when he became king, by the death of Sancho, that he gave him part of his treasures, and they shed tears, it is said, at parting. But the spirit of those times made every thing lawful against infidels, and even meritorious. Several Moorish princes went out of the city to reproach Alphonso with his ingratitude, and many remarkable combats were fought under the walls.

A. D. 1085.

This siege lasted a whole year; at the end of which Toledo capitulated; on condition that the Moors should enjoy their religion and laws, and suffer no injury in their persons or property2. All New Castile, in a short time, yielded to the Cid, who took possession of it in the name of Alphonso; and Madrid, a small place, which was one day to become the capital of Spain, fell into the hands of the Christians.

Immediately after the reduction of Toledo, Alphonso called an assembly of bishops, who, without the concurrence of the people, formerly thought necessary, promoted a priest named Bernard to the bishopric of that city; and Pope Urban II. at the king's request, made him primate of Spain. The king and the pope were also anxious to establish the Roman liturgy and ritual in place of the Gothic, or Musarabic, hitherto in use. The Spaniards contended zealously for the ritual of their ancestors: the pope urged them to receive that which he had given his infallible sanction: a violent squabble arose; and, to the disgrace of human reason, a religious opinion was referred to the decision of the sword. Two knights accordingly entered the lists in complete armour. The Musarabic champion was victorious; but the king and the archbishop had influence enough to get a new trial appointed, though contrary to all the laws of combat. The next appeal was to God by fire. A fire being prepared for that purpose, a copy of each liturgy was cast into the flames. The fire, most likely, respected neither; but authority prevailed. The Roman liturgy was ordered

2. Rod. Tolet. de Reb. Hist. Mariana, ubi sup. Ferreras, Hist. d'Espana.

to

to be received; yet some churches were permitted to retain the Musarabic3.

Alphonso, either from policy or inclination, augmented the dominions which he had acquired through the valour of the Cid, by marrying Zaid, daughter of Abenhabet, the Mahometan king of Seville, with whom he received several towns in dowry: and he is reproached with having, in conjunction with his father-in-law, invited the Miramolin of Africa into Spain. But be that as it may, the Miramolin came; and, instead of assisting, as was expected, the king of Seville, in reducing the petty Moorish princes, he turned his arms against Abenhabet, took the city of Seville, and became a dangerous neighbour to Alphonso*.

A. D. 1097.

In the mean time the Cid, at the head of his army of knights, subdued the kingdom of Valentia. Few kings in Spain were, at that time, so powerful as he; yet he never assumed the regal title, but continued. faithful to his master Alphonso. He governed Valentia, however, with all the authority of a sovereign, receiving ambassadors, and being treated with the highest respect by all nations. After his death, which happened in 1096, the kings of Castile and Arragon continued their wars against the infidels; and Spain was more drenched in blood than ever, and more desolated.

Alphonso, surnamed the Battle-giver, king of Na

varre and Arragon, took Saragossa from the A. D. 1118. Moors; and that city, which afterwards became the capital of the kingdom of Arragon, never again returned under the dominion of the infidels. He was continually at war either with the Christians or Mahometans; and the latter gained a complete victory over him, which mortified him so much, that he died of chagrin, leaving his kingdom, by will, to the Knights Templars. This was bequeathing a civil war as his last legacy. The testament was esteemed

A. D. 1134.

3. Id. ibid.

4. Rod. Tolet, de, Reb. Hisp.

valid; but fortunately these knights were not in a condition to enforce it; and the states of Arragon chose for their king Garcias Remiero, brother to the deceased monarch. He had led a monastic life for upwards of forty years, and proved incapable of governing.

The people of Navarre therefore chose another king, descended from their ancient monarchs; and, by this division, both these states became a prey to the Moors. They were saved by the timely assistance of Alphonso VII. king of Castile; who had obtained many victories over the infidels, and in return for his protection received the city of Saragossa from the Arragonese, and the homage of the king of Navarre. This success so much elated Alphonso, that he assumed the title of emperor of Spains.

Alphonso Henriquez, count of Portugal, received about this time the title of king from his soldiers, after a victory obtained over the Moors; and he took Lisbon from them by the assistance of the crusaders, as has been already mentioned. On this occasion pope A. D. 1147. Alexander III. steady to the policy of his predecessors, took advantage of the papal maxim, That all countries conquered from the infidels belong to the holy see, to assert his superiority over Portugal; and Alphonso politically allowed him an annual tribute of two marks of gold, on receiving a bull from Rome confirming his regal dignity, and his infallible right to that territory.

A. D. 1179.

A very few efforts would now have been sufficient to have driven the Moors entirely out of Spain; but for that purpose it was necessary that the Spanish Christians should be united among themselves, whereas they were unhappily engaged in perpetual wars one with another. They united, however, at length, from a sense of common danger, and also implored the assistance of the other Christian princes of Europe.

5. Id. ibid.

A. D. 1211.

6. Neufville, Hist. Gen. de Port.

Mahomet

A. D. 1212.

Mahomet Ben Joseph, Miramolin of Africa, having crossed the sea with an army of near one hundred thousand men, and being joined by the Moors in Andalusia, assured himself of making an entire conquest of Spain. The rumour of this great armament roused the attention of the whole European continent. Many adventurers came from all quarters. To these the kings of Castile, Arragon, and Navarre, united their forces: the kingdom of Portugal also furnished a body of troops; and the Christian and Mahometan armies met in the defiles of the Black Mountain, or Sierra Morena, on the borders of Andalusia, and in the province of Toledo. Alphonso the Noble, king of Castile, commanded the centre of the Christian army: the archbishop of Toledo carried the cross before him. The Miramolin occupied the same place in the Moorish army: he was dressed in a rich robe, with the Koran in one hand, and a sabre in the other. The battle was long and obstinately disputed, but at length the Christians prevailed?: and the sixteenth of July, the day on which the victory was gained, is still celebrated in Toledo.

The consequences of this victory, however, were not so great as might have been expected. The Moors of Andalusia were strengthened by the remains of the African army, while that of the Christians was immediately dispersed. Almost all the knights, who had been present at the battle, returned to their respective homes as soon as it was over. But although the Christians seemed thus to neglect their true interest, by allowing the Mahometans time to recruit themselves, the Moors employed that time more to their own hurt than the Christians could, if united against them. All the Moorish states, both in Spain and Africa, were rent in pieces by civil dissentions, and a variety of new sovereigns sprung up, which entirely broke the power of the infidels.

7. Rod. Tolet. de Reb. Hisp.

The

The period seemed therefore arrived, to use the language of that haughty and superstitious nation, marked out by Heaven for the glory of Spain, and the expulsion of the Moors. Ferdinand III. styled by his countrymen St. Ferdinand, took from the infidels the

famous city of Cordova, the residence of A. D. 1236. the first Moorish kings; and James I. of Arragon dispossessed them of the island of Majorca, and A. D. 1238. drove them out of the fine kingdom of Valentia. St. Ferdinand also subdued the province of Murcia, and made himself master of Seville, the most opulent city belonging to the Moors. Death at length put an end to his conquests: and if divine honours are due to those who have been the deliverers of their country, Spain justly reverences the name of Ferdinand III.

A. D. 1248.

A. D. 1252.

Alphonso, surnamed the Astronomer, or the Wise, the son of St. Ferdinand, likewise exalted the glory of Spain; but in a manner very different from that of his father. This prince, who rivalled the Arabians, in the sciences, digested the celebrated Spanish code, called Las Portidas; and under his inspection those astronomical tables were drawn up, which still bear his name, and do honour to his memory. In his old age he saw his son Sancho rebel against him, and was reduced to the disagreeable necessity of leaguing with the Moors against his own blood, and his rebellious Christian

subjects. This was not the first alliance which A. D. 1283, Christians had entered into with Mahometans against Christians; but it was certainly the most excusable.

Alphonso invited to his assistance the Miramolin of Africa, who immediately crossed the sea; and the two monarchs met at Zara, on the confines of Granada. The behaviour and speech of the Miramolin, on this occasion, deserves to be transmitted to the latest posterity. He gave the place of honour to Alphonso at meeting: "I

8. Id. ibid.

"treat