bra, Sanctaren, Lisbon, and Sintria. He also raised some forces for the defence of his tributary, the king of Huesca; but these were eventually defeated by Don Pedro, king of Arragon, and the Moorish principality of Huesca was subverted. A. D. 1094. Upon the demise of Donna Bertha, the king gave his natural daughter, Theresa, to Henry Besançon, together with all his recent conquests in Portugal; and, after continuing a widower for about two years, he espoused the princess Zaide (daughter of Mohammed Aben Habet, king of Seville), who was esteemed the most beautiful lady of that age, and who cheerfully consented to change her religion, on condition of being raised to the throne of Leon and Castile. This alliance proved extremely unfortunate for the Spanish Christians; for, the kings of Leon and Seville having invited Joseph, king of Barbary, to assist them in the reduction of all the Moorish principalities in Spain, that subtle prince made himself master of Seville, Granada, Almeria, and Murcia; defeated a numerous body of troops under the command of Don Garcia de Cabra; and subdued the greatest part of Andalusia. He then returned with a prodigious number of captives to Morocco, and sent over such powerful reinforcements to his subjects whom he had left in Spain, that one of his generals actually invested Toledo, and compelled Alphonso to retire into his hereditary dominions. This audacious attempt was, indeed, frustrated by the vigilance of Alphonso's troops; but the infidels still retained an impor tant post on the frontiers, whence they might renew renew their incursions upon any favourable opportunity. Upon the demise of Don Rodrigo, surnamed the Cid, or lord, the Moors hoped to have ef. fected the recovery of Valencia, which had been wrested from them by the gallantry of the deceased warrior; but Alvaro Fanez, the governor, compelled them to retire with considerable loss. However, as the place was preserved with much difficulty and expence, it was afterwards evacuated by the royal command. A. D. Soon after this occurrence, Alphonso lost his fourth consort, whose son, Don 1103. Sancho, was considered as the heir ap parent to all his father's dominions; but, notwithstanding he had now an heir male, the king resolved to enter again into the bands of matrimony, and accordingly espoused a princess of the house of Este, though this measure gave great umbrage to the infanta Urraca, and her husband Don Raymond. Joseph, king of the Almovarides, having accomplished his designs in Africa, made a fresh descent upon Spain, with a more numerous fleet and army than had ever appeared in that kingdom. Having united his troops, and made all the necessary arrangements, he marched toward the capital, and gained a bloody victory over the Spaniards, who attempted to arrest his pro This fatal engagement, in gress at Uclea. which the young prince, Don Sancho, and his governor were massacred, was the most afflictive reverse of fortune that the Christians had sustained since the demolition of Leon. However, the infidels purchased their advantage so dearly, that they deemed it expedient to retire to to their own dominions, and by that means gave the Spaniards leisure to levy fresh troops, and to place a strong garrison in their metropolis. In this melancholy posture of affairs, the king, whose declining years and bodily infirmities disabled him from making any great exertions, directed all his nobles to appear at Leon, and to take an oath of fidelity to the young Alphonso, son of his daughter Urraca, and the king of Arragon. He also gave some judicious directions concerning the protection of his frontiers, and disposed the affairs of Toledo to such advantage, that the inhabitants of that city enjoyed the most profound tranquillity, notwithstanding the languishing condition of their sovereign, and the increasing strength of their warlike enemies. At length, Alphonso VI. submitted to the mortal condition, after he had enjoyed the regal dignity forty-four years from the demise of his father, and thirty-seven from the time of his restoration. He appears to have been one of the most prudent and illustrious characters that ever swayed the Spanish sceptre, and from his death may be dated the numerous calamities of his subjects. Don Alphonso, king of Arragon and Navarre, led a numerous body of troops into Castile, in order to support his claim to the government as the husband of Donna Urraca. This step rendered him extremely unpopular among the Castilians; and his subsequent illtreatment of the queen occasioned such dreadful confusions in the whole kingdom, that recourse was eventually had to hostilities by the opposite parties, and a sanguinary battle was fought fought on the Campo de Espiña, between the adherents of the injured princess and those of her imprudent consort. Victory declared in favour of the king; the cities of Burgos, Valencia, Sahagon, and Leon, were given up to be pillaged; and even the sacred dormitory of the kings of Leon was plundered by the triumphant soldiery. In this sad extremity, the archbishop of Com postella crowned the young prince, Alphonso Raymond, in the cathedral church of St. James, and encouraged Urraca to take refuge in Galicia. The queen cheerfully embraced this proposal, and soon levied a fresh army, which gained some important advantages over the king of Arragon, and compelled him to raise the siege of Astorga, which he had carried on for some time with equal skill and resolution. In the spring of 1114, a council was held at Palentia by the express desire of Urraca, in which the pope's legate declared, that the mar riage of that princess was void and illegal, on account of her consanguinity with Alphonso. By this sentence the king of Arragon's pretensions were totally annihilated; but the troubles of the state were by no means appeased, for the disappointed monarch contrived to raise a formidable rebellion in Galicia. The queen gave great umbrage to many of her nobility, by the ill-timed severity which she exercised upon her son's most zealous partisans, and the Moors made several irruptions in hope of profiting from these intestine commotions. A. D. 1118. Some time after Alphonso Raymond had assumed the reins of government, and made his public entry into Tole do, do, Urraca prevailed on him to assist in reco, vering some places which were still held by the king of Arragon; but she soon took offence at his conduct, and a fresh series of calamities resulted from her violent temper. At length, however, after she had violated many engagements, forfeited the affection of her truest adherents, and proceeded to such extremities as threatened a general rupture, her wild projects were terminated by death, and her remains were interred in the church of St. Isidore, at Leon. A. D. 1126. The king, who must now be distinguished by the title of Alphonso VH. came to Leon within two days after the death of his mother, and was received with every testimony of loyalty by the nobility of Leon, Castile, and Asturias. There were, indeed, some malecontents in the cities of Valencia, Carrion, Burgos, and Villa Franca, that refused to acknowledge his authority, but they were successively reduced to obedience; and before the end of the year, the new monarch found himself in full possession of all his grandfather's dominions, most of them being regained by his victorious arms, or prudent conduct, and the rest being ceded by the king of Arragon in an amicable treaty. As soon as Alphonso had procured the blessings of tranquillity for his subjects, he deemed it expedient to provide for the succession by a prudent marriage, and, accordingly, espoused Donna Berengara, the count of Barcelona's daughter, who was equally famed on account of her personal charms and menal accomplishments. The year following he held a council at ValenVOL. XV, R cia, |
