Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/125

101 SURRENDER OF THE CAPITAL. 101 tmople, nearly half a century before. At Rome, the event was commemorated by a solemn proces- sion of the pope and cardinals to St. Peter's, where high mass was celebrated, and the public rejoicing continued for several days.^^ The intelligence was welcomed with no less satisfaction in England, where Henry the Seventh was seated on the throne. The circumstances attending it, as related by Lord Bacon, will not be devoid of interest for the reader. ^^ CHAPTER XV. 22 Seriarega, Commentarii de Rebus Genueasibus, apud Murato- ri, Rerum Italicarum Scriptcres, (Mediolani, 1723-51,) torn. xxiv. p. 531. — It formed the subject of a theatrical representation before the court at Naples, in the same year. This drama, or Farsa, as it is call- ed by its distinguished author, San- nazaro, is an allegorical medley, in which Faith, Joy, and the false prophet Mahomet play the princi- pal parts. The difficulty of a pre- cise classification of this piece, has given rise to warmer discussion among Italian critics, than the sub- ject may be thought to warrant. See Signorelli, Vicende della Col- tura nelle due Sicilie, (Napoli, 1810,) torn. iii. pp. 543 et seq. 23 "Somewhat about this time, came letters from Ferdinando and Isabella, king and queen of Spain ; signifying the final conquest of Granada from the IMoors ; which action, in itself so worthy, King Ferdinando, whose manner was, never to lose any virtue for the Bhowing, had expressed and dis- played in his letters, at large, with all the particularities and reli- gious punctos and ceremonies, that were observed in the reception of that city and kingdom ; showing amongst other things, that the king would not by any means in person enter the city until he had first aloof seen the Cross set up upon the greater tuwer of Grana- da, whereby it became Christian ground. That likewise, before he would enter, he did homage to God above, pronouncing by an herald from the height of that tower, that he did acknowledge to have recovered that kingdom by the help of God Almighty, and the glorious Virgin, and the vir- tuous apostle St. James, and the holy father Innocent VIII., to- gether with the aids and services of his prelates, nobles, and com- mons. Thai yet he stirred not from his camp, till he had seen a little army of martyrs, to the number of seven hundred and more Christians, that had lived in bonds and servitude, as slaves to the Moors, pass before his eyes, singing a psalm for their redemp- tion ; and that he had given tribute unto God, by alms and relief ex- tended to them all, for his admis- sion into the city. These things were in the letters, with many more ceremonies of a kind of holy ostentation. "The king, ever willing to put himself into the consort or quire of all religious actions, and naturally affecting much the king of Spain, as far as one king can affect an- other, partly for his virtues, and partly for a counterpoise to France;