The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Volume II Part 32

[5] Footnote: Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 28.--Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. fol. 338.--Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap.

159.--Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 24.

[6] Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 24.--Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. 165.

[7] Privilegios a los Moros de Valdelecrin y las Alpuxarras que se convirtieren, a 30 de Julio de 1500. Archive de Simancas, apud Mem. de la Acad. de Hist., tom. vi. apend. 14.

[8] Carbajal, a.n.a.les, MS., ano 1500.--Garibay, Compendio, tom. ii. lib.

19, cap. 10.

[9] Footnote: Carbajal, a.n.a.les, MS., ano 1501.--Zurita, a.n.a.les, tom. v.

lib. 4, cap. 27, 31.

[10] The great marquis of Cadiz was third count of Arcos, from which his descendants took their t.i.tle on the resumption of Cadiz by the crown after his death. Mendoza, Dignidades, lib. 3, cap. 8, 17.

[11] See two letters dated Seville, January and February, 1500, addressed by Ferdinand and Isabella to the inhabitants of the Serrania de Ronda, preserved in the archives of Simancas, apud Mem. de la Acad. de Hist., tom. vi. Il.u.s.t. 15.

[12] Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. 165.--Bleda, Coronica, lib.

5, cap. 25.--Peter Martyr, Opus Epist., epist. 221.

The complaints of the Spanish and African Moors to the Sultan of Egypt, or of Babylon, as he was then usually styled, had drawn from that prince sharp remonstrances to the Catholic sovereigns against their persecutions of the Moslems, accompanied by menaces of strict retaliation on the Christians in his dominions. In order to avert such calamitous consequences, Peter Martyr was sent as amba.s.sador to Egypt. He left Granada in August, 1501, proceeded to Venice, and embarked there for Alexandria, which place he reached in December. Though cautioned on his arrival, that his mission, in the present exasperated state of feeling at the court, might cost him his head, the dauntless envoy sailed up the Nile under a Mameluke guard to Grand Cairo. Far from experiencing any outrage, however, he was courteously received by the Sultan; although the amba.s.sador declined compromising the dignity of the court he represented, by paying the usual humiliating mark of obeisance, in prostrating himself on the ground in the royal presence; an independent bearing highly satisfactory to the Castilian historians. (See Garibay, Compendio, tom.

ii. lib. 19, cap. 12.) He had three audiences, in which he succeeded so completely in effacing the unfavorable impressions of the Moslem prince, that the latter not only dismissed him with liberal presents, but granted, at his request, several important privileges to the Christian residents, and the pilgrims to the Holy Land, which lay within his dominions.

Martyr's account of this interesting visit, which gave him ample opportunity for studying the manners of a nation, and seeing the stupendous monuments of ancient art, then little familiar to Europeans, was published in Latin, under the t.i.tle of "De Legatione Babylonica," in three books, appended to his more celebrated "Decades de Rebus Oceanicis et Novo Orbe." Mazzuch.e.l.li, (Sorittori d'ltalia, race Anghiera,) notices an edition which he had seen published separately, without date or name of the printer.

[13]

"Rio Verde, Rio Verde, Tinto va en sangre viva;"--

Percy, in his well-known version of one of these agreeable _romances_, adopts the tame epithet of "gentle river," from the awkwardness, he says, of the literal translation of "verdant river." He was not aware, it appears, that the Spanish was a proper name. (See Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, (London, 1812,) vol. i. p. 357.) The more faithful version of "green river," however, would have nothing very unpoetical in it; though our gifted countryman, Bryant seems to intimate, by his omission, somewhat of a similar difficulty, in his agreeable stanzas on the beautiful stream of that name in New England.

[14] Zuniga, Annales de Sevilla, ano 1501.--Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom.

ii. p. 340.--Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 26.--Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. 165.

"Fue muy gentil capitan," says Oviedo, speaking of this latter n.o.bleman, "y valiente lanza; y rauchas vezes dio testimonio grande de su animoso esfuerzo." Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 1, dial. 36.

[15] Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. fol. 340.--Zurita, a.n.a.les, tom. v.

lib. 4, cap. 33.--Garibay, Compendio, tom. ii. lib. 19, cap. 10.-- Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. 165.--Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 28.

[16] Mendoza, Guerra de Granada, p. 13.--Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. 2, fol. 340.--Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 28.--Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 1, dial. 36.

The boy, who lived to man's estate, was afterwards created marquis of Priego by the Catholic sovereigns. Salazar de Mendoza, Dignidades, lib. 2, cap. 13.

[17] It is the simile of the fine old ballad:

"Solo queda Don Alonso Su campana es acabada Pelea como un Leon Pero poco aprovechaba."

[18] Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., ubi supra.--Abarca, Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. ubi supra.--Garibay, Compendio, tom. ii. lib. 19, cap. 10.-- Mendoza, Guerra de Granada, p. 13.--Sandoval, Hist. Del Emp. Carlos V., tom. i. p. 5.

According to Hyta's prose, Aguilar had first despatched more than thirty Moors with his own hand. (Guerras de Granada, part. i. p. 568.) The ballad, with more discretion, does not vouch for any particular number.

"Don Alonso en este tiempo Muy gran batalla hacia, El cavallo le havian muerto, Por muralla le tenia.

Y arrimado a un gran penon Con valor se defendia:

Muchos Moros tiene muertos, Pero poco le valia.

Porque sobre el cargan muchos, Y le dan grandes heridas, Tantas que cayo alli muerto Entre la gente enemiga."

The warrior's death is summed up with an artless brevity, that would be affectation in more studied composition.

"Muerto queda Don Alonso, Y eterna fama ganada."

[19] Paolo Giovio finds an etymology for the name in the eagle (aguila), a.s.sumed as the device of the warlike ancestors of Don Alonso. St.

Ferdinand of Castile, in consideration of the services of this ill.u.s.trious house at the taking of Cordova, in 1236, allowed it to bear as a cognomen the name of that city. This branch, however, still continued to be distinguished by their territorial epithet of Aguilar, although Don Alonso's brother, the Great Captain, as we have seen, was more generally known by that of Cordova. Vita Magni Gonsalvi, fol. 204.

[20] Reyes de Aragon, tom. ii. fol 340, 341.

The hero's body, left on the field of battle, was treated with decent respect by the Moors, who restored it to King Ferdinand; and the sovereigns caused it to be interred with all suitable pomp in the church of St. Hypolito at Cordova. Many years afterwards the marchioness of Priego, his descendant, had the tomb opened; and, on examining the mouldering remains, the iron head of a lance, received in his last mortal struggle, was found buried in the bones. Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 26.

[21]

"Tambien el Conde de Urena, Mal herido en demasia, Se sale de la batalla Llevado por una guia.

"Que sabia bien la senda Que de la Sierra salia: Muchos Moros dexaba muertos Por su grande valentia.

"Tambien algunos se escapan, Que al buen Conde le seguian."

Oviedo, speaking of this retreat of the good count and his followers, says, "Volvieron las riendas a sus caballos, y se retiraron a mas que galope por la mult.i.tud de los Infieles." Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc.

1, dial. 36.

[22] Zuniga, Annales de Sevilla, ano 1501.--Carbajal, a.n.a.les, MS., ano 1501.--Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 26.--Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat.

1, quinc. 1, dial. 36.

For a more particular notice of Ramirez, see Part I. Chapter 13, of this History.

[23] Bleda, Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 26, 27.--Robles, Vida de Ximenez, cap.

16.--Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. 165.--Mariana, Hist. de Espana, lib. 27, cap. 5.--Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 28.

[24] Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 27.

The Curate of Los Palacios disposes of the Moors rather summarily; "The Christians stripped them, gave them a free pa.s.sage, and sent them to the devil!" Reyes Catolicos, cap. 165.

[25] According to one of the _romances_, cited by Hyta, the expedition of Aguilar was a piece of romantic Quixotism, occasioned by King Ferdinand's challenging the bravest of his knights to plant his banner on the summits of the Alpuxarras.

"Qual de vosotros, amigos, Ira a la Sierra manana, A poner mi Real pendon Encima de la Alpuxarra?"

All shrunk from the perilous emprise, till Alonso de Aguilar stepped forward and boldly a.s.sumed it for himself.

"A todos tiembla la barba, Sino fuera don Alonso, Que de Aguilar se llamaba.

Levantose en pie ante el Rey De esta manera le habla.

"Aquesa empresa, Senor, Para mi estaba guardada, Que mi senora la reyna Ya me la tiene mandada.

"Alegrose mucho el Rey Por la oferta que le daba, Au no era amanecido Don Alonso ya cavalga."

These popular ditties, it cannot be denied, are slippery authorities for any important fact, unless supported by more direct historic testimony.