CHAPTER XXXIX

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

HOW THE ROYAL ARMY APPEARED BEFORE THE CITY OF LOXA, AND
HOW IT WAS RECEIVED; AND OF THE DOUGHTY ACHIEVEMENTS
OF THE ENGLISH EARL.


The advance of the Christian army upon Loxa threw the wavering
Boabdil el Chico into one of his usual dilemmas, and he was greatly
perplexed between his oath of allegiance to the Spanish sovereigns
and his sense of duty to his subjects. His doubts were determined
by the sight of the enemy glittering upon the height of Albohacen
and by the clamors of the people to be led forth to battle. "Allah,"
exclaimed he, "thou knowest my heart: thou knowest I have been
true in my faith to this Christian monarch. I have offered to hold
Loxa as his vassal, but he has preferred to approach it as an enemy:
on his head be the infraction of our treaty!"

Boabdil was not wanting in courage; he only needed decision.
When he had once made up his mind he acted vigorously; the
misfortune was, he either did not make it up at all or he made
it up too late. He who decides tardily generally acts rashly,
endeavoring to make up by hurry of action for slowness of
deliberation. Boabdil hastily buckled on his armor and sallied
forth surrounded by his guards, and at the head of five hundred
horse and four thousand foot, the flower of his army. Some he
detached to skirmish with the Christians, who were scattered
and perplexed in the valley, and to prevent their concentrating
their forces, while with his main body he pressed forward to drive
the enemy from the height of Albohacen before they had time to
collect there in any number or to fortify themselves in that
important position.

The worthy count de Cabra was yet entangled with his cavalry among
the water-courses of the valley when he heard the war-cries of the
Moors and saw their army rushing over the bridge. He recognized
Boabdil himself, by his splendid armor, the magnificent caparison of
his steed, and the brilliant guard which surrounded him. The royal
host swept on toward the height of Albohacen: an intervening hill
hid it from his sight, but loud shouts and cries, the din of drums
and trumpets, and the reports of arquebuses gave note that the
battle had begun.

Here was a royal prize in the field, and the count de Cabra unable
to get into the action! The good cavalier was in an agony of
impatience; every attempt to force his way across the valley only
plunged him into new difficulties. At length, after many eager but
ineffectual efforts, he was obliged to order his troops to dismount,
and slowly and carefully to lead their horses back along slippery
paths and amid plashes of mire and water where often there was
scarce a foothold. The good count groaned in spirit and sweat with
mere impatience as he went, fearing the battle might be fought and
the prize won or lost before he could reach the field. Having at
length toilfully unravelled the mazes of the valley and arrived at
firmer ground, he ordered his troops to mount, and led them full
gallop to the height. Part of the good count's wishes were satisfied,
but the dearest were disappointed: he came in season to partake
of the very hottest of the fight, but the royal prize was no longer
in the field.

Boabdil had led on his men with impetuous valor, or rather with
hurried rashness. Heedlessly exposing himself in the front of the
battle, he received two wounds in the very first encounter. His
guards rallied round him, defended him with matchless valor, and
bore him bleeding out of the action. The count de Cabra arrived
just in time to see the loyal squadron crossing the bridge and
slowly conveying their disabled monarch toward the gate of
the city.

The departure of Boabdil made no difference in the fury of the
battle. A Moorish warrior, dark and terrible in aspect, mounted on
a black charger, and followed by a band of savage Gomeres, rushed
forward to take the lead. It was Hamet el Zegri, the fierce alcayde
of Ronda, with the remnant of his once-redoubtable garrison.
Animated by his example, the Moors renewed their assaults upon
the height. It was bravely defended, on one side by the marques
of Cadiz, on another by Don Alonso de Aguilar, and as fast as the
Moors ascended they were driven back and dashed down the
declivities. The count de Urena took his stand upon the fatal spot
where his brother had fallen; his followers entered with zeal into
the feelings of their commander, and heaps of the enemy sunk
beneath their weapons--sacrifices to the manes of the lamented
master of Calatrava.

The battle continued with incredible obstinacy. The Moors knew
the importance of the height to the safety of the city; the cavaliers
felt their honors staked to maintain it. Fresh supplies of troops
were poured out of the city: some battled on the height, while some
attacked the Christians who were still in the valley and among the
orchards and gardens to prevent their uniting their forces. The
troops in the valley were gradually driven back, and the whole host
of the Moors swept around the height of Albohacen. The situation of
the marques de Cadiz and his companions was perilous in the extreme:
they were a mere handful, and, while fighting hand to hand with the
Moors who assailed the height, were galled from a distance by the
crossbows and arquebuses of a host that augmented each moment
in number. At this critical juncture King Ferdinand emerged from the
mountains with the main body of the army, and advanced to an
eminence commanding a full view of the field of action. By his side
was the noble English cavalier, the earl of Rivers. This was the
first time he had witnessed a scene of Moorish warfare. He looked
with eager interest at the chance-medley fight before him, where
there was the wild career of cavalry, the irregular and tumultuous
rush of infantry, and where Christian and Moor were intermingled
in deadly struggle. The high blood of the English knight mounted
at the sight, and his soul was stirred within him by the confused
war-cries, the clangor of drums and trumpets, and the reports of
arquebuses. Seeing that the king was sending a reinforcement to
the field, he entreated permission to mingle in the affray and fight
according to the fashion of his country. His request being granted,
he alighted from his steed: he was merely armed "en blanco"--that
is to say, with morion, back-piece, and breast-plate--his sword was
girded by his side, and in his hand he wielded a powerful battle-axe.
He was followed by a body of his yeomen armed in like manner, and
by a band of archers with bows made of the tough English yew tree.
The earl turned to his troops and addressed then briefly and bluntly,
according to the manner of his country. "Remember, my merry men
all," said he, "the eyes of strangers are upon you; you are in a
foreign land, fighting for the glory of God and the honor of merry
old England!" A loud shout was the reply. The earl waved his battle-
axe over his head. "St. George for England!" cried he, and to the
inspiring sound of this old English war-cry he and his followers
rushed down to the battle with manly and courageous hearts.*
They soon made their way into the midst of the enemy, but when
engaged in the hottest of the fight they made no shouts nor outcries.
They pressed steadily forward, dealing their blows to right and left,
hewing down the Moors and cutting their way with their battle-
axes like woodmen in a forest; while the archers, pressing into the
opening they made, plied their bows vigorously and spread death
on every side.

*Cura de los Palacios.


When the Castilian mountaineers beheld the valor of the English
yeomanry, they would not be outdone in hardihood. They could
not vie with them in weight or bulk, but for vigor and activity they
were surpassed by none. They kept pace with them, therefore,
with equal heart and rival prowess, and gave a brave support to
the stout Englishmen.

The Moors were confounded by the fury of these assaults and
disheartened by the loss of Hamet el Zegri, who was carried
wounded from the field. They gradually fell back upon the bridge;
the Christians followed up their advantage, and drove them over
it tumultuously. The Moors retreated into the suburb, and Lord
Rivers and his troops entered with them pell-mell, fighting in the
streets and in the houses. King Ferdinand came up to the scene
of action with his royal guard, and the infidels were driven within
the city walls. Thus were the suburbs gained by the hardihood of
the English lord, without such an event having been premeditated.*

*Cura de los Palacios, MS.


The earl of Rivers, notwithstanding he had received a wound, still
urged forward in the attack. He penetrated almost to the city gate,
in defiance of a shower of missiles that slew many of his followers.
A stone hurled from the battlements checked his impetuous career:
it struck him in the face, dashed out two of his front teeth, and laid
him senseless on the earth. He was removed to a short distance by
his men, but, recovering his senses, refused to permit himself to be
taken from the suburb.

When the contest was over the streets presented a piteous
spectacle, so many of their inhabitants had died in the defence
of their thresholds or been slaughtered without resistance.
Among the victims was a poor weaver who had been at work
in his dwelling at this turbulent moment. His wife urged him to
fly into the city. "Why should I fly?" said the Moor--"to be
reserved for hunger and slavery? I tell you, wife, I will await
the foe here, for better is it to die quickly by the steel than to
perish piecemeal in chains and dungeons." He said no more,
but resumed his occupation of weaving, and in the indiscriminate
fury of the assault was slaughtered at his loom.*

*Pulgar, part 3, c. 58.


The Christians remained masters of the field, and proceeded to pitch
three encampments for the prosecution of the siege. The king, with
the great body of the army, took a position on the side of the city
next to Granada; the marques of Cadiz and his brave companions
once more pitched their tents upon the height of Santo Albohacen;
but the English earl planted his standard sturdily within the suburb
he had taken.