University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER LXVII.

The western part of the kingdom of
Granada had now been conquered by
the Christian arms. The seaport of Malaga
was captured; the fierce and warlike
inhabitants of the Serrania de Rouda,
and the other mountain-holds of the frontier,
were all disarmed, and reduced to
peaceful and laborious vassalage. Their
haughty fortresses, which had so long
overawed the valleys of Andalusia, now
displayed the standard of Castile and
Aragon; the watchtowers, which crowned
every height, and from which the
infidels had kept a vulture eye on the
Christian territories, were now either
dismantled, or garrisoned with catholic
troops. "What signalized and sanctified
this great triumph," adds the worthy
Fray Antonio Agapida, "were the emblems
of ecclesiastical domination which
every where appeared. In every direction
arose stately convents and monasteries,
those fortresses of the faith, garrisoned
by its spiritual soldiery of monks and
friars. The sacred melody of Christian
bells was again heard among the mountains,
calling to early matins, or sounding

the angelus at the solemn hour of
evening."

While this part of the kingdom was
thus reduced by the Christian sword, the
central part, round the city of Granada,
forming the heart of the Moorish territory,
was held in vassalage of the Castilian
monarch, by Boabdil, surnamed El Chico.

That unfortunate prince lost no occasion,
by acts of homage, and by professions
that must have been foreign to his
heart, to propitiate the conquerors of his
country. No sooner had he heard of the
capture of Malaga, than he sent congratulations
to the Catholic sovereigns, accompanied
with presents of horses, richly
caparisoned, for the king; and precious
cloth of gold, and oriental perfumes, for
the queen. His congratulations, and
his presents, were received with the utmost
graciousness; and the shortsighted
prince, lulled by the temporary and politic
forbearance of Ferdinand, flattered
himself that he was securing the lasting
friendship of that monarch.

The policy of Boabdil had its transient
and superficial advantages. The portion
of Moorish territory under his immediate
sway had a respite from the calamities
of war. The husbandmen cultivated
their luxuriant fields in security, and the
vega of Granada once more blossomed
like the rose. The merchants again carried
on a gainful traffic, and the gates of
the city were thronged with beasts of
burden, bringing the rich products of
every clime. Yet, while the people of
Granada rejoiced in their teeming fields
and crowded marts, they secretly despised
the policy which had procured them these
advantages, and held Boabdil for little
better than an apostate and an unbeliever.

Muley Abdalla el Zagal was now the
hope of the unconquered part of the kingdom;
and every Moor, whose spirit was
not quite subdued with his fortunes,
lauded the valour of the old monarch,
and his fidelity to the faith, and wished
success to his standard.

El Zagal, though he no longer sat
enthroned in the Alhambra, yet reigned
over more considerable domains than his
nephew. His territories extended from
the frontier of Jaen, along the borders of
Murcia, to the Mediterranean, and reached
into the centre of the kingdom. On
the northeast he held the cities of Baza
and Guadix, situate in the midst of fertile
regions. He had the important seaport
of Almeria, also, which at one time rivalled
Granada itself in wealth and population.
Besides these, his territories
included a great part of the Alpuxarra
mountains, which extend across the kingdom,
and shoot out branches towards the
sea-coast. This mountainous region was
a stronghold of wealth and power. Its
stern and rocky heights, rising to the
clouds, seemed to set invasion at defiance;
yet within their rugged embraces
were sheltered delightful valleys, of the
happiest temperature and richest fertility.
The cool springs, and limpid rills, which
gushed out in all parts of the mountains,
and the abundant streams, which, for a
great part of the year, were supplied by
the Sierra Nevada, spread a perpetual
verdure over the skirts and slopes of the
hills, and, collecting in silver rivers in
the valleys, wound along among plantations
of mulberry trees, and groves of
oranges and citrons, of almonds, figs,
and pomegranates. Here was produced
the finest silk of Spain, which gave employment
to thousands of manufacturers.
The sunburnt sides of the hills, also,
were covered with vineyards. The abundant
herbage of the mountain ravines,
and the rich pasturage of the valleys,
fed vast flocks and herds; and even the
arid and rocky bosoms of the heights
teemed with wealth, from the mines of
various metals with which they were
impregnated. In a word, the Alpuxarra
mountains had ever been the great source
of revenue to the monarchs of Granada.
The inhabitants, also, were hardy and
warlike; and a sudden summons from
the Moorish king could at any time call
forth fifty thousand fighting men from
their rocky fortresses.

Such was the rich, but rugged, fragment
of an empire, which remained under
the sway of the old warrior monarch,
El Zagal. The mountain barriers by
which it was locked up had protected it
from most of the ravages of war, and El
Zagal prepared himself, by strengthening
every fortress, to battle fiercely for its
maintenance.

The catholic sovereigns saw, that fresh

troubles and toils awaited them. The
war had to be carried into a new quarter,
demanding immense expenditures; and
new ways and means must be devised,
to replenish their exhausted coffers.
"As this was a holy war, however,"
says Fray Antonio Agapida, "and peculiarly
redounded to the prosperity of
the church, the clergy were full of zeal,
and contributed vast sums of money and
large bodies of troops. A pious fund
was also produced from the first-fruits of
that glorious institution, the Inquisition.

"It so happened, that, about this time,
there were many families of wealth and
dignity in the kingdoms of Aragon and
Valencia, and the principality of Catalonia,
whose forefathers had been Jews,
but had been converted to Christianity.
Notwithstanding the outward piety of
these families, it was surmised, and soon
came to be strongly suspected, that many
of them had a secret hankering after
Judaism; and it was even whispered, that
some of them practised Jewish rites in
private.

"The catholic monarch," continues
Agapida, "had a righteous abhorrence
of all kinds of heresy, and a fervent zeal
for the faith. He ordered, therefore, a
strict investigation of the conduct of these
pseudo-Christians. Inquisitors were sent
into these provinces for the purpose, who
proceeded with their accustomed zeal.
The consequence was that many families
were convicted of apostacy from the
Christian faith, and of the private practice
of Judaism. Some, who had grace and
policy sufficient to reform in time, were
again received into the Christian fold,
after being severely muleted, and condemned
to heavy penance; others were
burnt at auto da fés, for the edification
of the public; and their property was
confiscated for the good of the state.

"As these Hebrews were of great
wealth, and had an hereditary passion
for jewelry, there was found abundant
store in their possession of gold and
silver, of rings, and necklaces, and strings
of pearl, and coral, and precious stones:
treasures easy of transportation, and
wonderfully adapted for the emergencies
of war. In this way," concludes the
pious Agapida, "these backsliders, by
the all-seeing contrivances of Providence,
were made to serve the righteous cause
which they had so treacherously deserted;
and their apostate wealth was sanctified
by being devoted to the service of Heaven
and the crown, in this holy crusade
against the infidels."

It must be added, however, that these
pious financial expedients received some
check from the interference of Queen
Isabella. Her penetrating eyes discovered,
that many enormities had been
committed under colour of religious zeal,
and many innocent persons accused by
false witnesses of apostacy, either through
malice, or a hope of obtaining their
wealth. She caused strict investigation,
therefore, into the proceedings which
had been held; many of which were reversed,
and suborners punished in proportion
to their guilt.[95]