s by contrary winds, he succeeded
at last in reaching Majorca, on the shore of which island he defeated
the Moorish force that attempted to oppose his landing, and then
marched towards their capital and laid siege to it.

The chivalrous Jacques, who, when danger was to be encountered, always
took precedence of even his bravest officers and most daring soldiers,
was, as usual, the first to mount the walls in the assault upon this
city. It was carried, {113} notwithstanding its great strength, the
Mussulman king driven from the throne, and this new crown permanently
incorporated with that of Aragon, A.D. 1229, Heg. 627.

Jacques had long been meditating a most important conquest. Valencia,
after the death of the Cid, had again fallen into the hands of the
Moors. This beautiful and fertile province, where nature seemed to
delight herself by covering anew with fruit and flowers the soil that
man had so often deluged with blood, was now under the dominion of
Zeith, a brother of Mohammed El Nazir, the African king who was
vanquished at Toloza by the Christians. A powerful faction, inimical
to the power of Zeith, wished to place upon the throne a prince named
Zean. The two competitors appealed to arms to decide their respective
claims. The King of Aragon espoused the cause of Zeith, and, under
pretext of marching to his assistance, advanced into the kingdom of
Valencia, several times defeated Zean, seized upon his strong places,
and, with the active intrepidity that rendered him so formidable a foe,
invested the capital of his enemy, A.D. 1234, Heg. 632.

Thus pressed by the sovereign of Aragon, {114} Zean implored the aid of
Benhoud, the most puissant of the kings of Andalusia. But Benhoud was
at this time occupied in resisting the encroachments of Ferdinand. The
Castilians, under the conduct of that valiant prince, had made new
progress against the Moors. After possessing themselves of a great
number of other cities, they had now laid siege to ancient Cordova.

Benhoud had been often vanquished, but always retained the affections
of a people who regarded him as their last support. He had again
collected an army, and, though possessed with an equally earnest desire
to relieve both Cordova and Valencia, was about to march towards the
latter, from a belief that he was most likely to be there successful,
when his life was treacherously terminated by one of his lieutenants.

The Catholic kings were by this means del