erienced
men who grow gray about a court in the profound study of forms and
ceremonials, with whom a point of punctilio is as a vast political
right, and who contract a sublime and awful idea of the external dignity
of the throne. Certain of these court sages propounded the momentous
question whether the Moorish monarch, coming to do homage as a vassal,
ought not to kneel and kiss the hand of the king. This was immediately
decided in the affirmative by a large number of ancient cavaliers,
accustomed (says Antonio Agapida) to the lofty punctilio of our most
dignified court and transcendent sovereigns. The king, therefore, was
informed by those who arranged the ceremonials that when the Moorish
monarch appeared in his presence he was expected to extend his royal
hand to receive the kiss of homage.

"I should certainly do so," replied King Ferdinand, "were he at liberty
and in his own kingdom, but I certainly shall not do so, seeing that he
is a prisoner and in mine."

The courtiers loudly applauded the magnanimity of this reply, though
many condemned it in secret as savoring of too much generosity toward an
infidel; and the worthy Jesuit, Fray Antonio Agapida, fully concurs in
their opinion.

The Moorish king entered Cordova with his little train of faithful
knights and escorted by all the nobility and chivalry of the Castilian
court. He was conducted with great state and ceremony to the royal
palace. When he came in presence of Ferdinand he knelt and offered to
kiss his hand, not merely in homage as his subject, but in gratitude for
his liberty. Ferdinand declined the token of vassalage, and raised him
graciously from the earth. An interpreter began, in the name of Boabdil,
to laud the magnanimity of the Castilian monarch and to promise the
most implicit submission. "Enough!" said King Ferdinand, interrupting
the interpreter in the midst of his harangue: "there is no need of
these compliments. I trust in his integrity that he will do everything
becoming a good man and a good king." With these words he received
Boabdil el Chico into his royal friendship and protection.

CHAPTER XXI.

RETURN OF BOABDIL FROM CAPTIVITY.

In the month of August a noble Moor, of the race of the Abencerrages,
arrived with a splendid retinue at the city of Cordova, bringing with
him the son of Boabdil el Chico and other of the noble youth of Granada
as hostages for the fulfilment of the terms of ransom. When the Moorish
king beheld