The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 1

by William Hickling Prescott

FOOTNOTES

[1] Cardonne, Hist. d'Afrique et d'Espagne, tom. iii. pp. 467-469.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. cap. 32, 34.

[2] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 51.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. cap. 34.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, p. 180.—L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 171.—Marmol, Historia del Rebelion y Castigo de los Moriscos, (Madrid, 1797,) lib. 1, cap. 12.

Lebrija states, that the revenues of Granada, at the commencement of this war, amounted to a million of gold ducats, and that it kept in pay 7000 horsemen on its peace establishment, and could send forth 21,000 warriors from its gates. The last of these estimates would not seem to be exaggerated. Rerum Gestarum Decades, ii. lib. 1, cap. 1.

[3] Estrada, Poblacion de España, tom. ii. pp. 247, 248.—El Nubiense, Descripcion de España, p. 222, nota.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, p. 181.— Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 12.

[4] Zuñiga, Annales de Sevilla, pp. 349, 362. This occurred in the fight of Madroño, when Don Rodrigo, stooping to adjust his buckler, which had been unlaced, was suddenly surrounded by a party of Moors. He snatched a sling from one of them, and made such brisk use of it, that, after disabling several, he succeeded in putting them to flight; for which feat, says Zuñiga, the king complimented him with the title of "the youthful David."

Don Juan, count of Arcos, had no children born in wedlock, but a numerous progeny by his concubines. Among these latter, was Doña Leonora Nuñez de Prado, the mother of Don Rodrigo. The brilliant and attractive qualities of this youth so far won the affections of his father, that the latter obtained the royal sanction (a circumstance not infrequent in an age when the laws of descent were very unsettled) to bequeath him his titles and estates, to the prejudice of more legitimate heirs.

[5] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 52.—L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 171.—Pulgar computes the marquis's army at 3000 horse and 4000 foot.—Reyes Católicos, p. 181.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. cap. 34.

[6] Lebrija, Rerum Gestarum Decades, ii. lib. 1, cap. 2.—Carbajal, Anales, MS., año 1482.—Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 52.—Zurita, Anales, tom. iv. fol. 315.—Cardonne, Hist. d'Afrique et d'Espagne, tom. iii. pp. 252, 253.

[7] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., ubi supra.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, cap. 34.—L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 172.

[8] Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, ubi supra.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 182, 183.—Mariana, Hist. de España, tom. ii. pp. 545, 546.

[9] Bernaldez, Reyes. Católicos, MS., cap. 52.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, ubi supra.—Cardonne, Hist. d'Afrique et d'Espagne, tom. iii. p. 254.

[10]
"Passeavase el Key Moro
For la ciudad de Granada,
Desde las puertas de Elvira
Hasta las de Bivarambla.
Ay de mi Alhama!

"Cartas le fueron venidas
Que Alhama era ganada.
Las cartas echó en el fuego,
Y al mensagero matava.
Ay de mi Alhama!

"Hombres, niños y mugeres,
Lloran tan grande perdida.
Lloravan todas las damas
Quantas en Granada avia.
Ay de mi Alhama!

"Por las calles y ventanas
Mucho luto parecia;
Llora el Rey como fembra,
Qu' es mucho lo que perdia.
Ay de mi Alhama!"

The romance, according to Hyta, (not the best voucher for a fact,) caused such general lamentation, that it was not allowed to be sung by the Moors after the conquest. (Guerras Civiles de Granada, tom. i. p. 350.) Lord Byron, as the reader recollects, has done this ballad into English. The version has the merit of fidelity. It is not his fault if his Muse appears to little advantage in the plebeian dress of the Moorish minstrel.

[11] L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 172.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. cap. 34.—Carbajal, Anales, MS., año 1482.—Mariana, Hist. de España, tom. ii. pp. 545, 546.

[12] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 52.—Bernaldez swells the Moslem army to 5500 horse, and 80,000 foot, but I have preferred the more moderate and probable estimate of the Arabian authors. Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, tom. iii. cap. 34.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, loc. cit.

[13] Garibay, Compendio, tom. ii. lib. 18, cap. 23.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 183, 184.

[14] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 52.

[15] Zuñiga, Annales de Sevilla, p. 360.—L. Marineo, Cosas Memorables, fol. 24, 172.—Lebrija, Rerum Gestarum Decades, lib. 1, cap. 3.

[16] Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 183, 184. Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 53.—Ferreras, Hist. d'Espagne, tom. vii. p. 572.—Zuñiga, Annales de Sevilla, pp. 392, 393.—Cardonne, Hist. d'Afrique et d'Espagne, tom. iii. p. 257.

[17] Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 183-186.—Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 1, dial. 28.

[18] Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 53, 54.—Pulgar states that Ferdinand took the more southern route of Antequera, where he received the tidings of the Moorish king's retreat. The discrepancy is of no great consequence; but as Bernaldez, whom I have followed, lived in Andalusia, the theatre of action, he may be supposed to have had more accurate means of information.—Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 187, 188.

[19] Oviedo, Quincuagenas, MS., bat. 1, quinc. 1, dial. 28.—Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 54, 55.—Lebrija, Rerum Gestarum Decades, lib. 1, cap. 6.—Conde, Dominacion de los Arabes, cap. 34.—Salazar de Mendoza, Crón. del Gran Cardenal, pp. 180, 181.—Marmol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, cap. 12.

During this second siege, a body of Moorish knights to the number of forty succeeded in scaling the walls of the city in the night, and had nearly reached the gates, with the intention of throwing them open to their countrymen, when they were overpowered, after a desperate resistance, by the Christians, who acquired a rich booty, as many of them were persons of rank. There is considerable variation in the authorities, in regard to the date of Ferdinand's occupation of Alhama. I have been guided, as before, by Bernaldez.

[20] Pulgar, Reyes Católicos, pp. 188, 189.