as broken, it soon rallied, on being
reinforced from the reserve. At one time, indeed, the superiority of
numbers was so great on the part of the Moslems that the troops of
Alfonso appeared about to give way. At this moment that King, addressing
the archbishop Rodrigo, who was with him, said, "Let us die here,
prelate!" and he prepared to rush amid the dense ranks of the enemy. The
prelate, however, and a Castilian general, retained him by the bridle of
his horse, representing the rashness of his purpose, and advising him to
reinforce his weak points by new succors. Accordingly those succors,
among which were the vassals with the pennon of the archbishop, advanced
to support the sinking Castilians. This manoeuvre decided the fortune of
the day.[38] The Mahometan centre, after a sharp conflict, was again
broken, this time irretrievably, and a way opened to the intrenchments
of the Emperor. Seeing the success of their allies, the two wings
charged their opponents with double fury and triumphed likewise. But the
Africans[39] rallied round Mahomet, and presented a mass deep and
formidable to the conquerors. Rodrigo, with his brother prelate, the
Archbishop of Narbonne, now incited the Christians to overcome this last
obstacle: both intrepidly accompanied the van of the centre. The
struggle was terrific, but short; myriads of the barbarians fell; the
boundary was first broken down by the King of Navarre; the Castilians
and Aragonese followed; all opponents were massacred or fled; and the
victors began to ascend the eminence on which Mahomet still remained.
Seeing the total destruction or flight of his vast host, the Emperor
sorrowfully exclaimed, "Allah alone is just and powerful; the devil is
false and wicked!" Scarcely had he uttered the truism, when an Alarab
approached, leading by the hand a strong but nimble mule. "Prince of the
faithful!" said the African, "how long wilt thou remain here? Dost thou
not perceive that thy Moslems flee? The will of Allah be done! Mount
this mule, which is fleeter than the bird of heaven, or even the arrow
which strikes it; never yet did she fail her rider; away! for on thy
safety depends that of us all!" Mahomet mounted the beast, while the
Alarab ascended the Emperor's horse, and both soon outstripped not only
the pursuers but the fugitives. The carnage of the latter was dreadful
until darkness put an end to it. The victors now occupied the tents of
the Mahometans, while the two martial pr