He and his father, Count Julian, andArchbishop Oppas, his uncle, were secretly brooding plans of wrath againstDon Rodrigo for his ill treatment of Don Alonzo's sister, Florinda. Rumorshad told them that an army of strange warriors from Africa, who hadhitherto carried all before them, were threatening to cross the straitsnot yet called Gibraltar, and descend on Spain. All the ties of fidelityheld these courtiers to the king; but they secretly hated him, and wishedfor his downfall. By the next day they had planned to betray him to theMoors. Count Julian had come to make his military report to Don Rodrigo,and on some pretext had withdrawn Florinda from the court. "When you comeagain," said the pleasure-loving king, "bring me some hawks from thesouth, that we may again go hawking." "I will bring you hawks enough," wasthe answer, "and such as you never saw before." "But Rodrigo," says theArabian chronicler, "did not understand the full meaning of his words."It was a hard blow for the young Luis when he discovered what a plot wasbeing urged around him. He would gladly have been faithful to the king,worthless as he knew him to be; but Don Alonzo had been his benefactor,and he held by him. Meanwhile the conspiracy drew towards completion, andthe Arab force was drawing nearer to the straits. A single foray intoSpain had shown Musa, the Arab general, the weakness of the kingdom; thatthe cities were unfortified, the citizens unarmed, and many of the nobleslukewarm towards the king.
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