ight　appear　in　state　befitting　the　monarch　of　Granada　and　the　most　distinguished　vassal　of　the　Castilian　sovereigns。　　Money　also　was　advanced　to　maintain　him　in　suitable　grandeur　during　his　residence　at　the　Castilian　court　and　his　return　to　his　dominions。　　Finally；　it　was　ordered　by　the　sovereigns　that　when　he　came　to　Cordova　all　the　nobles　and　dignitaries　of　the　court　should　go　forth　to　receive　him。
  A　question　now　arose　among　certain　of　those　ancient　and　experienced　men　who　grow　gray　about　a　court　in　the　profound　study　of　forms　and　ceremonials；　with　whom　a　point　of　punctilio　is　as　a　vast　political　right；　and　who　contract　a　sublime　and　awful　idea　of　the　external　dignity　of　the　throne。　　Certain　of　these　court　sages　propounded　the　momentous　question　whether　the　Moorish　monarch；　coming　to　do　homage　as　a　vassal；　ought　not　to　kneel　and　kiss　the　hand　of　the　king。　　This　was　immediately　decided　in　the　affirmative　by　a　large　number　of　ancient　cavaliers；　accustomed　（says　Antonio　Agapida）　to　the　lofty　punctilio　of　our　most　dignified　court　and　transcendent　sovereigns。　　The　king；　therefore；　was　informed　by　those　who　arranged　the　ceremonials　that　when　the　Moorish　monarch　appeared　in　his　presence　he　was　expected　to　extend　his　royal　hand　to　receive　the　kiss　of　homage。
  〃I　should　certainly　do　so；〃　replied　King　Ferdinand；　〃were　he　at　liberty　and　in　his　own　kingdom；　but　I　certainly　shall　not　do　so；　seeing　that　he　is　a　prisoner　and　in　mine。〃
  The　courtiers　loudly　applauded　the　magnanimity　of　this　reply；　though　many　condemned　it　in　secret　as　savoring　of　too　much　generosity　toward　an　infidel；　and　the　worthy　Jesuit；　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　fully　concurs　in　their　opinion。
  The　Moorish　king　entered　Cordova　with　his　little　train　of　faithful　knights　and　escorted　by　all　the　nobility　and　chivalry　of　the　Castilian　court。　　He　was　conducted　with　great　state　and　ceremony　to　the　royal　palace。　　When　he　came　in　presence　of　Ferdinand　he　knelt　and　offered　to　kiss　his　hand；　not　merely　in　homage　as　his　subject；　but　in　gratitude　for　his　liberty。　　Ferdinand　declined　the　token　of　vassalage；　and　raised　him　graciously　from　the　earth。　　An　interpreter　began；　in　the　name　of　Boabdil；　to　laud　the　magnanimity　of　the　Castilian　monarch　and　to　promise　the　most　implicit　submision。　〃Enough！〃　said　King　Ferdinand；　interrupting　the　interpreter　in　the　midst　of　his　harangue：　〃there　is　no　need　of　these　compliments。　　I　trust　in　his　integrity　that　he　will　do　everything　becoming　a　good　man　and　a　good　king。〃　With　these　words　he　received　Boabdil　el　Chico　into　his　royal　friendship　and　protection。
  CHAPTER　XXI。
  RETURN　OF　BOABDIL　FROM　CAPTIVITY。
  In　the　month　of　August　a　noble　Moor；　of　the　race　of　the　Abencerrages；　arrived　with　a　splendid　retinue　at　the　city　of　Cordova；　bringing　with　him　the　son　of　Boabdil　el　Chico　and　other　of　the　noble　youth　of　Granada　as　hostages　for　the　fulfilment　of　the　terms　of　ransom。　　When　the　Moorish　king　beheld　his　son；　his　only　child；　who　was　to　remain　in　his　stead　a　sort　of　captive　in　a　hostile　land；　he　folded　him　in　his　arms　and　wept　over　him。　　〃Woe　the　day　that　I　was　born！〃　exclaimed　he；　〃and　evil　the　stars　that　presided　at　my　birth！　　Well　was　I　called　El　Zogoybi；　or　the　Unlucky；　for　sorrow　is　heaped　upon　me　by　my　father；　and　sorrow　do　I　transmit　to　my　son！〃　The　afflicted　heart　of　Boabdil；　however；　was　soothed　by　the　kindness　of　the　Christian　sovereigns；　who　received　the　hostage　prince　with　a　tenderness　suited　to　his　age　and　a　distinction　worthy　of　his　rank。　They　delivered　him　in　charge　to　the　worthy　alcayde　Martin　de　Alarcon；　who　had　treated　his　father　with　such　courtesy　during　his　confinement　in　the　castle　of　Porcuna；　giving　orders　that　after　the　departure　of　the　latter　his　son　should　be　entertained　with　great　honor　and　princely　attention　in　the　same　fortress。
  On　the　2d　of　September　a　guard　of　honor　assembled　at　the　gate　of　the　mansion　of　Boabdil　to　escort　him　to　the　frontiers　of　his　kingdom。　He　pressed　his　child　to　his　heart　at　parting；　but　he　uttered　not　a　word；　for　there　were　many　Christian　eyes　to　behold　his　emotion。　　He　mounted　his　steed；　and　never　turned　his　head　to　look　again　upon　the　youth；　but　those　who　were　near　him　observed　the　vehement　struggle　that　shook　his　frame；　wherein　the　anguish　of　the　father　had　wellnigh　subdued　the　studied　equanimity　of　the　king。
  Boabdil　el　Chico　and　King　Ferdinand　sallied　forth　side　by　side　from　Cordova；　amidst　the　acclamations　of　a　prodigious　multitude。　　When　they　were　a　short　distance　from　the　city　they　separated；　with　many　gracious　expressions　on　the　part　of　the　Castilian　monarch；　and　many　thankful　acknowledgments　from　his　late　captive；　whose　heart　had　been　humbled　by　adversity。　　Ferdinand　departed　for　Guadalupe；　and　Boabdil　for　Granada。　　The　latter　was　accompanied　by　a　guard　of　honor；　and　the　viceroys　of　Andalusia　and　the　generals　on　the　frontier　were　ordered　to　furnish　him　with　escorts　and　to　show　him　all　possible　honor　on　his　journey。　　In　this　way　he　was　conducted　in　royal　state　through　the　country　he　had　entered　to　ravage；　and　was　placed　in　safety　in　his　own　dominions。
  He　was　met　on　the　frontier　by　the　principal　nobles　and　cavaliers　of　his　court；　who　had　been　secretly　sent　by　his　mother；　the　sultana　Ayxa；　to　escort　him　to　the　capital。　　The　heart　of　Boabdil　was　lifted　up　for　a　moment　when　he　found　himself　on　his　own　territories；　surrounded　by　Moslem　knights；　with　his　own　banners　waving　over　his　head；　and　he　began　to　doubt　the　predictions　of　the　astrologers：　he　soon　found　cause；　however；　to　moderate　his　exultation。　　The　royal　train　which　had　come　to　welcome　him　was　but　scanty　in　number；　and　he　missed　many　of　his　most　zealous　and　obsequious　courtiers。　　He　had　returned；　indeed；　to　his　kingdom；　but　it　was　no　longer　the　devoted　kingdom　he　had　left。　　The　story　of　his　vassalage　to　the　Christian　sovereigns　had　been　made　use　of　by　his　father　to　ruin　him　with　the　people。　　He　had　been　represented　as　a　traitor　to　his　country；　a　renegado　to　his　faith；　and　as　leagued　with　the　enemies　of　both　to　subdue　the　Moslems　of　Spain　to　the　yoke　of　Christian　bondage。　　In　this　way　the　mind　of　the　public　had　been　turned　from　him；　the　greater　part　of　the　nobility　had　thronged　round　the　throne　of　his　father　in　the　Alhambra；　and　his　mother；　the　resolute　sultana　Ayxa；　with　difficulty　maintained　her　faction　in　the　opposite　towers　of　the　Alcazaba。
  Such　was　the　melancholy　picture　of　affairs　given　to　Boabdil　by　the　courtiers　who　had　come　forth　to　meet　him。　　They　even　informed　him　that　it　would　be　an　enterprise　of　difficulty　and　danger　to　make　his　way　back　to　the　capital　and　regain　the　little　court　which　still　remained　faithful　to　him　in　the　heart　of　the　city。　　The　old　tiger；　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　lay　couched　within　the　Alhambra；　and　the　walls　and　gates　of　the　city　were　strongly　guarded　by　his　troops。　　Boabdil　shook　his　head　at　these　tidings。　　He　called　to　mind　the　ill　omen　of　his　breaking　his　lance　against　the　gate　of　Elvira　when　issuing　forth　so　vaingloriously　with　his　army；　which　he　now　saw　clearly　had　foreboded　the　destruction　of　that　army　on　which　he　had　so　confidently　relied。　　〃Henceforth；〃　said　he；　〃let　no　man　have　the　impiety　to　scoff　at　omens。〃
  Boabdil　approached　his　capital　by　stealth　and　in　the　night；　prowling　about　its　walls　like　an　enemy　seeking　to　destroy　rather　than　a　monarch　returning　to　his　throne。　　At　length　he　seized　upon　a　postern…gate　of　the　Albaycin；　that　part　of　the　city　which　had　always　been　in　his　favor；　he　passed　rapidly　through　the　streets　before　the　populace　were　aroused　from　their　sleep；　and　reached　in　safety　the　fortress　of　the　Alcazaba。　　Here　he　was　received　into　the　embraces　of　his　intrepid　mother　and　his　favorite　wife　Morayma。　　The　transports　of　the　latter　on　the　safe　return　of　her　husband　were　mingled　with　tears；　for　she　thought　of　her　father；　Ali　Atar；　who　had　fallen　in　his　cause；　and　of　her　only　son；　who　was　left　a　hostage　in　the　hand　of　the　Christians。
  The　heart　of　Boabdil；　softened　by　his　misfortunes；　was　moved　by　the　changes　in　everything　round　him；　but　his　mother　called　up　his　spirit。　　〃This；〃　said　she；　〃is　no　time　for　tears　and　fondness。　　A　king　must　think　of　his　sceptre　and　his　throne；　and　not　yield　to　softness　like　common　men。　　Thou　hast　done　well；　my　son；　in　throwing　thyself　resolutely　into　Granada：　it　must　depend　upon　thyself　whether　thou　remain　here　a　king　or　a　captive。〃
  The　old　king；　Muley　Abul　Hassan；　had　retired　to　his　couch　that　night　in　one　of　the　strongest　towers　of　the　Alhambra；　but　his　restless　anxiety　kept　him　from　repose。　　In　the　first　watch　of　the　night　he　heard　a　shout　faintly　rising　from　the　quarter　of　the　Albaycin；　which　is　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　deep　valley　of　the　Darro。　　Shortly　afterward　horsemen　came　galloping　up　the　hill　that　leads　to　the　main　gate　of　the　Alhambra；　spreading　the　alarm　that　Boabdil　had　entered　the　city　and　possessed　himself　of　the　Alcazaba。
  In　the　first　transports　of　his　rage　the　old　king　would　have　struck　the　messenger　to　earth。　　He　hastily　summoned　his　counsellors　and　commanders；　exhorting　them　to　stand　by　him　in　this　critical　moment；　and　during　the　night　made　every　preparation　to　enter　the　Albaycin　sword　in　hand　in　the　morning。
  In　the　mean　time　the　sultana　Ayxa　had　taken　prompt　and　vigorous　measures　to　strengthen　her　party。　　The　Albayci