that would come into his service and bring him Troops By this means he fram'd a body of thirty thousand Foot and three thousand Horse and with these Forces staid Prince Abraham's coming up who without entring into any parleys as he had done the time before as soon as he came in fight of Abenbukar's Army he march'd directly upon him to engage him in the Battel that was very bloody on both sides But at last Abenbukar's Troops being defeated he was taken generously fighting and brought to Abraham who without saying a word to him in the rage he was in and without giving him time to speak or the Executioner to come he cut his Throat with his own hands striking him so furious a blow with his Scimitar upon the nape of his Neck that he cut off his Head which he caus'd to be put on the top of a Pike on the Gate of Damascus He was not satisfy'd with having himself perform'd the Execution for having caus'd him to be fleed he commanded the placing upon that same Gate that Wretches Skin which he had caus'd to be fill'd with straw and the like usage did all those meet with that had had a hand in this Rebellion At length being grown weary of putting people to Death and believing that Province absolutely reduc'd and sufficiently chastiz'd he left there as Governour a Captain in whom he had great confidence call'd Abencirix and return'd to recreate himself at Court where he was receiv'd by his Partizans with great Huzzahs and mighty Exultation CHAP. XXV King Aboulvalid assembles a great Army in Africa and marches against his Brother Abraham gives him Battel wherein his Brother is kill'd KING Aboulvalid being retir'd to Thunis as I have before observ'd labour'd under great anxiety to see himself drove out of his Kingdom by his own Brother and employ'd his thoughts wholly upon the means of being reveng'd Mahomet Gilhair was no less concern'd than this Unhappy Prince considering him not barely as his Son-in-law but as his own Son Wherefore having resolv'd on assisting him with all his might he made great Levies thoughout the whole extent of his Kingdom gave Commissions to all the principal Persons of his Court and Country and fitted out a great Naval Army which he had stor'd with all the Provisions necessary for a great Embarkment Aboulvalid did not forget himself on his side and well perceiving there was no man that could assist him more strongly in his occasions than Muca Vice-roy of Morocco and of all the African Provinces he sent a man on purpose to him in a Felucca with this Letter King Aboulvalid's Letter to Muca Vice-roy of Morocco and Africa Praise be to God Amen THE Great and Warlike Emperour of the Arabs of the high Lineage of Motaleb Vicar of God and Defender of his Law Aboulvalid Abenacer Son of the most High and most Dread Caliph and Emperour of the Arabs Valid Almanzor To the Valiant Captain Virtuous and Accomplish'd Knight Trusty and Loyal Servant of our Royal Crown Muca our Vice-roy in Africa Greeting Abenbukar Governour of Damascus meaning to withdraw himself from his Allegiance to Vs and we having taken the Field with an Army to chastize him Prince Abraham our Brother taking that occasion to execute the design he long had had of troubling the State and having had the boldness to take up Arms against Vs to the great dammage of our Subjects and to the great contempt of the Obedience to Vs owning for which according to all Laws of Justice he merits Death as well as Abenbukar and for the procuring his punishment and preventing the misfortunes that his Rebellion may produce you are order'd That as soon as you shall have receiv'd this Letter to cause to assemble with all possible diligence the greatest number of Troops possible in the extent of our Kingdom of Africa and that you cause them to embark with all the Provisions necessary nay and with all the Gold and Silver that is found in Our Treasury of Morocco all which to be sent Vs to Thunis where we are at present further conjuring You if You have any one in whom You have sufficient confidence as to trust with him the care of your Government to come your self in Person at the head of your Army to serve Vs in so urgent an occasion and to provide for all things according to your wonted prudence wherein We have an entire confidence From Thunis the 14th of the Moon of Mahatran the Year 97. Muca having with great respect receiv'd the King his Masters Letter in a short time assembled an Army of thirty thousand Foot and having got together all sorts of Ammunition and fitted out a mighty Fleet he embark'd in it himself with the Royal Treasure he had in his keeping finding that it could not be better employ'd than for so good an occasion for which it was undoubtedly reserv'd Nay he thought himself oblig'd to quit all things to signalize his Zeal and Fidelity in his Masters service and contribute thereto not only with his Cares but with his Person In his room in Africa he left a very brave Man and in whom he had great Confidence call'd Alicunicy a Native of Stony Arabia and arriv'd safe at Thunis with all his Army at the end of the Moon of Rabeh on the 2 of that same year 97 of the Hegira There he found King Aboulvalid employ'd in Shipping the Troops he had got together in those parts who embrac'd him very affectionately and caress'd him to a high degree This Prince had already nominated Tariff Abenziet who had atchiev'd the Conquest of the Kingdom of Spain in his Fathers Life-time Generalissimo of all his Forces and had cast his Eyes upon him as upon the greatest and most lucky Captain of those times These two great Armies having been a long while in embarking the King put at length to Sea and with as fair a Wind as he could wish in a few days time he arriv'd in Arabia where having made a Review of all his Troops his Army was found to be sixty five thousand Foot and five thousand Horse which gave him a great deal of Joy All the People of that Coast seeing so numerous and so flourishing an Army far from opposing his Descent declar'd themselves immediately for him In the mean while Prince Abraham knowing all his Brothers Preparations did not sleep on his side He had assembled all the Chiefs of the Arabians and after having given 'em notice of the storm wherewith they were threatned and having made them apprehend that they were to expect little less than to be strangled if Aboulvalid ever re-mounted upon the Throne and that it was much better to dye in the Bed of Honour than upon a Scaffold as he was resolv'd to do to shew 'em the way They were all so sensibly perswaded by his Arguments that in their own Defence they made up a very considerable Army that was found to be sixty thousand men got
having well examin'd the difficulty there was in forcing such narrow and steep Passages he found his continuing any longer in that Country would be only the losing of time and men and resolv'd to put off this Enterprize till another time when as he might find an entrance more easie to force than that from whence he had been newly repuls'd Wherefore without staying there much longer he return'd into Andalousia where he dismiss'd his Army and set his thoughts wholly upon Regulating and Policying that Kingdom while Pelage and his People bless'd God for so favourable a success and were confirm'd in their opinion of those Mountains being made in due manner for the putting a stop to the Conquests of the Moors and serve for an Azylam and Retreat to the Christians wherefore they us'd their utmost endeavours to fortify them to the best advantage CHAP. XXVII Of the Death of the King of Thunis and of the great Wars Aboulvalid was oblig'd to make to render himself Master of that Kingdom THE joy King Aboulvalid had for the victory he had gain'd over his Brother Abraham was quickly ruffled by the news he receiv'd in a little space after of the Death of his Father-in-law Mahomet Gilhair He left no other Children save Queen Omhalair wherefore he resolv'd to send out of hand to take possession of so fine an Inheritance for fear that if he deferr'd any longer some change might happen as commonly does in such occasions for so solemn an Embassy he chose one of his favourites call'd Abulcacim Aben Marchan who departed in great haste with all his Train and was very kindly receiv'd by all the Grandees of that Court and Lodg'd in the Deceased Kings Palace Having forthwith conven'd all the Members of the Council of that Kingdom and having let them peruse the Powers he had from Aboulvalid in his Name to take Possession of that State they examin'd them and having found them in the form they ought to be King Aboulvalid was acknowledg'd and declar'd King of that great Kingdom and Abulcacim Aben Marchan Vice-roy in his absence But as in all times and all Countries People there are Transported with a desire of Ruling one of the Principal Governours was there of this who flattering himself with the thought that being Mahomet Gilhairs near Relation the Kingdom ought rather to appertain to him than to his Daughter began under-hand to sollicit all the Leading men and Governours each in his turn to assist him with his Forces He represented to them That being born in the Country and with them brought up and the late Kings nearest Relation the Crown belong'd to him rather than to a Foreigner and had the knack so to coaks them with fine promises that they at last resolv'd among themselves for the most part to throw off Aboulvalid's Yoak and to place him in his stead upon the Throne Hacan so was this Captain call'd wanting not courage for so noble an enterprize having assembled all the heads of his Party entred by main force into the Palace where Aben Marchan had his residence This Vice-King distrusted nothing but as soon as he had notice of so very treacherous a design having put himself upon his defence with what happen'd to be about him he chose rather to dye in defending himself generously than to fall alive into the hands of the Revolted Thus though they only really desir'd to take him Prisoner they kill'd him with all those that were about him without so much as one escaping The rumour of this rising being immediately spread all those of Hacan's Party proclaim'd him King after the wonted manner taking withal an Oath of Allegiance to him And this new King fail'd not at his accession to the Crown to bestow favours upon all his Partizans and to give as all Usurpers do all the orders necessary for the acquiring of reputation At that same time one Wednesday evening a very great Comet appear'd upon the Horison about whose angle it took up towards the East It was accompany'd with very thick Clouds extraordinary Winds and pernicious Exhalations and appear'd for forty whole days together This very much affrighting the new King he caus'd the Mathematicians and Astrologers of the Country to meet who after having very exactly examin'd the Elevation and Nature of this Comet and the sign in which it rise said that it threatned the Kingdom with great Wars and the Kings Person with an imminent Death While they were still making their Observations a great Earthquake was felt and being repeated to the eighth or ninth time and there arose so furious a storm at Sea by the great Eastern Winds that all the people of this Country thought that the end of the World was coming nay they said they had heard by night strange howlings in the Mountains that seem'd to be roaring Lyons But what most amaz'd and was most strange was a Cloud that coming from the West burst upon their heads and rain'd a water of the colour of blood The Earthquakes I have newly mention'd had topsy-turvyed some Houses and over-whelm'd whole Families uuder their ruines insomuch that not only the people but the King himself was in a Consternation These surprizing signs of Heavens anger were follow'd with a great scarcity of Corn that famish'd to death several persons as also with certain Contagious Sores that taking them in the Groyn and behind the Ears knock'd off a very great number Aboulvalid whom Hacan's Rebellion had very much inrag'd seeing the people weary'd and ruin'd by all the late Wars was not in a very good posture to undertake so great an one as this that fell upon his hands He conven'd the Estates where having expos'd the necessity he was under to go reduce under his obedience a Kingdom that so lawfully belong'd to him on the account of the Queen his Wife and having demanded of them succours in Money they answer'd him that they should not fail him in his need but that it was requisite first to know in what state the Kingdom of Thunis was and whether the Pestilence that had already lasted two months was ceas'd the resolution was taken that enquiry should be made and the persons sent thither brought word back That a world of people was there dead of it but that the contagion began to diminish This occasion'd the hastening the preparations for that War insomuch that a great number of stout Ships were fitted out for the taking on Board so great an Army as was that then preparing to be embark'd in it in the Spring in the Year following CHAP. XXVIII Aboulvalid makes Muca Generalissimo of his Armies and after having reduc'd the Kingdom of Thunis under his Obedience returns into Arabia MVca had serv'd Aboulvalid usefully in the War he had with his Brother he was his Father Almanzor's most Trusty Servant and had had a great share in the honour of the Conquest of Spain All these reasons made this Prince cast his eyes upon him to
a second Attempt upon Hispalis and is as Successless as before 156 Chap. 22. Adilbar goes to Valence defeats the Governour of that Province and has him Beheaded 165 Chap. 23. Almanzor gives Tariff a place in his Council and chooses him for his Ambassadour Extraordinary for the Conclusion of the Prince his Sons Match with the King of Thunis's Daughter 168 Letters Patents of Almanzor's Demission in favour of his Son 171 Chap. 24. Abraham Amcary goes to fight Abenbukar defeats him and has him beheaded 180 Chap. 25. King Aboulvalid assembles a great Army in Africa and marches against his Brother Abraham gives him Battel wherein his Brother is kill'd 185 King Aboulvaiid's Letter to Muca Vice-roy of Morocco and Africa 188 Chap. 26. Adilbar Vice-roy of Spain leads his Army into Biscaya against Pelagius and thence returns without doing ought 195 Chap. 27. Of the Death of the King of Thunis and of the great Wars Aboulvalid was oblig'd to make to render himself Master of that Kingdom 200 Chap. 28. Aboulvalid makes Muca Generalissimo of his Armies and after having reduc'd the Kingdom of Thunis under his Obedience returns into Arabia 206 Aboulvalid's Letter to Muca Abenzairi Generalissimo in his Armies 207 Chap. 29. The Oath of Allegiance which Aboulvalid causes the States to take to Jacob Almanzor his Son 214 Chap. 30. Aboulvalid's Death who leaves to one of his Kinsmen call'd Mahomet Amcari the Regency of his State during his Sons Minority 221 Chap. 31. The Regent Amcari meaning to bereave Prince Almanzor of his Life is discover'd and punish'd for his Perfidy 230 Chap. 32. Prince Almanzor's Death the Queen his Mother dyes of Grief in a short time after and Ali Abilhachek causes himself to be Proclaimed Caliph 235 PART I. Containing the Life of Don Rodrigo King of Spain The Conquest of that Kingdom under the Caliph Valid Almanzor And the Wars which his Death occasion'd in Africa in Europe and Asia between his Children and his Generals Luna and all the Spanish Authors put Mira mamolin instead of Emir el mumenin Prince of Believers Almanzor signifies August Victorious Caliphe Vicar Successor CHAP. I. Anagilda King Acosta's Widdow withdraws with the Prince her Son to Cordoua Rodrigo invites her to bring him back to Court to assist at a Festival She goes thither and departs thence forthwith IN the Year 91 of the Hegira Spain was govern'd by a King call'd Rodrigo of the Race of the Goths a People that came into that Country from the farthest parts of the North and who made profession of the Christian Religion This Kingdom did then enjoy a profound Peace and was as much under his subjection as Arabia could be formerly to the Great Almanzor our Soveraign Lord. Insomuch that this unhappy Prince for we may well term him so had the freedom to abandon himself to all the Vices whereof Idleness is commonly the source What curb'd him was the young Prince Don Sancho Son to the late King Acosta his Eldest Brother to whom by consequence the Crown was devolved after his Death and which had been only conferr'd upon him until the Majority of his Nephew But he was loath to resign so precious a Pledge and his thoughts were wholly taken up in contriving the means to appropriate the whole Authority to himself which to him did not seem sufficiently Charming as long as it was only borrow'd The more his Nephew became fortify'd in Body and Mind the more this unnatural Unkle became peevish and uneasie The Affection which all the Grandees bore him much before the time giving him a Jealousie which he had much ado to dissemble Queen Anagilda having sooner than any other perceiv'd the ill will he bore her Son seldom suffer'd him out of her sight and only plac'd such persons about him as of whose fidelity she was well assur'd But in short the Affection she had for Don Sancho making her shrift into all Rodrigo's pernicious Designs and to foresee the storm that was suddenly like to come pouring upon her Head she ask'd Rodrigo's Permission to leave Toledo the usual Abode of the Kings of Castille to retire to a City in Andalousia called Cordoua whither she took along her Son and all her Houshold This Resolution which Rodrigo durst not thwart made him harbour new and stronger Distrusts He every moment fancy'd that his Nephew had attain'd to his years of Majority that the Scepter was to be put into his Hands and of an absolute King as he was become his Subjects Pupil And looking on this fall as a thing worse than Death he found no better means to screen himself from it than to dispatch as soon as possible Don Sancho out of the World To bring this Design the more easily and secretly about he caus'd a Turnament to be proclaim'd at Toledo where several days were wholly spent in the Preparations for so great an Entertainment And as all People were invited to be there on the day it was to begin he sent a Courier on purpose to Cordoua earnestly to entreat Queen Anagilda to Honour it with her Presence and with that of the Prince her Son This Princess ever labouring under the apprehensions of some Treachery at first wav'd with Excuses the undertaking of this Journey but at last being press'd by the Messengers that were sent upon the heels of one another she consulted those in whom she thought she might confide They all agreed That the Diffidence she harbour'd of her Brother-in-Law was well grounded but that it became her not to suffer it to be perceiv'd That Rodrigo wou'd easily guess the Reason why the Prince went not to Court and so might be urg'd to Extremities for which they ought not to give him any occasion Immediately after Orders being given for the Departure and the rumours thereof being spread about Andalousia several Persons of Quality came to ask the Queen leave to attend her and she being willing to be accompany'd by the most People she could with joy accepted their offers Thus did she repair with a very numerous brisk and stately Train into the Province of Castille at her arrival at Toledo she was there received with all the Honours due to her and found the Court extraordinary full She was lodg'd with all her Train in a Stately Palace wherein she had hardly remain'd the time necessary to recreate herself after the fatigue of so great a March but that the day appointed for the solemnity of that Festival being come she was conducted in Ceremony upon a Scaffold erected and spread with Tapistries magnificently in a place where the Prince D. Sancho sat in the middle having the King his Unkle on his Right Hand and the Queen his Mother on his Left As soon as this Entertainment was over it having been perform'd with much Joy and Magnificence notwithstanding the earnest entreaties and instances made by the King D. Rodrigo to oblige Anagilda to stay some days to divert herself in his Court
unjustly and by the force of thy Arms seiz'd on a Kingdom that appertains to me nevertheless I hope with the help of God to regain it in spight of thee But if it be not his will I beseech him to give me the Force and Courage to dye I and mine for the Justice of my Cause and for the Truth of our Faith rather than to groan under the Cruel Yoak that thou wouldst impose upon us beseeching him daily to give affairs that current as I desire From the Asturies of Oviedo the 9th of July of the Aera of Caesar 753. Tariff Abenziet upon reading Pelage's Letter had more joy to hear of Rodrigo's Death which was the thing he had the most desire to know than uneasiness for all the rest Wherefore he made an end of writing Almanzor the following Letter A LETTER General Tariff Abenziet to Caliph Valid Almanzor Emperour of the Moors PRaise be given to the Soveraign God to whom alone is due Sacrifice and Prayer and afterwards to the most High and most Illustrious Caliph and Emperour of the Moors his Vicar the Buckler of God and Defender of his Law the most Noble Caliph Valid Almanzor whose good Designs may God bring about to the Happiness and Tranquillity of all his Subjects as is wish'd by Tariff Abenziet General of his Armies one of his least but most Faithful Servants Spain is absolutely conquer'd and rang'd under your Obedience 〈…〉 all the Nations have receiv'd the Yoak as far as their mighty high Mountains by the Spaniards called the Pirenees which parts their Kingdom from that of France And there is nothing more to conquer in all that vast extent of Land but a small corner of Earth amid very ragged Mountains where some Christians have taken refuge that is of no great consideration and a very great and Populous Town called Hispalis upon the Coasts of the great Sea for fear of introducing among your forces the Pestilence that rages in that place I have restor'd to Count Julian all his Lands as you promis'd him I salute your Grandeur and the Felicity of so many great successes In the midst of a great Province called Andalousia is a very populous Town where the King D. Rodrigo commonly had his Residence whose Death I have been lately inform'd of by one of his Relations I have settled there as Vice-roy with your good liking the Person of Abulcacim Adilbar your faithful Servant This City being proper to serve as Metropolis to the whole Kingdom which I make known to your Celcitude that you may order him as you shall please for your service Muca the Vice-roy of Africa has rendred great services in this Expedition where he was several times in danger of losing his Life insomuch that he doubtless merits a great Reward and hopes it from your Goodness and Magnificence May God heap his blessings daily upon you From Cordoua the 23 day of the Moon Rageb the year of the Hegira 94. All the Answer Almanzor made to this Letter was That Tariff should come himself to him into Arabia to give him an account of the particulars of the Conquest ordering Muca to return into his Government of Africa and sending Adilbar Letters Patents as Vice-roy of all the Kingdom of Spain ordering all the particular Governours that had been left in the Towns to whom he had sent Commissions to obey him in all things These two great Captains having receiv'd this order pass'd both into Africa immediately after whence Tariff went into Arabia while Muca remain'd in his Government CHAP. XVII Pelage takes the City of Gixa from the Moors and burns it SInce that Pelage had once vanquish'd the Moors he did not doubt but that he could defend himself in his Mountains All the Christians of the Neighbouring Provinces repair'd to him after this Victory flattering themselves with the hopes he might one day restore them to their Liberty Till then they did not believe there to have been any place in all Spain where they could shelter themselves from the fury of those Conquerors for as they had not any Retreat where they could be in safety they suffer'd themselves to be put into Fetters But the young People that had no Wives aud were most proper for Warfare began to make their Escapes by little and little out of the Moors hands and steal away by night into the Mountains where Pelage had his abode so to put themselves under his Protection Insomuch that in a short time there was a pretty considerable Body of an Army assembled Wherefore seeing that General Abraham was Retreated into Castile he resolv'd to make some attempt as might accrue to the Credit of his Party With this Design he drew together the most men he could and made up a body of six thousand men with whom he came to a small City call'd Gixa by the Spaniards and by the Arabs after they had taken it Takla Wherefore having block'd it up with this small Army few Moors were there that expected to be beleaguer'd by Pelage whom they did not think so hardly as to budge out of the Tenure where he had hold Nevertheless they stood out so obstinately with the Captain that commanded in the Place that they all dy'd bravely fighting refusing to listen to any Capitulation Pelage much satisfy'd with this small Conquest caus'd it to be fortify'd left there as Governour one of his Captains call'd Manuzes and retired with his men into the heart of the Mountain which the Christians in their Tongue call Oviedo Tariff was much afflicted at this bad suecess He then perceiv'd that the Renegado-Bishops had well advis'd him when they would have induc'd him to have render'd himself master of that nook of Land wherefore imagining that some mischief would come on 't after having given order to the Troops that were in those parts to be ready and sent word to Mahomet Abenramin Governour of Toledo to draw the most he could together He also sent him Troops from him under one of his Captains call'd Abenhamza who carry'd him an order to attack Pelage All their Troops being assembled were found to make up a Body of twelve thousand good men with whom Abenramin bent his march towards the North. Pelage making no doubt of getting the advantage this second time as he had done the former resolv'd upon waiting the coming of the Enemy in that Town he had newly conquer'd with about 8000 men he then had with him While he was preparing to go receive the Moors there a Christian Renegado gave him notice that his Captain Manuzes had made an offer to Tariff of delivering up to him that little City nay and to seize on his Person Pelage could not doubt of the truth of what he told him when he had shew'd him a Letter he carry'd from that General to Manuzes wherein was the whole train of the Conspiracy minuted against him He highly entertain'd the Renegado and after having made him a world of Presents he desired him
confines upon France on the North and is separated thence by very high and very rugged Mountains by them call'd the Pyrenees We pass'd them Tariff and I in the Head of your Armies but we thought that it became us not to undertake the Conquest of another Kingdom than that of Spain without your Permission After having entred pretty far into the Country we Retired again without having lost any of our Men. I end in telling you That this Country is full of all sorts of Riches and that there is wherewithal to live very pleasantly and with all sorts of Conveniences Congratulating you for so many and such happy succrsses which I only inform you of in the Bulk leaving the particulars to Tariff who will give you an Account of all that is not in this Letter relieve me in the faults I have therein committed and with your Celcitude's leave will here find assurances of my Friendship praying God that he would assist you in all things with his Grace From the Palace of Morocco in Africa the 3d of the Moon Dulquesita the Year 94. Ismael with this his Brothers dispatch being Shipp'd in a very light Barque for the making the more haste in a little time arriv'd in Arabia and presented his Letter to Almanzor This great Prince tho sufficiently inform'd of all those Affairs of Spain did nevertheless express much joy at his receiving Testimonies of the care Muca took of all things that related to his Service and to shew the value he had for him he commanded his Brother to stay with him until farther order Ismael sent immediately a Courier to his Brother to signify to him the manner of his Reception This was a great Consolation to Muca he taking the order the Emperour had given his Brother to attend upon his Person as a good Augure This Mighty Prince having assembled the Principal Lords of his Empire and conferr'd with them and particularly with Tariff upon all matters the Result of this Council was to send Ismael as Ambassadour to the King of Thunis to condole with him the Death of the Prince his Son thank him for the Succours he had given him in that War that had more than a little contributed to the Conquest of Spain and to demand in Marriage his Daughter call'd Omahair for Abilgualit Abinacer his Eldest Son and Heir to all his Kingdoms Ismael very well satisfied with being chosen for so Noble an Employ departed with an Magnificent Equipage a very Noble Train and a great number of Martial Men as well for his Guard as for the Dignity of his Embassy He was very welcome at Thunis and had immediate Audience of Mahomet to whom he gave the Caliph's his Masters Letter and the Presents he had brought He was highly entertain'd by that Prince who having agreed to the Proposal and having Examin'd it with the Principal of his Council this Match was found advantageous for the State and suitable for the Princess Omahair and for this reason he with all Expedition dispatch'd away Ismael with an Answer as favourable as the Valid could desire it as it is easy to see by the Letter and Answer A Letter from Valid to the King of Thunis Praise be to God Amen THE most High and most Puissant Caliph Valid Almanzor Emperour of the Arabians to the most Wise and most Potent King of the Moors Grand Justiciar Warriour Martial and Defender of the Law of God Mahomet Gilhair Greeting with all sort of Tenderness and Amity I am under great Obligations of imparting to you the happy Event of the Enterprize I made upon the Kingdom of Spain since you had so great a share therein by the Succours you gave me for the Conquering of it But the Death of Prince Gilhair your Son has much diminish'd the joy I should have had and I have only to represent to you on this Occasion that since it has pleas'd Destiny or rather the Providence of our Great God so to ordain by one of his Decrees conceiv'd from the knowledge of men and reserv'd to his Eternal Science There is only Suffering with Patience the Evils he sends us and praise him in the mean while for the Benefits we daily receive from him For which reason I shall say no more to you upon this resting satisfied with shewing you how much I interest my self in all that concerns you through the peculiar Esteem I have of your Virtue through the acknowledgment I ought to have of all the Benefits I have receiv'd from you and the Amity you have ever had for me as your Good Relation And through a thousand other Reasons which Ismael the Bearer of this Letter will tell you whom I desire you to afford entire Credence as to the Proposals he shall make you in my Name that I shall reckon my self happy can they but Succeed as well as all your Designs for which I pray God with all my Heart From our Palace of Carbal the 4th of the Moon of Babeth the 2d day of the Year 94. The King of Thunis's Answer Praise be to God the Creator of all things to whom alone is due Sacrifice and Prayer THE Generous King of the Moors the Exalter of the Law of God and Extirper of his Enemies Mahomet Gilhair to the most Honour'd most Noble most Wise most Prudent and most Potent Emperour of the Arabians Valid Almanzor to whom the Great God give a Long and Happy Life as well as to all his Servants Health I am oblig'd to you for imparting to me the happy success of the Conquest of Spain which has afforded great joy and still more at the Proposal that has been made me in your name according to the Credentials you sent me To which I have no other answer to make but that I shall esteem my self very Happy that all you express your self desirous of be treated and accomplish'd in such manner as you shall please to order as a thing that absolutely depends on you I pray God to take you into his keeping From our Palace Royal of Thunis the 11th of the Moon of Rageb in the year 95. Ismael was very much pleas'd to carry back so favourable an Answer as this into Arabia where he had a kind Reception made him by Almanzor and all his Court The happy issue of this Embassy occasion'd the Caliph to give him the Office of Algouazil being one of the Chief of his State that fell vacant after his Return and made him at the same time incur a great deal of Envy CHAP. XX. Adilbar went to invest the City of Hispalis with his Army but is constrain'd to raise the Siege and return to Cordoua WHen that General Tariff and the Vice-roy Muca had repass'd the Sea before they began their Voyage the one into the East according to Almanzor's orders and the other into the West to his Palace of Morocco where his Brother Ismael expected him they caus'd Proclamation to be made throughout
made from the Western Gate of their Town to a great River that passing very near their Walls falls afterwards into the Sea By the means of these Canals they went into the River with great Boats and these Canals being Fortify'd all along with good Trenches insomuch that the Cavalry could not do them any mischief there came to them from time to time Victuals from the Mountains of a certain Country call'd Biscaya These Canals were a very great help to the Besieged for besides their having by this means all things brought them the Water of the River serv'd them for a thousand conveniences Adilbar having not then any Ships to hinder the Christians from having every moment all necessaries was very much at a loss and was loath to resolve upon raising the Siege once again When news was brought him of the revolt of the Governour of Valence call'd Abubaher el Handali and of the Inroads he made into the Neighbouring Provinces of that Kingdom So urgent an evil and which he saw himself indispensably oblig'd forthwith to remedy made him presently raise the Siege and march long days journeys to Cordoua which the Christians of Hispalis were very glad of CHAP. XXII Adilbar goes to Valence defeats the Governour of that Province and has him Beheaded THe great Siege wherein Abubaher el Handali Governour of Valence saw Adilbar engag'd in had made him hope that he might in that time render himself absolute Master of that fine Province In this Design having gain'd all the Governours of the smaller Cities and all the Martial Men under his Authority he would needs cast off the Valid's Oath and having brought a small Army on Foot he began to make Incursions into the Neighbourhood that he might by force oblige all the People thereabouts to obey him as their Soveraign Lord. Adilbar being inform'd of these Transactions as I said in the foregoing Chapter caus'd a new Army to assemble of ten thousand Foot and eight hundred Horse and with these Forces crossing the high Mountains that are on the South he arriv'd at the City of Murcia to whose foot extends the Government of Valence Abraham Escaladari was then Governour of the Place who being inform'd of Adilbar's march against Abubaher had got ready a Magazine of Provisions to distribute them as he did among his Souldiers And having join'd him with all the men he had they two march'd together toward Valence The Rebel seeing so great an Army coming against him and having no place of safety whether to Retire thought it much better to try the fortune of a Battel and win it or dye like a Man of Courage than go basely yield himself up Having inspired the same resolution into the minds of his Adherents and dispos'd them into the best order he could as soon as Adilbar had set footing in his Government he went to meet him and in that Battel did all that could be done by a good General and good Souldier but being at last taken and all his men defeated Adilbar caus'd his Head to be struck off and had it set on the top of a Lance on the Gate of that Town which he gave for Plunder to his Souldiers He made a strict scrutiny after all those that had had a hand in this Rebellion that he might of them accordingly make an Exemplary Punishment And indeed many Commanders and Captains had the same Fate with their Leader and after having reduc'd that Country to its Obedience and there establish'd one of his Captains call'd Mahomet Abenbucar he return'd to Cordoua and dismissed his Troops CHAP. XXIII Almanzor gives Tariff a place in his Council and chooses him for his Ambassadour Extraordinary for the Conclusion of the Prince his Sons Match with the King of Thunis's Daughter ALmanzor making reflection on the great Services render'd him by General Tariff on all occasions and particularly in the Conquest of the Kingdom of Spain for the discharging himself of the Obligation he had to him of so great an augmentation of Empire and of such vast Riches he had thence deriv'd had not a more Glorious Recompence to give him than a place among those of his Council and who share in the administration of all his Kingdoms for which account he put him into that number and nominated him Ambassadour Extraordinary to go conclude the Princes Match and fetch away the Princess of Thunis He caus'd a Fleet of forty Ships to be fitted out for that purpose with all the Magnificence requisite for so solemn an Embassy and which was undertaken for so agreeable an end Tariff being embark'd with a world of Courtiers and a good number of Souldiers arriv'd safe at Thunis where he was receiv'd and entertain'd with all his People as well as heart could wish and after having made a very short abode there he went on Board his Ships again with the Princess Omalahaire and all her Train and return'd into the Levant with a very fair wind The Infanta being arriv'd in Arabia the Nuptials were Celebrated with great Pomp and there were Turnaments Tilting and all the other merriments that are wont to attend those sort of Festivals Almanzor seeing his Son Marry'd and finding him at an age to govern his State himself thought it to be now time to Execute a design he had long meditated of discharging himself of that heavy burden he had for so many years born upon his Head finding also that his Old Age caus'd him by little and little to sink under the weight of it For which reason seeing himself worn out and attack'd with many Infirmities he resolv'd upon devolving it upon that of his Son that so he might retire into a House of Pleasure he had caus'd to be built in a Mountain where he had very pleasant Gardens very thick Woods and excellent Waters Whereupon having caus'd the States to assemble where it was his Pleasure to have all the Governours of the Provinces present he imparted to them the Dimission he meant to make of the Empire in favour of his Son and at the same time caus'd the following Letters Patents to be expedited Letters Patents Of Almanzor's Demission in favour of his Son Praise and Glory be given to that Great God the Creator of all things Amen THE most High the most Noble the most Dread Lord and Emperour of the Arabs Valid Almanzor Vicar of God and Protector of his Law Son of the most Noble and most Honour'd Lord and Martial Warriour Caliph and Emperour of the Arabs Father of the Servants of God and exalter of his Law Abdulmelech Son of Victory Considering the Necessity we are reduc'd to by the Infirmities with which it hath pleased God our Soveraign Lord to visit us and the decrepit Age wherewith Nature is wont to over-whelm all men in the order of times which occasions our being not strong enough to govern so great an Empire as we have done in time past for the settlement of our Crown the Peace and Tranquillity
who leaves to one of his Kinsmen call'd Mahomet Amcari the Regency of his State during his Sons Minority ABoulvalid was much joy'd to see all his great Kingdoms in Peace and all the Wars and Dissentions he had been oblig'd to undergo absolutely stifled But as the Wheel of Fortune turns continually and there is no man upon Earth that has a continued and an accomplish'd happiness all Great and all Mighty as he was he try'd it like other men For he fell into so obstinate and so violent a Feaver that whatever care the greatest and ablest Physicians in the World took that were at that time they could not bring any Remedy to it Wherefore this Prince seeing that all that was given him did him more hurt than good resolv'd upon taking nothing at all And one day in their presence and in that of the Principal Persons of his Court he said That he plainly perceiv'd it to be the Will of God that he should dye of that illness that thus he thank'd them for all the pains they had thitherto taken and that he had no longer any need of them Then he dismiss'd them as well as all those that were about his Bed and sent for Mahomet Algaseli the Morabite to confer with him upon all things and to provide the best he could for the Government of the State after his Death which was what put him most in pain For he plainly saw his Son was as yet too Young to be able to contain so many Nations in their Duty and that it was absolutely requisite to give the Regency of the State to some one during his Minority He was much at a loss how to determine on whom to pitch but he and Algaseli at last concluded that there was not a man of more Ability nor in whom more Confidence could be put than in Mahomet Amcari his very near Relation insomuch that having had him call'd to him to tell him the choice he had made of his Person and Amcari having made him a thousand Protestations of Acknowledgment and Fidelity he nam'd him in his last Will and Testament the Regent and Lieutenant-General of the Empire till that his Son Almanzor was at Age to Govern He liv'd but a very few days after having declar'd his Will in this manner And as he had govern'd with much Lenity and Justice his Funeral that was perform'd with great state was accompany'd with a real Mourning by all the People and with such tears as departed from a down-right Affliction Mahomet Amcari having immediately taken upon him the management of Affairs the Queen Mother resolv'd to live retired as being well becoming a Widow and that she might have the more care of her Son and keep him in the greater security withdrew to a Country House whither the Caliph Almanzor her Father-in-law formerly retired and where there was all sorts of Conveniences Wherefore being gone thither to shut her self up with all her Family and that of the King her Son Amcari seeing himself absolute Master of the State and obey'd by all the Governours of all the Realms that compose this great Empire began to be sensible of the movements of Ambition and the desire of Reigning that glides by little and little like an Earth-worm into the Hearts of all men who from the nothing wherein they were see themselves rais'd up to Authority For after having began to prick him on by little bites they came at length to gnaw him all over Having his mind possess'd with this thought and only thinking of the means to bring it about he thought it expedient to begin with gaining over the Principal men of the Council and Army and the Governours of the Towns and Provinces as those that had all the Forces of the State in their hands Wherefore he let not any occasion slip of making them Presents and of obliging them When any of them dy'd he only put in their place such people as of whom he was well assured and whom he thought would not fail him on occasion and did this with so much dissimulation that as he spoke to no body of his design nor did any body perceive it At length having dispos'd all things to his fancy having reduc'd them to the point he judg'd proper for the Executing of his Treason he would needs communicate his mind to one of his principal friends whom he had made head of the Council of War call'd Aben Culeyman who told him frankly That since he ask'd him his advice he found great inconveniences in undertaking a thing of that nature as long as the Prince Jacob Almanzor his Master was alive For as he was beloved by all his Fathers Creatures there would be doubtless many Governours that would declare for him that this enterprize would seem very strange to the Arabians and that it would meet with great difficulties in the Provinces where in imitation of himself there would not be a Governour but would make himself King in the extent of his Government That thus whereas all he intended to do was only to augment his Authority and be absolute and independant he would find himself abyss'd in the stormy Sea of Wars which such an over-turning would occasion and that after he had thus Rioted the people it would be no longer in his power to calm them These reasons seem'd very pertinent to Mahomet Amcari and as he had ever sped in following the other Councils given him by Aben Culeyman he plainly saw that this he then gave him departed from a man consummated in the experience of State Affairs Wherefore he bethought himself of an indubitable expedient which was to rid himself of Prince Almanzor He was resolv'd not to communicate this thought to any other than the same Aben Culeyman but that Wise Councellour still endeavoured to divert him gently and by the best reasons he could bethink himself of from so wicked a design being in no wise able to approve of so horrible a cruelty and so base and black an action Nevertheless perceiving he could not root this intention out of his mind he was furiously vex'd and having at last resolv'd upon applying a fitting remedy he thought it to be time to discover the secret of this Treason to the Captain-General as to his best friend and to the Prince his Masters most Faithful Servant Muca being much surpriz'd at such an infidelity having confirm'd his friend in the design he already had of preventing so great a mischief after having concerted together what they had to do and promis'd one another the strictest secresie they resolv'd that Aben Culeyman should continue to put the Regent upon this matter of which he made him the confident and that he should endeavour to discover by what byass he pretended to bring about his design that so they might by the same means break all his measures This being their result Aben Culeyman happening to be with Amcari alone did not fail to put him upon that Chapter and the Regent
THE LIFE OF THE Most Illustrious Monarch Almanzor And of the several Revolutions of the Mighty Empire of the CALIPHS And of the African KINGDOMS Together with the History of the Conquest of Spain by the Moors Composed in Arabick by Abulcacim Tariff Abentariq one of the Generals in that Spanish Expedition and Translated into Spanish by Michael de Luna Interpreter to Philip the Second Made English by an Eminent Hand LONDON Printed for Dan. Browne without Temple-Bar and Isaac Cleave next to Serjeants-Inn in Chancery-lane 1693. THE PREFACE OF Abulcacim Tariff Abentariq PRaised and Glorified be for evermore one sole God and Creator of all things whose Reign is without beginning and without middle as well as without end The Being from whence proceeds all Beings The first and only cause that subsists of it self and gives motion to all others which it causes to act through incomprehensible Resorts moving as it pleases the Hearts of all Men and particularly that of Kings to accomplish by them as second causes upon Earth what Providence has resolv'd on from all Eternity in Heaven who punishes him that merits it by his Justice and predestines whomever he pleases by his Mercy seeing written together and of one and the same date the past present and future in the great Book of his infinite knowledge To this great God do I make my humble Addresses to obtain the force I shall need to write exactly and truly The History of the Conquest of Spain and the Wars occasion'd by the Death of Caliph Aboulvalid Almanzor not only in that great Kingdom but in Africa and throughout the whole extent of the Arabians first of all among the Princes his Children and afterwards among the Governours of all his Kingdoms who after having revoltev against their King wag'd War upon one another about the division of that great Empire As I will add nothing of my self to such great events save such considerable matters as occurr'd in those times I neither expect nor merit Honour or Profit I only require of him that shall read what I am going to write that he would pray God to teach me what I ought to do for his service and that he would supply what is not in me by his Grace And indeed I am well assur'd of being blam'd for having undertaken so vast a design and that several will find as it is true that it required both more lofty and more polish'd Genuisses than mine to give the necessary Weight and Authority to so great a Work But after having agreed with them in this they will allow me to tell them the Reasons that made me take Pen in Hand and perhaps they will be satisfy'd when I shall tell them that I was present in that War from the first day that General Tariff entred Spain with Count Julian until that he had finish'd that Conquest and that there was no Battel nor Occasion but whereat I was in Person excepting the Sieges of Carmona and of Merida by reason that at that time I was in the Province of Grenada with that great Captain Thus I may say that I have been an Eye-witness of most of the things whereof I speak and that as for those I have not seen in all times I have had the Curiosity to be informed of them from Persons who could know them better as from the Principal Officers and Generals of Armies who have themselves given me the Letters and Memoires whereof I make mention in this History that I might be accordingly provided for the writing it one time or other Wherefore I may hope that those as shall take the pains to read it instead of Wondering at my Boldness will con me thanks for my Good Will and will have some indulgence for the faults as shall doubtless in great numbers occur therein when they shall consider that there is no Body in the World exempt from them and that we ought to mind our own before we judge of those of others nay some there will be that will find there would have been much more reason to have blam'd me had I not made any Memoires of all I had seen than to have made them such as they are and the greatest Criticks will be oblig'd to own That if all Authors that undertake to write History had like me had some part in the Events they describe their Works would be much better receiv'd by the Publick and not be as they are for the most part full of Falsities and Vncertainties I make no Difficulty to speak in this manner for as at the very moment that I write these great things there are still People of that time that as well as me have seen the greatest part of them and who can give me the lye if I do not relate them according as they pass'd I shall content my self with taking them to witness of the truth and I willingly submit my self to their Censure THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER SInce the Novelty of the matter and the Form of this ensuing History do possibly require something to be said for its better Illustration I shall a little stress upon thy Patience Gracious Reader by so modish a Transgression as that of a Preface A man seldom arrives at a Delicate Entertainment without running the Gauntlet of a bundance of Formality seldom gets to Court without standing the Brunt of continual Ceremony nor to the Enjoyment of a Mistress without brushing through a Confounded deal of VVooing and Riffling And yet without being an Epicure Ambitious or a Lover if the Scene be new whatever trouble it may have cost him he finds his satisfaction Now this is matter to urge for my Excuse in the present instance For undoubtedly hardly has there ever been such very considerable Occurrences and Revolutions in the VVorld as those here described and yet with which we are less acquainted Thus the Learned as well as others will have wherewithal to gratify their Curiosity and augment their Knowledge This is abundantly made out by the Translator in the Dissertation he had annnex'd But he going into France this Summer and leaving his Copy with a Friend that Friend handed it to the Press and it was agreed it would make the Compleater Book were the Dissertation adjoyn'd to the second and last Volume though it proves the Truth of this History by conferring it with the History of Spain and several Arabian Turkish and Persian Manuscripts His absence must at the same time Apologize for some perchance unpolish'd passages which he would have refined had they pass'd his Review which possibly so far from being Blemishes like Moles rather heighten the Beauty But bating such small slips what can be of more importance than an account both of one of the greatest and least known Heroes that was ever in the VVorld as was that Famous Arabian Monarch Almanzor who after having taken Damascus and Conquer'd the greatest part of Persia and the Indies render'd himself Master of all
she remain'd fix'd in the Resolution she had taken and alledging the best Reasons she could bethink herself of she took her leave of him and return'd in all haste to Cordoua with her Son and all the Company she had brought along Rodrigo being extremely vext that so sudden a departure had robb'd him of the means of executing his perverse Intentions and touch'd to the quick that in the Journey Don Sancho had taken to Toledo the Grandees of the Court the Governours of Places the Prelats and the People had treated him in his own Presence as their real King he knew not what course to take to render himself the sole Master of Spain He roll'd a thousand things in his mind but paus'd not upon one without finding a thousand Difficulties in 't and out of which he could with any likelihood promise himself a good issue At last he resolv'd upon what we shall see in the following Chapter CHAP. II. Rodrigo causes the Prince Don Sancho to be taken into Custody His Mother frees him out of Prison and goes with him into Africa ROdrigo after having miss'd of so fair an occasion to rid himself of his Nephew was too much dejected for to be able to resolve on any thing in himself But it was not sufficient to find out expedients there needed such People as were capable of making use of them Astolpho was the man of all the Court in whom he had the most Confidence wherefore upon him did he unburden himself of a Secret that lay so much the heavier upon him as that he meant to have kept it to himself and offer'd him at the same time all the Gold and Money that was in his Power and the Governments of the most considerable Places of his Kingdom if he could help him to bring about his design Astolpho wanting neither Industry nor Malice advis'd him to practice false Witnesses that might charge Don Sancho with some great Crime Representing to him That when he should cause him to be confin'd under the colour of Justice no body could find fault therewith and that during the Prince's Imprisonment it would be easie for him either to put him to death or to render himself in such manner Master of the Kingdom that it would be impossible to divest him of its Administration The King very much relishing this Contrivance was not long without causing D. Sancho's Process to be made who by the Informations was found charg'd with Crimes as black and notorious as needed to authorize the clapping him up into Prison Astolpho having receiv'd the Commission for this purpose departed from Toledo without the least suspicion being had of the occasion of his Journey and reaching Cordoua before it could in the least get Wind he entred the Prince's Chamber whom he found sleeping in perfect security from any such like Treason and passing with all expedition across the City that dreamt not in the least how matters went he carry'd him through the Mountains making the Desart that separate Castille from Andalousia into a little Town that may be seen from Cordoua from which it is not far distant and is call'd The Tower of Stone The Queen amaz'd at so unexpected a Blow was for some while without knowing what to resolve on but as she had more Courage than her Sex does usually afford and quickly suspected how the case stood she resolv'd at any rate to free her Son out of so great a Danger Insomuch that having caus'd five and twenty of the bravest men of her houshold to take Horse and Arms as well as five and thirty others whom she order'd to follow her on foot She herself went with this small Troop after those that carry'd away her Son whom she overtook in that Tower I have newly mention'd At first Astolpho meant to have stood upon his Defence but having vigorously attack'd him and kill'd all his Men she herself took him Prisoner and brought her Son back to Cordoua She at first design'd to have fortify'd herself in that Town and to have provided it with all things necessary but fearing Rodrigo might come to besiege her there she packed up all she had most precious and having assembled her most trusty Servants she withdrew to the most Western part of Spain into a place called the Algesires belonging to Count Julian the same that a little while after occasion'd the loss of Spain Not finding herself even there in sufficient security she thought the best course wou'd be to put the Sea between her and D. Rodrigo and go seek in a foreign Country for succours to conquer her own This Resolution being taken she caus'd Astolpho's Nose and Ears to be cut off as a Traytor to his King and pass'd the Streight after having sent him back to the King her Brother-in-Law with a Letter which Translated out of Spanish into Arabick is as follows The Letter of Queen Anagilda the Prince Don Sancho's Mother to the King D. Rodrigo The Vnhappy Anagilda to the Traytor D. Rodrigo Health to him that does not deserve it THy Natural Malignity and the desire thou hast at any rate to Reign must needs have plung'd thee into a strange Blindness for to render thee so unjust as to go about to practize false Witnesses against an Innocent so perfidious as to fail in thy Loyalty to thy Lord so unnatural as to rob thy Nephew of his Life All the Laws of Knighthood as well as those of humanity do not suffer the revenging one's self on those that have meant us the most mischiefs as soon as they can no longer do us any Nay and Generosity requires that we pardon them tho they have done us hurt but the least of these Vertues is too great for thee Thou wilt not so much as know what these same Duties are and dost not mind the praises that are gain'd by fine Actions since that instead of being for the Truth which is the friend of God thou makest it thy whole business to stifle it and to declare thy self against it vowing the ruine of him that never had the least thought to offend thee and who on the contrary has had so much confidence in thee that he put himself under thy Protection Thou wouldst do much better to make War upon thy Enemies and conquer some one of their Provinces than to attack a Woman and a Child wherein thou hast not any Honour to acquire and wherein thou canst not miss of ruining it in this World to lose after that thy Soul in the other Learn to harbour no longer such empty and such Criminal Designs and think of leading no longer such a disorderly Life as that thou leadest while that God who only requires the Conversion of the Sinner may still grant thee Mercy Dost thou think that thy Reign will last always Dost thou not know that only that of God hath no end That all the Kings of the Earth are but Dust that they must one day become
Dust again and that when after thy Death thou shalt appear before his Tribunal thou wilt only carry along with thee thither the Good and Evil thou hast done in this Life I Challenge thee in his Name and summons thee to restore the Crown to whom it belongs and to rest satisfy'd with thy Condition If thou dost not do it assure thy self that though I am a Woman and weak by Consequence Truth shall strengthen me and make me triumph with the help of God over all thy Artifices that will all vanish into smoak The Innocence of my Son as well as my own will be Chains of Iron which all thy efforts can never break and the Calumny and Treason wherein thou wouldst involve us will last no longer than threds of rotten Flax whereas the justice of my Cause being firm and stable as Marble will appear in the Eyes of all the World as clear and as pure as Cristal It is easie for thee to judge of the little reason thou hast by the little help Heaven gives thee Thou sendest to take an Innocent with a Troop of Guards as if he had been a Malefactor God has broke those bonds and if thou doubtst it thou needest only to see the Nose and Ears of him to whom thou gavest thy Commission for that purpose who will inform thee whether thou or we have the best Right I will put an end to my Letter but take this along That I am not at all resolv'd to put an end to either my Cares or my Endeavours against thee from which on the contrary I will never desist till such time as that I am fully Reveng'd From the Algesires on the 23 day of January in the year 750 of the aera of Caesar The Superscription of the Pacquet was to D. Rodrigo the Tyrant and Vsurper of D. Sancho his Nephews Kingdom Rodrigo in the mean while thinking he had taken his measures aright flatter'd himself with the hopes of suddenly seeing that Prisoner arrive whom he had so great a longing to rid himself of but strangely was he surpriz'd when he saw his dear Astolpho come all disfigur'd as he was disclaiming against and cursing his ill fortune He was much more so when having ask'd him Who had put him into that condition He acquainted him how that having taken Don Sancho and bringing him along towards Toledo the Queen his Mother issued out of Cordoua with abundance of Horse and Foot and had us'd such expedition that she had overtaken him on the way had cut all his Party to pieces whatever resistance he had been able to make to endeavour to hinder her from rescuing his Prisoner from him and that she would doubtless have put him to Death as well as the rest had she not thought fit to reserve him to carry him this Letter which he did not expect would be over welcome The King after having taken it ask'd what was become of Anagilda and her Son And he having reply'd That they had taken Shipping for Africa he was so sorely griev'd that his Affliction had like to have made him run mad He went and shut himself up in his Closet that he might so with the more freedom give a loose to the vexation he had for the unhappy event of his Enterprize He could not then forbear opening the Queens Letter and as Truth has great force he felt in that moment some Repentance for what he had done But Ambition being the ruling Passion of his Soul the remorse of his Conscience did not trouble him so much as the fear he had lest Anagilda should go demand succours of the Moors against him This made him send in all haste for Count Julian to whom belong'd the Castle of the Algesires where she had resided for some time before she went into Africa that he might by him discover the intention of her Journey into those parts This Count being come to Court and having assured the King that she went away with a Resolution to prevail with the Moors to wage War upon him he resolv'd to send this Count into Africa to endeavour to divert this Storm and to procure the better welcom for his Letters to Muca who was then Vice-roy for the Caliph Valid-Almanzor he accompany'd them with a world of Presents and made him the offer of entring into a Treaty of Alliance with his Master Anagilda in the mean while falling sick through Grief rather than fatigue was oblig'd to stay for for some time at a City of Africa call'd Tangier by which means Count Julian had seen the Vice-roy and presented him with the Jewels sent him by Rodrigo before he had heard talk of her Muca receiv'd him with much Honour and after having treated him several times in a House he had caus'd to be prepar'd for that purpose he made him answer That he could not of his own head resolve upon any thing of what Rodrigo required but that if he would stay some time he would write to the Caliph Almanzor who would undoubtedly receive in due manner the advances of so great a King and would do all that should be most fitting and most suitable for both During these Transactions Rodrigo receiv'd Tydings that Anagilda and D. Sancho were both dead at Tangier which inspir'd him with mighty Joy seeing himself at the point he had so long wish'd to be at and believing he had now nothing more at all to fear He nevertheless imagin'd that the Amity of the Moors might be of some use to him For which reason he wrote to Count Julian that notwithstanding the Prince's Death he should nevertheless remain in Africa to wait the event of his Embassy After having taken these Precautions for abroad his thoughts were now only bent how to secure all things at home where were still some Princes that might dispute the Crown with him He caus'd the States to be held at Toledo where D. Sancho's Death being made known he caus'd an Oath of Allegiance to be taken to him by all the Grandees there assembled as Don Sancho's Lawful Successor to the Crown He had likewise his Coronation perform'd in great Ceremony and with all the rejoycing that is wont to be us'd in such like solemnities But in the midst of all this Joy could not he refrain from labouring under some Disquiet and to free himself wholly from it and to put himself into a posture that he should not need to dread any thing from any of the Grandees or any of his Subjects the only People he imagin'd he needed to fear having learnt the good success of the African Negotiation he bethought himself of expedients whereof mention shall be made in the following Chapter CHAP. III. Rodrigo causes most of the Fortresses of his Kingdom to be dismantled and commits several Violences that make him incur the anger of God IT is very true and Men have daily but too much Experience of it that having once believ'd Fortune propitious we ought not to
King that should open this Cave and discover all the Wonders that were therein would certainly find a great deal of Good and Evil. Several Kings before this had had a desire to shrift into the truth of this mystery but whatever Orders they had given for that purpose they had never been able to cause them to be executed Upon the opening this Door so great a Noise was heard that the Earth seem'd to open at the same time under the feet of those that meant to enter therein They were seiz'd with such a dread that most of 'em fell sick upon 't some dy'd and no body had the Courage to enter further The Door had still been shut up more strongly than before and People still believ'd that the time appointed for the breaking so great an Enchantment was not yet come but Rodrigo's ill fate would have it that this fatal adventure was reserved for him He had chosen very resolute men to enter with him into that Cave but they had not gone very far when the Torches they had being extinguish'd the greater part fled away out of a pannick fear which seiz'd them of a terrible Hobgoblin they said they saw The King in great anger caus'd other Flambeaux to be lighted which he had caus'd to be made on purpose after a particular manner that so the air of the Cave might not put them out With this light he entred the first of all and without shewing any fear tho perhaps he was not exempt from a little hardly had he gone some steps but that he found himself in a beautiful Room enrich'd with as delicate Sculptures as those we see in the greatest Palaces In the midst of this great Room was a Brazen Statue with a fierce posture plac'd upon a Pillar three Cubits high holding in its hand a Battel-Axe with which it struck the Earth from time to time and so strongly that there was reason to believe it to be partly the violent agitation it occasioned in the air by the blows it gave that made the great noise that was heard at their entrance Rodrigo tho a little startled did not however lose Courage and began to conjure this Phantome telling him That he did not pretend to commit any Disorder in the place of his abode and that he would go his ways as soon as he had seen all its Wonders He had no sooner uttered these words but the Statue left off beating the Earth The King and his Attendants being a little encourag'd most carefully visited all the corners of that great Room On the Left hand of the Statue they saw these words written on the Wall Vnhappy Prince thy ill Destiny hath brought thee hither Turning to the Right he found nothing better for there was written Thou shalt be dispossest by foreign Nations and thy Subjects shall be punisht as well as thee for all their Crimes Upon the back of the Statue was written these words in Arabick To my Succours and upon its Breast these I do my Duty I forgot to say that at the entrance of this Room there was a kind of round Fat like a Bowl from whence there issued a kind of spout whose surging made a hideous murmur After having well considered all these things and caus'd the Inscriptions of them to be taken in a Table-book the King went away very much disturb'd and very peevish and had no sooner turn'd his back but that the Statue fell again to striking the ground after its usual manner The King caus'd this Cave to be shut up again more carefully than before and had its entrance stopp'd with Earth that so none thenceforward might enter therein forbidding all his Attendants to make the least mention of this Adventure by reason of the terrour that so ill a presage might put into all Peoples minds But nevertheless is was immediately buzz'd about all the Court. The Night following Crys were heard that waywards like to those that People make when they are fighting and after a Clap that made a mighty hurly burly this old Tower sunk and all people were amazed the next day to find no more footsteps of it than if all they had seen before had been only a Dream The King having assembled the Wise men of his Kingdom to demand of them the Explication of all he had seen They found that the Brazen Statue with its perpetual motion signifyed Time that was oblig'd never to stop as was noted by the Inscription it had upon its Breast That that which was on the Back signifyed that in the sequel of time Spain should be conquered by the Arabians That of the Walls presaged The loss of his Kingdom and a great Calamity of all his People And that above the Door The great Evils the Conquered would suffer and the great benefits the Victors would thence derive Such an Explication gave no little anxiety to Rodrigo and to such of his People as heard it They all lift up their Eyes to Heaven well seeing that it was from God alone that they could hope for any succours For tho they had news that Tariff and Count Julian were returned into Africa this was not capable of re-assuring the King against so many intimations of the anger of Heaven Whereupon he began to order the re-erecting all the Fortifications he had caus'd to be demolish'd and had Proclamation made throughout his Kingdom that the People should take up again the Arms he had forbidden and exercize themselves therein as before He resolv'd also to quit Toledo and go make his residence at Cordoua that so he might be nearer the place from whence apparently all the mischief was to come and thereto apply Remedies the more easily CHAP. VII Muca sends Tariff and Count Julian into Arabia to give an account to Almanzor of the success of the Voyage they had made into Spain TAriff Abenriet and Count Julian being returned into Africa much satisfy'd with their Voyage were there admirably well received by the Viceroy and after having among themselves concerted the means of effecting their Design it was resolved That this Captain and this Count should both go to Almanzor's Court to communicate to him and render him a faithful and an exact account of all they had done and of the propitious Disposition wherein they had found the People of Spain well perceiving it to be difficult by Letters to remove all the doubts and solve all the Difficulties that might be started upon an affair of so great a moment as the Conquest of so great a Kingdom and shew upon Paper and at a distance so great an Enterprize so easily as those could do it by word of mouth that had themselves considered things more nearly Whereupon having caused a Ship to be fitted out and having provided themselves with all Necessaries as well for their Subsistance as for their Safety after having weather'd a furious Storm they at length arrived happily in Arabia where having presented themselves to Almanzor he
receiv'd them as well as they could wish and had them lodg'd and treated with all their Train and all the Souldiers they had brought along with them Tariff in a few days after his arrival had a long audience of Almanzor in which after having given him an account of all he had done for his service he promis'd him That if he would do him the honour to send him back into Spain and rely upon him for the Conquest of so great a Country he would subdue it in a little time to his Obedience The Confidence with which this great Captain spoke had so mnch power over Almanzor's mind that he immediately caus'd his Council to assemble with it still more particularly to examine all the Difficulties that might be met with in so great an Enterprize and all the means he propos'd to bring it about Whereupon this affair having been agitated with mature deliberation and accordingly reported to the Emperour and debated anew again in his presence At last the Conquest of Spain was resolv'd on and the rumour of the Declaration of War against the King Don Rodrigo spread immediately throughout the whole extent of the Caliph's Empire Tariff who had already exerted his Valour as well as his Conduct in other occasions wherein he had acquir'd Almanzor's esteem and that of all the Arabians knowing the Country better than any man and having entred into strict Engagements with Count Julian it would have been both injustice and imprudence to have taken from him the Command of the Army For which reason he was at the same time nominated General and these are the Letters Patents that were issued out to that intent Letters Patents Praise be to God alone Amen THe Great and Warlike Valid Almanzor of the high Lineage of Motaleb Vicar of God and the Defender of his Law Son of the most High and most Noble Caliph and potent Ruler of all the Arabick Nation Abdulmeleck to all those who shall these present Letters see Greeting We for certain confiderations and just causes us thereunto moving having Ordered as We Order by these presents the Conquest of the Western Kingdoms that are possess'd by the King Don Rodrigo a Christian by Profession our Capital Enemy by reason of the great profit which will redound thence to our Subjects and the augmentation which will thence accrue to our Empire We have resolved to nominate and chuse as We chuse and nominate by these presents for Governour and Captain General in all those Countrys the Noble the Virtuous Honoured and Renowned Captain our Vassal and Faithful Servant Tariff Abenriet whom for this purpose We empower to go with the Troops We shall cause to be given him into the Territories of Spain and there execute the Orders that we shall cause to be expedited to him and do all that to him shall seem fitting for the accomplishment of our Will without his needing to stay for new Orders from Vs on that acconnt We enjoyn all Governours of Places Officers and Souldiers as well those he shall lead into his Army as those of all our Realms that they obey him and execute his Commands as well by Sea as by Land as if they were issued out immediately from us and Sealed with our own Seal and Sign'd by our own Hand Giving him for this purpose Power and Authority sufficient to give them and expedite them under the penalties he shall please to establish and which he may cause to be Executed as Soveraign Judge upon the Persons and Estates of those as shall Countervene them and shall be Rebels to our Commands which We have encharg'd him to accomplish and execute in the entire Confidence we have in him For such is our Pleasure Given in our High Presence in our Palace Royal of Carval in Arabia Foelix in the 22 of the Moon Dulchisa in the year 92. Almanzor had still another Captain a Greek and Renegado called Hiza Humani in whose Valour he had much Confidence He gave him the Command of the Troops he caused to be rais'd in the East of which he quickly made a Body of thirty thousand good Men and well Armed At the same time he fitted out a great number of Ships wherein he put not only all sorts of Ammunition but a great abundance of Arms Tools and Instruments of War And as soon as this Fleet was ready he Shipp'd all the Forces and caus'd it to depart on the thirteenth of the Moon of Inmod and the second day of the year 93. This Prince not content with these great preparations imagin'd that as it was a War of Religion he was going to undertake it was convenient to assemble all the Mahometan Forces For which reason he dispatch'd a Man away on purpose to the King of Thunis his Ally to impart to him his Design and represent to him the great advantages he might derive from the Conquest of Spain conjuring him to come and joyn him and succour him as soon as possible with what Foot and Horse he could assemble This Envoy having put himself into a Felucca was not long on his Voyage and met with a most welcome Reception from the King of Thunis who express'd much Joy to see by Avilgalit's Letter and by his Envoys discourse that he would make use of him in this occasion He caus'd the Drum immediately to be beat throughout all his Kingdom and in a short space levied an Army of thirty thousand Foot and three thousand Horse the Command of which he would needs give to Prince Mahomet-Gilhair his second Son What troubled him most was the few Ships he had in a readiness to put to Sea as not being prepar'd for so great an Embarkment For which reason he was oblig'd to cause all these Troops to wait in a Body till the arrival of Merchant Ships wherein he caus'd them to embark and at last weigh'd Anchor on the 2 of the Moon of Sanguel in the same year 93. These two great Armies being arriv'd on the Coast of Africa Muca who waited for them there after having held a Council of War with all the General Officers found they needed some days refreshment after the fatigue of the Sea For which reason all the Troops were brought on shoar and that the time they might spend in refreshing themselves might not be lost Tariff and Count Julian were sent before with a small Body to make a Descent into Spain and enquire into the state things were in since their Departure thence and what Forces the King D. Rodrigo might have on foot The Troops they chose for this Expedition were to the number of six thousand Foot as well Moors as Julianist Christians and about three hundred Horse With these they cross'd the Streight of Gilbralter and having found a Mountain by the Sea-side fitting to Encamp the few Troops they had Tariff gave it his own Name as being the first place where he began to establish himself Since the first entrance of the Moors Rodrigo
having expected to have met with some opposition in this Place was overjoy'd it did not oblige him to any stop and swore solemnly in the Name of the Caliph Almanzor his Master for ever to observe the Conditions on which they would put the Keys of so great a Town into his hands He would needs also for the maintaining it in the ancient Prerogative it had of being the Capital City of so great a Kingdom leave there as Governour one of his principal Officers call'd Mahomet Abenbamin of the City of Damas with the Quality of Vice-roy and a Garrison he judg'd convenient It is a thing somewhat astonishing to be remark'd that in near a hundred and forty miles march made by these two Generals still skirting the Sea of the Levant and drawing Northwards they found not one living Soul till they came to a Province call'd Arragon in the midst of which there is a City call'd Saragoza where several Christians had taken refuge as well as in the Mountains next adjoyning to shelter themselves from the fury of the Moors This City would needs stand out an Assault that was bloody after which it Surrendred upon very advantageous terms Thus they staid there only the time requisite for the settling as Governour of all that Province a Captain of great Reputation born in Arabia call'd Ismael Abenhut and resolved to push their Arms further and even beyond the Mountains the Christians call the Pyrenees which separate the Kingdom of Spain from that of France They are very rugged and high and the Christians were said to be retired thither with a resolution of making a stout Defence Nevertheless they advanced there about twenty miles without meeting with any Resistance insomuch that the Generals having made reflexion that their Master having only given them order to Conquer Spain and France being a great Kingdom wholly different and wholly separate it would be exceeding their Power to push on their Invasion upon it And seeing their Troops wearied with so long a March and much diminish'd by all the Garrisons they had been oblig'd to leave in the Towns they had taken they resolv'd to go no further and remitting the Conquest of France till another time they thought it more convenient to return into Castile to give the necessary orders for the conservation of what they had taken and the reduction of what they had still left to take CHAP. XV. The March of the two Generals towards Valentia and Murtia and their Return to Cordoua THE two Generals taking the Field again with their Forces upon their departure from Arragon bent their march towards the East and continued it without any stay to a great Plain in the midst of which is a great City enclos'd with good Walls whence you have a Prospect of the Mediterranean Sea that is but but four small Leagues distant All the Country adjacent is full of very delightful Gardens Groves and a world of Springs which form the finest Landskip imaginable Tariff before he would begin the Siege thought fitting to send to summon the Inhabitants to Surrender as all the other Cities of Spain had done in consideration of which he promis'd to suffer 'em to live in Peace according to their Law and to hinder any injury from benig done them But the Trumpeter coming near the City-gate the Centinel that was upon the Wall without hearkning to what he said aloud or imparting it to the Governour let fly a Bullet from a Stone-Bow at him by which the Trumpeter perceiving himself wounded without staying any longer came flying to the Camp Tariff being provok'd at the little regard they had for a man that came from him took this affair not only for a want of respect to him but for an infraction of all the Laws of War and the Right of Nations and gave order for the Attacking the Town on all sides The next day the Governour call'd Agros having been inform'd of what the Centinel had done was very much surpriz'd at this misunderstanding and thought convenient to send to make his excuse to Tariff and propose to him at the same time a Truce for three days during which they wou'd see to contrive the means of making their Capitulation The Envoy of Valence was kindly receiv'd by the General The Truce was granted and the Hostages having been agreed on he went out of the Town with full power to treat on the behalf of the Besieged and came to Tariff's Camp with whom he agreed to deliver him the Town on Condition that all the Christians that were minded to go thence might have the freedom so to do with their Wives and Children and all their Goods to whatever place they should please to choose As also that all those that would stay there might do it without being injur'd in the least Tariff made no difficulty of granting them all they demanded and of promising to observe what he granted in the name of Almanzor his Master In consideration of which he made his entrance into that Town and there left as Governour one of his Captains a Native of Arabia Foelix nam'd Abubaxar Xandalg whom he plac'd there with a numerous Garrison to curb not only that Town but the whole Province depending on it After having thus settled matters at Valence Tariff and Muca having bent their march a little more towards the South entred the Province by the Spaniards call'd Murtia where having met with no resistance they render'd themselves Masters of the Capital City that goes by the same name Finding it forsaken by the Inhabitants and the Country very good they resolv'd upon settling there a part of the Souldiers of their Army for the re-peopling it and therein to put as Governour Abraham Alexandri by Nation an African These two Armies being by these means reduc'd to a very scanty number and by leaving so many upon the way both for Guarding and Populating all the Towns where they had pass'd they return'd to Cordoua to recreate themselves after the fatigues of this War CHAP. XVI The Order that Tariff left in Spain before his Departure thence THE Governour of Cordoua Abulxacim by name knowing the coming of the two Generals went out to meet them four Leagues from that Town with all the Foot and Horse in Arms he had and accompany'd them in the Triumphant Entrance they made into that Place During the abode they had occasion to make there to recover themselves after the Hardships of so long and painful a War they apply'd themselves carefully to regulate the form of Government of the Countries they had Conquer'd But above all things they judg'd it in no wise safe for them to suffer the Christians to remain Masters of so considerable a Town as Hispalis I have noted in the beginning of this History that the Siege of this Town had not been undertaken for fear of bringing the Pestilence into the Army Wherefore a trusty man was sent on purpose into those parts to see how matters
stood who having brought word back That the Contagion was there more rife than ever and that an infinite number of Persons dy'd of it it was judg'd requisite to leave it still alone and that it would be sufficiently destroy'd by this Scourge of Heaven without there being any need to infect it likewise with that of War One thing on which they found themselves oblig'd to think preferable to all others was to recompence Count Julian for the great Services he had done to Valid They had promis'd him to cause his Castle of Algesirees to be Rebuilt and to Repair and Re-establish his other Lands and Lordships that had been ruin'd by the passage he had given through them to all the Forces that came out of Africa into Spain Insomuch that they caus'd great summs of Money to be given him and granted great Franchizes and Priviledges to all his Relations and Followers Whereupon he took his leave of them to repair home to set all things again to Rights and injoy if he could the Sweets of the Revenge he had taken of D. Rodrigo After this they fell in good earnest to consider of regulating and policying their new Kingdom and of re-populating that great Country that was become a Desert by the flight of all the Inhabitants Wherefore seeing that the Moors they had left in Garrison in the Cities and Burroughs where they had pass'd had no Wives tho they were all very Young and that it was impossible to furnish them with enough from Africa whence their Fathers and Mothers would never consent to suffer them to depart they caus'd Proclamation to be made by sound of Trumpet throughout all Spain That all the Christian Women and Maidens as well of the ancient Inhabitants as of whatever Nation they were that were willing to be Converted and Marry themselves to the Conquerours should enjoy the same Priviledges and Prerogatives which they enjoy'd before They caus'd at the same time another Declaration to be Published in favour of the Gentlemen to whom they offer'd the Dividend of the Conquer'd Lands This Publication in a short time either out of fear or interest caus'd an infinite number of Christians to change their Religion and the Women and Maidens to resolve upon matching themselves with the Moors At that time was it that the Arch-bishop of Oppas who had been General of Rodrigo's Army that Tariff had beaten and taken Prisoner in the second Battel that had been fought near the River Guadalete as I have said and the Arch-bishop Toriso a very near Relation of that Unhappy King abjur'd their Faith to comply with Tariff and Muca These two new Moors to manifest their Zeal and acquire still more credit than they had with the Generals represented to them that to hinder the Christians from revolting for the future or retrieving Courage with time it was expedient throughly to clear all the Mountains on the Left Hand of Arragon in Spanish call'd Biscaye and the Asturies where they gave them notice that several Persons of great Quality had made their Retreat with a great number of Souldiers nay and that there was at the head of them such Persons as were Princes of the Blood of Spain and D. Rodrigo's near Relations without which their Conquest would never be secure This advice jump'd wholly with Tariff's sence who gave immediate order to a Tartar a very good Officer Abraham le Sujari by name to take six thousand men of the Forces he had by him and likewise to draw as many as he should need out of the Garrisons of Castile and to march with the two Renegado-Arch-bishops into the afore-mention'd Mountains At that time a Young Prince a Kinsman of the K. D. Rodrigo call'd Pelage was retir'd thither with a good number of resolute men that were willing to follow his Fortune and as he was brave and pretended to the Crown all the Christians that had taking refuge in the Mountains had elected him King and certainly he made himself appear to be very worthy of that Supream Dignity General Abraham being come near the Austuries and encamp'd in a place call'd Cangas by the Christians and which the Moors since nam'd the Term of War thought convenient to send the two Arch-bishops to him having brought them along with him that so being his Relations and Friends they might the more easily perswade him to desist from the Temerity of his Enterprize with orders to offer him such Presents and propose such advantages to him as they should judge convenient as well as to all the Christians that should be with him Whereupon these Arch-bishops being come into the Country and offering to make this Proposal to Pelage he was so provok'd at them that he had them seiz'd on and both thrown from off the top of a Rock into a River that was at the bottom And as he had first been inform'd by them of the Scituation of Abraham's Camp and the number of his Forces he assembled what men he had and went to attack them that very same Night And after having defeated the greatest part of the Moors he return'd into the heart of the Mountains without any loss Abraham not expecting this at all and not seeing the return of the two Renegadoes he had brought along with him fancy'd they had betray'd him and with the few men he had left without making any longer stay he return'd with all expedition to Toledo where he dy'd of Grief Tariff was very much troubled at this bad event but having not then Troops sufficient in one Body to go force the Asturies he contented himself with leading upon the frontier the most men he could that so he might hinder the Christians of the Mountains from coming to make Inroads upon the Moors Then he resolv'd upon sending to Almanzor his Master a very exact Relation of all he had thitherto done with the state of all things in Spain and to ask what was his Pleasure to have further done for his Service As he was finishing his Dispatches he had a Letter brought him from Pelage which Translated out of Spanish into Arabick is as follows A LETTER King Pelage to General Tariff Abenziet THE King D. Pelage Lawful Heir Successour in a Right Line of the Kingdom of Spain by the death of the King D. Rodrigo whose sins may God pardon they being doubtless the cause of his ruine and my misfortune to the Valiant and Renowned Captain Tariff Abenziet Cherish'd and Esteem'd by the Caliph Almanzor his Master Greeting Tho I am as great a sinner as any other and that I have nothing good but the confidence I put in the mercy of God I am willing to make known to thee that in thy name came two Envoys who being my Relations ought not to have come to me since they were Traytors to their Country I thought my self oblig'd to punish them as I have done and was content to signifie to thee at the same time that tho thou hast very
Traytor to his King and Country For which reason Wise and Vertuous Men ought to have a care of those sort of People that are ever cover'd with Infamy and that were never seen to come to a good end but like to that of this Count and of all his Adherents CHAP. XIX Muca being vex'd that Almanzor did not send for him as well as Tariff dispatches his Brother to him with the Description of all Spain MVca was very much vex'd that he had not been sent for to Court as well as Tariff and would willingly have been present at the Relation that Captain was to make to Almanzor of the particulars of all that War and of the state he had left all things in in Spain fearing that in giving the Account all alone he would attribute the whole Glory to himself He fancy'd he had done him some ill Office in the Letter he had written to their Monarch since he did him not the Honour to desire to see him no more than if he had not had the least share in the Conquest they had made together wherein Muca was very much deceiv'd for Tariff spoke of him as his Friend as well in his absence as his presence and he since found it plainly by the Letter whose Tenour I am going to insert He fancy'd he had render'd as great Services as Tariff and that he had not only had all the Principal Direction but that he had served in his own Person and expos'd his Life to a thousand Dangers Nevertheless he plainly saw that it might befall him what commonly befalls those that are distanc'd from the Court and that instead of receiving a Recompence proportionable to his Services he might perchance be put out of his Masters favour Labouring under this anxiety he knew not what course to take for to leave his Government and repair to Court without Permission that could not be to stay and not go thither was a hazarding his Fortune and an exposing himself to all the lashes of Envy and Jealousie At length hauing unbosom'd his Heart to some of his Friends they found a medium betwixt these two Parties which was to send his Brother Ismael to Court under colour of carrying the Caliph a Description of the Land they had subdu'd and a state of all things that concern'd the War But indeed there to value and improve his Services and fathom if the Emperor did him Justice Now these are the terms of his Letter in form of Relation A Letter from Muca Vice-roy of Africa to Caliph Almanzor Emperour of the Arabians PRaise be first given to God the Soveraign Creator of all things Amen and then to the most high and most Illustrious Caliph the Buckler of God the Defender of his Law and Emperour of the Arabians the Emir Mumenin Almanzor to whom God give a long and happy Life and a flourishing and quiet Reign as is wish'd him by the least but the most Faithful of his Subjects Muca Vice-roy of his Realms of Africa Who makes known to You as he is thereunto oblig'd that most of those that inhabit them are happyer than ever they were being return'd Rich with the Spoils they have brought from Spain as must doubtless have been told you by one of your most Valiant Captains and Loyal Subjects Tariff Abenziet who Expos'd his Life a Thousand times for the augmentation of your Crown in this Conquest This I can better testify than any Body having been in most Actions with him as I thought it my Duty I did not content my self with providing the two Armies by Land and Sea with what was necessary for them to take all the trouble of them and be at all the Charges the zeal I have ever for your Service made me pass over thither with a third Army And since I entred into that Country which is a Peninsula in respect of us I have carefully observ'd all I have seen and took a very exact Information as well of the Christians as the Renegadoes of that Country of its Scituation and of the manner of living of its Inhabitants I thought you would pardon me the freedom of sending a Relation of it a little long but true The Relation THis Island is Scituated under the Elevation of the Artique Pole from the Thirtieth to the Fiftieth Degree on the North of those Kingdoms of Africa that are under my Government and which are severed from it partly by the Mediterranean Sea and partly by the great Ocean All this Country that we have Conquer'd contains about Eighteen Hundred Miles in Circumference and stretches out into a Length representing the Figure of an Animal The Climate is exempt from bad Vapours the Air is there ever Serene and refresh'd by the Winds which occasions the People to be long Liv'd and very Healthful the Plains are water'd with an Infinity of Springs that fall from the Rocks whose Water is very subtile and well tasted All these Waters collected from space to space from Noble Rivers the most of which have their Course towards the West and so go and disembogue themselves into the Ocean tho there are some that fall into the Mediterranean Sea and all of them furnish the People with a World of Fish of a very good Taste and not Unhealthful We see no Serpents there nor any Wild Beasts there are no Leopards nor Lyons Ounces or Griffins And when any of those Creatures have been sometimes brought thither from other Countries they could not live This occasions the Country to be very Populous and that there are neither Lands nor Mountains altogether uninhabited Besides this there are all sorts of Fruits as well in Winter as Summer there being so many Trees in the Gardens that they seem to be Forrests and such Delicious Places as seem to be a Terrestial Paradice In Summer there is a vast abundance of all sort of Meat by means of the great abundance of Pasturages where an infinity of Cattel is ever found and a great quantity of all sorts of Wild and Tame Birds that even come to Winter there from several Countries as one more Temperate The People as well Men as Women are of a middle stature and the Cities observe an Excellent Policy The Inhabitants are all Cloath'd in very Fine Woollen are naturally Wise and being addicted to War they are curious of Horses and have such as are very Vigorous The Soyl produces good Bread and excellent Wine and so great a quantity of Oyl that there is rather too much than too little There grows all sorts of Herbs and Pulse and particularly all Simples as are needful in Physick They gather there Silk and Linnen in abundance of which they make very fine Stuffs There are Mines of Silver of Copper of Lead of Iron and Quick-silver For as for Gold I have not heard there was any As there are many different Nations there are also several sorts of Tongues that have not any Relation with ours This Peninsula
all Africa in the name of the Emperour their Master That all those that were minded to pass into Spain there to inhabit needed only to repair thither and that they should have Lands given them to cultivate Houses to dwell in with all the conveniences necessary to Life and great Priviledges and Exemptions These Promises and the rumour of the Beauty of the Country caus'd a world of People to pass the Sea not only Natural Moors but Jews of the Hebrew Nation who pass'd it with their Wives and Children and all the Goods they had to the number of fifty thousand Families according to the Register taken of 'em by Adilbar This Vice-roy by an express order he had receiv'd from Almanzor of re-populating that great Kingdom which he had confided to his Conduct distributed with an admirable oeconomy throughout the Kingdom of Spain these new Spaniards according as they landed The Governours and Subordinate Commanders gave afterwards in the Provinces and Cities to each of those Families Conquer'd Lands proportionably as they were convenient for 'em to live in whereof he made particular Estates And they had all so great an application to this matter and kept such good order that this great extent of Land became in a short space more populous and more cultivated than it had ever been before and the new comers were so well accustomed with the Natives of the Country that there seem'd not to be any difference among 'em nor as if any change had there happen'd Adilbar seeing so numerous a People under his sway and all the particular Governours so obedient to his will thought himself in a posture to make some attempt for the service of his Master He remembred that they had not dared to attack Hispalis by reason of the Pestilence that raged there when the Generals went away and had informations that the Christians flocked thither from all patts since its ceasing For which reason having assembled the greatest number he could of Infantry and Cavalry and made a Body of twelve thousand Foot and two thousand Horse he departed from Cordoua after having given all the Directions requisite and march'd directly to Hispalis in the head of this Army small indeed but very brave and provided with all things necessary He straightways sent a Trumpeter to Summons the Inhabitants to Surrender promising them all sort of good usage as Generals of Armies are wont to do in such occasions The Inhabitants without listening to his Promises or being concern'd at his Threats made no other answer but that they were resolv'd to defend the goodness of their Cause to the last and to be cut all in pieces rather than fall under Slavery After such an Answer Adilbar thought there was no farther parlying On the morrow morning he caus'd a most furious Assault to be made But as the Besieged were well inform'd of the manner with which the Moors had perform'd the Sieges of all the other Towns of Spain they had made Provision of a world of Posts of several fashions which they fill'd with boyling Oyl Juniper and Turpentine and threw them upon the Besiegers which burnt them alive and incapacitated them from fighting by reason of the violence of the pain they suffer'd Adilbar confus'd and vex'd at the damage his men had receiv'd from the Beleaguer'd without its being in his Power to do them any caus'd the Rerreat to be sounded and his Troops put into Quarters to see what he had to do He had lost four hundred men in this first Assault and plainly perceiv'd that as often as he employ'd force there would be nothing to be got Wherefore he imagin'd that being Master of the Field and having Victuals abundance in his Army whose subsistance he could furnish to as long as he pleas'd in the Neighbourhood of that Town he could so well block up the Avenues that it should be constrain'd to Surrender without his so much as losing one man he resolv'd not to decamp thence till he had famish'd it The Beleaguer'd guessing that the Moors had taken this course since they had remained five and twenty days together without continuing their attacks they resolv'd to Sally out upon them when as they least expected it For this purpose without making any Bustle as could make the Besiegers suspect their Design they assembled all their resolute men And one Night Sallying out of one of their Gates they fell with much vigour upon Adilbar's Camp The Moors defended themselves with great Resolution but believing the number of their Enemies still greater than it was in the darkness that hinder'd them from viewing one another they betook themselves to flight and the Christians made a great slaughter of them To avoid the inconveniences that commonly happen in Engagements that are perform'd by Night the Governour had order'd all those that were commanded out upon that Sally to cease fighting and retire into the Town as soon as he should cause a Horn to be sounded whose sound he had caus'd them to observe Thus fearing they might engage too far on the pursuit of the Moors who might cut them off he caus'd it to be sounded when he judg'd it convenient The Christians had much ado to resolve upon quitting the Engagement being very much flesh'd by the Moors who gave way before them on all sides and were pursu'd by them with the Sword in their Reins But at the long run retiring by little and little in the order that had been prescrib'd them they re-entred the Town where they were receiv'd with great Applauses by the Beleaguer'd who caus'd a world of Musical Instruments to be sounded in token of Joy for so great a Victory The Day being come the slaughter the Christians had made appear'd to Adilbar much greater than he had believ'd it And perceiving the strength of this Town and the Valour of those that defended it he found it more convenient to raise the Siege than to persist any longer obstinately in an Enterprize which was more difficult than he had imagin'd Whereupon he took his march back to Cordoua and having found his Army diminish'd in two thousand Foot and two hundred Horse he had lost in this Siege he separated it and put it into good Quarters in the Country that it might recover it self CHAP. XXI Adilbar makes a second Attempt upon Hispalis and is as Successless as before ADilbar was disconsolate at the bad event of the first Enterprize he had made for the Valid's Service He was asham'd that the only Town the Christians held in Spain had resisted him after Tariff with so little pains had taken all the rest He imagin'd all the Moors murmur'd at it and himself found that Almanzor could not effectually call himself absolute Master of that Country as long as that Town was not under his Obedience Wherefore having sent for all the Governours of those Provinces and conferred with them about the necessity and the means for the reducing it he began
confer on him the Conduct of his Army and being then in his Government he sent him an express Courier to give him notice of this new War and that he had nominated him Generalissimo in all his Armies the terms of his Letter to him were as follow Aboulvalid's Letter to Muca Abenzairi Generalissimo in his Armies Praise be to our Soveraign God Amen THE most High and most Dread King of the Arabians Vicar of God and Defender of his Law Aboulvalid Abenacer Son of the Martial Caliph and Protector of the Faith Valid Almanzor to the Governour of our Kingdom of Africa the Prudent Virtuous and accomplish'd Gentleman Loyal and Faithful Servant of our Crown and Captain-General of our Armies by Sea and Land Muca Abenzair Greeting We write to you at present to let you know that the Great Caliph Mahomet Gilhair King of Thunis our honour'd Lord and Father-in-law being dead and the virtuous Abulcacim Aben Marchan our Servant who had been in our name to take possession of that Kingdom of Right and Justice to us belonging hardly beginning to make our people tast the sweetness of our Reign when Captain Hacan as you doubtless have been already inform'd entred by main force into the Palace Royal of Thunis and after having kill'd our Governour and all our faithful Servants had withdrawn himself from his Allegiance to us and by force caus'd himself to be own'd the absolute King of all the Country which he governs Tyrannically Wherefore for the recovery of that Kingdom it is necessary that you assemble the greatest number of Troops as shall be possible for you in the Kingdoms that are under your Government and that you set forth with them and our Army to repair to the Port of Capha in the midst of the month of Ragab in the approaching hundredth Year of the Hegira at which time we will go to joyn you with the Army which we cause to be rais'd in the Kingdom of Syria and Arabia till when we refer the resolving with you upon all matters enjoyning you to order all as you shall judge most expedient by your Prudence and Valour wherein we have an entire confidence From our Presence in the Palace of Corbal in Arabia Faelix the 2d of the Moon Mahairan in the Year 99. Muca having received the King his Masters Orders was overjoy'd at the employment with which he honour'd him and having made Leavies throughout all his Kingdom and heap'd up all sorts of Ammunition as well for the Fleet he had fitted out as for his Land Army he embark'd with twenty thousand very brisk men and made Sail towards the Levant while the King was embark'd with twenty five thousand Foot and eight hundred Horse he had assembled in Arabia and made Sail towards the West insomuch that the two Armies join'd happily in the Port of Capha This fill'd this Prince full of joy for he wou'd needs come in Person to this War well perceiving that when he should have reduc'd the Kingdom of Thunis he was absolute Master of all Africa from the Sea of the Levant to that of the Ponant Wherefore having Landed at Thunis he found not any opposition at his descent and had the means to marshal both his Armies in Battel-array Hacan being fully inform'd of these Warlike preparations was extremely intimidated Nevertheless as he had been long prepar'd to maintain his Usurpation he had assembled forty thousand Foot and eight thousand Horse with whom he went with great Resolution to meet Aboulvalid and couragiously stood his coming in a large Plain not far distant from the Sea and call'd Falh Almaligue where having drawn up his Army in Battalia it began by two bodies of Horse that Skirmish'd for some time before they ingag'd the rest in the Battel that lasted all that day from Three a Clock in the Afternoon till Night that separated the two Armies with the loss of eight hundred Foot and about three hundred Horse on the Kings side and five hundred Foot and four hundred Horse on that of Hacan without reckoning a number of Wounded among others one of Muca's Children call'd Ismael had two thrusts with a Pike in his Thigh for which Aboulvalid was much concern'd But the Father seeing the Grief his Master thence receiv'd told him with a very gay and resolute countenance that there was not matter for so much trouble as his Majesty express'd neither he nor his Son being come thither to gain Riches but to dye for his Service and that thus though his Son should not recover of his Wounds the matter would be small since he was only Born to dye On the contrary he should hold his Death as well employ'd because he had first so well aveng'd it and this was true for he had kill'd with his own hand a very great number of the Enemies and that day perform'd actions worthy of an Eternal memory On the morrow which was the 9th of the Moon of Taquel in the hundredth Year the Battel renew'd at break of day and lasted till Noon when Hacan's Men began to Buckle and were at length by dint of Sword defeated Hacan seeing the flight of his Forces sought his safety in galloping after them The King being entred into Thunis did not think he had gain'd an absolute Victory unless he had Hacan in his hands So as that he forthwith sent Foot and Horse out on all sides to seek him promising them great rewards if they brought him to him They sought him so well that the Dogs of a Flock of Sheep barking after him in a Cave where he was hid created a desire in them to go thither and occasion'd his being taken He was immediately brought before Aboulvalid to whom having given a great deal of ill language as a desperate man that saw there was no Remission for him the King that was otherwise very mild was so provok'd that he caus'd him to be impal'd alive and left him in that condition upon the Gate of the Town where he languish'd five whole days at the end of which he dy'd a very cruel Death All the Principal Leaders of this Rebellion were then Beheaded and one of the General Officers of the Army call'd Abraham Hacen was chosen to be Vice-roy of Thunis in the room of Hacan the Rebel Aboulvalid having settled his Authority in that Country and brought all things again into their Primitive order set forth again with his Army towards the Levant and being arriv'd at Carbal where he was receiv'd with great Acclamations the first thing he did was to reward all the Principal men that had serv'd him in that War and particularly Muca whom he made of his high Council and one of the Principal Ministers of his State After this without staying longer in his Palace than was necessary to repose himself he thought of taking a Pilgrimage to Mecque whither he went with a part of his Court. Being on his return through the Desarts there arose so furious a Wind
that removing whole Mountains of Sand from one side to another as sometime happens it buryed above three hundred Persons of his Retinue that were found thus Interr'd alive which much afflicted him But having pass'd them at the long run he arriv'd in good health in Arabia Foelix where he was receiv'd with great joy by all his Court and thought in good earnest to recreate himself after all the troubles he had thitherto undergone CHAP. XXIX The Oath of Allegiance which Aboulvalid causes the States to take to Jacob Almanzor his Son THE Caliph thinking only now of leading a more calm and sedate life and considering that he had not any other Children than Jacob Almanzor capable of succeeding him he was very willing to secure to him the Crown before he was overtaken by Death that regards Kings no more than other men For which reason after having conven'd all the Grandees of his Kingdom a Morabite call'd Mahomet Algaseli that was in great favour with him and whose advice he demanded in things of the highest importance by his order made them a long Speech on which he gave them to understand the reason for which he had call'd them together which was to own Prince Jacob Almanzor for Lawful King of all his great Realms after his Fathers Death The States having declar'd they all approv'd this design as a thing very advantageous to the good and profit of all the Nations King Aboulvalid having one day put on his Royal Robes sat in his Throne and caus'd Prince Jacob Almanzor to sit there with him on his Right Hand and then all the Governours of the Places being present Mahomet Algaseli the Morabite being seated on the Kings Left Hand rose up and utter'd these words with a loud and intelligible voice Gentlemen Honour'd Governours Virtuous Lords and all you here present King Aboulvalid wills and requires that you own Prince Jacob Almanzor his Lawful Son who is here present for absolute Master of all his Realms after his Death Are you willing to make Oath to him accordingly To which they answer'd aloud Yes we are willing Do then reply'd Algaseli as a token of the Allegiance you promise to him and of the Possession he from this present is going to take of the Crown all that the King and I am going to do Then the King rising took his Son by the Hand and seated him in his Throne and the Prince having taken the Right Hand of his Father kiss'd it for a mark of his Obedience The Father on his side for a token of the Blessing he gave him laid his Hand upon his Head and also kissing his Sons Hand sat down by him on his Right Hand Algeseli the Morabite did the same and sat down on his Left and after him all the Governours of the Provinces having also kiss'd his Hand an Alfaqui having brought the Alcoran wrapt up in a very rich stuff and having laid it on the Table Algaseli the Morabite rose up from his Seat and lifting up his voice that he might be heard by the whole Assembly Honorable Governours said he and Virtuous Knights and also every one of you here present Do not you swear and promise by the Supreme God and by all that is contain'd in this Book to acknowledge and hold all your life long Prince Jacob Almanzor for your King and Soveraign of all the Realms as Son and Lawful Heir and Successour of King Aboulvalid Abenacer his Father And all having answer'd Yes we promise it Let him then the Morabite reply'd that shall not accomplish what he has now promis'd be declar'd Perjur'd Infamous and a Traytor to the State and may the curse of the Great God fall upon him and on all his and the whole Assembly cry'd Amen And the Morabite having said with an audible voice That for the solemnity of their Oath of Allegiance all should do the same as the King and he did The King being got up and having kiss'd the Alcoran put it upon his Head the Morabite and all the Chiefs and Governours did the same afterwards each in their order After which the Morabite being got up from his Seat and having address'd his Speech to Prince Jacob Almanzor Your Celsitude said he to him do you not swear and promise by the most Great and most High and by all that is contain'd in this Book in Quality of Kings and Soveraign of these Realms to do Justice to his Subjects and maintain and keep all the Priviledges that the Kings his Predecessors in general and each of them in particular have granted them so as that you may cause them to live in Peace and not suffer any wrong to be done them And the Prince having said Yes and that he swore and promis'd it Mind it well then reply'd Algaseli for if you do not do it the curse of God will fall upon you as upon one perjur'd to which the Prince having answer'd Amen Let your Celsitude then continued he to show you make an solemn Oath do as I do In uttering these words he took the Book and having kiss'd and put it on his Head he presented it to the Prince who did the like This Ceremony being finish'd all the Governours and Leaders of Troops going out before the Prince set him on Horseback and carry'd him around through the City in great Pomp amid the noise of a world of Instruments And all alighting at the great Mosch and having said their Prayers there return'd with the same Pomp to the Palace where the King his Father waited his coming and where the whole Cavalcade ended and separated This solemnity lasted three whole days during which there was nought but Feasts Conserts of Musick Turnaments and all the other Recreations to be thought of These three days that had been given to joy being pass'd the King caus'd the States to be held once again in his Palace to confirm and ratify all that had been done and the Morabite open'd the Sessions in these terms Illustrious Captains Generous Governours Brave Cavaliers that are here all present do not you confirm and ratify the Oath of Allegience to Prince Jacob Almanzor our Soveraign Lord who is here present And all having answer'd Yes and said expresly that they ratify'd it Let all pursu'd he for the conclusion of so solemn an Oath do then as the King and I shall do In finishing these words the King arose and having taken the Alcoran he kiss'd it and put it again upon the Table he also took the Prince his Sons hand and kiss'd it and after that the Morabite and all those that compos'd that great Assembly had done the same they were dissolv'd after having all receiv'd some favours from the King who was very much satisfy'd with seeing the Accomplishment of a thing he had so much desir'd This great Ceremony pass'd in the ten first days of the Moon of Rabeh on the first day of the Year 104 of the Hegira CHAP. XXX Aboulvalid's Death