Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-02
THE BRIDE OF AsEN AeEp.
An Echo of Moorish Romance stiu Haunt
Ing Seville.


Aben Abed, the Moorish king of Granada.
who succeeded his father, AL Motadhid the
Cruel, in 1905, lives in the history of Spain
as one OF its most romantic figures Poetry
was his pastiIne poets were his favorites and
bis ministers. His misfortunes, his banish-
ment and death still touch chord of SYM
pathy in the breasts of all to whom his check
cred career known. The most romantic
episode In 1t, story historically true is his
meeting with his future queen
One evening the king was wandering with
Ben -Amar, tie poet, and his chief favorite.
along the bank of the Guadalquiver, near the
place where the Silver tower then stood, and
where the Paseo with its handsome ouays
now affords the favorite promenade to mod
ern Sevliiians. A gentle breeze was playing
on the surface of the river, rufiing it into a
multitude of yavelets that sparkled in the
evening sun.
The wind and sun upon the stream
Like burns hed mail have made it geam,
the prince exclaimed improvising the first
part of couplet, which he challenged his
friend to complete. Ben Amar hesitated
ana before he had time to answer, one of the
Moorish girls who had come down to draw
water and stood beside them with her full
pitcher balanced Oh her head responded to
the challenge:
And were the frost To lend his aid
what smitl had stronger mail ere NADER
such reaclleS in improvising was certain
IN itself to impress the prince, but when he
turned to the authoress of the couplet and
found her looks as attractive as her wit, he
teli paSsonately i'll love and ordered her
to be convey forthwith tn the alcazar
Thlther he hi nself FASTENED, eager To learn
her name and circumstances She was called
ltamid, She told him, and WAS the slave of
Romlac, the muleteer. Nothing baflled by
her low origin, Ahen-Ab determined to
buy her liberty and make her his queen.
ms strange union did not turn out unhap-
ply. ltamid'S constant gayety and love of
music and poetry were well fitted to make her
royal husband happy; while her devoted at
tachment To lin in his days of misfortune
shows that her nature was not without its
noble side. Hut her caprices were endless,
and the kinSf indulgence of them was the
source of cons ant scandal to the more seri
Gus of his coultiers
Numerous stories of these have come down
TO us, and if not all true they are probably
at least characteristic. One will suffice as a
specimen The king and queen were in Cor
dova one February, when there occurred
what Is still rare phenomenon i'll Spain-a
shower of snow. The queen stood in win
dow in the palace watching the snow flakes
fall thick and heavy, till the whole ground
was covered with mantle of dazzling white
After gazing for some time at scene to her
at once so move and SO beautiful, she burst into
tears. The king was at her side in a moment,
tenderly asking the cause of her grief. Thou
dost not love me as | love thee" she an
swered, else hadst thou taken me to some
OF those far of lands where they tell me the
earth often cons this mantle of spotless
snow" The king kissed away her tears and
assured her that she should have snow in the
palace TO her hearts content; and sending
over the whole country side he collected the
white blossoms of the almond trees, then in
full bloom, eno made his slaves shower them
down like snow over the gardens of the pal
-Macmillan's Magazine