Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/553

407 MILITARY POLICY OF THE SOVEREIGNS. 40/ was observed that the okl king Abul Hacen did not chapter long survive his brother's accession. ^^ The young — '— — king Abdallah sought the protection of the Castilian sovereigns in Seville, who, true to their policy, sent him back into his own dominions with the means of making headway against his rival. The alfakies and other considerate persons of Granada, scan- dalized at these fatal feuds, effected a reconcilia- tion, on the basis of a division of the kingdom between the parties. But wounds so deep could not be permanently healed. The site of the Moor- ish capital was most propitious to the purposes of faction. It covered two swelling eminences, divided from each other by the deep waters of the Darro. The two factions possessed themselves respective- ly of these opposite quarters. Abdallah was not ashamed to strengthen himself by the aid of Chris- tian mercenaries ; and a dreadful conflict was car- ried on for fifty days and nights, within the city, which swam with the blood, that should have been shed only in its defence. ^° This sort of trophy was also borne ^0 Conde, Dominacion de los by the Christian cavahers. Exam- Arabes, torn. iii. cap. 38. — Car- pies of this may be found even as donne. Hist. d'AfVique et d'Es- late as the siege of Granada. See, pag-ne, pp. 291, 292. — Mariana, among others, the ballad, begin- Hist, de Espaiia, lib. 25, cap. 9. — ning Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. " A vista de los (ios Reyes." 1, cap. 12. 39 The Arabic historian alludes «Muv revueltaanda Granada to the vulgar report of the old enamiasy fuego ardiemlo, king's assassination by his brother, y 'os cindadanos de ciia but^leaves us in the dark in regard "^"'"^'^^l^^^'Te^e^'Se ha°y'esquivos, to his own opmion of its credibility. cada imo pretendieiulo " Alo-unos dicen que le procuro la el mando. cetro y corona '' 1 1 D v ~ 1 de Granada y su gobienio," itc. muerte su hermano el Key Zagal ; j s, pero Dios lo sabe, que es el unieo See this old romance, mixing up eterno e inmutable." — Conde, Do- fact and fiction, with more of the minacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. former than usual, in Hyta, Guer- rap. 38. ras de Granada, tom. i. p. 292.