"You do well," said she, "to weep as a woman over what you
could not defend as a man"; a speech savoring more of the pride of the
princess than the tenderness of the mother.
When this anecdote was related to Charles V by Bishop Guevara, the
emperor joined in the expression of scorn at the weakness of the
wavering Boabdil. "Had I been he, or he been I," said the haughty
potentate, "I would rather have made this Alhambra my sepulchre than
have lived without a kingdom in the Alpuxarra." How easy it is for
those in power and prosperity to preach heroism to the vanquished! how
little can they understand that life itself may rise in value with the
unfortunate, when nought but life remains I
Slowly descending the "Hill of Tears," I let my horse take his own
loitering gait back to Granada, while I turned the story of the
unfortunate Boabdil over in my mind. In summing up the particulars I
found the balance inclining in his favor. Throughout the whole of
his brief, turbulent, and disastrous reign, he gives evidence of a
mild and amiable character. He, in the first instance, won the
hearts of his people by his affable and gracious manners; he was
always placable, and never inflicted any severity of punishment upon
those who occasionally rebelled against him. He was personally
brave; but wanted moral courage; and, in times of difficulty and
perplexity, was wavering and irresolute.
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