Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-23
TOLEDO, THE ANCIENT
CAPITAL OF SPAIN.
slobts OF a City Which Was Founded Nearly Twenty
Centuries Ago.


scented u 20 the princess who was 30
charmed with the git that she at once
accepted the hand Of the giyer, accom-
panied him To France and was triumph
antly crowned his queen.
The Spaniards Of today incline TO the
belief that Gallana was either a myth,
or an nhdel pnchantress, whose wiles
neither Christian nor Moslem could re-
sist After her departure. Il is said
the celebrated King Al-Mamun took
possession of this palace and retired TO
Il IN bis intervals Of leisure, TO
study the heavens and prosecute
scientific researches IN company with
the wise men 0f his court To later
Arabs IL was known as THE Mansion OF
the Hours" because OF wonderful
clepsylra. or water-clock, constructed
IN its garden by the astrologer, Az-Zar-
kali This consisted Of two tanks. placed
at right angles TO each other and so
contrived by a complicated system
OF subterranean pipes and cisterns,
that they accurately measured time,
according 10 the phases Of the moon.
After Alfonso vi had appropriated the
palace. an lnQuisitive Jew. wishing TO
discover the secret Of the clepsydra's
mechanism. obtained permission to cN-
MlAlINN JUS INANFNNNN gu NAkNNNEiAAH AAN AWUh
the machinery apart, but was unable
10 put Il together again and thus IN
few hours destroyed one OF the
greatest curiosltles that human ingen-
uty had ever invented The Persian
wheel that raised the water and was
propelled by a sluice, stood between the
Tagus and the main entrance 10 the
palace. and less than fifty years ago
It's original piers were still IN use for
irrigating purposes.
FRAGMENTS OF MASONRY
and half-buried walls cropping up IN
all directions, indicate that Galianas
palace must have been OF far greater
extent than the portion now standing
would lead one 20 suppose The gos-
sipng Moorish chr0nlclers never weary
Of relating IFS wonders. They tell ua
that In King Golafre's day there was
a lake In the center OF the grounds. and
On the middle Of the lake an island,
and In the heart OF the Island a sum-
mer house. constructed entirely Of
stained glass. covered with golden and
jeWelled Inscriptions. Fountains were
set all around %, so arranged that the
water could De turned on al will from
inside, when their sprays played over
and completely enveloped the house.
cutting Il Of from the outer world un-
an the master chose 10 press the but
ton which stopped the flow Of water.
Here cooled by the artificial cascade,
whose drops refracted the rays Of the
sun and displayed the softened hues Of
the rainbow through It's transparent
roof the monarch took his slesta. re-
clinng upon damask cushions. famed
by female slayes-the very impersona-
ton Of sensual luxury II Is sad 10
See that what Is left Of the Mansion
Of the Hours" Is now a stable. It's ele-
giant Moorish windows walled 40 IT'S
artesonado ceiling fallen in-but their
mosaics vet glow Ike jewels amid the
filth that covers them. Soldiers have
occupied A. Dutch, French. Portu-
guese and English and for many years
Us noble reception hall served as a
barrack-kitc But though SCOT and
Crime have married It's graceful ara
bcsques. they have not By any means
destroyed thelf beauty.