hem, personally or
by agent, at any and all times. To Boabdil was secured, moreover,
his wealthy estates both in and out of Granada, and to him and his
descendants in perpetuity the lordships of various town and lands and
fertile valleys in the Alpuxarras, forming a petty sovereignty. In
addition to all which it was stipulated that on the day of surrender he
should receive thirty thousand castelanos of gold.*

* Alcantara, t. 4, c. 18.

The conditions of surrender being finally agreed upon by the
commissioners, Abul Casim proceeded to the royal camp at Santa Fe, where
they were signed by Ferdinand and Isabella; he then returned to Granada,
accompanied by Hernando de Zafra, the royal secretary, to have the same
ratified also by the Moorish king. Boabdil assembled his council, and
with a dejected countenance laid before it the articles of capitulation
as the best that could be obtained from the besieging foe.

When the members of the council found the awful moment arrived when they
were to sign and seal the perdition of their empire and blot themselves
out as a nation, all firmness deserted them, and many gave way to tears.
Muza alone retained an unaltered mien. "Leave, seniors," cried he, "this
idle lamentation to helpless women and children: we are men--we have
hearts, not to shed tender tears, but drops of blood. I see the spirit
of the people so cast down that it is impossible to save the kingdom.
Yet there still remains an alternative for noble minds--a glorious
death! Let us die defending our liberty and avenging the woes of
Granada. Our mother earth will receive her children into her bosom, safe
from the chains and oppressions of the conqueror, or, should any fail
a sepulchre to hide his remains, he will not want a sky to cover him.
Allah forbid it should be said the nobles of Granada feared to die in
her defence!"

Muza ceased to speak, and a dead silence reigned in the assembly.
Boabdil looked anxiously round and scanned every face, but he read in
all the anxiety of careworn men, in whose hearts enthusiasm was dead
and who had grown callous to every chivalrous appeal. "Allah Akbar!"
exclaimed he; "there is no God but God, and Mahomet is his prophet! We
have no longer forces in the city and the kingdom to resist our powerful
enemies. It is in vain to struggle against the will of Heaven. Too
surely was it written in the book of fate that I should be unfortunate
and the kingdom expire under my rule."