"Upon them with the lance!"
The Christian host approached the pillars of Hercules amid violent storm
and tempest. Separated from each other, and scattered far and wide in
the darkness of the night, there were hours when they feared that all
their preparations had been in vain, when they dreaded the morning light
that would reveal to them the gaps in their numbers. But the winds
sank, and the sun rose, and the dispersed vessels drew together again,
after but little damage, and the King prepared to superintend the
landing of the troops. He did not then know what would have greatly
encouraged him, that Zala-ben-Zala, the Governor of Ceuta, trusting too
much to the effects of the tempest, had allowed the 5,000 allies whom he
had collected to return home, thinking the danger over.
Joao and Fernando were ordered to remain and watch the assault from a
vessel, moored at a safe distance from the shore, behind the rest of the
fleet; in which were also safely stored all the Church vessels and
furniture, which it was hoped might be used in the conquered city, but
which must not in the event of a defeat, be allowed to fall into the
hands of the Infidels. Here, too, many of the priests and chaplains,
after saying mass in the different vessels, retired to watch the event,
and here, all day long, the voice of prayer went up for the success of
the Christian arms.
The two little boys were taken, before daybreak, on board their father's
ship that he might bid them farewell, and here they saw all their three
brothers ready armed for the attack, full of joy at the thought that the
long-wished-for moment had at last come when they were to prove
themselves worthy of knighthood. All looked grave, collected, and
resolute, and the boys caught the tone of their elders, and bore
themselves as like soldiers as they could.
"If we were _only_ going too!" whispered Joao, as they went down again
into their boat.
"We will one day," returned Fernando; but as he glanced up at the ship,
he saw Enrique looking down at him with the light of the dawn on his
shining helmet and clear, solemn eyes. Fernando thought that Enrique
would look like that in heaven, and for the first time it occurred to
him how likely it was that his brothers would be killed in the attack,
and he felt that Ceuta might be dearly won. That was a strange day on
board the young princes' ship. They heard, and could dimly see, the
attack on the town of Ceuta, led by the Infantes Duarte and Enrique, and
directed by their father from a small boat near the shore. They heard
the shouting, the noise of the cannon, the rush, and the hurly-burly,
behind the constant chanting kept up all day by the waiting priests, who
bade the young princes pray for their father, since they could not
otherwise aid him. The sea was now perfectly calm, the ships, lately so
busy, almost deserted, save this one, where high on the deck an altar
had been raised, and the solemn chant went up through all the conflict
of hope and fear.
At last they became aware that the Infantes had entered the town, at
least there was no retreat. The long, hot afternoon wore on, when,
suddenly from every soldier in reserve, from every sailor in charge of
the fleet, there rose a mighty shout; for, on the walls of Ceuta, there
appeared the banner of the Cross. The town was taken. Over the
fortress above the Crescent still drooped as if in despair.
Joao shouted and danced, and threw himself about in an ecstasy of
triumph. Fernando felt half stifled; he could not speak. Presently a
boat put off from the shore, and was rowed rapidly towards their vessel.
"What news; what news?" shouted Joao, pressing before captain and
chaplains, and nearly throwing himself overboard in his eagerness.
"Good news, my lord," said the young squire, as he came up the side of
the ship. "The town is taken, the fortress is yielding to the attack.
The King, your father, bids me summon you and my lord Dom Fernando to
his presence, as he is now in a place of safety, and would that you
should see how towns are won."
"And the Infantes?" said Fernando as he prepared eagerly to obey the
summons.
"They have shown courage worthy of their name, in particular my lord Dom
Enrique, to whom, in great part, this happy result is owing."
The young princes were taken by a strong guard through the
half-conquered city, for on the outskirts the battle still continued, or
rather the Portuguese soldiers were still engaged in completing their
conquest. The wonderful architecture, with its splendid colouring of
red, blue, and gold all blazing in the hot light of an August sun
against a sapphire sky, astounded the Portuguese princes, in whose
native country the Moors had left no trace. All along the streets as
they passed lay the bodies of the slain, Christian and Infidel side by
side, while here and there frightful groans were uttered. Most of the
inhabitants had fled or hidden themselves; but by chance a face scowled
at the new-comers from the windows, and once they passed a group of
dark-skinned, strangely-attired children, who were uttering in their
unknown language griefs which needed no interpretation.
"We will make them Christians," thought Fernando, as he shrank a little
from the terrible sights around him, through all the thrill of triumph.
They were taken to a mosque in the middle of the town, where their
father, in full armour, was seated, receiving reports and giving orders
to his different captains. Duarte was standing behind his father's
chair; he looked grave and troubled. The King made a sign to the boys
to wait while he listened to Dom Pedro, who was speaking to him.
"And so, sire, we fear my brother must have been surrounded, and his
retreat cut off. Duarte and I have endeavoured to show ourselves worthy
to be your sons, but Enrique--"
Pedro paused, and Duarte added with a faltering voice, "It was he who
forced a way into the town and beat back the enemy. If we have lost
him, would the victory were a defeat?"
The King's face was pale as when he had stood by the death-bed of his
beloved wife, but he answered firmly, "My sons, this is the fortune of
war. If my son Dom Enrique has fallen, he has fallen as becomes a
Christian prince. Weep not for him, but see that we make sure of that
which we have gained, and to-morrow shall the traces of the accursed
worship be removed from this mosque. And in a Christian temple will I
give you the knighthood you have so nobly won. And for my son Enrique
there is a martyr's crown."
Many and many a time had Fernando, in daydreams and fancies, pictured to
himself the fall of Ceuta. He had seen his brothers triumphant in the
fresh honours of their knighthood, had heard the Infidel city proclaimed
the property of Christ and of His Church, seen the Cross raised and the
Crescent cast down. And now these things had come to pass, and for him,
instead of joy and triumph, were grief and sorrow of heart. Ceuta was
Christian, but Enrique was dead! This was the cost of the victory!
Probably, if the alarm had arisen earlier, the boys would not have been
sent for into the city; but now their father welcomed them with the same
stern self-control, and bid them listen to the orders he gave, and hear
of their brothers' prowess. Nothing would ordinarily have pleased them
better; and the excitement and novelty prevented Joao from realising
their loss. Fernando stood still, pale and silent, till the ever-kind
Duarte, in a pause of the arrangements, beckoned him up to his side and
put his arm round him, and Fernando knew by the grasp of Duarte's hand
that he was quite as unhappy as himself. How long this lasted Fernando
could not tell; he felt as if it was a whole day since he came into the
city, but it could not have been much more than an hour, for the sun had
not yet gone down, when there was a great shouting among the soldiers
who were guarding the mosque without, the door was flung back, and
Enrique, alive and unhurt, came hurriedly in and dropped on his knees
before his father.
"My father, I grieve to have alarmed you, but I and my troop were
surrounded in a mosque at the farther end of the town, and had much ado
to cut our way out. We have now crushed the last efforts at resistance;
the town is ours by the grace and mercy of God, we can offer what terms
we will."
There was no drawback now to the joy of victory. The King and his sons
embraced Enrique, and presently a messenger was sent to demand the
surrender of the fortress where Zala-ben-Zala with the remnant of his
troops had taken refuge, and, after some delay, terms for its delivery
on the next morning were agreed upon. The inhabitants of Ceuta were to
be offered the choice of leaving the city or of submitting to the
Christian rule. The mosques were to be turned into Christian churches,
a Bishop to be appointed, and every effort made to induce the people to
adopt the faith of their conquerors, which faith the Portuguese princes
were too high-minded and far-seeing to discredit by permitting cruelty,
plunder, or rapine to their troops, as was too often done in like
circumstances.
So all was quiet and orderly when the sun went down, and the King
retired to rest in a house near the central mosque, taking his two
younger sons with him, while the other princes occupied themselves in
the disposal of the troops.