No. 8.]

Of the Establishment of the Moors in Spain, and their Expulsion from that Country. Extracted from a Review of Thurtle's History of Spain. (Continued from page 199, and concluded.) BUT it was in the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella that the Moorish kingdom of Grenada was completely annihilated. The sovereigns of Spain, for such they may be in future designated, were no sooner firmly seated on the throne, than they eagerly directed their united attention to Grenada, the small remains of the once powerful and extensive Spanish caliphat. The war of Grenada lasted ten years; during which period the Christians, as well as their enemies, endured incredible hardships. The Moors were, in the present instance, the first aggressors. Although their kingdom was a prey to internal faction and division, they were mostly unanimous in their hatred to the Christians. Having learned that Zahara was but slightly garrisoned, they advanced on a dark and stormy night with the greatest secrecy, and surprised the town. A most dreadful carnage ensued; and those who were so fortunate as to escape the sword, were carried away captive. Several other expeditions of the same kind were planned and carried into effect, which caused reprisals of a similar nature from the Spaniards. Alhama was taken by the latter, after a desperate resistance.

The attention of Ferdinand was, for a short time, diverted from pursuing this victory, by disturbances in Arragon, which refused to accept Don Raymond Folch for its viceroy, and the king appointed his illegitimate son, Alonzo, as his deputy. This important affair being decided, Ferdinand once more bent his steps towards Grenada, more firmly resolved than ever, totally to put an end to that kingdom. VOL. V.

[VOL. V.

He was particularly stimulated to this act by a dreadful slaughter of some of his bravest troops at Malaga.

Having made most extraordinary permission to levy 100,000 ducats on preparations, and received the Pope's the clergy, Ferdinand sent a herald to Grenada, demanding the payment of its annual Spanish tribute. The answer of Abul-Hassan was heroic and impressive. "The kings," said he," who agreed to pay that tribute, have been long since dead; and in the mint of Grenada neither gold nor silver is coined; but instead thereof we now make spears, and darts, and scymeters."

Abul-Hassan had distinguished him~ self greatly in the wars against the Christians; he heard the increasing tumult of the storm which threatened the destruction of his kingdom, and prepared to meet it nobly. In his first attempt, which was to retake Alhama, he was unsuccessful, and Ferdinand ravaged the country even to the gates of Grenada. The Moors, who from their walls beheld the devastation spreading on every side, mutinied, dethroned their monarch, and placed the crown on the head of his son, AboulAbdallah.

Abul-Hassan fled from the city, and a civil war ensued between the father and son, which in no degree abated their animosities against the Christians. Indeed, both parties sought to gain the affections of their subjects by outdoing each other in deeds of arms against the Spaniards. Aboul-Abdallah made a gallant attack on the town of Lucena; but the earl of Cabra approaching to its relief, the Moors fled with precipitation, and their king, who attempted to conceal himself in an olive garden, was discovered by two soldiers and made prisoner. He was courteously entertained at Cordova by king Ferdinand, who some time afterwards gave him. 29

his liberty, on condition that he should pay an annual tribute.

Aboul-Abdallah at liberty was infinitely of more importance to the Christians than when a prisoner. His release was the cause of fresh dissensions, and the streets of Grenada presented the melancholy spectacle of heaps of slain, who fell victims to the feuds that divided the Moorish royal family. To enter into the detail of this destructive civil war would be greatly exceeding the limits of the present work-suffice it to observe, that after a variety of revolutions, Žagal, brother of Abul-Hassan, was acknowledged king by the greater part of Gre nada.

Ferdinand, in the mean while, met with almost uninterrupted success. At Moelin, indeed, the Spaniards were defeated with great loss by the Moors; but this misfortune, though at the time much regretted, was soon forgotten in a train of brilliant successes, which conducted Ferdinand to the walls of Grenada.

Loja, or Loxa, after a vigorous resistance, submitted to his victorious arms; Lhora, Zagra, Balrea, Velez, and Malaga, were compelled to yield to the superior warlike genius of the Spaniards. Malaga underwent all the horrors of an unlicensed pillage. Baza resisted the efforts of the marquis of Cadiz seven months, during which time the miseries endured both by the besieged and the besiegers, almost exceed belief. At length, on the 27th of December, 1489, it obtained an honourable capitulation.

Zagal, despairing now of re-establishing the Moorish power, submitted to Ferdinand, who received him with kindness, and assigned him an ample maintenance. The situation of Grenada, the capital of the Moorish kingdom, rendered its capture a difficult and dangerous undertaking; but nothing could damp the ardour of Ferdinand and Isabella; the latter, indeed, came with her family to the camp, as the siege was expected to be long and tedidus. Ferdinand, previous to his near approach to the city, sent a herald to Aboul-Abdallah, demanding that he would, agreeably to a former treaty be

tween them, surrender Grenada immediately. The Moorish monarch, considering himself no longer a free agent, intimated to the Christian king that his life would be the forfeit of such a proceeding on his part.

Ferdinand, in order to convince the inhabitants how fully he was resolved on carrying the city, not only ravaged the country in every direction, destroying all the corn, and laying waste the olive gardens and vineyards, but even built a temporary town for his troops, which he called Santa Fé. The wretched inhabitants of the city evinced the same zeal in defending, as did the Christians in attacking; every art of war was exhausted on both sides-each individual, animated by religious zeal, Moors as well as Christians, performed incredible acts of valour.

At the siege of Grenada, the celebrated Gonsalvo Fernandez, of Cordova, commonly called the Great Captain, first gave proof of that dauntless valour, and consummate military skill, for which he was afterwards so famous.

Famine and disease at length began to cool the ardour of the unfortunate Moslems. These fatal attendants of a besieged city, added to internal dissensions, produced the most lamentable consequences. Despair at length seized the inhabitants, and they took up arms against each other. The Christians, in the mean while, had a transient alarm. The queen having left a light in the king's tent, it took fire; the utmost terror instantly prevailed lest the conflagration should extend to the town of Santa Fé, which was built of wood. Fortunately, however, the flames were extinguished without doing much harm, but the troops were instantly ordered to arms to prevent any surprize from the Moors, who might be inclined to profit by the confusion that naturally arose from this accident.

The next day, the 11th of June, the siege was continued as usual, and, on the 2d of January, Ferdinand and Isabella made their triumphant entry into the superb city of Grenada. The inhabitants obtained an honourable capitulation-they retained their arms, houses, and lands: they were also allowed the free exercise of their religion,

and the government by their own laws, the officers of justice being appointed by Ferdinand.

As the king and queen of Spain approached the Alhambra, they were met by Aboul-Abdallah, who delivered up the keys of the city with the following short, but melancholy, speech:"We are your slaves, mighty king-we deliver up this city and kingdom to you, not doubting but you will treat us with clemency and moderation."

The Moorish monarch received much attention and respect from Ferdinand and his court, and the valley of Purchena, in Murcia, was given to him as a residence. On his way to his future place of abode, he is said, upon taking a last view of the magnificent Alhambra, its golden domes, and spires glittering with the reflection of a noon-day sun, to have burst out into a passionate flood of tears, exclaiming, "Oh, God, omnipotent!" the agony of his feelings prevented more.

Terrible as was the lesson the Moors had been taught in 1492, six years sufficed to witness their sense of wrong. Ferdinand had been greatly harassed, first by Charles VIII. and then by Louis XII. of France; and the remnant of the sons of the crescent made a daring and unsuccessful attempt for their liberty.

Oppressed on every side by superstition and bigotry, deprived of all their privileges, and haunted by the recollection of their former power and glory in the peninsula, they flew to arms, were surprized in the mountains of Alpuxarros by Ferdinand, who gave them per mission to retire into Africa on the payment of six pistoles for each family. Six thousand families readily consented to these terms. Spanish vessels were accordingly prepared for their reception; but their sorrows were not yet at an end. They were exposed to the most cruel and bitter insults; and humanity shudders at the unfeeling depravity of those wretches, who, upon contemplating the agonies of their fellow creatures at being driven from their homes, and forced to quit those fertile plains, which the possession of their ancestors, for seven hundred years, had endeared to them, and rendered

native, could sharpen the bitter pang of exile, by injuries of the most poignant nature. They were Moors, but they were men; and men to whom the Spaniards were, in some degree, greatly indebted; their expulsion was to be desired, and was also perhaps, strictly speaking, just: but Mercy should temper even justice.

While Charles V. and Francis 1. were wasting each other's strength, Solyman the Magnificent, took Rhodes from the Knights of Malta, and afterwards proceeded to Hungary. The military genius of Charles was here called into action, but Solyman march. ing back to Constantinople, Charles prepared to visit Spain.

He had not been long in that country when a new but hereditary enemy appeared in the person of Heyreddin Barbarossa, who had deposed the king of Algiers, and seized his crown. The Mediterranean swarmed with his piratical vessels, and captured all the mer. chant ships that were so unfortunate as to fall in their way. Solyman had given him the command of his fleet, and, with the assistance of a body of Turkish troops, he likewise seized upon Tunis. Against this man, Charles determined to lead a powerful army, and accordingly it embarked at Cagliari, and set sail for Africa. The attack on the fort Galetta was most severe, but the dauntless bravery of the Moors availed them but little against the well disciplined troops of Charles. The fort was carried, and, notwithstanding the efforts of Barbarossa, who advanced at the head of fifty thousand Moors and Arabs, he was driven back to the city, from whence he fled to Bona. Ten thousand Christian slaves, who were shut up in the citadel, broke their chains, and returned to their native countries, cloathed by the emperor's orders, carrying with them, wherever they went, proofs of his generosity and spirit. But the pleasure Charles received by this success against the Moors was considerably abridged by the massacre of the inhabitants, who fell victims to the ungovernable licence and avidity of the Imperial troops.

In the reign of Philip II. his first arrival in his dominions was celebrated by

an auto-da-fe, at which 118 unhappy victims were cruelly sacrificed.

This was but the prelude to a bitter persecution against the Moors and Jews, which, at a future period of his reign, drove these unhappy people to despair, and deprived Spain of 150,000 of its most industrious inhabitants.

Philip being now perfectly disengaged from all European wars, resolved on attacking the African Moors, who, under the command of a corsair, called Dragut, not only seized all the vessels which fell in their way, but had absolutely conquered a great part of Corsica. The command of this expedition was given to the duke of Medina Cœli, a man totally unfit for so important a situation. He set sail from Syracuse for Tripoli, but instead of immediately besieging the town, he lost his time in fortifying the island of Gerba; so that Dragut, who was engaged in a war in the interior, had time to return to his own dominions with the bravest of his troops. The duke now saw his error, but it was too late, and finding himself perfectly unequal to the dangerous encounter, fled with precipitation to his ships. The island of Gerba resisted the united attack of the Turks and Moors for some days; but Don Alvaro de Sandez, the chief in command, finding it quite impossible to retain possession of the castle, sallied forth at night with the garrison, which was now reduced to a thousand men, and attacked the camp of the Infidels; he even penetrated to the tent of the general, but there he was opposed by the Janissaries. A most dreadful slaughter now ensued; Alvaro and two officers being the only persons who escaped; they fled to the sea-shore, and found safety on the wreck of a vessel; but the morning discovered them to their foes. Hali, the Turkish admiral, struck by their undaunted courage, offered them honourable treatment, and safe conduct to Constantinople; and these terms they wisely accepted.

Philip was, however, more successful in his exploits against the host of corsairs that infested the Mediterranean. Several of their strong places fell into his hands, and the Moors, who had caused such terror and dismay on the

coasts of Italy and Spain, in their turn dreaded the sight of a Christian vessel. The sultan Solyman, amazed at the success of the Christians, and holding himself bound to support all who professed the Mahomedan faith, resolved on attacking them in some decided way which would replace the power of the corsairs on its original footing. He was at first divided between Sicily and Malta; but he at length decided on the latter, and an immense fleet, under the command of Hali, his bravest and most experienced admiral, set sail for that island. The defence of the Knights, under the direction of Jean de la Valette, their grand master, has been justly celebrated; during four months they defended themselves with dauntless bravery and skill, unsupported by Philip, whose forces destined for their assistance lay inactive in Sicily, by his command, until the Turkish army was reduced from fourteen thousand to six thousand men. He then ordered them to set sail, and the entire defeat of the invaders was the consequence of this late but still timely assistance.

While the ferocious duke of Alva was persecuting the Protestants in the Netherlands, by order of Philip, one of equal disadvantage to the commercial interests of Spain was prosecuted against the Moors, who still remained in that country.

One of the principal articles made by Ferdinand, with the king of Grenada, in the year 1492, was the free exercise of their religion. The Inquisition, however, exercised its merciless authority without sparing sex or age; and the unfortunate Moors, roused by repeated acts of oppression, assembled in arms, and ventured to assert their rights. Their attempts for this purpose were unsuccessful, and, in order to avert that total destruction which was likely to result from further defeats, they sent deputies to treat with the marquis de Mondegar, who received them courteously, and offered to use his interest for them with Philip. It is painful and disgusting to record the cool and barbarous conduct of that monarch, professing himself the disciple and follower of him, who " went about

-doing good," and who himself said that his votaries would be distinguished from the rest of mankind, by the love they bore their brethren. Deaf to every argument of pity, and insensible to every feeling of remorse, he passed a decree, ordering all prisoners above eleven years of age, to be sold as slaves. Roused to madness by this cruelty, the Moors refused, in their turn, to listen to any proposals, and the fertile province of Grenada became one uninterrupted theatre for rapine. At length, however, Don John of Austria subdued the rebels, and all who were taken in arms were either put to death or deprived of their liberty. The peaceable part of the inhabitants were torn from their native soil, and dispersed in distant and various parts of Spain; while the few who were permitted to remain in Grenada, borne down by the iron hand of oppression, soon sunk into that state of listless inactivity which ever accompanies slavery. This event took place A. D. 1570. The Moors of Valentia did not suffer like those of Grenada; but their day of misfortune was not far distant. The following year, Pius V. alarmed and indignant at the progress of the Turks, who had lately captured Cyprus from the Venetians, invited the princes of Europe to unite their arms against the grand enemy of Christendom. Philip, however, was the only potentate who paid any attention to the solicitations of the Roman Pontiff. He fitted out a large fleet, which, in conjunction with that of the Pope, and the Venetians, assembled at Messina, under the command of Don John, of Austria: it consisted of two hundred and fifty ships of war, having on board fifty thousand seamen and soldiers. Selim was not behind hand in preparation for the approaching and important contest. The corsairs of Africa crowded to Constantinople, and the Turkish admiral, Hali, collected an equal force in the gulph of Lepanto. On the 5th of October, 1571, the hostile parties met, and a tremendous engagement ensued. The vessels of the two admirals were closely grappled, galley to ship; and man encountered man, every individual fighting with as much determined and

fearless bravery, as if the decision of the engagement depended upon his single exertions. The dreadful carnage that surrounded them passed unnoticed, nor was it till the gallant Hali fell, and the triumphant cross was displayed on the mast of his shattered vessel, that either party stayed their hand to glance around an inquiring eye, as to the decision of the contest. The shouts of the Christians upon the death of the Turkish admiral caused a short and awful suspension of hostilities, but it was momentary. The Christians, encouraged by the hopes of victory, rushed with redoubled ardour to the combat; while the Turks, dismayed at the loss of their commander, and assailed by the Christian slaves who broke their chains, were thrown into the most distressing confusion. The scene of terror and carnage which followed is not to be described. Twenty-five thousand Turks are reported to have perished in this engagement; the carnage on the side of the Christians, it is said, was not so extensive, but from the ardour of the contest it could not have been much inferior. Fifteen thousand slaves were restored to freedom and their several countries, and the naval power of the Ottoman Porte received a check which it has never since thorougly recovered.

But neither the punishment of the Moors, nor the ruin of the interests of Spain, was yet completed; for Philip III. as if to put the finishing stroke to her prosperity, passed a decree, banishing all the Moors from Spain.

This ruinous measure was adopted at the instigation of the most powerful and wealthy of the Ecclesiastics in Valentia and Grenada, whose benefices had been taxed at various periods, for the purpose of remunerating priests and curates, appointed to convert the Moors to Christianity. A memorial, written in the most artful and insinuating language, by Don John Ribera, Archbishop of Valentia, induced Philip to take the subject into serious consideration. Ribera accused the Morescees of mak-. ing an outward profession of Christianity only; of secretly performing all the rites of the Mahomedan religion; of corresponding with the enemies of