The days of the Crusades are gone, but the spirit of chivalry abides
to-day as then.
When Captain Moreu, of the Spanish cruiser _Cristobal
Colon_, was in New York, he was interviewed by a reporter
who, in the excess of his patriotism, put this rather indelicate
question to the vanquished naval officer: “What do you think,
Captain Moreu, of the chivalry of a nation whose women greet the
admiral of a hostile power with kisses and flowers?” a reference
to the way Admiral Cervera was lionized by American women on
his way to a military prison. The bluff old captain of the
_Colon_, who spoke English fluently, lifted his eyebrows,
and, smiling indulgently, politely replied: “And what do you
think of an admiral who could draw your brave Hobson from the
water and kiss him in admiration of his courage? Remember, young
man, chivalry is the monopoly of no nation.” (Text.)
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