HORMESINDA.
At the period of the Moors' most complete dominion over Spain,Pelayo, the noble scion of her ancient kings, stood almost alone inthe defence of his country. Undismayed by the misfortunes of his raceand people, or by the oppressive rigours of the conquerors, he nevertired of rousing his brethren to a sense of their shameful condition,and stirring them up to the desire of again restoring their religionand the throne of their native rulers.
Meantime, his sister Hormesinda, no less ardent and patriotic, butweaker and more short-sighted, had thought to benefit her people bysealing a compromise with the invaders. Forgetful of the religiouslaws which forbid such a union, she married Munuza, one of the Moorishchiefs who reigned at Gijon, and for a few years imagined she hadeffected wonders because she had induced the conqueror to mitigatehis oppressions.
Pelayo, however, was almost more distressed at the contaminationof his sister, married to an unbeliever, than by the bondage of hisfellow-countrymen; and being on the point of leading the people hehad collected to an attack on the Moorish Alcazar, he first obtainedan interview with her, within the king's private apartments, withthe view of inducing her to abandon her infidel lord.
Hormesinda, however, had chosen her path, and could not now escapeits leadings; the interview was both stormy and touching. Pelayo,unflinching in his morality and patriotism, could find nothing to sayto her but words of reproach. And Hormesinda could only urge, thatthough she might have been wrong in marrying the Moor, yet, now herword, and life, and love were pledged to him, she could not leave him.
Munuza despised the Christians, and so Pelayo had no difficulty ingaining access to Hormesinda accompanied by the venerable Veremundo,his father; but a Jew in Munuza's service having betrayed theinformation that he had no less a person than Pelayo himself in hispower, he ordered him to be captured and thrown into a dismal dungeoncalled a mazmorra.
No sooner did Munuza know that he had nothing to fear from Pelayo,than it became evident his moderation towards the Christians had beendictated less by Hormesinda's representations than by dread of Pelayo'sreprisals, for he now began to add to the burdens of the conquered,without mercy. To crown all, he issued a decree by which all whowould not make themselves Mohammedans were declared to be slaves.
This measure completed the indignation of the Christians; and when itbecame known where Pelayo was held in durance, it needed but littleurging of Leandro, his brother, to lead the outraged population tothe assault of the Alcazar of Gijon.
The impetuosity of the despairing population was irresistible. Munuza,inclined to despise them at first, found himself surrounded beforehe was aware, and sallied out with his reserve to give life to histroops and repel the insurgents. He had no sooner left the precinctsof the palace than Hormesinda took advantage of the circumstance toset free her brother, who was thus enabled to show himself at thehead of his people like a miraculous apparition, inspiring them withcourage to drive all before them.
Munuza, obliged to escape for his life, re-entered the Alcazar, whereHormesinda awaited him with feminine tenderness, desirous only tomake a bulwark of her body between him and Pelayo's fury. Munuza,however, had doubtless courage, though it was the courage of aninfidel; and not only refused to owe his life to the protection ofa woman, but recognizing that it was her hand alone could have sethis captive free, stabbed her and himself just in time to die at theentering feet of Pelayo and his victorious host.
This victory of the Christian arms was the first-fruits of many others,which, hardly fought through succeeding centuries, restored at lastthe whole of Spain to Christendom.