Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. I.djvu/437

THE SPANISH ARABS. 293 period, therefore, the two nations viewed each ciuPTKa other with more liberality probably, than at any . L_ previous or succeeding time. Their respective monarchs conducted their mutual negotiations on a footing of perfect equality. We find several ex- amples of Arabian sovereigns visiting in person the court of Castile. These civilities were recipro- cated by the Christian princes. As late as 1463, Henry the Fourth had a personal interview with the king of Granada, in the dominions of the latter. The two monarchs held their conference under a splendid pavilion erected in the vega, before the gates of the city ; and, after an exchange of pres- ents, the Spanish sovereign was escorted to the frontiers by a body of Moorish cavaliers. These acts of courtesy relieve in some measure the ruder features of an almost uninterrupted warfare, that was necessarily kept up between the rival na- tions. ^® The Moorish and Christian knights were also in the habit of exchanging; visits at the courts of their respective masters. The latter were wont to repair 28 A specification of a royal don- of royalty appears to have been ative in that day may serve to deemed peculiarly appropriate to show the martial spirit of the age. the kings of Leon. Ferreras in- In one of these, made by the king forms us that the ambassadors of Granada to the CastiJian sove- from France at the Ccistilian court, reign, we find twenty noble steeds in 1434. were received by John of the royal stud, reared on the 11., with a full grown domesticat- banks of the Xenil, with superb ed lion crouching at his feet. (Hist, caparisons, and the same number d'Espagne, tom. vi. p. 401.) The of scimitars richly garnished with same taste appears still to exist in gold and jewels; and, in anoth- Turkey. Dr. Clarke, in his visit er, mixed up with perfumes and to Constantinople, met with one cloth of gold, we meet with a litter of these terrific pets, who used to of tame lions. (Conde, Domina- follow his master, Hassan Pacha, cion de los Arabes, tom. iii. pp. about like a dog. 163, 183.) This latter symbol