Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/60

36 36 WAR OF GRANADA. PART I. Purification of the city. demeanor of the city until its occupation bj the Spaniards. " Thus," says the Curate of Los Pala- cios, " did the Almighty harden the hearts of these heathen, like to those of the Egyptians, in order that they might receive the full wages of the mani- fold oppressions which they had wrought on his people, from the days of King Roderic to the pres- ent time ! " ^^ On the appointed day, the commander of Leon rode through the gates of Malaga, at the head of his well-appointed chivalry, and took possession of the alcazaba, or lower citadel. The troops were then posted on their respective stations along the fortifications, and the banners of Christian Spain triumphantly unfurled from the towers of the city, where the crescent had been displayed for an unin- terrupted period of nearly eight centuries. The first act was to purify the town from the numerous dead bodies, and other offensive matter, which had accumulated during this long siege, and lay festering in the streets, poisoning the atmo- sphere. The principal mosque was next consecrat- ed with due solemnity to the service of Santa Maria de la Encarnacion. Crosses and bells, the S5 Pulgar, Reyes Cat61icos, cap. 93. — Cardonne, Hist. d'Afrique et d'Espagne, torn. iii. p. 296. The Arabic historians state, that Malaga was betrayed by Ali Dor- dux, who admitted the Spaniards into the castle, while the citi- zens were debating on Ferdinand's terms. (See Conde, Dominacion de los Arabcs, torn. iii. cap. 39.) The letter of the inhabitants, quot- ed at lengtli by Pulgar, would seem to be a refutation of this. And yet there are good grounds for suspecting false play on the part of the ambassador Dordux, since the Castilian writers admit, that he was exempted, with forty of his friends, from the doom of slavery and forfeiture of property, passed upon his fellow-citiaens.