CHAPTER LXVIII.
How King Ferdinand invaded the eastern side of
the kingdom of Granada; and how he was received
by El Zagal.
"Muley Abdalla 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
neighbourhood 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 the fierce El
Zagal's preparations 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 Marquis of
Cadiz led the van, followed by the
adelantado of Murcia. The army entered
the Moorish frontier by the seacoast,
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 Rubico, 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 towards
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, and intersected by
canals and water-courses. In this he
stationed a powerful ambuscade of arquebusiers,
and crossbow-men. The vanguard
of the Christian army came
marching gaily up the valley, with great
sound of drum and trumpet, and led on
by the Marquis 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 valour, he
drew the exulting Christians among the
gardens. Suddenly the Moors in ambuscade
burst from their concealment, and
opened such a terrible 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 to 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 loud and triumphant
shouts, driving them before him
with dreadful havoc. The old war-cry
of "El Zagal! El Zagal!" was again
vociferated by the Moors, and was reechoed
with transport from the walls of
the city. The Christians were for a time
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 unequal
contest, and drew back slowly into
the city. Many valiant cavaliers were
slain in the skirmish; among the number
of whom was Don Philip of Aragon,
master of the chivalry of Saint 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 Palmero; but had doffed the
cassock for the cuirass; and had thus,
according to Fray Antonio Agapida,
gained a glorious crown of martyrdom,
by falling in this holy war.
The warm reception of his advance
guard, by the old warrior El Zagal,
brought King Ferdinand to a pause. He
encamped on the banks of the neighbouring
river Guadalentin, 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 any
thing 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.
Ferdinand 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 this campaign,
placing in them strong garrisons, well
armed and supplied, charging their alcaydes
to be vigilant in their posts, and
to give no rest to the enemy. The whole
of the frontier was placed under the command
of the brave 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 dominious;
but by disbanding the troops,
and repairing to pray at the cross of
Caravaca.
