rive　them　from　the　land。　　He　ordered　out；　therefore；　a　thousand　of　his　chosen　cavalry；　and　sent　them　in　all　speed　to　the　assistance　of　Alhama。　　They　arrived　before　its　walls　the　morning　after　its　capture：　the　Christian　standards　floated　upon　its　towers；　and　a　body　of　cavalry　poured　forth　from　its　gates　and　came　wheeling　down　into　the　plain　to　receive　them。
  The　Moorish　horsemen　turned　the　reins　of　their　steeds　and　galloped　back　for　Granada。　　They　entered　its　gates　in　tumultuous　confusion；　spreading　terror　and　lamentation　by　their　tidings。　　〃Alhama　is　fallen！　Alhama　is　fallen！〃　exclaimed　they；　〃the　Christians　garrison　its　walls；　the　key　of　Granada　is　in　the　hands　of　the　enemy！〃
  When　the　people　heard　these　words　they　remembered　the　denunciation　of　the　santon。　　His　prediction　seemed　still　to　resound　in　every　ear；　and　its　fulfilment　to　be　at　hand。　　Nothing　was　heard　throughout　the　city　but　sighs　and　wailings。　　〃Woe　is　me；　Alhama！〃　was　in　every　mouth；　and　this　ejaculation　of　deep　sorrow　and　doleful　foreboding　came　to　be　the　burden　of　a　plaintive　ballad　which　remains　until　the　present　day。*
  *The　mournful　little　Spanish　romance　of　〃Ay　de　mi　Alhama！〃　is　　supposed　to　be　of　Moorish　origin；　and　to　embody　the　grief　of　　the　people　of　Granada　on　this　occasion。
  Many　aged　men；　who　had　taken　refuge　in　Granada　from　other　Moorish　dominions　which　had　fallen　into　the　power　of　the　Christians；　now　groaned　in　despair　at　the　thoughts　that　war　was　to　follow　them　into　this　last　retreat；　to　lay　waste　this　pleasant　land；　and　to　bring　trouble　and　sorrow　upon　their　declining　years。　　The　women　were　more　loud　and　vehement　in　their　grief；　for　they　beheld　the　evils　impending　over　their　children；　and　what　can　restrain　the　agony　of　a　mother's　heart？　Many　of　them　made　their　way　through　the　halls　of　the　Alhambra　into　the　presence　of　the　king；　weeping；　and　wailing；　and　tearing　their　hair。　　〃Accursed　be　the　day；〃　cried　they；　〃that　thou　hast　lit　the　flame　of　war　in　our　land！　　May　the　holy　Prophet　bear　witness　before　Allah　that　we　and　our　children　are　innocent　of　this　act！　　Upon　thy　head；　and　upon　the　heads　of　thy　posterity；　until　the　end　of　the　world；　rest　the　sin　of　the　desolation　of　Zahara！*
  *Garibay；　lib。　40；　c。　29。
  Muley　Abul　Hassan　remained　unmoved　amidst　all　this　storm；　his　heart　was　hardened　（observes　Fray　Antonio　Agapida）　like　that　of　Pharaoh；　to　the　end　that　through　his　blind　violence　and　rage　he　might　produce　the　deliverance　of　the　land　from　its　heathen　bondage。　　In　fact；　he　was　a　bold　and　fearless　warrior；　and　trusted　soon　to　make　this　blow　recoil　upon　the　head　of　the　enemy。　　He　had　ascertained　that　the　captors　of　Alhama　were　but　a　handful：　they　were　in　the　centre　of　his　dominions；　within　a　short　distance　of　his　capital。　　They　were　deficient　in　munitions　of　war　and　provisions　for　sustaining　a　siege。　By　a　rapid　movement　he　might　surround　them　with　a　powerful　army；　cut　off　all　aid　from　their　countrymen；　and　entrap　them　in　the　fortress　they　had　taken。
  To　think　was　to　act　with　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　but　he　was　prone　to　act　with　too　much　precipitation。　　He　immediately　set　forth　in　person　with　three　thousand　horse　and　fifty　thousand　foot；　and　in　his　eagerness　to　arrive　at　the　scene　of　action　would　not　wait　to　provide　artillery　and　the　various　engines　required　in　a　siege。　　〃The　multitude　of　my　forces；〃　said　he；　confidently；　〃will　be　sufficient　to　overwhelm　the　enemy。〃
  The　marques　of　Cadiz；　who　thus　held　possession　of　Alhama；　had　a　chosen　friend　and　faithful　companion…in…arms；　among　the　most　distinguished　of　the　Christian　chivalry。　　This　was　Don　Alonso　de　Cordova；　senior　and　lord　of　the　house　of　Aguilar；　and　brother　of　Gonsalvo　of　Cordova；　afterward　renowned　as　grand　captain　of　Spain。　As　yet；　Alonso　de　Aguilar　was　the　glory　of　his　name　and　race；　for　his　brother　was　but　young　in　arms。　　He　was　one　of　the　most　hardy；　valiant；　and　enterprising　of　the　Spanish　knights；　and　foremost　in　all　service　of　a　perilous　and　adventurous　nature。　　He　had　not　been　at　hand　to　accompany　his　friend　Ponce　de　Leon；　marques　of　Cadiz；　in　his　inroad　into　the　Moorish　territory；　but　he　hastily　assembled　a　number　of　retainers；　horse　and　foot；　and　pressed　forward　to　join　the　enterprise。　　Arriving　at　the　river　Yeguas；　he　found　the　baggage　of　the　army　still　upon　its　banks；　and　took　charge　of　it　to　carry　it　to　Alhama。　　The　marques　of　Cadiz　heard　of　the　approach　of　his　friend；　whose　march　was　slow　in　consequence　of　being　encumbered　by　the　baggage。　　He　was　within　but　a　few　leagues　of　Alhama　when　scouts　came　hurrying　into　the　place　with　intelligence　that　the　Moorish　king　was　at　hand　with　a　powerful　army。　　The　marques　of　Cadiz　was　filled　with　alarm　lest　De　Aguilar　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。　Forgetting　his　own　danger　and　thinking　only　of　that　of　his　friend；　he　despatched　a　well…mounted　messenger　to　ride　full　speed　and　warn　him　not　to　approach。
  The　first　determination　of　Alonso　de　Aguilar　when　he　heard　that　the　Moorish　king　was　at　hand　was　to　take　a　strong　position　in　the　mountains　and　await　his　coming。　　The　madness　of　an　attempt　with　his　handful　of　men　to　oppose　an　immense　army　was　represented　to　him　with　such　force　as　to　induce　him　to　abandon　the　idea；　he　then　thought　of　throwing　himself　into　Alhama　to　share　the　fortunes　of　his　friend；　but　it　was　now　too　late。　　The　Moor　would　infallibly　intercept　him；　and　he　should　only　give　the　marques　the　additional　distress　of　beholding　him　captured　beneath　his　walls。　　It　was　even　urged　upon　him　that　he　had　no　time　for　delay　if　he　would　consult　his　own　safety；　which　could　only　be　ensured　by　an　immediate　retreat　into　the　Christian　territory。　　This　last　opinion　was　confirmed　by　the　return　of　scouts；　who　brought　information　that　Muley　Abul　Hassan　had　received　notice　of　his　movements；　and　was　rapidly　advancing　in　quest　of　him。　　It　was　with　infinite　reluctance　that　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar　yielded　to　these　united　and　powerful　reasons。　　Proudly　and　sullenly　he　drew　off　his　forces；　laden　with　the　baggage　of　the　army；　and　made　an　unwilling　retreat　toward　Antiquera。　　Muley　Abul　Hassan　pursued　him　for　some　distance　through　the　mountains；　but　soon　gave　up　the　chase　and　turned　with　his　forces　upon　Alhama。
  As　the　army　approached　the　town　they　beheld　the　fields　strewn　with　the　dead　bodies　of　their　countrymen；　who　had　fallen　in　defence　of　the　place；　and　had　been　cast　forth　and　left　unburied　by　the　Christians。　　There　they　lay；　mangled　and　exposed　to　every　indignity；　while　droves　of　half…famished　dogs　were　preying　upon　them　and　fighting　and　howling　over　their　hideous　repast。*　　Furious　at　the　sight；　the　Moors；　in　the　first　transports　of　their　rage；　attacked　those　ravenous　animals：　their　next　measure　was　to　vent　their　fury　upon　the　Christians。　　They　rushed　like　madmen　to　the　walls；　applied　scaling…ladders　in　all　parts　without　waiting　for　the　necessary　mantelets　and　other　protections　thinking　by　attacking　suddenly　and　at　various　points　to　distract　the　enemy　and　overcome　them　by　the　force　of　numbers。
  *Pulgar；　Cronica。
  The　marques　of　Cadiz；　with　his　confederate　commanders；　distributed　themselves　along　the　walls　to　direct　and　animate　their　men　in　the　defence。　　The　Moors　in　their　blind　fury　often　assailed　the　most　difficult　and　dangerous　places。　　Darts；　stones；　and　all　kinds　of　missiles　were　hurled　down　upon　their　defenceless　heads。　　As　fast　as　they　mounted　they　were　cut　down　or　dashed　from　the　battlements；　their　ladders　overturned；　and　all　who　were　on　them　precipitated　headlong　below。
  Muley　Abul　Hassan　stormed　with　passion　at　the　sight：　he　sent　detachment　after　detachment　to　scale　the　walls；　but　in　vain；　they　were　like　waves　rushing　upon　a　rock；　only　to　dash　themselves　to　pieces。　　The　Moors　lay　in　heaps　beneath　the　wall；　and　among　them　many　of　the　bravest　cavaliers　of　Granada。　　The　Christians　also　sallied　frequently　from　the　gates；　and　made　great　havoc　in　the　irregular　multitude　of　assailants。
  Muley　Abul　Hassan　now　became　sensible　of　his　error　in　hurrying　from　Granada　without　the　proper　engines　for　a　siege。　　Destitute　of　all　means　to　batter　the　fortifications；　the　town　remained　uninjured；　defying　the　mighty　army　which　raged　and　roamed　before　it。　　Incensed　at　being　thus　foiled；　Muley　Abul　Hassan　gave　orders　to　undermine　the　walls。　　The　Moors　advanced　with　shouts　to　the　attempt。　　They　were　received　with　a　deadly　fire　from　the　ramparts；　which　drove　them　from　their　works。　Repeatedly　were　they　repulsed；　and　repeatedly　did　they　return　to　the　charge。　　The　Christians　not　merely　galled　them　from　the　battlements；　but　issued　forth　and　cut　them　down　in　the　excavations　they　were　attempting　to　form。　　The　contest　lasted　throughout　a　whole　day；　and　by　evening　two　thousand　Moors　were　either　killed　or　wounded。
  Muley　Abul　Hassan　now　abandoned　all　hope　of　carrying　the　place　by　assault；　and　attempted　to　distress　it　into　terms　by　turning　the　channel　of　the　river　which　runs　by　its　walls。　　On　this　stream　the　inhabitants　depended　for　their　supply　of　water；　the　place　being　destitute　of　fountains　and　cisterns；　from　which　circumstance　it　is　called　Alhama　〃la　seca；〃　or　〃the　dry。〃
  A　desperate　conflict　ensued　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　the　Moors　endeavoring　to　plant　palisades　in　its　bed　to　divert　the　stream；　and　the　Christians　striving　to　prevent　them。　　The　Spanish　command