testy　diplomatist。　　They　found　Don　Juan　playing　a　game　of　chess　with　the　alcayde　of　the　Alhambra；　and　took　occasion　to　indulge　in　sportive　comments　on　some　of　the　mysteries　of　the　Christian　religion。　　The　ire　of　this　devout　knight　and　discreet　ambassador　began　to　kindle；　but　he　restrained　it　within　the　limits　of　lofty　gravity。　　〃You　would　do　well；〃　said　he；　〃to　cease　talking　about　what　you　do　not　understand。〃　　This　only　provoked　light　attacks　of　the　witlings；　until　one　of　them　dared　to　make　some　degrading　and　obscene　comparison　between　the　Blessed　Virgin　and　Amina；　the　mother　of　Mahomet。　　In　an　instant　Don　Juan　sprang　to　his　feet；　dashed　chess…board　and　chess…men　aside；　and；　drawing　his　sword；　dealt；　says　the　curate　of　los　Palacios；　such　a　〃fermosa　cuchillada〃　（such　a　handsome　slash）　across　the　head　of　the　blaspheming　Moor　as　felled　him　to　the　earth。　　The　renegado；　seeing　his　comrade　fall；　fled　for　his　life；　making　the　halls　and　galleries　ring　with　his　outcries。　　Guards；　pages；　and　attendants　rushed　in；　but　Don　Juan　kept　them　at　bay　until　the　appearance　of　the　king　restored　order。　　On　inquiring　into　the　cause　of　the　affray　he　acted　with　proper　discrimination。　　Don　Juan　was　held　sacred　as　an　ambassador；　and　the　renegado　was　severely　punished　for　having　compromised　the　hospitality　of　the　royal　palace。
  The　tumult　in　the　Alhambra；　however；　soon　caused　a　more　dangerous　tumult　in　the　city。　　It　was　rumored　that　Christians　had　been　introduced　into　the　palace　with　some　treasonable　design。　　The　populace　caught　up　arms　and　ascended　in　throngs　to　the　Gate　of　Justice；　demanding　the　death　of　all　Christian　spies　and　those　who　had　introduced　them。　　This　was　no　time　to　reason　with　an　infuriate　mob；　when　the　noise　of　their　clamors　might　bring　the　garrison　of　the　Albaycin　to　back　them。　　Nothing　was　left　for　El　Zagal　but　to　furnish　Don　Juan　with　a　disguise；　a　swift　horse；　and　an　escort；　and　to　let　him　out　of　the　Alhambra　by　a　private　gate。　　It　was　a　sore　grievance　to　the　stately　cavalier　to　have　to　submit　to　these　expedients；　but　there　was　no　alternative。　　In　Moorish　disguise　he　passed　through　crowds　that　were　clamoring　for　his　head；　and；　once　out　of　the　gate　of　the　city；　gave　reins　to　his　horse；　nor　ceased　spurring　until　he　found　himself　safe　under　the　banners　of　Don　Fadrique。
  Thus　ended　the　second　embassy　of　Don　Juan　de　Vera；　less　stately　but　more　perilous　than　the　first。　　Don　Fadrique　extolled　his　prowess；　whatever　he　may　have　thought　of　his　discretion；　and　rewarded　him　with　a　superb　horse；　while　at　the　same　time　he　wrote　a　letter　to　El　Zagal　thanking　him　for　the　courtesy　and　protection　he　had　observed　to　his　ambassador。　　Queen　Isabella　also　was　particularly　delighted　with　the　piety　of　Don　Juan　and　his　promptness　in　vindicating　the　immaculate　character　of　the　Blessed　Virgin；　and；　besides　conferring　on　him　various　honorable　distinctions；　made　him　a　royal　present　of　three　hundred　thousand　maravedis。*
  *Alcantara；　Hist。　Granad。；　vol。　3；　c。　17；　apud　De　Harro；　Nobiliario　　Genealogico；　lib。　5；　cap。　15。
  The　report　brought　by　this　cavalier　of　affairs　in　Granada；　together　with　the　preceding　skirmishings　between　the　Moorish　factions　before　the　walls；　convinced　Don　Fadrique　that　there　was　no　collusion　between　the　monarchs：　on　returning　to　his　frontier　post；　therefore；　he　sent　Boabdil　a　reinforcement　of　Christian　foot…soldiers　and　arquebusiers；　under　Fernan　Alvarez　de　Sotomayor；　alcayde　of　Colomera。　　This　was　as　a　firebrand　thrown　in　to　light　up　anew　the　flames　of　war　in　the　city；　which　remained　raging　between　the　Moorish　inhabitants　for　the　space　of　fifty　days。
  CHAPTER　XLVII。
  HOW　KING　FERDINAND　LAID　SIEGE　TO　VELEZ　MALAGA。
  Hitherto　the　events　of　this　renowned　war　have　been　little　else　than　a　succession　of　brilliant　but　brief　exploits；　such　as　sudden　forays；　wild　skirmishes　among　the　mountains；　and　the　surprisals　of　castles；　fortresses；　and　frontier　towns。　　We　approach　now　to　more　important　and　prolonged　operations；　in　which　ancient　and　mighty　cities；　the　bulwarks　of　Granada；　were　invested　by　powerful　armies；　subdued　by　slow　and　regular　sieges；　and　thus　the　capital　left　naked　and　alone。
  The　glorious　triumphs　of　the　Christian　sovereigns　（says　Fray　Antonio　Agapida）　had　resounded　throughout　the　East　and　filled　all　heathenesse　with　alarm。　　The　Grand　Turk；　Bajazet　II。；　and　his　deadly　foe；　the　grand　soldan　of　Egypt；　suspending　for　a　time　their　bloody　feuds；　entered　into　a　league　to　protect　the　religion　of　Mahomet　and　the　kingdom　of　Granada　from　the　hostilities　of　the　Christians。　　It　was　concerted　between　them　that　Bajazet　should　send　a　powerful　armada　against　the　island　of　Sicily；　then　appertaining　to　the　Spanish　Crown；　for　the　purpose　of　distracting　the　attention　of　the　Castilian　sovereigns；　while　at　the　same　time　great　bodies　of　troops　should　be　poured　into　Granada　from　the　opposite　coast　of　Africa。
  Ferdinand　and　Isabella　received　timely　intelligence　of　these　designs。　　They　resolved　at　once　to　carry　the　war　into　the　sea…　board　of　Granada；　to　possess　themselves　of　its　ports；　and　thus；　as　it　were；　to　bar　the　gates　of　the　kingdom　against　all　external　aid。　Malaga　was　to　be　the　main　object　of　attack：　it　was　the　principal　seaport　of　the　kingdom；　and　almost　necessary　to　its　existence。　　It　had　long　been　the　seat　of　opulent　commerce；　sending　many　ships　to　the　coasts　of　Syria　and　Egypt。　　It　was　also　the　great　channel　of　communication　with　Africa；　through　which　were　introduced　supplies　of　money；　troops；　arms；　and　steeds　from　Tunis；　Tripoli；　Fez；　Tremezan；　and　other　Barbary　powers。　　It　was　emphatically　called；　therefore；　〃the　hand　and　mouth　of　Granada。〃　　Before　laying　siege　to　this　redoubtable　city；　however；　it　was　deemed　necessary　to　secure　the　neighboring　city　of　Velez　Malaga　and　its　dependent　places；　which　might　otherwise　harass　the　besieging　army。
  For　this　important　campaign　the　nobles　of　the　kingdom　were　again　summoned　to　take　the　field　with　their　forces　in　the　spring　of　1487。　The　menaced　invasion　of　the　infidel　powers　of　the　East　had　awakened　new　ardor　in　the　bosoms　of　all　true　Christian　knights；　and　so　zealously　did　they　respond　to　the　summons　of　the　sovereigns　that　an　army　of　twenty　thousand　cavalry　and　fifty　thousand　foot；　the　flower　of　Spanish　warriors；　led　by　the　bravest　of　Spanish　cavaliers；　thronged　the　renowned　city　of　Cordova　at　the　appointed　time。
  On　the　night　before　this　mighty　host　set　forth　upon　its　march　an　earthquake　shook　the　city。　　The　inhabitants；　awakened　by　the　shaking　of　the　walls　and　rocking　of　the　towers；　fled　to　the　courts　and　squares；　fearing　to　be　overwhelmed　by　the　ruins　of　their　dwellings。　The　earthquake　was　most　violent　in　the　quarter　of　the　royal　residence；　the　site　of　the　ancient　palace　of　the　Moorish　kings。　　Many　looked　upon　this　as　an　omen　of　some　impending　evil；　but　Fray　Antonio　Agapida；　in　that　infallible　spirit　of　divination　which　succeeds　an　event；　plainly　reads　in　it　a　presage　that　the　empire　of　the　Moors　was　about　to　be　shaken　to　its　centre。
  It　was　on　Saturday；　the　eve　of　the　Sunday　of　Palms　（says　a　worthy　and　loyal　chronicler　of　the　time）；　that　the　most　Catholic　monarch　departed　with　his　army　to　render　service　to　Heaven　and　make　war　upon　the　Moors。*　　Heavy　rains　had　swelled　all　the　streams　and　rendered　the　roads　deep　and　difficult。　　The　king；　therefore；　divided　his　host　into　two　bodies。　　In　one　he　put　all　the　artillery；　guarded　by　a　strong　body　of　horse；　and　commanded　by　the　master　of　Alcantara　and　Martin　Alonso；　senior　of　Montemayor。　　This　division　was　to　proceed　by　the　road　through　the　valleys；　where　pasturage　abounded　for　the　oxen　which　drew　the　ordnance。
  *Pulgar；　Cronica　de　los　Reyes　Catholicos。
  The　main　body　of　the　army　was　led　by　the　king　in　person。　　It　was　divided　into　numerous　battalions；　each　commanded　by　some　distinguished　cavalier。　　The　king　took　the　rough　and　perilous　road　of　the　mountains；　and　few　mountains　are　more　rugged　and　difficult　than　those　of　Andalusia。　　The　roads　are　mere　mule…paths　straggling　amidst　rocks　and　along　the　verge　of　precipices；　clambering　vast　craggy　heights；　or　descending　into　frightful　chasms　and　ravines；　with　scanty　and　uncertain　foothold　for　either　man　or　steed。　　Four　thousand　pioneers　were　sent　in　advance；　under　the　alcayde　de　los　Donceles；　to　conquer　in　some　degree　the　asperities　of　the　road。　　Some　had　pickaxes　and　crowbars　to　break　the　rocks；　others　had　implements　to　construct　bridges　over　the　mountain…torrents；　while　it　was　the　duty　of　others　to　lay　stepping…stones　in　the　smaller　streams。　　As　the　country　was　inhabited　by　fierce　Moorish　mountaineers；　Don　Diego　de　Castrillo　was　despatched　with　a　body　of　horse　and　foot　to　take　possession　of　the　heights　and　passes。　　Notwithstanding　every　precaution；　the　royal　army　suffered　excessively　on　its　march。　　At　one　time　there　was　no　place　to　encamp　for　five　leagues　of　the　most　toilsome　and　mountainous　country；　and　many　of　the　beasts　of　burden　sank　down　and　perished　on　the　road。
  It　was　with　the　greatest　joy；　therefore；　that　the　royal　army　emerged　from　these　stern　and　frightful　defiles；　and　came　to　where　they　looked　down　upon　the　vega　of　Velez　Malaga。　　The　region　before　them　was　one　of　the　most　delectable　to　the　eye　that　ever　was　ravaged　by　an　army。　　Sheltered　from　every　rude　blast　by　a　screen　of　mountains；