The country produces the fame kind o f plants as at
Almadén, to which may be a'dded the common or wild
camomile, a plant generally fcarce in the meridional provinces,
yet fo common here that the whole kingdom
might be ftocked with i t : they have affo great plenty
o f game [a). This little kingdom is famous in the annate
o f Spain for that memorable vidory at las Navas de To-
lofa in 1 3X2, over the king of Morocco, obtained by
Alfonfo the IXth king o f Caftile, affifted by Peter the
l id king of Aragon, and Sancho V llth king o f Navarre,
in which an incredible number of Moors were deftroyed.
After the battle the king gave orders to his general Don
Diego Lopez de Haro who commanded the van of the
army, to difpofe of the booty, as the kings of Aragon and;
Navarre had confented to abide by his decifion, upon
which the gallant General, knowing the magnanimous
difpofition of his fovereign,. decreed, that the kings of
Aragon and Navarre iho.uld have whatever was found
within the chains and palifades o f the enemy’s camp,
the remainder of the fpoil to the foldiers in general, and
for the king his mailer what he thought the moil honourable
of all, The glory and honour of the day [hf This
(a) When Mr. Bowles travelled this’way, at a miferable venta they gave him an omelette
for dinner made with partridge’s eggs,, and they flxewed him five hundred of thofe eggs in
the houfe for the fame purpofe. Every peafant is a fporlfman and has the ufe of: hij gun,
for game laws are unknown.
■ [b) The king of Navarre being the firft who broke, down the chains of the Moorilh camp,
altered his coat armour in memory of that day, to a field gules traverfed with a chain of gold,
commander
commander having been refleded upon for having juft
before loft the battle o f Alarcos, out of jealoufy, becaufc
the king of Caftile had faid the nobles o f Eftremadura
were as good as thofe o f Caftile ; his fon Don Lopez
Diaz de Haro, came to him the eve o f the battle of To-
lofa, and faid, Sir, I hope you will not fuffer me to-morrow
to be called the fon of a traitor ; No, replied the general
with warmth. Uamarte an hijo deputapero no-hijo.de
traydor\d]| which iharp anfwer proceeded from the con-
dud of the lady Maria Manriquez his wife, who fled from
her hufband with a blackfmith o f Burgos, but afterwards
repented, and by way o f atonement in her laft moments
ordered her corpfe to be placed with her effigy in marble,
without the church door o f the convent of Huerta, that
every one might trample on her tomb, and take, warning
from her weaknefs, which: being long after obferved by
the Emperor Charles, he ordered her remains to be re moved
into the church with her anceftors, faying ffie had
now:done penance enough..
having a rich emerald h i the centre, being part of the fpoil, and a piece, of the chain was
fixed round his. tomb in the church of St. Mary at Roncefvalles. Many Spanifll knights did
,the fame, or added chains to theif arrps from having been prefent on that, memorable day,
particularly thofe of the names o f Romeu, Mendoza, Stuniga,; Munoz, Peralta, Menefes,.
Maza, Abarca, Villafeca, Otazo, and Irrazaval' de Vergara. The royal flanclard o f the king
o f Morocco, which is azur with a crefcent argent- and five flairs or, was; fufpendcd over the
tomb of Don .Diego Lopez de Haro, in the choir o f the cathedral o f Toledo»
(o) 11 They may call you fon o f a w—-,.but not fon of a. traitor»!*
S f A more
ZiiüsBH