He 'gainst a wise and potent king that held
His sire in bondage, gallantly rebelled.
During one of the many tumults that distracted Castile in the reign of king D. Juan II. Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, earl of Alva, was seized by the monarch, and kept close prisoner, under the charge of having designed to bring in the king of Navarre, though this the people regarded as a mere invention. Don Garcia, his son, who was afterwards the first duke of Alva, took up arms to liberate his father, joined the king of Arragon, and from the castle of Piedrahita, did much harm to the king of Castile in laying waste the frontier country. Don Fernando remained, however, in prison till the accession of king Henry, when he was voluntarily set free by that prince.
D. Fadrique de Toledo, the second duke of Alva, a son of D. Garcia, was in his youth general of the Christian forces on the frontiers of Grenada. He greatly signalized himself in the war of Navarre, gathering a considerable force to co-operate with the English, under the command of the marquis of Dorset. To secure the pass into France, he crossed the mountains and took St. John de Pie de Puerto, which commanded the pass of Valderronças. The king of Navarre succeeded, however, in effecting a passage with his army through that of Valderronçal, and J. Fernando Valdez, and other commanders, amongst the mountains, hemmed in the duke of Alva; but learning that the king of Navarre was marching to invest Pampluna, the Duke resolved to fling some succour into its citadel, and leaving the castle of St. John under the command of James de Vera, sallied out upon Valdez, and killing that general, succeeded, with the loss of 400 men, in carrying his camp, and relieving Pampluna.
His son, D. Garcia de Toledo, being employed in 1510, with count Pedro Navarro, in a military expedition on the coast of Africa, passed to the conquest of the Isle of Gelves, and disembarking his men, penetrated into the interior of that desert country. It was a season of such excessive heat, that some of the soldiers dropped dead from thirst, so that the whole army fell into disorder. D. Garcia and the Count, however, cheered them on with fond expressions, and such promises as the necessity of the case required. They issued at length from the sands, and entering thick groves of palm and olive trees, discovered unexpectedly some wells of water, with many pitchers and buckets attached to ropes. The eager desire of every one to drink doubled the disorder, more particularly as there was no enemy in sight; for the whole had been arranged by the Moors, who secretly waited in a corner of the wood, till the appearance of 4,000 foot and 200 horse, when they rushed upon them with loud outcries, and casting their darts, caused them to fly in the greatest confusion, although many desired rather to drink than to fly, or even live. Don Garcia seeing this, alighted, and with his pike pricked forward many who had, betwixt despair and faintness, cast themselves on the ground, and with every expression of military endearment, endeavoured to animate them against the Moors. With only fifteen around him, he attacked the foe with such brave impetuosity, that they began to give way, and if at this juncture he had been supported by the rest, he would assuredly have furnished triumph instead of tribulation to his country. But whilst Navarro was attempting to bring back the fugitive troops, the Moors made a fresh attack on his little band, wounded several, and killed D. Garcia. His death doubled the terror and distress of all, and notwithstanding that Navarro implored them with tears to turn their faces, they fled with the utmost precipitation to their vessels: and hence they still say in Castile, 'Mother Gelves, the spell-word of misfortune!'[AU]
The Emperor Charles the Fifth, on the taking of Tunis, discovered amongst the booty the arms of Don Garcia, and presented them to his youthful son, afterwards the celebrated duke of Alva. Pointing out to him the marks of wounds received by his unfortunate parent, he exhorted him to imitate his valour, but wished him a happier doom. The duke received these arms with the most lively joy, and caused them to be transported to Spain, and hung up in the arsenal of the dukes of Alva.[AV]
[VIII.]—Page 250.
Threatening the' illustrious youth, a knight was seen,
Of a fierce spirit and insulting mien.
It happened that a gentleman of Burgos courted a lady to whom Fernando of Alva also paid his addresses. It was in the year 1524, when harquebusses were just coming into use, but they were considered as very ungentlemanly weapons to do slaughter with, by those who had been trained to the exercises of the sword. This gentleman boasted that he was a most excellent firer of the harquebuss, when, being both in the presence of the lady, Fernando took out his pocket handkerchief, and putting it to his nose, exclaimed, "What an odious fume of powder there is in the room!" at which the lady smiled greatly, and the gentleman's face became overspread with blushes. Taking the duke afterwards aside, he challenged him to meet him with sword and capa, at a certain hour of the night, on the bridge San Pablo. The duke arriving, his rival asked him what arms he brought. "Sword and dagger." "I have but a sword," rejoined the gentleman; whereupon the duke threw his dagger into the river. They fought—were reconciled, and agreed to conceal the duel; but it soon became the theme of conversation, for on taking up their mantles from the ground, they chanced to make an exchange; and the duke, paying no attention to it, appeared in the palace with his opponent's mantle, upon which were emblazoned the arms of the Order of St. Jago, which led to a discovery of the whole quarrel.