Charles Morris
speaker
7,961 appearances
2 recordings
1 series
first heard Jul 2026
last heard 18 Aug
Charles Morris’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 2 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 1.
Appearances
Every town was a fortress, and on every peak stood a watchtower, ready to give warning with a signal fire by night or a cloud of smoke by day of any movement of invasion.
For many years such a state of affairs continued between Granada and its principal antagonist, the United Kingdoms of Castile and Leon.
Even when in fourteen fifty seven a Moorish king, disheartened by a foray into the Vega itself, made a truce with Henry IV, King of Castile and Leon, and agreed to pay him an annual tribute, the right of warlike raids was kept open.
It was only required that they must be conducted secretly, without sound of trumpet or show of banners, and must not continue more than three days.
Such a state of affairs was desired alike by the Castilian and Moorish chivalry, who loved these displays of daring and gallantry, and enjoyed nothing more than a crossing of swords with their foes.
In fourteen sixty five, a Moorish prince, Mule Abul Hassan, a man who enjoyed war and hated the Christians, came to the throne, and at once the tribute ceased to be paid.
For some years still the truce continued, for Ferdinand and Isabella, the new monarchs of Spain, had troubles at home to keep them engaged.
But in 1481, the war reopened with more than its old fury and was continued until Granada fell in 1492, the year in which the wise Isabella gave aid to Columbus for the discovery of an unknown world beyond the seas.
The war for the conquest of Granada was one full of stirring adventure and hair breadth escapes, of forays and sieges, of the clash of swords and the brandishing of spears.
It was no longer fought by Spain on the principle of the raid, to dash in, kill, and plunder, and speed away with the clatter of hoofs and the rattle of spurs.
It was Ferdinand's policy to take and hold, capturing stronghold after stronghold until all Granada was his.
In a memorable pun on the name of Granada, which signifies a pomegranate, he said I will pick out the seeds of this pomegranate one by one.
Mulay Abul Hassan, the new Moorish king, began the work, foolishly breaking the truce which Ferdinand wished a pretext to bring to an end.
On a dark night in fourteen eighty one he fell suddenly on Zahara, a mountain town on the Christian frontier, so strong in itself that it was carelessly guarded.
It was taken by surprise, its inhabitants were carried off as slaves, and a strong moorish garrison was left to hold it.
The Moors paid dearly for their daring assault.
The Christians retaliated by an attack on the strong and rich city of Alhama, a stronghold within the center of the kingdom, only a few leagues distant from the capital itself.
Strongly situated on a rocky height, with a river nearly surrounding it, and a fortress seated on a steep crag above it, and far within the border no dream of danger to Alcama came to the mind of the Moors, who contented themselves with a small garrison and a negligent guard.
But the loss of Zahara had exasperated Ferdinand.
His wars at home were over and he had time to attend to the moors, and scouts had brought word of the careless security of the guard of Alhama.
Showing 1341–1360 of 7,961 · page 68 of 399
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