The　Moorish　inhabitants　looked　jealously　at　this　small　but　proud　array　of　Spanish　chivalry；　as　it　paraded；　with　that　stateliness　possessed　only　by　Spanish　cavaliers；　through　the　renowned　gate　of　Elvira。　　They　were　struck　with　the　stern　and　lofty　demeanor　of　Don　Juan　de　Vera　and　his　sinewy　frame；　which　showed　him　formed　for　hardy　deeds　of　arms；　and　they　supposed　he　had　come　in　search　of　distinction　by　defying　the　Moorish　knights　in　open　tourney　or　in　the　famous　tilt　with　reeds　for　which　they　were　so　renowned；　for　it　was　still　the　custom　of　the　knights　of　either　nation　to　mingle　in　these　courteous　and　chivalrous　contests　during　the　intervals　of　war。　　When　they　learnt；　however；　that　he　was　come　to　demand　the　tribute　so　abhorrent　to　the　ears　of　the　fiery　monarch；　they　observed　that　it　well　required　a　warrior　of　his　apparent　nerve　to　execute　such　an　embassy。
  Muley　Abul　Hassan　received　the　cavalier　in　state；　seated　on　a　magnificent　divan　and　surrounded　by　the　officers　of　his　court；　in　the　Hall　of　Ambassadors；　one　of　the　most　sumptuous　apartments　of　the　Alhambra。　　When　De　Vera　had　delivered　his　message；　a　haughty　and　bitter　smile　curled　the　lip　of　the　fierce　monarch。　　〃Tell　your　sovereigns；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　kings　of　Granada；　who　used　to　pay　tribute　in　money　to　the　Castilian　crown；　are　dead。　　Our　mint　at　present　coins　nothing　but　blades　of　scimetars　and　heads　of　lances。〃*
  *Garibay；　1。　40；　c。　29；　Conde；　Hist。　Arab。；　p。　4；　c。　34。
  The　defiance　couched　in　this　proud　reply　was　heard　with　secret　satisfaction　by　Don　Juan　de　Vera；　for　he　was　a　bold　soldier　and　a　devout　hater　of　the　infidels；　and　he　saw　iron　war　in　the　words　of　the　Moorish　monarch。　　Being　master；　however；　of　all　points　of　etiquette；　he　retained　an　inflexible　demeanor；　and　retired　from　the　apartment　with　stately　and　ceremonious　gravity。　　His　treatment　was　suited　to　his　rank　and　dignity：　a　magnificent　apartment　in　the　Alhambra　was　assigned　to　him；　and　before　his　departure　a　scimetar　was　sent　to　him　by　the　king；　the　blade　of　the　finest　Damascus　steel；　the　hilt　of　agate　enriched　with　precious　stones；　and　the　guard　of　gold。　　De　Vera　drew　it；　and　smiled　grimly　as　he　noticed　the　admirable　temper　of　the　blade。　　〃His　Majesty　has　given　me　a　trenchant　weapon；〃　said　he：　〃I　trust　a　time　will　come　when　I　may　show　him　that　I　know　how　to　use　his　royal　present。〃　　The　reply　was　considered　a　compliment；　of　course：　the　bystanders　little　knew　the　bitter　hostility　that　lay　couched　beneath。
  On　his　return　to　Cordova；　Don　Juan　de　Vera　delivered　the　reply　of　the　Moor；　but　at　the　same　time　reported　the　state　of　his　territories。　These　had　been　strengthened　and　augmented　during　the　weak　reign　of　Henry　IV。　and　the　recent　troubles　of　Castile。　　Many　cities　and　strong　places　contiguous　to　Granada；　but　heretofore　conquered　by　the　Christians；　had　renewed　their　allegiance　to　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　so　that　his　kingdom　now　contained　fourteen　cities；　ninety…seven　fortified　places；　besides　numerous　unwalled　towns　and　villages　defended　by　formidable　castles；　while　Granada　towered　in　the　centre　as　the　citadel。
  The　wary　Ferdinand；　as　he　listened　to　the　military　report　of　Don　Juan　de　Vera；　saw　that　the　present　was　no　time　for　hostilities　with　a　warrior　kingdom　so　bristled　over　with　means　of　defence。　　The　internal　discords　of　Castile　still　continued；　as　did　the　war　with　Portugal：　under　these　circumstances　he　forbore　to　insist　upon　the　payment　of　tribute；　and　tacitly　permitted　the　truce　to　continue；　but　the　defiance　contained　in　the　reply　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan　remained　rankling　in　his　bosom　as　a　future　ground　of　war；　and　De　Vera's　description　of　Granada　as　the　centre　of　a　system　of　strongholds　and　rock…built　castles　suggested　to　him　his　plan　of　conquestby　taking　town　after　town　and　fortress　after　fortress；　and　gradually　plucking　away　all　the　supports　before　he　attempted　the　capital。　　He　expressed　his　resolution　in　a　memorable　pun　or　play　upon　the　name　of　Granada；　which　signifies　a　pomegranate。　　〃I　will　pick　out　the　seeds　of　this　pomegranate　one　by　one；〃　said　the　cool　and　crafty　Ferdinand。
  NOTE。In　the　first　edition　of　this　work　the　author　recounted　a　　characteristic　adventure　of　the　stout　Juan　de　Vera　as　happening　on　　the　occasion　of　this　embassy；　a　further　consultation　of　historical　　authorities　has　induced　him　to　transfer　it　to　a　second　embassy　of　De　　Vera's；　which　the　reader　will　find　related　in　a　subsequent　chapter。
  CHAPTER　III。
  DOMESTIC　FEUDS　IN　THE　ALHAMBRARIVAL　SULTANAS　　　　　PREDICTIONS　CONCERNING　BOABDIL；　THE　HEIR　TO　THE　　　　　THRONEHOW　FERDINAND　MEDITATES　WAR　AGAINST　　　　　GRANADA；　AND　HOW　HE　IS　ANTICIPATED。
  Though　Muley　Abul　Hassan　was　at　peace　in　his　external　relations；　a　civil　war　raged　in　his　harem；　which　it　is　proper　to　notice；　as　it　had　a　fatal　effect　upon　the　fortunes　of　the　kingdom。　　Though　cruel　by　nature；　he　was　uxorious　and　somewhat　prone　to　be　managed　by　his　wives。　　Early　in　life　he　had　married　his　kinswoman；　Ayxa　（or　Ayesha）；　daughter　of　his　great…uncle；　the　sultan　Mohammed　VII。；　surnamed　El　Hayzari；　or　the　Left…handed。　　She　was　a　woman　of　almost　masculine　spirit　and　energy；　and　of　such　immaculate　and　inaccessible　virtue　that　she　was　generally　called　La　Horra；　or　the　Chaste。　　By　her　he　had　a　son；　Abu　Abdallah；　or；　as　he　is　commonly　named　by　historians；　Boabdil。　　The　court　astrologers；　according　to　custom；　cast　the　horoscope　of　the　infant；　but　were　seized　with　fear　and　trembling　as　they　regarded　it。　　〃Allah　Akbar！　God　is　great！〃　exclaimed　they；　〃he　alone　controls　the　fate　of　empires。　　It　is　written　in　the　book　of　fate　that　this　child　will　one　day　sit　upon　the　throne；　but　that　the　downfall　of　the　kingdom　will　be　accomplished　during　his　reign。〃　　From　that　time　the　prince　had　been　regarded　with　aversion　by　his　father；　and　the　prediction　which　hung　over　him　and　the　persecutions　to　which　he　became　subjected　procured　him　the　surname　of　El　Zogoybi；　or　the　Unfortunate。　　He　grew　up；　however；　under　the　protection　of　his　valiant…hearted　mother；　who　by　the　energy　of　her　character　long　maintained　an　undisputed　sway　in　the　harem；　until；　as　her　youth　passed　away　and　her　beauty　declined；　a　formidable　rival　arose。
  In　one　of　the　forays　of　the　Moorish　chivalry　into　the　Christian　territories　they　had　surprised　a　frontier　fortress　commanded　by　Sancho　Ximenes　de　Solis；　a　noble　and　valiant　cavalier；　who　fell　in　bravely　defending　it。　　Among　the　captives　was　his　daughter　Isabella；　then　almost　in　her　infancy；　who　was　brought　to　Granada；　delicately　raised；　and　educated　in　the　Moslem　faith。*　　Her　Moorish　captors　gave　her　the　name　of　Fatima；　but　as　she　grew　up　her　surpassing　beauty　gained　her　the　surname　of　Zoraya；　or　the　Morning　Star；　by　which　she　has　become　known　in　history。　　Her　charms　at　length　attracted　the　notice　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　and　she　soon　became　a　member　of　his　harem。　　Some　have　spoken　of　her　as　a　Christian　slave　whom　he　had　made　his　concubine；　but　others；　with　more　truth；　represent　her　as　one　of　his　wives；　and　ultimately　his　favorite　sultana；　and　indeed　it　was　often　the　case　that　female　captives　of　rank　and　beauty；　when　converted　to　the　faith　of　Islam；　became　united　to　the　proudest　and　loftiest　of　their　captors。
  *Cronica　del　Gran　Cardinal；　cap。　71。
  Zoraya　soon　acquired　complete　ascendancy　over　the　mind　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan。　　She　was　as　ambitious　as　she　was　beautiful；　and；　having　become　the　mother　of　two　sons；　looked　forward　to　the　possibility　of　one　of　them　sitting　on　the　throne　of　Granada。　　These　ambitious　views　were　encouraged；　if　not　suggested；　by　a　faction　which　gathered　round　her　inspired　by　kindred　sympathies。　　The　king's　vizier；　Abul　Cacim　Vanegas；　who　had　great　influence　over　him；　was；　like　Zoraya；　of　Christian　descent；　being　of　the　noble　house　of　Luque。　　His　father；　one　of　the　Vanegas　of　Cordova；　had　been　captured　in　infancy　and　brought　up　as　a　Moslem。*　　From　him　sprang　the　vizier；　Abul　Cacim　Vanegas；　and　his　brother；　Reduan　Vanegas；　likewise　high　in　rank　in　the　court　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　and　they　had　about　them　numerous　and　powerful　connections；　all　basking　in　court　favor。　　Though　Moslems　in　faith；　they　were　all　drawn　to　Zoraya　by　the　tie　of　foreign　and　Christian　descent；　and　sought　to　elevate　her　and　her　children　to　the　disparagement　of　Ayxa　la　Horra　and　her　son　Boabdil。　　The　latter；　on　the　other　hand；　were　supported　by　the　noble　and　once…potent　family　of　the　Abencerrages　and　by　Aben　Comixa；　alcayde　of　the　Alhambra；　and　between　these　two　factions；　headed　by　rival　sultanas；　the　harem　of　Muley　Abul　Hassan　became　the　scene　of　inveterate　jealousies　and　intrigues；　which　in　time；　as　will　be　shown；　led　to　popular　commotions　and　civil　wars。**
  *Cura　de　los　Palacios；　Hist。　de　los　Reyes　Catol。；　cap。　56。
  **It　is　to　be　noted　that　several　historians　have　erroneously　　represented　Zoraya　as　the　mother　of　Boabdil；　instead　of　Ayxa　la　　Horra；　and　the　Abencerrages　as　the　opponents　of　Boabdil；　instead　　of　his　strenuous　adherents。　　The　statement　in　the　text　is　according　　to　the　most　reliable　authorities。
  While　these　female　feuds　were　threatening　Muley　Abul　Hassan　with　trouble　and　disaster　at　home；　his　evil　genius　prompted　him　to　an　enterprise　which　involved　him　in　tenfold　danger　from　abroad。　　The　reader　has　already　been　apprised　of　a　singular　clause　in　the　truce　existing　between　the　Ch