When　they　approached　each　other；　therefore；　before　embracing；　they　made　three　profound　reverences；　the　queen　taking　off　her　hat　and　remaining　in　a　silk　net　or　caul；　with　her　face　uncovered。　　The　king　then　approached　and　embraced　her；　and　kissed　her　respectfully　on　the　cheek。　　He　also　embraced　his　daughter　the　princess；　and；　making　the　sign　of　the　cross；　he　blessed　her　and　kissed　her　on　the　lips。*
  *Cura　de　los　Palacios。
  The　good　Agapida　seems　scarcely　to　have　been　more　struck　with　the　appearance　of　the　sovereigns　than　with　that　of　the　English　earl。　He　followed　（says　he）　immediately　after　the　king；　with　great　pomp　and；　in　an　extraordinary　manner；　taking　precedence　of　all　the　rest。　He　was　mounted　〃a　la　guisa；〃　or　with　long　stirrups；　on　a　superb　chestnut　horse；　with　trappings　of　azure　silk　which　reached　to　the　ground。　　The　housings　were　of　mulberry　powdered　with　stars　of　gold。　He　was　armed　in　proof；　and　wore　over　his　armor　a　short　French　mantle　of　black　brocade；　he　had　a　white　French　hat　with　plumes；　and　carried　on　his　left　arm　a　small　round　buckler　banded　with　gold。　　Five　pages　attended　him；　apparelled　in　silk　and　brocade　and　mounted　on　horses　sumptuously　caparisoned；　he　had　also　a　train　of　followers　bravely　attired　after　the　fashion　of　his　country。
  He　advanced　in　a　chivalrous　and　courteous　manner；　making　his　reverences　first　to　the　queen　and　infanta；　and　afterward　to　the　king。　　Queen　Isabella　received　him　graciously；　complimenting　him　on　his　courageous　conduct　at　Loxa；　and　condoling　with　him　on　the　loss　of　his　teeth。　　The　earl；　however；　made　light　of　his　disfiguring　wound；　saying　that　〃our　Blessed　Lord；　who　had　built　all　that　house；　had　opened　a　window　there；　that　he　might　see　more　readily　what　passed　within；〃*　whereupon　the　worthy　Fray　Antonio　Agapida　is　more　than　ever　astonished　at　the　pregnant　wit　of　this　island　cavalier。　The　earl　continued　some　little　distance　by　the　side　of　the　royal　family；　complimenting　them　all　with　courteous　speeches；　his　horse　curveting　and　caracoling；　but　being　managed　with　great　grace　and　dexterity；　leaving　the　grandees　and　the　people　at　large　not　more　filled　with　admiration　at　the　strangeness　and　magnificence　of　his　state　than　at　the　excellence　of　his　horsemanship。**
  *Pietro　Martyr；　Epist。　61。
  **Cura　de　los　Palacios。
  To　testify　her　sense　of　the　gallantry　and　services　of　this　noble　English　knight；　who　had　come　from　so　far　to　assist　in　their　wars；　the　queen　sent　him　the　next　day　presents　of　twelve　horses；　with　stately　tents；　fine　linen；　two　beds　with　coverings　of　gold　brocade；　and　many　other　articles　of　great　value。
  Having　refreshed　himself；　as　it　were；　with　the　description　of　this　progress　of　Queen　Isabella　to　the　camp　and　the　glorious　pomp　of　the　Catholic　sovereigns；　the　worthy　Antonio　Agapida　returns　with　renewed　relish　to　his　pious　work　of　discomfiting　the　Moors。
  The　description　of　this　royal　pageant　and　the　particulars　concerning　the　English　earl；　thus　given　from　the　manuscript　of　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　agree　precisely　with　the　chronicle　of　Andres　Bernaldez；　the　curate　of　Los　Palacios。　　The　English　earl　makes　no　further　figure　in　this　war。　　It　appears　from　various　histories　that　he　returned　in　the　course　of　the　year　to　England。　　In　the　following　year　his　passion　for　fighting　took　him　to　the　Continent；　at　the　head　of　four　hundred　adventurers；　in　aid　of　Francis；　duke　of　Brittany；　against　Louis　XI。　of　France。　　He　was　killed　in　the　same　year　（1488）　in　the　battle　of　St。　Alban's　between　the　Bretons　and　the　French。
  CHAPTER　XLIII。
  HOW　KING　FERDINAND　ATTACKED　MOCLIN；　AND　OF　THE　STRANGE　　　　　EVENTS　THAT　ATTENDED　ITS　CAPTURE。
  〃The　Catholic　sovereigns；〃　says　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　〃had　by　this　time　closely　clipped　the　right　wing　of　the　Moorish　vulture。〃　In　other　words；　most　of　the　strong　fortresses　along　the　western　frontier　of　Granada　had　fallen　beneath　the　Christian　artillery。　　The　army　now　lay　encamped　before　the　town　of　Moclin；　on　the　frontier　of　Jaen；　one　of　the　most　stubborn　fortresses　of　the　border。　　It　stood　on　a　high　rocky　hill；　the　base　of　which　was　nearly　girdled　by　a　river：　a　thick　forest　protected　the　back　part　of　the　town　toward　the　mountain。　　Thus　strongly　situated；　it　domineered；　with　its　frowning　battlements　and　massive　towers；　all　the　mountain…passes　into　that　part　of　the　country；　and　was　called　〃the　shield　of　Granada。〃　　It　had　a　double　arrear　of　blood　to　settle　with　the　Christians：　two　hundred　years　before；　a　master　of　Santiago　and　all　his　cavaliers　had　been　lanced　by　the　Moors　before　its　gates。　　It　had　recently　made　terrible　slaughter　among　the　troops　of　the　good　count　de　Cabra　in　his　precipitate　attempt　to　entrap　the　old　Moorish　monarch。　　The　pride　of　Ferdinand　had　been　piqued　by　being　obliged　on　that　occasion　to　recede　from　his　plan　and　abandon　his　concerted　attack　on　the　place；　he　was　now　prepared　to　take　a　full　revenge。
  El　Zagal；　the　old　warrior…king　of　Granada；　anticipating　a　second　attempt；　had　provided　the　place　with　ample　ammunitions　and　provisions；　had　ordered　trenches　to　be　digged　and　additional　bulwarks　thrown　up；　and　caused　all　the　old　men；　the　women；　and　the　children　to　be　removed　to　the　capital。
  Such　was　the　strength　of　the　fortress　and　the　difficulties　of　its　position　that　Ferdinand　anticipated　much　trouble　in　reducing　it；　and　made　every　preparation　for　a　regular　siege。　　In　the　centre　of　his　camp　were　two　great　mounds；　one　of　sacks　of　flour；　the　other　of　grain；　which　were　called　the　royal　granary。　　Three　batteries　of　heavy　ordnance　were　opened　against　the　citadel　and　principal　towers；　while　smaller　artillery；　engines　for　the　discharge　of　missiles；　arquebuses；　and　crossbows；　were　distributed　in　various　places　to　keep　up　a　fire　into　any　breaches　that　might　be　made；　and　upon　those　of　the　garrison　who　should　appear　on　the　battlements。
  The　lombards　soon　made　an　impression　on　the　works；　demolishing　a　part　of　the　wall　and　tumbling　down　several　of　those　haughty　towers　which；　from　their　height；　had　been　impregnable　before　the　invention　of　gunpowder。　　The　Moors　repaired　their　walls　as　well　as　they　were　able；　and；　still　confiding　in　the　strength　of　their　situation；　kept　up　a　resolute　defence；　firing　down　from　their　lofty　battlements　and　towers　upon　the　Christian　camp。　　For　two　nights　and　a　day　an　incessant　fire　was　kept　up；　so　that　there　was　not　a　moment　in　which　the　roaring　of　ordnance　was　not　heard　or　some　damage　sustained　by　the　Christians　or　the　Moors。　　It　was　a　conflict；　however；　more　of　engineers　and　artillerists　than　of　gallant　cavaliers；　there　was　no　sally　of　troops　nor　shock　of　armed　men　nor　rush　and　charge　of　cavalry。　　The　knights　stood　looking　on　with　idle　weapons；　waiting　until　they　should　have　an　opportunity　of　signalizing　their　prowess　by　scaling　the　walls　or　storming　the　breaches。　　As　the　place；　however；　was　assailable　only　in　one　part；　there　was　every　prospect　of　a　long　and　obstinate　resistance。
  The　engineers；　as　usual；　discharged　not　merely　balls　of　stone　and　iron　to　demolish　the　walls；　but　flaming　balls　of　inextinguishable　combustibles　designed　to　set　fire　to　the　houses。　　One　of　these；　which　passed　high　through　the　air　like　a　meteor；　sending　out　sparks　and　crackling　as　it　went；　entered　the　window　of　a　tower　which　was　used　as　a　magazine　of　gunpowder。　　The　tower　blew　up　with　a　tremendous　explosion；　the　Moors　who　were　upon　its　battlements　were　hurled　into　the　air；　and　fell　mangled　in　various　parts　of　the　town；　and　the　houses　in　its　vicinity　were　rent　and　overthrown　as　with　an　earthquake。
  The　Moors；　who　had　never　witnessed　an　explosion　of　the　kind；　ascribed　the　destruction　of　the　tower　to　a　miracle。　　Some　who　had　seen　the　descent　of　the　flaming　ball　imagined　that　fire　had　fallen　from　heaven　to　punish　them　for　their　pertinacity。　　The　pious　Agapida　himself　believes　that　this　fiery　missive　was　conducted　by　divine　agency　to　confound　the　infidelsan　opinion　in　which　he　is　supported　by　other　Catholic　historians。*
  *Pulgar；　Garibay；　Lucio　Marino　Siculo；　Cosas　Memoral。　de　Hispan。；　　lib。20。
  Seeing　heaven　and　earth；　as　it　were；　combined　against　them；　the　Moors　lost　all　heart：　they　capitulated；　and　were　permitted　to　depart　with　their　effects；　leaving　behind　all　arms　and　munitions　of　war。
  The　Catholic　army　（says　Antonio　Agapida）　entered　Moclin　in　solemn　state；　not　as　a　licentious　host　intent　upon　plunder　and　desolation；　but　as　a　band　of　Christian　warriors　coming　to　purify　and　regenerate　the　land。　　The　standard　of　the　cross；　that　ensign　of　this　holy　crusade；　was　borne　in　the　advance；　followed　by　the　other　banners　of　the　army。　　Then　came　the　king　and　queen　at　the　head　of　a　vast　number　of　armed　cavaliers。　　They　were　accompanied　by　a　band　of　priests　and　friars；　with　the　choir　of　the　royal　chapel　chanting　the　canticle　〃Te　Deum　laudamus。〃　　As　they　were　moving　through　the　streets　in　this　solemn　manner；　every　sound　hushed　excepting　the　anthem　of　the　choir；　they　suddenly　heard；　issuing　as　it　were　from　under　ground；　a　chorus　of　voices　chanting　in　solemn　response　〃Benedictum　qui　venit　in　nomine　Domini。〃*　　The　procession　paused　in　wonder。　　The　sounds　rose　from　Christian　captives；　and　among　them　several　priests；　who　were　confined　in　subterraneous　dungeons。
  *Marino　Siculo。
  The　heart　of　Isabella　was　greatly　touched。　　She　ordered　the　capti