31. CHAPTER XXXI.
How the people of Granada invited El Zagal to the
throne, and how he marched to the capital.
The people of Granada were a versatile, unsteady
race, and exceedingly given to make and unmake
kings. They had, for a long time, vacillated between
old Muley Aben Hassan and his son Boabdil el Chico;
sometimes setting up the one, sometimes the other,
and sometimes both at once, according to the pinch
and pressure of external evils. They found, however,
that the evils still went on increasing, in defiance
of every change, and were at their wits' end to
devise some new combination or arrangement, by
which an efficient government might be wrought out
of two bad kings. When the tidings arrived of the
fall of Ronda, and the consequent ruin of the frontier,
a tumultuous assemblage took place in one of
the public squares. As usual, the people attributed
the misfortunes of the country to the faults of their
rulers; for the populace never imagine that any part
of their miseries can originate with themselves. A
crafty alfaqui, named Alyme Mazer, who had watched
the current of their discontents, rose and harangued
them: “You have been choosing and changing,”
said he, “between two monarchs—and who
and what are they? Muley Aben Hassan, for one; a
man worn out by age and infirmities, unable to sally
forth against the foe, even when ravaging to the very
gates of the city:—and Boabdil el Chico, for the
other; an apostate, a traitor, a deserter from his
throne, a fugitive among the enemies of his nation, a
man fated to misfortune, and proverbially named
`the unlucky.' In a time of overwhelming war,
like the present, he only is fit to sway a sceptre who
can wield a sword. Would you seek such a man?
You need not look far. Allah has sent such a one,
in this time of distress, to retrieve the fortunes of
Granada. You already know whom I mean. You
know that it can be no other than your general, the
invincible Abdalla, whose surname of El Zagal has
become a watch-word in battle, rousing the courage
of the faithful, and striking terror into the unbelievers.”
The multitude received the words of the alfaqui
with acclamations; they were delighted with the
idea of a third king over Granada; and Abdalla el
Zagal being of the royal family, and already in the
virtual exercise of royal power, the measure had
nothing in it that appeared either rash or violent. A
deputation was therefore sent to El Zagal at Malaga,
inviting him to repair to Granada to receive the
crown.
El Zagal expressed great surprise and repugnance,
when the mission was announced to him; and nothing
but his patriotic zeal for the public safety, and
his fraternal eagerness to relieve the aged Aben
Hassan from the cares of government, prevailed upon
him to accept the offer. Leaving, therefore, Rodovan
Vanegas, one of the bravest Moorish generals, in
command of Malaga, he departed for Granada, attended
by three hundred trusty cavaliers.
Old Muley Aben Hassan did not wait for the arrival
of his brother. Unable any longer to buffet
with the storms of the times, his only solicitude was
to seek some safe and quiet harbor of repose. In one
of the deep valleys which indent the Mediterranean
coast, and which are shut up on the land side by
stupendous mountains, stood the little city of Almunecar.
The valley was watered by the limpid river
Frio, and abounded with fruits, with grain and pasturage.
The city was strongly fortified, and the garrison
and alcayde were devoted to the old monarch.
This was the place chosen by Muley Aben Hassan
for his asylum. His first care was to send thither
all his treasures; his next care was to take refuge
there himself; his third, that his sultana Zorayna,
and their two sons, should follow him.
In the mean time, Muley Abdalla el Zagal pursued
his journey towards the capital, attended by his
three hundred cavaliers. The road from Malaga to
Granada winds close by Alhama, and is dominated
by that lofty fortress. This had been a most perilous
pass for the Moors, during the time that Alhama
was commanded by the count de Tendilla: not a
traveller could escape his eagle eye, and his garrison
was ever ready for a sally. The count de Tendilla,
however, had been relieved from this arduous post,
and it had been given in charge to Don Gutiere de
Padilla, clavero, or treasurer of the order of Calatrava;
an easy, indulgent man, who had with him
three hundred gallant knights of his order, besides
other mercenary troops. The garrison had fallen off
in discipline; the cavaliers were hardy in fight and
daring in foray, but confident in themselves and negligent
of proper precautions. Just before the journey
of El Zagal, a number of these cavaliers, with several
soldiers of fortune of the garrison, in all about
one hundred and seventy men, had sallied forth to
harass the Moorish country during its present distracted
state, and, having ravaged the valleys of the
Sierra Nevada, or Snowy Mountains, were returning
to Alhama in gay spirits and laden with booty.
As El Zagal passed through the neighborhood of
Alhama, he recollected the ancient perils of the road,
and sent light cerradors in advance, to inspect each
rock and ravine where a foe might lurk in ambush.
One of these scouts, overlooking a narrow valley
which opened upon the road, descried a troop of
horsemen on the banks of a little stream. They
were dismounted, and had taken the bridles from
their steeds, that they might crop the fresh grass on
the banks of the river. The horsemen were scattered
about, some reposing in the shades of rocks
and trees, others gambling for the spoil they had
taken: not a sentinel was posted to keep guard;
every thing showed the perfect security of men who
consider themselves beyond the reach of danger.
These careless cavaliers were in fact the knights
of Calatrava, with a part of their companions in
arms, returning from their foray. A part of their
force had passed on with the cavalgada; ninety of
the principal cavaliers had halted to refresh themselves
in this valley. El Zagal smiled with ferocious
joy, when he heard of their negligent security.
“Here will be trophies,” said he, “to grace our entrance
into Granada.”
Approaching the valley with cautious silence, he
wheeled into it at full speed at the head of his troop,
and attacked the christians so suddenly and furiously,
that they had not time to put the bridles upon their
horses, or even to leap into the saddles. They made
a confused but valiant defence, fighting among the
rocks, and in the rugged bed of the river. Their
defence was useless; seventy-nine were slain, and
the remaining eleven were taken prisoners.
A party of the Moors galloped in pursuit of the
cavalgada: they soon overtook it, winding slowly up
a hill. The horsemen who conveyed it, perceiving
the enemy at a distance, made their escape, and left
the spoil to be retaken by the Moors. El Zagal
gathered together his captives and his booty, and
proceeded, elate with success, to Granada.
He paused before the gate of Elvira, for as yet he
had not been proclaimed king. This ceremony was
immediately performed; for the fame of his recent
exploit had preceded him, and had intoxicated the
minds of the giddy populace. He entered Granada
in a sort of triumph. The eleven captive knights of
Calatrava walked in front: next were paraded the
ninety captured steeds, bearing the armor and weapons
of their late owners, and led by as many
mounted Moors: then came seventy Moorish horse
men, with as many christian heads hanging at their
saddle-bows: Muley Abdalla el Zagal followed, surrounded
by a number of distinguished cavaliers
splendidly attired; and the pageant was closed by a
long cavalgada of the flocks and herds, and other
booty, recovered from the christians.
[1]
The populace gazed with almost savage triumph
at these captive cavaliers and the gory heads of
their companions, knowing them to have been
part of the formidable garrison of Alhama, so long
the scourge of Granada and the terror of the vega.
They hailed this petty triumph as an auspicious
opening of the reign of their new monarch; for
several days, the names of Muley Aben Hassan and
Boabdil el Chico were never mentioned but with
contempt, and the whole city resounded with the
praises of El Zagal, or the valiant.
