Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-30
mo. ILL.,
What a Merchant Saw OF Europe.
GRANADA, SPAIN, !
Wednesday, March AID, II. !

GRANADA, SPAIN,
Wednesday, March AID, II.
Dear Ones at Home Two thousand
feet above sea level, at the northern base
of the snow-mantled Sierra Nevadas, upon
a plain which has been pronounced most
lovely of the world. rests Granada, the
Moorish Jewel. Founded in the tenth
century by the Moorish invaders, its
growth was almost in keeping with the
marvel of it's beauty and the charm of its
No wonder that Boabdil,
the last of its Moorish rulers, turned
weeping to say farewell, as for the last
time his eyes rested upon the glory of
Granada, with its countless spires, where
dwelt no less than eight hundred thou
sand of bis people, and sitting on the hill,
what the Aoropolis was to Athens, the
ALEXANDRIA was to Granada the browning
object of interest and one among the
worlds wonders. And here we are this
morning on the grounds of the same pal
ace. From the depot of Granada we
came, by starlight, last night, up the
steep hill and through the arohed gate
way traversing that avenue which is "the
pride of Granada and the boast of Spain"
to the Irving Hotel where, after night
of refreshing slumber, we are up with the
early birds and revealing in bounty of
sunshine and exhilaration of atmosphere
which one of US was heard to pronounce
"a day borrowed from paradise" The
famous Emanuel Bensakep, favorite of
Washington Irving, acting guide to the
Alhambra for more than forty years, has
zone to rest with his forefathers; and
Joseph Serfaty, his worthy pupil and for
tunate successor, is waiting TO do us SER
vice this morning. The most difficult of
nv attempts is to realize that tits the AL
hambra am about to visit 1t has always
been 80 much dream to me, like tale of
the Arabian Night, or a legend of old,
so that dropped down here as If by magic
and after nightfall, can't dispel the al
fusion of the ideal for the matter of fact
actual. My mind repeats again and again
the message sent to the emotions, "Tis
the Alhambra, the finest specimen of the
richest architecture of the world. It's
the veritable spot founded by Mahommed
Alhamar and conquered by Ferdinand
and Isabella, the same year in which Col
umbus discovered America. Irving's Al.
hambra, Irving's conquest of Granada,
don't you remember the wondrous AL
hambra ?" "Ob, yes" with bat little
feeling is the response; and now after
breakfast, as we leave the hotel, yet fail
to fully realize where we are and whence
we are now vending our way.
We follow Joseph down sloriug walk
lined on either side by outrageous old
English elma, planted by the Duke of
wellington, now passing fountains and
waterfalls, an impenetrsble mazo of YER
dure ON either eide, we approach the AL
hambrs, up the avenue leading to the fa-
nous "Gate of Justice" The fl ash of the
fountains, the internipgled ripple and
gurgle of the brooks whose source is
among the perpetual SHOWS of the noun
tains, and Whose volume of supply is
commensurate with the heat of the sun.
This garden spot of the world unlike
many others, has the most abundant sup
ply of cool, clear water, when the heat il
most intense, for then is the snow melted
and the streams bountifully fed. This
" Gate of Justice" we approach, del
icately sculptnred above its arch, has an
opeaed hand and key. My mind at
once reverts to Irving's description of
these, and am near the realizing sense
of this wondrous spot we are visiting. 1t
was the Moorish legend that these gates
of entrance would never be opened to the
hostile Christian until the hand should
grasp the key and thus give miraculous
token of Gods desire. The Christians
have occupied the palace these centuries,
and the Moors have been driven from all
Andalusia, yet the hand and the key are
the same cold stone as they were in the
18th century, when Aba Abdellah de-
creed the construction of the palace, and
Yusef 1st so gorgeously decorated it.
Passing under the arch and through the
gates, we come to the open plaza where a
number of Spanish soldiers are pitching
pennies, not exactly Tommy Dodd," but
q stake planted twenty feet distant from
the pitchers, close to which the winners
penny must fall, the pitcher of the penny
falling nearest the stake takes the entire
pool. Crossing the plaza to the famous
old Tower, Of the Comares," we pass
number of deerepid homely old Spanish
women and am reminded . of Irviug's re-
mark: II have; often observed that the
more proudly mansion he's been tenanted
in the day of prosperity, the humber are
its Inhabitants in the day. Of its decline,
and that the palace of cssKipg .cswmonly
ends in being the resting. place fke
bepgar. The ALEXANDRA is in q rapid |
state of similar transition. When ever |
tower falls to decay, it is sliced upon by
some characterization family, who become
joint tenants with the bats and owls, Of |
its gilded halls; and hang their rags