CHAPTER LXXXIV

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

HOW FERDINAND TURNED HIS HOSTLITIES AGAINST THE CITY
OF GRANADA.


When King Ferdinand received the defiance of the Moors, he made
preparations for bitter hostilities. The winter season did not admit
of an immediate campaign; he contented himself, therefore, with
throwing strong garrisons into all his towns and fortresses in the
neighborhood of Granada, and gave the command of all the frontier
of Jaen to Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, count of Tendilla, who had shown
such consummate vigilance and address in maintaining the dangerous
post of Alhama. This renowned veteran established his head-quarters
in the mountain-city of Alcala la Real, within eight leagues of the
city of Granada and commanding the most important passes of that
rugged frontier.

In the mean time, Granada resounded with the stir of war. The
chivalry of the nation had again control of its councils, and the
populace, having once more resumed their weapons, were anxious to
wipe out the disgrace of their late passive submission by signal and
daring exploits.

Muza Abul Gazan was the soul of action. He commanded the cavalry,
which he had disciplined with uncommon skill; he was surrounded by
the noblest youths of Granada, who had caught his own generous
and martial fire and panted for the field, while the common soldiers,
devoted to his person, were ready to follow him in the most
desperate enterprises. He did not allow their courage to cool for
want of action. The gates of Granada once more poured forth legions
of light scouring cavalry, which skirred the country up to the very
gates of the Christian fortresses, sweeping off flocks and herds.
The name of Muza became formidable throughout the frontier;
he had many encounters with the enemy in the rough passes of
the mountains, in which the superior lightness and dexterity of his
cavalry gave him the advantage. The sight of his glistening legion
returning across the Vega with long cavalgadas of booty was hailed
by the Moors as a revival of their ancient triumphs; but when they
beheld Christian banners borne into their gates as trophies, the
exultation of the light-minded populace was beyond all bounds.

The winter passed away, the spring advanced, yet Ferdinand delayed
to take the field. He knew the city of Granada to be too strong and
populous to be taken by assault, and too full of provisions to be
speedily reduced by siege. "We must have patience and perseverance,"
said the politic monarch; "by ravaging the country this year we
shall produce a scarcity the next, and then the city may be invested
with effect."

An interval of peace, aided by the quick vegetation of a prolific
soil and happy climate, had restored the Vega to all its luxuriance
and beauty; the green pastures on the borders of the Xenil were
covered with flocks and herds; the blooming orchards gave promise
of abundant fruit, and the open plain was waving with ripening corn.
The time was at hand to put in the sickle and reap the golden harvest,
when suddenly a torrent of war came sweeping down from the
mountains, and Ferdinand, with an army of five thousand horse and
twenty thousand foot, appeared before the walls of Granada. He
had left the queen and princess at the fortress of Moclin, and came
attended by the duke of Medina Sidonia, the marques of Cadiz, the
marques de Villena, the counts of Urena and Cabra, Don Alonso de
Aguilar, and other renowned cavaliers. On this occasion he for the
first time led his son, Prince Juan, into the field, and bestowed
upon him the dignity of knighthood. As if to stimulate him to grand
achievements, the ceremony took place on the banks of the grand
canal almost beneath the embattled walls of that warlike city, the
object of such daring enterprises, and in the midst of that famous
Vega, the field of so many chivalrous exploits. Above them shone
resplendent the red towers of the Alhambra, rising from amidst
delicious groves, with the standard of Mahomet waving defiance
to the Christian arms.

The duke of Medina Sidonia and Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of
Cadiz, were sponsors, and all the chivalry of the camp was assembled
on the occasion. The prince, after he was knighted, bestowed the
same honor on several youthful cavaliers of high rank, just entering,
like himself, on the career of arms.

Ferdinand did not loiter in carrying his desolating plans into
execution. He detached parties in every direction to lay waste the
country: villages were sacked, burnt, and destroyed, and the lovely
Vega was once more laid waste with fire and sword. The ravage was
carried so close to Granada that the city was wrapped in the smoke
of its gardens and hamlets. The dismal cloud rolled up the hill and
hung about the towers of the Alhambra, where the unfortunate
Boabdil still remained shut up from the indignation of his subjects.
The hapless monarch smote his breast as he looked down from
his mountain-palace on the desolation effected by his late ally.
He dared not even show himself in arms among the populace, for
they cursed him as the cause of the miseries once more brought to
their doors.

The Moors, however, did not suffer the Christians to carry on their
ravages unmolested, as in former years. Muza incited them to
incessant sallies. He divided his cavalry into small squadrons, each
led by a daring commander. They were taught to hover round the
Christian camp; to harass it from various and opposite quarters,
cutting off convoys and straggling detachments; to waylay the
army in its ravaging expeditions, lurking among rocks and passes
of the mountains or in hollows and thickets of the plain, and
practising a thousand stratagems and surprises.

The Christian army had one day spread itself out rather unguardedly
in its foraging about the Vega. As the troops commanded by the
marques of Villena approached the skirts of the mountains, they
beheld a number of Moorish peasants hastily driving a herd of cattle
into a narrow glen. The soldiers, eager for booty, pressed in
pursuit of them. Scarcely had they entered the glen when shouts
arose from every side, and they were furiously attacked by an
ambuscade of horse and foot. Some of the Christians took to flight;
others stood their ground and fought valiantly. The Moors had the
vantage-ground; some showered darts and arrows from the cliffs
of the rocks, others fought hand to hand on the plain, while their
cavalry carried havoc and confusion into the midst of the Christian
forces.

The marques de Villena, with his brother, Don Alonso de Pacheco,
at the first onset of the Moors spurred into the hottest of the fight.
They had scarce entered when Don Alonso was struck lifeless from
his horse before the eyes of his brother. Estevan Luzon, a gallant
captain, fell fighting bravely by the side of the marques, who
remained, with his chamberlain Soler and a handful of knights,
surrounded by the enemy. Several cavaliers from other parts of the
army hastened to their assistance, when King Ferdinand, seeing that
the Moors had the vantage-ground and that the Christians were
suffering severely, gave signal for retreat. The marques obeyed
slowly and reluctantly, for his heart was full of grief and rage at
the death of his brother. As he was retiring he beheld his faithful
chamberlain Soler defending himself valiantly against six Moors.
The marques turned and rushed to his rescue; he killed two of the
enemy with his own hand and put the rest to flight. One of the
Moors, however, in retreating, rose in his stirrups, and, hurling
his lance at the marques, wounded him in the right arm and
crippled him for life.*

*In consequence of this wound the marques was ever after obliged
to write his signature with his left hand, though capable of managing
his lance with his right. The queen one day demanded of him why
he had adventured his life for that of a domestic? "Does not Your
Majesty think," replied he, "that I ought to risk one life for him who
would have adventured three for me had he possessed them?" The
queen was charmed with the magnanimity of the reply, and often
quoted the marques as setting an heroic example to the chivalry of
the age.--Mariana, lib. 25, c. 15.


Such was one of the many ambuscadoes concerted by Muza; nor did
he hesitate at times to present a bold front to the Christian forces
and defy them in the open field. Ferdinand soon perceived, however,
that the Moors seldom provoked a battle without having the advantage
of the ground, and that, though the Christians generally appeared to
have the victory, they suffered the greatest loss; for retreating was
a part of the Moorish system by which they would draw their pursuers
into confusion, and then turn upon them with a more violent and fatal
attack. He commanded his captains, therefore, to decline all challenges
to skirmish, and pursue a secure system of destruction, ravaging the
country and doing all possible injury to the enemy with slight risk to
themselves.