Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/54

30 30 WAR OF GRANADA. PART of the Roman Catholic worship ; exalting the im- '- — aginations of the soldiers into the high devotional feeling, which became those who were fighting the battles of the Cross. ^° Hitherto, Ferdinand relying on the blockade, and yielding to the queen's desire to spare the lives of her soldiers, had formed no regular plan of assault upon the town. But, as the season rolled on with- out the least demonstration of submission on the part of the besieged, he resolved to storm the works, which, if attended by no other conse- quences, might at least serve to distress the enemy, and hasten the hour of surrender. Large wooden towers on rollers were accordingly constructed, and provided with an apparatus of drawbridges and lad- ders, which, when brought near to the ramparts, would open a descent into the city. Galleries were also wrought, some for the purpose of penetrating into the place, and others to sap the foundations of the walls. The whole of these operations was placed under the direction of Francisco Ramirez, the celebrated engineer of Madrid. General Rut the Moors anticipated the completion of these formidable preparations by a brisk, well con- certed attack on all points of the Spanish lines. They countermined the assailants, and, encounter- ing them in the subterraneous passages, drove them back, and demolished the frame-work of the gal- leries. At the same time, a little squadron of armed vessels, which had been riding in safety under the 20 Bcrnaldez, Reyes Cat61icos, MS., cap. 87. — Pulgar, Reyes Ca- t<Jlicos, cap. 71.