iants of romance guarding the pass and dominating the valley.

The kings of Granada, knowing the importance of these castles, kept
them always well garrisoned and victualled to stand a siege, with fleet
steeds and hard riders to forage the country of the Christians. The
warlike race of the Abencerrages, the troops of the royal household, and
others of the choicest chivalry of Granada made them their strongholds
or posts of arms, whence to sally forth on those predatory and roving
enterprises in which they delighted. As the wealthy bishopric of
Jaen lay immediately at hand, it suffered more peculiarly from these
marauders. They drove off the fat beeves and the flocks of sheep from
the pastures and swept the laborers from the field; they scoured the
country to the very gates of Jaen, so that the citizens could not
venture from their walls without the risk of being borne off captive to
the dungeons of these castles.

The worthy bishop, like a good pastor, beheld with grief of heart his
fat bishopric daily waxing leaner and leaner and poorer and poorer, and
his holy ire was kindled at the thoughts that the possessions of the
Church should thus be at the mercy of a crew of infidels. It was the
urgent counsel of the bishop, therefore, that the military force thus
providentially assembled in the neighborhood, since it was apparently
foiled in its attempt upon Moclin, should be turned against these
insolent castles and the country delivered from their domination. The
grand cardinal supported the suggestion of the bishop, and declared that
he had long meditated the policy of a measure of the kind. Their united
opinions found favor with the queen, and she despatched a letter on
the subject to the king. It came just in time to relieve him from the
distraction of a multitude of counsellors, and he immediately undertook
the reduction of those castles.

The marques of Cadiz was accordingly sent in advance, with two thousand
horse, to keep a watch upon the garrisons and prevent all entrance or
exit until the king should arrive with the main army and the battering
artillery. The queen, to be near at hand in case of need, moved her
quarters to the city of Jaen, where she was received with martial honors
by the belligerent bishop, who had buckled on his cuirass and girded on
his sword to fight in the cause of his diocese.

In the mean time, the marques of Cadiz arrived in the valley and
completely shut up the Moors within their walls.