Whenever he descended into the city it was in grand parade, on
horseback, surrounded by his guards, or in his state coach, an ancient
and unwieldy Spanish edifice of carved timber and gilt leather,
drawn by eight mules, with running footmen, outriders, and lackeys; on
which occasions he flattered himself he impressed every beholder
with awe and admiration as vicegerent of the king; though the wits
of Granada, particularly those who loitered about the palace of the
captain-general, were apt to sneer at his petty parade, and in
allusion to the vagrant character of his subjects, to greet him with
the appellation of "the king of the beggars." One of the most fruitful
sources of dispute between these two doughty rivals was the right
claimed by the governor to have all things passed free of duty through
the city, that were intended for the use of himself or his garrison.
By degrees this privilege had given rise to extensive smuggling. A
nest of contrabandistas took up their abode in the hovels of the
fortress, and the numerous caves in its vicinity, and drove a thriving
business under the connivance of the soldiers of the garrison.
The vigilance of the captain-general was aroused. He consulted his
legal adviser and factotum, a shrewd meddlesome escribano, or
notary, who rejoiced in an opportunity of perplexing the old potentate
of the Alhambra, and involving him in a maze of legal subtilties.
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