chronicle of the conquest of granada-第96章

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ll　march　with　a　powerful　host　to　its　assistance。　There　was　no　time　for　further　delay：　he　made　a　furious　attack　with　all　his　forces　upon　the　castle；　but　was　again　repulsed　by　Pulgar　and　his　coadjutors；　when；　abandoning　the　siege　in　despair；　he　retreated　with　his　army；　lest　King　Ferdinand　should　get　between　him　and　his　capital。　　On　his　way　back　to　Granada；　however；　he　in　some　sort　consoled　himself　for　his　late　disappointment　by　overrunning　a　part　of　the　territories　and　possessions　lately　assigned　to　his　uncle　El　Zagal　and　to　Cid　Hiaya。　　He　defeated　their　alcaydes；　destroyed　several　of　their　fortresses；　burnt　their　villages；　and；　leaving　the　country　behind　him　reeking　and　smoking　with　his　vengeance；　returned　with　considerable　booty　to　repose　himself　within　the　walls　of　the　Alhambra。*

*Pulgar；　Cron。；　p。　3；　c　。131；　Cura　de　los　Palacios；　cap。　97。



CHAPTER　LXXXIX。

HOW　KING　FERDINAND　TREATED　THE　PEOPLE　OF　GUADIX；　AND　HOW　　　　　EL　ZAGAL　FINISHED　HIS　REGAL　CAREER。


Scarcely　had　Boabdil＇11＇ensconced　himself　in　his　capital　when　King　Ferdinand；　at　the　head　of　seven　thousand　horse　and　twenty　thousand　foot；　again　appeared　in　the　Vega。　　He　had　set　out　in　all　haste　from　Cordova　to　the　relief　of　Salobrena；　but　hearing　on　his　march　that　the　siege　was　raised；　he　turned　to　make　a　second　ravage　round　the　walls　of　devoted　Granada。　　His　present　forage　lasted　fifteen　days；　in　the　course　of　which　almost　everything　that　had　escaped　his　former　desolating　visit　was　destroyed；　and　scarce　a　green　thing　or　a　living　animal　was　left　on　the　face　of　the　land。　　The　Moors　sallied　frequently　and　fought　desperately　in　defence　of　their　fields；　but　the　work　of　destruction　was　accomplished；　and　Granada；　once　the　queen　of　gardens；　was　left　surrounded　by　a　desert。

Ferdinand　next　hastened　to　crush　a　conspiracy　in　the　cities　of　Guadix；　Baza；　and　Almeria。　　These　recently　conquered　places　had　entered　into　secret　correspondence　with　Boabdil；　inviting　him　to　march　to　their　gates；　promising　to　rise　upon　the　Christian　garrisons；　seize　upon　the　citadels；　and　surrender　them　into　his　power。　　The　marques　of　Villena　had　received　notice　of　the　conspiracy；　and　suddenly　thrown　himself　with　a　large　force　into　Guadix。　　Under　pretence　of　a　review　of　the　inhabitants　he　made　them　sally　forth　into　the　fields　before　the　city。　　When　the　whole　Moorish　population　capable　of　bearing　arms　was　thus　without　the　walls；　he　ordered　the　gates　to　be　closed。　　He　then　permitted　them　to　enter　two　by　two　and　three　by　three；　and　take　forth　their　wives；　children；　and　effects。　　The　houseless　Moors　were　fain　to　make　themselves　temporary　hovels　in　the　gardens　and　orchards　about　the　city；　they　were　clamorous　in　their　complaints　at　being　thus　excluded　from　their　homes；　but　were　told　they　must　wait　with　patience　until　the　charges　against　them　could　be　investigated　and　the　pleasure　of　the　king　be　known。*

*Zurita；　lib。；　c。　85；　Cura　de　los　Palacios；　c。　97。


When　Ferdinand　arrived　at　Guadix；　he　found　the　unhappy　Moors　in　their　cabins　among　the　orchards。　　They　complained　bitterly　of　the　deception　practised　upon　them；　and　implored　permission　to　return　into　the　city　and　live　peaceably　in　their　dwellings；　as　had　been　promised　them　in　their　articles　of　capitulation。

King　Ferdinand　listened　graciously　to　their　complaints。　　〃My　friends；〃　said　he　in　reply；　〃I　have　been　informed　that　there　has　been　a　conspiracy　among　you　to　kill　my　alcayde　and　garrison　and　to　take　part　with　my　enemy；　the　king　of　Granada。　　I　shall　make　a　thorough　investigation　of　this　conspiracy。　　Those　among　you　who　shall　be　proved　innocent　shall　be　restored　to　their　dwellings；　but　the　guilty　shall　incur　the　penalty　of　their　offences。　　As　I　wish；　however；　to　proceed　with　mercy　as　well　as　justice；　I　now　give　you　your　choiceeither　to　depart　at　once　without　further　question；　going　wherever　you　please；　and　taking　with　you　your　families　and　effects　under　an　assurance　of　safety；　or　to　deliver　up　those　who　are　guilty；　not　one　of　whom；　I　give　you　my　royal　word；　shall　escape　punishment。〃

When　the　people　of　Guadix　heard　these　words　they　communed　among　themselves；　and；　as　most　of　them　（says　the　worthy　Agapida）　were　either　culpable　or　feared　to　be　considered　so；　they　accepted　the　alternative　and　departed　sorrowfully；　they　and　their　wives　and　their　little　ones。　　〃Thus；〃　in　the　words　of　that　excellent　and　contemporary　historian　Andres　Bernaldez；　commonly　called　the　curate　of　Los　Palacios；〃thus　did　the　king　deliver　Guadix　from　the　hands　of　the　enemies　of　our　holy　faith　after　seven　hundred　and　seventy　years　that　it　had　been　in　their　possession；　ever　since　the　time　of　Roderick　the　Goth；　and　this　was　one　of　the　mysteries　of　our　Lord；　who　would　not　consent　that　the　city　should　remain　longer　in　the　power　of　the　Moors〃a　pious　and　sage　remark　which　is　quoted　with　peculiar　approbation　by　the　worthy　Agapida。

King　Ferdinand　offered　similar　alternatives　to　the　Moors　of　Baza；　Almeria；　and　other　cities　accused　of　participation　in　this　conspiracy；　who　generally　preferred　to　abandon　their　homes　rather　than　incur　the　risk　of　an　investigation。　　Most　of　them　relinquished　Spain　as　a　country　where　they　could　no　longer　live　in　security　and　independence；　and　departed　with　their　families　for　Africa；　such　as　remained　were　suffered　to　live　in　villages　and　hamlets　and　other　unwalled　places。*

*Garibay；　lib。　13；　cap。　39；　Pulgar；　part　3；　cap。　132。


While　Ferdinand　was　thus　occupied　at　Guadix；　dispensing　justice　and　mercy　and　receiving　cities　in　exchange；　the　old　monarch；　Muley　Abdallah；　surnamed　El　Zagal；　appeared　before　him。　　He　was　haggard　with　care　and　almost　crazed　with　passion。　　He　had　found　his　little　territory　of　Andarax　and　his　two　thousand　subjects　as　difficult　to　govern　as　had　been　the　distracted　kingdom　of　Granada。　　The　charm　which　had　bound　the　Moors　to　him　was　broken　when　he　appeared　in　arms　under　the　banner　of　Ferdinand。　　He　had　returned　from　his　inglorious　campaign　with　his　petty　army　of　two　hundred　men；　followed　by　the　execrations　of　the　people　of　Granada　and　the　secret　repining　of　those　he　had　led　into　the　field。　　No　sooner　had　his　subjects　heard　of　the　successes　of　Boabdil　el　Chico　than　they　had　seized　their　arms；　assembled　tumultuously；　declared　for　the　young　monarch；　and　threatened　the　life　of　El　Zagal。*　　The　unfortunate　old　king　had　with　difficulty　evaded　their　fury；　and　this　last　lesson　seemed　entirely　to　have　cured　him　of　his　passion　for　sovereignty。　　He　now　entreated　Ferdinand　to　purchase　the　towns　and　castles　and　other　possessions　which　had　been　granted　to　him；　offering　them　at　a　low　rate；　and　begging　safe　passage　for　himself　and　his　followers　to　Africa。　　King　Ferdinand　graciously　complied　with　his　wishes。　　He　purchased　of　him　three…and…twenty　towns　and　villages　in　the　valleys　of　Andarax　and　Alhaurin；　for　which　he　gave　him　five　millions　of　maravedis。　　El　Zagal　relinquished　his　right　to　one…half　of　the　salinas　or　salt…pits　of　Malaha　in　favor　of　his　brother…in…law；　Cid　Hiaya。　　Having　thus　disposed　of　his　petty　empire　and　possessions；　he　packed　up　all　his　treasure；　of　which　he　had　a　great　amount；　and；　followed　by　many　Moorish　families；　passed　over　to　Africa。**

*Cura　de　los　Palacios；　cap。　97。

**Conde；　part　4；　cap。　41。


And　here　let　us　cast　an　eye　beyond　the　present　period　of　our　chronicle；　and　trace　the　remaining　career　of　El　Zagal。　　His　short　and　turbulent　reign　and　disastrous　end　would　afford　a　wholesome　lesson　to　unprincipled　ambition；　were　not　all　ambition　of　the　kind　fated　to　be　blind　to　precept　and　example。　　When　he　arrived　in　Africa；　instead　of　meeting　with　kindness　and　sympathy；　he　was　seized　and　thrown　into　prison　by　the　caliph　of　Fez；　Benimerin；　as　though　he　had　been　his　vassal。　　He　was　accused　of　being　the　cause　of　the　dissensions　and　downfall　of　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　and；　the　accusation　being　proved　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　king　of　Fez；　he　condemned　the　unhappy　El　Zagal　to　perpetual　darkness。　　A　basin　of　glowing　copper　was　passed　before　his　eyes；　which　effectually　destroyed　his　sight。　　His　wealth；　which　had　probably　been　the　secret　cause　of　these　cruel　measures；　was　confiscated　and　seized　upon　by　his　oppressor；　and　El　Zagal　was　thrust　forth；　blind；　helpless；　and　destitute；　upon　the　world。　　In　this　wretched　condition　the　late　Moo