Bravado of the Three Cavaliers.—Ambush at the Bridge over the
Guadayra.—Desperate Valor of Garci Perez.—Grand Attempt of Admiral
Bonifaz on the Bridge of Boats.—Seville dismembered from Triana.
Of all the Christian cavaliers who distinguished themselves in this
renowned siege of Seville, there was none who surpassed in valor the
bold Garci Perez de Vargas. This hardy knight was truly enamored
of danger, and like a gamester with his gold, he seemed to have no
pleasure of his life except in putting it in constant jeopardy.
One of the greatest friends of Garci Perez was Don Lorenzo Xuarez
Gallinato, the same who had boasted of the valor of Garci Perez at
the time that he exposed himself to be attacked by seven Moorish
horsemen. They were not merely companions, but rivals in arms; for in
this siege it was the custom among the Christian knights to vie with
each other in acts of daring enterprise.
One morning, as Garci Perez, Don Lorenzo Xuarez, and a third
cavalier, named Alfonso Tello, were on horseback, patrolling the
skirts of the camp, a friendly contest rose between them as to
who was most adventurous in arms. To settle the question, it was
determined to put the proof to the Moors, by going alone and
striking the points of their lances in the gate of the city.
No sooner was this mad bravado agreed upon than they turned the reins
of their horses and made for Seville. The Moorish sentinels, from and
towers of the gate, saw three Christian knights advancing over the
plain, and supposed them to be messengers or deserters from the army.
When the cavaliers drew near, each struck his lance against the gate,
and wheeling round, put spurs to his horse and retreated. The Moors,
considering this a scornful defiance, were violently exasperated, and
sallied forth in great numbers to revenge the insult. They soon were
hard on the traces of the Christian cavaliers. The first who turned
to fight with them was Alfonso Tello, being of a fiery and impatient
spirit. The second was Garci Perez; the third was Don Lorenzo, who
waited until the Moors came up with them, when he braced his shield,
couched his lance, and took the whole brunt of their charge. A
desperate fight took place, for though the Moors were overwhelming
in number, the cavaliers were three of the most valiant warriors in
Spain. The conflict was beheld from the camp. The alarm was given;
the Christian cavaliers hastened to the rescue of their companions
in arms; squadron after squadron pressed to the field, the Moors
poured out reinforcements from the gate; in this way a general battle
ensued, which lasted a great part of the day, until the Moors were
vanquished and driven within their walls.
There was one of the gates of Seville, called the gate of the
Alcazar, which led out to a small bridge over the Guadayra. Out of
this gate the Moors used to make frequent sallies, to fall suddenly
upon the Christian camp, or to sweep off the flocks and herds about
its outskirts, and then to scour back to the bridge, beyond which it
was dangerous to pursue them.
The defense of this part of the camp was intrusted to those two
valiant compeers in arms, Garci Perez de Vargas and Don Lorenzo
Xuarez; and they determined to take ample revenge upon the Moors for
all the depredations they had committed. They chose, therefore, about
two hundred hardy cavaliers, the flower of those seasoned warriors on
the opposite side of the Guadalquivir, who formed the little army of
the good Master of Santiago. When they were all assembled together,
Don Lorenzo put them in ambush, in the way by which the Moors were
accustomed to pass in their maraudings, and he instructed them, in
pursuing the Moors, to stop at the bridge, and by no means to pass
beyond it; for between it and the city there was a great host of the
enemy, and the bridge was so narrow that to retreat over it would
be perilous in the extreme. This order was given to all, but was
particularly intended for Garci Perez, to restrain his daring spirit,
which was ever apt to run into peril.
They had not been long in ambush when they heard the distant tramp
of the enemy upon the bridge, and found that the Moors were upon
the forage. They kept concealed, and the Moors passed by them in
careless and irregular manner, as men apprehending no danger. Scarce
had they gone by when the cavaliers rushed forth, charged into the
midst of them, and threw them all into confusion. Many were killed or
overthrown in the shock, the rest took to flight, and made at full
speed for the bridge. Most of the Christian soldiers, according to
orders, stopped at the bridge; but Don Lorenzo, with a few of his
cavaliers, followed the enemy half way across, making great havoc in
that narrow pass. Many of the Moors, in their panic, flung themselves
from the bridge, and perished in the Guadayra; others were cut down
and trampled under the hoofs of friends and foes. Don Lorenzo, in
the heat of the fight, cried aloud incessantly, defying the Moors,
and proclaiming his name,—“Turn hither! turn hither! ’Tis I, Lorenzo
Xuarez!” But few of the Moors cared to look him in the face.
Don Lorenzo now returned to his cavaliers, but on looking round,
Garci Perez was not to be seen. All were dismayed, fearing some evil
fortune had befallen him; when, on casting their eyes beyond the
bridge, they saw him on the opposite side, surrounded by Moors and
fighting with desperate valor.
“Garci Perez has deceived us,” said Don Lorenzo, “and has passed the
bridge, contrary to agreement. But to the rescue, comrades! never
let it be said that so good a cavalier as Garci Perez was lost for
want of our assistance.” So saying, they all put spurs to their
horses, rushed again upon the bridge, and broke their way across,
cutting down and overturning the Moors, and driving great numbers to
fling themselves into the river. When the Moors who had surrounded
Garci Perez saw this band of cavaliers rushing from the bridge, they
turned to defend themselves. The contest was fierce, but broken;
many of the Moors took refuge in the river, but the Christians
followed and slew them among the waves. They continued fighting for
the remainder of the day, quite up to the gate of the Alcazar; and
if the chronicles of the times speak with their usual veracity, full
three thousand infidels bit the dust on that occasion. When Don
Lorenzo returned to the camp, and was in presence of the king and
of numerous cavaliers, great encomiums were passed upon his valor;
but he modestly replied that Garci Perez had that day made them good
soldiers by force.
From that time forward the Moors attempted no further inroads into
the camp, so severe a lesson had they received from these brave
cavaliers.[92]
[92] _Cronica General de España_, pt. 4. _Cronica del Rey
Fernando el Santo_, c. 60. _Corona Gothica_, T. 3, p. 126.
The city of Seville was connected with the suburb of Triana by a
strong bridge of boats, fastened together by massive chains of iron.
By this bridge a constant communication was kept up between Triana
and the city, and mutual aid and support passed and repassed. While
this bridge remained, it was impossible to complete the investment of
the city, or to capture the castle of Triana.
The bold Admiral Bonifaz at length conceived a plan to break this
bridge asunder, and thus to cut off all communication between the
city and Triana. No sooner had this idea entered his mind than he
landed, and proceeded with great speed to the royal tent, to lay it
before the king. Then a consultation was summoned by the king of
ancient mariners and artificers of ships, and other persons learned
in maritime affairs; and after Admiral Bonifaz had propounded his
plan, it was thought to be good, and all preparations were made
to carry it into effect. The admiral took two of his largest and
strongest ships, and fortified them at the prows with solid timber
and with plates of iron; and he put within them a great number of
chosen men, well armed and provided with everything for attack and
defense. Of one he took the command himself. It was the third day of
May, the day of the most Holy Cross, that he chose for this grand and
perilous attempt; and the pious King Fernando, to insure success,
ordered that a cross should be carried as a standard at the masthead
of each ship.
On the third of May, towards the hour of noon, the two ships
descended the Guadalquivir for some distance, to gain room to come
up with the greater violence. Here they waited the rising of the
tide, and as soon as it was in full force, and a favorable wind
had sprung up from the sea, they hoisted anchor, spread all sail,
and put themselves in the midst of the current. The whole shores
were lined on each side with Christian troops, watching the event
with great anxiety. The king and the Prince Alfonso, with their
warriors, on the one side had drawn close to the city to prevent the
sallying forth of the Moors, while the good Master of Santiago, Don
Pelayo Perez Correa, kept watch upon the gates of Triana. The Moors
crowded the tops of their towers, their walls and house-tops, and
prepared engines and weapons of all kinds to overwhelm the ships with
destruction.
Twice the bold admiral set all sail and started on his career, and
twice the wind died away before he had proceeded half his course.
Shouts of joy and derision rose from the walls and towers of Seville,
while the warriors in the ships began to fear that their attempt
would be unsuccessful. At length a fresh and strong wind arose
that swelled every sail and sent the ships ploughing up the waves
of the Guadalquivir. A dead silence prevailed among the hosts on
either bank, even the Moors remained silent, in fixed and breathless
suspense. When the ships arrived within reach of the walls of the
city and the suburbs, a tremendous attack was commenced from every
wall and tower; great engines discharged stones and offensive weapons
of all kinds, and flaming pots of Greek fire. On the tower of gold
were stationed catapults and vast cross-bows that were worked with
cranks, and from hence an iron shower was rained upon the ships. The
Moors in Triana were equally active; from every wall and turret, from
house-tops, and from the banks of the river, an incessant assault was
kept up with catapults, cross-bows, slings, darts, and everything
that could annoy. Through all this tempest of war, the ships kept
on their course. The first ship which arrived struck the bridge on
the part towards Triana. The shock resounded from shore to shore,
the whole fabric trembled, the ship recoiled and reeled, but the
bridge was unbroken; and shouts of joy rose from the Moors on each
side of the river. Immediately after came the ship of the admiral.
It struck the bridge just about the centre with a tremendous crash.
The iron chains which bound the boats together snapped as if they
had been flax. The boats were crushed and shattered and flung wide
asunder, and the ship of the admiral proceeded in triumph through
the open space. No sooner did the king and the Prince Alfonso see
the success of the admiral, than they pressed with their troops
closely round the city, and prevented the Moors from sallying forth;
while the ships, having accomplished their enterprise, extricated
themselves from their dangerous situation, and returned in triumph to
their accustomed anchorage. This was the fatal blow that dismembered
Seville from Triana, and insured the downfall of the city.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]