The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-01-22
A Glance at Granada and the Alhambra
BY FRANCIS SCHROEDER.

At twelve o'clock on the fourth, We de-
scended from the mountains of Lola, and
passing through ravinc, we entered upon
the iariamed Plain of Granada, that vast
and beautiful meadow, the garden of the lux
urious Moor for almost eight hundred years,
and the theatre of more gallant and knight
" chvalry than all the crusader battle fields
of Syria.
1t is about thirty miles long and sixteen
broad, of irregular shape, and on one edge
of it is the city of Granada, We entered
upon the Vega at point about fifteen miles
from the city, and on each side Of US, there
fore, as we descended from the Sierra, the
valley opened upon us in all its wonderful
beauty set like some perfect and entire chrys-
olie among the ranged mountain barriers on
every side, the rich and ihickly- -peopled
country extending grand garden Of its own
various fruits, intersected by the graceful
curvincs of the Ncnl and Darro. Glitter
ing towns are interspcrscd in all the quaint
architecture of the Moors. Mountains en-
circle the fairy land in the most various out
line Imaginable, from the rich verdanl slope
to stepping crags and prccipiccs of marble,
and joining in the north, as at n focus, in the
snow-cad SUBMITS of the Sierra Nevada
Muahacen, with three exceptions the lofiiest
peak in Europe, appears 10 soar in snowy
grandeur far into the blue depths of the sky,
and Immediately at its base, on a sloping hill
side, is seated the present city OF Granada
] believe there is no such inland landscape
on earlh-the pure white city, gli;tcrine
halfmoon, clothing the ascent Of hill, as if
set up to be wondered at the buildings ris
ing in terraces, and decorated with the most
superb foliage, profusion of turrcts, and gild.
ed cupolas. The summit Of the hill scrown.
ed with the towers, rampalts, balconies, and
gardens Of the Alhamhra; the two rivers
like defensive moats, embrace the feet of the
city, and over against all, like the field foI
this Incompatible picture, is the grandeur o
Mulahacen. Between the summit OF the gi.
ant mountain, the outline of which is of the
most fantastic group Of SHOWS and glacier
between this irieid and unknown region and
the beautiful summer and fairy land at it,
base, the intervening sides are prccipices o
prodigious height OF rock, the color and al,
most the quality of porphyry, with cnormou,
ridges and deep ravines, through which the
mountain springs tumble n cataracts into the
Plain. The city is set in the relief of thi,
siupendous ridge, and around us or every
side the plain extends away in the contrast
Of luxurious summer. Such was our frs
view Of Granada across the Vega, every
rood of which has been ferliized with hu
man blood the great scene Of Moorish po
ctry, Of the glory Of Isabella, ana the arcni
Of the most chivalrous seeds Of man fo
centuries the seat of the splendor, pride, an(
luxury of the Moorish kings, and of a na
ton then far more advanced in arts ant
wealth ;han all Christendom. Gransda ever
yet lives in the hearts of the Arabs, as the
holy city lived in the ambition of the Crusa
ders. The Moor, however, exhibits tn,
more faithful constancy, for Jerusalem is wei
nigh forgotten by the Christians, while III,
recovery of Granada, a city for Il few year
only consccrated TO Mahomet, is still tht
cherished daily prayer of the Arabs.
Perhaps nothing can be SO disappointing
as the first view Of the Alhambra--a wretch
ed looking range of red structures (Alham'
bra, IN Arabic, meaning red house) with nc
elegance Of exterior, and no apparent order
was reminded of Sir Walters description
OF Monhbarns, apparently, some hamlet
had suddenly stool still in leading down one
Of Orpheus's country dances" The wall:
are quite unornamented, being gravel and
pebbles, daubed coarsely over with red plas
ter. But oh the Incompatible fairy world
within \ distant view of some rich opera
scene, or the minds gayest conception o.
Aladdin's palaces, are all that ! can liken tC
the sudden spendors we found within thesC
unpromising walls.
e There are not many things in all the work.
of man which can compete with this part o
the Alhambra in exquisite, minute, and elab
orate spendor; and one might fill cart
blanche from passages in the Arabian Nights
multiplied by the brains of all poets and al
architects, and still fail 10 convey the proper
impression. The aoting of size, extent, ant
method, would seem to cucumber the mind
and lead it in direction which never oc
ours tor moment to the spectator, | sup
pose ] was three hours in the Court of the
Lions aud the halls adjacent and never foi
a moment did il occur to- me to think how biz
it was, The whole soul of my admiration