how little he was qualified to
wield them. The place stood out for several months, and did not
surrender until the Emperor had sustained a heavy loss, nor until the
season was too far advanced to permit any advantage to be derived from
this partial success. By suspending the execution of his great design
until the following season, he allowed Alfonso time to prepare for the
contest. The following June, the kings of Leon and Castile having
assembled at Toledo, and been joined by a considerable number of foreign
volunteers, the Christian army advanced toward the south. That of the
infidels lay in the neighborhood of Baeza, and extended to the Sierra
Morena.

On July 12th, A.H. 608, the crusaders reached the mountainous chain
which divides New Castile from Andalusia. They found not only the
passes, but the summits of the mountains, occupied by the Almohades. To
force a passage was impossible; and they even deliberated on retreating,
so as to draw out, if possible, the enemy from positions so formidable,
when a shepherd entered the camp of Alfonso and proposed to conduct the
Christian army, by a path unknown to both armies, to the summit of this
elevated chain--by a path, too, which would be invisible to the enemy's
outposts. A few companies having accompanied the man and found him
equally faithful and well informed, the whole army silently ascended and
intrenched themselves on the summit, the level of which was extensive
enough to contain them all. Below appeared the wide-spread tents of the
Moslems, whose surprise was great on perceiving the heights thus
occupied by the crusaders. For two days the latter, whose fatigues had
been harassing, kept their position; but on the third day they descended
into the plains of Tolosa, which were about to be immortalized by their
valor. Their right wing was led by the King of Navarre, their left by
the King of Aragon, while Alfonso took his station in the centre.
Mahomet had drawn up his army in a similar manner; but, with a strong
body of reserve, he occupied an elevation well defended besides by vast
iron chains, which surrounded his impenetrable guard.[37] In one hand he
held a useless scimitar, in the other the _Koran_. The attack was made
by the Christian centre against that of the Mahometans; and immediately
the two wings moved against those of the enemy. The African centre,
which consisted of the one hundred and sixty thousand volunteers, made a
determined stand; and though it w