CHAPTER XLII.
Of the arrival of Queen Isabella at the camp before
Moclin, and of the pleasant sayings of the English
earl.
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 characterize
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 them.
It was headed by the accomplished cavalier,
the Marquis 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 marquis with distinguished honour,
for he was esteemed as 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.
[57]
Thus gallantly attended, the queen
entered the vanquished frontier of Granada,
journeying securely along the pleasant
banks of the Xenil, 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 Marquis 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 arranged themselves
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 headpiece were
of satin, curiously embossed with needlework
of silk, and wrought with golden
letters. The queen wore a brial or royal
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 appeared, in royal state,
mounted on a superb chestnut horse, and
attended by many grandees 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 cimeter, 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."[58]
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, á 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 armour a short French
mantle of 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, 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."[59]
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 steed curveting
and caracoling, but 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.[60]
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 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.[61]
