d, "Go, senor, and take possession of those fortresses in the
name of the powerful sovereigns to whom God has been pleased to deliver
them in reward of their great merits and in punishment of the sins of
the Moors." The grand cardinal sought to console him in his reverses,
and offered him the use of his own tent during any time he might sojourn
in the camp. Boabdil thanked him for the courteous offer, adding some
words of melancholy import, and then, taking leave of him gracefully,
passed mournfully on to meet the Catholic sovereigns, descending to the
Vega by the same road by which the cardinal had come. The latter, with
the prelates and cavaliers who attended him, entered the Alhambra, the
gates of which were thrown wide open by the alcayde Aben Comixa. At the
same time the Moorish guards yielded up their arms, and the towers and
battlements were taken possession of by the Christian troops.

While these transactions were passing in the Alhambra and its vicinity
the sovereigns remained with their retinue and guards near the village
of Armilla, their eyes fixed on the towers of the royal fortress,
watching for the appointed signal of possession. The time that had
elapsed since the departure of the detachment seemed to them more than
necessary for the purpose, and the anxious mind of Ferdinand began to
entertain doubts of some commotion in the city. At length they saw the
silver cross, the great standard of this crusade, elevated on the Torre
de la Vela, or Great Watch-tower, and sparkling in the sunbeams. This
was done by Hernando de Talavera, bishop of Avila. Beside it was planted
the pennon of the glorious apostle St. James, and a great shout of
"Santiago! Santiago!" rose throughout the army. Lastly was reared the
royal standard by the king-at-arms, with the shout of "Castile! Castile!
for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella!" The words were echoed by the
whole army, with acclamations that resounded across the Vega. At sight
of these signals of possession the sovereigns sank upon their knees,
giving thanks to God for this great triumph; the whole assembled host
followed their example, and the choristers of the royal chapel broke
forth into the solemn anthem of "Te Deum laudamus."

The king now advanced with a splendid escort of cavalry and the sound of
trumpets, until he came to a small mosque near the banks of the Xenil,
and not far from the foot of the Hill of Martyrs, which edifice remains
to the present day consecra