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
truly in the best manner they could together Abraham having made no difficulty to go meet his Brother with his Forces the Battel was fought in the Plain of Cahar on the 3 of the Moon Dulquihida in the year 97. It lasted from Sun rising to its setting Abraham then perform'd all that could be done by a great General and a good Souldier But seeing his Army in Disorder he threw himself into the hottest of the Engagement where he was kill'd with his Sword in his hand Aboulvalid did much lament his not having been able to take him alive and doubtless as he had ever had a kindness for him maugre all the mischief he had done him he would have given him his life and would have been contented with continuing him in a perpetual imprisonment Wherefore having caus'd his Body to be put into a Coffin he pursu'd his way towards Carbal whence the Queen his Wife was coming to meet him tho she had ever been kept as a Prisoner the Prince had ever had her very civilly treated Aboulvalid was mighty joyful to see her again but could not forbear expressing much grief for Abraham's death he caus'd the whole Court to put on mourning and assisted at his Funeral which he caus'd to be perform'd with great Pomp nay he was seen to shed tears in that occasion but he had not the same mildness and clemency for all the Officers that sided with his Brother he put a great number of them to Death and set himself to retrieve his Authority and set matters again to rights throughout the whole Empire General Tariff receiv'd a wound in his Right Arm in the Battel which he had neglected at first by not refraining to mount on Horseback after his usual manner but through the little care he took of it and through the toyl and drudgery of marching his Arm swell'd in such manner as to gangre and so in a few days time sent him out of the world Aboulvalid was much griev'd at the loss of so great a General and to shew the esteem he had for him he caus'd him to be Interr'd with great magnificency and had the same honours paid him as had been paid to the Person of his Brother And I can certainly say one thing of him that is somewhat singular that his Valour was accompany'd with such great Fortune in War that he never undertook any enterprize but what he sped in to his honour This Prince after having punish'd as I have said those that were revolted against him began with recompencing those that had serv'd him so usefully in that War by distributing among them the Governments Lieutenancies and Employs insomuch that they were all satisfy'd with the returns he made to their Services and then set his thoughts upon enjoying amid Pleasure the repose that had cost him so dear CHAP. XXVI Adilbar Vice-roy of Spain leads his Army into Biscaya against Pelagius and thence returns without doing ought ADilbar having sped so ill in the Siege of Hispalis he had receiv'd order from King Aboulvalid his Master to go the soonest he could to make the Conquest of those Mountains where Pelage had made his Retreat and where an infinite number of Christians were gone to find him from all the corners of Spain to save themselves with their Wives and Children from the fury of the Moors Whereupon he sent a Renegado-spy to examine the strength of those Places where this Prince lurk'd and to enquire into the number of the Souldiers he had with him and the world of People that had there taken refuge The Renegado being entred into the Country pretended to make his escape as well as the other Christians from the Persecution of the Moors and over-ran all the Mountains of Biscaya where he most carefully observ'd all he saw in pursuance of the orders he had receiv'd from Adilbar But when upon his departure thence again he was brought before Pelage by the Guards he had plac'd upon the Frontiers having been taken for a spy as he really was Pelage ask'd him a Thousand Questions but as he was cunning and crafty he answer'd very pertinently and without being at a loss Pelage nevertheless was not willing to let him go and kept him some days in Prison but at length finding nothing against him but a weak suspicion with which his Imagination had been possess'd he set him at liberty After this the Renegado took his time so well that he found the means to get again to Cordoua where he deliver'd Adilbar an account of all that had befaln him and of all he had seen assuring him that it was no difficult matter to force the pass of those Mountains that were guarded only by a small handful of men of little Courage Adilbar being incourag'd by this Relation resolv'd upon undertaking the War against Pelage well perceiving that if he had once reduc'd the Christians of that Canton Hispalis would no longer put him in pain the succours that Town had receiv'd from Biscaya having occasion'd it 's not being surrendred Wherefore he prepar'd suddenly to besiege it as not believing those Mountainers could resist him long and flattering himself with the hopes of rendring Aboulvalid the absolute Master of all Spain as far as the Pyrenean Mountains that separate it from France For this purpose he assembled twelve thousand Foot and would not take any Horse along as not believing they could be useful to him in so rocky a Country With this small Army compos'd of choice men he advanc'd as far as the place by the Spaniards call'd the Term of War Pelage having notice of his march conven'd the Principal Persons of the Cantons of Biscaya to concert with them the means of opposing him and their unanimous opinion was to think of defending the Entrance of the Mountains which was very difficult this was also the sentiment of Pelage so as that having plac'd five hundred chosen men and well arm'd in Ambuscade in a great Quarry or Den that is under a steep Rock Pelage plac'd himself a little higher with fifteen hundred men being all he could assemble The Moors going about to mount to get to that Mountains top Pelage charg'd them with the small Forces he had but had quickly been overcome had not the five hundred men that were hid in that Cavern as I newly hinted appeared in the nick behind the Enemies put them into disorder kill'd a great number of them and put all the rest to flight That day Adilbar by computation lost a thousand men besides the great number of those that were dangerously Wounded whereas the Christians lost but four hundred Pelage Retreated forthwith with all his Men into the hallow of those Mountains to defend the Entrance of them well knowing this to be the most important of all insomuch that Adilbar inrag'd at the loss he had newly undergone all the faults of which he reflected upon the Christian Renegado who had deceiv'd him he sent him to the Gallows After
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