3. CHAPTER III.
How the Moor determined to strike the first blow in the war.
The defiance thus hurled at the Castilian sovereigns
by the fiery Moorish king, would at once have
been answered by the thunder of their artillery; but
they were embroiled, at that time, in a war with
Portugal, and in contests with their own factious
nobles. The truce, therefore, which had existed for
many years between the nations, was suffered to continue;
the wary Ferdinand reserving the refusal to
pay tribute as a fair ground for war, whenever the
favorable moment to wage it should arrive.
In the course of three years, the war with Portugal
was terminated, and the factions of the Spanish nobles
were, for the most part, quelled. The Castilian sovereigns
now turned their thoughts to what, from the
time of the union of their crowns, had been the great
object of their ambition,—the conquest of Granada,
and the complete extirpation of the Moslem power
from Spain. Ferdinand, whose pious zeal was quickened
by motives of temporal policy, looked with a
craving eye at the rich territory of the Moor, studded
with innumerable towns and cities. He determined
to carry on the war with cautious and persevering
patience, taking town after town and fortress after
fortress, and gradually plucking away all the supports,
before he attempted the Moorish capital. “I will
pick out the seeds, one by one, of this pomegranate,”
said the wary Ferdinand.
[1]
Muley Aben Hassan was aware of the hostile intentions
of the Catholic monarch, but felt confident
in his means of resisting them. He had amassed great
wealth, during a tranquil reign; he had strengthened
the defences of his kingdom, and had drawn large
bodies of auxiliary troops from Barbary, besides
making arrangements with the African princes to
assist him with supplies, in case of emergency. His
subjects were fierce of spirit, stout of heart, and
valiant of hand. Inured to the exercises of war, they
could fight skilfully on foot, but, above all, were
dexterous horsemen, whether heavily armed and
fully appointed, or lightly mounted a la geneta, with
simply lance and target. They were patient of
fatigue, hunger, thirst, and nakedness; prompt for
war, at the first summons of their king, and tenacious
in defence of their towns and possessions.
Thus amply provided for war, Muley Aben Hassan
determined to be beforehand with the politic Ferdinand,
and to be the first to strike a blow. In the
truce which existed between them, there was a singular
clause, permitting either party to make sudden
inroads and assaults upon towns and fortresses, provided
they were done furtively and by stratagem,
without display of banners or sound of trumpet, or
regular encampment, and that they did not last above
three days.[2]
This gave rise to frequent enterprises
of a hardy and adventurous character, in which
castles and strong holds were taken by surprise, and
carried sword in hand. A long time had elapsed,
however, without any outrage of the kind on the
part of the Moors; and the christian towns on the
frontiers had all, in consequence, fallen into a state
of the most negligent security.
Muley Aben Hassan cast his eyes round to select
his object of attack, when information was brought
him that the fortress of Zahara was but feebly garrisoned
and scantily supplied, and that its alcayde
was careless of his charge. This important post was
on the frontier, between Ronda and Medina Sidonia,
and was built on the crest of a rocky mountain, with
a strong castle perched above it, upon a cliff, so high
that it was said to be above the flight of birds or drift
of clouds. The streets and many of the houses were
mere excavations, wrought out of the living rock.
The town had but one gate, opening to the west,
and defended by towers and bulwarks. The only
ascent to this cragged fortress was by roads cut in
the rock, and so rugged as in many places to resemble
broken stairs. Such was the situation of the mountain
fortress of Zahara, which seemed to set all attack
at defiance, insomuch that it had become so proverbial
throughout Spain, that a woman of forbidding and
inaccessible virtue was called a Zahareña. But the
strongest fortress and sternest virtue have weak
points, and require unremitting vigilance to guard
them: let warrior and dame take warning from the
fate of Zahara.
