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in the crowns of cocoa-palms.

ts are in the spray? Oh, haply there
'n, white-wingèd they might chance to

anding in to make more fair ness unaltered of mankind.

come to water: nuts would fall,

le feet would climb the flower-flushed

ern talk would ring, and therewithal ns would desire the cool north land.

ould be as it had been before: eve there would be news to tell;

should hear them chant it o'er and o'er, now wags the world? '—'Well, gossip,

WAS

WASHINGTO died at Sun America's gr

of the Ninet ut soon tur Then in 1809 By Diedrich cessful burle The Sketch steries, and p England. and of the E England an abroad. The ong the friend of S "Wizard of his writings. the United Spain had a the color a romance is

and "The A ton" will st

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A

THE

HE Alh lated where they

SHINGTON IRVING

(G. P. Putnam Sons, Publishers)

ON IRVING, born in New York, 1783, and nyside-on-the-Hudson, 1859. His was eatest literary name in the earlier half ceenth Century. He first studied law, ned to literature. His fame was made → appeared "A History of New York Knickerbocker -one of the most sucsques in the language. Then followed Book," an assemblage of delightful en pictures of historic places, especially The account of Westminster Abbey, English Christmas were very popular in d did much to give him recognition years spent in Great Britain were pleasantest of his life. He became a cott, and his great admiration for the the North" often finds expression in In 1829 he was appointed secretary to States Legation at Madrid. Life in peculiar fascination for him; and all nd romance of Moorish and Spanish found in his Conquest of Granada," lhambra." Irving's "Life of Washingand as his greatest historical work.

66

A MOORISH PALACE

(From "The Alhambra ")

ambra is an ancient fortress or castelpalace of the Moorish kings of Granada, held dominion over this their boasted

rs, stretch irregularly round the whole lofty hill that overlooks the city, and ire of the Sierra Nevada or Snowy Moun

me of the Moors the fortress was capable ng an army of forty thousand men within ts, and served occasionally as a stronge sovereigns against their rebellious suber the kingdom had passed into the hands ristians, the Alhambra continued a royal nd was occasionally inhabited by the Casarchs. The Emperor Charles V. began a palace within its walls, but was deterred pleting it by repeated shocks of earthhe last royal residents were Philip V. and ul Queen Elizabetta of Parma, early in the century.

...

ther garmen siping with We now fou ed with bea ious footpa

The seats and

ft we beheld Sove us; to c rine we were

rocky emine erres Verme om their ru hey are of a

Some suppose ans; others ans. Ascend Arrived at the orming a kin e main entra can was and ounting gua Trapped in th enches. This from the tribu Moslem denon etty causes; a ns, and occas

our posada of La Espada, we traversed ned square of the Vivarrambla, once the Moorish jousts and tournaments, now a arket-place. From thence we proceeded Zacatin, the main street of what was the ar in the time of the Moors, where the and narrow alleys still retain their Oriener. Crossing an open place in front of of the captain-general, we ascended a nd winding street, the name of which reof the chivalric days of Granada. It is Calle, or street, of the Gomeres, from a amily famous in chronicle and song. led up to a mansion gateway of Grecian e, built by Charles V., forming the > the domains of the Alhambra.

ate were two or three ragged and superanliers dozing on a stone bench, the succes

res.

The great ve
an immense
ich springs
the keystone of
Within the ve
engraven
Tho pretend t

...

ts, was lounging in the sunshine, and I an ancient sentinel on duty. und ourselves in a deep narrow ravine utiful groves, with a steep avenue and ths winding through it, bordered with d ornamented with fountains. To our I the towers of the Alhambra beetling our right on the opposite side of the e equally dominated by rival towers on ence. These, we were told, were the ejos or Vermilion Towers, so called ddy hue. No one knows their origin. date much anterior to the Alhambra. e them to have been built by the Roby some wandering colony of Phoeniding the steep and shady avenue, we

foot of a huge square Moorish tower, nd of barbican, through which passed -ance to the fortress. Within the barother group of veteran invalids; one ard at the portal, while the rest, heir tattered cloaks, slept on the stone s portal is called the Gate of Justice, unal held within its porch during the mination, for the immediate trial of a custom common to the Oriental naasionally alluded to in the sacred Scrip

On

estibule or porch of the gate is formed se Arabian arch of the horseshoe form, s to half the height of the tower. of this arch is engraven a gigantic hand. estibule, on the keystone of the portal, in like manner a gigantic key. Those to some knowledge of Mahometan sym

ndalusia, in opposition to the Christian the cross....

ssing through the barbican we ascended a

e winding between walls, and came on an nade within the fortress, called the Plaza ibes, or Place of the Cisterns, from great which undermine it, cut in the living rock ors for the supply of the fortress. Here well of immense depth, furnishing the nd coldest of water,-another

monu

the delicate taste of the Moors, who atigable in their exertions to obtain that its crystal purity.

of this esplanade is the splendid pile by Charles V., intended it is said to residence of the Moslem kings. With deur and architectural merit, it appeared an arrogant intrusion; and passing by it, I a simple unostentatious portal opening terior of the Moorish palace.

ed their d

Support the the days of eds, and s

pen filigre hite marbl ther parts ather than raceful tas zent. When peristyles, a the walls. it survived the of earthqual though no traveler. It tradition tha charm.

sition was almost magical; it seemed as at once transported into other times and lm, and were treading the scenes of AraWe found ourselves in a great court, white marble and decorated at each end Moorish peristyles. It is called the Court erca. In the center was an immense basin , a hundred and thirty feet in length by readth, stocked with gold-fish and boredges of roses. At the upper end of this the great tower of Comares.

e lower end we passed through a Moorish to the renowned Court of Lions. There of the edifice that gives us a more comof its original beauty and magnificence

On one sid
opens into a
called the H
antern admi

free circulat
is incrusted
hich are em
monarchs; t

stucco work

large plates
as to have the
Sculptured by
dful arabes
Koran and
Celtic charact

Cupolas are r
with lapis la

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