History of the Reign of Philip the Second King of Spain, Vol. 3: And Biographical & Critical MiscellaniesPrescott, William Hickling
History
History of the Reign of Philip the Second King of Spain, Vol. 3: And Biographical & Critical Miscellanies
Prescott, William Hickling
Philip II, King of Spain, 1527-1598; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
Meanwhile the delay was attended with most mischievous consequences, as
it gave the enemy time to recover from the disasters of the previous
campaign. Aben-Humeya had returned, as we have seen in the former
chapter, to his mountain throne, where he soon found himself in greater
strength than before. Even the "Moriscoes of the peace," as they were
called, who had resumed their allegiance to the crown, exasperated by
the outrages of the Spanish soldiery, and the contempt which they showed
for the safe-conduct of the marquis of Mondejar, now came in great
numbers to Aben-Humeya's camp, offering their services, and promising to
stand by him to the last. Other levies he drew from Africa. The Moslem
princes to whom he had applied for succour, though refusing to embark
openly in his cause, as he had desired, allowed such of their subjects
as chose to join his standard. In consequence a considerable body of
Barbary Moors crossed the sea, and entered into the service of the
Morisco chief. They were a fierce, intrepid race, accustomed to a life
of wild adventure, and possessing a better acquaintance with military
tactics than belonged to the Spanish mountaineers.[161]
While strengthened by these recruits, Aben-Humeya drew a much larger
revenue than formerly from his more extended domains.[162] Though showy
and expensive in his tastes, he did not waste it all on the maintenance
of the greater state which he now assumed in his way of living. He
employed it freely in the pay of foreign levies, and in procuring arms
and munitions for his own troops; and he profited by his experience in
the last campaign, and by the example of his African mercenaries, to
introduce a better system of tactics among his Morisco warriors. The
policy he adopted, as before, was to avoid pitched battles, and to
confine himself chiefly to the _guerilla_ warfare, better suited to the
genius of the mountaineer. He fell on small detachments of Spaniards,
who were patrolling the country, cut off the convoys, and thus greatly
straitened the garrisons in their supplies. He made forays into the
Christian territories, penetrating even into the _vega_, and boldly
carried the war up to the walls of Granada.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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