EXPLOIT OF THE COUNT DE TENDILLA.
Boabdil el Chico followed up his success by capturing the two fortresses
of Marchena and Albolodny, belonging to Cid Hiaya; he also sent his
alfaquis in every direction to proclaim a holy war and to summon all
true Moslems of town or castle, mountain or valley, to saddle steed and
buckle on armor and hasten to the standard of the faith. The tidings
spread far and wide that Boabdil el Chico was once more in the field and
was victorious. The Moors of various places, dazzled by this gleam of
success, hastened to throw off their sworn allegiance to the Castilian
Crown and to elevate the standard of Boabdil, and the youthful monarch
flattered himself that the whole kingdom was on the point of returning
to its allegiance.
The fiery cavaliers of Granada, eager to renew those forays into the
Christian lands in which they had formerly delighted, concerted an
irruption to the north, into the territory of Jaen, to harass the
country about Quezada. They had heard of a rich convoy of merchants and
wealthy travellers on the way to the city of Baza, and anticipated a
glorious conclusion to their foray in capturing this convoy.
Assembling a number of horsemen, lightly armed and fleetly mounted, and
one hundred foot-soldiers, they issued forth by night from Granada, made
their way in silence through the defiles of the mountains, crossed the
frontier without opposition, and suddenly appeared, as if fallen from
the clouds, in the very heart of the Christian country.
The mountainous frontier which separates Granada from Jaen was at this
time under the command of the count de Tendilla, the same veteran who
had distinguished himself by his vigilance and sagacity when commanding
the fortress of Alhama. He held his head-quarters at the city of Alcala
la Real, in its impregnable fortress perched high among the mountains,
about six leagues from Granada, and dominating all the frontier. From
this cloud-capt hold he kept an eagle eye upon Granada, and had his
scouts and spies in all directions, so that a crow could not fly over
the border without his knowledge. His fortress was a place of refuge for
the Christian captives who escaped by night from the Moorish dungeons
of Granada. Often, however, they missed their way in the defiles of the
mountains, and, wandering about bewildered, either repaired by mistake
to some Moorish town or were discovered and retaken at daylight by the
enemy. To prevent these accidents, the count had a tower built at
his own expense on the top of one of the heights near Alcala, which
commanded a view of the Vega and the surrounding country. Here he kept
a light blazing throughout the night as a beacon for all Christian
fugitives to guide them to a place of safety.
The count was aroused one night from his repose by shouts and cries
which came up from the town and approached the castle walls. “To arms!
to arms! the Moor is over the border!” was the cry. A Christian soldier,
pale and emaciated, who still bore traces of Moorish chains, was brought
before the count. He had been taken as guide by the Moorish cavaliers
who had sallied from Granada, but had escaped from them among the
mountains, and after much wandering had found his way to Alcala by the
signal-fire.
Notwithstanding the bustle and agitation of the moment, the count de
Tendilla listened calmly and attentively to the account of the fugitive,
and questioned him minutely as to the time of departure of the Moors and
the rapidity and direction of their march. He saw that it was too late
to prevent their incursion and ravage, but he determined to await them
and give them a warm reception on their return. His soldiers were always
on the alert and ready to take the field at a moment’s warning. Choosing
one hundred and fifty lances, hardy and valiant men, well disciplined
and well seasoned--as indeed were all his troops--he issued forth
quietly before break of day, and, descending through the defiles of the
mountains, stationed his little force in ambush in a deep barranca, or
dry channel of a torrent near Barzina, but three leagues from Granada,
on the road by which the marauders would have to return. In the mean
time he sent out scouts to post themselves upon different heights and
look out for the approach of the enemy.
All day they remained concealed in the ravine and for a great part of
the following night; not a Moor, however, was to be seen, excepting
now and then a peasant returning from his labor or a solitary muleteer
hastening toward Granada. The cavaliers of the count began to grow
restless and impatient, fearing that the enemy might have taken some
other route or might have received intelligence of their ambuscade. They
urged the count to abandon the enterprise and return to Alcala. “We
are here,” said they, “almost at the gates of the Moorish capital, our
movements may have been descried, and before we are aware Granada
may pour forth its legions of swift cavalry and crush us with an
overwhelming force.” The count, however, persisted in remaining until
his scouts should come in. About two hours before daybreak there were
signal-fires on certain Moorish watch-towers of the mountains. While
they were regarding these with anxiety the scouts came hurrying into the
ravine. “The Moors are approaching,” said they; “we have reconnoitred
them near at hand. They are between one and two hundred strong, but
encumbered with many prisoners and much booty.” The Christian cavaliers
laid their ears to the ground and heard the distant tramp of horses
and the tread of foot-soldiers. They mounted their horses, braced their
shields, couched their lances, and drew near to the entrance of the
ravine where it opened upon the road.
The Moors had succeeded in waylaying and surprising the Christian convoy
on its way to Baza. They had captured a great number of prisoners, male
and female, with great store of gold and jewels and sumpter mules laden
with rich merchandise. With these they had made a forced march over the
dangerous parts of the mountains, but now, finding themselves so near to
Granada, fancied themselves in perfect security. They loitered along the
road, therefore, irregularly and slowly, some singing, others laughing
and exulting at having eluded the boasted vigilance of the count de
Tendilla, while ever and anon was heard the plaint of some female
captive bewailing the jeopardy of her honor or the heavy sighing of the
merchant at beholding his property in the grasp of ruthless spoilers.
The count waited until some of the escort had passed the ravine; then,
giving the signal for assault, his cavaliers set up great shouts and
cries and charged into the centre of the foe. The obscurity of the place
and the hour added to the terrors of the surprise. The Moors were thrown
into confusion; some rallied, fought desperately, and fell covered with
wounds. Thirty-six were killed and fifty-five were made prisoners; the
rest under cover of the darkness made their escape to the rocks and
defiles of the mountains.
The good count unbound the prisoners, gladdening the hearts of the
merchants by restoring to them their merchandise. To the female captives
also he restored the jewels of which they had been despoiled, excepting
such as had been lost beyond recovery. Forty-five saddle horses of the
choice Barbary breed remained as captured spoils of the Moors,
together with costly armor and booty of various kinds. Having collected
everything in haste and arranged his cavalgada, the count urged his
way with all speed for Alcala la Real, lest he should be pursued and
overtaken by the Moors of Granada. As he wound up the steep ascent to
his mountain-city the inhabitants poured forth to meet him with shouts
of joy. His triumph was doubly enhanced by being received at the gates
of the city by his wife, the daughter of the marques of Villena, a lady
of distinguished merit, whom he had not seen for two years, during which
he had been separated from his home by the arduous duties of these iron
wars.
We have yet another act to relate of this good count de Tendilla, who
was in truth a mirror of knightly virtue. One day a Christian soldier,
just escaped from captivity in Granada, brought word to the count that
an illustrious damsel named Fatima, niece of the alcayde Aben Comixa,
was to leave the city on a certain day, escorted by a numerous party of
relatives and friends of distinguished rank, on a journey to Almunecar,
there to embark for the African coast to celebrate her nuptials with the
alcayde of Tetuan. This was too brilliant a prize to be neglected. The
count accordingly sallied forth with a light company of cavalry, and,
descending the defiles of the mountains, stationed himself behind the
rocky sierra of Elvira, not far from the eventful bridge of Pinos,
within a few short miles of Granada. Hence he detached Alonso de
Cardenas Ulloa, with fifty light horsemen, to post himself in ambush by
the road the bridal party had to travel. After a time the latter came in
sight, proving less numerous than had been expected, for the damsel
was escorted merely by four armed domestics and accompanied by a few
relatives and two female attendants. The whole party was surrounded and
captured almost without resistance, and carried off to the count at the
bridge of Pinos. The good count conveyed his beautiful captive to his
stronghold at Alcala, where he treated her and her companions with all
the delicacy and respect due to their rank and to his own character as a
courteous cavalier.
The tidings of the capture of his niece gave poignant affliction to the
vizier Aben Comixa. His royal master, Boabdil, of whom he was the prime
favorite and confidential adviser, sympathized in his distress. With his
own hand he wrote a letter to the count, offering in exchange for the
fair Fatima one hundred Christian captives to be chosen from those
detained in Granada. This royal letter was sent by Don Francisco de
Zuniga, an Aragonese cavalier, whom Aben Comixa held in captivity, and
who was set at liberty for the purpose.
On receiving the letter of Boabdil the count de Tendilla at once gave
freedom to the Moorish maid, making her a magnificent present of jewels,
and sending her and her companions under honorable escort to the very
gates of Granada.
Boabdil, exceeding his promises, immediately set free twenty captive
priests, one hundred and thirty Castilian and Aragonian cavaliers, and
a number of peasant-women. His favorite and vizier, Aben Comixa, was
so rejoiced at the liberation of his niece, and so struck with the
chivalrous conduct of her captor, that he maintained from that day a
constant and amicable correspondence with the count de Tendilla, and
became in the hands of the latter one of the most efficacious agents in
bringing the war of Granada to a triumphant close.*
* This interesting anecdote of the count de Tendilla, which is a key
to the subsequent conduct of the vizier Aben Comixa, and had a singular
influence on the fortunes of Boabdil and his kingdom, is originally
given in a manuscript history of the counts of Tendilla, written about
the middle of the sixteenth century by Gabriel Rodriguez de Ardila,
a Granadine clergyman. It has been brought to light recently by the
researches of Alcantara for his History of Granada (vol. 4, cap. 18).