linquished　Spain　as　a　country　where　they　could　no　longer　live　in　security　and　independence；　and　departed　with　their　families　for　Africa；　such　as　remained　were　suffered　to　live　in　villages　and　hamlets　and　other　unwalled　places。*
  *Garibay；　lib。　13；　cap。　39；　Pulgar；　part　3；　cap。　132。
  While　Ferdinand　was　thus　occupied　at　Guadix；　dispensing　justice　and　mercy　and　receiving　cities　in　exchange；　the　old　monarch；　Muley　Abdallah；　surnamed　El　Zagal；　appeared　before　him。　　He　was　haggard　with　care　and　almost　crazed　with　passion。　　He　had　found　his　little　territory　of　Andarax　and　his　two　thousand　subjects　as　difficult　to　govern　as　had　been　the　distracted　kingdom　of　Granada。　　The　charm　which　had　bound　the　Moors　to　him　was　broken　when　he　appeared　in　arms　under　the　banner　of　Ferdinand。　　He　had　returned　from　his　inglorious　campaign　with　his　petty　army　of　two　hundred　men；　followed　by　the　execrations　of　the　people　of　Granada　and　the　secret　repining　of　those　he　had　led　into　the　field。　　No　sooner　had　his　subjects　heard　of　the　successes　of　Boabdil　el　Chico　than　they　had　seized　their　arms；　assembled　tumultuously；　declared　for　the　young　monarch；　and　threatened　the　life　of　El　Zagal。*　　The　unfortunate　old　king　had　with　difficulty　evaded　their　fury；　and　this　last　lesson　seemed　entirely　to　have　cured　him　of　his　passion　for　sovereignty。　　He　now　entreated　Ferdinand　to　purchase　the　towns　and　castles　and　other　possessions　which　had　been　granted　to　him；　offering　them　at　a　low　rate；　and　begging　safe　passage　for　himself　and　his　followers　to　Africa。　　King　Ferdinand　graciously　complied　with　his　wishes。　　He　purchased　of　him　three…and…twenty　towns　and　villages　in　the　valleys　of　Andarax　and　Alhaurin；　for　which　he　gave　him　five　millions　of　maravedis。　　El　Zagal　relinquished　his　right　to　one…half　of　the　salinas　or　salt…pits　of　Malaha　in　favor　of　his　brother…in…law；　Cid　Hiaya。　　Having　thus　disposed　of　his　petty　empire　and　possessions；　he　packed　up　all　his　treasure；　of　which　he　had　a　great　amount；　and；　followed　by　many　Moorish　families；　passed　over　to　Africa。**
  *Cura　de　los　Palacios；　cap。　97。
  **Conde；　part　4；　cap。　41。
  And　here　let　us　cast　an　eye　beyond　the　present　period　of　our　chronicle；　and　trace　the　remaining　career　of　El　Zagal。　　His　short　and　turbulent　reign　and　disastrous　end　would　afford　a　wholesome　lesson　to　unprincipled　ambition；　were　not　all　ambition　of　the　kind　fated　to　be　blind　to　precept　and　example。　　When　he　arrived　in　Africa；　instead　of　meeting　with　kindness　and　sympathy；　he　was　seized　and　thrown　into　prison　by　the　caliph　of　Fez；　Benimerin；　as　though　he　had　been　his　vassal。　　He　was　accused　of　being　the　cause　of　the　dissensions　and　downfall　of　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　and；　the　accusation　being　proved　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　king　of　Fez；　he　condemned　the　unhappy　El　Zagal　to　perpetual　darkness。　　A　basin　of　glowing　copper　was　passed　before　his　eyes；　which　effectually　destroyed　his　sight。　　His　wealth；　which　had　probably　been　the　secret　cause　of　these　cruel　measures；　was　confiscated　and　seized　upon　by　his　oppressor；　and　El　Zagal　was　thrust　forth；　blind；　helpless；　and　destitute；　upon　the　world。　　In　this　wretched　condition　the　late　Moorish　monarch　groped　his　way　through　the　regions　of　Tingitania　until　he　reached　the　city　of　Velez　de　la　Gomera。　　The　emir　of　Velez　had　formerly　been　his　ally；　and　felt　some　movement　of　compassion　at　his　present　altered　and　abject　state。　　He　gave　him　food　and　raiment　and　suffered　him　to　remain　unmolested　in　his　dominions。　　Death；　which　so　often　hurries　off　the　prosperous　and　happy　from　the　midst　of　untasted　pleasures；　spares；　on　the　other　hand；　the　miserable　to　drain　the　last　drop　of　his　cup　of　bitterness。　　El　Zagal　dragged　out　a　wretched　existence　of　many　years　in　the　city　of　Velez。　　He　wandered　about　blind　and　disconsolate；　an　object　of　mingled　scorn　and　pity；　and　bearing　above　his　raiment　a　parchment　on　which　was　written　in　Arabic；　〃This　is　the　unfortunate　king　of　Andalusia。〃*
  *Marmol；　De　Rebelione　Maur。；　lib。　1；　cap。　16；　Padraza；　Hist。　　Granad。；　part　3；　c。　4；　Suarez；　Hist。　Obisp。　de　Guadix　y　Baza；　　cap。　10。
  CHAPTER　XC。
  PREPARATIONS　OF　GRANADA　FOR　A　DESPERATE　DEFENCE。
  How　is　thy　strength　departed；　O　Granada！　how　is　thy　beauty　withered　and　despoiled；　O　city　of　groves　and　fountains！　　The　commerce　that　once　thronged　thy　streets　is　at　an　end；　the　merchant　no　longer　hastens　to　thy　gates　with　the　luxuries　of　foreign　lands。　　The　cities　which　once　paid　thee　tribute　are　wrested　from　thy　sway；　the　chivalry　which　filled　thy　Vivarrambla　with　sumptuous　pageantry　have　fallen　in　many　battles。　　The　Alhambra　still　rears　its　ruddy　towers　from　the　midst　of　groves；　but　melancholy　reigns　in　its　marble　halls；　and　the　monarch　looks　down　from　his　lofty　balconies　upon　a　naked　waste　where　once　extended　the　blooming　glories　of　the　Vega！
  Such　is　the　lament　of　the　Moorish　writers　over　the　lamentable　state　of　Granada；　now　a　mere　phantom　of　former　greatness。　　The　two　ravages　of　the　Vega；　following　so　closely　upon　each　other；　had　swept　off　all　the　produce　of　the　year；　and　the　husbandman　had　no　longer　the　heart　to　till　the　field；　seeing　the　ripening　harvest　only　brought　the　spoiler　to　his　door。
  During　the　winter　season　Ferdinand　made　diligent　preparations　for　the　campaign　that　was　to　decide　the　fate　of　Granada。　　As　this　war　was　waged　purely　for　the　promotion　of　the　Christian　faith；　he　thought　it　meet　that　its　enemies　should　bear　the　expenses。　　He　levied；　therefore；　a　general　contribution　upon　the　Jews　throughout　his　kingdom　by　synagogues　and　districts；　and　obliged　them　to　render　in　the　proceeds　at　the　city　of　Seville。*
  *Garibay；　lib。　18；　c。　39。
  On　the　11th　of　April；　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　departed　for　the　Moorish　frontier；　with　the　solemn　determination　to　lay　close　siege　to　Granada　and　never　quit　its　walls　until　they　had　planted　the　standard　of　the　faith　on　the　towers　of　the　Alhambra。　　Many　of　the　nobles　of　the　kingdom；　particularly　those　from　parts　remote　from　the　scene　of　action；　wearied　by　the　toils　of　war　and　foreseeing　that　this　would　be　a　tedious　siege；　requiring　patience　and　vigilance　rather　than　hardy　deeds　of　arms；　contented　themselves　with　sending　their　vassals；　while　they　stayed　at　home　to　attend　to　their　domains。　Many　cities　furnished　soldiers　at　their　cost；　and　the　king　took　the　field　with　an　army　of　forty　thousand　infantry　and　ten　thousand　horse。　　The　principal　captains　who　followed　him　in　this　campaign　were　Roderigo　Ponce　de　Leon；　the　marques　of　Cadiz；　the　master　of　Santiago；　the　marques　of　Villena；　the　counts　of　Tendilla；　Cifuentes；　Cabra；　and　Urena；　and　Don　Alonso　de　Aguilar。
  Queen　Isabella；　accompanied　by　her　son　the　prince　Juan　and　the　princesses　Juana；　Maria；　and　Cathalina；　her　daughters；　proceeded　to　Alcala　la　Real；　the　mountain…fortress　and　stronghold　of　the　count　de　Tendilla。　　Here　she　remained　to　forward　supplies　to　the　army；　and　to　be　ready　to　repair　to　the　camp　whenever　her　presence　might　be　required。
  The　army　of　Ferdinand　poured　into　the　Vega　by　various　defiles　of　the　mountains；　and　on　the　23d　of　April　the　royal　tent　was　pitched　at　a　village　called　Los　Ojos　de　Huescar；　about　a　league　and　a　half　from　Granada。　　At　the　approach　of　this　formidable　force　the　harassed　inhabitants　turned　pale；　and　even　many　of　the　warriors　trembled；　for　they　felt　that　the　last　desperate　struggle　was　at　hand。
  Boabdil　el　Chico　assembled　his　council　in　the　Alhambra；　from　the　windows　of　which　they　could　behold　the　Christian　squadrons　glistening　through　clouds　of　dust　as　they　poured　along　the　Vega。　The　utmost　confusion　and　consternation　reigned　in　the　council。　　Many　of　the　members；　terrified　with　the　horrors　impending　over　their　families；　advised　Boabdil　to　throw　himself　upon　the　generosity　of　the　Christian　monarch：　even　several　of　the　bravest　suggested　the　possibility　of　obtaining　honorable　terms。
  The　wazir　of　the　city；　Abul　Casim　Abdel　Melic　was　called　upon　to　report　the　state　of　the　public　means　for　sustenance　and　defence。　There　were　sufficient　provisions；　he　said；　for　a　few　months'　supply；　independent　of　what　might　exist　in　the　possession　of　merchants　and　other　rich　inhabitants。　　〃But　of　what　avail；〃　said　he；　〃is　a　supply　for　a　few　months　against　the　sieges　of　the　Castilian　monarch；　which　are　interminable？〃
  He　produced　also　the　lists　of　men　capable　of　bearing　arms。　　〃The　number；〃　said　he；　〃is　great；　but　what　can　be　expected　from　mere　citizen　soldiers？　　They　vaunt　and　menace　in　time　of　safety；　none　are　so　arrogant　when　the　enemy　is　at　a　distance；　but　when　the　din　of　war　thunders　at　the　gates　they　hide　themselves　in　terror。〃
  When　Muza　heard　these　words　he　rose　with　generous　warmth。　〃What　reason　have　we；〃　said　he；　〃to　despair？　　The　blood　of　those　illustrious　Moors；　the　conquerors　of　Spain；　still　flows　in　our　veins。　Let　us　be　true　to　ourselves；　and　fortune　will　again　be　with　us。　We　have　a　veteran　force；　both　horse　and　foot；　the　flower　of　our　chivalry；　seasoned　in　war　and　scarred　in　a　thousand　battles。　　As　to　the　multitude　of　our　citizens；　spoken　of　so　slightly；　why　should　we　doubt　their　valor？　　There　are　twenty　thousand　young　men；　in　the　fire　of　youth；　whom　I　will　engage　that　in　the　defence　of　their　homes　they　will　rival　the　most　valiant　veterans。　　Do　we　want　provisions？　　Our　horses　are　fleet　and　our　horsemen　dar