Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/254

228 228 THE REGENCY OF FERDINAND. I'ART than the sword usually worn. The king trusted, sajs Zurita, to the majesty of his presence, and the reputation he had acquired by his long and able administration. de°ponment ^he CastlUan nobles, brought into contact with nand" '" Ferdinand, could not well avoid paying their obei- sance to him. He received them in his usual gra- cious and affable manner, making remarks, the good- humor of which was occasionally seasoned with something of a more pungent character. To the duke of Najara, who was noted for being a vain- glorious person, and who came forward with a gal- lant retinue in all the panoply of war, he exclaimed, " So, duke, you are mindful as ever, I see, of the duties of a great captain ! " Among others, was Garcilasso de la Vega, Ferdinand's minister former- ly at Rome. Like many of the Castilian lords, he wore armour under his dress, the better to guard against surprise. The king, embracing him, felt the mail beneath, and, tapping him familiarly on the shoulder, said, " I congratulate you, Garcilasso, you have grown wonderfully lusty since we last met." The desertion, however, of one who had received so many favors from him, touched him more nearly than all the rest. Philip's dis- As Philip drew near, it was observed he wore an anxious, embarrassed air, while his father-in-law maintained the same serene and cheerful aspect as usual. After exchanging salutations, the two mon- archs alighted, and entered a small hermitage in the neighbourhood, attended only by Manuel and Archbishop Ximenes. They had no sooner entered,