All Christian captives should be liberated without ransom.  Boabdil and his principal cavaliers should take an oath of fealty to the Castilian crown, and certain valuable territories in the Alpujarra mountains should be assigned to the Moorish monarch for his maintenance.  The Moors of Granada should become subjects of the Spanish sovereigns, retaining their possessions, their arms and horses, and yielding up nothing but their artillery.  They should be protected in the exercise of their religion, and governed by their own laws, administered by cadis of their own faith, under governors appointed by the sovereigns.  They should be exempted from tribute for three years, after which term they should pay the same that they had been accustomed to render to their native monarchs.  Those who chose to depart for Africa within three years should be provided with a passage for themselves and their effects, free of charge, from whatever port they should prefer.

For the fulfilment of these articles four hundred hostages from the principal families were required, previous to the surrender, to be subsequently restored.  The son of the King of Granada, and all other hostages in possession of the Castilian sovereigns, were to be restored at the same time.  Such were the conditions that the vizier Abul Kazim laid before the council of Granada as the best that could be obtained from the besieging foe.  When the members of the council found that the awful moment had arrived when they were to sign and seal the perdition of their empire and blot themselves out as a nation, all firmness deserted them and many gave way to tears.  Musa alone retained an unaltered mien.  “Leave, seniors,” cried he, “this idle lamentation to helpless women and children:  we are men—­we have hearts, not to shed tender tears, but drops of blood.  I see the spirit of the people so cast down that it is impossible to save the kingdom.  Yet there still remains an alternative for noble minds—­a glorious death!  Let us die defending our liberty and avenging the woes of Granada.  Our mother Earth will receive her children into her bosom, safe from the chains and oppressions of the conqueror; or, should any fail a sepulchre to hide his remains, he will not want a sky to cover him.  Allah forbid it should be said the nobles of Granada feared to die in her defence!”

Musa ceased to speak, and a dead silence reigned in the assembly.  Boabdil looked anxiously around and scanned every face; but he read in them all the anxiety of careworn men, in whose hearts enthusiasm was dead, and who had grown callous to every chivalrous appeal.  “Allah Akbar!  God is great!” exclaimed he; “there is no god but God, and Mahomet is his prophet!  It is in vain to struggle against the will of heaven.  Too surely was it written in the book of fate that I should be unfortunate and the kingdom expire under my rule.”

“Allah Akbar!  God is great!” echoed the viziers and alfaquis; “the will of God be done!” So they all accorded with the King that these evils were preordained; that it was hopeless to contend with them; and that the terms offered by the Castilian monarchs were as favorable as could be expected.