Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/105

81 SURRENDER OF THE CAPITAL. 81 ed into Portugal by the cardinal of Spain, the chapter XV grand master of St. James, and a numerous and '- — magnificent retinue. Her dowry exceeded that usually assigned to the infantas of Castile, by five hundred marks of gold and a thousand of silver ; and her w^ardrobe w^as estimated at one hundred and twenty thousand gold florins. The contempo- rary chroniclers dwell with much complacency on these evidences of the stateliness and splendor of the Castilian court. Unfortunately, these fair aus- pices were destined to be clouded too soon by the death of the prince, her husband.^ No sooner had the campaign of the preceding; Granada ■i o A o summoned year been brought to a close, than Ferdinand and '" ''"""• Isabella sent an embassy to the king of Granada, requiring a surrender of his capital, conformably to his stipulations at Loja, which guarantied this, on the capitulation of Baza, Almeria, and Guadix. That time had now arrived ; King Abdallah, how- ever, excused himself from obeying the summons of the Spanish sovereigns, replying that he was no longer his own master, and that, although he had all the inclination to keep his engagements, he was prevented by the inhabitants of the city, now swollen much beyond its natural population, who resolutely insisted on its defence. ^ 2 Faria y Sousa, Europa Portu- dez, Reyes Catolicos, MS., cap. gesa, torn. ii. p. 452-456. — Flo- 90. rez, Reynas Catholieas, p. 845. — Neither the Arabic nor Castilian Pulgar, Reyes Catolicos, cap. 129. authorities impeach the justice of — Oviedo, Quincuagenas,MS.,bat. the summons made by the Spanish I, quinc. 2, dial. 3. sovereigns. I do not, however, 3 Conde, Dominacion de los Ara- find any other foundation for the bes, torn. iii. cap. 41. — Bernal- obligation imputed to Abdallah in VOL. II. 11