of Aragon, less violent
than the Castilian, but equally unfeeling and even more perfidious,
despoiled one of his brothers of his kingdom, commanded another to be
{158} put to death, and delivered his ancient preceptor to the
executioners. Peter I., king of Portugal, the lover of the celebrated
Inez de Castro,[12] whose ferocity was doubtless excited and increased
by the cruelty that had been exercised against his mistress, tore out
the hearts of the murderers of Inez, and poisoned a sister with whom he
was displeased. Finally, the contemporary King of Navarre was that
Charles the Bad, whose name alone is sufficient still to cause a
shudder. All Spain groaned beneath the iron rule of these monsters of
cruelty, and was inundated by the blood of their victims. If it be
remembered that, at the same time, France had become a prey to the
horrors which followed the imprisonment of King John; that England
witnessed the commencement of the troubled reign of Richard II.; that
Italy was delivered up to the contentions of the rival factions of the
Guelfs and Ghibelines, and beheld two occupants at the same time upon
the papal throne; that two emperors disputed the right to the imperial
crown of Germany; and that Timurlane ravaged Asia from the territories
of the Usheks to the borders of India, it will not be disputed {159}
that the history of the world records the annals of no more unhappy
epoch in its affairs.

Grenada was at last tranquil after the crime of Peter the Cruel.
Mohammed the Old, or the Farady, being now freed from the rival claims
of his competitor, remounted the throne without opposition.

Mohammed was the only ally of the King of Castile who remained faithful
to that inhuman monster up to the period of his death. Peter was at
last the victim of a crime similar to those of which he had so often
himself been guilty: his illegitimate brother, Henry de Transtamare,
deprived him of his crown and his life, A.D. 1369, Heg. 771.

The King of Grenada made peace with the new sovereign of Castile,
maintained it for several years, and finally left his kingdom in a
flourishing condition to his son Mohammed VIII., Abouhadjad, called by
the Spanish historians Mohammed Gaudix.

This prince commenced his reign A.D. 1379, Heg. 782. He was the best
and wisest of the Spanish Mohammedan kings. Intent only upon promoting
the happiness of his people, he was desirous of securing to them the
enjoyment of {160} that foreign and d