THE CITY OF THE MOOR 7 



overtook his brother. He was forced to yield 

 to Abu-1-Walid, and was glad to be allowed to 

 retire to Guadix, the sovereignty of which was 

 allotted to him. Usurper though he was, Nasr 

 conducted himself with the dignity of a philo- 

 sopher. His rival's triumph chagrined him not 

 at all, and when invited by Pedro I. to join him 

 in an attack on Granada, he patriotically declined. 

 He was a brave man, who did not complain at 

 meeting the fate to which he had subjected others. 

 The new monarch of Granada, Abu-1-Walid 

 Ismail, was a fighter and a fanatic. He was fond 

 of saying that he believed only in God and his 

 good sword. His faith in the latter weapon was 

 justified. He annihilated a Spanish army which 

 had approached Granada, among the slain being 

 the Infantes, Don Juan and Don Pedro ; and 

 carrying his victorious arms eastwards, wrested 

 Baza and Martos from the enemies of his race. 

 But others also reposed their faith in the sword. 

 Like another Agamemnon, he appropriated 

 a beautiful captive, the prize of the young 

 Mohammed of Algeciras. Three days after his 

 triumphal entry into his capital he fell at the 

 gates of the Alhambra, a victim to the poniard 

 of the man he had injured. Perceiving his 

 sovereign to be at the point of death and resolving 

 to avert the horrors of a disputed succession, the 

 Wizir summoned the chief men of Granada to 



