chronicle of the conquest of granada-第42章

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reats。

The　arrival　of　the　troops　led　by　the　master　of　Calatrava　and　the　bishop　of　Jaen　put　an　end　to　the　rout。　　El　Zagal　contented　himself　with　the　laurels　he　had　gained；　and；　ordering　the　trumpets　to　call　off　his　men　from　the　pursuit；　returned　in　great　triumph　to　Moclin。*

*Zurita；　lib。　20；　c。　4；　Pulgar；　Cronica。


Queen　Isabella　was　at　Vaena；　awaiting　with　great　anxiety　the　result　of　the　expedition。　　She　was　in　a　stately　apartment　of　the　castle　looking　toward　the　road　that　winds　through　the　mountains　from　Moclin；　and　regarding　the　watch…towers　on　the　neighboring　heights　in　hopes　of　favorable　signals。　　The　prince　and　princess；　her　children；　were　with　her；　and　her　venerable　counsellor；　the　grand　cardinal。　　All　shared　in　the　anxiety　of　the　moment。　　At　length　couriers　were　seen　riding　toward　the　town。　　They　entered　its　gates；　but　before　they　reached　the　castle　the　nature　of　their　tidings　was　known　to　the　queen　by　the　shrieks　and　wailings　from　the　streets　below。　　The　messengers　were　soon　followed　by　wounded　fugitives　hastening　home　to　be　relieved　or　to　die　among　their　friends　and　families。　　The　whole　town　resounded　with　lamentations；　for　it　had　lost　the　flower　of　its　youth　and　its　bravest　warriors。　　Isabella　was　a　woman　of　courageous　soul；　but　her　feelings　were　overpowered　by　spectacles　of　woe　on　every　side：　her　maternal　heart　mourned　over　the　death　of　so　many　loyal　subjects；　who　shortly　before　had　rallied　round　her　with　devoted　affection；　and；　losing　her　usual　self…command；　she　sank　into　deep　despondency。

In　this　gloomy　state　of　mind　a　thousand　apprehensions　crowded　upon　her。　　She　dreaded　the　confidence　which　this　success　would　impart　to　the　Moors；　she　feared　also　for　the　important　fortress　of　Alhama；　the　garrison　of　which　had　not　been　reinforced　since　its　foraging　party　had　been　cut　off　by　this　same　El　Zagal。　　On　every　side　she　saw　danger　and　disaster；　and　feared　that　a　general　reverse　was　about　to　attend　the　Castilian　arms。

The　grand　cardinal　comforted　her　with　both　spiritual　and　worldly　counsel。　　He　told　her　to　recollect　that　no　country　was　ever　conquered　without　occasional　reverses　to　the　conquerors；　that　the　Moors　were　a　warlike　people；　fortified　in　a　rough　and　mountainous　country；　where　they　never　could　be　conquered　by　her　ancestors；　and　that；　in　fact；　her　armies　had　already；　in　three　years；　taken　more　cities　than　those　of　any　of　her　predecessors　had　been　able　to　do　in　twelve。　　He　concluded　by　offering　to　take　the　field　himself　with　three　thousand　cavalry；　his　own　retainers；　paid　and　maintained　by　himself；　and　either　hasten　to　the　relief　of　Alhama　or　undertake　any　other　expedition　Her　Majesty　might　command。　　The　discreet　words　of　the　cardinal　soothed　the　spirit　of　the　queen；　who　always　looked　to　him　for　consolation；　and　she　soon　recovered　her　usual　equanimity。

Some　of　the　counsellors　of　Isabella；　of　that　politic　class　who　seek　to　rise　by　the　faults　of　others；　were　loud　in　their　censures　of　the　rashness　of　the　count。　　The　queen　defended　him　with　prompt　generosity。　　〃The　enterprise；〃　said　she；　〃was　rash；　but　not　more　rash　than　that　of　Lucena；　which　was　crowned　with　success；　and　which　we　have　all　applauded　as　the　height　of　heroism。　　Had　the　count　de　Cabra　succeeded　in　capturing　the　uncle；　as　he　did　the　nephew；　who　is　there　that　would　not　have　praised　him　to　the　skies？〃

The　magnanimous　words　of　the　queen　put　a　stop　to　all　invidious　remarks　in　her　presence；　but　certain　of　the　courtiers；　who　had　envied　the　count　the　glory　gained　by　his　former　achievements；　continued　to　magnify；　among　themselves　his　present　imprudence；　and　we　are　told　by　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　that　they　sneeringly　gave　the　worthy　cavalier　the　appellation　of　count　de　Cabra　the　king…catcher。

Ferdinand　had　reached　the　place　on　the　frontier　called　the　Fountain　of　the　King；　within　three　leagues　of　Moclin；　when　he　heard　of　the　late　disaster。　　He　greatly　lamented　the　precipitation　of　the　count；　but　forbore　to　express　himself　with　severity；　for　he　knew　the　value　of　that　loyal　and　valiant　cavalier。*　　He　held　a　council　of　war　to　determine　what　course　was　to　be　pursued。　　Some　of　his　cavaliers　advised　him　to　abandon　the　attempt　upon　Moclin；　the　place　being　strongly　reinforced　and　the　enemy　inspirited　by　his　recent　victory。　Certain　old　Spanish　hidalgos　reminded　him　that　he　had　but　few　Castilian　troops　in　his　army；　without　which　stanch　soldiery　his　predecessors　never　presumed　to　enter　the　Moorish　territory；　while　others　remonstrated　that　it　would　be　beneath　the　dignity　of　the　king　to　retire　from　an　enterprise　on　account　of　the　defeat　of　a　single　cavalier　and　his　retainers。　　In　this　way　the　king　was　distracted　by　a　multitude　of　counsellors；　when；　fortunately；　a　letter　from　the　queen　put　an　end　to　his　perplexities。　　Proceed　we　in　the　next　chapter　to　relate　what　was　the　purport　of　that　letter。

*Abarca；　Anales　de　Aragon。



CHAPTER　XXXIII。

EXPEDITION　AGAINST　THE　CASTLES　OF　CAMBIL　AND　ALBAHAR。


〃Happy　are　those　princes；〃　exclaims　the　worthy　padre　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　〃who　have　women　and　priests　to　advise　them；　for　in　these

dwelleth　the　spirit　of　counsel。〃　　While　Ferdinand　and　his　captains　were　confounding　each　other　in　their　deliberations　at　the　Fountain　of　the　King；　a　quiet　but　deep　little　council　of　war　was　held　in　the　state　apartment　of　the　old　castle　of　Vaena　between　Queen　Isabella；　the　venerable　Pedro　Gonzalez　de　Mendoza；　grand　cardinal　of　Spain；　and　Don　Garcia　Osoria；　the　belligerent　bishop　of　Jaen。　　This　last　worthy　prelate；　who　had　exchanged　his　mitre　for　a　helm；　no　sooner　beheld　the　defeat　of　the　enterprise　against　Moclin　than　he　turned　the　reins　of　his　sleek；　stall…fed　steed　and　hastened　back　to　Vaena；　full　of　a　project　for　the　employment　of　the　army；　the　advancement　of　the　faith；　and　the　benefit　of　his　own　diocese。　　He　knew　that　the　actions　of　the　king　were　influenced　by　the　opinions　of　the　queen；　and　that　the　queen　always　inclined　a　listening　ear　to　the　counsels　of　saintly　men：　he　laid　his　plans；　therefore；　with　the　customary　wisdom　of　his　cloth；　to　turn　the　ideas　of　the　queen　into　the　proper　channel；　and　this　was　the　purport　of　the　worthy　bishop's　suggestions：

The　bishopric　of　Jaen　had　for　a　long　time　been　harassed　by　two　Moorish　castles；　the　scourge　and　terror　of　all　that　part　of　the　country。　　They　were　situated　on　the　frontiers　of　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　about　four　leagues　from　Jaen；　in　a　deep；　narrow；　and　rugged　valley　surrounded　by　lofty　mountains。　　Through　this　valley　runs　the　Rio　Frio　（or　Cold　River）　in　a　deep　channel　worn　between　high；　precipitous　banks。　　On　each　side　of　the　stream　rise　two　vast　rocks；　nearly　perpendicular；　within　a　stone's　throw　of　each　other；　blocking　up　the　gorge　of　the　valley。　　On　the　summits　of　these　rocks　stood　the　two　formidable　castles；　Cambil　and　Albahar；　fortified　with　battlements　and　towers　of　great　height　and　thickness。　　They　were　connected　together　by　a　bridge　thrown　from　rock　to　rock　across　the　river。　　The　road　which　passed　through　the　valley　traversed　this　bridge；　and　was　completely　commanded　by　these　castles。　　They　stood　like　two　giants　of　romance　guarding　the　pass　and　dominating　the　valley。

The　kings　of　Granada；　knowing　the　importance　of　these　castles；　kept　them　always　well　garrisoned　and　victualled　to　stand　a　siege；　with　fleet　steeds　and　hard　riders　to　forage　the　country　of　the　Christians。　　The　warlike　race　of　the　Abencerrages；　the　troops　of　the　royal　household；　and　others　of　the　choicest　chivalry　of　Granada　made　them　their　strongholds　or　posts　of　arms；　whence　to　sally　forth　on　those　predatory　and　roving　enterprises　in　which　they　delighted。　　As　the　wealthy　bishopric　of　Jaen　lay　immediately　at　hand；　it　suffered　more　peculiarly　from　these　marauders。　　They　drove　off　the　fat　beeves　and　the　flocks　of　sheep　from　the　pastures　and　swept　the　laborers　from　the　field；　they　scoured　the　country　to　the　very　gates　of　Jaen；　so　that　the　citizens　could　not　venture　from　their　walls　without　the　risk　of　being　borne　off　captive　to　the　dungeons　of　these　castles。

The　worthy　bishop；　like　a　good　pastor；　beheld　with　grief　of　heart　his　fat　bishopric　daily　waxing　leaner　and　leaner　and　poorer　and　poorer；　and　his　holy　ire　was　kindled　at　the　thoughts　that　the　possessions　of　the　Church　should　thus　be　at　the　mercy　of　a　cr