Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, from the mss. of Fray Antonio AgapidaIrving, Washington
History
Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, from the mss. of Fray Antonio Agapida
Irving, Washington
Granada (Spain : Reino) -- History -- Spanish Conquest, 1476-1492
King Ferdinand arrived before the place with all his forces; he
stationed himself upon the hill of Encinilla, and distributed the other
encampments in various situations so as to invest the fortress. Knowing
the valiant character of the alcayde and the desperate courage of the
Moors, he ordered the encampments to be fortified with trenches and
palisadoes, the guards to be doubled, and sentinels to be placed in all
the watch-towers of the adjacent heights.
When all was ready the duke del Infantado demanded the attack: it was
his first campaign, and he was anxious to disprove the royal insinuation
made against the hardihood of his embroidered chivalry. King Ferdinand
granted his demand, with a becoming compliment to his spirit; he ordered
the count de Cabra to make a simultaneous attack upon a different
quarter. Both chiefs led forth their troops--those of the duke in fresh
and brilliant armor, richly ornamented, and as yet uninjured by the
service of the field; those of the count were weatherbeaten veterans,
whose armor was dented and hacked in many a hard-fought battle. The
youthful duke blushed at the contrast. “Cavaliers,” cried he, “we
have been reproached with the finery of our array: let us prove that a
trenchant blade may rest in a gilded sheath. Forward! to the foe! and I
trust in God that as we enter this affray knights well accoutred, so
we shall leave it cavaliers well proved.” His men responded by eager
acclamations, and the duke led them forward to the assault. He advanced
under a tremendous shower of stones, darts, balls, and arrows, but
nothing could check his career; he entered the suburb sword in hand;
his men fought furiously, though with great loss, for every dwelling had
been turned into a fortress. After a severe conflict they succeeded
in driving the Moors into the town about the same time that the other
suburb was carried by the count de Cabra and his veterans. The troops
of the duke del Infantado came out of the contest thinned in number
and covered with blood and dust and wounds; they received the highest
encomiums of the king, and there was never afterward any sneer at their
embroidery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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