Marriage of King Fernando.—Campaign against the Moors.—Aben Mohamed,
King of Baeza, declares himself the Vassal of King Fernando.—They
march to Jaen.—Burning of the Tower.—Fernando commences the Building
of the Cathedral at Toledo.
King Fernando, aided by the sage counsels of his mother, reigned for
some time in peace and quietness, administering his affairs with
equity and justice. The good Queen Berenguela now began to cast about
her eyes in search of a suitable alliance for her son, and had many
consultations with the Bishop Maurice of Burgos, and other ghostly
counselors, thereupon. They at length agreed upon the Princess
Beatrix, daughter of the late Philip, Emperor of Germany, and the
Bishop Maurice and Padre Fray Pedro de Arlanza were sent as envoys to
the Emperor Frederick II., cousin of the princess, to negotiate the
terms. An arrangement was happily effected, and the princess set out
for Spain. In passing through France she was courteously entertained
at Paris by King Philip, who made her rich presents. On the borders
of Castile she was met at Vittoria by the Queen Berenguela, with a
great train of prelates, monks, and masters of the religious orders,
and of abbesses and nuns, together with a glorious train of chivalry.
In this state she was conducted to Burgos, where the king and all his
court came forth to receive her, and their nuptials were celebrated
with great pomp and rejoicing.
King Fernando lived happily with his fair Queen Beatrix, and his
kingdom remained in peace; but by degrees he became impatient of
quiet, and anxious to make war upon the Moors. Perhaps he felt called
upon to make some signal essay in arms at present, having, the day
before his nuptials, been armed a knight in the monastery of Las
Huelgas, and in those iron days knighthood was not a matter of mere
parade and ceremony, but called for acts of valor and proofs of stern
endurance.
The discreet Berenguela endeavored to dissuade her son from taking
the field, considering him not of sufficient age. In all things else
he was ever obedient to her counsels, and even to her inclinations,
but it was in vain that she endeavored to persuade him from making
war upon the infidels. “God,” would he say, “had put into his hands
not merely a sceptre to govern, but a sword to avenge his country.”
It was fortunate for the good cause, moreover, add the Spanish
chroniclers, that while the queen-mother was endeavoring to throw
a damper on the kindling fire of her son, a worthy prelate was at
hand to stir it up into a blaze. This was the illustrious historian
Rodrigo, Archbishop of Toledo, who now preached a crusade against the
Moors, promising like indulgences with those granted to the warriors
for the Holy Sepulchre. The consequence was a great assemblage of
troops from all parts at Toledo.
King Fernando was prevented for a time from taking the field in
person, but sent in advance Don Lope Diaz de Haro and Ruy Gonsalvo de
Giron and Alonzo Tellez de Meneses, with five hundred cavaliers well
armed and mounted. The very sight of them effected a conquest over
Aben Mohamed, the Moorish king of Baeza, insomuch that he sent an
embassy to King Fernando, declaring himself his vassal.
When King Fernando afterwards took the field, he was joined by this
Moorish ally at the Navas or plains of Tolosa; who was in company
with him when the king marched to Jaen, to the foot of a tower, and
set fire to it, whereupon those Moors who remained in the tower were
burned to death, and those who leaped from the walls were received on
the points of lances.
Notwithstanding the burnt-offering of this tower, Heaven did not
smile upon the attempt of King Fernando to reduce the city of Jaen.
He was obliged to abandon the siege, but consoled himself by laying
waste the country. He was more successful elsewhere. He carried the
strong town of Priego by assault, and gave the garrison their lives
on condition of yielding up all their property, and paying, moreover,
eighty thousand maravedis of silver. For the payment of this sum they
were obliged to give as hostages fifty-five damsels of great beauty,
and fifty cavaliers of rank, besides nine hundred of the common
people. The king divided his hostages among his bravest cavaliers
and the religious orders; but his vassal, the Moorish king of Baeza,
obtained the charge of the Moorish damsels.
The king then attacked Loxa, and his men scaled the walls and burnt
the gates, and made themselves masters of the place. He then led his
army into the Vega of Granada, the inhabitants of which submitted to
become his vassals, and gave up all the Christian captives in that
city, amounting to thirteen hundred.
Aben Mohamed, king of Baeza, then delivered to King Fernando the
towers of Martos and Andujar, and the king gave them to Don Alvar
Perez de Castro, and placed with him Don Gonzalo Ybañez, Master of
Calatrava, and Tello Alonzo Meneses, son of Don Alonzo Tellez, and
other stout cavaliers, fitted to maintain frontier posts. These
arrangements being made, and having ransacked every mountain and
valley, and taken many other places not herein specified, King
Fernando returned in triumph to Toledo, where he was joyfully
received by his mother Berenguela and his wife Beatrix.
Clerical historians do not fail to record with infinite satisfaction
a signal instance of the devout and zealous spirit which King
Fernando had derived from his constant communion with the reverend
fathers of the Church. As the king was one day walking with his
ghostly adviser the archbishop, in the principal church of Toledo,
which was built in the Morisco fashion, having been a mosque of the
infidels, it occurred, or more probably was suggested to him, that,
since God had aided him to increase his kingdom, and had given him
such victories over the enemies of his holy faith, it became him to
rebuild his holy temple, which was ancient and falling to decay, and
to adorn it richly with the spoils taken from the Moors. The thought
was promptly carried into effect. The king and the archbishop laid
the first stone with great solemnity, and in the fullness of time
accomplished that mighty cathedral of Toledo, which remains the
wonder and admiration of after ages.
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