chronicle of the conquest of granada-第47章

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　several　of　the　principal　noblemen；　and　recommended　a　more　sober　and　soldier…like　display　while　in　actual　service。

〃These　are　rare　troops　for　a　tourney；　my　lord；〃　said　Ferdinand　to　the　duke　of　Infantado　as　he　beheld　his　retainers　glittering　in　gold　and　embroidery；　〃but　gold；　though　gorgeous；　is　soft　and　yielding：　iron　is　the　metal　for　the　field。〃

〃Sire；〃　replied　the　duke；　〃if　my　men　parade　in　gold；　Your　Majesty　will　find　they　fight　with　steel。〃　　The　king　smiled；　but　shook　his　head；　and　the　duke　treasured　up　his　speech　in　his　heart。

It　remains　now　to　reveal　the　immediate　object　of　this　mighty　and　chivalrous　preparation；　which　had；　in　fact；　the　gratification　of　a　royal　pique　at　bottom。　　The　severe　lesson　which　Ferdinand　had　received　from　the　veteran　Ali　Atar　before　the　walls　of　Loxa；　though　it　had　been　of　great　service　in　rendering　him　wary　in　his　attacks　upon　fortified　places；　yet　rankled　sorely　in　his　mind；　and　he　had　ever　since　held　Loxa　in　peculiar　odium。　　It　was；　in　truth；　one　of　the　most　belligerent　and　troublesome　cities　on　the　borders；　incessantly　harassing　Andalusia　by　its　incursions。　　It　also　intervened　between　the　Christian　territories　and　Alhama　and　other　important　places　gained　in　the　kingdom　of　Granada。　　For　all　these　reasons　King　Ferdinand　had　determined　to　make　another　grand　attempt　upon　this　warrior　city；　and　for　this　purpose　had　summoned　to　the　field　his　most　powerful　chivalry。

It　was　in　the　month　of　May　that　the　king　sallied　from　Cordova　at　the　head　of　his　army。　　He　had　twelve　thousand　cavalry　and　forty　thousand　foot…soldiers　armed　with　crossbows；　lances；　and　arquebuses。　　There　were　six　thousand　pioneers　with　hatchets；　pickaxes；　and　crowbars　for　levelling　roads。　　He　took　with　him　also　a　great　train　of　lombards　and　other　heavy　artillery；　with　a　body　of　Germans　skilled　in　the　service　of　ordnance　and　the　art　of　battering　walls。

It　was　a　glorious　spectacle　（says　Fray　Antonio　Agapida）　to　behold　this　pompous　pageant　issuing　forth　from　Cordova；　the　pennons　and　devices　of　the　proudest　houses　of　Spain；　with　those　of　gallant　stranger　knights；　fluttering　above　a　sea　of　crests　and　plumesto　see　it　slowly　moving；　with　flash　of　helm　and　cuirass　and　buckler；　across　the　ancient　bridge　and　reflected　in　the　waters　of　the　Guadalquivir；　while　the　neigh　of　steed　and　blast　of　trumpet　vibrated　in　the　air　and　resounded　to　the　distant　mountains。　　〃But；　above　all；〃　concludes　the　good　father；　with　his　accustomed　zeal；　〃it　was　　triumphant　to　behold　the　standard　of　the　faith　everywhere　displayed；　and　to　reflect　that　this　was　no　worldly…minded　army；　intent　upon　some　temporal　scheme　of　ambition　or　revenge；　but　a　Christian　host　bound　on　a　crusade　to　extirpate　the　vile　seed　of　Mahomet　from　the　land　and　to　extend　the　pure　dominion　of　the　Church。〃



CHAPTER　XXXVII。

HOW　FRESH　COMMOTIONS　BROKE　OUT　IN　GRANADA；　AND　HOW　THE　　　　　PEOPLE　UNDERTOOK　TO　ALLAY　THEM。


While　perfect　unity　of　object　and　harmony　of　operation　gave　power　to　the　Christian　arms；　the　devoted　kingdom　of　Granada　continued　a　prey　to　internal　feuds。　　The　transient　popularity　of　El　Zagal　had　declined　ever　since　the　death　of　his　brother；　and　the　party　of　Boabdil　was　daily　gaining　strength；　　the　Albaycin　and　the　Alhambra　were　again　arrayed　against　each　other　in　deadly　strife；　and　the　streets　of　unhappy　Granada　were　daily　dyed　in　the　blood　of　her　children。　　In　the　midst　of　these　dissensions　tidings　arrived　of　the　formidable　army　assembling　at　Cordova。　　The　rival　factions　paused　in　their　infatuated　brawls；　and　were　roused　to　a　temporary　sense　of　the　common　danger。　They　forthwith　resorted　to　their　old　expedient　of　new…modelling　their　government；　or　rather　of　making　and　unmaking　kings。　　The　elevation　of　El　Zagal　to　the　throne　had　not　produced　the　desired　effect；　what；　then；　was　to　be　done？　　Recall　Boabdil　el　Chico　and　acknowledge　him　again　as　sovereign？　　While　they　were　in　a　popular　tumult　of　deliberation　Hamet　Aben　Zarrax；　surnamed　El　Santo；　rose　among　them。　　This　was　the　same　wild；　melancholy　man　who　had　predicted　the　woes　of　Granada。　　He　issued　from　one　of　the　caverns　of　the　adjacent　height　which　overhangs　the　Darro；　and　has　since　been　called　the　Holy　Mountain。　　His　appearance　was　more　haggard　than　ever；　for　the　unheeded　spirit　of　prophecy　seemed　to　have　turned　inwardly　and　preyed　upon　his　vitals。　　〃Beware；　O　Moslems；〃　exclaimed　he；　〃of　men　who　are　eager　to　govern；　yet　are　unable　to　protect。　　Why　slaughter　each　other　for　El　Chico　or　El　Zagal？　　Let　your　kings　renounce　their　contests；　unite　for　the　salvation　of　Granada；　or　let　them　be　deposed。〃

Hamet　Aben　Zarrax　had　long　been　revered　as　a　sainthe　was　now　considered　an　oracle。　　The　old　men　and　the　nobles　immediately　consulted　together　how　the　two　rival　kings　might　be　brought　to　accord。　　They　had　tried　most　expedients：　it　was　now　determined　to　divide　the　kingdom　between　them；　giving　Granada；　Malaga；　Velez　Malaga；　Almeria；　Almunecar；　and　their　dependencies　to　El　Zagal；　and　the　residue　to　Boabdil　el　Chico。　　Among　the　cities　granted　to　the　latter　Loxa　was　particularly　specified；　with　a　condition　that　he　should　immediately　take　command　of　it　in　person；　for　the　council　thought　the　favor　he　enjoyed　with　the　Castilian　monarchs　might　avert　the　threatened　attack。

El　Zagal　readily　agreed　to　this　arrangement：　he　had　been　hastily　elevated　to　the　throne　by　an　ebullition　of　the　people；　and　might　be　as　hastily　cast　down　again。　　It　secured　him　one　half　of　a　kingdom　to　which　he　had　no　hereditary　right；　and　he　trusted　to　force　or　fraud　to　gain　the　other　half　hereafter。　　The　wily　old　monarch　even　sent　a　deputation　to　his　nephew；　making　a　merit　of　offering　him　cheerfully　the　half　which　he　had　thus　been　compelled　to　relinquish；　and　inviting　him　to　enter　into　an　amicable　coalition　for　the　good　of　the　country。

The　heart　of　Boabdil　shrank　from　all　connection　with　a　man　who　had　sought　his　life；　and　whom　he　regarded　as　the　murderer　of　his　kindred。　　He　accepted　one　half　of　the　kingdom　as　an　offer　from　the　nation；　not　to　be　rejected　by　a　prince　who　scarcely　held　possession　of　the　ground　he　stood　on。　　He　asserted；　nevertheless；　his　absolute　right　to　the　whole；　and　only　submitted　to　the　partition　out　of　anxiety　for　the　present　good　of　his　people。　　He　assembled　his　handful　of　adherents　and　prepared　to　hasten　to　Loxa。　　As　he　mounted　his　horse　to　depart；　Hamet　Aben　Zarrax　stood　suddenly　before　him。　　〃Be　true　to　thy　country　and　thy　faith；〃　cried　he；　〃hold　no　further　communication　with　these　Christian　dogs。　　Trust　not　the　hollow…hearted　friendship　of　the　Castilian　king；　he　is　mining　the　earth　beneath　thy　feet。　　Choose　one　of　two　things：　be　a　sovereign　or　a　slavethou　canst　not　be　both。〃

Boabdil　ruminated　on　these　words；　he　made　many　wise　resolutions；　but　he　was　prone　always　to　act　from　the　impulse　of　the　moment；　and　was　unfortunately　given　to　temporize　in　his　policy。　　He　wrote　to　Ferdinand；　informing　him　that　Loxa　and　certain　other　cities　had　returned　to　their　allegiance；　and　that　he　held　them　as　vassal　to　the　Castilian　Crown；　according　to　their　convention。　　He　conjured　him；　therefore；　to　refrain　from　any　meditated　attack；　offering　free　passage　to　the　Spanish　army　to　Malaga　or　any　other　place　under　the　dominion　of　his　uncle。*

*Zurita；　lib。　20；　c。　68。


Ferdinand　turned　a　deaf　ear　to　the　entreaty　and　to　all　professions　of　friendship　and　vassalage。　　Boabdil　was　nothing　to　him　but　as　an　instrument　for　stirring　up　the　flames　of　civil　war。　　He　now　insisted　that　he　had　entered　into　a　hostile　league　with　his　uncle；　and　had　consequently　forfeited　all　claims　to　his　indulgence；　and　he　prosecuted　with　the　greater　earnestness　his　campaign　against　the　city　of　Loxa。

〃Thus；〃　observes　the　worthy　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　〃thus　did　this　most　sagacious　sovereign　act　upon　the　text　in　the　eleventh　chapter　of　the　evangelist　St。　Luke；　that　'a　kingdom　divided　against　itself　cannot　stand。'　　He　had　induced　these　infidels　to　waste　and　destroy　themselves　by　internal　dissensions；　and　finally　cast　forth　the　survivor；　while　the　Moorish　monarchs　by　their　ruinous　contests　made　good　the　old　Castilian　proverb　in　cases　of　civil　war；　'El　vencido　vencido；　y　el　vencidor　perdido'　（the　conquered　conquered；　and　the　conqueror　undone）。〃*

*Garibay；　lib。　40；　c。　33。



CHAPTER　XXXVI