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The war of Granada, however poets may embroider
it with the flowers of their fancy, was
certainly one of the sternest of those iron conflicts
which have been celebrated under the name of holy
wars. The worthy Fray Antonio Agapida dwells
with unsated delight upon the succession of rugged
mountain enterprises, bloody battles, and merciless
sackings and ravages, which characterized it; yet we
find him on one occasion pausing in the full career
of victory over the infidels, to detail a stately pageant
of the Catholic sovereigns.

Immediately on the capture of Loxa, Ferdinand
had written to Isabella, soliciting her presence at the
camp, that he might consult with her as to the disposition
of their newly-acquired territories.

It was in the early part of June, that the queen
departed from Cordova, with the princess Isabella
and numerous ladies of her court. She had a glorious
attendance of cavaliers and pages, with many
guards and domestics. There were forty mules, for
the use of the queen, the princess, and their train.

As this courtly cavalcade approached the Rock of
the Lovers, on the banks of the river Yeguas, they
beheld a splendid train of knights advancing to meet

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them. It was headed by that accomplished cavalier
the marques duke de Cadiz, accompanied by the
adelantado of Andalusia. He had left the camp the
day after the capture of Illora, and advanced thus
far to receive the queen and escort her over the
borders. The queen received the marques with distinguished
honor; for he was esteemed the mirror of
chivalry. His actions in this war had become the
theme of every tongue, and many hesitated not to
compare him in prowess to the immortal Cid.[51]

Thus gallantly attended, the queen entered the
vanquished frontier of Granada; journeying securely
along the pleasant banks of the Xenel, so lately subject
to the scourings of the Moors. She stopped at
Loxa, where she administered aid and consolation
to the wounded, distributing money among them for
their support, according to their rank.

The king, after the capture of Illora, had removed
his camp before the fortress of Moclin, with an intention
of besieging it. Thither the queen proceeded,
still escorted through the mountain roads by the
marques of Cadiz. As Isabella drew near to the
camp, the duke del Infantado issued forth a league
and a half to receive her, magnificently arrayed, and
followed by all his chivalry in glorious attire. With
him came the standard of Seville, borne by the men-at-arms
of that renowned city; and the Prior of St.
Juan, with his followers. They arrayed themselves

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in order of battle, on the left of the road by which
the queen was to pass.

The worthy Agapida is loyally minute, in his description
of the state and grandeur of the Catholic
sovereigns. The queen rode a chestnut mule, seated
in a magnificent saddle-chair decorated with silver
gilt. The housings of the mule were of fine crimson
cloth; the borders embroidered with gold; the reins
and head-piece were of satin, curiously embossed
with needlework of silk, and wrought with golden
letters. The queen wore a brial or regal skirt of
velvet, under which were others of brocade; a scarlet
mantle, ornamented in the Moresco fashion; and
a black hat, embroidered round the crown and brim.

The Infanta was likewise mounted on a chestnut
mule, richly caparisoned: she wore a brial or skirt
of black brocade, and a black mantle ornamented
like that of the queen.

When the royal cavalcade passed by the chivalry
of the duke del Infantado, which was drawn out in
battle array, the queen made a reverence to the
standard of Seville, and ordered it to pass to the
right hand. When she approached the camp, the
multitude ran forth to meet her, with great demonstrations
of joy; for she was universally beloved by
her subjects. All the battalions sallied forth in military
array, bearing the various standards and banners
of the camp, which were lowered in salutation as
she passed.

The king now came forth in royal state, mounted on
a superb chestnut horse, and attended by many gran

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dees of Castile. He wore a jubon or close vest of
crimson cloth, with cuisses or short skirts of yellow
satin, a loose cassock of brocade, a rich Moorish
scimitar, and a hat with plumes. The grandees who
attended him were arrayed with wonderful magnificence,
each according to his taste and invention.

These high and mighty princes (says Antonio
Agapida) regarded each other with great deference,
as allied sovereigns, rather than with connubial familiarity
as mere husband and wife. When they approached
each other, therefore, before embracing,
they made three profound reverences; the queen
taking off her hat, and remaining in a silk net or
cawl, with her face uncovered. The king then approached
and embraced her, and kissed her respectfully
on the cheek. He also embraced his daughter
the princess; and, making the sign of the cross, he
blessed her, and kissed her on the lips.[52]

The good Agapida seems scarcely to have been
more struck with the appearance of the sovereigns,
than with that of the English earl. He followed
(says he) immediately after the king, with great
pomp, and, in an extraordinary manner, taking precedence
of all the rest. He was mounted “a la
guisa,” or with long stirrups, on a superb chestnut
horse, with trappings of azure silk which reached to
the ground. The housings were of mulberry, powdered
with stars of gold. He was armed in proof,
and wore over his armor a short French mantle of

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black brocade; he had a white French hat with
plumes, and carried on his left arm a small round
buckler, banded with gold. Five pages attended him,
apparelled in silk and brocade, and mounted on
horses sumptuously caparisoned; he had also a train
of followers, bravely attired after the fashion of his
country.

He advanced in a chivalrous and courteous manner,
making his reverences first to the queen and Infanta,
and afterwards to the king. Queen Isabella received
him graciously, complimenting him on his courageous
conduct at Loxa, and condoling with him on
the loss of his teeth. The earl, however, made light
of his disfiguring wound; saying, that “our blessed
Lord, who had built all that house, had opened a
window there, that he might see more readily what
passed within:”[53] whereupon the worthy Fray Antonio
Agapida is more than ever astonished at the
pregnant wit of this island cavalier. The earl continued
some little distance by the side of the royal family,
complimenting them all with courteous speeches,
his horse curveting and caracoling, but being managed
with great grace and dexterity; leaving the
grandees and the people at large, not more filled with
admiration at the strangeness and magnificence of his
state, than at the excellence of his horsemanship.†

To testify her sense of the gallantry and services
of this noble English knight, who had come from so
far to assist in their wars, the queen sent him the

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next day presents of twelve horses, with stately
tents, fine linen, two beds with coverings of gold
brocade, and many other articles of great value.

Having refreshed himself, as it were, with the description
of this progress of queen Isabella to the
camp, and the glorious pomp of the Catholic sovereigns,
the worthy Antonio Agapida returns with renewed
relish to his pious work of discomfiting the
Moors.

The description of this royal pageant, and the particulars
concerning the English earl, thus given from
the manuscript of Fray Antonio Agapida, agree precisely
with the chronicle of Andres Bernaldes, the
curate of los Palacios. The English earl makes no
further figure in this war. It appears from various
histories, that he returned in the course of the year
to England. In the following year, his passion for
fighting took him to the continent at the head of four
hundred adventurers, in aid of Francis duke of
Brittany, against Louis XI. of France. He was
killed in the same year [1488] in the battle of St.
Alban's, between the Bretons and the French.

eaf218v1.n51

[51] Cura de los Palacios.

eaf218v1.n52

[52] Cura de los Palacios.

eaf218v1.n53

[53] Pietro Martyr, Epist. 61.

eaf218v1.dag6

† Cura de los Palacios.

p218-299

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