University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Spanish cavaliers, who had survived
the memorable massacre among
the mountains of Malaga, although they
had repeatedly avenged the death of
their companions, yet could not forget
the horror and humiliation of their defeat.
Nothing would satisfy them but
to undertake a second expedition of the
kind, to carry fire and sword throughout
a wide part of the Moorish territories,
and to leave all those regions, which
had triumphed in their disaster, a black
and burning monument of their vengeance.
Their wishes accorded with
the policy of the king, who desired to
lay waste the country, and destroy the
resources of the enemy; every assistance
was therefore given, to promote
and accomplish their enterprise.

In the spring of 1484, the ancient
city of Antequera again resounded with
arms. Numbers of the same cavaliers,
who had assembled there so gaily the
preceding year, again came wheeling
into the gates, with their steeled and
shining warriors, but with a more dark
and solemn brow than on that disastrous
occasion; for they had the recollection
of their slaughtered friends present to
their minds, whose deaths they were to
avenge.

In a little while there was a chosen
force of six thousand horse and twelve
thousand foot assembled in Antequera,
many of them the very flower of Spanish
chivalry, troops of the established
military and religious orders, and of the
Holy Brotherhood.

Every precaution had been taken to
provide this army with all things needful
for its extensive and perilous inroad.
Numerous surgeons accompanied it, who
were to attend upon the sick and wounded,
without charge, being paid for their

services by the queen. Isabella also,
in her considerate humanity, provided
six spacious tents, furnished with beds,
and all things requisite for the wounded
and infirm. These continued to be used
in all great expeditions throughout the
war, and were called the Queen's Hospital.
The worthy father, Fray Antonio
Agapida, vaunts this benignant provision
of the queen, as the first introduction
of a regular camp hospital in
campaigning service.

Thus thoroughly prepared, the cavaliers
issued forth from Antequera in
splendid and terrible array, but with
less exulting confidence and vaunting
ostentation than on their former foray:
and this was the order of the army.

Don Alonso de Aguilar led the advanced
guard, accompanied by Don
Diego Fernandez de Cordova, alcayde
de los Donzeles, and Luis Fernandez
Puerto Carrero, Count of Palma, with
their household troops. They were
followed by Juan de Merlo, Juan de
Almara, and Carlos de Biezman, of the
Holy Brotherhood, with the men-at-arms
of their captaincies.

The second battalion was commanded
by the Marquis of Cadiz and the Master
of Santiago, with the cavaliers of Santiago,
and the troops of the house of
Ponce de Leon: with these also went
the senior commander of Calatrava, and
the knights of that order, and various
other cavaliers and their retainers.

The right wing of this second battalion
was led by Gonsalvo de Cordova,
afterwards renowned as grand captain
of Spain: the left wing, by Diego Lopez
de Avila. They were accompanied by
several cavaliers, and certain captains of
the Holy Brotherhood, with their menat-arms.

The Duke of Medina Sidonia and the
Count de Cabra commanded the third
battalion, with the troops of their respective
houses. They were accompanied
by other commanders of note, with
their forces.

The rearguard was brought up by the
senior commander and knights of Alcantara,
followed by the Andalusian chivalry,
from Xeres, Ecija, and Carmona.

Such was the army that issued forth
from the gates of Antequera, on one of
the most extensive talas, or devastating
inroads, that ever laid waste the kingdom
of Granada.

The army entered the Moorish territory
by the way of Alora, destroying
all the cornfields, vineyards, and orchards,
and plantations of olives, round
that city. It then proceeded through
the rich valleys and fertile uplands of
Coin, Cazaraboncla, Almexia, and Cartama,
and, in ten days, all those fertile
regious were a smoking and frightful
desert. From hence it pursued its slow
and destructive course, like the stream
of lava of a volcano, through the regions
of Pupiana, and Alhendin, and so
on to the vega of Malaga, laying waste
the groves of olives and almonds, and
the fields of grain, and destroying every
green thing. The Moors of some of
those places interceded in vain for their
groves and fields, offering to deliver up
their Christian captives. One part of the
army blockaded the towns, while the
other ravaged the surrounding country.
Sometimes the Moors sallied forth desperately
to defend their property, but
were driven back to their gates with
slaughter, and their suburbs pillaged and
burnt. It was an awful spectacle at
night, to behold the volumes of black
smoke, mingled with lurid flames, that
rose from the burning suburbs, and the
women on the walls of the town, wringing
their hands, and shrieking at the
desolation of their dwellings.

The destroying army, on arriving at
the sea-coast, found vessels lying off
shore, laden with all kinds of provisions
and munitions for its use, which had
been sent from Seville and Xeres. It
was thus enabled to continue its desolating
career. Advancing to the neighbourhood
of Malaga, it was bravely
assailed by the Moors of that city, and
there was severe skirmishing for a whole
day; but while the main part of the
army encountered the enemy, the rest
ravaged the whole vega, and destroyed
all the mills. As the object of the expedition
was not to capture places, but
merely to burn, ravage, and destroy, the
host, satisfied with the mischief they
had done in the vega, turned their backs
upon Malaga, and again entered the
mountains. They passed by Coin, and

through the regions of Allagagna, and
Gatero, and Alhamin; all which were
likewise desolated. In this way did
they make the circuit of that chain of
rich and verdant valleys, the glory of
those mountains, and the pride and delight
of the Moors. For forty days did
they continue on, like a consuming fire,
leaving a smoking and howling waste to
mark their course, until, weary with the
work of destruction, and having fully
sated their revenge for the massacre of
the Axarquia, they returned in triumph
to the meadows of Antequera.

In the month of June, King Ferdinand
took command in person of this destructive
army. He increased its force; and
he added to its means of mischief several
lombards, and other heavy artillery, intended
for the battering of towns, and
managed by engineers from France and
Germany. With these, the Marquis of
Cadiz assured the king, he would soon
be able to reduce the Moorish fortresses.
They were only calculated for defence
against the engines anciently used in
warfare. Their walls and towers were
high and thin, depending on their rough
and rocky situations. The stone and
iron balls, thundered from the lombards,
would soon tumble them in ruins upon
the heads of their defenders.

The fate of Alora speedily proved the
truth of this opinion. It was strongly
posted on a rock, washed by a river.
The artillery soon battered down two of
the towers, and a part of the wall. The
Moors were thrown into consternation at
the vehemence of the assault, and the
effect of these tremendous engines upon
their vaunted bulwarks. The roaring of
the artillery, and the tumbling of the
walls, terrified the women; who beset
the alcayde with vociferous supplications
to surrender. The place was given up
on the 20th of June, on condition that
the inhabitants might depart with their
effects. The people of Malaga, as yet
unacquainted with the power of this battering
ordnance, were so incensed at
those of Alora, for what they considered
a tame surrender, that they would not
admit them into their city.

A similar fate attended the town of
Setenil, built on a lofty rock, and esteemed
impregnable. Many times had
it been besieged under former Christian
kings, but never had it been taken.
Even now, for several days, the artillery
was directed against it without effect;
and many of the cavaliers murmured at
the Marquis of Cadiz, for having counselled
the king to attack this unconquerable
place.[40]

On the same night that these reproaches
were uttered, the marquis
directed the artillery himself. He levelled
the lombards at the bottom of the
walls, and at the gates. In a little while,
the gates were battered to pieces; a great
breach was effected in the walls; and the
Moors were fain to capitulate. Twenty-four
Christian captives, who had been
taken in the defeat of the mountains of
Malaga, were rescued from the dungeons
of this fortress, and hailed the Marquis
of Cadiz as their deliverer.

Needless is it to mention the capture
of various other places, which surrendered
without waiting to be attacked.
The Moors had always shown great
bravery and perseverance in defending
their towns; they were formidable in
their sallies and skirmishes, and patient
in enduring hunger and thirst when besieged:
but this terrible ordnance, which
demolished their walls with such ease
and rapidity, overwhelmed them with
confusion and dismay, and rendered vain
all resistance. King Ferdinand was so
struck with the force of this artillery,
that he ordered the number of lombards
to be increased; and these potent engines
had henceforth a great influence on the
fortunes of the war.

The last operation of this year, so
disastrous to the Moors, was an inroad
by King Ferdinand, in the latter part of
summer, into the vega; in which he
ravaged the country, burned two villages
near to Granada, and destroyed
the mills close to the very gates of the
city.

Old Muley Aben Hassan was overwhelmed
with dismay at this desolation;
which, during the whole year, had been
raging throughout his territories, and
now reached to the walls of his capital.
His fierce spirit was broken by misfortunes
and infirmity: he offered to purchase

a peace, and to hold his crown as
a tributary vassal. Ferdinand would
listen to no propositions; the absolute
conquest of Granada was the great
object of the war; and he was resolved
never to rest content without its complete
fulfilment. Having supplied and strengthened
the garrisons of the places he had
taken in the heart of the Moorish territories,
he enjoined their commanders to
render every assistance to the younger
Moorish king, in the civil war against
his father. He then returned with his
army to Cordova, in great triumph;
closing a series of ravaging campaigns,
that had filled the kingdom of Granada
with grief and consternation.