CHAPTER LXXXVII

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

EXPLOIT OF THE COUNT DE TENDILLA.


Boabdil el Chico followed up his success by capturing the two
fortresses of Marchena and Albolodny, belonging to Cid Hiaya; he
also sent his alfaquis in every direction to proclaim a holy war and
to summon all true Moslems of town or castle, mountain or valley,
to saddle steed and buckle on armor and hasten to the standard of
the faith. The tidings spread far and wide that Boabdil el Chico was
once more in the field and was victorious. The Moors of various
places, dazzled by this gleam of success, hastened to throw off
their sworn allegiance to the Castilian Crown and to elevate the
standard of Boabdil, and the youthful monarch flattered himself that
the whole kingdom was on the point of returning to its allegiance.

The fiery cavaliers of Granada, eager to renew those forays into
the Christian lands in which they had formerly delighted, concerted
an irruption to the north, into the territory of Jaen, to harass the
country about Quezada. They had heard of a rich convoy of
merchants and wealthy travellers on the way to the city of Baza,
and anticipated a glorious conclusion to their foray in capturing
this convoy.

Assembling a number of horsemen, lightly armed and fleetly mounted,
and one hundred foot-soldiers, they issued forth by night from
Granada, made their way in silence through the defiles of the
mountains, crossed the frontier without opposition, and suddenly
appeared, as if fallen from the clouds, in the very heart of the
Christian country.

The mountainous frontier which separates Granada from Jaen was
at this time under the command of the count de Tendilla, the same
veteran who had distinguished himself by his vigilance and sagacity
when commanding the fortress of Alhama. He held his head-quarters
at the city of Alcala la Real, in its impregnable fortress perched high
among the mountains, about six leagues from Granada, and dominating
all the frontier. From this cloud-capt hold he kept an eagle eye
upon Granada, and had his scouts and spies in all directions, so
that a crow could not fly over the border without his knowledge.
His fortress was a place of refuge for the Christian captives who
escaped by night from the Moorish dungeons of Granada. Often,
however, they missed their way in the defiles of the mountains, and,
wandering about bewildered, either repaired by mistake to some
Moorish town or were discovered and retaken at daylight by the
enemy. To prevent these accidents, the count had a tower built at
his own expense on the top of one of the heights near Alcala, which
commanded a view of the Vega and the surrounding country. Here
he kept a light blazing throughout the night as a beacon for all
Christian fugitives to guide them to a place of safety.

The count was aroused one night from his repose by shouts and cries
which came up from the town and approached the castle walls. "To
arms! to arms! the Moor is over the border!" was the cry. A Christian
soldier, pale and emaciated, who still bore traces of Moorish chains,
was brought before the count. He had been taken as guide by the
Moorish cavaliers who had sallied from Granada, but had escaped
from them among the mountains, and after much wandering had
found his way to Alcala by the signal-fire.

Notwithstanding the bustle and agitation of the moment, the count
de Tendilla listened calmly and attentively to the account of the
fugitive, and questioned him minutely as to the time of departure
of the Moors and the rapidity and direction of their march. He saw
that it was too late to prevent their incursion and ravage, but he
determined to await them and give them a warm reception on
their return. His soldiers were always on the alert and ready to
take the field at a moment's warning. Choosing one hundred and
fifty lances, hardy and valiant men, well disciplined and well
seasoned--as indeed were all his troops--he issued forth quietly
before break of day, and, descending through the defiles of the
mountains, stationed his little force in ambush in a deep barranca,
or dry channel of a torrent near Barzina, but three leagues from
Granada, on the road by which the marauders would have to
return. In the mean time he sent out scouts to post themselves
upon different heights and look out for the approach of the enemy.

All day they remained concealed in the ravine and for a great part
of the following night; not a Moor, however, was to be seen,
excepting now and then a peasant returning from his labor or a
solitary muleteer hastening toward Granada. The cavaliers of the
count began to grow restless and impatient, fearing that the enemy
might have taken some other route or might have received
intelligence of their ambuscade. They urged the count to abandon the
enterprise and return to Alcala. "We are here," said they, "almost
at the gates of the Moorish capital, our movements may have been
descried, and before we are aware Granada may pour forth its legions
of swift cavalry and crush us with an overwhelming force." The
count, however, persisted in remaining until his scouts should come
in. About two hours before daybreak there were signal-fires on
certain Moorish watch-towers of the mountains. While they were
regarding these with anxiety the scouts came hurrying into the
ravine. "The Moors are approaching," said they; "we have
reconnoitred them near at hand. They are between one and two
hundred strong, but encumbered with many prisoners and much
booty." The Christian cavaliers laid their ears to the ground and
heard the distant tramp of horses and the tread of foot-soldiers.
They mounted their horses, braced their shields, couched their
lances, and drew near to the entrance of the ravine where it
opened upon the road.

The Moors had succeeded in waylaying and surprising the Christian
convoy on its way to Baza. They had captured a great number of
prisoners, male and female, with great store of gold and jewels and
sumpter mules laden with rich merchandise. With these they had made
a forced march over the dangerous parts of the mountains, but now,
finding themselves so near to Granada, fancied themselves in perfect
security. They loitered along the road, therefore, irregularly and
slowly, some singing, others laughing and exulting at having eluded
the boasted vigilance of the count de Tendilla, while ever and anon
was heard the plaint of some female captive bewailing the jeopardy
of her honor or the heavy sighing of the merchant at beholding his
property in the grasp of ruthless spoilers.

The count waited until some of the escort had passed the ravine;
then, giving the signal for assault, his cavaliers set up great
shouts and cries and charged into the centre of the foe. The
obscurity of the place and the hour added to the terrors of the
surprise. The Moors were thrown into confusion; some rallied, fought
desperately, and fell covered with wounds. Thirty-six were killed
and fifty-five were made prisoners; the rest under cover of the
darkness made their escape to the rocks and defiles of the mountains.

The good count unbound the prisoners, gladdening the hearts of the
merchants by restoring to them their merchandise. To the female
captives also he restored the jewels of which they had been
despoiled, excepting such as had been lost beyond recovery.
Forty-five saddle horses of the choice Barbary breed remained as
captured spoils of the Moors, together with costly armor and booty
of various kinds. Having collected everything in haste and arranged
his cavalgada, the count urged his way with all speed for Alcala la
Real, lest he should be pursued and overtaken by the Moors of
Granada. As he wound up the steep ascent to his mountain-city the
inhabitants poured forth to meet him with shouts of joy. His triumph
was doubly enhanced by being received at the gates of the city by
his wife, the daughter of the marques of Villena, a lady of
distinguished merit, whom he had not seen for two years, during
which he had been separated from his home by the arduous duties
of these iron wars.

We have yet another act to relate of this good count de Tendilla,
who was in truth a mirror of knightly virtue. One day a Christian
soldier, just escaped from captivity in Granada, brought word to the
count that an illustrious damsel named Fatima, niece of the alcayde
Aben Comixa, was to leave the city on a certain day, escorted by a
numerous party of relatives and friends of distinguished rank, on a
journey to Almunecar, there to embark for the African coast to
celebrate her nuptials with the alcayde of Tetuan. This was too
brilliant a prize to be neglected. The count accordingly sallied
forth with a light company of cavalry, and, descending the defiles
of the mountains, stationed himself behind the rocky sierra of
Elvira, not far from the eventful bridge of Pinos, within a few short
miles of Granada. Hence he detached Alonso de Cardenas Ulloa,
with fifty light horsemen, to post himself in ambush by the road the
bridal party had to travel. After a time the latter came in sight,
proving less numerous than had been expected, for the damsel was
escorted merely by four armed domestics and accompanied by a few
relatives and two female attendants. The whole party was surrounded
and captured almost without resistance, and carried off to the count
at the bridge of Pinos. The good count conveyed his beautiful
captive to his stronghold at Alcala, where he treated her and her
companions with all the delicacy and respect due to their rank and
to his own character as a courteous cavalier.

The tidings of the capture of his niece gave poignant affliction to the
vizier Aben Comixa. His royal master, Boabdil, of whom he was the
prime favorite and confidential adviser, sympathized in his distress.
With his own hand he wrote a letter to the count, offering in exchange
for the fair Fatima one hundred Christian captives to be chosen from
those detained in Granada. This royal letter was sent by Don Francisco
de Zuniga, an Aragonese cavalier, whom Aben Comixa held in captivity,
and who was set at liberty for the purpose.

On receiving the letter of Boabdil the count de Tendilla at once gave
freedom to the Moorish maid, making her a magnificent present
of jewels, and sending her and her companions under honorable
escort to the very gates of Granada.

Boabdil, exceeding his promises, immediately set free twenty captive
priests, one hundred and thirty Castilian and Aragonian cavaliers,
and a number of peasant-women. His favorite and vizier, Aben
Comixa, was so rejoiced at the liberation of his niece, and so struck
with the chivalrous conduct of her captor, that he maintained from
that day a constant and amicable correspondence with the count
de Tendilla, and became in the hands of the latter one of the most
efficacious agents in bringing the war of Granada to a triumphant
close.*

*This interesting anecdote of the count de Tendilla, which is a key
to the subsequent conduct of the vizier Aben Comixa, and had a
singular influence on the fortunes of Boabdil and his kingdom, is
originally given in a manuscript history of the counts of Tendilla,
written about the middle of the sixteenth century by Gabriel
Rodriguez de Ardila, a Granadine clergyman. It has been brought
to light recently by the researches of Alcantara for his History of
Granada (vol. 4, cap. 18).