Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/333

307 UNIVERSITY OF ALCALi. 307 were made prisoners. The loss of the Christians chapter XXI was inconsiderable. As soon as the Spanish com- — '- — ^ — mander had taken the necessary measures for cleansing the place from its foul and dismal im- purities, he sent to the cardinal, and invited him to take possession of it. The latter embarked on board his galley, and, as he coasted along the margin of the city, and saw its gay pavilions and sparkling minarets reflected in the waters, his soul swelled with satisfaction at the glorious acquisition he had made for Christian Spain. It seemed in- credible, that a town so strongly manned and forti- fied, should have been carried so easily. As Ximenes landed and entered the eates, at- ^'menes ei.- o ' lers Oran. tended by his train of monkish brethren, he was hailed with thundering acclamations by the army as the true victor of Oran, in whose behalf Heaven had condescended to repeat the stupendous miracle of Joshua, by stopping the sun in his career.^^ But the cardinal humbly disclaiming all merits of his own, was heard to repeat aloud the sublime lan- guage of the Psalmist, " Non nobis, Domine, non 14 To accommodate the Chris- direct communication with their an- tians, as the day was far advanced cestors present in the action ; and when the action began, the sun who all agree that it was matter of was permitted to stand still several public notoriety and belief at the hours; there is some discrepancy time. See the whole formidable as to the precise number ; most au- array of evidence set forth by thorilies, however, make it four. Quintanilla. (i.rchetypo, pp. 236 There is no miracle in the whole et seq. and Apend. p. 103.) It was Roman Catholic budget, better scarcely to have been expected vouched than this. It is recorded that so astounding a miracle should by four eyewitnesses, men of learn- escape the notice of all Europe, ing and character. It is attested, where it must have been as appa- raoreover, by a cloud of witnesses, rent as at Oran. This universal who depose to have received it, silence may be thought, indeed, the some from tradition, others from greater miracle of the two.