chronicle of the conquest of granada-第45章

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A　handful　succeeded：　they　were　attacked　by　a　party　of　guards；　but　held　them　at　bay　until　more　of　their　comrades　ascended；　with　their　assistance　they　gained　possession　of　a　tower　and　part　of　the　wall。　　The　garrison　by　this　time　was　aroused；　but　before　they　could　reach　the　scene　of　action　most　of　the　cavaliers　were　within　the　battlements。　　A　bloody　contest　raged　for　about　an　hourseveral　of　the　Christians　were　slain；　but　many　of　the　Moors：　at　length　the　citadel　was　carried　and　the　town　submitted　without　resistance。

Thus　did　the　gallant　knights　of　Calatrava　gain　the　strong　town　of　Zalea　with　scarcely　any　loss；　and　atone　for　the　inglorious　defeat　of　their　companions　by　El　Zagal。　　They　found　the　magazines　of　the　place　well　stored　with　provisions；　and　were　enabled　to　carry　a　seasonable　supply　to　their　own　famishing　garrison。

The　tidings　of　this　event　reached　the　sovereigns　just　after　the　surrender　of　Cambil　and　Albahar。　　They　were　greatly　rejoiced　at　this　additional　success　of　their　arms；　and　immediately　sent　strong　reinforcements　and　ample　supplies　for　both　Alhama　and　Zalea。　They　then　dismissed　the　army　for　the　winter。　　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　retired　to　Alcala　de　Henares；　where　the　queen　on　the　16th　of　December；　1485；　gave　birth　to　the　princess　Catharine；　afterward　wife　of　Henry　VIII。　of　England。　　Thus　prosperously　terminated　the　checkered　campaign　of　this　important　year。



CHAPTER　XXXV。

DEATH　OF　MULEY　ABUL　HASSAN。


Muley　Abdallah　el　Zagal　had　been　received　with　great　acclamations　at　Granada　on　his　return　from　defeating　the　count　de　Cabra。　　He　had　endeavored　to　turn　his　victory　to　the　greatest　advantage　with　his　subjects；　giving　tilts　and　tournaments　and　other　public　festivities　in　which　the　Moors　delighted。　　The　loss　of　the　castles　of　Cambil　and　Albahar　and　of　the　fortress　of　Zalea；　however；　checked　this　sudden　tide　of　popularity；　and　some　of　the　fickle　populace　began　to　doubt　whether　they　had　not　been　rather　precipitate　in　deposing　his　brother；　Muley　Abul　Hassan。

That　superannuated　monarch　remained　in　his　faithful　town　of　Almunecar；　on　the　border　of　the　Mediterranean；　surrounded　by　a　few　adherents；　together　with　his　wife　Zoraya　and　his　children；　and　he　had　all　his　treasures　safe　in　his　possession。　　The　fiery　heart　of　the　old　king　was　almost　burnt　out；　and　all　his　powers　of　doing　either　harm　or　good　seemed　at　an　end。

While　in　this　passive　and　helpless　state　his　brother；　El　Zagal；　manifested　a　sudden　anxiety　for　his　health。　　He　had　him　removed；　with　all　tenderness　and　care；　to　Salobrena；　another　fortress　on　the　Mediterranean　coast；　famous　for　its　pure　and　salubrious　air；　and　the　alcayde；　who　was　a　devoted　adherent　to　El　Zagal；　was　charged　to　have　especial　care　that　nothing　was　wanting　to　the　comfort　and　solace　of　his　brother。

Salobrena　was　a　small　town；　situated　on　a　lofty　and　rocky　hill　in　the　midst　of　a　beautiful　and　fertile　vega　shut　up　on　three　sides　by　mountains　and　opening　on　the　fourth　to　the　Mediterranean。　　It　was　protected　by　strong　walls　and　a　powerful　castle；　and；　being　deemed　impregnable；　was　often　used　by　the　Moorish　kings　as　a　place　of　deposit　for　their　treasures。　　They　were　accustomed　also　to　assign　it　as　a　residence　for　such　of　their　sons　and　brothers　as　might　endanger　the　security　of　their　reign。　　Here　the　princes　lived　in　luxurious　repose：　they　had　delicious　gardens；　perfumed　baths；　a　harem　of　beauties　at　their　commandnothing　was　denied　them　but　the　liberty　to　depart：　that　alone　was　wanting　to　render　this　abode　an　earthly　paradise。

Such　was　the　delightful　place　appointed　by　El　Zagal　for　the　residence　of　his　brother；　but；　notwithstanding　its　wonderful　salubrity；　the　old　monarch　had　not　been　removed　thither　many　days　before　he　expired。　　There　was　nothing　extraordinary　in　his　death：　life　with　him　had　long　been　glimmering　in　the　socket；　and　for　some　time　past　he　might　rather　have　been　numbered　with　the　dead　than　with　the　living。　　The　public；　however；　are　fond　of　seeing　things　in　a　sinister　and　mysterious　point　of　view；　and　there　were　many　dark　surmises　as　to　the　cause　of　this　event。　　El　Zagal　acted　in　a　manner　to　heighten　these　suspicions：　he　caused　the　treasures　of　his　deceased　brother　to　be　packed　on　mules　and　brought　to　Granada；　where　he　took　possession　of　them；　to　the　exclusion　of　the　children　of　Abul　Hassan。　　The　sultana　Zoraya　and　her　two　sons　were　lodged　in　the　Alhambra；　in　the　Tower　of　Comares。　　This　was　a　residence　in　a　palace；　but　it　had　proved　a　royal　prison　to　the　sultana　Ayxa　la　Horra　and　her　youthful　son　Boabdil。　　There　the　unhappy　Zoraya　had　time　to　meditate　upon　the　disappointment　of　all　those　ambitious　schemes　for　herself　and　children　for　which　she　had　stained　her　conscience　with　so　many　crimes。

The　corpse　of　old　Muley　was　also　brought　to　Granadanot　in　state　becoming　the　remains　of　a　once…powerful　sovereign；　but　transported　on　a　mule；　like　the　corpse　of　the　poorest　peasant。　　It　received　no　honor　or　ceremonial　from　El　Zagal；　and　appears　to　have　been　interred　obscurely　to　prevent　any　popular　sensation；　and　it　is　recorded　by　an　ancient　and　faithful　chronicler　of　the　time　that　the　body　of　the　old　monarch　was　deposited　by　two　Christian　captives　in　his　osario　or　charnel…house。*　　Such　was　the　end　of　the　turbulent　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　who；　after　passing　his　life　in　constant　contests　for　empire；　could　scarce　gain　quiet　admission　into　the　corner　of　a　sepulchre。

*Cura　de　los　Palacios；　c。　77。


No　sooner　were　the　populace　well　assured　that　old　Muley　Abul　Hassan　was　dead　and　beyond　recovery　than　they　all　began　to　extol　his　memory　and　deplore　his　loss。　　They　admitted　that　he　had　been　fierce　and　cruel；　but　then　he　had　been　brave；　he　had；　to　be　sure；　pulled　this　war　upon　their　heads；　but　he　had　likewise　been　crushed　by　it。　　In　a　word；　he　was　dead；　and　his　death　atoned　or　every　fault；　for　a　king　recently　dead　is　generally　either　a　hero　or　a　saint。

In　proportion　as　they　ceased　to　hate　old　Muley　they　began　to　hate　his　brother。　　The　circumstances　of　the　old　king's　death；　the　eagerness　to　appropriate　his　treasures；　the　scandalous　neglect　of　his　corpse；　and　the　imprisonment　of　his　sultana　and　children；　all　filled　the　public　mind　with　gloomy　suspicions；　and　the　epithet　of　Fratricide　was　sometimes　substituted　for　that　of　El　Zagal　in　the　low　murmurings　of　the　people。

As　the　public　must　always　have　some　object　to　like　as　well　as　to　hate；　there　began　once　more　to　be　an　inquiry　after　their　fugitive　king；　Boabdil　el　Chico。　　That　unfortunate　monarch　was　still　at　Cordova；　existing　on　the　cool　courtesy　and　meagre　friendship　of　Ferdinand；　which　had　waned　exceedingly　ever　since　Boabdil　had　ceased　to　have　any　influence　in　his　late　dominions。　　The　reviving　interest　expressed　in　his　fate　by　the　Moorish　public；　and　certain　secret　overtures　made　to　him；　once　more　aroused　the　sympathy　of　Ferdinand：　he　advised　Boabdil　again　to　set　up　his　standard　within　the　frontiers　of　Granada；　and　furnished　him　with　money　and　means　for　the　purpose。　　Boabdil　advanced　but　a　little　way　into　his　late　territories；　he　took　up　his　post　at　Velez　el　Blanco；　a　strong　town　on　the　confines　of　Murcia：　there　he　established　the　shadow　of　a　court；　and　stood；　as　it　were；　with　one　foot　over　the　border；　and　ready　to　draw　that　back　upon　the　least　alarm。　　His　presence　in　the　kingdom；　however；　and　his　assumption　of　royal　state　gave　life　to　his　faction　in　Granada。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　Albaycin；　the　poorest　but　most　warlike　part　of　the　populace；　were　generally　in　his　favor：　the　more　rich；　courtly；　and　aristocratical　inhabitants　of　the　quarter　of　the　Alhambra　rallied　round　what　appeared　to　be　the　most　stable　authority　and　supported　the　throne　of　El　Zagal。　　So　it　is　in　the　admirable　order　of　sublunary　affairs：　everything　seeks　its　kind；　the　rich　befriend　the　rich；　the　powerful　stand　by　the　powerful；　the　poor　enjoy　the　patronage　of　the　poor；　and　thus　a　universal　harmony　prevails。



CHAPTER　XXXVI。

OF　THE　CHRISTIAN　ARMY　WHICH　ASSEMBLED　AT　THE　CITY　　　　　OF　CORDOVA。


Great　and　glorious　was　the　style　with　which　the　Catholic　sovereigns　opened　another　year's　campaign　of　this　eventful　war。　　It　was　like　commencing　another　act　of　a　stately　and　heroic　drama；　where　the　curtain　rises　to　the　inspiring　sound　of　martial　melody　and　the　whole　stage　glit