time when the Catholic
sovereigns should be enthroned within its walls and its courts shine
with the splendor of Spanish 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 arquebuse and crossbow and spear
and scimetar.

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 sword's 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 scimetars and
defying various cavaliers to single combat; but Ferdinand had rigorously
prohibited all duels of the 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 merely
on tradition or the authority of certain poets and dramatic writers
who have