15. CHAPTER XV.
How Hamet et Zegri was hardened in his obstinacy, by
the arts of a Moorish astrologer.
Among those followers of the santon that had effected
their entrance into the city, was a dark African
of the tribe of the Gomeres, who was likewise
a hermit or dervise, and passed among the Moors for
a holy and inspired man. No sooner were the mangled
remains of his predecessor buried with the honors
of martyrdom, than this dervise elevated himself
in his place, and professed to be gifted with the spirit
of prophecy. He displayed a white banner, which,
he assured the Moors, was sacred; that he had retained
it for twenty years for some signal purpose,
and that Allah had revealed to him that under that
banner the inhabitants of Malaga should sally forth
upon the camp of the unbelievers, put it to utter
rout, and banquet upon the provisions in which it
abounded.[1]
The hungry and credulous Moors were
elated at this prediction, and cried out to be led forth
at once to the attack; but the dervise told them the
time was not yet arrived, for every event had its allotted
day in the decrees of fate; they must wait
patiently, therefore, until the appointed time should
be revealed to him by Heaven. Hamet el Zegri listened
to the dervise with profound reverence, and
his example had great effect in increasing the awe
and deference of his followers. He took the holy
man up into his strong-hold of Gibralfaro, consulted
him on all occasions, and hung out his white banner
on the loftiest tower, as a signal of encouragement
to the people of the city.
In the mean time, the prime chivalry of Spain was
gradually assembling before the walls of Malaga.
The army which had commenced the siege had been
worn out by extreme hardships, having had to construct
immense works, to dig trenches and mines, to
mount guard by sea and land, to patrol the mountains,
and to sustain incessant conflicts. The sovereigns
were obliged therefore to call upon various
distant cities, for reinforcements of horse and foot.
Many nobles, also, assembled their vassals, and repaired,
of their own accord, to the royal camp.
Every little while, some stately galley or gallant
caravel would stand into the harbor, displaying the
well-known banner of some Spanish cavalier, and
thundering from its artillery a salutation to the sovereigns
and a defiance to the Moors. On the land
side also, reinforcements would be seen, winding
down from the mountains to the sound of drum and
trumpet, and marching into the camp with glistening
arms, as yet unsullied by the toils of war.
One morning, the whole sea was whitened by the
sails and vexed by the oars of ships and galleys bearing
towards the port. One hundred vessels of various
kinds and sizes arrived, some armed for warlike service,
others deep freighted with provisions. At the
same time, the clangor of drum and trumpet bespoke
the arrival of a powerful force by land, which came
pouring in lengthening columns into the camp. This
mighty reinforcement was furnished by the duke of
Medina Sidona, who reigned like a pettymonarch over
his vast possessions. He came with this princely
force, a volunteer to the royal standard, not having
been summoned by the sovereigns; and he brought,
moreover, a loan of twenty thousand doblas of gold.
When the camp was thus powerfully reinforced,
Isabella advised that new offers of an indulgent kind
should be made to the inhabitants; for she was anxious
to prevent the miseries of a protracted siege,
or the effusion of blood that must attend a general
attack. A fresh summons was therefore sent for the
city to surrender, with a promise of life, liberty, and
property, in case of immediate compliance; but denouncing
all the horrors of war, if the defence were
obstinately continued.
Hamet el Zegri again rejected the offer with
scorn. His main fortifications as yet were but little
impaired, and were capable of holding out much
longer; he trusted to the thousand evils and accidents
that beset a besieging army, and to the inclemencies
of the approaching season; and it is said that
he, as well as his followers, had an infatuated belief
in the predictions of the dervise.
The worthy Fray Antonio Agapida does not scruple
to affirm, that the pretended prophet of the city
was an arch nigromancer, or Moorish magician, “of
which there be countless many,” says he, “in the
filthy sect of Mahomet;” and that he was leagued
with the prince of the powers of the air, to endeavor
to work the confusion and defeat of the christian
army. The worthy father asserts, also, that Hamet
employed him in a high tower of the Gibralfaro,
which commanded a wide view over sea and land,
where he wrought spells and incantations with astrolabes
and other diabolical instruments, to defeat the
christian ships and forces, whenever they were engaged
with the Moors.
To the potent spells of this sorcerer, he ascribes
the perils and losses sustained by a party of cavaliers
of the royal household, in a desperate combat to
gain two towers of the suburb, near the gate of the
city called la Puerto de Granada. The christians,
led on by Ruy Lopez de Toledo, the valiant treasurer
of the queen, took, and lost, and retook the
towers, which were finally set on fire by the Moors,
and abandoned to the flames by both parties. To the
same malignant influence he attributes the damage
done to the christian fleet, which was so vigorously
assailed by the albatozas, or floating batteries of the
Moors, that one ship, belonging to the duke of Medina
Sidonia, was sunk, and the rest were obliged to
retire.
“Hamet el Zegri,” says Fray Antonio Agapida,
“stood on the top of the high tower of Gibralfaro,
and beheld this injury wrought upon the christian
force; and his proud heart was puffed up. And the
Moorish nigromancer stood beside him. And he
pointed out to him the christian host below, encamped
on every eminence around the city, and
covering its fertile valley, and the many ships floating
upon the tranquil sea; and he bade him be strong of
heart, for that in a few days all this mighty fleet
would be scattered by the winds of Heaven; and
that he should sally forth, under guidance of the
sacred banner, and attack this host and utterly defeat
it, and make spoil of those sumptuous tents; and
Malaga should be triumphantly revenged upon her
assailants. So the heart of Hamet was hardened
like that of Pharaoh, and he persisted in setting at
defiance the Catholic sovereigns and their army of
saintly warriors.
