The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, or the Spanish Rogue, vol. 1/3

by Mateo Alemán

Upon hearing this news, so important to the Moors, Ozmin, incited by love and glory, undertook to enter Baza, where he was expected, at the head of two hundred men, who, for the most part, consisted of such of his friends and dependants as were willing to follow his fortune, and serve their king. They met with two parties in less than three hours, and defeated them; but a third party, consisting of six hundred men, fell upon them within half a league of the town, calling to them to surrender, if they expected quarter. Ozmin, not alarmed at the inequality of numbers, formed his men into a squadron, placing his wounded in the centre; then rushing on the enemy in as vigorous a manner as if he had not met with the two former detachments, he kept the victory doubtful during two hours; already more than half on the side of the Christians were disabled, and the rest so disordered as to be almost ready for flight, when a reinforcement of two hundred men came in very a-propos to their relief. This completely turned the scale, and Ozmin, wounded in three several parts, thought now of nothing but to save the rest of his men by retreating: which he did in so good order, and with such fortunate stands, that the Christians soon thought fit to give over their pursuit of them. He got back to Granada with a hundred and ten men, of whom twelve only were not wounded.

This skirmish was accounted one of the most valiant exploits that had been ever known, and the name of Ozmin became famous among the Christian troops. Having got home he was obliged to confine himself to his bed. King Mahomet, his kinsman, delighted by the glory that he had acquired by so brilliant an action, was not content with bestowing his praise upon him, but did him the honour of a visit, as a proof of the high sense he entertained of his valour; but what completed his joy, was a letter he received from his dear Daraxa, wherein she desired him to pay more regard to his wounds than to the honour they obtained him; that she valued the lover in him more than the hero; and concluded by exhorting him to take more care of himself for the future. With this letter she sent him a large handkerchief, embroidered after the Moorish manner, of her own work, which was the more gratifying to her lover, as it was the first present she had hitherto made him.

The brave Ozmin was extremely impatient to be cured of his wounds, in order to make a second attempt to get into Baza, for he could no longer exist without the company of his future wife. The Governor of the place having notice of his design, found means to caution him against making a second attempt by force of arms, the passes being too well guarded to afford any hopes of success; he advised him to dress himself in a Spanish habit, and set out on a particular night, which they would agree on between them, so as to arrive the next morning at break of day near to Baza, which he might thence enter, under shelter of a sally that should be made expressly for that purpose. The Governor sent him these letters, and received his answers to them, by a faithful servant of Ozmin’s, whose name was Orviedo, who having been fourteen years a prisoner among the Christians, knew their manners and spoke their language so well, that he might well have passed for a Spaniard; in addition to this, he was a sharp and cunning fellow, and was well acquainted with the roads.

As soon as Ozmin was sufficiently recovered to put this project in execution, he set out for Granada on the night appointed, followed by Orviedo only, both disguised in Spanish dresses; though they were well mounted, they were obliged to take so many out-of-the-way roads to avoid the Christian parties, and guarded passes, that day had already appeared before they arrived within a league of Baza. As they advanced, they observed clouds of dust, and soon perceived the Christian troops so much in motion on all sides, that they felt well assured there would be a very decisive action that day; it was, in fact, the very day on which Don Alonso carried off the beautiful Moor. Our two travellers entered into a wood, where they came to a stand, fearing lest they should precipitate themselves into some inextricable difficulty; and Orviedo, as a warrior used to find expedients suitable to such conjunctures, said to his master: “My Lord, if you will take my advice, you will remain here in concealment, while I go forward alone and on foot to reconnoitre the motions of the Christians, and use every art to get into the town and acquaint the Governor where you are staying: if I do not rejoin you in two hours, you may take it for granted I have got into the town, and that every thing shall be prepared to receive you.”

Ozmin approved of this advice, and Orviedo, having tied his horse to a tree, walked on towards Baza: his master, in spite of the violent feelings which agitated him, waited patiently for above two hours; after which, considering that it was time to advance towards the town, and that according to what Orviedo had said, he should meet with people ready to second his intentions, he pushed on by the shortest road, until he arrived within a quarter of a league of the town; when on a sudden he discovered a troop of Moors riding up to him at full speed; he thought that this was the sally made in his favor, but he was quickly and not very agreeably undeceived. As they took him for a Christian, from his Andalusian habit, they fired upon him, and would undoubtedly have killed him, if by good luck the officer at their head, to whom he called, had not recognized his voice. If this troop was surprised at the sight of him, he was not less astonished when he understood that the whole Christian army commanded by Ferdinand in person, had fallen upon two or three thousand men who had sallied from the town; that after a violent action in which most of the Moors had perished, the enemy, pursuing the rest to the suburbs, had entered it pell-mell with them, and had taken possession of it; in short, that he must not flatter himself with the idea of entering the town; to attempt it being certain death or captivity. Ozmin, afflicted beyond measure at this intelligence, and still more so at the necessity of thinking of saving himself with the rest, formed a body of these fugitives of about three hundred men, and returned with them to Granada, more mortified than the first time at the ill success of his enterprise.

This sad news much alarmed king Mahomet, who, thinking, justly, that the garrison of Baza must be much weakened after such an action, despaired of being able to relieve the place, which appeared to him on the point of being taken; and what made him more uneasy was, that after losing this town, there would be no other able to endure a siege but Granada, the capitol of his kingdom, and his last refuge. All the Moorish Court, after its King’s example, was filled with grief.

As for Ozmin, his grief is not to be described; but soon after his return to Granada, having learned that the Christians, who had entered the suburbs of Baza with the Moors, had been obliged to abandon the town, he felt somewhat re-animated, and resolved to try his fate a third time. But just as he was ready to set out, Orviedo, his faithful squire, arrived from that city, charged with a packet from the Governor for the King, and a letter for Ozmin, in which he was made acquainted with the misfortune which had befallen his Daraxa.

The perusal of this sad intelligence acted like a thunderbolt on the amorous Ozmin; at first he stood for some time motionless; and when he had at length recovered his senses, it was only to abandon himself to the most violent agonies of mind, accompanied by sobbings and convulsions. When this paroxysm had subsided, he was in such a condition, that he had not even power left for lamentation; a fever seized him, his strength failed him, and his death was hourly expected; but Love, that great and learned doctor, especially in disorders occasioned by himself, suddenly called him to life, by inspiring a project calculated to console him, and easy to be put in execution; from that moment he began visibly to recover; he regained his strength, and was soon restored to perfect health.

Baza had been surrendered; it was well known that the Catholic King held his court at Seville, and that it was his intention to pass the winter there with the Queen. Ozmin not doubting that Daraxa was highly in favor with that Princess, resolved to repair to that city with Orviedo, both disguised as Andalusian gentlemen; for besides that they both spoke the Castilian language so well that it would be difficult to discover that they were Moors, he felt persuaded that they should not attract the least notice in a town which must needs be in the greatest confusion. He communicated his new project to Orviedo, whose natural disposition was enterprising, and who never threw difficulties in the way; and the master and squire accordingly set out one night from Granada, in the most private manner, mounted upon horses not inferior in their paces and speed to the most famous coursers of the Paladins, with a considerable quantity of jewels, and several purses of gold, which they did not forget to provide themselves with.

They expected to meet with some awkward rencontre in passing through the places where the Christian troops were posted, and they were not deceived in their expectation. The next day, within a league of Loxa, they unluckily fell in with the Grand Provost of the army, with his horsemen, who were in pursuit of deserters; he examined our two travellers, who though they had not indeed much appearance of such as he was in search of, yet as they seemed too well mounted for persons who were plainly dressed, he stopped them, and inquired whence they came, and whither they were going. Orviedo replied that they were of the Marquis of Astorgas’ division, and that important business called them to Seville. Upon this the Provost required to see their furlough; and as they were not able to produce this, he determined to conduct them back to the post from whence they said they came. By way of substitute for this furlough, however, Ozmin drew from one of his fingers a very fine diamond ring, which he presented to the Provost, who was so charmed with the present, that he not only made a thousand apologies for having stopped them on their journey, but insisted upon accompanying them to Loxa, to shew that he understood good manners, and had a grateful heart.