The rebellion of the Moriscos, due to the oppressive edicts of Philip II.,
as stated in the preceding tale, was marked by numerous interesting
events. Some of these are worth giving in illustration of the final
struggle of the Moors in Spain. The insurgents failed in their first
effort, that of seizing the city of Granada, still filled with their
fellow-countrymen, and restoring as far as possible their old kingdom; and
they afterwards confined themselves to the difficult passes and mountain
fastnesses of the Sierra Nevada, where they presented a bold front to the
power of Spain.
Having proclaimed their independence, and cast off all allegiance to the
crown of Spain, their first step was to select a new monarch of their own
race. The man selected for this purpose was of royal blood, being
descended in a direct line from the ancient family of the Omeyades,
caliphs of Damascus, and for nearly four centuries rulers in Spain. This
man, who bore the Castilian name of Don Fernando de Valor, but was known
by the Moors as Aben-Humeya, was at that time twenty-two years of age,
comely in person and engaging in manners, and of a deportment worthy of
the princely line from which he had descended. A man of courage and
energy, he escaped from Granada and took refuge in the mountains, where he
began a war to the knife against Spain.
The early events of the war were unfavorable to the Moors. Their
strongholds were invaded by a powerful Spanish force under the Marquis of
Mondejar, and their forces soon put to flight. Aben-Humeya was so hotly
pursued that he was forced to spring from his horse, cut the hamstrings of
the animal to render it useless to his pursuers, and seek refuge in the
depths of the sierras, where dozens of hiding-places unknown to his
pursuers could be found.
The insurrection was now in a desperate stage. Mondejar was driving the
rebels in arms in terror before him; tower and town fell in succession
into his hands; everywhere his arms were victorious, and only one thing
was wanting to bring all opposition to an end,--the capture of Aben-Humeya,
the "little king" of the Alpujarras. This crownless monarch was known to
be wandering with a few followers in the wilds of the mountains; but while
he lived the insurrection might at any moment blaze out again, and
detachments of soldiers were sent to pursue him through the sierras.
The captain of one of these parties learned from a traitor that the
fugitive prince remained hidden in the mountains only during the day,
finding shelter at night in the house of a kinsman, Aben-Aboo, on the
skirts of the sierras. Learning the situation of this mansion, the Spanish
captain led his men with the greatest secrecy towards it. Travelling by
night, they reached the vicinity of the dwelling under cover of the
darkness. In a minute more the house would have been surrounded and its
inmates secured; but at this critical moment the arquebuse of one of the
Spaniards was accidentally discharged, the report echoing loudly among the
hills and warning the lightly sleeping inmates of their danger.
One of them, El Zaguer, the uncle of Aben-Humeya, at once sprang up and
leaped from the window of his room, making his way with all haste to the
mountains. His nephew was not so fortunate. Running to his window, in the
front of the house, he saw the ground occupied by troops. He hastily
sought another window, but his foes were there before him. Bewildered and
distressed, he knew not where to turn. The house was surrounded; the
Spaniards were thundering on the door for admittance; he was like a wolf
caught in its lair, and with as little mercy to hope from his captors.
By good fortune the door was well secured. One possible chance for safety
occurred to the hunted prince. Hastening down-stairs, he stood behind the
portal and noiselessly drew its bolts. The Spaniards, finding the door
give way, and supposing that it had yielded to their blows, rushed hastily
in and hurried through the house in search of the fugitive who was hidden
behind the door. The instant they had all passed he slipped out, and,
concealed by the darkness outside, hastened away, soon finding a secure
refuge in the mountains.
Aben-Aboo remained in the hands of the assaillants, who vainly questioned
him as to the haunts of his kinsmen. On his refusal to answer they
employed torture, but with no better effect. "I may die," he courageously
said, "but my friends will live." So severe and cruel was their treatment,
that in the end they left him for dead, returning to camp with the other
prisoners they had taken. As it proved, however, the heroic Aben-Aboo did
not die, but lived to play a leading part in the war.
With kindly treatment of the Moriscos he would probably have given no more
trouble, but the Spanish proved utterly merciless, their soldiers raging
through the mountains, and committing the foulest acts of outrage and
rapine. In Granada a frightful deed was committed. A large number of the
leading Moriscos, about one hundred and fifty in all, had been seized and
imprisoned, being held as hostages for the good behavior of their friends.
Here, on a night in March, the prison was entered by a body of Spaniards,
who assailed the unfortunate captives, arms in hand, and began an
indiscriminate massacre. The prisoners seizing what means of defence they
could find, fought desperately for their lives, and for two hours the
unequal combat continued, not ending while a Morisco remained alive.
This savage act led to terrible reprisals on the part of the insurgents,
who in the subsequent war treated with atrocious cruelty many of their
captives. The Moriscos were soon in arms again, Aben-Humeya at their head,
and the war blazed throughout the length and breadth of the mountains.
Even from Barbary came a considerable body of Moors, who entered the
service of the Morisco chief. Fierce and intrepid, trained to the military
career, and accustomed to a life of wild adventure, these were a most
valuable reinforcement to Aben-Humeya's forces, and enabled him to carry
on a guerilla warfare which proved highly vexatious to the troops of
Spain. He made forays from the mountains into the plain, penetrating into
the vega and boldly venturing even to the walls of Granada. The
insurrection spread far and wide through the Sierra Nevada, and the
Spanish army, now led by Don John of Austria, the king's brother, found
itself confronted by a most serious task.
The weak point in the organization of the Moriscos lay in the character of
their king. Aben-Humeya, at first popular, soon displayed traits of
character which lost him the support of his followers. Surrounded by a
strong body-guard, he led a voluptuous life, and struck down without mercy
those whom he feared, no less than three hundred and fifty persons falling
victims to his jealousy or revenge. His cruelty and injustice at length
led to a plot for his death, and his brief reign ended in assassination,
his kinsman, Aben-Aboo, being chosen as his successor.
The new king was a very different man from his slain predecessor. He was
much the older of the two, a man of high integrity and great decorum of
character. While lacking the dash and love of adventure of Aben-Humeya, he
had superior judgment in military affairs, and full courage in carrying
out his plans. His election was confirmed from Algiers, a large quantity
of arms and ammunition was imported from Barbary, reinforcements crossed
the Mediterranean, and the new king began his reign under excellent
auspices, his first movement being against Orgiba, a fortified place on
the road to Granada, which he invested in October with an army of ten
thousand men.
[Illustration: THE ALHAMBRA, OVERLOOKING GRANADA.]