CHAPTER LXVII

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

HOW KING FERDINAND PREPARED TO CARRY THE WAR INTO A
DIFFERENT PART OF THE TERRITORIES OF THE MOORS.


The western part of the kingdom of Granada had now been conquered
by the Christian arms. The seaport of Malaga was captured; the fierce
and warlike inhabitants of Serrania de Ronda and the other
mountain-holds of the frontier were all disarmed and reduced to
peaceful and laborious vassalage; their haughty fortresses, which
had so long overawed the valleys of Andalusia, now displayed the
standard of Castile and Aragon; the watch-towers which crowned
every height, whence the infidels had kept a vulture eye over the
Christian territories, were now either dismantled or garrisoned with
Catholic troops. "What signalized and sanctified this great triumph,"
adds the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, "were the emblems of
ecclesiastical domination which everywhere appeared. In every
direction rose stately convents and monasteries, those fortresses
of the faith garrisoned by its spiritual soldiery of monks and friars.
The sacred melody of Christian bells was again heard among the
mountains, calling to early matins or sounding the Angelus at the
solemn hour of evening."*

*The worthy curate of Los Palacios intimates in his chronicle that
this melody, so grateful to the ears of pious Christians, was a
source of perpetual torment to the ears of infidels.


While this part of the kingdom was thus reduced by the Christian
sword, the central part, round the city of Granada, forming the
heart of the Moorish territory, was held in vassalage of the
Castilian monarch by Boabdil, surnamed El Chico. That unfortunate
prince lost no occasion to propitiate the conquerors of his country by
acts of homage and by professions that must have been foreign to
his heart. No sooner had he heard of the capture of Malaga than
he sent congratulations to the Catholic sovereigns, accompanied
with presents of horses richly caparisoned for the king, and precious
cloth of gold and Oriental perfumes for the queen. His congratulations
and his presents were received with the utmost graciousness, and
the short-sighted prince, lulled by the temporary and politic
forbearance of Ferdinand, flattered himself that he was securing
the lasting friendship of that monarch.

The policy of Boabdil had its transient and superficial advantages.
The portion of Moorish territory under his immediate sway had a
respite from the calamities of war, the husbandmen cultivated their
luxuriant fields in security, and the Vega of Granada once more
blossomed like the rose. The merchants again carried on a gainful
traffic: the gates of the city were thronged with beasts of burden,
bringing the rich products of every clime. Yet, while the people of
Granada rejoiced in their teeming fields and crowded marts, they
secretly despised the policy which had procured them these
advantages, and held Boabdil for little better than an apostate and
an unbeliever. Muley Abdallah el Zagal was now the hope of the
unconquered part of the kingdom, and every Moor whose spirit was not
quite subdued with his fortunes lauded the valor of the old monarch
and his fidelity to the faith, and wished success to his standard.

El Zagal, though he no longer sat enthroned in the Alhambra, yet
reigned over more considerable domains than his nephew. His
territories extended from the frontier of Jaen along the borders of
Murcia to the Mediterranean, and reached into the centre of the
kingdom. On the northeast he held the cities of Baza and Guadix,
situated in the midst of fertile regions. He had the important
seaport of Almeria also, which at one time rivalled Granada itself
in wealth and population. Besides these, his territories included a
great part of the Alpuxarras mountains, which extend across the
kingdom and shoot out branches toward the sea-coast. This
mountainous region was a stronghold of wealth and power. Its stern
and rocky heights, rising to the clouds, seemed to set invasion at
defiance, yet within their rugged embraces were sheltered delightful
valleys of the happiest temperature and richest fertility. The cool
springs and limpid rills which gushed out in all parts of the
mountains, and the abundant streams which for a great part of the
year were supplied by the Sierra Nevada, spread a perpetual verdure
over the skirts and slopes of the hills, and, collecting in silver
rivers in the valleys, wound along among plantations of mulberry
trees and groves of oranges and citrons, of almonds, figs, and
pomegranates. Here was produced the finest silk of Spain, which gave
employment to thousands of manufacturers. The sunburnt sides of the
hills also were covered with vineyards; the abundant herbage of the
mountain-ravines and the rich pasturage of the valleys fed vast
flocks and herds; and even the arid and rocky bosoms of the heights
teemed with wealth from the mines of various metals with which they
were impregnated. In a word, the Alpuxarras mountains had ever
been the great source of revenue to the monarchs of Granada. Their
inhabitants also were hardy and warlike, and a sudden summons from
the Moorish king could at any time call forth fifty thousand fighting-
men from their rocky fastnesses.

Such was the rich but rugged fragment of an empire which remained
under the sway of the old warrior-monarch El Zagal. The mountain-
barriers by which it was locked up had protected it from most of the
ravages of the present war. El Zagal prepared himself by
strengthening every fortress to battle fiercely for its maintenance.

The Catholic sovereigns saw that fresh troubles and toils awaited
them. The war had to be carried into a new quarter, demanding
immense expenditure, and new ways and means must be devised
to replenish their exhausted coffers. "As this was a holy war,
however," says Fray Antonio Agapida, "and peculiarly redounded
to the prosperity of the Church, the clergy were full of zeal, and
contributed vast sums of money and large bodies of troops. A
pious fund was also produced from the first fruits of that glorious
institution, the Inquisition."

It so happened that about this time there were many families of
wealth and dignity in the kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia and the
principality of Catalonia whose forefathers had been Jews, but had
been converted to Christianity. Notwithstanding the outward piety
of these families, it was surmised, and soon came to be strongly
suspected, that many of then had a secret hankering after Judaism,
and it was even whispered that some of them practised Jewish rites
in private.

The Catholic monarch (continues Agapida) had a righteous abhorrence
of all kinds of heresy and a fervent zeal for the faith; he ordered,
therefore, a strict investigation of the conduct of these pseudo-
Christians. Inquisitors were sent into the provinces for the purpose,
who proceeded with their accustomed zeal. The consequence was,
that many families were convicted of apostasy from the Christian
faith and of the private practice of Judaism. Some, who had grace
and policy sufficient to reform in time, were again received into the
Christian fold after being severely mulcted and condemned to
heavy penance; others were burnt at "auto de fes" for the
edification of the public, and their property was confiscated for
the good of the state.

As these Hebrews were of great wealth and had an hereditary passion
for jewelry, there was found abundant store in their possession of
gold and silver, of rings and necklaces, and strings of pearl and
coral, and precious stones--treasures easy of transportation and
wonderfully adapted for the emergencies of war. "In this way,"
concludes the pious Agapida, "these backsliders, by the all-seeing
contrivances of Providence, were made to serve the righteous cause
which they had so treacherously deserted; and their apostate wealth
was sanctified by being devoted to the service of Heaven and the
Crown in this holy crusade against the infidels."

It must be added, however, that these pious financial expedients
received some check from the interference of Queen Isabella. Her
penetrating eyes discovered that many enormities had been committed
under color of religious zeal, and many innocent persons accused by
false witnesses of apostasy, either through malice or a hope of
obtaining their wealth: she caused strict investigation, therefore,
into the proceedings which had been held, many of which were
reversed, and suborners punished in proportion to their guilt.*

*Pulgar, part 3, c. 100.