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ROYAL HERALDRY. 377
the leading warriors of the Emperor, presented himself before him at
close of the day to announce the victory. The monarch dipped his fingers
in the blood flowing from the wounds of the gallant soldier, and drew
them down the brazen shield which he held, and, commanding that he
and his family should ever after bear that as the family achievement in
honour of the memorable event, appointed him the first Conde de Barcelona.
The kingdom of Leon, in a similar manner arose to the west, when
in 716, Pelagus the Goth, resenting the defilement of his sister by Muamza
the Moor, stirred up the spirit of rebellion in the valley of the Congas,
gathered 1,000 men in the cave of Cobadonga, defeated the Moors
in a pitched battle, and proclaimed himself King of Spain. Then, six
years after, having captured the city of Leon, he assumed the title of
King of Leon, and the cognizance of a lion purpure on an argent shield ;
while under his sway were established the earls of Castile, named by
the Moors "the land of the castles," from the number of fortresses
erected on its frontier, who adopted for their arms, gules
the
a castle or.
In 1028, Sancho King of Navarre inherited the earldom of Castile, having
married Da Nuna, sister of Garcia the Earl of Castile, and constituted it
a kingdom. At his death he bequeathed Navarre to his eldest son Garcia;
Castile, to his second son Ferdinand ; Sobrave, to his youngest son
Gonzalo ;
and Aragon, to his natural son Ramiro. Ferdinand conquered
Bermuda King of Leon, annexed his kingdom, and united it with Castile
and Navarre. At his death he also divided his kingdoms, giving Castile
to his eldest son Sancho, and Leon to Alonzo. But on the death of the
former they were again reunited in Alonzo, only to be divided again
amongst his grandsons, and again reunited by the intermarriage of their
grandchildren, Berengaria Queen of Castile, and Alonzo King of Leon.
Had these Christian kings only lived in harmony, the supremacy of
the Moors that hated but beneficent thraldom which initiated everything
like civilization, art, and culture, in Spain would soon have been overcome,
instead of remaining until they were finally driven out by Ferdinand,
1492. But they quarrelled amongst themselves. "Bellum quam otium
"malunt, si extraneus deest domi hostem qucerunt," said the old historian;
and though Leon and Castile were united, Navarre and Aragon remained
for many generations independent kingdoms, until the former was united
to France by marriage with Philip the Fair, and the latter to Castile by
Ferdinand and Isabella, who eventually welded them together with
Grenada, the city of the Moors, into one kingdom.