chivalry. 'The
reverend prelates and holy friars, who always surrounded the queen,
looked with serene satisfaction,' says Fray Antonio Agapida, 'at
this modern Babylon, enjoying the triumph that awaited them, when
those mosques and minarets should be converted into churches, and
goodly priests and bishops should succeed to the infidel alfaquis.'

"When the Moors beheld the Christians thus drawn forth in full
array in the plain, they supposed it was to offer battle, and
hesitated not to accept it. In a little while the queen beheld a
body of Moorish cavalry pouring into the vega, the riders managing
their fleet and fiery steeds with admirable address. They were
richly armed, and clothed in the most brilliant colors, and the
caparisons of their steeds flamed with gold and embroidery. This
was the favorite squadron of Muza, composed of the flower of the
youthful cavaliers of Granada. Others succeeded, some heavily
armed, others _a la gineta_, with lance and buckler; and lastly
came the legions of foot-soldiers, with arquebus and cross-bow, and
spear and scimiter.

"When the queen saw this army issuing from the city, she sent to
the Marques of Cadiz, and forbade any attack upon the enemy, or the
acceptance of any challenge to a skirmish; for she was loth that
her curiosity should cost the life of a single human being.

"The marques promised to obey, though sorely against his will; and
it grieved the spirit of the Spanish cavaliers to be obliged to
remain with sheathed swords while bearded by the foe. The Moors
could not comprehend the meaning of this inaction of the
Christians, after having apparently invited a battle. They sallied
several times from their ranks, and approached near enough to
discharge their arrows; but the Christians were immovable. Many of
the Moorish horsemen galloped close to the Christian ranks,
brandishing their lances and scimiters, and defying various
cavaliers to single combat; but Ferdinand had rigorously prohibited
all duels of this kind, and they dared not transgress his orders
under his very eye.

"Here, however, the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida, in his enthusiasm
for the triumphs of the faith, records the following incident,
which we fear is not sustained by any grave chronicler of the
times, but rests merel