Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/460

434 /t34 RISING IN THE ALPUX ARRAS. PART were so much roused by the sight of the enemy, '- — that a small party, seizing a banner, rushed across the stream without orders, in pursuit of them. The odds, however, were so great, that they would have been severely handled, had not Aguilar, while he bitterly condemned their temerity, advanced promptly to their support with the remainder of his corps. The count of Urena followed with the cen- tral division, leaving the count of Cifuentes with the troops of Seville to protect the camp. ^^ The Moors Xhc Moors fell back as the Christians advanced, letreat up ' tafn""""' and, retreating nimbly from point to point, led them up the rugged steeps far into the recesses of the mountains. At length they reached an open level, encompassed on all sides by a natural rampart of rocks, where they had deposited their valuable effects, together with their wives and children. The latter, at sight of the invaders, uttered dismal cries, and fled into the remoter depths of the sierra. The Christians were too much attracted by the rich spoil before them to think of following, and dispersed in every direction in quest of plunder, with all the heedlessness and insubordination of of Ancient English Poetry, (Lon- afio 1501. — Abarca, Reyes lie don, 1812,) vol. i. p. 357.) The Aragon, torn. ii. p. 340. — Bleda, more faithful version of "green Coronica, lib. 5, cap. 26. — Ber- river," however, would have noth- naldcz, Reyes Cat61icos, MS., cap. ing very unpoetical in it ; though 165. our gifted countryman, Bryant, " Fuc muy gentil capitan," says seems to intimate, by his omission, Oviedo, speaking of this latter somewhat of a similar diiTiculty, in nobleman, "y valiente lanza ; y his agreeable stanzas on the beau- muchas vezes dio testimonio grande tiful stream of that name in New de su animoso esfuerzo." Quin- England. cuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 1, '"* Zufiiga, Annales de Sevilla, dial. 36.