CHAPTER XCVII.
The old governor, Abul Cazim Abdelmelic,
was received with great distinction
by Ferdinand and Isabella, who appointed
Gonsalvo of Cordova, and Fernando de
Zafra, secretary to the king, to confer
with him. All Granada awaited in trembling
anxiety the result of his negotiations.
After repeated conferences, he at
length returned with the ultimate terms
of the catholic sovereigns. They agreed
to suspend all attack for seventy days, at
the end of which time, if no succour
should have arrived to the Moorish king,
the city of Granada was to be surrendered.
All Christian captives were to be liberated
without ransom.
Boabdil and his principal cavaliers were
to take an oath of fealty to the Castilian
crown; and certain valuable territories
in the Alpuxarras mountains were to be
assigned to the Moorish monarch for his
maintenance.
The Moors of Granada were to become
subjects of the Spanish sovereigns,
retaining their possessions, their arms,
and horses, and yielding up nothing but
their artillery. They were to be protected
in the exercise of their religion,
and governed by their own laws, administered
by cadis of their own faith,
under governors appointed by the sovereigns.
They were to be exempted from
tribute for three years, after which term
the pay was to be the same as they had
been accustomed to render to their native
monarchs.
Those who chose to depart for Africa,
within three years, were to be provided
with a passage for themselves and their
effects, free of charge, from whatever
port they should prefer.
For the fulfilment of these articles,
four hundred hostages from the principal
families were required, previous to the
surrender, to be subsequently restored.
The son of the King of Granada, and all
other hostages in the possession of the
Castilian sovereigns, were to be given up
at the same time.
Such were the conditions that the wazir,
Abul Cazim, laid before the council
of Granada, as the best that could be
obtained from the besieging foe.
When the members of the council
found that the awful moment had arrived,
in which they were to sign and
seal the perdition of their empire, and
blot themselves out as a nation, all firmness
deserted them, and many gave way
to tears. Muza alone retained an unaltered
mien. "Leave, seniors," cried he,
"this idle lamentation to helpless women
and children. We are men; we have
hearts, not to shed tender tears, but drops
of blood. I see the spirit of the people
so cast down, that it is impossible to save
the kingdom. Yet there still remains an
alternative for noble minds—a glorious
death! Let us die defending our liberty,
and avenging the woes of Granada! Our
mother Earth will receive her children
into her bosom, safe from the chains and
oppressions of the conqueror; or, should
any fail of a sepulchre to hide his remains,
he will not want a sky to cover
him: Allah forbid it should be said, the
nobles of Granada feared to die in her
defence!"
Muza ceased to speak, and a dead silence
reigned in the assembly. Boabdil
el Chico looked anxiously round, and
scanned every face; but he read in them
all the anxiety of care-worn men, in whose
hearts enthusiasm was dead, and who
had grown callous to every chivalrous
appeal. "Allah achbar! God is great!"
exclaimed he: "there is no God but God,
and Mahomet is his prophet! it is in vain
to struggle against the will of heaven.
Too surely was it written in the book of
fate, that I should be unfortunate, and
the kingdom expire under my rule!"
"Allah achbar! God is great!" echoed
the viziers and alfaquis: "the will of God
be done!" So they all accorded with
the king, that these evils were preordained;
that it was hopeless to contend
with them; and that the terms offered
by the Castilian monarchs were as
favourable as could be expected. When
Muza saw, that they were about to sign
the treaty of surrender, he rose, in violent
indignation. "Do not deceive yourselves,"
cried he, "nor think the Christians
will be faithful to their promises, or
their king as magnanimous in conquest,
as he has been victorious in war. Death
is the least we have to fear: it is the
plundering and sacking of our city, the
profanation of our mosques, the ruin of
our homes, the violation of our wives and
daughters; cruel oppression, bigoted intolerance,
whips and chains; the dungeon,
the fagot, and the stake: such are
the miseries and indignities we shall see
and suffer; at least those grovelling souls
will see them, who now shrink from an
honourable death. For my part, by Allah,
I will never witness them!" With
these words he left the council-chamber,
and strode gloomily through the Court of
Lions, and the outer halls of the Alhambra,
without deigning to speak to the obsequious
courtiers who attended in them.
He repaired to his dwelling, armed himself
at all points, mounted his favourite
war-horse, and issuing forth from the
city by the gate of Elvira, he was never
seen or heard of more.
[125]
Such is the account given by Arabian
historians of the exit of Muza ben Abel
Gazan: but the venerable Fray Antonio
Agapida endeavours to clear up the mystery
of his fate. That very evening, a
party of Andalusian cavaliers, somewhat
more than half a score of lances, were
riding along the banks of the Xenil, where
it winds through the vega. They beheld
in the twilight a Moorish warrior approaching,
closely locked up from head
to foot in proof. His visor was closed,
his lance in rest, his powerful charger
barbed, like himself, in steel. The Christians
were lightly armed, with corslet,
helm, and target; for, during the truce,
they apprehended no attack. Seeing,
however, the unknown warrior approach
in this hostile guise, they challenged him
to stand and declare himself.
The Moslem answered not; but, charging
into the midst of them, transfixed
one knight with his lance, and bore him
out of his saddle to the earth. Wheeling
round, he attacked the others with
his cimeter. His blows were furious and
deadly: he seemed regardless of what
wounds he received, so he could but slay.
He was evidently fighting, not for glory,
but revenge; eager to inflict death, but
careless of surviving to enjoy victory.
Nearly one half of the cavaliers fell beneath
his sword, before he received a
dangerous wound, so completely was he
cased in armour of proof. At length he
was desperately wounded; and his steed,
being pierced by a lance, fell to the
ground. The Christians, admiring the
valour of the Moor, would have spared
his life; but he continued to fight upon
his knees, brandishing a keen dagger of
Fez. Finding at length he could no longer
battle, and determined not to be taken
prisoner, he threw himself, with an expiring
exertion, into the Xenil; and his
armour sank him to the bottom of the
stream.
This unknown warrior the venerable
Agapida pronounces to have been Muza
ben Abel Gazan; and says, his horse was
recognised by certain converted Moors
of the Christian camp: the fact, however,
has always remained in doubt.
