Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/555

MILITARY POLICi' OF THE SOVEREIGNS. 409 Marbella. Thus the Spaniards advanced their line chapter of conquest more than twenty leagues beyond the '- — . western frontier of Granada. This extensive tract they strongly fortified and peopled, partly with Christian subjects, and partly with Moorish, the original occupants of the soil, who were secured in the possession of their ancient lands, under their own law.^^ Thus the strong posts, which may be regarded as the exterior defences of the city of Granada, 42 Bernaldez, Reyes Catolicos, cap. 5, 7; lib. 4, cap. 2, 3. — Mar- MS., cap. 75. — Pulgar, Reyes mol, Rebelion de Moriscos, lib. 1, Catolicos, cap. 48. — Lebrija, Re- cap. 12. rum Gestarum Decades, ii. lib. 3, Two of the most important au- thorities for the war of Granada are Fernando del Pulgar, and An- tonio de Lebrija, or Nebrissensis, as he is called from the Latin Ne- brissa. Few particulars have been pre- served respecting the biography of the former. He was probably a native of Pulgar, near Toledo. The Castilian writers recognise certain provincialisms in his style belonging to that district. He was secretary to Henry IV., and was charged with various confidential functions by him. He seems to have retained his place on the ac- cession of Isabella, by whom he was appointed national historio- grapher in 1482, when, from cer- tain remarks in his letters, it would appear he was already advanced in years. This office, in the fifteenth century, comprehended, in addition to the more obvious duties of an historian, the intimate and confi- dential relations of a private secre- tary. " It was the business of the chronicler," says Bernaldez, " to carry on foreign correspondence in the service of his master, acquaint- ing himself with whatever was passing in other courts and coun- tries, and, by the discreet and con- ciliatory tenor of his epistles, to allay such feuds as might arise be- tween the king and his nobiUty, and establish harmony between them." From this period Pulgar remained near the royal person, accompanying the queen in her va- rious progresses through the king- dom, as well as in her military ex- peditions into the Moorish territo- ry. He was consequently an eye- witness of many of the warlike scenes which he describes, and, from his situation at the court, had access to the most ample and ac- credited sources of information. It is probable he did not survive the capture of Granada, as his history falls somewhat short of that event. Pulgar's Chronicle, in the portion containing a retrospective survey of events previous to 1482, may be Notice (if del Pulsar VOL. I. 52