acy, the distinguished
reception given to the count de Cabra and his nephew, the alcayde de
los Donceles, at the stately and ceremonious court of the Castilian
sovereigns, in reward for the capture of the Moorish king Boabdil. The
court (he observes) was held at the time in the ancient Moorish palace
of the city of Cordova, and the ceremonials were arranged by that
venerable prelate Don Pedro Gonzales de Mendoza, bishop of Toledo and
grand cardinal of Spain.

It was on Wednesday, the 14th of October (continues the precise Antonio
Agapida), that the good count de Cabra, according to arrangement,
appeared at the gate of Cordova. Here he was met by the grand cardinal
and the duke of Villahermosa, illegitimate brother of the king, together
with many of the first grandees and prelates of the kingdom. By this
august train was he attended to the palace amidst strains of martial
music and the shouts of a prodigious multitude.

When the count arrived in the presence of the sovereigns, who were
seated in state on a dais or raised part of the hall of audience, they
both arose. The king advanced exactly five steps toward the count, who
knelt and kissed his royal hand; however, the king would not receive
him as a mere vassal, but embraced him with affectionate cordiality. The
queen also advanced two steps, and received the count with a countenance
full of sweetness and benignity: after he had kissed her hand the king
and queen returned to their thrones, and, cushions being brought, they
ordered the count de Cabra to be seated in their presence. This last
circumstance is written in large letters and followed by several notes
of admiration in the manuscript of the worthy Fray Antonio Agapida,
who considers the extraordinary privilege of sitting in presence of the
Catholic sovereigns an honor well worth fighting for.

The good count took his seat at a short distance from the king, and near
him was seated the duke of Najera, then the bishop of Palencia, then the
count of Aguilar, the count Luna, and Don Gutierre de Cardenas, senior
commander of Leon.

On the side of the queen were seated the grand cardinal of Spain, the
duke of Villahermosa, the count of Monte Rey, and the bishops of Jaen
and Cuenca, each in the order in which they are named. The infanta
Isabella was prevented by indisposition from attending the ceremony.

And now festive music resounded through the hall, and twenty ladies of
the queen's retinue entered, magnificen