The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-07-06
Misrellaneons.
cordova in Spain.

yVFrrspontsni Of the SAn FrauciscO Bal!ei "a
writes Of this place Is follow.
But how shall describe CoFdova The city
that has most Of all surprised ne TIE CITY the
least European of all the cities in Europe Os
great Antiquity. IL was place OF importance 10
the paradise DAYS VI Rome. Cesar Augustus
built the bridge which 90 this day spAns the
sparkling waters Of the GuadslqniVer, end pro-
mses 30 cross sAsey the gentle and surefoo'ed a.
ses Of tordova. hack and forth any tine ibis
thousand teafs 70 cone. Bat i IL 20 lslani that
Cordova owes al her glories. Whtn the hery
companions Of ihs prophet had borne the Crescent
from the EuphrAies 10 ihe pillars ofiiefCales they
did no; weep like Alexander. but cOursgeogsly
turned north 10 search Of Other worlds 10 eou-
qusf-inviied. II is said by irSi;ofous Christian
10 the county. thet soon oVerFan u eomplei,ly
aud here At CofdovA the Moorish cOnquefors
established their capital. la history from this
time. how Il grew ia wealth aud power until the
chief srai Of the Nahomrdan CaliPhaie was es,ab-
lisbed on the hanks Of the &tsdalquiyer. where
commeFCe was fosi,red man ndssriures encouraged.
and art nursed into life aud vigor, till the schools
Of Cordova were the OIfords aud Yales, iis ira-
ders and manufacturers, the merchant princes,
aud Leather Lords OF the world il q story too
os,eu repeated 10 require more ,aan mention. Bot
how could IL have becn. ] asked myself time and
again. - wandered about iis deserted streets
aud ruined palaces and gardens. had heard
Of all this, aud as ali DO iu such oases hal FOR.
med some idea Of what the place was like iias
the reader ever seen picture u the interior Of
Damascus, with ito streets just wide enough for
tao donkeys 10 meet and pass, with It's square,
unornamenied dead walls for the fronts Of the
buildings, cobbler or . merchant sitting At his
business 10 little nook dug ou, of the side or
against the wall, just as a man would cit Ia a
large packing boz turned on lie side Such is
Cordova
a-.l ~. H. d..
forty feet 10 Width seems 10 bridge over The whole
gap in history, the dark ages and medieval fogs
that lay between this day of steam engines and
industrial greatness aud that Of iramping cohorts
and cars VI triumph. The bridge would have
bsen built no wider aud no more substantial II
built to-day, With unlimited means at command.
Yet, during 6ftesn hundred or more years Of ne
Duration the laden ass has passed over its spa.
eious surfaces 10 enter the streets u great city,
feeling bic way along the centre stone 10 avoid
damaging the burden against projecting walls.
Truly the Romans were iar-seeing and liberal
people. Al the centre Of the bridge stands sta.
tutc Of 81. Raphael. the patron and protector Of
Cordova. Passing this. We leaned over The
parapet and watched the waters of the Guadal.
quiver sparkling In the moonlight a. they rippled
along on their way 10 the sca. Facing the town,
We could see on the len fihe bridge the walls Of
the AlcaEar garden, with ib four commanding
towers, where the CAliph bad walked beneath
the pomegranate groves and predicted the ever
lasting duration Of the Empire. II from lhess
walls the seommander Of the Faithful. % 10 claimed
by Arabian tradition. could count 900, 900 dwell.
lings, $1,000 palaces, and 900 baths u was bal
. pardonabls vanity 70 believe tha, no humar
power could snbveft bis authority. But be 4
gone and with him all that was hIs, and ssill the
old bridge stands ~ 6rm and sirongas the day
the Roman mason raped his trowel upon ii
last stone. Il has outlived Cesar and AIarie, h
has survived The Ummeyallis. and nav the Hare
burgs and the Bourbons
Al the end Of the bridge stands the Mosque o
Cordova, with lie vast Moorish tower, nom which
the Muzsin for more than 500 years summoned
the pious hussulmans Of The city 10 prayer. Re
turning from the bridge, Il stands on The riet
Of ths narrow street. while the Alcasar gardens
and ruined palace occuplss the len. The holy
zeal Of lis Christian cap,OD has done much 4
deprive u of iis peculiar character. But wishou
totally demolishing the last pits, Il was impossi
bio 10 make u other than . palace Of OrIenla
marvels. Such structures can only be described
By architects 10 architects Read the story o.
70 sleep. You may dream Of this, or another q
good. 0ne pecaliarity about Moorish archiisc.
turs ls the power of giving vast room and pro
ducing huge Effects, without what would, 10 eli
new styles, be considered the necessary heiaht
The Mosque ai Cordova ls $40 fest long by IS,
feet In breadth. This 10 one OF the largest bull
dings In Europe, AID ye, Il 10 no more than 81
feet ffom the floor 70 The roof. OF The siricsl,
Mahomedan portion, one small room, OF chancsl
nearly circular In FORM and - ftel ln diameter
alone was spared BY the conqueroFs. u was II,
Min-Fap, or sanctum. In u was kept the pulpi
of Al Hakem, the 6aest IN The Moslem world. q
was all Of ivory aud precious woods aud stones
lnlaid and fastened with golden nails, and COS
sl2 200, 900. In !, was Kept the famous copy o