King of Castile, Alphonso _the Avenger_,
as he was surnamed, took the field against Ismael, and several times
gave battle to the followers of the Crescent. Then joining his forces
to those of another Infant named Don Juan, the two friends carried fire
and sword to the very ramparts of Grenada. The infidel warriors did
not venture to sally from their walls to repel the invaders; but when,
loaded with booty, the Christians had commenced their return to
Castile; Ismael followed on their route with his army, and, soon
overtaking his ruthless foes, fell suddenly upon their rear. It was
now the 26th of June,[10] and the time chosen by the Mussulmans for the
attack was the hottest hour of a {152} burning day. The two Spanish
princes made such violent efforts to reorganize their scattered bands
and to recover their lost authority, that, exhausted at last by thirst
and fatigue, they both fell dead without having received a wound.

The dismayed and exhausted Spaniards could now no longer offer any
resistance to their furious enemies. They betook themselves to flight,
leaving their baggage, with the bodies of the two unfortunate Infants,
on the field of battle. Ismael caused the remains of these princes to
be conveyed to Grenada and deposited in coffins covered with cloth of
gold: he then restored them to the Castilians, after having bestowed on
them the most distinguished funeral honours.[11]

This victory was rapidly followed by the conquest of several cities and
the establishment of an honourable truce. But Ismael did not live to
enjoy the fruits of his success: being enamoured of a young Spanish
captive, who had fallen, in the division of the spoils, to the share of
one of his officers, the king so far forgot the laws of justice and
honour as to possess himself {153} by force of the beautiful slave.
Such an insult among the followers of Islam can only be expiated by
blood: the monarch was assassinated by his exasperated officer. His
son Mohammed V. mounted the throne in his stead, A.D. 1322, Heg. 722.

The reign of Mohammed V. and that of his successor Joseph I., both of
whom perished in the same manner (being murdered in their palace),
present nothing during thirty years but an unbroken series of ravages,
seditions, and combats.

At the request of the Grenadians, Abil-Hassan, king of Morocco, of the
dynasty of the _Merinis_, landed in Spain at the head of innumerable
troops, with whom he joined the army of Joseph.