he　question　is　hard　to　answer。　He　appears　to　have　been　one　of　the　many　indefatigable　authors　of　Spain　who　have　filled　the　libraries　of　convents　and　cathedrals　with　their　tomes；　without　ever　dreaming　of　bringing　their　labors　to　the　press。　　He　evidently　was　deeply　and　accurately　informed　of　the　particulars　of　the　wars　between　his　countrymen　and　the　Moors；　a　tract　of　history　but　too　much　overgrown　with　the　weeds　of　fable。　　His　glowing　zeal；　also；　in　the　cause　of　the　Catholic　faith　entitles　him　to　be　held　up　as　a　model　of　the　good　old　orthodox　chroniclers；　who　recorded　with　such　pious　exultation　the　united　triumphs　of　the　cross　and　the　sword。　　It　is　deeply　to　be　regretted；　therefore；　that　his　manuscripts；　deposited　in　the　libraries　of　various　convents；　have　been　dispersed　during　the　late　convulsions　in　Spain；　so　that　nothing　is　now　to　be　met　of　them　but　disjointed　fragments。　　These；　however；　are　too　precious　to　be　suffered　to　fall　into　oblivion；　as　they　contain　many　curious　facts　not　to　be　found　in　any　other　historian。　　In　the　following　work；　therefore；　the　manuscript　of　the　worthy　Fray　Antonio　will　be　adopted　wherever　it　exists　entire；　but　will　be　filled　up；　extended；　illustrated；　and　corroborated　by　citations　from　various　authors；　both　Spanish　and　Arabian；　who　have　treated　of　the　subject。　　Those　who　may　wish　to　know　how　far　the　work　is　indebted　to　the　Chronicle　of　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　may　readily　satisfy　their　curiosity　by　referring　to　his　manuscript　fragments；　carefully　preserved　in　the　Library　of　the　Escurial。
  Before　entering　upon　the　history　it　may　be　as　well　to　notice　the　opinions　of　certain　of　the　most　learned　and　devout　historiographers　of　former　times　relative　to　this　war。
  Marinus　Siculus；　historian　to　Charles　V。；　pronounces　it　a　war　to　avenge　ancient　injuries　received　by　the　Christians　from　the　Moors；　to　recover　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　and　to　extend　the　name　and　honor　of　the　Christian　religion。*
  *Lucio　Marino　Siculo；　Cosas　Memorabiles　de　Espana；　lib。　20。
  Estevan　de　Garibay；　one　of　the　most　distinguished　Spanish　historians；　regards　the　war　as　a　special　act　of　divine　clemency　toward　the　Moors；　to　the　end　that　those　barbarians　and　infidels；　who　had　dragged　out　so　many　centuries　under　the　diabolical　oppression　of　the　absurd　sect　of　Mahomet；　should　at　length　be　reduced　to　the　Christian　faith。*
  *Garibay；　Compend。　Hist。　Espana；　lib。　18；　c。　22。
  Padre　Mariana；　also　a　venerable　Jesuit　and　the　most　renowned　historian　of　Spain；　considers　the　past　domination　of　the　Moors　a　scourge　inflicted　on　the　Spanish　nation　for　its　iniquities；　but　the　conquest　of　Granada　the　reward　of　Heaven　for　its　great　act　of　propitiation　in　establishing　the　glorious　tribunal　of　the　Inquisition！　No　sooner　（says　the　worthy　father）　was　this　holy　office　opened　in　Spain　than　there　shone　forth　a　resplendent　light。　　Then　it　was　that；　through　divine　favor；　the　nation　increased　in　power；　and　became　competent　to　overthrow　and　trample　down　the　Moorish　domination。*
  *Mariana；　Hist。　Espana；　lib。　25；　c。　1。
  Having　thus　cited　high　and　venerable　authority　for　considering　this　war　in　the　light　of　one　of　those　pious　enterprises　denominated　crusades；　we　trust　we　have　said　enough　to　engage　the　Christian　reader　to　follow　us　into　the　field　and　stand　by　us　to　the　very　issue　of　the　encounter。
  NOTE　TO　THE　REVISED　EDITION
  The　foregoing　introduction；　prefixed　to　the　former　editions　of　this　work；　has　been　somewhat　of　a　detriment　to　it。　　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　was　found　to　be　an　imaginary　personage；　and　this　threw　a　doubt　over　the　credibility　of　his　Chronicle；　which　was　increased　by　a　vein　of　irony　indulged　here　and　there；　and　by　the　occasional　heightening　of　some　of　the　incidents　and　the　romantic　coloring　of　some　of　the　scenes。　　A　word　or　two　explanatory　may　therefore　be　of　service。*
  *Many　of　the　observations　in　this　note　have　already　appeared　in　　an　explanatory　article　which　at　Mr。　Murray's　request；　the　author　　furnished　to　the　London　Quarterly　Review。
  The　idea　of　the　work　was　suggested　while　I　was　occupied　at　Madrid　in　writing　the　Life　of　Columbus。　　In　searching　for　traces　of　his　early　life　I　was　led　among　the　scenes　of　the　war　of　Granada；　he　having　followed　the　Spanish　sovereigns　in　some　of　their　campaigns；　and　been　present　at　the　surrender　of　the　Moorish　capital。　　I　actually　wove　some　of　these　scenes　into　the　biography；　but　found　they　occupied　an　undue　space；　and　stood　out　in　romantic　relief　not　in　unison　with　the　general　course　of　the　narrative。　　My　mind；　however；　had　become　so　excited　by　the　stirring　events　and　romantic　achievements　of　this　war　that　I　could　not　return　with　composure　to　the　sober　biography　I　had　in　hand。　　The　idea　then　occurred；　as　a　means　of　allaying　the　excitement；　to　throw　off　a　rough　draught　of　the　history　of　this　war；　to　be　revised　and　completed　at　future　leisure。　　It　appeared　to　me　that　its　true　course　and　character　had　never　been　fully　illustrated。　　The　world　had　received　a　strangely　perverted　idea　of　it　through　Florian's　romance　of　〃Gonsalvo　of　Cordova；〃　or　through　the　legend；　equally　fabulous；　entitled　〃The　Civil　Wars　of　Granada；〃　by　Ginez　Perez　de　la　Hita；　the　pretended　work　of　an　Arabian　contemporary；　but　in　reality　a　Spanish　fabrication。　　It　had　been　woven　over　with　love…tales　and　scenes　of　sentimental　gallantry　totally　opposite　to　its　real　character；　for　it　was；　in　truth；　one　of　the　sternest　of　those　iron　conflicts　sanctified　by　the　title　of　〃holy　wars。〃　　In　fact；　the　genuine　nature　of　the　war　placed　it　far　above　the　need　of　any　amatory　embellishments。　　It　possessed　sufficient　interest　in　the　striking　contrast　presented　by　the　combatants　of　Oriental　and　European　creeds；　costumes；　and　manners；　and　in　the　hardy　and　harebrained　enterprises；　the　romantic　adventures；　the　picturesque　forays　through　mountain　regions；　the　daring　assaults　and　surprisals　of　cliff…built　castles　and　cragged　fortresses；　which　succeeded　each　other　with　a　variety　and　brilliancy　beyond　the　scope　of　mere　invention。
  The　time　of　the　contest　also　contributed　to　heighten　the　interest。　It　was　not　long　after　the　invention　of　gunpowder；　when　firearms　and　artillery　mingled　the　flash　and　smoke　and　thunder　of　modern　warfare　with　the　steely　splendor　of　ancient　chivalry；　and　gave　an　awful　magnificence　and　terrible　sublimity　to　battle；　and　when　the　old　Moorish　towers　and　castles；　that　for　ages　had　frowned　defiance　to　the　battering…rams　and　catapults　of　classic　tactics；　were　toppled　down　by　the　lombards　of　the　Spanish　engineers。　　It　was　one　of　the　cases　in　which　history　rises　superior　to　fiction。
  The　more　I　thought　about　the　subject；　the　more　I　was　tempted　to　undertake　it；　and　the　facilities　at　hand　at　length　determined　me。　　In　the　libraries　of　Madrid　and　in　the　private　library　of　the　American　consul；　Mr。　Rich；　I　had　access　to　various　chronicles　and　other　works；　both　printed　and　in　manuscript；　written　at　the　time　by　eyewitnesses；　and　in　some　instances　by　persons　who　had　actually　mingled　in　the　scenes　recorded　and　gave　descriptions　of　them　from　different　points　of　view　and　with　different　details。　　These　works　were　often　diffuse　and　tedious；　and　occasionally　discolored　by　the　bigotry；　superstition；　and　fierce　intolerance　of　the　age；　but　their　pages　were　illumined　at　times　with　scenes　of　high　emprise；　of　romantic　generosity；　and　heroic　valor；　which　flashed　upon　the　reader　with　additional　splendor　from　the　surrounding　darkness。　　I　collated　these　various　works；　some　of　which　have　never　appeared　in　print；　drew　from　each　facts　relative　to　the　different　enterprises；　arranged　them　in　as　clear　and　lucid　order　as　I　could　command；　and　endeavored　to　give　them　somewhat　of　a　graphic　effect　by　connecting　them　with　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　age　in　which　they　occurred。　　The　rough　draught　being　completed；　I　laid　the　manuscript　aside　and　proceeded　with　the　Life　of　Columbus。　　After　this　was　finished　and　sent　to　the　press　I　made　a　tour　in　Andalusia；　visited　the　ruins　of　the　Moorish　towns；　fortresses；　and　castles；　and　the　wild　mountain…　passes　and　defiles　which　had　been　the　scenes　of　the　most　remarkable　events　of　the　war；　and　passed　some　time　in　the　ancient　palace　of　the　Alhambra；　the　once　favorite　abode　of　the　Moorish　monarchs。　　Everywhere　I　took　notes；　from　the　most　advantageous　points　of　view；　of　whatever　could　serve　to　give　local　verity　and　graphic　effect　to　the　scenes　described。　　Having　taken　up　my　abode　for　a　time　at　Seville；　I　then　resumed　my　manuscript　and　rewrote　it；　benefited　by　my　travelling　notes　and　the　fresh　and　vivid　impressions　of　my　recent　tour。　　In　constructing　my　chronicle　I　adopted　the　fiction　of　a　Spanish　monk　as　the　chronicler。　　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　was　intended　as　a　personification　of　the　monkish　zealots　who　hovered　about　the　sovereigns　in　their　campaigns；　marring　the　chivalry　of　the　camp　by　the　bigotry　of　the　cloister；　and　chronicling　in　rapturous　strains　every　act　of　intolerance　toward　the　Moors。　　In　fact；　scarce　a　sally　of　the　pretended　friar　when　he　bursts　forth　in　rapturous　eulogy　of　some　great　stroke　of　selfish　policy　on　the　part　of　Ferdinand；　or　exults　over　some　overwhelming　disaster　of　the　gallant　and　devoted　Moslems；　but　is　taken　almost　word　for　word　from　one　or　other　of　the　orthodox　chroniclers　of　Spain。
  The　ironical　vein　also　was　prov