The general history of Spain from the first peopling of it by Tubal, till the death of King Ferdinand, who united the crowns of Castile and Aragon : with a continuation to the death of King Philip III / written in Spanish by the R.F.F. John de Mariana ; to which are added, two supplements, the first by F. Ferdinand Camargo y Salcedo, the other by F. Basil Varen de Soto, bringing it down to the present reign ; the whole translated from the Spanish by Capt. John Stevens.

CHAP. VII. The Death of King Bermudo the Gouty, and beginning of the Reign of D. Alonso the Fifth, King of Leon. Many Troubles among the Moors. The Earl of Castile slain by the Infidels.

AFter the Death of Mahomet, his Son Abdelmelic took upon him the Government of that Kingdom, the same Year his Father dy'd, and continued in that command 6 * 1.1 Years, and 8 Months. From this time forward, the Kingdom of the Moors, which had been supported by the Valour of Mahomet, began visibly to decline. Civil Discord, the Bane of all Empires, and bad Government, were the cause of its decay. Abdelmelic who was more inclinable to Peace than War, took little notice of the first Eruptions of those Tumults, which ought to have been suppressed in their first rise. True it is, immediately after his Father's Death, he entred the Teritories of the Christians, spreading a great Terror, and threw down to the Ground all that had been built since the City Leon was last destroyed. Yet the beginning of this War was more successful to the Moors than the end, for the Earl of Castile falling upon them, put them to flight, and but a small number returned home. This struck so great a terror into those People, that they never attempted to make War again as long as Abdelmelic Ruled. The Joy of this Victory was drowned in the scarcity of Provi∣sions, caused by a great Drought. Gudésteus, Bishop of Oviedo, had been kept three Years * 1.2 in Prison by the King, who was subject to give ear to the whispers of wicked Men. The People, and among them, some of Note said, the Famine was a Judgment of God for the wrong done the Bishop, and that unless Reparation were made him, there was cause to fear a heavy Plague might follow. There was danger of a Mutiny, for the Multitude when they take Religion for their Pretence, sooner obey the Priest than the King, therefore Gudesteus was discharged out of Prison. This same Year of our Lord 999, in which hap'ned the Fa∣mine, was remarkable for the death of King Bermudo, who dy'd of the Gout, with which * 1.3 * 1.4 he had been long troubled, in a Town called Berit. His Body was Interred at Villabuena, or Valbuena, whence 23 Years after, it was translated to the Church of S. John Baptist in Leon. He had two Wives, one called Velasquita, the other Da. Elvira. From the first he was Divorced, rather thro' the Corruption of those times, than for that it was Lawful. By * 1.5 her he had a Daughter, called Christina. By Da. Elvira, he had D. Alonso, and Da. Teresa. Besides, on two Sisters he had to do with in his Youth, he got D. Ordon̄o, Da. Elvira, and Da. Sancha. Christina, the King's eldest Daughter, was Married to D. Ordon̄o, called the Blind,

who was of the Blood Royal; they had Issue, D. Alonso, D. Ordon̄o, D. Pelayo, and Da. Al∣donza, Marry'd to D. Pelayo, called the Deacon, Grandson to King Fruela, by D. Fruela, his Bastard Son. D. Pelayo, and Da. Aldonça, had Issue, Peter, Ordon̄o, Pelayo, Nun̄o and Tere∣sa, from whom descended the Earls of Carrion, Men of great Wisdom and Valour, as will appear in its place. Pelayus Ovetensis, and D. Lucas de Tuy, attribute to King Ber∣mudo that passage of Ataulphus, Bishop of Compostella, and the wild Bull that was let lose a∣gainst him, which was spoken of before. In this particular, I give more Credit to the Hi∣story of Compostella, which relates it as I have done, and it is a sufficient proof of their mi∣staking the time, that about this, there is no Bishop of Compostella, called Ataulphus, to be heard of.

King Bermudo appointed Melendo Gonzalez, Earl of Galicia, and his Wife Da. Mayor, to be Tutors to his Son D. Alonso, the young King, during his Minority. These, because D. * 1.6 Alonso was but 5 Years of Age, by the consent of the Cortes, or Assembly of States, and in pursuance to the Will of the Deceased, Governed the Kingdom with great Prudence and Integrity. The King being of Age, as a Reward of their Fidelity, and to make their Au∣thority the greater, Married their Daughter Da. Elvira, by whom he had D. Bermudo, and Da. Sancha. He Reign'd 29 Years. In the second Year of his Reign, which was of our Lord just 1000. D. Garci Sanchez, the Trembler, King of Navarre, dying, his Son D. Sancho, whom he had by his Wife Da. Ximena, (not Elvira, or Constantia, or Estephania, as some * 1.7 * 1.8 will have it) succeeded in the Throne. This Prince in his Youth was under the Care and Tuition of Sancho, Abbot of S. Salvador de Leyte, who bred him Vertuously, and taught him all that is fit for a Prince to know. He Reigned 34 Years, was so remarkable for his Vertue, that he gained the name of the Greater; and so fortunate, that he got under his Dominion almost all that the Christians possessed in Spain. But it was no good advice to divide it, as he did among his Children, thereby weakning the Forces of the Kingdom. As the two Chri∣stian Kingdoms about this time enjoy'd Peace; so Castile first, and then the Moors fell to War among themselves, both of them by their Civil Broils hast'ning their ruin. D. Sancho Garcia Rebelled against his Father, the Earl D. Garci Fernandez; perhaps, thinking he lived * 1.9 too long, and being impatient to wait the few Years he had to live. Both sides had recourse to Arms, and the Subjects being divided, the strength of that Principality was weakned. The Moors were not ignorant of these Distractions, and therefore resolved to make their ad∣vantage of them. Accordingly they destroyed Avila, that had been Rebuilt not long before. Corun̄a, and Santistevan de Gormaz, in the Territory of Osma, suffered the same fate. The Affairs of the Christians were in great danger, and yet the foreign Danger did not appease their domestick Tumults, only kept them from coming to Blows. Earl Garci Fernandez be∣ing much concerned at the harm the Moors did, with what Force he could gather, went out to meet them. The Fight was bloody, but the Earl having but a small number of Men, was defeated, and himself taken so desperately wounded, that he dy'd in a few days. He * 1.10 Governed Castile about 38 Years, some say 49. was nothing inferior to his Father, and tho' the Enemy had power to take away his Life, the fame of his Actions will last for ever. His Body being Ransom'd for a great Sum of Money, was bury'd in the Monastery of S. Peter de Carden̄a. This unhappy Battle was fought in the Year 1006. The Earl left a Daughter, called Da. Ʋrraca, who was a Nun, in the Monastery of S. Cosmus and Damianus, in the * 1.11 Town of Covarravias. This Monastery was built by the Earl her Father, and endowed with great Revenues, besides many rich Gifts, upon condition, that if any Maid of his Family would not Marry, she should be maintained with the Revenue of that Monastery. D. San∣cho succeeded his Father in the Earldom of Castile, much blemished for Rebelling against him, * 1.12 and having thereby been the cause of his death. In all other respects he was good and ver∣tuous, and had very commendable parts. About the same time dy'd at Cordova, the Alhagib, or Viceroy Abdelmelic. Abderhaman, a base, and cowardly Fellow, in scorn, called Sanci∣olo, succeeded him. But he dying within 5 Months, Mohomet Almahudi, who, I suppose, was of the Race of the Abenhumeyas, by force of Arms possessed himself of King Hissem, who being given wholly to his pleasure, was only supported by others. Mahomet gave out he had killed the King, Beheading one like him, and keeping him privately, to make use of him, if * 1.13 needful. A Kinsman of Hissem's, called Zulema, came over out of Africk, who gathering what Forces he could, and joyning with those of D. Sancho, Earl of Castile, overthrew the Tyrant in Battle, near Cordova. In this Battle were slain 35000 Moors, which was the very Flower and Strength of that Kingdom; so that for the future, they decayed the more sen∣sibly. * 1.14 D. Sancho gave great Tokens of his Courage and Conduct, and was the principal In∣strument of gaining the Battle. After the Fight, Mahomet shut himself up in the City, and as he had designed, against the greatest danger, took out Hissem from the place where he had kept him Prisoner. Being brought out to the People, he advised them to prefer their own natural Lord before a Stranger. But the People for fear of the Victor, giving no ear to his words, he was forced to fly to Toledo, carrying Hissem with him, or else hiding him again. Almario was Alhagib, or Viceroy to Mahomet, who to strengthen his Party against the Ene∣my, and obtain aid of the Christians, went into Catalonia, where he made great offers, and proposed mighty advantages to those Princes, if they would assist him. D. Ramon, Earl of * 1.15 Barcelona, and Armengol of Ʋrgel, at the persuasion of this Infidel, joyned their Forces to

those Mahomet had gather'd in and about Toledo. They all made up 9000 Christians, and 34000 Moors. Near Acanatalbacar the two Armies met, and ingag'd with such fury, that both left Wings were Victorious, and both the right put to flight. The Bishops Arnulphus of Vique, Aecius of Barcelona, and Otho of Girona, were here kill'd; a shame that such Men should be seen in Arms for the Moors. Besides, the Earl of Ʋrgel was slain. Mahomet, by his own Valour, retriev'd the Victory. Zulema seeing himself thus vanquish'd fled first to Açafra, and not thinking that place secure, went farther off. All this was in the Year of our Lord 1010. * 1.16

Notes

• * 1.1

  Decay of the Moor∣ish King∣dom.
• * 1.2

  Famine look'd up∣on as a Judgment for impri∣sonment of a Bi∣shop.
• * 1.3

  999.
• * 1.4

  King Ber∣mudo's death.
• * 1.5

  His Wives and Issue.
• * 1.6

  King A∣lonso un∣der the Tuition of the Earl of Galicia & his Wife.
• * 1.7

  1000.
• * 1.8

  Sancho, K. of Navarre
• * 1.9

  The Earl of Castile's Son re∣bells a∣gainst his Father.
• * 1.10

  Earl of Castile kil∣led by the Moors.
• * 1.11

  1006.
• * 1.12

  Sancho suc∣ceeds in the Earl∣dom of Castile.
• * 1.13

  Mahomet usurps & shuts up Hissem.
• * 1.14

  Is over∣thrown, and 35000 of his Men slain.
• * 1.15

  Roman Earl of Barcelo∣no.
• * 1.16

  1010.