Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/478

332 3o2 WAR OF GRANADA. I'ART At this crisis they received the unwelcome tid- _J iiigs of the failure of an expedition destined for their relief by Alonso de Aguilar. This cavalier, the chief of an illustrious house since rendered immortal by the renown of his younger brother, Gonsalvo de Cordova, had assembled a considerable body of troops, on learning the capture of Alhama, for the purpose of supporting his friend and com- panion in arms, the marquis of Cadiz. On reaching the shores of the Yeguas, he received, for the first time, advices of the formidable host which lay be- tween him and the city, rendering hopeless any attempt to penetrate into the latter with his inade- quate force. Contenting himself, therefore, with recovering the baggage, which the marquis's army in its rapid march, as has been already noticed, had left on the banks of the river, he returned to Ante- quera. ^^ Under these depressing circumstances, the in- domitable spirit of the marquis of Cadiz seemed to infuse itself into the hearts of his soldiers. He was ever in the front of danger, and shared the privations of the meanest of his followers ; encour- aging them to rely with undoubting confidence on the sympathies which their cause must awaken in the breasts of their countrymen. The event proved, that he did not miscalculate. Soon after the occu- pation of Alhama, the marquis, foreseeing the diffi- culties of his situation, had despatched missives, requesting the support of the principal lords and •4 Bernaldez, Reyes Cat61icos, MS., cap. 52.