that they are
no longer regarded as mere slaves. The customs of chivalry, as has been
indicated, were responsible for much of this, but the influence of the
many Spanish women who were held as captives in the harems must not be
overlooked.

The closing years of Moorish dominion in Spain were marked by many
adventures of a most romantic character, which have been made familiar
to the world at large by Washington Irving. When Aboul Hacem came to the
throne in 1466, the Mohammedan power was already tottering; but there
were troubles in Castile which emboldened the king to such an extent
that, in 1476, when the regular demand for tribute money was presented,
he is said to have made answer: "Those who coined gold for you are dead.
Nothing is made at Granada for the Christians but sword-blades and
lance-points." Although ultimate success for the Moors was now entirely
out of the question, their final defence was not what it might have
been--a state of affairs which was the result of various contentions
that emanated largely from the harem. Conspicuous in these intrigues was
Zoraya, "the Morning Star," a renegade Christian who was the favorite
wife of the king. Though childless, Zoraya had interested herself in
Boabdil, the son of another wife, Ayescha, and had determined to drive
Aboul Hacem from his throne, that his son might rule in his place. So
formidable did the plot become that the king was forced to imprison
Ayescha and Boabdil in a certain quarter of the harem; but their
captivity was short, as they were soon put at liberty by friendly hands.
Twisting a rope from the veils of the sultana's women in waiting, wife
and son let themselves down from a window and sought refuge among their
supporters. Countless quarrels followed, which ended in Boabdil's final
success, and in them all, Zoraya was his firm friend and adviser. But
success at such a time and for such a cause was little more than
failure, and the day was soon to come when sultanas and intriguing harem
favorites could no longer trouble the land with their contentions; for
the power of Isabella the Catholic was soon to be felt, and the doom of
the Moor had been sounded.

Chapter XIV

The Women of the Little Monarchies

In spite of the fact that Spain was an easy conquest for the Moors and
that whole cities surrendered to the invaders without having struck a
single blow in their own defence, it must not be supposed that there was
no opposition whateve