CHAPTER XXV

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

CHAPTER XXV, CHRONICLE OF THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA by Washington Irving

HOW THE MARQUES OF CADIZ CONCERTED TO SURPRISE ZAHARA,
AND THE RESULT OF HIS ENTERPRISE.


The valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of Cadiz, was one of
the most vigilant of commanders. He kept in his pay a number of
converted Moors to serve as adalides, or armed guides. These mongrel
Christians were of great service in procuring information. Availing
themselves of their Moorish character and tongue, they penetrated
into the enemy's country, prowled about the castles and fortresses,
noticed the state of the walls, the gates, and towers, the strength
of their garrisons, and the vigilance or negligence of their
commanders. All this they minutely reported to the marques, who thus
knew the state of every fortress upon the frontier and when it might
be attacked with advantage. Besides the various town and cities over
which he held feudal sway, he had always an armed force about him
ready for the field. A host of retainers fed in his hall who were
ready to follow him to danger, and death itself, without inquiring
who or why they fought. The armories of his castles were supplied
with helms and cuirasses and weapons of all kinds, ready burnished
for use; and his stables were filled with hardy steeds that could
stand a mountain-scamper.

The marques was aware that the late defeat of the Moors on the banks
of the Lopera had weakened their whole frontier, for many of the
castles and fortresses had lost their alcaydes and their choicest
troops. He sent out his war-hounds, therefore, upon the range to
ascertain where a successful blow might be struck; and they soon
returned with word that Zahara was weakly garrisoned and short
of provisions.

This was the very fortress which, about two years before, had been
stormed by Muley Abul Hassan, and its capture had been the first
blow of this eventful war. It had ever since remained a thorn in the
side of Andalusia. All the Christians had been carried away captive,
and no civil population had been introduced in their stead. There
were no women or children in the place. It was kept up as a mere
military post, commanding one of the most important passes of the
mountains, and was a stronghold of Moorish marauders. The
marques was animated by the idea of regaining this fortress for his
sovereigns and wresting from the old Moorish king this boasted
trophy of his prowess. He sent missives, therefore, to the brave
Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, who had distinguished himself in the
late victory, and to Juan Almaraz, captain of the men-at-arms of the
Holy Brotherhood, informing them of his designs, and inviting them
to meet him with their forces on the banks of the Guadalete.

It was on the day (says Fray Antonio Agapida) of the glorious
apostles St. Simon and Judas, the twenty-eighth of October, in the
year of grace one thousand four hundred and eighty-three, that this
chosen band of Christian soldiers assembled suddenly and secretly
at the appointed place. Their forces when united amounted to six
hundred horse and fifteen hundred foot. Their gathering-place was
at the entrance of the defile leading to Zahara. That ancient town,
renowned in Moorish warfare, is situated in one of the roughest
passes of the Serrania de Ronda. It is built round the craggy cone
of a hill, on the lofty summit of which is a strong castle. The
country around is broken into deep barrancas or ravines, some of
which approach its very walls. The place had until recently been
considered impregnable, but (as the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida
observes) the walls of impregnable fortresses, like the virtue of
self-confident saints, have their weak points of attack.

The marques of Cadiz advanced with his little army in the dead of
the night, marching silently into the deep and dark defiles of the
mountains, and stealing up the ravines which extended to the walls
of the town. Their approach was so noiseless that the Moorish
sentinels upon the walls heard not a voice or a footfall. The
marques was accompanied by his old escalador, Ortega de Prado,
who had distinguished himself at the scaling of Alhama. This hardy
veteran was stationed, with ten men furnished with scaling-ladders,
in a cavity among the rocks close to the walls. At a little distance
seventy men were hid in a ravine, to be at hand to second him when
he should have fixed his ladders. The rest of the troops were
concealed in another ravine commanding a fair approach to the gate
of the fortress. A shrewd and wary adalid, well acquainted with the
place, was appointed to give signals, and so stationed that he could
be seen by the various parties in ambush, but not by the garrison.

By orders of the marques a small body of light cavalry passed along
the glen, and, turning round a point of rock, showed themselves
before the town: they[6]skirred the fields almost to the gates, as
if by way of bravado and to defy the garrison to a skirmish. The
Moors were not slow in replying to it. About seventy horse and a
number of foot who had guarded the walls sallied forth impetuously,
thinking to make easy prey of these insolent marauders. The Christian
horsemen fled for the ravine; the Moors pursued them down the hill,
until they heard a great shouting and tumult behind them. Looking
round toward the town, they beheld a scaling party mounting the
walls sword in hand. Wheeling about, they galloped for the gate:
the marques of Cadiz and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero rushed
forth at the same time with their ambuscade, and endeavored
to cut them off, but the Moors succeeded in throwing themselves
within the walls.

While Puerto Carrero stormed at the gate the marques put spurs to
his horse and galloped to the support of Ortega de Prado and his
scaling party. He arrived at a moment of imminent peril, when the
party was assailed by fifty Moors armed with cuirasses and lances,
who were on the point of thrusting them from the walls. The marques
sprang from his horse, mounted a ladder sword in hand, followed by
a number of his troops, and made a vigorous attack upon the enemy.*
They were soon driven from the walls, and the gates and towers
remained in possession of the Christians. The Moors defended
themselves for a short time in the streets, but at length took
refuge in the castle, the walls of which were strong and capable of
holding out until relief should arrive. The marques had no desire
to carry on a siege, and he had not provisions sufficient for many
prisoners; he granted them, therefore, favorable terms. They were
permitted, on leaving their arms behind them, to march out with
as much of their effects as they could carry, and it was stipulated
that they should pass over to Barbary. The marques remained in
the place until both town and castle were put in a perfect state of
defence and strongly garrisoned.

*Cura de los Palacios, c. 68.


Thus did Zahara return once more in possession of the Christians, to
the great confusion of old Muley Abul Hassan, who, having paid the
penalty of his ill-timed violence, was now deprived of its vaunted
fruits. The Castilian sovereigns were so gratified by this
achievement of the valiant Ponce de Leon that they authorized
him thenceforth to entitle himself duke of Cadiz and marques of
Zahara. The warrior, however, was so proud of the original title
under which he had so often signalized himself that he gave it the
precedence, and always signed himself marques, duke of Cadiz. As
the reader may have acquired the same predilection, we shall continue
to call him by his ancient title.