the Grenadians to repair {172} every year, during
the autumn, to the charming villas by which the city was surrounded.
There they yielded themselves up to the pursuit of pleasure. The chase
and the dance, music and feasting, occupied every hour.

The manners of those who participated in these national dances were in
a high degree unreserved, as was the language of the songs and ballads
in which they joined. Were it not for the contradictions in the human
character, one might be surprised at this want of delicacy in a people
who were capable of so much refinement of feeling. But, in general,
nations of Oriental origin possess but little reserve in their manners:
they have more of passion than sentiment, more of jealousy than
delicacy in their haughty and excitable natures.

In giving these details, we have perhaps trespassed too long on the
period of calm repose enjoyed by the kingdom of Grenada during the
reign of Abouhadjad. That excellent sovereign, after having filled the
throne for thirteen years, left his flourishing dominions to his son
Joseph, who succeeded him without opposition, A.D. 1392, Heg. 795.

Joseph II. was desirous, in imitation of the {173} course pursued by
his father, of maintaining the truce with the Christians. It was,
however, soon disturbed by a fanatical hermit, who persuaded the
Grand-master of Alcantara, Martin de Barbuda, a Portuguese, that he had
been selected by Heaven as the chosen instrument for expelling the
infidels from Spain. He promised the credulous Martin, in the name of
God, that he should succeed in conquering the enemies of the Cross, and
in carrying the city of Grenada by assault, without the loss of a
single soldier. The infatuated grand-master, convinced of the
certainty of the fulfilment of this promise, immediately sent
ambassadors to Joseph, with orders to declare to that sovereign, in his
name, that, since the religion of Mohammed was false and detestable,
and that of Jesus Christ the only true and saving faith, he, Martin de
Barbuda, defied the King of Grenada to a combat of two hundred
Mussulmans against one hundred Christians, upon condition that the
vanquished nation should instantly adopt the faith of the conquerors.

The reception these ambassadors met with may be easily imagined.
Joseph could scarcely restrain the indignation of his people. The
{174} envoys, driven contemptuously away, returned to the presence of
the grand-master, who, surprised at rece