chronicle of the conquest of granada-第52章

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he　curate　of　Los　Palacios。　　The　English　earl　makes　no　further　figure　in　this　war。　　It　appears　from　various　histories　that　he　returned　in　the　course　of　the　year　to　England。　　In　the　following　year　his　passion　for　fighting　took　him　to　the　Continent；　at　the　head　of　four　hundred　adventurers；　in　aid　of　Francis；　duke　of　Brittany；　against　Louis　XI。　of　France。　　He　was　killed　in　the　same　year　（1488）　in　the　battle　of　St。　Alban's　between　the　Bretons　and　the　French。



CHAPTER　XLIII。

HOW　KING　FERDINAND　ATTACKED　MOCLIN；　AND　OF　THE　STRANGE　　　　　EVENTS　THAT　ATTENDED　ITS　CAPTURE。


〃The　Catholic　sovereigns；〃　says　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　〃had　by　this　time　closely　clipped　the　right　wing　of　the　Moorish　vulture。〃　In　other　words；　most　of　the　strong　fortresses　along　the　western　frontier　of　Granada　had　fallen　beneath　the　Christian　artillery。　　The　army　now　lay　encamped　before　the　town　of　Moclin；　on　the　frontier　of　Jaen；　one　of　the　most　stubborn　fortresses　of　the　border。　　It　stood　on　a　high　rocky　hill；　the　base　of　which　was　nearly　girdled　by　a　river：　a　thick　forest　protected　the　back　part　of　the　town　toward　the　mountain。　　Thus　strongly　situated；　it　domineered；　with　its　frowning　battlements　and　massive　towers；　all　the　mountain…passes　into　that　part　of　the　country；　and　was　called　〃the　shield　of　Granada。〃　　It　had　a　double　arrear　of　blood　to　settle　with　the　Christians：　two　hundred　years　before；　a　master　of　Santiago　and　all　his　cavaliers　had　been　lanced　by　the　Moors　before　its　gates。　　It　had　recently　made　terrible　slaughter　among　the　troops　of　the　good　count　de　Cabra　in　his　precipitate　attempt　to　entrap　the　old　Moorish　monarch。　　The　pride　of　Ferdinand　had　been　piqued　by　being　obliged　on　that　occasion　to　recede　from　his　plan　and　abandon　his　concerted　attack　on　the　place；　he　was　now　prepared　to　take　a　full　revenge。

El　Zagal；　the　old　warrior…king　of　Granada；　anticipating　a　second　attempt；　had　provided　the　place　with　ample　ammunitions　and　provisions；　had　ordered　trenches　to　be　digged　and　additional　bulwarks　thrown　up；　and　caused　all　the　old　men；　the　women；　and　the　children　to　be　removed　to　the　capital。

Such　was　the　strength　of　the　fortress　and　the　difficulties　of　its　position　that　Ferdinand　anticipated　much　trouble　in　reducing　it；　and　made　every　preparation　for　a　regular　siege。　　In　the　centre　of　his　camp　were　two　great　mounds；　one　of　sacks　of　flour；　the　other　of　grain；　which　were　called　the　royal　granary。　　Three　batteries　of　heavy　ordnance　were　opened　against　the　citadel　and　principal　towers；　while　smaller　artillery；　engines　for　the　discharge　of　missiles；　arquebuses；　and　crossbows；　were　distributed　in　various　places　to　keep　up　a　fire　into　any　breaches　that　might　be　made；　and　upon　those　of　the　garrison　who　should　appear　on　the　battlements。

The　lombards　soon　made　an　impression　on　the　works；　demolishing　a　part　of　the　wall　and　tumbling　down　several　of　those　haughty　towers　which；　from　their　height；　had　been　impregnable　before　the　invention　of　gunpowder。　　The　Moors　repaired　their　walls　as　well　as　they　were　able；　and；　still　confiding　in　the　strength　of　their　situation；　kept　up　a　resolute　defence；　firing　down　from　their　lofty　battlements　and　towers　upon　the　Christian　camp。　　For　two　nights　and　a　day　an　incessant　fire　was　kept　up；　so　that　there　was　not　a　moment　in　which　the　roaring　of　ordnance　was　not　heard　or　some　damage　sustained　by　the　Christians　or　the　Moors。　　It　was　a　conflict；　however；　more　of　engineers　and　artillerists　than　of　gallant　cavaliers；　there　was　no　sally　of　troops　nor　shock　of　armed　men　nor　rush　and　charge　of　cavalry。　　The　knights　stood　looking　on　with　idle　weapons；　waiting　until　they　should　have　an　opportunity　of　signalizing　their　prowess　by　scaling　the　walls　or　storming　the　breaches。　　As　the　place；　however；　was　assailable　only　in　one　part；　there　was　every　prospect　of　a　long　and　obstinate　resistance。

The　engineers；　as　usual；　discharged　not　merely　balls　of　stone　and　iron　to　demolish　the　walls；　but　flaming　balls　of　inextinguishable　combustibles　designed　to　set　fire　to　the　houses。　　One　of　these；　which　passed　high　through　the　air　like　a　meteor；　sending　out　sparks　and　crackling　as　it　went；　entered　the　window　of　a　tower　which　was　used　as　a　magazine　of　gunpowder。　　The　tower　blew　up　with　a　tremendous　explosion；　the　Moors　who　were　upon　its　battlements　were　hurled　into　the　air；　and　fell　mangled　in　various　parts　of　the　town；　and　the　houses　in　its　vicinity　were　rent　and　overthrown　as　with　an　earthquake。

The　Moors；　who　had　never　witnessed　an　explosion　of　the　kind；　ascribed　the　destruction　of　the　tower　to　a　miracle。　　Some　who　had　seen　the　descent　of　the　flaming　ball　imagined　that　fire　had　fallen　from　heaven　to　punish　them　for　their　pertinacity。　　The　pious　Agapida　himself　believes　that　this　fiery　missive　was　conducted　by　divine　agency　to　confound　the　infidelsan　opinion　in　which　he　is　supported　by　other　Catholic　historians。*

*Pulgar；　Garibay；　Lucio　Marino　Siculo；　Cosas　Memoral。　de　Hispan。；　　lib。20。


Seeing　heaven　and　earth；　as　it　were；　combined　against　them；　the　Moors　lost　all　heart：　they　capitulated；　and　were　permitted　to　depart　with　their　effects；　leaving　behind　all　arms　and　munitions　of　war。

The　Catholic　army　（says　Antonio　Agapida）　entered　Moclin　in　solemn　state；　not　as　a　licentious　host　intent　upon　plunder　and　desolation；　but　as　a　band　of　Christian　warriors　coming　to　purify　and　regenerate　the　land。　　The　standard　of　the　cross；　that　ensign　of　this　holy　crusade；　was　borne　in　the　advance；　followed　by　the　other　banners　of　the　army。　　Then　came　the　king　and　queen　at　the　head　of　a　vast　number　of　armed　cavaliers。　　They　were　accompanied　by　a　band　of　priests　and　friars；　with　the　choir　of　the　royal　chapel　chanting　the　canticle　〃Te　Deum　laudamus。〃　　As　they　were　moving　through　the　streets　in　this　solemn　manner；　every　sound　hushed　excepting　the　anthem　of　the　choir；　they　suddenly　heard；　issuing　as　it　were　from　under　ground；　a　chorus　of　voices　chanting　in　solemn　response　〃Benedictum　qui　venit　in　nomine　Domini。〃*　　The　procession　paused　in　wonder。　　The　sounds　rose　from　Christian　captives；　and　among　them　several　priests；　who　were　confined　in　subterraneous　dungeons。

*Marino　Siculo。


The　heart　of　Isabella　was　greatly　touched。　　She　ordered　the　captives　to　be　drawn　forth　from　their　cells；　and　was　still　more　moved　at　beholding；　by　their　wan；　discolored；　and　emaciated　appearance；　how　much　they　had　suffered。　　Their　hair　and　beards　were　overgrown　and　shagged；　they　were　wasted　by　hunger；　half　naked；　and　in　chains。　She　ordered　that　they　should　be　clothed　and　cherished；　and　money　furnished　them　to　bear　them　to　their　homes。*

*Illescas；　Hist。　Pontif。；　lib。　6；　c。　20；　0xA4　1。


Several　of　the　captives　were　brave　cavaliers　who　had　been　wounded　and　made　prisoners　in　the　defeat　of　the　count　de　Cabra　by　El　Zagal　in　the　preceding　year。　　There　were　also　found　other　melancholy　traces　of　that　disastrous　affair。　　On　visiting　the　narrow　pass　where　the　defeat　had　taken　place；　the　remains　of　several　Christian　warriors　were　found　in　thickets　or　hidden　behind　rocks　or　in　the　clefts　of　the　mountains。　　These　were　some　who　had　been　struck　from　their　horses　and　wounded　too　severely　to　fly。　　They　had　crawled　away　from　the　scene　of　action；　and　concealed　themselves　to　avoid　falling　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy；　and　had　thus　perished　miserably　and　alone。　　The　remains　of　those　of　note　were　known　by　their　armor　and　devices；　and　were　mourned　over　by　their　companions　who　had　shared　the　disaster　of　that　day。*

*Pulgar；　part　3；　cap。　61。


The　queen　had　these　remains　piously　collected　as　the　relics　of　so　many　martyrs　who　had　fallen　in　the　cause　of　the　faith。　　They　were　interred　with　great　solemnity　in　the　mosques　of　Moclin；　which　had　been　purified　and　consecrated　to　Christian　worship。　　〃There；〃　says　Antonio　Agapida；　〃rest　the　bones　of　those　truly　Catholic　knights；　in　the　holy　ground　which　in　a　manner　had　been　sanctified　by　their　blood；　and　all　pilgrims　passing　through　those　mountains　offer　up　prayers　and　masses　for　the　repose　of　their　souls。〃

The　queen　remained　for　some　time　at　Moclin；　administering　comfort　to　the　wounded　and　the　prisoners；　bringing　the　newly…acquired　territory　into　order；　and　founding　churches　and　monasteries　and　other　pious　institutions。　　〃While　the　king　marched　in