to swear allegiance to him and became his followers in their own despite.

One of the earliest cares of Alcasim was to command a rigid investigation to be made into the cause of his brother's death. The Sclavonians who had served him in his bath were subjected to unheard-of tortures, and in the midst of these they confessed that they had murdered the king to satisfy the vengeance of certain among the Alameries and others, whom the cruelties of Aly Ben Hamud had made his enemies.

And now, although these Sclavonians did not name any particular person, yet Alcasim Ben Hamud caused many of the nobles to be put to death without any other proof of guilt than the presumption that they were his brother's enemies, arising from the fact that he had punished or put to death other nobles who were their kinsmen.

All men now feared Alcasim, and trembled in his presence, the principal families of the city being those most heavily oppressed. Many cavaliers fled the capital, and passed over to King Abderahman Almortadi, insomuch that the vengeance taken by Alcasim Ben Hamud enriched the party of his rival by the addition of many powerful nobles to his banners. The reports of certain victories gained by the people of Jaen over the Wali of Granada also came at this time to increase the hopes of those who were attached to the family of Omeya, while they augmented the fears and distrust of the followers of the Hamudes in equal proportion.

When the news of Aly Ben Hamud's death reached Cebta, his son Yahye passed instantly into Spain with such forces as he could collect on the spur of the moment, leaving orders that numerous bands of cavalry should follow him to support what he called his rights; Yahye Ben Aly pretending that the succession to the throne of Spain belonged to him. Now that prince formed a large part of his army from cavalry of the Negros of Sûs, a ferocious people long inured to war; and this body of barbarian youth had departed from Africa, swearing to crown their leader in Cordova, or to die fighting in his cause. With these troops came many valiant Moorish and Alara

bian generals, who promised Yahye Ben Aly the victory over his enemies with infinite confidence.

The known bravery of his nephew Yahye, the superior justice of his pretensions, and the large body of cavalry and men of Barbary, which he was persuaded that youth could command, gave Aleasim Ben Hamud much cause to fear. Assembling his troops, nevertheless, he departed from Cordova with the resolve to oppose that force, and proceeded towards Malaga. But when he approached the city, Aly was informed that his nephew had already obtained possession of the same. Nor were the negroes idle on their part made aware of Alcasim's approach, they sallied forth to meet him, when several battles were fought with equal bravery on both sides, and nearly equal fortune. But at this time Alcasim received fatal intelligence from his people in the Alpujarras, who were daily suffering defeats at the hands of King Abderahman's generals; whereupon the uncle and nephew, seeing that while they were mutually destroying each other, they were rendering the enterprises of their enemies more easy and effectual, agreed to enter into a convention, with the hope of securing the sovereignty in their family, and for the more successful opposition of the rival to their house. It was thus decided, but not without a certain degree of falsehood and evil purpose on both sides, that Yahye Ben Aly should have a share in the government of the kingdom, and should even occupy the city of Cordova, while his uncle Alcasim, with the people of Seville, Algezira, and Malaga, reinforced by a part of Yahye Ben Aly's Cavalry, should carry on the war against King Abderahman Almortadi; it was furthermore agreed that at the termination of the struggle the two kinsmen should rule the realm of Spain conjointly, with a just and equitable government, dividing the power amicably between them.

These conditions were concluded in the year 412; whereupon, having just sent a portion of his troops to El Sanhagi and the Wali of Granada, in the hope of enabling them to maintain themselves against Abderahman Almortadi, Alcasim Ben Hamud proceeded to Malaga, whither he had sent the corpse of his brother Aly, with the intention of causing it to be shipped thence to Cebta, where he pro

posed to have it buried. All things being disposed for the fulfilment of that purpose, the body was embalmed, and being landed at Cebta, was there interred with great pomp, the sepulchre of Aly Ben Hamud being a beautiful mosque which he had himself erected on the Plaza or public square of the Lana.

CHAP. CXIII.—OF YAHYE BEN ALY.

WHILE Alcasim was thus employed with the funeral solemnities of his brother Aly, in Cebta, his nephew Yahye had entered Cordova with his guard, composed of the Moors of Sûs. The people of the city, abhorring his uncle Alcasim, received him with demonstrations of gladness, calling him their lord and king; they gave him the title of El Moateli; and Yahye, allowing himself to be borne along on the current of popular favour, caused the oath of obedience and fidelity to his person to be taken without delay.

The Moors of his guard were much rejoiced at finding their promises thus easily fulfilled; and the new King Yahye Ben Aly declared that his uncle Alcasim Ben Hamud had no right whatever to the throne of Spain, nor could put forth any just claim to a portion in the government, save only that which he, as sovereign, might be pleased to impart. The Xeques, Viziers, and Alchatibes, who were present at this declaration, affirmed the justice of the same, and offered the young monarch their arms and services to maintain him in his state and sovereignty without condition or exception.

While all these things were passing in Cordova, the followers of King Abderahman Almortadi were continuing the war against Manzor of Sanhaga, who did not venture to descend from the mountains, restricting himself to unexpected incursions, which he made from the clefts and asperities of his strongholds in the rocks, when he poured his troops hastily over the Comarcas of Jaen, so far as Guadix or Baza, and withdrew them as hastily, after he had ravaged the district, to the no small suffering of the people.

But the partizans of Abderahman would fain have had him quit that mountain warfare, and advance with all his forces upon Cordova or Toledo, where they believed that he would unite all the banners of Spain under his own command: there were, nevertheless, many among the Alameries who desired that the king should rather finish in the first instance with Gilfeya and Manzor of Sanhaga, who were cruelly devastating their country. Abderahman was on his part very anxious to march on Cordova or Toledo; but, not wishing to displease any of his followers, he first laboured to compel Manzor and Gilfeya to a pitched battle. He divided his forces into three parts, maintaining the Vegas or level plains of the Xenil with two of them, and despatching the third, which was composed of the troops of Jaen and Somontan, with directions to seek and bring to battle the general Gilfeya and the lord of Sanhaga.

Alcasim Ben Hamud had meanwhile returned to Malaga, and being made acquainted with the perfidy of his nephew, he wrote to his generals Gilfeya and Manzor, commanding them to abandon that war of Jaen, if it appeared likely to detain them much longer, and direct their forces on Cordova, there to assist him in compelling his nephew Yahye to the fulfilment of the conditions which he had offered to the brother of his father. Alcasim Ben Hamud then assembled his own cavalry, with the people of Malaga and Algezira Alhadra, accompanied by whom he proceeded towards Cordova.

When the approach of Alcasim was made known to his nephew, Yahye Ben Aly determined to leave the city, seeing that to the powerful army brought against him he could only oppose the force of his brave Moorish guard, and even of that body a certain portion had been sent to the Alpurjarras he therefore considered it more prudent to avoid than to dare the combat, and departed from Cordova accordingly, taking unfrequented roads. Yahye then continued his march until he reached Algezira Alhadra, where he arrived at the close of the moon Dylcada, in the year 413. Having fortified himself in that city as he best might, he sent to Africa for a reinforcement of troops, and determined to wait the event.

Alcasim then made his entry into Cordova without having met with the slightest resistance; but none of the principal inhabitants went forth to receive him, and he was met only by some few of the populace;—a circumstance by which he was much displeased, and which clearly proved to him that the capital was not well-affected towards his authority. He at once commenced an enquiry, by which he learned the names of such principal men among the Sclavonians as were most zealous in the cause of his nephew, and ordered that certain of these, as well as others belonging to the palace, should be put to the torture; when, as the number he suspected was great, so the sufferings he inflicted were many as well as grievous. These cruelties caused Alcasim Ben Hamud to be more than ever abhorred; and the more important of the nobles, perceiving that he had sent the greater part of his troops to the aid of Gilfeya, as a man who thought he had no cause to fear, began to enter into a conspiracy against him. With all the secrecy required, and taking care to let no trace of their real purpose appear, they contrived to gain over large numbers of the people, among whom they expended vast sums of money, distributing arms also to such of the citizens as they permitted to partake to a certain extent of their confidence, but concealing their ultimate end from all.

Towards midnight, therefore, that being the point of time which they had selected, they made a sudden attack on the Alcazar, where the guards defended the place so bravely, that the confederates, after fighting all night, were still unable to make themselves masters of the palace; but they obtained possession of all the gates and forts of the city, which the revolted inhabitants at once occupied with the partizans of the conspiring nobles. They caused the Alcazar likewise to be closely surrounded by a large body of cross-bow men, so that none could enter or leave the palace but with their permission. That siege endured some fifty days, and the provisions of those within the Alcazar being exhausted, while they had no hope of succour from without, King Alcasim and his guards determined to sally forth against the armed multitude besieging the walls, within which they must otherwise perish by starvation. The hope of the King was, that by a sudden onslaught he might succeed in cutting a