CHAPTER LXVIII

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

HOW KING FERDINAND INVADED THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE
KINGDOM OF GRANADA, AND HOW HE WAS RECEIVED BY
EL ZAGAL.


"Muley Abdallah el Zagal," says the venerable Jesuit father Pedro
Abarca, "was the most venomous Mahometan in all Morisma;" and
the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida most devoutly echoes his opinion.
"Certainly," adds the latter, "none ever opposed a more heathenish
and diabolical obstinacy to the holy inroads of the cross and sword."

El Zagal felt that it was necessary to do something to quicken his
popularity with the people, and that nothing was more effectual than
a successful inroad. The Moors loved the stirring call to arms and a
wild foray among the mountains, and delighted more in a hasty spoil,
wrested with hard fighting from the Christians, than in all the steady
and certain gains secured by peaceful traffic.

There reigned at this time a careless security along the frontier of
Jaen. The alcaydes of the Christian fortresses were confident of
the friendship of Boabdil el Chico, and they fancied his uncle too
distant and too much engrossed by his own perplexities to think of
molesting them. On a sudden El Zagal issued out of Guadix with a
chosen band, passed rapidly through the mountains which extend
behind Granada, and fell like a thunderbolt upon the territories in
the neighborhood of Alcala la Real. Before the alarm could be spread
and the frontier roused he had made a wide career of destruction
through the country, sacking and burning villages, sweeping off
flocks and herds, and carrying away captives. The warriors of the
frontier assembled, but El Zagal was already far on his return
through the mountains, and he re-entered the gates of Guadix in
triumph, his army laden with Christian spoil and conducting an
immense cavalgada. Such was one of El Zagal's preparatives for the
expected invasion of the Christian king, exciting the warlike spirit
of his people, and gaining for himself a transient popularity.

King Ferdinand assembled his army at Murcia in the spring of 1488.
He left that city on the fifth of June with a flying camp of four
thousand horse and fourteen thousand foot. The marques of Cadiz led
the van, followed by the adelantado of Murcia. The army entered the
Moorish frontier by the sea-coast, spreading terror through the land:
wherever it appeared, the towns surrendered without a blow, so
great was the dread of experiencing the woes which had desolated
the opposite frontier. In this way Vera, Velez el Rubio, Velez el
Blanco, and many towns of inferior note to the number of sixty
yielded at the first summons.

It was not until it approached Almeria that the army met with
resistance. This important city was commanded by the prince
Zelim, a relation of El Zagal. He led forth his Moors bravely to the
encounter, and skirmished fiercely with the advance guard in the
gardens near the city. King Ferdinand came up with the main body
of the army and called off his troops from the skirmish. He saw that
to attack the place with his present force was fruitless. Having
reconnoitred the city and its environs, therefore, against a future
campaign, he retired with his army and marched toward Baza.

The old warrior El Zagal was himself drawn up in the city of Baza
with a powerful garrison. He felt confidence in the strength of the
place, and rejoiced when he heard that the Christian king was
approaching. In the valley in front of Baza there extended a great
tract of gardens, like a continued grove, intersected by canals and
water courses. In this he stationed an ambuscade of arquebusiers
and crossbowmen. The vanguard of the Christian army came
marching gayly up the valley with great sound of drum and trumpet,
and led on by the marques of Cadiz and the adelantado of Murcia.
As they drew near El Zagal sallied forth with horse and foot and
attacked them for a time with great spirit. Gradually falling back,
as if pressed by their superior valor, he drew the exulting Christians
among the gardens. Suddenly the Moors in ambuscade burst
from their concealment, and opened such a fire in flank and rear
that many of the Christians were slain and the rest thrown into
confusion. King Ferdinand arrived in time to see the disastrous
situation of his troops, and gave signal for the vanguard to retire.

El Zagal did not permit the foe to draw off unmolested. Ordering out
fresh squadrons, he fell upon the rear of the retreating troops with
triumphant shouts, driving them before him with dreadful havoc. The
old war-cry of "El Zagal! El Zagal!" was again put up by the Moors,
and echoed with transport from the walls of the city. The Christians
were in imminent peril of a complete rout, when, fortunately, the
adelantado of Murcia threw himself with a large body of horse and
foot between the pursuers and the pursued, covering the retreat
of the latter and giving them time to rally. The Moors were now
attacked so vigorously in turn that they gave over the contest and
drew back slowly into the city. Many valiant cavaliers were slain in
this skirmish; among the number was Don Philip of Aragon, master
of the chivalry of St. George of Montesor: he was illegitimate son of
the king's illegitimate brother Don Carlos, and his death was
greatly bewailed by Ferdinand. He had formerly been archbishop of
Palermo, but had doffed the cassock for the cuirass, and, according
to Fray Antonio Agapida, had gained a glorious crown of martyrdom
by falling in this holy war.

The warm reception of his advance guard brought King Ferdinand
to a pause: he encamped on the banks of the neighboring river
Guadalquiton, and began to consider whether he had acted wisely in
undertaking this campaign with his present force. His late successes
had probably rendered him over-confident: El Zagal had again
schooled him into his characteristic caution. He saw that the old
warrior was too formidably ensconced in Baza to be dislodged by
anything except a powerful army and battering artillery, and he
feared that should he persist in his invasion some disaster might
befall his army, either from the enterprise of the foe or from a
pestilence which prevailed in various parts of the country. He
retired, therefore, from before Baza, as he had on a former occasion
from before Loxa, all the wiser for a wholesome lesson in warfare,
but by no means grateful to those who had given it, and with a
solemn determination to have his revenge upon his teachers.

He now took measures for the security of the places gained in the
campaign, placing in them strong garrisons, well armed and supplied,
charging their alcaydes to be vigilant on their posts and to give no
rest to the enemy. The whole of the frontier was under the command
of Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero. As it was evident from the warlike
character of El Zagal that there would be abundance of active service
and hard fighting, many hidalgos and young cavaliers eager for
distinction remained with Puerto Carrero.

All these dispositions being made, King Ferdinand closed the dubious
campaign of this year, not, as usual, by returning in triumph at the
head of his army to some important city of his dominions, but by
disbanding the troops and repairing to pray at the cross of Caravaca.