　by　the　researches　of　Alcantara　and　others；　and　have　sought　to　render　it　a　faithful　and　characteristic　picture　of　the　romantic　portion　of　history　to　which　it　relates。

W。　I。

Sunnyside；　1850。









A　CHRONICLE　OF　THE　CONQUEST　OF　GRANADA。



CHAPTER　I。

OF　THE　KINGDOM　OF　GRANADA；　AND　THE　TRIBUTE　WHICH　IT　　　　　PAID　TO　THE　CASTILIAN　CROWN。


The　history　of　those　bloody　and　disastrous　wars　which　have　caused　the　downfall　of　mighty　empires　（observes　Fray　Antonio　Agapida）　has　ever　been　considered　a　study　highly　delectable　and　full　of　precious　edification。　　What；　then；　must　be　the　history　of　a　pious　crusade　waged　by　the　most　Catholic　of　sovereigns　to　rescue　from　the　power　of　the　infidels　one　of　the　most　beautiful　but　benighted　regions　of　the　globe？　　Listen；　then；　while　from　the　solitude　of　my　cell　I　relate　the　events　of　the　conquest　of　Granada；　where　Christian　knight　and　turbaned　infidel　disputed；　inch　by　inch；　the　fair　land　of　Andalusia；　until　the　Crescent；　that　symbol　of　heathenish　abomination；　was　cast　down；　and　the　blessed　Cross；　the　tree　of　our　redemption；　erected　in　its　stead。

Nearly　eight　hundred　years　were　past　and　gone　since　the　Arabian　invaders　had　sealed　the　perdition　of　Spain　by　the　defeat　of　Don　Roderick；　the　last　of　her　Gothic　kings。　　Since　that　disastrous　event　one　portion　after　another　of　the　Peninsula　had　been　gradually　recovered　by　the　Christian　princes；　until　the　single　but　powerful　and　warlike　territory　of　Granada　alone　remained　under　the　domination　of　the　Moors。

This　renowned　kingdom；　situated　in　the　southern　part　of　Spain　and　washed　on　one　side　by　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　was　traversed　in　every　direction　by　sierras　or　chains　of　lofty　and　rugged　mountains；　naked；　rocky；　and　precipitous；　rendering　it　almost　impregnable；　but　locking　up　within　their　sterile　embraces　deep；　rich；　and　verdant　valleys　of　prodigal　fertility。

In　the　centre　of　the　kingdom　lay　its　capital；　the　beautiful　city　of　Granada；　sheltered；　as　it　were；　in　the　lap　of　the　Sierra　Nevada；　or　Snowy　Mountains。　　Its　houses；　seventy　thousand　in　number；　covered　two　lofty　hills　with　their　declivities　and　a　deep　valley　between　them；　through　which　flowed　the　Darro。　　The　streets　were　narrow；　as　is　usual　in　Moorish　and　Arab　cities；　but　there　were　occasionally　small　squares　and　open　places。　　The　houses　had　gardens　and　interior　courts；　set　out　with　orange；　citron；　and　pomegranate　trees　and　refreshed　by　fountains；　so　that　as　the　edifices　ranged　above　each　other　up　the　sides　of　the　hills；　they　presented　a　delightful　appearance　of　mingled　grove　and　city。　　One　of　the　hills　was　surmounted　by　the　Alcazaba；　a　strong　fortress　commanding　all　that　part　of　the　city；　the　other　by　the　Alhambra；　a　royal　palace　and　warrior　castle；　capable　of　containing　within　its　alcazar　and　towers　a　garrison　of　forty　thousand　men；　but　possessing　also　its　harem；　the　voluptuous　abode　of　the　Moorish　monarchs；　laid　out　with　courts　and　gardens；　fountains　and　baths；　and　stately　halls　decorated　in　the　most　costly　style　of　Oriental　luxury。　　According　to　Moorish　tradition；　the　king　who　built　this　mighty　and　magnificent　pile　was　skilled　in　the　occult　sciences；　and　furnished　himself　with　the　necessary　funds　by　means　of　alchemy。*　　Such　was　its　lavish　splendor　that　even　at　the　present　day　the　stranger；　wandering　through　its　silent　courts　and　deserted　halls；　gazes　with　astonishment　at　gilded　ceilings　and　fretted　domes；　the　brilliancy　and　beauty　of　which　have　survived　the　vicissitudes　of　war　and　the　silent　dilapidation　of　ages。

*Zurita；　lib。　20；　c。　42。


The　city　was　surrounded　by　high　walls；　thre